bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of two-dimensional vertebral body parameters in estimating patient height in elderly patients
Authors: Waduud Mohammed Abdul , Sucharitkul Penelope Poppy Janpen , Drozd Michael , Gupta Ankit , Hammond Christopher , Ashbridge Scott David Julian
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Standardised comparison of abdominal muscle and adipose tissue is often utilised in morphometric clinical research. Whilst measurements are traditionally standardised against the patient’s height, this may not be always practically feasible. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between measurements of the vertebral body and patient height.

Methods

We analysed cross-sectional CT scans. Measurements of the vertebral body area (VBA), anteroposterior vertebral body diameter (APVBD) and lateral vertebral body diameter (LVBD) were made by two independent investigators by manual tracing. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 standardisation and Group 2 validation. We compared height and vertebral body parameters from patients in Group 1 and mathematically modelled this relationship. We then utilised the model to predict the height of patients in Group 2 and compared this with their actual height. Observer variability was assessed using Bland–Altman plots and t-tests of differences.

Results

CT scans from 382 patients were analysed. No significant intraobserver or interobserver differences were apparent when measuring vertebral body parameters. We describe models which enable the prediction of the patients’ height using the measured VBA, APVBD and LVBD. No significant differences were observed between the patients predicted and actual heights in the validation group.

Conclusions

We demonstrate an important relationship between measurements of the patient’s height and the vertebral body. This can be utilised in future research when the patient’s height has not been measured.

Advances in knowledge

In the absence of the patient’s height, we demonstrate that two-dimensional vertebral body parameters may be reliably used to standardise morphometric measurements.
Malaria Data by District: An open-source web application for increasing access to malaria information
Authors: Tomlinson Sean , South Andy , Longbottom Joshua
Published: October 2019

Preventable diseases still cause huge mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Research in spatial epidemiology and earth observation is helping academics to understand and prioritise how mortality could be reduced and generates spatial data that are used at a global and national level, to inform disease control policy. These data could also inform operational decision making at a more local level, for example to help officials target efforts at a local/regional level. To be usable for local decision-making, data needs to be presented in a way that is relevant to and understandable by local decision makers. We demonstrate an approach and prototype web application to make spatial outputs from disease modelling more useful for local decision making. Key to our approach is: (1) we focus on a handful of important data layers to maintain simplicity; (2) data are summarised at scales relevant to decision making (administrative units); (3) the application has the ability to rank and compare administrative units; (4) open-source code that can be modified and re-used by others, to target specific user-needs. Our prototype application allows visualisation of a handful of key layers from the Malaria Atlas Project. Data can be summarised by administrative unit for any malaria endemic African country, ranked and compared; e.g. to answer questions such as, ‘does the district with the highest malaria prevalence also have the lowest coverage of insecticide treated nets?’. The application is developed in R and the code is open-source. It would be relatively easy for others to change the source code to incorporate different data layers, administrative boundaries or other data visualisations. We suggest such open-source web application development can facilitate the use of data for public health decision making in low resource settings.
CRIS – service for input, storage and analysis of the biodiversity data of the cryptogams
Authors: Melekhin Alexey V. , Davydov Denis A. , Borovichev Eugene A. , Shalygin Sergei S. , Konstantinova Nadezhda A.
Published: October 2019

Here we describe Cryptogamic Russian Information System (CRIS), a web service cataloguing the biodiversity of cryptogams: cyanobacteria, fungi (including lichens), and bryophytes. CRIS incorporates a wide spectrum of data types, allowing for greater ease of use. It is possible to print the labels for herbarium collections, to input literature references, media files, etc., using CRIS which has a flexible interface and specific technical abilities. Currently, CRIS contains ~ 90,000 herbarium records, including 67,861 records of bryophytes, 12,486 records of lichens and 3,800 records of cyanobacteria. Data analysis of the different taxonomic groups is provided below. Perspectives and directions for the future development of CRIS are discussed.
Red List of Estonian Fungi – 2019 update
Authors: Saar Irja , Oja Jane , Põldmaa Kadri , Pärtel Kadri , Zettur Irma , Kõljalg Urmas
Published: October 2019

In 2019 the conservation status of 214 fungal species in Estonia was assessed according to IUCN criteria and an IUCN category was assigned to each taxon. Altogether 94 species were categorized as threatened (CR, EN, VU), 42 least concern (LC), 60 near threatened (NT), three regionally extinct (RE) and six as data deficient (DD). Changes compared to the previous red list and threats to the species are discussed.

 

Eesti seente Punane nimestik – 2019. aasta uuendus

2019. aastal hinnati 214 seeneliigi ohustatust Eestis kasutades IUCN kategooriaid ja kriteeriume. Hinnatud liikidest kuulus 94 ohustatuse kategooriatesse CR, EN ja VU, 42 hinnati kui soodsas seisundis (LC), 60 ohulähedased (NT), 3 piirkonnas välja surnud (RE) ja 6 puuduliku andmestikuga (DD). Artikkel käsitleb muudatusi võrreldes eelmise punase nimestikuga ja olulisemate seeneliikide ohutegureid.
Fungi from Soomaa National Park: rarities and species new for Estonia
Authors: Põldmaa Kadri , Spirin Viacheslav , Miettinen Otto , Runnel Kadri , Savchenko Anton , Pärtel Kadri , Kõljalg Urmas
Published: October 2019

To commemorate the internationally renowned mycologist and founder of the mycological research group in Estonia, the late Prof. Erast Parmasto on his 90th anniversary, a mycological foray was conducted at Soomaa National Park, Estonia, in September 2018. Among the 232 fungi recorded, 18 represented species new to Estonia. We present an annotated list of these as well as other species that are rare, nationally protected, and/or threatened at the local, regional or global scale.

 

Soomaa rahvuspargi seened: haruldused ja uued liigid Eestile

Tähistamaks Erast Parmasto, rahvusvaheliselt tunnustatud mükoloogi ja Tartu mükoloogia töörühma rajaja, 90. sünniaastapäeva, korraldati septembris 2018 seeneretk Soomaa rahvusparki. 232 registreeritud seene hulgas on 18 liigi esmasleiud Eestist. Lisaks neile esitatakse artiklis nimekiri liikidest, mis on haruldased ja/või ohustatud Eestis, Põhjamaades või kogu maailma ulatuses.
THE STUDENT ASSESSMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM: Elevating the Student Role in Academic Assessment
Authors: Hofmann Sara
Published: October 2019

Over the past decade, a growing number of institutions of higher education have added leadership studies as a formal academic program of study. In many instances, however, students have not been included as partners or stakeholders in the design and delivery of leadership education, and student motivation and retention have subsequently suffered (O’Donovan, Rust, & Price, 2016). This application brief describes a new program, Student Assessment Fellows, which aimed to address these concerns by involving a small group of students in several capacities during the reshaping of a university’s leadership program. Through this program, students learned basic tenets of leadership pedagogy and educational program assessment and used both skill sets to author a proposal to restructure the existing academic program. This article reviews the development and design of the program, recommendations from the first cohort, and recommendations for other colleges and universities looking to increase student involvement in educational assessment processes.
ADVANCING RECIPROCITY IN CROSS-CULTURAL LEADERSHIP COACHING
Authors: Kliewer Brandon W. , Ndirangu Beth Wanjiku
Published: October 2019

Leadership coaching is a method of learning and development. This brief describes a leadership practice that was effective in navigating culture when it became a relevant factor in maintaining a reciprocal leadership learning and development partnership. Using a community-based inquiry method, we utilized and examined leadership coaching practice as it attempted to support cross-cultural leadership learning and development that was running alongside an international development project in Kenya. Readers will gain a better understanding of a cross-cultural leadership coaching practice.
STUDENT MOTIVATION FOR ELITES: A STEM Leadership Program
Authors: Mistele Jean , Baker Sandra N. , Strout Sarah
Published: October 2019

In this article we explore the level of motivation held by students engaged in a specially designed leadership program - Emerging Leaders in Technology, Science and Mathematics (Elites). Elites was developed as part of a NSF S-STEM grant awarded to Radford University in 2014 that provides scholarships for meritorious students with financial need, which aligns with Involvement Theory (Astin, 1985). Elites was designed to incentivize student participation in high impact activities to develop their professional skills aligned with their degree program, in order to develop them into STEM leaders. Coupled with Proactive Advising (Schee, 2007, Varney, 2012), the Elites program overarching goal was to promote retention of these students at Radford University and in their STEM related disciplines. This paper presents the successes and challenges of the Elites program as measured by focus group interviews and evaluating the students’ motivation levels to engage in the Elites program that is framed on an academic motivational model: M.U.S.I.C. (Jones, 2009). The results suggest students were motivated to remain with the Elites program and perceived the Elites program as effective as they prepared for their futures as STEM leaders.
A Large-Scale Neighborhood Search Approach to Airport Slot Allocation
Authors: Ribeiro Nuno Antunes , Jacquillat Alexandre , Antunes António Pais
Published: October 2019

Access at the vast majority of busy airports located outside the United States is subject to schedule coordination. These airports declare a value of capacity and allocate a corresponding number of slots to the airlines. Slot allocation follows rules and priorities established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which introduce coupling constraints across the allocation of slots at multiple times of the day and on multiple days of the year. As a result, slot allocation is a highly complex combinatorial problem, which carries enormous weight for airlines, airports, and passengers. Integer programming models have been proposed to support slot allocation by minimizing deviations from the airlines’ requests. Because of the problem’s complexity, these models have been only successfully implemented at small- and medium-sized airports. This paper develops an original algorithm based on large-scale neighborhood search to solve the slot allocation problem at the largest schedule-coordinated airports. The proposed algorithm combines a constructive heuristic, which provides an initial feasible solution in short computational times, and an improvement heuristic, which iteratively reoptimizes slot allocation by subdividing the slot requests into smaller subsets. The algorithm is implemented at Lisbon’s Airport (LIS), one of the top-20 busiest airports in Europe. Results suggest that it can provide optimal or near-optimal solutions in a few hours of computation, while direct implementation of existing optimization models with commercial solvers does not terminate after several days of computation. Ultimately, the proposed approach considerably enhances the capabilities of slot allocation models and algorithms.
Research Roundup
Authors: McGloin Claudia
Published: October 2019

In this regular feature, aesthetic nurse Claudia McGloin presents a synopsis of a range of recently published articles on medical aesthetics. Research roundup aims to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary and critique, of the papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided at the end of each study summary
Misleading or misinformed? Investigations into irresponsible advertising
Authors: Taber Sally
Published: October 2019

Recently, three companies were investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority after the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners expressed concerns over advertising malpractice. Sally Taber explores how training companies can ensure truthful and responsible advertising
The apple of your eye: marketing in aesthetics
Authors: Singh Harry
Published: October 2019

Marketing revolves around communication and is critical to a company's success. In this article, Harry Singh delves into the world of marketing and advertising to explore the ins and outs of the attitudes that successful businesses possess
Tooth autotransplantation part 3: surgical planning and technique
Authors: Nazzal Hani , Barber Sophy , Jawad Zynab , Houghton Nadine , Duggal Monty
Published: October 2019

The practical aspects of pre-operative assessment and surgical procedure for autotransplantation are discussed in this part of the series. The success of tooth transplantation is dependent on case selection, careful planning and a surgical procedure that maintains viable periodontal ligament cells and intact cementum of the transplanted teeth. A thorough assessment of the donor tooth and recipient site is vital for successful planning and execution of tooth autotransplantation. The surgical procedure involves atraumatic extraction of the donor tooth, socket preparation and splinting of the transplanted tooth. Post-surgical procedures include monitoring of pulp and periodontal healing and restorative camouflage of the donor tooth.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Surgical planning and procedures are vital to the success of autotransplantation. Orthodontists should be aware of these factors and bear them in mind when preparing patients for autotransplantation to optimize surgical success.
How to design and set up a clinical trial part 2: protocols and approvals
Authors: Atwal Amarpreet , Benson Philip E
Published: October 2019

Data from clinical trials involving human participants are essential in establishing an evidence base about the safety and effectiveness of our treatments. This second article describes the steps involved in designing and setting up a clinical trial, from writing a protocol to gaining the necessary approvals. Acquiring some knowledge about how to set up a clinical trial will allow the conscientious clinician to use the most relevant information to provide the highest possible standards of clinical care for his/her patients.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Even if a clinician is not, has never been, nor is ever planning to be involved in research, he/she should understand and be able to interpret the data from clinical trials.
Lingual orthodontics with customized functional appliance
Authors: Premkumar Sridhar , Peter Varun
Published: October 2019

Every treatment technique in the orthodontic specialty has its own set of advantages. Combining the techniques in an effective manner could result in a synergistic effect. Two such techniques are lingual orthodontics and functional orthopaedic appliances. This case report shows the effective and efficient use of a customized functional appliance, along with lingual orthodontics, in the management of Class II division 1 malocclusion. It emphasizes the importance of combining the benefits of different strategies of orthodontic treatment.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: The use of a customized functional appliance along with lingual orthodontics can produce desirable changes in Class II division 1 cases and clinicians should be aware of these advantages.
Five years and counting…….reflections on the first years of owning a specialist practice
Authors: Patel Anjli
Published: October 2019

This essay highlights what has helped make our practice successful. I share some advice on how to empower your team and how to achieve your goals.
Induction of periosteal bone formation by intraosseous BMP-2 injection in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Cheng T. L. , Cantrill L. C. , Schindeler A. , Little D. G.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Surgical interventions are routinely performed on children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) to stabilize long bones, often post fracture. We speculated that a combination of intramedullary reaming and intraosseous injection of recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) could enhance periosteal ossification and ultimately cortical thickness and strength. This approach was conceptually tested in a preclinical model of genetic bone fragility.

Methods

Six experimental groups were tested including no treatment, intramedullary reaming, and reaming with 5 µg BMP-2 injection performed in the tibiae of both wild type (WT) and Col1a2 G610C/+ (OI, Amish mutation) mice. Bone formation was examined at a two-week time point in ex vivo specimens by micro-computed tomography (microCT) analysis and histomorphometry with a dynamic bone label.

Results

MicroCT data illustrated increases in tibial cortical thickness with intramedullary reaming alone (Saline) and reaming plus BMP-2 injection (BMP-2) compared to no intervention controls. In the OI mice, the periosteal bone increase was not statistically significant with Saline but there was an increase of +192% (p = 0.053) with BMP-2 injection. Dynamic histomorphometry on calcein label was used to quantify new woven bone formation; while BMP-2 induced greater bone formation than Saline, the anabolic response was blunted overall in the OI groups.

Conclusions

These data indicate that targeting the intramedullary compartment via reaming and intraosseous BMP-2 delivery can lead to gains in cortical bone parameters. It is suggested that the next step is to validate safety and functional improvements in a clinical OI setting.
Identification of uncultured bacteria from abscesses of exotic pet animals using broad-range nested 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing
Authors: Duangurai T. , Siengsanan-Lamont J. , Bumrungpun C. , Kaewmongkol G. , Areevijittrakul L. , Sirinarumitr T. , Fenwick S. G. , Kaewmongkol S.
Published: October 2019

Background: The Sanger sequencing technique has been questioned and challenged by advanced high-throughput sequencing approaches. Sanger sequencing seems to be an obsolete technology. However, there are still research problems that could be answered using the Sanger sequencing technology. Fastidious obligate anaerobic bacteria are mostly associated with abscesses in animals. These bacteria are difficult to isolate from abscesses and are frequently excluded due to the bias of conventional bacterial culturing. Aim: This study demonstrated the usefulness of a broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with Sanger sequencing to identify the majority population of bacteria in abscesses from exotic pet animals. Materials and Methods: This study performed a pilot investigation of abscesses from 20 clinical cases (17 rabbits, 2 hedgehogs, and 1 sugar glider) using standard culture methods for both aerobes and anaerobes and broad-range nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene followed by the Sanger sequencing technique. Results: The standard culture and PCR techniques detected bacteria in 9 and 17 of 20 samples, respectively. From the 17 sequencings of the 16S rRNA, 10 PCR products were found to be closely related with obligate anaerobes including Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp., Prevotella spp. Phylogenetic analysis using the rpoB gene revealed that the species for the Bacteroides was thetaiotaomicron and for the Fusobacterium was varium and nucleatum. However, the amplification of the rpoB gene for the Prevotella spp. was unsuccessful. Correlations between the standard culture and PCR techniques were found in 9 (6 positive and 3 negative samples) of 20 samples. Eleven samples were discordant between the standard culture and PCR techniques which were composed of eight samples negative by culture but positive by PCR and three samples had different bacteria by the culture and PCR techniques. Conclusion: According to this study, broad-range PCR combined with Sanger sequencing might be useful for the detection of dominant anaerobic bacteria in abscesses that were overlooked based on conventional bacterial culture.
Is Dyssynergic Defecation an Unrecognized Cause of Chronic Constipation in Patients Using Opioids?
Authors: Nojkov Borko , Baker Jason , Menees Stacy , Watts Lydia , Collins Kristen , Armstrong Moira , Thibault Mackenzie , Harer Kimberly , Lee Allen , Eswaran Shanti , Saad Richard , Chey William D.
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVES:

The impact of opioids on anorectal function is poorly understood but potentially relevant to the pathogenesis of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). To evaluate anorectal function testing (AFT) characteristics, symptom burden, and quality of life in chronically constipated patients prescribed an opioid (OIC) in comparison with constipated patients who are not on an opioid (NOIC).

METHODS:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 3,452 (OIC = 588 and NOIC = 2,864) chronically constipated patients (Rome 3) who completed AFT. AFT variables included anal sphincter pressure and response during simulated defecation, balloon expulsion test (BET), and rectal sensation. Dyssynergic defecation (DD) was defined as an inability to relax the anal sphincter during simulated defecation and an abnormal BET. Patients completed Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaires.

RESULTS:

The mean age of the study cohort was 49 years. Most patients were women (82%) and whites (83%). Patients with OIC were older than NOIC patients (50.7 vs 48.3, P = 0.001). OIC patients were significantly more likely to have DD (28.6% vs 21.4%, P < 0.001), an abnormal simulated defecation response on anorectal manometry (59% vs 43.8%, P < 0.001), and an abnormal BET (48% vs 42.5%, P = 0.02) than NOIC patients. OIC patients reported more severe constipation symptoms (P < 0.02) and worse quality of life (P < 0.05) than NOIC patients.

DISCUSSION:

Chronically constipated patients who use opioids are more likely to have DD and more severe constipation symptoms than NOIC.
Impaired sexual differentiation
Authors: Dzeranova L. K. , Yarovaya I. S. , Sergeyeva N. L. , Derkach D. A. , Marova Ye. I.
Published: October 2019

Violations of sexual differentiation is a very common cause of primary amenorrhea. Their manifestations can be different, the phenotype of patients is extremely diverse. Quite often, a violation of sexual differentiation manifests it self (anomalies in the development of the genital organs, somatic malformations) already at birth.
In memory of Professor M I Martynova
Authors: Journal Staff Problems Of Endocrinology
Published: October 2019

The article is devoted to the memory of Professor M I Martynova
Daily blood pressure variations in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and nephropathy
Authors: Bondar I. A. , Klimontov V. V. , Korolyova Ye. A. , Zheltova L. I.
Published: October 2019

То study a relationship between systemic hemodynamic parameters, albuminuria, and autonomic dysfunction in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM-1) without obvious nephropathy, the authors examined 55 patients in the inpatient setting. Twenty-nine patients had a normal urinary albumin excretion (CAE), 26 patients had microalbuminuria. 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (24-h BPM) was occillometrically made. The average daily, average diurnal and nocturnal values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were significantly higher in DM-1 patients with microalbuniuria than in those with normal UAE. Routine autonomic cardiovascular tests showed that the incidence and severity of autonomic neuropathy were also higher in patients with microalbuminuria. Arterial hypertension (AH) diagnosed in compliance with the 24-h BPM criteria was detected. in 17.2%) of the DM-1 patients with normal UAE and in 42.3%) of the patients with microalbuminuria. According to the data of 24-h BPM, the incidence of arterial hypertension was 1.7 times as high as that evidenced by single BP measurements. The specific feature of circadian hemodynamic variations in patients with DM-1 was a low nocturnal BP decrease. 37.9%) of the patients with normoalbuminuria and 61.5%) of the patients with microalbuminuria had no normal (>10%)) nocturnal BP lowering. Stepwise regression analysis has ascertained that in patients with DM-1 without obvious nephropathy, systemic hemodynamic disorders are associated with albuminuria, autonomic dysfunction, and glycemic monitoring quality.
Psychological features of diabetics with type 2 disease. Problems of therapeutic training
Authors: Smirnov S. D. , Kornilova T. V. , Surkova Ye. V. , Dvoinishnikova О. M. , Antsiferov M. B.
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study was detection of psychological features determining the ability of decision making on correct disease- related behavior and its realization in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The examined diabetics (n - 46) had decreased achievement motivation, more expressed "sticking" accentuation of temper, and lowered "planning" value as a component of self-regulation style in comparison with non-di- abetics (n = 48). Self-regulation parameters were significantly lowered in the patients with longer standing of diabetes.
Impact of rotational stress on immunity parameters. Role of opiate receptors
Authors: Gein S. V. , Simonenko T. A. , Tendryakova S. P.
Published: October 2019

Experiments on non-inbred male mice used a model of rotational stress to examine the impact of 8-, p- к-opiate receptor blockade on antibody formation, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), changes in the count of antibody-forming cells (AFC) and nucleated cells of lymph nodes and spleen during a local immune response. Rotational stress was found to cause a slightly pronounced inhibition of immune inflammation in DTH, a considerable increase in the count of AFC and nucleated cells in the regional lymph nodes, without changing the titers of antibodies from peripheral blood. Naloxone blockade of 8-, p- к-opiate receptors abolished these effects of stress. It has been suggested that abolishment of the promoting effect of rotational stress on the count of AFC and on the depression of DTH may be associated with the blockade of effects of ^-endorphin and met-enkephalin that act predominantly via stimulation of 8-receptors.
The use of X-ray fluorescence determination of the concentration of intrathyroid iodine in thyroidology
Authors: Tomashevsky I. O. , Sazonova S. N. , Tomashevsky D. I. , Mazurina N. V.
Published: October 2019

The results of 7-year utilization of a Russian analyzer for noninvasive x-ray fluorescent measurement of intrathyroid stable iodine for diagnosis and monitoring the treatment efficiency in patients with thyroid diseases are analyzed. A total of 400 adults (130 men and 270 women) aged 20-50years and 67children (12 boys and 55 girls) aged 5-16 years with various thyroid diseases were examined. Control group consisted of 60 women and 30 men without thyroid diseases (according to clinical and laboratory studies). Ultrasonography and scintigraphy of the thyroid, measurements of the blood pituitary thyrotropic hormone, thyroid hormones, antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase, cytological and h istological studies, and a new method for thyroid iodine measurements were used.

The results indicate the need in a new diagnostic method based on analysis of intrathyroid iodine. Such a method is needed for 1) prophylactic screening of population, including children, pregnant and nursing women in order to detect (with an accuracy of 7095%) subjects with suspected autoimmune thyroid diseases; 2) accurate evaluation of the degree of thyroid involvement in autoimmune thyroiditis and identification of the pathogenesis of hypothyrosis or thyrotoxicosis; 3) monitoring the efficiency of treatment with iodides, thyroxin, and their combinations and for thyroid function recovery after mercazolil therapy of diffuse thyroid goiter; and 4) differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid diseases.
Simple Technology to Convert Coconut Shell Waste into Biochar; A Green Leap Towards Achieving Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Wibowo Yudha Gusti , Ramadan Bimastyaji Surya , Andriansyah Muhammad
Published: October 2019

Pyrolysis is a technology to convert biomass into high-value product such as biochar. Biochar is a bio-based material as well as char that can maintain soil, water and air quality. Biochar can produced by all of plant parts and generated directly from pyrolysis for a few hours in a certain temperature. The quality of biochar production is highly dependent on the pyrolysis temperature, heating rate, particle size, type, and composition of feedstock and reactor conditions. Several study inform that biochar produced by high temperature such as furnace. Application of biochar in soil can solve contaminated soil from pollutants such as toxic metals contamination, low pH issues and degradable soil caused by industrial activities. Therefore, the application of biochar in water ecosystem can solve some problems such as reduce toxic metals content in wastewater. Biochar known can give significant impact to reduce global warming through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the sequestering of atmospheric carbon into soil. This condition is a problem for several areas especially rural area in developing countries. This paper will describe clearly how to produce biochar use simple technology. Thus, this paper will provide useful information for reducing environmental problems especially on rural areas.
Study on the synthesis of hexene-1 catalyzed by Ziegler-Natta catalyst and polyhexene-1 applications
Authors: Yan Yibin , Wang Dengfei , He Shuyan , Ren Hegang , Xu Yongjun
Published: October 2019

This paper presents the synthesis of two aminosilane-based external donors for the Ziegler-Natta catalysis: di(piperidyl) dimethoxysilane (DPPDMS) and dipyrrolyldimethoxysilane (DPRDMS). We compared the electron donation by these two compounds in the MgCl2- supported Ziegler-Natta catalysis of the polymerization of hexene-1 into a polyhexene-1 (PHe) elastomer with that of the common donor cyclohexylmethyldimethoxysilane (CHMMS). The catalytic activity of the system and isotacticity of the polymer (PHe) product improved significantly because of the considerable steric hindrance and strong electronic effects of these aminosilane-based external donors. The effects of different external donors on the catalytic efficiency, polymer isotacticity, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the PHe products were investigated. Under the best reaction conditions, the catalyst activity, polymer molecular weight, and glass-transition temperature were determined as 899 g/g Cat·h-1, MW = 252,300 g/mol, and -41.39°C, respectively. The PHe was characterized by FTIR and NMR. This report also describes blending of PHe and low density polyethylene that leads to a significant increase in the impact strength and elongation at breaks.
Fabrication and characterization of conductive microcapsule containing phase change material
Authors: Yun Hao-Ran , Li Chun-Lei , Zhang Xing-Xiang
Published: October 2019

Microencapsulated phase change materials (MicroPCMs) were fabricated using n-octadecane as PCM and melamine-formaldehyde as shell via in situ polymerization. They were coated with polypyrrole (PPy) to fabricate conductive microcapsules. The structure, morphology, thermal properties and the electrical conductivity of the microcapsules were characterized using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the standard four-probe method. The results show that, n-octadecane is well encapsulated in rough and compact spherical composites. The melting and freezing the composites latent heats are 90.2 and 92.0 J/g, respectively, while the mass percentage of the n-octadecane in the composites is 49.7%. The melting and crystallizing peak temperature of PPy/MicroPCMs is 24.6°C and 17.9°C, respectively. The addition of PPy improves the thermal stability of the composites. The conductivity of the PPy/MicroP-CMs increases from 0.1 S‧cm–1 to 0.33 S‧cm–1 as the PPy concentration increases from 3 to 10 wt%.
Primjena matematičkog modeliranja u razvoju enzimskih kaskadnih reakcija
Authors: Milčić Nevena , Česnik Morana , Sudar Martina , Findrik Blažević Zvjezdana
Published: October 2019

“Sustavska biokataliza” (engl. systems biocatalysis), odnosno provedba kaskadnih reakcija koje oponašaju stanične metaboličke puteve danas se sve češće primjenjuje. Kaskadne reakcije imaju brojne prednosti nad tradicionalnim kemijskim postupcima, međutim, za uspješnu optimizaciju i prenošenje takvih kompleksnih sustava u veće, industrijsko mjerilo potrebno je primijeniti reakcijsko inženjerstvo. U ovom preglednom radu navedeni su primjeri uspješne primjene matematičkog modeliranja na razvoj enzimskih kaskadnih reakcija koji pokazuju važnost i potencijal te metodologije.
Aktivni materijali koji se upotrebljavaju u superkondenzatorima
Authors: Ljubek Gabrijela , Kraljić Roković Marijana
Published: October 2019

U posljednjih desetak godina napravljen je značajan iskorak u razvoju aktivnih materijala koji se upotrebljavaju u superkondenzatorima i u dizajniranju samog superkondenzatora. Stoga je u ovom radu dan kratak pregled istraživanja aktivnih materijala za superkondenzatore te je navedena njihova osnovna podjela temeljena na mehanizmima skladištenja naboja. Iz navedenih istraživanja može se zaključiti kako je za uspješan razvoj materijala nužno razumijevanje mehanizma skladištenja naboja i povezivanje strukturnih svojstava materijala s elektrokemijskim svojstvima. Spoznaje o mehanizmu skladištenja omogućuju ciljano dizajniranje materijala te kombiniranje elektroda s različitim mehanizmima, što u konačnici utječe na svojstva ali i na primjenu superkondenzatora. Najznačajniji materijali u ovom području su materijali temeljeni na ugljiku, vodljivi polimeri i metalni oksidi.
Thermoneutral housing attenuates premature cancellous bone loss in male C57BL/6J mice
Authors: Martin Stephen A , Philbrick Kenneth A , Wong Carmen P , Olson Dawn A , Branscum Adam J , Jump Donald B , Marik Charles K , DenHerder Jonathan M , Sargent Jennifer L , Turner Russell T , Iwaniec Urszula T
Published: October 2019

Mice are a commonly used model to investigate aging-related bone loss but, in contrast to humans, mice exhibit cancellous bone loss prior to skeletal maturity. The mechanisms mediating premature bone loss are not well established. However, our previous work in female mice suggests housing temperature is a critical factor. Premature cancellous bone loss was prevented in female C57BL/6J mice by housing the animals at thermoneutral temperature (where basal rate of energy production is at equilibrium with heat loss). In the present study, we determined if the protective effects of thermoneutral housing extend to males. Male C57BL/6J mice were housed at standard room temperature (22°C) or thermoneutral (32°C) conditions from 5 (rapidly growing) to 16 (slowly growing) weeks of age. Mice housed at room temperature exhibited reductions in cancellous bone volume fraction in distal femur metaphysis and fifth lumbar vertebra; these effects were abolished at thermoneutral conditions. Mice housed at thermoneutral temperature had higher levels of bone formation in distal femur (based on histomorphometry) and globally (serum osteocalcin), and lower global levels of bone resorption (serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen) compared to mice housed at room temperature. Thermoneutral housing had no impact on bone marrow adiposity but resulted in higher abdominal white adipose tissue and serum leptin. The overall magnitude of room temperature housing-induced cancellous bone loss did not differ between male (current study) and female (published data) mice. These findings highlight housing temperature as a critical experimental variable in studies using mice of either sex to investigate aging-related changes in bone metabolism.
Ruptured Valsalva Sinus Aneurysm with Ventricular Septal Defect and Double-Chambered Right Ventricle without Heart Failure: A Case Report
Authors: Suzuki Keito , Sezai Akira , Hinoura Rei , Unosawa Satoshi , Tanaka Masashi
Published: October 2019

Valsalva sinus aneurysm and double-chambered right ventricle are both rare congenital cardiac anomalies. Ventricular septal defect may be present in approximately 50%-60% of patients with Valsalva sinus aneurysm or approximately 70%-80% of patients with double-chambered right ventricle. However, Valsalva sinus aneurysm, double-chambered right ventricle, and ventricular septal defect rarely coexist in the same patient. As these diseases progress, patients often complain of symptoms of heart failure, due to the shunt flow. The case of a patient with Valsalva sinus aneurysm, double-chambered right ventricle, and ventricular septal defect without symptoms of heart failure had never been reported until now.
Previsit Screening for Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Opel Douglas J. , Henrikson Nora , Lepere Katherine , Hawkes Rene , Zhou Chuan , Dunn John , Taylor James A.
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of vaccine hesitancy screening on childhood vaccine uptake.

METHODS:

We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in pediatric primary care clinics in Washington state. Vaccine-hesitant parents (VHPs) with a healthy newborn receiving health supervision at participating clinics were eligible. VHPs were identified by using a 4-item version of the validated Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines Survey (PACV). Before their child’s 2- and 6-month health supervision visits, VHPs at intervention clinics completed the 15-item PACV embedded in a survey containing placebo items. Intervention providers received a summary of parents’ 15-item PACV responses and interpretation of their PACV score; discretion was given to providers regarding how they acted on this information. VHPs at control clinics completed only the placebo survey items, and their child’s provider received a summary of their responses; control providers remained blinded to parent VHP status. Our outcome was child immunization status at 8 months of age expressed as percent of days underimmunized. We compared outcomes in control and intervention participants using t test and linear mixed-effects regression.

RESULTS:

We enrolled 24 clinics (12 in each arm) and 156 parents (65 in the intervention arm). Parent characteristics were similar across arms except more intervention (versus control) parents had a first-born child (60.9% vs 44%; P = .04). No significant difference in outcome was detected between arms (25.2% [95% confidence interval: 16.0% to 34.5%] vs 19.1% [95% confidence interval: 12.0% to 26.3%] mean days underimmunized in the intervention and control arms, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Vaccine hesitancy screening was not significantly associated with days underimmunized.
Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the United States: 2015–2017
Authors: Ayers Tracy , Lopez Adriana , Lee Adria , Kambhampati Anita , Nix W. Allan , Henderson Elizabeth , Rogers Shannon , Weldon William C. , Oberste M. Steven , Sejvar James , Hopkins Sarah E. , Pallansch Mark A. , Routh Janell A. , Patel Manisha
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND:

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a neurologic condition characterized by flaccid limb weakness. After a large number of reports of AFM in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began standardized surveillance in the United States to characterize the disease burden and explore potential etiologies and epidemiologic associations.

METHODS:

Persons meeting the clinical case criteria of acute flaccid limb weakness from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017, were classified as confirmed (spinal cord gray matter lesions on MRI) or probable (white blood cell count >5 cells per mm3 in cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]). We describe clinical, radiologic, laboratory, and epidemiologic findings of pediatric patients (age ≤21 years) confirmed with AFM.

RESULTS:

Of 305 children reported from 43 states, 193 were confirmed and 25 were probable. Of confirmed patients, 61% were male, with a median age of 6 years (range: 3 months to 21 years; interquartile range: 3 to 10 years). An antecedent respiratory or febrile illness was reported in 79% with a median of 5 days (interquartile range: 2 to 7 days) before limb weakness. Among 153 sterile-site specimens (CSF and serum) submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coxsackievirus A16 was detected in CSF and serum of one case patient and enterovirus D68 was detected in serum of another. Of 167 nonsterile site (respiratory and stool) specimens, 28% tested positive for enterovirus or rhinovirus.

CONCLUSIONS:

AFM surveillance data suggest a viral etiology, including enteroviruses. Further study is ongoing to better characterize the etiology, pathogenesis, and risk factors of this rare condition.
SUAREZ E A DOUTRINA DAS FORMAS SUBSTANCIAIS
Authors: Rios André Rangel
Published: October 2019

As Disputationes Metaphysicae de Suárez constituem a maior tentativa de expor sistematicamente a Metafísica. Suárez, por problemas teológicos, admite uma separação entre a substância material e o acidente de quantidade. Para tanto, analisa a fundo as noções de matéria primeira e de forma substancial.
Real-World Adherence in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Trifluridine plus Tipiracil or Regorafenib
Authors: Patel Anuj K. , Barghout Victoria , Yenikomshian Mihran A. , Germain Guillaume , Jacques Philippe , Laliberté François , Duh Mei S.
Published: October 2019

Background

Trifluridine and tipiracil (FTD + TPI) and regorafenib (REG) are approved treatments for the treatment of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study assesses adherence and duration of therapy with FTD + TPI versus REG and explores the effect of sequencing on adherence.

Materials and Methods

Adults diagnosed with mCRC were identified in the IQVIA Real-World Data Adjudicated Claims: U.S. database (October 2014–July 2017). The observation period spanned from the index date (first dispensing of FTD + TPI or REG) to the earliest of a switch to another mCRC agent, the end of continuous enrollment, or the end of data availability. Medication possession ratio (MPR), proportion of days covered (PDC), and persistence and time to discontinuation (gap ≥45 days) were compared between FTD + TPI and REG users and among switchers (FTD + TPI-to-REG vs. REG-to-FTD + TPI).

Results

A total of 469 FTD + TPI and 311 REG users were identified. FTD + TPI users had higher compliance with an MPR ≥80% (odds ratio [OR], 2.47; p < .001) and PDC ≥80% (OR, 2.77; p < .001). FTD + TPI users had better persistence (82.8% vs. 68.0%; p < .001) and lower risk of discontinuation (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76; p = .006). Among switchers (96 FTD + TPI-to-REG; 83 REG-to-FTD + TPI), those switching from FTD + TPI to REG were more likely to have an MPR ≥80% (OR, 2.91; p < .001) and PDC ≥80% (OR, 4.60; p < .001) compared with REG-to-FTD + TPI switchers while treated with these drugs. Additionally, FTD + TPI-to-REG switchers had a lower risk of first treatment discontinuation (HR, 0.66; p = .009).

Conclusion

FTD + TPI users had significantly higher adherence and persistence, and patients who were treated with FTD + TPI before switching to REG also had higher adherence and persistence outcomes.
The Effects of an EFL and L2 Russian Teletandem Class: Student Perceptions of Oral Proficiency Gains
Authors: Bown Jennifer , Smith Laura Catharine , Talalakina Ekaterina V.
Published: October 2019

In response to the growing demand for highly proficient foreign language (L2) speakers in professional work settings, scholars and educators have increasingly turned their attention to methods for developing greater fluency in their learners who aspire to such jobs. Engaging in persuasive writing and argumentation has been shown to promote both written and oral proficiency among advanced L2 learners (Brown, 2009). This study focuses on the application of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines and standards to the design of teletandem courses in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and Russian as a Foreign Language developed to promote Advanced and Superior-level language gains. ACTFL Can-Do statements were used to evaluate learners’ self-reported language gains as a result of participating in the course. The results indicated that such an approach can indeed yield significant perceived gains, especially for spoken language, for all the participants regardless of their target language and home institution.
Prototype Protocol v1
Authors: Moberly George
Published: October 2019

Prototype Protocol
Default Fuhrman Lab Pipeline for Exact Amplicon Sequence Variant (eASV) Calling from SSU rRNA Amplicons Derived From 515Y/926R Primers v1
Authors: Mcnichol Jesse
Published: October 2019

Modern sequence analysis methods allow marker gene sequences to be resolved down to single nucleotide variants variously known as Oligotypes, Exact Sequence Variants (ESVs), or Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). Although the naming conventions and algorithms may differ, they all share a common goal of deriving the true biological sequence from noisy data. In this protocol, a general pipeline for determining eASVs (exact amplicon sequence variants) is presented that is suitable for amplicon datasets containing mixed 16S/18S sequences. We have chosen to use the open-source qiime2 framework for this analysis and have added one step at the beginning to split our mixed 16S/18S amplicon libraries using the bbsplit.sh script from the versatile BBtools suite. In our experience, both deblur and DADA2 gave similar results when benchmarked against known sequences in mock communities. Both were able to resolve amplicon sequences from mock communities down to the exact (known) sequences, although DADA2 did produce spurious eASVs under certain circumstances. These spurious eASVs were, however, confined to situations where we knew that sequence data was generated in a non-standard way. Although deblur did not suffer from this same bias, its major disadvantage for our use case was that it discarded too much data (especially for our 18S sequences where up to 90% of sequences would be discarded vs only ~20% for DADA2). Therefore, we chose to use DADA2 with careful validation of the output as described in the protocol as our default pipeline.
Missionary Activity of the Russian Orthodox Church in Siberia: Historical and Legal Aspect
Authors: Smorgunova Valentina Yu. , Dorskaia Aleksandra A. , Protsenko Evgenii D.
Published: October 2019

The article deals with the evolution of state and legal regulation of missionary activity of the Russian Orthodox Church from 17th to early 20th centuries on the example of the Siberian region. The research bases on the R. Horton’s theory of conversion which allows weighing benefits and drawbacks of converting Siberian indigenous peoples to orthodoxy and the legal consequences of such conversion. The article analyses the reasons for no sustainable results from missionary activity during the imperial period. Besides, it reveals the fundamental distinction of pre-revolutionary and modern approaches to the legal regulation of missionary activity