bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of madurese culture wisdom on science learning sound material in primary school students’ critical thinking skills
Authors: Wirawan H F , Suratno  , Suparti  , Dafik  , Hobri
Published: May 2021

Lack of insertion or understanding of local culture and traditions in classroom learning will cause students to appreciate the existing culture and grow in their environment. This research is a development research. The stages that has been through to make a valid, practical, and effective calculus learning tool are: 1) defining stage, 2) planning stage, and 3) developing stage. Trials that had been done are expert trials/expert validation, limited trials, and field trials. Field trials were conducted at SD Negeri 5 Patokan in two classes, 4A and 4B class. The research instrumentswere validation sheet, teacher’s evaluation sheet, student’s evaluation sheet, observation sheet for learning implementation, test of learning outcomes, and questionnaire for independence student’s learning. Validation and practicality data analysis are done by converting quantitative data in the form of an assessment score into qualitative data in the form of a standard scale of five. Analysis of effectiveness data is done by determining the percentage of mastery learning and student learning independence. Validity and practicality are shown by the results of expert validation which show a value of 4.46; while the effectiveness of learning is indicated by calculating the normal gain which shows 48.8% students get an effective score; character values in students show good categories, and student responses to learning are positive with 96% of students assessing positively towards the implementation of learning. It can be concluded that 1) developing science teaching materials based on Madura culture (sound material) for class 4 belongs to valid category, 2) developing science teaching materials based on Madura culture (sound material) for class 4 belongs topractical category and 3) developing science teaching materials based on Madura culture (sound material) for class 4 belongs toeffective category.
Developing teaching materials of indonesian for speakers of other languages based on wetland environment
Authors: Amelia R , Chandra N E
Published: May 2021

Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, as one of the universities in South Kalimantan, has a vision “ULM is as a leading and competitive university in the field of wetland environment.” Thus, the possibility of introducing local wisdom is one of the efforts to think globally act locally. Therefore, the availability of valid and effective teaching materials is needed as an effort to increase students’ understanding and caring attitude about the contextual wetland environment. This research is a research and development on developing BIPA (Indonesian for Speakers of Other Languages) book based on wetland environment. The development steps were adapted into seven simpler main steps. These steps are needs assessment which was done to 9 international students at ULM. The instruments used in this study were a questionnaire and interview on the needs analysis and a questionnaire on the try-out. The data was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Then, the materials were developed. The book covers six units. The units are Tinggal di Banjarmasin, Budaya Sungai di Banjarmasin, Hutan Bakau di Kalimantan Selatan, Bekantan dan Pasar Terapung. Each unit has seven activities covering the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Going further to validation, the product was validated by two validators. It was then revised, tried out, revised again, and published. This book is expected to contribute to enrich students’ knowledge on wetland environment and level up students’ mastery of Indonesian.
Influence of composition and compaction pressure on the physical quality of wood residue and bottom ash mixture briquettes
Authors: Amrullah A , Irawansyah H , Syarif A , Anshari M H
Published: May 2021

Woody biomass is briquette-densified to enhance its physical and mechanical properties during handling and storage. However, Limited study on the physical consistency of briquettes made from wood biomass and bottom ash blends has been carried out. The bottom ash used in this study is a residue from burning coal for the powerplant. The physical quality was evaluated for three different compositions (70:30, 50:50, and 30:70). The piston press type machine (laboratory scale) was employed to produce a briquette. This work aims to evaluated the effect of mixing ratio (wood residue and bottom ash) and compaction pressure on the physical quality (water content, ash content, VM, calorific value) and combustion behavior. The compaction pressure was varied between 100 kg/cm 2 and 150 kg/cm 2. The result revealed that the compaction pressure affected the physical quality of the briquette. Lower moisture content (MC), ash content (AC), and calorific value (CV) were obtained at the higher compaction pressure. The moisture content of 1.6% was better for the wood residue and bottom ash mixture’s compaction pressure. The calorific value of briquette ranged from 5200 kal/g to 5700 kal/g. In conclusion, the combination of low-cost and abundant forest biomass mixed bottom ash available with wood biomass could lead to better physical quality and help meet the demand for the briquette in the future.
Data acquisition system in measuring carbon dioxide, humidity and temperature: design and fabrication
Authors: Sugriwan I , Ramdhani A S , Fahrudin A E , Suryajaya
Published: May 2021

This research aims at designing and fabricating data acquisition systems in measuring concentration of carbon dioxide, relative humidity (RH) and temperatur (T) of peatland which were trapped by closed-chamber measurement. Carbon dioxide was sensed by TGS4160 modul sensor while relative humidity and temperature were detected by SHT11 modul sensor. TGS4160 is carbon dioxide gas sensor that operated together with voltage follower and connected with ATMega8535 microcontroller via port A.0. SHT11 is a modul sensor that detect two parameters simultanously, relative humidity and temperature, that operated with fully calibrated and digital output. SHT11 is connected to ATMega8535 via port B.0 for data and port B.1 for clock with two wire interface mode. The ATMega8535 microcontroller is single chip to catch input signal from sensors, to compute the characteristic equation of sensor and to send measuring data to LCD 16×2 character as display unit which was programmed by basic compiler. The measuring devices interfaced with personal computer via universal serial bus to formed data acquisition systems. In personal computer, the data measurement were displayed on monitor screen that was developed by delphi. The data result were recorded and stored in excell and data base.
Students’ self-regulation learning ability in learning algebraic forms in wetland context with the help of interactive multimedia
Authors: Sukmawati R A , Ridhani M , Adini M H , Pramita M , Sari D P
Published: May 2021

One branch of mathematics that is very useful in solving problems is algebra. In fact, junior high school students still face difficulties in learning algebra. This study aimed to develop interactive multimedia on algebraic-form material with a wetland context, to describe student self-regulation learning (SRL) abilities in learning algebraic forms using interactive multimedia with wetland contexts, and to analyse the relationship between SRL ability with student learning outcomes after learning on algebraic form material in wetland context with interactive multimedia assistance. This research was a development research using the ADDIE method. It was tested in small groups of seventh grade students of SMP Negeri 9 Banjarmasin. The data collection techniques used tests and questionnaires. The data analysis technique used descriptive statistics and simple linear regression. The results showed that interactive multimedia on wetland context-algebraic form material was valid and could be used in learning algebraic forms in seventh grade. The trial results showed that the average student learning outcomes were in the sufficient category and as many as 80.0 percent of students had reached the KKM determined by the school. Student’s SRL ability was in the medium category, and there is no influence from SRL on student learning outcomes. The further research is needed in large groups to analyse how the influence of students’ SRL skills on learning outcomes in interactive multimedia assisted learning.
Flowering and fruiting of Sarcotheca macrophylla Bl, an endemic species of Borneo and implication for conservation
Authors: Astuti I P , Nurfadilah S , Rinandio D S , Suratman M
Published: May 2021

Sarcotheca macrophylla (Oxalidaceae) is an endemic species of Borneo. Little is known about the flowering and fruiting of this endemic species. The present study aimed to investigate the flowering and fruiting of S. macrophylla in terms of the first-time flowering, and morphology of the flowers, fruits, and seeds. Morphology of flowers, fruits, and seeds was also recorded and documented. The results showed that the first-time flowering of S. macrophylla occurred at 5 months to 16 months after seed germination with the plant height ranged from 13 to 23cm. These results showed that the first-time flowering of S. macrophylla occured at seedling stage, indicating early reproduction of the species. Two morphs of S. macrophylla (short-styled plants and long-styled plants) confirmed the heterostylous syndrome (different styly length) which is common in Oxalidaceae. Heterostylous is often associated with self-incompatibility which is commonly linked to the low seed set in this plant family. The present study has implication in the conservation of this endemic species, as the species produced low seed set associated with heterostylous syndrome of the flowers. Efforts to increase the seed set to support regeneration and survival of this endemic species are required.
The role of microbes in organic material decomposition and formation of compost bacterial communities
Authors: Simarmata R , Widowati T , Nurjanah L , Nuriyanah  , Lekatompessy S J R
Published: May 2021

The application of microbial decomposers and bio-stimulant into agriculture wastes influence the abundance of microorganisms and their biological diversity of the compost. The study was conducted to determine the role of microbial in the decomposition of agricultural wastes that produces compost and its effect on the diversity and function of microbes that inhabited the compost product. Agricultural wastes used straw, leaves and grass from the Cibinong Science Center-Botanical Garden. Decomposer microbes used fungi (Trichoderma), and bacteria (Azospirillum brasilense and Agrobacterium sp.). The composting process was conducted anaerobically and the compost beds were reversed every 7 days. The diversity and function of inhabiting microbes resulted from the composting process was determined and identified by conducting microbial isolation and 16S rRNA genes identification. The ability of the microbes as decomposers was also analyzed. The results showed that the genus Bacillus tended to dominate. The microbial consortia have a high enzyme activity to degrade material waste agriculture. Of the three sources of compost used, the grass produced a better compost, forming a diverse and beneficial bacterial community. Therefore, it can be stated that the use of microbial decomposers for composting the agriculture wastes is an appropriate method for forming the beneficial microbial ecosystems.
Evaluation of pollen viability, seed viability and vigor of two Bt rice lines Y7 and P8 carrying cry1B::cry1Aa fusion genes
Authors: Rahmawati S , Zahra F , Nugroho S
Published: May 2021

Pollen viability, seed viability and seed vigor of two BT lines Y7 and P8 expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa fusion proteins were assessed to determine if these two lines equivalence to its wild type rice cv Rojolele. Pollen viability was estimated using in vitro pollen germination methods. Pollen were collected at 0, 1, and 2h after shedding. Both seed viability and vigor were observed using rolled paper test methods at incubation temperature of 30, 33, 37, and 42 °C. The results showed that there was no significant difference between pollen viability of BT lines and Rojolele wild type. The highest pollen viability was obtained when the pollen grown shortly after anthesis (0h). Seed viability and vigor were significantly affected by the incubation temperature. The highest seed viability and vigor were obtained at incubation temperature of 33 °C. Both seed viability and vigor were decreased significantly when the seeds grown at higher temperature (37 °C). However, seed viability and vigor of BT lines were not significantly difference from its wild type, except for the fresh weight parameters. Thus, based on these observations, BT lines were agronomically equivalence to wild type rice cv Rojolele. This data is important for the environmental risk assessment.
Periplasmic expression of EGFRvIII extracellular domain as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli NiCo21(DE3)
Authors: Dewi K S , Aminah  , Fuad A M
Published: May 2021

Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III is a mutant variant of EGFR that has a deletion on its DNA encoding extracellular ligan-binding domain. EGFRvIII is only found in cancer cells and not in normal cells, make it an ideal target as a biomarker for antibody-based cancer therapy. This study performed the expression and characterization of EGFRvIII extracellular domain conjugated with a blue fluorescent protein (BFP) as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli periplasmic space. Endoxylanase signal peptide was employed to guide the recombinant protein through the membrane. IPTG as inducer was added into expression medium with various concentrations of 0; 0.1; 0.25; 0.5; 1 mM, followed by periplasmic extraction using the hypertonic solution. Total proteins and periplasmic proteins were characterized using SDS-PAGE and slot blot analyses. Extracellular domain of EGFRvIII-BFP fusion protein was detected using confocal fluorescence microscopy. This study showed that the ∼43 kDa target protein was successfully expressed on E. coli NiCo21(DE3) periplasmic space with optimum IPTG concentration of 0.1 mM and and showed a blue fluorescence color under the microscope..
Study on synthesis and road performance of light-colored resin modified asphalt
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Huang Zhouyi , Zhou Wei , Xu Renhua , Xu Jianhui , Liu Yugui
Published: May 2021

To realize the color functionalization of road paving, this paper developed a light-colored resin modified asphalt, which can be added with toner to adjust different colors to realize the color paving of asphalt mixture. Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to analyze the difference between functional group composition of light-colored asphalt and 70# petroleum asphalt and to compare the conventional performance and road performance of light-colored asphalt with I-D grade modified asphalt. The road performance mainly includes high temperature performance, water stability performance and anti-skid performance. The test results showed that the light-colored asphalt and 70# petroleum asphalt had similar functional group composition, and the technical indicators of the light-colored asphalt could meet the requirements of I-D grade modified asphalt; the three road performances of the light-colored asphalt mixture met the specification requirements, which were even more excellent than the I-D grade modified asphalt mixture, indicating that the light-colored resin modified asphalt synthesized in this paper can meet the application of road engineering. Meanwhile, the light-colored resin modified asphalt has less smoke, lower carbon emissions, and superior performance than petroleum asphalt during use, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of road engineering.
Technical analysis of improving sand body penetration rate in horizontal well
Authors: Zhou Yongjie
Published: May 2021

Because the measurement data of horizontal well lags behind the actual position of bit, accurate geological guidance is the key to improve the rate of sand body drilling. Taking the thin and poor reservoir sand body at the edge of a development zone as an example, this paper introduces the horizontal well geosteering technology in detail, five techniques have been developed, including marker layer selection, seismic software aided guidance, target identification, lwd data analysis and rate of penetration control. The technique has achieved high sand body penetration rate in 7 horizontal wells. This technology provides a favorable guarantee for the effective development of thin and poor reservoirs in horizontal wells.
Low Carbon Policy and Sustainable Development of Environment of the Indigenous Ceremonial Holiday in Taitung County, Taiwan
Authors: Pan Shihui , Xiao Jucheng , Zhu Ziyi
Published: May 2021

Low-carbon tourism is an emerging topic that the tourism industry and academia have paid attention to in recent years. In the past, many researchers have designed low-carbon tourism package itinerary from the point of view of practitioners, and rarely used the view of policy operation to guide self-service tourists how to engage in energy-saving and carbon reduction behaviour in tourism. The purpose of this study is to analyse the government departments in Taitung County, Taiwan as a case study on how to guide and promote the activities of participants in energy conservation and carbon reduction during ceremonial holiday. This study draws preliminary conclusions that the key to the success of low-carbon tourism lies in the specific implementation of government policies. In addition, the key to success is that people can abide by the law and government policies. There is also communication with indigenous tribes about low-carbon practices, and the use of mass media and school to promote this policy.
Study on Pyrolysis Characteristics of Rubber Wood Based by TG and Py-GC/MS
Authors: Liu Liang , Hou Qinjia , Qing Mengxia , Wang Xun , Liu Zenghui , Long Yutian
Published: May 2021

In order to explore the formation mechanism of pyrolysis products of rubber wood, the pyrolysis characteristics of rubber wood at different heating rates were investigated by thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), and the pyrolysis behavior and distribution of pyrolysis products of rubber wood at 400, 600 and 800 °C were further analyzed by py GC / MS. The results showed that with the increase of heating rate, the heat transfer hysteresis of rubber wood pyrolysis occurred. The pyrolysis products of rubber wood mainly include acids, phenols, ketones, aldehydes and aromatic hydrocarbons. At 400 °C, the yields of phenols and aldehydes reach the maximum. At 600 °C, the yields of toluene, ethylbenzene and olefins increase, while the yields of phenols and aldehydes decrease. At 800 °C, the yields of phenols and aldehydes increase slightly. At the same time, the contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increase with the increase of temperature, and reach the maximum at this time.
The application of deep-penetrating filling technology in the special high water-containing period of blocks
Authors: Lunjian Duan
Published: May 2021

After the oil field enters the ultra-high water-containing period, the residual oil distribution is scattered, the excavation is difficult, the fine geology describes the large area application of the three-dimensional earthquake, the understanding of the underground situation is becoming more and more clear, the explanation of the oil layer is more and more fine, the redistribution of the fault is more clear, so that the excavation of the residual oil is more targeted. In the stage of the special high water-containing period, due to the restriction of the fault to the conventional measures, the residual oil can not dig, and the conventional measures can not dig the water after the effective control measures, and the deep-penetrating filling technology is used to fill the oil wells, which solves the problem of the residual oil excavation difficulties in the fault area, and achieves better development results. This paper expounds the working principle, process and effect of deep penetration filling technology and the effect obtained after the application of block, and puts forward a new management idea for oil and water well measures.
Analysis on the Causes of Coal Mine Accidents and Research on Prevention Countermeasures
Authors: Wu Weizheng
Published: May 2021

In order to explore coal mine accident prevention and control countermeasures, the coal mines in Jiangxi Province were taken as representatives to analyze the causes of coal mine accidents in Jiangxi Province from 2000 to 2013 and put forward targeted prevention and control countermeasures. It is of great significance to the prevention and control of similar coal mine accidents.
Effect of Ni/Co vermiculite as catalysts for Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes
Authors: Wang Yiqian , Sun Zhipeng
Published: May 2021

In this study, the modified vermiculite adjusted with Ni and Co for pyrolysis of plastic is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET). These results indicate that the ratio of Ni and Co can affect the surface area and pore diameter of catalyst. In addition, the results of GC show that Ni and Co not only have a good selectivity of C3, the main gaseous hydrocarbons of pyrolysis products, but also play an important role in dealing with low quality of oil products of plastic pyrolysis by controlling the concentration of metal oxide particles in the vermiculite layer. The adjustment of the molar ratio of Co and Ni can optimize the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of metal active sites. It means that the greatly catalytic activity of supported Ni and Co catalysts is caused by moderate total acidity, relatively high surface area, and uniformly dispersed oxide particles on vermiculite support. Therefore, it suggests that adopting the clay catalyst is an efficient and environmentally friendly way to produce valuable products in pyrolysis of plastic waste.
Mercury speciation transformation in sewage of the sewage treatment process
Authors: Li Yunpeng , Wang Yan , Liu Ruhai , Shao Long , Liu Xiaoyu , Han Kun
Published: May 2021

In order to reveal the occurrence characteristics and speciation transformation of mercury in the sewage treatment plant, the sewage of each process unit in Mai dao sewage treatment plant was taken as the research object, the total mercury (THg), particulate mercury (PHg) and dissolved mercury (DHg) in the samples was determined for 7 consecutive days. The results showed that the THg in influent water was 474.6±148.4ng/L, and had a large daily variance, and that in effluent was 27.8±8.2 ng/L. THg in wastewater was closely related to the degree of organic pollution. PHg accounted for a larger proportion in raw sewage (PHg/THg was 73.5%), and the proportion of DHg increased after treatment. The total removal efficiency of THg was 94.1%, and PHg contributed a lot. The removal of mercury mainly occurred in the secondary biological treatment process.
Characterization of AMCs Produced by Stir Casting Technique
Authors: Saleem M , Kumar raj Nishant , kumar Yogesh , Kumar Pranav
Published: May 2021

Stir casting is the simplest and cheapest method to manufacture composite materials. The objective of the research work is to produce Aluminum Matrix Composites with LM5 as matrix material and Fly Ash as reinforcement material at 0, 5, 10 % by weight, using stir casting technique and to study the mechanical properties such as tensile test, impact test, hardness test. The wettability between all these materials is assured by stir casting process. The microstructure of the composite show that the reinforcement material is homogeneously distributed in the matrix materials. Tensile Strength decreases with increase in weight percentage of Fly Ash. The weight percentage of Fly Ash has no effect on the impact strength of the composite. The hardness increases with the increase in weight percentage of fly ash and hence the fly ash can be used for increasing the wear resistance of the composites, where hardness plays a major role in industries which can turn industrial waste into industrial wealth.
Fmea Analysis on Offshore Wind Turbines Using Fuzzy Multimooramethod
Authors: Kotkunde Nitin , Chauhan Mayank , Chetti Karthick
Published: May 2021

Failure mode effective analysis (FMEA) is a quality instrument that is being used to recognize potential failure modes and its related consequences on different complex sub-structures in a system. The tool is effectively used for continuous improvement of efficiency, reliability, and quality. However, the traditional FMEA methods using risk priority number (RPN) values have been criticized for having many immanent limitations, affecting its effectiveness in real-world applications. Many risk priority models are emerging in the field of safety and reliability engineering. Among these models, Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are amongst the most widespread approaches employed to rank failure modes. The main aim of the present work is to implement FMEA analysis using fuzzy MULTIMOORA method. The proposed model has the competence of representing the imprecise knowledge and uncertainties of FMEA team members. FMEA analysis has been performed on offshore wind turbines consisting of four sub-assemblies for nine potential failure modes. The failure modes and its risk factors have been well-defined and appropriate linguistic variables are assigned to the failure modes according to the knowledge of team members. The responses of the team members have been aggregated and operated by the fuzzy model which prioritizes failure modes. The comparison of traditional FMEA rankings with the proposed model displays that a more precise and rational ranking can be attained by the incorporation of MULTIMOORA method using fuzzy set theory to FMEA.
Life Cycle Assessment of Nickel Cadmium Battery
Authors: Nitin Kotkunde K V , Ashwin Amrith , Gosavi Abhishek , Gaur Mayank
Published: May 2021

The life cycle assessment of the battery will help one to identify the energy and cost associated with the product from the cradle to gate processes. The ecological footprint of a company can reduce the power of a brand when consumers avoid unsustainable practices. The performance of the product can be compared with its competitors. The potential areas of improvement can be identified, which in turn helps to improve the performance of the product. The energy associated with the product during processing, manufacturing, usage and transportation stages has been identified in this paper. The energy pay back for the battery has been calculated, which can be used to compare batteries among each other. On finding the energy payback of the battery, a framework has been developed which can be used in future to compare different batteries. And the impact assessment helped to interpret the important areas of improvement and the sector producing maximum impact. And some methods which can be implemented to decrease the impact and burdens produced during the product development stages are discussed.
IMPROVED SENTIMENT ANALYSIS FOR DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGE-KANNADA USING DICISION TREE ALGORITHM WITH EFFICIENT DATA DICTIONARY
Authors: Ranjitha P , Bhanu K N
Published: May 2021

The trend of exploring the micro blogging services is being hit door to door. The creation and sharing of short text messages is at its top gear. Reviews, being one of the fastest growing online networking services, which receives around millions of reviews per day, has emerged as an invaluable source of the sentiment analysis. Sentiment analysis refers to recognize the sentiment, polarity, opinion or emotion of a text. Websites like news Kannada, prajavani, http://wedunia.com, and oneindianews have reviews written in Kannada which has a higher preference than the common languages. In the current system, research are carried in sentiment analysis for regional language such as Hindi, Bengali, Kannada etc., are very few compared to English language. Here we propose a system which is computationally identifying and categorizing opinions expressed in a piece of text written in Kannada language, especially in order to determine whether the writer’s attitude towards a particular topic, product, etc. is positive, negative, or neutral.
Design And Analysis Of Modified Four Stroke Four Revolution Engine
Authors: Jadhav Prashant S. , Mohanty Chinmaya P.
Published: May 2021

In today’s world, one of the important tasks is to handle the energy available and to minimize the heat losses. In automotive sector, engine is the primary energy source and there are many losses associated with an engine out of which engine cooling and exhaust losses takes major share. In four-stroke SI/CI engines, four strokes of reciprocating cylinder involve two rotations of the crankshaft. These strokes are suction, compression, power and exhaust respectively. A large amount of fuel energy is wasted when fuel is not compressed completely and also at the exhaust of internal combustion engines. This paper focusses on minimizing losses of internal combustion engine by secondary expansion of exhaust gases through 180 ° of crank revolution. For this purpose, four stroke four revolution mechanism is proposed and this is achieved by modifying current slider crank mechanism with double connecting rod arrangement. This modified engine shows an increase in the air standard cycle efficiency by 4.10% where as fuel air cycle efficiency rise is observed to be 5.25%. There is also significant rise observed in the modified engine over conventional engine in terms of gross indicated thermal efficiency and brake thermal efficiency as well.
Front, rear and side impact analysis of backbone chassis of a compact sports car
Authors: Ramaiya Umang Bharatkumar , Vemuluri Ramesh Babu , Darla Siva Prasad , Edwin Sudhagar P , Ashok B
Published: May 2021

The automotive chassis is the main load carrier and energy absorbing component in all crash events namely, frontal impacts, rear impacts, side impacts and roll over. It is important to have a strong and light weight material for the chassis. The purpose of this paper is to observe how a backbone chassis behaves during collision. This work involves static, dynamic and modal analysis of a backbone chassis of Lotus Europa, a compact sports car. Deformation, stress and strain distribution are evaluated and factor of safety is calculated using static structural analysis. In modal analysis mode shapes for different natural frequencies of the system are presented. Further, impact analysis performed using explicit dynamic analysis compares the deformation and stress distribution for front, rear and side impact for different impact velocities. Two materials namely mild steel and aluminium are compared for impact analysis.
Influence of CNTs grading and reinforcement on dynamic characteristics of composite Plates in thermal environment
Authors: Garg Vasuraj , Saxena Sanidhya , Goyal Gaurav , Soni Sourabh Kumar , Thomas Benedict
Published: May 2021

This analytical work deals with the dynamic analysis of the functionally graded composite plate reinforced with single walled carbon nanotubes is discussed in this article. By using the extended rule of mixtures, the material properties were computed. The dimensionless frequency parameter was discovered by generating ABAQUS-solved eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The subspace process was used to produce buckling Eigenvalues for the plate. The purpose of the current research work was to analyse the influence of varying temperatures, CNTs and CNTs grading volume fractions on dimensionless frequencies and buckling factors or parameters. From the findings available in the literature, the results of this analysis have been established. CNTs volume percentage and its distribution were found to have a substantial impact on the dimensionless fundamental frequencies. Moreover, similar effect of these parameters on plate buckling were also been observed. Results reveal that the addition of CNT enhances the stiffness of the plate.
Integration of Virtual Reality and Digital Human Model Simulations for Ergonomic Analysis of CAD Models
Authors: Kumar S Senthil , Ashok Denis S
Published: May 2021

The paper deals the exercising Virtual Reality (VR) validation for ergonomic study of Computer Aided Design (CAD) virtual environment models, for the safe and comfortable operations for human. The CAD based virtual environments will subject to ergonomic analysis could reduce the costs of testing and errors in integration of sub systems compared to real-time trials. In this venture, a Digital Human Model Simulation (DHMS) was analysed in a workspace by incorporating VR simulation softwares. A transport and freight of military personnel and equipment in Armoured Personnel Carrier Vehicles (APVCs) model was employed as environment for ergonomic assessment. VR device with head-mounted display was used to perform the ergonomics analysis in virtual environment. The ergonomics study and the experience lead to changes in design features. This application could benefit in the defence, aerospace and naval sector, where ergonomically viable compact spaces for human inhabit of key importance.
Photophysical and morphological properties of spin-coated and self-assembled carbazole derivative thin films
Authors: Sousa Cordeiro Diéricon , de Souza Geovany Albino , Martins Tatiana Duque
Published: May 2021

In this work, single-layered, bi-layered and tri-layered poly(vinyl-carbazole) (PVK) thin films were produced by spin-coating and self-assembling techniques and their morphological and photophysical properties were determined by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy. The effect of distinct aggregates formed in thin films on their photophysical and morphological properties was determined, evidencing that procedure control is essential to determine PVK thin film application. It was found that sandwich excimers are dominant in self-assembled films, evidenced by longer fluorescence lifetimes and red-shifted emissions, while in spin-coated films, shorter fluorescence lifetimes evidenced more efficient non-radiative energy transfer. AFM showed that consecutive deposited layers result in more uniform, thinner films when produced by spin-coating, but showing aggregation heterogeneity as evidenced by fluorescence spectroscopy. Yet, self-assembled films are rough, heterogeneous and thicker, showing prevalence of less variety of aggregates. These are crucial findings to address PVK application.
Silver nanoparticles biosynthesised by using Bacillus megaterium IBBPo17
Authors: Stancu Mihaela Marilena
Published: May 2021

The present study aimed to investigate the capability of a solvent-tolerant bacterium, Bacillus megaterium IBBPo17, to synthesise silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through either intracellular or extracellular activities, and to establish if their production was affected when the cells were grown in the presence of organic solvents. The intracellular and extracellular biosynthesis of AgNPs by B. megaterium IBBPo17 was first confirmed by visual observation and UV–vis spectroscopy and further analysed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antibacterial activity of the synthesised AgNPs was investigated by the agar diffusion method. The intracellular and extracellular biosynthesis of AgNPs by B. megaterium IBBPo17 when the cells were grown or not in the presence of organic solvents (i.e., n-decane, n-hexadecane, n-hexane, cyclohexane) was confirmed visually by the appearance of a yellowish-brown colour in the reaction mixture or a dark precipitate, as well as by using UV–vis spectroscopy (surface plasmon resonance peaks at 425–455 nm) and TEM analyses (particle with spherical shape, size ranging from 1–85 nm). The biosynthesised AgNPs showed excellent antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Due to their characteristics, the biosynthesised AgNPs could be used as antibacterial agents, but they could have many other applications.
Molecular simulation of the morphology and viscosity of aqueous micellar solutions of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLEnS)
Authors: Peroukidis Stavros D , Mintis Dimitris G , Stott Ian , Mavrantzas Vlasis G
Published: May 2021

In a recent contribution, we introduced a new approach for the quantitative prediction of the micellar morphology of aqueous solutions of ionic surfactants based on coarse-grained MARTINI-type simulations followed by reverse-mapped all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) ones, using as a model system sodium dodecyl sulfate. We make use of the same approach in the present work to study the micellar structure of aqueous solutions of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLEnS) with the chemical structure CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)
n
OSO3Na with a fixed number n of ethoxyl (EO) groups per surfactant molecule (n = 1, 2, 3). These surfactants are used in a wide range of industrial applications, particularly in personal and home care products, but a quick literature survey proves that a systematic study of their microstructure, micellar morphology, and equilibrium transport properties is missing. Our simulations provide predictions for the mean aggregation number of such monodisperse SLEnS solutions which are found to be in very good agreement with experimental data already reported in the literature. They also show that for a given total surfactant concentration, SLEnS molecules with a smaller number n of EO groups form, on average, larger micelles. From the reverse-mapped AA MD simulations we also compute the zero shear rate viscosity of the solution whose value is found to increase as its total concentration in SLEnS molecules increases (for a given n) or as the number n of EO groups in the surfactant increases (for a given concentration).
Endometrial Cancer Characteristics and Risk of Recurrence
Authors: Borden Lindsay E , Locklear Tonja M , Grider Douglas J , Osborne Janet L , Saks Erin J , Valea Fidel A , Iglesias David A
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To describe clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes of endometrial adenocarcinomas stratified by mismatch repair (MMR) status.

Methods

Single-institution, retrospective study of all women with endometrioid adenocarcinomas treated from January 2012 through December 2017. Patients were categorized into one of three groups based on MMR testing: intact MMR expression (MMR+), probable MMR mutation (MMR–), or MLH1 hypermethylation (hMLH1+). Demographics, pathologic characteristics, recurrence rates, and survival differences were analyzed.

Results

In total, 316 women were included in the analysis: 235 (74.4%) patients in the MMR+ group, 10 (3.1%) in the MMR– group, and 71 (22.5%) in the hMLH1+ group. Patients with hMLH1+ were significantly older, exhibited higher-grade histology and presence of lymphovascular space invasion, and were more likely to have received adjuvant treatment. The early stage hMLH1+ patients were more likely to recur (15.3% hMLH1+ vs 2.3% MMR+ vs 12.5% MMR–, P < .001). Hypermethylation remained a significant predictor of recurrence in multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 5.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-16.86; P = .008). Recurrence-free survival was significantly reduced in early stage hMLH1+ (hazard ratio, 7.40; 95% CI, 2.80-21.62; P < .001).

Conclusions

Women with hMLH1+ endometrial cancer have worse prognostic features and recur more frequently, even in patients traditionally considered low risk for recurrence.
A Scoping Review of Technologies and Their Applicability for Exposome-Based Risk Assessment in the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Kuijpers Eelco , van Wel Luuk , Loh Miranda , Galea Karen S , Makris Konstantinos C , Stierum Rob , Fransman Wouter , Pronk Anjoeka
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Oil and gas workers have been shown to be at increased risk of chronic diseases including cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hearing loss, among others. Technological advances may be used to assess the external (e.g. personal sensors, smartphone apps and online platforms, exposure models) and internal exposome (e.g. physiologically based kinetic modeling (PBK), biomonitoring, omics), offering numerous possibilities for chronic disease prevention strategies and risk management measures. The objective of this study was to review the literature on these technologies, by focusing on: (i) evaluating their applicability for exposome research in the oil and gas industry, and (ii) identifying key challenges that may hamper the successful application of such technologies in the oil and gas industry.

Method

A scoping review was conducted by identifying peer-reviewed literature with searches in MEDLINE/PubMed and SciVerse Scopus. Two assessors trained on the search strategy screened retrieved articles on title and abstract. The inclusion criteria used for this review were: application of the aforementioned technologies at a workplace in the oil and gas industry or, application of these technologies for an exposure relevant to the oil and gas industry but in another occupational sector, English language and publication period 2005—end of 2019.

Results

In total, 72 articles were included in this scoping review with most articles focused on omics and bioinformatics (N = 22), followed by biomonitoring and biomarkers (N = 20), external exposure modeling (N = 11), PBK modeling (N = 10), and personal sensors (N = 9). Several studies were identified in the oil and gas industry on the application of PBK models and biomarkers, mainly focusing on workers exposed to benzene. The application of personal sensors, new types of exposure models, and omics technology are still in their infancy with respect to the oil and gas industry. Nevertheless, applications of these technologies in other occupational sectors showed the potential for application in this sector.

Discussion and conclusion

New exposome technologies offer great promise for personal monitoring of workers in the oil and gas industry, but more applied research is needed in collaboration with the industry. Current challenges hindering a successful application of such technologies include (i) the technological readiness of sensors, (ii) the availability of data, (iii) the absence of standardized and validated methods, and (iv) the need for new study designs to study the development of disease during working life.
Characterizing the electrophysiological abnormalities in visually reviewed normal EEGs of drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients
Authors: Varatharajah Yogatheesan , Berry Brent , Joseph Boney , Balzekas Irena , Pal Attia Tal , Kremen Vaclav , Brinkmann Benjamin , Iyer Ravishankar , Worrell Gregory
Published: May 2021

Routine scalp EEG is essential in the clinical diagnosis and management of epilepsy. However, a normal scalp EEG (based on expert visual review) recorded from a patient with epilepsy can cause delays in diagnosis and clinical care delivery. Here, we investigated whether normal EEGs might contain subtle electrophysiological clues of epilepsy. Specifically, we investigated (i) whether there are indicators of abnormal brain electrophysiology in normal EEGs of epilepsy patients, and (ii) whether such abnormalities are modulated by the side of the brain generating seizures in focal epilepsy. We analysed awake scalp EEG recordings of age-matched groups of 144 healthy individuals and 48 individuals with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who had normal scalp EEGs. After preprocessing, using a bipolar montage of eight channels, we extracted the fraction of spectral power in the alpha band (8–13 Hz) relative to a wide band of 0.5–40 Hz within 10-s windows. We analysed the extracted features for (i) the extent to which people with drug-resistant focal epilepsy differed from healthy subjects, and (ii) whether differences within the drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients were related to the hemisphere generating seizures. We then used those differences to classify whether an EEG is likely to have been recorded from a person with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, and if so, the epileptogenic hemisphere. Furthermore, we tested the significance of these differences while controlling for confounders, such as acquisition system, age and medications. We found that the fraction of alpha power is generally reduced (i) in drug-resistant focal epilepsy compared to healthy controls, and (ii) in right-handed drug-resistant focal epilepsy subjects with left hemispheric seizures compared to those with right hemispheric seizures, and that the differences are most prominent in the frontal and temporal regions. The fraction of alpha power yielded area under curve values of 0.83 in distinguishing drug-resistant focal epilepsy from healthy and 0.77 in identifying the epileptic hemisphere in drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients. Furthermore, our results suggest that the differences in alpha power are greater when compared with differences attributable to acquisition system differences, age and medications. Our findings support that EEG-based measures of normal brain function, such as the normalized spectral power of alpha activity, may help identify patients with epilepsy even when an EEG does not contain any epileptiform activity, recorded seizures or other abnormalities. Although alpha abnormalities are unlikely to be disease-specific, we propose that such abnormalities may provide a higher pre-test probability for epilepsy when an individual being screened for epilepsy has a normal EEG on visual assessment.
Utility of echocardiographic right ventricular subcostal strain in critical care
Authors: Bleakley Caroline , de Marvao Antonio , Morosin Marco , Androulakis Emmanouil , Russell Clare , Athayde Andre , Cannata Antonio , Passariello Maurizio , Ledot Stéphane , Singh Suveer , Pepper John , Hill Jonathan , Cowie Martin , Price Susanna
Published: May 2021

Aims

Right ventricular (RV) strain is a known predictor of outcomes in various heart and lung pathologies but has been considered too technically challenging for routine use in critical care. We examined whether RV strain acquired from the subcostal view, frequently more accessible in the critically ill, is an alternative to conventionally derived RV strain in intensive care.

Methods and results

RV strain data were acquired from apical and subcostal views on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in 94 patients (35% female), mean age 50.5 ± 15.2 years, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VVECMO) (44%). RV strain values from the apical (mean ± standard deviation; –20.4 ± 6.7) and subcostal views (–21.1 ± 7) were highly correlated (Pearson’s r –0.89, P < 0.001). RV subcostal strain correlated moderately well with other echocardiography parameters including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (r –0.44, P < 0.001), RV systolic velocity (rho = –0.51, P < 0.001), fractional area change (r –0.66, P < 0.01), and RV outflow tract velocity time integral (r –0.49, P < 0.001). VVECMO was associated with higher RV subcostal strain (non-VVECMO –19.6 ± 6.7 vs. VVECMO –23.2 ± 7, P = 0.01) but not apical RV strain. On univariate analysis, RV subcostal strain was weakly associated with survival at 30 days (R2 = 0.04, P = 0.05, odds ratio =1.08) while apical RV was not (P = 0.16).

Conclusion 

RV subcostal deformation imaging is a reliable surrogate for conventionally derived strain in critical care and may in time prove to be a useful diagnostic marker in this cohort.