bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community-based aortic stenosis detection: clinical and echocardiographic screening during influenza vaccination
Authors: Steeds Richard Paul , Potter Andrew , Mangat Navjeet , Fröhlich Maren , Deutsch Cornelia , Bramlage Peter , Thoenes Martin
Published: May 2021

Background

Degenerative aortic stenosis (AS), the most common valvular heart disease in the Western world, is often diagnosed late when the mortality risk becomes substantial. We determined the feasibility of AS screening during influenza vaccination at general practitioner (GP) surgeries in the UK.

Methods

Consecutive subjects aged >65 years presenting to a GP for influenza vaccination underwent heart auscultation and 2D echocardiography (V-scan). Based on these findings, a patient management strategy was determined (referral to cardiologist, review within own practice or no follow-up measures) and status at 3 months was determined.

Results

167 patients were enrolled with a mean age of 75 years. On auscultation, a heart murmur was detected in 30 of 167 (18%) patients (6 subjects with an AS-specific and 24 with a non-specific murmur). 75.2% of those with no murmur had a negative V-scan finding. Conversely, 16 of 30 (53%) patients with any murmur had an abnormal V-scan finding that was largely related to the aortic valve. Using clinical auscultation and V-scan screening, a decision not to pursue follow-up measures was taken in 147 (88%) cases, whereas 18 (10.8%) subjects were referred onward; with 5 of 18 (27.8%) and 3 of 18 (16.7%) being diagnosed with mild and moderate AS.

Conclusions

Our pilot study confirms feasibility of valvular heart disease screening in the elderly in a primary care setting. Using simple and inexpensive diagnostic measures and 7.3 million UK inhabitants undergoing influenza vaccination, nationwide screening could potentially identify 130 000 patients with moderate AS and a significant number of patients with severe AS.
Journey across epidemiology’s third variables: an anesthesiologist’s guide for successfully navigating confounding, mediation, and effect modification
Authors: Levy Joshua , Lebeaux Rebecca , Christensen Brock , Tosteson Tor , Bryan Yvon
Published: May 2021

Observational clinical research studies aim to assess which exposures (treatments or other factors; independent variable) affect patient outcomes (dependent variable). These exposures include medical interventions in situations where clinical trials are not possible or prior to their conduct and completion. However, the assessment of the relationship between exposures and outcomes is not straightforward, as other variables may need to be considered prior to reaching valid conclusions. Here, we present three hypothetical scenarios in regional anesthesia to review the epidemiological concepts of confounding, mediation, and effect modification. Understanding these concepts is critical for assessing the design, analysis, and interpretation of clinical studies. These terms may be confusing to anesthesiologists and researchers alike, where such confusion could affect the conclusions of a clinical study, mislead the target audience, and ultimately impact patient health.
Mismatch between midline shift and hematoma thickness as a prognostic factor of mortality in patients sustaining acute subdural hematoma
Authors: de Souza Matheus Rodrigues , Fagundes Caroline Ferreira , Solla Davi Jorge Fontoura , da Silva Gustavo Carlos Lucena , Barreto Rafaela Borin , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Oliveira de Amorim Robson Luis , Kolias Angelos G , Godoy Daniel , Paiva Wellingson Silva
Published: May 2021

Background

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a traumatic lesion commonly found secondary to traumatic brain injury. Radiological findings on CT, such as hematoma thickness (HT) and structures midline shift (MLS), have an important prognostic role in this disease. The relationship between HT and MLS has been rarely studied in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prognostic accuracy of the difference between MLS and HT for acute outcomes in patients with ASDH in a low-income to middle-income country.

Methods

This was a post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted in a university-associated tertiary-level hospital in Brazil. The TRIPOD (Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis) statement guidelines were followed. The difference values between MLS and HT (Zumkeller index, ZI) were divided into three categories (<0.00, 0.01–3, and >3). Logistic regression analyses were performed to reveal the OR of categorized ZI in predicting primary outcome measures. A Cox regression was also performed and the results were presented through HR. The discriminative ability of three multivariate models including clinical and radiological variables (ZI, Rotterdam score, and Helsinki score) was demonstrated.

Results

A total of 114 patients were included. Logistic regression demonstrated an OR value equal to 8.12 for the ZI >3 category (OR 8.12, 95% CI 1.16 to 40.01; p=0.01), which proved to be an independent predictor of mortality in the adjusted model for surgical intervention, age, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that this category was associated with 14-day survival (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.38 to 6.16; p=0.005). A multivariate analysis performed for three models including age and GCS with categorized ZI or Helsinki or Rotterdam score demonstrated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.745, 0.767, and 0.808, respectively.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the potential usefulness of the difference between MLS and HT as a prognostic variable in patients with ASDH.

Level of evidence

Level III, epidemiological study.
Evaluation of candidate polymers to maximize geotechnical performance of oil sands tailings
Authors: Abdulnabi Ahlam , Amoako Kwaku , Moran Daniel , Vanadara Khushbu , Aldaeef Abdulghader Abdulrahman , Esmaeilzadeh Amin , Beier Nicholas , Soares João , Simms Paul
Published: May 2021

Oil sands fluid fine tailings deposits are challenging to reclaim due to their inherently high natural water content, low permeability, and low strength. Combinations of polymers and (or) coagulants are used by operators to improve the dewatering and strength properties of the tailings. However, considerably more work has been done to evaluate polymer performance with short-term dewatering metrics rather than with long-term metrics such as consolidation properties. This paper evaluates the potential of four novel polymers for use in fluid fine tailings treatment compared to a commercially available polymer and untreated tailings specimen. The performance of the polymers was assessed through initial screening with respect to short-term dewatering, evaluation of the consolidation and strength properties using large-strain consolidation tests, shear sensitivity in pipeline transport, and finally, large-strain consolidation modelling to appraise the relative potential performance under different strategies, such as terrestrial or aquatic reclamation options. One polymer exhibits remarkably fast dewatering at high void ratios, while another demonstrates dense and shear-resistant flocs. The paper discusses each polymer’s distinctive tailings fabrics and how their unique merits and limitations would benefit different reclamation eventualities. Finally, potential improvements of the polymers are suggested for future assessment.
Why a new volume on non-pollen palynomorphs?
Authors: O'Keefe Jennifer M. K. , Marret Fabienne , Osterloff Peter , Pound Matthew J. , Shumilovskikh Lyudmila
Published: May 2021

Here we introduce the volume
Applications of Non-Pollen Palynomorphs: from Palaeoenvironmental Reconstructions to Biostratigraphy
. The study of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) has a long and rich history that is interwoven with that of pollen-based studies. NPPs are among the oldest fossils on record and are instrumental in determining the origin and evolution of life, as well as studying origination and extinction events prior to the origin of pollen-producing angiosperms. This new volume on NPPs provides an up-to-date and seminal overview of the subject, linking deep-time and Quaternary study of the subject for the first time.
On sparse interpolation of rational functions and gcds
Authors: van der Hoeven Joris , Lecerf Grégoire
Published: May 2021

In this note, we present a variant of a probabilistic algorithm by Cuyt and Lee for the sparse interpolation of multivariate rational functions. We also present an analogous method for the computation of sparse gcds.
Silicon-Tin Alloyed Nanocrystals by Femtosecond Laser Plasma
Authors: Svrcek Vladimir , Buerkle Marius , Lozach Mickael , McDonald Calum , Mariotti Davide
Published: May 2021

Here we discuss the synthesis paths and optoelectronic properties in the context of alpha tin (α-Sn) phase and silicon/tin (SiSn) alloyed nanocrystals (NCs). We discuss the possibilities and benefits of stabilizing α-Sn in larger sized nanocrystals by alloying with silicon. We demonstrate that plasma-based processes allow the synthesis of stable elemental α-Sn NCs and also alloyed α-Sn based SiSn NCs with quantum confinement size and extraordinarily high Sn concentrations: i.e. SiSn NCs fabricated by confined plasma from femtosecond (fs) laser in liquid media with a high tin concentration of approximately 17%. We also discuss the experimental and exact theoretical calculation determination of the thermal stability of the α-Sn based nanocrystals.
Intraband Quantum Dot Barrier Devices - Optimization of Energy Level Alignment
Authors: Hafiz Shihab Bin , Al Mahfuz Mohammad M. , Ko Dong-Kyun
Published: May 2021

Mid-infrared barrier detectors constructed from intraband colloidal quantum dots brings the advantage of greatly simplified device fabrication procedure with the potential for high temperature operation. Here, we report the fabrication and characterization of vertically-stacked Ag2Se / PbS / Ag2Se quantum dot barrier devices with improved infrared responsivity. Through optimizing the energy level alignment, 4.5 μm responsivity now reaches 84.1 mA/W which results in 570% improvement in specific detectivity compared to the first generation quantum dot barrier devices.
Cation Effect on Anion Exchange in CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals
Authors: Ahn Junhyuk , Lee Yong Min , Kim Woosik , Oh Soong Ju
Published: May 2021

The anion exchange in lead halide perovskite is a post-synthetic process that replaces the X-site anion with the target halide without phase transition. Various methods for adjusting the anions in perovskite nanocrystals (Pe NCs) have been developed; however, the effect of the cations in halide sources on the anion exchange has rarely been discussed. Here, we investigated the suitable chemicals and tendencies according to the cation in halide sources. NH4Cl and NaI were selected as efficient anion-exchanging chemicals because they effectively provide Cl- or I- anions to Pe NCs, respectively. Additionally, we discussed the hard-soft-acid-base (HSAB) theory. We observed that the anion-exchanged Pe NCs were well-dispersed with the original surface ligands, maintaining high colloidal stability. We believe that these findings would contribute to the improvement of optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, displays, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Process-Induced ReRAM Performance Improvement of Atomic Layer Deposited HfO2 for Analog In-Memory Computing Applications
Authors: Consiglio Steven , Higuchi Hisashi , Ando Takashi , Jamison Paul , Seo Soon-Cheon , Kong Dexin , Kim Youngseok , Tapily Kandabara , Clark Robert D , Hopstaken Marinus , Cartier Eduard , Tsunomura Takaaki , Wajda Cory S , Soave Robert , Narayanan Vijay , Leusink Gert J
Published: May 2021

We evaluated atomic layer deposition (ALD) for the growth of HfO2 for integration in resistive RAM (ReRAM) test structures on 300mm wafers in order to optimize electrical performance for use as synaptic device elements in analog in-memory computing. The effect of ALD oxidant was evaluated and it was shown that H2O outperformed O3 in terms of better uniformity and lower forming voltage. By utilizing H-based plasma after deposition or inserted as an intermediate step during deposition, we were able to further decrease forming voltage for a fixed dielectric thickness. Reducing deposition temperature to 200°C in conjunction with the H-based plasma treatment resulted in additional reduction in forming voltage. Stable high-resistance switching with analog behavior in scaled BEOL devices was obtained using this HfO2-based ReRAM. Additionally, a tight distribution of forming voltage was obtained ensuring that 99.9999% of devices in a 14nm ReRAM module can be formed below the targeted voltage.
Geometrical Layout Effect on Light Intensity Distribution in SSI-LED
Authors: Shukla Abhinav , Kuo Yue
Published: May 2021

Physics-based analytical calculations are performed to simulate light intensity distributions from solid-state incandescent light emitting devices. The geometrical layout of the nano-resistors formed in the SSI-LED affects the local light intensity distribution at higher magnifications. Different geometrical layout configurations of light emitting nano-resistors are considered – linear, triangular, square, and face-centered square. The simulated distribution could be correlated to the experimentally observed light dot patterns at higher magnifications.
Optical and Structural Properties of Ga and in Co-Doped ZnO Nanocrystals Films
Authors: El Filali Brahim , Torchynska Tetyana , Garcia Jorge Luis Ramirez , Lozada Erick Velazquez , Shcherbyna Lyudmyla
Published: May 2021

The impact of double donor doping on the crystal structure, emission, and electrical resistivity has been studied in the ZnO:Ga:In films. The films were deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on a previously cleaned silicon substrate. To the study of double donor doping, two groups of samples were prepared. In the first group the In content was 1at% and the Ga contents were varied in the range 0.5-3.0at.%. In the second group the In content was 2at% and the Ga content were changed in the range 0.5-2.5at%. To stimulate the film crystallization, all samples were annealed at 400oC for 2 hours in nitrogen flow 5l/min. The high quality nanocrystal (NC) films with the wurtzite-type crystal structure, bright near band edge (NBE) emission and the small intensity of defect related PL bands have been obtained. The variation non monotonically of the ZnO crystal lattice parameters, as well as the PL intensities of NBE emission bands has been detected. The reasons for the parameter variation non monotonically and the optimal concentrations for the Ga/In double donor doping of ZnO NC films have been analyzed and discussed.
(Invited) Schottky Barrier Height Control at Metal/Ge Interface by Insertion of Nitrogen Contained Amorphous Layer
Authors: Yamamoto Keisuke , Wang Dong , Nakashima Hiroshi
Published: May 2021

Ge is attracted great attention as a candidate of channel material for future CMOS devices and near-infrared optical devices, owing to its high intrinsic carrier mobility and narrow bandgap. One of the difficulties to realize Ge-based devices is to control of Schottky barrier height (SBH) at metal/Ge interface. It is widely known any metal/Ge contact shows high electron barrier height (ΦBN > 0.5 eV) due to Fermi level pinning at metal/Ge interface. Our group found a method to alleviate the FLP, by which sputter-deposited ZrN/Ge contacts showed low ΦBN (< 0.10 eV) and high hole barrier height (ΦBP > 0.56 eV). From detailed structural analyses, FLP alleviation was induced by a nitrogen-contained amorphous interlayer (a-IL) formed during ZrN sputter-deposition. If we can change the kind of metal on a-IL, we may extend the control range of SBH. In this paper, we demonstrate the wide range SBH control for metal/a-IL/Ge contacts.
Ba0.5Gd0.8La0.7Co2O6−δ
Infiltrated BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ Composite Oxygen Electrodes for Protonic Ceramic Electrolysis Cells
Authors: Wang Qingjie , Ricote Sandrine , Hendriksen Peter Vang , Wang Yu , Wang Jianqiang , Chen Ming
Published: May 2021

In this study, a composite oxygen electrode is prepared by infiltrating a protonic-electronic conducting material, Ba0.5Gd0.8La0.7Co2O6−δ (BGLC) into a proton-conducting BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ (BZY20) backbone. The composite oxygen electrode is studied in a symmetric cell configuration (BGLC-BZY20//BZY20//BGLC-BZY20). The electrochemical performance is characterized by systematically varying the operating conditions, including temperature, oxygen, and steam partial pressures, with the purpose to identify and characterize the different electrochemical processes taking place in the oxygen electrode. Two electrode reaction processes are observed in the impedance spectra: one in the middle-frequency range tentatively ascribed to the process of proton transfer from the electrode to the electrolyte, and the other in the low-frequency range corresponding to diffusion of O− species. The BGLC-BZY20 electrode developed in this work shows a low polarization resistance of 0.44, 1.17, and 2.87 Ω cm2 in 3 % humidified synthetic air (21% O2/79% N2) at 600, 550, and 500 ℃, respectively.
CuFeO2/CuInS2 Composite Thin Film Photocathode Prepared by Template Method for CO2 Conversion Into Methanol
Authors: Liu Feng , Zhu Jianzhong , Yuan Jiongliang
Published: May 2021

The huge consumption of fossil fuels in industrialization has caused increasingly aggravated greenhouse effect. To address this problem, converting CO2 into liquid solar fuels by photoelectrochemical technology is highly expected. In order to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance of the photocathodes, the composite thin film photocathodes have been constructed by covering CuFeO2 nanoparticles (CFO NPs) on CuInS2 (CIS) thin film surface by the impregnation (I-CFO/CIS) and the template method (T-CFO/CIS). In addition, the p–p heterostructure is formed between CIS and CFO NPs. Furthermore, the adsorption behaviors of intermediates are altered because of the well dispersed and smaller size of CFO NPs on T-CFO/CIS thin films. As a result, enhanced photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction is achieved. The yield of methanol on T-CFO/CIS thin film reaches up to 270 μM, which is 3.5 and 11.2 times as high as that on I-CFO/CIS and CIS thin films, respectively. At the applied voltage of −0.65 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE), the maximal faradic efficiency of methanol on T-CFO/CIS photocathodes is as high as 87%.
From the Editor: Bandwidth and Brandwidth
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: May 2021

Thanks to the Internet and video, music, and multimedia transmission needs, “bandwidth” has become a staple in the techie jargon. Notwithstanding continued competition from the copper twisted pair transmission medium, it now seems certain that fiber optics will garner a lion’s share of the telecommunications market in the years to come.
Pennington Corner: Building Stronger Bones
Authors: Calvo Roque J.
Published: May 2021

My mother’s advice to build strong bones was, “eat your vegetables and drink lots of milk.” Good advice for a young boy but the bones I’m referring to are those that make up the structure of the Society. The Society’s bones consist of the Board, committees, divisions, sections, and the organizational resources like the staff, finances, publications, meetings, physical facilities and technological capabilities.
Pennington Corner: Future Recognition
Authors: Calvo Roque J.
Published: May 2021

At a lively meeting on May 18 in Toronto, Canada, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to adopt an official acronym and tagline to identify The Electrochemical Society, Inc. It is a pleasure to present to you this new representative identity, which is depicted in the middle of this page.
From the President: It’s a Small, Small World
Authors: Osburn Carlton M.
Published: May 2021

Many years ago, not long after Disney World opened, my wife and I had the (mis)fortune of being on a ride that had a mechanical breakdown. We were stranded just outside the exhibit that played the song “It’s a Small, Small World” over and over, without stopping. After hearing that song for what seemed an eternity, the idea of a small world is imprinted on my brain. Thus the number of new international initiatives and activities of ECS comes as no surprise to me.
Free Radicals: Whither Professional Societies?
Authors: Woodall Jerry
Published: May 2021

Let me be among the first to wish you a happy new millennium. Yep. Less than 10 months from now it will be 2001, a new millennium. Come on now, Arthur Clarke didn’t call his book and movie 2000, did he? Now that we settled this semantic issue, it is time for another installment of “Free Radicals.” This time it is about professional societies: do we need them?
ECS Classics: Sacajawea and Me
Authors: Kolodney Morris
Published: May 2021

What can possibly be the connection between me and the Shosone woman who guided and translated for Lewis and Clark in their trek to the American Northwest in 1804-06?
Tech Watch - Fall 2000
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: May 2021

The latest tech news from the desk of the editor.
Wafer Bonding: A Flexible Approach to Materials Integration
Authors: Gosele Ulrich M. , Alexe Marin
Published: May 2021

Wafer bonding, also termed direct bonding or fusion bonding, has increasingly become a technology of choice for materials integration in various areas of microelectronics, optoelectronics, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The Electrochemical Society has played an important role in furthering this new technology by organizing a biannual series of symposia on this subject starting in 1991. In the present article we will describe the status of this technology, and mention major accomplishments as well as challenges and opportunities for future research and applications. We will concentrate on the basic principles involved, rather than on detailed descriptions of applications. Because the literature on wafer bonding has become rather extensive, it is not our goal to be exhaustive but rather to stress aspects which are important or just interesting in our own somewhat personal view.
Carl Djerassi: Renaissance Scientist Par Excellence
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan , van Schalkwijk Walter
Published: May 2021

Carl Djerassi was born in Vienna, Austria, and received his education at Kenyon College (AB summa cum laude, 1942) and the University of Wisconsin (PhD, 1945). After four years as research chemist with CIBA Pharmaceutical Co. in Summit, New Jersey, he joined Syntex, S.A., in Mexico City in 1949 as associate director of chemical research. In 1952, he accepted a professorship at Wayne State University, and in 1959 his current position as professor of chemistry at Stanford University.
Electrochemistry as an Analytical Technique
Authors: Coury Lou
Published: May 2021

Attempting to define the boundaries of electroanalytical chemistry would be a difficult exercise, and any result would be subject to constant revision anyway. For the purposes of this brief overview, electroanalysis will be characterized as involving the application of one or more electrochemical techniques for measuring some quantity of interest. This quantity of interest is as likely to be a rate constant as a concentration, for example.
A Blockchain-Based Sealed-Bid e-Auction Scheme with Smart Contract and Zero-Knowledge Proof
Authors: Li Honglei , Xue Weilian
Published: May 2021

e-Auction improves the efficiency of bid transaction. However, the protection of bidders’ privacy, transaction fairness and verifiability, transaction data security, high cost of third-party auction center, and other issues have attracted more attention. According to the transaction process and basic principles of the sealed auction, we explored the problems existing in the current sealed-bid e-auction schemes. Based on the blockchain technology, we proposed a sealed-bid e-auction scheme with smart contract technology, Bulletproofs zero-knowledge proof protocols, and Pedersen commitment algorithm. The proposed scheme constructed an auction mechanism without the third-party auctioneer so as to restrict the behaviors of auction parties for the sake of auction security, reliability, fairness, and privacy protection. Compared with the related sealed e-auction schemes based on blockchain technologies in six metrics, we conducted the experiment to show that the proposed scheme protected the bid information from leakage well and successfully verified the winning bid price and the related bidder by all transaction participants without the third-party auctioneer.
Surgical Outcomes of Trabeculectomy in Uveitic Glaucoma: A Long-Term, Single-Center, Retrospective Case-Control Study
Authors: Kanaya Rina , Kijima Riki , Shinmei Yasuhiro , Shinkai Akihiro , Ohguchi Takeshi , Namba Kenichi , Chin Shinki , Ishida Susumu
Published: May 2021

Purpose. To evaluate the long-term outcomes of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC-TLE) in patients with uveitic glaucoma (UG). Patients and Methods. This was a retrospective, nonrandomized case series study. MMC-TLE was performed on 50 eyes with UG between February 2001 and January 2015 at Hokkaido University Hospital. Age- and sex-matched patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) who underwent MMC-TLE were matched by age and sex and enrolled as controls. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) less than 18 or 15 mmHg. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves for surgical failure were analyzed. Results. The mean preoperative IOP in UG and POAG was 27.6 ± 10.6 and 18.0 ± 4.5 mmHg, respectively. After the surgery, the mean IOP in UG and POAG was reduced to 11.7 ± 4.2 and 12.2 ± 3.8 mmHg at 12 months, 11.9 ± 7.0 and 12.1 ± 3.1 mmHg at 36 months, and 13.0 ± 5.2 and 10.6 ± 1.2 mmHg at 120 months, respectively. The success rates (IOP <18 mmHg, IOP reduction >20%) in UG and POAG were 91.7% and 88.0% at 12 months, 82.2% and 75.6% at 36 months, and 66.5% and 61.8% at 120 months, respectively. The success rates (IOP <15 mmHg) in UG and POAG were 64.0% and 58.0% at 12 months, 55.1% and 45.5% at 36 months, and 47.9% and 37.8% at 120 months, respectively. There was no significant difference in the success rate between UG and POAG at 120 months after surgery by either definition of surgical success. Conclusions. MMC-TLE effectively reduced IOP in both UG and POAG. There was no significant difference in the success rate between UG and POAG. Following sufficient inflammation suppression, surgical outcomes of UG may be comparable with those of POAG.
Multiple-Symbol Detection Scheme for IEEE 802.15.4c MPSK Receivers over Slow Rayleigh Fading Channels
Authors: Zhang Gaoyuan , Li Haiqiong , Han Congzheng , Shi Congyu , Wen Hong , Wang Dan
Published: May 2021

Although the full multiple-symbol detection (MSD) for IEEE 802.15.4c multiple phase shift keying (MPSK) receivers gives much better performance than the symbol-by-symbol detection (SBSD), its implementation complexity is extremely heavy. We propose a simple MSD scheme based on two implementation-friendly but powerful strategies. First, we find the best and second-best decisions in each symbol position with the standard SBSD procedure, and the global best decision is frozen. Second, for the remaining symbol positions, only the best and second-best symbol decisions, not all the candidates, are jointly searched by the standard MSD procedure. The simulation results indicate that the packet error rate (PER) performance of the simplified MSD scheme is almost the same as that of the full scheme. In particular, at PER of

1
×

10

−
3

, no more than 0.2 dB performance gap is observed if we just increase the observation window length

N

to 2. However, the number of decision metrics needed to be calculated is reduced from 256 to 2. Thus, much balance gain between implementation complexity and detection performance is achieved.
The Possible Role of IVIG in the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation Accompanied by Fulminant Myocarditis in a 12-Year-Old Pediatric Patient
Authors: Yozgat Can Yilmaz , Yesilbas Osman , Uzuner Selcuk , Bayramova Nigar , Ergun Gokce , Nurmammadova Lala , Tekin Eser , Temur Hafize Otcu , Yozgat Yilmaz
Published: May 2021

Background. Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a potentially lethal condition in children due to rapid progressive hemodynamic instability and cardiogenic shock. Patients with FM might show different clinical manifestations on emergency department admission. Case. Herein, we describe the case of a 12-year-old girl who was admitted to our institution’s emergency department due to complaints of abdominal pain and incessant vomiting. However, we detected an early onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by FM. The patient’s condition of AF and severe hemodynamic disorder was successfully treated in our institution’s pediatric intensive care unit. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the co-occurrence of FM and AF successfully treated in childhood. This case report will serve as a guide for the treatment of cases with FM accompanied by AF.
A Novel Generalized Family of Distributions for Engineering and Life Sciences Data Applications
Authors: Salahuddin Najma , Khalil Alamgir , Mashwani Wali Khan , Shah Habib , Jomsri Pijitra , Panityakul Thammarat
Published: May 2021

In this paper, a new method is proposed to expand the family of lifetime distributions. The suggested method is named as Khalil new generalized family (KNGF) of distributions. A special submodel, termed as Khalil new generalized Pareto (KNGP) distribution, is investigated from the family with one shape and two scale parameters. A number of mathematical properties of the submodel have been derived including moments, moment-generating function, quantile function, entropy measures, order statistics, mean residual life function, and maximum likelihood method for the estimation of parameters. The proposed distribution is very flexible in its nature covering several hazard rate shapes (symmetric and asymmetric). To examine the performance of the maximum likelihood estimates in terms of their bias and mean squared error using simulated samples, a simulation study is carried out. Furthermore, parametric estimation of the model is conferred using the method of maximum likelihood, and the practicality of the proposed family is illustrated with the help of real datasets. Finally, we hope that the new suggested flexible KNGF may produce useful models for fitting monotonic and nonmonotonic data related to survival analysis and reliability analysis.
A Role for Folate in Microbiome-Linked Control of Autoimmunity
Authors: Mölzer Christine , Wilson Heather M. , Kuffova Lucia , Forrester John V.
Published: May 2021

The microbiome exerts considerable control over immune homeostasis and influences susceptibility to autoimmune and autoinflammatory disease (AD/AID) such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes (T1D), psoriasis, and uveitis. In part, this is due to direct effects of the microbiome on gastrointestinal (GI) physiology and nutrient transport, but also to indirect effects on immunoregulatory controls, including induction and stabilization of T regulatory cells (Treg). Secreted bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are under intense investigation as mediators of these effects. In contrast, folate (vitamin B9), an essential micronutrient, has attracted less attention, possibly because it exerts global physiological effects which are difficult to differentiate from specific effects on the immune system. Here, we review the role of folate in AD/AID with some emphasis on sight-threatening autoimmune uveitis. Since folate is required for the generation and maintenance ofTreg, we propose that one mechanism for microbiome-based control of AD/AID is via folate-dependent induction of GI tractTreg, particularly colonicTreg, via anergic T cells (Tan). Hence, folate supplementation has potential prophylactic and/or therapeutic benefit in AID/AD.
Concurrent Myotonic Dystrophy and Inflammatory Myopathy in a Patient with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Gupta Akash , Huttner Anita , Azar Marwan M.
Published: May 2021

Neuromuscular complications are common in patients with HIV/AIDS at any stage of the disease process. Myopathies can be secondary to antiretroviral therapy, HIV myositis itself, or other etiologies. Here, we present the case of a middle-aged male with HIV who presented with myalgias and was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy and HIV-associated polymyositis after extensive workup including clinical history and physical exam, laboratory markers, electromyogram, and muscle biopsy. This case illustrates the importance of a comprehensive workup for myopathy in HIV/AIDS and the possibility of multiple concurrent conditions.
Implications of Enhancer Transcription and eRNAs in Cancer
Authors: Adhikary Santanu , Roy Siddhartha , Chacon Jessica , Gadad Shrikanth S. , Das Chandrima
Published: May 2021

Despite extensive progress in developing anticancer therapies, therapy resistance remains a major challenge that promotes disease relapse. The changes that lead to therapy resistance can be intrinsically present or may be initiated during treatment. Genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity in tumors make it more challenging to deal with therapy resistance. Recent advances in genome-wide analyses have revealed that the deregulation of distal gene regulatory elements, such as enhancers, appears in several pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. Beyond the conventional function of enhancers in recruiting transcription factors to gene promoters, enhancer elements are also transcribed into noncoding RNAs known as enhancer RNAs (eRNA). Accumulating evidence suggests that uncontrolled enhancer activity with aberrant eRNA expression promotes oncogenesis. Interestingly, tissue-specific, transcribed eRNAs from active enhancers can serve as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers in several cancer types. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of enhancer transcription and eRNAs as well as their potential roles in cancer and drug resistance.
Inferior Patella Dislocation due to Impaction in the Femoral Trochlea
Authors: Fadulelmola Ahmed , Gregory Rob
Published: May 2021

Acute inferior dislocation of the patella is a rare presentation in trauma and orthopaedics. Type II is caused by direct upward force on the inferior pole of the patella when the knee is flexed impacting the superior pole osteophyte into the intercondylar notch. Impaction in the femoral trochlea is rarely reported. A 92-year-old lady presented with locked knee held in 85° of flexion with an abnormal knee contour. Radiographs demonstrated that the upper pole of the patella was impacted in the femoral trochlea with a fracture of a superior pole osteophyte. The extensor mechanism was intact. Closed reduction is achieved under strong opioid pain relief. The patient returned to her baseline knee function within 6 weeks. Closed reduction of an inferior patellar dislocation in elderly patients is aided by superior pole osteophyte fracture and facilitates early mobilization, and avoidance of general anaesthesia.
Delivery Room Management of Asphyxiated Term and Near-Term Infants
Authors: Bruckner Marlies , Lista Gianluca , Saugstad Ola D. , Schmölzer Georg M.
Published: May 2021

Approximately 800,000 newborns die annually due to birth asphyxia. The resuscitation of asphyxiated term newly born infants often occurs unexpected and is challenging for healthcare providers as it demands experience and knowledge in neonatal resuscitation. Current neonatal resuscitation guidelines often focus on resuscitation of extremely and/or very preterm infants; however, the recommendations for asphyxiated term newborn infants differ in some aspects to those for preterm infants (i.e., respiratory support, supplemental oxygen, and temperature management). Since the update of the neonatal resuscitation guidelines in 2015, several studies examining various resuscitation approaches to improve the outcome of asphyxiated infants have been published. In this review, we discuss current recommendations and recent findings and provide an overview of delivery room management of asphyxiated term newborn infants.
Evaluation of color image interpolation based on incompressible Navier Stokes technique
Authors: Jittawiriyanukoon C. , Srisarkun V.
Published: May 2021

Color image interpolation encompasses reconstructing parts of a video or an image based on information from the neighbor. Technique involves the restoration of noised photos and animation or image denoising. The Navier-Stokes (NS) technique has been widely investigated as an essential research by image restoration. These NS equations contribute spectacular results for producing an animation as they augment reality. They can boost real-time video games to be more sensible than ever. In this paper, we present the Incompressible NS approach (INS) for color image interpolating. The method per se is based on fluid flow concept to circulate directed lines from the peripheral into the area to be interpolated. The image intensity represents stream function in a computational flow of 2D fluid dynamics. The algorithm is implemented to carry on lines regarding gradient vectors at the edge of the interpolating region. It uses the improvement of powerful numerical analysis. It is also proven as an innovative idea for easing problems in image analytics as well as computer vision.
A basic mathematical testbed for energy efficiency analyses of DC power distribution systems/microgrids
Authors: Dastgeer Faizan , Muhammad Anees Hafiz , Gelani Hasan Erteza , Amjad Kashif , Rameez Javeed Muhammad
Published: May 2021

DC power distribution has become a topic of interest in the recent past, despite being given up a long time. A number of research efforts have been carried out in this field; especially the idea of DC distribution for microgrids has witnessed a significant amount of time and attention. System efficiency is one of the under-research areas of this field that has witnessed a lot of research efforts which were generally simulation based studies. Detailed mathematical efficiency analysis is missing in the present body of knowledge. In this regard, the current research effort aims to present a foundation level mathematical efficiency analysis set-up that may be used as an analytical testbed for different efficiency studies especially those related to the comparative evaluation of DC and AC systems. The current effort highlights the strong dependence of AC and DC distribution system efficiency on the factor of time. The efficiency advantage of DC over AC or vice versa within a specified duration depends on the ratio of DC and AC grid powers summed over the duration.
Fabrication and characterization of printed zinc batteries
Authors: Nazri M. A. , Nordin Anis Nurashikin , Lim L. M. , Y. Tura Ali M. , Suhaimi Muhammad Irsyad , Mansor I. , Othman R. , Meskon S. R. , Samsudin Z.
Published: May 2021

Zinc batteries are a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to its components being highly recyclable. With the improvements in the screen printing technology, high quality devices can be printed with at high throughput and precision at a lower cost compared to those manufactured using lithographic techniques. In this paper we describe the fabrication and characterization of printed zinc batteries. Different binder materials such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB), were used to fabricate the electrodes. The electrodes were first evaluated using three-electrode cyclic voltammetry, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy before being fully assembled and tested using charge-discharge test and two-electrode cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the printed ZnO electrode with PVB as binder performed better than PVP-based ZnO. The XRD data prove that the electro-active materials were successfully transferred to the sample. However, based on the evaluation, the results show that the cathode electrode was dominated by the silver instead of Ni(OH)2, which leads the sample to behave like a silver-zinc battery instead of a nickel-zinc battery. Nevertheless, the printed zinc battery electrodes were successfully evaluated, and more current collector materials for cathode should be explored for printed nickel-zinc batteries.
Optimal resource allocation in networked control systems using viterbi algorithm
Authors: Çetin Gökhan , Fadali M. Sami
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an optimal bandwidth allocation method for a networked control system (NCS) which includes time-driven sensor, event-driven controller and random channels. A hidden markov model (HMM) with a discretized state space is formulated for the random traffic to predict the network states using a suitable data window. Network bandwidth is allocated based on the predicted traffic state subject to bounds on the deterministic traffic that guarantee acceptable NCS performance and do not exceed hardware limitations. Bandwidth allocation uses  minimization of unmet bandwidth demand. A stability condition is derived for a variable but bounded sampling period interval. Computer simulation results show the effect of varying the number of discrete states for the HMM and the window width on bandwidth allocation. The results compare favorably with a published approach based on fuzzy logic.
Classification of lung condition for early diagnosis of pneumonia and tuberculosis based on embedded system
Authors: Maulana Rizal , Baharin Alfatehan Arsya , Fitriyah Hurriyatul
Published: May 2021

The lungs are the main organs in the respiratory system that have a function as a place for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Due to the importance of lung function, indications of lung disorders must be detected and diagnosed early. Research on the classification of lung conditions generally uses chest x-ray image data. Where a time-consuming procedure is needed to obtain the data. In this research, an embedded system to diagnose lung conditions was designed. The system was made to be easy to use independently and provides real-time examination results. This system uses parameters of body temperature, oxygen saturation, fingernail color and lung volume in classifying lung conditions. There are three conditions that can be classified by the system, that is healthy lungs, pneumonia and tuberculosis. The k-nearest neighbor method was used in the classification process in the designed system. The dataset used was 51 data obtained from the hospital. Each data already has a label in the form of lung condition based on the doctor’s diagnosis. The proposed system has an accuracy of 88.24% in classifying lung conditions.
Identification of batik making method from images using convolutional neural network with limited amount of data
Authors: Rasyidi Mohammad Arif , Handayani Ruktin , Aziz Fauzul
Published: May 2021

This study aims to apply the convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify batik based on its manufacturing method, namely Batik Tulis which are hand drawn, Batik Cap where stamps are used to create the pattern, and Batik Printing which are printed using textile printing machine. We collected 40 images for each type of batik with a total of 120 images. To speed up and simplify the model building process, we implemented transfer learning with 3 basic CNN model architectures, namely ResNet, DenseNet, and VGG with batch normalization. We also experimented with building a new dataset by breaking each image down into 30 smaller images. Image augmentation was also used to prevent overfitting as well as to provide variations in the training data. The experimental results with 5-fold cross validation show that densenet169 gives the best results on the original dataset with an accuracy of 79.17% while vgg13_bn shows the best performance on the modified dataset with an accuracy of 87.61%. All models showed an increase in performance when using the modified dataset, except densenet169 which did not show a significant difference in performance.
Empirical study prove that breadth-first search is more effective memory usage than depth-first search in frontier boundary cyclic graph
Authors: Mohammed N. Al Refai , Zeyad Jamhawi
Published: May 2021

Memory consumption, of opened and closed lists in graph searching algorithms, affect in finding the solution. Using frontier boundary will reduce the memory usage for a closed list, and improve graph size expansion. The blind algorithms, depth-first frontier Searches, and breadth-first frontier Searches were used to compare the memory usage in slide tile puzzles as an example of the cyclic graph. This paper aims to prove that breadth-first frontier search is better than depth-first frontier search in memory usage. Both opened and closed lists in the cyclic graph are used. The level number and nodes count at each level for slide tile puzzles are changed when starting from different empty tile location. Eventually, the unorganized spiral path in depth-first search appears clearly through moving inside the graph to find goals.
Lung cancer classification using fuzzy c-means and fuzzy kernel C-Means based on CT scan image
Authors: Rustam Zuherman , Purwanto Aldi , Hartini Sri , Saragih Glori Stephani
Published: May 2021

Cancer is one of the diseases with the highest mortality rate in the world. Cancer is a disease when abnormal cells grow out of control that can attack the body's organs side by side or spread to other organs. Lung cancer is a condition when malignant cells form in the lungs. To diagnose lung cancer can be done by taking x-ray images, CT scans, and lung tissue biopsy. In this modern era, technology is expected to help research in the field of health. Therefore, in this study feature extraction from CT images was used as data to classify lung cancer. We used CT scan image data from SPIE-AAPM Lung CT challenge 2015. Fuzzy C-Means and fuzzy kernel C-Means were used to classify the lung nodule from the patient into benign or malignant. Fuzzy C-Means is a soft clustering method that uses Euclidean distance to calculate the cluster center and membership matrix. Whereas fuzzy kernel C-Means uses kernel distance to calculate it. In addition, the support vector machine was used in another study to obtain 72% average AUC. Simulations were performed using different k-folds. The score showed fuzzy kernel C-Means had the highest accuracy of 74%, while fuzzy C-Means obtained 73% accuracy. 
Effective preprocessing based neural machine translation for English to Telugu cross-language information retrieval
Authors: Raju B. N. V. Narasimha , Raju M. S. V. S. Bhadri , V. Satyanarayana K. V.
Published: May 2021

In cross-language information retrieval (CLIR), the neural machine translation (NMT) plays a vital role. CLIR retrieves the information written in a language which is different from the user's query language. In CLIR, the main concern is to translate the user query from the source language to the target language. NMT is useful for translating the data from one language to another. NMT has better accuracy for different languages like English to German and so-on. In this paper, NMT has applied for translating English to Indian languages, especially for Telugu. Besides NMT, an effort is also made to improve accuracy by applying effective preprocessing mechanism. The role of effective preprocessing in improving accuracy will be less but countable. Machine translation (MT) is a data-driven approach where parallel corpus will act as input in MT. NMT requires a massive amount of parallel corpus for performing the translation. Building an English - Telugu parallel corpus is costly because they are resource-poor languages. Different mechanisms are available for preparing the parallel corpus. The major issue in preparing parallel corpus is data replication that is handled during preprocessing. The other issue in machine translation is the out-of-vocabulary (OOV) problem. Earlier dictionaries are used to handle OOV problems. To overcome this problem the rare words are segmented into sequences of subwords during preprocessing. The parameters like accuracy, perplexity, cross-entropy and BLEU scores shows better translation quality for NMT with effective preprocessing.