bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Lumpen-Precariat-To-Come
Authors: Bradley Joff P.N. , Lee Alex Taek-Gwang
Published: May 2018

As a prolegomena to writing a critique of contemporary capitalism which takes into account its semiotic, affective dimensions and which emphasises the notion of hyper-capitalism with Asian characteristics, and in considering the nature of the ﬂoating, heterogeneous population of the lumpenproletariat in the Asia-Pacific region in the 21st century, the authors believe they remain faithful to Marx and the 11th thesis on Feuerbach. Bringing a unique perspective to the debate and raising pressing issues regarding the exploitation of the lumpenproletariat, we are not content to merely revisit the concept of the lumpenproletariat in Marx’s writings such as The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (1852) but to apply this concept to the contemporary conditions of capitalism and especially to the loci of the precariat in Asia. Our goal is to begin to account for the changing demographic of labour flows, the precarity of life, the modern day slavery which takes place in our time. In examining the passage from the lumpenproletariat, hitherto defined as “non-class” or “people without a definite trace”, to lumpen-precariat, defined as people not seen in Asian economies (refugees, the illegally employed, illegal migrants, nationless foreign labour, the withdrawn clan, sex industry workers, night workers; those behind walls, gated communities, and other entrance-exit barriers), this paper discloses not only the subsistence of those in the non-places of the world – in the technocratic-commercial archipelago of urban technopoles – but also and, arguably more importantly, on the Outside, namely the rest of the planet, the other six-sevenths of humanity. This paper looks for “a” missing people, “a” singular, people yet to come, those exiled, excluded and unseen – sited on the edges of respectable society.
Karl Marx
Authors: Luxemburg Rosa
Published: May 2018

Marx died on March 14, 1883. Exactly twenty years later, on March 14, 1903, Rosa Luxemburg’s reflections on Karl Marx were published in German in Vorwärts, the newspaper of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. tripleC publishes an English translation of Luxemburg’s essay on the occasion of Marx’s bicentenary. Christian Fuchs’ postface “Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg” asks the question of how we can make sense of Rosa Luxemburg’s reading of Marx in 2018. Source of the German original: Luxemburg, Rosa. 1903. Karl Marx. Vorwärts 62: 1-2.
Marx’s Centenary (1918) in the Light of the Media and Socialist Thought
Authors: Fuchs Christian
Published: May 2018

This article takes a historical view on Marx’s anniversary: It analyses how Marx’s centenary (5 May 1918) was reflected in the media and socialist thought. 1918 not just marked Marx’s 100th anniversary but was also the year in which the First World War ended. It was the year that saw the immediate aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the start of the Russian Civil War, the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the formation of the Weimar Republic, Austria’s First Republic, the Czech Republic, the Hungarian Republic, the Second Polish Republic; the founding of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), and the independence of Iceland from Denmark. The cultural forms, in which Marx’s centenary was reflected in 1918, included press articles, essays, speeches, rallies, demonstrations, music, and banners. The communists as well as left-wing socialists of the day saw themselves in the tradition of Marx, whereas revisionist social democrats based their politics on a criticism or revised reading of Marx. This difference resulted in different readings of Marx.
Thinking the ‘Culture Wars’ and the Present Political Crisis with the Young Marx (and Friends)
Authors: Whitham Ben
Published: May 2018

We stand at a key juncture: a Western political crisis arose in 2016-17 to match the deep economic crisis of the preceding decade. Events and new social movements of recent years seem to hail the collapse of the project of liberal democracy, though it is hard to see what will replace it. Among the conceptual and analytic tools bequeathed by Marx are those necessary to better understand and anticipate the direction of this key historical moment – from Donald Trump, Brexit and the so-called ‘culture wars’ to the horizon of liberal democracy itself. In this reflection, I suggest some ways in which Marx’s early thoughts on the liberal state and civil society can and should help us to better understand and explain our present predicament. To say that the Young Marx can help us today with what he called ‘the ruthless critique of everything existing’ is not to say that he can do so alone. It is precisely the issues overlooked or ‘fudged’ by Marx and Marxism – gender, sexuality, and race/racism for example – that now sit at the centre of our ‘culture wars’, alongside but never reducible to the contradictions and crises of capitalism. I conclude that it is only with the help of other writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Antonio Gramsci to Frantz Fanon and bell hooks, that we can usefully mobilise the Young Marx today, to critique the world as we find it and especially – the very ‘point’ of theory according to Marx – to change it.
Minding the Gap: Marxian Reflections on the Transition from Capitalism to Postcapitalism
Authors: Sculos Bryant William
Published: May 2018

Building on contemporary debates over the past several decades in Marxist and post-Marxist theory regarding the relationship between capitalism and postcapitalism, this essay will explore the enduring relevance of Marx’s treatment of this issue in some of his most significant, though increasingly less contemporarily engaged with texts (as Capital [Vols. 1-3] and the Grundrisse take pride of place). Here, I look toward the middle and early period of Marx’s oeuvre to pull out the most important statements and insights regarding the relationship between capitalism and postcapitalism, focusing on The German Ideology, The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, and The Communist Manifesto in order to offer reflections on how Marx’s work, 200 years since his birth, offer the contemporary and future left guidance on “minding the gap” between capitalism and postcapitalism as we live, work, and struggle still deeply ensconced within the confines of the decadent capitalist mode of production. Combing close-reading of key relevant texts in Marx’s oeuvre with reflective commentary on how Marx’s work can speak to the contemporary conjuncture, this paper offers a synthetic commentary on how leftists, both scholars and activists, should approach the question of the relationship between radical praxis within capitalism and the character of potential postcapitalisms that may emerge. This essay is loosely organised around three crucial questions: (1) What can we learn from Marx’s discussions on the historical transition and the overall radical intellectual project of dialectical materialism that can assist us in understanding the transition from capitalism to a democratic, egalitarian postcapitalism (i.e., socialism/communism), specifically concerning complexity and time? (2) How does contemporary capitalism reproduce itself social-psychologically (i.e., ideologically) and what are the implications of that for a postcapitalist transformation? (3) What is/are the role(s) of revolutionaries in dealing with the first two questions?
Marx’s Philosophy of Revolution in Permanence: Its Significance for Our Time
Authors: Dmitryev Franklin , Gogol Eugene
Published: May 2018

How can Marx’s ideas help us with the problem of how to make new revolutionary beginnings in a time when the counterrevolution is ascendant, without losing sight of the need to prepare for the equally crucial question of what happens after the revolution? Capitalism has taken various forms as it developed, with the latest shaped by its endemic crisis since the mid-1970s generated by its falling rate of profit. Throughout these stages, the humanism and dialectic of Capital remain prime determinants of allowing Marxist responses not to stop at economic analyses but to release, rather than inhibiting, new revolutionary subjects and directions. Critical for the present moment is to take up Marx’s humanism and dialectic as crucial dimensions of his philosophy of revolution in permanence. This encompasses not alone the famous March 1850 Address to the Communist League, but also the full trajectory of Marx's revolutionary life and thought from the 1844 Economic-Philosophic Manuscripts through Capital to the new moments of Marx's last decade as expressed in his writings on Russia and his Ethnological Notebooks. We trace Marx's theoretical/philosophical concept of permanent revolution in a number of his writings, to confront how various post-Marx Marxists addressed or ignored this dimension of Marx's thought, and explore whether this concept can be seen as central to Marx's body of thought, and can assist in the dual task of needed revolutionary transformation – the destruction of the old (negation) and the construction of the new (the negation of the negation).
Microsurgical anatomy of the subthalamic nucleus: correlating fiber dissection results with 3-T magnetic resonance imaging using neuronavigation
Authors: Güngör Abuzer , Baydın Şevki Serhat , Holanda Vanessa M. , Middlebrooks Erik H. , Isler Cihan , Tugcu Bekir , Foote Kelly , Tanriover Necmettin
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Despite the extensive use of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) as a deep brain stimulation (DBS) target, unveiling the extensive functional connectivity of the nucleus, relating its structural connectivity to the stimulation-induced adverse effects, and thus optimizing the STN targeting still remain challenging. Mastering the 3D anatomy of the STN region should be the fundamental goal to achieve ideal surgical results, due to the deep-seated and obscure position of the nucleus, variable shape and relatively small size, oblique orientation, and extensive structural connectivity. In the present study, the authors aimed to delineate the 3D anatomy of the STN and unveil the complex relationship between the anatomical structures within the STN region using fiber dissection technique, 3D reconstructions of high-resolution MRI, and fiber tracking using diffusion tractography utilizing a generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) model.

METHODS

Fiber dissection was performed in 20 hemispheres and 3 cadaveric heads using the Klingler method. Fiber dissections of the brain were performed from all orientations in a stepwise manner to reveal the 3D anatomy of the STN. In addition, 3 brains were cut into 5-mm coronal, axial, and sagittal slices to show the sectional anatomy. GQI data were also used to elucidate the connections among hubs within the STN region.

RESULTS

The study correlated the results of STN fiber dissection with those of 3D MRI reconstruction and tractography using neuronavigation. A 3D terrain model of the subthalamic area encircling the STN was built to clarify its anatomical relations with the putamen, globus pallidus internus, globus pallidus externus, internal capsule, caudate nucleus laterally, substantia nigra inferiorly, zona incerta superiorly, and red nucleus medially. The authors also describe the relationship of the medial lemniscus, oculomotor nerve fibers, and the medial forebrain bundle with the STN using tractography with a 3D STN model.

CONCLUSIONS

This study examines the complex 3D anatomy of the STN and peri-subthalamic area. In comparison with previous clinical data on STN targeting, the results of this study promise further understanding of the structural connections of the STN, the exact location of the fiber compositions within the region, and clinical applications such as stimulation-induced adverse effects during DBS targeting.
Defining the relationship of the optic radiation to the roof and floor of the ventricular atrium: a focused microanatomical study
Authors: Koutsarnakis Christos , Kalyvas Aristotelis V. , Komaitis Spyridon , Liakos Faidon , Skandalakis Georgios P. , Anagnostopoulos Christos , Stranjalis George
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

The authors investigated the specific topographic relationship of the optic radiation fibers to the roof and floor of the ventricular atrium because the current literature is ambiguous.

METHODS

Thirty-five normal, adult, formalin-fixed cerebral hemispheres and 30 focused MRI slices at the level of the atrium were included in the study. The correlative anatomy of the optic radiation with regard to the atrial roof and floor was investigated in 15 specimens, each through focused fiber microdissections. The remaining 5 hemispheres were explored with particular emphasis on the trajectory of the collateral sulcus in relation to the floor of the atrium. In addition, the trajectory of the collateral sulcus was evaluated in 30 MRI scans.

RESULTS

The atrial roof was observed to be devoid of optic radiations in all studied hemispheres, whereas the atrial floor was seen to harbor optic fibers on its lateral part. Moreover, the trajectory of the intraparietal sulcus, when followed, was always seen to correspond to the roof of the atrium, thus avoiding the optic pathway, whereas that of the collateral sulcus was found to lead to either the lateral atrial floor or outside the ventricle in 88% of the cases, therefore hitting the visual pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Operative corridors accessing the ventricular atrium should be carefully tailored through detailed preoperative planning and effective use of intraoperative navigation to increase patient safety and enhance the surgeon’s maneuverability. The authors strongly emphasize the significance of accurate anatomical knowledge.
Laser ablation after stereotactic radiosurgery: a multicenter prospective study in patients with metastatic brain tumors and radiation necrosis
Authors: Ahluwalia Manmeet , Barnett Gene H. , Deng Di , Tatter Stephen B. , Laxton Adrian W. , Mohammadi Alireza M. , Leuthardt Eric , Chamoun Roukoz , Judy Kevin , Asher Anthony , Essig Marco , Dietrich Jorg , Chiang Veronica L.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Laser Ablation After Stereotactic Radiosurgery (LAASR) is a multicenter prospective study of laser interstitial thermal (LITT) ablation in patients with radiographic progression after stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases.

METHODS

Patients with a Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score ≥ 60, an age > 18 years, and surgical eligibility were included in this study. The primary outcome was local progression-free survival (PFS) assessed using the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases (RANO-BM) criteria. Secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS), procedure safety, neurocognitive function, and quality of life.

RESULTS

Forty-two patients—19 with biopsy-proven radiation necrosis, 20 with recurrent tumor, and 3 with no diagnosis—were enrolled. The median age was 60 years, 64% of the subjects were female, and the median baseline KPS score was 85. Mean lesion volume was 6.4 cm3 (range 0.4–38.6 cm3). There was no significant difference in length of stay between the recurrent tumor and radiation necrosis patients (median 2.3 vs 1.7 days, respectively). Progression-free survival and OS rates were 74% (20/27) and 72%, respectively, at 26 weeks. Thirty percent of subjects were able to stop or reduce steroid usage by 12 weeks after surgery. Median KPS score, quality of life, and neurocognitive results did not change significantly for either group over the duration of survival. Adverse events were also similar for the two groups, with no significant difference in the overall event rate. There was a 12-week PFS and OS advantage for the radiation necrosis patients compared with the recurrent tumor or tumor progression patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, in which enrolled patients had few alternative options for salvage treatment, LITT ablation stabilized the KPS score, preserved quality of life and cognition, had a steroid-sparing effect, and was performed safely in the majority of cases.

Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01651078 (clinicaltrials.gov)
Hemodynamic characteristics associated with cerebral aneurysm formation in patients with carotid occlusion
Authors: Shakur Sophia F. , Alaraj Ali , Mendoza-Elias Nasya , Osama Muhammad , Charbel Fady T.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

The pathogenesis of cerebral aneurysms in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is hypothesized to be hemodynamic. For the first time, the authors quantify the hemodynamic characteristics associated with aneurysm formation in patients with ICA occlusion.

METHODS

Records of patients with unilateral ICA stenosis or occlusion ≥ 90% who underwent hemodynamic assessment before treatment using quantitative MR angiography were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of aneurysms. The hemodynamic parameters of flow volume rate, flow velocity, and wall shear stress (WSS) were measured in each vessel supplying collateral flow—bilateral A1 segments and bilateral posterior communicating arteries—and then compared between the groups.

RESULTS

A total of 36 patients were included (8 with and 28 without aneurysms). The mean flow (72.3 vs 48.9 ml/min, p = 0.10), flow velocity (21.1 vs 12.7 cm/sec, p = 0.006), and WSS (22.0 vs 12.3 dynes/cm2, p = 0.003) were higher in the A1 segment contralateral to the side of the patent ICA in patients with versus without aneurysms. All de novo or growing aneurysms in our cohort were located on the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) or P1 segment.

CONCLUSIONS

Flow velocity and WSS are significantly higher across the ACoA in patients who harbor an aneurysm, and de novo or growing aneurysms are often located on collateral vessels. Thus, robust primary collaterals after ICA occlusion may be a contributing factor in cerebral aneurysm formation.
Parietal association deficits in patients harboring parietal lobe gliomas: a prospective study
Authors: Liouta Evangelia , Stranjalis George , Kalyvas Aristotelis V. , Koutsarnakis Christos , Pantinaki Stavroula , Liakos Faidon , Komaitis Spyros , Stavrinou Lampis C.
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Although the parietal lobe is a common site for glioma formation, current literature is scarce, consists of retrospective studies, and lacks consistency with regard to the incidence, nature, and severity of parietal association deficits (PADs). The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics and incidence of PADs in patients suffering from parietal lobe gliomas through a prospective study and a battery of comprehensive neuropsychological tests.

METHODS

Between 2012 and 2016 the authors recruited 38 patients with glioma confined in the parietal lobe. Patients were examined for primary and secondary association deficits with a dedicated battery of neuropsychological tests. The PADs were grouped into 5 categories: visuospatial attention, gnosis, praxis, upper-limb coordination, and language. For descriptive analysis tumors were divided into high- and low-grade gliomas and also according to patient age and tumor size.

RESULTS

Parietal association deficits were elicited in 80% of patients, thus being more common than primary deficits (50%). Apraxia was the most common PAD (47.4%), followed by anomic aphasia and subcomponents of Gerstmann’s syndrome (34.2% each). Other deficits such as hemineglect, stereoagnosia, extinction, and visuomotor ataxia were also detected, albeit at lower rates. There was a statistically nonsignificant difference between PADs and sex (72.2% males, 85% females) and age (77.8% at ≤ 60 years, 80% at age > 60 years), but a statistically significant difference between the > 4 cm and the ≤ 4 cm diameter group (p = 0.02, 94.7% vs 63.2%, respectively). There was a tendency (p = 0.094) for low-grade gliomas to present with fewer PADs (50%) than high-grade gliomas (85.7%). Tumor laterality showed a strong correlation with hemineglect (p = 0.004, predilection for right hemisphere), anomia (p = 0.001), and Gerstmann’s symptoms (p = 0.01); the last 2 deficits showed a left (dominant) hemispheric preponderance.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to prospectively evaluate the incidence and nature of PADs in patients with parietal gliomas. It could be that the current literature may have underestimated the true incidence of deficits. Dedicated neuropsychological examination detects a high frequency of PADs, the most common being apraxia, followed by anomia and subcomponents of Gerstmann’s syndrome. Nevertheless, a direct correlation between the clinical deficit and its anatomical substrate is only possible to a limited extent, highlighting the need for intraoperative cortical and subcortical functional mapping.
Early surgical management and long-term surgical outcome for intraventricular hemorrhage–related posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in shunt-treated premature infants
Authors: Bock Hans Christoph , Feldmann Jacqueline , Ludwig Hans Christoph
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

Perinatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature neonates may lead to severe neurological disability and lifelong treatment requirement for consecutive posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHHC). Early CSF diversion as a temporizing measure, or a permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS), is the treatment of choice. Preterm neonates are not only at high risk for different perinatal but also for treatment-related complications. The authors reviewed their institutional neurosurgical management for preterm neonates with IVH-related PHHC and evaluated shunt-related surgical outcome for this particular hydrocephalus etiology after completion of a defined follow-up period of 5 years after initial shunt insertion.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed early surgical management for preterm newborns who presented with IVH and PHHC between 1995 and 2015. According to the guidelines, patients received implantation of a ventricular access device (VAD) for temporizing measures or direct VPS insertion as first-line surgical treatment. Surgical outcome was evaluated for a subgroup of 72 patients regarding time to first shunt revision and the mean number of shunt revisions during a time span of 5 years after initial shunt insertion. Gestational age (GA), extent of IVH, and timing and modality of initial surgical intervention were analyzed for potential impact on corresponding surgical outcome.

RESULTS

A total cohort of 99 preterm newborns with GAs ranging from 22 to 36 weeks (mean 28.3 weeks) with perinatal IVH-related PHHC and a median follow-up duration of 9.9 years postpartum could be selected for further investigation. Extent of perinatal IVH was defined as grade III or as periventricular hemorrhagic infarction in 75% of the patient cohort. Seventy-six patients (77%) underwent VAD insertion and temporizing measures as initial surgical treatment; for 72 (95%) of these a later conversion to permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunting was performed, and 23 patients received direct VPS insertion. Etiological and treatment-related variables revealed no significant impact on revision-free shunt survival but increased the mean numbers of shunt revisions after 5 years for low GA, higher-order IVH in the long term.

CONCLUSIONS

Low GA and higher-order IVH in preterm neonates with PHHC who are treated with VPSs show no significant impact on time to first shunt revision (i.e., revision-free shunt survival), but marked differences in mean revision rates evaluated after completion of 5 years of follow-up. Temporizing measures via a VAD represent a rational strategy to gain time and decision guidance in preterm patients with PHHC before permanent VPS insertion.
Rome and Its Domes: Drawing, Art and Architecture
Authors: Chiavoni Emanuela
Published: May 2018

Any analysis performed to gather data about architectural and urban heritage always begins with the observation of reality and the involvement established between the observer and the space around them. A spectator inevitably interprets what they see in a personal manner so as to give objects a specific meaning. The ability to understand the data and the relationship between the parts and then assign it a value varies from person to person. That the mind can mediate the mental processes of perception-action-thought means that any direct analysis to understand a cultural asset is scientifically extremely important. The critical process sparked by an on-site study exploits the concise graphic transcription of what is visible, including the graphics tool used to achieve that representation. This contribution will present a study performed by the author to gather data using the drawings of several domes in the historical centre of the city of Rome.
Evolving Government Information Processes for Service Delivery: Identifying Types & Impact
Authors: Heijlen Roel , Crompvoets Joep , Bouckaert Geert , Chantillon Maxim
Published: May 2018

The fulfilment of government objectives is dependent on information. Traditionally, this information originates from a classic process of input, (processing) activities, and output. However, in light of increased intergovernmental data sharing, the movement towards open data and opportunities concerning big data, traditional government information processes are evolving. This article aims to bring insight into these evolutions by creating a typology. Based on the typology, the paper further reflects on the impact these evolutions have on the processes and creation, delivery and improvement of public service.
Effect of Different Flooring Designs on the Performance and Foot Pad Health in Broilers and Turkeys
Authors: Chuppava Bussarakam , Visscher Christian , Kamphues Josef
Published: May 2018

Litter quality has a significant influence on the performance and foot pad health in poultry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different types of flooring designs on the performance and foot pad health in fattening broilers and turkeys. Three trials were conducted for each species using a total of 720 Ross 308 broilers and 720 Big 6 turkeys. After day seven, animals were randomly assigned to four groups with three subgroups each: G1—floor pens with litter, G2—floor pens with litter and floor heating, G3—partially-slatted flooring, including a littered area, and G4—fully-slatted flooring with a sand bath (900 cm2). Animals of both species had a significantly higher final body weight at dissection (day 36) after being reared on fully-slatted floors compared to common littered floors. In turkeys, the feed conversion ratio was worse in G4 (1.53 ± 0.04) than in G1 (1.47 ± 0.02) and G2 (1.48 ± 0.03). Water to feed ratio was significantly higher in G2 than other groups. Turkeys’ foot pad health was significantly better in G4 than in other groups beginning at day 21. In turkeys, platforms with slatted floors that allow for temporary separation of the feet from the litter could lead to improvements in foot pad health which could better enable the realization of species-specific behaviours and activities in littered areas.
Toxicological Assessment of a Lignin Core Nanoparticle Doped with Silver as an Alternative to Conventional Silver Core Nanoparticles
Authors: Nix Cassandra E. , Harper Bryan J. , Conner Cathryn G. , Richter Alexander P. , Velev Orlin D. , Harper Stacey L.
Published: May 2018

Elevated levels of silver in the environment are anticipated with an increase in silver nanoparticle (AgNP) production and use in consumer products. To potentially reduce the burden of silver ion release from conventional solid core AgNPs, a lignin-core particle doped with silver ions and surface-stabilized with a polycationic electrolyte layer was engineered. Our objective was to determine whether any of the formulation components elicit toxicological responses using embryonic zebrafish. Ionic silver and free surface stabilizer were the most toxic constituents, although when associated separately or together with the lignin core particles, the toxicity of the formulations decreased significantly. The overall toxicity of lignin formulations containing silver was similar to other studies on a silver mass basis, and led to a significantly higher prevalence of uninflated swim bladder and yolk sac edema. Comparative analysis of dialyzed samples which had leached their loosely bound Ag+, showed a significant increase in mortality immediately after dialysis, in addition to eliciting significant increases in types of sublethal responses relative to the freshly prepared non-dialyzed samples. ICP-OES/MS analysis indicated that silver ion release from the particle into solution was continuous, and the rate of release differed when the surface stabilizer was not present. Overall, our study indicates that the lignin core is an effective alternative to conventional solid core AgNPs for potentially reducing the burden of silver released into the environment from a variety of consumer products.
Optic Disc Detection from Fundus Photography via Best-Buddies Similarity
Authors: Hou Kangning , Liu Naiwen , Jia Weikuan , He Yunlong , Lian Jian , Zheng Yuanjie
Published: May 2018

Robust and effective optic disc (OD) detection is a necessary processing step in the research work of the automatic analysis of fundus images. In this paper, we propose a novel and robust method for the automated detection of ODs from fundus photographs. It is essentially carried out by performing template matching using the Best-Buddies Similarity (BBS) measure between the hand-marked OD region and the small parts of target images. For well characterizing the local spatial information of fundus images, a gradient constraint term was introduced for computing the BBS measurement. The performance of the proposed method is validated with Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction (DRIVE) and Standard Diabetic Retinopathy Database Calibration Level 1 (DIARETDB1) databases, and quantitative results were obtained. Success rates/error distances of 100%/10.4 pixel and of 97.7%/12.9 pixel, respectively, were achieved. The algorithm has been tested and compared with other commonly used methods, and the results show that the proposed method shows superior performance.
A Design Method for Multijoint Explosive-Proof Manipulators by Two Motors
Authors: Zhao Jingchao , Gao Junyao , Zhao Fangzhou , Xu Zhe , Liu Yi
Published: May 2018

With the increase of accidents and disasters occurring in the explosive environment, search-and-rescue activities are more and more essential. At present, explosive-proof robots can be designed for detection in the explosive environment. However, most robots only detect parameters of disaster scenes, and cannot go forward when they are blocked by obstacles. So, manipulators are needed in order for robots to finish search-and-rescue missions. However, few robots can meet these requirements, because it is difficult to design an explosive-proof manipulator. This paper introduces a method used for designing manipulators which can work in the explosive environment. The manipulator adopted in this design method can drive more than three joints, and only uses two motors. One motor is used to supply power for driving joints and the other is used for switching the power among joints. Both of them can be separated with a manipulator and mounted on a robot chassis with an explosive-proof box. In this way, the load capacity and explosion-proof security of manipulators can be improved. The development of this design method can provide a reference for designers to develop future search-and-rescue robots in explosive environments.
Application of Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) in Managing Chirp of Optical Code Division Multiple Access (OCDMA) Code Carriers in Temperature Affected Fibre Link
Authors: Ahmed Md , Glesk Ivan
Published: May 2018

Chromatic and temperature induced dispersion can both severely affect incoherent high data rate communications in optical fibre. This is certainly also true for incoherent optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) systems with multi-wavelength picosecond code carriers. Here, even a relatively small deviation from a fully dispersion compensated transmission link can strongly impact the overall system performance, the number of simultaneous users, and the system cardinality due to the recovered OCDMA auto-correlation being strongly distorted, time-skewed, and having its full width at half maximum (FWHM) value changed. It is therefore imperative to have a simple tunable means for controlling fibre chromatic or temperature induced dispersion with high sub-picosecond accuracy. To help address this issue, we have investigated experimentally and by simulations the use of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for its ability to control the chirp of the passing optical signal (OCDMA codes) and to exploit the SOA ability for dispersion management of a fibre link in an incoherent OCDMA system. Our investigation is done using a 19.5 km long fibre transmission link that is exposed to different temperatures (20 °C and 50 °C) using an environmental chamber. By placing the SOA on a transmission site and using it to manipulate the code carrier’s chirp via SOA bias adjustments, we have shown that this approach can successfully control the overall fibre link dispersion, and it can also mitigate the impact on the received OCDMA auto-correlation and its FWHM. The experimental data obtained are in a very good agreement with our simulation results.
Applying Acoustical and Musicological Analysis to Detect Brain Responses to Realistic Music: A Case Study
Authors: Haumann Niels Trusbak , Kliuchko Marina , Vuust Peter , Brattico Elvira
Published: May 2018

Music information retrieval (MIR) methods offer interesting possibilities for automatically identifying time points in music recordings that relate to specific brain responses. However, how the acoustical features and the novelty of the music structure affect the brain response is not yet clear. In the present study, we tested a new method for automatically identifying time points of brain responses based on MIR analysis. We utilized an existing database including brain recordings of 48 healthy listeners measured with electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). While we succeeded in capturing brain responses related to acoustical changes in the modern tango piece Adios Nonino, we obtained less reliable brain responses with a metal rock piece and a modern symphony orchestra musical composition. However, brain responses might also relate to the novelty of the music structure. Hence, we added a manual musicological analysis of novelty in the musical structure to the computational acoustic analysis, obtaining strong brain responses even to the rock and modern pieces. Although no standardized method yet exists, these preliminary results suggest that analysis of novelty in music is an important aid to MIR analysis for investigating brain responses to realistic music.
Energy Levels and Radiative Rates for Transitions in F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX
Authors: Aggarwal Kanti M.
Published: May 2018

Energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes are reported for F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX for which the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package (GRASP) has been adopted. For all three ions, limited data exist in the literature but comparisons have been made wherever possible to assess the accuracy of the calculations. In the present work, the lowest 102, 125 and 139 levels have been considered for the respective ions. Additionally, calculations have also been performed with the flexible atomic code (FAC) to (particularly) confirm the accuracy of energy levels.
Using Fluorescence Intensity of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein to Quantify Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Wilson Erin , Okuom Macduff , Kyes Nathan , Mayfield Dylan , Wilson Christina , Sabatka Derek , Sandoval Jasmin , Foote Jared R. , Kangas Michael J. , Holmes Andrea E. , Sutlief Arin L.
Published: May 2018

A variety of direct and indirect methods have been used to quantify planktonic and biofilm bacterial cells. Direct counting methods to determine the total number of cells include plate counts, microscopic cell counts, Coulter cell counting, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. However, indirect methods are often used to supplement direct cell counting, as they are often more convenient, less time-consuming, and require less material, while providing a number that can be related to the direct cell count. Herein, an indirect method is presented that uses fluorescence emission intensity as a proxy marker for studying bacterial accumulation. A clinical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was genetically modified to express a green fluorescent protein (PA14/EGFP). The fluorescence intensity of EGFP in live cells was used as an indirect measure of live cell density, and was compared with the traditional cell counting methods of optical density (OD600) and plate counting (colony-forming units (CFUs)). While both OD600 and CFUs are well-established methods, the use of fluorescence spectroscopy to quantify bacteria is less common. This study demonstrates that EGFP intensity is a convenient reporter for bacterial quantification. In addition, we demonstrate the potential for fluorescence spectroscopy to be used to measure the quantity of PA14/EGFP biofilms, which have important human health implications due to their antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy could serve as an alternative or complementary quick assay to quantify bacteria in planktonic cultures and biofilms.
HFCVD Diamond-Coated Mechanical Seals
Authors: Simões Raul , Martins Bruno , Santos José , Neto Victor
Published: May 2018

A mechanical seal promotes the connection between systems or mechanisms, preventing the escape of fluids to the exterior. Nonetheless, due to extreme working conditions, premature failure can occur. Diamond, due to its excellent properties, is heralded as an excellent choice to cover the surface of these devices and extend their lifetime. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to deposit diamond films over mechanical seals and test the coated seals on a water pump, under real working conditions. The coatings were created by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) and two consecutive layers of micro- and nanocrystalline diamond were deposited. One of the main difficulties is the attainment of a good adhesion between the diamond films and the mechanical seal material (WC-Co). Nucleation, deposition conditions, and pre-treatments were studied to enhance the coating. Superficial wear or delamination of the film was investigated using SEM and Raman characterization techniques, in order to draw conclusions about the feasibility of these coatings in the WC-Co mechanical seals with the purpose of increasing their performance and life time. The results obtained gave a good indication about the feasibility of this process and the deposition conditions used, with the mechanical seals showing no wear and no film delamination after a real work environment test.
Structural Phase Transition and Compressibility of CaF2 Nanocrystals under High Pressure
Authors: Wang Jingshu , Yang Jinghan , Hu Tingjing , Chen Xiangshan , Lang Jihui , Wu Xiaoxin , Zhang Junkai , Zhao Haiying , Yang Jinghai , Cui Qiliang
Published: May 2018

The structural phase transition and compressibility of CaF2 nanocrystals with size of 23 nm under high pressure were investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurement. A pressure-induced fluorite to α-PbCl2-type phase transition starts at 9.5 GPa and completes at 20.2 GPa. The phase-transition pressure is lower than that of 8 nm CaF2 nanocrystals and closer to bulk CaF2. Upon decompression, the fluorite and α-PbCl2-type structure co-exist at the ambient pressure. The bulk modulus B0 of the 23 nm CaF2 nanocrystals for the fluorite and α-PbCl2-type phase are 103(2) and 78(2) GPa, which are both larger than those of the bulk CaF2. The CaF2 nanocrystals exhibit obviously higher incompressibility compare to bulk CaF2. Further analysis demonstrates that the defect effect in our CaF2 nanocrystals plays a dominant role in the structural stability.
Datasets for Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis in Bangla and Its Baseline Evaluation
Authors: Rahman Md. Atikur , Kumar Dey Emon
Published: May 2018

With the extensive growth of user interactions through prominent advances of the Web, sentiment analysis has obtained more focus from an academic and a commercial point of view. Recently, sentiment analysis in the Bangla language is progressively being considered as an important task, for which previous approaches have attempted to detect the overall polarity of a Bangla document. To the best of our knowledge, there is no research on the aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) of Bangla text. This can be described as being due to the lack of available datasets for ABSA. In this paper, we provide two publicly available datasets to perform the ABSA task in Bangla. One of the datasets consists of human-annotated user comments on cricket, and the other dataset consists of customer reviews of restaurants. We also describe a baseline approach for the subtask of aspect category extraction to evaluate our datasets.
Discrimination of Clover and Citrus Honeys from Egypt According to Floral Type Using Easily Assessable Physicochemical Parameters and Discriminant Analysis: An External Validation of the Chemometric Approach
Authors: Karabagias Ioannis K. , Karabournioti Sofia
Published: May 2018

Twenty-two honey samples, namely clover and citrus honeys, were collected from the greater Cairo area during the harvesting year 2014–2015. The main purpose of the present study was to characterize the aforementioned honey types and to investigate whether the use of easily assessable physicochemical parameters, including color attributes in combination with chemometrics, could differentiate honey floral origin. Parameters taken into account were: pH, electrical conductivity, ash, free acidity, lactonic acidity, total acidity, moisture content, total sugars (degrees Brix-°Bx), total dissolved solids and their ratio to total acidity, salinity, CIELAB color parameters, along with browning index values. Results showed that all honey samples analyzed met the European quality standards set for honey and had variations in the aforementioned physicochemical parameters depending on floral origin. Application of linear discriminant analysis showed that eight physicochemical parameters, including color, could classify Egyptian honeys according to floral origin (p < 0.05). Correct classification rate was 95.5% using the original method and 90.9% using the cross validation method. The discriminatory ability of the developed model was further validated using unknown honey samples. The overall correct classification rate was not affected. Specific physicochemical parameter analysis in combination with chemometrics has the potential to enhance the differences in floral honeys produced in a given geographical zone.
Numerical Simulation of Flow and Scour in a Laboratory Junction
Authors: Ahadiyan Javad , Adeli Atefeh , Bahmanpouri Farhad , Gualtieri Carlo
Published: May 2018

Confluences are a common feature of riverine systems; the area of converging flow streamlines and potential mixing of separate flows. The hydrodynamics about confluences have a highly complex three-dimensional flow structure. This paper presents the results of a numerical study using the CCHE2D code to investigate the influence of junction angle and discharge ratio on the flow and erosion patterns. The hydraulic and geometric parameters which affect the maximum relative scouring depth are analyzed. The model is first calibrated and validated. Then three discharge ratios, seven junction angles and five width ratios are considered and compared. Results generally agree with experimental data and show that the process of scouring depends on all these parameters. Numerical results demonstrate that a decrease in the ratio of the tributary width to the main channel width results in an increase in the size of the separation zone. Furthermore, the increase in the width ratio leads to a decrease in the maximum depth of bed erosion. Finally, the maximum depth of bed erosion at the confluence increases with the increasing angle of the junction.
Fitness Activity Recognition on Smartphones Using Doppler Measurements
Authors: Fu Biying , Kirchbuchner Florian , Kuijper Arjan , Braun Andreas , Vaithyalingam Gangatharan Dinesh
Published: May 2018

Quantified Self has seen an increased interest in recent years, with devices including smartwatches, smartphones, or other wearables that allow you to monitor your fitness level. This is often combined with mobile apps that use gamification aspects to motivate the user to perform fitness activities, or increase the amount of sports exercise. Thus far, most applications rely on accelerometers or gyroscopes that are integrated into the devices. They have to be worn on the body to track activities. In this work, we investigated the use of a speaker and a microphone that are integrated into a smartphone to track exercises performed close to it. We combined active sonar and Doppler signal analysis in the ultrasound spectrum that is not perceivable by humans. We wanted to measure the body weight exercises bicycles, toe touches, and squats, as these consist of challenging radial movements towards the measuring device. We have tested several classification methods, ranging from support vector machines to convolutional neural networks. We achieved an accuracy of 88% for bicycles, 97% for toe-touches and 91% for squats on our test set.
Numerical Methods for a Two-Species Competition-Diffusion Model with Free Boundaries
Authors: Liu Shuang , Liu Xinfeng
Published: May 2018

The systems of reaction-diffusion equations coupled with moving boundaries defined by Stefan condition have been widely used to describe the dynamics of spreading population and with competition of two species. To solve these systems numerically, new numerical challenges arise from the competition of two species due to the interaction of their free boundaries. On the one hand, extremely small time steps are usually needed due to the stiffness of the system. On the other hand, it is always difficult to efficiently and accurately handle the moving boundaries especially with competition of two species. To overcome these numerical difficulties, we introduce a front tracking method coupled with an implicit solver for the 1D model. For the general 2D model, we use a level set approach to handle the moving boundaries to efficiently treat complicated topological changes. Several numerical examples are examined to illustrate the efficiency, accuracy and consistency for different approaches.
Evaluation of Fatigue Behavior in Dental Implants from In Vitro Clinical Tests: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rojo Rosa , Prados-Privado María , Reinoso Antonio José , Prados-Frutos Juan Carlos
Published: May 2018

In the area of dentistry, there is a wide variety of designs of dental implant and materials, especially titanium, which aims to avoid failures and increase their clinical durability. The purpose of this review was to evaluate fatigue behavior in different connections and implant materials, as well as their loading conditions and response to failure. In vitro tests under normal and dynamic loading conditions evaluating fatigue at implant and abutment connection were included. A search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. The quality of selected studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook proposed by the tool for clinical trials. Nineteen studies were included. Fourteen studies had an unclear risk and five had high risk of bias. Due to the heterogeneity of the data and the evaluation of the quality of the studies, meta-analysis could not be performed. Evidence from this study suggests that both internal and morse taper connections presented a better behavior to failure. However, it is necessary to unify criteria in the methodological design of in vitro studies, following methodological guidelines and establishing conditions that allow the homogenization of designs in ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards.