bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of ink and paperboard characteristics on flexographic print quality based on print density
Authors: MALMIRCHEGINI KHODADAD , RAHMANI FARSHAD SARKHOSH
Published: November 2019

Flexography is an evolving printing technology that is suitable for printing on coated and uncoated paperboard and board, nonporous substrates including metalized and paperboard foils, and plastic films used especially in the packaging industry. This study evaluated the effect of paperboard and ink characteristics on flexographic print density in paperboard. Three commercial paperboards from different companies were prepared: brown kraft from Thailand, white kraft from Spain, and test liner from Iran. Four samples of process print inks from Iran were used in this investigation. Paperboard properties, such as roughness and water absorption, and ink characteristics, including solids content, PH and particle diameter, were measured. The inks were printed on paperboards using a roll no.15 applicator with a blade metering device, and the print densities were measured. Results showed that solids content, pH, and particle diameter of printing inks influenced print density, while the roughness and water absorption of the three types of paperboard had no significant influence on print density. Results also illustrated that two levels of ink viscosity (25–30 and 50–55 mPa·s) were insignificant to print density.
Significant association of thrombocytopenia with chronic active hepatitis B virus infection in a tertiary care hospital of an intermediate prevalence HBV country
Authors: Merza Muayad A , Taha Sagvan Kareem , Ibrahim Sara Muhsin , Sadeeq Ahmed Tayar , Abdulrahman Mahabad R
Published: November 2019

Thrombocytopenia is a relatively uncommon extra-hepatic manifestation of uncomplicated chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study has two aims: to assess the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB); and to determine the association of certain variables with thrombocytopenia in Duhok province. It is a case control study conducted in Azadi Teaching Hospital during June 2016 - May 2019. Chronic active hepatitis B was defined according to the following parameters: the presence of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood longer than six months, positive or negative HBeAg, HBV-DNA level >2000 IU/ml, elevated ALT, and/or at least moderate histopathological fibrosis. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelet counts below 150,000/μl. The obtained results were analyzed by entering data into Microsoft Excel 2010. A total of 379 CHB patients and 200 cases as control were enrolled in this study. Their mean ages were 33.62 ± 14.48 and 40.72 ± 18.56 for HBV and control cases, respectively. There were 236 (62.27%) males in the HBV patients and 109 (54.50%) males in the control group. Comparing both groups, significant association was found between HBV and younger age, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Chronic active hepatitis B without liver cirrhosis was strongly associated with an increased rate of thrombocytopenia. This finding is paramount as it is statistically significant (P = 0.042). Significant association with younger age and Syrian nationality was found more in CHB patients with thrombocytopenia compared to non-thrombocytopenic. In conclusion, chronic active hepatitis B is strongly associated with thrombocytopenia. As hypersplenism resulting from liver cirrhosis was excluded in our patients, the cause of thrombocytopenia is due to other mechanisms. Therefore, it is important to consider CHB in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with isolated thrombocytopenia. Older age and Syrian nationality were predictors for developing thrombocytopenia in chronic active HBV infection.

Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2019, 5(3): 207-211
Visual outcome after cataract surgery in a tertiary eye hospital of Chittagong district, Bangladesh
Authors: Ferdosh Jannat Ul , Uddin Mezbah , Husain Rajib
Published: November 2019

To evaluate the visual outcome in patients who have had their cataract surgery in a tertiary hospital of Chittagong district in Bangladesh. This is a clinic-based study of consecutive cataract-operated patients who had age-related cataract with vision less than <6/60 before surgery. A total of 228 patients who visited the hospital and met the eligibility criteria were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 62.46± 10.14 years and 134 (58.8%) were female. A total of 456 surgeries were performed on 228 patients. The most common procedure was small incision cataract surgery (SICS) with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, operated in 422(92.5%) eyes. Among cataract-operated eyes, 290 (64%) had presenting vision >6/18 and <6/60 were found in 11 (2.4%) eyes. In most of the cases, visual acuity has improved after best correction as the percentages with the best correction were 402(88%) and 7(1.55%) respectively. Analysis of multiple logistic regression shows that patient’s older age (OR 9.101; 95% CI 3.331, 24.869), gender female (OR 2.374 CI 1.403, 4.017), literacy (OR 1.660; CI 1.009, 2.733) and SICS surgery technique (OR 3.540; CI1.298, 9.659) were significantly associated with poor visual outcome. Overall, this study demonstrates that cataract surgery can restore good visual acuity. However, the visual outcome needs to be improved to meet the WHO standard, and more attention should be directed towards monitoring of outcomes and correction of refractive error after cataract surgery.

Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2019, 5(3): 212-218
A new mechanism controlling conduction in stretched myelinated nerves and a comprehensive nerve conduction model
Authors: Rabbani K Siddique E
Published: November 2019

Analysing published experimental findings this paper revealed that for myelinated nerves the conduction velocity (CV) increases on stretching out of the nerve, which has not been pointed out by anyone before. This apparently contradicts existing concepts since stretching out of a nerve fibre reduces its diameter which is expected to reduce the CV. Besides, the change is reversible and immediate, which cannot be explained with existing knowledge either. In order to explain this anomaly, the present work invoked a new resistance to ion flow between the nerve axon and the extracellular fluid created by interdigitated fingerlike processes of myelin sheaths coming from two sides of a node of Ranvier, analyzing published electron microscopic images. When stretched out, the gaps between the processes increase, decreasing the resistance to ion flow and thereby hastening depolarization, increasing CV in turn. The gaps close immediately on the release of the stretching force because of the pull of the elastic endoneurium, thus retrieving the original CV. To represent this new mechanism, a new resistive element has been added to the existing electrical model of a myelinated nerve, which is being claimed to be the dominant component that determines the conduction delay. Stretching also affects other nerve parameters and this paper developed a mathematical formulation involving all these parameters to show satisfactorily that CV indeed increases with stretching, in which the contribution of the proposed resistance dominates. The paper also proposed an appropriate modification of the representative schematic model commonly used to depict propagation of action potential in a myelinated nerve fibre. The suggested new mechanism and the resistance model is a breakthrough in the explanation of neural conduction and opens up the door for new study as well as for reviewing all previous experiments on myelinated nerves afresh.

Bangladesh Journal of Medical Physics Vol.11 No.1 2018 P 38-56
Simulation of professional training of teachers of physical culture of the New Ukrainian school using innovative technologies
Authors: Savchenko Viсtoria
Published: November 2019

The article discusses the ways of professional training of teachers of physical culture of the New Ukrainian school using innovative technologies in the system of continuous education and experimentally tested the effectiveness of the use of innovative teaching technologies in refresher courses for primary school teachers who teach physical culture.
Fundamentally new conceptual ideas and provisions for the modernization of education require a reorientation of the simulation of the professional training of the teacher of physical culture for the search and development of new, innovative ways of developing the education system, the formation of a truly new pedagogical thinking in the pedagogical environment at all levels of pedagogical activity. It will provide an educational area of mobility, accelerate its renewal, and eliminate the inertia inherent in centrally managed systems. At the same time, in order to prevent the destructive and destructive impact of innovations, it is important to intensify their comprehension, modeling, social selection and accelerate the processes of approbation, verification and selection of pedagogical innovations.
In our study, the professional training of the teacher of physical education in primary education in the system of continuous education is defined as a set of interrelated factors, which subordinates all types and forms of the educational process and corresponds to the purpose of teacher training for pedagogical activities, provides a continuous and consistent influence on the professionalism of teachers, aimed at acquiring them new knowledge, skills and abilities, personal and professional qualities necessary for the successful leadership of the physical education of young people s students. The readiness of teachers of physical culture for professional activity is an integral education, which includes knowledge, skills, professionally meaningful qualities, pedagogical abilities and consists of the following components: motivational, cognitive, operational and reflexive.
It is determined that simulation of the professional training of primary school teachers who teach physical culture at the New Ukrainian School will be effective under the following conditions: ensuring the improvement of the educational process; development of teachers’ competence.
Youths’ cultural leisure activity as a component of the leading foreign countries’ public policy
Authors: Savchenko Nataliia , Dubinka Mykola
Published: November 2019

The article shows the modern scientific approaches towards the grounds of cultural sector mechanism of its development in leading foreign countries. The main government principles and mechanisms of government part in participating to regulate the youths’ cultural policy are defined. The main tendencies and new instruments of
the government policy development in youths’ cultural-leisure activity in highly developed countries are depicted.
The necessity of applying the complex approach in realizing various forms of innovations in leisure sphere is grounded.
Leisure is appreciated as a component of the youths’ cultural policy. The main topics of the leisure sphere are developed in the context of cultural politics of every country. The main tasks of the youths’ policy are the following: 1) to work out and adopt the statute, state and regional programmes, which are the preconditions of youths’ free
growth; 2) to finance the programmes and events aimed at realization of these conditions; 3) to coordinate the government and public institutions and associations, private funds in solving the youths’ cultural leisure-time problems; 4) to encourage (including the grants) government and non-government organisations intended to
give equal start-up chances for all categories of youths to achieve the recreational and spiritual potential of free time.
In addition to that, separate aspects of leisure sphere (educational potential, pedagogical principles, sociology of leisure-time) are the object of different spheres of vital functions of the state. Every state determines its own cultural policy according to the values, tasks and its own cultural advances. The principles of the state policy
in leisure-time sphere develop into the institutional mechanisms of the interaction between the state and society and then realize in the concrete cultural, social and leisure-time initiatives.
The common principles and standpoints adopted and approved by the international community in the cultural sphere are: to work out the possibilities for a citizen to take part in cultural life of the society, cultural growth when the cultural policy becomes a component of general state policy; to preserve and popularize the cultural identity; to develop international cultural communications.
For ourselves and for each other – Politics of embodied religious belonging in the novel We Sinners
Authors: Wallenius-Korkalo Sandra , Valkonen Sanna
Published: November 2019

This article analyses religious belonging in a Christian revivalist community through a reading of Hanna Pylväinen’s novel We Sinners, a fictive history of a Laestadian family in the modern American Midwest. Like many conservative religious groups today, Laestadianism is increasingly affected by secular society’s norms and practices. We claim that the study of everyday religious belonging is essential in order to make sense of the power relations, structures, and dynamics of change within religious groups. The article approaches belonging as a thoroughly embodied state, taking the view that certain kinds of corporeality threaten the cohesion of religious communities while others strengthen it. The politics of belonging in the novel – the practices of inclusion and exclusion – are constructed in, on, and through the regulation of individual bodies. Control over clothing, behaviour, sexuality, movement, and being-in-common produces and governs embodied Laestadian subjectivity, as well as the ways in which belonging is shared.
A guest at the table of the gods: Religion and the origins of academic life
Authors: Jackson Peter
Published: November 2019

Proceeding from the Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the Dignity of Man, this paper is an attempt to survey the historical premises of the academic study of religion, both as a practice of detaching the subject matter of religion from its institutional restrictions, and as a practice of rehearsing certain modalities of thought and action (philosophical as well as religious) flourishing in the ancient world long before Christianity conquered the sphere of public worship in the fourth century. By paying particular attention to themes of suspension and commensality in religious practice and discourse, an attempt is made to reconsider the critical task of the history of religions, famously devised by Bruce Lincoln as a reversal of the orientation of religious discourse.
On the Buddhist roots of contemporary non-religious mindfulness practice: Moving beyond sectarian and essentialist approaches
Authors: Husgafvel Ville
Published: November 2019

Mindfulness-based practice methods are entering the Western cultural mainstream as institutionalised approaches in healthcare, education, and other public spheres. The Buddhist roots of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and comparable mindfulness-based programmes are widely acknowledged, together with the view of their religious and ideological neutrality. However, the cultural and historical roots of these contemporary approaches have received relatively little attention in the study of religion, and the discussion has been centred on Theravāda Buddhist viewpoints or essentialist presentations of ‘classical Buddhism’. In the light of historical and textual analysis it seems unfounded to hold Theravāda tradition as the original context or as some authoritative expression of Buddhist mindfulness, and there are no grounds for holding it as the exclusive Buddhist source of the MBSR programme either. Rather, one-sided Theravāda-based presentations give a limited and oversimplified picture of Buddhist doctrine and practice, and also distort comparisons with contemporary non-religious forms of mindfulness practice. To move beyond the sectarian and essentialist approaches closely related to the ‘world religions paradigm’ in the study of religion, the discussion would benefit from a lineage-based approach, where possible historical continuities and phenomenological similarities between Buddhist mindfulness and contemporary non-religious approaches are examined at the level of particular relevant Buddhist teachers and their lineages of doctrine and practice.
Praying for One Umma: Rhetorical Construction of a Global Islamic Community in the Facebook Prayers of Young Finnish Muslims
Authors: Pauha Teemu
Published: November 2019

In this paper, I demonstrate how a universalising Muslim identity is constructed in the Facebook prayers of young Finnish Muslims. By analysing the rhetorical devices utilized in the prayer updates, I argue that the prayers serve a function similar to the ‘flagging’ of national identity; the prayers portray the Islamic umma as a unified community and seek to diminish possible counter-discourses that emphasise ethnic divisions among Muslims. This study thus supports earlier observations of a novel ‘umma consciousness’ that is on the rise among young generations of Muslims in Europe.
Peace Agreements Through Rituals in Areas of Confrontation in the Viking Age
Authors: Olsson Stefan
Published: November 2019

The aim of this paper is to discuss peace agreements and rituals from the perspective of the history of religions. Hostages, fosterages, intermarriages, and other ritual activities were associated with peacemaking during the Viking Age. These ritual activities will be discussed in relation to a proposed conflict and consensus model on the macro and micro levels, with examples from England and Iceland. The examples include the treaties between the Viking ruler Guthrum and Alfred the Great in the 880s as well as conflicts and agreements in the Landnámabók and the Íslendingabók, in addition to iconography (some archaeological objects) and place names. Through these examples I will present an analysis of peace agreements, or peacemakings, as mutual understandings, as well as power relations within a ritual framework. The agreements in the examples are also seen in relation to other societal activities and forces such as economy, politics, and law. The paper brings together a synthesis of previous research and new readings and interpretations of primary sources.
From Bones to Sacred Artefact
Authors: Arponen Aki Voitto , Maijanen Heli , Immonen Visa
Published: November 2019

The cult of saints and the subsequent interest in relics constituted one of the essential characteristics of medieval Western Christianity. In particular, relics and reliquaries are prime examples of the importance of materiality in devotion. In the present article we analyse one of the medieval skull relics of Turku Cathedral and its material characteristics in detail. Previous examinations undertaken in the 1920s and 1940s produced two theories of its origins and identification. By analysing the bone material and the narrative depiction of martyrdom embroidered on the silk wrapping, State Archaeologist Juhani Rinne connected the relic to St Henry, the patron saint of Finland and the cathedral, while State Archaeologist Carl Axel Nordman identified it as belonging to St Eric, the patron saint of the Kingdom of Sweden. By re-examining the central element of the skull relic, the bones, with osteological analysis and radiocarbon dating, we show both theories to be highly problematic. Our analysis reveals the complex material features of the skull relic and the medieval cult of relics.
Religion, Ethnicity, and Race in Finnish Legal Cases on Insults Against Religion
Authors: Äystö Tuomas
Published: November 2019

This article scrutinizes the Finnish religious insults and the related legal practice during the 21st century. It examines how the Office of the Prosecutor General, the courts, as well as the defendants construct the category of religion – i.e. that, which is a target of a special protection – and how the discourses on ethnicity and race play a part in that process. It is found, that ways in which the defendants construct the targeted groups with terms considered to be about religion, ethnicity or race affects the ways the officials construct these groups. This includes the practical abolishment of the formal category of religion, found in the letter of law, in favour of the popular one.  Furthermore, it is argued, that while being part of the established religion discourse improves the chances for benefitting from the religious insult legislation, the said law, applied quite inconsistently, is found to be relatively ineffective avenue for groups seeking justice amid speech or actions considered to be religiously offending. More generally, the article demonstrates that the discursive study of religion can benefit from a perspective where empirically nearby categories (such as ethnicity and race) are incorporated into the analysis.
The Dagda, Thor and ATU 1148B
Authors: Shaw John
Published: November 2019

Since ancient times celestial thunder gods have been a familiar feature in mythologies throughout the Indo-European language area. Their Irish counterpart, the Dagda, is a major personage at the centre of the Mythological Cycle, and his possible connections to the Scandinavian god Thor are examined here. Following a brief section dealing with questions of methodology, points of comparison are addressed which include the two gods’ common primary role as defenders of their realm; their place in the assembly of gods; their principal weapons and implements (iron club/hammer/harp, cauldron); their associations with cosmology and artisans; and their visits to the abode of their monstrous adversaries, incorporating elements of the burlesque. Both gods appear in versions of the international tale ATU 1148B ‘The Thunder Instrument’ (Thor in the Old Norse poem Þrymskviða, and the Dagda’s recovery of his harp from the Irish Mythological Cycle), and the nature of the parallels between the two versions is examined. The question of a borrowing during the Viking era, or of an inherited body of tradition possibly from Indo-European times, is discussed: the international tale type also leads to the myth, at a further temporal and geographical remove, of the Greek god Zeus and the theft of his thunderbolts. A proposed sequential account of the development and evolution of both gods from remote antiquity is provided.
PENGARUH STRATEGI POW+TREE TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN MENULIS PARAGRAF
Authors: Dina Hidayatul
Published: November 2019

POW+TREE Strategy helps students write and develop ideas easily. However, not all of the students were able to write text types. The objective of this research to find out whether there is a significant effect of POW+TREE Strategy towards students’ writing ability of the students at SDN 169  Pekanbaru.  This research was experimental research which had two classes experimental class and control class. This research focused on writing the next paragraph. The researcher applied the POW+TREE Strategy in the experimental class. While in control class the researcher did not apply the strategy. Further, the researchers gave two tests for the students, pre and post-test. Then, the researchers gave pretest before giving the treatment. And then, the researchers gave post-test after applied the treatment in the experimental class. The result of students’ score in the control class was, the researchers got a mean score of pre-test was 46.17. While, in post-test, the researcher got a mean score was 60.67. However, the researcher got the students’ mean score in the experimental class was 49.5. After the researchers applied the POW+TREE Strategy, the mean score of students become 65.50. Thus, there was an increase in students score after using the strategy. Based on the researchers’ analysis by using SPSS 22.0 program by using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, the researchers got a significant test was 0.05. it was same as the standard significant.  In brief, there was a significant effect of POW+TREE Strategy towards students’ writing ability of the students at SDN 169 Pekanbaru.
The Use of Porous Nickel Titanium Implants in Anterior Spinal Fusion of the Lumbar Spine
Authors: Sabyraliev M. , Sulaimanov Zh.
Published: November 2019

Back pain affects approximately 80% of the adult population. In the structure of the nervous system morbidity, cases of osteochondrosis account for up to 68%, reaching 72% of the days of temporary disability in the outpatient network and 48% in hospitals. Since 2004, surgical interventions using porous nickel titanium have been performed in the Department of Spinal Pathology in 43 patients with degenerative lesions of the lumbar spine. Of these, 23 were men and 20 women. At the age of 20 to 65 years (average age 46.1 years). In the postoperative period, a significant regression of pain intensity in the lumbar region and lower extremities was determined in 8 (18.6%) patients, and the complete disappearance of pain was determined in the remaining 35 (81.4%) patients. Before surgery, the Oswestry index averaged 48.3%, after surgery 13.4%.
Immunogenetic Indicators as Markers of Aggressive Flow and Efficiency of Basic Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis in Children
Authors: Saatova G. , Maimerova G. , Ganieva A.
Published: November 2019

The immunological and immunogenetic features of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the Kyrgyz population are studied for the first time. The study was conducted in 30 healthy children and 67 patients aged 3 to 16 years. The method of rosette formation was used. Associative links were established in the systemic form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with histocompatibility antigens in the HLA Cw5, B12 system, and the B15, A2, A9 antigens with high activity of the process, early development of bone and cartilage destruction and functional impairments. In the first 6 months of disease, it recommended the appointment of an aggressive baseline therapy.
Studi Diagnostik Tingkat Penerapan Kultur Teknis Kelapa Sawit Dalam Upaya Peningkatan Kesejahteraan Pekebun Sawit Swadaya: Studi Kasus Kabupaten Padang Lawas Utara
Authors: Sani Nasution Zulfi Prima
Published: November 2019

In line with the growth of independent smallholders, efforts to increase their productivity and sustainability are now a concern for policymakers. The main obstacle faced by independent smallholders is the low yield, as experienced by independent smallholders in North Padang Lawas District, North Sumatra. This study aimed to determine the current conditions of oil palm cultivation practices and develop policy recommendations to increase oil palm yield in North Padang Lawas District. The study was carried out through surveys and in-depth interviews involving 40 independent smallholders spread across the sub-district of Padang Bolak, Portibi, Halongonan, and Halongonan Timur. The results showed that lack of knowledge about oil palm legitimate seeds and standard practices of oil palm cultivation had caused the actual yield was only half of the potential yield of land suitability S3, especially for independent smallholders in the sub-district of Padang Bolak, Portibi, and Halongonan Timur. In addition, the process of selling fresh fruit bunches (FFB) that were not managed through farmer organizations (groups or cooperatives) caused a long chain of FFB marketing, thereby reducing the smallholder's income. Limited access to finance from banks burdened smallholders in implementing standard practices of oil palm cultivation, especially fertilization. Strengthening the role of local governments, banks and plantation companies are expected to change the mindset of smallholders regarding the importance of using legitimate oil palm seeds, adopting the best practices of oil palm cultivation, opening access to finance, and strengthening smallholders institutions so that the welfare and sustainability of independent smallholders in North Padang Lawas District can be realized soon.
Pet Food Quality Assurance and Safety and Quality Assurance Survey within the Costa Rican Pet Food Industry
Authors: Leiva Astrid , Molina Andrea , Redondo-Solano Mauricio , Artavia Graciela , Rojas-Bogantes Lizeth , Granados-Chinchilla Fabio
Published: November 2019

Costa Rican animal feed production is continually growing, with approximately 1,238,243 metric tons produced in 2018. Production-wise, pet cat and dog food are in fifth place (about 41,635 metric tons per year) amongst animal feeds, and it supplies up to 90% of the national market. Pet food production has increased as a response to the increase in the population of dogs and cats in Costa Rica, where 50.5% of households own at least one dog and indicates more responsible ownership in terms of feeding pets. Part of the process of making dry pet food involves a thermal process called extrusion, which is capable of eliminating the microbial load. However, extrusion can compromise nutritional quality to some extent by denaturing proteins, oxidizing lipids, and reducing digestibility. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and safety of dry pet food and to assess the effect of the extrusion process on digestibility and the quality of proteins, amino acids, and fatty acids. Pet food samples were collected before and after extrusion and were used to evaluate Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), based on Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA 65.05.63:11). In general terms, weaknesses in infrastructure, documentary evidence, and post-process practices were observed in two Costa Rican feed manufactories. Feed safety was surveyed through the analysis of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria spp., Staphylococcus aureus, aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, fungi, and yeasts counts. The extrusion process effectively reduced pathogenic microorganisms, and showed no effect on the digestibility of dog food (p = 0.347), however, it could reduce the availability of some nutrients (e.g., amino acids, fatty acids). Furthermore, a retrospective diagnosis was made for puppy food (n = 68), dog food (n = 158), and cat food (n = 25), to evaluate the history of nutritional quality and safety. Finally, it can be confirmed that the correct implementation of GMP allows feed manufacturers to deliver a product of optimum texture, smell, nutritional composition, and safety.
Power Quality Disturbance Recognition Using VMD-Based Feature Extraction and Heuristic Feature Selection
Authors: Fu Lei , Zhu Tiantian , Pan Guobing , Chen Sihan , Zhong Qi , Wei Yanding
Published: November 2019

Power quality disturbances (PQDs) have a large negative impact on electric power systems with the increasing use of sensitive electrical loads. This paper presents a novel hybrid algorithm for PQD detection and classification. The proposed method is constructed while using the following main steps: computer simulation of PQD signals, signal decomposition, feature extraction, heuristic selection of feature selection, and classification. First, different types of PQD signals are generated by computer simulation. Second, variational mode decomposition (VMD) is used to decompose the signals into several instinct mode functions (IMFs). Third, the statistical features are calculated in the time series for each IMF. Next, a two-stage feature selection method is imported to eliminate the redundant features by utilizing permutation entropy and the Fisher score algorithm. Finally, the selected feature vectors are fed into a multiclass support vector machine (SVM) model to classify the PQDs. Several experimental investigations are performed to verify the performance and effectiveness of the proposed method in a noisy environment. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the start and end points of the PQD can be efficiently detected.
Systematic Method for Morphological Reconstruction of the Semicircular Canals Using a Fully Automatic Skeletonization Process
Authors: Cortés-Domínguez Iván , Fernández-Seara María A. , Pérez-Fernández Nicolás , Burguete Javier
Published: November 2019

We present a novel method to characterize the morphology of semicircular canals of the inner ear. Previous experimental works have a common nexus, the human-operator subjectivity. Although these methods are mostly automatic, they rely on a human decision to determine some particular anatomical positions. We implement a systematic analysis where there is no human subjectivity. Our approach is based on a specific magnetic resonance study done in a group of 20 volunteers. From the raw data, the proposed method defines the centerline of all three semicircular canals through a skeletonization process and computes the angle of the functional pair and other geometrical parameters. This approach allows us to assess the inter-operator effect on other methods. From our results, we conclude that, although an average geometry can be defined, the inner ear anatomy cannot be reduced to a single geometry as seen in previous experimental works. We observed a relevant variability of the geometrical parameters in our cohort of volunteers that hinders this usual simplification.
Exploring Appropriation as a Creative Practice
Authors: Sowden Tom
Published: November 2019

During the 1960s and 1970s, Ed Ruscha produced a series of 16 small, self-published books that became a catalyst for how artists could approach the book form. This reputation has grown through the subsequent decades, and his influence on book artists remains strong to this day to the extent that his books have been, and continue to be, appropriated across the world by successive generations of artists. Writing from a practitioner perspective, I will begin by looking at how Ruscha has become so influential to generations of book artists. I will look at what influenced him, and how he may possibly have appropriated the work of others. I will then focus in on the community of book artists who reference Ruscha’s books in their practice. The research of Ruscha’s books is embodied in each of these individual outcomes, but I will show that it is through the collective act and the bringing together of all of these books, through the community, that the work/s gain currency, strengthening both the Ruscha books and those that have come after.
Polarization Weather Radar Development from 1970–1995: Personal Reflections
Authors: Bringi Viswanathan , Zrnic Dusan
Published: November 2019

The modern era of polarimetric radar begins with radiowave propagation research starting in the early 1970s with applications to measurement and modeling of wave attenuation in rain and depolarization due to ice particles along satellite–earth links. While there is a rich history of radar in meteorology after World War II, the impetus provided by radiowave propagation requirements led to high-quality antennas and feeds. Our journey starts by describing the key institutions and personnel responsible for development of weather radar polarimetry. The early period was dominated by circularly polarized radars for propagation research and at S band (frequency near 3 GHz) for hail detection. By the mid to late 70s, a paradigm shift occurred which led to the dominance of linear polarizations with applications to slant path attenuation prediction as well as estimation of rain rates and inferences of precipitation physics. The period from the early 1980s to 1995 can be considered as the “golden” period of rapid research that brought in meteorologists, cloud physicists, and hydrologists. This article describes the evolution of this technology from the vantage point of the authors. Their personal reflections and “behind the scenes” descriptions offer a glimpse into the inner workings at several key institutions which cannot be found elsewhere.
Global Analysis and the Periodic Character of a Class of Difference Equations
Authors: Chatzarakis George E. , Elabbasy Elmetwally M. , Moaaz Osama , Mahjoub Hamida
Published: November 2019

In biology, difference equations is often used to understand and describe life phenomenon through mathematical models. So, in this work, we study a new class of difference equations by focusing on the periodicity character, stability (local and global) and boundedness of its solutions. Furthermore, this equation involves a May’s Host Parasitoid Model, as a special case.
Truncated Prosequence of Rhizopus oryzae Lipase: Key Factor for Production Improvement and Biocatalyst Stability
Authors: López-Fernández Josu , Barrero Juan J. , Benaiges M. Dolors , Valero Francisco
Published: November 2019

Recombinant Rhizopus oryzae lipase (mature sequence, rROL) was modified by adding to its N-terminal 28 additional amino acids from the C-terminal of the prosequence (proROL) to obtain a biocatalyst more suitable for the biodiesel industry. Both enzymes were expressed in Pichia pastoris and compared in terms of production bioprocess parameters, biochemical properties, and stability. Growth kinetics, production, and yields were better for proROL harboring strain than rROL one in batch cultures. When different fed-batch strategies were applied, lipase production and volumetric productivity of proROL-strain were always higher (5.4 and 4.4-fold, respectively) in the best case. rROL and proROL enzymatic activity was dependent on ionic strength and peaked in 200 mM Tris-HCl buffer. The optimum temperature and pH for rROL were influenced by ionic strength, but those for proROL were not. The presence of these amino acids altered lipase substrate specificity and increased proROL stability when different temperature, pH, and methanol/ethanol concentrations were employed. The 28 amino acids were found to be preferably removed by proteases, leading to the transformation of proROL into rROL. Nevertheless, the truncated prosequence enhanced Rhizopus oryzae lipase heterologous production and stability, making it more appropriate as industrial biocatalyst.
Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange Azo Dye with Simultaneous Hydrogen Production Using Ru-Modified ZnO Photocatalyst
Authors: Vaiano Vincenzo , Iervolino Giuseppina
Published: November 2019

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the photocatalytic process in the Methyl Orange azo dye degradation and simultaneous H2 production by using ZnO doped with ruthenium. Ru-modified ZnO photocatalysts were prepared by precipitation method and were characterized by different techniques (XRF, Raman, XRD, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, and UV–vis DRS). The experiments were carried out in a pyrex cylindrical reactor equipped with a nitrogen distributor device and irradiated by four UV lamps with the main wavelength emission at 365 nm. Different Ru amounts (from 0.10 to 0.50 mol%) were tested in order to establish the optimal amount of the metal to be used for the ZnO doping. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated both in terms of Methyl Orange removal and hydrogen production. The experimental results showed that the best activity, both in terms of H2 production and Methyl Orange degradation, was obtained with the Ru-modified ZnO photocatalyst at 0.25 mol% Ru loading. In particular, after four hours of UV irradiation time, the discoloration and mineralization degree were equal to 83% and 78%, with a simultaneous hydrogen production of 1216 µmol L−1. This result demonstrates the ability of the photocatalytic process to valorize a dye present in wastewater, managing to obtain a hydrogen production comparable with the data present in the literature today in the presence of other sacrificial substances.
A 1.8 V 18.13 MHz Inverter-Based On-Chip RC Oscillator with Flicker Noise Suppression Using Logic Transition Voltage Feedback
Authors: Ko Junsoo , Lee Minjae
Published: November 2019

An inverter-based on-chip resistor capacitor (RC) oscillator with logic transition voltage (LTV) tracking feedback for circuit delay compensation is presented. In order to achieve good frequency stability, the proposed technique considers the entire inverter chain as a comparator block and changes the LTV to control the oscillation frequency. Furthermore, the negative feedback structure also reduces low-frequency offset phase noise. With a 1.8 V supply and at room temperature, the suggested oscillator operates at 18.13 MHz, consuming 245.7 μ W. Compared to the free-running case, the proposed technique reduces phase noise by 7.7 dB and 5.45 dB at 100 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. The measured phase noise values are −60.09 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz with a figure of merit (FOM) of 151.35 dB/Hz, and −106.27 dBc/Hz at 100 KHz with an FOM of 157.53 dBc/Hz. The proposed oscillator occupies 0.056 mm2 in a standard 0.18 μ m CMOS process.
Circularly Polarized Array with Enhanced Isolation Using Magnetic Metamaterials
Authors: Li Bo , Yang Chun , Yang Zhanping , Shi Junwei , Li Jianxing , Zhang Anxue
Published: November 2019

This article proposes a 2 × 2 circularly polarized array with enhanced isolation that could be used in the adaptive anti-jamming system for China’s Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and a compact dual-band microstrip antenna for GPS and GLONASS is designed at the center part of the array for multiple modes operation. The substrate integrated split ring resonators with negative effective permeability are used as the magnetic metamaterials. Four groups of the magnetic metamaterials are placed between the BDS antenna elements, which could constrain the EM filed in the area of the active element, and then significantly reduce the mutual coupling among the elements. The results tell that the isolation among the BDS elements are improved by more than 10 dB, and the performance of radiation patterns and the axial ratio of each BDS elements are also apparently improved compared to the array without magnetic metamaterials.
Effect of Soil Fauna on Home-Field Advantages of Litter Mass Loss and Nutrient Release in Different Temperate Broad-Leaved Forests
Authors: Li Xiaoqiang , Dong Weihua , Song Yang , Wang Weijie , Zhan Weiluan
Published: November 2019

The home-field advantage (HFA) of litter decomposition dynamics has been investigated intensively in different ecosystems with a wide variety of plant types. HFA mainly occurs due to the specialization of a soil organism. However, for the HFA, the linkages between litter mass loss, nutrient release, and soil faunal community are not fully understood. Thus, in this study, we performed a reciprocal litter transplant experiment using coarse and fine mesh litterbags in a Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb. forest dominated by Q. mongolica (QM) and Acer pseudosieboldianum (Pax) Komarov (AP) and miscellaneous wood forests dominated by Juglans mandshurica Maxim. (JM) and Ulmus laciniata (Trautv.) Mayr. (UL). Results showed that the A. pseudosieboldianum litter displayed a significantly higher total abundance of Oribatida, Tomoceridae, and Entomobryidae at home than away from home after 7 months. However, all litters showed no significant difference in the HFA between the coarse mesh and fine mesh sizes during the 12-month experiment. A. pseudosieboldianum and J. mandshurica litters showed a significantly higher positive HFA for the C release in the coarse mesh than in the fine mesh litterbags after 7 months. Q. mongolica and J. mandshurica litters showed a significantly higher positive HFA for N release in the coarse mesh than in the fine mesh litterbags after 7 months. The A. pseudosieboldianum litter showed a significantly higher positive HFA for N release in the coarse mesh than in the fine mesh litterbags after 12 months. Q. mongolica and A. pseudosieboldianum litters showed a significantly higher positive HFA for S release in the coarse mesh than in the fine mesh litterbags after 7 and 12 months, respectively. However, A. pseudosieboldianum and Q. mongolica litters showed a significantly higher negative HFA for S release in the coarse mesh than in the fine mesh litterbags after 7 and 12 months, respectively. Our results illustrated that soil faunal specialization was found in the A. pseudosieboldianum litter only at home after 7 months. Soil fauna had a weak effect on the HFA of the litter mass losses during the 12-month experiment. Soil fauna drove the positive HFA for the N release of both the high- and low-quality litters. Soil fauna have a positive and negative HFA for S release in the low-quality litter.
Cell-Specific DNA Methylation Signatures in Asthma
Authors: Hudon Thibeault Andrée-Anne , Laprise Catherine
Published: November 2019

Asthma is a complex trait, often associated with atopy. The genetic contribution has been evidenced by familial occurrence. Genome-wide association studies allowed for associating numerous genes with asthma, as well as identifying new loci that have a minor contribution to its phenotype. Considering the role of environmental exposure on asthma development, an increasing amount of literature has been published on epigenetic modifications associated with this pathology and especially on DNA methylation, in an attempt to better understand its missing heritability. These studies have been conducted in different tissues, but mainly in blood or its peripheral mononuclear cells. However, there is growing evidence that epigenetic changes that occur in one cell type cannot be directly translated into another one. In this review, we compare alterations in DNA methylation from different cells of the immune system and of the respiratory tract. The cell types in which data are obtained influences the global status of alteration of DNA methylation in asthmatic individuals compared to control (an increased or a decreased DNA methylation). Given that several genes were cell-type-specific, there is a great need for comparative studies on DNA methylation from different cells, but from the same individuals in order to better understand the role of epigenetics in asthma pathophysiology.
Calcium Phosphate Bions Cause Intimal Hyperplasia in Intact Aortas of Normolipidemic Rats through Endothelial Injury
Authors: Shishkova Daria , Velikanova Elena , Sinitsky Maxim , Tsepokina Anna , Gruzdeva Olga , Bogdanov Leo , Kutikhin Anton
Published: November 2019

Calcium phosphate bions (CPBs) are formed under blood supersaturation with calcium and phosphate owing to the mineral chaperone fetuin-A and representing mineralo-organic particles consisting of bioapatite and multiple serum proteins. While protecting the arteries from a rapid medial calcification, CPBs cause endothelial injury and aggravate intimal hyperplasia in balloon-injured rat aortas. Here, we asked whether CPBs induce intimal hyperplasia in intact rat arteries in the absence of cardiovascular risk factors. Normolipidemic Wistar rats were subjected to regular (once/thrice per week over 5 weeks) tail vein injections of either spherical (CPB-S) or needle-shaped CPBs (CPB-N), magnesium phosphate bions (MPBs), or physiological saline (n = 5 per group). Neointima was revealed in 3/10 and 4/10 rats which received CPB-S or CPB-N, respectively, regardless of the injection regimen or blood flow pattern in the aortic segments. In contrast, none of the rats treated with MPBs or physiological saline had intimal hyperplasia. The animals also did not display signs of liver or spleen injury as well as extraskeletal calcium deposits. Serum alanine/aspartate transaminases, interleukin-1β, MCP-1/CCL2, C-reactive protein, and ceruloplasmin levels did not differ among the groups. Hence, CPBs may provoke intimal hyperplasia via direct endothelial injury regardless of their shape or type of blood flow.
Melanoma and Vitiligo: In Good Company
Authors: Failla Cristina Maria , Carbone Maria Luigia , Fortes Cristina , Pagnanelli Gianluca , D’Atri Stefania
Published: November 2019

Cutaneous melanoma represents the most aggressive form of skin cancer, whereas vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that leads to progressive destruction of skin melanocytes. However, vitiligo has been associated with cutaneous melanoma since the 1970s. Most of the antigens recognized by the immune system are expressed by both melanoma cells and normal melanocytes, explaining why the autoimmune response against melanocytes that led to vitiligo could be also present in melanoma patients. Leukoderma has been also observed as a side effect of melanoma immunotherapy and has always been associated with a favorable prognosis. In this review, we discuss several characteristics of the immune system responses shared by melanoma and vitiligo patients, as well as the significance of occurrence of leukoderma during immunotherapy, with special attention to check-point inhibitors.