bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pattern of vitreo-retinal diseases at University of Gondar tertiary eye care and training center, North-West Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Dagmawi , Tsegaw Asamere
Published: April 2022

Objective

Vitreoretinal diseases are common causes of ocular morbidities and blindness. Data on the spectrum of vitreoretinal diseases needs to be studied and known in order to establish appropriate vitreoretinal care setups. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of vitreoretinal diseases among patients who visited the vitreoretina clinic of University of Gondar Tertiary Eye Care and Training Center, NW Ethiopia (UoG-TECTC).

Methodology

A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted from October/2017-September/2018. All patients who visited the vitreoretinal clinic for the first time during the study period were studied. Data were collected with standardized data extraction format entered into SPSS statistical package Version 20 and analyzed.

Result

A total of 739 new patients who visited the vitreoretinal clinic were included in the study. The mean age was 50.26 +/- 19 years. The age group between 21–60 years accounted for 59.7% of study patients. Male’s accounted for 63.1% and 58.7% of the participants were from urban areas. Bilateral disease was diagnosed in 504 (68.2%) of patients and 220 (29.7%) were bilaterally blind at presentation. Three hundred eighty nine (52.6%) of them had duration of illness six months and above.

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Rhegmatoginous Retinal Detachment (RRD) were the top three retinal diseases accounting for 21.3%(196), 17.3% (128) and 12.4% (92) of diagnoses respectively. Systemic comorbidities were found in 44% (325) of the patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia being the commonest, occurring in 27.8%, 6.3% and 2.8% of study patients respectively. Cataract was the commonest ocular comorbidity seen in 33.5% of study participants.

Conclusion

Vitreoretinal diseases affected a significant number of patients presented to our center and most of the study patients presented late with significant vision loss and blindness. Males were affected more than females and the age group between 21–60 years accounted nearly two-third of study patients. This is the working age group suffering from vision loss from vitreoretinal diseases. DR, AMD and RRD were the commonest retinal pathologies accounting for nearly half of the vitreoretinal diseases and these conditions are treatable either surgically or medically. However, available facilities for the management of these diseases are not adequate at the center. Strengthening the vitreoretinal services of UoG-TECTC with relevant equipment is recommended.
Adaptive plasticity in activity modes and food web stability
Authors: Mougi Akihiko
Published: April 2022

Natural ecosystems are comprised of diverse species and their interspecific interactions, in contrast to an ecological theory that predicts the instability of large ecological communities. This apparent gap has led ecologists to explore the mechanisms that allow complex communities to stabilize, even via environmental changes. A standard approach to tackling this complexity-stability problem is starting with a description of the ecological network of species and their interaction links, exemplified by a food web. This traditional description is based on the view that each species is in an active state; that is, each species constantly forages and reproduces. However, in nature, species’ activities can virtually stop when hiding, resting, and diapausing or hibernating, resulting in overlooking another situation where they are inactive. Here I theoretically demonstrate that adaptive phenotypic change in active and inactive modes may be the key to understanding food web dynamics. Accurately switching activity modes can greatly stabilize otherwise unstable communities in which coexistence is impossible, further maintaining strong stabilization, even in a large complex community. I hypothesize that adaptive plastic change in activity modes may play a key role in maintaining ecological communities.
Solar circulator to restore dissolved oxygen in a hypoxic ice-covered lake
Authors: Flynn Kyle F. , Cutting Kyle A. , Jaeger Matthew E. , Warren Jeffrey M. , Johnson Theodore , Kron Darrin , Bell Chace
Published: April 2022

Hypoxia is common to shallow ice-covered lakes during the winter season, and restorative actions to prevent impacts to aquatic ecosystems are desired yet untested in remote settings. The use of a solar photovoltaic circulator was investigated for reoxygenation in a shallow hypoxic lake in the northern Rocky Mountains. During the fall of 2019, a solar powered lake circulator (SolarBee SB10000LH; hereinafter circulator) was installed near the center of Upper Red Rock Lake, Montana USA (latitude 44° 36’N) and dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, and changes to ice formation were monitored until ice-out the following spring of 2020 using an array of real-time and data logging sondes. Observations indicate the circulator formed a polynya that lasted until late November, did not increase lake turbidity, and facilitated oxygen exchange through the circulator-created-polynya for at least 3 weeks after an adjacent lake became ice covered. Thereafter, operation of the solar circulator failed from accumulation of snow and ice on the solar panels such that the lake froze completely over during a period of low light in December. From that point on throughout the winter, DO subsequently declined from supersaturation to hypoxia over a 41-day period and remained that way for nearly four months until ice-out in April. Based on this outcome, additional work is required to improve the solar-powered circulator design before attempting comparable applications elsewhere as a means of reducing the severity of hypoxia in shallow-lake systems during winter.
Bibliometric analysis of review on curriculum reform of design history using CNKI database
Authors: Huang Sihua , Ali Noor Azizi Mohd , Noor Mohd Sallehuddin Mat , Shaari Nazlina
Published: April 2022

There has been a significant gap in the comprehensive literature review of teaching reform of design history in the Chinese context. In order to bridge this gap, the literature bibliometric method is adopted to review the existing research on design history curriculum reform based on the CNKI database. A keyword review perspective was used to clarify the existing topics in this field, as well as the hotspots of research. Our results reveal that design history, industrial design history and teaching reform are the three main topics that Chinese scholars are more concerned with. As a specific discipline of design history curriculum, curriculum reform of industrial design history is the hotspot of existing research, and teaching reform is an influential research direction.
The dramatization of practice in design education: (Un)learning by doing through participant observation
Authors: Gaspar Andrea
Published: April 2022

Although ‘learning by doing’ is nowadays a standard practice in design education, there is not much reflexivity about what designers actually do with a ‘learning by doing’ approach. Based on my ethnographic research in a design school in Milan, I examine designers’ performance of practical learning by looking at their use of participant observation, a method borrowed from social sciences and applied to an early stage of the students’ design research projects. I detail how, in the exercises with participant observation, ‘practice’ emerges as an aesthetic effect that is performed to simulate the openness of the research, a process I refer to as a ‘dramatization of practice’.
Migration, Trafficking, and the Greek Economy: A comment on ‘the trafficker next-door’
Authors: Papanicolaou Georgios , Antonopoulos Georgios
Published: April 2022

This article interrogates the manifestations and implications of the intertwining of migration policies and the global prohibition regime against human trafficking in Greece. In a dramatic reversal of long historical patterns, post-cold war Greece became a migration destination country, receiving a large number of migrants. While Greece’s policies approached the phenomenon as an administrative embarrassment, migrant populations joined the country’s productive structures and arguably made a decisive contribution to the country’s economic boom. The restrictive regime on migration took a further twist as Greece aligned with the global prohibition regime established with the 2000 UNTOC and Trafficking Protocol. The combination of migration and anti-trafficking policies has engendered a punitive overreach that severely disadvantaged migrant populations in Greece. Drawing on our research, we reflect on several common cases where the precarious status of the migrant meshes potentially with the punitive effects of anti-trafficking policies. We argue that the obfuscation of extremely harmful conditions typically experienced by migrants involved in Greece’s economic structures has been the most distinctive effect of the intertwining of migration and anti-trafficking policies.
Eclipsed: Emergence-return activity of two pteropodid bat species during lunar eclipse
Authors: Murugavel Baheerathan , Kelber Almut , Somanathan Hema
Published: April 2022

Lunar eclipses are known to influence flight activity of tropical bats at foraging sites. However, little is known about the onset and offset of flight activity from the roost during lunar eclipses compared to other full moon nights. Emergence from and return to the roost were observed during a total lunar eclipse at a colony of the fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii and during a partial lunar eclipse at a Pteropus giganteus colony in southern India. In addition, on the same partial eclipse night, a single male P. giganteus was tracked using GPS telemetry. Flight activity in both species was compared between the eclipse night and other full moon nights. In both cases, bats emerged before the eclipse and fewer R. leschenaultii individuals returned to the roost during the hours of the total eclipse, compared to the corresponding hours during other full moon nights. No such difference in return activity was observed in the P. giganteus colony or in the GPS tracked individual between the partial eclipse and other nights. This is the first attempt to study temporal flight activity of bats during lunar eclipses at their roosting sites. More roosting site observations, especially on species that roost in the open, are required to understand the effects of lunar eclipses on bat activity.
The skynet, a new method to capture bats over water
Authors: Hughes Morgan , Thomas Oliver , Suvorova Anna , Saunders Tommy , Krajnović Marija , Jelić Dušan , Edward Martin Thomas , Haelewaters Danny
Published: April 2022

When monitoring bats, the greatest yield in capture rate for survey effort can often be found in riparian and lentic habitats. However, capturing bats over large bodies of water is usually challenging due to the logistics of deploying equipment and extracting bats whilst ensuring the safety of surveyors. We present a novel technique – the “skynet” – as one solution to this problem, allowing fast and safe deployment of a suspended mist net between two anchor points over open water. Preliminary fieldwork in a Croatian scrub-dominated landscape yielded a capture of 22 bats of five species over a 1600 m2 pond. Our results demonstrate that the method is effective compared to a simultaneous net positioning on the bank of the same water body, which yielded no bats. System design and recommendations for bespoke alterations, alternative equipment options, and future investigations are presented here.
Fabrication and characterization of lysine hydrochloride Cu(ii) complexes and their potential for bombing bacterial resistance
Authors: Wu Ziqian , Fu Zhihuan , Tian Yunbo , Hasan Murtaza , Huang Liting , Yang Yuanting , Li Cuijing , Zafar Ayesha , Shu Xugang
Published: April 2022

The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and the lack of effective antimicrobial agents have posed a threat to public safety, so a new efficient strategy is needed to deal with the increasing severity of bacteria. Herein, a substitute antibacterial agent with high stability and biocompatibility was synthesized by incorporating lysine hydrochloride and copper sulfate pentahydrate following the liquid-phase synthesis method. The composition and structure of the Cu(ii) complex (Lys–Cu) were characterized by performing ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, and single-crystal XRD. The crystal structure of Lys–Cu belongs to a monoclinic system, space group P21, with cell parameters of a = 5.14350(10), b = 16.8308(2), c = 11.4915(2) Å, Z = 2, and D = 1.548 g·cm−3. Bacteriostatic tests were carried out on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of Lys–Cu against S. aureus were 0.3125 and 0.9250 mg·mL−1, respectively. The MIC and MBC values of Lys–Cu against bacterial strain E. coli were 0.4685 and 0.9250 mg·mL−1, respectively.
Association of obesity in T2DM with differential polymorphism of ghrelin, growth hormone secretagogue receptor-1 and telomeres maintenance genes
Authors: Giha Hayder A. , Joatar Faris E. , AlDehaini Dhuha M. B. , Malalla Zainab H. A. , Ali Muhalab E. , Al Qarni Ali A.
Published: April 2022

Background

Although obesity and T2DM comorbidity is too frequent, the molecular basis of diabetic obesity is largely unexplained and barely investigated.

Materials

Cross-sectional studies were conducted in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2013 and Kuwait in 2019. Fasting blood samples were obtained from a total of 216 T2DM patients (104 from KSA) and 193 nondiabetic subjects (93 from KSA) after their consents. Eight SNPs in 5 genes known to be associated with both obesity and T2DM, ghrelin (GHRL) and growth hormone secretagogue receptor -GHSR (KSA) and telomeres maintenance genes (Kuwait) were genotyped by rtPCR. Both patients and controls were grouped into obese and non-obese and sub-grouped into 4-BMI- grades: normal, overweight (OW), obese (OBS) and severely obese (SOBS).

Results

Showed that the only SNP which was distinguished between all groups/subgroups in all study subjects was the ACYP2 rs6713088G/C, where the common CC genotype was under-expressed in the obese compared to non-obese diabetics (17.8% vs. 40.4%, p 0.01) and between the 4-BMI-grade (p 0.025). Interestingly the same genotype was over-expressed in obese compared to non-obese non-diabetics (50% vs. 27.6%, p 0.04). Furthermore, the GHRL (rs27647C/T), GHSR (rs509030G/C) and TERC (rs12696304G/C) MAFs were significantly low in normal BMI patients; p=0.034, 0.008 and 0.011, respectively.

Conclusions

This is the first report about the molecular distinction between the obese and non-obese diabetics, it showed the association of rs6713088G/C mutant allele with diabetic obesity, while the GHRL, GHSR and TERC SNPs were differentially expressed based on the BMI-grades.
Electrostatic graphene oxide-based biosensor for rapid direct detection ofE. coli
Authors: Nair Sneha , Kumar Varun , Kumar Ramesh , Jain Vinod K. , Nagpal Suman
Published: April 2022

Detection of pathogenic bacteria requires fast, reliable, and robust devices while testing food and water samples owing to the potentially lethal effect they have on humans. There has been an exponential rise in the demand for nanotechnology-based sensing platforms which can detect pathogens with utmost specificity. This paper reports the fabrication of a rapid, sensitive graphene oxide-based biosensor employing a direct method for electrochemical detection ofEscherichia coli(E. coli, MTCC 443) bacteria in aqueous samples. Graphene oxide (GO) is considered as one of the most promising materials for future biosensors due to its well-known electrical, physical, and optical performance. In addition, it acts as a sensing element due to its biocompatibility againstE. colileading to a change in conductance which can be measured using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. The results showed that the sensor gives an optimum response at 37 °C with apHof 7.5 and linearity ranging from 10−1to 10−5cfu mL−1with a detection limit of 100 cfu mL−1. The results were compared with the known conventional methods of bacterial measurements such as plating onto agar medium and UV–visible spectroscopy and gave a correlation coefficient of 0.92. The sensor would not require any tedious pretreatment and is suitable for screening as well as for detection purposes as a result of its ease of use, fast response time, sensitivity, and selectivity.
Computation of edge- and vertex-degree-based topological indices for tetrahedral sheets of clay minerals
Authors: Ahmad Al-Nashri Al-Hossain , Ahmad Ali , Azeem Muhammad
Published: April 2022

In terms of soil conditions, clay minerals infrequently occur as homogenous mixtures of single constituents, gatherings, stages, or types of minerals. Rather, they contain intricate arrays of essential minerals and rippling intermediates of numerous basic and synergistic mixtures. There is also the possibility that a discrete mineral grain is composed of more than one clay type or has sections that are intermediate amongst two chosen minerals. Such minerals are alluded to as inter-stratified or mixed-layer minerals. The structures of clay minerals are the most researched compound in contemporary materials science. Tetrahedral sheets of clay minerals (TSCM) are one of the most well-known structures concentrated in materials science. QSPR/QSAR of the TSCM compounds requires articulations for the topological characteristic of these substances. Topological descriptors are indispensable gadgets for exploring chemical substances to understand the basic geography or physical properties of such chemical structures. In this article, we determine the edge-vertex-degree and vertex-edge-degree topological indices for TSCM.
Oxidation process concept to produce lignin dispersants at a kraft pulp mill
Authors: Kalliola Anna , Kangas Petteri , Winberg Iris , Vehmas Tapio , Kyllönen Hanna , Heikkinen Juha , Poukka Outi , Kemppainen Katariina , Sjögård Pauliina , Pehu-Lehtonen Lauri , Liitiä Tiina
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the concept of an alkali-O2 oxidation process for producing lignin dispersants in a feasible manner at a kraft pulp mill. The oxidation process uses O2 gas to increase the anionic charge of lignin and the final oxidised lignin can serve as a concrete plasticiser or versatile dispersant. The integrated process provides several benefits for lignin recovery, the following lignin oxidation, and recycling of chemicals. Firstly, CO2 precipitated kraft lignin can be used without a sulphuric acid washing step. This simplifies the lignin recovery and no excess sulphur is introduced into mill cycle. As the unwashed lignin is alkaline in nature, the need for fresh alkali in the lignin oxidation is reduced. Moreover, oxidised white liquor, readily available in the mill, can be applied as a partial source of alkali. Finally, membrane filtration of the oxidised lignin solution enables the recirculation of sodium and sulphur back to the chemical cycle and provides a concentrated lignin product. Based on a simulation study, this novel concept significantly decreased the need for purging fly ash at the mill when compared to conventional lignin recovery. It was also demonstrated that the novel lignin dispersants can compete with the tested commercial oil-based plasticisers.
Lightweight and hydrophobic Ni/GO/PVA composite aerogels for ultrahigh performance electromagnetic interference shielding
Authors: Li Dian-sen , Wang Shi-jun , Zhou Yue , Jiang Lei
Published: April 2022

Lightweight and high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are urgently required to solve increasingly serious radiation pollution. However, traditional lightweight EMI shielding materials usually show low EMI shielding performance, poor mechanical properties, and environmental stability, which greatly limit their practical applications. Herein Ni foam/graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol (Ni/GO/PVA) composite aerogels were successfully prepared by a freeze-drying method. The Ni/GO/PVA composite aerogels possessed low density (189 mg cm−3) and high compression strength (172.2 kPa) and modulus (5.5 MPa). The Ni/GO/PVA composite aerogel was hydrophobic, and their contact angle can reach 145.2°. The hydrophobic modification improved the environmental stability of the composite aerogels. Moreover, the Ni/GO/PVA composite aerogels exhibited excellent EMI shielding performance. Their maximum EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) can reach 87 dB at the thickness of 2.0 mm. When the thickness is only 1.0 mm, the EMI SE can still reach 60 dB. The electromagnetic energy absorption and attenuation mechanisms of Ni/GO/PVA composite aerogels include multiple reflection and scattering, dielectric loss, and magnetic loss. This work provides a promising approach for the design and preparation of the lightweight EMI shielding materials with superior EMI SE, which may be applied in various fields such as aircrafts, spacecrafts, drones, and robotics.
A Bite of the Forbidden Fruit: The Abject of Food and Affirmative Environmental Ethics
Authors: Sauka Anne
Published: April 2022

This article explores the negative framing of environmental concern in the context of food procurement and consumption, through the lens of the myth of Eden considering the ontological and genealogical aspects of the experienced exile from nature. The article first considers the theoretical context of the negative framing of food ethics. Demonstrating the consequences of the experience of food as abject, the article then goes on to discuss the exile from Eden as an explanatory myth for the perceptual inbetweenness of humankind. The aim of the article is to outline the genealogical markers of the negative framing of food ethics via the discussion of the exile from Eden. In the context of a new materialist understanding of the nature–culture continuum, the article depicts the exile as a perceptual rather than ontological divide that does not reflect a factual human inbetweenness but mirrors the objectification of nature by stripping the flesh of its spirit. Such reenvisioning is thought to be a pivotal aspect for mitigating the affectual abjectivity of food and recapturing the factual entanglement of body–environment to enable affirmative environmental ethics.
Kant on the Status of Ideas and Principles of Reason
Authors: Gava Gabriele
Published: April 2022

In the Transcendental Dialectic of the first Critique, Kant famously claims that even if ideas and principles of reason cannot count as cognitions of objects, they can play a positive role when they are used “regulatively” with the aim of organizing our empirical cognitions. One issue is to understand what assuming “regulatively” means. What kind of attitude does this “assuming” imply? Another issue is to characterize the status of ideas and principles themselves. It is to this second issue that this article is dedicated. Some interpreters have suggested that ideas and principles that can be assumed regulatively consist of propositions that we know are false. Others have suggested that at least some regulative ideas, as for example the idea of the homogeneity of nature, consist of propositions that we know are true but are indeterminate. Still others argue that, in assuming regulative ideas and principles, we assume propositions that cannot be proved true, but are nonetheless possibly true. In this article, I reject the view that regulative ideas consist of true but indeterminate propositions. Moreover, I argue that it is wrong to presuppose that only one of the remaining two options can apply to Kant’s account of regulative ideas and principles. By contrast, I submit that while in some cases assuming regulative ideas and principles does involve assuming some propositions that we know are false, this is not true for all regulative ideas and principles. More specifically, assuming regulative ideas involves assuming false propositions when assuming them means assuming that a “totality of appearances” is given.
IUPAC specification for the FAIR management of spectroscopic data in chemistry (IUPAC FAIRSpec) – guiding principles
Authors: Hanson Robert M. , Jeannerat Damien , Archibald Mark , Bruno Ian J. , Chalk Stuart J. , Davies Antony N. , Lancashire Robert J. , Lang Jeffrey , Rzepa Henry S.
Published: April 2022

A set of guiding principles for the development of a standard for FAIR management of spectroscopic data are outlined and discussed. The principles form the basis for future recommendations of IUPAC Project 2019-031-1-024 specifying a detailed data model and metadata schema for describing the contents of an “IUPAC FAIRData Collection” and the organization of digital objects within that collection. Foremost among the recommendations will be a specification for an “IUPAC FAIRData Finding Aid” that describes the collection in such a way as to optimize the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of its contents. Results of an analysis of data provided by an American Chemical Society Publications pilot study are discussed in relation to potential workflows that might be used in implementing the “IUPAC FAIRSpec” standard based on these principles.
Reaction SPL – extension of a public document markup standard to chemical reactions
Authors: Schadow Gunther , Borodina Yulia V. , Delannée Victorien , Ihlenfeldt Wolf-Dietrich , Godfrey Alexander G. , Nicklaus Marc C.
Published: April 2022

There are numerous formats and data models for describing reaction-related data. However, each offers only a limited coverage of the multitude of information that can be of interest to a broad user base in the context of chemical reactions. Structured Product Labeling (SPL) is a robust yet fairly light public XML document standard. It uses a highly generic but usefully refinable data schema, which is, like a language, highly expressive. We are therefore presenting an extension of SPL to chemical reactions (“Reaction SPL”). This extension is designed to support chemical manufacturing processes, which include as a minimum the chemical reaction and the procedures and conditions to run it. We provide an overview of the SPL reaction specification structures followed by some examples of documents with reaction data: predicted single-step reactions, a two-step synthesis, an enzymatic reaction, an example how to represent a reaction center, a patent, and a fully annotated reaction with by-products. Special attention is given to a mechanism for atom-atom mapping of reactions as well as to the possibility to integrate Reaction SPL with laboratory automation equipment, in particular automated synthesis devices.
Theoretical insights into the reduction mechanism of neptunyl nitrate by hydrazine derivatives
Authors: Cheng Zhong-Ping , Li Xiao-Bo , Wu Qun-Yan , Chai Zhi-Fang , Shi Wei-Qun
Published: April 2022

In the advanced spent fuel cycle, the control and adjustment of neptunium valence state is greatly important for the highly efficient separation of neptunium. Hydrazine and its derivatives as salt-free reagents can selectively reduce Np(VI) to Np(V), but their reduction mechanisms are still unclear. We explored the reduction of [NpVIO2(H2O)2(NO3)2] by N2H4 and its two derivatives HOC2H4N2H3 and CHON2H3 using scalar relativistic density functional theory. The thermodynamic energy of the reactions [NpVIO2(H2O)2(NO3)2] with three reductants are sensitive to the substitution group, HOC2H4N2H3 enhances thermodynamic ability of the reaction and CHON2H3 shows contrary result. Both HOC2H4N2H3 and CHON2H3 have lower energy barrier compared to N2H4 based on the potential energy profiles (PEPs), which probably attributes to the intramolecular hydrogen bond of hydrazine derivatives. The nature of these redox reactions is that the hydrogen atom of reductants is gradually transferred to the axis oxygen atom of neptunyl, which accompanies the N–H bond dissociation and Oax–H bond formation. The reduction of Np(VI) with HOC2H4N2H3 is the most favorable reaction based on the thermodynamic and kinetic results. This work provides theoretical perspective into the reduction of Np(VI) to Np(V), which is beneficial to the development of more effective free-salt reductants for the separation of neptunium from uranium and plutonium in spent fuel reprocessing.
On the volatility of protactinium in chlorinating and brominating gas media
Authors: Gäggeler Heinz W. , Eichler Bernd , Jost Dieter T. , Eichler Robert
Published: April 2022

A multi-target recoil chamber technique was applied to study online chemical properties of protactinium in chlorinating and brominating gas media using 226Pa (T
1/2 = 1.8 min) decaying by alpha emission (74%) and β+/EC decay (26%). A 58 MeV proton beam passing 15 × 50 μg/cm2 thick 232Th targets enabled production of 226Pa formed in the reaction 232Th(p,7n). Isothermal gas chromatography in quartz columns allowed for the determination of adsorption enthalpies of oxohalides and pure halides of Pa5+ compounds. On the basis of empirical correlations, these adsorption enthalpies (ΔH0
ads) could be converted to sublimation enthalpies (ΔH0
subl). Resulting values for the assumed compounds PaCl5, PaOCl3, PaBr5, and PaOBr3 were 113 ± 15, 329 ± 16, 165 ± 5 and 235 ± 17 kJ/mol, respectively. These values are rather similar to known ΔH0
subl data for group-5 elements Nb, Ta and Db in support of the assumption that Pa is a pseudo-group 5 element.
How accurate are half-life data of long-lived radionuclides?
Authors: Heinitz Stephan , Kajan Ivan , Schumann Dorothea
Published: April 2022

We have consulted existing half-life data available in Nuclear Data Sheets for radionuclides with Z < 89 in the range between 30 and 108 years with emphasis on their uncertainty. Based on this dataset, we have highlighted the lack of reliable data by giving examples for nuclides relevant for astrophysical, environmental and nuclear research. It is shown that half-lives for a substantial number of nuclides require a re-determination since existing data are either based on one single measurement, are contradictory or are associated with uncertainties above 5%.
Selective actinide(III) separation using 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine (PyTri-Diol) in the innovative-SANEX process: laboratory scale counter current centrifugal contactor demonstration
Authors: Wilden Andreas , Schneider Dimitri , Paparigas Zaina , Henkes Maximilian , Kreft Fabian , Geist Andreas , Mossini Eros , Macerata Elena , Mariani Mario , Gullo Maria Chiara , Casnati Alessandro , Modolo Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

An innovative-SANEX process for the selective separation of the trivalent actinides americium and curium from a simulated PUREX raffinate solution was successfully demonstrated on the laboratory scale using a 16-stage 1 cm annular centrifugal contactor setup. The solvent was composed of 0.2 mol L−1
N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyl-diglycolamide (TODGA) and 5% v/v 1-octanol in a kerosene diluent. Zr(IV) and Pd(II) co-extraction was prevented using trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) as a masking agent in the feed. The actinide(III) selective back-extraction was achieved using 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine (PyTri-Diol) in 0.45 mol L−1 HNO3 as a CHON alternative to the sulfur-containing stripping agent used in a previous version of the innovative-SANEX process. The new process described in this paper showed excellent performance for the recovery of An(III). An An(III) product with a quasi-quantitative recovery of americium and curium (≥99.9%) and very good separation from fission and activation products was obtained (decontamination factors ≥4000). Only a slight contamination with Zr and Ru was observed. This test demonstrates the successful use of molecules containing only carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms (so-called CHON molecules) for the selective separation of An(III) from a simulated PUREX raffinate solution. By avoiding sulfur- or phosphorous-containing molecules, the generation of secondary radioactive waste during process operation can be reduced drastically.
Optimization of Laboratory Molding Techniques for Nordic Dry Deep Mixing
Authors: Hov Sølve , Falle Fredrik , Paniagua Priscilla
Published: April 2022

The dry deep mixing method is a widely used stabilization method in the Nordic countries to improve the strength and deformation properties of soft clays. In engineering practice, laboratory tests normally precede in situ stabilization; however, previous studies have shown considerable differences between field and laboratory stabilization. The type of laboratory molding technique will determine how representative the specimen is compared with field conditions. A key property is the amount of entrapped air in the stabilized clay, which is shown to be very low in field stabilization. This paper presents a study of two different Norwegian molding techniques, including different optimizations to reduce the amount of entrapped air. The specimens are tested for density and strength, and it is shown that the strength increases with increasing density of the stabilized clay. Consequently, there is an inverse relationship between the amount of entrapped air and the strength, showing the importance of reducing the amount of entrapped air in laboratory specimens as much as possible. It is also shown that the wet mixing method does not necessarily give the same strength development as dry deep mixing given the same water to binder ratio.
Techniques for creating and using interactive learning materials in the professional activities of a teacher
Authors:   Pushkin Leningrad State University, Boronenko Tatiana Alekseevna , Fedotova Vera Sergeevna ,   Pushkin Leningrad State University
Published: April 2022

The purpose of the study is to determine the role of interactive educational materials in improving the organization of the educational process. Interactive educational materials visualize theoretical material (visual presentation of complex and inaccessible phenomena and processes); facilitate the perception of educational material (nonlinear presentation of educational content), are additional sources of information; create a rich interactive virtual environment (dialogic, addition and expansion of educational material, unlimited access to the necessary information); are the basis for the organization of independent work of schoolchildren, contribute to the solid consolidation of educational material; simulate learning situations in the online environment (involving schoolchildren in an active learning process, using virtual simulators); expand the range of types of group work to gain communication experience; make up the methodological support of interactive forms of education (brainstorming, didactic, situational role-playing games, trainings, etc.); allow to individualize the learning process by choosing the complexity of the interactive task; provide enhanced feedback. The authors demonstrate the methods of creating and using digital services for the teacher to develop interactive educational materials and their application in the study of subjects of the humanitarian module. The authors give examples of using various online services to develop interactive learning materials. The authors make a conclusion about the methodologically sound creation and use of interactive educational materials by the teacher in professional activities. This ensures the successful mastering of educational material by schoolchildren, helps to improve understanding and memorization of the content of complex topics, reduces the time for the perception of theoretical material, and allows students to organize independent work in a digital educational environment.
Neglected Monteggia fracture: a review
Authors: Zhang Rui , Wang Xiaoyu , Xu Jia , Kang Qinglin , Hamdy Reggie C
Published: April 2022

Monteggia fracture is characterized by radial head dislocation combined with proximal ulnar fracture.

If not diagnosed at an early stage, these lesions can gradually lead to forearm deformities and dysfunction, finally resulting in neglected Monteggia fracture. When the radial head is not reduced, several deformities develop at the humeroradial joint, including cubitus valgus and osteoarthritis.

Adequate radiographs are crucial when the surgeons deal with forearm injuries.

At present, proximal ulnar osteotomy and open reduction of chronic radial head dislocation provides satisfactory functional outcomes because of anatomic alignment reconstruction.

Supplementary procedures, including transcapitellar pinning and repair or reconstruction of the annular ligament, which are performed in order to enhance stability of the humeroradial joint, should be thoroughly assessed based on joint rotational stability after reduction and on potential complications.
Sugerencias para escribir análisis de resultados, conclusiones y recomendaciones en tesis y trabajos de grado
Authors: Bermúdez Rubio Dagoberto , Cuenca Rivera Pablo Emilio , García Murillo Paulo Germán , Gutiérrez Gómez Gonzalo , Portela Ramírez Albert Johan
Published: April 2022

Con base en la experiencia de los autores como asesores de trabajos de grado e investigación, se encontraron dificultades en los estudiantes o investigadores para redactar los resultados, conclusiones y recomendaciones en todo tipo de textos de investigación, aspectos importantes a la hora de escribir un informe final. En este escenario, se elaboró este artículo, cuyo objetivo se encuentra en el marco de la investigación cuantitativa. En este, se hacen sugerencias para escribir resultados, conclusiones y recomendaciones del trabajo de grado o investigación, con el fin de contribuir al proceso formativo de investigadores y estudiantes y mejorar la redacción de las secciones en las que se refleja, de forma integral, la totalidad de los componentes de toda investigación.

Ahora bien, con respecto a los resultados, estos se consideran el eje principal del documento final. A partir de estos, se presentan las conclusiones, es decir, los hallazgos, y se responde al problema planteado y a los objetivos. Por último, en las recomendaciones se evidencian los temas que, normalmente, van unidos a las conclusiones; que, en ocasiones, se confunden o se redactan sin determinar las diferencias.
Problemáticas de la infancia: orientaciones para su abordaje desde el buen trato y el uso de la tecnología
Authors: Santana Gaitán Luisa Carlota , Castiblanco Martínez Marisol
Published: April 2022

Este artículo de reflexión propone algunas orientaciones pedagógicas y didácticas para el abordaje de las problemáticas de la infancia, a partir de la revisión y el análisis de los problemas sociales que presenta este grupo en la ciudad de Bogotá y el reconocimiento del valor educativo que tienen las tecnologías como mediación pedagógica para la participación y el empoderamiento de los niños y las niñas. Para realizar este análisis, se partió de intentar comprender a las problemáticas, como una categoría que requiere ser abordada desde su complejidad, y a la infancia, desde una visión holística que reconoce a los niños y a las niñas como sujetos que tienen voz y que pueden desde su propio accionar constituirse en gestores de prevención de los múltiples problemas que los aquejan. Por lo tanto, se propone desde el uso y apropiación de las tecnologías destacar el papel de la infancia en la construcción de procesos de empoderamiento y participación, reflexionando sobre las alternativas de intervención para resolver las problemáticas que viven estos actores en su cotidianidad.
Efficacy of Hendersonia on the growth of seedlings of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and Ganoderma disease control: A field-based study using GanoEF biofertilizer at Medan, Indonesia
Authors: Tony Peng Shih Hao , Yap Chee Kong , Arshad Roslan , Chai Ee Wen , Priwiratama Hari , Hidayat Fandi , Yanti Fahrida , Yulizar Fadly , Pane M Mustaqim , Suprayetno Hadi
Published: April 2022

The present study aimed to test the efficiency of Hendersonia GanoEF biofertilizer against Ganoderma disease in the seedlings of oil palm (OP) Elaeis guineensis, and was carried out from February 2020 – January 2021 in Pulo Mandi Garden Nursery, at Medan, Indonesia. Experimental set up followed a completely randomized design with four treatments. Observation results showed that the percentage of root colonization by Hendersonia sp. in OP roots reached an average of 70.6% in the treatment with Ganoderma inoculation, and an average of 69.6% in the treatment without Ganoderma inoculation. The GanoEF treatment provided higher growth of seedlings and faster growth of bowl diameter when the seedlings were 9 months old. Three instances of GanoEF application had high potential to inhibit the development of Ganoderma on OP seedlings. Endophytic fungi Hendersonia sp. was capable of symbiosis with OP roots with a colonization rate reaching 70.6%. Disease incidence or percentage of plants infected with Ganoderma in GanoEF treatment reached 20.4% which was significantly (P<0.05) lower than under the control treatment (44.2%). Meanwhile, the level of severity of Ganoderma disease in seedlings with GanoEF treatment reached 5.23% which was significantly (P<0.05) lower than the control treatment (11.1%). The efficacy of Hendersonia GanoEF as a biocontrol method for the OP pathogen G. boninense to control the basal stem rot of E. guineensis seedlings was well proven in this field study.
A stopwatch time study for an underground mining extraction
Authors: Vílchez Torres Mylena Karen , Cáceres Pérez Shonel Miguel , Castro Pérez Daniel Julio
Published: April 2022

This study seeks to increase the understanding of stopwatch time studies by determining standard cycle times for an underground miningextraction process, implementing the technique in a polymetallic mining deposit of intermediate to low sulphidation of silver, gold, lead,zinc, and copper, contained in silver-bearing galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and tetrahedrite; located in veins, at a height of 4630 m abovesea level. The meticulous methodology of the technique identified and corrected an error in production cycle times, recognizing irregularelements that had been ignored in previous measurements, as well as strange elements produced during drilling activities, which set paceto the entire process. Finally, an improved and adapted technique was developed for this sector, through which process cycles could bedetermined at a 7.3% error, an acceptable value due to access limitations to the extraction areas by the strict security measures and reduced bias in planning production projections.
Efecto de la edad de rebrote y época del año sobre la biomasa y calidad bromatológica en gramíneas utilizadas en tres zonas agroclimáticas de Costa Rica (I PARTE)
Authors: Núñez-Arroyo José M. , Jiménez-Castro José P. , Tobía-Rivero Carlos M. , Arias-Gamboa Luis M. , Jiménez-Alfaro Esteban , Padilla-Fallas José E.
Published: April 2022

El trabajo de investigación consistió en la evaluación de siete especies forrajeras a diferentes edades de rebrote, en dos épocas del año y en tres diferentes zonas agroclimáticas de Costa Rica. Se utilizó un diseño de tratamientos con arreglo factorial 7x2x4 (especies forrajeras, época del año y días rebrote) con 3 repeticiones, para un total de 168 unidades experimentales. A cada muestra se le evaluó la biomasa (kg MS/ha), la concentración de materia seca (%MS), de proteína cruda (%PC), de cenizas (%CE) y de extracto etéreo (%EE). En la zona de mayor altitud se evaluaron los pastos de Kikuyuocloa clandestinum (Kikuyo) y Lolium perenne (Ryegrass perenne), donde el mayor contenido de PC (18,9%) se presentó en el pasto Ryegrass en la época seca a los 28 días de rebrote (interacción triple, p<0.01) y obtuvo el mayor contenido de CE (17,0%) en la época seca a los 42 días de rebrote (interacción triple, p<0.01). En la zona intermedia se evaluó el pasto Cynodon nlemfuensis (estrella africana) donde el mayor contenido de MS (36,6%) se presentó en la época seca a los 28 días de rebrote (interacción doble, p<0.05) y la mayor producción de biomasa (5240 kgMS/ha) a los 56 días de la época lluviosa (interacción doble, p<0.05). En la zona baja se evaluaron los pastos: Brachiaria brizantha cv. Diamantes, Panicum maximum cv. Mombaza, Ischaemum indicum cv. Ratana y Brachiaria brizantha cv. Toledo. La mayor producción de biomasa la presentó el pasto Mombaza (11507 kg MS/ha) en la época seca a los 56 días de rebrote (interacción triple, p<0.05). Finalmente, en los pastos Toledo y Ratana, los contenidos de CE se incrementaron 8,3% y 15,4% en la época seca (interacción doble, p<0.05).
AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES FOR LAND USE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM
Authors: Kirechev D.
Published: April 2022

The study analyses the potential of agroecological practices in agricultural land use to ensure increased sustainability of the agri-food system. Conventional agricultural practices are perceived to have an increasingly negative impact on land use, necessitating the adoption of new approaches. In the context of climate change, the role of sustainable land management and its ability to sequester carbon is increasing. The need to support farmers adopting agri-environmental practices is highlighted. The introduction of such practices is seen as a major factor in improving the supply of healthy and safe food.
The role of mitral annular plane systolic excursion in prediction of acute blood loss in healthy voluntary blood donors
Authors:   Department of Emergency Medicine, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, Güllüpınar Birdal , Sağlam Caner ,   Department of Emergency Medicine, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Turkey, Koran Serhat ,   Department of Family Medicine, Bagcılar Medipol University Hospital, Turkey, Turhan Ajda ,   Blood Bank, Ege University, Turkey, Ünlüer Erden Erol ,   Department of Emergency Medicine, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Turkey
Published: April 2022

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the diameter of the inferior vena cava with mitral annular plane systolic excursion measurement in order to determine the volume loss before and after blood donation in healthy volunteers. Material and methods: The study was a singlecenter, prospective, cross-sectional study which included 46 healthy blood donors donating in a tertiary care hospital’s blood bank. The inclusion criteria for the study were: volunteers aged 18–65 years, over 50 kg in weight, who met blood donation criteria, with hemoglobin values of >13.5 g/dL for males and >12.5 g/dL for females. After obtaining written consent, the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure along with the pulse rate of the donors were measured in standing and lying positions by the attending physician. Next, inferior vena cava and mitral annular plane systolic excursion measurements were made both pre and post blood donation. Results: The decrease in both inferior vena cava diameter and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values measured pre and post blood donation was found to be statistically significant (p <0.05). There was no difference between the other variables pre and post blood donation. Conclusions: Our study revealed that decreased inferior vena cava and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values correlated in determining blood loss post blood donation. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion may be useful to predict blood loss in the early stages of hemorrhagic shock.