bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
1,4‐Dioxane: Emerging technologies for an emerging contaminant
Authors: Broughton Anita , Sepulveda Andrea , Foster Keith , Kruk Taras , Nickelsen Michael G. , Gillan Maleya , Mohr Thomas K.G.
Published: September 2019

The synthetic chemical, 1,4‐dioxane, is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable human carcinogen. Between 2013 and 2015, the EPA detected 1,4‐dioxane in public drinking water supplies in 45 states at concentrations up to 33 µg/L and in groundwater from releases at hazardous waste sites across the United States. Although a Federal maximum contaminant level drinking water standard has not yet been proposed, state‐specific standards and criteria are as low as 0.3 µg/L. 1,4‐Dioxane is a recalcitrant chemical in that applications of conventional treatment technologies have had limited success in reducing concentrations in water to meet current and proposed health‐protective levels. Although mainly used as a stabilizer for the solvent 1,1,1‐trichloroethane, it has been used in other industrial processes and has been detected in a variety of consumer products, such as foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents. The high aqueous solubility of 1,4‐dioxane coupled with limited solubility of chlorinated solvents typically found in conjunction with 1,4‐dioxane contamination is the primary reason for its treatment challenges. In the last several years, an alternative, cost‐effective technology has been developed that has demonstrated treatment to levels significantly lower than the Federal and state‐specific goals. This article provides a Federal and state‐by‐state summary of 1,4‐dioxane‐specific drinking water and groundwater concentration criteria and qualitative comparison of the effectiveness of conventional treatment technologies compared to the effectiveness of an alternative treatment technology. A case study is also provided to present details regarding the application of an alternative treatment technology at an active groundwater remediation site in California.
Designing and implementing an urban river remediation
Authors: Boom Tom , Ellis Mike , Richard Don
Published: September 2019

In 2017, Consumers Energy completed a sediment response action in the Flint River to address manufactured gas plant‐related impacts in sediments and at the groundwater‐surface water interface. The project site is located in an urban, channelized, developed reach of the river. Multiple property owners and site constraints presented unique challenges for the remedial design, including the presence of Hamilton Dam at the downstream edge of the site which was considered a high‐hazard dam in “very poor condition.” An additional consideration was the City of Flint water crisis which was initially exposed in 2014. The sediment response action was not related to the water crisis because the site is located approximately two miles downstream of the City's water intake, but design, permitting, and construction began after 2014, so the timing added a heightened sense of awareness from the public stakeholders. The successful completion of the sediment response action was the result of deliberate planning, iterative engineering, and open communication with stakeholders that enabled a careful balancing of objectives with sometimes competing interests.
A new method for assessing river ecosystem services and its application to rivers in Scotland with and without nature conservation designations
Authors: Keele Victoria , Gilvear David , Large Andrew , Tree Angus , Boon Philip
Published: September 2019

Based on a paired analysis, we describe a method for evaluating the potential of rivers with different physical characteristics to provide ecosystem services. Scores based on an extensive scientific literature review and expert opinion were applied to four sets of rivers in Scotland, with each pair comprising one river with a statutory nature conservation designation and one where such designations were largely absent. Data on physical habitat features and land cover were extracted manually from Google Earth™, based upon a previously published method expanded here to take account of cultural ecosystem services. Twenty physical habitat features and land‐cover types and 13 ecosystem services (four provisioning, three regulating, and six cultural) were used in the analysis. Notable developments on the earlier approach included the full integration of cultural ecosystem services alongside provisioning, regulating, and supporting services; introduction of confidence levels to river feature–ecosystem service linkages; and incorporation of valley floor surface area into one of the two scoring systems. Ecosystem scores for 500 m reaches along each river from source to mouth were calculated using Microsoft Excel, with results showing high reach‐to‐reach variability within individual rivers and significant differences between paired rivers. The four rivers with statutory nature conservation designations provided a greater range and typically higher ecosystem service scores than those with little or no designation, a result that has significant implications for river conservation and for framing catchment‐level conservation policy.
Pore Size‐Engineered Three‐Dimensional Ordered Mesoporous Carbons with Improved Electrochemical Performance for Supercapacitor and Lithium‐ion Battery Applications
Authors: Nanaji Katchala , Rao Tata N , Varadaraju U. V. , Anandan Srinivasan
Published: September 2019

Three‐dimensional ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) are desirable for high performing energy storage devices because they provide a continuous electron pathway to ensure good electrical contact and also facilitate electrolyte ion transport by reducing diffusion lengths during charge‐discharge process. Here, we report the synthesis of three dimensional mesoporous carbon (CMK‐8) using KIT‐6 and sucrose as silica template and carbon source, respectively. Initially, KIT‐6, synthesized at different hydrothermal temperature (100, 130 and 150 °C) is used as silica template to prepare OMCs with different pore diameter. The resulting OMCs were extensively characterized by SAXS, FE SEM, HR‐TEM, BET and Raman techniques. The SAXS pattern shows distinct reflections at low 2θ range corresponds to ordered mesoporous structure of cubic Ia3d space group. The OMC possesses a specific surface area of 1017 m2/g with a mean pore size of 4.1 nm and large pore volume of 1.14 cm3 g−1. As electrode material for supercapacitor application, the resulting mesoporous carbon delivers a high capacitance of 252 F/g @ 0.5 A/g and shows good rate performance (75% retention in capacitance at high current rates) and outstanding cyclic stability (91% retention after 30,000 cycles). Further, as anode for Li‐ion battery application, it also exhibits promising specific capacity (856 mAh/g) with good cyclic and rate capability. The excellent electrochemical properties of the mesoporous carbon material are attributed to its three dimensional porous structure and high surface area with interconnected mesopores that provides rapid ion and electron transport during electrochemical process.
Hierarchical Micro‐ and Mesoporous Zn‐Based Metal–Organic Frameworks Templated by Hydrogels: Their Use for Enzyme Immobilization and Catalysis of Knoevenagel Reaction
Authors: Cheng Kaipeng , Svec Frantisek , Lv Yongqin , Tan Tianwei
Published: September 2019

Encapsulation of enzymes in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is often obstructed by the small size of the orifices typical of most reported MOFs, which prevent the passage of larger‐size enzymes. Here, the preparation of hierarchical micro‐ and mesoporous Zn‐based MOFs via the templated emulsification method using hydrogels as a template is presented. Zinc‐based hydrogels featuring a 3D interconnecting network are first produced via the formation of hydrogen bonds between melamine and salicylic acid in which zinc ions are well distributed. Further coordination with organic linkers followed by the removal of the hydrogel template produces hierarchical Zn‐based MOFs containing both micropores and mesopores. These new MOFs are used for the encapsulation of glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase to prove the concept. The immobilized enzymes exhibit a remarkably enhanced increased operational stability and enzymatic activity with a kcat/km value of 85.68 mm s–1. This value is 7.7‐fold higher compared to that found for the free enzymes in solution, and 2.7‐fold higher than enzymes adsorbed on conventional microporous MOFs. The much higher catalytic activity of the mesoporous conjugate for Knoevenagel reactions is demonstrated, since the large pores enable easier access to the active sites, and compared with that observed for catalysis using microporous MOFs.
Surface Engineering of MoS2 via Laser‐Induced Exfoliation in Protic Solvents
Authors: Gao Zhi‐Wen , Liu Mengjie , Zheng Weiran , Zhang Xiandi , Lee Lawrence Yoon Suk
Published: September 2019

With excellent performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered a promising nonprecious candidate to substitute Pt‐based catalysts. Herein, pulsed laser irradiation in liquid is used to realize one‐step exfoliation of bulk 2H‐MoS2 to ultrastable few‐layer MoS2 nanosheets. Such prepared MoS2 nanosheets are rich in S vacancies and metallic 1T phase, which significantly contribute to the boosted catalytic HER activity. Protic solvents play a pivotal role in the production of S vacancies and 2H‐to‐1T phase transition under laser irradiation. MoS2 exfoliated in an optimal solvent of formic acid exhibits outstanding HER activity with an overpotential of 180 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 54 mV dec−1.
A Review on Energy Band‐Gap Engineering for Perovskite Photovoltaics
Authors: Hu Zhaosheng , Lin Zhenhua , Su Jie , Zhang Jincheng , Chang Jingjing , Hao Yue
Published: September 2019

Metal halide perovskites are attractive for highly efficient solar cells. As most perovskites suffer large or indirect bandgap compared with the ideal bandgap range for single‐junction solar cells, bandgap engineering has received tremendous attention in terms of tailoring perovskite band structure, which plays a key role in light harvesting and conversion. In this Review, various reported bandgap engineering strategies are summarized. The recently widely used two main strategies including impurity and pressure as well as their underlying mechanisms are reviewed comprehensively. In addition, intermediate band and external electric field for bandgap engineering are also investigated. Moreover, future research directions are outlined to guide the further investigation.
Immobilizing Re(CO)3Br(dcbpy) Complex on CsPbBr3 Nanocrystal for Boosted Charge Separation and Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Kong Zi-Cheng , Zhang Hong-Hong , Liao Jin-Feng , Dong Yu-Jie , Jiang Yong , Chen Hong-Yan , Kuang Dai-Bin
Published: September 2019

The excellent photoelectrical properties have rendered lead halide perovskites potential candidates for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, but they still suffer from the low charge separation efficiency and slow catalytic reaction dynamics. To tackle these drawbacks, herein, a novel CsPbBr3‐Re(CO)3Br(dcbpy) (dcbpy=4,4’‐dicarboxy‐2,2’‐bipyridine) composite photocatalyst is elaborately designed and fabricated by anchoring the complex molecules onto the surface of CsPbBr3 nanocrystal to work as co‐catalyst. Owing to the robust interfacial interaction, effective electron extraction from CsPbBr3 to complex molecules can be established, which enables the mutual synergetic action to get boosted visible‐light‐driven catalytic activity and product selectivity. As an encouraging result, a high electron consumption rate of 73.34 μmol g−1 h−1 is yielded for the optimized CsPbBr3‐Re(600) sample, which is about 23‐fold of that of pristine CsPbBr3. In addition, a praiseworthy CO selectivity of up to 95% is obtained. The composite catalyst also exhibits good catalytic stability, and a CO yield of 509.14 μmol g−1 is achieved after 15 h of continuous illumination. This result may provide a new strategy to design efficient lead halide perovskite‐based heterogeneous photocatalysts.
Technology from emerging markets: Why serendipity played a role in exports of Brazilian software
Authors: Behrens Alfredo
Published: September 2019

Brazilian software exports still do not match a relatively high local prowess in the matter. The negative country of origin image for technology products may only emphasize a tendency to avoid international exposure among entrepreneurs. I suggest that lack of self‐esteem may play an important part in hindering Brazilian competitiveness and I point out to the roots of the negative portrayal of themselves, buying in to the negative image that gives place to the country of origin effect. Much of this interpretation may be relevant to other former colonies and are applicable to other creative industries. I draw on three cases in which Brazilian software companies awaited foreigners to invite them to export and I illustrate that a strong Brazilian reluctance to expose themselves abroad may be at play. I seek to explain the roots of that reluctance in a lack of worldliness as well as in an attitude that may have psychoanalytical foundations grounded in genesis of Brazil and in the way this development affected its institutions and the people's Weltanschauung. The policy implications are significant, as expecting Brazilians technology entrepreneurs to sell technology products at fairs, may be the wrong way to go. Instead, an export policy that allows for building partnerships capable of allowing for mitigating risks, building affective relationships, and better understanding of the other will require rebalancing policies, that is, less participation in fairs and more two‐way internships, policies which are likely to render more palpable results among Brazilians and possibly among other former colonial nations.
Resonant leptogenesis at TeV-scale and neutrinoless double beta decay
Authors: Asaka Takehiko , Yoshida Takahiro
Published: September 2019

Abstract

We investigate a resonant leptogenesis scenario by quasi-degenerate righthanded neutrinos which have TeV-scale masses. Especially, we consider the case when two right-handed neutrinos are responsible to leptogenesis and the seesaw mechanism for active neutrino masses, and assume that the CP violation occurs only in the mixing matrix of active neutrinos. In this case the sign of the baryon asymmetry depends on the Dirac and Majorana CP phases as well as the mixing angle of the right-handed neutrinos. It is shown how the yield of the baryon asymmetry correlates with these parameters. In addition, we find that the effective neutrino mass in the neutrinoless double beta decay receives an additional constraint in order to account for the observed baryon asymmetry depending on the masses and mixing angle of right-handed neutrinos.
A global vertical datum defined by the conventional geoid potential and the Earth ellipsoid parameters
Authors: Amin Hadi , Sjöberg Lars E. , Bagherbandi Mohammad
Published: September 2019

The geoid, according to the classical Gauss–Listing definition, is, among infinite equipotential surfaces of the Earth’s gravity field, the equipotential surface that in a least squares sense best fits the undisturbed mean sea level. This equipotential surface, except for its zero-degree harmonic, can be characterized using the Earth’s global gravity models (GGM). Although, nowadays, satellite altimetry technique provides the absolute geoid height over oceans that can be used to calibrate the unknown zero-degree harmonic of the gravimetric geoid models, this technique cannot be utilized to estimate the geometric parameters of the mean Earth ellipsoid (MEE). The main objective of this study is to perform a joint estimation of W0, which defines the zero datum of vertical coordinates, and the MEE parameters relying on a new approach and on the newest gravity field, mean sea surface and mean dynamic topography models. As our approach utilizes both satellite altimetry observations and a GGM model, we consider different aspects of the input data to evaluate the sensitivity of our estimations to the input data. Unlike previous studies, our results show that it is not sufficient to use only the satellite-component of a quasi-stationary GGM to estimate W0. In addition, our results confirm a high sensitivity of the applied approach to the altimetry-based geoid heights, i.e., mean sea surface and mean dynamic topography models. Moreover, as W0 should be considered a quasi-stationary parameter, we quantify the effect of time-dependent Earth’s gravity field changes as well as the time-dependent sea level changes on the estimation of W0. Our computations resulted in the geoid potential W0 = 62636848.102 ± 0.004 m2 s−2 and the semi-major and minor axes of the MEE, a = 6378137.678 ± 0.0003 m and b = 6356752.964 ± 0.0005 m, which are 0.678 and 0.650 m larger than those axes of GRS80 reference ellipsoid, respectively. Moreover, a new estimation for the geocentric gravitational constant was obtained as GM = (398600460.55 ± 0.03) × 106 m3 s−2.
The $$\mu $$-Darboux transformation of minimal surfaces
Authors: Leschke K. , Moriya K.
Published: September 2019

The classical notion of the Darboux transformation of isothermic surfaces can be generalised to a transformation for conformal immersions. Since a minimal surface is Willmore, we can use the associated$$\mathbb { C}_*$$C∗-family of flat connections of the harmonic conformal Gauss map to construct such transforms, the so-called$$\mu $$μ-Darboux transforms. We show that a$$\mu $$μ-Darboux transform of a minimal surface is not minimal but a Willmore surface in 4-space. More precisely, we show that a$$\mu $$μ-Darboux transform of a minimal surfacefis a twistor projection of a holomorphic curve in$$\mathbb { C}\mathbb { P}^3$$CP3which is canonically associated to a minimal surface$$f_{p,q}$$fp,qin the right-associated family off. Here we use an extension of the notion of the associated family$$f_{p,q}$$fp,qof a minimal surface to allow quaternionic parameters. We prove that the pointwise limit of Darboux transforms offis the associated Willmore surface offat$$\mu =1$$μ=1. Moreover, the family of Willmore surfaces$$\mu $$μ-Darboux transforms,$$\mu \in \mathbb { C}_*$$μ∈C∗, extends to a$$\mathbb { C}\mathbb { P}^1$$CP1family of Willmore surfaces$$f^\mu : M \rightarrow S^4$$fμ:M→S4where$$\mu \in \mathbb { C}\mathbb { P}^1$$μ∈CP1.
Long-term tumour outcomes of self-expanding metal stents as ‘bridge to surgery’ for the treatment of colorectal cancer with malignant obstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cao Yinghao , Gu Junnan , Deng Shenghe , Li Jiang , Wu Ke , Cai Kailin
Published: September 2019

Purpose

To explore the long-term oncological results of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) as a surgical transition compared with those of simple emergency surgery.

Methods

A systematic review of studies involving long-term tumour outcomes comparing SEMS with emergency surgery was conducted. All studies included information on 3-year and 5-year survival rates, 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates, and local and overall recurrence rates; the results were expressed as odds ratios.

Results

Overall, 24 articles and 2508 patients were included, including 5 randomised controlled trials, 3 prospective studies, and 16 retrospective studies. The 3-year survival rate (odds ratio (OR) = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69–1.12, P = 0.05), 5-year survival rate (OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.70–1.17, P = 0.67), 3-year DFS rate (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 0.91–1.42, P = 0.65), 5-year DFS rate (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 0.91–2.02, P = 0.17), overall recurrence rate (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.77–1.41, P = 0.14), and local recurrence rate (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.84–2.23, P = 0.92) were determined. There was no significant difference between the randomised and observational studies in the subgroup analysis, and the 5-year survival rate was higher in studies with a stent placement success rate of ≥ 95%.

Conclusion

SEMS implantation was a viable alternative in malignant left colon obstruction as a transition to surgery; its long-term survival results, including 5-year DFS and overall survival, were equivalent to those of emergent surgery.
The time course of adaptations in thermoneutral maximal oxygen consumption following heat acclimation
Authors: Waldron Mark , Jeffries O. , Tallent J. , Patterson S. , Nevola V.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This study investigated the effects of a 10-day heat acclimation (HA) programme on the time course of changes in thermoneutral maximal oxygen uptake ($$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max) during and up to 10 days post-HA.

Methods

Twenty-two male cyclists were assigned to a HA or control (Con) training group following baseline ramp tests of thermoneutral $$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max. Ten days of fixed-intensity (50% baseline $$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max) indoor cycling was performed in either ~ 38.0 °C (HA) or ~ 20 °C (Con). $$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max was re-tested on HA days 5, 10 and post-HA days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10.

Results

$$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max initially declined across time in both groups during training (P < 0.05), before increasing in the post-HA period in both groups (P < 0.05). However, $$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max was higher than control by post-HA day 4 in the HA group (P = 0.046).

Conclusions

The non-linear time course of $$\dot{V}$$

V
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O2max adaptation suggests that post-testing should be performed 96-h post-training to identify the maximal change for most individuals. In preparation for training or testing, athletes can augment their aerobic power in thermoneutral environments by performing 10 days HA, but the full effects will manifest at varying stages of the post-HA period.
Occurrence and synoptic background of strong and very strong frost in spring and autumn in Central Europe
Authors: Tomczyk Arkadiusz M. , Szyga-Pluta Katarzyna , Bednorz Ewa
Published: September 2019

The objective of the paper was the determination of the circulation conditions of occurrence of strong and very strong frost in Central Europe. A frost day was defined as a day with the minimum temperature lower than 0 °C and maximum temperature higher than 0 °C. Moreover, a division of frost was performed in terms of value of minimum temperature, resulting in the designation of mild frost (up to − 2.0 °C), moderate frost (from − 2.1 to − 4 °C), strong frost (from − 4.1 to − 6 °C) and very strong frost (< − 6 °C). The study was based on data from the years 1966–2015 from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, Deutscher Wetterdienst and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR). The analysis of baric conditions employed values of pressure at sea level, height of isobaric surface of 500 hPa and air temperature at a level of 850 hPa, as well as their anomalies. The spatial analysis showed that the number of frost days in spring and autumn increased from the west to the east of Central Europe. A decrease in the number of frost days, however, is observed over the prevailing area. Average conditions favouring the occurrence of strong and very strong frost both in spring and autumn were related to higher than average pressure at sea level over the prevailing area of the Euro-Atlantic sector. Such baric conditions caused advections of cool air masses from the northern sector.
Clinical relevance of esophageal subepithelial activity in eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Hirano Ikuo
Published: September 2019

Esophageal subepithelial activity (ESEA) is an important determinant of disease severity and complications in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Inflammation and fibrosis of the lamina propria and muscularis propria result in esophageal dysfunction and stricture formation that are clinically manifest by symptoms of dysphagia and food impaction as well as the need for esophageal dilation. Esophageal biopsies that are limited to the evaluation of the esophageal epithelium are an inadequate means to assess overall, clinical disease severity in EoE. Instruments for the assessment of subepithelial activity in EoE are both limited and/or underutilized and thus represent an important unmet clinical need. Studies using endoscopic features, endoscopic ultrasonography, and barium esophagography have demonstrated improvement in ESEA parameters with topical steroid therapy. Impedance planimetry is being evaluated as an objective and quantifiable measure of esophageal distensibility that is a consequence of ESEA. In conjunction with symptom and histologic assessment, evaluation of ESEA provides a more complete evaluation of disease activity in EoE that will enhance clinical care as well as provide insights into the strengths and limitations of therapeutic interventions.
A steady stratified purely azimuthal flow representing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Martin Calin Iulian , Quirchmayr Ronald
Published: September 2019

We construct an explicit steady stratified purely azimuthal flow for the governing equations of geophysical fluid dynamics. These equations are considered in a setting that applies to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, accounting for eddy viscosity and forcing terms.
Operationalising resilience for disaster medicine practitioners: capability development through training, simulation and reflection
Authors: Hermelin Jonas , Bengtsson Kristofer , Woltjer Rogier , Trnka Jiri , Thorstensson Mirko , Pettersson Jenny , Prytz Erik , Jonson Carl-Oscar
Published: September 2019

Resilience has in recent decades been introduced as a term describing a new perspective within the domains of disaster management and safety management. Several theoretical interpretations and definitions of the essence of resilience have been proposed, but less work has described how to operationalise resilience and implement the concept within organisations. This case study describes the implementation of a set of general resilience management guidelines for critical infrastructure within a Swedish Regional Medical Command and Control Team. The case study demonstrates how domain-independent guidelines can be contextualised and introduced at an operational level, through a comprehensive capability development programme. It also demonstrates how a set of conceptual and reflective tools consisting of educational, training and exercise sessions of increasing complexity and realism can be used to move from high-level guidelines to practice. The experience from the case study demonstrates the value of combining (1) developmental learning of practitioners’ cognitive skills through resilience-oriented reflection and interaction with dynamic complex open-ended problems; (2) contextualisation of generic guidelines as a basis for operational methodological support in the operational environment; and (3) the use of simulation-based training as part of a capability development programme with increasing complexity and realism across mixed educational, training and exercise sessions. As an actual example of a resilience implementation effort in a disaster medicine management organisation, the study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding how to implement the concept of resilience in operational practice.
Kinetics of different bioreactor systems with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans for ferrous iron oxidation
Authors: Yavari Mohsen , Ebrahimi Sirous , Aghazadeh Valeh , Ghashghaee Mohammad
Published: September 2019

The relative performance of two biofilm-based airlift reactors using different kinds of packing materials and one fixed bed biofilm reactor with a homemade packing material of high specific area (~ 1000 m2/m3) was addressed. The bioreactors operated under ferrous iron loading rates in the range of 8–120 mol Fe(II)/m3 h. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cells immobilized in the three bioreactors afforded the reactions for an extended period of 120 days of continuous operation at the dilution rates of 0.2, 0.4, 0.7, 1 and 1.2 h−1. The maximum ferrous iron oxidation rates achieved in this study at a hydraulic residence time of 1.2 h were about 91, 68 and 51 mol Fe(II)/m3 h for the fixed bed, airlift1, and airlft2 bioreactors. The performance data from the fixed-bed bioreactor offered a higher potential for ferrous iron oxidation because of fast biofilm development, the formation of a thick biofilm, and lower sensitivity to shear, which enhanced the startup time of the bioreactor and the higher reactor productivity. Proper kinetic models were also presented for both the startup period and the steady-state process.
A novel oil-in-water drilling mud formulated with extracts from Indian mango seed oil
Authors: Kumar Saket , Thakur Aarti , Kumar Nitesh , Husein Maen M.
Published: September 2019

Drilling muds with less environmental impact are highly desired over conventional diesel-based mud systems, especially in light of the emerging strict environmental laws. In this article, a novel oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion drilling fluid formulated with a methyl ester extracted from Indian mango seed oil was evaluated. The effect of the weight percent of different constituents of the emulsion/suspension including the oil phase, bentonite, and polyanionic cellulose polymer on the rheology and the fluid loss was examined. The methyl ester oil phase/mud system displayed superior physical, chemical, rheological and filtration properties relative to the diesel and the mango seed oil. Eco-toxicity of the methyl ester and diesel (O/W) emulsion mud systems was assessed using the acute lethal concentration test. The Indian mango methyl ester (O/W) emulsion mud displayed much less impact on fish population. Flow characteristics collected from the flow model at 85 °C suggested excellent shear thinning behavior of the Indian mango methyl ester (IMME) (O/W) emulsion mud. Moreover, the IMME (O/W) emulsion displayed strong pseudoplastic behavior, an attractive feature in a drilling mud, with increasing clay content and polymer concentration. The methyl ester mud was thermally stable over a wide range of the constituent concentrations. Furthermore, a particle size analysis revealed that engineered drilling muds targeting suspension of particles with certain size range can be formulated by changing the volume fraction of the methyl ester in the mud system.
A RESTful middleware for AI controlled sensors, actuators and smart devices
Authors: Dipsis Nikos , Stathis Kostas
Published: September 2019

The numerous applications of internet of things (IoT) and sensor networks combined with specialized devices used in each has led to a proliferation of domain specific middleware, which in turn creates interoperability issues between the corresponding architectures and the technologies used. But what if we wanted to use a machine learning algorithm to an IoT application so that it adapts intelligently to changes of the environment, or enable a software agent to enrich with artificial intelligence (AI) a smart home consisting of multiple and possibly incompatible technologies? In this work we answer these questions by studying a framework that explores how to simplify the incorporation of AI capabilities to existing sensor-actuator networks or IoT infrastructures making the services offered in such settings smarter. Towards this goal we present eVATAR+, a middleware that implements the interactions within the context of such integrations systematically and transparently from the developers’ perspective. It also provides a simple and easy to use interface for developers to use. eVATAR+ uses JAVA server technologies enhanced by mediator functionality providing interoperability, maintainability and heterogeneity support. We exemplify eVATAR+ with a concrete case study and we evaluate the relative merits of our approach by comparing our work with the current state of the art.
On compact and bounded embedding in variable exponent Sobolev spaces and its applications
Authors: Mamedov Farman , Mammadli Sayali , Shukurov Yashar
Published: September 2019

For a weighted variable exponent Sobolev space, the compact and bounded embedding results are proved. For that, new boundedness and compact action properties are established for Hardy’s operator and its conjugate in weighted variable exponent Lebesgue spaces. Furthermore, the obtained results are applied to the existence of positive eigenfunctions for a concrete class of nonlinear ode with nonstandard growth condition.
Individual and joint association of bioavailable testosterone and aging with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in Chinese middle-aged and elderly men
Authors: Zhou Jian , Wei Yaping , Lan Yuan , Zuo Jingjing , Hou Xiangqing , Hou Weikai
Published: September 2019

Background and objectives

Accumulating evidences suggest that chronic systemic inflammation (CSI) is independently associated with large number of major non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) ranging from metabolic disorders to cancers, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been accepted as a novel, convenient marker for CSI response. Testosterone deficiency in men is linked to high risk of NCDs. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the individual and joint association of bioavailable testosterone (BIOT) and aging with NLR.

Methods

A total of 132 male adults were enrolled during Jan. 2011 and Oct. 2017 in the first affiliated hospital of University of Science and Technology of China. Local weighted regression (LOESS) and multivariable generalized linear regression models were utilized to comprehensively examine the individual and joint association between BIOT and age with NLR.

Results

Obvious linear relationships between NLR and BIOT or age were observed with the LOESS models. NLR was negatively correlated to BIOT after adjusting for some potential confounding factors (P = 0.034). As compared to the lowest quartile of BIOT, the adjusted decrease of NLR for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles were 0.40, 0.64 and 0.72, respectively. Meanwhile, NLR was observed to be independently correlated to elevated age (P = 0.043). Furthermore, as compared to the counterparts, men over 70 years combined with plasma BIOT less than 4.7 nmol/L had the highest NLR level, which suggested that low BIOT and aging jointly correlated to the level of NLR (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

BIOT deficiency and aging were individually and jointly correlated to CSI. Men over 70 years combined with BIOT < 4.7 nmol/L were more like to have higher grade of CSI than others.
Support Vector Machine-Based Classifier for the Assessment of Finger Movement of Stroke Patients Undergoing Rehabilitation
Authors: Hamaguchi Toyohiro , Saito Takeshi , Suzuki Makoto , Ishioka Toshiyuki , Tomisawa Yamato , Nakaya Naoki , Abo Masahiro
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Traditionally, clinical evaluation of motor paralysis following stroke has been of value to physicians and therapists because it allows for immediate pathophysiological assessment without the need for specialized tools. However, current clinical methods do not provide objective quantification of movement; therefore, they are of limited use to physicians and therapists when assessing responses to rehabilitation. The present study aimed to create a support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier to analyze and validate finger kinematics using the leap motion controller. Results were compared with those of 24 stroke patients assessed by therapists.

Methods

A non-linear SVM was used to classify data according to the Brunnstrom recovery stages of finger movements by focusing on peak angle and peak velocity patterns during finger flexion and extension. One thousand bootstrap data values were generated by randomly drawing a series of sample data from the actual normalized kinematics-related data. Bootstrap data values were randomly classified into training (940) and testing (60) datasets. After establishing an SVM classification model by training with the normalized kinematics-related parameters of peak angle and peak velocity, the testing dataset was assigned to predict classification of paralytic movements.

Results

High separation accuracy was obtained (mean 0.863; 95% confidence interval 0.857–0.869; p = 0.006).

Conclusion

This study highlights the ability of artificial intelligence to assist physicians and therapists evaluating hand movement recovery of stroke patients.
Coastal Social Vulnerability and Risk Analysis for Cyclone Hazard Along the Andhra Pradesh, East Coast of India
Authors: Basheer Ahammed K. K. , Pandey Arvind Chandra
Published: September 2019

People around the world are prone to frequent and intensive hazards due to the global climate change scenario and human interventions. Particularly, the coastal communities are always prone to various long-term coastal hazards like sea-level rise, shoreline changes, and short-term hazards like tsunami cyclone and storm surge. Coastal Andhra Pradesh state is consisting of 9 district and 670 villages and also having 3.43 Million Population (69.3%). Andhra Pradesh has a vast 972 km long coastline and total coastal area spread over 92,906 km2 comprising the nine coastal districts. Andhra Pradesh state is prone to various natural hazards, especially cyclone and associated storm surges. There is an extreme loss of life and damage to properties caused by these cyclones. During the past 40 years Andhra Pradesh coast experienced more than 62 cyclones including depression, cyclone surge, and severe cyclone surges. Among these cyclones, there were 32 cyclones which affected the Krishna–Godavari region, comprising four districts, namely East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur. Therefore, these four districts have been considered for this social vulnerability study to identify the cyclone vulnerable villages. Geospatial applications are used in this study for spatial and non-spatial data processing and spatial analysis. The study indicated that half of the study area (3121.07 km2) lying moderately risk zone and around 7% of the study area observed high vulnerability. This study revealed that the use of geospatial application is most reliable and cost-effective approach for vulnerability and risk mapping and analysis. The result obtained from the present study may serve the baseline information for disaster management planning in the area.
Does Surgical Approach in Pelvic Floor Repair Impact Sexual Function in Women?
Authors: Zawodnik Astrid , Balaphas Alexandre , Buchs Nicolas Christian , Zufferey Guillaume , Robert-Yap Joan , Buhler Leo H. , Roche Bruno , Ris Frédéric
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Surgical routes used to correct complex pelvic floor disorders (CPFDs) may have a negative impact on women’s sexual function. Currently, there is no evidence concerning the impact of a specific surgical procedure on postoperative sexual function in women.

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare an abdominal approach with rectopexy and sacrocolpopexy to a perineal procedure with abdominal rectopexy, regarding female sexual function in cases of CPFDs.

Methods

Women who were operated for CPFDs between January 2003 and June 2010 were retrospectively asked to answer the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire-12, the Miller Score of Incontinence, and a urinary incontinence frequency score. We also questioned them about their sexual function and satisfaction before and after the operation using visual analogic scores.

Main Outcome Measure

We compared the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire-12 before and after the surgery in both groups, and we made an intragroup comparison.

Results

There were 334 women identified, but only 51 could be included. Globally, we found no statistically significant differences in terms of sexual function before and after surgery between the 25 groups. Intragroup comparison demonstrated that, within the perineal approach group, patients experienced a decrease in their sexual arousal after the procedure. The choice of surgical route for pelvic floor disorders does not seem to have an impact on the results of postoperative sexual function in women. This study adds to the limited literature on sexual outcomes of surgery for CPFD. It is limited principally due to its retrospective design and the small number of patients included.

Conclusion

Both surgical routes have very similar outcomes on most sexual questions. A perineal approach combined with abdominal rectopexy did, however, demonstrate a slight decrease in sexual arousal of the patients after the intervention.
Does Resetting the Immune System Fix Multiple Sclerosis?
Authors: Bose Gauruv , Thebault Simon D. X. , Atkins Harold L. , Freedman Mark S.
Published: September 2019

Multiple sclerosis is the leading non-traumatic cause of disability in young adults, affecting up to 100,000 Canadians. This chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system leads to irreversible neurologic disability if inadequately controlled. Though many current medications are available that reduce inflammatory damage, most patients continue to show some evidence of disease activity and accrue disability. In this review, we discuss the role of immune ablation followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), a therapeutic option for select patients with a more aggressive disease course. By “resetting” the immune system with a variety of ablative conditioning regimens, followed by immune reconstitution, this therapy has shown a durable response in halting evidence of inflammatory activity in most patients, without the need for continued disease-modifying therapies (DMT). Since the introduction of this therapy, there have been advances in patient selection and supportive care, such that morbidity has significantly declined and treatment-related mortality is minimized. Recent phase-II trials have shown excellent results in efficacy and safety of AHSCT; however, challenges exist which require ongoing study. The future challenges include comparing the variety of AHSCT conditioning regimens with each other as well as with existing highly effective DMT; identifying patients with an aggressive disease course through novel biomarkers who may benefit the most from AHSCT; and surveillance of long-term outcomes of different treatment protocols. In select patients, replacing the immune system with AHSCT holds promise of fundamentally altering the trajectory of their aggressive disease course.
On the role of person in the mapping of syntactic features onto their interpretable counterparts
Authors: Kučerová Ivona
Published: September 2019

Person features play a role in narrow-syntax processes. However, a person feature is often characterized as [±participant], a characterization that suggests pragmatic or semantic features. Relatedly, person has been the subject of an ongoing debate in the literature: one family of approaches argues that 3rd person is an elsewhere case, while another argues that it is a valued interpretable feature. This article provides a programatic argument that this disagreement has a principled basis. I argue that the representation of the features we identify as person changes between narrow syntax and the syntax-semantics interface. The tests and empirical descriptions are incongruent because they target different modules of the grammar and in turn different grammatical objects. The article thus contributes to our understanding of the division of labour among the modules, with a special focus on the autonomous status of narrow syntax.
Outpatient Healthcare Access and Utilization for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Horn Adam Van , Powell Whitney , Wicker Ashley , Mahairas Anthony D. , Creel Liza M. , Bush Matthew L.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

The objective of this study was to systematically assess the literature regarding postnatal healthcare utilization and barriers/facilitators of healthcare in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) children.

Methods:

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science to identify peer-reviewed research. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed articles reporting on broad aspects of primary and specialty healthcare utilization and access in NAS children. Three investigators independently reviewed all articles and extracted data. Study bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Assessment Scale and the National Institute of Health Study Quality Assessment Tool.

Results:

This review identified 14 articles that met criteria. NAS children have poorer outpatient appointment adherence and have a higher rate of being lost to follow-up. These children have overall poorer health indicated by a significantly higher risk of ER visits, hospital readmission, and early childhood mortality compared with non-NAS infants. Intensive multidisciplinary support provided through outpatient weaning programs facilitate healthcare utilization and could serve as a model that could be applied to other healthcare fields to improve the health among this population.

Conclusions:

This review investigated the difficulties in accessing outpatient care as well as the utilization of such care for neonatal abstinence syndrome infants. NAS infants tend to have decreased access to, and utilization of outpatient healthcare following hospital birth discharge. Outpatient weaning programs have proven to be effective; however, these programs require intensive resources and care coordination that has yet to be implemented into other healthcare areas for NAS children.
The M/V “Norstar” Case (Panama v. Italy) (ITLOS)
Authors: Collins Richard
Published: September 2019

On April 10, 2019, the International Tribunal of the Sea (ITLOS) gave judgment in the M/V “Norstar” (Panama v. Italy) case. This was the first time an international tribunal had ruled directly on the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters. Specifically, ITLOS found (by fifteen votes to seven) that by arresting and detaining the Panamanian-flagged M/V “Norstar”, Italy had violated Article 87(1) of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In doing so, the Tribunal arguably relied on a quite expansive understanding of the exclusive flag state jurisdiction principle as set out in Article 92 UNCLOS—a point that was argued forcefully in a seven-judge dissenting opinion. Below, I will briefly outline the background to the case before setting out the central aspects of the judgment and considering further this point of contention surrounding the permissibility of nonflag prescriptive measures in international waters.
General Comment No. 24 (2017) on State Obligations Under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Business Activities (CESCR)
Authors: Van Ho Tara
Published: September 2019

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) took an unusual step in issuing its “General Comment No. 24 on State Obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the context of business activities.” Unlike most of CESCR's other General Comments, General Comment No. 24 does not tackle a specific right. Instead, it consolidates and elaborates the Committee's jurisprudence on states' obligations in the area of business and human rights, providing clarity on its approach to some of the most contentious issues within the field of business and human rights. This General Comment has the potential to have profound implications for the ongoing development of legal standards in the area of business and human rights, including implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP).