bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Buenas Prácticas Docentes desde la subjetividad estudiantil
Authors: Mogrovejo Gualpa Javier Oscar , Guamán León Camila Virginia , Medina Cerruffo Lilibeth Angie
Published: January 2024

La precisión de lo que puede ser considerado como una buena práctica puede fijarse desde una perspectiva moralista, no pedagógica ni psicológica; aspecto que influye en la educación superior. Algunas cátedras no aportan al desarrollo personal y profesional de los alumnos, por ello es indispensable conocer la percepción de los estudiantes universitarios sobre las buenas prácticas docentes para descubrir el impacto que han tenido esos aprendizajes en su profesionalización. Al mismo tiempo, reflexionar sobre los factores que intervienen en la subjetividad del estudiante para estimar que una práctica docente es buena. Los participantes fueron egresados de la Carrera de Psicología de la Universidad de Guayaquil. El método empleado fue fenomenológico con un muestreo intencional. La información se obtuvo por observación, lista de cotejo y entrevista en profundidad; y los resultados indicaron que en las percepciones de los encuestados se priorizan los fundamentos cognitivos para denominar la praxis docente como buena, dejando de lado el componente afectivo y rasgos de personalidad. Se concluyó que las buenas prácticas docentes demandan ser holísticas e integrales, abarcando el pensar y sentir, lo ético, personológico y social, elementos no considerados perceptivamente por los universitarios. Una buena práctica docente es desafiante porque implica romper con la rigidez de las normativas institucionales. Es necesario flexibilizar la práctica docente para lograr una educación libre y crítica.
Influencia de la recaudación tributaria sobre los negocios agrícolas en Ecuador: Un análisis a nivel provincial
Authors: García Romero Héctor Ismael , Zambrano Aveiga María Cristina , Arguello Nuñez León Benigno
Published: January 2024

Este artículo investiga la influencia de la recaudación tributaria en los negocios agrícolas en Ecuador a nivel provincial. Inicialmente plantea la hipótesis de una correlación positiva entre una gestión fiscal eficaz y el crecimiento del sector agrícola. Sin embargo, los hallazgos no revelan una correlación estadística significativa entre la recaudación de impuestosprovinciales y el desarrollo agrícola. Esto cuestiona el supuesto de que las políticas fiscales por sí solas pueden impulsar el crecimiento agrícola, lo que subraya la importancia de considerar otros factores como las políticas públicas locales y la asociatividad agrícola. El estudio sugiere un enfoque más holístico, incorporando varios factores más allá de las medidas fiscales, para un desarrollo agrícola eficaz. Esta conclusión abre nuevas direcciones para futuras investigaciones encaminadas a comprender la compleja dinámica del desarrollo económico en la agricultura.
“DEVELOPMENT OF POST PANDEMIC EDUCATION TO FACE THE SOCIAL ERA 5.0”FUN AND ENJOYABLE WAYS TO LEARN MATHEMATICS IN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL
Authors: Siregar Torang , Hilda Lelya , Suparni Suparni , Harahap Sinar Devi
Published: January 2024

Lucky are the parents who send their children  to  Islamic  boarding  schools. Especially in this digital era, supervision of children needs to be enhanced. Learning in boarding schools is not only about religious knowledge but also other subjects, including Mathematics. However, many students claim that Mathematics is difficult. Various phenomena occur, such as students sleeping or skipping classes during Mathematics lessons, teachers who lack engaging lesson designs, and rigid and tense teaching methods that make Mathematics a frightening subject. As teachers, we should be able to create a fun and enjoyable learning atmosphere, so that students become addicted to learning Mathematics. The purpose of this research is to find out the fun and enjoyable ways to learn Mathematics in Islamic boarding schools. The analysis is based on literature review. Data collection techniques involve gathering various information from literature sources. Additionally, it is structured and organized systematically for better understanding. The results obtained in this research are various enjoyable ways to learn Mathematics in Islamic boarding schools.
Support Vector Machine for Susceptibility Modeling of Dengue Fever in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi
Authors: Widayani Prima , Sahitya Abhista Fawwaz , Saputri Agatha Andriantari
Published: January 2024

Dengue fever (DF) is an infectious disease that is still a problem in Indonesia. The total death rate due to DF was 705 people in 2021; in 2022, this increased to 1183 (Indonesian Ministry of Health, 2023). Seeing this fact, prevention efforts are still needed when handling DF cases in all of the regions of Indonesia. This research was conducted in the Kendari area of Southeast Sulawesi, where there are still cases of DF. The purpose of this study was to create a spatial model of dengue susceptibility using a support vector machine. Landsat 8 imagery was used to intercept data on building density, vegetation density, land use, and land surface temperatures. Rainfall and humidity variables were obtained from the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). Based on the modeling results, the districts of Wua-wua, Kadia, Barunga, Poasi, and Puuwatu are areas with high susceptibility. The results of testing the susceptibility model to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Kendari obtained an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.75, meaning that this model was well-accepted.
A systematic literature survey on recent trends in stock market prediction
Authors: Balasubramanian Prakash , P. Chinthan , Badarudeen Saleena , Sriraman Harini
Published: January 2024

Prediction of the stock market is a challenging and time-consuming process. In recent times, various research analysts and organizations have used different tools and techniques to analyze and predict stock price movements. During the early days, investors mainly depend on technical indicators and fundamental parameters for short-term and long-term predictions, whereas nowadays many researchers started adopting artificial intelligence-based methodologies to predict stock price movements. In this article, an exhaustive literature study has been carried out to understand multiple techniques employed for prediction in the field of the financial market. As part of this study, more than hundreds of research articles focused on global indices and stock prices were collected and analyzed from multiple sources. Further, this study helps the researchers and investors to make a collective decision and choose the appropriate model for better profit and investment based on local and global market conditions.
A new approach for atmospheric turbulence removal using low-rank matrix factorization
Authors: Jafaei Mahdi , Monadjemi Amirhassan , Moallem Payman , Ehsani Mohammad Saeed
Published: January 2024

In this article, a novel method for removing atmospheric turbulence from a sequence of turbulent images and restoring a high-quality image is presented. Turbulence is modeled using two factors: the geometric transformation of pixel locations represents the distortion, and the varying pixel brightness represents spatiotemporal varying blur. The main framework of the proposed method involves the utilization of low-rank matrix factorization, which achieves the modeling of both the geometric transformation of pixels and the spatiotemporal varying blur through an iterative process. In the proposed method, the initial step involves the selection of a subset of images using the random sample consensus method. Subsequently, estimation of the mixture of Gaussian noise parameters takes place. Following this, a window is chosen around each pixel based on the entropy of the surrounding region. Within this window, the transformation matrix is locally estimated. Lastly, by considering both the noise and the estimated geometric transformations of the selected images, an estimation of a low-rank matrix is conducted. This estimation process leads to the production of a turbulence-free image. The experimental results were obtained from both real and simulated datasets. These results demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed method in mitigating substantial geometrical distortions. Furthermore, the method showcased the ability to improve spatiotemporal varying blur and effectively restore the details present in the original image.
Research on the perception of the terrain image of the tourism destination based on multimodal user-generated content data
Authors: Hu Tao , Geng Juan
Published: January 2024

Destination image is a powerful means by which destinations compete in the tourism industry, and the accurate identification of a destination image better serves destination marketing and management. This study uses multimodal data, such as text, images, and videos uploaded by tourists, to construct a comprehensive and systematic destination image process. The “cognitive-emotional-overall image” model, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model, and deep residual neural networks are implemented to build a framework to examine the perception of a destination image, travelogues, and short videos from the sources called Ctrip, Qunar, and TikTok. The results show that tourists’ overall perception of Sanya is based mainly on the cognitive image of natural scenery, human resources, and food. In addition, there are differences between textual and visual cognitive images among the perceptual images when multimodal data is under consideration. Furthermore, tourists have an overall positive affective image of Sanya as a destination.
Non-redundant implicational base of formal context with constraints using SAT
Authors: Hidayat Taufiq , Ahmad Asmala , Ngo Hea Choon
Published: January 2024

An implicational base is knowledge extracted from a formal context. The implicational base of a formal context consists of attribute implications which are sound, complete, and non-redundant regarding to the formal context. Non-redundant means that each attribute implication in the implication base cannot be inferred from the others. However, sometimes some attribute implications in the implication base can be inferred from the others together with a prior knowledge. Regarding knowledge discovery, such attribute implications should be not considered as new knowledge and ignored from the implicational base. In other words, such attribute implications are redundant based on prior knowledge. One sort of prior knowledge is a set of constraints that restricts some attributes in data. In formal context, constraints restrict some attributes of objects in the formal context. This article proposes a method to generate non-redundant implication base of a formal context with some constraints which restricting the formal context. In this case, non-redundant implicational base means that the implicational base does not contain all attribute implications which can be inferred from the others together with information of the constraints. This article also proposes a formulation to check the redundant attribute implications and encoding the problem into satisfiability (SAT) problem such that the problem can be solved by SAT Solver, a software which can solve a SAT problem. After implementation, an experiment shows that the proposed method is able to check the redundant attribute implication and generates a non-redundant implicational base of formal context with constraints.
Validity and reliability of a teledentistry survey among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alsharif Alla , Felemban Doaa , Bakeer Hala , Kassim Saba
Published: January 2024

Background

The perception of teledentistry use among dental practitioners in various contexts was assessed using the Teledentistry Survey (the TDS-24). However, this survey’s psychometric analyses have not yet been analysed. This present study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the TDS-24 in a sample of dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic characteristics and the TDS, was distributed as a cross-sectional survey to 800 current dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia recruited via convenience and snowball sampling. The construct validity and reliability of the TDS were assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach’s alpha.

Results

The EFA of the survey yielded 20 items supporting a four-factor structure as follows: factor I (10 items), factor II (four items), factor III (three items) and factor IV (three items). The overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.85, while it was 0.86 for the first factor, 0.70 for the second factor, 0.52 for the third factor and 0.57 for the fourth factor.

Conclusions

The TDS-20, after excluding four items, revealed four factors with adequate psychometric properties, making it a valid and reliable tool in assessing teledentistry perceptions among dental practitioners in this study sample.
Evaluation of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) varieties for drought tolerance using agromorphological traits and drought tolerance indices
Authors: Yemata Getahun , Bekele Tewachew
Published: January 2024

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important cash crop cultivated under rain-fed conditions where it contributes a significant proportion of Ethiopia’s foreign exchange earnings. However, its productivity is constrained by drought stress. The present study aimed to evaluate the agromorphological and yield performance of sesame varieties and to identify drought tolerant varieties using drought tolerance indices. The sesame varieties were evaluated under well-watered (WW) and water-stressed (WS) field conditions with a factorial design laid down in randomized complete block design in three replications. The results revealed the presence of a significant variation in agromorphological traits and drought tolerance indices due to water levels, varieties and their interactive effect. On average, a 21.8, 49.6, 48.4, 47.9 and 21.7% reduction was recorded in plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf width and relative growth rate (RGR), respectively under WS condition. Similarly, a significant reduction was found in shoot biomass, root biomass, biological yield, number of pods per plant and seed yield under WS condition. These traits showed an average reduction of 52.2, 72.5, 54.0, 51.9 and 52.8%, respectively compared to WW condition. The highest yield reduction was recorded from wollega under WS condition, while the lowest was from abasena. Wollega variety produced the highest seed yield (kg/ha) under WW condition, while gondar-1 and humera-1 had the highest yield in kg/ha under WS condition. Under both water levels, abasena produced the lowest yield (kg/ha). Moreover, gondar-1 and humera-1 varieties had a comparatively higher values of stress tolerance index (STI), yield stress score index (YSSI), yield potential score index (YPSI), geometric mean productivity (GMP) and mean productivity (MP) that are significantly and positively correlated with yield under WS, indicating higher yield performance under water stress. The biplot analysis clustered the varieties as low yielding (abasena) and relatively above average performing varieties (humera-1, gondar-1 and wollega). According to the rank sum of all indices, humera-1 was identified as drought tolerant, while abasena as the most susceptible and low yielding varieties. Thus, humera-1 followed by gondar-1 were found to be drought tolerant and high yielding varieties. However, further studies focusing on drought tolerance mechanisms of the varieties are recommended.
“Knowledge and Utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agricultural Sector, its Problems and Prospects- A Study in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, India”
Authors: Kalita Romen , Deka Nivedita
Published: January 2024

Agriculture is different from other industry and it plays a vital role in the economic development of a country. In a country like India, its prosperity depends upon the development of agricultural. There are different sorts of agricultural products that have been produced in India and therefore the production and marketing of these farm products is quite difficult. Awareness of farmers regarding different methods of production, components of market information and its utility is generally verypoor with compared to the traders. In this context, Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have a great role to change the existing traditional agricultural system in developing countries. An attempt is made to study the relationship between various socio-economic factors and knowledge and utilization of ICT in agricultural sector in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam. Apart from these, problems and prospects of using ICT in agricultural sector is also analysed in the study area. Through application of ICTs in agriculture it is possible to; make efficient information dissemination, bring precision agriculture, production decision and increase market access of farmers.  Now-a-days, most of the farmers of developing countries majority of rural farmers’ have access to ICT tools. However, most of the farmers have no enough awareness on the significance role of ICTs for agricultural production and its subsequent impact on welfare improvement. It is found that age and farm experience, extension contact and agricultural enterprise are negatively associated with knowledge and utilization of ICT among farmers. On the other hand, education, land holding, income and mass media participation are found to have positive correlation with knowledge and utilization of ICT among farmers. Lack of awareness, lack of reliable content in vernacular medium and high cost are some significant constraints of using ICT in agriculture. Therefore, proper training, provision of adequate training channelizing ICT to farmers through farmers organization can enhance the use of ICT in agriculture
Chemical and Sensory Properties of Biscuits Produced from wheat, Soybean and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato
Authors: Mile Miriam Terdoo , Ahure Dinnah , Eke Mike Ojotu
Published: January 2024

Biscuit was produced from blends of wheat, soybeans and orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP) flour at different ratios: CFA (100:0:0), CFB (90:10:0), CFC (90:0:10), CFD (85:10:5), CFE (80:10:10) and F (70:15:15). Standard methods were used in raw material preparation. The biscuits produced were subjected to physical, proximate, minerals, vitamins and sensory evaluation. The inclusion of soybeans and OFSP flour in the blends increased the weight, diameter and spread ratio of biscuit with value ranged of 7.76 – 10.42 (g), 0.78 – 0.89 (cm), 6.41- 6.6 (cm) and 7.2 – 8.25 for weight, thickness, diameter and spread ratio and respectively. The moisture content, crude protein, crude fat increased with level of soybean and OFSP flour inclusion in the blend. Values ranged from 2.68 - 8.72%, 13.25 - 19.43%, 20.40 - 24.45%, 1.83 - 2.64%, 0.12 - 0.51% and 46.28 - 61.18% for moisture, protein, fat content, ash, fibre and carbohydrate respectively. The inclusion of soybeans and OFSP flour in the blends significantly (p<0.05) increased the mineral and vitamin content of flour blends biscuit. The calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, zinc and manganese content ranged from 118.22 – 161.75 mg/100 g, 171.09 – 480.32 mg/100 g, 109.02 – 815.72 mg/100 g, 20.12 – 41.03 mg/100 g, 0.55 – 3.58 mg/100 g, 0.30 – 0.52 mg/100 g and 0.55 – 1.13 mg/100 g respectively while the vitamin A, B1, B2, B3 and C ranged from 1.30 – 29.60 (µ/100 g), 0.30 – 0.98 mg/100 g, 0.32 – 0.86 mg/100 g and 0.01 – 0.39 mg/100 g respectively. Sensory attributes on a 9-point hedonic scale was carried out by 30 member panelists on the biscuit and results indicated that all samples were within acceptable range, however biscuit from 100% wheat and 10% soybeans flour inclusion were most preferred by panelists. The study showed that high-quality biscuit can be produced from blends of wheat, soybeans and OFSP flour blends.
Genetic Estimations of Available Quality Traits for Improved Growth Yield of Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch) in Kumarganj, India
Authors: Anjali  , Yadav G. C. , Harshitha C. R. , Patel Abinash Kumar , Gautam Abhishek
Published: January 2024

Pumpkin is one of the most economically important and nutritious member of the  family Cucurbitaceae. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in per cent of mean among the 30 genotypes including one check variety (Narendra Agrim) for 21 qualitative and quantitative traits. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with three replication ,the observations were recorded on the traits like days to 50% staminate flower anthesis , days to 50% pistillate flower anthesis, node no. to first staminate flower anthesis, node no. to first pistillate flower anthesis, vine length, no. of nodes, no. of primary branches, inter-nodal length, days to first fruit harvest, polar circumference, equatorial circumference, flesh thickness, cavity, average fruit weight, no. of fruits per plant, total soluble solids, reducing sugars, non reducing sugars, total sugars, fruit yield per plant. The analysis of variance for the design of experiments indicated highly significant difference among the genotypes for all 21 characters. The four genotypesviz.NDPK-17-12-1,NDPK-23,NDPK-P-6 and NDPK-32-1-2 were found significantly superior for fruit yield per plant over the check variety (NarendraAgrim).The PCV was higher than the GCV and was found highest for the trait fruit yield per plant, the presence of high heritability in broad sense along with high genetic advance in per cent of mean were observed for fruit yield per plant.Therefore,from the above obtained results it can be concluded that the characters will result in effective crop improvement for higher yield and yield contributing traits.
Integrated Management of Alternaria Leaf Spot of Cauliflower under Pot Conditions
Authors: Sunitha Mummineni , Jha P. K.
Published: January 2024

Cauliflower is widely grown throughout the world. Alternaria leaf spot of Cauliflower caused by Alternaria brassicae is the most destructive disease at the curd stage and seed setting stage, attributed to causing 30-50% losses and in severe cases reaching up to 98% in seed crop. In the present investigation, the pathogen Alternaria brassicae was found to produce typical symptoms of the disease as small, irregular brown spots with concentric rings, also surrounded by a yellow chlorotic halo.  Later on, lesions were found to coalesce forming irregular, brown to dark brown patches with concentric rings. The disease is difficult to manage alone with fungicides or bio agents or botanicals. Hence the present study was undertaken to manage the disease effectively by application of fungicides, bio agents, botanicals and their combinations. During the investigation on integrated management under sick pot conditions, the combination of T. viride + Neem + Azoxystrobin (10.81% Percent Disease Index) was found most effective with inhibition of disease by 79.02%. This was followed by T. viride + Azoxystrobin (11.63% Percent Disease Index) with inhibition of the disease by 77.40% compared to the control 51.52% Percent Disease Index.
Design, Development and Evaluation of Neem (Azadirachta indica) Fruit Picker Cum Collector
Authors: Gowtham M. , Suthakar B. , Surendrakumar A. , Kavitha R. , Masilamani P.
Published: January 2024

Harvesting of neem fruits can be done either by ground picking, shaking off the tree, or directly stripping from the branches. Since the manual collection of neem fruits is a labor-intensive process, consuming around 30 per cent of harvesting time, a simple mechanical system for picking and collecting the neem fruits from the ground was developed based on the fruit geometry and other major physical properties of neem fruits. It was observed that the moisture content of 81.95%, axial dimensions viz. 15.57 mm length, 9.25 mm width and 8.87 mm thickness of the fruits, 14.07 mm as geometric mean diameter, as 352 g. cm­-1 bulk density and 290.88 g as the weight of hundred neem fruits. The developed prototype consists of picker assembly, ejector assembly, collector assembly, connector frame, handle and traction wheel. The proposed innovation enables an eco – friendly operation of neem fruit collection without using any form of non- renewable energy sources. The developed prototype achieved a collection capacity of about 48 kg h-1 which is 79.1% higher when compared with existing pneumatic ground collection system for neem fruits and 97.3% higher than the conventional method of neem fruit collection.
Electrochemical synthesis of sulfonated polypyrrole in FSO3H/acetonitrile solution
Authors: Şahin Yücel , Aydın Arzu , Udum Yasemin Arslan , Pekmez Kadir , Yıldız Attila
Published: April 2004

The incorporation of SO3− groups into a polypyrrole backbone was successfully carried out using FSO3H/acetonitrile medium. The degree of sulfonation (sulfonation or sulfur‐to‐nitrogen ratio) of polymer was controlled by varying FSO3H concentration while the film was being electrodeposited. The cyclic voltammograms of the electrodeposited films were taken between −1.00 and +2.00 V (versus Ag/AgCl) in blank solution. A substantial effect on the electrical conductivity was observed upon the incorporation of SO3− groups in the polypyrrole polymeric chain. The elemental analysis results of the freshly prepared and reduced films give independent evidence that the SO3− groups are covalently bound to the structure. FTIR, UV‐Vis, spectroscopy and SEM techniques were used to characterize the electrosynthesized polypyrrole films. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 526–533, 2004
A new PDMS macromonomer stabilizer for dispersion polymerization of styrene in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Wang Ruolei , Cheung H. Michael
Published: April 2004

Free radical polymerization of styrene in supercritical CO2 requires addition of a surfactant to produce polystyrene (PS) in high conversion and molecular weight with well‐defined particle sizes. In this work, we examined a new stabilizer that can provide effective stabilization for the polymerization of styrene. A commercially available poly(dimethylsiloxane) macromonomer has been employed as a stabilizer for dispersion polymerization of PS in scCO2. The reactions were conducted in a 225‐mL stainless steel autoclave over the temperature range 60–80°C and under pressures of 1,500 to 3,000 psi. After 2–12 h of polymerization, the conversion determined by gravimetrical method was between 20 and 80%. These preliminary results suggest that this macromonomer offers satisfactory stabilization for the styrene system. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 545–549, 2004
Long‐term bladder function in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and type 3–4 radical hysterectomy
Authors: Benedetti‐Panici Pierluigi , Zullo Marzio Angelo , Plotti Francesco , Manci Natalina , Muzii Ludovico , Angioli Roberto
Published: April 2004

BACKGROUND

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the incidence of long‐term bladder dysfunction after type 3–4 radical hysterectomy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

METHODS

A case–control study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of long‐term bladder dysfunction in 76 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IB–IIA (> 4 cm), Stage IIB, and Stage III cervical carcinoma who underwent type 3–4 radical hysterectomy after NACT. Preoperative assessment included acquisition of a standardized urogynecologic history, evaluation of severity of urinary incontinence symptoms, maintenance of a 3‐day voiding diary, pelvic examination, urogynecologic physical examination, urodynamic assessment, and estimation of hydronephrosis. Follow‐up was carried out at least 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS

Urinary symptoms (sensory loss, difficult micturition, severe urinary incontinence) were reported by 20 patients (26%). Eighteen patients (24%) had a normal urodynamic profile, 16 patients (21%) had detrusor overactivity, 22 patients (29%) had urodynamic stress incontinence, 2 patients (2%) had aconctractile detrusor, and 18 patients (24%) had mixed urinary incontinence. The length of vagina removed was significantly greater among patients who had detrusor overactivity and mixed urinary incontinence compared with patients who had a normal diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed rate of bladder dysfunction was higher than the corresponding rate reported in the literature (76%). Three main disturbances were found: detrusor overactivity (21%), mixed urinary incontinence (24%), and de novo stress incontinence (21%). Detrusor overactivity was related to a prevalence of hypertonic bladder. Among patients who underwent type 4 radical hysterectomy, the extent of caudal resection of rectovaginal ligaments and vaginal tissue was found to be more strongly associated with bladder dysfunction than was the extent of lateral parametrial resection. Despite the fact that 76% of patients had abnormal urodynamic parameters, most patients were satisfied with their voiding condition. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Clean‐up of polluted wet soils by solvent extraction
Authors: Nardella Alessandro , Massetti Felicia , Sisto Raffaello , Tomaciello Raffaele
Published: April 2004

Present study describes a process for soil clean‐up that, using a mixture of ethyl acetate and acetone, can treat wet soils without any pretreatment. According to a proprietary method, solvent mixture composition is chosen in relation to soil water content, in order to promote the formation of a dispersed slurry where soil‐solvent contact is greatly enhanced. Bench scale treatment was carried out on soils coming from three different industrial sites and contaminated with chloro‐organic compounds, included polychlorobiphenyls (PCB), and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNA). Treatment process scheme depended on soil texture characteristics and soil‐solvent separation represented a decisive factor; solvent mixture demonstrated high extraction efficiencies and rates in all examined cases. Cost estimate for a 5 t/h plant is about 200 $ per ton of treated soil.
Development of an extractive membrane bioreactor for degradation of 3 chloro‐4‐methylaniline: From lab bench to pilot scale
Authors: Splendiani Antonietta , Moreira de Sa Joaquim A.G.C. , Jorge Ruben , Nicolella Cristiano , Livingston Andrew G. , Hughes Kevin , Cook Stuart
Published: April 2004

Extractive Membrane Bioreactor(EMB) technology has been applied to an industrial wastewater containing 3‐chloro‐4‐methylaniline, para‐toluidine and methanol produced at the Hickson and Welch Ltd. production site in Castleford, UK. Successful treatment was accomplished through a step‐wise approach to process development, involving selection of a suitable microbial culture, extractive membrane bioreactor operation under well controlled laboratory conditions, and finally pilot scale‐application at the production site. Three experimental steps we re undertaken: (1) a microbial culture capable of degrading 3‐chloro‐4‐methylaniline was developed in a continuous enrichment reactor; (2) the selected culture was then inoculated to a lab‐scale EMB unit and adapted to the conditions of the industrial waste; and (3) finally the process was scaled‐up to assess feasibility and performance at pilot‐scale. At the pilot scale, 100% extraction of the target molecules contained in the industrial wastewater was achieved in a 1 m3 extractive membrane bioreactor treating 60 g/d 3‐chloro‐4‐methylaniline and 30 g/d para‐toluidine. Stoichiometric amounts of chloride were generated, indicating complete mineralization of 3‐chloro‐4‐methylaniline.
Weighting in LCA – approaches and applications
Authors: Bengtsson Magnus , Steen Bengt
Published: April 2004

The article deals with the weighting step in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Different weighting methods are briefly described, and four operational such methods (Ecoscarcity 97, EDIP, Ecoindicator 99, and EPS 2000d) are applied to a simplified case to illustrate how they can contribute with additional information to the environmental assessment and decision making process. It is argued that the use of weighting can contribute to the relevance and acceptability of LCA results, but that the weighting step should be seen as a test of the compatibility between environmental impact profiles and different value profiles rather than as a procedure leading to a true measure of the aggregated impact. The authors also discuss some issues of controversy connected to weighting, as well as the practical implications of the ISO standard for weighting in LCA.
Assessing sorbent injection mercury control effectiveness in flue gas streams
Authors: Carey Todd R. , Richardson Carl F. , Chang Ramsay , Meserole Frank B. , Rostam‐Abadi Massoud , Chen Scott
Published: April 2004

One promising approach for removing mercury from coalfired, utility flue gas involves the direct injection of mercury sorbents. Although this method has been effective at removing mercury in municipal waste incinerators, tests conducted to date on utility coal‐fired boilers show that mercury removal is much more difficult in utility flue gas. EPRI is conducting research to investigate mercury removal using sorbents in this application. Bench‐scale, pilot‐scale, and field tests have been conducted to determine the ability of different sorbents to remove mercury in simulated and actual flue gas streams.

This paper focuses on recent bench‐scale and field test results evaluating the adsorption characteristics of activated carbon and fly ash and the use of these results to develop a predictive mercury removal model. Field tests with activated carbon show that adsorption characteristics measured in the lab agree reasonably well with characteristics measured in the field. However, more laboratory and field data will be needed to identify other gas phase components which may impact performance. This will allow laboratory tests to better simulate field conditions and pro vide improved estimates of sorbent performance for specific sites. In addition to activated carbon results, bench‐scale and modeling results using fly ash are presented which suggest that certain fly ashes are capable of adsorbing mercury.
The OAQPS control cost manual vs. Levelized cost method
Authors: Vatavuk William M.
Published: April 2004

For nearly two decades, EPA's OAQPS Control Cost Manual has been the authoritative source for estimating the capital and annual costs of air pollution control systems at a variety of stationary emission sources—cement kilns, chemical plants, surface coating operations, and many others. In fact, many state permitting authorities have mandated that the Manual cost‐estimating methodology be used in preparing the cost analyses required with permit applications. In certain situations, however, other cost‐estimating methodologies have been used. Several Manual users have asked the author how its cost‐estimating methodology compares with the levelized cost method, and how costs estimated via one procedure can be converted to the other. This article attempts to answer those questions.
Demonstration of pilot‐scale pervaporation systems for volatile organic compound removal from a surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation fluid I. Spiral wound membrane modules
Authors: Alvarez Franklin R. , Vane Leland M. , Hitchens Lynnann
Published: April 2004

During the summer of 1996, a pilot‐scale demonstration of a surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR) process for removal of dense non‐aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) from soils was conducted at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah. Five thousand gallons of the extracted DNAPL‐surfactant solution were transported to Cincinnati, Ohio, to be processed at the U.S. EPA's Test & Evaluation Facility, in a pervaporation pilot‐scale unit equipped with spiral wound modules. The main DNAPLs in the extracted SEAR fluid were trichloroethylene (TCE) at 3,000 mg/L, 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (TCA) at 450 mg/L, and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) at 400 mg/L. The solution also contained 2.5 wt % anionic surfactant, 1.5 wt % isopropyl alcohol, and 1.0 wt % salt. This demonstration highlighted complications posed by secondary contaminants to this application of spiral wound modules. Thirteen runs were performed with commercially available spiral wound pervaporation modules at various flow rates and temperatures. Single‐pass VOC removal ranged from 50% to 98%. In all cases, TCE removal was almost identical to TCA removal and both were easier to remove than PCE.
Evolution of hazardous waste combustors MACT standards
Authors: Lamb Charles W.
Published: April 2004

This year, on July 24, the DC Circuit Court ruled that the EPA had not correctly derived emission standards, and vacated the MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) rule for Hazardous Waste Combustors (HWC) [1, 2]. A major complaint, voiced by the Sierra Club, was that the MACT methodology was misapplied in a manner that produced overly lenient standards. Industry and trade associations argued just the opposite. The Sierra Club won the first round when the court agreed that the emission standards should be based on the average of the best‐performing 12% of units in each category.

The next question was, “What will be the regulations until the final standards can be developed?” This caused considerable angst because, if no standards were in place by May 15, 2002, control would revert to case‐by‐case permits by Federal and State regulatory agencies as set forth in Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. Obviously, that would be the antithesis of the Congressional mandate and the objectives of environmental groups. The Sierra Club and most litigants did not want the uncertainties and inconsistencies this would introduce.
Dow chemical pilot of total “business” cost assessment methodology: A tool to translate EH&S “…right things to do” into economic terms (dollars)
Authors: Koch Duane
Published: April 2004

A group of somewhat diverse chemical companies have completed a collaboration focused on assessing the total cost associated with environmental, health, and safety aspects of chemical processing. This collaboration was enabled through AIChE's Center for Waste Reduction Technologies. Dow has actively piloted this tool since June 1999. These experiences have taken the form of focused workshops, and evolved towards an almost exclusive focus on costs/benefits that will be realized by the businesses. Thus the title Total “Business” Cost Assessment has emerged within Dow. Aligning the information available on externalities in a manner that supports meaningful decision‐making within a company remains a significant challenge and has not been addressed in the Dow pilot effort. Key to the process is the engagement of a multifunctional team in the workshop to convert the ideas and issues understood to be “the right thing to do” into economic metrics. This methodology was applied to the EH&S 2005 goals established in 1996 and resulted in establishing a “fuller” economic benefit for achieving these goals which was almost twice as much as originally estimated. The businesses and functions within Dow applying TBCA are finding the results deliver improved understanding of their EH&S value proposition, which enhances the decision‐making process.
Cryogenic condensation: A cost‐effective technology for controlling VOC emissions
Authors: Davis Robert J. , Zeiss Robert F.
Published: April 2004

Cryogenic condensation is an extremely cost‐effective technology for controlling emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from chemical processing facilities under certain conditions. This paper describes the technology and provides the case history of an application in the pharmaceutical industry, in which its cost effectiveness was compared with a range of alternative technologies, including thermal oxidation, catalytic oxidation, flaring, carbon adsorption, and scrubbing. Because the facility already used significant quantities of liquid and gaseous nitrogen for inerting, blanketing, and purging, a very convenient cold source for cryogenic condensation was already present. On a lifetime cost basis, cryogenic condensation was significantly less costly than all other technologies evaluated.
Calculating realistic PM10 emissions from cooling towers
Authors: Reisman Joel , Frisbie Gordon
Published: April 2004

Emissions of particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) from wet cooling towers may be calculated using the methodology presented in EPA's AP‐42 [1], which assumes that all total dissolved solids (TDS) emitted in “drift” particles (liquid water entrained in the air stream and carried out of the tower through the induced draft fan stack) are PM10. However, this assumption is overly conservative because it does not consider that, upon evaporation of the drift, many of the solid particles that remain are larger than PM10. Particles larger than 10 micrometers do not represent a health hazard and are not regulated under current air quality regulations. For example, for wet cooling towers with medium to high TDS levels, the AP‐42 methodology predicts significantly higher PM10 emissions than would actually occur, even for towers equipped with very high efficiency drift eliminators (e.g., 0.0006% drift rate). Such over‐prediction may result in unrealistically high PM10 modeled concentrations and/or the need to purchase expensive Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) in PM10 non‐attainment areas. Since these towers have fairly low emission points (10 to 15 m above ground), over‐predicting PM10 emission rates can also result in exceeding federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) significance levels at a project's fenceline. This paper presents a method for computing realistic PM10 emissions from cooling towers with medium to high TDS levels by enabling the engineer to determine the PM10 mass fraction of the total amount of particulate emitted by a cooling tower.
Converting waste gases from pulp mills into value‐added chemicals
Authors: Burgess Tom L. , Gibson Andrew G. , Furstein Saul J. , Wachs Israel E.
Published: April 2004

A combined sorption/catalytic process has been discovered that converts the methanol and mercaptans in Kraft pulp mill waste gas condensates into formaldehyde. A pilot plant was operated at Georgia‐Pacific's Brunswick, GA, mill for two years to optimize both sorbents and catalyst. Patents were issued. Applications within Georgia‐Pacific and external licensing opportunities for the process are being investigated. The process gives pulp and paper mills a profitable alternative for converting their waste gases to valuable chemicals, as opposed to incineration or biodegradation in treatment ponds.
Bone mineral density among cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation
Authors: Sokhi Rana Paramvir , Anantharaju Abhinandana , Kondaveeti Ravi , Creech Steven D. , Islam Khondker K. , Van Thiel David H.
Published: April 2004

Osteoporosis is an important and common complication in patients with chronic liver disease. The goal of this study was to determine the bone mineral density (BMD) in different subgroups among pretransplant cirrhotic patients. BMD of the lumbar vertebrae (L) and femoral neck (F) were obtained in 104 consecutive cirrhotic patients. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to compare the BMD among various groups. The mean BMD in males (n = 54) and females (n = 50) at L were 1.28 ± 0.25 g/cm2 and 1.13 ± 0.20 g/cm2, respectively (P = .001); at F they were 1.03 ± 0.14 and 0.91 ± 0.17, respectively (P < .0001). Among males, BMD at L in Child-Turcotte-Pugh class B and C were 1.40 ± 0.21 and 1.13 ± 0.20, respectively (P = .001); at F they were 1.11 ± 0.10 and 0.93 ± 0.13, respectively (P < .0001). Among females, BMD at L in Child-Turcotte-Pugh class B and C were 1.27 ± 0.18 and 1.05 ± 0.16, respectively (P = .0003); at F they were 1.02 ± 0.16 and 0.83 ± 0.12, respectively (P = .001). The BMD in premenopausal females (n = 15) and postmenopausal females (n = 35) at L were 1.20 ± 0.19 and 1.11 ± 0.20, respectively (P = .15); at F they were 0.97 ± 0.17 and 0.88 ± 0.16, respectively (P = .12). The BMD in postmenopausal females on hormone replacement therapy (n = 19) and on no hormone replacement therapy (n = 16) at L were 1.07 ± 0.17 and 1.14 ± 0.23, respectively (P = .29); at F they were 0.85 ± 0.15 and 0.91 ± 0.18, respectively (P = .33). The BMD values between etiologic groups were not significantly different. The overall prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis were 34.6% and 11.5%, respectively, being significantly higher in females than in males. In conclusion, significant difference in BMD values exists between males and females, as well as between Child-Turcotte-Pugh class B and C patients with cirrhosis. In addition, there is no significant influence of menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy, and etiology of cirrhosis on BMD. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:648-653.)
Mitochondrial toxicity associated with HAART following liver transplantation in an HIV-infected recipient
Authors: Antoniades Charalambos , Macdonald Candice , Knisely Alexander , Taylor Christopher , Norris Suzanne
Published: April 2004

Antiretroviral therapy is not uncommonly associated with drug toxicities, and hepatotoxicity occurs in approximately 20% of individuals prescribed antiretroviral therapy. Mitochondrial toxicity causing lactic acidosis is a rare but fatal complication that has been described in some HIV-infected patients treated with nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors. In this report, we describe the course of an HIV-infected patient receiving antiretroviral therapy who developed lactic acidosis after liver transplantation for HCV-induced liver disease. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:699-702.)
Regionwide sharing for status 1 liver patients - beneficial impact on waiting time and pre- and posttransplant survival
Authors: Humar Abhinav , Khwaja Khalid , Glessing Brooke , Larson Elizabeth , Asolati Massimo , Durand Brenda , Lake John , Payne William D.
Published: April 2004

On August 21, 1999, Region 7 of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) adopted a policy of regionwide sharing of cadaver livers for UNOS Status 1 recipients. We examined what impact this policy had at our center on their waiting times, waiting list mortality, and outcomes. From January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2002, our center listed 39 patients for an emergent (Status 1) transplant, according to the current criteria for Status 1 listing: patients (adult and pediatric) with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), hepatic artery thrombosis, or primary nonfunction early after a liver transplant, or critically ill pediatric patients with chronic liver disease. These 39 candidates were analyzed in 2 groups: those listed before regionwide sharing (Group I, n = 19) and those listed after (Group II, n = 20). Patient characteristics did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, including mean donor and recipient age, proportion of pediatric patients, and type of graft used (i.e., living or deceased donor, segmental or whole-organ). FHF was the most common cause of liver failure in both groups—74% versus 70% (P = ns). The next most common cause in both groups was hepatic artery thrombosis, followed by primary nonfunction. Most transplants used deceased donors; however, 2 of the transplants in Group I versus only 1 in Group II used living donors. Waiting list mortality (the patient death rate before a transplant could take place) was 32% in Group I versus only 5% in Group II (P = .03). The mean number of days on the waiting list was also substantially lower in Group II (2.9 days) than in Group I, (5.8 days) (P = .04). For patients who underwent a transplant, graft and patient survival rates at 6 months posttransplant were 69.2% in Group I versus 89.5% in Group II (P = .03). In conclusion, the introduction of regionwide sharing seems to have been of benefit for Status 1 patients at our center. They have a significantly lower risk of dying while waiting for a transplant and undergo one in a much shorter period of time. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:661-665.)