bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Water purification performance enhancement of PVC ultrafiltration membrane modified with tourmaline particles
Authors: Guan Runze , Yan Weixing , Yuan Jingjing , Feng Xia , Zhao Yiping 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
In this study, a novel PVC/tourmaline ultrafiltration membrane was fabricated by phase inversion method in order to improve anti-fouling performance and water quality. FESEM was used to examine the changes in the morphology of pure PVC and PVC/tourmaline hybrid membranes. The introduction of tourmaline resulted in the increase of porosity and mean pore size. EDX images indicated that tourmaline particles were homogeneously dispersed in the membranes when the amount were less than 1.0 wt%. The hybrid membranes exhibited lower contact angle (78.7°) and higher water flux (121.3 L/m2 h) than the pure PVC membrane. The anti-fouling performance of the membranes were studied by filtration of BSA solution. The results demonstrated that the hybrid membrane with 1.0 wt% tourmaline particles exhibited the best anti-fouling performance and the highest BSA rejection. In addition, the pH and conductivity of the filtered water were measured by pH meter and electrical conductivity meter. And the results showed that the quality of the filtered water was improved after treating through the hybrid membranes.
Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation Acutely Lowers the Response Threshold of Human Motor Circuits
Authors: Potok Weronika , Bächinger Marc , van der Groen Onno , Cretu Andreea Loredana , Wenderoth Nicole 
Published: March 2021

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) over cortical areas has been shown to acutely improve performance in sensory detection tasks. One explanation for this behavioral effect is stochastic resonance (SR), a mechanism that explains how signal processing in nonlinear systems can benefit from added noise. While acute noise benefits of electrical RNS have been demonstrated at the behavioral level as well as inin vitropreparations of neural tissue, it is currently largely unknown whether similar effects can be shown at the neural population level using neurophysiological readouts of human cortex. Here, we hypothesized that acute tRNS will increase the responsiveness of primary motor cortex (M1) when probed with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Neural responsiveness was operationalized via the well-known concept of the resting motor threshold (RMT). We showed that tRNS acutely decreases RMT. This effect was small, but it was consistently replicated across four experiments including different cohorts (totalN= 81, 46 females, 35 males), two tRNS electrode montages, and different control conditions. Our experiments provide critical neurophysiological evidence that tRNS can acutely generate noise benefits by enhancing the neural population response of human M1.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTA hallmark feature of stochastic resonance (SR) is that signal processing can benefit from added noise. This has mainly been demonstrated at the single-cell levelin vitrowhere the neural response to weak input signals can be enhanced by simultaneously applying random noise. Our finding that transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) acutely increases the excitability of corticomotor circuits extends the principle of noise benefits to the neural population level in human cortex. Our finding is in line with the notion that tRNS might affect cortical processing via the SR phenomenon. It suggests that enhancing the response of cortical populations to an external stimulus might be one neurophysiological mechanism mediating performance improvements when tRNS is applied to sensory cortex during perception tasks.
Increasing the ductility of the Al-Si alloy with low silicon content by deformation-heat treatment
Authors:   I. M. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Kaverinsky V.V. , Baglyuk G.A. ,   I. M. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Trotsan A.I. ,   I. M. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Sukhenko Z.P. ,   I. M. Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of the NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv
Published: March 2021

A method of deformation-heat treatment is considered for Al-Si alloy with 4.5 % silicon, which consists in a series of small hot deformations with intermediate annealing. The proposed method allows one to achieve grinding and spheroidization of silicon inclusions, which in the cast state have the form of lamellar excreta at the grain boundaries and significantly reduce the plasticity of the material. Spheroidization, grinding and mixing of inclusions that are achieved during this deformation-heat treatment lead to significantly increase the ductility of the alloy without loss of hardness.	The processes of structure change during the deformation of aluminum alloys with low Si content are insufficiently studied. In particular, of interest was the possibility of increasing the ductility of such materials by grinding and mixing silicon inclusions during hot deformation. In this case, to prevent a decrease in ductility due appearance of microconcentrators of stress in the form of acute angles of the crushed silicon inclusions, the deformation was carried out as a series of stages with intermediate annealing. In addition, it was assumed that the cyclic change of temperature in this mode will contribute to the spheroidization of fragments of crushed silicon inclusions by changing the solubility of silicon in solid solution from temperature.	It is shown that the proposed mode of deformation-heat treatment of these alloys of the Al-Si system allows to significantly increase their ductility – the critical degree of deposition (deposition before cracking) from 67.8 % in the cast state to – 92.1 %.	The hardness of the material can be increased by hardening under cold plastic deformation. In this case, since the material after deformation-heat treatment is more plastic, it has greater reserves for hardening in this way. It is shown that owing to hard plastic deformation, the hardness of the material of samples with 4.5 % Si, which has undergone deformation-heat treatment, can increase to values of 95 ± 17 HV, which is significantly higher than in the cast state. At the same time, the hardness (and, probably, strength) of a similar cast material can also be increased due to hardening, but to lower values – 67 ± 12 HV. Key words: aluminum, aluminum-based alloy, deformation-heat treatment, silicon inclusions, plasticity, hardness.
A literature survey on antimicrobial and immune-modulatory effects of butyrate revealing non-antibiotic approaches to tackle bacterial infections
Authors: Du Ke , Bereswill Stefan , Heimesaat Markus M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe excessive prescription of antibiotics has led to an increasing number of antimicrobial resistances, posing a major public health concern. Therefore, the pharmacological research has shifted its focus to the identification of natural compounds that exhibit anti-pathogenic properties without triggering antibiotic resistance. Butyrate has received increasing attention as a promising candidate for the treatment of bacterial infections in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly when antibiotic treatment is contraindicated. This literature survey summarizes recently investigated antibacterial and immune-modulatory effects of butyrate. This survey revealed that butyrate exerts direct antimicrobial effects against distinct strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Bacillus, and Staphylococcus species. In addition, in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed indirect antimicrobial effects of butyrate, which were exhibited via induction of host defensin production as well as by activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Finally, the synergistic action of butyrate in combination with other antimicrobial compounds results in a striking clearance of bacterial pathogens. In conclusion, butyrate and its derivatives might be considered as promising antibacterial and immune-modulatory agents in order to tackle bacterial infections without antibiotics.
Os riscos do uso dos meios digitais de comunicação não oficiais nas Universidades Federais
Authors: Presser Nadi Helena , Lima José Alexandre Laurentino de , Silva Eli Lopes da 
Published: March 2021

Introdução: Analisa os riscos de uso dos meios digitais de comunicação não oficiais na unidade acadêmica de educação a distância de uma universidade federal. Objetivo: Especificamente, identifica os riscos que possam impactar nos processos de recuperação e uso da informação; analisa a magnitude e o impacto desses riscos; seleciona respostas para eles, por meio de controles e outras ações; e, por fim, propõe ações para monitorar e coordenar os processos e os resultados do gerenciamento de riscos. Metodologia: Metodologicamente é uma pesquisa do tipo diagnóstico, descritiva e documental. A técnica do grupo de discussão foi a técnica adotada de coleta de dados. Na análise e interpretação dos dados, o modelo selecionado foi o recomendado por Tribunal de Contas da União, que compreende várias etapas, como está especificado ao longo deste artigo. Resultados: Os resultados apontaram a existência de riscos e medidas a serem tomadas para tratá-los foram apresentadas. Conclusão: Usar provedores de e-mail não oficiais, usar o WhatsApp e redes sociais para envio, recebimento e armazenamento de informações oficiais e armazenar arquivos oficiais em repositórios on-line foram os principais riscos identificados.
Evaluation of the e-Learning Utilization as a Learning System in Higher Education Institution
Authors: Hasanah Uswatun , Hidayat Syahroni , Kumoro Danang Tejo 
Published: March 2021

This study aims to evaluate the use of technology to support teaching and learning activities. Lecturers and students have applied e-learning to teach subjects. The purpose of this evaluation is to measure the success of the use of STMIK Bumigora e-learning by using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach, which is an approach that can explain user behavior towards the use of technology. Evaluation of the use of e-learning is formulated into a model based on the TAM model, while SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) is used for data analysis. Based on the measurement analysis in this study, several factors most influenced the effectiveness of e-learning, namely the usage tutorial for users, ICT facilities related to the Ease of accessing the internet network. Meanwhile, in structural analysis, it was found that attitudes toward the use and perceived usefulness were strongly correlated with real use factors. The actual use is a real condition of the use of e-learning measured by the frequency and duration of time in using the technology, which is influenced by the user's belief in accepting the existence of e-learning in STMIK Bumigora and user beliefs related to the benefits when using it. Therefore, attitudes toward the use and perception of usefulness are the main determining factors in measuring the frequency and duration of e-learning use.
Performance Analysis of CRC-Polar Concatenated Codes
Authors: Sari Lydia , Assiddiq U.P. Masagus M. Ikhsan , Alam Syah , Surjati Indra 
Published: March 2021

Polar code has been proven to obtain Shannon capacity for Binary Input Discrete Memoryless Channel (BIDMC) and its use has been proposed as the channel coding in 5G technology. However, its performance is limited in finite block length, compared to Turbo or LDPC codes. This research proposes the use of various CRC codes to complement Polar codes with finite block length and analyses the performance based on Block Error Rate (BLER) to Es/N0 (dB). The CRC codes used are of degrees 11 and 24, with 3 different polynomial generators for each degree. The number of bits in the information sequence is 32. The list sizes used are 1, 2, 4, and 8. Simulation results show that the concatenation of CRC and Polar codes will yield good BLER vs Es/N0 performance for short blocks of codeword, with rates 32/864 and 54/864. Concatenating CRC codes with Polar codes will yield a BLER performance of 10-2 with Es/N0 values of -9.1 to -7.5 dB when CRC codes of degree 11 is used, depending on the SC list used. The use of CRC codes of degree 24 enables a BLER performance of 10-2 with Es/N0 values of -7 to -6 dB when the SC list used is 1 or 2. The use of CRC codes of degree 24 combined with SC list with sizes 4 or 8 will improve the BLER performance to 10-2 with Es/N0 values of -8 to -7.5 dB
Direct Anterior Approach for Total Hip Arthroplasty with Subtrochanteric Shortening Osteotomy
Authors: Grieco Preston W. , Villa Jesus M. , Pannu Tejbir S. , Higuera Carlos A. , Riesgo Aldo M. 
Published: March 2021

Case:
A patient with Aitken type A proximal focal femoral deficiency (PFFD) and significant limb length discrepancy managed with total hip arthroplasty making use of a novel technique that features a direct anterior approach (DAA) and a subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy.

Conclusion:
Although the current description of the shortening osteotomy is for PFFD, it is versatile enough to allow its application in other hip pathologies requiring subtrochanteric shortening in the setting of total hip arthroplasty. The authors believe that the description of this case report and surgical technique may be an option for the experienced DAA surgeon.
A Generalized Solution to the Point-to-Target Problem Using the Minimum Curvature Method
Authors: Sawaryn Steven J. 
Published: March 2021

Summary
An explicit solution to the general 3D point-to-target problem based on the minimum curvature method has been sought for more than four decades. The general case involves the trajectory's start and target points connected by two circular arcs joined by a straight line with the position and direction defined at both ends. It is known that the solutions are multivalued, and efficient iterative schemes to find the principal root have been established.
This construction is an essential component of all major trajectory construction packages. However, convergence issues have been reported in cases where the intermediate tangent section is either small or vanishes and rigorous mathematical conditions under which solutions are both possible and are guaranteed to converge have not been published. An implicit expression has now been determined that enables all the roots to be identified and permits either exact or polynomial-type solution methods to be used. Most historical attempts at solving the problem have been purely algebraic, but a geometric interpretation of related problems has been attempted, showing that a single circular arc and a tangent section can be encapsulated in the surface of a horn torus. These ideas have now been extended, revealing that the solution to the general 3D point-to-target problem can be represented as a 10th-order self-intersecting geometric surface, characterized by the trajectory's start and end points, the radii of the two arcs, and the length of the tangent section.
An outline of the solution's derivation is provided in the paper together with complete details of the general expression and its various degenerate forms so that readers can implement the algorithms for practical application. Most of the degenerate conditions reduce the order of the governing equation. Full details of the critical and degenerate conditions are also provided, and together these indicate the most convenient solution method for each case. In the presence of a tangent section, the principal root is still most easily obtained using an iterative scheme, but the mathematical constraints are now known. It is also shown that all other cases degenerate to quadratic forms that can be solved using conventional methods.
It is shown how the general expression for the general point-to-target problem can be modified to give the known solutions to the 3D landing problem and how the example in the published works on this subject is much simplified by the geometric, rather than algebraic treatment.
Subfoveal Scleral Thickness is Associated With Peripheral Retinal Changes in High Myopia in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Zhang Wenli , Shi Tingkun , Chen Shirong , Chen Haoyu 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background This study aims to identify the risk factors in peripheral retinal changes (PRC) associated with high myopes among children and adolescents.Methods This is a cross-sectional study on children and adolescents diagnosed with high myopia. The subjects involved underwent a series of ocular examinations, including the dilated fundus examination for PRC and the swept-source optical coherence tomography for foveal retinal, choroidal and scleral thickness measurement. Then, the variables were compared among the eyes with high risk, low risk, and no PRC. Spearman correlation was applied to evaluate the relationship between the parameters and the extent of PRC. Logistic regression was performed to identify the potential risk factors.Results A total of 117 eyes from 117 subjects were recruited. The prevalence of PRC was 57.3% (67 eyes), while that of high-risk PRC was 22.2% (26 eyes). A number of significant differences were observed in the mean subfoveal scleral thickness, spherical equivalent refraction, and axial length among the eyes with high-risk, low-risk, and no PRC (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p = 0.048, respectively). Compared with spherical equivalent (r = 0.32, p < 0.01) and axial length (r = 0.18, p = 0.05), subfoveal scleral thickness exhibited higher correlation coefficient with PRC (r=-0.38, p < 0.01). Subfoveal scleral thickness and spherical equivalent refraction were identified as the independent risk factors for both PRC and high-risk PRC.Conclusion It was demonstrated that there was a correlation between subfoveal scleral thickness and PRC. The eyes with thinner subfoveal scleral thickness carried a higher risk of PRC.
Long term outcome of early vitrectomy in non-diabetic, non-traumatic patients with acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and vitreous hemorrhage
Authors: Lorusso Massimo , Ferrari Luisa Micelli , Bordinone Marco Antonio , Sborgia Giancarlo , Iaculli Cristiana , Alessio Giovanni , Ferrari Tommaso Micelli , Boscia Francesco 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Objective: Evaluate the etiologies for dense vitreous hemorrhage in pseudophakic, non-diabetic and non-traumatic adults with acute PVD and the efficiency of early vitrectomy treatment.Methods: The study included 93 eyes of 93 patients and it consisted in the evaluation of etiologies of vitreous hemorrhage: retinal tears, retinal occlusion (RVO), choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). A comparison of initial visual acuity versus final visual acuity post vitrectomy is performed.Results: The mean time between symptom onset and surgery was 6.9 days. The most common etiologies observed during this study were: retinal tear (63.4%), vein occlusion (18.3%), CNV (9.7%) and PVD (8.6%). Following early vitrectomy treatement, VA significantly improved from 1.673 LogMAR to 0.220 LogMAR. In addition, the incidence of retinal tears identified preoperatively by ocular ecography were 13, but it improved to 46 during surgery.Conclusion: Retinal tears, RVO, CNV and PVD were the most common causes of dense vitreous hemorrhage. Early vitrectomy has a good outcome with improvement on visual acuity and we also observed during surgery retinal tears not efficiently identified by ultrasound preoperatively.
Does Environmental Pollution hurt Agricultural Productive Efficiency? A New Evidence using ARDL and Wavelet Coherence Approaches
Authors: Ramzan Muhammad , Iqbal Hafiz Arslan , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Environmental change daunts the aptitude to ensure global food security. The greatest significant threat to world fronting is how to mitigate environmental pollution without sacrificing agricultural productivity. The sharp rise in carbon dioxide emissions and global warming is altering the agriculture productivity's patterns as its vulnerability can be sensed by farmers. The spillover impact of climatic changes predicted to be great but differs by area and crop. This research fulfills the unprecedented need of adopting robustness methods to quantify the impact of CO2 emissions, agriculture labor, land, feeds, and fertilizers on agriculture productivity over five decades-long data structured in time-series. The fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), wavelet transform coherence (WTC) method, and gradual shift causality, tools have been espoused to observe the dynamic linkage in the long-term and short-run. The ARDL bound test confirms long-term co-integrated relation among the indicators. Furthermore, there is evidence of positive association between agriculture productivity and regressors which is also supported by the wavelet coherence outcomes. The Gradual shift causality test present a uni-directional causal link from all determinants to agriculture productivity which illustrates that all the regressors can significantly predict agriculture productivity. So, policies need to be formulated to explore a practical expansion approach with efficient use of fertilizers and feeds at an optimum level, in addition to environmental protection by encouraging public and private investment in agricultural research.
A Feasibility Study of a Pro-Based, Clinical Pharmacist-Led Symptom Monitoring and Management Intervention To Improve Adherence to Breast Cancer Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy
Authors: Neuner Joan , Weil Elizabeth , Fergestrom Nicole , Stolley Melinda , Kamaraju Sailaja , Oxencis Carolyn , Winn Aaron , Laud Purushottam , Flynn Kathryn E. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) for breast cancer reduces mortality, but one-third to one-half of patients discontinue it early or are nonadherent. We developed a pilot single-site study of patients with evidence of early nonadherence to AET to assess the feasibility of a novel intervention targeting symptom and medication management.Methods: Subjects with prescription fill records showing nonadherence were enrolled in a single arm, clinical pharmacist-led, pre-post feasibility study. Automated reminders were sent by email or text with a link to symptom monitoring assessments weekly for 1 month and monthly until 6 months. Clinical oncology pharmacists used guideline-based symptom management and other medication management tools to support adherence and ameliorate symptoms reported on the assessments. Patient-reported outcome assessments included physical, mental, and social health domains, and self-efficacy to manage symptoms and medications. Feasibility outcomes included completion of symptom reports and pharmacist recommendations.Results Of nineteen nonadherent patients who completed initial assessments, 18 completed all final study procedures, with 14 completing assessments and no patient missing > three. All 18 patients reported at least one of three symptom types, and the majority reported attempting pharmacist recommendations. Patient-reported measures of physical, mental and social health, as well as self-efficacy improved, and 44% of the patients became adherent.Conclusions: An intervention to utilize pharmacists in an oncology practice systematically monitor and manage symptoms shows promise to reduce symptoms, enhance support and self-efficacy, and improve adherence to AET. Implications for Cancer Survivors: If future larger studies confirm these pilot findings, the intervention could improve patient symptoms and adherence.