bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parenting children with intellectual disability: linking maternal insightfulness to sensitivity
Authors: Feniger‐Schaal R. , Oppenheim D. , Koren‐Karie N.
Published: March 2019

Background

This study examined mothers' representation of their children's inner world – maternal insightfulness – and its link to sensitive maternal behaviour. We aimed to understand some of the parental processes that underlie parenting children with intellectual disability (ID).

Methods

The sample included 38 mothers and their children with non‐specific ID aged 2.5 to 5.5 years. Children had developmental quotient scores of M = 56.29, SD = 9.65 and adaptive behaviour scores of M = 60.72, SD = 10.43. We hypothesised that mothers who were insightful show more sensitive behaviour when interacting with their children than non‐insightful mothers do. Maternal insightfulness was assessed using the insightfulness interview, and maternal sensitive behaviour during mother–child interaction was assessed using the emotional availability observation scales.

Results

Forty‐one per cent of the mothers showed positive insightfulness regarding their children's inner world. These mothers showed higher levels of sensitive behaviour than did the non‐insightful mothers. The insightfulness–sensitivity link was not associated with any of the mothers' or the children's characteristics, including the level of developmental quotient, suggesting that these parental constructs are not simply a reflection of the level of the children's developmental delay.

Conclusions

Better understanding of the mechanism of parenthood, including the insightfulness–sensitivity link, may help personalise the support provided to parents of children with ID. The associations between maternal insightfulness and sensitivity imply that promoting maternal insightfulness may enhance mothers' sensitivity towards their children.
Science as Dissent: The Practical Value of Basic and Applied Science
Authors: Crandall Christian S.
Published: March 2019

Threats to democracy loom around the world, but scientists of all kinds can resist. I begin by describing two practical opportunities offered at the 2017 Presidential Address in Albuquerque, NM, and quickly turn to the close connection between science and democracy. Science and education promote both scientific and democratic values by building the infrastructure of democracy. Science and democracy coevolved, rely on, and mutually benefit each other, and are part of the fabric of civil institutions, which provide support for democracy. By being an often independent, nonpartisan, and methodologically constrained process for generating knowledge, science is a form of dissent. I offer a source list of over 200 nonviolent ways to help promote and preserve democracy. Indispensably, conducting science and teaching citizenship are critical ways to promote democracy, enhance participation, and develop dissent.
Inhibitory effects of essential oils from Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum on Colletotrichum musae: The causal agent of bananas anthracnose
Authors: Madjouko Mireille Agathe , Tchameni Séverin Nguemezi , Tchinda Eliane Sonwa , Dongmo Jazet Pierre Michel , Kamsu Pamela Noumegna , Medzue Souop Kamga Vicky Arlette , Sameza Modeste Lambert , Tchoumbougnang Francois , Menut Chantal
Published: March 2019

This study aimed to investigate the fungicidal effects of essential oils (EO) from Ocimum sp. on Colletotrichum musae. The fungus was isolated from bananas that showed typical symptoms of anthracnose followed by molecular identification. Oils were obtained by hydro‐distillation, and the chemical constituents were analysed using gas chromatography. The antifungal activity of the oils was tested in vitro against mycelia growth and conidia germination. In situ tests were carried out by spraying the oil on healthy bananas followed by the inoculation with C. musae conidia and the assessment of the necrosis symptoms. The obtained results revealed that the yield of the oil extracted from Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum were 0.17% and 0.40%, respectively. Thujanol (24.38%), eugenol (23.78%) and (Z)‐ß‐ocimene (16.59%) were the main components found in O. basilicum while thymol (42.65%), trans‐sabinene hydrate (21.63%) and limonene (8.68%) were the major components found in O. gratissimum. The total reduction in the C. musae mycelial growth was observed at 800 and 275 µl/L, for the O. basilicum and O. gratissimum oils, respectively. These oils also inhibited completely the conidia germination at 400 and 185 µl/L. In situ tests showed the necrosis reduction bananas anthracnose. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for the preventive and curative test after the application of O. basilicum oil was 6,000 and 4,000 µl/L, respectively, whereas for the O. gratissimum oil, the MIC was 3,000 and 1,000 µl/L, jointly. Positive correlations were identified between the oil concentration and the reduction in bananas necrosis. These results indicated that the O. gratissimum EOs might be used as a biocide for the control of bananas anthracnose disease.
A cluster analysis of the relationship between sucking habits, consistency of food ingested, and taste sensitivity in children
Authors: Marquezin Maria Carolina S. , Araujo Darlle S. , Amato Juliana N. , de S. Barbosa Taís , Fonseca Fernando L. A. , Gavião Maria B. D. , Castelo Paula Midori
Published: March 2019

As sucking habits and eating behavior may be interrelated and also associated with taste, body composition, and sociodemographic factors, the objective was to perform an exploratory analysis to identify groups of children with a high degree of association between intragroup subjects, providing explanation and interpretation of the data. The study initially included 352 prepubertal children (197 girls; 7‐ to 11‐year‐old), from whom information about sociodemographic characteristics, duration of breastfeeding, past bottle‐feeding and non‐nutritive sucking habits, taste sensitivity, body mass index (BMI), and consistency of food ingested were collected. Salivary concentrations of amylase and total protein were also determined. Data were submitted to cluster analysis (hierarchical analysis, K‐means, and silhouette plot), one‐way ANOVA and correlation tests. Cluster analysis included 159 children, generating three reliable and meaningful clusters: Cluster 1 (labeled “good tasters”), was characterized by older children and higher taste sensitivity; Cluster 2 (“softer food consistency”) by longer bottle‐feeding duration and children who eat food with lower consistency, and Cluster 3 (“breastfed”) by longer breastfeeding duration (silhouette coefficient = 0.61). Cluster 3 also showed the higher percentage of normal‐weight children, normal delivery, maternal schooling, and lower rate of past non‐nutritional sucking habit. No correlation was found between salivary amylase and total protein concentrations, taste sensitivity and BMI, although taste sensitivity showed to be higher among girls (p = 0.002; power = 88%). The study identified three clusters, highlighting the relationship between nutritional sucking habits, consistency of food ingested, and sociodemographic characteristics. Most importantly, a close relation between bottle‐feeding and consumption of soft food consistency was observed.
Careers within Firms: Occupational Mobility Over the Lifecycle
Authors: Forsythe Eliza
Published: March 2019

With falling labor market dynamism in the United States, opportunities within firms take on increasing importance in young workers’ career progression. Developing a variety of occupational ranking metrics, I show that occupational mobility within firms follows a standard lifecycle pattern in which the frequency, distance, and wage return from mobility fall with age. However, when upward and downward mobility are considered separately, the distance of moves increases over the lifecycle. Thus, while young workers make the smallest distance occupational moves up and down, they have the largest wage gains and losses associated with these moves. I find that wage growth for young workers deteriorated substantially in the first decade of the 2000s, primarily driven by a reduction in wage growth within firms, whereas mid‐career workers have experienced no such change. I argue this is most likely driven by the dramatic fall in employer‐to‐employer mobility for young workers since the early 2000s. Encouragingly, wage growth has improved markedly for young workers since 2012.
A hybrid model for estimation of ground movements due to mechanized tunnel excavation
Authors: Zhao Chenyang , Hölter Raoul , König Markus , Alimardani Lavasan Arash
Published: March 2019

To provide realistic predictions of mechanized tunnel excavation‐induced ground movements, this research develops an innovative simulation technique called hybrid modeling that combines a detailed process‐oriented finite element (FE) simulation (submodel) with the computational efficiency of metamodel (or surrogate model). This hybrid modeling approach has three levels. In Level 1, a small scale submodel is cut out from the global model and the continuous simulations are conducted in this submodel. Level 2 deals with identification of uncertain soil parameters based on the measurements (e.g., surface settlements) during tunnel excavation. In Level 3, the tunneling process parameters (e.g., grouting pressure) can be optimized to control tunneling‐induced ground movements or building deformations according to the design criterion. The proposed hybrid modeling approach is validated via a 3D numerical simulation of mechanized tunnel excavation. The results show the capability of the proposed approach to provide reliable model responses in the near field around the tunnel with reduced computational costs.
Spectrum of biopsy‐proven renal disease in northern India: A single‐centre study
Authors: Mittal Parmod , Agarwal Sanjay K , Singh Geetika , Bhowmik Dipankar , Mahajan Sandeep , Dinda Amit , Bagchi Soumita
Published: March 2019

Aim

Pattern of kidney diseases varies across geographies due to multiple factors. There is a paucity of information from South Asia due to the absence of nationwide/regional biopsy registries. This study aimed to delineate the spectrum of renal parenchymal diseases in our region.

Methods

Records of kidney biopsies done in our nephrology department between 2006 and 2016 were analysed. Clinico‐pathological correlation was done from the available records.

Results

Of the 3275 biopsy evaluated, 61.9% were males, and mean age was 33.2 ± 14.2 years. 6.2% patients were elderly (age ≥ 60 years). Nephrotic syndrome (60.3%) was the commonest indication for biopsy. On histology, 73.0% patients had primary glomerulonephritis (GN), 15.5% secondary GN, 5.3% tubulo‐interstitial and 3.7% vascular disease. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was the commonest primary GN accounting for 18.2% of all GNs, followed by minimal change disease (16.8%), membranous nephropathy (MN) (16.0%) and IgA nephropathy (10.4%). Lupus nephritis (10.6%) and amyloidosis (3.7%) were the commonest secondary GN. The commonest cause of nephrotic syndrome was minimal change disease (22.9%), acute nephritic syndrome was lupus nephritis (30.6%), rapidly progressive renal failure was pauci‐immune crescentic GN (24.5%). IgA nephropathy was the commonest etiology of asymptomatic urinary abnormalities (26.3%) and gross haematuria (50%). About 60.9% patients of undetermined chronic kidney disease had glomerular diseases, and 13.6% had chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis. Lupus nephritis and acute cortical necrosis were significantly more common in females compared with males.

Conclusion

This is one of the largest cohorts of kidney biopsies from India, and it delineates the unique features and differences in the pattern of kidney disease in our population.
Applicability of laboratory deficit‐based frailty index in predominantly older patients with end‐stage renal disease under chronic dialysis: A pilot test of its correlation with survival and self‐reported instruments
Authors: Chao Chia‐Ter , Huang Jenq‐Wen , Chiang Chih‐Kang , Hung Kuan‐Yu ,   COhort of GEriatric Nephrology in NTUH (COGENT) Study Group
Published: March 2019

Aim

Laboratory deficit‐based frailty index (LFI) exhibited outcome‐prediction ability in the elderly, but not in those with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). We hypothesized that LFI results might have outcome correlation and correlate closely with other instruments in ESRD patients.

Methods

We prospectively enroled ESRD patients between 2014 and 2015 and administered self‐report frailty instruments (Strawbridge questionnaire, Edmonton frail scale (EFS), Groningen frailty indicator (GFI), Tilburg frailty indicator, G8 questionnaire and FRAIL scale), and Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) scale, with two types of LFI calculated. They were followed up until June 30, 2017. Correlations between the results of six instruments, CHS scale, and those of LFI were identified, followed by Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and logistic regression analyses to compare those with high and low LFI.

Results

The frailty prevalence was 33.3% (CHS), 78.8% Strawbridge questionnaire, 45.5% (EFS), 57.6% (GFI), 27.3% (Tilburg frailty indicator), 84.8% (G8) and 18.2% (FRAIL) among ESRD participants. LFI‐1 results were significantly correlated with those of LFI‐2 (P < 0.01), EFS (P = 0.04) and GFI (P < 0.01), while LFI‐2 results were not. Those with CHS or GFI‐identified frailty had significantly lower 1,25‐(OH)2‐D levels than those without. After 32.3 ± 5.4 months, patients with high LFI‐1 scores, but not LFI‐2, had a significantly higher mortality than those with lower scores. GFI and EFS scores were also independently associated with LFI‐1, while CHS scores exhibited borderline association only.

Conclusion

Among a group of predominantly older ESRD patients, LFI differentiates patients with good and poor outcomes, supporting its applicability in these patients.
Modified Xiaoyaosan reverses aberrant brain regional homogeneity to exert antidepressive effects in mice
Authors: Bi Yanmeng , Huang Peng , Dong Zhaoyang , Gao Tingting , Huang Shaohui , Gao Lei , Lv Zhiping
Published: March 2019

The aim of this study is to explore the macroscale neural mechanisms of the antidepressant effects of Xiaoyaosan, a traditional Chinese herbal formula. We analyzed blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging signals. To further minimize the hemodynamic variations of BOLD signals and analyze the intra‐region neural activity or temporal coherence, we employed the newly developed regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach to determine aberrant functional connectivity using the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model of depression and to also explore the brain‐region rescue effect of modified Xiaoyaosan (MXYS) in such mice. We found the aberrant ReHo in CUMS mice replicated previous discoveries in patients with depression. Intriguingly, MXYS only normalized several limbic regions, which suggests the essential roles of these regions in mediating the antidepressant effects of MXYS. Our results provide a reliable framework for the use of ReHo analysis with animal models of depression and further suggest a new perspective to elucidate the antidepressant effects of MXYS.
Nectary size is a pollination syndrome trait in Penstemon
Authors: Katzer Amanda M. , Wessinger Carolyn A. , Hileman Lena C.
Published: March 2019

Evolution of complex phenotypes depends on the adaptive importance of individual traits, and the developmental changes required to modify traits. Floral syndromes are complex adaptations to pollinators that include color, nectar, and shape variation. Hummingbird‐adapted flowers have evolved a remarkable number of times from bee‐adapted ancestors in Penstemon, and previous work demonstrates that color over shape better distinguishes bee from hummingbird syndromes. Here, we examined the relative importance of nectar volume and nectary development in defining Penstemon pollination syndromes.

We tested the evolutionary association of nectar volume and nectary area with pollination syndrome across 19 Penstemon species. In selected species, we assessed cellular‐level processes shaping nectary size. Within a segregating population from an intersyndrome cross, we assessed trait correlations between nectar volume, nectary area, and the size of stamens on which nectaries develop.

Nectar volume and nectary area displayed an evolutionary association with pollination syndrome. These traits were correlated within a genetic cross, suggesting a mechanistic link. Nectary area evolution involves parallel processes of cell expansion and proliferation.

Our results demonstrate that changes to nectary patterning are an important contributor to pollination syndrome diversity and provide further evidence that repeated origins of hummingbird adaptation involve parallel developmental processes in Penstemon.
Robot‐assisted Percutaneous Cannulated Screw Fixation of Femoral Neck Fractures: Preliminary Clinical Results
Authors: Duan Sheng‐jun , Liu Hua‐shui , Wu Wen‐cheng , Yang Kun , Zhang Zhen , Liu Shi‐dong
Published: March 2019

Objective

To assess the clinical efficacy of TiRobot‐assisted percutaneous cannulated screw fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fractures.

Methods

From September 2015 to July 2017, 26 patients with unilateral femoral neck fractures were treated with TiRobot‐assisted percutaneous cannulated screw fixation. The femoral necks were fixed using three cannulated screws with robot assistance applying the following procedure: image acquisition, path planning, and needle and screw placement. The results of the treatment, including operation duration, frequency of fluoroscopy use, implant placement accuracy, intraoperative bleeding, total drilling, surgical complications, fracture healing time, fracture healing rate, and Harris scores at the last follow‐up, were recorded and compared with 23 similar patients who underwent conventional manual positioning surgery.

Results

A total of 147 cannulated screws were placed in all patients. The TiRobot group had shorter operation duration (62.6 ± 8.7 min vs 72.4 ± 10.3 min) and fracture healing time (5.1 ± 2.4 months vs 5.9 ± 2.8 months) than the conventional group (P > 0.05). The robot group had significantly less use of fluoroscopy (26.5 ± 7.4 times vs 51.3 ± 9.4 times), intraoperative bleeding (8.2 ± 5.3 mL vs 36.4 ± 12.5 mL), and total drilling (9.4 ± 4.2 times vs 18.3 ± 9.1 times) than the conventional group (all P < 0.05). The screw parallelism was significantly improved (24.0 ± 0.6 points vs 21.5 ± 1.2 points) and the neck‐width coverage (72.0 ± 6.7 mm2 vs 53.8 ± 10.4 mm2) was significantly enlarged compared to the conventional group (P < 0.05). Only three guiding needles were used to penetrate the femoral head during manual insertion in the TiRobot group, which was significantly lower than that in the conventional group (3/78, 3.8% vs 9/69, 13.0%; P < 0.05). Other complications such as wound infection, vascular or nerve injury, screw loosening, and secondary screw displacement, did not occur in the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in fracture healing rate (88.4% vs 82.6%) and Harris scores at the last follow up (88.2 ± 3.6 points vs 87.3 ± 4.7 points; P > 0.05).

Conclusion

TiRobot‐assisted percutaneous cannulated screw fixation of femoral neck fractures is advantageous over conventional surgery with manual positioning due to easier manipulation, more accurate screw insertion, less invasion, and less radiation exposure, suggesting that it is a better method to stabilize femoral neck fractures.
Development of a core set of KASP markers for assaying genetic diversity in Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis Makino
Authors: Li Peirong , Su Tongbing , Wang Huiping , Zhao Xiuyun , Wang Weihong , Yu Yangjun , Zhang Deshuang , Wen Changlong , Yu Shuancang , Zhang Fenglan
Published: March 2019

Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are rapid, economical and reliable genotyping tools. Non‐heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis Makino) is now an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. In this study, 1,167 SNPs were evaluated for 7polymorphism among 70 representative non‐heading Chinese cabbage inbred lines using a Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping assay. On the basis of identified polymorphisms and the results of a principal component analysis, we selected 50 core SNPs that were balanced sufficiently to provide adequate information for genetic identification. The core SNPs were used for construction of a neighbour‐joining dendrogram that separated the 70 inbred lines into four main groups and several subgroups corresponding to Caixin, Heiyebaicai, Huangxinwu, Naibaicai, Taitsai, Pak‐choi, and Wutatsai. This categorization was superior to that achieved using a dataset of 479 polymorphic SNPs. To confirm the utility of the core SNP markers in genetic identification, we tested their stability and resolution using 162 commercial hybrid cultivars. The SNPs, which represent a cost‐effective, accurate marker set for germplasm analysis and cultivar identification, are suitable for molecular marker‐assisted breeding in non‐heading Chinese cabbage.
Effects of active and observational experience on EEG activity during early childhood
Authors: Bryant Lauren J. , Cuevas Kimberly
Published: March 2019

While it is accepted that action experience facilitates action understanding, it is debated whether first‐hand motor and visual experience differentially influence this ability. Action understanding relies on relatively broad cortical activity, including that of the neural mirroring and visual attention systems. Infant and adult research has demonstrated that prior motor and visual experience have distinct effects on cortical activity during action perception, though this has yet to be investigated in young children. We used a within‐subject design and an at‐home training paradigm to manipulate 3‐ to 6‐year‐olds’ experience with two relatively novel actions. On Days 1–4, children received brief active training with one tool (i.e., motor experience) and observational training with the other tool (i.e., visual experience: video of a demonstrator modeling the action). On Day 5, we measured children’s EEG mu/alpha (8–10 Hz) and beta rhythm (16–20 Hz) activity during observation and execution of these actions in the laboratory. Although central‐parietal mu and beta rhythm activity did not differ as a function of training condition, desynchronization of the occipital alpha rhythm was greater during perception of the active training task than of the observational training task. Our findings suggest that, during early childhood, action experience may modulate visual attention during subsequent action perception. Further, children exhibited neural mirroring—central‐parietal desynchronization during both tool‐use action observation and execution—within the mu rhythm, but not the beta rhythm. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of the broad cortical activity that supports action perception during this period.
An Instrumental Variable Procedure for Estimating Cox Models with Non-Proportional Hazards in the Presence Of Unmeasured Confounding
Authors: Martínez-Camblor Pablo , MacKenzie Todd A. , Staiger Douglas O. , Goodney Phillip P. , James O’Malley A.
Published: March 2019

Two-stage instrumental variable methods are commonly used for estimating average causal effects in the presence of an unmeasured confounder. In the context of the proportional hazard Cox regression models, this problem has recently received attention with several methods being proposed. Previously, we developed an improved estimator under the incumbent two-stage residual inclusion procedure called ‘2SRI’ by adding a Gaussian frailty in the second stage. We now consider the more complex situation in which the treatment and the unmeasured confounders can have time varying effects, illustrating the method with the case of a step function with one prespecified change point. We prove that, in situations where the effects of the unmeasured confounder or the treatment change during the follow-up, the first stage of the 2SRI algorithm induces a frailty with time varying coefficients in the second stage, which enables incumbent methods and our previously developed procedure to be improved on. A Monte Carlo simulation study demonstrates the superior performance of the proposed extension of 2SRI that we develop. We apply the new procedure to estimate the effect of endarterectomy versus carotid artery stenting on the time to death of patients suffering from carotid artery disease by using linked vascular quality initiative registry–Medicare data.
(In)stability of Capability for Suicide in Psychiatric Inpatients: Longitudinal Assessment Using Ecological Momentary Assessments
Authors: Spangenberg Lena , Glaesmer Heide , Hallensleben Nina , Rath Dajana , Forkmann Thomas
Published: March 2019

Objective

The study examines the temporal stability of capability for suicide (i.e., its state‐like component), because it has been recently discussed that capability for suicide may be subject to shift over time.

Method

Seventy‐four psychiatric inpatients with an unipolar depressive disorder were included in the study (mean age 37.9 years, 71.6% female, 32.4% with a history of suicide attempt). After a baseline assessment with several self‐report questionnaires, ecological momentary assessments were applied over six consecutive days using smartphones. Capability for suicide was rated with three items once a day. For daily capability for suicide, descriptive and variability statistics and associations with baseline clinical characteristics (depression, suicidal ideation, childhood maltreatment, and history of suicide attempt) were analyzed. The prospective association of daily level of active suicidal ideation and daily capability was investigated by multilevel analysis.

Results

Indicators of within‐person variability and temporal instability supported considerable fluctuation in daily capability for suicide. Yet the degree of temporal instability showed individual differences. Baseline and daily suicidal ideation were positively associated with daily fearlessness about death and perceived capability.

Conclusion

The results provide first evidence that capability for suicide includes a dynamic short‐term component that is linked to clinical variables such as suicidal ideation.
Children and Adults as Language Learners: Rules, Variation, and Maturational Change
Authors: Newport Elissa L.
Published: March 2019

Here we overview our recent research investigating children and adults’ learning of rules and variation. In all these studies, our findings are that children and adults differ in how they acquire linguistic patterns that are productive, variable, inconsistently used, or lexically restricted. Some of our studies examine children's learning of natural languages; other studies expose learners to miniature languages and then ask them to produce novel sentences or judge their grammaticality. In every case there are important differences between learners as a function of their ages. Young children learn categorical rules and categorically follow patterns that are widespread in natural languages, even when their linguistic input exemplifies these patterns only probabilistically. In contrast, adult learners reproduce the probabilistic patterns of the input. Older children are in between, producing regular patterns somewhat more often than they appear in the input but also acquiring some probabilistic variation. These results suggest that the outcome of learning is quite different at different ages and that many of the properties of natural languages may be shaped by the behavior of children as they learn their native languages.
Roles of RAD51 and RTEL1 in telomere and rDNA stability in Physcomitrella patens
Authors: Goffová Ivana , Vágnerová Radka , Peška Vratislav , Franek Michal , Havlová Kateřina , Holá Marcela , Zachová Dagmar , Fojtová Miloslava , Cuming Andrew , Kamisugi Yasuko , Angelis Karel J. , Fajkus Jiří
Published: March 2019

Telomeres and ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) are essential for cell survival and particularly sensitive to factors affecting genome stability. Here, we examine the role of RAD51 and its antagonist, RTEL1, in the moss Physcomitrella patens. In corresponding mutants, we analyse their sensitivity to DNA damage, the maintenance of telomeres and rDNA, and repair of double‐stranded breaks (DSBs) induced by genotoxins with various modes of action. While the loss of RTEL1 results in rapid telomere shortening, concurrent loss of both RAD51 genes has no effect on telomere lengths. We further demonstrate here the linked arrangement of 5S and 45S rRNA genes in P. patens. The spacer between 5S and 18S rRNA genes, especially the region downstream from the transcription start site, shows conspicuous clustering of sites with a high propensity to form quadruplex (G4) structures. Copy numbers of 5S and 18S rDNA are reduced moderately in the pprtel1 mutant, and significantly in the double pprad51‐1‐2 mutant, with no progression during subsequent cultivation. While reductions in 45S rDNA copy numbers observed in pprtel1 and pprad51‐1‐2 plants apply also to 5S rDNA, changes in transcript levels are different for 45S and 5S rRNA, indicating their independent transcription by RNA polymerase I and III, respectively. The loss of SOL (Sog One‐Like), a transcription factor regulating numerous genes involved in DSB repair, increases the rate of DSB repair in dividing as well as differentiated tissue, and through deactivation of G2/M cell‐cycle checkpoint allows the cell‐cycle progression manifested as a phenotype resistant to bleomycin.
Organic rankine cycle and steam turbine for intermediate temperature waste heat recovery in total site integration
Authors: Kamarudin Norhafiza , Peng Yen Liew , Che Jusoh Nurfatehah Wahyuny , Shin Ho Wai , Shiun Lim Jeng
Published: March 2019

The utilization of waste heat for heat recovery technologies in process sites has been widely known in improving the site energy saving and energy efficiency. The Total Site Heat Integration (TSHI) methodologies have been established over time to assist the integration of heat recovery technologies in process sites with a centralized utility system, which is also known as Total Site (TS). One the earliest application of TSHI concept in waste heat recovery is through steam turbine using the popular Willan’s line approach. The TSHI methodologies later were extended to integrate with wide range of heat recovery technologies in many literature, whereby Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) has been reported to be the one of the beneficial options for heat recovery. In general, the medium to high temperature waste heat is recovered via condensing/backpressure steam turbine, whereas ORC is targeted for recovering the low temperature waste heat. However, it is known that condensing turbine is also able to generate power by condensing low grade steam to sub-ambient pressure, which is comparable with ORC integration. In this work, the integration of ORC and condensing turbine are considered for a multiple-process system to recover intermediate temperature waste heat through utility system. This study presents a numerical methodology to investigate the performance analysis of  integration of ORC and condensing turbine in process sites for recovering waste heat from a centralized utility system. A modified retrofit case study is used to demonstrate the effectiveness application of the proposed methodology. The performance of ORC and condensing steam turbine are evaluated with the plant total utility costing as the objective function.
The Effect of Time and H2O/CTAB Ratio in Synthesis of Mesoporous Alumina from Bauxite Residue
Authors: Riski Omita , Prasetyoko Didik , Febrianti Dwi Kumala , Nikmah Yatim Lailun , Iftitahiyah Vita Nur , Hartati Hartati , Qoniah Imroatul , Santoso Eko
Published: March 2019

Mesoporous alumina has been successfully synthesized from bauxite residues (red mud) as raw material and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template at room temperature. The effects of crystallization time and molar ratio of H2O/CTAB on structural and textural properties of mesoporous alumina were investigated. The synthesized product was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption and acidity test using pyridine adsorption. The XRD pattern and SEM micrograph showed that the synthesized product possessed an amorphous phase and irregular shapes. From obtained results, it could be observed that crystallization time and H2O/CTAB ratio influenced the surface acidity of mesoporous alumina.
Pre-drilling and self-drilling pins screw-bone fixation stress interaction analysis induced by uniaxial compression loading
Authors: Chee Lim Pei , Daud Ruslizam , Mohamad Khan Shah Fenner Khan , Md Zain Nurul Alia , Bajuri Yazid
Published: March 2019

A newly designed Uniaxial external fixator which functions as a universal fixator in the application of all types of bone fractures is recently introduced by both Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). The Investigation is focused on identifying and measuring the performance in terms of strength or weakness of the fixator that is needed before the application to the human body. Hence, this research was conducted to determine the performance of Uniaxial external fixator which was based on geometry using different screw drilling techniques applied during an angled uniaxial compression load.  A three-dimensional fixator-bone was constructed using different screw inserting techniques which was then converted into ANSYS v14.5 for the purposes of conducting a finite element analysis (FEA).  Axial compressive loading with various degrees from 60 to 6300 N were applied to bone models to stimulate patient’s daily activities while 10 to 100 N were applied to fixator models for the purposes of reviewing environmental loading to fixator-bone models. Findings revealed that maximum magnitude which caused deformation for predrilling and self-drilling models were located at the highest pin-bone interaction. Conversely, the maximum magnitude of the von Mises strain and stress was located at the lowest pin-bone interaction by omitting the existence of fixator for both Case 1 and 2. There was no obvious difference in the comparison of both models in terms of deformation. However, predrilling models have higher strain and stress than self-drilling models. In sum, findings indicated that self-drilling models have better performance compared to the predrilling models.
Development of optical fibers for food irradiation dosimeter
Authors: Ahmad Tajuddin Hamiza , Wan Hassan Wan Muhamad Saridan , Abdul Sani Siti Fairus , Hashim Siti Aiasah
Published: March 2019

Different technologies and methods for enhancing food quality have been developed and applied in the last few decades. One of the latest technologies is by using ionizing radiation. Food irradiation is the technology that improves the safety and extends the shelf life of food by reducing or eliminating harmful microorganisms and insects. In order to provide for food safety, proper control or radiation detector of irradiated food seems very critical to facilitate international trade of irradiated foods and to enhance consumer confidence. In present studies, germanium-doped (Ge-doped) optical fibers of various form and dimensions were used as radiation detector. The fibers were irradiated using electron beam (EPS 3000), with doses from 1 kGy up to 10 kGy, exceeding the dose range of all commercial high dose dosimeters used in food irradiation industry. A study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The fibers show a linear dose response over the studied range doses with mean of reproducibility less than 5 % variation between 1st exposure and 2nd exposure. TL fading of Ge-doped flat fibers has been found to be < 8.7%.
Development of water quality index of ex-mining ponds in Malaysia
Authors: Koki Isa Baba , Md Zain Sharifuddin , Hin Low Kah , Azid Azman , Juahir Hafizan , Abdul Zali Munirah
Published: March 2019

In this paper, a study on the development  of water quality index of ex-mining ponds was carried out for proper assessment  and utilization of the abundant ex-mining ponds in Malaysia. Heavy metals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer (ICPMS), and physico chemical parameters were analyzed in-situ. Chemometric analysis was successfully applied for the parameter selection process. The water quality index of existing Malaysian river did not accommodate the toxic metal pollutants that dominanted in ex-mining water. The acceptable index should therefore incorporate the metal pollutants in order to evaluate the quality status of ex-mining water for human consumption which is the major point of consideration. Two water quality indices were developed to assess the water quality status of ex-mining ponds with reference to Malaysia’s water quality standard (INWQS). The heavy metal index was comprised of contribution from Pb, As, and Cd as the selected metals, while the physico-chemical parameter index has BOD, pH, DO, and AN. Chemometric analysis revealed the dominance of the selected heavy metals in ex-mining water, and physico-chemical parameters were important in water quality monitoring. Heavy metal water quality index revealed that most ex-mining ponds in Klang Valley were classified to be very poor hence could not be used for human consumption. Due to domestic input in some of the lakes in Klang Valley, the physico-chemical water quality index was in very poor status as well.  In Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, ex-mining ponds and lakes were classified as excellent in both indices.
Improved quasi-newton method via SR1 update for solving symmetric systems of nonlinear equations
Authors: Dauda Muhammad Kabir , Mamat Mustafa , Mohamed Mohamad Afendee , Waziri Mahammad Yusuf
Published: March 2019

The systems of nonlinear equations emerges from many areas of computing, scientific and engineering research applications. A variety of an iterative methods for solving such systems have been developed, this include the famous Newton method. Unfortunately, the Newton method suffers setback, which includes storing  matrix at each iteration and computing Jacobian matrix, which may be difficult or even impossible to compute. To overcome the drawbacks that bedeviling Newton method, a modification to SR1 update was proposed in this study. With the aid of inexact line search procedure by Li and Fukushima, the modification was achieved by simply approximating the inverse Hessian matrix  with an identity matrix without computing the Jacobian. Unlike the classical SR1 method, the modification neither require storing  matrix at each iteration nor needed to compute the Jacobian matrix. In finding the solution to non-linear problems of the form  40 benchmark test problems were solved. A comparison was made with other two methods based on CPU time and number of iterations. In this study, the proposed method solved 37 problems effectively in terms of number of iterations. In terms of CPU time, the proposed method also outperformed the existing methods. The contribution from the methodology yielded a method that is suitable for solving symmetric systems of nonlinear equations. The derivative-free feature of the proposed method gave its advantage to solve relatively large-scale problems (10,000 variables) compared to the existing methods. From the preliminary numerical results, the proposed method turned out to be significantly faster, effective and suitable for solving large scale symmetric nonlinear equations.
Surface water quality in palm oil plantation
Authors: Che Nadzir Nur Syakira , Abdullah Mohd Zahari , Sulaiman Fazrul Razman
Published: March 2019

River water that directly connected to palm oil plantation activity has been analysed for concentration of Zn, Pb and Cu and its physicochemical parameters. The samples were collected from 12 sampling points along the river in which located in Jerantut District in Pahang, Malaysia. The metal concentration was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP – OES) in triplicates after gone through chemical treatment. Six physicochemical parameters; temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, total dissolved solid and specific conductance were measured in-situ. The average water temperature was recorded as 28.01°C, 0.02 ppt for salinity, 0.13 mg L-1 for DO, 7.90 for pH, 0.031 mg L-1 for TDS and 51.8 µS cm-1 for conductivity. The mean concentrations of the studied metals were lowered than the standard level proposed by WHO and USEPA for drinking water and ecosystem safety except for Pb. The contamination factor, CF for all elements indicates uncontaminated level at all sampling points. Generally, the study was found that the river was not contaminated with the studied pollutants and the nearby plantation activities do not seriously affected the quality of the studied river.
Development and oviposition preferences of field collected Aedes albopictus based on different water characteristics
Authors: Che Dom Nazri , Megat Mokhtar Megat Azman , Australia Cornellia Tata
Published: March 2019

Aedes species are rapidly adapting to environmental changes which subsequently changing the preferences for their breeding. In the present study, evaluation of the larval development and oviposition preferences of field collected Aedes albopictus was carried out based on different water characteristic. The eggs of Ae. albopictus and the water samples were collected in UiTM Puncak Alam areas. The types of water samples used in this study were (i) distilled water (WT1), (ii) seasoned tap water (WT2), (iii) pond water (WT3), and (iv) drain water (WT4). Each types of water was sampled and tested by controlling the presence and absence of larvae food in the experiment. Development of immature stages in pond and drain water with the presence of food showed fast growth compared to the other types of water. Hatching rate was observed to be higher in all types of water with the presence of food. Oviposition preferences showed a significant difference between water. The data generated from this study was important as a baseline data in development and oviposition for dengue vector control especially on the possibility and ability of Ae. albopictus to survive in specific water types as breeding sites.
Preparation and characterization of superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles: A short review
Authors: Koo Khong Nee , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan , Bidin Noriah , A Rahman Mukhlis
Published: March 2019

Magnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have attracted a great deal of attention in both fundamental research and practical applications over the past decades. Down to the nanoscale, superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with only a single magnetic domain exhibit high magnetic susceptibility, which provides a stronger and faster magnetic response. Their superparamagnetic properties together with other intrinsic properties such as low toxicity, high surface area-to-volume ratio and simple separation methodology, making them ideal for environmental remediation, biomedical, and agricultural applications. This review discusses three conventional wet chemical methods, including chemical co-precipitation, sol-gel synthesis and thermal decomposition for the preparation of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with controlled size and magnetic properties. Nowadays, with the growing research interest in Fe3O4 nanoparticles, there is a great amount of researches reported on efficient routes to prepare size-controlled magnetic nanoparticles. Thus, this review is designed to report the recent information from synthesis to the characterization of Fe3O4 nanoparticles as well as the discussion of future perspective in this research area.
Study of packed sieve tray column in ethanol purification using distillation process
Authors: Ramadani Tarikh Azis , Taufany Fadilatul , Nurkhamidah Siti
Published: March 2019

Sieve tray becomes a popular contacting device in distillation process because of its relative simplicity and low cost. There is one way to improve the contact performance, especially mass transfer by modifying the sieve tray into packed sieve tray. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of adding packing in each tray to ethanol content on ethanol purification. This research was conducted via experiment and simulation approaches. The experiment used packed sieve tray that contained 3 cm and 5 cm bed of steel wool with 16 trays in the column, with operating pressure about 760 mmHg and performed in batch condition. The simulation used a reduced rated base model with some modifications for operation in the packed sieve tray column. It was found that the use of packed sieve tray gave better distillate in the batch distillation process than the use of sieve tray. The packed sieve tray raised distillate content about 8.89% when using 3 cm of packing and 23.31% when using 5 cm of packing when it was compared with sieve tray. The use of packed sieve tray could increase the mass transfer and reduce bubble diameter in the batch distillation process.
Características demográficas, de salud, necesidades de cuidado y diagnósticos de enfermería de personas hospitalizadas que sufren trastorno afectivo bipolar
Authors: Montoya Zapata Claudia Patricia , Pérez Villa Marjorie , Rendón Morales Kelly Johana , Quintero arenas Alexandro Antonio , Urrego Febrys Isabel Cristina , Álvarez Gómez Matilde Ligia
Published: March 2019

Introducción: el trastorno afectivo bipolar (TAB) es una enfermedad mental crónica más frecuente en mujeres que en hombres. La prevalencia en el mundo es del 1 % y en Colombia es del 1,2 %. Objetivo: Describir las características demográficas, de salud, necesidades de cuidado y diagnóstico de enfermería en pacientes que ingresan a hospitalización con un diagnóstico de TAB a la Clínica Psiquiátrica Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón. Método: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Se seleccionaron 158 historias clínicas entre enero y junio de 2015, La información se recolectó de las notas de ingreso del equipo terapéutico, y para las necesidades de cuidado se utilizaron los patrones funcionales de Marjory Gordon. Resultados: el 55,7 % eran mujeres, con edades entre 19 y 82 años, el 71,5 % eran residentes de Medellín, el 47,5 % eran solteros, el 19 % tenían estudios secundarios. El 66,5 % presentó sintomatología propia del TAB en el momento del ingreso; el diagnóstico CIE-10 más frecuente fue TAB-episodio maniaco, presente con síntomas psicóticos. Las necesidades encontradas, según los patrones de Marjory Gordon, fueron: falta de introspección, presencia de insomnio, alucinaciones y autoagresión. Para estas necesidades los diagnósticos de enfermería fueron: deterioro de la toma de decisiones independiente, trastorno del patrón del sueño y riesgo de violencia autodirigida. Conclusiones: La información demográfica y de salud es similar a las características reportadas por otras investigaciones. Tanto las necesidades de cuidado y los diagnósticos de enfermería son congruentes con la incapacidad mental que impiden un adecuado autocuidado.