bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic X-ray imaging at MHz frame rates — the HEXITECMHz ASIC
Authors: Jones L. , Bell S. , Cline B. , Gardiner T. , Hart M. , Prydderch M. , Seller P. , Veale M. , Wilson M.
Published: October 2022

The HEXITECMHz ASIC has been developed for the HEXITECMHz Detector System, to deliver spectroscopic x-ray imaging at frame rates up to 1 MHz for future high-flux-rate applications. Optimised for sensing electron signals from detector materials such as CdTe, CdZnTe, GaAs and p-type silicon detectors, the design has an array of 80 × 80 pixels on a pitch of 250 μm, with each pixel capable of measuring single x-ray photons up to energies of 300 keV, with a resolution of 1 keV FWHM. The induced charge signals that are measured by the ASIC will typically be due to the drift of electrons in the sensor material. However, each pixel is also capable of measuring signals of the opposite polarity with magnitudes of up to 20 keV. These events are induced by weighting potential crosstalk and trapping in the sensor and can be exploited in order to provide further improvements in the spatial and spectroscopic performance of the detector. The signals from pixels are digitized every 1 μs by 12-bit time-to-digital converters. This gives a maximum of 107 photons s−1 mm−2 that can be measured. However, for spectroscopic imaging the occupancy should be limited to 10% in each frame to reduce the charge sharing events. This gives a count rate limit of 106 photons s−1 mm−2 which is two orders of magnitude greater than the previous HEXITEC ASICs. To save power, each converter is shared between groups of eight pixels. Each 76.8 kbit data frame is Aurora 64b/66b encoded and serialised over 20 lanes of differential CML, all operating in parallel at 4.1 Gbps. The ASIC can free run with an asynchronous source or can be synchronized with a pulsed source using the SYNC control input. Expected power consumption is 12–15 W from a 1.8 V supply.
Ising model in a boundary magnetic field with random discontinuities
Authors: Konechny Anatoly
Published: October 2022

We consider a two-dimensional Ising field theory on a space with boundary in the presence of a piecewise constant boundary magnetic field which is allowed to change value discontinuously along the boundary. We assume zero magnetic field in the bulk. The positions of discontinuities are averaged over as in the annealed disorder. This model is described by a boundary field theory in which a superposition of the free spin boundary condition is perturbed by a collection of boundary condition changing operators. The corresponding boundary couplings give the allowed constant values of the magnetic field as well as the fugacities for the transitions between them. We show that when the value of the magnetic field is allowed to take only two different values which are the same in magnitude but have different signs the model can be described by a quadratic Lagrangian. We calculate and analyse the exact reflection matrix for this model. We also calculate the boundary entropy and study in detail the space of RG flows in a three-parameter space and with four different infrared fixed points. We discuss the likely breakdown of integrability in the extended model which allows for two generic values of the boundary magnetic field, backing it by some calculations.
Reciprocal transformations of generalized negative flows in integrable hierarchies
Authors: Li Nianhua , Wu Lihua
Published: October 2022

We construct some reciprocal transformations for the first negative flows of the Korteweg–de Vries, the modified Korteweg–de Vries, the Ablowitz–Kaup–Newell–Segur, the Fordy–Gibbons, the Boussinesq and the modified Boussinesq hierarchies or their reductions. With the help of these reciprocal transformations, the first negative flows of the above hierarchies are converted to the Camassa–Holm type and their short-wave limit, the generalized short pulse type as well as some new equations.
The Relation of Cultural Value Orientation to the Poverty of Communities Around Mangrove Forests and Peatlands in Kayan Sembakung Delta
Authors: Sutrisno A , Zulhafandi  , Wahyuni E , Sidik J , Usman S
Published: October 2022

Kayan Sembakung delta is a strategic area located in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is used for various human activities, such as agricultural cultivation, fisheries and forestry activities, particularly by using mangrove forest areas and peatlands as a production area to generate income, which is then used for public consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to internalize cultural values that can encourage higher decent life for the community and the realization of the preservation of mangrove forests and peatlands. In this regard, this study was aimed to describe the profile of cultural value orientation, poverty and the relation between the two, using a descriptive correlative research approach. The results showed that the life issues consisting of the nature of life, the nature of work, the nature of the human relation with time and the nature of the human relation with nature had a significant relation to the poverty line (p-value < alpha), while the nature of the human relation with humans do not have a significant relation (p-value > alpha).
The Effect of Cooking Process on Nutritional Composition of Lais Fish (Cryptopterus sp.)
Authors: Bija Stephanie , Luthfiyana Novi , Rozi Anhar
Published: October 2022

Research has been carried out on the effect of the cooking process on the nutrient composition of Lais Fish (Cryptopterus sp.). The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of the cooking process, they are frying, boiling, steaming, and roasting on the nutritional content of Lais Fish (Cryptopterus sp.). The analysis carried out include analysis of water content, carbohydrate content, protein content, fat content, and ash content. The analyzed food ingredients were divided into 4 forms of treatment that is fried, boiled, steamed, and roasted. The method used are the analysis of water content using the oven method (Thermogravimetry), carbohydrate content using clegg anthrone method, protein content using the Kjeldahl method, fat content using the Soxhlet method, and ash content using the furnace method. The results showed that each cooking process had different levels of nutrients. The highest protein was found in steaming process at 20.05%; Fat (12.08%), carbohydrates (24.73%), and ash content (8.59%) were highest in frying process, while the highest water content was in boiling process (62,85%). The high or low of these nutrient levels due to the temperature and the longer of the cooking process. However, the most important thing in food processing is that food can have high nutritional value and be safe for consumption.
Convective Cloud Classification Model for Reconstruction of Heavy Rain That Triggers the Flood and Landslide in Parapat, North Sumatera
Authors: Rumapea Humuntal , Zarlis Muhammad , Sihombing Poltak , Efendi Syahril , Sinambela Marzuki , Saragih Immanuel Jhonson A.
Published: October 2022

Rainfall in Parapat as a part of Lake Toba, North Sumatera and a super-priority tourist destination in Indonesia on May, 13 2021 causes flood, it exceeds Meteorologi, Climatologi and Geophysics Agency’s threshold about intensity of extreme condition. It is related to dynamic of weather’s parameter, especially with convection process and clouds. The landslide material was very closed the road so that the SiantarParapat access was temporarily closed down. Heavy rains that have occurred since noon are said to be the cause of the floods and landslides that occurred at night. This study aims to describe the distribution of rain in Parapat and surrounding areas during floods and landslides. The data used are measured rainfall at the nearest AWS (Automatic Weather Station), and rainfall estimation data from GPM IMERG (Global Precipitation Measurement – The Integrated Multi-SatellitE Retrievals). The results of the study show that convective cloud classification model can be identify the reconstruction of heavy rain that trigger the flood and landslide in parapet. There has been rain with moderate to heavy intensity since 12 May 2021. Heavy rains that have occurred in the last few days have caused soil conditions to become saturated, resulting in landslides. Cloud classification shows the presence of Cumulonimbus cloud clusters that grow and develop around the Lake Toba area before and during heavy rains.
Analysis of Flow Overview Using Empirical Equations In The River Kampung Bugis Tarakan City
Authors: Asta  , Ramadhan M.
Published: October 2022

During the rainy season, rivers in the Tarakan region experience overflows due to high rainfall, household waste and, river silting (sedimentation). On the Kampung Bugis and the Mahakam River in Kampung Empat, they overflow when it rains with intensity and a long duration of time. This study aims to determine the potential for overflow and the factors causing the overflow of the Kampung Bugis and the Mahakam Rivers in Kampung Empat by using the HEC-RAS software. Based on the analysis results of calculations and simulations with HEC-RAS software in the Kampung Bugis river at 10 stations (STA), the maximum discharge was obtained with values (QFlow + Q100th) = 51.44 m3/s and (QCanal) = 41.58 m3/s. From these results, the comparison is that (QFlow + Q100th) > (QCanal) which means that the Canal cannot accommodate the flowing discharge. The overflow factor is due to the sedimentation along the river Canal and the high rainfall.
Translating The Water Law Into Dynamic Modelling of The Mathematical Structural Equation : A Case of Medan North Sumatera
Authors: Hek Tan Kim , Wongsosudono Corinna , Ginting Ripka Seriidahnaita
Published: October 2022

To support the planning of water resources infrastructure systems for the people of Medan City, North Sumatra, it is necessary to have a model to determine the best selling price for water The distribution of water in the city of Medan is carried out by the Agency for the Development of Drinking Water Supply Systems, abbreviated as the PDAM. PDAM determines the selling price of water based on the Regulation of the Ministry of Home Affairs No. 23, 2006, which is a policy that contains guidelines and procedures for determining the selling price of water, so that it is mathematically inaccurate. Therefore, this research was conducted to translate the water law into an accurate Dynamic modelling mathematical structural equation so that it can determine the optimal selling price of water. The dynamic model is an effective, flexible, and realistic model that contains many economic variables that affect the selling price of water, so it is suitable to determine the optimal selling price of water and the development of water resources in the future. The optimal selling price of water is very relevant to educating water users to be more efficient in using and maintaining the sustainability of water resources.
A Quasi-Experimental Study of Young Coconut Water in Reducing Fatigue on Construction Workers
Authors: Siregar Santy Deasy , Samosir Frans Judea , Hulu Victor Trismanjaya , Kumakauw Baby Tio Ivana , Ikhtiari Refi
Published: October 2022

Excessive sweating will cause the sodium chloride salt content in the body to be excreted along with sweat, thereby inhibiting glucose transport and causing fatigue. The potassium and sugar content of coconut water is known to recover dehydration and reduce fatigue. A Quasi-Experimental method has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of young coconut water in reducing fatigue on construction workers. This experiment employed a hundred workers from two main construction projects in North Sumatra recently. Most of the respondents are a handyman (64%) of productive ages at 36-45 yrs (42%) with less than 5 years experience (72%) doing moderate workload (64%). A non-parametric test showed significant differences in work fatigue among the intervention group with a p-value 0.001, while the control group showed no significant difference with a p-value 0.056. Moreover, the N-Gain score of the intervention group was -13.37 or 13.3%, while in the control group was -0.62. This study was also supported by the quasi analysis on the ages category, years of works, types of work, and workload category, which showed significant differences between pre-test and post-test of the intervention groups. This study suggested the consumption of young coconut water to reduce fatigue due to its nutrient and mineral content.
Nephroprotective Effect of Ethanol Extract of Carica Papaya Seed on Rats Induced Rifampicin and Isoniazid
Authors: Chandra Etty Kartika , Nyoman Ehrich Lister I , Fachrial Edy
Published: October 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne, completely curable infection. The most common type is referred to as pulmonary TB. Rifampicin (RIF) is the first-line therapy for tuberculosis along with isoniazid (INH), ethambutol (ETB), and pyrazinamide (PZA). Papaya seeds are known to contain high concentrations of polyphenols, flavonoids, triterpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides, reducing sugars, steroids, proteins, lipids, anthraquinones, and anthocyanosides. The RIF is the most commonly prescribed anti-TB drug and most studies associate it with acute kidney injury. In this study, papaya seed ethanol extract was treated with different doses. For the test, eight groups of rats were used: normal, negative 1, negative 2, negative 3, positive, treatment I (100 mg/kg BW), treatment II (100 mg/kg BW), 300 mg/kg BW), and treatment III (500 mg/kg BW). After dissection of the mice, serum whey protein concentrations were measured. The results showed that compared to the negative control group, papaya seed ethanol extract significantly reduced urea, creatinine, uric acid, and creatinine clearance (<P0.05).
Melastoma malabraticum L as Potential Inducer in Spawning Process and Number of Daphnia sp. Offspring
Authors: Farizah Nuril , Zairin Muhammad , Darusman Latifah K , Boediono Arief , Suprayudi Muhammad Agus
Published: October 2022

The aimed of the study was to evaluate the ethanol extract ofM. malabraticum Las an inducer in the spawning process and the number of juvenile daphnids from Parthenogenesis femaleof Daphnia sp. The experiment was divided into two stages. Firstly, the experiment consisted of the phytochemical screening of medicinal plants,M. malabraticum Lisolation and characterization of the bioactive compound through GC-MS. Secondly, the extraction ofM. malabraticum Lleaf, the production of Parthenogenesis female and in vivo assay on daphnia sp. The experiment composed of four treatment groups with four replicates. The concentration of immersion varied from 50, 100, 200 ppm of the examined ethanol extract ofM. malabraticum Land control. The results showed that the treatment of Melastoma extracts significantly affected (P <0,05) on spawning rate on Parthenogenesis femaleof Daphnia sp compared to control treatment while for the number of offspring produced was significantly different (P <0,05). The treatment of immersion extract with concentration 50 ppm showed the highest number of offspring (53.67 ± 2.52), while the other treatment was the concentration of 100 ppm (51.00 ± 1.00), the concentration of 200 ppm (33.33 ± 3.06) and control treatment (44.33 ± 1.53). Administration of ethanol extractMelastoma malabraticumL with different concentrations, by immersion significantly affected to spawning rate and the number of Daphnia sp offspring. The melastoma extract treatment with the concentration of 50 ppm showed 100% spatial, spread rate and the highest number of offspring.
The Relationship of P and N Nutrient Contents with Chlorophyll-a Concentration in Tarakan Island Waters
Authors: Maradhy Ermawaty , Nazriel Rizal Syarief , Sutjahjo Surjono Hadi , Rusli Meika Syahbana , Widiatmaka  , Fedi Alfiadi Sondita M.
Published: October 2022

Water productivity is related to nutrient availability. One of the factors related to nutrient availability is a chlorophyll-a concentration in these waters. This study analyses the relationship between chlorophyll-a concentration and nutrient content in Tarakan Island waters. The water samples taking on 18 points of observation locations used a water sampler Horiba U51. The chlorophyll-a assay using a spectrophotometer method. The phosphate and nitrate levels are measured based on APHA phosphate concentration with the ascorbic acid method using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength (λ) = 880 nm. Nitrate samples were analysed using the Brucine method using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength (λ) = 410 nm. The analysis of the chlorophyll-a does with the acetone extraction method. Nutrient content and chlorophyll-a data were obtained and processed using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and Sigmaplot. The results showed the highest nutrient content of phosphate (0.11-0.19 mg/l), while for nitrate (0.03-0.16 mg/l) and chlorophyll-a content ranged from 0.13-4, 56 mg/m3 and dissolved oxygen content (5, 48 – 8.39 mg/l). The results showed that the nitrate content had a significant relationship with the chlorophyll-a concentration, but not for phosphate nutrients.
The Influence of Facility Infrastructure and Personal Contact on Inpatient’s Trust
Authors: Sinuraya Budio Satya , Ramadhani Nasution Sri Lestari , Nasution Sri Wahyuni , Girsang Ermi
Published: October 2022

Trust is one of the most important aspects of the relationship between patients and medical staff. Patients are free to choose hospitals based on their confidence, leading to competition among hospitals. This is a challenge for hospital management to improve impact trust and patient retention. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of facility infrastructure and personal contacts on the confidence of inpatients at Royal Prima Medan Hospital through an interpretive survey study. The study was conducted between July 2019 and August 2019 with a total of 98 participants using a proportional random sampling technique. The results showed that a facility’s infrastructure and personal contacts statistically influenced patient trust. The most important factor influencing patient confidence was facility infrastructure (p-value = 0.002 and odds ratio = 5.27). These results suggest that improving the quality of facilities and personal contact increases trust in patients.
A Validation Simulation using OpenFOAM: Nozzle Length and Angle Effect on the Ducted Propeller Performance
Authors: Bahatmaka Aldias , Kim Dong-Joon , Anis Samsudin
Published: October 2022

The use of numerical simulation is needed for predicting the performance of the ship. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is based on the improvement of Reynold-Average Navier Stokes (RANS) equation, in order to compute the simulation for solving the engineering problem. The simulation was begun by conducting several calculations to validate the numerical method applied in open water propeller test. A Kaplan type propeller is selected with 19A nozzle. The Moving Rotating Frame (MRF) method was selected to test the ducted propeller performance by modifying the nozzle length and angle. The model was designed in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program and predicted the performance using the OpenFOAM. The OpenFOAM was used as open source CFD tool. The results are validated by comparing with experimental value of J from 0.2 to 0.8 and produced the thrust, torque and efficiency trends in good agreement with experimental data. Due to the results, can be conclude that by increasing the nozzle length to 10% and 20%, the thrust was decreased about 2.25% and 3.01% at low advance coefficient to 7.06% and 9.41% at high advance coefficient. By increasing the nozzle angle, both thrust and torque were increased while efficiency decreased especially at low coefficient.
Bioenrichment of Papaya Leaf Meal (Carica papaya) with Different Feed Formulation to Increase Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Growth
Authors: Simanjuntak Ricky F , Husni Supardi , Cahyadi Jimmy
Published: October 2022

The level of absorption of fish nutrients is highly dependent on the source and components of the feed. Feeds with high protein have not been able to be absorbed optimally by fish. The use of synthetic enzymes as proteolytic agents to convert proteins into amino acids that are easily absorbed by fish has been widely used. However, synthetic enzymes has side effects and is quite expensive. The application of papain enzymes derived from papaya leaf as a substitute for synthetic enzymes is very necessary. This purpose of this study to examine the effect of commercial feed with the addition of papaya leaf meal (C. papaya) on the growth out of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The study used a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 3 replications. The feed treatment was given with a mixture of papaya leaf with 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations. The result of this study showed tha absolute growth ranged from 1.04 – 1.36 grams, specific weight growth ranged from 3.47 – 4.53%, absolute length growth ranged from 2.52 – 2.87 cm, survival rate ranged from 63 – 80%, and FCR ranged from 0.93 – 0.99. However, after the analysis of variance showed that the results were not significantly different (P>0.05) on all observed parameters. Based on the results of the study, the use of papaya leaf meal (C. papaya) as a commercial feed mixture with the best composition was 2%.
Detection of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and its damage symptoms to maize in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Widhayasa B , Darma E S , Gendroyono H , Prasetyani E D
Published: October 2022

The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda is a new pest found on maize in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the presence of FAW on maize in East Kalimantan. Observations were made in Bangun Rejo Village, Tenggarong Seberang Sub-district, Kutai Kartanegara District, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia; in August 2021. The observation plots are determined using purposive sampling techniques. The data acquired were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Morphological characters stated that FAW larvae had inverted Y-shaped markings on the front of the head and black spots forming a square and trapezoidal pattern on the abdomen. During our observations, we only found FAW larvae and pupa. The FAW larvae found were divided into six instar groups, which varied in size. The length of FAW larvae instar 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were 5.50, 7.83, 13.10, 18.67, 24.80, and 30.33 mm, respectively. While the head diameters are 0.70, 0.93, 1.32, 1.83, 2.68, and 3.03 mm, respectively. Damage symptoms by FAW larvae show numerous ragged holes in leaves, whorls, and frass around feeding areas.
First results of estimating possible habitat-forming role of forest reindeer in forest-wetland complexes of central Russian Plain (on example of adaptation enclosure of Kerzhensky Stare Nature Reserve)
Authors: Bakka S V , Kadetov N G , Kiseleva N Y , Shestakova A A , Shukov P M , Surov S G
Published: October 2022

The relevance of the study is determined by a high conservation value of activities on the reintroduction of forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) listed in the Red Data Book of Russia, in the territory of the Kerzhensky State Nature Reserve (Nizhny Novgorod Region). The paper aims to estimate the first results of studying the environmental-forming role of the forest reindeer in the forest bog complexes of the reserve (using the example of an adaptation enclosure). Our purpose is to assess the location character of reindeer trails in forest and bog habitats, the extent of grazing pressure on the vegetation in summer; to assess changes in the number of plants consumed by reindeer mainly in summer; to assess the foraging activity of reindeer in winter under condition of snow cover; to analyze possible consequences of reindeer impact on ecosystems. To solve these problems, vegetation mapping was carried out in the territory of an adaptation enclosure before the animals were placed there, reindeer trails were mapped to identify the features of their distribution throughout the enclosure, and the reindeer impact on ecosystems was estimated. It is shown that due to the environment-forming activity of the reindeer, the biological diversity of bog ecosystems increases, possible stagnation in forest succession are eliminated, and the fire hazard in lichen pine forests decreases.
Lake-swamp transition in the West-Siberian forest-steppe: pollen and plant microremains indicators of wetland ecosystem
Authors: Yuzhanina E D , Ryabogina N E , Afonin A S
Published: October 2022

The paper presents a case study of a swamp, which succeeded a lake in the south of Western Siberia. Our investigated sediment core from the Oskino-09 peatbog site demonstrates local wetland development during the Middle-Late Holocene. A succession of the vegetal changes obtained by the plant microremains and palynological methods infers that the gradually shallowed lake entered a transitional phase of about 3.3. ka BP; both methods indicate a sharp decrease in macrophytic water plants. The lacustrine plants assemblage became completely replaced by the mire after 2.9 ka BP.
Modelling of the wetland methane budget to estimate its transport to groundwater
Authors: Glagolev M V , Sabrekov A F , Kotsyurbenko O R , Terentieva I E , Litti Y V
Published: October 2022

We are considering the methane budget for a taiga raised bog Mukhrino in order to estimate how much methane can potentially be transported from wetlands with the flow of groundwater. The production and oxidation of methane in the wetland, methane emission from the surface, accumulation in the gas phase in peat and migration with groundwater are distinguished as components of the wetland methane budget. The methane production is calculated using results of laboratory incubation experiments with peat, the oxidation is estimated using data on the vertical δ13C profile in the bog and the emission is measured using chamber method. The calculated difference between production on the one hand and emissions as well as oxidation on the other was 25.4 mg of methane per square meter of a wetland per hour or about 70% of the methane produced. This value is considered as a total methane flux that enters both gas phase of the wetland and groundwater.
Swamps as habitats of rare raptor species in the Nizhny Novgorod region
Authors: Shukov P M
Published: October 2022

This article presents relevant contribution to the distribution and number of six species of birds of prey listed in the Red Data Book of RF, in the territory of swamps in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Three species of rare birds of prey in the Nizhny Novgorod region demonstrate a very strong relationship with the swamps of the region - Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Osprey. All the nesting sites of Golden Eagles are rigidly connected with bog complexes; 66.1% sites of the Short-toed Eagle sites are located in swamps. Osprey can also nest along rivers, but, most likely, the loss of densely located nesting sites in bogs (45.8%) will lead to catastrophic consequences for the species. The Greater Spotted Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle are associated with swamps for the second time, and their rates are 11.8% and 11.7%. Earlier the Peregrine Falcon in the region had a significant percentage of nesting sites in wetlands (26.7%), but now seems to be lost as a breeding species. The total percentage of neting sites located in wetlands for all raptor species listed in the Red Data Book of RF in the Nizhny Novgorod region is 39.5%. All the species under consideration are bioindicators of wetlands and adjacent habitats and allow assessing the conditions of this habitat.
Laser remelting of AISI H13 tool steel: influence of cooling rate on the surface properties
Authors: Xie Jichang , Raoelison Rija Nirina , Di Ruifeng , Liu Yanan , Li Jishuai , Rachik Mohamed
Published: October 2022

Laser surface remelting is an effective and suitable process to extend the longevity of components without additional materials. In this paper, a high energy density laser with a large size was used to improve the hardness of H13 tool steel. A predictive numerical multiphysics coupled model was established to investigate the temperature field and the profile of the molten pool. The effect of laser scanning speeds is investigated in terms of heat-affected depth, surface topography, and mechanical properties. In detail, the simulated temperature gradients with laser scanning speed in a range of 12 to 24 mm s−1 are ∼8.4 × 105 K m−1, involving a cooling rate less than 1 × 104 K s−1 can prevent cracking. The hardness of the remelted zone is in the range of 700–850 HV0.2, and the tensile performances are also recorded. The model in this work could not only link the mechanical properties with process parameters together, but also guide the actual experiment or processing bypassing the trial-and-error method, as well as extend to other materials and laser additive manufacturing.
A perspective on electroencephalography sensors for brain-computer interfaces
Authors: Iacopi Francesca , Lin Chin-Teng
Published: October 2022

This Perspective offers a concise overview of the current, state-of-the-art, neural sensors for brain-machine interfaces, with particular attention towards brain-controlled robotics. We first describe current approaches, decoding models and associated choice of common paradigms, and their relation to the position and requirements of the neural sensors. While implanted intracortical sensors offer unparalleled spatial, temporal and frequency resolution, the risks related to surgery and post-surgery complications pose a significant barrier to deployment beyond severely disabled individuals. For less critical and larger scale applications, we emphasize the need to further develop dry scalp electroencephalography (EEG) sensors as non-invasive probes with high sensitivity, accuracy, comfort and robustness for prolonged and repeated use. In particular, as many of the employed paradigms require placing EEG sensors in hairy areas of the scalp, ensuring the aforementioned requirements becomes particularly challenging. Nevertheless, neural sensing technologies in this area are accelerating thanks to the advancement of miniaturised technologies and the engineering of novel biocompatible nanomaterials. The development of novel multifunctional nanomaterials is also expected to enable the integration of redundancy by probing the same type of information through different mechanisms for increased accuracy, as well as the integration of complementary and synergetic functions that could range from the monitoring of physiological states to incorporating optical imaging.
Influence of phosphorus-based flame retardants on polypropylene insulation for high-voltage power cable applications
Authors: Kim Do-Kyun , Lee Seong Hwan , Hong Shin-Ki , Ahn Myung Sang , Han Se Won , Lee Dae Ho , Yu Seunggun
Published: October 2022

For high voltage (HV) power cable applications, various studies have been performed to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of polypropylene (PP)-based insulation materials to replace crosslinked polyethylene. However, studies on the effect of additives to yield additional PP properties are still lacking. Herein, we prepared PP blends by melt-mixing widely used commercial flame retardants for PP with isotactic PP (iPP) and investigated their electrical breakdown, flame retardancy behaviors, and UV stability. Among the five kinds of flame retardants employed, aluminum hypophosphite (AHP), aluminum diethyl phosphinate, melamine pyrophosphate, ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and APP treated with silane, AHP was very effective in minimizing the decrease of the direct current breakdown strength of iPP at both 25 °C and 110 °C in the range of 5–20 phr. Particularly, only AHP afforded V-2 grade flame retardancy to iPP, and the flame retardancy was maintained even when the content was reduced to 3 phr. Furthermore, upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays for 5 d, the tensile strength of pristine iPP decreased by approximately 44%, while that of a blend with 3 phr AHP decreased by only 10%. The study results will contribute to the optimization of power cable products through the use of appropriate flame retardants in the design of high-performance PP-based HV insulation materials.
Single layer adder/subtractor using QCA nanotechnology for nanocomputing operations
Authors: Sharma Vijay Kumar
Published: October 2022

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) nanotechnology is a suitable replacement for the widely accepted complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. CMOS technology faces the issues of high-leakage current and non-scalability in the ultra-deep submicron (ultra-DSM) regime. It motivates the researchers to explore new technologies for further advancement of the field. QCA nanotechnology is energy-efficient technology and it overcomes the issues of CMOS technology in ultra-DSM regime. In this paper, a novel 3-input XOR structure is presented using QCA nanotechnology. The full adder and the full subtractor circuits based on the 3-input XOR gate are developed. A circuit for the full adder/subtractor nanostructure is proposed in the paper. All the proposed designs are optimal, fault-tolerant and single-layered. The proposed full adder contains only 21 QCA cells, while 22 QCA cells are required for the proposed full subtractor. The proposed full adder/subtractor structure consists of only 30 QCA cells. The proposed designs are compared with the existing designs for the number of QCA cells, total cell area, total covered area, area utilization, clock latency, QCA layout cost, and crossover requirement. The energy-efficient behaviour of the proposed circuits is calculated using the QCA Designer-E and the QCA Pro tools.
Training-free hyperparameter optimization of neural networks for electronic structures in matter
Authors: Fiedler Lenz , Hoffmann Nils , Mohammed Parvez , Popoola Gabriel A , Yovell Tamar , Oles Vladyslav , Austin Ellis J , Rajamanickam Sivasankaran , Cangi Attila
Published: October 2022

A myriad of phenomena in materials science and chemistry rely on quantum-level simulations of the electronic structure in matter. While moving to larger length and time scales has been a pressing issue for decades, such large-scale electronic structure calculations are still challenging despite modern software approaches and advances in high-performance computing. The silver lining in this regard is the use of machine learning to accelerate electronic structure calculations—this line of research has recently gained growing attention. The grand challenge therein is finding a suitable machine-learning model during a process called hyperparameter optimization. This, however, causes a massive computational overhead in addition to that of data generation. We accelerate the construction of neural network models by roughly two orders of magnitude by circumventing excessive training during the hyperparameter optimization phase. We demonstrate our workflow for Kohn–Sham density functional theory, the most popular computational method in materials science and chemistry.
X—Disjunctivism and Cartesian Idealization
Authors: Chirimuuta Mazviita
Published: October 2022

This paper examines the dispute between Burge and McDowell over methodology in the philosophy of perception. Burge (2005, 2011) has argued that the disjunctivism posited by naive perceptual realists is incompatible with the results of current perceptual science, while McDowell (2010, 2013) defends his disjunctivism by claiming an autonomous field of enquiry for perceptual epistemology, one that does not employ the classificatory schemes of the science. Here it is argued that the crucial point at issue in the dispute is Burge’s acceptance, and McDowell’s rejection, of the ‘Cartesian idealization’ of mind as a self-contained system. Burge’s case against disjunctivism rests on the assumption of a clearly demarcated boundary between mind and world, a picture of the mind that McDowell’s philosophy reacts against. This boundary is required for scientific, causal explanations of perceptual processing because it is a simplifying assumption that helps present scientists with a clearly demarcated object of investigation. Concurring with McDowell, I conclude that philosophers need not carve up their objects of investigation in the same way.
Identifying gene expression-based biomarkers in online learning environments
Authors: Cattelani Luca , Fortino Vittorio
Published: October 2022

Motivation

Gene expression-based classifiers are often developed using historical data by training a model on a small set of patients and a large set of features. Models trained in such a way can be afterwards applied for predicting the output for new unseen patient data. However, very often the accuracy of these models starts to decrease as soon as new data is fed into the trained model. This problem, known as concept drift, complicates the task of learning efficient biomarkers from data and requires special approaches, different from commonly used data mining techniques.

Results

Here, we propose an online ensemble learning method to continually validate and adjust gene expression-based biomarker panels over increasing volume of data. We also propose a computational solution to the problem of feature drift where gene expression signatures used to train the classifier become less relevant over time. A benchmark study was conducted to classify the breast tumors into known subtypes by using a large-scale transcriptomic dataset (∼3500 patients), which was obtained by combining two datasets: SCAN-B and TCGA-BRCA. Remarkably, the proposed strategy improves the classification performances of gold-standard biomarker panels (e.g. PAM50, OncotypeDX and Endopredict) by adding features that are clinically relevant. Moreover, test results show that newly discovered biomarker models can retain a high classification accuracy rate when changing the source generating the gene expression profiles.

Availability and implementation

github.com/UEFBiomedicalInformaticsLab/OnlineLearningBD.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
Gregor Mendel at the source of genetics and systems biology
Authors: Auffray Charles , Noble Denis
Published: October 2022

Gregor Mendel is generally presented as the ‘ignored and solitary founder of genetics’. This Moravian friar would have worked in strict isolation on the heredity of peas in the garden of his monastery, and his experiments would have been ignored by his contemporaries, before being ‘rediscovered’ independently by three botanists in 1900, 34 years after their publication. Historians have contributed to replace the genesis of Mendel’s work in the context of his time, questioning the mythical image that prevailed in academic circles and the public perception. This paper recalls that Mendel benefitted from a very favourable context for the development of his experiments at St Thomas Monastery in Brno and was not isolated from the scientific community of his time. Although the notions on which his work was based were already present in scientific publications, this does not diminish the importance of Mendel’s contribution to the development of modern biology. We provide a detailed analysis of the results of his experiments on the development of hybrid plants that he presented in two lectures at the Brno Society of Natural History in 1865, demonstrating that beyond his major contribution to the foundation of genetics, Mendel was one of the pioneers of systems biology.
Measurement Uncertainty and Validation for Quantitation of Salbutamol in Human Urine by Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Sahu Puran Lal , Maurya Ashok Kumar , Priyadarshini Subhasmita , Siddiqui Anees Ahmad , Sahu Kapendra
Published: October 2022

A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method was developed for quantitation of salbutamol in human urine using salbutamol-d3 as the internal standard. The processing of urines samples includes deconjugation with enzymatic hydrolysis, solid phase extraction procedure utilizing XAD2 column and liquid–liquid extraction accompanied by the derivatization by means of MSTFA/IODO–TMS/DTE mixture. The GC column was a HP Ultra-1 (17 m × 0.22 mm × 0.11 μm) used to separate the peak of interest. The data for GC–MS/MS were acquired and processed utilizing GC Labs Solution and Insight GCMS Software. The detection of spectra was performed on TQ 8050. This method included a chromatographic run of 13.67 min and the linearity was found over the concentration range of 250–2000 ng/mL with a regression coefficient (r2) of 0.99. The coefficient of variation for intra and interday assay precision was between 1.85 and 2.85% and the accuracy was between 95.50 and 107.04% for low quality control (QC), medium QC and high QC. The recovery was adequate to reliable detect the analyte at or below the level recommended by the World Anti-Doping Agency i.e., threshold 1000 ng/mL. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 10 and 100 ng/mL, respectively. The expanded measurement uncertainty (Uexp%) was found to be 8.28%.
Hedging in Non-Traditional Security: The Case of Vietnam’s Disaster Response Cooperation
Authors: Kuik Cheng-Chwee , Tso Chen-Dong
Published: October 2022

Although much has been written on hedging in traditional security, few studies have focused on hedging in the non-traditional security (NTS) domains. This essay examines NTS hedging through the case of Vietnam’s disaster response cooperation with the USA and with China. “Hedging” is insurance-seeking behaviour, characterised by avoidance of irrevocable commitment, adoption of impartial and inclusive diversification, and the pursuit of prudent contradictions—all aimed at offsetting risks and cultivating a fallback position. We argue that it is Vietnam’s elite-defined strategic considerations and functional needs amid uncertainty that both drive and constrain its hedging approach to disaster management cooperation with the competing powers—China and the USA. While not fully aligning with either power, Vietnam has sought closer cooperation with both, with different objectives in mind: engaging China to maintain a good relationship, while engaging the USA to enhance its capabilities. The net result is cooperation that is symbolic in posture and selective in practice, which serves the substantive purposes of mitigating risks while acquiring concrete gains. In the world of hedging, symbolism is substance.
Patiromer utilization in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease under nephrology care in Germany
Authors: Pecoits-Filho Roberto , McCullough Keith , Muenz Daniel , Quinn Carol Moreno , Budden Jeff , Golden John , de Arellano Antonio Ramirez , Tillmann Frank-Peter , Duttlinger Johannes , Calice-Silva Viviane , Massy Ziad A , Bieber Brian , Robinson Bruce M , Fliser Danilo , Reichel Helmut ,   CKDopps Investigators*, Lopes Antonio , Pecoits-Filho Roberto , Calice da Silva Viviane , Combe Christian , Massy Ziad , Stengel Benedicte , Speyer Elodie , Fliser Danilo , Reichel Helmut , Hoshino Junichi , Yamagata Kunihiro , Pisoni Ron , Robinson Bruce , Sesso Ricardo , Asahi Koichi , Hoshino Junichi , Narita Ichiei , Perlman Rachel , Port Friedrich , Sukul Nidhi , Wong Michelle , Young Eric , Zee Jarcy , McCready-Maynes Jennifer
Published: October 2022

Background

Hyperkalemia (HK) is a frequent condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Patiromer has recently been introduced as a potassium binder. Data on patiromer use in patients with CKD in the real-world setting in Europe are lacking. We describe time to discontinuation and changes in serum potassium levels among German CKD stage 3–5 patients starting patiromer.

Methods

Duration of patiromer use was estimated by Kaplan–Meier curve, starting at patiromer initiation and censoring for death, dialysis, transplant or loss to follow-up. Serum potassium levels and renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi) use are described at baseline and during follow-up, restricted to patients remaining on patiromer.

Results

We identified 140 patiromer users within our analysis sample [81% CKD stage 4/5, 83% receiving RAASi, and median K+ 5.7 (5.4, 6.3) mmol/L]. Thirty percent of patiromer users had prior history of polystyrene sulfonate use. Overall, 95% of patiromer users stayed on treatment past 1 month, with 53% continuing for over a year. Mean serum potassium levels decreased after patiromer initiation and remained stable under treatment during follow-up (up to 180 days). Among these patients, 73%–82% used RAASis during the time periods before and after patiromer initiation, with no obvious trend indicating discontinuation.

Conclusion

Real-world evidence of patiromer use in Germany shows that, in line with what has been observed in clinical trials, patients on patiromer have a reduction in serum potassium when used long-term. Moreover, most patients on patiromer do not discontinue treatment prior to 1 year after initiation.
Urinary Cell-Free DNA in Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Management
Authors: Salfer Blake , Li Feng , Wong David T W , Zhang Liying
Published: October 2022

Background

The current methodology used to detect, diagnose, and monitor many types of cancers requires invasive tissue biopsy testing. Recently, liquid biopsy using blood, plasma, urine, saliva, and various other bodily fluids has shown utility to solve many issues associated with tissue biopsy. Blood/plasma has received most of the attention within the liquid biopsy field, however, obtaining blood samples from patients is still somewhat invasive and requires trained professionals. Using urine to detect cell-free DNA cancer biomarkers offers a truly non-invasive sampling method that can be easily and reproducibly conducted by patients.

Content

Novel technologies and approaches have made the detection of small quantities of cell-free tumor DNA of varying lengths possible. Recent studies using urine circulating tumor DNA to detect cancer mutations and other biomarkers have shown sensitivity comparable to blood/plasma cell-free DNA liquid biopsy for many cancer types. Thus, urine cell-free DNA liquid biopsy may replace or provide supplementary information to tissue/blood biopsies. Further investigation with larger patient cohorts and standardization of pre-analytical factors is necessary to determine the utility of urine cell-free DNA liquid biopsy for cancer detection, diagnosis, and monitoring in a clinical setting.

In this mini-review we discuss the biological aspects of cell-free DNA in urine, numerous studies using urine cell-free DNA to detect urological cancers, and recent studies using urine cell-free DNA to detect and monitor non-urological cancers including lung, breast, colorectal, and other cancers.