bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Millettia aboensis ameliorates oxidative stress through synergic interaction of its active compounds
Authors: Ajaghaku Daniel Lotanna , Akah Peter Achunike , Ilodigwe Emmanuel Emeka , Ajaghaku Amara Anwuchaepe , Onah Christian Ejike , Okoye Festus Basden Chinedu
Published: May 2020

Background

M. aboensis has wide ethnopharmacological applications but very little has been done on the pharmacological basis for these indications. This study evaluated the antioxidant potentials of the leaf extracts of M. aboensis.

Methods

Total phenolic content of the extract and fractions was carried out using folin-ciocalteu method while in vivo site specific effect determined using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver oxidative damage. Chromatographic separations of the most active fraction led to the isolation of compounds 1 and 2 with their structures elucidated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. Inhibition of liver microsome lipid peroxidation was used to evaluate the antioxidant activities of these compounds while DPPH test was used to study their interaction.

Results

Ethyl acetate fraction had the highest phenolic content of 305.2 mgGAE/g with n-hexane fraction having the least (26.1 mgGAE/g). Structural elucidation revealed compound 1 as epicathechin-(2β→O→7, 4β→8)-cathechin and compound 2 as epicathechin-(2β→O→7, 4β→8)-epicathechin. Compounds 1 & 2 inhibited liver microsome lipid peroxidation with EC50 of 46 and 55 µg/mL respectively. Combination of the compounds produced synergic inhibition of DPPH radical with EC50 of 7 µg/mL against 9 µg/mL produced by ascorbic acid.

Conclusion

M. aboensis expressed strong antioxidant property which may explain its diverse ethnopharmacological uses.
The effects of omega-3 on the sleep quality of patients with uremic pruritus undergoing hemodialysis: a randomized crossover study
Authors: Heydarbaki Mansoureh , Amerian Monireh , Abbasi Ali , Amanpour Farzaneh , Mohammadpourhodki Reza , Ebrahimi Hossein
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Information on sleep quality and its effective factors in the patients undergoing hemodialysis are important factors in future planning for improving sleep quality and ultimately the quality of life in these patients. The present study investigated the effect of omega-3 on the sleep quality of hemodialysis patients.

Methods

The 52 hemodialysis patients were randomized into two groups and underwent two different treatment modes (A and B). The first group was given omega-3 and cetirizine and the second group only received cetirizine for six weeks. After one week wash out, the study was followed by crossover treatment in both groups for six weeks. Sleep quality and pruritus severity were evaluated in patients before the intervention and at the end of each treatment period using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Yosipovitch Itch Questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results

The results of the study showed that majority of the patients (94.2%) had poor sleep quality (sleep score > 5 based on the questionnaire) and 5.8% of the patients had favorable sleep quality (sleep score < 5). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that sleep quality scores were different in two groups in phases 0, I and II (p <0.001).

Conclusions

Sleep quality improved in both modes but more improvement was observed in mode A. Therefore, omega-3 fatty acids can be used as a suitable method for improving sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.
Improved anti-arthritic activity of ginger extract, a traditional medicine, using novel drug delivery approach
Authors: Londhe Vaishali Y. , Khogta Saloni M. , Barve Kalyani H.
Published: May 2020

Background

Ginger and castor oil, both are used in traditional medicine to treat arthritis, the latter is also commonly used as a vehicle in these systems of medicine. The study was designed to prepare a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) of ginger extract using castor oil as a novel liquid lipid and evaluate its safety and efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis in experimental animals.

Methods

Ginger extract was standardized using High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The optimized NLC formulation was characterized and its therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in Chronic Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis in experimental animals.

Results

Ginger extract contained 38.76 ± 3.01%w/w of 6-gingerol. The optimized NLC formulation showed a particle size of around 205 nm, a zeta potential of −33.7 and %entrapment efficiency of 76.59 ± 0.83%. Reduction in primary inflammation was significantly higher with NLC when compared with ginger extract and castor oil alone (p<0.001). The formulation also improved hyperalgesia in rats.

Conclusion

Castor oil can be used as a novel lipid in the preparation of NLC. The NLC effectively enhanced the therapeutic value of poorly bioavailable ginger extract.
An All Optical Photonic Crystal Based XOR Gate for BPSK Signals
Authors: Nasiri Mahsa , Andalib Alireza
Published: May 2020

Using binary phase shift keying is one of the popular methods used for designing optical logic gates. In this paper, we used optical waveguides with different lengths for designing an all-optical XOR gate. The proposed structure works based on constructive and destructive interference of optical beams. The time delay of the proposed structure is 0.5 ps.
Time-domain Measurement and Analysis of Differential Mode Delay and Modal Bandwidth of Graded-Index Multimode Fiber in SDM Networks
Authors: Malhotra Ashish , Kaur Gurmanik , Goyal Rakesh
Published: May 2020

A novel differential mode delay (DMD) and modal bandwidth measurement technique for a multi-mode optical fiber based on time-domain method has been proposed and analyzed. Mode-dependent loss (MDL) is known to have a detrimental impact on the capacity of multi-mode fiber systems. The bandwidth behavior of 50 μm/62.5 μm graded-index multimode fibers (GI-MMFs) is investigated by launching a temporal pulse into the fiber and measuring the output time-domain waveform to understand and characterize the effect of DMD. The baseband response is measured by observing the broadening of a narrow input pulse (time-domain measurement). This paper verifies the degradation in bandwidth due to profile distortion by the maximum radial shift (starting from the center of the fiber) and the number of steps. The impact due to DMD on GI-MMF performance has been analyzed through fiber transfer function, pulse width and phase changes.
Triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a predictor similar to the triglyceride–glucose index for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome using International Diabetes Federation criteria of insulin resistance in obese adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Aslan Çin Nazlı Nur , Yardımcı Hülya , Koç Nevra , Uçaktürk Seyit Ahmet , Akçil Ok Mehtap
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a fatal endocrinopathy that begins with insulin resistance (IR) and causes abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance, or systemic disorders. This study was aimed to determine the cut-off values for the triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, the TG glucose (TyG) index and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) for the diagnosis of MS in obese adolescents, and to compare which of the three indexes would offer a more accurate approach to diagnosis.

Methods

The study population comprised 1,171 obese adolescents (639 females and 532 males aged 10–16 years, Body Mass Index (BMI)>=95th percentile). Indirect measures of IR screening for MS were the TG/HDL ratio, TyG index, and HOMA-IR. The cut-off values of the TG/HDL ratio, TyG index, and HOMA-IR were obtained from receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

HOMA-IR had a significant positive correlation with the TyG index (r=0.352, p<0.001) and TG/HDL-C (r=0.291, p<.001). The TyG index and TG/HDL-C showed a strong positive correlation (r=0.901, p<0.001). The TG/HDL-C ratio showed a larger ROC Area under Curve (AUC=0.849) than HOMA-IR index (AUC=0.689), but as a predictor similar to TyG index (AUC=0.833) when screening for MS. The cut-off values for MS were as follows: TG/HDL-C ratio>2.16 (sensitivity: 88.8%; specificity: 49.7%), TyG index>8.50 (sensitivity: 85.6%; specificity: 57.0%) and HOMA-IR>2.52 (sensitivity: 83.2%; specificity: 40.4%).

Conclusions

Both the TyG index and TG/HDL-C ratio are better markers than HOMA-IR to determine the risk of metabolic syndrome according to IDF criteria. Besides, the TyG index and TG/HDL-C ratio have similar differentiating powers to determine this risk in obese Turkish adolescents.
GAD-65 autoantibody associated epilepsy
Authors: Dimova Rumyana , Grozeva Greta , Chakarova Nevena , Tsarkova Polina , Tankova Tsvetalina
Published: May 2020

Objectives

The aim of this report is to describe a case of GAD-65 autoantibody associated epilepcy, diagnosed long before the onset of autoimmune diabetes.

Case presentation

This report presents a 36-year-old female with type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at the age of 26, and a cryptogenic focal epilepsy with complex partial seizures, with duration of 2–3 min and frequency of 5–6 per month, diagnosed at 16 years of age. Electroencephalography revealed epileptiform abnormalities temporally and centro-parietally on the left and temporally on the right with forward propagation on both sides. Due to the drug refractory seizures, titers of GAD-65 autoantibodies were examined (19 years after the diagnosis of epilepsy and 9 years after the diagnosis of diabetes) and were found to be elevated in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, strongly supporting its autoimmune genesis. Insulin pump therapy was used in this patient with a beneficial effect on glycemia.

Conclusions

Autoimmune epilepsy is a clinical entity and should be taken into consideration in patients with other autoimmune diseases, especially diabetes, and with drug refractory seizures, even preceding the onset of diabetes. Achieving stable glycemic control, including the usage of the new technologies in type 1 diabetes treatment, is vital in these cases.
Retrospective evaluation of 85 patients with urea cycle disorders: one center experience, three new mutations
Authors: Saritaş Nakip Özlem , Yıldız Yılmaz , Tokatlı Ayşegül
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are rare hereditary diseases. This study was conducted to help identify the characteristics of UCDs in Turkey.

Methods

The primary outcome was to determine patient characteristics. Investigating the relationships between the patient outcomes and ammonia levels were the secondary outcomes. Eighty five patients from 79 families, diagnosed with UCD at a single metabolic referral center between 1979 and 2017, were included. Clinical and laboratory data were retrieved retrospectively from hospital records.

Results

Classical citrullinemia was the most common type of UCD; citrin deficiency and carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 deficiency (CPS1D) were the rarest. One thirty one hyperammonemic episodes were recorded. The peak ammonia levels were found to be significantly associated with polycythemia and hypocalcemia at presentation. The median peak ammonia values of the patients who died were higher than those of the survivors. The highest mortality rate was in the classical citrullinemia group. The mortality rate of the first hyperammonemic crisis was 28.6%, while it was 6.7% in subsequent episodes with an odds ratio of 4.28 (95% CI: 1.67–11.0) (p=0.001). Forty-four patients underwent genetic analysis and genetic variants were detected in 42 patients (95%). Three of the detected variants have not been previously reported.

Conclusions

This is the largest UCD series in Turkey and may serve as a guide to clinical, biochemical and genetic features of UCDs in our country. Prevention of hyperammonemia may be the most influential measure to improve long term survival.
Influence of non-pharmacological obstetric interventions on adverse outcomes of childbirth under regional analgesia
Authors: Gribel Gisèle P.C. , Coca-Velarde Luis Guillermo , Moreira de Sá Renato A.
Published: May 2020

Background

We examined the influence of companionship and the use of complementary therapies on adverse outcomes in parturients under regional analgesia.

Methods

This study is a single-center retrospective cohort of 986 term pregnant women, and it was based on data from medical records (hospitalization period: November 2012–November 2018). The women were in the active phase of labor under regional analgesia. A statistical program was used to search for an association between companionship and the use of complementary therapies with sample data. Bi- and multivariate logistic regressions based on significant associations were used to analyze the potential intervening variables in the adverse outcomes.

Results

Models were constructed for each of the maternal adverse outcomes. Childbirth complications were significantly associated with complementary therapies [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28–0.63; P < 0.001] and companionship (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.22–0.57; P < 0.001). Prolonged maternal hospitalization was significantly associated with companionship (AOR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.36–0.92; P < 0.05). Unplanned cesarean section showed a significant association with complementary therapies (AOR = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.01–0.47; P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The likelihood of childbirth complications and prolonged maternal hospitalization is reduced by companionship, whereas the likelihood of childbirth complications and cesarean section rates is reduced by the use of complementary therapies.
Linguistic structures and functions of thesis and dissertation titles in Dentistry
Authors: Morales Oscar Alberto , Perdomo Bexi , Cassany Daniel , Tovar Rosa María , Izarra Élix
Published: May 2020

Titles play an important role in genre analysis. Cross-genre studies show that research paper and thesis titles have distinctive features. However, thesis and dissertation titles in the field of dentistry have thus far received little attention.Objective: To analyze the syntactic structures and their functions in English-language thesis and dissertation titles in dentistry.Methodology: We randomly chose 413 titles of English-language dentistry theses or dissertations presented at universities in 12 countries between January 2000 and June 2019. The resulting corpus of 5,540 running words was then analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively, the two complementary focuses being grammatical structures and their functions.Results: The average title length was 13.4 words. Over half of the titles did not include any punctuation marks. For compound titles, we found that colons, dashes, commas, and question marks were used to separate the different components, colons being the most frequent. Four syntactic structures (nominal phrase, gerund phrase, full-sentence, and prepositional phrase) were identified for single-unit titles. Single-unit nominal phrase titles constituted the most frequent structure in the corpus, followed by compound titles. Four particular rhetorical combinations of compound title components were found to be present throughout the corpus.Conclusions: Titles of dentistry theses and dissertation in English echo the content of the text body and make an important contribution to fulfilling the text’s communicative purposes. Thus, teaching research students about the linguistic features of thesis titles would be beneficial to help them write effective titles and also facilitate assessment by teachers.
Capturing Citizens’ Information Needs through Analysis of Public Library Circulation Data
Authors: Igarashi Tomoya , Koizumi Masanori , Widdersheim Michael
Published: May 2020

The Japanese government has initiated lifelong learning policies to promote lifelong learning to a super-aging society. It is said that lifelong learning contributes to a richer and more fulfilling life. It is within this context that public libraries have been identified as ideal facilities for promoting lifelong learning. To support lifelong learning successfully, libraries must accurately grasp citizens’ needs, all while working within limited budgets. To understand citizens’ learning needs, this study uses public library circulation data. This study is significant because such data use is often unavailable in Japan. This data was used to clarify citizens’ learning interests. Circulation data was compared from two libraries in Japan: Koto District Library in Tokyo and Tahara City Library in Aichi Prefecture. The data was used to identify general learning needs while also accounting for regional differences. The methodology and results of this research are significant for the development of lifelong learning policy and programming.
Partitive objects in negative contexts in Northern Italian Dialects
Authors: Garzonio Jacopo , Poletto Cecilia
Published: May 2020

In this article we analyze partitive objects under negation (NPOs) in the Northern Italian dialectal (NID) domain and discuss their diachronic and synchronic relation with both partitive constructions and partitive articles. We take into exam the areal distribution of the phenomenon, its syntactic variation and the different factors that regulate this variation. The main claim of the paper is that NPOs in the NIDs are a special type of grammaticalized partitive constructions, where negation licenses a silent quantifier and the preposition expresses extraction from a ‘whole’. In other words, the development of NPOs is similar to that of partitive articles, but they have not lost the partitive meaning. This explains why they appear only with plurals and singular mass nouns.
Partitives, pseudopartitives and the prepositionapoin Greek
Authors: Alexiadou Artemis , Stavrou Melita
Published: May 2020

In this paper we revisit the main properties of the partitive (PC) and the pseudopartitive construction (PPC) in Greek placing our focus on the distribution of the prepositionapo‘of/from’, which introduces the partitive complement in the PC but is absent from the PPC. We propose two distinct analyses for the two constructions, which predict the particular distribution ofapoas a meaningful preposition, according to our hypothesis. We further discuss the crosslinguistic implications of our analysis.
First record of albinism in spiny rats of genus Proechimys (Rodentia: Echimyidae) from Western Amazon
Authors: Dalapicolla Jeronymo , de Oliveira Roth Paulo Ricardo , Percequillo Alexandre Reis
Published: May 2020

Albinism is a rare condition in natural populations. One of the factors that would lead to higher allele frequency for the albino phenotype is bottleneck events, causing small population sizes and loss of genetic diversity. Here, we report the first record of albinism in one specimen of Proechimys gardneri from Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil. This is also the first record of albinism for the genus and for the family Echimyidae. We identified the specimen through morphology and confirmed the identification by 801 base pairs (bp) of mitochondrial marker cytochrome b (Cyt b). We also discuss the selection against albino phenotype in natural populations.
Uniqueness on entire functions and their nth order exact differences with two shared values
Authors: Chen Shengjiang , Xu Aizhu
Published: May 2020

Let f(z) be an entire function of hyper order strictly less than 1. We prove that if f(z) and its nth exact difference

Δ

c

n

f
(
z
)

{\Delta }_{c}^{n}f(z)

share 0 CM and 1 IM, then

Δ

c

n

f
(
z
)
≡
f
(
z
)

{\Delta }_{c}^{n}f(z)\equiv f(z)

. Our result improves the related results of Zhang and Liao [Sci. China A, 2014] and Gao et al. [Anal. Math., 2019] by using a simple method.
Further new results on strong resolving partitions for graphs
Authors: Kuziak Dorota , Yero Ismael G.
Published: May 2020

A set W of vertices of a connected graph G strongly resolves two different vertices x, y ∉ W if either d

G
(x, W) = d

G
(x, y) + d

G
(y, W) or d

G
(y, W) = d

G
(y, x) + d

G
(x, W), where d

G
(x, W) = min{d(x,w): w ∈ W} and d(x,w) represents the length of a shortest x − w path. An ordered vertex partition Π = {U
1, U
2,…,U

k
} of a graph G is a strong resolving partition for G, if every two different vertices of G belonging to the same set of the partition are strongly resolved by some other set of Π. The minimum cardinality of any strong resolving partition for G is the strong partition dimension of G. In this article, we obtain several bounds and closed formulae for the strong partition dimension of some families of graphs and give some realization results relating the strong partition dimension, the strong metric dimension and the order of graphs.
Multilevel Monte Carlo by using the Halton sequence
Authors: Nagy Shady Ahmed , El-Beltagy Mohamed A. , Wafa Mohamed
Published: May 2020

Monte Carlo (MC) simulation depends on pseudo-random numbers. The generation of these numbers is examined in connection with the Brownian motion. We present the low discrepancy sequence known as Halton sequence that generates different stochastic samples in an equally distributed form. This will increase the convergence and accuracy using the generated different samples in the Multilevel Monte Carlo method (MLMC). We compare algorithms by using a pseudo-random generator and a random generator depending on a Halton sequence. The computational cost for different stochastic differential equations increases in a standard MC technique. It will be highly reduced using a Halton sequence, especially in multiplicative stochastic differential equations.
Refinement of fejér inequality for convex and co-ordinated convex functions
Authors: Hsu Kai-Chen
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we shall establish the co-ordinated convex function. It can connect to the right-hand side of Fejér inequality in two variables and thus a new refinement can be found. In addition, some applications to estimates for Euler’s Beta function are also given in the end.
Coefficients problems for families of holomorphic functions related to hyperbola
Authors: Kanas Stanisława , Masih Vali Soltani , Ebadian Ali
Published: May 2020

We consider a family of analytic and normalized functions that are related to the domains ℍ(s), with a right branch of a hyperbolas H(s) as a boundary. The hyperbola H(s) is given by the relation

1
ρ

=

2
cos
⁡

φ
s

s

(
0
<
s
≤
1
,

|

φ

|

<
(
π
s
)

/

2
)
.

$\begin{array}{}
\frac{1}{\rho}=\left( 2\cos\frac{\varphi}{s}\right)^s\quad (0 \lt s\le 1,\, |\varphi| \lt (\pi s)/2).
\end{array}$

We mainly study a coefficient problem of the families of functions for which zf′/f or 1 + zf″/f′ map the unit disk onto a subset of ℍ(s) . We find coefficients bounds, solve Fekete-Szegö problem and estimate the Hankel determinant.
Rough weighted 𝓘-limit points and weighted 𝓘-cluster points inθ-metric space
Authors: Ghosal Sanjoy , Ghosh Avishek
Published: May 2020

In 2018, Das et al. [Characterization of rough weighted statistical statistical limit set, Math. Slovaca68(4) (2018), 881–896] (or, Ghosal et al. [Effects on rough𝓘-lacunary statistical convergence to induce the weighted sequence, Filomat32(10) (2018), 3557–3568]) established the result: The diameter of rough weighted statistical limit set (or, rough weighted 𝓘-lacunary limit set) of a sequencex= {xn}n∈ℕis2rlim infn∈Atn$\begin{array}{} \frac{2r}{{\liminf\limits_{n\in A}} t_n} \end{array}$if the weighted sequence {tn}n∈ℕis statistically bounded (or, self weighted 𝓘-lacunary statistically bounded), whereA= {k∈ ℕ :tk<M} andMis a positive real number such that natural density (or, self weighted 𝓘-lacunary density) ofAis 1 respectively. Generally this set has no smaller bound other than2rlim infn∈Atn$\begin{array}{} \frac{2r}{{\liminf\limits_{n\in A}} t_n} \end{array}$. We concentrate on investigation that whether in aθ-metric space above mentioned result is satisfied for rough weighted 𝓘-limit set or not? Answer is no. In this paper we establish infinite as well as unboundedθ-metric space (which has not been done so far) by utilizing some non-trivial examples. In addition we introduce and investigate some problems concerning the sets of rough weighted 𝓘-limit points and weighted 𝓘-cluster points inθ-metric space and formalize how these sets could deviate from the existing basic results.
Sociocultural linguistic approaches to code switching in Japanese women’s talk in interaction: Region, gender, and language
Authors: Didi-Ogren Holly HK
Published: May 2020

This article takes a sociocultural linguistic approach to code switching in investigating discursive functions of shifts between Standard Japanese and a regional dialect (Iwate Dialect) in women’s activity-centered, naturally occurring interactions. The paper extends previous scholarship to a consideration of how shifts are used for discursive functions such as expressing or seeking alignment; provides support for taking a talk-in-interaction theoretical perspective on code switching; and articulates a basis of support for this theoretical perspective by suggesting a methodological approach that combines close analysis of stretches of talk (DA/CA) with contextual information that informs our understanding of such talk (ethnography of communication). Furthermore, the paper illustrates the intersection of gender, region, and competing language ideologies; and contributes to the lacuna of language-in-use research on dialects in Japan. Excerpts are drawn from a data set of naturally-occurring interactions compiled over two years of fieldwork in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Continuously-tunable Cherenkov-radiation-based detectors via plasmon index control
Authors: Günay Mehmet , Chuang You-Lin , Tasgin Mehmet Emre
Published: May 2020

A recent study [PRB 100, 075427 (2019)], finally, demonstrated the plasmon-analog of refractive index enhancement in metal nanostructures (MNSs), which has already been studied in atomic clouds for several decades. Here, we simply utilize this phenomenon for achieving continuously-tunable enhanced Cherenkov radiation (CR) in MNSs. Beyond enabling CR from slow-moving particles, or increasing its intensity, the phenomenon can be used in continuous-tuning of the velocity cutoff of particles contributing to CR. More influentially, this allows a continuously-tunable analysis of the contributing particles as if the data is collected from many different detectors, which enables data correction. The phenomenon can also be integrated into lattice MNSs, for continuous medium tuning, where a high density of photonic states is present and the threshold for the CR can even be lifted. Additionally, vanishing absorption can heal radiation angle distortion effects caused by the metallic absorption.
Crystal structure of N-(methyl(oxo)(1-(6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-3-yl)ethyl)-λ6-sulfanylidene)cyanamide, C10H10F3N3OS
Authors: Ning Xu , Shi Yun-Lian , Shi Xu-Gen , Yang Wen-Li , Peng Da-Yong
Published: May 2020

[C10H10F3N3OS], monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 18.555(10) Å, b = 6.785(4) Å, c = 10.139(5) Å, β = 105.86°, V = 1227.9(11) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0571, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1785, T = 296(2) K.
The crystal structure of catena-poly[bis[3-azoniapentane-1,5-diammonium][bis(μ4-oxo)-tetrakis(μ3-oxo)-heptakis(μ2-oxo)-tetradecaoxo-octa-molybdenum] dihydrate], (C8H36N6O29Mo8)
n
Authors: Wu-Hua Chen , Dai-Bin Yang , Zhao-Bin Jiang
Published: May 2020

(C8H36N6O29Mo8)
n
, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 10.5883(4) Å, b = 9.4385(3) Å, c = 16.5154(7) Å, β = 94.616(4)°, V = 1645.15(11) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0359, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0887, T = 293(2) K.
Crystal structure of 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene-(1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene-κ2
P,P′)-(O-isobutyl sulfurodithioito-κ2
S,S′)copper(I), C39H37CuFeOP2S2
Authors: Li Zhuang-yu , Liu Xiao-jing , Liu E. , Jian Fang-fang , Liang Tongling
Published: May 2020

C39H37CuFeOP2S2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.6132(10) Å, b = 11.5667(12) Å, c = 16.8739(18) Å, α = 99.732(2)°, β = 96.342(2)°, γ = 93.446(2)°, V = 1832.0(3) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0455, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1212, T = 293.0 K.
Crystal structure of (1,3-propanediamine-κ2
N,N′)(N-(3-aminopropyl)-α-methyl aspartato-κ4
N,N′,O,O′)cobalt(III) chloride, C11H24ClCoN4O4
Authors: Shin Jiehye , Kang Jaeun , Ok Kang Min , Do Junghwan
Published: May 2020

C11H24ClCoN4O4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 11.4214(1) Å, b = 9.8842(1) Å, c = 13.6893(1) Å, β = 106.436(1)°, V = 1482.25(2) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0238, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0616, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of bis(1,3-phenylenedimethanaminium) bis(triiodide) tetraiodide – water (1/2) , C8H16I5N2O
Authors: Reiss Guido J.
Published: May 2020

C8H16I5N2O, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 34.180(5) Å, b = 7.6817(3) Å, c = 21.421(3) Å, β = 137.93(3)°, Z = 8, V = 3768.7(16) Å3, Rgt(F) = 0.0364, wR
ref = 0.0737, T = 290(2) K.
Crystal structure of 3-cinnamoyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, C16H12O4
Authors: Guo Chun-Mei , Song Xiu-Ying , Wang Mi-Na , Gu Jia , Nie Xu-Liang
Published: May 2020

[C16H12O4], monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 13.760(5) Å, b = 4.9003(18) Å, c = 19.125(7) Å, β = 101.331(5)°, V = 1264.5(8) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0383, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1072, T = 296(2) K.
Determining the quality of paper substrates containing triticale pulp for printing industry
Authors: Bates Irena , Plazonić Ivana , Radić Seleš Valentina , Barbarić-Mikočević Željka
Published: May 2020

Today, the paper industry is faced with a global deficiency of raw wood materials, so alternative sources of virgin cellulose fibres are playing an important role in paper production. Agricultural countries produce large quantities of crop farming by-products such as straw, which is an interesting alternative raw material for cellulose fibres. Straw is used in many industries because of its numerous advantages: animal food industry, biofuel industry, construction industry and as artistic material. The potential use of straw production residues is of great importance in paper and printing industry. The focus of this research is on triticale straw, which was used as a non-wood fibre source for paper production. Namely, triticale straw was converted into semi-chemical pulp and was combined with recycled wood pulp in order to produce alternative laboratory papers. The usability of this kind of laboratory papers in printing industry was analysed based on line reproduction quality. This research evaluated and analysed line reproduction quality based on four line attributes: width, blurriness and raggedness. The results of this research proved that triticale pulp in laboratory papers has equal influence on line printing quality as the recycled wood pulp.
The evolution of Romanian agritourism and the role of European Union
subsidies in rural areas
Authors: Galluzzo Nicola
Published: May 2020

Following the collapse of the communist regime in Romania, there has been an intense
growth in the number of farms providing holiday accommodation, which has gone to
answer the tourism flows from other European countries that have increased
significantly, particularly since 2009. The core purpose of this study was to
estimate, through a quantitative approach, the main relationships between decoupled
payments and other financial subsidies allocated by the European Union in the
framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the growth of Romanian
agritourism. The findings reveal that, over the 2007–2016 period, decoupled
payments more than financial subsidies allocated under the second pillar of the CAP
have acted to encourage the growth of agritourism in the Romanian countryside. This
has corroborated the crucial role that direct payments and other financial subsidies
have played in stimulating diversification in Romanian farms and, at the same time,
reducing the levels of permanent emigration from rural villages as well.
Inter-Ethnic Dynamics in the Wake of Terrorist Attacks: Evidence from the 2015 Baga Massacre
Authors: Belmonte Alessandro
Published: May 2020

This paper investigates the consequences for inter-group conflicts of terrorist attacks. I study the 2015 Baga massacre, a large scale attack conducted by Boko Haram at the far North-East state of Borno, Nigeria, as a quasi-natural experiment and examine a set of attitudes in the aftermath of the event of Christians and Muslims throughout the country. Comparing individuals, outside the region of Borno, interviewed by Afrobarometer immediately after the massacre and those interviewed the days before within same regions and holding fixed a number of individual characteristics, I document that the informational exposure to the event rendered Christians less amiable to neighboring Muslims and Muslims less likely to recognize the legitimacy of the state. Nonetheless, Muslims increased their view of the elections as a device to remove leaders in office, event that took place 2 months later with the election of the challenger, Muhammadu Buhari. My findings indicate that terrorist attacks may generate a relevant and heterogeneous backlash across ethnic groups.
Supposing the Law: Nomos and Categorical Imperatives in Never Let Me Go
Authors: Volpone Annalisa
Published: May 2020

This paper addresses the issue of posthuman bodies in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go against the background of organ transplants and prosthetic surgery. The novel posits a number of questions about what qualifies a human being and/or what distinguishes a human being from a clone, suggesting that art, perhaps, might be a discriminating factor. Further, it also raises questions about the kind of regulation should be applied to organs “donations,” especially when they are not voluntary, but part of a programmed response inscribed in someone’s DNA. Accordingly, the last section of the paper will investigate the social impact of the exploitation of the clones and the medico-legal issues pertaining to it.
Digital Voodoo: Who Does What?
Authors: Carbone Paola , Rossi Giuseppe
Published: May 2020

It is obvious that AI is marking its entry onto the global scene. Anyway, since any AI is supposed to perform a task in such a way that the outcome would be indistinguishable from the outcome of a human agent working to achieve the same task, it is more and more difficult to recognize its presence in our daily life. Issues of transparency and ethics are crucial not only to be aware of the presence of an AI, but mostly to know how the algorithm is actually working and to verify the ‘quality’ of its dataset. It is important to realize that only the engineers know what an AI does, even if it enacts actions in real life. For common people, and even for regulators, it may turn out to be a digital voodoo that goes far beyond their understanding. Who does what? That is the question.

The first part of the essay discusses the claims of “digital philosophy” (or “digital ontology”) under the light of legal analysis. The assumption that humankind and “intelligent” machines share the same digital/algorithmic ontology (as parts of an all-encompassing “digital universe”) could deprive the law of its ethical and emotional foundations. A sound regulation of both the circulation of digital information and AI requires adequate knowledge of technology (transparency) and the capacity to make ethical choices based on wide social consensus, in order to safeguard the fundamentally “human” nature of the law.

The second part of the essay is an inquiry into AI as a machine-writing system, that is into the capacity of an AI to produce literary texts. Three examples will be discussed and a comparison to electronic literature will be pointed out. What seems to be fundamental is the idea of a literary output stuck on the very moment of its generation (process of writing) which is conceived by the reader as an anaesthetic experience. More than creativity, it is the perception of creativity that rules such literary works. This literary production can make readers aware of the power of an underlying algorithm.
Cytoreduction surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for treating advanced peritoneal metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hung Kuo-Chen , Yang Kun-Lin , Huang Guan-Cheng , Chen Yu-Fu , Chang Wen-Teng , Chuang Chia-Chang
Published: May 2020

Background

An effective treatment strategy for peritoneal metastasis (PM) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC-PM) has yet to be established. Although cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have shown favorable outcomes in certain malignancies, their role in peritoneal metastatic HCC is unclear. Herein, we present a series of patients with HCC-PM treated with CRS/HIPEC and evaluate their outcomes.

Methods

Records of patients with HCC-PM who had undergone CRS/HIPEC at the Hyperthermia Center of Yuan’s General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, between September 2015 and December 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were followed up until September 2019. We assessed the clinical courses and outcomes of these patients to clarify the benefits of CRS/HIPEC.

Results

Six patients were included in our study. HCC-PM occurred synchronously in one patient and occurred metachronously in five patients after therapeutic minimally invasive procedures, including radiofrequency ablation, laparoscopic hepatectomy, robotic hepatectomy or spontaneously. The median peritoneal cancer index was 18.5. All patients experienced complete peritoneal cytoreduction without perioperative mortality. One patient had two CTCAE grade 3 complications. The median follow-up was 16 months. The median overall survival was 15.7 months. Four patients died of lung metastasis or liver failure owing to intrahepatic recurrence. The survival rates observed at 1, 2, and 4 years were 66.7%, 33.3%, and 33.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

CRS followed by HIPEC is feasible in patients with HCC-PM and might provide selected patients a chance for local disease control and longer survival. CRS/HIPEC might be considered as a treatment option in highly selected patients, as part of multimodal therapy approaches.
Electro-membrane separations in biotechnology
Authors: Lazarova Zdravka , Beschkov Venko , Velizarov Svetlozar
Published: May 2020

Membrane processes are of crucial importance for downstream processing in biotechnology. This is due to their selectivity and the mild operating conditions, enabling to extract target products without damages caused by overheating and chemical agents. Besides the most spread membrane processes like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, electrodialysis is very important for removal and extraction of electrically charged products, i. e. anions of organic acids, some antibiotics, etc. The electrodialysis process can be organized in batch or continuous mode. On the other hand, in the electro-crossflow filtration, the transport of target solutes across the membrane is guided by two main driving forces, the transmembrane pressure and the electric potential. This combination enables various possibilities for more selective and efficient downstream processing in biotechnology. This chapter provides a brief overview of recent achievements of electrodialysis in selected bioproducts separations and recovery. A special focus, including original experimental data, is then given to electro-filtration, which is a powerful tool creating new opportunities for performing separations on the basis of both electric charge and particle size differences.
Application of polymer membranes in downstream processes
Authors: Belafi-Bako Katalin , Toth Gabor , Nemestothy Nandor
Published: May 2020

The purpose of downstream processing in a fermentation technology is the isolation, purification and concentration of the final product. Membrane processes are generally used in these steps. In this paper, the application possibilities of polymer membranes in pressure-driven membrane techniques (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration), pervaporation, dialysis and electrodialysis are presented.
Case studies on computer-based identification of natural products as lead molecules
Authors: Simoben Conrad V. , Ntie-Kang Fidele , Robaa Dina , Sippl Wolfgang
Published: May 2020

The development and application of computer-aided drug design/discovery (CADD) techniques (such as structured-base virtual screening, ligand-based virtual screening and neural networks approaches) are on the point of disintermediation in the pharmaceutical drug discovery processes. The application of these CADD methods are standing out positively as compared to other experimental approaches in the identification of hits. In order to venture into new chemical spaces, research groups are exploring natural products (NPs) for the search and identification of new hits and more efficient leads as well as the repurposing of approved NPs. The chemical space of NPs is continuously increasing as a result of millions of years of evolution of species and these data are mainly stored in the form of databases providing access to scientists around the world to conduct studies using them. Investigation of these NP databases with the help of CADD methodologies in combination with experimental validation techniques is essential to identify and propose new drug molecules. In this chapter, we highlight the importance of the chemical diversity of NPs as a source for potential drugs as well as some of the success stories of NP-derived candidates against important therapeutic targets. The focus is on studies that applied a healthy dose of the emerging CADD methodologies (structure-based, ligand-based and machine learning).
Innovative processes in the production of inorganic bases and derived salts of current interest
Authors: Alguacil F. J. , Robla J. I.
Published: May 2020

Ammonia and sodium hydroxide are two important inorganic bases which served as the basis or precursors of other compounds with multiple uses. Some of their derived salts, i. e. ammonium nitrate, are of the paramount importance for daily life. Others salts, such as lithium carbonate, are gaining a primary role in the development of smart technologies, i. e. E-cars. This chapter described developments in the production of these useful compounds: ammonia, sodium and potassium hydroxides, related salts, i. e. ammonium nitrate, sodium and potassium carbonates, and finally, lithium carbonate.
Technology of large volume alcohols, carboxylic acidsand esters
Authors: Rzelewska-Piekut Martyna , Regel-Rosocka Magdalena
Published: May 2020

Paper describes industrial synthesis of the most important alcohols (methanol and ethanol), organic acids (acetic and lactic), and fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel). Also, current industrial solutions and global trends in manufacturing of these chemicals are presented. Moreover, several alternative production technologies of these chemical compounds are discussed, which might successfully replace current commercial methods in the future.
Bio-pulping: An energy saving and environment-friendly approach
Authors: Kumar Amit , Gautam Archana , Dutt Dharm
Published: May 2020

Pretreatment of wood or other raw material with white-rot fungi (WRF) prior to pulping is known as biopulping. Lignin and hemicelluloses are removed selectively during early growth of WRF that produces enriched cellulose, known as selective delignification. Biopulping is considered as environment-friendly and cost-effective approach for delignification of lignocellulosic raw materials. The delignification efficiency of WRF during biopulping is directly related to ligninolytic enzymes production that is influence by several factors such as fungal strain, nature of raw material, oxygen availability, moisture content, pH, temperature, source of nitrogen, presence of Mn++and Cu++ions. The WRF, especiallyCeriporiopsis subvermispora,Trametes versicolorandPhanerochaete chrysosporium, have been used dominantly for the purpose of biopulping. It is an energy saving process that also improves brightness of pulp and strength properties including tensile index, burst index and folding endurance of paper. Significant decrease in kappa number has also been attained by fungal pretreatment of raw materials. Biological pretreatment of raw material also reduces the requirement of pulping chemicals.
Spirooxazine dyes
Authors: Towns Andrew
Published: May 2020

This article provides an introductory overview of a class of colorant that underpinned the establishment of the most industrially important application of photochromic dyes. It outlines the properties that led to the rise (and subsequent decline) in commercial significance of spirooxazine colorants, and which attract researchers seeking to put them to work in new technologies. Within this survey, the chief means of synthesising such dyes and adjusting their photochromism are briefly discussed. The reader is directed to useful sources of information concerning not only these aspects, but also potential applications for spirooxazine-based photochromism.
Possibilities and limitations of pXRF as a tool for analysing ancient pottery: a case study of Late Bronze and Early Iron Age pottery (1100–600 BC) from the northern Black Sea region
Authors: Daszkiewicz Malgorzata , Gavrylyuk Nadezhda , Hellström Kirsten , Kaiser Elke , Kashuba Maya , Kulkova Marianna , Nykonenko Dmytro , Schneider Gerwulf , Winger Katja
Published: May 2020

In an archaeometric research project supported by the Volkswagen Foundation (Project 90216 [https://earlynomads.wordpress.com/]), working groups consisting of chemists, geologists and archaeologists in Berlin, Kiev and Saint Petersburg collaborated on analysing pottery recovered from Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age burials and settlements from sites of different archaeological cultures in the steppes and forest steppes north of the Black Sea. The article presents the results of the classification of 201 samples using energy-dispersive X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) compared to the results of MGR-analysis and WD-XRF of these samples. Fingerprints for the seven sites studied could be defined.
Determination of crystallinity of Chinese handmade papers by means of X-ray diffraction
Authors: Liu Peng , Zhang Hongbin , Wang Sinong , Yu Hui , Lu Bingjie , Li Xinran , Wang Chun , Yan Yueer , Tang Yi
Published: May 2020

The crystallinity indices (CrI) of Chinese handmade papers were investigated using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. Four Chinese handmade papers, Yingchun, Zhuma, Yuanshu and Longxucao papers were used as model substrates of mulberry bark, ramie, bamboo and Eulaliopsis binata papers, respectively. Two forms of the paper samples, paper sheets and their comminuted powders, were used in this study. The results showed that their XRD patterns belong to the cellulose-I type and Iβ dominates the cellulose microstructure of these paper samples. Moreover, it was found that the microstructures and CrIs of cellulose of these papers were changed by the grinding treatment. This work suggested that the sheet form of the handmade papers is suitable to determine CrI by XRD, despite the contribution of non-cellulosic components in the papers. The order of CrIs for these paper sheet samples was Yingchun, Zhuma, Longxucao and Yuanshu papers. Besides CrIs, differences in cross-sectional areas of the crystalline zone of cellulose can be used for comparing different types of handmade papers. It was also found that the CrIs and crystallite size of paper cellulose varied between the sheet samples and the powder samples, illustrating that the pulverisation has a negative influence on the microstructure of the handmade papers.
Numerical steady state analysis of the Marchuk–Petrov model of antiviral immune response
Authors: Sklyarova Ekaterina V. , Nechepurenko Yuri M. , Bocharov Gennady A.
Published: May 2020

The problem of guaranteed computation of all steady states of the Marchuk–Petrov model with fixed values of parameters and analysis of their stability are considered. It is shown that the system of ten nonlinear equations, nonnegative solutions of which are steady states, can be reduced to a system of two equations. The region of possible nonnegative solutions is analytically localized. An effective technology for computing all nonnegative solutions and analyzing their stability is proposed. The obtained results provide a computational basis for the study of chronic forms of viral infections using the Marchuk–Petrov model.