bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Balloon sinuplasty: two-year follow up using Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 outcomes
Authors: Sinnott J , Chisholm E
Published: April 2021

Background

Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively new surgical technology proposed as a less invasive way of treating chronic rhinosinusitis and frontal sinus disease. It is crucial to monitor safety and efficacy to allow informed clinical decisions and appropriate counselling of patients. There are few papers with long-term follow up.

Method

Patients were selected for surgery based on symptoms of frontal pain and pressure or headache, pre-operative Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 scores, and computed tomography findings. All were resistant to appropriate medical therapy. Balloon sinuplasty was performed followed by a Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 questionnaire at two months and then two years.

Results

All patients underwent successful operations with no failure of technology or technique. There were no significant complications. The average Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 score reduced from 46 pre-operatively (standard error: +/− 5.7, n = 9) to 23 at 2 months (standard error: +/− 7.6, n = 7). At 2 years, the average Sino-Nasal Outcome Test score was 23 (standard error: +/− 4.3, n = 6). There was an even larger lasting benefit when pain or pressure symptoms were analysed in isolation.

Conclusion

This study adds to the evidence of technique safety and feasibility. The procedure resulted in a significant long-term improvement in symptoms.
Hospital Committee Proceedings and Reports: Their Legal Status
Authors: Hall Reed E.
Published: April 2021

This Article examines the legal status of hospital committee proceedings and reports, focusing on how they may be used in a medicolegal context. Specific topics dealt with include the hospital medical staff in legal perspective, the concept of institutional responsibility, liability considerations arising from committee work, and the discovery and admissibility of committee records in litigation cases. The author concludes that the danger of committee members facing liability for their activities is slight and that the fear that these reports and proceedings may be subject to discovery or be admissible into evidence in subsequent litigation is remote because candid and conscientious evaluations of clinical practices within every institution are essential and, therefore, public policy must encourage such evaluations by maintaining the confidentiality of committee activities.
Beyond Abortion: The Potential Reach of a Human Life Amendment
Authors: Westfall David
Published: April 2021

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court held that the constitutionally protected right to privacy includes a woman's right to terminate pregnancy. Following the decision, anti-abortion groups turned to Congress to limit or negate that right. As a result of their efforts, several "human life" statutes and constitutional amendments have been proposed. This Article focuses on the implications of proposed amendments that seek to ban or limit the availability of abortions indirectly by broadening the definition of "person" to include unborn individuals. The Article discusses the potentally serious effects such an amendment would have in areas unrelated to abortion. It finds that the resulting chaos and uncertainty would have great social costs, and concludes that if abortions are to be banned or restricted, a human life amendment that directly deals with abortion is preferable to one that defines "person" to include the unborn.
City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital: Government Responsibility for an Arrestee's Medical Care
Authors: Contente William
Published: April 2021

City of Revere v. Massachusetts General Hospital presented the United States Supreme Court with its first opportunity to consider whether a state or municipality has a constitutional duty to pay for medical treatment received by an individual in police custody. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts had held that the city had an eighth amendment duty to pay for an arrestee's treatment. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed, observing that eighth amendment rights and duties are not implicated prior to conviction and that fourteenth amendment due process concerns were met once the arrestee received adequate medical care. No obligation to pay arises, the Court held, absent a specific state law provision requiring such payment. Because arrestees are subject to physical restraints similar to those imposed on convicted prisoners, this Case Comment argues that courts undertaking to determine the scope of a state's duty to provide treatment to arrestees should apply a due process standard which draws upon eighth amendment analysis. The Comment concludes that under such an eighth amendment equivalence approach, no duty to pay arises because the state's failure to pay the health care provider does not reflect "deliberate indifference" towards the recipient of the treatment.
Epic Cruelty: On Post-Pandemic Performance
Authors: Mitchell Rick
Published: April 2021

As today’s catastrophic Covid-19 pandemic exacerbates ongoing crises, including systemic racism, rising ethno-nationalism, and fossil-fuelled climate change, the neoliberal world that we inhabit is becoming increasingly hostile, particularly for the most vulnerable. Even in the United States, as armed white-supremacist, pro-Trump forces face off against protesters seeking justice for African Americans, the hostility is increasingly palpable, and often frightening. Yet as millions of Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated after the brutal police killing of George Floyd, the current, intersecting crises – worsened by Trump’s criminalization of anti-racism protesters and his dismissal of science – demand a serious, engaged, response from activists as well as artists. The title of this article is meant to evoke not only the state of the unusually cruel moment through which we are living, but also the very different approaches to performance of both Brecht and Artaud, whose ideas, along with those of others – including Benjamin, Butler, Latour, Mbembe, and Césaire – inform the radical, open-ended, post-pandemic theatre practice proposed in this essay. A critically acclaimed dramatist as well as Professor of English and Playwriting at California State University, Northridge, Mitchell’s published volumes of plays include Disaster Capitalism; or Money Can’t Buy You Love: Three Plays; Brecht in L.A.; and Ventriloquist: Two Plays and Ventriloquial Miscellany. He is the editor of Experimental O’Neill, and is currently at work on a series of post-pandemic plays.
Postoperative radiotherapy for pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS): case series and literature review
Authors: Al-Hajri T. , Al-Madailwi K. , Riromar J.
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare benign proliferative disease of the synovium with locally aggressive behaviour. We reviewed our experience using external beam radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of PVNS.

Method:

We report five cases of PVNS who underwent Arthroscopic Synovectomy followed by postoperative RT in National Oncology centre in Oman. The total dose RT ranges between 30 and 36 Gray (Gy) Three-dimensional radiotherapy technique.

Conclusion:

Postoperative RT is effective in preventing disease recurrence and should be offered following maximal cytoreduction to enhance local control in PVNS.
Triploid watermelon response to flumioxazin
Authors: Meyers Stephen L. , Guan Wenjing , Egel Dan , Nowaskie Dennis
Published: April 2021

Field trials were conducted in 2016 and 2017 at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN, to determine the tolerance of plasticulture-grown ‘Fascination’ triploid watermelon to flumioxazin. Treatments were applied after plastic was laid, but 1 d prior to transplanting, and consisted of row middle applications of clomazone (210 g ai ha−1) plus ethafluralin (672 g ai ha−1), flumioxazin (107 g ai ha−1), and flumioxazin (88 g ha−1) plus pyroxasulfone (112 g ai ha−1); a broadcast application of flumioxazin (107 g ha−1); and a nontreated check. The broadcast application of flumioxazin reduced watermelon vine length and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values compared with values for the nontreated check. All other herbicide treatments had vine length and NDVI values similar to those of the nontreated check. At 25/26 d after transplanting (DAP), weedy ground cover in row middles of the nontreated check was 39% and 14% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Weedy ground cover in herbicide-containing treatments was significantly less, at ≤7% and ≤5% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Marketable watermelon yield of the nontreated check was 77,931 kg and 11,115 fruits ha−1. The broadcast application of flumioxazin resulted in reduced marketable yield (64,894 kg ha−1) and fewer fruit (9,550 ha−1).
Women Leaders in Syria in the COVID-19 Response and Beyond
Authors: Meagher Kristen , Abbara Aula , Fahham Ola , Patel Preeti
Published: April 2021

Abstract. Providing a powerful platform to openly discuss how we, as a global community, can advance the role of women as leaders in health in conflict-affected settings is an undervalued opportunity. Honest, evidence-based discussions, holistic approaches, and increasing the visibility of women role models are imperative in settings that are debilitated by conflict and restrictive gender norms. When gender equity and equality are not prioritized, we tend to consciously or not overlook the needs of half the population. In the face of a global pandemic, it is ever more pressing to ensure that such discussions continue and are not relegated. The evidence is overwhelming, COVID-19 impacts women disproportionately, and this is exacerbated in conflict settings. The reflections in this commentary are based on a webinar held on October 21, 2020, supported by the Women Leaders in Health and Conflict initiative ( Abbara et al., 2020 ). The panelists included Dr. Aula Abbara, Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez, and Dr. Ola Fahham, and the webinar was attended by 30 participants from across the Middle East and the United Kingdom. We examine three key themes: women's role in the health sector in Syria, education and culture, and meaningful leadership.
Dayside Cusp Aurorae and Ionospheric Convection Under Radial Interplanetary Magnetic Fields
Authors: Li Hsien‐Ming , Shue Jih‐Hong , Taguchi Satoshi , Nosé Masahito , Hosokawa Keisuke , Ruohoniemi J. Michael , Zhang Yongliang , Wing Simon , Lester Mark
Published: April 2021

Dayside cusp aurorae are created from particles precipitating into the cusp, and ionospheric convection is driven by solar wind electric fields. In this study, we coordinated the observations obtained from the all‐sky camera on Svalbard, the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, SuperMAG magnetometer data, and far ultraviolet imagers on board the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites for the event January 4, 2014 to examine the morphology of aurorae and the patterns of ionospheric convection for radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). During the event, a poleward‐moving auroral form and antisunward ionospheric convection were observed when the IMF turned into almost purely radial. Moreover, both types of antisunward and sunward convection were simultaneously observed near the footprint of the cusp at different times during the radial IMF period. The antisunward convection and sunward convection are typically an indicator of the dayside reconnection for the southward IMF and the lobe reconnection for the northward IMF, respectively. All those observations support the concept of low‐latitude dayside and high‐latitude lobe reconnection for the radial IMF. This study further shows that the coexistence of the two types of reconnection for radial IMF, resulting in an interplay of repetitive antisunward and sunward convection.
Twelve years of GWAS discoveries for osteoporosis and related traits: advances, challenges and applications
Authors: Zhu Xiaowei , Bai Weiyang , Zheng Houfeng
Published: April 2021

Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disease, affecting ~200 million people around the world. As a complex disease, osteoporosis is influenced by many factors, including diet (e.g. calcium and protein intake), physical activity, endocrine status, coexisting diseases and genetic factors. In this review, we first summarize the discovery from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in the bone field in the last 12 years. To date, GWASs and meta-analyses have discovered hundreds of loci that are associated with bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis, and osteoporotic fractures. However, the GWAS approach has sometimes been criticized because of the small effect size of the discovered variants and the mystery of missing heritability, these two questions could be partially explained by the newly raised conceptual models, such as omnigenic model and natural selection. Finally, we introduce the clinical use of GWAS findings in the bone field, such as the identification of causal clinical risk factors, the development of drug targets and disease prediction. Despite the fruitful GWAS discoveries in the bone field, most of these GWAS participants were of European descent, and more genetic studies should be carried out in other ethnic populations to benefit disease prediction in the corresponding population.
The sugar composition of the fibre in selected plant foods modulates weaning infants’ gut microbiome composition and fermentation metabolites in vitro
Authors: Parkar Shanthi G. , Frost Jovyn K. T. , Rosendale Doug , Stoklosinski Halina M. , Jobsis Carel M. H. , Hedderley Duncan I. , Gopal Pramod
Published: April 2021

Eight plant-based foods: oat flour and pureed apple, blackcurrant, carrot, gold- and green-fleshed kiwifruit, pumpkin, sweetcorn, were pre-digested and fermented with pooled inocula of weaning infants’ faecal bacteria in an in vitro hindgut model. Inulin and water were included as controls. The pre-digested foods were analysed for digestion-resistant fibre-derived sugar composition and standardised to the same total fibre concentration prior to fermentation. The food-microbiome interactions were then characterised by measuring microbial acid and gas metabolites, microbial glycosidase activity and determining microbiome structure. At the physiologically relevant time of 10 h of fermentation, the xyloglucan-rich apple and blackcurrant favoured a propiogenic metabolic and microbiome profile with no measurable gas production. Glucose-rich, xyloglucan-poor pumpkin caused the greatest increases in lactate and acetate (indicative of high fermentability) commensurate with increased bifidobacteria. Glucose-rich, xyloglucan-poor oats and sweetcorn, and arabinogalactan-rich carrot also increased lactate and acetate, and were more stimulatory of clostridial families, which are indicative of increased microbial diversity and gut and immune health. Inulin favoured a probiotic-driven consortium, while water supported a proteolytic microbiome. This study shows that the fibre-derived sugar composition of complementary foods may shape infant gut microbiome structure and metabolic activity, at least in vitro.
Proton range verification with MACACO II Compton camera enhanced by a neural network for event selection
Authors: Muñoz Enrique , Ros Ana , Borja-Lloret Marina , Barrio John , Dendooven Peter , Oliver Josep F. , Ozoemelam Ikechi , Roser Jorge , Llosá Gabriela
Published: April 2021

The applicability extent of hadron therapy for tumor treatment is currently limited by the lack of reliable online monitoring techniques. An active topic of investigation is the research of monitoring systems based on the detection of secondary radiation produced during treatment. MACACO, a multi-layer Compton camera based on LaBr3 scintillator crystals and SiPMs, is being developed at IFIC-Valencia for this purpose. This work reports the results obtained from measurements of a 150 MeV proton beam impinging on a PMMA target. A neural network trained on Monte Carlo simulations is used for event selection, increasing the signal to background ratio before image reconstruction. Images of the measured prompt gamma distributions are reconstructed by means of a spectral reconstruction code, through which the 4.439 MeV spectral line is resolved. Images of the emission distribution at this energy are reconstructed, allowing calculation of the distal fall-off and identification of target displacements of 3 mm.
Stimuli-controlled peptide self-assembly with secondary structure transitions and its application in drug release
Authors: Yang Liu , Gan Shenglong , Guo Qiang , Zhang Huatang , Chen Qingxin , Li Huangxu , Shi Jiahai , Sun Hongyan
Published: April 2021

Short peptides can self-assemble into supramolecular materials and be used for promising biomedical applications.
Asymmetric hydrogenation of trifluoromethyl ketones: application in the synthesis of Odanacatib and LX-1031
Authors: Zhu Tiao-Zhen , Shao Pan-Lin , Zhang Xumu
Published: April 2021

The asymmetric hydrogenation of trifluoromethyl ketones via iridium catalysis to access chiral secondary 2,2,2-trifluoroethanols is presented. The key intermediates of Odanacatib and LX1301 were prepared with high yields and enantioselectivities.
One-pot synthesis of 2-chloro-2-thio/selenocyanato ketones from β-keto acids
Authors: Wu Di , Li Chengcheng , Duan Yongjie , Yin Hongquan , Chen Fu-Xue
Published: April 2021

The chlorothiocyanato difunctionalization reaction has been achieved, and a variety of α-chlorothio/selenocyanato difunctional ketones are synthesized through one-pot strategy from β-keto acids.
Arbeitsteilung im Gesundheitswesen
Authors: Fabisch Gottlobe
Published: April 2021

Im internationalen Vergleich wird dem deutschen Gesundheitswesen ein gutes Versorgungsniveau und hohe Behandlungsqualität bescheinigt. Angesichts des demografischen Wandels, Fachkräftemangels und medizinisch-technologischen Fortschritts steht das Gesundheitswesen jedoch vor einem „Weiterentwicklungsbedarf“ 1, damit eine flächendeckende ambulante Versorgung auf hohem Niveau auch in Zukunft sichergestellt werden kann.
Anhaltende Remissionen nach Beendigung der Immuntherapie
Authors: Schmale Ine
Published: April 2021

Laut einer retrospektiven Auswertung der Daten von 20 Patienten mit einem metastasierten Merkelzellkarzinom, die an 11 deutschen Hautkrebszentren Checkpoint-Inhibitoren erhielten, wurden in der klinischen Praxis sogar bessere Ergebnisse als in den klinischen Studien erreicht.
Hepatic Vein Balloon Occlusion to Mitigate the Heat Sink Effect during Percutaneous Liver Ablation
Authors: Braaten Tyler , Tran Cao Hop S. , Huang Steven Y.
Published: April 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly affects patients with cirrhosis. Patients with early-stage disease may be treated with surgery, liver transplantation, and locoregional therapy (e.g., thermal ablation and chemoembolization). The treatment efficacy of thermal ablation can be limited by factors such as proximity to adjacent vessels, which may create a heat sink effect. The heat sink effect can be mitigated by intravascular balloon occlusion. Our case report demonstrates the utility of balloon occlusion during thermal ablation of HCC adjacent to the right hepatic vein complicated by hepatic vein thrombosis.
Guidewires as Embolic Agents? Embolotherapy of Large Splenic Artery Aneurysms
Authors: Haris Arafat Muhammed , Singh Jagdeesh Rampal , Raghuram Chitterusu , Pradeep Rebala , Reddy D. Nageshwar
Published: April 2021

Splenic artery aneurysms are among the more frequently diagnosed intra-abdominal aneurysms and are not infrequent in patients with raised portal venous pressure often requiring endovascular or surgical therapy. A 36-year-old female patient with Non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis and portal hypertension was diagnosed with multiple large splenic artery aneurysms for which she was initially operated which resulted in substantial blood loss during dissection that required embolotherapy. Initial attempts at coil embolization proved unsuccessful due to the wide aneurysmal neck and flow characteristics. Following which the aneurysmal sac was packed with multiple guidewires to act as a scaffold for further coil embolization. Subsequently, hemostasis was achieved and the patient underwent splenectomy later thereby demonstrating that embolization of large aneurysms can be accomplished with reasonable efficacy using guidewires.
Angiographic Analysis of the Anatomical Variants in Genicular Artery Embolization
Authors: Bagla Sandeep , Piechowiak Rachel , Sajan Abin , Orlando Julie , Canario Diego A. Hipolito , Isaacson Ari
Published: April 2021

Purpose Genicular artery embolization (GAE) has been proposed as a novel technique to treat painful synovitis related to osteoarthritis. An in-depth understanding of the genicular arterial anatomy is crucial to achieve technical success and avoid nontarget-related complications. Given the lack of previous angiographic description, the present study analyzes genicular arterial anatomy and proposes an angiographic classification system.

Materials and Methods Angiographic findings from 41 GAEs performed during two US clinical trials from January 2017 to July 2019 were reviewed to analyze the anatomical details of the following vessels: descending genicular artery (DGA), medial superior genicular artery (MSGA), medial inferior genicular artery (MIGA), lateral superior genicular artery (LSGA), lateral inferior genicular artery (LIGA), and anterior tibial recurrent artery (ATRA). The diameter, angle of origin, and anastomotic pathways were recorded for each vessel. The branching patterns were classified as: medially, M1 (3/3 arteries present) vs M2 (2/3 arteries present); and laterally, L1 (3/3 arteries present) vs L2 (2/3 arteries present).

Results A total of 91 genicular arteries were embolized: DGA (26.4%), MIGA (23.1%), MSGA (22.0%), LIGA (14.3%), and LSGA/ATRA (14.3%). The branching patterns were: medially = M1, 74.4% (n = 29), M2, 25.6% (n = 10); and laterally = L1, 94.9% (n = 37), L2, 5.1% (n = 2). A common origin for MSGA and LSGA was noted in 11 patients (28.2%). A direct DGA origin from the popliteal artery was reported in three patients (7.7%, n = 3).

Conclusions A thorough understanding of the geniculate arterial anatomy is important for maximizing postprocedural pain reduction while minimizing complications, procedure time, and radiation exposure during GAE.
Dosimetric Comparison between High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Boost and Volumetric Arc Therapy Boost in Locally Advanced Cancer Cervix
Authors: Hegazy Hanady , Hegazy Neamat , Soliman Maher , Elsaid Amr
Published: April 2021

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is considered the standard treatment for the locally advanced cancer cervix (LACC). Radiotherapy is commonly administered by a three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) approach followed by brachytherapy (BT). High dose rate (HDR) BT is commonly administered; however, several drawbacks exist including invasive technique, pain, requirement of anesthesia, and operative risks. We assessed the dosimetric difference between the HDR BT and the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) boost in those patients. Ten patients were selected retrospectively with LACC and all received whole pelvis radiotherapy followed by BT boost of 7 Gy in three fractions. The computed tomography (CT) image was transferred to the Varian system for the VMAT plan while the one with the applicator was transferred to the Sagi planning system and the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV), bladder, rectum, sigmoid, and small bowel were delineate with a margin of 5 mm were added to the CTV to create the planning target volume (PTV). The D90 for the PTV in VMAT boost was lower than received by the HR-CTV in the BT boost. Mean volume of the PTV was higher than that of the HR-CTV. The D2cc was higher in VMAT for bladder, sigmoid, and rectum while the D2cc for the small bowel in BT was higher compared with the VMAT. The VMAT is an option that exists for patients who refuse BT or cannot tolerate it, or in case of nonavailability of BT or a nonworking machine.
Hamaspora rubi-sieboldii.
Authors:   USA, USDA-ARS
Published: April 2021

There is little published information on this plant pathogenic fungus, which has a limited geographic distribution. As hosts exist in other regions of the world with similar environmental conditions, this species may pose a threat to native or agricultural plants if introduced.
Prevalence of radiographic hip dysplasia in Japanese population-based study
Authors: Cheng Veronica K , Hasegawa Masahiro , Hattori Tetsuya , Ito Naoya , Linn Erikka , Cheng Kevin , Hughes-Austin Jan , Masuda Koichi , Sudo Akihiro
Published: April 2021

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to measure the indices of radiographic developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in a cross-sectional study of an elderly Japanese population.

Methods

Hip radiographs of 427 informed, voluntary Japanese community-dwelling individuals (279 female and 148 male) aged 50–96 years-old were obtained from Miyagawa village in Japan through a health screening. The hip radiographs were measured by a custom-written, semi-automated MATLAB program. The center edge (CE) angle, acetabular roof obliquity (ARO), acetabular head index (AHI), and minimum joint space width (mJSW) were measured. We examined the associations between gender, side-of-hip, and age group on radiographic DDH and hip osteoarthritis (OA).

Results

The mean CE angle was 31.0°. The mean ARO was 5.8°. The mean AHI was 88.2%. The mean mJSW was 4.0 mm. Of the total population, 29.9% had DDH and 4.0% had hip OA. Of those who had hip OA, 41.2% were secondary OA, and 58.8% were primary OA. The relationship between DDH and OA was not significant.

Conclusion

DDH is unlikely to be an important cause of hip OA in the present population-based study.
Integrability of auto-Bäcklund transformations and solutions of a torqued ABS equation
Authors: Wei Xueli , van der Kamp Peter H , Zhang Da-jun
Published: April 2021

An auto-Bäcklund transformation for the quad equation Q11 is considered as a discrete equation, called H2
a
, which is a so called torqued version of H2. The equations H2
a
and Q11 compose a consistent cube, from which an auto-Bäcklund transformation and a Lax pair for H2
a
are obtained. More generally it is shown that auto-Bäcklund transformations admit auto-Bäcklund transformations. Using the auto-Bäcklund transformation for H2
a
we derive a seed solution and a one-soliton solution. From this solution it is seen that H2
a
is a semi-autonomous lattice equation, as the spacing parameter q depends on m but it disappears from the plane wave factor.
Stabilization strategy of a car-following model with multiple time delays of the drivers*
Authors: Ren Weilin , Cheng Rongjun , Ge Hongxia
Published: April 2021

An extended car-following model with multiple delays is constructed to describe driver’s driving behavior. Through stability analysis, the stability condition of this uncontrolled model is given. To dampen the negative impact of the driver’s multiple delays (i.e., stability condition is not satisfied), a novel control strategy is proposed to assist the driver in adjusting vehicle operation. The control strategy consists of two parts: the design of control term as well as the design of the parameters in the term. Bifurcation analysis is performed to illustrate the necessity of the design of parameters in control terms. In the course of the design of parameters in the control term, we improve the definite integral stability method to reduce the iterations by incorporating the characteristics of bifurcation, which can determine the appropriate parameters in the control terms more quickly. Finally, in the case study, we validate the control strategy by utilizing measured data and configuring scenario, which is closer to the actual traffic. The results of validation show that the control strategy can effectively stabilize the unstable traffic flow caused by driver’s delays.
Optimized pulse for stimulated Raman adiabatic passage on noisy experimental platform*
Authors: Wang Zhi-Ling , Liu Leiyinan , Cui Jian
Published: April 2021

Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) is an important technique to manipulate quantum states in quantum simulation and quantum computation. The transformation fidelity is limited in reality due to experimental imperfections. After systematically calculating the influence of dissipation caused by thermal fluctuations and instantaneous decay of the intermediate state, we find optimized control pulses of Rydberg atom in optical tweezer to increase the STIRAP fidelity via optimal control method. All constraints of currently available control lasers have been taken into account. The transition error can be further depressed when control lasers with shorter rise time and accordingly proper total evolution time are applied. Finally, the robustness of the control pulses with respect to random deviations between the theoretical pulse shape and the implemented ones is also enhanced by additional rounds of optimizations based on ensemble averaged fidelity.
A sign-function receiving scheme for sine signals enhanced by stochastic resonance*
Authors: Li Zhao-Rui , Chen Bo-Hang , Sun Hui-Xian , Liu Guang-Kai , Zhu Shi-Lei
Published: April 2021

To address the problem that it is difficult to detect an intermediate frequency (IF) signal at the receiving end of a communication system under extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, we propose a stochastic resonance (SR)-enhanced sine-signal detection method based on the sign function. By analyzing the SR mechanism of the sine signal and combining it with the characteristics of a dual-sequence frequency-hopping (DSFH) receiver, a periodic stationary solution of the Fokker–Planck equation (FPE) with a time parameter is obtained. The extreme point of the sine signal is selected as the decision time, and the force law of the electromagnetic particles is analyzed. A receiving structure based on the sign function is proposed to maximize the output difference of the system, and the value condition of the sign function is determined. In order to further improve the detection performance, in combination with the central-limit theorem, the sampling points are averaged N times, and the signal-detection problem is transformed into a hypothesis-testing problem under a Gaussian distribution. The theoretical analysis and simulation experiment results confirm that when N is 100 and the SNR is greater than 20 dB, the bit-error ratio (BER) is less than 1.5 × 10−2 under conditions in which the signal conforms to the optimal SR parameters.
An effective pumping method for increasing atomic utilization in a compact cold atom clock*
Authors: Ouyang Xin-Chuan , Yang Bo-Wen , Deng Jian-Liao , Wan Jin-Yin , Xiao Ling , Qi Hang-Hang , Hu Qing-Qing , Cheng Hua-Dong
Published: April 2021

We propose a simple pumping method to increase the effective population of cold atoms in the clock state and investigate the factors which affect the pumping efficiency in cold atom systems. We report the theory and demonstrate the corresponding experiment in an 87Rb integrating sphere cold atom clock. The experimental results show that the population of cold atoms in the Zeeman sublevel |F = 2, mF
= 0〉 is approximately 1.62 times that of the result using optical pumping alone. This method can also be applied to increase the effective population in any one of the target Zeeman sublevels in other cold atom systems.
Nutritional quality of crops in a high CO2 world: an agenda for research and technology development
Authors: Ebi Kristie L , Anderson C Leigh , Hess Jeremy J , Kim Soo-Hyung , Loladze Irakli , Neumann Rebecca B , Singh Deepti , Ziska Lewis , Wood Robert
Published: April 2021

Essential nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, are required for human health and development. Inadequate intake can negatively affect development and result in a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Rice, maize, and wheat provide over 60% of the world’s food energy intake. Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), water, nitrogen, and soil micronutrients are the basis of this plant material. Since 1850–1900, CO2 concentrations have increased about 50%, with most of that increase since 1950. Higher CO2 concentrations increase photosynthesis, which then increases plant biomass, but also alters the nutritional quality of wheat, rice, and other C3 plants. We review the possible impacts of rising CO2 concentrations on human health, highlight uncertainties, and propose a research agenda to maintain the nutritional quality of C3 plants. We also synthesize options for addressing this critical challenge to nutritional safety and security. A complete research agenda requires addressing data and knowledge gaps surrounding plant biology and policy responses. Data on key nutrients are lacking, leading to a limited mechanistic understanding of the response of the plant ionome to elevated CO2 concentrations. Regular data are largely missing on nutritional status and food safety in low- and middle-income countries, limiting assessments of the magnitude of the risks. Research opportunities to fill gaps in data and understanding include herbaria studies, field-based natural and manipulative studies, leveraging natural plant variability, and innovations in seed quality. Improved models of cereal crop nutritional quality can project the magnitude and direction of possible future challenges; incorporating the effects of climate change into those models can further improve their robustness. Transdisciplinary research involving at least ecologists, plant physiologists, economists, and experts in human nutrition is essential for developing a systems-based understanding of the potential impacts of rising CO2 concentrations for human nutrition and the attendant consequences for achieving the sustainable development goal on food security.
On energy ground states among crystal lattice structures with prescribed bonds
Authors: Bétermin Laurent
Published: April 2021

We consider pairwise interaction energies and we investigate their minimizers among lattices with prescribed minimal vectors (length and coordination number), i.e. the one corresponding to the crystal’s bonds. In particular, we show the universal minimality—i.e. the optimality for all completely monotone interaction potentials—of strongly eutactic lattices among these structures. This gives new optimality results for the square, triangular, simple cubic (sc), face-centred-cubic (fcc) and body-centred-cubic (bcc) lattices in dimensions 2 and 3 when points are interacting through completely monotone potentials. We also show the universal maximality of the triangular and fcc lattices among all lattices with prescribed bonds. Furthermore, we apply our results to Lennard-Jones type potentials, showing the minimality of any universal minimizer (resp. maximizer) for small (resp. large) bond lengths, where the ranges of optimality are easily computable. Finally, a numerical investigation is presented where a phase transition of type ‘square–rhombic–triangular’ (resp. ‘sc-rhombic-bcc-rhombic-fcc’) in dimension d = 2 (resp. d = 3) among lattices with more than 4 (resp. 6) bonds is observed.
The Influence of Surface Ground Material on the Outdoor Thermal Value
Authors: Adityo A. , Wibowo A. P. , Khidmat R. P.
Published: April 2021

The provision of open space in the building for educational purposes such as university is mandatory to ensure the balance between the buildings and the environment. Besides, the availability of open space in construction projects, particularly architecture, is also listed as one of the requirements that must be included when applying for a building permit. What is more, besides its functional factor, open space planning is expected to enhance campus aesthetics. The strategy in choosing the proper material for covering open areas in the tropical climate country is still challenging. It holds a significant contribution to reducing the effect of urban heat island phenomena. This article discusses the impact of changing surface ground materials on the site radiation of an open space called “lapangan lilin,” located in Atma Jaya University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The research incorporated computer simulation methods, ENVI-met, to compare several types of materials and their effects on the environment. The result shows that of the four types of materials that being compared (paving, soil, asphalt, and grass), the soil material gives the best outdoor thermal value impact compared to other materials.
Outdoor Thermal Comfort: Application of RayMan Tools
Authors: Nabilah Aisyah , Hakim Lukman Noor , Fawzy Maulana Calvin , Ramadhan Try
Published: April 2021

The UN has issued a policy regarding the achievement of sustainable development goals, among which are to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. One of the contributors to the quality of education is the convenience of buildings as educational facilities. This paper describes thermal comfort analysis in the case study of the LABTEK VII Building on the Bandung Institute of Technology campus divided into 2 cases: the open space in the building’s hallway and the study room in the building. Thermal comfort analysis uses standard thermal comfort analysis tools as a measurement effort. This research was conducted by analysing the indicators of thermal comfort in educational buildings with multiple capacities in temperature, humidity (humidity), and wind speed obtained from Meteoblue and indicators of metabolic rate and clothing of building users. The analysis of these indicators is processed using CBe thermal Comfort and Rayman to produce thermal comfort in the building. This paper presents the highest PET values obtained at 2 pm with PET temperatures reaching 40 ° C, considered a Hot sensation. And in the CBE measurement results, it can be seen that the process of changing indoor temperature from morning to evening is getting higher. From measurements with these two tools, concludes that the thermal comfort at Labtek VII ITB is thermally comfortable.
Sefaira Simulation in Residential Houses to Determine the Energy Use of Wall Materials
Authors: Hanissaa Aprilia Nurul , Paramita Beta
Published: April 2021

Wall material popularly used in Indonesia is a masonry wall, where the process takes longer than prefabrication wall materials or houses built-in components such as panels or modules. In this study, four types of prefabrication wall materials will be analyzed based on the annual energy use of each material. The wall materials chosen are Hebel, Alderon, Glassfibre Reinforced Cement Board (GRC), and metal deck. The calculation of energy consumption uses a simulation of a 27 m2 one-floor residential building located in Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. Furthermore, the simulation is analyzed with Sefaira software based on ASHRAE 90.1 - 2013. From the results of this Sefaira analysis, it is obtained that the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) value for Hebel wall material is 58 kWh/m2/yr, Alderon wall 90 kWh/m2/yr, Glassfiber Reinforced Cement Board (GRC) 83 kWh/m2/yr, and metal deck 89 kWh/m2/yr. Among the four recommended prefabricated wall materials, Hebel materials are considered to have the least energy use. Meanwhile, the EUI target of the 2030 Challenge for residential houses is 38 kWh/m2/yr, so it must reduce as much as 45 kWh/m2/yr for Hebel material.
Optimization of lighting design in classroom for visual comfort (Case Study : Universitas Tridinanti Palembang Tower)
Authors: Setiati T W , Budiarto A
Published: April 2021

Currently, the learning process in the classroom uses an LCD projector to display material on the white board. This LCD projector produces its own light, so the light source in the room will be added (beside daylight and artificial light). This condition makes a visual discomfort and not efficient energy uses. Based on previous study, the classroom users in UTP tower got visual comfort when the lamps were on 100% if projector used. But, in other condition when the projector is off, users will comfort if daylight and electric lighting combined. Based on these problems, this study is aimed to test the effective combination of daylight and artificial lighting so that the iso-contour of illumination spread evenly and visual comfort achieved. The method of experiment is used to find out the effect of various placements of artificial light that are on to the iso-contour of illumination. The experiments conducted with the help of simulation to experiment with design parameter is the placements of artificial light that turn on. The evaluation of visual comfort is based on the iso-contour of illumination and reflectance value on the indoor surface. The result of this research will show that the placements of light on will affect the illumination contour.
Generating Matlab looping for noise propagation prediction of environmental thermoacoustic design
Authors: Samodra FXTB , Irvansyah
Published: April 2021

In the proposal for designing natural ventilation of open tropical houses, environmental noise control is the simultaneous challenge. Nevertheless, the air circulation strategy for refrigerating and dehumidification can accept airborne noise transfer from sources to inside receivers once the wind direction is in the equivalent path as the noise generator. The deal concerning the design for site barrier and maintaining or preserving the tropical building material can help resolve the warm and noise environment instantaneously regardless of the diverse geographic settings. This study generates the model code of the site barrier of the tropical urban on thermoacoustic subjects as thermal and acoustics’ incorporated design. Matlab encoding is used for obtaining noise propagation control to support physiological cooling. The representative tropical buildings, Javanese housings are the case for investigating the urban built environments. The results revealed that considering the decomposition by distance remaining to geometrical propagating, the code involved diffraction, ground effect, and mitigation of sound due to atmospheric absorption. The analysis of essential factors results in the diffraction correction code as the most critical looping. The proposed overhang barrier controls the properties of the noise transmission loss and the reduction of estimation error, which causes imprecise noise management. Keywords: Matlab coding, noise barrier, thermal comfort, urban environment
Community based design for developing tourism area in the Village of Karangwuni, Wates District, Kuloprogo Regency – Yogyakarta Special Region
Authors: Bawole Paulus
Published: April 2021

The term tourism is used to characterize socio-cultural phenomena that include transportation, motivation, accommodation, hospitality, impact, and the economic, cultural, social, and environmental sectors that are influenced and driven by human movement. Based on this understanding, the development of a tourism area must absolutely involve the people who live in there. The participation of local people becomes a key factor in developing a tourism destination. One area that has considerable tourism potential is Karangwuni village, which is located in Wates District, Kulonprogo Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. The area of this sub-district is 722.35 hectares and very suitable to be developed into a tourism area because of the uniqueness and there are many interesting spots that can be developed including human resources. With the new Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulonprogo, the development of the tourism area in this village is very important. This article discusses the experience of an action research method that carries out the process of designing a community-based tourism area with the objective of exploring the tourism potential that exists in the Village and afterward to be developed into sustainable tourism destinations.
A Field Measurement of Thermal Comfort in Semi Outdoor Space in Hot-Humid Climate
Authors: Munawaroh A S , Damayanti E , Prasetyo Y A
Published: April 2021

Thermal comfort is still important in measuring the quality of a place. Many studies have been conducted to measure thermal comfort. In addition, other studies found that thermal comfort has improved user productivities. The last study resulted that thermal comfort in semi-outdoor space in the hot, humid climate, which case study was Canteen of Universitas Bandar Lampung (UBL) have not meet the human comfort standard based on user perception. Although this canteen is a semi-outdoor space, most of the users were feeling hot when fans were not using it. This paper aims to show a present study based on field measurement in that place. The measurement is carried out by thermometer, hygrometer, and anemometer. The thermometer used to measure temperature, hygrometer used to measure humidity, and anemometer used to measure air velocity. Field measurement was done in September and done every hour during work times in five days. The analysis method was done by using https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu/ to calculate Sensational, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD). JMP statistics software is used to show the trend of PMV, PPD, and Sensational based on the calculation result. This study showed thermal sensation in Outdoor was nearly neutral, thermal sensation in Semi Outdoor D was nearest to slightly warm, at the same time it was also closer to neutral than other Semi Outdoor spots. In conclusion, thermal sensation in Semi Outdoor without a wall was accepted than in Semi Outdoor with a wall. If the manager wants to improve thermal comfort at that place, they must add fans as mechanical ventilation in Semi Outdoor A, B, and C. But, if they do not want to use that, they must renovate the place by omitting the wall.
Optimization of flank wear and surface quality in the turning of 1.2343 tool steel using carbide tools coated via different methods
Authors: Özbek Nursel Altan
Published: April 2021

This study evaluated the effects of cutting tool coating type and process parameters on flank wear and surface roughness in the turning of hardened 1.2343 hot work tool steel. Two different coated tungsten carbide cutting tools (CVD TiCN/Al2O3/TiN and PVD TiAlN/TiN), three different cutting speeds and three different feedrates were used for the experimental tests. Turning tests were designed based on the Taguchi method (L18). Experimental results demonstrated that the PVD TiAlN/TiN tool performed better under all cutting conditions. Analysis of variance results determined the feedrate, with an impact ratio of 82.61%, to be the parameter with the most impact on surface roughness, while flank wear was most affected by the cutting tool, with 89.12%.
Three-dimensional non-equilibrium modeling of a DC multi-cathode arc plasma torch
Authors: ZHANG Zelong , WANG Cheng , SUN Qiang , XIA Weidong
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a three-dimensional non-equilibrium steady arc model is used to investigate the temperature, velocity and electromagnetic field in multi-cathode arc torch, and the formation mechanism of a large-area, uniform and diffused arc plasma is analyzed. The numerical simulation results show that a large volume plasma region can be formed in the central region of the generator during discharge. During this process, the maximum electron temperature appears near the cathode and in the central convergence region, while the maximum heavy particle temperature only appears in the central convergence region. This phenomenon is consistent with the experimental arc images. Near the cathode tip, the arc column is in a contraction state. In the area slightly away from the cathode, the six arc columns begin to join together. In the plasma generator, there is a large-scale current distribution in all directions of X, Y and Z, forming a stable arc plasma with a wide range of diffusion. The calculated electron temperature distribution is in good agreement with the measured electron temperature. The results suggest that the large-area diffused arc plasma in the multi-cathode arc torch is the combined effect of current distribution, convection heat transfer and heat conduction.