bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of chemo-preventive efficacy of Ficus religiosa latex extract by flow cytometry analysis and gene expression studies performed by RT-PCR in various cell lines
Authors: Saida L. , Tulasi C. D. S. L. N. , Narasu M. Lakshmi
Published: February 2021

Background

An extract of Ficus religiosa latex has been previously found to possess potent pharmacological activity with high antioxidant content phytochemical. The present research was conducted to investigate the chemo-preventive efficacy of latex extract on human breast adenocarcinoma MDA MB 231, human neroblastoma IMR 32, and human colorectal HCT 116 cell lines.

Results

The results showed that the latex crude extract induced cytotoxicity in all the selected cell lines with IC50 value 4.8 ± 1.13 μg/ml against the IMR 32 cell line. The cell cycle analysis results indicated the arrest and accumulation of cells at G1 phase in case of MDA MB 231 cells and HCT 116 cells whereas in the case of IMR 32 cells the arrest was in G2/M phase. The clear bands of fragments observed in DNA ladder experiments showed that apoptosis is induced by extracts in the cell lines. This could be correlated with the gene level expression studies on selected pro-apoptotic (p53 and caspase-3) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, AKT) genes, which got upregulated and downregulated, respectively.

Conclusion

Based on the experimental evidence, Ficus religiosa contains phytochemicals with potent antitumor activities.
Effect of addition of platelet-rich fibrin to tragal perichondrium graft in the endoscopic trans-canal myringoplasty
Authors: el Awady Mohamed Kamel , Sharkawy Mohammed E. L. , abo Mohamed Nagah Mohamed
Published: February 2021

Background

Myringoplasty operation is the reconstruction of the tympanic membrane (TM) which is performed to prevent recurrent discharge of the ear and to improve the hearing impairment which is caused by TM perforation. Platelets are the key factors in tissue repair mechanisms. They provide essential growth factors, which stimulate fibroblasts to create extracellular matrix deposition and neovascularization. The aim of this study is the assessment of the topical use of autologous platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in the improvement of myringoplasty success rate.

Results

Patients were divided to two groups, group A included 20 patients who were submitted to myringoplasty operation with adding of PRF from the same patient, and group B included 20 patients who were submitted to myringoplasty operation without adding of PRF. At 6 months postoperatively, the success rate (graft taking) in case group A (95%) was significantly higher than in the control group (70%) (P value = 0.037). Success in terms of hearing gain of the air-bone gap was more than 10 dB achieved in 19 patients (95%) in case group A, and 14 patients (70%) in control group B were with a statistically non-significant difference (P value = 0.079). There was no effect of PRF use on hearing gain in graft-taken cases because hearing gain is related to the closure of TM.

Conclusion

Topical PRF application over tragal perichondreal graft during myringoplasty is successful, safe, and highly efficient with no complications. PRF improves healing of chronic TM perforations and prevents postoperative infection.
Determinants of persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms: value of a novel COVID-19 symptom score
Authors: Galal Islam , Hussein Aliae A. R. Mohamed , Amin Mariam T. , Saad Mahmoud M. , Zayan Hossam Eldeen E. , Abdelsayed Mustafa Z. , Moustafa Mohamed M. , Ezzat Abdel Rahman , Helmy Radwa E. D. , Abd_Elaal Howida K. , Al Massry Nasrallah A. , Soliman Mohamed A. , Ismail Asmaa M. , Kholief Karima M. S. , Fathy Enas , Hashem Maiada K.
Published: February 2021

Background

Being a newly emerging disease, little is known about its long-lasting post-COVID-19 consequences. The aim of this work is to assess the frequency, patterns, and determinants of persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms and to evaluate the value of a proposed novel COVID-19 symptom score. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 in a hospital-based registry were included in a cross-sectional study (the hospitals including Assiut University Hospital, Assiut Chest Hospital, Aswan University Hospital, and Aswan Specialized Hospital). The patient demographics, comorbid disorders, the mean duration since the onset of the symptoms, history of hospital or ICU admittance, and the treatment taken during the acute state, as well as symptom score before and after convalescence, were recorded.

Results

The most frequent constitutional and neurological symptoms were myalgia (60.0%), arthralgia (57.2%), restriction of daily activities (57.0%), and sleeping troubles (50.9%), followed by anorexia (42.6%), chest pain (32.6%), gastritis (32.3%), cough (29.3%), and dyspnea (29.1%). The mean total score of acute stage symptoms was 31.0 ± 16.3 while post-COVID 19 symptom score was 13.1 ± 12.6 (P < 0.001). The main determinants of the persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms were the need for oxygen therapy (P < 0.001), pre-existing hypertension (P = 0.039), chronic pulmonary disorders (P = 0.012), and any chronic comorbidity (P = 0.004). There was a correlation between the symptom score during the acute attack and post-COVID-19 stage (P < 0.001, r = 0.67). The acute phase score had 83.5% sensitivity and 73.3% specificity for the cutoff point > 18 to predict occurrence of post-COVID-19 symptoms.

Conclusions

COVID-19 can present with a diverse spectrum of long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. Increased acute phase symptom severity and COVID-19 symptom score > 18 together with the presence of any comorbid diseases increase the risk for persistent post-COVID-19 manifestations and severity.
Flash CGM Is Associated With Reduced Diabetes Events and Hospitalizations in Insulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Bergenstal Richard M , Kerr Matthew S D , Roberts Gregory J , Souto Diana , Nabutovsky Yelena , Hirsch Irl B
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Suboptimal glycemic control among individuals with diabetes is a leading cause of hospitalizations and emergency department utilization. Use of flash continuous glucose monitoring (flash CGM) improves glycemic control in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which may result in lower risk for acute and chronic complications that require emergency services and/or hospitalizations.

Methods

In this retrospective, real-world study, we analyzed IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental databases to assess the impact of flash CGM on diabetes-related events and hospitalizations in a cohort of 2463 individuals with type 2 diabetes who were on short- or rapid-acting insulin therapy. Outcomes were changes in acute diabetes-related events (ADE) and all-cause inpatient hospitalizations (ACH), occurring during the first 6 months after acquiring the flash CGM system compared with event rates during the 6 months prior to system acquisition. ICD-10 codes were used to identify ADE for hypoglycemia, hypoglycemic coma, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperosmolarity.

Results

ADE rates decreased from 0.180 to 0.072 events/patient-year (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.39 [0.30, 0.51]; P < 0.001) and ACH rates decreased from 0.420 to 0.283 events/patient-year (HR: 0.68 [0.59 0.78]; P < 0.001). ADE reduction occurred regardless of age or gender.

Conclusions

Acquisition of the flash CGM system was associated with reductions in ADE and ACH. These findings provide support for the use of flash CGM in type 2 diabetes patients treated with short- or rapid-acting insulin therapy to improve clinical outcomes and potentially reduce costs.
Theory and Practice of the Long Novel
Authors: Ng Kenny K. K.
Published: February 2021

This article examines the promises and predicaments of May Fourth writers in their experimental writing of the “long novel” (changpian xiaoshuo 長篇小說) as a Chinese brand of the modern epic. May Fourth intellectuals showed a conscious effort to institute a new brand of fictional genre to enlighten the reading public. Yet their “education of the novel” was far from complete, as New Literature writers found fictional expressions primarily in the form of the short story, with strong undertones of individualism, subjective lyricism, and elitism. By focusing on Mao Dun's 茅盾 (1896–1981) Ziye 子夜 (Midnight; 1933), the article examines his call for the establishment of the long novel and his strenuous efforts to “take over” the modern novel as an ideological form to narrate a teleological progression of history. How do Mao Dun's fictional narratives illuminate the representational problems between fiction, locality, and modernity? For Mao Dun and his May Fourth contemporaries, modernity at large was expressed in a teleological mode of time and progress, both in the rhetoric of modernity and in fiction writing. The article reflects on Mao Dun's creative and ideological impasse by teasing out the narrative loopholes of traditional voices and popular fictional registers in the modern epic.
The GTPase Rab8 differentially controls the long- and short-range activity of the Hedgehog morphogen gradient by regulating Hedgehog apico-basal distribution
Authors: Gore Tanvi , Matusek Tamás , D'Angelo Gisela , Giordano Cécile , Tognacci Thomas , Lavenant-Staccini Laurence , Rabouille Catherine , Thérond Pascal P.
Published: February 2021

The Hedgehog (Hh) morphogen gradient is required for patterning during metazoan development, yet the mechanisms involved in Hh apical and basolateral release and how this influences short- and long-range target induction are poorly understood. We found that depletion of the GTPase Rab8 in Hh-producing cells induces an imbalance between the level of apically and laterally released Hh. This leads to non-cell-autonomous differential effects on the expression of Hh target genes, namely an increase in its short-range targets and a concomitant decrease in long-range targets. We further found that Rab8 regulates the endocytosis and apico-basal distribution of Ihog, a transmembrane protein known to bind to Hh and to be crucial for establishment of the Hh gradient. Our data provide new insights into morphogen gradient formation, whereby morphogen activity is functionally distributed between apically and basolaterally secreted pools.
Plasticity in parental effects confers rapid larval thermal tolerance in the estuarine anemoneNematostella vectensis
Authors: Rivera Hanny E. , Chen Cheng-Yi , Gibson Matthew C. , Tarrant Ann M.
Published: February 2021

Parental effects can prepare offspring for different environments and facilitate survival across generations. We exposed parental populations of the estuarine anemone, Nematostella vectensis, from Massachusetts to elevated temperatures and quantified larval mortality across a temperature gradient. We found that parental exposure to elevated temperatures resulted in a consistent increase in larval thermal tolerance, as measured by the temperature at which 50% of larvae die (LT50), with a mean increase in LT50 of 0.3°C. Larvae from subsequent spawns returned to baseline thermal thresholds when parents were returned to normal temperatures, indicating plasticity in these parental effects. Histological analyses of gametogenesis in females suggested that these dynamic shifts in larval thermal tolerance may be facilitated by maternal effects in non-overlapping gametic cohorts. We also compared larvae from North Carolina (a genetically distinct population with higher baseline thermal tolerance) and Massachusetts parents, and observed that larvae from heat-exposed Massachusetts parents had thermal thresholds comparable to those of larvae from unexposed North Carolina parents. North Carolina parents also increased larval thermal tolerance under the same high-temperature regime, suggesting that plasticity in parental effects is an inherent trait for N. vectensis. Overall, we find that larval thermal tolerance in N. vectensis shows a strong genetic basis and can be modulated by parental effects. Further understanding of the mechanisms behind these shifts can elucidate the fate of thermally sensitive ectotherms in a rapidly changing thermal environment.
Subacute combined degeneration of the cord secondary to nitrous oxide misuse: No laughing matter
Authors: Charters Pia F P , Morrison Hamish Duncan , Witherick Jonathan , King Susan
Published: February 2021

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has several traditional uses as a surgical and dental anaesthetic, as well as in aerosol spray propellants. It is the combination of analgesic and euphoric qualities coupled with accessibility as an over-the-counter household item that lends N2O to recreational use. Despite increasing evidence that prolonged use of N2O both medically and as a drug of abuse can cause disabling neurological side-effects, it remains widely used.

We present the case of an 18-year-old male who was diagnosed with subacute combined degeneration of the cord (SCDC) secondary to acute, heavy recreational use of N2O. The patient presented with progressive paraesthesia affecting his hands and feet associated with distal weakness. MRI of the cervical spine revealed symmetric bilateral high T2 signal within the dorsal columns extending from the level of C2 to T2 with the inverted ‘V’ sign on axial T2-weighted slices indicative of SCDC. Although vitamin B12 levels were within normal range, marked elevation of methylmalonic acid and homocysteine support the diagnosis of B12 inactivation and functional B12 deficiency, which fully resolved with treatment.
Occupational therapy productions in times of pandemic: a systematic review of occupational therapeutic actions against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic
Authors: Ramos Ataide Carlos Eduardo , Gonçalves Matos Junior Alberto , Araújo Dias Lorena Henriete , Ferreira Farias Luciane , Monteiro de Vasconcelos Filho Carlos Roberto , Zanona Aristela de Freitas
Published: February 2021

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization classified infection and contagion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a worldwide pandemic. Since then, health professionals have been tirelessly researching the symptoms and consequences of this disease in people's daily lives. Occupational therapists have also been mobilized to implement effective actions in order to guarantee the functionality and quality of life of individuals and groups. The aim of this article was to investigate what available resources there are regarding occupational therapy during the pandemic, and thus support and enrich professional practice during this time.

Methods: A search for was carried out for materials such as technical notes, guidelines for working with COVID-19 patients, clinical trials, and reflections and debates on occupational therapeutic practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Articles in English, Portuguese and Spanish were included. The search was carried out in the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Google Scholar, Latin American & Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) databases, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Pubmed, and the websites of occupational therapy entities and organizations.

Results: A total of 44 materials were found and categorised into performance guides, technical notes and scientific articles. The materials dealt with different themes, with a predominance of guidelines for hospital practices. However, there was also a significant amount of notes on the positioning of representative bodies in the preparation of intervention guides in wards, intensive care units, and outpatient and patient homes to support these professionals.

Conclusions: The results demonstrate the quick response of authors in the field of occupational therapy, to combat the challenges and barriers of the COVID-19 pandemic. The texts promote scientifically-based strategies to provide the best assistance to patients during the pandemic period.
Analysis of rs1048943 in the CYP1A1 gene in laryngeal cancer - a case control study
Authors: Abdalwahab Marwa , Ellaithi Mona
Published: February 2021

Background: The CYP1A1 gene is essential in the metabolism of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Numerous studies have investigated the links between the polymorphism Ile462Val rs1048943 A>G and its association with different cancers but the results have been variable. In this study, we studied rs1048943 in Sudanese patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer.

Methods: This is a case-control study of 49 laryngeal cancer cases and 50 healthy controls. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) were used to analyse the fragment region of the CYP1A1 gene that contains rs1048943.

Results: The average age of the patients was 51.2 years old and the male to female ratio was 1:1. Well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma constituted most of the histopathological diagnoses. Ile462Val rs1048943 A>G was not found in any of the cases but was found in heterozygous form in four controls (p = 0.1331, OR 0.1044, 95% CI, 0.0054-1.9924).

Conclusions: Our study did not show a significant association of CYP1A1 Ile462Val rs1048943 A>G with laryngeal cancer. Future studies may need to test additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in laryngeal cancer tissue samples to identify the effect of those SNPs on laryngeal cancer.
Effect of dietary protein level on growth, food utilization, food conversion and survival rate of giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
Authors: Muhammadar Abdullah A. , Firdus Firdus , Muchlisin Zainal A. , Samadi Samadi , Sarong Muhammad A. , Boihaqi Boihaqi , Sartira Satria , Sahidir Ibnu , Batubara Agung Setia
Published: February 2021

Background: Proper feed formulation is required for successful fish farming activities. Therefore, it is necessary for fish feed to provide optimal growth so that the cultivation business generates profits. Currently, there is very limited information about the appropriate feed for Caranx ignobilis, causing problems with its development. This study aims to provide feed with different protein levels to C. ignobilis.

Methods: We will examine the protein levels’ effects on the daily growth rate (DGR), specific growth rate (SGR), absolute growth rate (AGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), and survival rate (SR). This research was conducted for 35 days, from June to October 2017, at the Center Brackiswater Aquaculture Development (BPBAP) Ujung Batee, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Aceh Besar, Indonesia. This study used a completely randomized design method, with five treatment levels (30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% protein feed) and four replications.

Results: The results showed that feeding with different proteins on C. ignobilis had a significant effect on the mean values ​​of DGR, SGR, AGR, FCR, FE, and SR. The 50% protein feed gave the best results for C. ignobilis, with a mean DGR value of 0.267 ± 0.005 g / day, a mean SGR of 1.722 ± 0.030% / day, a mean AGR of 0.081 ± 0.003 cm/day, a mean FCR of 1.290, a mean FE 77.755% and a mean SR was 86.667%.

Conclusions: Furthermore, feed treatment with increased protein content between 30%–50% has a positive correlation with the growth of C. ignobilis. However, the ability to grow fish will decrease if the feed protein content is >50%.
Development of a Simple Index to Measure Overuse of Diagnostic Testing at the Hospital Level Using Administrative Data
Authors: Ellenbogen Michael I , Prichett Laura , Johnson Pamela T , Brotman Daniel J
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVE

We developed a diagnostic overuse index that identifies hospitals with high levels of diagnostic intensity by comparing negative diagnostic testing rates for common diagnoses.

METHODS

We prospectively identified candidate overuse metrics, each defined by the percentage of patients with a particular diagnosis who underwent a potentially unnecessary diagnostic test. We used data from seven states participating in the State Inpatient Databases. Candidate metrics were tested for temporal stability and internal consistency. Using mixed‐effects ordinal regression and adjusting for regional and hospital characteristics, we compared results of our index with three Dartmouth health service area‐level utilization metrics and three Medicare county‐level cost metrics.

RESULTS

The index was comprised of five metrics with good temporal stability and internal consistency. It correlated with five of the six prespecified overuse measures. Among the Dartmouth metrics, our index correlated most closely with physician reimbursement, with an odds ratio of 2.02 (95% CI, 1.11‐3.66) of being in a higher tertile of the overuse index when comparing tertiles 3 and 1 of this Dartmouth metric. Among the Medicare county‐level metrics, our index correlated most closely with standardized costs of procedures per capita, with an odds ratio of 2.03 (95% CI, 1.21‐3.39) of being in a higher overuse index tertile when comparing tertiles 3 and 1 of this metric.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a novel overuse index that is preliminary in nature. This index is derived from readily available administrative data and shows some promise for measuring overuse of diagnostic testing at the hospital level.
Cinco décadas después de la Ley General de Educación
Authors: Cuestiones Pedagógicas Cuestiones Pedagógicas
Published: February 2021

Cinco décadas después de la Ley General de Educación
The Effect of Over-the-Top Media Services on Piracy Search: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Authors: Lu Shijie , Rajavi Koushyar , Dinner Isaac
Published: February 2021

This paper examines the effect of over-the-top media services on consumers’ search for pirated video content in the entertainment industry
A Mean Field Game of Optimal Portfolio Liquidation
Authors: Fu Guanxing , Graewe Paulwin , Horst Ulrich , Popier Alexandre
Published: February 2021

We consider a mean field game (MFG) of optimal portfolio liquidation under asymmetric information. We prove that the solution to the MFG can be characterized in terms of a forward-backward stochastic differential equation (FBSDE) with a possibly singular terminal condition on the backward component or, equivalently, in terms of an FBSDE with a finite terminal value yet a singular driver. Extending the method of continuation to linear-quadratic FBSDEs with a singular driver, we prove that the MFG has a unique solution. Our existence and uniqueness result allows proving that the MFG with a possibly singular terminal condition can be approximated by a sequence of MFGs with finite terminal values.
Exact Methods for the Traveling Salesman Problem with Drone
Authors: Roberti Roberto , Ruthmair Mario
Published: February 2021

Efficiently handling last-mile deliveries becomes more and more important nowadays. Using drones to support classical vehicles allows improving delivery schedules as long as efficient solution methods to plan last-mile deliveries with drones are available. We study exact solution approaches for some variants of the traveling salesman problem with drone (TSP-D) in which a truck and a drone are teamed up to serve a set of customers. This combination of truck and drone can exploit the benefits of both vehicle types: the truck has a large capacity but usually low travel speed in urban areas; the drone is faster and not restricted to street networks, but its range and carrying capacity are limited. We propose a compact mixed-integer linear program (MILP) for several TSP-D variants that is based on timely synchronizing truck and drone flows; such an MILP is easy to implement but nevertheless leads to competitive results compared with the state-of-the-art MILPs. Furthermore, we introduce dynamic programming recursions to model several TSP-D variants. We show how these dynamic programming recursions can be exploited in an exact branch-and-price approach based on a set partitioning formulation using ng-route relaxation and a three-level hierarchical branching. The proposed branch-and-price can solve instances with up to 39 customers to optimality outperforming the state-of-the-art by more than doubling the manageable instance size. Finally, we analyze different scenarios and show that even a single drone can significantly reduce a route’s completion time when the drone is sufficiently fast.
Supplemental information for "Comparison of Three Commercial Automatic Boom Height Control Systems for Agricultural Sprayers"
Authors: Burgers Travis , Gaard John , Hyronimus Brian
Published: February 2021

The document includes:

- Figure S1: An annotated satellite map of the courses and tracks.

- The equations used to calculate the Herbst-modified Hockley Index (HHI) and Average HHI Differences

- Table S1: Tabulated results for Average HHI and HHI difference
Summary results for "Comparison of Three Commercial Automatic Boom Height Control Systems for Agricultural Sprayers"
Authors: Burgers Travis , Gaard John , Hyronimus Brian
Published: February 2021

Boom leveling comparison output data.csv and .xlsx are tables of the processed data from the data logs. This includes run and analysis metrics for each test run: average speed, distance traveled, number of data points analyzed, Herbst-modified Hockley Index, Hockley Index, f10, f25, f40, standard deviation (SD), root mean squared deviation (RMSD), f<25 and average of chassis roll angle squared
MATLAB data for "Comparison of Three Commercial Automatic Boom Height Systems for Agricultural Sprayers"
Authors: Burgers Travis , Gaard John
Published: February 2021

R4045andRoGatordata.mat includes the data logs from the John Deere R4045
and RoGator 1100C sprayers. These logs are for MATLAB analysis.
Uji aktivitas antifungi ekstrak etanol daun cabai jawa (Piper retrofractum) terhadap pertumbuhan candida albicans
Authors: SARI EVI ROSYIDA , NUGRAHENI ESTU RETNANINGTYAS
Published: February 2021

Sari ER, Nugraheni ER. 2013. Antifungal activity test of Piper retrofractum leaf ethanol extract on Candida albicans growth. Biofarmasi 13: 36-42. Candida albicans is a pathogenic microbe infecting vagina, thrush (fungal infection on mouth cavity) and paronichia (the presence of pus on nail pad). The less effective treatment system, and the incidence of toxicity on several antifungal lead to the selection of alternative medication (treatment) from the secondary metabolite compounds of flavonoid, alkaloid and saponin existing in java chili (Piper retrofractum Vahl) leaf. This research aimed to examine the antifungal activity of javanese chili (Piper retrofractum Vahl) leaf ethanol extract on Candida albicans, as well as to determine the antifungal properties of antifungal activity of javanese chili leaf ethanol extract. The extract was obtained by maceration using 70% ethanol. The ethanol extract obtained was 57.895 gram with the specimen of 7.61% (b/w). The result of phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoid, saponin and alkaloid compounds, all of those were antifungal. The examination of antifungal activity of javanese chili leaf ethanol extract was performed by using a diffusion method and the concentration series of 10-100% by adding DMSO as a diluent and it was performed with 3 times of repetition. The result of DDH was analyzed using CRD (Completely Random Design) with one-way ANOVA at a confidence interval of 95% and LSD to find out the significant difference between the concentration series. The result of antifungal activity examination showed that the ethanol extract at 40% concentration provided more effective DDH on C. albicans of 5.54Â±0,64 mm. The result of examination was processed by using one-way ANOVA and LSD indicating a significant difference (p<0.05) between the concentration series. At 40% concentration, the antifungal examination was performed on C. albicans. The result showed that the javanese chili leaf ethanol extract was a fungiostatic against the tested fungus.
Perbedaan kadar caffeic acid phenethyl ester pada propolis ekstrak etanol dan propolis ekstrak air
Authors: HASTUTI RIANI DWI , PRASETYO DIDING , HADINOTO SRI HARTATI
Published: February 2021

Hastuti RD, Prasetyo D, Hadinoto SH. 2013. The difference of caffeic acid phenethyl ester level in ethanol extract propolis and water extract propolis. Biofarmasi 11: 43-47. Propolis is a natural product derived from plant resin collected by honeybeen and its composition has wide range of biological activity. CAPE is the ester of caffeic acid, a derivative of phenolic acid, a flavonoid-like compound, one of the major components of propolis. CAPE is reported can protect nephrotoxicity due to cisplatin induction, inhibiting the growth of various types of abnormal cells, having an anti-inflammation activity, antioxidant activity, cyclooxygenase activity, vasodilatation activity in rat aorta, potential inhibitor of nitric oxidant, inhibitor oxidative process, and effectively suppress the growth of cataract in rat. Propolis can not be used as raw material, and it must be purified by extraction with solvent. Different solvents may extract different compounds, influencing its activity. The purpose of this research was to determine the difference levels of CAPE in ethanol extract propolis and water extract propolis. This research was a pure experimental research using the post-test only design. The sample of this research was raw propolis taken from bees farming in Gejen RT. 03 RW. 02, Kerjo, Karanganyar. Sampling was performed by a purposive sampling. Sample was extracted with a maserasion method with the solvents of ethanol and water. In each extract propolis was made five samples. The determination of the level of CAPE on propolis was performed by using UV-Vis spectrophotometry with Prussian Blue method. The data of the level of CAPE was analyzed by the statistical test of independent t-test. The results showed that the average of CAPE level in ethanol extract propolis was 12.268Â±0.658 Î¼g/mL and the average of CAPE level in water extract propolis was 5.564Â±0.332 Î¼g/mL, with p=0.125 (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between extract ethanol propolis and water extract propolis.
Uji toksisitas fraksi aktif ekstrak etanol daun ginje (Thevetia peruviana) dengan metode Brine Shrimp Test dan profil kandungan kimia fraksi teraktif
Authors: NINGSIH VIANA , NUGRAHENI ESTU RETNANINGTYAS , ASTIRIN OKID PARAMA
Published: February 2021

Ningsih V, Nugraheni ER, Astirin OP. 2013. Toxicity test of active fraction from ethanol extract of ginje (Thevetia peruviana) leaves by Brine Shrimp Test method and chemistry compound profile of most active fraction. Biofarmasi 11: 48-57. Cancer is a major threat to human health. The treatment that been made such as dissection, radiation, and chemotherapy, did not give satisfactory results, even gave the considerable adverse side effects. Other alternative that selected is utilizing the natural materials from plant that expected to be companion chemotherapy. One of the plants as source of new drug potentially is ginje (Thevetia peruviana Merr). Previous studies reported that ethanol extract of ginje leaves have toxic effects below 1000 Î¼g/mL. Therefore, it needs to be tested further to determine its potential as anticancer. This study aimed to determine the toxic effects of the active fractions of ethanol extract of ginje leaves by Brine Shrimp Test (BST) method and to determine the profile of active fraction of chemical constituents. Toxicity test was performed with Brine Shrimp Test (BST) method against Artemia salina Leach. Shrimp larva with a series concentrations extract of 62.5 Î¼g/mL, 125 Î¼g/mL, 250 Î¼g/mL, 500 Î¼g/mL and 1000 Î¼g/mL of each concentration were tested in 5 flacons. Each flacon contained 10 shrimp larva. The percentage of shrimp larva mortality was calculated after 24 hours of test and the data were analyzed by calculating the value of LC50. The profile of the chemical contents of the most active fraction were identified by TLC and analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that the most active fraction in killing the larva of shrimp Artemia is the fraction I with the values of LC50-24 hours was 44.67 Î¼g/mL. The contents of chemical compounds contained in fraction I of leaf ethanol extract of ginje were terpenoid and phenolic groups.
Preservative effect of lupine extract (Lupinus luteus) on quality of raw cowâ€™s milk during storage
Authors: MOHAMMED ABDELAZIZ MUSA MOHAMMED , HAMID OMER IBRAHIM AHMED
Published: February 2021

Mohammed AMM, Hamid OIA. 2017. Preservative effect of lupine extract (Lupinus luteus) on quality of raw cowâ€™s milk during storage. Biofarmasi J Nat Prod Biochem 15: 45-52. The experiment was conducted to assess the effect of various level of lupine (Lupinus luteus) extract as milk preservative on the physicochemical and microbial load of the raw cowâ€™s milk during 2016. The milk samples were purchased from milk dairy farm of the College of Animal Production Science and Technology, Sudan University of Science and Technology at Kuku area. Five treatments were carried out in this study; in the first treatment, raw cowâ€™s milk was left at room temperature without lupine extract and, respectively, in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th treatments, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% of lupine extract were added to fresh milk samples (four hundred mls of milk for each sample). The raw milk samples in all treatments were left for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours at room temperature. The physicochemical (protein, fat, titratable acidity, total solids not fat, pH and ash) and microbiological (total bacteria count) analyses of the milk samples were taken. The results showed that the lupine extract significantly (p<0.05) affected the protein, fat, total solids not fat and pH contents of the milk samples, while no significant (Pâ‰¥ 0.05) effect was found in the acidity and ash contents of raw milk samples. The storage period significantly (p<0.05) affected the fat, pH and acidity of raw milk samples, while no significant effect was reported in the protein, total solids not fat and ash contents. The microbial load of raw milk (Total bacterial count) was significantly (p<0.05) affected by the increased level of lupines. The storage period significantly (p<0.05) affected the microbial load of the fresh milk.
Recent Applications and Automated Operations of FTIR- based Continuous Process Monitors (FTIR-CPMs) within Semiconductor Factories
Authors: Laush Curtis T.
Published: February 2021

This presentation outlines the recent application of OEM-style Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) interferometers as fully automated, semiconductor wafer and substrate panel chemical process emissions (and point-of-use abatement) monitors within cleanrooms.
Scanless optical feedback imaging principle by single-pixel compressed sensing
Authors: Dabbicco Maurizio , Lupo Alessandro , Labini Paolo Sylos
Published: February 2021

Optical feedback in lasers is being used for unconventional imaging of fluid dynamics, pressure fields, material properties, and free-carrier distribution, especially in spectral regions where two-dimensional detectors are not yet available. As this technique requires scanning the laser spot across the target, the resulting image contrast is often hampered by the speckle effect. Compressed sensing is becoming a workhorse technique for signal analysis, allowing the reconstruction of complex images from a relatively small number of integrated (single-pixel) measurements, and is being efficiently adapted to a number of single-pixel detector cameras. We applied compressed sensing algorithms to the inherently single-pixel optical feedback in a semiconductor diode laser, demonstrating for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, scanless and detectorless speckle-free imaging of a simple binary object.
Spectral fusing Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy based on FPGA processing
Authors: Meemon Panomsak , Lenaphet Yutana , Widjaja Joewono
Published: February 2021

High-resolution imaging using high numerical aperture imaging optics is commonly known to cause a narrow depth of focus, which limits the depth of field in optical coherence tomography (OCT). To achieve semi-invariant high resolution in all directions, Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy (GD-OCM) combines the in-focus regions of multiple cross-sectional images that are acquired while shifting the focal plane of the objective lens. As a result, GD-OCM requires additional processes for in-focus extraction and fusion, leading to longer processing times, as compared with conventional frequency domain OCT (FD-OCT). We previously proposed a method of spectral domain Gabor fusion that has been proven to improve the processing speed of GD-OCM. To investigate the full potential of the spectral domain Gabor fusion technique, we present the implementation of the spectral domain Gabor fusion algorithm using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in a spectral acquisition hardware device. All filtering processes are now performed in an acquisition device as opposed to the post-processing of the original GD-OCM, which reduces the amount of data transfer between the image acquisition device and the processing host. To clearly demonstrate the imaging performance of the implemented system, we performed GD-OCM imaging of a stack of polymeric tapes. GD-OCM imaging was performed over seven focus zones. The results showed that the processing time for linear wavenumber calibration and spectral Gabor filtering can be improved with FPGA implementation. The total processing time was improved by about 35%.
Optical scanning holography with a polarization directed flat lens
Authors: Tsai Chen-Ming , Sie Hong-Yuan , Poon Ting-Chung , Liu Jung-Ping
Published: February 2021

Recently, an optical scanning holographic system with a polarization
directed flat lens was proposed to realize coaxial scanning holography
(CSH). The advantage of CSH is its small form factor and the
stability. However, the diffraction efficiency of the polarization
directed flat lens cannot be 100%, and thus there is always zeroth
order light in the scanning beam. The imperfect diffraction property
of the polarization directed flat lens results in an incomplete
scanning Fresnel zone plate. Consequently, the reconstructed image is
blurred and noisy. In this paper, we compared different methods,
including the back propagation, the phase correlation, and inverse
filtering, for the hologram reconstruction. It is demonstrated that
inverse filtering is the only method that can retrieve the
high-frequency component of the hologram. However, additional noise
also arises with the use of inverse filtering. Therefore, the imaging
performance of CSH by using a polarization directed flat lens is
inherently worse than that of conventional OSH.
Field deployment of a mid-IR dual-comb spectrometer based on quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Westberg Jonas , Teng Chu C. , Chen Yifeng , Liu Jie , Patrick Link , Soskind Michael , Shen Linhan , Wysocki Gerard
Published: February 2021

We describe a recent field deployment of a dual-comb spectrometer based on quantum cascade lasers in the city of Boston, MA. We report on the construction of the deployable instrument and in-field spectrometer performance.
Gaussian state-based quantum illumination with simple photodetection
Authors: Yang Hao , Roga Wojciech , Pritchard Jonathan D. , Jeffers John
Published: February 2021

Proofs of the quantum advantage available in imaging or detecting objects under quantum illumination can rely on optimal measurements without specifying what they are. We use the continuous-variable Gaussian quantum information formalism to show that quantum illumination is better for object detection compared with coherent states of the same mean photon number, even for simple direct photodetection. The advantage persists if signal energy and object reflectivity are low and background thermal noise is high. The advantage is even greater if we match signal beam detection probabilities rather than mean photon number. We perform all calculations with thermal states, even for non-Gaussian conditioned states with negative Wigner functions. We simulate repeated detection using a Monte-Carlo process that clearly shows the advantages obtainable.
Supercontinuum generation from zinc borate glasses: bandgap versus rare-earth doping
Authors: Neethish M. M. , Kumar V. V. Ravi Kanth , Nalam Samuel Anurag , Harsha S. Sree , Kiran P. Prem
Published: February 2021

We report an enhanced supercontinuum generation (SCG) from a rare-earth (

P
r

3
+

) doped low bandgap zinc borate glass when excited with 60 fs pulses from a Ti-sapphire laser. The emission associated with the absorption bands due to

P
r

3
+

doping (around 420–500 and 580–600 nm) is observed to assist the enhanced SCG.
Thermo-optically tunable spectral broadening in a nonlinear ultra-silicon-rich nitride Bragg grating
Authors: Cao Yanmei , Sahin Ezgi , Choi Ju Won , Xing Peng , Chen George F. R. , Ng D. K. T. , Eggleton Benjamin J. , Tan Dawn T. H.
Published: February 2021

Spectral tunability methods used in optical communications and signal processing leveraging optical, electrical, and acousto-optic effects typically involve spectral truncation that results in energy loss. Here we demonstrate temperature tunable spectral broadening using a nonlinear ultra-silicon-rich nitride device consisting of a 3-mm-long cladding-modulated Bragg grating and a 7-mm-long nonlinear channel waveguide. By operating at frequencies close to the grating band edge, in an apodized Bragg grating, we access strong grating-induced dispersion while maintaining low losses and high transmissivity. We further exploit the redshift in the Bragg grating stopband due to the thermo-optic effect to achieve tunable dispersion, leading to varying degrees of soliton-effect compression and self-phase-modulation-induced spectral broadening. We observe an increase in the bandwidth of the output pulse spectrum from 69 to 106 nm as temperature decreases from 70°C to 25°C, in good agreement with simulated results using the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The demonstrated approach provides a new avenue to achieve on-chip laser spectral tuning without loss in pulse energy.
High efficiency all-dielectric pixelated metasurface for near-infrared full-Stokes polarization detection
Authors: Zhang Chong , Hu Jingpei , Dong Yangeng , Zeng Aijun , Huang Huijie , Wang Chinhua
Published: February 2021

Pixelated metasurfaces integrating both the functions of linear polarization and circular polarization filters on a single platform can achieve full-Stokes polarization detection. At present, the pixelated full-Stokes metasurfaces mainly face the following problems: low transmission, low circular dichroism (CD) of circular polarization filters, and high requirements in fabrication and integration. Herein, we propose high performance ultracompact all-dielectric pixelated full-Stokes metasurfaces in the near-infrared band based on silicon-on-insulator, which is compatible with the available semiconductor industry technologies. Circular polarization filters with high CD are achieved by using simple two-dimensional chiral structures, which can be easily integrated with the linear polarization filters on a single chip. In addition, the dielectric materials have higher transmission than metal materials with intrinsic absorption. We experimentally demonstrated the circular polarization filter with maximum CD up to 70% at a wavelength of 1.6 μm and average transmission efficiency above 80% from 1.48 μm to 1.6 μm. Therefore, our design is highly desirable for many applications, such as target detection, clinical diagnosis, and polarimetric imaging and sensing.
On the upper limit of laser intensity attainable in nonideal vacuum
Authors: Wu Yitong , Ji Liangliang , Li Ruxin
Published: February 2021

The upper limit of the laser field strength in a perfect vacuum is usually considered as the Schwinger field, corresponding to

∼

10

29

  
W
/

cm

2

. We investigate such limitations under realistic nonideal vacuum conditions and find that intensity suppression appears starting from

10

25

  
W
/

cm

2

, showing an upper threshold at

10

26

  
W
/

cm

2

level if the residual electron density in chamber surpasses

10

9

  

cm

−
3

. This is because the presence of residual electrons triggers the avalanche of quantum electrodynamics cascade that creates copious electron and positron pairs. The leptons are further trapped within the driving laser field due to radiation reaction, which significantly depletes the laser energy. The relationship between the attainable intensity and the vacuity is given according to particle-in-cell simulations and theoretical analysis. These results answer a critical problem on the achievable light intensity based on present vacuum conditions and provide a guideline for future hundreds of petawatt class laser development.
Observation of plasmonic exceptional point and nano-scale sensing
Authors: Ndao Abdoulaye , Park Jun-Hee , Hsu Liyi , Kanté Boubacar
Published: February 2021

We propose a novel approach to EPs based on spatial symmetry breaking and report their observation in plasmonics at room temperature. The sensing of anti-Immunoglobulin G, the most common antibody found in blood circulation, is evaluated.
End-to-end neural system identification with neural information flow
Authors: Seeliger K. , Ambrogioni L. , Güçlütürk Y. , van den Bulk L. M. , Güçlü U. , van Gerven M. A. J.
Published: February 2021

Neural information flow (NIF) provides a novel approach for system identification in neuroscience. It models the neural computations in multiple brain regions and can be trained end-to-end via stochastic gradient descent from noninvasive data. NIF models represent neural information processing via a network of coupled tensors, each encoding the representation of the sensory input contained in a brain region. The elements of these tensors can be interpreted as cortical columns whose activity encodes the presence of a specific feature in a spatiotemporal location. Each tensor is coupled to the measured data specific to a brain region via low-rank observation models that can be decomposed into the spatial, temporal and feature receptive fields of a localized neuronal population. Both these observation models and the convolutional weights defining the information processing within regions are learned end-to-end by predicting the neural signal during sensory stimulation. We trained a NIF model on the activity of early visual areas using a large-scale fMRI dataset recorded in a single participant. We show that we can recover plausible visual representations and population receptive fields that are consistent with empirical findings.
Multithreaded variant calling in elPrep 5
Authors: Herzeel Charlotte , Costanza Pascal , Decap Dries , Fostier Jan , Wuyts Roel , Verachtert Wilfried
Published: February 2021

We present elPrep 5, which updates the elPrep framework for processing sequencing alignment/map files with variant calling. elPrep 5 can now execute the full pipeline described by the GATK Best Practices for variant calling, which consists of PCR and optical duplicate marking, sorting by coordinate order, base quality score recalibration, and variant calling using the haplotype caller algorithm. elPrep 5 produces identical BAM and VCF output as GATK4 while significantly reducing the runtime by parallelizing and merging the execution of the pipeline steps. Our benchmarks show that elPrep 5 speeds up the runtime of the variant calling pipeline by a factor 8-16x on both whole-exome and whole-genome data while using the same hardware resources as GATK4. This makes elPrep 5 a suitable drop-in replacement for GATK4 when faster execution times are needed.