bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photochemical synthesis of a zirconium cyclobutadienyl complex
Authors: Đỗ P. Minh N. , Akhmedov Novruz G. , Petersen Jeffrey L. , Dolinar Brian S. , Milsmann Carsten
Published: April 2020

Photochemical activation of an organozirconium precursor in the presence of diphenylacetylene resulted in the isolation and structural characterization of the first zirconium cyclobutadienyl piano stool complex.
Partially shielded enzymes capable of processing large protein substrates
Authors: Briand Manon L. , Gebleux Remy , Richina Federica , Correro M. Rita , Grether Yasmin , Dudal Yves , Braga-Lagache Sophie , Heller Manfred , Beerli Roger R. , Grawunder Ulf , Corvini Philippe F.-X. , Shahgaldian Patrick
Published: April 2020

Immobilisation and partial shielding of enzymes allows stabilising biocatalysts and retaining their ability to process large protein substrates.
Selective adsorption and separation of C2 hydrocarbons in a “flexible-robust” metal–organic framework based on a guest-dependent gate-opening effect
Authors: Zhang Peng-Dan , Wu Xue-Qian , He Tao , Xie Lin-Hua , Chen Qiang , Li Jian-Rong
Published: April 2020

The selective adsorption and separation of C2 hydrocarbons have been achieved in a “flexible-robust” MOF based on a guest-dependent gate-opening effect.
Sequence isomerism in uniform polyphosphoesters programmes self-assembly and folding
Authors: Appukutti Nadeema , Jones Joseph R. , Serpell Christopher J.
Published: April 2020

Perfectly sequence-defined macromolecules have been synthesised through the phosphoramidite method. Sequence isomerism determines self-assembly giving a raft of unusual nanostructures.
A DNA/metal cluster-based nano-lantern as an intelligent theranostic device
Authors: Xu Can , Pu Fang , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: April 2020

A DNA/metal cluster-based nano-lantern as a multifunctional theranostic system was constructed by combining various properties into one ingenious DNA device.
Atomically thin PdSeO3 nanosheets: a promising 2D photocatalyst produced by quaternary ammonium intercalation and exfoliation
Authors: Zhang Xiuming , Liu Jia , Zhang Erhuang , Pan Rongrong , Li Yuemei , Wan Xiaodong , Wang Hongzhi , Zhang Jiatao
Published: April 2020

In 2018, the two-dimensional (2D) PdSeO3 monolayer was predicted to be a highly promising photocatalyst for direct overall water splitting in the light of density functional theory (DFT) computations.
Charge transfer co-crystals based on donor–acceptor interactions for near-infrared photothermal conversion
Authors: Wang Danbo , Kan Xiaonan , Wu Chenyu , Gong Yuzhen , Guo Guangming , Liang Tongling , Wang Lan , Li Zhibo , Zhao Yingjie
Published: April 2020

The charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor units results in a CT complex with excellent near-infrared photothermal conversion efficiency, which acted as an excellent photothermal material in seawater desalination application.
Semi-conductive helical homochiral metal–organic frameworks based on enantiomeric proline derivatives
Authors: Ma Yu-Lu , Meng Qin , Xu Zhong-Xuan
Published: April 2020

Chiral ligands (S)-H2PCA and (R)-H2PCA were synthesized by attaching (S)- and (R)-proline to 1,4-dicarboxybenzene. They further reacted with Cu(ii) and Co(ii) ions to obtain two pairs of helical homochiral MOFs with photocatalytic behaviours.
Unravelling electron transfer in peptide-cation complexes: a model for mimicking redox centres in proteins
Authors: Yu Jingxian , Horsley John R. , Abell Andrew D.
Published: April 2020

We provide evidence that bound zinc promotes electron transfer in a peptide by changing the electronic properties of the peptide.
Chlorination versus hydroxylation selectivity mediated by the non-heme iron halogenase WelO5
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Wang Zikuan , Gao Jun , Liu Wenjian
Published: April 2020

O2 activation in WelO5 (an α-KG dependent halogenase) leads to a Fe(IV)O species with an equatorial conformation. After hydrogen abstraction, the hydroxyl ligand is far from the substrate radical which leads to the chlorination selectivity
Spin-dependent Schottky barriers and vacancy-induced spin-selective ohmic contacts in magnetic vdW heterostructures
Authors: Li Hongxing , Xu Yuan-Kai , Cheng Zi-Peng , He Bin-Guang , Zhang Wei-Bing
Published: April 2020

The Schottky barriers are spin-dependent in magnetic vdW heterostructures.
Spectroscopic characterisation of radical polyinterhalogen molecules
Authors: Gregory Joe , Verlet Jan R. R. , Bull James N.
Published: April 2020

Spectroscopic characterisations of the radical polyinterhalogen molecules IF2 and I2F are reported using anion photoelectron spectroscopy.
Correction: A quantum chemical study of hydrogen adsorption on carbon-supported palladium clusters
Authors: Warczinski Lisa , Hättig Christof
Published: April 2020

Correction for ‘A quantum chemical study of hydrogen adsorption on carbon-supported palladium clusters’ by Lisa Warczinski et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 21577–21587, DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04606b.
Dipyrrin based metal complexes: reactivity and catalysis
Authors: Baudron Stéphane A.
Published: April 2020

This Perspective reviews the use of dipyrrin based metal complexes as catalysts and as templates towards polypyrrolic architectures.
N-heterocyclic carbene-functionalized metal–organic frameworks for the chemical fixation of CO2
Authors: Jiang Yilin , Zhang Xu , Fei Honghan
Published: April 2020

We have summarized the recent in situ generation approaches to form metal-free NHC-functionalized MOFs, which are a unique class of CO2-conversion catalysts with high catalytic activity, selectivity and stability.
An electrochemical oxidative multicomponent cascade annulation of ketones and amines used to produce imidazoles
Authors: Zeng Liang , Li Jing , Gao Jun , Huang Xunhai , Wang Wei , Zheng Xiaohui , Gu Lijun , Li Ganpeng , Zhang Shengyong , He Yonghui
Published: April 2020

An electrochemical dehydrogenative [2 + 2 + 1] annulation used for the synthesis of imidazoles has been developed under undivided electrolytic conditions.
Key role of the meniscus shape in crystallization of organic semiconductors during meniscus-guided coating
Authors: Zhang Ke , Wang Zuyuan , Marszalek Tomasz , Borkowski Michal , Fytas George , Blom Paul W. M. , Pisula Wojciech
Published: April 2020

The crystallization and film formation of organic semiconductors are controlled by the meniscus shape during meniscus guided coating for field-effect transistors.
Phenylboronic acid-catalyzed tandem construction of S–S and C–S bonds: a new method for the synthesis of benzyl disulfanylsulfone derivatives from S-benzyl thiosulfonates
Authors: Jannapu Reddy Raju , Waheed Md. , Rama Krishna Gamidi
Published: April 2020

A novel and unique phenylboronic acid-catalyzed tandem construction of S–S and C–S bonds via dimerization–sulfonylation has been disclosed for the synthesis of benzyl disulfanylsulfone derivatives.
The rapid response and high sensitivity of a ruthenium-doped copper ferrite thin film (Ru–CuFe2O4) sensor
Authors: Manikandan V. , Mirzaei Ali , Sikarwar S. , Yadav B. C. , Vigneselvan S. , Vanitha A. , Chandrasekaran J.
Published: April 2020

A sensor displaying a rapid response and high sensitivity was developed by following a simple route.
Coumarin-based fluorescent probe for the rapid detection of peroxynitrite ‘AND’ biological thiols
Authors: Wu Luling , Tian Xue , Groleau Robin R. , Wang Jie , Han Hai-Hao , Reeksting Shaun B. , Sedgwick Adam C. , He Xiao-Peng , Bull Steven D. , James Tony D.
Published: April 2020

A coumarin-based novel ‘AND’ logic fluorescent probeROS-AHChas been developed for the simultaneous detection of ONOO−and biological thiols.
Supramolecular microtubes based on 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamides prepared by self-assembly upon heating
Authors: Frank Andreas , Bernet Andreas , Kreger Klaus , Schmidt Hans-Werner
Published: April 2020

1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxamides with peripheral tertiaryN,N-diethyl-ethylamino substituents shows a unique self-assembly behavior upon heating aqueous solutions to supramolecular microtubes.
Bi-continuous orthorhombic soft matter phase made of polycatenar molecules
Authors: Matraszek Joanna , Pociecha Damian , Vaupotič Nataša , Salamończyk Mirosław , Vogrin Martin , Gorecka Ewa
Published: April 2020

A slight deformation of a double gyroid structure of a cubic Ia3̄d phase results in the formation of a phase with an orthorhombic Pcab symmetry. The phase seems to be an intermediate state towards a columnar phase made of helical pillars.
Nature of terrace edge states (TES) in lower-dimensional halide perovskite
Authors: Wang Kai , Wu Tao , Wu Congcong , Sriramdas Rammohan , Huang Xu , Wang Ke , Jiang Yuanyuan , Liu Hairui , Yan Yongke , Yang Dong , Ye Tao , Liu Chang , Hu Xiaowen , Jiang Xiaofang , Priya Shashank
Published: April 2020

A distinct terrace edge current has been detected for the first time in a quasi-2D perovskiteviacharge gradient microscopic (CGM) measurements, which is due to the structural asymmetry at the edge in these materials.
A cold plasma-activated in situ AgCo surface alloy for enhancing the electroreduction of CO2 to ethanol
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Tao Shuihui , Du Jun , He Anbang , Yang Yong , Tao Changyuan
Published: April 2020

With regard to using the electric energy generated by renewable sources, the CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) for the production of fuels is helpful for creating an artificial carbon cycle.
Ultrathin and defect-rich intermetallic Pd2Sn nanosheets for efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysis
Authors: Liang Jiashun , Li Shenzhou , Chen Yawei , Liu Xuan , Wang Tanyuan , Han Jiantao , Jiao Shuhong , Cao Ruiguo , Li Qing
Published: April 2020

Ultrathin and defect-rich Pd2Sn intermetallic nanosheets with unique Pd–Sn ordering are developed and display much enhanced activity and stability towards oxygen reduction in an alkaline medium.
Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs): a perfect solution to both marine fouling and corrosion?
Authors: Deng Ran , Shen Ting , Chen Honglei , Lu Jiaxing , Yang Hao-Cheng , Li Weihua
Published: April 2020

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces, emerging bio-inspired surfaces which have attracted widespread research interest over the past few years, have great potential in both corrosion protection and biofouling prevention.
Interaction of the neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2 with basic amino acids
Authors: Ndaru Elias , Garibsingh Rachel-Ann A. , Zielewicz Laura , Schlessinger Avner , Grewer Christof
Published: April 2020

Glutamine transport across cell membranes is performed by a variety of transporters, including the alanine serine cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2). The substrate-binding site of ASCT2 was proposed to be specific for small amino acids with neutral side chains, excluding basic substrates such as lysine. A series of competitive inhibitors of ASCT2 with low µM affinity were developed previously, on the basis of the 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB) scaffold with a potential positive charge in the side chain. Therefore, we tested whether basic amino acids with side chains shorter than lysine can interact with the ASCT2 binding site. Molecular docking of L-1,3-diaminopropionic acid (L-DAP) and L-DAB suggested that these compounds bind to ASCT2. Consistent with this prediction, L-DAP and L-DAB, but not ornithine, lysine or D-DAP, elicited currents when applied to ASCT2-expressing cells. The currents were carried by anions and showed the hallmark properties of ASCT2 currents induced by transported substrates. The L-DAP response could be eliminated by a competitive ASCT2 inhibitor, suggesting that binding occurs at the substrate binding site. The KM for L-DAP was weakly voltage dependent. Furthermore, the pH dependence of the L-DAP response showed that the compound can bind in several protonation states. Together, these results suggest that the ASCT2 binding site is able to recognize L-amino acids with short, basic side chains, such as the L-DAP derivative β-N-methylamino-l-Alanine (BMAA), a well-studied neurotoxin. Our results expand the substrate specificity of ASCT2 to include amino acid substrates with positively charged side chains.
Nek7 conformational flexibility and inhibitor binding probed through protein engineering of the R-spine
Authors: Byrne Matthew J. , Nasir Nazia , Basmadjian Christine , Bhatia Chitra , Cunnison Rory F. , Carr Katherine H. , Mas-Droux Corine , Yeoh Sharon , Cano Céline , Bayliss Richard
Published: April 2020

Nek7 is a serine/threonine-protein kinase required for proper spindle formation and cytokinesis. Elevated Nek7 levels have been observed in several cancers, and inhibition of Nek7 might provide a route to the development of cancer therapeutics. To date, no selective and potent Nek7 inhibitors have been identified. Nek7 crystal structures exhibit an improperly formed regulatory-spine (R-spine), characteristic of an inactive kinase. We reasoned that the preference of Nek7 to crystallise in this inactive conformation might hinder attempts to capture Nek7 in complex with Type I inhibitors. Here, we have introduced aromatic residues into the R-spine of Nek7 with the aim to stabilise the active conformation of the kinase through R-spine stacking. The strong R-spine mutant Nek7SRS retained catalytic activity and was crystallised in complex with compound 51, an ATP-competitive inhibitor of Nek2 and Nek7. Subsequently, we obtained the same crystal form for wild-type Nek7WT in apo form and bound to compound 51. The R-spines of the three well-ordered Nek7WT molecules exhibit variable conformations while the R-spines of the Nek7SRS molecules all have the same, partially stacked configuration. Compound 51 bound to Nek2 and Nek7 in similar modes, but differences in the precise orientation of a substituent highlights features that could be exploited in designing inhibitors that are selective for particular Nek family members. Although the SRS mutations are not required to obtain a Nek7–inhibitor structure, we conclude that it is a useful strategy for restraining the conformation of a kinase in order to promote crystallogenesis.
Advanced lung cancer classification approach adopting modified graph clustering and whale optimisation‐based feature selection technique accompanied by a hybrid ensemble classifier
Authors: Mary Adline Priya Michael , Joseph Jawhar S.
Published: April 2020

Nowadays, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. The early detection of potentially cancerous cells is the best way to improve the patient's chances of survival. In the medical field, computed tomography (CT) is the best imaging technique and it is helpful for doctors to accurately find the cancerous cells. The authors propose an automatic approach to analyse and segment the lungs and classify each lung into normal or cancer. Initially, the CT lung image is pre‐processed to remove noise. Then, they combine the histogram analysis with thresholding and morphological operations to segment and extract the lung regions. In feature extraction stage, the radiomic features of each lung image are extracted separately. Then to improve the classification accuracy, some of the optimum features are selected using modified graph clustering‐based whale optimisation algorithm. Finally, the selected features are classified using ensemble classifiers such as support vector machine, K‐nearest neighbour, and random forest. Experimental result demonstrates that the proposed method achieves better performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, precision, recall, F‐measure, and accuracy when compared with other state‐of‐art approaches.
Automatic recognition and location system for electric vehicle charging port in complex environment
Authors: Pan Mingqiang , Sun Cheng , Liu Jizhu , Wang Yangjun
Published: April 2020

This study proposes an automatic recognition and location system of electric vehicle charging port with application to automatic charging. The system obtains the charging port posture through image processing, and performs the insertion motion in combination with the robot arm to complete the charging gun insertion of the automatic charging link. The framework of the system is mainly divided into three parts, recognition, location and insertion. In the charging port recognition, the convolutional neural network‐based method is used, and the recognition success rate is up to 98.9% under the light intensity of 4000 lux; in the location of the charging port, the method of solving the pose based on the circle feature is adopted. The average value of the position error is within 1.4 mm, and the average value of the attitude angle error is within 1.6°, which meets the accuracy requirement of the insertion experiment; in the charging gun insertion, the motion of the robot is planned by interpolation algorithm. The lower limit of the successful insertion is about 135 lux and the upper limit is about 9350 lux.
Sparse representation based computed tomography images reconstruction by coupled dictionary learning algorithm
Authors: Deeba Farah , Kun She , Ali Dharejo Fayaz , Zhou Yuanchun
Published: April 2020

It is very interesting to reconstruct high‐resolution computed tomography (CT) medical images that are very useful for clinicians to analyse the diseases. This study proposes an improved super‐resolution method for CT medical images in the sparse representation domain with dictionary learning. The sparse coupled K‐singular value decomposition (KSVD) algorithm is employed for dictionary learning purposes. Images are divided into two sets of low resolution (LR) and high resolution (HR), to improve the quality of low‐resolution images, the authors prepare dictionaries over LR and HR image patches using the KSVD algorithm. The main idea behind the proposed method is that sparse coupled dictionaries learn about each patch and establish the relationship between sparse coefficients of LR and HR image patches to recover the HR image patch for LR image. The proposed method is compared to conventional algorithms in terms of mean peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and structural similarity index measurements by using three different data set images, including CT chest, CT dental and CT brain images. The authors also analysed the proposed improved method for different dictionary sizes and patch size to obtain a similar high‐resolution image. These parameters play an essential role in the reconstruction of the HR images.
Survey of single image super‐resolution reconstruction
Authors: Li Kai , Yang Shenghao , Dong Runting , Wang Xiaoying , Huang Jianqiang
Published: April 2020

Image super‐resolution reconstruction refers to a technique of recovering a high‐resolution (HR) image (or multiple images) from a low‐resolution (LR) degraded image (or multiple images). Due to the breakthrough progress in deep learning in other computer vision tasks, people try to introduce deep neural network and solve the problem of image super‐resolution reconstruction by constructing a deep‐level network for end‐to‐end training. The currently used deep learning models can divide the SISR model into four types: interpolation‐based preprocessing‐based model, original image processing based model, hierarchical feature‐based model, and high‐frequency detail‐based model, or shared the network model. The current challenges for super‐resolution reconstruction are mainly reflected in the actual application process, such as encountering an unknown scaling factor, losing paired LR–HR images, and so on.
Day‐ahead charging operation of electric vehicles with on‐site renewable energy resources in a mixed integer linear programming framework
Authors: Şengör İbrahim , Erenoğlu Ayşe Kübra , Erdinç Ozan , Taşcıkaraoğlu Akın , Catalão João P.S.
Published: April 2020

The large‐scale penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) into the power system will provoke new challenges needed to be handled by distribution system operators (DSOs). Demand response (DR) strategies play a key role in facilitating the integration of each new asset into the power system. With the aid of the smart grid paradigm, a day‐ahead charging operation of large‐scale penetration of EVs in different regions that include different aggregators and various EV parking lots (EVPLs) is propounded in this study. Moreover, the uncertainty of the related EV owners, such as the initial state‐of‐energy and the arrival time to the related EVPL, is taken into account. The stochasticity of PV generation is also investigated by using a scenario‐based approach related to daily solar irradiation data. Last but not least, the operational flexibility is also taken into consideration by implementing peak load limitation (PLL) based DR strategies from the DSO point of view. To reveal the effectiveness of the devised scheduling model, it is performed under various case studies that have different levels of PLL, and for the cases with and without PV generation.
Quantification of peak shaving capacity in electric vehicle charging – findings from case studies in Helsinki Region
Authors: Fenner Pascal , Rauma Kalle , Rautiainen Antti , Supponen Antti , Rehtanz Christian , Järventausta Pertti
Published: April 2020

An increasing share of electric vehicles can mean excessive peak loads in low‐voltage power distribution networks. Introducing peak shaving mechanisms to the charging systems, such overloads can be mitigated significantly. The first contribution of this study is to quantify the amount of flexibility that electric vehicles can contribute to peak load reduction so that the drivers can still fully charge the batteries of their vehicles. The second contribution is that the study presents and compares two optimisation strategies for peak load reduction. The work is based on real charging data covering about 25,000 charging sessions at various charging sites in the metropolitan area of the Finnish capital city. The main finding is that the peak loads at charging sites can be reduced by up to 55%. Another important result is that load reduction through low‐power charging is achievable only if the average parking time at the charging site is >3 h, without affecting the user experience negatively. It is also found out that the average parking time is over 2 h longer than the average charging time, which indicates the enormous potential of electric vehicles in peak shaving.
eBreCaP: extreme learning‐based model for breast cancer survival prediction
Authors: Dhillon Arwinder , Singh Ashima
Published: April 2020

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. Breast cancer research is focused towards its early prediction, diagnosis, and prognosis. Breast cancer can be predicted on omics profiles, clinical tests, and pathological images. The omics profiles comprise of genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic profiles that are available as high‐dimensional datasets. Survival prediction is carried out on omics data to predict early the onset of disease, relapse, reoccurrence of diseases, and biomarker identification. The early prediction of breast cancer is desired for the effective treatment of patients as delay can aggravate the staging of cancer. In this study, extreme learning machine (ELM) based model for breast cancer survival prediction named eBreCaP is proposed. It integrates the genomic (gene expression, copy number alteration, DNA methylation, protein expression) and pathological image datasets; and trains them using an ensemble of ELM with the six best‐chosen models suitable to be applied on integrated data. eBreCaP has been evaluated on nine performance parameters, namely sensitivity, specificity, precision, accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient, area under curve, area under precision–recall, hazard ratio, and concordance Index. eBreCaP has achieved an accuracy of 85% for early breast cancer survival prediction using the ensemble of ELM with gradient boosting.
Rough Sets and DEA — a hybrid model for technology assessment
Authors: Chodakowska Ewa , Nazarko Joanicjusz
Published: April 2020

Technology management in complex ecosystems requires advanced technology assessment tools. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a powerful tool for a multi-criteria comparative performance assessment of different objects (Decision Making Unit — DMU) in the same class. However, the DEA method is capable of adequately differentiating DMUs only when the number of analysed criteria is a few times less than the number of DMUs. Application of DEA in technology assessment requires prior data redundancy reduction due to the multiplicity of technology assessment criteria. The literature suggests various approaches to limiting the cardinality of the criteria sets for the performance analysis using the DEA method. One of the popular approaches is to create synthetic criteria by means of the Principle Component Analysis (PCA). This paper, in turn, proposes a sophisticated rough sets concept. Due to the nature of technology analysis, namely, a small number of objects and many criteria with linguistic values, the proposed approach based on the concept of rough sets seems to be appropriate.
Organisational Attributes that Determine Integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Management Capability
Authors: Asah-Kissiedu Millicent , Manu Patrick , Booth Colin , Mahamadu Abdul-Majeed
Published: April 2020

Implementing separate Environmental Management System (EMS) and Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) can be costly for organisations and hence the advent of integrated management systems. The effective implementation of integrated safety, health and environmental (SHE) management would require companies to have the appropriate organisational capability. Within the academic literature, it is unclear which organisational attributes are important for ascertaining integrated SHE management capability of construction companies. This study sought to address this through a comprehensive review of literature relating to SHE management in construction and SHE management systems and models. The study revealed that organisational attributes that could determine integrated SHE management capability include: senior management commitment to SHE; SHE risks management; SHE objectives and programs; staff competencies; resources for SHE implementation; SHE roles and responsibilities; SHE communications; SHE documentation and control measures; SHE emergency plans; SHE monitoring and performance measurement; and SHE auditing and management review to capture lessons learned. These attributes could enable construction companies and other key industry stakeholders to understand construction companies’ capability to implement an integrated SHE management system.
Occupational Health (OH) Practices in South African Construction
Authors: Smallwood John , Deacon Claire
Published: April 2020

Health hazards in construction include: ergonomic stresses such as bending, lifting and repetitive movement and vibration; environmental stresses such as heat, sun, noise, poor illumination, and wet or damp work; skin and respiratory exposure to chemicals and dust, as well as mental stress among managers, supervisors, and workers. In South Africa, these may add to the health problems experienced by construction workers because of poor community health, substance abuse, and inadequate health services. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among the professional category of construction health and safety (H&S) practitioners to determine OH issues in construction. Findings include: the extent to which OH aspects were identified by respondents on projects in 2017 indicates that construction entails exposure to a range of OH hazards and risk; the degree of OH knowledge and awareness is limited as opposed to extensive; the source of OH knowledge is informal; there is a need for OH to be embedded in tertiary built environment programmes, OH continuing professional development (CPD), and a construction industry OH standard, and OH practice notes.
Identifying Barriers of Sustainable Construction: A Nigerian Case Study
Authors: Ifije Ohiomah , Aigbavboa Clinton
Published: April 2020

Sustainable development has become an important part of the lives and aspect of enterprises operations globally. There is a global trend to enhance sustainable practices in all sectors and most especially the construction sectors, this study discusses the factors that best prevent the implementation of sustainable construction in the Nigeria construction industry. The study further explores and determines the reliability of how sustainability should be measured in the Nigeria construction industry. The study used both primary and secondary data to meet the set objective. The primary data were gathered through the use of a questionnaire distributed to construction professionals, contractors and clients. Indicative findings arising from the study revealed that; Building regulations and financial incentives are found to be the main drivers of sustainable construction in Nigeria and Lack of client demand and awareness and a general perception that adopting sustainable construction is expensive. The research concluded by recommending that government help with building policies to help push construction firms towards sustainable construction and also awareness campaigns should be carried out so that clients would demand and be aware of the benefits of sustainable construction
The Intelligent use of RFID and BIM in Prefabricated, Prefinished, Volumetric Construction Work Flow
Authors: Abbott Ernest L S , Chua David K H
Published: April 2020

RFID is used in many areas of commerce, and in some areas of the construction industry. Prefabricated, prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) is one area of the construction industry that can benefit from the use of RFID. The full benefits cannot be realised by the use of RFID alone. RFID needs to be coupled with Building Information Modelling (BIM). This paper outlines a framework of marrying the two technologies in constructing PPVC from the drawing stage to the delivery on site and then to the final installation of the unit. The benefits of this union are in material stock control, part location tracking, production scheduling and re-scheduling, among other things.
Pavement Deterioration Rate and Maintenance Cost for Low-Volume Roads
Authors: Al-Suleiman Turki I , Bazlamit Subhi M , Azzama Mahmoud , Ahmad Hesham S
Published: April 2020

Allocated budgets for maintenance of road networks are normally limited. Therefore, not all roads receive the required attention they deserve in a timely manner. These roads are left to deteriorate until the next maintenance round. The cost associated with delayed maintenance is significantly excessive. A Pavement Maintenance Management System (PMMS) can be a useful tool for evaluation, prioritization of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) projects, and determination of funding requirements and allocations. The pavement condition is normally indexed using a parameter called Pavement Condition Index (PCI) which represents an overall assessment of surface defects by type, severity and extent. Periodic collections of PCI over time for different sections within the roadway network provide an approach to monitor changes in pavement serviceability over time and can produce useful data to predict and evaluate required maintenance solutions and their associated cost. The researchers intend to use available data collected over the span of a year and a half on sections within the roadway network at the campus of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ) to study the relation between the maintenance cost and the pavement deterioration rate. This study may incorporate variables such as pavement age, traffic volumes, maintenance history and pavement condition assessment results. The available records of PCI will be analyzed and the findings will be clearly presented. The practical inclusion of the findings within the current PMMS used at the university will also be detailed.
Time and Cost Performance of Fixed Price Building Contracts in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria
Authors: Mangvwat Joshua S , Ewuga Duga J , Izam Yohanna D
Published: April 2020

This qualitative and quantitative study evaluates the time and cost performance of fixed-price contracts in Tertiary Institutions projects in Plateau State, funded as intervention projects from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Literature review gives the background on the types and forms of contracts. Questionnaires, interviews and records from projects are tools that were used in collecting the relevant data. Sixty-two professionals consisting of 12 Architects, 8 Builders, 12 Engineers, 22 Quantity Surveyors and 8 Estate Surveyors randomly selected responded to issues of time and cost challenges. Records were purposively obtained from Twenty-Three projects studied. Regression Analysis was used to predict the time and cost performance. Results show a cost increase of $14, 423.59 for every one-month increase in time. Interviews revealed all 23 projects suffered time overruns with only 5 overrunning in cost. Specifications of 18 projects were found to be changed in order to satisfy the client’s budget objective of the firm price. The research recommends that to enhance time and cost performance, designs must be fully completed before biding. Alternatively, the entire procurement system which favours the fixed price arrangement should be overhauled to accommodate other options.
CAD-CAP: a 25,000-image database serving the development of artificial intelligence for capsule endoscopy
Authors: Leenhardt Romain , Li Cynthia , Le Mouel Jean-Philippe , Rahmi Gabriel , Saurin Jean Christophe , Cholet Franck , Boureille Arnaud , Amiot Xavier , Delvaux Michel , Duburque Clotilde , Leandri Chloé , Gérard Romain , Lecleire Stéphane , Mesli Farida , Nion-Larmurier Isabelle , Romain Olivier , Sacher-Huvelin Sylvie , Simon-Shane Camille , Vanbiervliet Geoffroy , Marteau Philippe , Histace Aymeric , Dray Xavier
Published: April 2020

Background and study aims Capsule endoscopy (CE) is the preferred method for small bowel (SB) exploration. With a mean number of 50,000 SB frames per video, SBCE reading is time-consuming and tedious (30 to 60 minutes per video). We describe a large, multicenter database named CAD-CAP (Computer-Assisted Diagnosis for CAPsule Endoscopy, CAD-CAP). This database aims to serve the development of CAD tools for CE reading.

Materials and methods Twelve French endoscopy centers were involved. All available third-generation SB-CE videos (Pillcam, Medtronic) were retrospectively selected from these centers and deidentified. Any pathological frame was extracted and included in the database. Manual segmentation of findings within these frames was performed by two pre-med students trained and supervised by an expert reader. All frames were then classified by type and clinical relevance by a panel of three expert readers. An automated extraction process was also developed to create a dataset of normal, proofread, control images from normal, complete, SB-CE videos.

Results Four-thousand-one-hundred-and-seventy-four SB-CE were included. Of them, 1,480 videos (35 %) containing at least one pathological finding were selected. Findings from 5,184 frames (with their short video sequences) were extracted and delimited: 718 frames with fresh blood, 3,097 frames with vascular lesions, and 1,369 frames with inflammatory and ulcerative lesions. Twenty-thousand normal frames were extracted from 206 SB-CE normal videos. CAD-CAP has already been used for development of automated tools for angiectasia detection and also for two international challenges on medical computerized analysis.
Laparoscopy-assisted versus enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a meta-analysis
Authors: Ayoub Fares , Brar Tony S. , Banerjee Debdeep , Abbas Ali M. , Wang Yu , Yang Dennis , Draganov Peter V.
Published: April 2020

Background and study aims Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is technically challenging in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) anatomy, which is increasing in frequency given the rise of obesity. Laparoscopy-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) and enteroscopy-assisted ERCP (EA-ERCP) are distinct approaches with their respective strengths and weaknesses. We conducted a meta-analysis comparing the procedural time, rates of success and adverse events of each method.

Patients and methods A search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library was performed from inception to October 2018 for studies reporting outcomes of LA or EA-ERCP in patients with RYGB anatomy. Studies using single, double, ‘short’ double-balloon or spiral enteroscopy were included in the EA-ERCP arm. Outcomes of interest included procedural time, papilla identification, papilla cannulation, therapeutic success and adverse events. Therapeutic success was defined as successful completion of the originally intended diagnostic or therapeutic indication for ERCP.

Results A total of 3859 studies were initially identified using our search strategy, of which 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled rate of therapeutic success was significantly higher in LA-ERCP (97.9 %; 95 % CI: 96.7–98.7 %) with little heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0 %) when compared to EA-ERCP (73.2 %; 95 % CI: 62.5–82.6 %) with significant heterogeneity (I2: 80.2 %). Conversely, the pooled rate of adverse events was significantly higher in LA-ERCP (19.0 %; 95 % CI: 12.6–26.4 %) when compared to EA-ERCP (6.5 %; 95% CI: 3.9–9.6 %). The pooled mean procedure time for LA-ERCP was 158.4 minutes (SD ± 20) which was also higher than the mean pooled procedure time for EA-ERCP at 100.5 minutes (SD ± 19.2).

Conclusions LA-ERCP is significantly more effective than EA-ERCP in patients with RYGB but is associated with a higher rate of adverse events and longer procedural time.
A European, multicentre, observational, post-authorisation safety study of oral sulphate solution: compliance and safety
Authors: Regula Jaroslaw , Spaander Manon C.W. , Suchanek Stepan , Kornowski Anne , Perrot Valerie , Fischbach Wolfgang ,   the DUS investigators
Published: April 2020

Background and study aims Oral sulphate solution (OSS) is a sulphate-based, low-volume bowel cleansing preparation taken in two doses of 500 mL, each followed by 1000mL of water or clear liquid. The primary objective of this observational study was to document compliance with the recommended hydration guidelines in a representative sample of the European population.

Patients and methods Prospective, non-interventional, multicentre study (NCT02630680, EUPAS9361) in patients prescribed OSS for colonoscopy preparation in routine clinical practice in Europe. Patients were included according to pre-agreed consecutive enrolment rules. Patients recorded the volume of OSS and water or clear liquid intake, and occurrence of adverse events (AEs). Compliance with hydration was calculated as a ratio of actual volume of water/clear liquid taken versus prescribed 2,000 mL, and non-compliance defined as < 75 % intake. Colon cleansing level was assessed on a 4-point scale.

Results Between October 2015 and January 2017, 1,281 patients were recruited in 16 centres in four European countries (safety population n = 1,206; registry population n = 1,177). Of patients, 94.5 % were ≥ 75 % and 86.8 % 100 % compliant with hydration guidelines. Patients took an average of 96.8 % of the recommended OSS volume; 46 patients (3.9 %) were non-compliant. Colon cleansing levels were good-to-excellent in 87.6 % of patients. Three hundred and twenty-nine patients (27.3 %) experienced 758 treatment-related AEs, mostly gastrointestinal (82.9 %), all were mild-to-moderate. Non-compliant patients had no AEs suggestive of dehydration.

Conclusion In this non-interventional study in a real-life setting, treatment compliance with hydration guidelines was good-to-excellent in 94.5 % of patients receiving OSS. The safety profile of OSS was similar to the prescribing information.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Observational study EUPAS9361 at www.encepp.eu
Impact of observational training on endoscopic mucosal resection outcomes and competency for large colorectal polyps: single endoscopist experience
Authors: Lee Jeffrey K. , Kidambi Trilokesh D. , Kaltenbach Tonya , Bhat Yasser M. , Shergill Amandeep , McQuaid Kenneth R. , Terdiman Jonathan P. , Soetikno Roy M.
Published: April 2020

Background and study aims Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is standard treatment for large colorectal polyps. However, it is a specialized technique with limited data on the effectiveness of training methods to acquire this skill. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of observational training on EMR outcomes and competency in an early-stage endoscopist.

Patients and methods A single endoscopist completed comprehensive EMR training, which included knowledge acquisition and direct observation of EMR cases, and proctored supervision, during the third year of gastroenterology fellowship. After training, EMR was independently attempted on 142 consecutive, large (i. e., ≥ 20 mm), non-pedunculated colorectal polyps between July 2014 and December 2017 (mean age 61.7 years; mean polyp size 30.4 mm; en-bloc resection 55 %). Surveillance colonoscopy for evaluation of residual neoplasia was available for 86 % of the cases. Three primary outcomes were evaluated: endoscopic assessment of complete resection, rate of adverse events (AEs), and rate of residual neoplasia on surveillance colonoscopy.

Results Complete endoscopic resection was achieved in 93 % of cases, the rates of AEs and residual neoplasia were 7.8 % and 7.3 %, respectively. The rate of complete resection remained stable (at 85 % or greater) with increasing experience while rates of AEs and residual neoplasia peaked and decreased after 60 cases.

Conclusions An early-stage endoscopist can acquire the skills to perform effective EMR after completing observational training. At least 60 independent EMRs for large colorectal polyps were required to achieve a plateau for clinically meaningful outcomes.
Glioblastoma in the Cerebellopontine Angle in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type I: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Shukairy Mohammad Kareem , Ziegler Andrea M. , Anderson Douglas E. , Leonetti John P.
Published: April 2020

Introduction Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain malignancy in adults and is typically in the supratentorial cerebral hemispheres. It has been reported to occur in the posterior fossa at the cerebellopontine angle (CPA), but the incidence is extremely rare.

Case Report We report a case of a patient with a history of neurofibromatosis type I (NFI) diagnosed with a GBM arising in the CPA after presenting with facial numbness and pain. Patients with NFI are known to have an increased risk of developing both benign and malignant tumors, including a propensity for brainstem gliomas. However, there is no known association between NFI and tumors of the CPA. We believe this is the first reported case of a GBM of the CPA in a patient with NFI.

Conclusion Although rare, GBM should be included in the differential diagnosis of a patient with a CPA tumor, especially in patients with increased risk of malignant pathology.
A Finite Element Analysis on Stress Distribution in Overdenture Implants and Implant Abutment Interface Using Different Attachment Systems: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Javaid Aquib , Kalra Tarun , Kumar Manjit , Bansal Ajay , Wirring Udey Singh
Published: April 2020

Introduction The overdenture is an alternative to fixed implant-supported prosthesis for its relatively low-cost and in clinical cases where it is impossible to place multiple implants with appropriate number and arrangement in the arch to support a fixed prosthesis. In implant-supported overdentures, many attachments such as bars, ball, and magnets can be used. The anchorage system affects the retention and stability of the overdenture as well as the load transfer to the implant and the bone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exerted stresses on implants and implant–abutment interface by comparing different attachment systems used for implant-supported maxillary and mandibular overdentures using finite-element analysis.

Materials and Methods Stress distribution in five different models with different attachments were evaluated using finite-element analysis. The studied attachment systems were Ball/O-ring and bar-clip attachments. Three models in mandible were studied, two implants with ball attachments, two implants with bar, and four implants connected with a bar. In maxilla, two models were studied, four implants with ball attachments, and four implants connected with bar. Forces were applied bilaterally on each model in the canine and molar region separately. The forces applied were 35N axially, 70N obliquely, and 10N horizontally.

Results The ball attachments models showed the highest amount of stresses on the bone and on the implants in maxilla and mandible. The bar-clip attachment with four implants showed least stress in maxilla as well as in the mandible. The bar on four implants has better stress distribution as compared with the bar on the two implants.
Electron quantum interference in epitaxial antiferromagnetic NiO thin films
Authors: Xu Jia , Lou Feng , Jia Mengwen , Chen Gong , Zhou Chao , Li Qian , Liu Kai , Schmid Andreas K. , Xiang Hongjun , Wu Yizheng
Published: April 2020

The electron reflectivity from NiO thin films grown on Ag(001) has been systematically studied as a function of film thickness and electron energy. A strong electron quantum interference effect was observed from the NiO film, which is used to derive the unoccupied band dispersion above the Fermi surface along the Γ−X direction using the phase accumulation model. The experimental bands agree well with first-principles calculations. A weaker electron quantum interference effect was also observed from the CoO film.
On hysteresis based random number generation
Authors: Korman C. E. , Mayergoyz I. D.
Published: April 2020

A new hysteresis-based technique for random number generation is presented which can be efficiently implemented by using modern spintronics based nano-technology. Thermal fluctuation induced random switchings of rectangular hysteresis loops are utilized whose outputs result in the generation of random binary numbers. Mathematically, the random switching is treated as a repeated sequence of two exit problems for stationary stochastic processes, which are shown to be reduced to the solution of initial boundary value problems for the appropriate backward Kolmogorov equations. Analytical solution of these boundary value problems are carried out for the stationary Gaussian Markov Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. An alternative approach to the analysis of the random switching based on stochastic processes on graphs is also discussed with special attention paid to the trade-offs between the strength of thermal noise and the widths of the hysteresis loops.
Filterless tunable photoconductive ultraviolet radiation detector using CeF3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition
Authors: Yu X. , Kato S. , Ito H. , Ono S. , Kase M. , Cadatal-Raduban M.
Published: April 2020

We report the development of filterless deep ultraviolet photoconductive detectors using cerium fluoride (CeF3) thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). By varying the PLD laser power during thin film growth, we observed that CeF3 breaks down to CeF2 at PLD laser powers greater than 100 mW. This consequently leads to the formation of fluorine defects that effectively narrowed the optical bandgap of the thin films, resulting in the decreased resistivity of the photoconductive detector. Under ultraviolet irradiation, the detector using a thin film grown at 5 mW PLD laser power exhibited close to four orders of magnitude increase in photocurrent compared to the dark current. The spectral response of the photoconductive detectors can be tuned from 300 nm to 400 nm when PLD laser powers ranging from 5 mW to 400 mW are used to fabricate the thin films. The filterless nature of the detectors simplifies their production, and their tunability can extend their use to a wider range of applications.