bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Way of Finding Polarity of Roman Urdu Reviews by using Boolean Rules
Authors: Sadia Halima , Ullah Mohib , Hussain Tariq , Gul Nida , Hussain Muhammad Farooq , Ul Haq Nauman , Bakar Abu
Published: June 2020

Opinion mining is the technique of analyzing the sentiment, behavior, feelings, emotions, and attitudes of customers about a product, topic, comments on social media, etc. Online shopping has revolutionized the way customers do shopping. The customer likes to visit the online store to find their product of interest. It is becoming more difficult for customers to make purchasing decisions solely based on photos and product descriptions. Customer reviews provides a rich source of information to compare products and make purchasing decisions commonly on the basis of other customer reviews. Clients provide comments in the language of their choice, e.g. the people of Pakistan use Roman script based the Urdu language. Normally such comments are free from scripting rules. Hundreds of comments are given on a single product, which may contain noisy comments. Identifying noisy comments and finding the polarity of these comments is an active area of research. Limited research is being carried out on roman Urdu sentiment analysis. In this research paper, we propose a novel approach by using Boolean rules for the identification of the related and non-related comments. Related reviews are those which show the behavior of a customer about a particular product. Lexicons are built for the identification of noise, positive and negative reviews. The precision of the evaluation results is 68%, recall is also 68% and F-measure is 68%. Ṫhe accuracy of the whole evaluation is 60%.
Forecasting the Impact of Social Media Advertising among College Students using Higher Order Statistical Functions
Authors: N Meena Zenith , R Radhika.
Published: June 2020

Nowadays, social media has emerged as one of the activity among the users on their day-to-day life activity. This research work plans to develop a statistical review that concerns on social media advertising among college students from diverse universities. The review analysis on social media advertising is given under six sections such as (i) Personal Profile; (ii) Usage; (iii) Assessment; (iv) Higher Order statistics like Community, Connectedness, Openness, Dependence and Participation; (v) Trustworthiness such as Trust, Perceived value and Perceived risk; and (vi) Towards advertisement which involves attitude towards advertisement, response towards advertisement and purchase intension. The initial stage is on questionnaire preparation based on social media networking. The records stated in the questionnaire are intimately taken about the usage of social media sites and the advertisement on social media networking. In the second stage, the planned questionnaire is distributed over college students from diverse universities. The entire questions are made mandatory in this questionnaire and subsequent to this, the students from various universities are demanded to fill up their response to this questionnaire. These responses from the students are then taken for analysis purpose. In this research work, the analysis is performed on the basis of higher-order statistical analysis that favorably concerned on correlation coefficients and entropy. This in turns helps to determine the correlation and entropy among the response towards the social media network.
An Efficient Dynamic Slot Scheduling Algorithm for WSN MAC: A Distributed Approach
Authors: Lenka Manas Ranjan , Swain Amulya Ratna
Published: June 2020

In the current scenario, the growth of IoT based solutions gives rise to the rapid utilisation of WSN. With energy constraint sensor nodes in WSN, the design of energy efficient MAC protocol along with timeliness requirement to handle collision is of paramount importance. Most of the MAC protocols designed for a sensor network follows either contention or scheduled based approach. Contention based approach adapts well to topology changes, whereas it is more costly in handling collision as compared to a schedule based approach. Hence, to reduce the collision along with timeliness, an effective TDMA based slot scheduling algorithm needs to be designed. In this paper, we propose a TDMA based algorithm named DYSS that meets both the timeliness and energy efficiency in handling the collision. This algorithm finds an effective way of preparing the initial schedule by using the average two-hop neighbors count. Finally, the remaining un-allotted nodes are dynamically assigned to slots using a novel approach. The efficiency of the algorithm is evaluated in terms of the number of slots allotted and time elapsed to construct the schedule using the Castalia simulator.
Novel Metric for Load Balance and Congestion Reducing in Network on-Chip
Authors: Aroui Abdelkader , Benyamina Abou Elhassan , Boulet Pierre , Benhaoua Kamel , Singh Amit Kumar
Published: June 2020

The Network-on-Chip (NoC) is an alternative pattern that is considered as an emerging technology for distributed embedded systems. The traditional use of multi-cores in computing increase the calculation performance; but affect the network communication causing congestion on nodes which therefore decrease the global performance of the NoC. To alleviate this problematic phenomenon, several strategies were implemented, to reduce or prevent the occurrence of congestion, such as network status metrics, new routing algorithm, packets injection control, and switching strategies. In this paper, we carried out a study on congestion in a 2D mesh network, through various detailed simulations. Our focus was on the most used congestion metrics in NoC. According to our experiments and performed simulations under different traffic scenarios, we found that these metrics are less representative, less significant and yet they do not give a true overview of reading within the NoC nodes at a given cycle. Our study shows that the use of other complementary information regarding the state of nodes and network traffic flow in the design of a novel metric, can really improve the results. In this paper, we put forward a novel metric that takes into account the overall operating state of a router in the design of adaptive XY routing algorithm, aiming to improve routing decisions and network performance. We compare the throughput, latency, resource utilization, and congestion occurrence of proposed metric to three published metrics on two specific traffic patterns in a varied packets injection rate. Our results indicate that our novel metric-based adaptive XY routing has overcome congestion and significantly improve resource utilization through load balancing; achieving an average improvement rate up to 40  compared to adaptive XY routing based on the previous congestion metrics.
Complex of heliogeophysical instruments of new generation
Authors: Zherebtsov Geliy
Published: June 2020

The paper discusses the importance of the problem of adverse effects of cosmic processes and phenomena (space weather factors) on the ground engineering and technical infrastructure, space-born radio-electronic facilities, etc.

It examines the state of the experimental base for research in solar, atmosphere, and near-Earth space physics in Russia and abroad. The necessity of creating new-generation instruments, developed using advanced engineering solutions and technologies, is justified.

The complex of the main facilities and instruments of the National Heliogeophysical Complex of the Russian Academy of Sciences is analyzed. The main scientific directions of basic research and applied problems are formulated.
The challenges and coping strategies of exclusive breastfeeding practices among student mothers at a Nigerian university
Authors: Ojo Iyanuoluwa Oreofe , Aina Oluwatosin Ayomide , Ani Odinaka Benardette , Onianwa Patricia O
Published: June 2020

Background/aims

Successful breastfeeding is crucial to combat infant malnutrition and is also paramount for the health of the newborn and the mother. However, student mothers face diverse challenges to exclusive breastfeeding. This study aimed to identify the challenges and coping strategies of exclusive breastfeeding practices among student mothers at a Nigeria university.

Methods

The study adopted a cross-sectional design. A total of 82 student mothers were recruited. Data were collected through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire, containing questions on the breastfeeding practices and intentions of the mothers and the challenges encountered and coping strategies used. These data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20. The data were analysed using Chi square tests, at 0.05 level of significance.

Results

The majority of mothers (93.9%) reported that they gave supplements other than breast milk to their babies, with the frequency ranging from rarely to often. Academic pressure was the most frequently identified challenge of exclusive breastfeeding by the respondents (72%), while 89% of the respondents received support from their husband as a major coping strategy.

Conclusions

Policies should be made to support and provide enabling environments for students who are also mothers. Nurses and decision makers in the university setting should consider ways to improve the exclusive breastfeeding practice of students.
Student midwives' self-assessment of factors that improve or reduce confidence in clinical practice during a 1-year training period in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mudokwenyu-Rawdon Christina , Goshomi Unice , Ndarukwa Pisirai
Published: June 2020

Background/Aims

Several studies demonstrate that midwifery students do not feel confident in their ability to practice independently post-qualification, both globally and in Zimbabwe. To build competence, it is critical that midwives are encouraged to assess factors that improve or reduce their confidence in clinical practice. This study aimed to explore factors enhancing or reducing midwifery students' confidence in clinical practice in Zimbabwe, following a 1-year training course.

Methods

A total of 300 midwifery students from 22 government midwifery training schools in Zimbabwe participated in a cross-sectional survey that assessed self-confidence at completion of a 1-year training course. Students responded to the question ‘What factors improved or reduced your confidence in clinical area during training?’ Thematic analysis was used to describe and interpret students' responses.

Results

The main theme taken from students' answers was that resource availability in the clinical learning environment is key. There were four sub-themes: (1) the midwifery education programme, (2) teaching-learning methodologies, (3) clinical instructor/supervisor professional behaviour, and (4) student fear and insecurity.

Conclusions

Confidence development is a process to be cultivated and nurtured in students during midwifery training. Student midwives are faced with multiple factors inherent to an unsupportive clinical learning environment, which negatively impacts their confidence. These include shortages of resources and the attitudes and teaching practices of supervisors or instructors. Focus should be given to creating a supporting clinical learning environment, to improve students' confidence and competence.
Frequency and severity of general surgical emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic: single-centre experience from a large metropolitan teaching hospital
Authors: Patel R , Hainsworth AJ , Devlin K , Patel JH , Karim A
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has put significant stress on healthcare systems globally. This study focuses on emergency general surgery services at a major trauma centre and teaching hospital. We aimed to identify whether the number of patients and the severity of their presentation has significantly changed since the implementation of a national lockdown.

Materials and methods

This study is a retrospective review of acute referrals (from general practice and accident and emergency) to the emergency general surgery team over a 14-day period before (group 1) and during (group 2) lockdown.

Results

A total of 151 patients were reviewed by the general surgical team in group 1 and 75 in group 2 (a 50.3% reduction). The number of days with symptoms prior to presentation was significantly shorter in group 1 compared with group 2 (3 vs 4, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the National Early Warning Score, white blood cell count, lymphocytes and C-reactive protein on admission between the two groups of patients. There were significantly fewer patients admitted after lockdown compared with pre-lockdown (66% vs 48%, p = 0.01). Length of hospital stay was significantly shorter during lockdown compared with pre-lockdown (5 days vs 4 days, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

Fewer patients were referred and admitted during lockdown compared with pre-lockdown, and the length of stay was also significantly reduced. There was also a delay in presentation to hospital, although these patients were not more unwell based on the scoring criteria used within this study.
Fair Trade cannabis: a road map for meeting the socio-economic needs and interests of small and traditional growers
Authors: Kay Sylvia , Jelsma Martin , Bewley-Taylor David
Published: June 2020

Policy changes over the past five years have dramatically reshaped the global cannabis market, opening up legal markets for medical cannabis and, increasingly, also for adult, non-medical use. Despite the fact that these shifts look set to bring a clear range of benefits in terms of health and human rights, there is concern over the many for-profit cannabis companies from the Global North that are aggressively competing to capture the licit spaces, squeezing out small and traditional cannabis farmers from the Global South. If the construction of the global cannabis prohibition regime was an historic mistake, then a transition towards a legally regulated market that concentrates profits in a handful of Big Pharma, Ag, Tobacco and Cannabis companies, while locking out small-scale farmers in the Global South, only serves to further this damaging legacy. The focus of Fair Trade cannabis must be to empower small and traditional producers in the cannabis trade, based on a number of first order principles, market strategies and public policies. Crucially, growers must be enabled to organise amongst themselves and forge coalitions with other actors in order to advocate for appropriate frameworks and interventions.
“You have got to get off your backside; otherwise, you’ll never get out”: older male carers’ experiences of loneliness and social isolation
Authors: Willis Paul , Vickery Alex , Symonds Jon
Published: June 2020

Loneliness is framed as an enduring problem for carers of all ages, including older carers; however, there is little examination of older men’s experiences of caring, loneliness and social isolation. Based on interviews with 25 men (aged 68–92 years), we discuss findings from a study of older male carers’ experiences of loneliness in England. Within their accounts, loneliness is framed as a future, rather than present, problem as caring provides a time-limited buffer to loneliness while concurrently increasing social isolation. Further, the findings shed light on how male carers seek and benefit from carers’ support groups while also maintaining autonomy.
Enhanced reconstruction of structured illumination microscopy on a polarized specimen
Authors: Chen Xingye , Zhanghao Karl , Li Meiqi , Qiao Chang , Liu Wenhui , Xi Peng , Dai Qionghai
Published: June 2020

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) requires polarization control to guarantee the high-contrast illumination pattern. However, this modulated polarization will induce artifacts in SIM when imaging fluorescent dipoles. Here we proposed the polarization weighted recombination of frequency components to reconstruct SIM data with suppressed artifacts and better resolving power. Both the simulation results and experimental data demonstrate that our algorithm can obtain isotropic resolution on dipoles and resolve a clearer structure in high-density sections compared to the conventional algorithm. Our work reinforces the SIM theory and paves the avenue for the application of SIM on a polarized specimen.
Spectral compression in a multipass cell
Authors: Daher Nour , Guichard Florent , Délen Xavier , Zaouter Yoann , Hanna Marc , Georges Patrick
Published: June 2020

Starting from a femtosecond ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier, we demonstrate the generation of near Fourier transform-limited high peak power picosecond pulses through spectral compression in a nonlinear solid-state-based multipass cell. Input 260 fs pulses negatively chirped to 2.4 ps are spectrally compressed from 6 nm down to 1.1 nm, with an output energy of 13.5 µJ and near transform-limited pulses of 2.1 ps. A pulse shaper included in the femtosecond source provides some control over the output spectral shape, in particular its symmetry. The spatial quality and spatio-spectral homogeneity are conserved in this process. These results show that the use of multipass cells allows energy scaling of spectral compression setups while maintaining the spatial properties of the laser beam.
2-D nanometer thickness mapping applying a reduced bias soft X-ray NEXAFS approach
Authors: Wachulak Przemysław , Fok Tomasz , Janulewicz Karol , Kostecki Jerzy , Bartnik Andrzej , Węgrzyński Łukasz , Fiedorowicz Henryk
Published: June 2020

We present a 2-D mapping of a sample thickness with nanometer accuracy employing a compact arrangement of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) technique. A NEXAFS spectrum coupled with a scanning system was used to generate a 2-D thickness map of the TiO2 sample (anatase form) deposited on the top of a SiN membrane. The thickness values were retrieved from the experimental data by applying different methods of data processing. In the paper, the detailed analysis of the data processing methods and the identified sources of the errors show that the proposed procedure based on averaging two imperfect estimates reduces the error caused by the uncontrolled bias of the measured signals. This procedure was termed as the average one. The estimates from the proposed average approach and the standard absorption-jump ratio in the absorption edge vicinity were compared with the direct results obtained by applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental arrangement of the NEXAFS spectroscopy system, the data acquisition method, as well as the possible error sources, are presented and discussed in detail.
Constellation optimization under the ergodic VLC channel based on generalized spatial modulation
Authors: Wang Fubin , Yang Fang , Song Jian
Published: June 2020

When the generalized spatial modulation (GSM) is applied to visible light communication (VLC), radio frequency (RF) technologies, such as constellation designs, should be modified for the ergodic VLC channel, which is different from that in typical RF environments. In this paper, constellations of amplitude-phase modulation (APM) symbols are optimized for GSM-based VLC systems in which optical signals must be real-valued and non-negative, while the ergodic VLC channel and the random characteristic of receiver locations are also considered. The algorithm of statistically convergent gradient descent (SCGD) is adopted for the maximization of coded modulation average mutual information (CM-AMI), and superior performances of optimal constellations are verified by numerical simulations.
On COVID-19 Modelling
Authors: Schaback Robert
Published: June 2020

This is an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic by comparably simple mathematical and numerical methods. The final goal is to predict the peak of the epidemic outbreak per country with a reliable technique. The difference to other modelling approaches is to stay extremely close to the available data, using as few hypotheses and parameters as possible.

For the convenience of readers, the basic notions of modelling epidemics are collected first, focusing on the standard SIR model. Proofs of various properties of the model are included. But such models are not directly compatible with available data. Therefore a special variation of a SIR model is presented that directly works with the data provided by the Johns Hopkins University. It allows to monitor the registered part of the pandemic, but is unable to deal with the hidden part. To reconstruct data for the unregistered Infected, a second model uses current experimental values of the infection fatality rate and a data-driven estimation of a specific form of the recovery rate. All other ingredients are data-driven as well. This model allows predictions of infection peaks.

Various examples of predictions are provided for illustration. They show what countries have to face that are still expecting their infection peak. Running the model on earlier data shows how closely the predictions follow the transition from an uncontrolled outbreak to the mitigation situation by non-pharmaceutical interventions like contact restrictions.
Arquitecturas domésticas. Mapas heteropatriarcales del biopoder
Authors: Sarmiento Laura
Published: June 2020

Este texto surge desde la imposibilidad de conversar con las mujeres del barrio. Mujeres compañeras con quienes comparto la vida hace más de diez años. Mujeres que nos conocemos en nuestras luchas existenciales por la tierra, por el trabajo, por la vivienda, por la autonomía, y que acuerpadas, sostuvimos diversas resistencias pero que jamás pudimos compartir la palabra “orgasmo”. Recorremos preguntas que van configurando un mapa de subjetividades presas de múltiples violencias, tanto territorializadas como encarnadas en personajes policiales, que nos ayudan a entender esta imposibilidad de conversación. Con esta investigación desmantelamos la impunidad del disciplinamiento espacial doméstico, dejándolo en evidencia. Los resultados obtenidos son fundamento de nuestra actual línea de investigación de Arquitecturas Feministas, donde estamos revisando a la luz de la justicia erótica, el diseño patriarcal biopolítico y la casa como dispositivo.
Nueva York y la reformulación del objeto. Transferencias norteamericanas entre escultura y arquitectura en el siglo XX
Authors: Llamazares Blanco Pablo , Zaparaín Hernández Fernando , Ramos Jular Jorge
Published: June 2020

La publicación en 1965 del influyente ensayo de Donald Judd titulado Specific Objects, puso de relieve que la reflexión norteamericana sobre el objeto de arte, desarrollada desde los años veinte, había alcanzado una identidad propia. Esa particularidad se apoyaba en el empirismo anglosajón y en el interés por la iconografía industrial e ingenieril, que posibilitaron el predominio estadounidense después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La potencia formal de las obras públicas y las máquinas se venía resaltando desde principios de siglo en las nuevas instituciones culturales neoyorquinas, con exposiciones y ferias que suponían un reconocible posicionamiento formal y artístico. Después, en los cincuenta, se erigieron diversos edificios con vocación pública, que instituyeron la estética moderna de la caja como emblema de la postguerra. Así se llegó, en el Nueva York de los sesenta, al Expresionismo Abstracto, el Pop y el Land Art, o el Minimalismo, que siguieron enfatizando la “objetualidad” hasta realizar una transferencia de categorías espaciales arquitectónicas a otras disciplinas artísticas, de unas características sin precedentes. Especialmente, el Minimalismo hizo que la escultura dejara de ser un mero volumen percibido desde fuera, para expandir su campo de acción al contexto expositivo e integrar el movimiento del espectador. A la vez, se activaba el espacio interior del objeto, hasta hacerlo incluso habitable. Se dejaba así preparado el camino para el definitivo entrelazamiento de arquitectura, escultura, escenografía y medios audiovisuales, propio de las instalaciones.
El “análisis habitacional” como estrategia de conservación de los edificios residenciales DOCOMOMO. Viviendas de Muntaner y Roselló de Josep Lluis Sert
Authors: Ruano Hernansanz Miguel Ángel
Published: June 2020

La abundante obra restaurada del Movimiento Moderno, permite elaborar los primeros corpus metodológicos de restauración y rehabilitación. La mayoría de estas intervenciones se han realizado en edificios icónicos, contando, generalmente, con importante apoyo público o privado. En la mayoría de los casos, la restauración de estos edificios termina en su musealización, lo que les aparta de su función habitacional original.Existe una amplia obra, más allá de estos grandes iconos arquitectónicos, que no está sujeta a protecciones de máximo nivel, por lo que carece de apoyos y recursos económicos para ser conservada. En estos casos, es muy importante realizar un “análisis habitacional”, es decir, un estudio histórico de las transformaciones producidas en las viviendas. Identificados los elementos configuradores de la “autenticidad de diseño” del edificio, este análisis permite determinar los límites de su “variabilidad aceptable”, de forma que, manteniendo su originalidad y función, sea posible una serie de transformaciones sin perder su condición habitacional.Se ha analizado la historia y reformas de los edificios de viviendas de la calle Muntaner 342-348 y Rosselló 36 de Josep Lluis Sert, por reunir esas condiciones: importancia histórica, encontrarse en uso en la actualidad, y carecer de protección patrimonial de máximo nivel.
Espacio, Tiempo y Universidad El futuro de la UA en su 40 aniversario
Authors: Barberá Pastor Carlos
Published: June 2020

Reseña de exposición como conmemoración del 40 aniversario de la Universidad de Alicante.
Analysis of Liquid Volatile Matters from Coconut Shell Pyrolysis by GC-MS and Its Potential as Antifungal Agent
Authors: Mashuni  , Yanti N.A. , Jahiding M. , Kadidae L.O. , Djaila R. , Hamid F.H.
Published: June 2020

Indonesia is one of the highest producers of coconut in the world and at the same time coconut shell
waste is also high. This study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis for the
liquid volatile matter (LVM) generated from coconut shell pyrolysis and to examine its potential as an
antifungal agent. Pyrolysis was performed at 600 ºC. The LVM was 29% (v/w) and had pH 3 and
1.087 g mL-1 density. To determine chemical constituents using GC-MS, the standard NIST MS software
was used. The spectrogram analysis of LVM revealed five main compounds, namely phenol (21.92%);
(Z)-4-methyl-5-(2-oxopropylidene)-5H-furan-2-one (13.06%); 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (11.54%);
2-methoxyphenol (9.07%) and 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one (7.66%). The LVM showed a
excellent fungicidal activity against Phytophthora palmivora at a concentration of 0.125% (v/v).
Effect of Extraction Conditions on Total Polyphenol and Flavonoid
Content of Sugar Apple Seeds (Annona squamosa L.)
Authors: Nguyen Van Thuy , Nguyen Ngoc Quy , Muoi Nguyen Van , Cang Mai Huynh
Published: June 2020

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal value of factors affecting the extraction of
phenolic compounds from sugar apple seeds. The effects of solvent nature (ethanol, methanol and
water), solvent concentration (40, 60,80 and 100%), solid-to-solvent ratio (2.5/100, 5.0/100, 7.5/100
and 10 mg/100 mL ), extraction temperature ( 40, 50, 60 and 70 ºC ) and extraction time (60, 120, 180
and 240 min) were investigated. Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were used for the
determination of phenolic compounds of sugar apple seeds extract. Experimental results showed that
all the examined parameters had statistically significant (p < 0.05) effects on phenolic compound
extraction. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: extracting solvent 80% ethanol,
sample-to-solvent ratio 5 g/100 mL, extraction contact time 120 min and extraction temperature 60 ºC
with values of 356.92 ± 9.27 mgGAE/100g DW, 240.03 ± 6.16 mgQE/100g DW for the total phenolic
content and the total flavonoid content, respectively.
Chemical Composition Analysis and Evaluation of Antibacterial Activities of Essential Oil from Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Buds
Authors: Toan Tran Quoc , Inh Cam Thi , Bich Hoang Thi , Long Pham Quoc , Kim Ngan Tran Thi , Hai Ha Pham Thi
Published: June 2020

Essential oils from Syzygium aromaticum (Myrtaceae) were extracted through hydrodistillation method, which applied in different fields such as relieve pain, promote healing, and aromatherapy industry. In this study, essential oil of clove buds was obtained using hydrodistillation method and evaluated for chemical compositions and physico-chemical characteristics. The averaged physico-chemical parameters were determined as specific gravity (1.0203 g/cm3), acid index (21.984), ester index (34.92). Moreover, the hydrodistillation process performance achieved by 6.85%. The composition of essential oils was analyzed by GC-MS, revealing a total of 15 volatile constituents existing in the Syzygium aromaticum oil. The major components were eugenol (76.542%), caryophyllene (4.319%), α-caryophyllene (0.456%), acete-ugenol (18.11%), caryophyllene oxide (0.192%), 4,4-dimethyl tetracyclo[6.3.2.0.(1,8)]tridecan-9-ol (0.12%). Syzygium aromaticum essential oil in this study was found to inhibit five bacteria strains including Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The highest antimicrobial activity of clove essential oil was found for Bacillus cereus strain (14 mm).
Variation of Gelatin Amount as Template for Mesoporous
Silica-Alumina Synthesis based on Lapindo Mud
Authors: Nuryanto R. , Trisunaryanti W. , Triyono
Published: June 2020

The synthesis of mesoporous silica-alumina from Na2SiO3 and NaAlO2 solutions extracted from lapindo
mud using mesoporous gelatin templates from catfish bone extract has been performed. Mesoporous
silica-alumina (MSA) synthesis was carried out by sol-gel method with a gelatin template of catfish
bone for as much as 0.0; 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 g, which produced MSA-G00, MSA-G05, MSA-G10 and
MSA-G15, respectively. The obtained MSA was analyzed using FTIR, XRD, TEM and surface area
analyzer (BET and BJH methods). The MSA-G00, MSA-G05, MSA-G10 and MSA-G15 showed a
specific surface areas of 24.58, 41.73, 59.73, 89.82 m2/g and pore diameters of 10.20, 3.86, 9.97, and
7.31 nm, respectively. The XRD results proved that all the MSA were amorphous while the TEM
analysis showed that all prepared MSAs using gelatin as a template were wormhole-like pores
Hydrothermal Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Hexagonal
Zr-CuS Nanocomposite and its Charge Storage Capacity
Authors: Brown J. William , Geetha D. , Ramesh P.S. , Podili Surekha
Published: June 2020

Hexagonal zirconia doped CuS nanaocomposites were successfully synthesized through a simple
mild hydrothermal synthesis. The higher dopent concentration of zirconia produces increased
mesoporous homogeneous nanostructures. The structure and nature of the resulting product (Zr-CuS)
were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM/EDS and TEM techniques. The results show that zirconia is
homogeneously dispersed on CuS and well separated from one another. Electrochemical studies show
that the final product (Zr-CuS) possesses high specific surface area. An increase in zirconia concentration
might increase the mesopore volume and a widening of microporosity. Zirconia doped CuS composite
exhibits high electrochemical performance with a high capacitance of 949.47 F g-1. The presence of
zirconia in CuS improves the capacitive behaviour of samples. Therefore, Zr-CuS could be promising
nanocomposite for energy storage device.
Spectroscopic and Biophysical Studies on Chalcones and Schiff Bases Derived from
Chromen-2-one and Quinoline-2(1H)-one Derivatives as Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Alotaibi Saad H.
Published: June 2020

A series of chalcone derivatives and arylidene analogues derived from 3-acetyl coumarin were
synthesized. The synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis such as elemental
analysis, infrared, 1H & 13C NMR and mass spectroscopies, and then the synthesized compounds were
purified and tested against three bacterial strains. Compound 9c showed high activity against E. coli
and P. aeruginosa. Compounds 4 and 6a showed moderate activity against E. coli while compounds
6a, 6b and 9c showed moderate activity against S. aureus. The reference antibiotics were tested against
the same bacteria strains in the same conditions and showed that ciprofloxacin have positive activity
against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus but it shows negative activity against E. coli while amoxicillin
have positive activity against S. aureus and negative activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. On the
other hand, vancomycin has positive activity against P. aeruginosa but not tested against E. coli and S.
aureus. Staph strains were treated with compounds 4 and 7 on DNA fragmentation and DNA cleavage.
Docking studies of synthesized compound 9c was determined and the results were compared with
ampicillin. Finally, UV and fluorescence analyses of the synthesized compounds (3, 4, 6b, 6c, 6e, 7,
9c and 9e) were also conducted.
Solubility Data of Glycine in Water and Justification of Literature Results
Authors: DATTA ARUP , HOSSAIN ASLAM
Published: June 2020

Glycine has been studied more than other amino acids. However, there are still insufficient reviews in the field related to glycine solubility data which is why in the present review authors have collected many solubility data of glycine in pure water and in the presence of inorganic and organic electrolytes from previous articles. In the current review, authors have considered 145 results reported in 45 published articles. On the origin of the reported results on the solubility, a very easy linear model was applied to get a better fit for accurate solubility measurement. By analyzing the results authors expressed the solubility of glycine as a linear function of temperature with a change of solubility of 0.0866 mol kg-1/K. The results were applied for the statistical analysis to estimate an accurate value of solubility which was found as 3.318 mol kg-1 at 298.15 K
Hydrogen Bonding Interaction and Structural Change in Some Aliphatic
Alcohol-Water Complexes: A Quantum Mechanical MP4 Study
Authors: Bezbaruah Mrinal J. , Ahmed Benzir , Ali Ibrahim , Upadhyaya Madhab , Bezbaruah Bipul
Published: June 2020

Hydrogen bonding interaction in low molecular weight alcohols or lower alcohol (viz. methanol and
ethanol) with water molecule is quite common. But, due to the presence of bulky groups in higher
alcohols (viz. propanol, butanol and pentanol and their isomers) the hydrogen bonding interaction
between alcohol and water molecule is significantly different. In alcohol-water heterodimer complexes,
water plays an important role in the stability of such system, alcohol will be interacting with water
molecule either as proton donor or proton acceptor mode. Quantum mechanical method, fourth degree
Møller-Plesset (MP4) perturbation theory is an important tool for computing the interaction energy
between the alcohol-water complexes. The interaction energy (IE) and natural bond orbital (NBO)
calculations for some common aliphatic alcohol-water complexes (e.g. methanol, ethanol, propanol,
butanol and pentanol) and their isomers were computed by using MP4 method.
Substrate Inhibition in Ruthenium(III) Catalyzed Oxidation of Propane-1,3-diol by Periodate in Acidic Medium: A Kinetic Study
Authors: Rao K.V.S. Koteswara , Nadh R. Venkata , Ratnam K. Venkata
Published: June 2020

Ruthenium(III) catalyzed oxidation of propane-1,3-diol by potassium periodate was studied in aqueous perchloric acid medium. Orders of reaction with respect to concentrations of oxidant, substrate, acid and catalyst were determined. First order in oxidant and catalyst concentrations, and inverse fractional order in acid medium were observed. In addition, substrate inhibition (i.e. a decrease in reaction rate with an increase in substrate concentration) was observed. Effect of addition of salt and solvent was studied. Based on the studies of temperature variation, Arrhenius parameters were calculated. Plausible mechanism was also proposed based on observed kinetics.
Effect of Modified Eggshell on Adsorption Capacity of Chromium(VI) from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Alomari Abdulaziz Ali
Published: June 2020

The aim of this work is to investigate the use of eggshell for adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous
solution and the effect of thermal treatment as well as coating with Fe2O3 of eggshell on the extraction
percent of Cr(VI). The XRD, FTIR and SEM techniques proved that the eggshell mainly composed of
calcite rhombohedral structure in addition to a trace of quartz silica residual protein fibers. Heating at
550 ºC does not decompose eggshell but decomposes the residual protein. The effect of pH, weight of
eggshell adsorbent, contact time, and initial concentration of Cr(VI) ions on the adsorption of Cr(VI)
on eggshell sorbents were determined under static conditions by the batch equilibrium technique. The
sorption kinetic as well as mechanistic isotherm parameters of Cr(VI) on the eggshell sorbent, were
analyzed. It was concluded that the adsorption of Cr(VI) on eggshell increases as pH increases in the
range 3-7, then, with decreases at higher pH. The extraction percent of Cr(VI) increases with an
increase in the dosage of eggshell sorbents. The optimum dosage of eggshell adsorbents was found to
be 5 g after which the extraction percent of Cr(VI) did not marked increase. The extraction percent of
Cr(VI) by eggshell sorbents rapidly increases within 60 min followed by a slower extraction after that
when maximum adsorption was reported. The adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) ions is slightly reduced
in case of heated eggshell due to the change that occurs in the pore size distribution and structure of
eggshell during heating. Hence, the thermal treatment and coating with Fe2O3 do not affect the chemical
structure of eggshell sorbents. The adsorption kinetics data were best fitted with the pseudo-second-order
equation and the adsorption isotherms were best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model.
Solution and Solid State Study of Nickel(II) Ternary Complexes
Containing 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Drug and Amino Acids
Authors: Al-Qahtani Salhah D.
Published: June 2020

Solution equilibria of the systems Ni(II)-5-aminolevulinic acid as ligand (A) and the amino acids
[alanine (Ala), valine (Val), methylamine (Met), imidazole (Imi), Histidine (His), serine (Ser), cysteine
(Cys) and penicillamine (Pen)] as ligands (L) have been studied pH-metrically. The stability constants
of mixed ligand complexes were calculated with I = 0.10 mol L-1 KNO3 using HYPERQUAD program
at 25 ± 0.1 ºC. The log10 X values showed a higher stabilities for the mixed ligand complexes compared
to the binary analogues. The synthesis and characterization of the new amino acid mononuclear Ni(II)
binary complex [NiA] (1) and ternary complex [NiAL] (2) were achieved via molar conductance,
elemental analysis UV-vis, IR, 1H NMR, thermal analysis and magnetic moment. The thermogravimetric
analysis of complexes were investigated by TG-DTA suggests that the complexes possess high thermal
stability formation and their respective nickel oxide for 1 and nickel sulfide for 2 as final chemical
entities, which are thermally stable. The nickel(II) chelates were found to be non-electrolytes,
diamagnetic moments and the geometry around Ni(II) ion in complexes 1 and 2 is square planar
Fractionation and Identification of Phytochemicals and Antioxidant
Activity of Wild Grape (Ampelocissus martinii Planch.) Seed Extracts
Authors: Siripipatthana P. , Srihanam P.
Published: June 2020

A methanolic extract of wild grape (Ampelocissus martinii Planch.) seed at green (immature) growth
stage was partially purified using silica gel chromatography, before the investigation of total
phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of sub-fractions. The ethyl acetate/methanol at 3:1 (v/v) fraction
had higher phytochemicals and antioxidant activities than others. The gallic acid, myricetin, and
resveratrol were dominant phenolic substances in this fraction. However, ethyl acetate sub-fraction
found the highest content of epicatechin and catechin. A correlation test indicated a strong positive
trend between antioxidant activity and all tested of the phytochemical contents. The obtained results
indicated that the wild grape seed contains compounds with excellent antioxidation capacity. That
might be applied as an active ingredient in health-supporting products or active ingredients in cosmetics
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Analogues of Cefpodoxime Proxetil
Authors: Reddy Peketi Rajesh , Musunuri Sivanadh , Reddy D. Ramasekhara , Chittala V. Subrahmanyam , Murthy P.V.N.S. , Krishnamohan K.
Published: June 2020

The present work describes the origin, identification, synthesis, characterization and control of four
novel analogues of cefpodoxime proxetil, which are ethyl, methyl, propyl and N-propyl analogues of
cefpodoxime proxetil.
Potential Antifungal Activity against Pythium insidiosum of
Isoflavonoids from the Stems of Dalbergia cultrata
Authors: Sribuhom Thurdpong , Thongsri Yordhathai , Yenjai Chavi
Published: June 2020

Chemical investigation of Dalbergia cultrata Grah. stems growing in Thailand resulted in the isolation
and characterization of 14 known compounds, including tectorigenin (1), calycosin (2), pratensein
(3), afromosin (4), irilin D (5), biochanin A (6), daidzein (7), formononetin (8), 8-O-methylretusin (9),
7,3′-dihydroxy-5′-methoxyisoflavone (10), (3S)-sativanone (11), (3S)-violanone (12), erycibenin D
(13) and isoliquiritigenin (14). Their structures were established mainly based on NMR spectroscopic
techniques and physical properties. The isolated compounds were evaluated for antifungal activity
against Pythium insidiosum using disc diffusion assay. Antifungal drugs available now are not effective
to treat this microorganism. It was found that compound 1 exhibited stronger antifungal activity than
amphotericin-B standard with an MIC value of 10 μg/disc.
CuSCN Catalyzed Conjugate Addition of Grignard Reagents to
Substituted Coumarins with Dilithium Tetrachloromanganate
Authors: Kale Mohan B. , Jagtap Shrikant B. , Devkate Santosh S.
Published: June 2020

The regioselective 1,4-addition of CuSCN catalyzed Grignard reagents to the substituted coumarins
are reported. The Li2MnCl4 reagent is used to transmetallate magnesium by manganese. It adds
regioselectively to coumarins and forms 1,4-addition products with higher yield under the atmosphere
of nitrogen gas and at a lower temperature
Synthesis and Spectral Studies of 4,4′-(Hydrazine-1,2-diylidenedimethylylidene)-bis-(2-
methoxyphenol) and Its Transition Metal Complexes with Promising Biological Activities
Authors: Rani Anita , Kumar Manoj , Tuli Hardeep Singh , Abbas Zahoor , Prakash Vinit
Published: June 2020

The study describes the synthesis, characterization and biological activity of a novel Schiff base ligand
and its transition metal complexes. The Schiff base ligand was obtained by a condensation reaction
between 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (p-vanillin) and hydrazine hydrate using ethanol as solvent.
A new series of Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes were also derived by reaction of prepared Schiff base
ligand with NiCl2 and FeCl3. Both the ligand and its metal complexes were characterized by solubility,
melting point and elemental analysis. These compounds were further identified by analytical techniques,
FTIR, NMR and mass spectrometry. The ligand and its transition metal complexes were also subjected
to in vitro biological activities i.e. antimicrobial, antiangiogenic and DNA photo cleavage. For
antimicrobial activity compounds were tested against two strains of bacteria and two strains of fungi.
Different concentrations of prepared compounds were treated with fertilized chicken eggs and plasmid
DNA to find out antiangiogenic and DNA photocleavage activity, respectively.
Management of Plastıc Bronchıtıs in Chıldren: A Case Report and Lıterature Revıew
Authors: Erkci Volkan Sarper
Published: June 2020

Plastic bronchitis (PB) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of mucofibrinous plugs which may occlude and conform the shape of tracheobronchial tree. These casts are exteremely cohesive. Most common presenting symptoms include cough, fever and dyspnea and if the cohesive casts occlude the airway totally life-threatening complications and even death may occur. The aim of treatment is to remove the casts and adress the symptoms. In this study a 6-year-old boy with PB is presented. In addition to medical treatment obstructing casts were removed via rigid bronchoscope. It is aimed to review the clinical and radiographic features and choices of treatment in this disease.
Effects of Aluminium Sulphates on Weight and Structure of Adrenal Gland of Adult Wistar Rats
Authors: V. K Abodunrin , P. B Fakunle , O. S Saka , A. Z Abijo , A. D Akinboro , M. S Ige
Published: June 2020

This study evaluated the effects of aluminum sulphate exposure on the histology of adrenal gland of Wistar rats. Thirty adult Wistar rats were used for this study. The Wister rats were divided into three groups; group A was the control animals and tagged C, group B animals received 10g of alum dissolved in 1000cm3 of distilled water and were tagged T1, group C animals received 50g of alum dissolved in 1000cm3of distilled water and were tagged T2, via drinking water for duration of four weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The adrenal gland was excised and preserved in 10 % formosaline after which it was routinely processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E).

Histological observations showed normal cell distribution in the control group but treated group revealed evidences of cellular obliteration& hemorrhagic necrosis.

The results obtained from this study suggest that aluminum sulphate has a damaging effect on the structure of the adrenal gland.
Distribution Spread and Environmental Risk Status of Pb, Cd And Cr in Soils of an Open-Air Waste Dumpsite along Tombia/Amassoma Road in Yenagoa Metropolis
Authors: Ayobami Aigberua Omozemoje , Dokumo Okumoko Pearce
Published: June 2020

In spite of the popularity of open-air waste dumping in Nigeria, it remains a relatively less effective waste management option across the globe because of its associated environmental impacts which includes the release of green house gases (GHGs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and metal micro-pollutants amongst others. This study aims to assess the potential environmental risks associated to metals released and vertically delineated across the soil profile within surroundings of dumpsite. Heavy metals in soil samples were acid-digested using the aqua-regia mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid, followed by instrumentation analysis using the GBC 908 PBMT model atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Contaminated sites showed metal concentrations ranging from 1.493 to 109.460 mg/kg, 0.133 to 4.237 mg/kg, and 5.200 to 25.367 mg/kg for lead, cadmium and chromium respectively, with location 1 land area showing the most contamination. Only soil chromium was observed within regulatory stipulations in all cases. There was significant variation (p < 0.05) between the different sample locations, thereby indicating variations in composition of dumped wastes. Lead and cadmium showed the strongest positive correlation (r = 0.855, p < 0.01) and the application of some heavy metal pollution indicators revealed relatively higher metal loads and degree of contamination, as well as depicting potential ecological risk for soils of location 1. The significant heavy metal contamination of soils in the Tombia-Amassoma waste dumpsite requires that the local environmental sanitation and regulatory authorities take necessary remedial action to forestall the escalation of public health concerns that may emanate from this open-air dump.