bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron Beams Cannot Directly Produce Coronal Rain
Authors: Reep Jeffrey W. , Antolin Patrick , Bradshaw Stephen J.
Published: February 2020

Coronal rain is ubiquitous in flare loops, forming shortly after the onset of the solar flare. Rain is thought to be caused by a thermal instability, a localized runaway cooling of material in the corona. The models that demonstrate this require extremely long duration heating on the order of the radiative cooling time, localized near the footpoints of the loops. In flares, electron beams are thought to be the primary energy transport mechanism, driving strong footpoint heating during the impulsive phase that causes evaporation, filling and heating flare loops. Electron beams, however, do not act for a long period of time, and even supposing that they did, their heating would not remain localized at the footpoints. With a series of numerical experiments, we show directly that these two issues mean that electron beams are incapable of causing the formation of rain in flare loops. This result suggests that either there is another mechanism acting in flare loops responsible for rain, or that the modeling of the cooling of flare loops is somehow deficient. To adequately describe flares, the standard model must address this issue to account for the presence of coronal rain.
Constraining the Nuclear Equation of State via Gravitational-wave Radiation of Short Gamma-Ray Burst Remnants
Authors: Lan Lin , Lü Hou-Jun , Rice Jared , Liang En-Wei
Published: February 2020

The observed internal plateau of X-ray emission in some short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) suggests the formation of a remnant supramassive magnetar following a double neutron star (NS) merger. In this paper, we assume that the rotational energy is lost mainly via gravitational-wave radiation instead of magnetic dipole (MD) radiation, and present further constraints on the NS nuclear equation of state (EoS) via mass quadrupole deformation and r-mode fluid oscillations of the magnetar. We present two short GRBs with measured redshifts, 101219A and 160821B, whose X-ray light curves exhibit an internal plateau. This suggests that a supramassive NS may survive as the central engine. By considering 12 NS EoSs, within the mass quadrupole deformation scenario we find that the GM1, DD2, and DDME2 models give an M
p band falling within the 2σ region of the proto-magnetar mass distribution for ε = 0.01. This is consistent with the constraints from the MD radiation dominated model of rotational energy loss. However, for an r-mode fluid oscillation model with α = 0.1 the data suggest that the NS EOS is close to the Shen and APR models, which is obviously different from the MD radiation dominated and mass quadrupole deformation cases.
Mikania Micrantha Improved Memory Perform on Dementia Model
Authors: Andriani Yuni , Hamidatulaliyah Siti , Sagita Desi , Aminuddin Muhammad
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research is to explore the existing natural resources in Jambi province which has potential as anti-dementia agent. So that will be many natural resources that can be a potential product in reducing the unwanted effects of dementia as a degenerative disorder that is currently an inevitable elderly disease. by investigating with various plants in Jambi that have activities as anti-dementia is expected more and more natural resources that can be used as neuron-protection and or neuron-curative.
AIM: The purpose of this study is to find plants and / or compounds that are useful as neuroprotection
METHODS: Dementia model is formed by diabetic test animals. The test group consisted of extract group, three fractions (hexane, ethyl acetate and butanol fraction at dose 500 mg/Kg BB p.o) and one group of antidiabetic drugs glibenclamide, and the group of normal animal test animals was tested with Radial arm maze (RAM) for seven days before alloxan induced to obtain dementia model.
RESULTS: The results showed that extract and ethyl acetate fraction at dose 500 mg/Kg BW gave a positive effect on memory improvement based on animal performance on RAM tool during a testing time (P < 0, 05) with LSD statistical analysis.
CONCLUSION: The extract and ethyl acetate fraction of Mikania micrantha showed good potential for improving the performance of animal memory in RAM devices representing dementia models.
Pharmacists Intervention Reduced Drug-Related Problems in the Treatment of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Nasution Azizah , Dalimunthe Aminah , Khairunnisa Khairunnisa
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remains as a global public health problem, including Indonesia due to its continuous increasing prevalence.
AIM: To analyze the impact of pharmacist intervention on drug-related problems (DRPs) occurred in the management of patients with T2DM admitted to Tebing Tinggi Hospital (TTH), Indonesia, period March through August 2018.
METHODS: This six-month retrospective prospective cohort study evaluated the impact of pharmacist intervention on the occurrence of DRPs in the management of patients with T2DM (n = 45) insured by Social Security Organizing Body in TTH, North Sumatera, Indonesia. The inclusion criteria were T2DM patients with age ≥ 18 years and under treatment of antidiabetic drugs. A questionnaire was used to assess the characteristics of the patients and antidiabetic drugs provided. The incidence of DRPs in groups with usual care for the previous three-month and with pharmacist interventions for the next three-month admissions were analyzed using Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) DRP classification system version 8.01 that consists of 3 primary domains for problems, 8 primary domains for causes, and 5 primary domains (PCNE, 2017) and trustable literatures. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t test in the program of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19 (p < 0.05 was considered significant).
RESULTS: Most (66.7%) of the patients were female. Their mean age was 61.96 ± 6.45 (years). The three most widely provided drugs were metformin, glimepirid, and gliclazide. Total incidence of DRPs in groups with: usual care, 128; intervention, 39. There was a significant difference between the incidence of DRPs in groups with usual care and intervention, p ≤ 0.001.
CONCLUSION: Pharmacist intervention reduced the incidence of DRPs in the management of T2DM patients.
Susceptibility of Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated from Pus Specimens of Post-Surgery Patients in Medan, Indonesia to Selected Antibiotics
Authors: Patilaya Popi , Husori Dadang Irfan , Marhafanny Lany
Published: February 2020

AIM: This study was to determine the sensitivity of Klebsiella pneumonia isolated from pus specimens of post-surgery patients in Medan, Indonesia to selected antibiotics.
METHODS: Samples were collected at the Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. The isolated bacteria were identified by Gram’s stain, colony characteristics, and biochemical tests. Susceptibility of K. pneumoniae isolates were tested to selected antibiotics including amikacin, meropenem, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, ceftazidime, cefoperazone, cefuroxime, cefepime, cefotaxime, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, amoxicillin and ampicillin with Kirby Bauer method by measuring the inhibitory zone.
RESULTS: A total of 20 K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained in this study. The results showed that K. Pneumonia isolates exhibited good sensitivity to amikacin (100%) and meropenem (80%). Sensitivity of levofloxacin (60%), ceftazidime (55%), ciprofloxacin (55%), cefoperazone (50%), and co-trimoxazole (50%) were moderate for the bacterial isolates. K. Pneumoniae isolates indicated low sensitivity to cefuroxime (45%), chloramphenicol (35%), cefepime (30%), cefotaxime (30%), tetracycline (30%), amoxicillin (5%), and ampicillin (5%).
CONCLUSION: This study concludes that K. pneumoniae isolates are most sensitive to amikacin and less sensitive to ampicillin and amoxicillin.
The Effect of Alkalization on Carboxymethil Cellulose Synthesis from Stem and Peel Cellulose of Banana
Authors: Yuliasmi Sri , Ginting Nahitma , Wahyuni Henny Sri , Sigalingging Ruth Theresia , Sibarani Theophani
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND: North Sumatra is one of the regions in Indonesia that produce bananas. Banana stems and peels contain cellulose and it can be isolated in nanofiber form. Carboxymethylcellulose is a cellulose derivative that undergoes an alkalization and etherification process
AIM: This research was conducted to evaluate the alkalization effect on synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose from stem and peel cellulose of banana.
METHODS: Stem and peel of banana was extracted with NaOH 17.5% and the extract was synthesized to carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The synthesis of CMC was beginning with alkalization process in variation of NaOH concentration and the reaction was then etherificated with sodium monochloroacetate. CMC was characterized by FTIR and DS values ​​were determined.
RESULTS: FTIR spectra of synthesized CMC had different pattern compared to cellulose. It showed that an etherification reaction had been occurred in the cellulose compound. Spectra of CMC with variation in alkali concentration was not much different from one another. The synthesized CMC from stem and peel cellulose of banana had different degree of substitution (DS) values ​​due to variate concentration of NaOH in alkalization.
CONCLUSION: Alkalization on CMC synthesis affects the DS value of synthesized CMC. The increase DS value is proportional to the rise in NaOH concentration even though there is a boundary concentration to obtain the optimum DS value.
Characterization of Synthesized Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose with Variation of Solvent Mixture and Alkali Concentration
Authors: Wahyuni Henny Sri , Yuliasmi Sri , Aisyah Hanifah Siti , Riati Devi
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND: CMC is one of the water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives obtained from cellulose. Alkalization and carboxymethylation process will influence the quality of the CMC. The use of a combination of mixed solvents and varying alkali concentrations in the synthesis process of CMC needs to be studied so that CMC can be synthesized with the proper characteristics.
AIM: This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of carboxymethyl cellulose synthesized using various solvents and NaOH concentrations.
METHODS: Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was synthesized using solvent mixture, namely isopropanol: isobutanol (30: 70) and isopropanol:ethanol (50: 50) with varied concentration of NaOH of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, respectively. Synthesized CMC was characterized by an organoleptic test, pH, infrared analysis, and degree of substitution (DS).
RESULTS: The result showed that characteristics of synthesized CMC were different from one another. The organoleptic test showed that synthesized CMC uses isopropanol: isobutanol (30: 70) was coarse powder, odourless and tasteless, ivory until burlywood along with increasing NaOH concentration; while the synthesized CMC with isopropanol: ethanol (50: 50) was a colourless, odourless, tasteless and fine powder. The pH of synthesized CMC was neutral. Infrared profile of synthesized CMC indicated the existence of carboxyl functional groups in 1600-1640 cm-1 region. The degree of substitution value of formula II-5, II-10, II-15, II-20, II-25, IE-5, IE-10, IE-15, IE-20, and IE-25 were 0.885;0.757; 0.685; 0.592; 0.575; 0.611; 0.906; 0.603; 0.671; 0.751, respectively.
CONCLUSION:  Characteristics of CMC vary depending on the type of solvent mixture and NaOH concentrations used in synthesis. The more polarity of a solvent mixture the more colourless and higher DS value of synthesized CMC. On the other hand, the more alkali concentration in synthesis CMC the more colour and higher DS value was acquired.
Editors should allow only significant digits
Authors: Polderman Arjan
Published: February 2020

“Out of 80 experiments, 45 (56.3%) had a favourable outcome.” If you read this sentence in a manuscript, would you want to edit the figures?I certainly would. There are too many digits in ‘56.3%’. The decimal 3 is meaningless; 56% is precise enough. If the number of favourable outcomes is 44, the percentage score is 55%; with 46 successes it is 58%. There is no uncertainty here.

But what should we do when we are dealing with 237 out of 623? Both 237 and 238 result in a score of 38%. Wouldn’t it be wise to distinguish these outcomes by writing 38.0% and 38.2% respectively? Well, if such precision is important, we can simply present the absolute values. Absolute values are always accurate; percentages and fractions are only approximations.

What might be the purpose of accurate percentages? I appreciate that percentage scores and fractions are better for comparisons than absolute values. With percentages I can see at a glance that 237/623 is more than 165/465 (38% and 35% respectively). Percentages are quick – and inaccurate, even with additional decimals.
Les forêts du Midi décrites comme dévastées au XVII e  siècle sont-elles une construction culturelle ?
Authors: Poublanc Sébastien
Published: February 2020

Entre 1661 et 1685 , Jean-Baptiste Colbert lance sa grande opération de réforme des Eaux et Forêts de France, la Grande Réformation. Simultanément, des commissaires arrivent dans tous les départements forestiers du royaume pour remédier aux abus, relever les forêts et revenir à un état antérieur perçu comme idéal. Dans le Midi, Louis de Froidour découvre des sylves ruinées, abandonnées aux communautés d’habitants et à leurs innombrables bestiaux. Ses descriptions à Colbert font écho à la littérature eschatologique des forestiers du Grand Siècle : pour eux, la disette de bois menace. Pourtant, l’étude quantitative des archives de Froidour livre une autre réalité : bien qu’abimées par les usages locaux, les forêts fournissent les secours attendus par les populations. Mieux, ces dernières protègent autant que possible les peuplements ligneux. Ce décalage entre ces deux perceptions amène à reconsidérer l’action des agents du roi : et si ces forêts « dévastées » n’étaient qu’une représentation culturelle ?
Nourrir et diffuser les « Lumières agronomiques »
Authors: Mellah Malik
Published: February 2020

Le retour sur le parcours intellectuel et politique de Jean-Baptiste Dubois ainsi que sur les transformations de la Feuille du cultivateur dont il fut le grand animateur de 1788 à 1802 permettent de repenser le rôle de la presse agronomique à l’aune des « Lumières agricoles » des années 1780 puis du « républicanisme agricole » de la République directoriale. À partir de 1790 , cette publication conçue commeun vecteur de diffusion du progrès agronomique est mise au service de la recherche d’un consensus politique puis de la recherche du ruissellement de la figure républicaine du citoyen-fermier, un modèle qui aurait permis d’associer sortie de la Terreur et construction d’une république prospère et apaisée.
Effect of high temperatures on the mechanical behaviour of hybrid cement
Authors: Qu B. , Fernández Jiménez A. , Palomo A. , Martin A. , Pastor J. Y.
Published: February 2020

The high-temperature mechanical behaviour of a pre-industrial hybrid alkaline cement (HYC) was studied. The HYC in question contained 30 % Portland clinker and 70 % of a blend of slag, fly ash and a solid activator (mix of alkaline salts with a predominance of Na2SO4). The material was tested during exposure to high temperatures to establish its compressive and bending strength and elastic modulus, as well as fracture toughness, analysed using an innovative methodology to notch the hydrated cement paste specimens. Post-thermal treatment tests were also run to assess residual mechanical strength after 2 h of exposure to temperatures ranging from 400 °C to 1000 °C. TG/DTA, MIP and SEM were deployed to ascertain heat-induced physical-chemical changes in the structure. The higher mechanical strength during and after treatment exhibited by the hardened hybrid alkaline cement than the CEM I 42.5R ordinary portland cement (OPC) paste used as a reference was associated with the lower water and portlandite content found in HYC. Pseudo-plastic behaviour was observed at high temperatures in the loaded HYC in the tests conducted during exposure.
Seabed litter distribution in the high seas of the Flemish Pass area (NW Atlantic)
Authors: García-Alegre Ana , Román-Marcote Esther , Gago Jesús , González-Nuevo Gonzalo , Sacau Mar , Durán Muñoz Pablo
Published: February 2020

Seabed litter of the Flemish Pass area (NW Atlantic Ocean) was analysed and described using data from the EU-Spain groundfish survey (2006-2017 period). This study presents baseline information on seabed litter in this area. The Flemish Pass is located in areas beyond national jurisdiction within the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area Division 3L. A total of 1169 valid bottom trawl hauls were analysed (104-1478 m depth). Litter was found in 8.3% of the hauls, with mean densities of 1.4±0.2 items km–2 and 10.6±5.2 kg km–2. An increasing pattern with depth was found, the highest densities of seabed litter being identified in the deepest areas located in the Flemish Pass channel and down the northeastern flank of the Grand Bank. Fishing was found to be the main source of marine litter, and 61.9% of the hauls with litter presence showed litter included in the fisheries-related litter category. Whereas in most cases the litter was composed of small fragments of rope, in other cases it was composed of entire fishing gears such as traps. Plastics, metal and other anthropogenic litter were the next most abundant categories, accounting for 18.6%, 16.5% and 12.4% of the total, respectively.
Fourier-based contour descriptors to relax positional standardization of the otolith images in AFORO queries
Authors: Marti-Puig Pere , Manjabacas Amalia , Lombarte Antoni
Published: February 2020

The otolith digital catalogue AFORO allows unknown otoliths to be classified automatically by using a comparison with its classified records. To do this, the otolith’s contour, which is extracted from an image, is used. In AFORO, otolith images follow a strict positional normalization. Only the left sagitta is considered, and the images must show the internal side of the whole otolith, with the sulcus acusticus visible, the dorsal side (D) placed in the dorsal position and the rostral side (R) placed on the right. The otolith in the incoming image to be classified must also follow the same positional normalization. Variations from the reference position worsen the classification results. In this article, robust contour descriptors are proposed to extend this functionality of AFORO to the images of otoliths that are poorly normalized, contain rotations, are entirely inverted or came from the right rather than the left sagitta. These descriptors are based on the discrete Fourier transform and could extend the classification functionality to incoming images that are taken and sent, for instance, from smartphones in a wide range of working conditions.
Decapod crustacean larval community structure of the submarine canyon off Blanes (NW Mediterranean Sea)
Authors: Carreton Marta , Company Joan B. , Boné Alexandra , Rotllant Guiomar , Guerao Guillermo , Bahamon Nixon , Roldán María Inés , Dos Santos Antonina
Published: February 2020

Decapod crustacean fisheries play a crucial role on the northwestern Mediterranean coast due to their high commercial value. Although knowledge of larval ecology and recruitment dynamics of these species is essential to establish a sustainable fisheries management, they are still poorly known. In this paper, we describe the composition, abundance and distribution of decapod crustacean larvae in the submarine canyon off Blanes (northwestern Mediterranean Sea) during summer thermal stratification conditions. Samples were collected in September 2011 with a multi-net system and a 60-cm bongo net at 22 stations with bottom depths of between 100 and 1800 m. A total of 635 larvae from 60 genera were identified. The most relevant taxa were Aristeus antennatus (7.93 individuals/1000 m3), the family Sergestidae (7.24) and Alpheus glaber (6.78). These three taxa were dominant ( > 20% of total decapod larvae) at more than half of the stations. Decapod larval communities were found to be richer and more diverse at the canyon head, a finding which could be explained by the higher retention rates when compared with the upstream and downstream walls and the canyon axis.
A quantitative assessment of the diel influence on the cryptobenthic fish assemblage of the shallow Mediterranean infralittoral zone
Authors: Glavičić Igor , Kovačić Marcelo , Soldo Alen , Schliewen Ulrich
Published: February 2020

Cryptobenthic fishes are an underestimated and probably important component of coastal marine ecosystems that are usually overlooked by standard methods for collecting and studying benthic fishes. Studies focusing on cryptobenthic fishes have been rare and all have been based on samples taken during daytime. The present study tested the difference in epibenthic and cryptobenthic fish composition, diel differences in cryptobenthic fish assemblage and diel shifts of infralittoral fish species between hidden and open bottom spaces. It also looked for the significant habitat variables structuring the cryptobenthic fish assemblage. The daylight, sunset and night samples of epibenthic and cryptobenthic fish assemblages were collected from 78 squares of 1 m2 shallow water plots (0.5 to 3 m) on Brač island in the eastern Adriatic. The study recorded 27 species, among which the family Gobiidae dominated fish diversity with 14 species. Cryptobenthic specimens highly outnumbered epibenthic specimens, with a ratio of 7.5 to 1. Species composition of cryptobenthic and epibenthic fish assemblages differed significantly. No diel variation in composition, species richness or abundance of the cryptobenthic fish assemblage was detected. Occurrence frequencies in hidden and open bottom spaces of ambivalent species did not change significantly between times of day, so no dial switches between open and hidden places were apparent. In combination, these results suggest that the cryptobenthic fish assemblage has diel stability and is mostly composed of permanent inhabitants of hidden spaces with domination of miniature gobies. Significant habitat variables for species occurrence were the presence of multiple layers, bottom inclination and the presence of cobbles, while depth also had a large but not significant effect.
Impact of WhatsApp Interaction on Improving L2 Speaking Skills
Authors: Akkara Sherine , Anumula V Surya Seshagiri , Mallampalli Mallikarjuna Sastry
Published: February 2020

Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) not only provides access to authentic learning resources and facilitates second language (L2) learning anytime and anywhere but also offers scope for informal learning beyond the classroom. Social media with instant messaging and multi-modal communication and information sharing provide platforms for interaction with peers and collaborative learning to hone their L2 skills. There is little research on informal learning through WhatsApp in enhancing L2 speaking skills. This paper studies the impact of interaction and informal learning in a WhatsApp group on improving a) fluency and coherence, b) lexical resource, c) grammatical range and accuracy and d) pronunciation which form the criteria for assessing speaking skills in IELTS. It also studies how participants perceive the changes in their speaking skills based on the band descriptors of IELTS. Mixed methods approach was adopted to obtain data from the group consisting of mixed ability participants (n=110) with pre and post speaking assessments and pre and post surveys. The participants were given collaborative learning activities and problem solving tasks at regular intervals for over two semesters. The results indicated statistically significant difference in their speaking skills and considerable change in their perceptions. The study has implications for both teachers and researchers of second language acquisition (SLA) for incorporating social media for interaction in the target language beyond the classroom.
Restructuring Educational Institutions for Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): A Systematic Review
Authors: Yusuf Byabazaire , Walters Lynne Masel , Sailin Siti Nazuar
Published: February 2020

Industrial Revolutions basically have transformed human lives. We have gone from hand production to mechanized production into computerization or automation of concepts into products (Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)). However, 4IR urges the process of transferring data from digital domains and offline reality via interconnected systems to improve lives. The technologies in 4IR enter into varying areas, such as the economy, medicine and education. Educational institutions have contributed greatly to reshaping future technologies by being the test laboratories for innovations. In the meanwhile, there is an immense need for looking beyond the traditional educational approach. This can be achieved by strategically employing the trending technologies to prepare students and educators with the right kind of knowledge and set of skills. It is imperative to ask questions about how the delivery of education will be undertaken and how educational institutions will be restructured by the 4IR to prepare students for the challenges ahead.
Anatolia’s eternal destiny was sealed: Seljuks of Rum in the Turkish national(ist) imagination from the late Ottoman Empire to the Republican era
Authors: Gürpınar Doğan
Published: February 2020

This article discusses the historiography of the Seljuks of Rum as it emerged in the early 20th century and developed in the Republican Era, and how the Seljuks of Rum were viewed within different national imaginations, thus providing an arsenal of arguments for contesting claims over Turkic history. Rather than discussing the development of the historiography of the Seljuks of Rum as an academic discipline, the article scrutinizes what meanings and symbolisms were attributed to the Seljuks of Rum at different historical moments by different actors. The article also examines the portrayal of the Battle of Manzikert and its refashioning as one of the constitutive moments of Turkic history in the 1970s.
Lowering Coupling in Distributed Applications With Compliance and Conformance
Authors: Delgado José Carlos Martins
Published: February 2020

The interaction of applications in distributed system raises an integration problem that application-developing methods need to solve, even if the initial specifications change, which is actually the normal case. Current integration technologies, such as Web Services and RESTful APIs, solve the interoperability problem but usually entail more coupling than required by the interacting applications, since they share data schemas between applications, even if they do not actually exercise all the features of those schemas. The fundamental problem of application integration is therefore how to provide at most the minimum coupling possible while ensuring at least the minimum interoperability requirements. This chapter proposes compliance and conformance as the concepts to achieve this goal by sharing only the subset of the features of the data schema that applications actually use, with the goal of supporting a new architectural style, structural services, which seeks to combine the advantages of both SOA and REST.
Student performance and perception regarding descriptive and case based anatomy questions
Authors: Amaratunga H. A. , Peiris S. P. M. , Gunasena H. R.
Published: February 2020

Objective: It was the objective of this study to quantify the performance and ascertain the first year students’ perception of descriptive and clinical anatomy questions. Methods: Students in the 1st year 2nd semester at the Faculty of Medicine Peradeniya were recruited. They were given 2 questions similar to exam questions from a familiar area. One question was descriptive, and the other a clinical case scenario. Students were given 30 minutes to answer. Scripts were marked according to a marking scheme and scored out of hundred. At the end of the assessment students were given a questionnaire to gather information regarding their perception regarding the two types of questions. Results: There were 192 students and all had answered both questions. Average scores were 73.2% for the descriptive question and 65.7% for the clinical case scenario. Of the students 65.3% thought that the clinical case scenario type of question should be given for assessments while 58% said that they preferred to answer this type of question. Eighty two percent said descriptive type of question was easy. Conclusion: It is evident from these findings that even though students score better in descriptive type of questions a majority think that clinical case based questions should be included in assessment and they prefer to answer such questions.
Occupational eye injuries; are they preventable?
Authors: Dissanayake M. M. , Silva C. J. , Dissanayake P. H.
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Ocular trauma at workplace is a worldwide cause of visual morbidity. It could be prevented by compliance to proper protective eyewear and increasing awareness. Preventive strategies can be best developed by analyzing the patterns and epidemiology of injuries. This study was designed to evaluate patterns and epidemiology of occupational eye injuries with a view to developing preventive strategies. Material and Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, 152 ocular trauma patients presenting to Accident and Emergency service of National Eye Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka were enrolled. Data was obtained via an interviewer administered questionnaire and was analyzed by SPSS version 17. Results: Majority of the participants were aged 18-28years (50.7%). Males (96.1%) had the highest incidence of ocular injuries. Most of the patients were the sole breadwinner (84.2%) without life insurance (85.5%) or savings (62.5%) and are from low socioeconomic grounds (61.8%). The cornea (79.6%) was mostly affected; by superficial foreign bodies (62.5%) and by closed globe injury (99.3%).Greater number of ocular trauma was caused by physical means (75.7%) by sharp objects (67.8%). Majority of the participants 84.9% had not been using any eye protection at the time of injury. Protective eyewear was only provided at 44.7% of work places. Most of the patients attended the hospital 12-24 hours after (42.8%) ocular trauma. Out of the patients who presented to the hospital 77% were not given any first aid. Conclusion: Our results are comparable with those found in the literature. Promoting use of effective eye protection equipment and revision of the laws on occupational safety are some of the recommendations proposed to prevent occupational eye injuries.
Comparison of temperature variations during laparoscopic and open anterior resections and abdomino-perineal resections
Authors: Galketiya K. B. , Pinto V. , Anurada R. , Jayasinghearachchi T. M. K.
Published: February 2020

Objective: To compare the incidence of hypothermia during open and laparoscopic colorectal surgeries. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of temperature variations of laparoscopic anterior resection and abdomino-perineal resections performed from January 2014 to April 2016 in the Professorial surgical unit at Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, Sri Lanka was evaluated. This was compared with that of open resections. Results: Thirty four patients were operated, twenty four patients being performed laparoscopically. The main temperature drop occurred soon after induction of anaesthesia, measured 15minutes after induction. The mean drop in laparoscopic group is 1.39 and 1.6 in open group. The drop in open group is higher which was statistically significant with a p value of 0.001. The fluctuations each hour subsequently were less and temperature gains were noted in some hours in both groups which. The total drop at end of procedure was 1.04 in laparoscopy group and 2.19 in open group. The difference was statistically significant with a p value of 0.05. Conclusions: The temperature drop in open surgery group is higher than laparoscopic surgery group performed for carcinoma of rectum.
A case report on midline facial cleft associated with ambiguous genitalia and umbilical defect
Authors: Amaratunga H. A. , Peiris S. P. M. , Wijerathne A. G. G. , Dissanayake J. K.
Published: February 2020

Congenital midline facial anomalies are a rare group of disorders that are often accompanied by a constellation of other clinical anomalies, many of which have been recognized as syndromes. The index case is a child with midline facial defect with cleft palate associated with ambiguous genitalia and an umbilical defect. Differential diagnoses including Holoprocencephaly (HPE), Midline facial Plane defect, Oral-facial Digital syndrome, and Kallmanns syndrome are discussed. Although the most probable diagnosis is HPE, ambiguous genitalia and umbilical deformity are atypical findings which merit special mention.
Tuberculous splenic abscess in the immunocompetent host: a report and review of literature
Authors: Sahoo Satyajeet , Naik Suprava , Mishra Baijayantimala , Durgeshwar Gopal , Panigrahi Manoj Kumar , Bhuniya Sourin
Published: February 2020

Tubercular splenic abscess is rare, particularly in immunocompetent patients. Diagnostic difficulties usually arise in patients with tubercular splenic abscess because of its non-specific presentation. We report an elderly male who presented with cough and fever and had pulmonary infiltrates suspicious of tuberculosis. Bronchoalveolar lavage microbiology including XpertMTB/Rif assay was non-contributory. Contrast enhanced computed tomography scan of abdomen revealed multiple non-enhancing lesions in the spleen. Ultrasound guided splenic aspirate revealed pus that was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in XpertMTB/Rif assay confirming the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Mitotic quiescence in hepatic cancer stem cells: An incognito mode
Authors: Ashokachakkaravarthy Kandasamy , Pottakkat Biju
Published: February 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma represents one of the most aggressive cancers with high recurrence rates. The high recurrence is a major problem in the management of this disease. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are often regarded as the basis of cancer recurrence. The anti-proliferative therapy kills the proliferating cells but induces mitotic quiescence in CSCs which remain as residual dormant CSCs. Later on, withdrawal of treatment reactivates the residual CSCs from dormancy to produce new cancer cells. The proliferation of these newly formed cancer cells initiates new tumor formation in the liver leading to tumor recurrence. HCC cells evade the immune surveillance via modulating the key immune cells by alpha feto-protein (AFP) secreted from CSCs or hepatic progenitor cells. This AFP mediated immune evasion assists in establishing new tumors by cancer cells in the liver. In this review, we will summarise the CSC mechanisms of recurrence, mitotic quiescence, dormancy and reactivation of CSCs, metastasis and immune evasion of hepatocellular carcinoma.
مصادر التضخم في قطر: دراسة قياسية (1980-2010م)
Authors: خالد عبد الرحمن البسام خالد عبد الرحمن البسام
Published: February 2020

الهدف الرئيسي لهذه الدراسة هو تحديد مصادر التضخم في قطر خلال الفترة 1980م إلى 2010م ولتحقيق هذا الهدف أعد نموذج قياس مكون من معادلة واحدة، اعتمد في تحديد نموذج هذه الدراسة على نموذج النقديين للتضخم ولكن نموذج هذه الدراسة يختلف عن نموذج النقديين من حيث أن هذا النموذج يشمل على متغيرات خارجية يتوقع أن تؤثر على المستوى العام للأسعار في قطر مثل التضخم العالمي وسعر الفائدة على الدولار بالإضافة إلى متغيرات داخلية مهمة ذات تأثير قوي على التضخم في قطر مثل عرض النقود والناتج المحلي الحقيقي (الدخل المحلي الحقيقي). تشير نتائج تقدير نموذج الدراسة (انظر إلى المعادلة المقدرة رقم 1) أن جميع معامل المتغيرات التفسيرية ماعدا التغيرات في مؤشر سعر صرف الريال بالنسبة للعملات الرئيسية العالمية ذات إشارات صحيحة ومعنوية إحصائية مرتفعة، وعلى ضوء ما تقدم أعلاه فإنه تم استبعاد هذا المتغير (انظر للمعادلة رقم 2) تشير نتائج المعادلة المقدر رقم "2" إلى ارتفاع قيمة معامل التحديد R2 = 0.735) ) هذا بالإضافة إلى أنه ذو معنوية إحصائية كما تشير قيمة اختبار(F= 17) F. هذا بالإضافة إلى أن اختبارD-W يؤكد على عدم وجود ارتباط بين البواقي. وأخيراً انخفاض قيمة الخطأ المعياري للانحدار. كل ذلك يدل على ارتفاع القدرة التفسيرية للنموذج، حيث أن أربع متغيرات مستقلة تفسير نسبة مرتفعة 0.735)= R2) في التغيرات في معدل التضخم في قطر. تشير النتائج أيضا إلى أن نمو عرض النقود ونمو الناتج المحلي الحقيقي ومعدل التضخم في الإقتصادات المتقدمة وأخيرا سعر الفائدة على الدولار ذات تأثير قوي على التضخم في قطر.
تقييم دور الجمعيات الخيرية في المملكـة العربية السـعوديــة من وجهة نظر المتبرعين والمستفيدين – دراسة ميدانيـة
Authors: خالد منصور الشعيبي خالد منصور الشعيبي
Published: February 2020

تهدف هذه الدراسة الى تقييم دور الجمعيات الخيرية في المملكــــــــــــــــــــة العربيــــــــة الســــــــــعوديــة وذلك من خلال التعرف على اتجاهات كل من المتبرعين للجمعيات الخيرية والمستفيدين من خدماتها وتــتـمحور تلك الاتجاهات نحو طبيعة نشاطها وأسلوب أدارتها وتمويلها ومشاكلها. كما تناولت الدراسة كذلك تأثير خصائص كل من المتبرعين والمستفيدين على اتجاهاتهم. ,ولتحقيق ذلك، تم القيام بدراسة ميدانية شارك فيها 208 من المتبرعين للجمعيات الخيرية و 223 من المستفيدين من خدماتها في داخل المملكة العربية السعودية. وقد وجدت الدراسة أن اتجاهات المتبرعين ايجابية وقوية للغاية نحو مجموعة من المتغيرات ومنها: الاهتمام بالابتكار وتطوير مشاريع خيرية جديدة تلائم مطالب المحتاجين، والبحث عن أساليب مبتكرة للحصول على المزيد من التبرعات. وكذا وجد أن اتجاهات المستفيدين ايجابية وقوية للغاية نحو مجموعة من المتغيرات ومنها: احتياج الجمعيات الخيرية إلى ابتكار وتطوير برامجها ومشاريعها الخيرية وتعزيزها ببرامج هادفة مثل برامج الأسر المنتجة ، وأن تسعى الجمعيات الخيرية إلى تحقيق الاكتفاء والاعتماد على النفس. وقد كشفت الدراسة عن تأثير خصائص كل من المتبرعين والمستفيدين على اتجاهاتهم وفقاً لاختلاف شرائح كل من العمر ، وعدد الجمعيات الخيرية التي يقدم لها الدعم ، والفترة الزمنية لبدء دعم الجمعية ، ونوع المستفيد من الخدمات ، وعدد الجمعيات الداعمة له ، وفترة الحصول على الدعم. و أوصت الدراسة بتبني سياسة "الاحتفاظ بالمتبرع مدى الحياة" وإقامة مشاريع مبتكرة ومساعدة المستفيدين لإقامة مشاريع مجزية لهم.
الفكر الإداري للمصلحة العامة بين الواقع والمؤمل دراسة تحليلية من منظور السياسة الشرعية
Authors: عبد العزيز سطام عبد العزيز عبد العزيز سطام عبد العزيز
Published: February 2020

يتناول البحث باختصار تعريف المصلحة العامة وبعض المتغيرات والمزال والعوائق التي تعتري تقديرها وقياسها. بالإضافة إلى بيان خمسة أنماط من العقليات الإدارية لدى المدراء ومتطلبات المصلحة العامة في كل منها. كما تناول مشروعًا لفكرٍ إداريٍّ محفزٍ للنفع العام وعمل الخير كمتطلبٍ أساس لجودةِ العمل على رعاية المصلحة العامة، وأهمية وجود ثقافة مشتركة للنفع العام بين المواطن والمسؤول في المجتمع.
Questors, Jesters and Renegades
Authors: Coveney Michael
Published: February 2020

Shortlisted for the Theatre Book Prize 2021

This is the vital story of the amateur theatre as it developed from the medieval guilds to the modern theatre of Ayckbourn and Pinter, with a few mishaps and missed cues along the way. Michael Coveney – a former member of Ilford’s Renegades - tells this tale with a charm and wit that will have you shouting out for an encore.

Between the two world wars, amateur theatre thrived across the UK, from Newcastle to Norwich, from Bolton to Birmingham and Bangor, championed by the likes of George Bernard Shaw, Sybil Thorndike, and J B Priestley. Often born out of a particular political cause or predicament, many of these theatres and companies continue to evolve, survive and even prosper today.

This is the first account of its kind, packed with anecdote and previously unheard stories, and it shows how amateur theatre is more than a popular pastime: it has been endemic to the birth of the National Theatre, as well as a seedbed of talent and a fascinating barometer and product of the times in which we live.

Some of the companies Coveney delves into – all taking centre stage in this entertaining and lively book - include the Questors and Tower Theatre in London; Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre; The Little Theatre in Bolton, where Ian McKellen was a schoolboy participant; the Halifax Thespians; Lincolnshire’s Broadbent Theatre, co-founded by Jim Broadbent’s father and other conscientious objectors at the end of World War II; Crayford’s Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre, where the careers of Michael Gambon and Diana Quick were launched; Anglesey’s Theatr Fach, a crucible of Welsh language theatre; and Cornwall’s stunning cliff-top Minack.
Gender, Orientalism and the Jewish Nation
Authors: Swarts Lynne M.
Published: February 2020

Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874-1925) was one of the most important Jewish artists of modern times. As a successful illustrator, photographer, painter and printer, he became the first major Zionist artist. Surprisingly there has been little in-depth scholarly research and analysis of Lilien’s work available in English, making this book an important contribution to historical and art-historical scholarship.

Concentrating mainly on his illustrations for journals and books, Lynne Swarts acknowledges the importance of Lilien’s groundbreaking male iconography in Zionist art, but is the first to examine Lilien’s complex and nuanced depiction of women, which comprised a major dimension of his work. Lilien’s female images offer a compelling glimpse of an alternate, independent and often sexually liberated modern Jewish woman, a portrayal that often eluded the Zionist imagination. Using an interdisciplinary approach to integrate intellectual and cultural history with issues of gender, Jewish history and visual culture, Swarts also explores the important fin de siècle tensions between European and Oriental expressions of Jewish femininity. The work demonstrates that Lilien was not a minor figure in the European art scene, but a major figure whose work needs re-reading in light of his cosmopolitan and national artistic genius.
Babette's Feast
Authors: Baggini Julian
Published: February 2020

On the face of it, Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast (1989) is a film in which the eyes – and mouths – of religious zealots are opened to the glories of the sensual world. It is a critique of what Nietzsche called life-denying religion in favour of life-affirming sensuality. But to view the film in that way is to get it profoundly wrong. In his study of the film, Julian Baggini argues that Babette's Feast is not about the battle between religiosity and secularity but a deep examination of how the two can come together.

Babette's Feast merits reading as an example of what philosopher Stephen Mulhall calls film as philosophy. Films are often taken to illustrate or dramatise philosophical issues, or to include passages of dialogue which are explicit philosophical expositions. To see a film as philosophy, however, is to see it as actually doing philosophy, not by presenting a prose argument but by getting us to attend to what is philosophically important. This is philosophy by showing, not telling. In Babette's Feast, what we are being shown is that the traditional distinctions between the spiritual; and the secular, the transcendent and the immanent, are a lot less clear than is assumed, and in many cases non existent. Baggini's analysis focuses on themes of love, pleasure, artisty and grace, to provide a rich philosophical reading of this most sensual of films.
Impact of convection on the upper-tropospheric composition (water vapor/ozone) over a subtropical site (Réunion Island, 21.1° S–55.5° E) in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Héron Damien , Evan Stephanie , Brioude Jerome , Rosenlof Karen , Posny Françoise , Metzger Jean-Marc , Cammas Jean-Pierre
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Observations of ozonesonde measurements of the NDACC/SHADOZ program and humidity profiles from the daily Météeo-France radiosondes at Réunion Island (21.1° S, 55.5° E) from November 2013 to April 2016 are analyzed to identify the origin of wet upper tropospheric air masses with low ozone mixing ratio observed above the island, located in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO). A seasonal variability in hydration events in the upper troposphere was found and linked to the convective activity within the SWIO basin. In the upper troposphere, ozone mixing ratios were lower (mean of 57 ppbv) in humid air masses (RH > 50 %) compared to the background mean ozone mixing ratio (73.8 ppbv). A convective signature was identified in the ozone profile dataset by studying the probability of occurrence of different ozone thresholds. It was found that ozone mixing ratios lower than 45 to 50 ppbv had a local maximum of occurrence between 10 and 13 km in altitude, indicative of the mean level of convective outflow. Combining FLEXPART Lagrangian backtrajectories with METEOSAT 7 infrared brightness temperature products, we established the origin of convective influence on the upper troposphere above Réunion island. It has been found that the upper troposphere above Réunion island is impacted by convective outflows in austral summer. Most of the time, deep convection is not observed in the direct vicinity of the island, but more than a thousand of kilometers away from the island, in the tropics, either from tropical storms or the Inter Tropical Convective Zone. In November and December, the air masses above Réunion Island originate, on average, from Central Africa and the Mozambique channel. During January, February the source region is the North-east of Mozambique and Madagascar. Those results improve our understanding of the impact of the ITCZ and tropical cyclones hydration of the upper troposphere in the subtropics in the SWIO.
Hypersensitivity of glacial summer temperatures in Siberia
Authors: Bakker Pepijn , Rogozhina Irina , Merkel Ute , Prange Matthias
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Climate change in Siberia is currently receiving a lot of attention because large permafrost-covered areas could provide a strong positive feedback to global warming through the release of carbon that has been sequestered there on glacial–interglacial timescales. Geological evidence and climate model experiments show that the Siberian region also played an exceptional role during glacial periods. The region that is currently known for its harsh cold climate did not experience major glaciations during the last ice age, including its severest stages around the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). On the contrary, it is thought that glacial summer temperatures were comparable to the present day. However, evidence of glaciation has been found for several older glacial periods. We combine LGM experiments from the second and third phases of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP2 and PMIP3) with sensitivity experiments using the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Together, these climate model experiments reveal that the intermodel spread in LGM summer temperatures in Siberia is much larger than in any other region of the globe and suggest that temperatures in Siberia are highly susceptible to changes in the imposed glacial boundary conditions, the included feedbacks and processes, and to the model physics of the different components of the climate model. We find that changes in the circumpolar atmospheric stationary wave pattern and associated northward heat transport drive strong local snow and vegetation feedbacks and that this combination explains the susceptibility of LGM summer temperatures in Siberia. This suggests that a small difference between two glacial periods in terms of climate, ice buildup or their respective evolution towards maximum glacial conditions can lead to strongly divergent summer temperatures in Siberia, allowing for the buildup of an ice sheet during some glacial periods, while during others, above-freezing summer temperatures preclude a multi-year snowpack from forming.