bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a Philosophy of Collaboration
Authors: Randrup Nils , Druckenmiller Douglas , Briggs Robert Owen
Published: June 2019

The authors find themselves in the midst of a global social transformation that is shaping the common perception of reality. The development of technology-enabled collaborative networks, virtual collaboration, structured collaboration processes, and digital team collaboration affects every part of society. Research on collaboration and collaboration systems has achieved sufficient maturity and scope that an overall conceptual definition of collaboration is now needed and possible. This article proposes a conceptual approach and terminology as a step towards bridging isolated communities of collaborating researchers in various fields. The authors offer a fundamental philosophical description of what collaboration is (and is not) based on relevant epistemological, metaphysical, and axiological insights derived from a synthesis of existing collaboration research, and the authors outline the most obvious needs for further research toward formalizing a more fully-realized philosophy of collaboration.
On Temporal Aspects in Cross-Cultural e-Collaboration Between Finland and Japan Research Teams
Authors: Heimbürger Anneli , Kiyoki Yasushi
Published: June 2019

Time is an essential dimension in cross-cultural e-collaboration among research project teams. Understanding temporal aspects and project dynamics in cross-cultural research e-collaboration and related processes can improve team members' skills in cross-cultural communication and increase their cultural competence. The present case cultures are Finnish and Japanese, and the case universities are the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and Keio University (Japan). Three issues are addressed in this article. First, cultural dimensions and time models in the cross-cultural e-collaboration context are discussed. Second, temporal aspects related to e-collaboration activities are introduced. Third, formal, ontological approaches for identifying and describing temporal entities in cross-cultural e-collaboration are presented and examples of applications are given. The objectives of this article are (1) to deepen the knowledge and understanding of temporal aspects (informal and formal) in a cross-cultural e-collaboration environment (CCeCE) and (2) to create know-how for designing CCeCE-like systems.
Assessing the Factors Affecting the Implementation of E-Government and Effect on Performance of DVLA
Authors: Gyamfi Gerald Dapaah , Gyan George , Ayebea Mavis , Nortey Florence Naa Norley , Baidoo Prince Yaw
Published: June 2019

Though many researchers have carried out studies on electronic government (e-government) and its effect on performance of public organizations in developed countries not much such studies have taken place in developing countries, creating a gap in literature. The current study seeks to fill the gap. The study highlights the factors affecting the implementation and sustainability of E-government and effect of the factors on performance of the driver and vehicle licensing agency (DVLA) in Ghana. The study used purposive sampling technique to gather data from the DVLA (N-50) in 2016. The outcome of the study revealed that the challenges that impede the successful implementation of e-government include regular interruption of the electricity supply, online theft, poor ICT infrastructure, and financial constraints. Based on the benefits associated with the implementation of e-government, the current researchers made recommendations for long-term sustainability of e-government.
The Accessibility, Usability, Quality and Readability of Turkish State and Local Government Websites an Exploratory Study
Authors: Akgül Yakup
Published: June 2019

With significant development in Internet technology contributing to daily lives in nearly every aspect, it is important that government websites and e-government services offered through them are used effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily. Achieving accessible, usable, qualified, and readable e-government services that enable citizens to fulfill different users' requirements by everyone involved in the target group, implying a lack of equality between disabled and non-disabled people in benefiting from online governmental services regardless of time and location constraints, has become a global aim. This study investigated whether the websites of the state and local level e-government in the Turkish Republic comply with prevailing standards of accessibility, heuristic usability, mobile readiness, performance and, the readability of website content with six different indices and whether these qualities depend on the type of the government websites. After examining 77 state and 247 local e-government sites, the results indicate that the Turkish government websites have made many of the accessibility, usability, quality, and readability mistakes as predicted. In light of the study findings, this paper will present some recommendations for improving Turkish government websites, as well as discuss future implications.
A Comparative Objective Assessment on Mesh-Based and SVM-Based 3D Reconstruction of MRI Brain
Authors: Joseph Sushitha Susan , Aju D.
Published: June 2019

Three-dimensional reconstruction is the process of acquiring the volumetric information from two dimensions, converting and representing it in three dimensions. The reconstructed images play a vital role in the disease diagnosis, treatment and surgery. Brain surgery is one of the main treatment options following the diagnosis of brain damage. The risk associated with brain surgery is high. Reconstructed brain images help the surgeons to visualize the exact location of tumor, plan and perform the surgical procedures from craniotomy to tumor resection with high precision. This survey provides an overview of the three-dimensional reconstruction techniques in MRI brain and brain tumors. The triangle generation methods and support vector machine methods are briefly described. The advantages and disadvantages of each method is discussed. The comparison reveals that Immune Sphere Shaped Support Vector Machine is the best choice when execution time is considered and triangle mesh generation algorithm is the best when visual quality is considered.
Identifying Subtypes of Cancer Using Genomic Data by Applying Data Mining Techniques
Authors: Upadhyay Tejal , Patel Samir
Published: June 2019

This article is about the study of genomics structures and identifying cancer types from it. It divides into six parts. The first part is about the introduction of cancer, types of cancers, how cancer arises, etc. The second part is about the genomic study and how cancer is related to that, which features are used for the study. The third part is about the software which the authors have used to study these genomic structures, which data sets are used, and what is the final output for this study. The fourth part shows the proposed algorithm for the study. The fifth part shows the data preprocessing and clustering. Different preprocessing and clustering algorithms are used. The sixth part shows the results and conclusion with a future scope. The genomics data which is used by this article is taken from the Cancer Genome Atlas data portal which is freely available. Some applied imputation techniques fill up for the missing values and important features are extracted. Different clustering algorithms are applied on genome dataset and results are generated.
Women in American Labour Movement
Authors: Fields Marjory Diana
Published: June 2019

In this article, the author examines the history of exclusion and sex-based discrimination against U.S. women workers seeking to join unions established by men. The author describes how groups of women and girls working in fabric mills in the 19th Century took strike action against work speed up and increased production requirements, making demands for higher wages, equal pay with men, improved working conditions, clean water, health care and time off. Then, in the early 20th century, women teachers formed their own unions to gain increased pay and pension plans, and for social justice. These unions continue to the present seeking also social justice and exercising political power.
Hydrothermal Synthesis and Study of the Properties of the System ZrW2-xMoxO7(OH)2·2H2O (0≤x≤2)
Authors: Petrushina Mariya Yu. , Dedova Elena , Gubanov Alexander , Ruban Natalya , Kirilovich Anastasya , Topchian Polina , Portnyagin Arseniy
Published: June 2019

The ZrW2-xMoxO8 (0≤x≤2) system has a unique property - a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), that is it shrinks when heated. Such materials solve the problem of undesirable thermal expansion of composites in many areas. In contradistinction to ZrW2O8 and ZrMo2O8, this system has anomalously low CTE values [1,2] and adverse phase transition is shifted to a lower temperature, unlikely area for operation [3,4]. At the same time, the fundamental question remains about the mechanism of formation of ZrW2-xMoxO8(0≤x≤2). According to [5,6], pure cubic ZrW2O8 and ZrMo2O8 are obtained by thermal decomposition of the precursor ZrM2O7(OH)2· 2H2O, where (M = Mo, W). However, the structure of the precursor is extremely sensitive to various changes in the synthesis process. To date, there are a number of works devoted to the hydrothermal synthesis of precursors ZrW2-xMoxO7(OH)2·2H2O (0≤x≤2) solid solutions, however, not all formulations were obtained during the hydrothermal reaction. The study of their thermal properties, as well as structural and phase transformations are not fully studied. Within the paper it was first time proposed to obtain full number of nanosized materials by the hydrothermal method and also to study the nature of the thermal expansion of each member of the solid solution. The obtained data will solve many technical problems associated with dimensional nonvariance in the electronic, oil and gas, optical industry, medicine and rocket engineering.
Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy to Study Fossil Inclusion in Baltic Amber, a New Approach
Authors: Zakharenko Alexander Mikhailovich , Golokhvast Kirill Sergeevich
Published: June 2019

We demonstrate that confocal laser scanning microscopy could be successfully used for rapid search of the organisms in the dark part of the amber samples. Combination of mid-infrared spectroscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy and optical microscopy, allowed to identify and assess the quality of Baltic amber with fossil inclusion. Inclusion was identified as a spider from suborder Araneomorphae family Typhlopidae and it was struck by the mycelium.
Therapeutic nanoproducts: from biology to innovative technology
Authors: Stefania Meschini, Michele Caraglia Scientific Coordinators:
Published: June 2019

Proceedings of the Conference Therapeutic nanoproducts: from biology to innovative technology - Rome, 19-20 June 2019

Co-Organized by Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and Associazione Italiana di Colture Cellulari (AICC)
Relationship between body mass and clinical response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for major depressive disorder
Authors: Davila Maria Cristina , Ely Brianna , Manzardo Ann M.
Published: June 2019

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proven to be efficacious in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We previously examined the effectiveness of rTMS for MDD in an applied clinical setting, AwakeningsKC Clinical Neuroscience Institute (CNI) and found high remission rates for patients diagnosed with MDD following rTMS treatment. An unexpected relationship with body composition and rTMS unit was discovered. This sub-study extends the previous investigation through a focused analysis of the effects of body composition on response to rTMS in the treatment of MDD. We utilized data collected from a retrospective review of medical records for patients diagnosed with MDD undergoing rTMS therapy at AwakeningsKC CNI. Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) scores, time to remission status and body mass index (BMI) at baseline were considered while referencing two different rTMS instruments (MagVenture; NeuroStar). We found 23 (9%) of 247 participants met criteria for obese status (BMI≥30) with an average baseline PHQ-9 score of 22±4, classified as “severe depression”. Obesity status was differentially impacted by the rTMS instrument used for treatment. Patients with obesity showed a shorter time to remission (mean 2.7±0.27 vs. mean 3.4±0.3 weeks) and proportionately greater remission rate (100% vs. 71%) when treated using the MagVenture relative to the NeuroStar instrument. Clinical response to rTMS therapy for MDD appears to be guided by individual factors including body composition and rTMS parameters such as the unit used for treatment. Further study of these influences could aid in the optimization of clinical response to rTMS.
Diagnostic utility of PET/CT in a patient with miliary tuberculosis
Authors: Tetikkurt Cuneyt , Inci Nurbanu , Yanardag Hail
Published: June 2019

A 63-year-old male presented with loss of appetite, subfebrile fever, swelling of the right hand and dyspnea on exertion for three months. Past medical history revealed methotrexate treatment of six months for rheumatoid arthritis. Chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) revealed diffuse miliary nodules. PET/CT scan demonstrated diffuse FDG uptake in both lungs, in the spleen, in the right hand, the mediastinal and the axillary lymph nodes. MR of the right hand showed inflammatory arthritis. Histopathology of the right hand tru-cut biopsy revealed degenerative changes. Culture of the hand biopsy tissue was positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis. PET/CT may determine the biopsy and the sampling sites for the early diagnosis of patients with suspected miliary tuberculosis where lesion identification on other modalities may be difficult or unfeasible. High sensitivity for inflammatory diseases makes PET/CT a useful diagnostic utility for enabling early diagnosis in miliary tuberculosis which is a diagnostic predicament.
Endoscopic Biliary Stenting for Portal Biliopathy Perforating Paracholedochal Collateral: A Rare Complication
Authors: Goyal Kartik , Hussain Sabir , Garg Pawan Kumar , Bhargava Narender , Varshney Vaibhav Kumar
Published: June 2019

Extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) usually presents with upper gastrointestinal bleed in the first decade. Symptomatic portal hypertensive biliopathy is seen in minority of patients with EHPVO. With the use of endoscopic intervention, biliary drainage is maintained in these patients. Various procedural complications have been linked while performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and stenting; however, these are managed conservatively. Here, we are highlighting a case of EHPVO with symptomatic portal biliopathy who bled from paracholedochal collateral after biliary stenting and managed successfully with multidisciplinary approach.
Duplex-guided infra-popliteal balloon angioplasty in critical limb ischemia
Authors: Abdel Wahab Maisa A. , Saleh Ola I. , Elshahat Randa S.
Published: June 2019

Background

Angioplasty carries lower morbidity and mortality in comparison with surgery and would be considered as the treatment of choice in majority of patients with critical limb ischemia,. Endovascular procedures conventionally employ ionic contrast agent and radiation.

Aim of the work

We aim to evaluate infra-popliteal balloon angioplasty in critical limb ischemia under duplex ultrasound (U/S) guidance to avoid the potential side effects of ionic contrast agent and radiation.

Patients and methods

A prospective study on 28 patients with infra-popliteal steno-occlusive disease was admitted to our Vascular Department during a period from July 2016 to June 2018. Duplex guidance was used for patients with stenotic and occlusive lesions to perform balloon dilation. Seven patients presented with diagnostic computed tomography angiography preprocedure in the outpatient clinic and confirm the diagnosis with duplex U/S study and the rest of the patients was diagnosed by duplex U/S to avoid the hazards of angiography and then follow-up scanning by duplex U/S were done after 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months.

Results

The early technical success rate was 92.9%. Primary patency rate was 92.9, 85.7, and 78.6% after 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months, respectively. Immediate clinical success to all patients with rest pain (100%) and there was clinical improvement in wound healing after 1 month and 6 months (91.7%).

Conclusion

Angioplasty of infra-popliteal arterial occlusive disease under Duplex guidance should be more harmless than using fluoroscopy and effective procedure with accepted results.
Airway management in morbidly obese adolescents
Authors: Sabra Mostafa M.
Published: June 2019

Background and aim

Pediatric patients presenting to bariatric surgery is increasing in percentage in the last years and has become a fast growing epidemic problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of Bonfils fiberscope (BF-L) and fiberoptic bronchoscope (FO-L), assisted by direct laryngoscopy for intubation in morbidly obese adolescents with predicted easy intubation using the El-Ganzouri risk index score.

Patients and methods

Thirty adolescent American Society of Anesthesiologist II–III patients, aged 12–19 years, scheduled for laparoscopic bariatric surgery were randomized into two equal groups for intubation, with assistance of regular Mackintosh laryngoscope in both groups, either group BF-L and group FO-L. The standard protocol for general anesthesia was used for both groups. The primary outcome measure was the visualization quality using the percentage of glottis opening score. The secondary outcome measures were: duration of intubation and number of intubation attempts.

Results

Percentage of glottis opening scores were significantly better in group BF-L, when compared with group FO-L (93±6.44%/83±8%, respectively, P=0.002). The intubation success rate was 100% in both groups, and the mean intubation time was significantly longer (16±4.67 s) in group FO-L compared with 11±3.50 s in group BF-L (P=0.02). As regards the number of attempts, all patients were successfully intubated on the first attempt in group BF-L, while intubation was successful in 14 patients in group FO-L and one patient on the second attempt, which was statistically insignificant (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Orotracheal intubation was performed more rapidly and easily with BF-L and FO-L, with superiority of BF-L than FO-L in patients with predicted easy intubation using the El-Ganzouri risk index score
Prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis
Authors: El-Dosoky Hesham , El Zokm Saad M. , Abd El-Hamid El Sayed , State Yousra Abo
Published: June 2019

Background and aim

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of chronic arthritis and represents a major cause of pain and disability. Prolotherapy is an injection of hypertonic dextrose used for painful chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions, including knee OA.

Patients and methods

This study was done to evaluate the effect of prolotherapy in treatment of knee OA. It was carried out on 200 patients with mild to moderate knee OA. The patients were classified into two groups: group 1 (100 patients) was treated by prolotherapy at 1, 5, and 9 weeks with re-evaluation after 6 months, and group 2 (100 patients) was treated by NSAIDS and physiotherapy for 6 months and served as a control group.

Results

The 6-month post-treatment visual analog scale and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index showed significant difference in pain, stiffness, and functional disability (P=0.001 and 0.043; 0.032 and 0.027; and 0.007 and 0.015, respectively) in both groups when compared with the baseline. However, on comparing both groups after treatment, we noticed significant difference in pain and disability favoring group 1 (P=0.031 and 0.048, respectively), whereas stiffness did not show significant difference between them (P=0.83). By knee ultrasound, degree of synovitis showed significant difference in groups 1 and 2 when compared with the baseline (P=0.004 and 0.007, respectively), but other parameters showed no significant differences. However, when comparing both groups after treatment, we noticed significant difference in cartilage thickness favoring group 1 (P=0.01), whereas other parameters did not show significant difference between them, although the degree, signs, and symptoms of knee effusion were improved in favor of prolotherapy group.

Conclusion

Prolotherapy is a promising line for treatment of knee OA. Prolotherapy reduces pain and improves the functional status in patients with knee OA.
Comparative study the levels of plasma transforming growth factor-β1, serum crp, fecal lactoferrin, and fecal calprotectin as biomarkers for disease activity in Egyptian patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Kassem Arafat , Shabana Hosam A.S. , Aboelenin Mabrouk M.
Published: June 2019

Aim

This study aimed to analyze the utility of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), C-reactive protein (CRP), fecal lactoferrin (LF), fecal calprotectin, and the Mayo score for severity of ulcerative colitis (UC) in monitoring disease activity in Egyptian patients with UC.

Patients and methods

This study was carried out on 130 patients with UC and scored according to the Mayo score for severity of UC. Patients and controls were exposed to fecal and blood samples to assess TGF-β1, CRP, fecal LF, and fecal calprotectin.

Results

The values of TGF-β1, CRP, fecal LF, and fecal calprotectin in UC patients (n=130) compared with controls (n=30) were as follows: TGF-β1: 489.32±315.68 versus 5.93±1.81 pg/ml, CRP: 15.97±9.13 versus 3.17±0.95 mg/l, fecal LF: 497.06±448.95 versus 7.01±4.00 μg/g, fecal calprotectin: 809.70±554.36 versus 36.33±15.51 µg/g (for all P<0.001). The parameters of Mayo Score that determine the severity of ulcerative colitis correlated significantly with TGF-β1 (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient r=0.925), CRP (r=0.957), LF (r=0.932), and calprotectin (r=0.953). TGF-β1, CRP, fecal LF, and calprotectin levels were significantly lower in UC patients with inactive disease (TGF-β1: 46.4±37.1 pg/ml; CRP: 4.8±1.3; LF: 28.6±28.3 μg/g; calprotectin: 71.7±24.2 µg/g; P<0.001 for both LF and calprotectin, but P>0.05 for both TGF-β1, and CRP) compared with patients with mild (TGF-β1: 343.4±110.7 pg/ml; CRP: 9.8±2.1; LF: 177.8±66.8 μg/g; calprotectin: 459.0±206.7 µg/g; P<0.001), moderate (TGF-β1: 640.6±141.0 pg/ml; CRP: 18.6±3.5; LF: 561.0±181.9 μg/g; calprotectin: 1080.8±224.1 µg/g; P<0.001), and high active disease (TGF-β1: 814.5±132.9 pg/ml; CRP: 27.1±3.0; LF: 1048.3±296.8 μg/g; and calprotectin: 1421.7±95.5 µg/g; P<0.001). The overall accuracy for the detection of histopathologic active disease was 87.7% for TGF-β1, 89.2% for the Mayo score for severity of UC, 84.6% for CRP, 90% for fecal LF, and 91.5 for fecal calprotectin.

Conclusion

Fecal LF, fecal calprotectin and TGF-β1, and CRP correlated significantly with the Mayo score for UC and histopathology. Furthermore, calprotectin and LF are appropriate markers that can distinguish endoscopic and histopathologic inactive from active disease. Also, TGF-β1 and CRP were used as suitable markers to differentiate mild from moderate and the moderate from high active disease. Thus, these four biomarkers may be used for surveillance of UC activity.
Inadequate serum hepcidin levels in chronic hepatitis C infection-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Ali Samia T. , Mohamed Nagwa A.
Published: June 2019

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. In addition to established liver injury, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most important extrahepatic metabolic disorders that are attributed to HCV infection.

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of HCV infection in the development of T2DM through the assessment of serum hepcidin levels.

Patients and methods

The study included 60 Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection who were divided according to the presence and absence of diabetes into two groups: 30 HCV-positive patients who developed diabetes mellitus during the course of HCV infection (HCV-T2DM patients) and 30 HCV-positive patients without T2DM (HCV patients) and 20 healthy individuals as a control group (age and sex matched). They were subjected to a full assessment of medical history, clinical examination, abdominal ultrasound, and laboratory investigations including complete blood count, liver function tests, fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting insulin, serum hepcidin, serum ferritin, serum iron, and transferrin saturation. Serum hepcidin, ferritin, and insulin were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

We found that serum hepcidin was statistically significantly lower in HCV patients than in controls (P<0.0001). Also, serum hepcidin in HCV-T2DM patients was statistically significantly lower than that in HCV-positive patients (P<0.05). Serum ferritin was statistically significantly higher in HCV-positive patients than in controls (P<0.0001). Also, serum ferritin was statistically significantly higher in HCV-T2DM patients than in HCV patients (P<0.0001). Serum iron and serum transferrin saturation were statistically significantly higher in HCV-T2DM patients than HCV-positive patients (P<0.0001 and <0.0001, respectively). There was a statistically significant increase in fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and fasting insulin in HCV-T2DM patients compared with HCV nondiabetic patients (P<0.0001 for all). Also, we found that the serum albumin was statistically significantly lower in HCV-T2DM patients compared with HCV-positive patients (P<0.0001).

Conclusion

HCV infection is associated with a decreased level of hepcidin in relation to body iron store, which plays a crucial role in the development of T2DM in chronic HCV infection patients.
Effect of thymoquinone on the structure of the cerebral cortex of adult male albino rats treated with tramadol
Authors: Mahmoud Eman S. , Al-Shahed Fatma Al-Zahraa N. , Ouda Enas A. , Al Anany Mona G.
Published: June 2019

Background

Pain-associated depression is a symptom of many diseases such as cancer, and postoperative and myocardial infarction. Tramadol (TRM) is a centrally acting synthetic opioid, similar to an analgesic, used worldwide to treat severe pain with an anti-depressant-like effect. TRM is more popular abused among adults in most countries to relive pain and increase sexual activities. Thymoquinone (TQ), a volatile oil, is one of the main constituents of Nigella sativa seeds. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antitussive, and anti-tumor effects.

The aim of work

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of TRM on the structure of cerebral cortex of the adult male albino rats and the possible impact of using TQ to improve these changes and to test the analgesic, anti-depressant, and antioxidant effects of TRM and/or TQ.

Materials and methods

Forty-eight male albino rats weighting 180–200 g were used in the present study. The rats were divided into four groups: control group (GI): 12 rats received food and water. TQ group (GII): 12 rats received an oral dose of TQ (20 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. TRM group (GIII): 12 rats received an oral dose of TRM HCl (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Combined group (GIV): 12 rats received both TRM (50 mg/kg) and TQ (20 mg/kg) for 4 weeks.

Results

TQ supplementation significantly increased the analgesic effect of TRM after acute and chronic treatment by the thermal and chemical methods and attenuated the development of tolerance. TQ also significantly improved the anti-depressant effect of TRM. Furthermore, TQ significantly increased the suppressed levels of glutathione content and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase induced by TRM. It also significantly reduced the elevated levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide caused by TRM. Histological examination of TRM-treated cerebral cortex showed distortion of its layers, increased vascularity, and cellularity, with a significantly increased number of apoptotic cells. TRM also induced a significant increase in the mean area percentage of both apoptotic index and the optical density of BAX immune-stain compared with the control group. These changes were improved in TQ-treated rats.

Conclusion

TQ supplementation improved the analgesic, anti-depressant effects of TRM, with an improvement in the cerebral cortex structure and antioxidant markers and amelioration of oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, it attenuated TRM tolerance and neurotoxic effects.
The cup/disc ratio, retinal nerve layer, and macular thickness in children with B-thalassemia major
Authors: El Sehmawy Asmaa Abd El Wakeel Ibrahim , El-Haddad Nermien
Published: June 2019

Purpose

We aimed to measure cup/disc ratio (C/D), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (P-RNFL) thickness, and central macular thickness (CMT) in children with thalassemia major and healthy children as a control group.

Patients and methods

A total of 25 children with thalassemia major were selected from the pediatric outpatient clinics and were compared with 25 apparent healthy children serving as a control group. Complete eye examination was conducted, and intraocular pressure measurements were obtained; after that optical coherence tomography with the NIDEK RS-3000 retinal scan was performed to obtain C/D ratio, P-RNFL, and CMT.

Results

CMT (total, superior, and inferior) and P-RNFL (total, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal) were thinner in children with thalassemia, with P value = 0.000. C/D ratios (vertical and horizontal) were larger in children with thalassemia compared with their healthy controls (P=0.000). Negative correlations of the serum ferritin level with CMT (superior and inferior) and P-RNFL in all quadrants of the left eye. A positive correlation of the serum ferritin level with C/D (horizontal and vertical) of the left eye was found.

Conclusion

Children with thalassemia major have thinner P-RNFL in all quadrants and CMT and large C/D ratio.
Role of gabapentin in controlled hypotension for nasal surgeries
Authors: Shaban Amira A.E. , Mohammed Hanaa F. , El Zaher Amany A.A.
Published: June 2019

Background

Providing bleeding control is critically important when microsurgical techniques are used. A mild bleeding can complicate the working in surgical field in nasal surgery so, a bloodless surgical field should be provided. For that purpose, the anesthesiologists should use controlled hypotension anesthetic technique. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypotensive and analgesic effects of gabapentin if combined with nitroglycerin infusion for conduction of hypotensive anesthesia in nasal surgeries.

Patients and methods

The present study was carried out at El-Zahraa hospital, Al Azhar University on 40 patients ASA I and II were randomly assigned into two equal groups (n=20). Gabapentin nitroglycerin (GN) group: patients received 1200 mg gabapentin orally 2 h preoperatively. Nitroglycerin placebo group (N): patients received placebo tablet orally 2 h preoperatively. Intravenous nitroglycerin infusion started and titrated for all 40 patients according to the target hypotensive condition (mean arterial pressure range between 55–65 mmHg and heart rate between 60–75 b/min). Intraoperative hemodynamic changes in the form of heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded; the total nitroglycerin dose required was recorded; blood loss and quality of surgical field were assessed. Also, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain assessment and total amount of morphine used within 12 postoperative hours were detected for each group.

Results

The results showed that the heart rate and the mean arterial pressure were significantly lower in the GN group compared to N group. The total dose of intraoperative nitroglycerin was significantly lower in the GN group compared to N group. GN group provides the lower amount of blood loss and better surgical field exposure compared to N group. The visual analog scale (VAS) values was significantly lower at 30 min and 4 h post-operative while non-significant difference at 1 and 6 h postoperative in the GN group compared with N group. There was a significantly lower in the total morphine consumption for GN group compared to N group.

Conclusion

Preoperative oral gabapentin (1200 mg) augments the hypotensive effect of nitroglycerin as it provides dryness of surgical field associated with lower infusion rate of nitroglycerin. Also, it has better analgesic effect with lower narcotic consumption during controlled hypotensive anesthesia for nasal surgeries when compared to the administration of nitroglycerin alone.
Decomposition of Jacobian varieties of curves with dihedral actions via equisymmetric stratification
Authors: Izquierdo Milagros , Jiménez Leslie , Rojas Anita M.
Published: June 2019

Given a compact Riemann surface

X

with an action of a finite group

G

, the group algebra

\mathbb{Q}[G]

provides an isogenous decomposition of its Jacobian variety

JX

, known as the group algebra decomposition of

JX

. We consider the set of equisymmetric Riemann surfaces

\mathcal{M}(2n-1, D_{2n}, \theta)

for all

n\geq 2

. We study the group algebra decomposition of the Jacobian

JX

of every curve

X\in \mathcal{M}(2n-1, D_{2n},\theta)

for all admissible actions, and we provide affine models for them. We use the topological equivalence of actions on the curves to obtain facts regarding its Jacobians. We describe some of the factors of

JX

as Jacobian (or Prym) varieties of intermediate coverings. Finally, we compute the dimension of the corresponding Shimura domains.
MUSIC-haic: 3D Multidisciplinary Tools for the Simulation of In-Flight Icing due to High Altitude Ice Crystals
Authors: Villedieu Philippe , Trontin Pierre , Aouizerate Gilles , Bansmer Stephan , Vanacore Paolo , Roisman Ilia , Tropea Cameron
Published: June 2019

Icing is a major hazard for aviation safety. Over the last decades an additional risk has been identified when flying in clouds with high concentrations of ice-crystals where ice accretion may occur on warm parts of the engine core, resulting in engine incidents such as loss of engine thrust, strong vibrations, blade damage, or even the inability to restart engines. Performing physical engine tests in icing wind tunnels is extremely challenging, therefore, the need for numerical simulation tools able to accurately predict ICI (Ice Crystal Icing) is urgent and paramount for the aeronautics industry, especially regarding the development of new generation engines (UHBR = Ultra High Bypass Ratio, CROR = Counter rotating Open Rotor, ATP = Advanced Turboprop) for which analysis methods largely based on previous engines experience may be less and less applicable. The European research project MUSIC-haic has been conceived to fill this gap and has started in September 2018. MUSIC-haic brings together the main European research institutions working on icing modelling as well as engine manufacturers and aircraft manufacturers. The project will develop advanced ice crystal icing models, implement them in existing industrial 3D multi-disciplinary tools, and finally perform extensive validation of the new ICI numerical capability through comparison of numerical results with both academic and industrial experimental data. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the project technical objectives, scientific ambition and methodology, and work breakdown structure.
Korean Utility Helicopter KUH-1 Icing Certification Program
Authors: van 't Hoff Stefan , Lammers Karel , Hwang Yoo Sang , Kim Jik Soo , Kim Kyung Sam
Published: June 2019

The KUH-1 Surion is a twin-engine utility helicopter designed and developed jointly by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Airbus Helicopters primarily for the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA). Following customer requirements, KAI launched a program aimed at the military qualification of the KUH-1 for flight in icing conditions following tailored airworthiness certification criteria based on 14 CFR Part 29 and DEF STAN 00-970. The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) became involved in the program on the eve of the first icing flight test campaign performed in the winter of 2015/2016. NLR has supported all subsequent test activities and the finding of compliance in close collaboration with KAI and certain suppliers. The test activities performed include 1) component-level development and qualification icing wind tunnel testing at Cox & Co in Long Island, NY, 2) icing qualification testing of the engine air intake ice protection system at Rail Tec Arsenal (RTA) in Vienna, Austria, 3) artificial icing flight testing using the US Army Helicopter Icing Spray System (HISS), and 4) natural icing flight testing of the complete aircraft in the state of Michigan, USA. Following the extensive test activities, the KUH-1 was granted icing qualification by the Korean military airworthiness authorities in June of 2018. This paper provides an overview of the KUH-1 icing certification program, followed by a more detailed accounting of the most recent icing wind tunnel and flight test activities as outlined above, and a description of the ice protection system design for the engine air intake, the upper wire cutter and the main rotor system.
Aerodynamic Comparison of Freezing Rain and Freezing Drizzle Conditions at the RTA Icing Wind Tunnel
Authors: Breitfuß Wolfgang , Wannemacher Michael , Knöbl Florian , Ferschitz Hermann
Published: June 2019

The simulation of icing conditions in icing wind tunnels (IWTs) is a significant element in the certification of aircraft components and offers unique possibilities for research purposes. Up to 2014 only the conditions defined in Appendix C of the EASA Certification Specification 25, respectively the FAA Code of Federal Regulations Title 14 Part 25 were used for the certification processes in IWTs. In addition, Appendix O was introduced in 2014 to cover the supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing conditions of freezing drizzle and freezing rain, which pose a potential risk for flight safety. The simulation of SLD icing in IWTs is, due to the different behavior of the large droplets, very challenging and not all required conditions have successfully been recreated yet. RTA Rail Tec Arsenal Fahrzeugversuchsanlage GmbH has focused on the simulation of in-flight icing conditions since 2012 and increased effort was put in the simulation of SLDs in recent years. During several research projects funded by the Austrian government it was shown that droplet size distributions for freezing drizzle MVD > 40 μm and freezing rain MVD > 40 μm can be recreated close to the requirements. With further improvements to the spray system, a cloud uniformity within certain tolerances also has been achieved over areas large enough to cover an unscaled wing section. In order to determine the influence of the different droplet sizes on the aerodynamic performance, a NACA0012 wing section with a wingspan of 1.8 m and a chord of 1 m was exposed to different icing clouds including Appendix C conditions, freezing drizzle and freezing rain. The aerodynamic lift coefficient was recorded over a large angle of attack range and the characteristics of the different ice accretions were analyzed and documented using high resolution 3D scan technology. Furthermore, the drag increase during the icing process was measured. It was the first time that an unscaled wing was iced under artificial freezing rain conditions.
Multi Objective Optimization of Parameters of Torsional Vibration Dampers Considering Damping Effect and Light Weight Design
Authors: Yang Can , Tan Xiaodong , Hua Lin , Lu Chihua , Wang Yongliang , Wang Sheng
Published: June 2019

To reduce the torsional vibration of vehicle power transmission system (VPTS), a torsional vibration model with multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF) of VPTS was established. The scheme of equipping torsional vibration dampers (TVDs) on the drive shaft was employed by the calculation of the forced vibration and the free vibration of the VPTS. The energy method was used to optimize the parameters of single-stage, two-stage parallel, and two-stage series TVDs based on the principle that balances the damping effect and lightweight design. On the basis of this, the parameters of the models incorporating TVD and elastic couplings (ECs) were optimized. Results showed that the proposed method can ensure the damping effects of TVD and realize the lightweight.
Detection and Tracking of Vehicles Based on Colour Probability Density
Authors: Shu Xiaohua , Long Yonghong , Xiao Xiyu , Shu Pei
Published: June 2019

Vehicle monitoring is a very important part in the intelligent transportation systems towards real-time monitoring of intersection traffic condition, the dynamic traffic incident detection and traffic parameter extraction. This paper proposes a vehicle tracking method based on mean shift. During the detection period, tracking objects of vehicles are constructed. The current vehicle position is predicted from the target area of former frame. In the candidate area of the target image, foreground area mask is adopted as a condition whether a pixel is selected; this makes the colour probability density to more accurately reflect the characteristics of the vehicle, and avoids the background region's influence on the mean shift iterations. Experiments show that this method can effectively detect the position of the vehicle, and provides an effective vehicle tracking method in the intelligent transportation system.
Root Cause Analysis for Failure of Door Lock Case Assembly during Caulking Process
Authors: Sundar Singh Sivam S.P. , Saravanan K. , Loganathan Ganesh Babu , Kumaran D. , Rajendra kumar S.
Published: June 2019

This paper details the failure analysis of deformed passenger car door lock case and presents a solution to avoid the part deformation during caulking process. This failure was observed during the assembly of case and its cover by caulking process. Mechanical properties and chemical composition of case (Zn Al4 material) has been checked by universal testing machine and spectra material analyser. The material composition having less aluminium content leads to the casting strength and cast ability losses. In order to get the exact load requirement for caulking process, analysis has been carried out by using finite element method. In finite element method, the case and case cover model has created by AUTODESK INVENTOR and stress analysis was carried using same software. The induced stress and deflection are obtained for various load conditions. The experimental measurement was taken from the machine by using load cells. By comparing the experimental data with FEM data we found that the problem happened due to the overload. From this result data the machine design was optimized by changing booster and cylinder which is used to generate the load. The hydro pneumatic circuit of the caulking machine has been optimized and redesigned to avoid future problems.
Prediction of Shielding Effectiveness of Cables used for Automobile Sector: Technical Note
Authors: Bhuvaneswari S. , Manivannan S. , Salil P.
Published: June 2019

The automotive industry is gearing for a drastic shift towards the electric vehicles and also leaping for the autonomous vehicles. The functional performance of such autonomous vehicles must be properly ensured. One such kind of disturbance to the proper functioning of the vehicle is Electromagnetic Interference due to presence of various electrical systems. The operating frequency range is increasing due to latest advancement in automobile industry. The future working frequency is going to be 74GHz which falls under extremely high frequency range. So it is inevitable to analyse the electromagnetic interference and emission caused by such futuristic models. The electromagnetic field effect is dependent on the shielding effectiveness. The Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness (EMSE) varies with numerous parameters like the type of material, shape of material, size of material etc. The work deals with the modelling of cable and study on shielding effectiveness of the cables used in automotive. The same has to be evaluated with standards test procedures and validated.
Investigation of Flow Induced Structural and Acoustic Behaviour of a Flat Solar Panel Mounted on a Mini Bus Roof Top
Authors: Agrewale Mohammad Rafiq B. , Maurya R.S.
Published: June 2019

External fitting of a flat solar panel on a vehicle at its roof top changes the aerodynamics of flow around it. A local variation of pressure and velocity parameters around the solar panel at increasing speed and yaw angle may lead to structural instability and acoustic performance deterioration of the vehicle. Present paper addresses this issue numerically using ANSYS Fluent software. The investigation consists of three steps - flow analysis, structural analysis and acoustic analysis which focus more on flat solar panel and its supporting pillars. The vehicle speed is varied up to 100 kmph and yaw angle varied from 0ï‚° to 18ï‚°. The flow analysis reports pressure and velocity distribution, Structural analysis shows the deformation and stresses induced in panel and supporting pillars and Acoustic analysis captures the change in overall sound pressure level (OASPL) at front and rear location of the vehicle. The result of investigation shows no significant effect of flow induced effect on solar panel structure. Change in OASPL at front and rear end is observed to be marginal only.
Multi Response Optimization of Setting Process Variables in Face Milling of ZE41 Magnesium Alloy using Ranking Algorithms and ANOVA
Authors: Sundar Singh Sivam S.P. , Umasekar V.G. , Loganathan Ganesh Babu , Kumaran D , Saravanan K.
Published: June 2019

This study presents the optimization of machining parameters on ZE41 Mg alloy fabricated by gravity die casting and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Focus on the optimization of machining parameters using the technique to get minimum surface roughness, cutting force, thermal stress, residual stress, chip thickness and maximum MRR. A number of machining experiments were conducted based on the L27 orthogonal array on computer numerical control vertical machining center. The experiments were performed on ZE41 using cutting tool of an ISO 460. 1-1140-034A0-XM GC3 of 20, 25 and 30mm diameter with cutting point 140 degrees, for different cutting conditions. TOPSIS and ANOVA were used to work out the fore most important parameters cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and tool diameter which affect the response. The expected values and measured values are fairly close. Finally, the study for optimizing machining process is surveyed and results show improvement in real experiments.
Aerodynamics, Stability and Performance Characteristics of X-Tandem Aircrafts
Authors: Prakash Ishaan , Mukherjee Prithwish
Published: June 2019

This paper details design, analysis and validation of tandem aircraft with one wing swept forward and the other wing swept backwards. The design objective is to investigate the aerodynamic and stability characteristics of this configuration created with the motive of exploiting the manoeuvring and post stall characteristics of a forward swept wing along with the structural robustness and reliable performance of the conventional aft-swept wing. Parameters such as wing sweep, wing position, anhedral and dihedral were varied to develop a range of designs. This gave considerable information regarding the aerodynamic and stability characteristics which enabled a preliminary design of a military combat aircraft exploiting this configuration. All performance characteristics and parameters of the final design compared with current operational military aircraft give a favourable picture regarding the effectiveness of this design.