bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study to test the effectiveness of triclosan coated polyglactin 910 in reduction of surgical site infection in clean wounds
Authors: Mody Pratham , Ali Iqbal , Shetty Varun , Jadhav Digvijay , Manerikar Kshitij , Dikshit Vashisht
Published: March 2019

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) has been pointed out as the 2nd most common nosocomial infection. Since suture materials have been proven to be a contributor to SSI, they have been the focus of research and development centered on making them less conducive to bacterial overgrowth. The Triclosan coated suture slowly releases Triclosan, which is an antibacterial agent that inhibits bacterial colonization of the suture and wound site and thus, promises prevention of surgical site infection.Methods: Total of 100 patients undergoing excision of uninfected subcutaneous benign lumps and cutaneous swellings were randomized in two groups: group A in which triclosan coated polyglactin 910 suture was used for wound closure (50 patients) and Group B in whom conventional uncoated Polyglactin 910 suture was used for wound closure (50 patients).Results: In this study, maximum number of patients was in the age group of 46-60 years. Mean age of subjects in triclosan- coated suture group was 45.03 years while it was 47.32 in conventional uncoated suture group. Among 100 subjects in triclosan- coated suture group, 26 (52%) were males and 24 (48%) were females. In comparison to it, male and female subjects in conventional uncoated suture group were 25 (50%) each. Among 50 subjects in triclosan- coated suture group, only 2 (4.0%) had surgical site infection while in conventional uncoated suture group, 8 (16.0%) had surgical site infection. Incidence of surgical site infection with use of triclosan- coated suture was significantly lower compared to conventional uncoated suture group. (p 0.04).Conclusions: Triclosan coated suture surely, helps in preventing surgical site infection which, not only increases the morbidity of the patient but also has long-term implications.
A clinical study of evaluation of different modalities of treatment and etiologies of stricture urethra
Authors: Raykar Raviraj R. , Jadhav Ravikumar R.
Published: March 2019

Background: Urethral strictures are a common urological problem presenting in day to day urological practice. There has been change in the etiology of urethral strictures with traumatic one’s accounting for majority of them in recent times. Newer treatment modalities like VIU and various kinds of urethroplasty have revolutionized its management and significantly contributed towards improvement of quality of life among these patients. The objective for this study were to study the various aetiologies and different modalities of treatment for urethral strictures.Methods: A 23 cases of urethral strictures aged 5-75 years admitted in the surgical wards of KIMS, Hubballi were included in the present study. Mean age of presentation was 34.5 years. Detailed history and physical examination were recorded. Relevant investigations like ASU and MCU were performed and recorded. These patients were treated by various surgical procedures considered appropriate as per the patient individual needs.Results: Mean age was 34.5 years in the present study. Most of the patients presented with obstructive voiding symptoms, straining (65.1%) and poor stream (56.4%). Majority of strictures were of traumatic etiology (60.8%) followed by inflammatory (34.7%) and iatrogenic strictures (4.3%) in the present study. Bulbar urethra was the most commonly involved site (65.1%) followed by posterior urethra (30.4%), penile urethra (17.4%) and meatal stricture (4.3%). Most of the patients presenting with retention of urine were managed by SPC. Both VIU and urethroplasty had good success rates of 72.7% and 80% respectively.Conclusions: Most of the strictures were of traumatic etiology. VIU and urethroplasty were found to be effective means of treating urethral strictures.
Raised incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis among females in 2nd, 3rd and 4th decades: a randomized study
Authors: V. K. Rajan
Published: March 2019

Background: Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), a mutual organ specific autoimmune disorder is seen mostly in women between 30-50 years of age. The rationale behind the study is to determine increased incidences of auto immune thyroiditis. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis and thyroid dysfunction in healthy females with no previously known thyroid disease, in an urban area.Methods: The study was conducted on female volunteers with no known thyroid disease. 370 subjects among the hospital’s medical and administration personnel were recruited. All underwent thyroid ultrasound (US) and thyroid anti-peroxidase (TPOAb) and anti-thyroglobulin (TgAb) antibodies were measured. Hypoechogenicity and thyroid volume were determined by sonography.Results: the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis was 23.2% and 20-30 years were most commonly affected (P = 0.008); when including cases of atrophic thyroid, the frequency decreased to 14.7%.Conclusions: The frequency of autoimmune thyroiditis is clearly elevated in the studied population. Further studies are necessary in order to define the increased incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease.
Doppler study of peripheral blood flow in lower extremity of diabetic patients with or without ischemic symptoms in tertiary centre
Authors: Tripathi Shashank Shekhar , Singh Rahul , Tripathi Ankur , Pandey Himansha
Published: March 2019

Background: Doppler ultrasonic velocity detector which is least expensive and most versatile instrument. This technique is particularly helpful to establish the diagnosis of vascular insufficiency in clinically suspected cases of vascular disease and to predict the therapeutic results and follow up.Methods: The present study was conducted in MLN Medical College and SRN Hospital, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Patients of either sex suffering from diabetes with or without ischemic symptoms, who presented themselves. Study consisted of 50 subjects, which were matched by age, sex and all physical characteristics. Among the 50 subjects, 20 were suffering from diabetes and had ischemic symptoms like intermittent or rest pain and gangrene. Another set of 20 patients in this study group were of diabetes without any ischemic symptoms. Remaining 10 patients were controls i.e., they were comparable in physical characteristics like age, sex, height and weight. They had never smoked neither had any vascular disease.Results: In this study, peak incidence of diabetic foot lesion was 6th decade and about 20% of female patient had foot lesion. In this study, the mean duration of disease in diabetic with ischemic symptoms was 9.6 years, while in asymptomatic group it was 6.9 years. It showed that as duration of disease increases, there is more probability for appearance of ischemic symptoms and foot involvement.Conclusions: In diabetics without ischemic symptoms, most of the doppler wave patterns are triphasic and biphasic, while in diabetics with ischemic symptoms biphasic and monophasic waves are predominantly seen.
Algorithm for Reducing the Number of Forwarding Rules Created by SDN Applications
Authors: Petrov Ivan S.
Published: March 2019

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a network architecture that introduces a physical separation of data-plane from control-plane. It implements a new way of analyzing network statistics through counters installed on forwarding rules. These counters measure the number of packets processed by these rules and represent per-flow network statistics. In order to get information about the number of packets from different flows SDN applications can install additional forwarding rules, sole purpose of which is to count packets with specific headers. But in order to produce a full network statistics analysis these applications may install a large amount of forwarding rules thus limiting the space in the forwarding table for other applications. So we need algorithms to minimize the number of such rules. In this paper, we consider the problem of minimizing the number of forwarding rules installed on SDN switches by applications that analyze network statistics. We introduce a heuristic algorithm that creates a reduced representation for sets of rules installed in the network. The experimental results show that this algorithm reduces the number of rules by at least 2.2 times on uniformly distributed random input.
An Approach to the Construction of a Network Processing Unit
Authors: Bezzubtsev Stanislav O. , Vasin Vyacheslav V. , Volkanov Dmitry Yu. , Zhailauova Shynar R. , Miroshnik Vladislav A. , Skobtsova Yuliya A. , Smeliansky Ruslan L.
Published: March 2019

The paper proposes the architecture and basic requirements for a network processor for OpenFlow switches of software-defined networks. An analysis of the architectures of well-known network processors is presented − NP-5 from EZchip (now Mellanox) and Tofino from Barefoot Networks. The advantages and disadvantages of two different versions of network processor architectures are considered: pipeline-based architecture, the stages of which are represented by a set of general-purpose processor cores, and pipeline-based architecture whose stages correspond to cores specialized for specific packet processing operations. Based on a dedicated set of the most common use case scenarios, a new architecture of the network processor unit (NPU) with functionally specialized pipeline stages was proposed. The article presents a description of the simulation model of the NPU of the proposed architecture. The simulation model of the network processor is implemented in C ++ languages using SystemC, the open-source C++ library. For the functional testing of the obtained NPU model, the described use case scenarios were implemented in C. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed NPU architecture a set of software products developed by KM211 company and the KMX32 family of microcontrollers were used. Evaluation of NPU performance was made on the basis of a simulation model. Estimates of the processing time of one packet and the average throughput of the NPU model for each scenario are obtained.
Shared Virtual Function Orchestration Technique
Authors: Antonenko Vitaly A. , Smeliansky Ruslan L. , Plakunov Artem V. , Mikheev Pavel A.
Published: March 2019

Network function virtualization (NFV) is a promising technique of high quality, flexible and scalable service for telecommunication companies clients and for enterprise data center clients. One of the important capabilities of this technique is providing a virtual service as a combination of multiple virtual functions. There are two types of virtual functions: those intended for a single customer (su-VF) and those that can serve multiple users (mu-VF). In case when output of mu-VF is chained with inputs of several different su-VFs, there is a need for a mechanism of identification and separation of users network flows passing through mu-VF to allocate them correctly between inputs of su-VFs in the NFV infrastructure. In the cloud environment, it is not always possible to use VLAN tags, IP and MAC addresses for that. In this paper, we consider the problem of identification of network traffic coming from a certain user inside an NFV platform and present a solution implemented in C2 MANO-platform.
Development and Study of Algorithms for the Formation of Rules for Network Security Nodes in the Multi-Cloud Platform
Authors: Parfenov Denis I. , Bolodurina Irina P. , Torchin Vadim A.
Published: March 2019

As part of the study, existing solutions aimed at ensuring the security of the network perimeter of the multi-cloud platform were considered. It is established that the most acute problem is the effective formation of rules on firewalls. Existing approaches do not allow optimizing the list of rules on nodes that control access to the network. The aim of the study is to increase the effectiveness of firewall tools by conflict-free optimization of security rules and the use of a neural network approach in software-defined networks. The proposed solution is based on the sharing of intelligent mathematical approaches and modern technologies of virtualization of network functions. In the course of experimental studies, a comparative analysis of the traditional means of rule formation, the neural network approach, and the genetic algorithm was carried out. It is recommended to use the multilayer perceptron neural network classifier for automatic construction of network security rules since it gives the best results in terms of performance. It is also recommended to reduce the size of the firewall security rule list using the Kohonen network, as this tool shows the best performance. A conflict-free optimization algorithm was introduced into the designed architecture, which produces finite optimization by ranking and deriving the most common exceptions from large restrictive rules, which allows increasing protection against attacks that are aimed at identifying security rules at the bottom of the firewall list. On the basis of the proposed solution, the adaptive firewall module was implemented as part of the research.
Much Library and Information Science Research on Open Access is Available in Open Access, But There Is Still Room to Grow
Authors: Scott Rachel Elizabeth
Published: March 2019

A Review of:
Chilimo, W. L., & Onyancha, O. B. (2018). How open is open access research in library and information science? South African Journal of Libraries & Information Science, 84(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.7553/84-1-1710
Abstract
Objective – To investigate the open access (OA) availability of Library and Information Science (LIS) research on the topic of OA, the relative openness of the journals in which this research is published, and the degree to which the OA policies of LIS journals facilitate free access.
Design – Bibliometric, quantitative dataset analysis.
Setting – African academic library and information science department.
Subjects – 1,185 English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between 2003 and 2013 on OA and published in journals indexed by three major LIS databases, of which 909 articles in the top 56 journals received further analysis.
Methods – Authors first searched LIS indexes to compile a dataset of published articles focusing on OA. They then manually identified and evaluated the OA policies of the top 56 journals in which these articles were found. The openness of these journals was scored according to a rubric modified from the Scholarly Publishing and Academic resources Coalition’s (SPARC’s) 2013 OA spectrum. Finally, authors manually searched Google Scholar to determine the OA availability of the articles from the dataset.
Main Results – Of the 909 articles published in the top 56 journals, 602 were available in some form of OA. Of these, 431 were available as gold copies and 171 were available as green copies. Of the 56 journals evaluated for openness, 13 were considered OA, 3 delayed OA, 27 hybrid/unconditional post-print, 2 hybrid/conditional post-print, and 11 had unrecognized OA policies.
Conclusion – The increasing amount and significance of LIS research on OA has not directly translated to the comprehensive adoption of OA publishing. Although a majority of the articles in the dataset were available in OA, the authors indicate that some measures of OA adoption and growth assessed in this study are only somewhat higher than in other disciplines. The authors call upon LIS professionals to become more conversant with journals’ OA policies. An acknowledgement that not all LIS scholars researching OA are necessarily advocates thereof led the authors of this study to recommend further investigation of OA research not available in OA to shed light on those scholars’ perceptions and preferences.
Academies, autonomy, equality and democratic accountability: Reforming the fragmented publicly funded school system in England
Authors: West Anne , Wolfe David
Published: March 2019

This article focuses on the transformative academies policy in England. Based on an analysis of documentary evidence, we argue that the policy has resulted in the fragmentation of the state-funded school system and stark variation between academies, with those within multi-academy trusts
(MATs) having no legal identity. We examine the variation between funding agreements, the control by central government, the role of MATs and the governance of academies. We propose policy options to improve the current incoherent and fragmented set of provisions, including restoring the legal
identity of schools in MATs and allowing academies if they so wish, to convert to maintained schools.
O trabalho docente no curso de formação da academia da Polícia Civil/SC: memórias das primeiras alunas (1967-1977)
Authors: Casagrande Maria Aparecida , Rabelo Giani
Published: March 2019

O trabalho docente é analisado neste texto através das memórias de oito alunasque frequentaram o curso de formação policial na Academia da Polícia Civil de Santa Catarina – ACADEPOL/SC, na primeira década de sua existência, ou seja: 1967 a 1977. Na Polícia Civil, a presença feminina é recente e respondeu, principalmente, a uma pressão social que decorreu dos movimentos feministas das décadas de 1960, em âmbito internacional e dos anos de 1970, no Brasil. Esses movimentos incentivaram a inserção das mulheres no mercado de trabalho em diversas áreas, entre as quais as forças policiais. A construção teórico-metodológica desta pesquisa circunscreve-se no campo da História da Educação, tendo três conceitos centrais: Gênero, Memória e Cultura Escolar. AHistória Oral foi a principal metodologia empregada para a coleta de dados, permitindo que as alunas se pronunciassem contando suas vivências e ressignificando suas lembranças com relação ao trabalho docente vivenciado à época. Sutis relatos sobre o trabalho docente fizeram parte desse cenário que revelou que algumas alunas entrevistadas já tinham experiências como trabalho docente, deixando vestígios de que, na década estudada, as mulheres foram em busca de novas alternativas de trabalho, como a escolha pela polícia civil. Do mesmo modo, tais depoimentos revelaram que na época pesquisada, na ACADEPOL/SC, o trabalho docente era majoritariamente masculino; uma única professora é rememorada pelas entrevistadas, vezque a hegemonia masculina imperava e ainda impera nas instituições policiais.
Uma análise do trabalho intermitente à luz do direito à inclusão socioeconômica
Authors: Goldschmidt Rodrigo , Reis Beatriz De Felippe
Published: March 2019

O presente artigo discute o contrato de trabalho intermitente, instituído pela Lei nº 13.467/2017, também conhecida como “lei da reforma trabalhista”, sob a ótica do direito à inclusão socioeconômica. Busca-se, baseado em um método dedutivo, pautado na análise crítica da doutrina e da legislação sobre a matéria, associado a uma análise do cenário econômico brasileiro, verificar se o trabalho intermitente efetivamente promove uma inclusão socioeconômica do trabalhador. Ao final, tendo como pano de fundo o trabalho digno, o presente estudo propõe algumas alternativas para a geração de trabalho e renda para o trabalhador brasileiro.Palavras-chave: inclusão socioeconômica. Trabalho digno. Trabalho intermitente.
Patrimônio cultural e turismo: relações entre oferta, geração de empregos e sustentabilidade
Authors: Moser Giancarlo
Published: March 2019

Este artigo explora o potencial do turismo para impactar positivamente na criação de empregos, especialmente sua capacidade de estimular outros setores da economia, especificamente à proposta de uso do Patrimônio Histórico para demonstrar como as pessoas, especialmente das comunidades desfavorecidas, podem participar e se beneficiar da indústria do turismo. O turismo desponta hodiernamente como uma das principais opções adotadas para a dinamização dos espaços do patrimônio histórico e cultural, selecionando, adaptando e comercializando os espaços das áreas urbanas, patrimonializados e utilizados enquanto espaços turísticos, para visitação e contato com a história e a cultura das cidades bem como contribui para o debate teórico e prático para políticas de gestão do patrimônio cultural urbano, para a elaboração de alternativas de modelos de desenvolvimento do turismo e de apropriação desses patrimônios. Os debates e as questões relacionadas ao Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural vêmintroduzindo uma nova realidade e causando diferentes impactos na oferta da atividade turística. O consumo do patrimônio e a mercantilização da cultura, em sentido lato e numa acepção antropológica, ampla e científica, trouxeram uma nova dinâmica ao setor, pelo crescente desejo de se conhecer e compreender aqueles que são os recursos específicos dos destinos turísticos, com a possibilidade de serem transformados em vantagens competitivas.Palavras-chave: Patrimônio Cultural; Turismo e Emprego; Patrimônio e Turismo; Turismo Cultural
Da decisão à vivência da cesariana: a perspectiva da mulher
Authors: Paiva Andyara Do Carmo Pinto Coelho , Reis Paloma Vilela dos , Paiva Luciano Côrtes , Diaz Flávia Batista Barbosa de Sá , Luiz Franciane Silva , Carbogim Fábio Da Costa
Published: March 2019

Objetivo: descrever o processo de decisão da mulher primípara pela via de nascimento, compreendendo a vivência da cesariana pela mesma. Método: trata-se de uma pesquisa do tipo descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. As participantes foram dez puérperas primíparas que vivenciaram a cesariana. Na coleta de dados, utilizou-se a técnica de entrevista aberta com posterior análise temática, aplicando a técnica Laurence Bardin. Resultados: Foram levantadas duas categorias: A decisão pela via de nascimento e o momento da cesariana. Na primeira, foi possível perceber que a maioria das mulheres já chega ao consultório decidida sobre a via de nascimento, no entanto, nem todas conseguiram prosseguir com a escolha inicial. Na segunda, retrata-se como foi vivenciar a cesariana, estando a mulher amparada pelos entes queridos e apoiada pelos profissionais de saúde. Conclusão: Ressalta-se a importância de a equipe de saúde atuar efetivamente no compartilhamento de informações e na construção do vínculo, desde o pré-natal até o puerpério, em que a mulher exerce o real protagonismo do parto.
HOW TO EVALUATE A PROGRAM WRITTEN BY CHILDREN: A PROGRAM EVALUATION SUPPORT TOOL FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Authors:   Faculty of Engineering, Takushoku University, Tokyo, Japan, Fukunaga Rie , Sasaki Hitoshi ,   Faculty of Engineering, Takushoku University, Tokyo, Japan, Hanis Ilyani Binti Mazlan Nur ,   Faculty of Engineering, Takushoku University, Tokyo, Japan
Published: March 2019

Programming education will be an obligation at primary school in Japan starting in 2020. This leads elementary school teachers evaluate programs that are created by the students. However, a clear standard of evaluation which is necessary for teachers as an evaluation guidance has not been stipulated yet. The programming obligation will surely give a big burden to the them. Therefore, we are developing an application that support program evaluation, which can support teachers in evaluating programs created by children and enable to connect with the future guidance.A Program created by the children using Scratch will be read as an image and analyzed according to the evaluation item using template matching. By presenting materials to support evaluation using an application to the teachers, it can reduce their burden. In addition, by converting the results into data, it is easier to judge whether or not the children understand the content of the lesson, the teachers can respond to the children who cannot follow the class at an early stage.
LİDER DAVRANIŞ ÖZELLİKLERİNİN ÖRGÜTSEL BAĞLILIK ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ - THE EFFECT OF LEADER BEHAVIOR CHARACTERISTICS ON ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
Authors: Demirağ Bülent , Çelik Mazlum
Published: March 2019

Bu çalışmanın gerçekleştirilmesindeki amaç, lider davranış özelliklerinin çalışanların örgütsel bağlılık seviyelerine etkisini araştırmaktır. Bu amaçla Gaziantep’te faaliyet gösteren otel işletmelerinden anket yoluyla 398 veri toplanmıştır. Yapılan regresyon analizleri sonucunda, lider davranış özelliklerinin örgütsel bağlılık üzerinde üzerinde etkisi olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Ayrıca, lider davranış özelliklerinden üretim odaklı liderlik davranışlarının çalışanların duygusal bağlılık düzeylerini ve normatif bağlılık düzeylerini pozitif ve anlamlı etkilediği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Çalışan odaklı ve değişim odaklı liderlik davranışlarının ise örgütsel bağlılık boyutlarından devamlılık bağlılık boyutu üzerinde pozitif anlamlı etkisi olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara dayanılarak araştırmacı ve uygulayıcılara tavsiyelerde bulunulmuştur.
TÜRKİYE’DEKİ BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYELERİNİN İÇ KONTROL SİSTEMLERİNİN KAMU İÇ KONTROL STANDARTLARINA UYUM DURUMLARININ ARAŞTIRILMASI - THE RESEARCH OF COMPLIANCE STATUS OFMETROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITIES’INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS IN TURKEY TO THE PUBLIC INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS
Authors: ÇEVİK Osman , AĞMAZ Süleyman
Published: March 2019

İç kontrol sistemi, kurumların amaçları doğrultusunda belirledikleri hedeflere ulaşmalarına engel olabilecek riskleri en aza indirerek kurum yönetimine; mevzuata uygun etkili, ekonomik ve verimli bir şekilde faaliyet gösterildiği, varlık ve kaynakların uygun bir şekilde yönetildiği; düzenli, zamanında ve güvenilir bilgi ve raporlar üretildiği gibi hususlarda makul güvence sağlayan, kurumun tüm çalışanları tarafından hayata geçirilen mali ve mali olmayan bütün yöntem ve süreçleri içeren bütüncül bir yönetim aracıdır. Önemli miktarda kamu kaynağı kullanarak pek çok farklı alanda yerel hizmet sunan belediyelerin, başarılı bir şekilde yönetilebilmeleri ve hedeflerine ulaşabilmelerinde etkin bir şekilde işleyen iç kontrol sistemi yönetimin en önemli yardımcısı olacaktır.

Bu çalışmanın amacı; Türkiye’deki belediyelerin iç kontrol sistemlerinin kamu iç kontrol standartlarına mevcut uyum durumlarınınbelirlenerek iç kontrol sistemlerinin eksik yönlerinin giderilmesi ve tüm belediyelerde etkin olarak faaliyet gösteren iç kontrol sistemlerinin kurulmasına katkı sağlamaktır. ÇalışmadaTürkiye’deki büyükşehir belediyelerinin kamu iç kontrol standartları uyum eylem planları analiz edilerek büyükşehir belediyelerinin iç kontrol sistemlerinin kamu iç kontrol standartlarına genel uyum durumu araştırılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda, büyükşehir belediyelerinin iç kontrol sistemlerinin kamu iç kontrol standartlarına uyumlarının istenilen düzeyde olmadığı, özellikle de iç kontrol sisteminin temelini teşkil eden risk değerlendirme ve kontrol faaliyetleri unsurlarına uyum düzeylerinin oldukça düşük olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
Approximations of Shannon Mutual Information for Discrete Variables with Applications to Neural Population Coding
Authors: Huang Wentao , Zhang Kechen
Published: March 2019

Although Shannon mutual information has been widely used, its effective calculation is often difficult for many practical problems, including those in neural population coding. Asymptotic formulas based on Fisher information sometimes provide accurate approximations to the mutual information but this approach is restricted to continuous variables because the calculation of Fisher information requires derivatives with respect to the encoded variables. In this paper, we consider information-theoretic bounds and approximations of the mutual information based on Kullback--Leibler divergence and Rényi divergence. We propose several information metrics to approximate Shannon mutual information in the context of neural population coding. While our asymptotic formulas all work for discrete variables, one of them has consistent performance and high accuracy regardless of whether the encoded variables are discrete or continuous. We performed numerical simulations and confirmed that our approximation formulas were highly accurate for approximating the mutual information between the stimuli and the responses of a large neural population. These approximation formulas may potentially bring convenience to the applications of information theory to many practical and theoretical problems.
Development of a Pattern Recognition Methodology with Thermography and Implementation in an Experimental Study of a Boiler for a WHRS-ORC
Authors: Paz Concepción , Suarez Eduardo , Concheiro Miguel , Diaz Antonio
Published: March 2019

Waste heat dissipated in the exhaust system in a combustion engine represents a major source of energy to be recovered and converted into useful work. A waste heat recovery system (WHRS) based on an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a promising approach, and has gained interest in the last few years in an automotive industry interested in reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Understanding the thermodynamic response of the boiler employed in an ORC plays an important role in steam cycle performance prediction and control system design. The aim of this study is therefore to present a methodology to study these devices by means of pattern recognition with infrared thermography. In addition, the experimental test bench and its operating conditions are described. The methodology proposed identifies the wall coordinates, traces paths, and tracks wall temperature along them in a way that can be exported for subsequent post-processing and analysis. As for the results, through the wall temperature paths on both sides (exhaust gas and working fluid) it was possible to quantitatively estimate the temperature evolution along the boiler and, in particular, the beginning and end of evaporation.
Signalling of Rhizosphere Micobiomes: Benign and Malign Borders
Authors: Mondal Subhoshmita , Baksi Sibasish
Published: March 2019

Signalling is a strongly influenced area trending to be applied in almost every focus of biological sciences. The part of signalling or communication from cellular level to a whole organism including plant as well as animal drags a vast diversity of wealthy structural compounds. There is immense demand for new bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical, agro and food industries. Plant-associated microbes present an attractive and promising source. The concept of the microbiome and the significance it has to host health, diseases state, and the role of immune have been the hub of research that has led to advances in our understanding of the massive power of the small unseen majority of the microbes (Peterson Andrew H., 2013). Before we say about microbiome—plant relation, it is important to first understand the working concept of the microbiome. Every organism on earth counts on their neighbours to sustain life. Microbiome can be considered a community of microorgasims who can prove to be loveable and hateful. The analysis of microbiome structure and function was protagonise in studies of human hosts and has been extensively documented as essential to genetic and functional capacity attributed to the host, comprehending aspects of metabolism and physiology. Plants are crowded with microbial organisms, counting those that colonize internal tissues, also those that adhere to external surfaces. The wide diversity of microorganisms in the soil rhizosphere is collectively plant–soil-associated microbes cover the plant microbiome. The intricate involvement of microbiome serves to plant health and as a tank of additional genes that plants can access when needed.
Anesthetic management of gigantic pheochromocytoma resection with inferior vena cava and right atrium tumor thrombosis: A case report
Authors: Chen Jingli , Liu Caihua , Liu Chang , Fu Quanyuan , Peng Dingwei , Ren Linyun , Yan Hong
Published: March 2019

Background: This report describes one case of anesthetic management about surgical resection of a malignant phaeochromocytoma with tumor extension into vena cava and right atrium in a patient. Report for anesthetic management is limited in these patients under surgical resection until now. Case presentation: In September 2015, a 24-year-old male presented to the department of cardiology with right flank pain and hypertensive urgency in our hospital. Contrast-enhanced CT abdomen and MRI abdomen revealed a mass phaeochromocytoma in right adrenal, which invaded the right inferior vena cava（IVC）wall along with IVC thrombus. Echocardiography shown no abnormal detection. Finally, this patient gave up the surgical resection of phaeochromocytoma and chose the expectant treatment. In April 2018, this patient once again presented to the emergence department in our hospital, he had experienced persistent cough and intermittent wheezing for 5 hour. Contrast-enhanced CT and echocardiography shown existing IVC thrombus had extended into the right atrium. After the careful preoperative preparation, adrenalectomy with complete thrombus excision by inferior vena cava exploration and right atriotomy were performed successfully by a multidisciplinary team. After one month post-operation care, this patient healthily left our hospital. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the occurrence of pheochromocytoma with IVC and right atrium thrombosis has not been reported in mainland China so far. This clinical case may supply a rare reference experience for surgical treatment and anesthetic management in the group of phaeochromocytoma patient with distance vascular extension.
PREST: Pain REduction with bone metastases STereotactic radiotherapy: A phase III randomized multicentric trial
Authors: Cellini Francesco , Manfrida Stefania , Deodato Francesco , Cilla Savino , Maranzano Ernesto , Pergolizzi Stefano , Arcidiacono Fabio , Franco Rossella Di , Pastore Francesco , Donati Costanza , Siepe Giambattista , Parisi Salvatore , Salatino Antonia , D'Agostino Antonino , Montesi Giampaolo , Santacaterina Anna , Fusco Vincenzo , Santarelli Mario , Morganti Alessio Giuseppe , Masiello Valeria , Muto Paolo , Valentini Vincenzo
Published: March 2019

Background

Palliative antalgic treatments represent an issue for clinical management and a challenge for scientific research. Radiotherapy (RT) plays a central role. Techniques such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) were largely investigated in several phase 2 studies with good symptom response, becoming widely adopted. Still is lacking evidence from randomized, direct comparison of RT and SBRT.

Methods/Design

The PREST trial was designed as an interventional study without medicinal, randomized 1:1, open-label, multicentric, phase 3. Inclusion criteria: painful spinal bone metastases presenting pain level >4 (or >1 if assuming analgesic) at numeric rating scale (NRS); expected intermediate/high prognosis (superior to 6 months) according to the Mizumoto prognostic score; low spine instability neoplastic score (SINS) sores (<7); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment of the bulky lesion. Patients will be assigned to either standard conventional radiotherapy administering 4 Gy x5 fractions (fx) to whole involved vertebra or SBRT by intensity modulated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) administering 7 Gy x3 fx (to the whole involved vertebra) + 10 Gy x3 fx on the macroscopic disease (Gross Tumor Volume -GTV). In the experimental arm, the GTV will be contoured by registration with baseline MRI.

Discussion

Primary endpoint is overall pain reduction, defined in term of variation between baseline and 1-month evaluation; pain will be measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score. Secondary endpoints include: pain control duration; retreatment rates (after a minimum interval of 1 month); local control assessed with RECIST Criteria; symptom progression free survival; progression free survival; overall survival and quality of life (at 0, 30 and 90 days). Accrual of 330 lesions is planned. Experimental arm is expected to improve overall pain response rates of 15% respect to standard arm (60% according to Chow et al 2012).
Barriers to epilepsy care in central Uganda, a qualitative interview and focus group study involving PLWE and their caregivers
Authors: Kaddumukasa Mark , Nalubwama Haddy , Kaddumukasa Martin N , Lhatoo Samden , Sewankambo Nelson , Katabira Elly , Sajatovic Martha , Blixen Carol
Published: March 2019

Background

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease with substantial impact on the subject and their caretakers. This exploratory study identified barriers to care for persons living with epilepsy (PLWE) to develop a culturally acceptable nurse led self-management intervention for PLWE previously developed in the United States.

Methods

The study involving 48 participants (31 PLWE and 17 caregivers) with in depth interviews and focus groups was conducted. We obtained insights into barriers to care in PLWE and their caregivers. Using a thematic analytic procedure emphasizing the dominant themes the qualitative responses were analyzed. Median age of PLWE was 24 years (IQR 19–30), and10 (52.6%) were male. The median age of epilepsy onset was 12 years (IQR 6 – 18), range of 1 -37 years. The median age of caregivers was 50 years (IQR 45 – 50.5), with a range of 18 -78 years. Seventy five percent of caregivers (6/8) were females.

Results

Three major areas of perceived barriers involving individual, family or community and provider and healthcare system barriers to epilepsy care emerged. Individual factors like limited epilepsy knowledge and medication non-adherence were reported to be key barriers to epilepsy care. Caregiver burden and lack of family support as well as poor health care access were identified from the family and health care systems.

Conclusions

The main barrier to epilepsy care is limited epilepsy knowledge in PLWE and their caregivers. Improving epilepsy care awareness and knowledge within communities and appropriate health care provider service for epilepsy would help reduce epilepsy barriers and improve care.
Severe carbamazepine-induced drug reaction and whole genome analysis: case report
Authors: Yang Hua , Li Jiangxia , Zhang Qinqin , Li Yafeng , Wang Min , Chang Qiaoqiao , Liu Yi , Hu Fengyun , Wei Hongen
Published: March 2019

Background

Carbamazepine is an important treatment for epileptic disorders, bipolar disorder and trigeminal neuralgia. However, some patients would suffer from cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) after taking it. At present, the carbamazepine-induced drug reaction has a great relationship with genetic diversity. The present study reported a patient who presented with rash after starting carbamazepine, and a whole genome analysis was reported.

Case presentation

A 17-year-old girl was transferred to our Neurology Department with symptoms of painful neck and seizures. Skull computerized tomography (CT) revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage. Electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed sharp waves, spikes slow waves and sharp slow waves. The clinical diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage and symptomatic epilepsy were made through a series of inspections. Carbamazepine was administered. The patient presented with rash at six days after starting carbamazepine, and presented with a striking clinical drug reaction. Hence, a whole genome analysis was carried out. And the Met1080Val mutation was found in the SCN4A gene (SCN4A: c.3238T>C|p.Met1080Val).

Discussion

The result revealed that the mutation of Met1080Val in the SCN4A gene was associated with the carbamazepine-induced drug reaction. However, this conclusion needs to be confirmed by a large number of clinical data and related functional mechanisms.
Struktur dan Sistem Sosial pada Aras Wacana dan Praksis
Authors: Kusmanto Thohir Yuli , Elizabeth Misbah Zulfa
Published: March 2019

The social phenomenon that became the focus of sociology has diversity in the aspects of social life of society both as a real and practical reality as well as abstract and utopian reality. The reality is static and moves dynamically inherent in social processes in the daily life of social setting. The social process shapes reality as part of the past takes place today and becomes a hope for the future. Among the social phenomena that become part of the fundamental study of sociology are structure and social system. Social structure is a process of social interaction that lasts a long time, regularly and form a pattern. The social system is a functional social interaction of a set of elements in a group or society to defend the boundaries or unity of its parts. Both in this context are interesting to explain the process of its formation, relationships, functions, traits and changes in discourse and praxis. Applying literature study this article will explore the processes of formation, relationships, functions, traits, and changes of social structure and social system in discourse and praxis. The effort is important to strengthen the sociology repertoire on the macro and abstract level.
Jaringan dan Sistem Sosial dalam Distribusi Komoditas Pertanian Lahan Kering
Authors: Husain Fadly , Gunawan Gunawan , Arsal Thriwaty , Luthfi Asma , Rini Hartati Sulistyo
Published: March 2019

Farming systems in the highlands have special typologies, as the development of dryland farming systems in the form of “tegalan” or gardens. This farming system also exists in several regions in Central Java. The aim of the study is to understand the distribution network system of local commodities (coffee, cocoa, and sugar palm at the local level). This study used qualitative research methods. The subjects in this study were the community (farmers) in Medono Village, Boja District, Kendal Regency. The results showed that the coffee and palm sugar distribution network system is carried out by collectors who come from local people and vendors or entrepreneurs from outside the village.
Integrasi Budaya, Pendidikan, dan Politik dalam Dakwah Nahdlatul Wathan (NW) di Lombok: Kajian Biografi TGH. Zainuddin Abdul Madjid
Authors: Hamdi Saipul
Published: March 2019

Nahdlatul Wathan (NW) is a national religious organization that established in Lombok by Tuan Guru Haji (TGH) Muhammad Zainuddin Abdul Madjid in 1953. Although NW is the minority group in the context of national level compare to Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah organization, but it has become the majority religious group in Lombok and noted as the most powerful and successful organization in term of religious da’wa development, education and politic. Since 1937-2018 NW has 1600 branches of madrasah and majlis ta’lim spread out all around Indonesian archipelago, including in the capital city of Indonesia Jakarta. In 2008-2018 NW took over the political authority when its leader TGH. Muhammad Zainul Majdi inaugurated as the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara province for two periods. In doing so, this article examines the way the founder of NW has carried NW into the highest achievement, especially the way TGH. Zainuddin integrates the cultural aspects such as local symbol, art, education, and politic in Nahdlatul Wathan’s da’wa activities. This research is qualitative research that data based on references. Most data are from the works of TGH. Zainuddin and any kinds of literature that especially related to him and NW.
Low-Cost Pollution Control with a Ditch-Oriented Modified Brush Aeration System
Authors: Schmidtke N.W.
Published: March 2019

The biological oxidation of wastes amenable to bio-oxidation in Brush Aeration Systems dates back to the late 1920's with the development of the Kessener Brush and its use in activated sludge plants.
A Validated LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of Trigonelline in Marketed Dietary Supplements
Authors: Kowmudi Gullapalli , Nagappan Krishnaveni , Anoop Karthika , Sailaja Mukkamala , S. T. Narenderan
Published: March 2019

Background:

Fenugreek seeds are employed in many traditional systems as an antibacterial,
antidiabetic agent, gastric stimulant, and also for anti-invasive activity. Therefore, it is a suitable bioactive
marker to establish the quality of crude drug and its formulations.

Methods:

A rapid, simple and sensitive LC-MS/MS analytical method was developed and validated for
the determination of trigonelline extracted from Trigonella foenum-graecum (L.) (Fenugreek) and marketed
dietary supplements using Etofylline as an internal standard. The objective of the present study is
to quantify Trigonelline extracted from Trigonella foenum graecum L. (fenugreek) and marketed dietary
supplements. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax C18 column (50mm x 4.6mm i.d,
5μ particle size). The samples were eluted using 0.1% Formic acid in water: Methanol (20:80%v/v) at a
flow rate of 0.5ml/min with a runtime of 5 min. The eluents were monitored using a tandem mass spectrometer
equipped with an electro spray ionization source in positive mode.

Results:

The analysis was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by quantifying the
ion transitions from m/z 138.0→92.5 (Trigonelline) and m/z 225.0→180.90 (IS). The developed method
was linear over the concentration range 5-50 ng/mL. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 1.0 ng/mL
and 10.0 ng/mL, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r2) was found to be ≥0.998 for Trigonelline.

Conclusion:

The proposed validated LC-MS/MS method offers a sensitive quantification of trigonelline in
Trigonella foenum graecum L. (fenugreek) and marketed dietary supplements containing fenugreek seeds.
Performance Analysis of Sensor-based and Sensorless Methods for PMSM Drive
Authors: Singh Shweta , Tiwari A.N. , Singh Sri N.
Published: March 2019

Objective:

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drives require speed/position
information for the efficient performance of industrial applications.

Methods:

A sensor-based method utilizes sensors for extracting this information which increases
weight, size, and cost of the drive system, whereas the sensorless method utilizes model-based estimators
which depend on motor parameters. Thus, the performance degrades due to the parameter
variations. Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS), a robust estimation technique has been
implemented for speed/position estimation.

Conclusion:

In this paper, sensor-based and sensorless methods have been studied and the performance
has been compared in four operating environments of speed and torque values. The comparative
results of both methods have been shown in the MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Young adults’ perceptions of using wearables, social media and other technologies to detect worsening mental health: A qualitative study (Preprint)
Authors: Dewa Lindsay , Lavelle Mary , Pickles Katy , Kalorkoti Caroline , Jaques Jack , Pappa Sofia , Aylin Paul
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Technological interventions may help support and improve our mental health. Yet young peoples’ perspectives on using different technologies to detect deteriorating mental health in those already diagnosed with a mental health condition is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the perspectives of young patients on the feasibility and acceptability of using wearables, social media and technologies to detect mental health deterioration

METHODS

The study was co-produced with young adults with past mental health difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults with mental health difficulties and data was triangulated. Themes were finalised and presented in a thematic map.

RESULTS

Sixteen participants were interviewed (81% female). Wearables and mobile apps were considered acceptable and feasible to detect mental health deterioration in real-time if they could measure changes in sleep patterns, mood or activity levels as signs of deterioration. Getting help earlier was deemed essential particularly in reference to dissatisfaction with the current non-technological mental health services. However, patients identified issues to consider before implementation including viability, safeguarding and patient preference.

CONCLUSIONS

Wearables and mobile apps could be viable technological options to help detect deterioration in young people to intervene early and avoid delay in accessing mental health services. However immediate action following detection is required for the patient to trust and use the intervention.