bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large hepatocellular carcinoma conquered by ALPPS: a case report
Authors: Bheerappa Nagari , Sharma Digvijoy , Gondu Gangadhar Rao , Raj Nirjhar , Bishnoi Kamal Kishore
Published: August 2020

Background

The only means of achieving long-term survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond transplant criteria is complete tumour resection. The limiting factor for curative resection in large HCC is an inadequate future liver remnant (FLR) that might culminate into post hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). The most common method that has been employed thus far to increase the FLR is portal vein embolization (PVE), which has its own set of drawbacks mainly inadequate hypertrophy, longer duration to achieve adequate FLR and tumour progression in the waiting period. Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) is a novel upcoming technique that aids in achieving rapid hypertrophy of FLR, thereby facilitating resection of an otherwise unresectable tumour.

Case presentation

The authors present a case of a 46-year-old female with non-metastatic large HCC with inadequate FLR unsuitable for upfront hepatectomy. A two-stage surgical resection with ALPPS technique was preferred over PVE in this patient. This facilitated early hypertrophy of FLR and complete surgical resection of the tumour was performed successfully with an uneventful perioperative period. The patient was disease free at 16 months of follow-up.

Conclusion

ALPPS is a feasible option for otherwise unresectable large HCCs in carefully selected patients with acceptable morbidity.
Polylactic acid-based electrospun fiber and hyaluronic acid-valsartan hydrogel scaffold for chronic wound healing
Authors: Ilomuanya Margaret O. , Okafor Prosper S. , Amajuoyi Joyce N. , Onyejekwe John C. , Okubanjo Omotunde O. , Adeosun Samson O. , Silva Boladale O.
Published: August 2020

Background

In this study, the chronic wound healing ability of PLA-based electrospun nanofibers loaded with hyaluronic acid, valsartan, and ascorbic acid is explored. PLA-based scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning, followed by loading the scaffolds with different concentrations of hyaluronic acid, valsartan, and ascorbic acid hydrogels. The produced formulations were characterized by scanning electron microscopy imaging (SEM), tensile strength testing, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). An in vitro drug release study was conducted to monitor the release of valsartan from the different formulations. This was followed by exploring the wound healing effects of the scaffolds in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and comparing the wound healing effects with positive and negative controls.

Results

The average diameter of the fibers was in the range of 300 to 490 nm with high porosity in the range of 63.90 to 79.44%, offering a large surface area-to-volume ratio, enhanced drug solubility, oxygen permeability, and fluid uptake. The presence of valsartan significantly impacted on the re-epithelization rate. Percentage re-epithelization rate was 31.2% ± 1.77% in the absence of treatment. Histologic section of tissue showed skin with underlying loose fibro-collagenous stroma (dermis) containing sebaceous glands and hair follicles for animals treated with VA, VB, VC, and VD. All the scaffolds reduced the number of inflammatory cell infiltrates at the wound site compared to the no treatment and conventionally treated groups. Conventional antibiotic treatment and VD (electrospun biomimetic scaffolds containing ascorbic acid) had % re-epithelization rates of 59.45% ± 1.69% and 62.01% ± 1.68% which were significantly lower than the PLA/HA-valsartan hydrogel scaffolds with VB having the highest % re-epithelization rate of 85.5% ± 1.7% (Figure 4B & 5C).

Conclusion

This study explored the use of biomimetic polylactic acid-based electrospun fiber and HA-valsartan hydrogel scaffold incorporating topical angiotensin receptor blockers to successfully accelerate wound healing. The novel PLA-based electrospun fibers loaded with hyaluronic acid-valsartan hydrogels were stable and possessed proven diabetic wound healing property. This was as a result of the known biomimetic effect of the fibers and increased re-epithelization facilitated by the hydrogels containing valsartan.

Graphical abstract
Least-squares extended reverse time migration with randomly sampled space shifts
Authors: Yang Jizhong , Li Yunyue Elita , Liu Yuzhu , Zong Jingjing
Published: August 2020

Because the velocity errors are inevitable in field data applications, direct implementation of conventional least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) would generate defocused migration images. Extending the model domain has the potential to preserve the data information, and reducing the extended model could provide a final image with more continuous subsurface structures for geologic interpretation. However, the computational cost and the memory requirement would be increased significantly compared to conventional LSRTM. To obtain an inversion image with better quality than conventional LSRTM, while maintaining the same computational cost and memory requirement, we have introduced random space shifts in LSRTM. The key point is to perform implicit model extension and immediate model reduction within each iteration of the inversion procedure. To be robust against the random noise during the random sampling process, we formulate the inverse problem based on a correlation objective function. Numerical examples on a simple layered model, the Marmousi model, and the SEAM model demonstrate that even when the bulk velocity errors are up to 10%, we still obtain reasonable results for subsurface geologic interpretation.
NAFLD and NASH in Postmenopausal Women: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: DiStefano Johanna K
Published: August 2020

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence in women is increasing worldwide. Women of reproductive age have lower rates of NAFLD compared with men; however, this protection is lost following the menopausal transition when NAFLD prevalence in postmenopausal women becomes similar to or surpasses that in age-matched male counterparts. Ongoing epidemiological, clinical, and experimental studies indicate greater NAFLD risk and higher rates of severe hepatic fibrosis in postmenopausal women relative to premenopausal women, and that older women with NAFLD experience greater mortality than men. Investigations involving ovariectomized animal models demonstrate a causal relationship between estrogen deficiency and heightened susceptibility to the development of fatty liver and steatohepatitis, although dietary factors may exacerbate this complex relationship. The accumulated findings suggest that a better understanding of the interplay among menopausal status, metabolic comorbidities, and sex steroids in NAFLD pathogenesis is needed. Further, the mechanisms underlying the difference in NAFLD risk between postmenopausal and premenopausal women remain incompletely understood. The goals of this review are to summarize studies of NAFLD risk in postmenopausal women, discuss results from animal models of estrogen deficiency, and explore the development of NAFD within the context of altered sex hormone profiles resulting from the menopausal transition. Potential implications for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD in this relatively understudied cohort are also addressed.
Through the Gate of the Media Luna: Slavery and the Geographies of Legal Status in Colonial Cartagena de Indias
Authors: Silva Campo Ana María
Published: August 2020

This article examines the fate of people who had escaped slavery in colonial Cartagena de Indias as well as that of their descendants. In the 1690s, colonial military troops captured many individuals of African descent who had long lived as free in the hinterlands and forcibly transported them to Cartagena city. In the aftermath of these military campaigns, some putative owners filed lawsuits claiming that their ancestors had never relinquished ownership claims to the ancestors of freeborn residents of the forests. Since many of the captives had lived in the hinterlands all their lives, strategies such as performing acts of possession over people of African descent were not available to the claimants. This essay shows how some claimants were nonetheless able to obtain rulings that granted them rights of ownership over free Afro-descended people who had been seized and exiled from their home communities in Cartagena province's hinterlands.
“Go Little Book”
Authors: Desmond Marilynn
Published: August 2020

Among the twelve modes he describes in An Inquiry into Modes of Existence, Bruno Latour identifies two—the “beings of technology” [TEC] and the “beings of fiction” [FIC]—that aptly depict the nonhuman agency inherent in the production and circulation of the premodern book. This essay offers a survey of the pan-European textual traditions on the matter of Troy as a case study in the history of the book, with the manuscript codex conceived as a crossing between [TEC] and [FIC]. I show that the affordances and ecologies of the codex as a “being of technology” lent it a vitality that allowed the fictional beings of Troy to proliferate in the Middle Ages. I conclude with an examination of the medieval topos of the “book of nature,” which offers a compelling example of the spirituality of technology.
The Angels of Accumulated Suffering
Authors: Noble-Olson Matthew
Published: August 2020

This essay reads Walter Benjamin’s description of Paul Klee’s Angelus Novus through Theodor Adorno’s theorization of art’s contradictory sociality. In this analysis, the object that is illustrative of Benjamin’s imagined angel of history takes on the characteristics of that figure as the art object itself in Adorno’s analysis of art’s enforced distance from empirical reality. Just as the angel is forced to observe the wreckage of history from afar, the art object must remain framed within its own socially produced constraints, which protects it from what it observes but also ensures that it may take no action on behalf of the suffering that it expresses. This analysis is then used to consider the possible status of the angel in the moment of contemporaneity, as art embraces sociality and faces a weakened autonomy.
No water, no problem: Stage-specific metabolic responses to dehydration stress in annual killifish embryos
Authors: Zajic Daniel E. , Nicholson Jonathon P. , Podrabsky Jason E.
Published: August 2020

Annual killifish survive in temporary ponds by producing drought-tolerant embryos that can enter metabolic dormancy (diapause). Survival of dehydration stress is achieved through severe reduction of evaporative water loss. We assessed dehydration stress tolerance in diapausing and developing Austrofundulus limnaeus embryos. We measured oxygen consumption rates under aquatic and aerial conditions to test the hypothesis that there is a trade-off between water retention and oxygen permeability. Diapausing embryos survive dehydrating conditions for over 1.5 years, and post-diapause stages can survive over 100 days. Diapausing embryos respond to dehydration stress by increasing oxygen consumption rates while post-diapause embryos exhibit the same or reduced rates compared to aquatic embryos. Thus, water retention does not always limit oxygen diffusion. Aerial incubation coupled with hypoxia causes some embryos to arrest development. The observed stage-specific responses are consistent with an intrinsic bet-hedging strategy in embryos that would increase developmental variation in a potentially adaptive manner.
CUPID COVID-19: emergency department attendance by paediatric patients during COVID-19 - project protocol
Authors: McDonnell Thérèse , McAuliffe Eilish , Barrett Michael , Conlon Ciara , Cummins Fergal , Deasy Conor , Hensey Conor , Martin Ciara , Nicholson Emma
Published: August 2020

Background:Measures introduced to delay the spread of COVID-19 may result in avoidance of emergency departments (EDs) for non-COVID related illness. Clinicians and medical representative bodies such as the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) have expressed concern that some patients may not seek timely urgent medical intervention. Evidence from previous epidemics found that hospital avoidance during outbreaks of MERS and SARS was common. While ED attendance returned to normal following SARS and MERS, both outbreaks lasted 2-3 months. As the COVID-19 pandemic is forecast to extend into 2021, little is known about the impact COVID-19 will have on paediatric attendance at EDs as the pandemic evolves.

Aims: This project aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on paediatric emergency healthcare utilisation, to understand how the health seeking behaviour of parents may have altered due to the pandemic, and to identify how any barriers to accessing care can be removed.  

Methods: Administrative data records from five EDs across Ireland and one Urgent Care Centre will be analysed to identify temporal trends in attendances for emergency care. Qualitative inquiry will be utilised to capture the experience of staff providing emergency healthcare to paediatric patients during COVID-19, and their feedback on identified trends will inform the interpretation of findings. A cross-sectional survey of parents will capture experiences, concerns and decision-making on accessing healthcare for their children during the pandemic.

Results and Conclusion:This information will help decision makers respond rapidly to meet the clinical needs of paediatric patients as the circumstances of the pandemic unfold and reduce the disruption to normal paediatric ED services during the onset of COVID-19. As the health of a child can deteriorate more rapidly than that of an adult, any delay in seeking care for an acutely ill child may have serious consequences.
Uptake of core outcome sets by clinical trialists publishing in major medical journals: Protocol
Authors: Matvienko-Sikar Karen , Avery Kerry , Blazeby Jane , Hughes Karen , Jacobsen Pamela , Kirkham Jamie , Kottner Jan , Mellor Katie , Saldanha Ian , Smith Valerie , Terwee Caroline B. , Williamson Paula R. ,   MRC-NIHR TMRP Outcomes Working Group Core Outcome Set Theme
Published: August 2020

Background: Outcome heterogeneity, selective reporting, and choosing outcomes that do not reflect needs and priorities of stakeholders, limit the examination of health intervention effects, particularly in late phase trials. Core outcome sets (COS) are a proposed solution to these issues. A COS is an agreed-upon, standardised set of outcomes that should be measured and reported as a minimum in all trials in a specific area of health or healthcare. COS are intended to increase standardisation of outcome measurement and reporting to better enable comparisons between, and synthesis of findings of trials in a particular health area. 

Methods: This study will examine late phase trials, published between October 2019 and March 2020 (inclusive), in the following five medical journals: New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, BMJ, and Annals of Internal Medicine. Trials will be examined to determine if they refer to a COS, and whether they use a COS. Trialists for each identified trial will subsequently be contacted to complete an online survey examining trialists’ awareness of, and decisions to search for and use a COS.

Discussion: This study will provide important information on uptake of COS by later phase trialists in major medical journals, and the views of these trialists on COS use in trials. These findings will inform approaches to increasing awareness and uptake of COS in future health trials.
Modern Problems of “Applied Geometry and Engineering Graphics” Course Teaching For Exploitative Specialties of an Aviation High Educational Institution
Authors: Nazarova Olga
Published: August 2020

In an aviation high educational institution, when getting students education in exploitative specialties it must be taken into account that it must be conducted in accordance with necessary requirements to the formedness level of professional competences in a specialized area. The planned results of “Applied Geometry and Engineering Graphics” learning include knowledge of methods for applied engineering and geometric problems solving, the ability to use the main elements of applied geometry and engineering graphics in professional activities, and solving of specific applied problems related to geometric modeling.

The results of “Applied Geometry and Engineering Graphics” study are to gain experience and skills for solution of cognitive, organizational and other problems by themselves related to students’ future professional activities.

In this paper are considered the main problems and tasks to be solved to achieve the necessary level for compliance of a student studying in one of the exploitative specialties at the Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation named after Chief Marshal of Aviation B.P. Bugaev, with professional competencies and modern educational standards. Issues related to the organization of “Applied Geometry and Engineering Graphics” discipline study, such as computerization of the educational process, use of distance learning technologies in the educational process, formation of students’ cognitive interest and spatial imagination.

Has been presented the proposed structure of “Applied Geometry and Engineering Graphics” course for the exploitative specialties of Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation; the need to develop a task book for classroom and home works, taking into account their applied value for formation of professional competencies, has been justified.
Computer Verification of Descriptive Geometry Task Solutions for Engineering and Graphic Education
Authors: Boykov A.
Published: August 2020

In this paper is formulated the relevance of computer tools creation for verification of descriptive geometry task solutions. Are analyzed the shortcomings of available methods and systems for such verification. A new verification method is proposed – the mode of superposition based on overlaying a student’s solution with a template and formal evaluation the overlaying results. To create templates for a wide range of descriptive geometry tasks, it is proposed to use a formal grammar of the correct solution, which is constructed using special nonterminal symbols – “and”, “or”, “transform” and “instance”. As the grammar’s terminal symbols are used geometric figures. Thus, the template consists of a graphic part (a set of figures) and a structural description (grammar). An implementation of this verification method is demonstrated as a software system for verifying of descriptive geometry task solutions in the form of DXF-files. A functional model of the verification system is given. The automatic formation of a template from a graphical model, which is created in a vector graphics editor and does not require a symbolic description, is considered, as well as processing procedure for a student’s solution, during which the verifiable model goes through phases of normalization, filtration, and extracting of higher-level elements. An example of checking for two solutions (the correct one and containing errors) of the task for constructing a perpendicular to a plane of general position is given. The work of a subsystem for verification result visualization is demonstrated too. The created system can be implemented in Internet-libraries of tasks, or in distance learning systems, and can be used for remote support of geometric-graphic courses. Conclusions about feasibility of introducing the proposed method as a tool in CAD-systems are made.
Representation of Engineering Geometry Development in “Geometry and Graphics” Journal
Authors: Sal'kov N. , Kadykova Nina
Published: August 2020

In the paper "On the Increasing Role of Geometry", published in the electronic "Journal of Natural Science Research" in 2017, it was outspoken a hypothesis that now, at the time of innovative technologies, the importance of geometry is constantly increasing. The significance of geometry is also demonstrated by numerous Ph.D. and doctoral dissertations in the specialty No 05.01.01 - “Engineering Geometry and Computer Graphics”. It can be affirmed that all and everyone dissertations of technical and technological profile contain a geometric component to one degree or another. The "Geometry and Graphics" journal turned 8 (it was founded in June 2012). During this time, on its pages have been published numerous scientific papers, developing namely geometry and its branches: from simplest geometric constructions based on new properties of both lines and surfaces, to imaginary elements. Investigations were conducted in the following areas: “New Directions in Geometry”, “Fractal Geometry”, “Multidimensional Geometry”, “Geometric Constructions”, “Construction and Research of Surfaces”, “Imaginary Geometry”, “Practical Application of Geometry”, “Computer Graphics”, “Descriptive Geometry as Basis of other Branches of Geometry” ,”Geometry of Phase Spaces”. The journal publishes both recognized scientists and candidate for Ph.D. and doctor degrees. The considered array of papers clearly confirms the statement of the majority of authors, published in the journal, about geometry continuous development, which knocks out the ground for skeptics who decided that geometry is the science of the past centuries. As long as objects with shapes and surfaces surround us, geometry will be in demand. This, as they say, is unequivocal.
Clinical effectiveness of flucloxacillin delivery using an elastomeric device for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy
Authors: Zhang Yuhan , Ody Yun Chun , Davis Linsey
Published: August 2020

There has been a surging interest in using elastomeric infusion devices to deliver outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT), which is more cost-effective than standard antibiotic administration, which requires multiple daily home visits. This has been particularly important since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, because reducing patient contact can also help to minimise transmission of COVID-19 to outpatients who are at a high risk of COVID-19-triggered complications. In this retrospective study, the clinical effectiveness of intravenous (IV) infusion of flucloxacillin using an elastomeric device was explored in a convenience sample of patients. Patients with three primary infective diagnoses—bloodstream infection, non-vertebral osteomyelitis and vertebral osteomyelitis—were included in the analyses. In non-vertebral osteomyelitis patients, Accufuser antibiotic infusion shortened the course of OPAT care relative to standard antibiotic administration (p<.05). In contrast, in vertebral osteomyelitis patients, it prolonged the course of OPAT care relative to standard administration (p<.05). In patients with bloodstream infections, no significant difference was found between the treatment modes (p=.93). Thus, the clinical effectiveness of Accufuser antibiotic infusion varies among patients with different infective diagnoses, and there seems to be a complex relationship between the method of antibiotic delivery and the patient's condition.
Why are we seeing an increasing incidence of infective endocarditis in the UK?
Authors: Dayer Mark J , Prendergast Bernard D , Thornhill Martin H , Baddour Larry M
Published: August 2020

The increasing incidence of infective endocarditis in England is real, and education is critical to ensure swift diagnosis and best clinical outcomes. Factors responsible remain speculative, but multiple explanations are likely.
A Wind Tunnel Study of the Seasonal Shelter Efficiency of Deciduous Windbreaks
Authors: Ma Rui , Li Junran , Ma Yanjun , Wei Linyuan , Zhang Yinghua
Published: August 2020

Highlights

Seasonal leaf shedding is a key factor affecting the airflow field and shelter efficiency of deciduous windbreaks.

The wind deceleration region around modeled Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (Russian olive) windbreaks was larger in winter than in summer, but the intensity of the wind speed reduction was relatively low.

The shelter efficiency of E. angustifolia windbreaks in winter was not less than 80% of that in summer.

Abstract. The shelter efficiency of windbreaks constructed with deciduous plants changes with their phenological stage. We used Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (Russian olive) as an example and investigated the airflow field and shelter efficiency of deciduous windbreaks with summer facies (with leaves) and winter facies (without leaves) by means of scaled wind tunnel simulation experiments. Our study revealed that different canopy seasonal porosities exert different wind speed reductions inside the windbreaks, which also determine the upwind and downwind wind speed variation. The variation in wind speed was greater in summer than in winter. For the windbreak with summer facies, a large wind acceleration region above and before the windbreak and a strong wind deceleration region inside and after the windbreak were observed. The wind deceleration region around the windbreak with winter facies was larger than that in summer, but the intensity of the wind speed reduction was relatively low. The results of our study further show that although E. angustifolia windbreaks are highly porous in winter, the shelter efficiency was not less than 80% of that in summer. Like any wind tunnel study on windbreaks, producing an artificial plant model that is highly similar to the real field plant is difficult. Nevertheless, our results clearly revealed the wind reduction patterns of deciduous windbreaks due to seasonal porosity caused by leaf shedding, which may provide valuable data for assessing the shelter efficiency of deciduous windbreaks. Keywords: Airflow field, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Seasonal porosity, Wind reduction.
Linear scheme for the direct reconstruction of noncontact time-domain fluorescence molecular lifetime tomography
Authors: Zhang Peng , Liu Jie , Hui Hui , An Yu , Wang Kun , Yang Xin , Tian Jie
Published: August 2020

Direct reconstruction of the noncontact time-domain fluorescence
molecular lifetime tomography (TD-FMLT) with current nonlinear
algorithms has suffered from complexity and heavy computation loads of
the physical model for a large imaging area in TD-FMLT. In this work,
we discretize the system matrix along time points and apply a
linearized reconstruction algorithm using the fused least absolute
shrinkage and selection operator method. The reconstructed yield map
and object geometry are used as a priori
information to mitigate the ill conditions. This approach is
implemented on a fully noncontact TD-FMLT system equipped with a
femtosecond pulse laser and a high-speed, time-gated camera. We
validate the methodology using both numerical simulations and
inhomogeneous phantom experiments. The results exhibit good
localization accuracy for fluorescent targets and an efficient
computation capability for the reconstruction of fluorescence lifetime
in noncontact TD-FMLT. We envision that the proposed linear scheme for
the direct reconstruction method in noncontact TD-FMLT has a
significant potential for in vivo
preclinical studies.
Active demultiplexer enabled mmW ARoF transmission of directly modulated 64-QAM UF-OFDM signals
Authors: Ahmad Syed Tajammul , Lakshmijayasimha Prajwal D. , Browning Colm , Anandarajah Prince M. , Delmade Amol , Barry Liam P. , Kaszubowska-Anandarajah Aleksandra
Published: August 2020

In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate an unamplified analog RoF distribution of 60 GHz 5G signals. The system entails the heterodyning of two optical tones from an externally injected gain switched laser (EI-GSL) based optical frequency comb to generate a millimeter wave (mmW) signal. A fixed frequency separation and a high level of phase correlation, between the EI-GSL comb lines, results in the generation of a high-quality signal. An active demultiplexer is used to filter and amplify two comb tones, thus alleviating the need for an external optical amplifier to boost the low power comb tones. Furthermore, the same demultiplexer is also used to modulate one of the tones with a 64-QAM UF-OFDM signal. Such an approach enables the remote generation of a mmW downlink data signal as well as an unmodulated RF carrier that could be used to downconvert the mmW signals to an intermediate frequency. Using the abovementioned scheme, we demonstrate the distribution of the downlink signal over 25 km of fiber, achieving a BER of

2.4

e

−
3

(below the HD-FEC limit of

3.8

e

−
3

) and only a 0.5 dB penalty at the FEC limit in comparison to the BtB case.
Stability of focusing regions and its vortex-solitonic properties
Authors: Saldivia Gomez E. , Arenas Munoz G. , Atenco Cuautle J. C. , Cubillos Morales F. , Martinez Martinez J. A. , Martinez Vara P. , Martinez Niconoff G.
Published: August 2020

Focusing regions, also known as caustic regions, are the singular solutions to the amplitude function of optical fields. Focusing regions are generated by the envelope curve of a set of critical points, which can be of attractor or repulsor type. The nature of the critical point depends on the refractive index. An important property of the critical points is that they present charge-like features. When a focusing region is generated in media with a random refractive index, current-like effects appear, and the evolution of the focusing regions follows a diffusion behavior. The morphology of the focusing regions may generate vortices or “eternal solutions” of solitonic type in a nonlinear medium. Herein, the condition under which these effects occur is analyzed and experimentally corroborated.
Negative refraction in terbium at ultraviolet frequencies
Authors: Buckholtz Zachary N. , Yavuz Deniz D.
Published: August 2020

One of the key challenges in the development of negative index metamaterials is creating a sufficiently strong magnetic response in the material. Rare-earth ions can contain a strong optical magnetic response even in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, which can be enhanced using magneto-electric cross-coupling. Using energies, transition strengths, and linewidths from atomic structure software, along with realistic inhomogeneous broadenings and densities in a solid, we simulate a negative index scheme using a terbium crystal at a wavelength of 282 nm.
Model-based wavefront shaping microscopy
Authors: Thendiyammal Abhilash , Osnabrugge Gerwin , Knop Tom , Vellekoop Ivo M.
Published: August 2020

Wavefront shaping is increasingly being used in modern microscopy to obtain high-resolution images deep inside inhomogeneous media. Wavefront shaping methods typically rely on the presence of a “guide star” to find the optimal wavefront to mitigate the scattering of light. However, the use of guide stars poses severe limitations. Notably, only objects in the close vicinity of the guide star can be imaged. Here, we introduce a guide-star-free wavefront shaping method in which the optimal wavefront is computed using a digital model of the sample. The refractive index model of the sample, that serves as the input for the computation, is constructed in situ by the microscope itself. In a proof of principle imaging experiment, we demonstrate a large improvement in the two-photon fluorescence signal through a diffuse medium, outperforming state-of-the-art wavefront shaping by a factor of two in imaging depth.
Observation of concentrating paraxial beams
Authors: Aiello Andrea , Paúr Martin , Stoklasa Bohumil , Hradil Zdeněk , Řeháček Jaroslav , Sánchez-Soto Luis L.
Published: August 2020

We report the first, to the best of our knowledge, observation of concentrating paraxial beams of light in a linear nondispersive medium. We have generated this intriguing class of light beams, recently predicted by one of us, in both one- and two-dimensional configurations. As we demonstrate in our experiments, these concentrating beams display unconventional features, such as the ability to strongly focus in the focal spot of a thin lens like a plane wave, while keeping their total energy finite.
Gastrointestinal parasite infections in fighting bulls in South Thailand
Authors: Kaewnoi Domechai , Wiriyaprom Ratchakul , Indoung Saowakon , Ngasaman Ruttayaporn
Published: August 2020

Background and Aim: Bullfighting is booming in South Thailand, attracting tourists, and stimulating local economies. The bulls are well raised and practiced, but in many cases, the owners lack knowledge and understanding of the prevention of animal diseases, including parasitic infections. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasite infection in fighting bulls.

Materials and Methods: A total of 1501 fecal samples were collected from bulls aged 2-5 years visiting the animal hospital of Prince of Songkla University during 2016-2019. The formalin ethylether concentration method was used to detect GI parasites in feces.

Results: The overall rate of GI parasite infection was 94.27%. Rumen fluke eggs were detected in 97.17% of all infected animals, followed in prevalence by strongyles (26.29%), Eurytrema spp. (2.83%), Fasciola spp. (2.47%), Trichuris spp. (0.35%), and Moniezia spp. (0.14%). Two protozoan genera were identified, Balantidium coli (6.64%) and Eimeria spp. (3.53%). Coinfection was observed in 33.99%. The five most common coinfections were rumen fluke with strongyles (20.85%), B. coli (4.66%), Eimeria spp. (1.55%), Eurytrema spp. (1.34%), and Fasciola spp. (1.06%).

Conclusion: In addition to high GI parasite infection rates, zoonotic parasites were observed. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers should follow good sanitation and prevention practices to control parasitic infections in bulls, and proper hygienic precautions should be taken by the owners. Implementation of deworming programs using appropriate anthelmintic drugs as well as rotation of anthelmintic drug that have different chemical agent to prevent further drug resistance should be considered. The promotion of bull health management is highly recommended to protect humans from zoonotic diseases.
NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF RED ALGAE (RHODOPHYTA) ON THE CORAL REEF OF PARI ISLANDS, SERIBU ISLANDS
Authors: Atmadja Wanda Surjana
Published: August 2020

Many species of red algae are economically important for their carrageenan contents. Since May 1974 to June 1975 an intensive survey on their distributions have been carried out on the fringing reef of Pari Islands, Seribu Islands. Thirty five species of Rhodophyta have been identified and their species composition and relative importance as compared to Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta have been studied. Environmental factors, such as bottom type and seasonal influence on their distribution, emphasized in the discussion. Further studies on inventory and the distribution of these algae will be continued particularly in support of the culture experiments for some of the species.
A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE ECOLOGY OF THE CORAL REEF OF POMBO ISLAND
Authors: Sumadhiharga Ono Kurnaen
Published: August 2020

A preliminary study on the ecology of the coral reef of Pombo Island was carried out in 1975. Pombo Island has a characteristic of an atoll and is considered a good habitat for coral and fish, including live-bait fish of commercial importance, Spratelloides delicatulus. Non-planktonic organisms collected consist of 39 species of corals, 56 species of molluscs, 17 species of echinoderms, 130 species of fishes and a number of crustacean species.Some ecological factors such as bottom condition, turbidity, temperatures, light intensity, and freshwater dilution are described. Population and distribution of corals and coral fishes are discussed.
DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF CRYPTOFAUNA FROM LIZARD ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF
Authors: Hutchings Patricia A. , Weate Penny D.
Published: August 2020

A series of replicate samples of dead coral reef habitats was collected across Yonge Reef on the outer and inner reef (back reef) and on fringing reefs around Lizard Island. Five categories of habitats were selected, branching, thin plates, high percentage of live coral, solid reef, rock with either a small surface area or a large surface area, and easily broken up. The surface area, volume, percentage cover of epifauna and flora, and biomass of cryptofauna were determined for each habitat. An estimate of the percentage of cavity space (i.e. available living space for cryptofauna) occurring in each habitat was made. The cryptofauna is dominated by polychaetes, molluscs, and sipunculans. Habitats on inner Yonge have a larger biomass of cryptofauna than similar habitats found on outer Yonge or on fringing reefs around Lizard Island. Differences in physical attributes of the habitat together with exposure and surrounding species of coral and sponges may be responsible for these differences.
CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF SHALLOW WATER OCTOCORALS. OCCURRENCE OF CEMBRANOLIDES IN PSEUDOPLEXAURA AND EUNICEA
Authors: Ciereszko Leon S.
Published: August 2020

Gorgonians of the genus Pseudoplexaura, from a variety of geographical locations, yield crassin acetate as the major cembranolide. The cembranolides found in Eunicea collected at different locations vary. Eunicin is found in Eunicea mammosa from Bimini, and from a number of other locations. Its position isomer Jeunicin, has been found in the Eunicea from Jamaica. Eunicea from Curacao yields an epimer ot eunicin, Cueunicin, while that from Puerto Rico yields Eupalmerin acetate, and Peunicin occurs in Eunicea collected off Panama. The cembranolides are toxic to various aquatic organisms. They inhibit ciliary action in the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis, and in the larvae of the nudibranch Phestilla sibogae.
SPECULATION CONCERNING SPECIATION IN CORAL REEF FISHES
Authors: Nursall J. R.
Published: August 2020

The relatively constant equatorial marine environment provides a milieu within which biotic factors provide the chief selective forces acting on fish species. Increasing diversity increases evolutionary opportunity by heterotrophic magnification. Niche availability is almost limitless, space (volume) is the ultimate constraint. Abiotic thresholds, e.g., seasonal isotherms, are filter barriers to emigration to higher latitudes. Beyond such thresholds, abiotic, factors become the chief selective forces acting on fish species.
ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO EAST AUSTRALIAN MANGROVE FORESTS AND TIDAL MARSHES
Authors: Davie J. D.S. , Hegeri E. J.
Published: August 2020

Not provided
THE MANGROVE FORESTS OF CAIRNS, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Hegerl E. J. , Davie J. D.S.
Published: August 2020

Surveys of the flora and fauna of the Cairns tidal wetlands were carried out by members of the Australian Littoral Society during the summers of 1974 and 1975. These wetlands cover an area of 6000 hectares in Trinity Inlet and the Barron River delta. The Cairns mangrove and saltmarsh vegetation forms distinct patterns of zonation which appear to be largely controlled by the volume and constancy of freshwater flow. The results of extensive collections revealed a wetlands associated fauna of invertebrates and fish that is considerably more diverse than has previously been reported for northern Queensland. While some species are ubiquitous, many of the invertebrates have been found only in a discrete habitat within particular zones of vegetation. Species diversity of molluscs and crustaceans is greatest in the most constantly inundated zones. A diverse fauna occurs in rotted mangrove logs. Data were obtained on the export of organic material from a small mangrove watershed on one day in December 1975. These revealed a figure for detritus of 11.3 gC/m2/day. This was composed of a 'dissolved' organic carbon fraction of 6.3 gC/m2/day, and 5.0 gC/m2/day of particulate organic carbon. These figures are discussed in relation to available literature on mangrove forests and estuaries. Rapid urban and agricultural development of Cairns is now placing a large portion of these wetlands under serious threat of destruction. The prospects for the future conservation of the Cairns tidal wetlands are discussed.
BURROWING CENTRAL AMERICAN MANGROVE LAND CRABS AND THEIR BURROW ASSOCIATES
Authors: Bright Donald B.
Published: August 2020

General remarks on the following aspects of the life history of land crabs are presented: migration, shedding of eggs, molting, juveniles and food. The nature of the crab burrows and the associated burrowdwelling organisms also are presented. The distribution of burrowing land crabs is discussed with respect to three general plant formations in gecarcinid crab localities, ie., Mangrove-Estero, Island and Strand patterns.
QUANTITATIVE SAMPLING AND PRODUCTION ESTIMATES OF FIDDLER CRABS IN A MALAYSIAN MANGROVE
Authors: Macintosh D. J.
Published: August 2020

Not available
LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDONESIAN BLUE SWIMMING CRAB, PORTUNUS PELAGICUS (L) (CRUSTACEA : DECAPODA : PORTUNIDAE) REARED IN THE LABORATORY
Authors: Juwana Sri , Aswandy Indra , Pangabean M.G. Lily
Published: August 2020

A number of 137,870 freshly hatched larvae of Portunus pelagicus (L) were reared in one thousand litre container. The combination of Brachionus plicatilis and newly hatched nauplii of Artemia salina were fed to the larvae. The number of megalopa obtained was only 277. Ecological factor such as temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were recorded. The effect of different food sources of the previous authors are compared. The detail description of the four zoeal stages and one megalopal stage are made and figured with emphasis on the number and type of setae on each appendages. A pattern of zoeal chromatophores is also sketched and described.
HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN SOME SEAFOODS COLLECTED FROM MUARA ANGKE FISH AUCTION PLACE, JAKARTA.
Authors: Hutagalung Horas , Syamsu Suwirma
Published: August 2020

Determination of  heavy  metal  content  (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn) in some seafoods collected from  Muara  Angke  Fish  Auction  Place  were carried out during February to July 1979. The results showed  that Zn  content  in seafoods a nalyzed  was always much higher than the other heavy metals. The concentration levels of  the  six  heavy  metals observed were low. It is almost of the same level as the metal concentration of  other  seafoods  observed  in various parts of the world oceans, but still lower  than the maximum standard set  for human  consumption  as  established  by   Tasmania, Australia and  World Health Organization. The  mean  per capita  consumption of  fish  in Jakarta is only  about 165 g  per week, while  the  Provisional Tolerated Weekly Intake for Hg, set by WHO/FAO at 300 ug level, would be attained by consuming 1500 g Rastrelliger sp., or 698 gPenaeus setiferus, or 545 g Sepia sp., and or 1250 g Pecten sp.  Therefore,  at   present the  level of metal content in fishes sold at TPI  Muara  Angke  can be  considered  as  not  dangerous  to human health as long as these quantities are not surpassed.
GROWTH OF JUVENILE GREEN SNAIL (Turbo marmoratus) CULTURED IN CAGES PLACED AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS
Authors: Dwiono S. A.P. , Setyono D. E.D.
Published: August 2020

This research was part of successive studies on culture techniques of juvenile green snail (Turbo marmoratus). This study was carried out for 14 weeks in coastal waters of Morella, Ambon Island. Three cages were placed at depths of 0 m, 4 m and 8 m below mean sea level. Each cage had a bottom area of 0.81 m2 and was stocked with 20 green snail juveniles of 40-50 mm shell diameter. During the first 4 weeks, juveniles reared at 0 m deep showed lowest instantaneous growth, while those reared at 8 m deep attained highest instantaneous growth. The instantaneous growth decreased significantly over 6 weeks for juveniles reared at 4 m and 8 m deeps. Over 14 weeks, juveniles reared at 8 m deep had higher daily growth than those at 0 m deep. It is recommended that to grow green snail juveniles at 8 m deep without any food complement, the substrates (coral nibbles) in the cages need to be renewed every 4 weeks with ones covered with microalgae.
MARINE BIODIVERSITY OF INDONESIA: LARVAL FISH PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Syahailatua A.
Published: August 2020

Marine life of Indonesia is very well known as a high diversity according to Ekman's hyphothesis. However, from the larva fish perspectives, this hypothesis seems to be rejected according to the comparative results of larval fish studies during the Snellius Expedition (1984-1985) in Banda Sea and the larval fish observation related to the East Australian Current (1998-1999) off New South Wales coast in Australian waters. Larval fish diversity from some previous studies over the world is also included. Several suggestions are also recommended to enhance our knowledge in marine biodiversity including improvement in marine biodiversity observation such as, research programs, field and laboratory facilities and numbers of taxonomists, and also collaborative works among research institutes, universities, and non-governmental organizations.
OCEANOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF KLABAT BAY, BANGKA ISLAND, INDONESIA
Authors: Sachoemar Suhendar I. , Kristijono Agus , Yanagi Tetsuo
Published: August 2020

The oceanographic characteristics of Klabat Bay in Bangka Island of Indonesia were investigated by using a series of temperature, salinity, turbidity, TSS (total suspended solid), transparency, DIN (Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen), DIP (Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus), DO (Dissolved Oxygen) and chlorophyll-a data in the wet season (Northwest Monsoon) and dry season (Southeast Monsoon) of 2003, respectively. The observation results show that the hydro-oceanographic characteristics of Klabat Bay in the inner part and the outer part of the bay were dominantly influenced by the terrestrial and oceanic environment, respectively. High precipitation during the wet season decreased salinity, DO and transparency and increased total suspended solid (TSS), turbidity, DIN and chlorophyll-a within the bay. The reverse occurred during the dry season, except DIP.
SEASONAL VARIATION OF NITROGEN CYCLING IN MANILA BAY
Authors: Hayashi Mitsuru , Yanagi Tetsuo , San Diego-Mcglone Maria Lourdes
Published: August 2020

Seasonal variation in nitrogen cycling at the upper layer of the Pasig River estuary in Manila Bay was calculated during January 1996 to December 1998 by using the numerical ecosystem model. Chl.a and DIN concentrations are relatively low, river discharge is small, and solar radiation is strong from March to May in dry season. The main reason of low chl.a concentration is that the solar radiation is too strong. On the other hand, as DIN concentration is relatively high and solar radiation is optimum, chl.a concentration is relatively high from August to December in rainy season. Main source of DIN in rainy season is the vertical transport from the lower layer due to the strong estuarine circulation.