bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Acute kidney failure leading to permanent haemodialysis due to hyperoxaluria following one-anastomosis gastric bypass-related rapid weight loss.
Authors: Miranda Angelo , Rosato Andrea , Costanzi Andrea , Pisano Lucia , Colzani Sara , Auricchio Sara , Mari Giulio , Achilli Pietro , Maggioni Dario
Published: May 2020

The one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) has been proven to provide good weight loss, comorbidity improvement, and quality of life with follow-up longer than five years. Although capable of improving many obesity-related diseases, OAGB is associated with post-operative medical complications mainly related to the induced malabsorption. A 52-year-old man affected by nephrotic syndrome due to a focal segmental glomerulosclerosis underwent OAGB uneventfully. At three months post-surgery, the patient had lost 40kg, reaching a BMI of 32. The patient was admitted to the nephrology unit for acute kidney injury with only mild improvement in renal function (SCr 9 mg/dl); proteinuria was still elevated (4g/24h), with microhaematuria. A renal biopsy was performed: oxalate deposits were demonstrated inside tubules, associated with acute and chronic tubular and interstitial damage and glomerulosclerosis (21/33 glomeruli). Urinary oxalate levels were found to be elevated (72mg/24h, range 13-40), providing the diagnosis of acute kidney injury due to hyperoxaluria, potentially associated to OAGB. No recovery in renal function was observed and the patient remained dialysis dependent. Early and rapid excessive weight loss in patients affected by chronic kidney insufficiency could be associated with the worsening of renal function. Increased calcium oxalate levels associated with OAGB-related malabsorption could be a key factor in kidney injury.
Depressive symptoms measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in mothers and partners in the ALSPAC Study: A data note
Authors: Paul Elise , Pearson Rebecca M.
Published: May 2020

Depression is a leading cause of disability and is associated with a number of adverse offspring outcomes with it occurs in parents. Depression is present in men and women at different rates, and recent research suggests that symptom profiles between the sexes may differ. Longitudinal data are needed to answer remaining questions about the long-term course, gender differences, antecedents and outcomes of depression. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a large birth cohort study in England which administered one of the most commonly used depression instruments, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 11 timepoints in mothers and at 10 timepoints in their partners. In addition to repeated measurements of the EPDS, ALSPAC has a wealth of participant data on biological, social, demographic, and lifestyle factors. The purpose of this data note is to introduce potential users of the data to the characteristics of the EPDS in ALSPAC, as well as some key considerations when using the data.
Revision Total Elbow Replacement Arthroplasty with an Allograft-Prosthesis Composite: Case Series and Technical Points
Authors: Chae Young Ju , Gong Hyun Sik
Published: May 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the results of revision total elbow replacement arthroplasty (TERA) with an allograft-prosthesis composite (APC). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 6 patients with an average age of 75 years who had undergone revision TERA with an APC for periprosthetic fracture or loosening of the component. The mean follow-up period was 13 months. We assessed serial radiographs for bone union and evaluated the outcomes in terms of pain visual analogue scale (VAS), the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), range of motion, and complications. Results: The APC was used for the humerus in 5 patients and for the ulna in 1 patient. The clinical bone union was achieved at average 9 months after surgery. The mean pain VAS score improved from 6.8 to 1.7, the mean elbow joint range of motion increased from 95° to 129° and the MEPS score improved from 40 to 79 at the last follow-up. There were no major complications such as infection, nonunion, malunion, limitation of motion or refracture. One patient experienced transient radial nerve palsy and another patient a prominent edge of the humeral allobone that needed a trimming surgery later.Conclusion: Revision TERA with an APC provides good functional outcomes and can be recommended as one of the options for failed total elbow arthroplasty.
Performance of Machine Learning and other Artificial Intelligence paradigms in Cybersecurity
Authors: Kabanda Gabriel
Published: May 2020

Cybersecurity systems are required at the application, network, host, and data levels. The research is purposed to evaluate Artificial Intelligence paradigms for use in network detection and prevention systems. This is purposed to develop a Cybersecurity system that uses artificial intelligence paradigms and can handle a high degree of complexity. The Pragmatism paradigm is elaborately associated with the Mixed Method Research (MMR), and is the research philosophy used in this research. Pragmatism recognizes the full rationale of the congruence between knowledge and action. The Pragmatic paradigm advocates a relational epistemology, a non-singular reality ontology, a mixed methods methodology, and a value-laden axiology. A qualitative approach where Focus Group discussions were held was used. The Artificial Intelligence paradigms evaluated include machine learning methods, autonomous robotic vehicle, artificial neural networks, and fuzzy logic. A discussion was held on the performance of Support Vector Machines, Artificial Neural Network, K-Nearest Neighbour, Naive-Bayes and Decision Tree Algorithms.
Cloud Powered Plant Image Warehouse
Authors: Kumar V.V. Sumanth , Praneetha Y , Padmaja B , Murthy G Lakshmana
Published: May 2020

Cloud powered plant image warehouse serves as an instrumental solution for various scientific and academic personnel involved in research, education and extension at NARES (National Agricultural Research and Education System), through providing a common image dataset that complements for efficient and more productive activities by saving them time, space, hassle and financial resources. This web based image repository enables the entire scientific community to access the freely available resources contributed by the fellow researchers who worked on common areas of interest, besides facilitating to acknowledge the one who originally contributed. This also enables them to have better control and use of meta data with tagging and custom theme usage.

The Plant image warehouse has been developed by using XAMPP an open source platform, which works on the Cent OS, using Apache Web server and MySQL a relational web based data management system and PHP, the object oriented scripting language. The third party software used in developing this image warehousing database is ZenPHOTO, a configurable software system wherein the users are able to upload, search and share the images. The graphical user interface is restricted to static webpages where, upon request from the user, server sends the response unchanged, unless modified by the uploader. This potential plant image warehousing technique will outstand as an authentic and reliable source of plant image database to the entire working community at NARES (National Agricultural Research and Education System).
Constrained pupil balance compensation for specific lithographic illuminator settings
Authors: Rui Dawei , Yang Huaijiang
Published: May 2020

Pupil energy balances have always been considered significant elements for emersion lithography generally due to the large angle of incidence and offset imaging field. Those imbalances impact on exposure uniformity and decay pattern resolution. To overcome such shortcomings, a study on pupil compensation is discussed in this manuscript. A computational method based on a constrained optimization solution is proposed. By using a self-designed optical model of a zoomed system incorporating axicon lenses, a series of computations are developed and discussed. Also, the validity of our compensation method has been fully verified by simulations under multiple illumination settings.
Digital lensless holographic microscopy: numerical simulation and reconstruction with ImageJ
Authors: Trujillo Carlos , Piedrahita-Quintero Pablo , Garcia-Sucerquia Jorge
Published: May 2020

The description and validation of an ImageJ open-source plugin to numerically simulate and reconstruct digital lensless holographic microscopy (DLHM) holograms are presented. Two modules compose the presented plugin: the simulation module implements a discrete version of the Rayleigh–Somerfield diffraction formula, which allows the user to directly build a simulated hologram from a known phase and/or amplitude object by just introducing the geometry parameters of the simulated setup; the plugin’s reconstruction module implements a discrete version of the Kirchhoff–Helmholtz diffraction integral, thus allowing the user to reconstruct DLHM holograms by introducing the parameters of the acquisition setup and the desired reconstruction distance. The plugin offers the two said modules within the robust environment provided by a complete set of built-in tools for image processing available in ImageJ. While the simulation module has been validated through the evaluation of the forecasted lateral resolution of a DLHM setup in terms of the numerical aperture, the reconstruction module is tested by means of reconstructing experimental DLHM holograms of biological samples.
Goos–Hänchen shift produced by a one-dimensional photonic crystal doped with InSb
Authors: Mao Mingyu , Zhang Tao , Guo Sijia , Zhang Haifeng
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a novel kind of one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PC) doped with indium antimonide (InSb) is proposed, which is theoretically investigated by the transfer matrix method to create a giant lateral shift that is also called the Goos–Hänchen (GH) shift. The transmittance features of the proposed PCs are ascribed to the temperature. The influences of the incident angle on the transmittance of TE and TM waves have also been studied in the theory. For the TE wave, the transmittance is also affected by magnetic field strength, due to the characteristics of the permittivity of InSb layers. Therefore, for the TE wave, such PCs not only can generate huge positive and negative GH displacements but also can produce some regular changes under the effects of temperature and external magnetic field. The calculated results demonstrate that the normalized positive GH shift can reach around 55 times the wavelength, and the normalized negative one can get to around 182 times the wavelength. When the angle of incidence is large or small, the resulting GH shift will also produce interesting changes. These 1D PCs may provide a theoretical possibility for some devices that detect changes in temperature or magnetic field strength, or may be applied to angle sensors.
Experimental comparison of fiber optic parametric, Raman and erbium amplifiers for burst traffic for extended reach PONs
Authors: Gaur Chandra B. , Ferreira Filipe , Gordienko Vladimir , Ribeiro Vitor , Szabó Áron D. , Doran Nick J.
Published: May 2020

We experimentally compare the performance of a polarization-independent fiber optic parametric amplifier (FOPA), a discrete Raman amplifier and a commercial erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) for burst traffic amplification in extended reach passive optical networks (PON). We demonstrate that EDFA and Raman amplifiers suffer from severe transient effects, causing penalty on receiver sensitivity >5 dB for traffic bursts of 10 Gbps on-off keying signal shorter than 10 µs. On the other hand, we demonstrate that FOPA does not introduce a penalty on receiver sensitivity when amplifying signal bursts as short as 5 µs as compared to a non-burst signal. Therefore, FOPA used as a drop-in replacement for an EDFA or Raman amplifier allows us to improve receiver sensitivity by >3 dB for short signal bursts. We conclude that FOPA allows substantially increased power budget for an extended reach PON transmitting variable duration bursts. In addition, we identify the maximum burst duration tolerated by each examined amplifier.
High linearity silicon modulator capable of actively compensating input distortion
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Yu Hui , Xia Penghui , Fu Zhilei , Wang Xiaofei , Yang Jianyi
Published: May 2020

In this Letter, we demonstrate an ultra-high linearity silicon carrier-depletion-based modulator by integrating a dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (DP-MZM) with a

1

×

2

thermo-optical switch. The operation principle is to manipulate power distributions of RF and optical signals among the two sub-MZMs, so their third-order nonlinearities can cancel each other. Spurious-free dynamic ranges (SFDRs) for the third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) are measured to be

123

/

120

d
B
⋅
H

z

6

/

7

at 1/10 GHz, which represents a record-high linearity achieved with silicon-based modulators. As a contrast, SFDRs of a reference single MZM are

113

/

108

d
B
⋅
H

z

4

/

5

at the same frequencies. Furthermore, we first demonstrate that this device is able to actively compensate nonlinear distortions of RF driving signals in the optical domain. Carrier-to-distortion ratios (CDRs) of deliberately distorted two-tone signals are improved from 40/50 dB to 45/72 dB after the modulation.
Ultra-compact silicon mode-order converters based on dielectric slots
Authors: Zhao Yaotian , Guo Xuhan , Zhang Yong , Xiang Jinlong , Wang Kangnian , Wang Hongwei , Su Yikai
Published: May 2020

Ultra-compact mode-order converters with dielectric slots are demonstrated on a silicon-on-insulator platform. We propose a mode converter that converts the TE0 mode into the TE1 mode with an ultra-small footprint of only

0.8

×

1.2

µ

m

2

. The measured insertion loss is less than 1.2 dB from 1520 nm to 1570 nm. To reduce the insertion loss, we further optimize the structure and design two mode converters that convert the TE0 mode into the TE1 mode and the TE2 mode with footprints of

0.88

×

2.3

µ

m

2

and

1.4

×

2.4

µ

m

2

, respectively. Their measured insertion losses are both less than 0.5 dB. Additionally, the proposed devices are cascadable and scalable for high-order mode conversion.
Compact three-dimensional computational imaging using a dynamic virtual camera
Authors: Li Anhu , Liu Xingsheng , Zhao Zusheng
Published: May 2020

We present a three-dimensional (3D) computational imaging architecture based on the imaging principle of a dynamic virtual camera, which enables the spatial reconstruction using a single camera and a compact wedge prism device. By rotating the prism for camera boresight adjustment, the proposed system can capture an object from different viewpoints. Each captured image appears to be recorded directly with one virtual camera moving in a certain path, facilitating the computational process for stereo matching and profile reconstruction. The experimental results have demonstrated that our architecture allows a compact and flexible system to achieve 3D imaging performance competitive to conventional stereovision.
Ultra-low NA step-index large mode area Yb-doped fiber with a germanium doped cladding for high power pulse amplification
Authors: Sidharthan Raghuraman , Lin Di , Jie Lim Kang , Li Huizi , Huiting Lim Serene , Jian Chang Chen , Men Seng Yue , Liang Chua Song , Jung Yongmin , Richardson David J. , Yoo Seongwoo
Published: May 2020

High concentration rare earth doped, large mode area (LMA) step-index fibers, which feature a very high cladding absorption per unit length at the pump wavelength, high efficiency, and excellent beam quality, are ideal for high power pulsed fiber lasers/amplifiers where large effective mode areas and short device lengths are crucial in order to reduce detrimental nonlinear effects associated with high peak power operation. In this Letter, we realize low numerical aperture (NA) high absorption fibers, simply by employing a germanium (Ge)-doped cladding rather than a pure silica cladding to offset the high refractive index associated with using a high concentration of ytterbium (Yb) in the core. This approach allows us to separate the two inter-linked fiber design parameters of pump absorption and NA in a step-index fiber. Using a conventional modified chemical vapor deposition process combined with solution doping, a low NA (0.04), LMA (

475

µ

m

2

) silica fiber is fabricated with a cladding absorption value of

>

20

d
B

/

m

, which is the highest value among LMA step-index fibers with

N
A

<
0.06

so far reported to the best of our knowledge. The fabricated Yb-doped fiber was tested in a high-power picosecond amplifier system and enabled the generation of 190 ps laser pulses with a 101 µJ pulse energy and 0.5 MW peak power at an average power of 150 W.
Tunable Fano-like resonances in bent single-mode waveguide-based Fabry–Perot resonator: erratum
Authors: Dyshlyuk Anton V.
Published: May 2020

In this erratum, we correct an error in the numerical simulation
results published in Opt. Lett. 44, 231
(2019)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.44.000231. The error arose from
disregarding cladding modes in the straight input and output waveguide
sections [Fig. 2(a) in the original paper]. Although these modes do
not contribute directly to the calculated power in the reflected and
transmitted fundamental modes in those sections, they do,
nevertheless, play a significant role in shaping the reflection and
transmission spectra of the bent resonator, as was found after the
paper had been published. While the main findings of the original
paper remain largely intact, quantitatively the spectra in Figs. 3–6
are inaccurate and must be replaced with the correct ones given in
this erratum. Some minor modifications to the conclusions of the
original paper that are required in view of the corrected results are
also discussed.
Continuous-wave terahertz emitter with hybrid nanoelectrodes based on graphene and nanowire
Authors: Jumaah Alaa Jabbar , Al-Daffaie Shihab , Yilmazoglu Oktay , Kusserow Thomas
Published: May 2020

Continuous-wave terahertz emitters based on photomixers with hybrid nanoelectrodes are investigated. The nanoelectrodes consist of a nitrogen-doped single layer of graphene and silver nanowires, placed on low-temperature-grown (LTG) GaAs as photoconductive material. Due to the high transparency of graphene and the low fill factor of nanowire nanoelectrodes, high photocurrents in the range from 260 μA to 1.8 mA can be reached. Despite their very small size nanoelectrodes provide the capability of handling rather high currents, leading to THz output signals reasonably three times higher than for conventional interdigitated finger electrodes for the whole measurement range. Measurement results of generated photocurrents and THz output signals are presented, showing the increased performance of our approach while maintaining highly reliable operation of the devices.
Imaging Mass Spectrometry Is an Accurate Tool in Differentiating Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Proof-of-concept Study
Authors: Lu Hsiang-Chih , Patterson Nathan Heath , Judd Audra M. , Reyzer Michelle L. , Sehn Jennifer K.
Published: May 2020

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) are relatively common tumors that can have significant risk for mortality. Treatment and prognostication in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are dependent upon correct histologic typing. ccRCC and chRCC are generally straightforward to diagnose based on histomorphology alone. However, high-grade ccRCC and chRCC can sometimes resemble each other morphologically, particularly in small biopsies. Multiple immunostains and/or colloidal iron stain are sometimes required to differentiate the two. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) allows simultaneous spatial mapping of thousands of biomarkers, using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. In this study, we evaluate the ability of IMS to differentiate between World Health Organization/International Society for Urological Pathology grade 3 ccRCC and chRCC. IMS spectra from a training set of 14 ccRCC and 13 chRCC were evaluated via support vector machine algorithm with a linear kernel for machine learning, building a classification model. The classification model was applied to a separate validation set of 6 ccRCC and 6 chRCC, with 19 to 20, 150-μm diameter tumor foci in each case sampled by IMS. Most evaluated tumor foci were classified correctly as ccRCC versus chRCC (99% accuracy, kappa=0.98), demonstrating that IMS is an accurate tool in differentiating high-grade ccRCC and chRCC.
Religión y ética. Apuntes para una semblanza de Javier Muguerza
Authors: Laporta San Miguel Francisco Javier
Published: May 2020

El presente artículo repasa los escritos menos frecuentados de la obra de Javier Muguerza, quien se ocupó, entre otros temas, de la Filosofía de la Religión, estableciendo un diálogo profundo y respetuoso desde un punto de vista laico con la teología cristiana. Con una actitud abierta y tolerante analizó dos dilemas esenciales de cuestión religiosa: la pregunta de Sócrates a Eutifrón, relativa a la existencia de dios como fundamento de los juicios morales; y el dilema de Epicuro, que aborda el problema del mal. En su acercamiento a las posiciones éticas de los cristianos planteó tres reservas a la «Declaración en pro de una ética mundial»: (1) el peligro de reducir la ética de las religiones a la ética de las iglesias, (2) el riesgo de borrar toda distinción entre ética y religión y (3) la tendencia a supeditar la ética a la religión y la inconsistencia a la que conduce. El resultado de tales diálogos con la teología filosófica es la imposibilidad de apelar a justificaciones religiosas de la ética, lo que conlleva inevitablemente la imposibilidad de apelar a justificaciones religiosas del contenido de los órdenes jurídicos, concluyendo así que no cabe un derecho natural de impronta religiosa.
FUNÇÃO SOCIOAMBIENTAL DA EMPRESA: FUNDAMENTOS, CONCEITO E APLICAÇÃO
Authors: Leal Augusto Antônio Fontanive , Molinaro Carlos Alberto
Published: May 2020

O presente artigo tem por objetivo dissertar sobre os fundamentos, o conceito e a aplicação da função socioambiental da empresa. Para isso, o estudo foi dividido em duas partes: a) demonstração de alguns preceitos originários da função social do direito privado, percorrendo sua consolidação no plano jurídico e terminando por descrever a função social da empresa; b) identificação do marco jurídico normativo da proteção ambiental como conformador do Estado Socioambiental de Direito, propiciando a identificação dos pressupostos da funcionalização socioambiental da propriedade, sobretudo quando direcionada às empresas. A pesquisa será qualitativa, desenvolvida pelo método hermenêutico e contará com uso de material bibliográfico e documental. Conclui-se que é possível extrair, com base em estudos da doutrina, de decisões de tribunais superiores e das normas jurídicas, a matéria basilar concernente à função socioambiental da empresa.
O TRATAMENTO DIFERENCIADO DOS PAÍSES EM DESENVOLVIMENTO NO DIREITO INTERNACIONAL AMBIENTAL: PERSPECTIVAS A PARTIR DO ACORDO DE PARIS
Authors: Oliveira André Soares
Published: May 2020

O tratamento diferenciado desafia a igualdade soberana do direito internacional, vista como injusta pelos países em desenvolvimento. O princípio das responsabilidades comuns mas diferenciadas e respectivas capacidades expressa esse tratamento diferenciado no direito internacional ambiental. Objetiva-se analisar a instrumentalização deste princípio no Acordo de Paris da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudanças Climáticas. A pesquisa vale-se do método dedutivo, uma abordagem estruturalista e materialista-histórica para análise dos textos jurídicos. Deixando para trás a lógica descendente do Protocolo de Quioto, lastreando por compromissos internacionalmente firmados, o Acordo de Paris, sob a alegação de prover diferenciação para todos, opta por um modelo ascendente por meio de contribuições nacionalmente determinadas. O Acordo de Paris deixa de lado os conflitos distributivos do princípio das responsabilidades comuns mas diferenciadas e respectivas capacidades, enfraquecendo a ação política como bloco dos países em desenvolvimento para assegurarem níveis adequados de ambição no enfrentamento das mudanças climáticas.
Association Between Nonvitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants or Warfarin and Liver Injury: A Cohort Study
Authors: Zhao Jiaxi , Blais Joseph E. , Chui Celine S. L. , Suh In-Hye , Chen Esa Y. H. , Seto Wai-Kay , Mok Michael T. , Yan Vincent K. C. , Lau Wallis C.Y. , Wong Ian C. K. , Chan Esther W.
Published: May 2020

INTRODUCTION:

The risk of liver injury in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has not been previously examined using liver function tests as the primary outcome in the real-world setting. This study assessed the association between NOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban) and warfarin and the risk of liver injury, as defined by laboratory tests.

METHODS:

Patients newly diagnosed with AF and prescribed NOACs or warfarin between 2010 and 2016, identified using the Hong Kong Clinical Database and Reporting System, were matched on age, sex, health status scores, comorbidities, and medications by propensity score on a 1:1 ratio. Risk of liver injury, defined as laboratory test values >3 times the upper limit of normal of alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase and >2 times the upper limit of normal of total bilirubin, was compared between NOAC and warfarin users using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS:

After propensity score matching, 13,698 patients were included, of which 141 (2.1%) NOAC users and 232 (3.4%) warfarin users developed liver injury. The hazard ratio (HR) for NOAC vs warfarin users was 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.58–0.89). When comparing individual NOACs, only dabigatran (hazard ratio: 0.63; 95% confidence interval: 0.48–0.82) was associated with a lower risk of liver injury.

DISCUSSION:

Among patients with AF, NOACs as a group, and dabigatran alone were associated with a significantly lower risk of laboratory-based liver injury when compared with warfarin. However, liver injury occurs more frequently in real-world practice than in NOAC randomized controlled trials.
Geflüchtete im Betrieb
Authors: Schmidt Werner
Published: May 2020

Wie kann die Integration von Geflüchteten in die Arbeitswelt gelingen? Werner Schmidt beschäftigt sich ausführlich mit dieser vielgestaltigen Frage und gibt durch zahlreiche Interviews mit betrieblichen Akteuren, Beschäftigten und Geflüchteten direkte Einblicke in alltägliche Chancen und Konfliktfelder. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die gegenwärtigen Bedingungen anders, aber keineswegs schlechter sind als bei der ersten »Gastarbeiter«-Generation. Größtes Problem ist heute jedoch das Eindringen rechtspopulistischer Diskurse. Die alltägliche Zusammenarbeit und die Anwendung gleicher Regeln für alle sind dagegen nützliche Mittel und sorgen für die Entwicklung von Kollegialität und Respekt unter Beschäftigten unterschiedlicher Herkunft.
The Effect of Acid Concentration (H2SO4) on the Yield and Functional Group during Lignin Isolation of Biomass Waste Pulp and Paper Industry
Authors: Priyanto Slamet , Intan Anansya Putri , Rianto Bambang , Kusworo Tutuk Djoko , Pramudono Bambang , Untoro Edi , Ratu Puspa
Published: May 2020

Declining oil production in Indonesia lately has been much discussed by industrial practitioners, especially from the petroleum industry. The decrease is due to the age of old drilling wells with high water cut (> 90%), so it is necessary to pursue a production method that can increase the production of these old wells. The EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) method is one way of extracting oil from oil wells that cannot be further retrieved by injecting materials that are not in the reservoir. One ingredient that can be injected is Sodium Ligno Sulfonate (SLS) surfactant derived from lignin. Lignin was obtained from the lignin isolation process from Black Liquor, which in this study came from the pulp and paper mill waste of PT. Indah Kiat, Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia. This study aims to determine the effect of variations in H2SO4 concentrations (concentrations of 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% w/w) on the yield of lignin isolation results, and to compare the functional groups between dirty lignin, clean lignin, and pure lignin using FT-IR. Based on the research results, it was found that the best lignin is lignin with an H2SO4 concentration of 20%, with the highest yield and the color of lignin produced tends to be similar to pure lignin. In addition, it was found that the peak of the net lignin group had more similarity with commercial lignin compared to crude lignin. Keywords: Lignin, Black Liquor, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), FTIR
Fatigue Strength Analysis of S34MnV Steel by Accelerated Staircase Test
Authors: Ekaputra I. M. W. , Dewa Rando Tungga , Haryadi Gunawan Dwi , Kim Seon Jin
Published: May 2020

This paper presents the reliability estimation of fatigue strength of the material used for crank throw components. The material used for crank throw components is forged S34MnV steel and subsequently heat-treated by normalising and tempering. High cycle fatigue testing under fully reversed cycling (R = −1) was performed to determine the fatigue limit of the material. The staircase test method is used to obtain accurate values of the mean fatigue limit stress until a number of cycles up to 1E7 cycles. Subsequently, the fatigue test results depend strongly on the stress step and are evaluated by the Dixon-Mood formula. The values of mean fatigue strength and standard deviation predicted by the staircase method are 282 MPa and 10.6MPa, respectively. Finally, the reliability of the design fatigue strength in some selected probability of failure is calculated. Results indicate that the fatigue strength determined from accelerated staircase test is consistent with conventional fatigue testing. Furthermore, the proposed method can be applied for the determination of fatigue strength and standard deviation for design optimisation of S34MnV steel.
Preparation of kraft lignin-based activated carbon fiber electrodes for electric double layer capacitors using an ionic liquid electrolyte
Authors: Pakkang Nutthira , Kumar Manish , Taira Shogo , Koda Keiichi , Shigetomi Kengo , Uraki Yasumitsu
Published: May 2020

This article demonstrates the development of activated carbon fiber electrodes produced from hardwood kraft lignin (HKL) to fabricate electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) with high energy and power densities using an ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte. A mixture solution of HKL, polyethylene glycol as a sacrificial polymer, and hexamethylenetetramine as a crosslinker in dimethylformamide/acetic acid (6/4) was electrospun, and the obtained fibers were easily thermostabilized, followed by carbonization and steam activation to yield activated carbon fibers (ACFs). The electrochemical performance of EDLCs assembled with the ACFs, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF4) as an IL electrolyte and a cellulosic separator was insufficient due to the low conductivity of the electrode. The conductivity of the electrode was improved successfully by spraying conductive carbon black (CB) onto the fibers mat during electrospinning. The CB containing electrodes with improved conductivity gave the resulting EDLCs a higher electrochemical performance, with an energy density of 91.5 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 76.2 kW kg−1.
Linguistics and the state: How funding and politics shape a field
Authors: Hutton Christopher
Published: May 2020

In this contribution, Christopher Hutton discusses how states have historically taken an interest in, and funded, linguistics research. For a range of political purposes – including colonial rule and military strategy – knowing about and learning the language of “others” has been part of the projection and use of power. The specific purposes and forms of state support for research on language, argues Hutton, does vary depending on whether states have authoritarian or liberal democratic regimes.
Language ideology revisited
Authors: Cavanaugh Jillian R.
Published: May 2020

In her contribution, Jillian Cavanaugh tells the story of the emergence of the concept of “language ideologies” that mediate “between the social practice of language and the socioeconomic and political structures within which it occurs.” The concept became an embedded component in analyzing the treatment of minority languages and dialects, and how power relations can be revealed through everyday language use. Today, rather than an overarching framework, language ideology has evolved into a critical point of departure for understanding the intersection between language and various forms of inequality that also require other intellectual tools to fully grasp.
The Scope of Sociolinguistics
Authors: Hymes Dell
Published: May 2020

As sociolinguistics continued to develop in the 1970s, members of the Council’s Committee on Sociolinguistics (1963–1979) reflected on the direction and intellectual impact of this emergent discipline. In this 1972 article, Dell Hymes, cochairman of the committee, describes several orientations toward the field among its practitioners, and argues for what he regarded as the most ambitious: a “socially constituted linguistics.” By this, Hymes meant a sociolinguistics that challenges linguistics’ core theoretical starting points of linguistic structure and grammar with a focus on the social meaning and functions of language in context. In relation to our “Sociolinguistic Frontiers” series, Hymes presciently argues that ultimately the field must address how inequality and language intersect, going “beyond means of speech and types of speech community to a concern with persons and social structure.”
A study of serum cortisol levels in acute head injury patients
Authors: Rao Tangeda Padmaja
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Adrenal insufficiency has a great impact on the prognosis of patients with traumatic brain injury. In healthy persons during normal day-to-day activity, the concentration of plasma cortisol is high in the morning, decreases during the day and rises again during night. But this diurnal rhythm is abolished in long-term unconscious patients and in those with disturbed sleep cycles. In addition, patients with central nervous system disease, who are conscious but have lesions in the temporal lobe, and the pretectal or hypothalamus area, demonstrate abnormal rhythms.

Methods

This cross-sectional study recruited 33 consecutive patients attending emergency medical departments of Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital between July 2017 and April 2018 with mild to severe traumatic head injury within 6 h of injury. The selected patients were mainly divided into three groups depending on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) [mild head injury (14–15); moderate head injury (9–13); severe head injury (3–8)]. In each group, 11 patients were selected. GCS was calculated at the time of admission. The adrenal function of the patients was assessed by using the serum cortisol tests.

Results

In this comparative study of acute head injury among three groups, males are more prone to injury than females, with 81%, 90% and 72% in mild, moderate and severe injuries, respectively. The result mainly shows that the mean cortisol levels estimated were significantly increased in mild head injury and were with greater increase in cases of moderate & severe head injuries. Statistically significant positive correlation was observed between serum cortisol & GCS levels.

Conclusions

In this study of serum cortisol levels in head injury patients, we observed that there is increase in the serum cortisol level immediately after trauma. The increase is linearly related with the severity of head injury. Hence performing serum cortisol test is recommended for the assessment of adrenal function in patients with traumatic head injury.
Unsupervised methods for identifying pass coverage among defensive backs with NFL player tracking data
Authors: Dutta Rishav , Yurko Ronald , Ventura Samuel L.
Published: May 2020

Statistical analysis of defensive players in football has lagged behind that of offensive players, special teams, and coaching decisions, largely because data on individual defensive players has historically been lacking. With the introduction of player tracking data from the NFL, researchers can now tackle these problems. However, event and strategy annotations in the NFL’s tracking data are limited, especially when it comes to describing what defensive players do on each play. Moreover, methods for creating these annotations typically require extensive human labeling, which is difficult and expensive. Because of the importance of the passing game and the limited prior research on the defensive side of passing, we provide annotations for the pass coverage types of cornerbacks using unsupervised learning techniques, which require no training data. We define a set of features from the tracking data that distinguish between “man” and “zone” coverage. We use mixture models to create clusters corresponding to each group, allowing us to provide probabilistic assignments to each coverage type (or cluster). Additionally, we quantify each feature’s influence in distinguishing defensive pass coverage types. Our work makes possible several potential avenues of future NFL research into defensive backs and pass coverage strategies.
Coating factors influencing the fold cracking of coated papers
Authors: Wang Qinwen , Ding Ning
Published: May 2020

With the increasing popularity of coated paper, it has been more widely used in printing, publishing, product packaging and commercial promotion. However, coated paper is prone to cracks after printing and folding which exposes to a white area which is referred to as fold cracking. This study investigated the coating properties of paper and coating factors influencing the fold cracking and aimed to provide guidance on how to reduce the problems of fold cracking. This paper mainly discusses the effects of pigment proportion, binder dosage, solids content, coating thickness and calendering pressure on fold cracking of coated paper after printing. Experiments show that when the coating consisted entirely of calcium carbonate, the degree of fold cracking is most serious. With the addition of kaolin, the fold cracking reduces. When the ratio of the number of parts of calcium carbonate to kaolin is 25/75, the area of fold cracking reaches its minimum value of 10.28 %. With increasing solids content of the coating, the fold cracking decreases initially and then increases. When the solids content is 55 %, the fold cracking reaches a minimum. Increased latex content reduced coating thickness and an increase in calendering pressure gradually reduce the degree of fold cracking.
Secondary metabolites ofHelichrysum plicatumDC. subsp.plicatumflowers as strong carbonic anhydrase, cholinesterase and α-glycosidase inhibitors
Authors: Aydin Tuba
Published: May 2020

Helichrysum plicatumspecies are used in Turkish folk medicine as lithagogue, diuretic, and nephritic. Research on the methanol (MeOH) extract of flowers ofH. plicatumDC. subsp.plicatumresulted in the isolation of eight known compounds (1–8). The chemical structures of the compounds were determined as β-sitosterol (1), apigenin (2), nonacosanoic acid (3), astragalin (4), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), helichrysin A (6), helichrysin B (7), and isosalipurposide (8) by spectroscopic and chromatographic/spectrometric methods, including 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Nonacosanoic acid (3) was isolated for the first time fromH. plicatumDC. subsp.plicatum. The MeOH extract and isolated compounds were evaluated for their in vitro human carbonic anhydrase I (hCAI) and II (hCAII), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and α-glycosidase inhibitory activities. The IC50values ofH. plicatumDC. subsp.plicatumMeOH extract for hCAI, hCAII, AChE, BChE, and α-glycosidase were found to be 77.87, 52.90, 115.50, 117.46, and 81.53 mg/mL, respectively. The compounds showed IC50values of 1.43–4.47, 1.40–4.32, 1.69–2.90, 1.09–3.89, and 1.61–3.80 μM against hCAI, hCAII, AChE, BChE, and α-glycosidase, respectively. In summary,H. plicatumDC. subsp.plicatumsecondary metabolites demonstrated strong inhibitory effects especially against hCAI and hCAII, whereas the MeOH extract showed a weak inhibitory effect on all enzymes.
Chemical composition and anticholinesterase inhibitory activity ofPavetta gracilifloraWall. ex Ridl. essential oil
Authors: Salleh Wan Mohd Nuzul Hakimi Wan , Khamis Shamsul
Published: May 2020

Chemical composition and anticholinesterase activity of the essential oil ofPavetta gracilifloraWall. ex Ridl. (Rubiaceae) was examined for the first time. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and was fully characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 20 components were identified in the essential oil, which made up 92.85% of the total oil. The essential oil is composed mainly of β-caryophyllene (42.52%), caryophyllene oxide (25.33%), β-pinene (8.67%), and α-pinene (6.52%). The essential oil showed weak inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (I%: 62.5%) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (I%: 65.4%) assays. Our findings were shown to be very useful for the characterization, pharmaceutical, and therapeutic applications of the essential oil fromP. graciliflora.
Pakistan's Closing Civic Space
Authors: Mohmand Shandana Khan
Published: May 2020

Although the country has made gains over the past two decades in terms of electoral democracy, guarantees of individual equality and liberty have weakened.
HEREDITARY ENDOCRINE TUMOURS: CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES: The state of science in medullary thyroid carcinoma: current challenges and unmet needs
Authors: Dadu Ramona , Bagheri-Yarmand Rozita , Ringel Matthew D , Grubbs Elizabeth G , Zafereo Mark , Cote Gilbert , Gagel Robert F , Robinson Bruce G , Shaw Kenna R , Hu Mimi I
Published: May 2020

The 16th International Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Workshop (MEN2019) held in Houston, TX, USA, focused on emerging topics in the pathogenesis and therapy of malignant endocrine tumors associated with MEN syndromes. With MEN-2 syndromes, the most common malignancy is medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). In the spirit of the original MEN meeting workshop model, the conference included didactic lectures and interactive working groups of clinicians and researchers focused on the state of science in MTC and ongoing challenges or unmet needs in the understanding of MTC and to develop strategies to address these issues.
Comparison of del Nido Cardioplegia and Blood Cardioplegia in Aortic Root Surgery
Authors: Kuserli Yusuf , Turkyilmaz Saygin , Turkyilmaz Gulsum , Kavala Ali Aycan
Published: May 2020

Aim: To compare del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) with conventional blood cardioplegia (BC) in aortic root surgery.
Methods: Subjects who underwent aortic root surgery during a 3-year period were included. A DNC group was compared with a matched BC group.
Results: A total of 72 subjects were included, 36 who underwent DNC compared with 36 propensity-matched subjects who underwent BC. Fifty-one (70.8%) were male, and 21 (29.2%) were female, with a mean age of 66.19 ± 7.02 years (range 51 to 81). No significant differences in baseline characteristics, preoperative echocardiogram parameters, or intraoperative parameters were found between the groups. For DNC versus BC, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic clamp time, cardioplegia volume (all P = .001), and defibrillation (P = .007) were significantly lower. For postoperative biochemical parameters, creatinine levels at hour 24, potassium levels at hours 1 and 24, and glucose levels at hours 6 and 24 did not differ between the groups (P > .05). Creatine kinase-MB and troponin T levels at hours 1 and 24 were significantly lower in DNC versus BC (all P = .001). Hematocrit levels at hours 6 and 24 were significantly higher in DNC (P = .001). The groups did not differ in terms of postoperative inotropic support, postoperative complications, intubation period, or duration of intensive care unit stay (P > .05). Although the need for thrombocyte transfusion did not differ between groups (P > .05), DNC resulted in less use of erythrocyte and fresh frozen plasma transfusions (both P = .001). Postoperative ejection fraction was significantly better in the DNC group than in the BC group (P = .006).
Conclusion: The results indicate better intraoperative parameters and better ejection fraction rates with DNC than with BC. DNC is an effective and safe alternative to blood cardioplegia for aortic root surgery.
Megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome associated with cystic fibrosis and meconium peritonitis in a female neonate 4 days of age – case report and review of the literature
Authors: Surd Adrian , Gheban Dan , Mironescu Aurel , Aldea Cornel , Gocan Horațiu
Published: May 2020

We present a case of megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) in a four days old female infant who presented with abdominal distension, bilious vomiting, massive hematuria and feeding intolerance which was first interpreted as Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS), referred to our department after iatrogenic gastric and colonic perforation. Berdon syndrome or MMIHS is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a massive enlarged bladder, distended abdomen, microcolon, functional obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, and malrotation.
Clinical occlusion analysis versus semi-adjustable articulator and virtual articulator occlusion analysis
Authors: Buduru Smaranda , Finta Emilia , Almasan Oana , Fluerasu Mirela , Manziuc Manuela , Iacob Simona , Culcitchi Cristian , Negucioiu Marius
Published: May 2020

Background and aims. Identifying the optimal method for occlusion analysis by comparing examination sensitivity of the static and dynamic occlusion using three systems: clinical occlusion analysis, semi-adjustable articulator and virtual articulator (3Shape, Denmark) occlusion analysis.

Methods. The occlusion analysis of sixteen patients was performed using the three systems. In order to analyze the number of concordant and discordant points and trajectories, the clinical method was compared to the semi-adjustable articulator and to the computerized method.

Results. The greatest correspondence was obtained by comparing the clinical and the articulator methods, having a success rate of 85.25%, versus the clinical and the computerized method with a success rate of 73.25%. The propulsion registered the highest discrepancies: 35% in case of the semi-adjustable articulator comparison and 62% in case of the virtual articulator comparison. 

Conclusions. The semi-adjustable articulator was superior in static and dynamic occlusion analysis compared to the virtual articulator. The analysis of the dynamic occlusion is the most problematic due to its dependency on the individual anatomy of the glenoid fossa which cannot be exactly reproduced by any articulator.