bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Capsulotomy Shape on Intraocular Light-Scattering after Nd:YAG Laser Capsulotomy
Authors: Li Jun , Yu Zhe , Song Hui
Published: March 2020

Purpose. To investigate the effects of capsulotomy shape on the visual acuity and visual quality after neodymium: yttrium aluminum garnet laser capsulotomy. Methods. In this study, a total of 42 eyes from 35 patients with posterior capsule opacification were divided into the circular and cruciate groups. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), objective scatter index (OSI), modulation transfer function cutoff (MTF cutoff), Strehl ratio, and Optical Quality Analysis System values at contrasts of 100%, 20%, and 9% (OV-100, OV-20, and OV-9) were measured at precapsulotomy and 1 week and 1 month postcapsulotomy. The pseudophakic dysphotopsia questionnaire (PDQ) was used to evaluate the subjects’ satisfaction with treatment. Results. OSI values were significantly higher in the cruciate group than in the circular group at 1 week and 1 month after capsulotomy (P=0.013 and P<0.001). No significant difference was found in the OSI values between the two groups before capsulotomy (t = 0.52; P=0.61). The decrease in OSI was higher in the circular group than in the cruciate group at 1 week and 1 month after capsulotomy (P=0.036 and P=0.019). No significant differences were found in the Strehl ratio, MTF cutoff, CDVA, OV-100, OV-20, and OV-9 between the two groups at 1 week and 1 month after capsulotomy (P>0.05). The PDQ results showed that patients with circular-shaped capsulotomy complained less with intolerance of bright lights than those with cruciate-shaped capsulotomy. Conclusions. Circular-shaped capsulotomy can induce less intraocular light scattering and increase patient satisfaction.
Quality of Life (QoL) and Psychosocial Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Unilateral Retinoblastoma (RB) in China
Authors: Feng Yiyi , Zhou Chuandi , Jia Renbing , Wang Yefei , Fan Xianqun
Published: March 2020

Purpose. To assess the quality of life (QoL) and the long-term psychosocial outcomes in adult survivors of unilateral retinoblastoma (RB). Methods. This is a cross-sectional study. Enrolment was offered to all adult survivors of unilateral RB who were treated by enucleation and were followed up in the Ninth People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; noncancer healthy adults served as a control group. All participants completed a series of questionnaires consisting of two aspects, QoL and psychosocial status. The psychosocial outcomes included anxiety, depression, fear of cancer, and satisfaction with facial appearance. Results. A total of 66 RB survivors (43.0% male) and 66 healthy adults (33.3% male) were aged 27.94 ± 7.63 and 29.18 ± 8.37 at the time of the study, respectively. Adult RB survivors did not have significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with the control group, and they experienced a relatively good QoL. RB survivors were more likely to worry about their facial appearance (median, 1.59 [inter-quartile range, IQR, 1.27 to 2.16] v median, 0.36 [IQR, 0.09 to 1.18]; p<0.001). Radiotherapy was not the factor affecting satisfaction with facial appearance (β, −0.27 [confidence interval, CI, −0.69 to 0.16]; p=0.214). Females were more likely to be influenced by the disease (mean, 29.59 ± 8.89 v mean, 24.37 ± 6.92; p=0.031) and worry about their appearance (mean, 1.88 ± 0.84 v mean, 1.46 ± 0.77; p=0.041). Conclusions. Unilateral RB survivors are a fairly healthy and resilient group. Most unilateral RB survivors experience a relatively good QoL, and they do not have poorer psychosocial functioning compared with a noncancer sample. Females may need more specific psychosocial care.
Thermal Property Studies of In Situ Blended Graphene/Nature Rubber Nanocomposites
Authors: Dong Zhenqiang , Cai Fei , Jiang Zuming , Xu Wanli
Published: March 2020

In this work, graphene/nature rubber (GE/NR) composites with filler content from 0 wt% to 1 wt% were prepared by an in situ reduction process. Thermal properties of the nanocomposites were studied by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and thermogravimetric difference (ΔTG). Composites with higher GE content evidenced stronger thermal stability-enhancing effect. Kinetic analysis showed that the activation energies (Ea) during degradation of composites were always higher than pure NR. However, Ea reached its maximum at 0.1 wt% GE content and started to decrease with further increase in GE loading. The changes in the thermal properties were attributed to the chemical structure and heat transfer properties of graphene sheets.
The Behavioral Mechanism and Forecasting of Beijing Housing Prices from a Multiscale Perspective
Authors: Li Yan , Xiang Zhaoyang , Xiong Tao
Published: March 2020

The first-hand house price in Beijing, the capital of China, has skyrocketed with 43 percent annual growth from 2005 to 2017, exerting tremendous adverse effects on people’s livelihood and the development of real estate. Thus, exploring the behavioral mechanism and accurate forecasts of house prices is a critical element in making decisions under uncertain conditions and is of great practical significance for both participants and policymakers in real estate. According to the complex features of house price, including nonlinear, nonstationary, and multiscale, and considering the remarkable time and frequency discrimination capability of multiscale analysis in dealing with house price problems, we develop an ensemble empirical mode decomposition- (EEMD-) based multiscale analysis paradigm to investigate the behavioral mechanism and then obtain accurate forecasts of house prices. Specifically, the monthly house price in Beijing over the period January 2005 to November 2018 is first decomposed into several different time-scale intrinsic-mode functions (IMFs) and a residual via EEMD, revealing some interesting characteristics in house price volatility. Then, we compose the IMFs and residual into three components caused by normal market disequilibrium, extreme events, and the economic environment using the fine-to-coarse reconstruction algorithm. Finally, we propose an improved hybrid prediction model for forecasting house prices. Our experimental results show that the proposed multiscale analysis paradigm is able to clearly reveal the behavioral mechanism hidden in the original house price. More importantly, the mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) of the proposed EEMD-based hybrid approach are 5.62%, 7.24%, and 8.63% for one-, three-, and six-step-ahead prediction, respectively, consistently lower than the MAPE of the three competitors.
Differentiation ofCandida albicansSpecies Complex by Tobacco Agar Obtained from Different Cigarette Brands Available in Colombia
Authors: Morales-López Soraya E. , Yepes Jayr , Elles Danna C. , Macías Lisahidy , Cañate Abid , Robles Camargo Jorge
Published: March 2020

Introduction. TheCandida albicanscomplex is formed byCandida albicans,Candida dubliniensis, and a biovar ofC. albicansnamedCandida africana.These yeasts are recognized as globally distributed clinical pathogens and share most phenotypic characteristics, which makes their discrimination by conventional methods difficult.Aim. To evaluate the efficacy of different brands of cigarettes in the preparation of tobacco agar, for the differentiation of these related yeasts.Methodology. Tobacco agar was prepared using six brands and four varieties of cigarettes, and 125 clinical isolates previously identified by PCR and Maldi-Tof were used. To determine whether the results of the microbiological tests were associated with similarities in the chemical components of cigarettes, thin-layer chromatography was performed.Results.Candida dubliniensiscolonies presented hue differences according to the incubation temperature and the brand or variety of cigarette used, except in the tobacco agar produced with Marlboro Xpress cigarette, where its differentiation was not possible. The chromatograms showed few differences among apolar and medium polarity extract components.Conclusions. Tobacco agar is a low-cost tool used for the differentiation ofCandida dubliniensis; however, incubation temperature and cigarette brand affect the performance of the media. No relationship was found between the microbiological results and the chemical similarity of the extracts of the cigarettes by chromatography.
Effects of Nano‐SiO2 and SAP on Hydration Process of Early‐Age Cement Paste Using LF‐NMR
Authors: Zhao Haitao , Wan Yi , Xie Jun , Jiang Kaidi , Huang Donghui , Chen Xiaodong , Li Shihai , Jia Ruiming , Sun Gaoyang
Published: March 2020

The effects of nano‐SiO2 and superabsorbent polymer on the hydration process of early‐age cement paste are investigated through the physically bound water evolution test by means of the low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance technology. The test results show that the hydration process can be characterized by four‐stage patterns based on the zero points of the second‐order differential hydration curve, i.e., the initial, accelerated, decelerated, and steady periods. The beginning time of each stage is postponed and the hydration duration is prolonged with an increasing water to cement ratio. The beginning time of each stage and the hydration duration are shortened with an increasing content of nano‐SiO2. And the beginning time of each stage and the hydration duration are prolonged with an increasing content of superabsorbent polymer. Based on the test data and the Avrami–Erofeev model, a modified hydration model taking the influence of nano‐SiO2 and SAP into account is proposed, and the predicted results are consistent with the test results.
The Real‐Time Automated Monitoring System for Lateral Deflection of Underground Structures
Authors: Chen Hang , Liang Huqing , Tang Mengxiong , Jiang Sheng , Hu Hesong
Published: March 2020

The lateral wall deflection is the most intuitive parameter to reveal the stability and safety of underground excavations. The existing automated approaches, such as to serialize dozens of inclinometers along casing pipes, are too expensive to be applied in most common projects. To guarantee stable automation and lower the costs, a novel system based on strain measurement is proposed in this paper to achieve real‐time automated monitoring of underground excavations. The specially designed components are highlighted to benefit the mass industrial production and rapid in situ assembly. By theoretical comparisons, the accuracy and resolution performance of the proposed strategy are demonstrated to be better than those of the traditional manual method. The applicability of the mentioned system was verified by an engineering case, from which it was demonstrated that the proposed system works well to predict the lateral wall deflection of underground excavations. The sensitivity of the monitored results to the boundary conditions is also carefully discussed. The designed system has broad application prospects to provide timely data for safety assessment to prevent the unexpected failure of underground excavation as well as other engineering structures with dangerous lateral deflection or movement.
Lumbar Radiculitis as a Complication of Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis: A Differential Diagnosis of Low Back Pain and Nerve Root Compression
Authors: Kingston Craig , Zech Günther , Pauli Caroline , Walker Ulrich
Published: March 2020

Serious adverse reactions following immunisation with adult tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccines are rare, but when they occur, they most frequently involve the nervous system. We present a case of a female patient who developed a sensory and motor L4 monoradiculopathy following self-injection of an inactivated vaccine against TBE in the ipsilateral quadriceps muscle. The motor and sensory L4 dysfunction vanished after 12 months. TBE vaccine-induced radiculopathy should be considered as a mimic of spinal root compression.
In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Observation of Cell and Nerve Density in Different Corneal Regions with Monocular Pterygium
Authors: Shen Yun-Zhi , Xu Mi , Sun Song
Published: March 2020

Purpose. To investigate the effects of pterygium on corneal cell and nerve density in patients with unilateral pterygium using in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 24 patients with unilateral pterygium who were treated in the Department of Ophthalmology of the Second People’s Hospital of Wuxi City from April 2018 to July 2018 were analyzed. Each eye with pterygium and its fellow eye were imaged by LSCM. The density of basal corneal epithelial cells, anterior stromal cells, posterior stromal cells, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells in pterygium and adjacent clear cornea was measured. In the fellow eyes, the central cornea, nasal cornea, nasal mid-peripheral cornea, and temporal cornea were imaged. The difference in the density of cells and subepithelial nerve fibers in different corneal regions of eyes with pterygium was analyzed. The cell and nerve density of the fellow cornea were also measured to exclude the influencing factors. Results. The density of corneal basal epithelial cells in the central corneas of eyes with pterygium was 6497 ± 1776 cells/mm2, which was higher than that in the area near the head of pterygium (5580 ± 1294 cells/mm2, P<0.001), the region above pterygium (6097 ± 1281 cells/mm2, P=0.049), and the region below pterygium (5463 ± 1007 cells/mm2, P=0.001). The density of anterior stromal cells in the central cornea was 742 ± 243 cells/mm2, which was higher than that in the area near the head of pterygium (587 ± 189 cells/mm2, P=0.005), the region below pterygium (492 ± 159 cells/mm2, P=0.005), and the temporal cornea (574 ± 164 cells/mm2, P=0.003). The density of endothelial cells in the central cornea was 2398 ± 260 cells/mm2, which was higher than that in the area near the head of pterygium (2296 ± 231 cells/mm2, P=0.011) and the region below pterygium (2272 ± 400 cells/mm2, P=0.020). The density of dendritic cells in the central cornea was 53 ± 48 cells/mm2, which was lower than that in the area near the head of pterygium (250 ± 224 cells/mm2, P=0.001), the upper region (103 ± 47 cells/mm2, P=0.006), and the lower region (90 ± 48 cells/mm2, P=0.023). The corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL) in the center was higher than that in the area near the head of pterygium, the upper region, and the lower region. Compared with fellow eyes, eyes with pterygium had a significantly higher mean corneal power (KM) (P<0.001). There was a significant positive linear relationship between the corneal area invaded by pterygium of pterygia and KM (r = 0.609, P=0.009). Conclusion. Basal epithelial cells, stromal cells, endothelial cells, dendritic cells, and subepithelial nerve fibers in the central cornea of eyes with pterygium were different from those of pterygium and adjacent clear cornea. LSCM is effective for observing the morphology and quantity of corneal cells in pterygium.
Comparison between Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy and Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Their Effectiveness in Esophageal Cancer Treatment: A Retrospective Single Institution Study
Authors: Bai Xing-hua , Dang Jun , Chen Zhi-qin , He Zheng , Li Guang
Published: March 2020

Although a large number of influential studies that have been conducted worldwide on locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC) have employed the treatment modality of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), an advanced as well as highly conformal technology known as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has attracted increasing attention from the radiotherapy research community. This is because of the clear advantages of IMRT, including decrease in radiation dose that reaches critical cardiopulmonary organs. These two treatment modalities need to be investigated with regard to their effect on local control rate and patient survival. In addition, related clinical factors also need to be explored. Data from a total of 431 patients with locally advanced EC, who underwent radiation therapy between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013, were included in the present study. Two hundred and ninety-three patients received 3D-CRT, while 138 patients received IMRT. We constructed propensity score matches to make the two groups be comparable (136 patients in 3D-CRT group and 138 patients in IMRT group. Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted to evaluate the endpoint of overall survival (OS). A Cox proportional hazards model was employed to analyze the relationship between the associated factors and the outcomes via univariate and multivariate approaches. The mean follow-up period was 36.2 months, and the median follow-up period was 23 months. For the IMRT group, the median OS was 31 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 70.3%, 50.0%, and 42.8%, respectively, while for the 3D-CRT group, the median OS was 22 months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 63.2%, 41.0%, and 35.4%, respectively (p<0.05). The univariate analysis revealed that quit drinking, chemotherapy, and concurrent chemotherapy were significant risk factors for the prognosis of EC (p<0.05), as well as the radiation therapy technique used (p=0.052). The multivariate analysis indicated that chemotherapy and quit drinking were independent predictive factors for OS. OS is found to be significantly better in the IMRT group, compared with that of the 3D-CRT group. Even though these outcomes need further validation, IMRT should be considered preferentially as a therapeutic option for EC, in combination with chemotherapy and persuading patients to quit drinking.
Seasonal Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals and Physicochemical Parameters: A Case Study of Sapanca Lake Watershed
Authors: Ateş Asude , Demirel Hülya , Köklü Rabia , Çetin Doğruparmak Şenay , Altundağ Hüseyin , Şengörür Bülent
Published: March 2020

This study was aimed to evaluate the water quality and pollution sources in Sapanca Lake and its tributaries by applying multivariate statistical techniques to physicochemical parameters and toxic metals. For this purpose, the multivariate statistical methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) model have been employed. It was tried to determine the seasonal pollution sources of physicochemical parameters and toxic metals obtained from 22 different sampling points between the years of 2015 and 2017. PCA was applied to the datasets, and 6 varimax factors describing 84%, 80%, 76%, and 79% of the total variance for each season were extracted. The obtained factors were analyzed using the APCS-MLR model for the apportionment of various pollution sources affecting physicochemical parameters and toxic metals. The results show that the natural soil structure, municipal-industrial wastewater, agricultural-atmospheric runoff, highways, and seasonal effects are the major pollution sources for toxic metals and physicochemical parameters. The material contribution of pollutant sources to toxic metals and physicochemical parameters was calculated and verified by the concentrations analyzed. Consequently, multivariate statistical techniques are useful to determine the physicochemical parameters and toxic metals through reciprocal correlation and assess the seasonal impact of pollutant sources in the basin. This study also provides a basis for the creation of measurement programs, determination of pollution sources, and provision of sustainable watershed management regarding other water resources.
Existence and Multiplicity of Solutions for a Class of Anisotropic Double Phase Problems
Authors: Yang Jie , Chen Haibo , Liu Senli
Published: March 2020

We consider the following double phase problem with variable exponents: −div∇upx−2∇u+ax∇uqx−2∇u=λfx,u in Ω,u=0, on ∂Ω. By using the mountain pass theorem, we get the existence results of weak solutions for the aforementioned problem under some assumptions. Moreover, infinitely many pairs of solutions are provided by applying the Fountain Theorem, Dual Fountain Theorem, and Krasnoselskii’s genus theory.
Merocel Surgicel Wrap Technique to Manage Diffuse Epistaxis in Patients with Comorbidities
Authors: Alshehri Waleed M. , alwehaibi Wafaa M. , Ahmed Muhammad Wasi , Albathi Abeer , Alqahtani Bandar
Published: March 2020

Epistaxis, or nasal bleeding, occurs in over half of the general population. It is caused by various etiological factors and affects both sexes and all age groups. The simplest treatment for a nosebleed is pinching of the ala nasi, referred to as the Hippocratic technique. In this study, we adopted different treatment protocols dependent on the severity of bleeding and assessed the etiology and efficacy of these modalities. This was a prospective study. We recruited 25 patients (24 adults and 1 child) who presented with epistaxis in the ENT departments of two tertiary care hospitals. We evaluated the cause of epistaxis and efficacy of the treatments used. All patients had experienced several episodes of epistaxis and were managed using anterior nasal packing with gauze and ointment or with Merocel packs alone. The incidence of epistaxis was more common in males than in females. It was effectively managed by anterior nasal packing with Surgicel-wrapped Merocel. Patients did not experience further episodes of bleeding following the removal of Merocel and retention of Surgicel in place.
Spousal Separation and Use of and Unmet Need for Contraception in Nepal: Results Based on a 2016 Survey
Authors: Mehata Suresh , Paudel Yuba Raj , Dhungel Amit , Paudel Mohan , Thapa Janak , Karki Deepak Kumar
Published: March 2020

Nepal is facing a large-scale labour migration—both internal and international—driven by economic and employment opportunities. There is sparse literature available at the national level which examines the link between migration and contraceptive use. This study aimed at identifying contraceptive use and the unmet need for family planning (FP) and exploring its correlates among the married women of reproductive age (MWRA) by their husbands’ residence status, using data from Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2016–a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling in rural and a three-stage sampling in urban areas were used to select the sampling clusters, and data from 11,040 households were analyzed. Reported values were weighted by sample weights to provide national-level estimates. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was calculated using multiple logistic regressions using complex survey design, considering clusters, and stratification by ecological zones. All analyses were performed using Stata 15.0. Among the total MWRA, 53% were using a contraceptive method, whereas the proportion of contraceptive use among the cohabiting couple was 68%. The unmet need for contraceptive use was 10% among cohabiting couples and 50% among the noncohabiting couples. Contraceptive use was significantly low among the women reporting an induced abortion in the last five years and whose husbands were currently away. A strong negative association of spousal separation with contraceptive use was observed (aOR:0.14; p<0.001) after controlling other covariates, whereas a positive association was observed with the unmet need (aOR:8.00; p<0.001). Cohabiting couples had a significantly higher contraceptive use and lower unmet need compared with the couples living apart. Between 2006 and 2016, contraceptive use increased by 1% per year among cohabiting couples, although this increase is hugely attributable to the use of traditional methods, compared with modern methods. The labour migration being a significant and indispensable socioeconomic phenomenon for Nepal, it is necessary to monitor fertility patterns and contraceptive use by cohabitation status in order to ensure that the national family planning interventions are targeted to address the contraceptive and fertility needs of the migrant couples.
Patient-Initiated Discontinuation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Langabeer Stephen E. , Faryal Rehman , O’Dwyer Michael , Loingsigh Sorcha Ní
Published: March 2020

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has revolutionised the management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) over the last twenty years, but despite significant improvements in survival, patients exhibit long-term side effects that impact on quality of life. A major advance in CML management has been the ability to discontinue TKI therapy achieving a treatment-free remission (TFR), yet this option is only available to eligible patients who present with low-risk disease and who subsequently attain deep and sustained molecular responses. A case is described of a patient with CML who self-initiated stopping of TKI therapy when in a less than optimal molecular remission. Despite this action, the patient continues to experience a TFR with prospective close molecular monitoring performed. It is emphasized that this approach may lead to ineffective treatment discontinuation, molecular relapse, and increased patient anxiety. As TFR for patients with CML moves from clinical trials into routine clinical practice, emphasis is placed on adherence to (evolving) guidelines critical to ensure optimal counselling, selection, monitoring, and continued management of patients whether TFR is successful or not.
Impact of Age on Inflammation-Based Scores among Patients Diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Palomar-Abril Vicente , Soria-Comes Teresa , Tarazona Campos Sonia , Martín Ureste María , Giner Bosch Vicente , Maestu Maiques Inmaculada Concepción
Published: March 2020

Background: Inflammatory and nutritional indexes are prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Furthermore, a low grade of chronic inflammation has been described in the older population (inflammaging). We aimed to evaluate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) in young and older patients diagnosed with locally advanced NSCLC to determine if significant differences between these groups exist. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study analyzing the impact of age on the NLR, PNI, ALI, PLR, and GPS among patients diagnosed with stage III NSCLC at Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset between 2010 and 2015. Results: We included 124 patients (84 young, 40 older patients). The median hemoglobin level and leukocyte count were lower in the older patients (p = 0.0158 and p = 0.001, respectively). A higher median C-reactive protein level was also found in this group (p = 0.0095). Regarding specific inflammatory indexes, the PNI, comprising inflammatory and nutritional parameters, was lower among the older patients (p = 0.0463). The median NLR, ALI, and PLR were similar in both age groups. Moreover, no differences between the age groups were found in the percentage of patients showing high versus low NLR (cutoff point, 5) or ALI (cutoff point, 18) or in the different GPS groups. Conclusions: The baseline PNI, hemoglobin level, and lymphocyte count were lower among the older patients; furthermore, CRP was higher, possibly, because of a more prominent inflammatory status in older patients with lung cancer. No other immunological or nutritional analytical variables were different between the age groups.
Improvement of in situ Follicular Activation and Early Development in Cryopreserved Human Ovarian Cortical Tissue by Co-Culturing with Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Hosseini Marzieh , Salehpour Saghar , Ghaffari Novin Marefat , Shams Mofarahe Zahra , Abdollahifar Mohammad-Amin , Piryaei Abbas
Published: March 2020

Follicular loss and tissue degeneration are great challenges in ovarian tissue culture systems. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) secrete a cocktail of growth factors and cytokines which supports adjacent cells and tissues. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of human bone marrow (hBM)-MSC, as co-culture cells, on human follicular development in ovarian cortical tissue (OCT) culture. For this purpose, warmed OCT fragments were co-cultured with hBM-MSC for 8 days and compared to monocultured OCT. During the culture period, ovarian follicle survival and development in the OCT were evaluated using histological observation, follicular developmental-related genes expression, and estradiol production. Furthermore, cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed. The results showed that there were no significant differences in conserved ovarian follicles with a normal morphology between the two groups. However, the percentage of developing follicles, as well as follicular developmental gene expression, significantly increased in the co-culture group compared to the monoculture group. On the other hand, compared with the monoculture group, the co-culture group demonstrated a significant increase in cell proliferation, indicated by Ki67 gene expression, as well as a dramatic decrease in apoptotic cell percentage, revealed by TUNEL assay. These findings indicated that co-culturing of hBM-MSC with OCT could improve follicular activation and early follicular development in human ovarian tissue culture systems.
Congenital Hyperinsulinism Caused by Novel Homozygous KATP Channel Gene Variants May Be Linked to Unexplained Neonatal Deaths among Kurdish Consanguineous Families
Authors: Amaratunga Shenali Anne , Hussein Tayeb Tara , Rozenkova Klara , Kucerova Petra , Pruhova Stepanka , Lebl Jan
Published: March 2020

Introduction: Neonatal hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Biallelic pathogenic variants in KATP channel subunit genes (ABCC8, KCNJ11), causing severe forms of CHI, are more prevalent in regions with a significant rate of consanguinity and may lead to unexplained neonatal deaths. We hypothesized that KATP channel gene variants are the cause of CHI in three unrelated children from consanguineous Kurdish families with histories of four unexplained neonatal deaths with convulsions. Cases: (1) A girl presented on the 6th day of life with recurrent hypoglycemic convulsions (blood glucose 2.05 mmol/L, insulin 58 mIU/L, C-peptide 2,242 pmol/L). (2) A girl with severe developmental delay was diagnosed with CHI at 3 years of age (blood glucose 2.78 mmol/L, insulin 8.1 mIU/L, C-peptide 761 pmol/L) despite a history of recurrent hypoglycemia since neonatal age. (3) A girl presented at 3 weeks of age with convulsions and unconsciousness (blood glucose 2.5 mmol/L, insulin 14.6 mIU/L, C-peptide 523 pmol/L). Coding regions of the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes were tested by Sanger sequencing. Potential variants were evaluated using the American College of Medical Genetics standards. Three novel causative homozygous variants were found – p.Trp514Ter in the ABCC8 gene (Pt2), and p.Met1Val (Pt1) and p.Tyr26Ter (Pt3) in the KCNJ11 gene. Conclusion: CHI caused by KATP channel variants was elucidated in three children, providing a highly probable retrospective diagnosis for their deceased siblings. Future lives can be saved by timely diagnosis of CHI when encountering a neonate with unexplained seizures or other signs of recurrent and/or persistent hypoglycemia.
Comparative Analysis of Various Z-source Based Five Level Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Inverter
Authors: R. Balamurugan C. , Vijayalakshmi K.
Published: March 2020

Z-source based multilevel inverters are the recent topologies as they have boosting ability and near sinusoidal output waveforms. This paper proposes different inverter topologies such as Z-source multilevel inverter and quasi Z-source multilevel inverter. This paper also deals with switched inductor and improved switched inductor topologies with quasi Z-network. The proposed switched inductor system reduces the voltage stresses caused by capacitors, power devices and diodes. In addition to multilevel inverter advantages, the proposed configuration employs Z-source inverter advantages. The Z-source inverter as compared to the traditional inverter is less costly, less complex, more efficient and more reliable. The performance of the proposed configurations is analysed by varying passive elements in impedance network and is simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Phase disposition (PD) pulse width modulation (PWM) technique is applied on the proposed configurations and performance parameters are measured by the fast Fourier transform FFT analysis. The object of this paper is to develop an inverter which is used for variable speed drives with increase in output voltage by eliminating transformer and filter circuit. The performance is checked with standared parameter of the inverter.
Respiration Monitoring System of Lung Phantom Using Magnetic Sensor
Authors: Muttakin Imamul , Abraham David , Alfanz Rocky , Rohmadi Rohmadi
Published: March 2020

Monitoring vital signs is substantial in healthcare to assist both diagnosis and treatment. This work proposes a means of telemonitoring system at initial stage to observe respiratory pattern on lung phantom. Magnetic sensor module LDC1000 is used to read inductance value of conductive material in relation to distance variation. Therefore, respiration pattern can be observed. In continuous mode, the inspiration inductance value is 8 uH, while expiration is 17 uH, with stoppage is 17 uH. For static measurement, the inspiration inductance value is 7.80 uH, while expiration is 16.46 uH and stoppage is 16.46 uH. Those values could be further referred for vital signs telemonitoring system design based on contactless and portable devices.
Antecedents of Knowledge Management Practices: Case of Malaysian Practitioners
Authors: Jalaldeen Mohamed Razi Mohamed , Izzuddin Mohd Tamrin Mohd , Rahman Ahmad Dahlan Abdul , Azian Mohamad Ali Noor
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we investigated the knowledge management (KM) behavior of executives in Malaysia who work in different sectors and involved in Information Technology (IT) related fields. We proposed a conceptual framework based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to study their intention and involvement in KM initiatives. The knowledge creation theory (SECI process) was employed to operationalize KM intention and KM behavior. We proposed six independent variables that represent the social-cultural nature of KM as the antecedence of KM intention. These variables are trust, management support, decentralization, IT support, performance expectancy (PE), and effort expectancy (EE). Seventy-four executives from both private and government-linked organizations responded to our online questionnaire. SmartPLS3 was used to run the analysis. The reliability was ensured with the factor loadings, Cronbach’s alpha, Composite Reliability (CR) that met the fit requirement of above 0.6, 0.7 and 0.7 respectively. The convergent validity was confirmed through average variance extracted (AVE) that met the fit requirement of above 0.5. The discriminant validity was assessed by using Fornell and Larcker’s criterion. Finally, the structural model confirmed that only PE of KM, and EE of KM are the significant predictors of KM intention and the KM intention significantly predicts KM behavior. The implications of the findings are discussed in detail at the end of the paper.
Hybrid Stand-alone Photovoltaic Systems Sizing Optimization Based on Load Profile
Authors: Othman Zulkifli , Irwan Sulaiman Shahril , Musirin Ismail , Maliki Omar Ahmad , Shaari Sulaiman
Published: March 2020

This paper presents a sizing optimization technique for Hybrid Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (HSAPV). In this research, three optimization techniques have been developed, namely Dolphin Echolocation Algorithm (DEA), Fast Evolutionary Programming (FEP), and Classical Evolutionary Programming (CEP). These techniques have been incorporated into the sizing process to maximize the technical performance of the SAPV system. The components of PV modules, charge controllers, inverters, and batteries are used to determine the optimum value. These components are used as the control parameters to maximize the expected performance ratio (PR) of the SAPV system. The Iterative Sizing Algorithm (ISA) is the benchmarking technique to conduct the optimization technique achieving maximum PR value and minimal computation time. Results obtained from the research show that DE overcomes FEP and CEP. In addition, the optimization techniques also demonstrated comparatively fast with respect to ISA as the benchmark technique."
Maximum Loadability Enhancement with a Hybrid Optimization Method
Authors: E. Hassan E. , K. A. Rahman T. , Zakaria Z. , Bahaman N. , H. Jifri M.
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, a power system is operating in a stressed condition due to the increase in demand in addition to constraint in building new power plants. The economics and environmental constraints to build new power plants and transmission lines have led the system to operate very close to its stability limits. Hence, more researches are required to study the important requirements to maintain stable voltage condition and hence develop new techniques in order to address the voltage stability problem. As an action, most Reactive Power Planning (RPP) objective is to minimize the cost of new reactive resources while satisfying the voltage stability constraints and labeled as Secured Reactive Power Planning (SCRPP). The new alternative optimization technique called Adaptive Tumbling Bacterial Foraging (ATBFO) was introduced to solve the RPP problems in the IEEE 57 bus system. The comparison common optimization Meta-Heuristic Evolutionary Programming and original Bacterial Foraging techniques were chosen to verify the performance using the proposed ATBFO method. As a result, the ATBFO method is confirmed as the best suitable solution in solving the identified RPP objective functions.
Dynamic Economic Dispatch Assessment Using Particle Swarm Optimization Technique
Authors: Murtadha Othman Muhammad , Affendi Ismail Salim Mohd , Musirin Ismail , Ashida Salim Nur , Lutfi Othman Mohammad
Published: March 2020

This paper presents the application of particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique for solving the dynamic economic dispatch (DED) problem. The DED is one of the main functions in power system planning in order to obtain optimum power system operation and control. It determines the optimal operation of generating units at every predicted load demands over a certain period of time. The optimum operation of generating units is obtained by referring to the minimum total generation cost while the system is operating within its limits. The DED based PSO technique is tested on a 9-bus system containing of three generator bus, six load bus and twelve transmission lines.
Efficient Implementation of Mean, Variance and Skewness Statistic Formula for Image Processing Using FPGA Device
Authors: Kardian Aqwam Rosadi , Arief Sudiro Sunny , Madenda Sarifuddin
Published: March 2020

Processing statistic formula in image processing and accessing data from memory is easy in software, the other hand for hardware implementation is more dificult considering a lot of constraint. This article proposes an implementation of optimum mean, variance and skewness formula in FGPA Device. The proposed circuit design for all formulas only need three additions component (in three accumulators) and two divisions using two shift-right-registers, two subtractors, one adder and six multipliers. For 8x8 image size need 64 clock cycles to finish the mean, variance and skewness calculations, comparing other approach that need more than 1024 additions component without skewness calculation. Implementation into FPGA needs 68 slices of flip-flops and 121 of 4 input LUTs.
Oscillatory Stability Prediction Using PSO Based Synchronizing and Damping Torque Coefficients
Authors: Mohamed Kamari Nor Azwan , Musirin I. , A. Hamid Z. , H. M. Zaman M.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents the assessment of stability domains for the angle stability condition of the power system using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique. An efficient optimization method using PSO for synchronizing torque coefficients Ks and damping torque coefficients Kd to identify the angle stability condition on multi-machine system. In order to accelerate the determination of angle stability, PSO is proposed to be implemented in this study. The application of the proposed algorithm has been justified as the most accurate with lower computation time as compared to other optimization techniques such as Evolutionary Programming (EP) and Artificial Immune System (AIS). Validation with respect to eigenvalues determination, Least Square (LS) method and minimum damping ratio ξmin confirmed that the proposed technique is feasible to solve the angle stability problems.
Study of user effects on two-port MIMO antennas at 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz for Wi-Fi and WLAN applications
Authors: A. Rahman Nur Basyirah , Al-Hadi Azremi Abdullah , Khan Rizwan
Published: March 2020

In this paper, two multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas for Wi-Fi/WLAN mobile applications are proposed. The designed two-port MIMO antennas are made up of planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs). The antenna elements for both designs are symmetrical and placed on the short-edged corners of the substrate used, FR4. The performance of both antennas in the presence of user’s hand is compared in terms of impedance bandwidth and efficiency. An upward shift of up to 0.17 GHz in impedance bandwidth was found for 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz antenna. Due to the smaller size of antennas at 5.8 GHz compared to antennas at 2.4 GHz, the antennas are less obstructed by hands and thus the exhibited total efficiency of up to 45.58 % in the presence of human hand. The designed antennas have been fabricated for validation purpose. It is shown that there is a good agreement between simulated and measured results.
Analysis of wavelet-based full reference image quality assessment algorithm
Authors: Mokhtar Faizah , Ngadiran Ruzelita , Basheer Taha , Nazren Abdul Rahim Amir
Published: March 2020

Measurement of Image Quality plays an important role in numerous image processing applications such as forensic science, image enhancement, medical imaging, etc. In recent years, there is a growing interest among researchers in creating objective Image Quality Assessment (IQA) algorithms that can correlate well with perceived quality. A significant progress has been made for full reference (FR) IQA problem in the past decade. In this paper, we are comparing 5 selected FR IQA algorithms on TID2008 image datasets. The performance and evaluation results are shown in graphs and tables. The results of quantitative assessment showed wavelet-based IQA algorithm outperformed over the non-wavelet based IQA method except for WASH algorithm which the prediction value only outperformed for certain distortion types since it takes into account the essential structural data content of the image.
Stability check of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) micro grid power system
Authors: A. J. Jeman Ameerul , M. S. Hannoon Naeem , Hidayat Nabil , M. H. Adam Mohamed , Musirin Ismail , V. Vijayakumar
Published: March 2020

As of late, expanding interest of renewable energy and consumption of non-renewable energy source have prompted developing advancement of renewable energy technology, for example, wind energy. Wind energy has turned out to be one of the reliable sources of renewable energy, which requests extra transmission capacity and better methods for sustaining system reliability. As of now, doubly fed induction generator wind turbine is the most well-known wind turbine. This paper focuses on DFIG wind farm design using MATLAB/SIMULINK and also investigates the issues of the system stability of the DFIG wind turbine micro grid power system. This analysis includes the changes of voltage, current, real power and reactive power based on various conditions of the power system.
High speed internet development in Africa using 4G-LTE technology-a review
Authors: Njikam Mohamed , S. Nanna , S. Shahrin , Fairuz Iskandar Othman Mohd
Published: March 2020

The African continent is ranked second most populated region and has a huge amount of natural resources to be locally transformed or outsourced overseas. The traditional telecommunications system has helped connect people and enabled them to manage their businesses and trading in Africa for a long-time; many African countries have embarked early in changing their network and technology systems during the first years of the information age. Over a few decades ago, the introduction of new telecommunication methods and techniques have influenced much of African countries’ growth via different perspectives. The situation has triggered an enormous interest in people. They analyzed the factors supporting such changes, which in the case of this paper is all about the advent and adoption of LTE/4G-LTE technologies including its service commercialization in Africa. This review article attempts to provide an overview of 4G-LTE networks technologies and the internet; it includes the current evolution of telecommunication networks within and even beyond the African continent, assisted by the 4G-LTE expansion. An extended view is provided throughout this article’s development with respect to what could be expected (or is missing) for the sake of this continent’s telecommunication infrastructure enhancement and a better QoS to Africa’s dwellers.
Moving object detection via TV-L1 optical flow in fall-down videos
Authors: Mohamed Nur Ayuni , Zulkifley Mohd Asyraf
Published: March 2020

There is a growing demand for surveillance systems that can detect fall-down events because of the increased number of surveillance cameras being installed in many public indoor and outdoor locations. Fall-down event detection has been vigorously and extensively researched for safety purposes, particularly to monitor elderly peoples, patients, and toddlers. This computer vision detector has become more affordable with the development of high-speed computer networks and low-cost video cameras. This paper proposes moving object detection method based on human motion analysis for human fall-down events. The method comprises of three parts, which are preprocessing part to reduce image noises, motion detection part by using TV-L1 optical flow algorithm, and performance measure part. The last part will analyze the results of the object detection part in term of the bounding boxes, which are compared with the given ground truth. The proposed method is tested on Fall Down Detection (FDD) dataset and compared with Gunnar-Farneback optical flow by measuring intersection over union (IoU) of the output with respect to the ground truth bounding box. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves an average IoU of 0.92524.
Design and optimize microstrip patch antenna array using the active element pattern technique
Authors: Ali Khamis , Abdul Malek Norun , Zamani Jusoh Ahmad , Yasmin Mohamad Sarah , Zainal Abidin Zuhairiah , Liza Asnawi Ani
Published: March 2020

Microstrip patch antennas are widely used in modern day communication devices due to their light weight, low cost and ease of fabrication. In this paper, we have designed and fabricated two Microstrip Patch Antennas (slotted-ring and truncated-slotted ring) and array at 2.4 GHz for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) applications using Computer Simulation Technology, CST. The antenna design consists of rectangular radiating patch on Rogers RT5880 substrate and is excited by using coaxial probe feeding technique. The truncated-slotted ring has been designed on top of the radiating patch to improve bandwidth. The simulation and measurement results of the both antennas are in close agreement with each other. Due to the good agreement of simulation and measurement results of truncated-slotted ring antenna in comparison with slotted-ring antenna, it has been selected for antenna array design. The simulated and measured S11 of truncated-slotted ring antenna shows -21dB and -15.6 dB at 2.4 GHz respectively. Then, the antenna has been formed into 1x4 array in order to observe its beamforming capability. The proposed antenna array is suitable for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi standard which is proposed to be used for IoT.