bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards A Readiness Assessment Model for Value Management in Construction Industry
Authors: Sabiu Baffa Y , Mohamed Sarajul F , Mahmood Yusoff W
Published: July 2020

Value management (VM) has over the years gained acceptance by various countries all over the world as a tool towards achieving value for money for clients. Ongoing research and development into value management adoption and implementation within the construction industries of developing countries is on the run. This has made researchers investigate on a better, more effective and more efficient implementation towards achieving the full benefits it offers. VM implementation efforts in the developed countries necessitate the assessment of the readiness of the industries prior to the introduction and adoption of VM. However, there is little effort made in developing a readiness assessment model for VM in the construction industry. Therefore, this paper aims to carry out a comparative review of the available readiness models in the construction industry and some few more from manufacturing industry in view to laying a base towards the development of a readiness assessment model for VM implementation in developing countries. This paper adopts the document analysis method for the review and comparison of the assessment models. The readiness models have been examined and assessed along with their strengths and weaknesses revealed. The paper identifies the readiness assessment criteria that could be adopted for developing a readiness model for value management in construction industry. It further identifies the requirements of value management and provides a guideline towards the development of a VM readiness assessment model.It finally concludes the necessity of a readiness assessment of the construction industry in developing countries prior to its introduction. The paper finally identifies development of a readiness assessment model as an area for further study.
Performance comparison of partitioned and global approaches for weakly hard real-time systems
Authors: Ismail Habibah , Jawawi Dayang N A , Ahmedy Ismail , Isa Mohd Adham
Published: July 2020

One way to minimizing resource requirements is through the careful management and allocation, in example, scheduling. Research on weakly hard real-time scheduling on multiprocessor has been extremely limited; most prior research on real-time scheduling on weakly hard real-time has been confined to uniprocessors. The need for multiprocessor is due to issues that impose limits on the performance of a single processor. As real-time application systems increasingly come to be implemented upon multiprocessor environments, thus, this study applies multiprocessor scheduling approach for verification of weakly hard real-time tasks and to guaranteeing the timing requirements of the tasks. In fact, within the multiprocessor, the task allocation and migration problems seem even harder than in uniprocessor case; thus, in order to cater that problem, the sufficient and efficient scheduling algorithm supported by accurate schedulability analysis technique is present to provide weakly hard real-time guarantees. The proposed approach involves the two existing multiprocessor real-time scheduling algorithms combining with the hyperperiod analysis and deadline models; weakly hard constraints and μ-pattern. In this paper, the Matlab simulation tool is used in order to validate the result of analysis. From the experimental and performance evaluation results, it proved that the proposed approach is satisfied the tasks deadlines with less number of misses.
An Enhanced Segmentation Technique for Smokers RBC Rouleax Coin Stacking
Authors: Malijan M H , Sharif J M , Abdullah A H , Jamil M M
Published: July 2020

Smoking is one of the major factors of having coin stacking formation of Red Blood Cell or commonly known as RBC that can cause blood clots and can lead to stroke. Smokers tends have thicker, high count, and overlapping of RBC compared to non-smokers. Blood cell detection plays significant part in biomedical field. There are two methods in detection of RBC, manual inspection by medical experts and automated machines. The manual inspection process is detection of blood cells under a microscope that is more prone to human error and time consuming, while automated hardware solutions like automated haematology machines are available, due to high cost it is not widely available to poor and developing countries who have a high statistic of smokers. Smokers have a high tendency of overlapping RBC or commonly known as rouleaux coin stacking cell formation. This study presents an enhanced segmentation technique that can detect the high degree of overlapping RBCs of smokers using digital image processing that can be helpful in the medical field.
Fish Farm Electrification Utilising a Hybrid Device of Low-Speed Vertical Axis Turbine and Solar Panels
Authors: Maimun A , Soufaljen A S , Jaswar  , Adibah A
Published: July 2020

The demand for seafood is continually increasing. The best way to meet that is through the aquaculture. In Malaysia, the important alternative source of fish supply is the fish-farms. Nowadays, fish-farms use unclean and expensive energy, which cannot meet the environmental and climate goals. This paper presents a hybrid device consisting of two Low-Speed Vertical Axis Current Turbines (LS-VACTs), generators, batteries, controller and solar-panels. This device is used as a hybrid solution because of the lake of electricity, low water/marine current speed surrounding the fish-farms and variable nature of both resources solar and marine-currents. This device has lower cabling and infrastructure requirements and reduced capital costs. This paper investigates the performance of the hybrid system and predicting power take-off and the number of solar panels required to provide sufficient energy for fish-farm using MATLAB-Simulink environment. The experimental results of LS-VACT show that the turbine has a power coefficient (CP) = 19.4% and high torque coefficient of 0.76 at a speed of 1 m/s. The simulation results indicate that the power output of the system can provide 20 kWh/day with water/marine current speed higher than 1 m/s. This combination of both resources can sustain and produce enough power for electrification of fish-farm.
Thermal Performance Analysis in Sinusoidal-Cavities-Ribs Microchannel Heat Sink with Secondary Channel Geometry for Low Pumping Power Application
Authors: Japar W M A A , Sidik N A C , Saidur R. , Asako Y , Muhammad N M
Published: July 2020

The increases in the demand for high performance electronic device has led cooling technology from air cooling to liquid cooling method in order to prevent the operating temperature in the electronic device goes beyond the junction temperature of the electronic device. Liquid as a heat transportation in a micro-cooling technology is an effective method to maintain the operating temperature. Among the micro-cooling technology, microchannel heat sink appears as a promising method that provides high heat transfer rate with minimal pressure drop. However, the conventional microchannel heat sink which has straight channels (CR MCHS) inadequate to remove high heat flux generated by the current devices due to high thermal resistance in laminar region. High heat transfer rate just can be obtained in the microchannel heat sink by using a large mass flowrate which affects the pumping power consumption. The method is not suitable for the low pumping power application. So instead of increases the mass flowrate, in this paper, a hybrid microchannel heat sink was proposed in order to satisfy the cooling demand with low pumping power consumption. The effect of sinusoidal cavities, rectangular ribs and secondary channel geometry on thermal resistance and pumping power in the hybrid microchannel sink (SD-RR-SC MCHS) was studied numerically. The result showed the SD-RR-SC MCHS and RR MCHS had the lowest thermal resistance and temperature variation for the mass flowrate that less than 6.78×10−5 kg/s. Despite both designs had a similar thermal performance with the average deviation of 5%, SD-RR-SC MCHS required only 11.3% of CR MCHS pumping power, while RR MCHS required 31.3% of CR MCHS pumping power in order to achieve the optimum thermal performance of CR MCHS. Means, SD-RR-SC MCHS is the most suitable design which can fulfil cooling demand for low pumping power application.
Low Speed Vertical Axis Current Turbine (LS-VACT): Experimental Results
Authors: Yain N Muhamat , Abdul Malik A M , Ali A , Souf-Aljen A S , Behrouzi F , Nakisa M
Published: July 2020

Depleting of fossil fuels and climate change problem as well as the pollutions arise make the renewable energy one of the best options for long-term usage. In hydropower energy extraction, vertical axis marine current turbine applications; Savonius turbine, which has the ability to operate in low speed current is suitable with the Malaysia’s sea conditions. However, due to the drawbacks which are low efficiency and low tip speed ratio, modifications need to be done to harness more power. Low Speed Vertical Axis Current Turbine is appeared to extract energy based on the Savonius rotor. In conjunction to this matter, laboratory work has been done in a way to study the relationship between Power Coefficient (Cp) and Tip Speed Ratio (λ), and also the relationship between Torque Coefficient (Ct) and Tip Speed Ratio (λ) at different current speed which are 0.32 m/s and 0.64 m/s.
Expert Validation of Touch Point Method in Ideation Process based on User Benefit and Creativity
Authors: Thamilarasan B. , Yusof Nor Fasiha Mohd , Harun Mohd Noor
Published: July 2020

“You’ve got to start with the user experience and work backward to the technology”–Steve Jobs. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the user before undergoing the engineering design process. Recently, many researchers in the design engineering fieldwork focussed on the early phase of the design process due to decision making. There are many tools developed to gather and understand user needs. Touch Point method is an example of a user-oriented design approach that focuses on gathering user needs. In this study, Touch Point method is taken as the experimental method to compare with a controlled method of the design process. Participants are the 4th year Mechanical Engineering students of UTM, JB, whom separated into two groups. They are trained with different approaches – Touch Point method and traditional design process – and are required to solve a same problem. Outcomes are in the form of detailed sketching of design concept. Every design concepts produced by both groups are evaluated by seven design experts. They evaluate the design concept via user benefit, originality and feasibility criteria. Significant effect also identified for originality, with negative correlation. Results are discussed. In conclusion, this study proves the importance of understanding user needs during early stage of the design process.
Intelligent Active Force Control Of A Twin Rotor System
Authors: Tay Y S , Mailah M , Tang H H
Published: July 2020

The paper deals with a robust control method applied to a a twin rotor multiple- input-multiple-output system (TRMS). The performance of TRMS employing a hybrid active force control (AFC) and iterative learning (IL) technique is simulated to evaluate the capability of the proposed control method in countering the harmonic excitation with reference to the pitch, yaw, angles of main rotor and tail rotor of the TRMS responses. The AFC with IL scheme was used in conjunction with the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) to analyze the system’s robustness against the introduced disturbance. The mathematical modeling of TRMS was first derived and later the simulation was conducted in MATLAB/Simulink computing platform. The PID controller was used as benchmarking prior to the implementation of AFC and IL in which the tuning of the PID and IL parameters were based on a heuristic method. A comparative study will be conducted for the PID and PIDAFCIL schemes in terms of overshooting, settling time and steady state error. The results show that the PIDAFCIL control method is highly robust, produces low steady state error and exhibits fast convergence compared to its counterpart.
A Novel Double Chamber Rotary Sleeve Air Compressor- Part III: Leakage Losses Model
Authors: Alduqri Y A , Kamar H M , Musa M N , Kamsah N B , Idris N R N , Alqaifi Gamal
Published: July 2020

This paper presents comprehensive leakage model of a novel double chamber rotary sleeve air compressor (DCRSC). The compressor mechanism is that of a rotary motion whereby the novelty lies in the usage of two rotating sleeves and a secured vane that has one end fixed to an outer sleeve and the other end to a rotor, respectively. The thermodynamic model and friction model of the DCRSC are respectively presented in Part I and Part II of this paper series. The main goal of this study is to formulate and analyse the internal leakage losses at different rotational speed. Dynamic clearance at the contact regions between the high-pressure and low-pressure chambers were made clear. The variations of the internal leakage rate and volumetric efficiency for three compression approaches namely: adiabatic, polytropic and isothermal compression processes were evaluated. At maximum rotational speed of 1500 rpm, the DCRSC volumetric efficiencies are 53.1%, 69.4% and 98% when air undergoes adiabatic, polytropic and isothermal compression process, respectively. The internal leakage losses can effectively be minimized by selecting the right lubricant and reducing the assembly clearances of the rotating parts that defines the compression chambers.
Crystal chemistry characteristics and dispersion performance of Ca-montmorillonite with different layer charge density
Authors: Qiu Jun , Jiang Shan , Wang Yueting , Chen Guowei , Liu Dongliang , Liu Xiaodong , Wang Guifang , Wu Peng , Lyu Xianjun
Published: July 2020

The correlation between crystal chemistry characteristics and dispersion performance of Ca-montmorillonite with different layer charge density was studied. The four kinds of purified montmorillonite were characterized by XRD, XRF, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET, TG-DTG, Zeta potential, and Molecular dynamics simulation (MD). The XRD analysis results show that the d(001) value of the four kinds of Ca-montmorillonite are 1.51 nm, 1.51 nm, 1.53 nm, and 1.50 nm, respectively, and the calculation results of layer charge density show that the semi-unit cell charge density are 0.38, 0.53, 0.61, and 0.69, respectively. The charge density is positively correlated with the mass content of MgO. The FTIR analysis results show that with the increase of layer charge density, the couple vibration wave number of Si–O–Mg and Mg–O move towards the high frequency region, from 464.70 cm−1 to 466.36 cm−1 and from 517.12 cm−1 to 520.41 cm−1. The SEM analysis results show that the higher layer charge density of montmorillonite, the worse exfoliation between layers and the thicker layer thickness, The images of TEM show that montmorillonites are mainly composed of a clearly layered structure. The results of BET show that with the increase of charge density, the BET surface area, micropore area and total pore volume gradually increase from 32.69 m2 g−1 to 64.50 m2 g−1, from 4.87 m2 g−1 to 18.24 m2 g−1, and from 0.06 cm3 g−1 to 0.12 cm3 g−1 , respectively, while PSDs and pore diameter decrease from 7.88 nm to 1.74 nm, and from 7.65 nm to 5.47 nm. The results of TG and DTG show that with the increase of charge density, the removal temperature of free water and inter-layer water increase from 80 °C to 100 °C and 139 °C to 155 °C, respectively. The simulation results of MD show that with the increase of layer charge density, the number of hydrogen bonds increase from 186 to 271 and the adsorption energy increases from −1467.11 to −1874.32 kcal mol−1. The particle size increases from 701 nm(Mt1) to 1576 nm(Mt4) with the layer charge density, and the absolute value of Zeta potential, colloidal value and expansion capacity of montmorillonites suspension decrease with the increase of the layer charge density, which further indicates that the dispersion of montmorillonites decrease with the increase of layer charge density.
Development of a nano biosensor for anti-gliadin detection for Celiac disease based on suspension microarrays
Authors: Kharati Maryam , Rabiee Mohammad , Rostami-Nejad Mohammad , Aghamohammadi Elham , Asadzadeh-Aghdaei Hamid , Zali Mohammad Reza , Rabiee Navid , Fatahi Yousef , Bagherzadeh Mojtaba , Webster Thomas J
Published: July 2020

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder represented by the ingestion of the gluten protein usually found in wheat, barley and rye. To date, ELISA has been the most accurate method for determining the presence of anti-gliadin, which is cumbersome, expensive (compared to a suspension microarray technique), and requires extensive sample preparation. In this study, in order to establish a more accurate assay to identify gliadin at lower concentrations, optical nano biosensors using an indirect immunoassay method for gliadin detection was designed and fabricated. For this, polycaprolactone (PCL) nano- to micro-beads were fabricated as a platform for the gliadin antigen which were optimized and nano functionalized with amine groups for such purposes. The gliadin antibody, which is selective to gliadin, was then added to the beads. Static light scattering tests were conducted to determine PCL particle size distribution and sizes were found from 0.1 to 30 μm, which is suitable for flowcytometry detection devices. Anti-gliadin detection was performed using an anti IgG mouse antibody conjugated with FITC in a flow cytometry device to detect the smallest particle. Fluorescence intensity was investigated at different concentrations of anti-gliadin and a standard curve used to determine gluten concentration based on fluorescence intensity. Results showed that the fluorescence intensity increased with greater concentrations of anti-gliadin providing a very effective method of detection due to selectivity at a 5 ppm detection limit. This represents a new highly sensitive and fast method for anti-gliadin detection. Further, the disuse of a cross linker and the use of a dedicated antibody at a very low level (1 μl) made this new method very economical to identify anti-gliadin concentrations at the nano level. In summary, this study provides a new, more accurate and sensitive, as well as less expensive system to detect anti-gliadin for the improved diagnosis of celiac disease.
Photon-induced molecular implementation of a quantized magnetic flux photoelectron
Authors: Mainos C
Published: July 2020

A fundamental magnetic flux quantum can be implemented into a free rotating molecule when the interacting molecular electron experiences the maximum possible intrinsic energy uncertainty of a gaussian, transform-limited half-cycle optical photon wavepacket. A magnetic flux resonance condition can be defined at this limit, with photoionization quenching, and the excited molecular electron is drawn into a Rydberg-like spherical surface where a 3D-diffraction pattern is oscillating at the minimum of a bound potential around a primary formed closed electronic loop. The induced rotational motion of the molecular ion core is initiated at the threshold of a robust inertial effect and the dissipated information entropy is the lowest allowed. The integrated quantum possibilities occur in the process as structural properties of a quantized magnetic flux implementation threshold.
In-water handwriting in multi-medium using electrical impedance imaging
Authors: Wu Chenning , Soleimani Manuchehr
Published: July 2020

A novel approach to human–computer interaction, in water handwriting is presented in this work. The novel handwriting method is based on tomographic imaging of electrical resistivity changes. The new method allows the users to write inside of a water ball in a natural, unconstrained way. In-water handwriting suffers no friction and allows handwriting or drawing in a more relaxed way. This work shows how an electrical impedance tomography (EIT) system and sensor/phantom can be used to create a robust handwriting in water. It is well known that EIT has low special resolution but offers a very good functional imaging with high temporal resolution. The work shows an example of a good quality functional imaging aspect of the EIT in a novel human computer interface (HCI) application. Although it is almost impossible to produce images of letters or complex shapes using EIT sensor, it is totally possible to produce the same using many EIT frames. The system used in this study has a frame rate of 15 frames per second so the actual handwriting of letters and shapes can be done without noticing any delays. Analysis of image similarity between actual handwriting and the one follow the EIT scheme shows a good correlation.
The Langlands dual and unitary dual of quasi-split 𝑃𝐺𝑆𝑂₈^{𝐸}
Authors: Luo Caihua
Published: July 2020

This paper serves two purposes, by adopting the classical Casselman–Tadi

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which provides a concrete example to guess the internal structures of parabolic inductions. Based on the classification, we further sort out the unitary dual of

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. As an essential input to obtain a complete unitary dual, we also need to determine the local poles of triple product L-functions which is done in the appendix. As a byproduct of the explicit unitary dual, we verified Clozel’s finiteness conjecture of special exponents and Bernstein’s unitarity conjecture concerning AZSS duality for

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Direct evidence that tumor cells soften when navigating confined spaces
Authors: Rianna Carmela , Radmacher Manfred , Kumar Sanjay
Published: July 2020

By combining topographically patterned substrates with atomic force microscopy, we followed the migration of tumor cells through various stages of confinement while simultaneously measuring elastic properties. We show that tumor cells soften during confined migration, redeploying contractile elements from the basal surface to the lateral walls.
Quantifying topography-guided actin dynamics across scales using optical flow
Authors: Lee Rachel M. , Campanello Leonard , Hourwitz Matt J. , Alvarez Phillip , Omidvar Ava , Fourkas John T. , Losert Wolfgang
Published: July 2020

Two cell types with different migratory behaviors both exhibit guided actin polymerization along nanoscale ridge textures. Optical flow, a tool used in autonomous vehicles and facial recognition, is adapted for fluorescence imaging. The power of optical flow as a tool for future studies of intracellular dynamics is demonstrated.
Downregulation of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) contributes to hexavalent chromium-induced malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells
Authors: Li Peichao , Zhang Xiaoru , Murphy Anthony J , Costa Max , Zhao Xiaogang , Sun Hong
Published: July 2020

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a potent human lung carcinogen. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed that contribute to Cr(VI)-induced lung carcinogenesis including oxidative stress, DNA damage, genomic instability and epigenetic modulation. However, the molecular mechanisms and pathways mediating Cr(VI) carcinogenicity have not been fully elucidated. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a key pathway that plays important roles in the formation of multiple tissues during embryogenesis and in the maintenance of stem cell populations in adults. Dysregulation of Hh signaling pathway has been reported in many human cancers. Here, we report a drastic reduction in both mRNA and protein levels of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP), a downstream target and a negative regulator of Hh signaling, in Cr(VI)-transformed cells. These findings point to a potential role of Hh signaling in Cr(VI)-induced malignant transformation and lung carcinogenesis. Cr(VI)-transformed cells exhibited DNA hypermethylation and silencing histone marks in the promoter region of HHIP, indicating that an epigenetic mechanism mediates Cr(VI)-induced silencing of HHIP. In addition, the major targets of Hh signaling (GLI1-3 and PTCH1) were significantly increased in Cr(VI)-transformed cells, suggesting an aberrant activation of Hh signaling in these cells. Moreover, ectopically expressing HHIP not only suppressed Hh signaling but also inhibited cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in Cr(VI)-transformed cells. In conclusion, these findings establish a novel regulatory mechanism underlying Cr(VI)-induced lung carcinogenesis and provide new insights for developing a better diagnostic and prognostic strategy for Cr(VI)-related human lung cancer.
Diagnostic performance of magnifying blue laser imaging versus magnifying narrow-band imaging for identifying the depth of invasion of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ueda Tomohiro , Dohi Osamu , Naito Yuji , Yoshida Takuma , Azuma Yuka , Ishida Tsugitaka , Matsumura Shinya , Kitae Hiroaki , Takayama Shun , Mizuno Naoki , Nakano Takahiro , Iwai Naoto , Hirose Ryohei , Inoue Ken , Yoshida Naohisa , Kamada Kazuhiro , Uchiyama Kazuhiko , Ishikawa Takeshi , Takagi Tomohisa , Konishi Hideyuki , Nishimura Ayako , Kishimoto Mitsuo , Itoh Yoshito
Published: July 2020

Identifying the depth of invasion (DOI) of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC) is crucial to determine the indication for endoscopic resection. This retrospective, single-center study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of magnifying blue laser imaging (M-BLI) compared with white-light imaging (WLI) or magnifying narrow-band imaging (M-NBI) for identifying the DOI of SESCC. A total of 160 consecutive patients with SESCCs who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection were enrolled in this study. Still images of the lesion were obtained using WLI, M-BLI and M-NBI prior to endoscopic submucosal dissection. Three endoscopists retrospectively evaluated the DOI using WLI according to non-magnifying findings and using M-BLI and M-NBI images according to the magnifying endoscopic classification of the Japan Esophageal Society. The diagnostic accuracy of each modality was compared using the chi-square test. The DOIs in 160 SESCCs evaluated pathologically were as follows: invasion to the epithelium or lamina propria mucosa in 130, invasion to the lamina muscularis mucosa or submucosa to a depth ≤ 200 μm in 18, and invasion to the submucosa to a depth > 200 μm in 12. The overall diagnostic accuracy rates of WLI, M-BLI, M-NBI, WLI with M-BLI (WLI + M-BLI), and WLI with M-NBI (WLI + M-NBI) were 86.9, 91.2, 90.6, 95.6 and 94.4%, respectively. Significant differences were found between WLI and WLI + M-BLI or WLI + M-NBI (P = 0.006 and P = 0.021, respectively). The concordance of intrapapillary capillary loops between M-BLI and M-NBI was 91.2%. The kappa coefficients for interobserver variability of the three endoscopists for M-BLI and M-NBI were 0.728/0.649/0.792 and 0.729/0.666/0.791, respectively, while those for intraobserver variability were 0.919/0.746/0.778 and 0.736/0.720/0.745, respectively. Similar to M-NBI, M-BLI was useful in predicting the DOI of SESCCs.
Optimization and Validation of HS-SPME-GC-MS for the Determination of Furan and Alkylfurans in Chocolate-Based Products: Impact of Tempering and Laser Printing
Authors: Alsafra Zouheir , Scholl Georges , Eppe Gauthier
Published: July 2020

Background

Furan and its alkyl substituted (2-methylfuran, 3-methylfuran, 2,3-dimethylfuran, 2,5-dimethylfuran) are found in a range between ppm to sub-ppb levels in many foodstuffs undergoing heat treatments like coffee, chicory, or even chocolate.

Objectives

Two major objectives are presented. First, we aim at optimizing and validating a HS-SPME-GC-MS method for the quantification of five alkylfurans in chocolate. Second, we focus our study on measuring the quantitative impact of engraving technique on the formation of furan and its derivatives in chocolate, from the raw callets to processed end-products.

Method

HS-SPME-GC-MS method operating in SIM mode and using isotope dilution technique with deuterated homologue internal standards was used to quantify alkylfurans in chocolate.

Results

Good repeatability (RSD% = 0.1–8%, in duplicate) and intermediate precision (RSD% = 1.7–7%, n = 6) were obtained for these five process contaminants at 10, 25, and 50 µg/kg. Trueness was varying between 81 and 109%. LoQ ranged from 0.48 to 2.50 µg/kg. Relative expanded measurement uncertainties ranged from 6 to 30%. Finally, tempering is responsible for a 24% increase in furan contamination, while the laser engraving technique results in an additional 31% increase in furan. A similar trend was also observed for 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran, whereas no significant increases were observed for 2,3-dimethylfuran and 2,5-dimethylfuran.

Conclusions and highlights

A reliable and sensitive method of HS-SPME-GC-MS was reported for the first time for the analysis of furan and four alkylfurans in chocolate. This paper demonstrated that engraving using laser-based techniques can increase the levels of these compounds by up to 30%.
Maize pentatricopeptide repeat protein DEK53 is required for mitochondrial RNA editing at multiple sites and seed development
Authors: Dai Dawei , Jin Lifang , Huo Zhenzhen , Yan Shumei , Ma Zeyang , Qi Weiwei , Song Rentao
Published: July 2020

Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins were identified as site-specific recognition factors for RNA editing in plant mitochondria and plastids. In this study, we characterized maize (Zea mays) kernel mutant defective kernel 53 (dek53), which has an embryo lethal and collapsed endosperm phenotype. Dek53 encodes an E-subgroup PPR protein, which possesses a short PLS repeat region of only seven repeats. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that DEK53 is localized in the mitochondrion. Strand- and transcript-specific RNA-seq analysis showed that the dek53 mutation affected C-to-U RNA editing at more than 60 mitochondrial C targets. Biochemical analysis of mitochondrial protein complexes revealed a significant reduction in the assembly of mitochondrial complex III in dek53. Transmission electron microscopic examination showed severe morphological defects of mitochondria in dek53 endosperm cells. In addition, yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation imaging assays indicated that DEK53 can interact with the mitochondrion-targeted non-PPR RNA editing factor ZmMORF1, suggesting that DEK53 might be a functional component of the organellar RNA editosome.
What Drives Global Lending Syndication? Effects of Cross-Country Capital Regulation Gaps*
Authors: Gao Janet , Jang Yeejin
Published: July 2020

We examine how cross-country differences in capital regulations shape the structure of global lending syndicates. Using globally syndicated loans extended by banks from forty-four countries, we find that strictly regulated banks participate more in syndicates originated by lead lenders facing less stringent capital regulations. The resulting lending syndicates extend loans to riskier borrowers, charge higher spreads, forego covenants more frequently, and incur higher default rates. Such syndication activity also facilitates the access to credit by riskier corporations and exposes both participants and lead arrangers to greater systemic risk. Overall, our finding is consistent with the explanation that strictly regulated banks rely on the expertise of loosely regulated banks to procure risky deals outside the border.
REST
Authors: Rajamohan Santhiny , Davis Cynthia R. , Ader Meredith
Published: July 2020

Strong evidence suggests that resilience is crucial to improving quality of care and supporting nurses in reducing burnout. This article discusses how nurses and students can use the REST mnemonic described here as a tool for building the resilience they will need to meet challenges throughout their nursing careers.
Complete Excision of Intradural-Extraforaminal Spinal Tumors Using a Minimally Invasive 2-Incision Technique With Fixed Tubular Retractors
Authors: Srikantha Umesh , Hari Akshay , Lokanath Yadhu K. , Subramanian Nirmala , Varma Ravi Gopal
Published: July 2020

Spinal tumors are rare, of which intradural-extramedullary lesions form the majority of primary spinal tumors. Occasionally these may even be large, dumbbell shaped, with both intraspinal and extraspinal components. Complete gross total resection is the gold standard in the removal of these tumors since most are benign in nature. Traditionally this has been achieved using large open midline approaches that involve significant muscle dissection, extensive laminectomy, and even facetectomy. This may lead to instability, requiring stabilization to prevent deformity. Minimally invasive surgical approaches using fixed tubular retractors may obviate this need by minimizing the amount of muscle stripping and bony resection required for complete tumor excision. By utilizing facet sparing corridors, the authors describe a novel 2-incision minimally invasive surgical technique that combines a paramedian and a far-lateral approach to access both the intraspinal and extraforaminal, paraspinal portions of the tumor for achieving complete excision. Three illustrative cases are discussed with tumors in 2 different spinal locations that highlights the versatility of this technique—1 in the cervical region and the other 2 in the thoracolumbar region.
Effects of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions on menopause-related quality of life: a pooled analysis of individual participant data from four MsFLASH trials
Authors: Diem Susan J. , LaCroix Andrea Z. , Reed Susan D. , Larson Joseph C. , Newton Katherine M. , Ensrud Kristine E. , Woods Nancy F. , Guthrie Katherine A.
Published: July 2020

Objective:

The Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health network conducted three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing six interventions treating vasomotor symptoms (VMS), and also collected menopause-related quality of life (QOL) measures. A fourth RCT assessed an intervention for insomnia symptoms among women with VMS. We describe these seven interventions’ effects on menopause-related QOL relative to control in women with VMS.

Methods:

We pooled individual-level data from 1,005 peri- and postmenopausal women with 14 or more VMS/week across the four RCTs. Interventions included escitalopram 10 to 20 mg/d; yoga/aerobic exercise; 1.8 g/d omega-3-fatty acids; oral 17-beta-estradiol 0.5 mg/d; venlafaxine XR 75 mg/d; and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Outcomes measures were the Menopause-specific Quality of Life scale and its subscales.

Results:

Significant improvements in total Menopause-specific Quality of Life from baseline were observed with estradiol, escitalopram, CBT-I, and yoga, with mean decreases of 0.3 to 0.5 points relative to control. The largest improvement in the vasomotor subscale was observed with estradiol (−1.2 points), with more modest but significant effects seen with escitalopram, yoga, and CBT-I. Significant improvements in the psychosocial subscale were observed for escitalopram, venlafaxine, and CBT-I. For the physical subscale, the greatest improvement was observed for CBT-I and exercise, whereas for the sexual subscale, the greatest improvement was observed for CBT-I, with yoga and estradiol demonstrating smaller effects.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that for menopause-related QOL, women have a variety of treatment strategies to choose from and can select an approach based on most bothersome symptoms and individual preferences.
Optimization of femtosecond laser–constructed clear corneal wound sealability for cataract surgery
Authors: Benard-Seguin Étienne , Bostan Cristina , Fadous Raphaëlle , Sylvestre-Bouchard Antoine , de Alwis Weerasekera Hasitha Jaliya , Giguère Charles-Édouard , Harasymowycz Paul , Brunette Isabelle
Published: July 2020

Purpose:

To compare the sealability of femtosecond laser (FSL)–assisted corneal incisions (CIs) with that of triplanar manual (M)-CIs and to determine FSL wound parameters minimizing leakage.

Setting:

Private practice.

Design:

Phase IV, single-surgeon, retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

One eye per patient was included. Two groups defined by the main wound (FSL-CI or M-CI) were compared for leakage, inferred by placement of a suture at the end of surgery. Leakage in FSL-CIs was analyzed as a function of customizable wound parameters: anterior plane depth (APD), posterior plane depth (PPD), anterior side-cut angle (ASCA), and posterior side-cut angle (PSCA). The risk of leakage of FSL-CIs with optimal and nonoptimal parameters was further compared with that of M-CIs.

Results:

A total of 1100 eyes (757 [68.8%] FSL-CI; 343 [31.2%] M-CI) were included. Wound leakage occurred in 133 FSL-CI (17.6%) and 30 M-CI eyes (8.7%) (P < .001). FSL wound parameters associated with the lowest risk of leakage were 60% APD, 70% PPD, 120 degrees ASCA, and 70 degrees PSCA. FSL-CIs constructed with at least 3 optimal parameters (60% APD, 70% PPD, and 120 degrees ASCA) had a similar risk of leakage to M-CIs (odds ratio [OR], 1.1; 95% CI, 0.5-2.3). FSL-CIs with suboptimal parameters had twice the risk of leakage of M-CIs (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.8).

Conclusions:

Overall, FSL-CIs leaked more than M-CIs. However, FSL-CIs with optimized wound profiles had an equivalent risk of leakage to M-CIs. Wound parameter customization is an asset of FSL technology that allows optimization of FSL-CI sealability.
Dermoid Cyst of the Parotid Gland Location
Authors: Yang Chengshuai , Wang Xudong , Zhang Shilei , Wu DanDan
Published: July 2020

Dermoid cysts (DCs) can occur anywhere in the body. However, DCs on neck or head are not common, which account for about 7% among all kinds of DCs and mostly occur in superficial areas. These cysts are hardly seen in the parotid gland. It is challenging to make accurate diagnosis before surgery because of its rarity and the ambiguous findings on radiology images. Based on a short review of the literature on DCs in the parotid gland, we discussed their clinical features and histopathological and radiological characteristics.
A Rare Complication of Tonsillectomy: Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
Authors: Erdogan Banu Atalay , Batum Kübra
Published: July 2020

Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations in otolaryngology clinics. While postoperative pain is frequently encountered, severe pain such as glossopharyngeal neuralgia is extremely rare.
A Guide to Developing Safety Protocols for International Craniofacial Outreach Programs During the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Salehi Parsa P. , Johnson Adam B. , Rubinstein Brian , Pahlavan Nima , Azizzadeh Babak , Hamdan Usama S.
Published: July 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has created obstacles to health care delivery on a global scale. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many of which already suffered from unmet surgical and medical needs, are at great risk of suffering poor health outcomes due to health care access troubles brought on by the pandemic. Craniofacial outreach programs (CFOP)—a staple for craniofacial surgeons—have historically provided essential care to LMICs. To date, there has not been literature discussing the process of resuming CFOP mission trips. Herein, we propose a roadmap to help guide future journeys, as well as summarize practical considerations.
Test–retest reliability of brain oscillations in a prepulse inhibition and facilitation paradigm: effects of gender in healthy humans
Authors: Stachtea Xanthi , Zioga Ioanna , Giannopoulos Anastasios E. , Papageorgiou Panos C. , Spantideas Sotirios T. , Kapsalis Nikolaos C. , Capsalis Christos N. , Papageorgiou Charalabos C.
Published: July 2020

There is a growing interest in assessing the reliability of electroencephalographic (EEG) measures in clinical and research settings. Prepulse inhibition (PPI: representing attentional modulation) and facilitation (PPF: reflecting selective attention) paradigms have been used to study inhibitory function and selective attention, respectively. However, to date, little has been known with regards to the stability of brain oscillatory activity during PPI and PPF. We investigated the stability of event-related EEG oscillations during PPI and PPF in healthy humans over two monthly sessions. Power spectral densities were analysed at traditional frequency bands (delta, alpha, beta sub-bands, and gamma). We assessed test–retest reliability by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs, absolute agreement definition) and examined potential effects of gender. The results showed good-to-excellent reproducibility of EEG power (both in PPI and PPF) over all frequency bands (ICCs > 0.75), except for delta (ICCs < 0.75), with alpha exhibiting the highest repeatability performance. In addition, females showed reduced reliability compared to males in both PPI and PPF, possibly attributed to menstrual cycle phase across our female participants. Overall, our findings suggest that brain oscillatory activity can be test–retest reliable, while gender needs to be controlled with caution. Finally, event-related EEG oscillations during both PPI and PPF could provide a complementary tool to study psychopathology in clinical practice.
Places of ‘Invention and Discovery’ and the Nobel Prize in Physics
Authors: Orrman-Rossiter Kevin
Published: July 2020

The Nobel Prize has acted as a surrogate record of invention and discovery throughout the twentieth century. Based on this surrogacy, many claims are made regarding both trends in research and claims for places of research excellence. In this paper I propose that any analysis should be weighted by the ‘prize share’ made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to each recipient. In addition, I argue for a focus on the organization and period when the prize-winning research was carried out, rather than when the award was made and the often quoted ‘affiliated organization at the time of award’. I use this to briefly examine types of invention and discovery for all Nobel Prizes in Physics awarded to date (1901–2019). I then use this ‘place’ lens to briefly explore trends in invention and discovery in the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics. I conclude by drawing attention to the difference between institutions claiming Nobel Laureates and institutions where Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and inventions have been made.
In vivo comparison of a laboratory-adapted and clinical-isolate-based recombinant human respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Rijsbergen Laurine C. , Rennick Linda J. , Laksono Brigitta M. , van Run Peter R.W.A. , Kuiken Thijs , Duprex W. Paul , de Swart Rik L. , de Vries Rory D.
Published: July 2020

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the leading cause of severe respiratory tract disease in infants. Most HRSV infections remain restricted to the upper respiratory tract (URT), but in a small percentage of patients the infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract, resulting in bronchiolitis or pneumonia. We have a limited understanding of HRSV pathogenesis and what factors determine disease severity, partly due to the widespread use of tissue-culture-adapted viruses. Here, we studied early viral dissemination and tropism of HRSV in cotton rats, BALB/cJ mice and C57BL/6 mice. We used a novel recombinant (r) strain based on a subgroup A clinical isolate (A11) expressing EGFP [rHRSVA11EGFP(5)]. A recombinant laboratory-adapted HRSV strain [rHRSVA2EGFP(5)] was used as a direct comparison. Our results show that rHRSVA11EGFP(5) replicated to higher viral titres than laboratory-adapted rHRSVA2EGFP(5) in the URT of cotton rats and mice. HRSV-infected cells were detected as early as 2 days post-inoculation in both species in the nasal septa and lungs. Infection was predominantly present in ciliated epithelial cells in cotton rats and in the olfactory mucosa of mice. In our opinion, this study highlights that the choice of virus strain is important when studying HRSV pathogenesis in vivo and demonstrates that A11 is a representative clinical-based virus. Additionally, we show critical differences in tropism and inflammation when comparing HRSV infection of cotton rats and mice.
COVID-19 DEATH TOLL: THE ROLE OF THE NATION’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Chodick Gabriel , Weil Clara
Published: July 2020

Background

Several months into the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there is a limited understanding of the underlying country-specific factors associated with COVID-19 spread and mortality. This study aims to investigate the role of nations’ economic development in the death toll associated with COVID-19 in Europe and Israel.

Methods

Number of COVID-19 cases, deaths per million, and case fatality rate (CFR) in Israel and 39 countries in Europe were described across quintiles of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The association between GDP per capita and COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and CFR was investigated using generalized linear modeling adjusting for the proportion of elderly and density of the population.

Results

In countries belonging to the three lower GDP quintiles, COVID-19 incidence rates per million (range 708-1134) were substantially lower compared to countries in the fourth (3939) and fifth (3476) quintiles. Major differences were also calculated in COVID-19 mortality rates per million (25-31 vs. 222-268). There was no significant (p=0.19) differences in CFR between GDP quintiles (range: 2.79-7.62%).

Conclusions

COVID-19 had a greater toll in more developed nations. Though comparisons are limited by differences in testing, reporting and lockdown policies, this association likely reflects increased spread from trade and tourism in wealthier countries, whereas limited health system capacity and lack of treatment and vaccination options contributed to higher than expected CFR in wealthier countries. This unique situation will probably encourage the stronger economies to invest the required financial capacity to respond to and recover from the current crisis.
The Effect of GDP and Distance on Timing of COVID-19 Spread in Chinese Provinces in 2020
Authors: Kuan Alice , Chen Mingxin , Bishai David
Published: July 2020

The geographical spread of COVID-19 across China’s provinces provides the opportunity for retrospective analysis on contributors to the timing of the spread. Highly contagious diseases need to be seeded into populations and we hypothesized that greater distance from the epicenter in Wuhan, as well as higher province-level GDP per capita, would delay the time until a province detected COVID-19 cases. To test this hypothesis, we used province-level socioeconomic data such as GDP per capita and percentage of the population aged over 65, distance from the Wuhan epicenter, and health systems capacity in a Cox proportional hazards analysis of the determinants of each province’s time until epidemic start. The start was defined by the number of days it took for each province to reach thresholds of 3, 5, 10, or 100 cases. We controlled for the number of hospital beds and physicians as these could influence the speed of case detection. Surprisingly, none of the explanatory variables had a statistically significant effect on the time it took for each province to get its first cases; the timing of COVID-19 spread appears to have been random with respect to distance, GDP, demography, and the strength of the health system. Looking to other factors, such as travel, policy, and lockdown measures, could provide additional insights on realizing most critical factors in the timing of spread.