bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surgical excision of complex lipoma from the foot: a case report&nbsp;
Authors: Uddin Akram , Flanagan George , Reilly Ian 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Background: Soft tissue malignant tumours of the foot and ankle are rare. Diagnostic imaging and interventional biopsy are vital to establish the nature and grading of a suspicious tumour prior to surgical intervention. The purpose of the study is to provide an account on how a symptomatic mass to the plantar aspect of the foot warranted a referral to a sarcoma centre, highlighting the importance of having urgent access to diagnostic imaging and a pathway to refer suspected cases to specialist centres. Method: A single patient with a symptomatic soft tissue tumour of the plantar foot was referred from our service to the regional sarcoma centre. It was considered to be benign and therefore open surgical resection was performed under local anaesthesia by our team, and the lesion sent for histopathological examination. Results: Histopathological analysis identified the excised mass as a lipoma to show no atypia or necrosis and mature adipose tissue with fibrous bands. At 2 years postoperatively there was no recurrence and the patient presented an asymptomatic foot. Favourable patient reported outcomes measures were observed. Conclusion: United Kingdom (UK) Guidelines suggest that all soft tissue masses of suspicious nature, greater than 50mm, deep seated irrespective of size, or fast growing should be referred to a sarcoma unit prior to surgical management. European guidance identifies a threshold of 15mm for a mass in the foot. Patients presenting with red flag symptoms irrespective of size of mass should be referred to a sarcoma centre. Advanced imaging and multidisciplinary input to enable appropriate surgical planning is recommended for these soft tissue tumours that present to the foot and ankle surgeon. Level of evidence: V case study.
Recovery of zinc from electroplating wastewater using green emulsion liquid membrane
Authors: Rajasimman M. , Rajamohan N. , Sujatha S. 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
In this research study, removal of zinc ions from the industrial wastewater was investigated using green emulsion liquid membrane technology. The liquid membrane was prepared by using waste cooking oil along with the surfactant, SPAN 80 and the internal phase, sulfuric acid. The extraction percentage of zinc increased with the increase in concentration of surfactant. The response surface methodology (RSM) analysis identified that the optimal variable values for the maximum extraction of zinc were: external pH – 3.8, surfactant concentration 4% (vol.), internal phase concentration – 1.61N, zinc concentration – 742 mg/L, external phase to emulsion volume ratio – 0.94 and carrier concentration – 8.9%. At the optimized conditions experiment was carried out and the maximum extraction was found to be 97.4%. The perturbation plot shows that the extraction of zinc was affected by variables in the following order of effect: zinc concentration &gt; surfactant concentration &gt; carrier concentration &gt; external pH &gt; external phase to emulsion volume ratio &gt; internal phase concentration.
Performance of thin film composite membranes for ammonium removal and reuse of ammonium-enriched solution for plant growth
Authors: Lim Marcus Ze Yuan , Chong Woon Chan , Lau Woei Jye , Koo Chai Hoon 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Ammonium is known to be one of the most significant pollutants in water bodies. The presence of ammonium in water is mainly originated from agricultural activities, domestic sewage and industrial effluent. This study evaluates the performance of two commercial thin film composite (TFC) membranes, i.e., NF270 and XLE from FilmTec™ for ammonium removal using synthetic wastewater and domestic sewage. The filtration experiment was conducted at different feed ammonium concentrations, humic acid concentrations, pHs and pressure. Results showed that the membrane rejection against ammonium increased dramatically with increasing ammonium concentration. However, the membrane flux was slightly compromised at higher ammonium concentration. With respect to pH, highest ammonium removal rate was able to be achieved at an optimum pH of 10. Besides, the permeation flux increased gradually with increasing feed pressure. From the results, the XLE membrane outperformed the NF270 membrane in terms of ammonium rejection. The retentate of XLE membrane filtration process was found to be useful as liquid fertiliser for plant growth. The results indicated that the TFC membrane process is not only able to produce permeate with an ammonium concentration below the acceptable limit of 10 mg/L but also able to produce retentate with enriched ammonium for plant growth.
Modification of the H2S test to screen for the detection of sulphur- and sulphate-reducing bacteria of faecal origin in water
Authors: Schnabel Bastian , Caplin Jonathan Lance , Cooper Ian Richard 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe H2S test was created to assess the microbial quality of drinking water in low-resource settings, but the original version of the H2S test lacks sensitivity and specificity for faecal indicator bacteria. There is evidence that a modified media formula of the H2S test may be more sensitive and specific for the faecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and less sensitive to organisms of non-faecal origin. This research established the detection threshold and operational range of the H2S test, to increase its sensitivity and specificity for E. coli. A total of 20 modifications of the H2S test, and the original test, were assayed against 20 confirmed and pure culture bacteria of faecal and non-faecal origin at varying concentrations. Additionally, some of the H2S test modifications were evaluated against standard methods for drinking-water analysis. Results indicate that using a modified version of the H2S test containing L-cystine and 2-mercaptopyridine, and bile salts or penicillin G, E. coli will produce H2S. In addition, this research reveals which organisms react positively to the original and modified versions of the H2S test. The modified versions of the H2S test can be promoted as a simple screening test for microbial drinking-water safety in low-resource settings.
Preparation of spherical flower-like Mg(OH)2 from waste magnesite and its immobilization performance for Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+
Authors: Shen Xiaoyi , Wang Yuan , Liu Yan , Ding Jiwen , Zhai Yuchun , Wang Minghua 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Spherical flower-like Mg(OH)2 was successfully synthesized under conditions of Mg2+ concentration of 2 mol·L−1, molar ratio of Mg2+/NH4OH of 1:0.5, temperature of 120 °C and time of 1 h using MgSO4 solution as raw material obtained from waste magnesite through several procedures. Spherical Mg(OH)2 exhibits flower-like structure composed of lamellar crystals. The immobilization ability of spherical flower-like Mg(OH)2 for Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+ obtained at variable dosage and ion concentrations shows it displays an excellent immobilization performance for Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+. 50 mL solution with ion concentrations of 200 mg·L−1 could be almost completely immobilized by 200, 250 and 60 mg Mg(OH)2 within 6 min, and the immobilization efficiencies were 97.55%, 99.99% and 91.56%, respectively. Langmuir model well describes the immobilization process, involving chemisorption emphasized as monolayer.
Bioactive Isolates of Morus Species as Antibacterial Agents and their In Silico Profiling
Authors: Janakirama Rao Aditya Shimoga , Mudduraj Urs Venugopal Thegur , Devanna Jayanna Nayakarahatty , Mahadevappa Paramesha , Kumaran Ramesh Chapeyil 
Published: November 2020

Background:
The genus Morus is one of the rich sources of phytomedicine and considered
a beneficial natural source for drugs with potential antimicrobial effect under the traditional
system of medicine.

Introduction:
In the present study, three bioactive compounds isolated from the leaves of two species
of genus Morus and their antibacterial effect against selective pathogens were assessed.

Methods:
The inhibitory effects of the three molecules isolated were assessed for their minimum
inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against selected
pathogens. The in-silico studies provided the toxicity profile and the binding interactions with glucosamine-
6-phosphate synthase for all the isolates.

Results:
Among the three compounds tested, cathafuran-B showed a prominent bacteriostatic and
bactericidal effect, which is supported by the results of in-silico analysis suggesting that cathafuran-
B could be a potential glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase inhibitor.

Conclusion:
The biomolecule isolated from less explored Morus laevigata exhibiting higher antibacterial
effect among the compounds tested warranted opening a new prospect in phytomedicinal
research for exploring its pharmacological properties and lowering the utilization load present on
highly explored Morus alba.
Potential Inhibition of COVID-19 RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase by Hepatitis C Virus Non-nucleoside Inhibitors: An In-silico Perspective
Authors: Choong Yee Siew , Lim Theam Soon , Liu Hanyun , Jiang Rubin , Cai Zimu , Ge Yuan 
Published: November 2020

Background:
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a
novel member of the genus betacoronavirus in the Coronaviridae family. It has been identified as
the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), spreading rapidly in Asia, America
and Europe. Like some other RNA viruses, RNA replication and transcription of SARS-CoV-2 rely
on its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), which is a therapeutic target of clinical
importance. Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 was solved recently (PDB ID 6M71) with some
missing residues.

Objective:
We used SARS-CoV-2 RdRP as a target protein to screen for possible chemical
molecules with potential anti-viral effects.

Methods:
Here we modelled the missing residues 896-905 via homology modelling and then
analysed the interactions of Hepatitis C virus allosteric non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNIs) in the
reported NNIs binding sites in SARS-CoV-2 RdRP.

Results:
We found that MK-3281, filibuvir, setrobuvir and dasabuvir might be able to inhibit
SARS-CoV-2 RdRP based on their binding affinities in the respective binding sites.

Conclusion:
Further in vitro and in vivo experimental research will be carried out to evaluate their
effectiveness in COVID-19 treatment in the near future.
Design and Synthesis of Novel 5-Arylisoxazole-1,3,4-thiadiazole Hybrids as α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Authors: Saeedi Mina , Eslami Azadeh , Mirfazli Seyedeh Sara , Zardkanlou Mahsa , Faramarzi Mohammad Ali , Mahdavi Mohammad , Akbarzadeh Tahmineh 
Published: November 2020

Background:
α-Glucosidase inhibitors have occupied a significant position in the treatment
of type 2 diabetes. In this respect, the development of novel and efficient non-sugar-based
inhibitors is in high demand.

Objective:
Design and synthesis of new 5-arylisoxazole-1,3,4-thiadiazole hybrids possessing α-
glucosidase inhibitory activity were developed.

Methods:
Different derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of various 5-arylisoxazole-3-
carboxylic acids and ethyl 2-((5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)thio)acetate. Finally, they were evaluated
for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Results:
It was found that ethyl 2-((5-(5-(2-chlorophenyl)isoxazole-3-carboxamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-
2-yl)thio)acetate (5j) was the most potent compound (IC50 = 180.1 μM) compared with acarbose as
the reference drug (IC50 = 750.0 μM). Also, the kinetic study of 5j revealed a competitive inhibition
and docking study results indicated desired interactions of that compound with amino acid residues
located close to the active site of α-glucosidase.

Conclusion:
Good α-glucosidase inhibitory activity obtained by the title compounds introduced
them as an efficient scaffold, which merits to be considered in anti-diabetic drug discovery
developments.
Evaluation of Serum Level of Carnitine in Children with Acute Pyelonephritis (APN) Compared to Healthy Children
Authors: Vaseghi Golnaz , Eshraghi Azadeh , Rahimzadeh Nahid , Amiri Hasan , Jahed Mohammadreza 
Published: November 2020

Aim:
This cross-sectional case-control study evaluated the serum carnitine level in children
with urinary tract infection (UTI).

Background:
Acute pyelonephritis (APN) is a common bacterial infection of the upper urinary
tract in children which may also lead to renal damage and tubular atrophy. Activation of inflammatory
mediator bedside alterations in the cytokines and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
play a striking role in the development of tissue damage after pyelonephritis. L-carnitine as one of
the most potent natural antioxidant agents by inhibition of lipid peroxidation may protect cells and
tissues from damage.

Methods:
A total of 30children with UTI (as a case group) and 30 healthy children (as a control group) which matched as
age and sex were enrolled in this study. All children were evaluated and compared as age, sex, weight, body mass index
(BMI) and serum carnitine level together. Serum carnitine level wasdetermined using serum carnitine ELISA kit.

Results:
Demographic and clinical data such as age, sex, weight and BMI were not statistically significant between two
groups. The serum carnitine levels were significantly lower in case group with UTI than control group. Mean serum
carnitine concentration in the case group and in control group was 36.56 ± 9.87 μmol/l and 62.8±21.35 respectively
(P = 0.001).

Conclusion:
According to our study, it could be concluded that low serum L-carnitine level is linked to UTI in children.
Therefore, further studies are needed to confirm our results.
The Protective Effects of Lupine (Lupinus albus) Fruit Extract Against to Destructive Effects of Hyperglycemia in Type I Diabetic Rats
Authors: Aydın Sevinç , Kaya Tubay , Erman Orhan , Yılmaz Ökkeş 
Published: November 2020

Backround:
Lupinus albus is a member of the Fabaceae family. As a natural or cultivated
plant, Lupinus albus is distributed in Europe, the Balkans and Turkey, especially in Marmara and
Aegean regions. The lupine is a nutritious and protective plant against diabetes.

Objective:
In the present study, the effects of Lupinus albus fruits on malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced
glutathione (GSH), total protein, ADEK vitamins, and cholesterol values, which are the indicators
of oxidative damage and antioxidant defense. In this regard, muscle, liver, renal, and brain
tissues of STZ-induced type I diabetes rats were studied.

Methods:
The analyzes of ADEK vitamins and cholesterol levels in tissues were performed via
Shimadzu HPLC device. The lipid peroxidation levels were measured at 532 nm in spectrophotometer.
Determination of GSH was read at 412 nm against blank, and for the total protein levels Lowry
method was applied.

Results:
According to the results obtained, it was determined that among the rats with induced type I
diabetes, the group applied lupine fruit extract was found to have increased GSH level and decreased
MDA levels in all the tissues. The protein values were increased in liver tissues but decreased
in the other tissues. The level of vitamins was significantly increased in almost all the tissues
in the diabetic group.

Conclusion:
In the present study, it was shown that the lupine reduced the devastating effects of
type I diabetes by decreasing the fasting blood glucose and lipid peroxidation values and increasing
the glutathione level in comparison to the diabetic group.
Preparation and Characterization of the Ceramsites with Microscale Pores from Iron Tailing and Fly Ash
Authors: Xue Zeyang , Wang Zi , Yu Chunhu , Mao Yajing , Pei Lizhai 
Published: November 2020

Background:
Iron tailing causes great environmental and social problems. They contaminate
water, air and soil. Therefore, it is of important significance to prepare iron tailing ceramsites with
microscale pores which can recycle the deposited iron tailing.

Objective:
The aim of the research is to obtain iron tailing ceramsites with microscale pores and good
mechanical performance.

Methods:
The iron tailing ceramsites have been characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Influence of the content of iron tailing, temperature and duration time on
the mechanical performance of the obtained ceramsites was performed and the optimal sintering parameter
was determined. The bulk density, apparent density and cylinder compressive strength of the
obtained ceramsites increased as the iron tailing content, temperature and sintering time improved.

Results:
Duration time and sintering temperature play important roles in the formation and size of the
pores of the ceramsites. The optimal iron tailing content and sintering parameter are 70 wt.%, 1100 °C
for 40 min. The iron tailing ceramsites mainly consist of orthorhombic CaAl2Si2O8, monoclinic CaSiO3,
hexagonal Ca7Si2P2O16, triclinic MgSiO3, triclinic Al2SiO5, and triclinic Ca2Fe2O5 phases. Iron tailing
ceramsites from 1100 °C for 40 min are composed of irregular particles with several hundreds of micrometers
improving the density and strength of the ceramsites.

Conclusion:
Iron tailing ceramsites containing microscale pores were prepared using iron tailing and fly
ash, and exhibited excellent potential for application in the field of construction.
Pupillary Responses for Cognitive Load Measurement to Classify Difficulty Levels in an Educational Video Game: Empirical Study
Authors: Mitre-Hernandez Hugo , Covarrubias Carrillo Roberto , Lara-Alvarez Carlos 
Published: November 2020

BackgroundA learning task recurrently perceived as easy (or hard) may cause poor learning results. Gamer data such as errors, attempts, or time to finish a challenge are widely used to estimate the perceived difficulty level. In other contexts, pupillometry is widely used to measure cognitive load (mental effort); hence, this may describe the perceived task difficulty.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the use of task-evoked pupillary responses to measure the cognitive load measure for describing the difficulty levels in a video game. In addition, it proposes an image filter to better estimate baseline pupil size and to reduce the screen luminescence effect.MethodsWe conducted an experiment that compares the baseline estimated from our filter against that estimated from common approaches. Then, a classifier with different pupil features was used to classify the difficulty of a data set containing information from students playing a video game for practicing math fractions.ResultsWe observed that the proposed filter better estimates a baseline. Mauchly’s test of sphericity indicated that the assumption of sphericity had been violated (χ214=0.05; P=.001); therefore, a Greenhouse-Geisser correction was used (ε=0.47). There was a significant difference in mean pupil diameter change (MPDC) estimated from different baseline images with the scramble filter (F5,78=30.965; P<.001). Moreover, according to the Wilcoxon signed rank test, pupillary response features that better describe the difficulty level were MPDC (z=−2.15; P=.03) and peak dilation (z=−3.58; P<.001). A random forest classifier for easy and hard levels of difficulty showed an accuracy of 75% when the gamer data were used, but the accuracy increased to 87.5% when pupillary measurements were included.ConclusionsThe screen luminescence effect on pupil size is reduced with a scrambled filter on the background video game image. Finally, pupillary response data can improve classifier accuracy for the perceived difficulty of levels in educational video games.
Pengaruh kitosan terhadap peningkatan level ekspresi WRKY17 dan WRKY53 tanaman Capsicum annuum cv. Laba pada kondisi kekeringan
Authors: AZIZ Muhammad Abdul , ESYANTI Rizkita Rahmi , DWIVANNY Fenny Martha 
Published: November 2020

Chitosan is known as the natural plant growth biostimulant and defense elicitor involving WRKY transcription factors in response to environmental stresses. However, either plant’s growth or defense responses against stress are different among the cultivars. In the previous study, chitosan and drought treatment combination on red chili plant cv. Lado resulted in the impeded growth performance followed by the down-regulated expression level of WRKY17. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the response of red chili plant from the different cultivar towards the combination of chitosan and drought treatments. At the onset of the generative phase, plants were subjected to the drought treatment with and without 1 mg mL-1 of chitosan application. Observation of plant growth performance was carried out by measuring plant height, the number of leaves, the conversion percentage of flowers developed to fruits, and the number of harvested fruits, while the molecular parameter was indicated by the analyses of WRKY17 and WRKY53 expression levels. In line with the previous study using cv. Lado, the combination of 1 mg mL-1 of chitosan and drought treatment significantly reduced the plant productivity observed in the number of fruits, followed by the plant height and the number of leaves. However, the expression level of WRKY17 and WRKY53 experienced 10 and 22-fold higher than controls, respectively. This is different from the previous study which showed the reduction of WRKY17 expression level. According to the study, it can be implied that the combination of chitosan and drought treatments on red chili plant cv. Laba could reduce plant growth performance, but increased genetics indicator towards plant’s defense system against stress indicated by the escalation of WRKY17 and WRKY53 expression level. Furthermore, the individual chitosan application are potential to increase the productivity of red chili plant cv. Laba.
Enhanced solubilization of insoluble silicate from quartz and zeolite minerals by selected Aspergillus and Trichoderma species
Authors: SANTI Laksmita Prima 
Published: November 2020

Silicon (Si) is a major component of sand, silt and clay particles of soils. Available silica as silicic acid (H4SiO4) present in soil solution is considerably low, only in the range of 3.5–40.0 mg Si L-1. To improve plant-available Si in the soil, silicate-solubilizing fungi (SSF) are potentially important in solubilizing insoluble forms of silicate (SiO2). The objectives of this study were to determine silicate solubilizing capacity and organic acid produced by seven SSF isolates on Bunt and Rovira media by using 0.25% (w/v) magnesium trisilicate (Mg2O8Si3), quartz, and zeolite as a silica source. Determination of SSF isolates potential in Si solubilization was carried out in a completely randomized design with three silica sources and three replicates. The results indicated that all SSF were capable of producing acetic, citrate, and oxalic acids and enhancing the solubilization of insoluble silicates. Trichoderma polysporum and Aspergillus niger BCCF194 were the best isolates of SSF. Furthermore, there was significantly (p<0.05) positive correlation between solubilizing silicate capacity by using quartz or zeolite as a silica source on Bunt and Rovira media with incubation time (R2 = 0.79-0.99) and citric acid production (R2= 0.97-0.99) from T. polysporum and A. niger BCCF194