bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microplastics in the environment: Much ado about nothing? A debate
Authors: Backhaus Thomas , Wagner Martin 
Published: May 2018

This manuscript documents a debate between the two authors on the issue of microplastics in the environment. It was sparked by a recent viewpoint article published by G. A. Burton in Environmental Science and Technology (http://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05463) and started as a Twitter debate. To expand, we decided to continue our conversation publishing 1000-word texts on PeerJ and responding to each other in roughly two-week intervals.
Currently, the text contains the following:
1) An introduction, which sets the scene for the article
2) Martin's kick-off statement “Soul-searching on microplastics: Lost in translation, prioritization and communication?”, dated Feb. 27, 2018
3) Thomas' opening statement “A genuine research topic, but let’s avoid hyperboles”, dated March 18, 2018
4) Martin’s rebuttal “Moving forward: What are the risks of microplastics?”, dated April 18, 2018
5) Thomas’ rebuttal “We need to do a classical risk assessment, but we can’t stop there”, dated May 18, 2018
Thomas and Martin are currently working in parallel on their final statements.
Effects of long-term fertilisation on aggregates and dynamics of soil organic carbon in a semi-arid agro-ecosystem in China
Authors: Zhang Jiaoyang , Sun Caili , Liu Guobin , Xue Sha 
Published: May 2018

BackgroundLong-term fertilisation has a large influence on soil physical and chemical properties in agro-ecosystems. The effects on the distribution of aggregates, however, are not fully understood. We determined the dynamic change of the distribution of aggregates and soil organic carbon (SOC) content over time in a long-term field experiment established in 1998 on the Loess Plateau of China and illustrated the relationship between them.MethodsWe determined SOC content and the distribution of aggregates in nine fertiliser treatments: manure (M); nitrogen (N); phosphorus (P); M and N; M, N, and P; M and P; N and P; bare land; and an unfertilised control. These parameters were then used for a path analysis and to analyse the fractal dimension (Dv).ResultsThe organic fertiliser increased SOC content. The proportions of 0.1–0.25 mm microaggregates and 0.25–0.5 mm macroaggregates were higher and the proportion of the 0.01–0.05 mm size class of the silt + clay fraction was lower in the treatments receiving organic fertiliser (M, MN, MNP, and MP) than that in the control, indicating that the addition of organic fertiliser promoted aggregation. The distribution of aggregates characterised by their fractal dimension (Dv), however, did not differ among the treatments.DiscussionDvwas strongly correlated with the proportion of the <0.002 mm size class of the silt + clay fraction that did not differ significantly among the treatments. The change in the distribution of aggregates was strongly correlated with SOC content, which could produce organic polymer binding agents to increase the proportion of larger particles. Long-term application of organic fertiliser is thus necessary for the improvement and maintenance of soil quality in semi-arid agricultural land when residues are removed.
Ophthalmic Manifestations In Patients of Acute Leukaemia Presenting to A Tertiary Care Centre In Western Rajasthan
Authors: Kochar Shilpi , Singhal Yamini , Manohar Jaishree Murli , Jain Kalpana 
Published: May 2018

Purpose:-
To determine the prevalence and pattern of ophthalmic manifestations in patients of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL) presenting to a tertiary care centre in Western Rajasthan.

Materials and Methods:-
This cross-sectional non-interventional study was conducted from April 2015 to March 2016 to study the spectrum of ophthalmic manifestations in 110 acute leukaemia patients. Patient’s demographic data, medical and treatment history, anterior and posterior segment examination with haematological and radiological investigations were recorded.

Results:-
The study subjects (n = 110: 57 males and 53 females) comprised 64 ALL and 46 AML patients whose age ranged from 22 months to 58 years. There were 44 adults and 66 children. Leukemic ophthalmopathy was present in 61 (55.45%) subjects. Ocular changes were present in 30/44 (68.18%) adults and 31/66 (46.97%) children (P<0.04). Thirty four males (34/57, 59.65%) and 27/53 (50.94%) females had ocular manifestations (P<0.46). The leading posterior segment ophthalmic manifestation was superficial haemorrhage and the anterior segment manifestation was sub-conjunctival hemorrhage. Primary or direct leukemic infiltration was seen in 11 (10%) subjects while secondary or indirect involvement was seen in 60 (54.54%) subjects. Leukemic ophthalmopathy was more prevalent in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in comparison to Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia, frequently affected the ocular posterior segment and often resulted from secondary hematologic complications (P <0.001).

Conclusion:-
Leukemic ophthalmic lesions were found in 61/110 (55.45%) patients. Ocular involvement is more often seen in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Early diagnosis and regular ophthalmic examinations are recommended to optimize diagnosis, prognostic and treatment outcomes of Acute Leukaemia patients.
Prevalence Of Diabetic Retinopathy In Jorhat District Of Assam
Authors: Das Sagarika , Bardoloi Narayan , Sarkar Sandip 
Published: May 2018

Aims:-
To find the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a project named “Community Based Diabetic Retinopathy” initiated to study the diabetics in a city of population 1.2 lacs.

Methods:-
After initial survey, mapping was done where spots were identified to organize weekly diabetic retinopathy (DR) camps. The target population was sensitized by home to home visit, placing of canopies and posters prior to the camps. On the day of camp, people above 40 years were subjected for Random blood sugar (RBS) estimation besides routine eye check up. The known diabetics and those detected on that day were examined with indirect ophthalmoscopy (IDO) by ophthalmologists.

Results:-
A total of 5596 persons were examined in 50 weekly camps in one year. 1172 diabetic patients were screened, out of which 66 were found to have retinopathy. Only 6 underwent treatment. Prevalence of DR was found to be 1.17% (M= 0.69%, F=0.48%) in the entire data set and 5.63% among the diabetics.

Conclusion:-
Prevalence of DR in our project was much less than other population based studies across the nation.
Evaluation Of The Role Of Visual Evoked Potentials In Detecting Visual Impairment In Type II Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kothari Ruchi , Bokariya Pradeep , Singh Smita , Hemavaishnave TS 
Published: May 2018

Purpose:-
To investigate the visual evoked potentials in Type II diabetic patients in order to determine the alterations, if any, resulting from visual impairment due to diabetes mellitus (DM).

Material & Methods:-
The study was conducted in the Neurophysiology unit of the Department of Physiology of a rural medical college of Central India. The study population consisted of 30 patients diagnosed with Type II DM and 30 age matched controls after proper screening as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Both eyes of the two groups of the subjects were included in the study.

Design:-
Tertiary care rural hospital based, single time assessment, short term observational study.

Methodology:-
The stimulus configuration consisted of the transient pattern reversal method in which a black and white checker board is generated (full field) on a VEP Monitor by an electronic pattern regenerator inbuilt in an Evoked Potential Recorder.

Results:-
Mean age of Type 2 diabetic subjects was 58.21 ± 8.17 years and it was 54.48 ± 3.87 years in controls. Except N70 Latency of LE, there was a statistically significant difference between diabetic subjects and controls in terms of all the PRVEP parameters of both the eyes (P<0.001). The pathological VEP was recorded as significant prolongation of P100 latency and significant lower amplitude in diabetic patients compared to control group. A significant intra-ocular difference was observed in 20% cases. The differences between the three groups namely diabetics with diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetics without DR and controls using One-way ANOVA were statistically significant in terms of P100 and N155 latencies and P100 amplitude (P<0.001), with the exception of N70 latency.

Conclusion:-
P100 wave latencies were significantly delayed in the diabetic patients compared with the control subjects indicative of functional disturbances in the visual system related to glucose metabolism.
Role of Mass Communication and Health Care In Promoting Glaucoma Awareness: An Observational Study
Authors: Rewri Parveen , Ali Wazid , Yadav Vibha , Vats Depender Paul 
Published: May 2018

Purpose:-
Lack of awareness about glaucoma is one of the leading causes of glaucoma. This study was designed to understand possible reasons responsible for lower levels of awareness and discuss the role of media and health agencies.

Material & Methods:-
This was a year long observational study which closely followed sources of information readily available to common persons. We looked for information intended to improve glaucoma awareness in print media, electronic media and hospital premises.

Results:-
Between March 2016 and March 2017, we observed 5 newspapers, 2 FM radio channels, 1 TV channel and visited 26 hospitals. There was only one advertisement in one of the Hindi language newspaper. In only 3(11%) hospitals premises, some kind of information on glaucoma awareness was available.

Conclusion:-
Information on promoting glaucoma awareness through audio-visual media and health agencies is lacking in this part of India.
Management Of Stargardt’s Disease Through Ayurvedic Science
Authors: Shaw Santosh Kumar , Apoorva M. N. , Sujathamma K. 
Published: May 2018

Stargardt’s disease is a hereditary disorder of the retina. There is a gradual loss of vision during childhood or adolescence and in a few cases, vision loss may be noticed in adulthood. Involvement of photoreceptor cells presents slow loss of central vision, distorted vision and reduced color vision. Mutations in ABCA4 gene following accumulation of lipofuscin within the retinal pigment epithelium is a causative factor of the disease. Beaten bronze reflex or Snail slime reflex from the macula is the typical clinical presentation.
The signs & symptoms like Avila darshana (Blurred vision) and Vyavidha darshana (distorted vision) which are mentioned in Ayurvedic classics in the context of the disease Timira, can be correlated with the clinical manifestation of Stargardt's disease. Currently, there is no effective treatment in contemporary science for Stargardt's disease except for gene therapy and stem cell therapy.
Hence, the present clinical study was undertaken in order to understand and manage the Stargardt's disease, with Ayurvedic treatment modalities like Virechana (Therapeutic purgative), Tarpana (Ocular therapy used to treat posterior segment disorders) and Nasya (Errhine therapy). A 25 years old male patient diagnosed with Stargardt's disease was advised to undergo Virechana with Trivrit lehyam (A linctus made of Operculina turpethum), Nasya with Ksheerabala taila (A medicated oil prepared from Sida cordifolia and sesame oil processed with medicinal herbs) and Tarpana with Mahatriphaladi ghrita (Medicated ghee prepared out of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula and other medicated herbs) for a course of 26 days. There was marked improvement in vision after the treatment and the results proved to be significant on the basis of clinical assessment.
COMP Report: CPQR technical quality control guidelines for conventional radiotherapy simulators
Authors: Bertrand Marie‐Joëlle 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), in close partnership with the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) has developed a series of Technical Quality Control (TQC) guidelines for radiation treatment equipment. These guidelines outline the performance objectives that equipment should meet in order to ensure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The TQC guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and field tested in a variety of Canadian radiation treatment facilities. The development process enables rapid review and update to keep the guidelines current with changes in technology (the most updated version of this guideline can be found on the CPQR website). This particular TQC details recommended quality control testing of conventional radiotherapy simulators.
Dose rate response of Digital Megavolt Imager detector for flattening filter‐free beams
Authors: Xu Zhigang , Kim Jinkoo , Han James , Hsia An Ting , Ryu Samuel 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn this study we investigated the dose rate response characteristics of the Digital Megavolt Imager (DMI) detector, including panel saturation, linearity, and imager ghosting effects for flattening filter‐free (FFF) beams. The DMI detector dose rate response characteristics were measured as a function of dose rate on a Varian TrueBeam machine. Images were acquired at dose rates ranging from 400 to 1400 MU/min for 6XFFF and 400 to 2400 MU/min for 10XFFF. Line profiles and central portal doses derived from the images were analyzed and compared. The linearity was verified by acquiring images with incremental Monitor Unit (MU) ranging from 5 to 500 MU. Ghosting effects were studied at different dose rates. Finally, for validation, test plans with optimal fluence were created and measured with different dose rates. All test plans were analyzed with a Gamma criteria of 3%‐3 mm and 10% dose threshold. Our study showed that there was no panel saturation observed from the profile comparison even at the maximum dose rate of 2400 MU/min. The central portal doses showed a slight decrease (1.013–1.008 cGy/MU for 6XFFF, and 1.020–1.009 cGy/MU for 10XFFF) when dose rate increased (400–1400 MU/min for 6XFFF, and 400–2400 MU/min for 10XFFF). The linearity of the DMI detector response was better than 0.5% in the range of 20–500 MU for all energies. The residual image was extremely small and statistically undetectable. The Gamma index measured with the test plans decreased from 100% to 97.8% for 6XFFF when dose rate increased from 400 to 1400 MU/min. For 10XFFF, the Gamma index decreased from 99.9% to 91.5% when dose rate increased from 400 to 2400 MU/min. We concluded that the Portal Dosimetry system for the TrueBeam using DMI detector can be reliably used for IMRT and VMAT QA for FFF energies.
Googling Gout: Exploring Perceptions About Gout Through a Linguistic Analysis of Online Search Activities
Authors: Jordan Kayla N. , Pennebaker James W. , Petrie Keith J. , Dalbeth Nicola 
Published: May 2018

ObjectiveTo understand what terms people seeking information about gout use most frequently in online searches and to explore the psychological and emotional tone of these searches.MethodsA large de‐identified data set of search histories from major search engines was analyzed. Participants who searched for gout (n = 1,117), arthritis (arthritis search control group, age and sex‐matched, n = 2,036), and a random set of age and sex‐matched participants (general control group, n = 2,150) were included. Searches were analyzed using Meaning Extraction Helper and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count.ResultsThe most frequent unique searches in the gout search group included gout‐related and food‐related terms. Those who searched for gout were most likely to search for words related to eating or avoidance. In contrast, those who searched for arthritis were more likely to search for disease‐ or health‐related words. Compared with the general control group, higher information seeking was observed for the gout and arthritis search groups. Compared with the general control group, both the gout and arthritis search groups searched for more food‐related words and fewer leisure and sex‐related words. The searches of both the gout and arthritis search groups were lower in positivity and higher in the frequency of sadness‐related words.ConclusionThe perception of gout as a condition managed by dietary strategies aligns with online information seeking about the disease and its management. In contrast, people searching for information about arthritis focus more on medical strategies. Linguistic analyses reflect greater disability in social and leisure activities and lower positive emotion for those searching for gout or arthritis.
Poverty, Neighborhoods, Persistent Stress, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Outcomes: A Qualitative Study of the Patients’ Perspective
Authors: Yelin Edward , Trupin Laura , Bunde Jared , Yazdany Jinoos 
Published: May 2018

ObjectiveTo obtain the perspective of individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) regarding the role of poverty, neighborhood, and chronic stress in SLE outcomes.MethodsThrough annual structured interviews as part of the Lupus Outcomes Study, 723 persons with SLE were followed from 2003 to 2015 in order to establish the effect of combinations of poverty, persistent poverty, residence in an area of concentrated poverty, access to health care, and chronic stress on accumulated damage. We obtained a sample of 28 of the 723 individuals on the basis of household income, geography, and outcomes in their last interview, and administered qualitative interviews to explore their perspectives on the impact of these factors on SLE outcomes. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.ResultsPersons in poverty frequently reported that poverty necessitated a choice to deal with food, medical care, and housing insecurity on a daily basis and to relegate their management of SLE to occurrences of disease flares. They also reported that exposure to crime in their neighborhoods was a stressor that triggered worse disease activity. Affluent participants reported that neighborhood neither helped nor hindered dealing with SLE, because they relied on networks not tied to neighborhoods to deal with SLE.ConclusionMitigating poverty and reducing exposure to crime through moving to safer neighborhoods are factors identified by individuals with SLE as potentially critical in disease outcomes.
The Flexible Conical Lamella: A Bio‐Inspired Open System for the Controllable Liquid Manipulation
Authors: He Meijin , Wang Pengwei , Xu Bojie , Jiang Lei , Liu Huan 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPetals of the hydrophytic daisy, as a typical conical lamellar organ, enable the air trapping by forming a cavity‐like structure during times of flooding for protecting their genetic materials, which serves as an essential strategy to resist the harsh environment. Inspired by the air capturing of hydrophobic petals, a series of hydrophilic flexible conical polyethylene lamellae (FCL‐PE) with different apex angles are developed for controllable liquid manipulation: the smaller apex angle, the higher efficiency, and stability for liquid manipulation. Specifically, the FCL‐PE system could manipulate over 19 times its own mass of liquid when the apex angle is ≈14°, which remains rather stable even under external pressure. The highly efficient liquid manipulation of the FCL‐PE is attributable to the synergistic effects of the Laplace pressure difference generated by the topological asymmetric conical structure and the capillary–induced liquid spreading by the precursor film on the planar lamella. In addition, the wrinkle‐like nanostructures on the surface of FCL‐PE are helpful for the pinning of three–phase contact line when interacting with liquid. Here, an alternative open system of FCL‐PE is provided for the controllable liquid manipulation, which will shed new light on the designing of open systems for liquid transfer and collecting.
Conformal Multifunctional Titania Shell on Iron Oxide Nanorod Conversion Electrode Enables High Stability Exceeding 30 000 Cycles in Aqueous Electrolyte
Authors: Li Ruizhi , Ba Xin , Zhang Haifeng , Xu Pan , Li Yuanyuan , Cheng Chuanwei , Liu Jinping 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIron oxide is promising for use in aqueous energy storage devices due to the high capacity, but one of the most challenging problems is cycling instability within the large potential window that results from the complete quasi‐conversion reaction. Herein, a conformal surface coating strategy toward iron oxide via atomic layer deposition (ALD) is presented and an Fe3O4@TiO2 core–shell nanorod array anode is reported that exhibits remarkable cycling performance exceeding 30 000 times within a wide potential window in neutral lithium salt electrolyte. ALD offers a uniform and precisely controllable TiO2 shell that not only buffers the inner volume expansion of Fe3O4, but also contributes extra capacity through Li+ intercalation/de‐intercalation and helps to alleviate the water electrolysis. Furthermore, by pairing with a pseduocapacitive cathode of V2O3@carbon and using a hydrogel electrolyte of PVA‐LiCl, a unique flexible quasi‐solid‐state hybrid supercapacitor can be assembled. With a high voltage of 2.0 V, the device delivers high volumetric energy and power densities (2.23 mWh cm−3, 1090 mW cm−3), surpassing many recently reported flexible supercapacitors. This work highlights the importance of ALD conformal multifunctional shell to instable nanoarray electrodes in aqueous electrolytes and brings new opportunities to design advanced aqueous hybrid energy storage devices.
Realization of Wurtzite GaSb Using InAs Nanowire Templates
Authors: Namazi Luna , Gren Louise , Nilsson Malin , Garbrecht Magnus , Thelander Claes , Zamani Reza R. , Dick Kimberly A. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe crystal structure of a material has a large impact on the electronic and material properties such as band alignment, bandgap energy, and surface energies. Au‐seeded III–V nanowires are promising structures for exploring these effects, since for most III–V materials they readily grow in either wurtzite or zinc blende crystal structure. In III–Sb nanowires however, wurtzite crystal structure growth has proven difficult. Therefore, other methods must be developed to achieve wurtzite antimonides. For GaSb, theoretical predictions of the band structure diverge significantly, but the absence of wurtzite GaSb material has prevented any experimental verification of the properties. Having access to this material is a critical step toward clearing the uncertainty in the electronic properties, improving the theoretical band structure models and potentially opening doors toward application of this material. This work demonstrates the use of InAs wurtzite nanowires as templates for realizing GaSb wurtzite shell layers with varying thicknesses. The properties of the axial and radial heterointerfaces are studied at the atomic scale by means of aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, revealing their sharpness and structural quality. The transport characterizations point toward a positive offset in the valence bandedge of wurtzite compared to zinc blende.