bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laser therapies for onychomycosis – critical evaluation of methods and effectiveness
Authors: Francuzik W. , Fritz K. , Salavastru C. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe number of medical devices designed specifically to treat onychomycosis has recently increased, although their mechanism of action is not clear. We evaluated available laser therapies for onychomycosis by reviewing the existing literature. Twenty‐two reports, published in peer‐reviewed journals and as white papers out of 926 initial search results conveyed enough details to be included in this study. In most cases, the methodology of the trials described in the papers we reviewed was not comprehensive and the reporting of outcomes was not unified. We therefore found it hard to compare different clinical trials to one another. The majority of studies (81.82%) reported using an Nd:YAG laser device to treat onychomycosis. A total of 47.37% of the studies which used a 1064 device (and 47.83% of all studies we reviewed) reported that all treated patients responded positively to laser therapy. A total of 60% of studies reported achieving a complete cure (no clinical symptoms, nor negative mycology) in at least 50% of the treated patients. A low number of adverse events and their mild intensity were consistently reported across all studies, which makes this form of therapy particularly attractive to patients with contraindications for receiving systemic antifungal medication. In order to achieve more unified, comparable studies in the future, we suggest that researchers report a minimum set of outcome measurements: the calculation of the infected nail area pre‐ and posttreatment, as well as the number of patients achieving mycological, clinical and complete cures.
Overview of skin whitening agents with an insight into the illegal cosmetic market in Europe
Authors: Desmedt B. , Courselle P. , De Beer J.O. , Rogiers V. , Grosber M. , Deconinck E. , De Paepe K. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractLightening skin tone is an ancient and well‐documented practice, and remains common practice among many cultures. Whitening agents such as corticosteroids, tretinoin and hydroquinone are medically applied to effectively lighten the skin tone of hyperpigmented lesions. However, when these agents are used cosmetically, they are associated with a variety of side‐effect. Alternative agents, such as arbutin and its derivatives kojic acid and nicotinamide have been subsequently developed for cosmetic purposes. Unfortunately, some cosmetics contain whitening agents that are banned for use in cosmetic products. This article provides an overview of the mode of action and potential side‐effects of cosmetic legal and illegal whitening agents, and the pattern of use of these types of products. Finally, an EU analysis of the health problems due to the presence of illegal products on the market is summarized.
Hedonic and Word Association Techniques Confirm a Successful Way of Introducing Fish into Public School Meals
Authors: Latorres J.M. , Mitterer‐Daltoé M.L. , Queiroz M.I. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the acceptance of fish meatballs introduced into the lunch of 132 6‐ to 14‐year‐old students at a public school in Brazil. Responses were obtained using a seven‐point facial hedonic scale and the word association method was used to determine children's cognitive perception of the product. We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the effects of age and gender on the acceptance of fish meatballs and established a predictive model for different acceptance levels. The technique known as correspondence analysis was used to verify the relationship between the acceptance rates or student's age with the terms that emerged during the word association. Results showed that age was significantly and inversely correlated with the acceptance of fish meatballs. The cognitive evaluation of the word association results through the word association technique demonstrated that the preferences of the younger students are given by the appearance of the fish meatballs, and, in as they grow older, their cognitions become more abstract. We found that the word association can be effectively used for cognitive assessment in children, and fish meatballs proved to be a potentially accepted food in school meals of the Brazilian public education.Practical ApplicationsFish is considered as a high nutritional value food in the diet. However, it has low acceptance among children. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the attributes and insights that lead the children to accept a fish‐based product.
Museum Activism Against Military Sexual Slavery
Authors: Tai Eika 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThere has been political tension in East Asia over Japan's avoidance of facing its history of imperial expansion and wartime atrocities. Peace museums have been battlefields for the debate on how to remember the war. One of the fiercest battles has been fought at the Women's Active Museum on War and Peace, known as the WAM, which focuses on the issue of “military comfort women,” those forced to offer sexual service to Japanese soldiers during the Asia–Pacific War. The WAM has been leading political activism against right‐wing nationalists who deny the history of military sexual slavery. I examine museum activism at the WAM, delving into specific strategies for educating and politicizing visitors. I argue that it takes advantage of the museum's two roles as temple and forum. I also want to show that the WAM is collaborative in every aspect of museum creation and operation: finance, collections, archives, research, displays, and education.
Anatomic abnormalities are common potential explanations of manometric esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction
Authors: DeLay K. , Austin G. L. , Menard‐Katcher P. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackgroundEsophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) is an esophageal motility diagnosis associated with a myriad of conditions. The frequency of EGJOO attributed to anatomic causes compared to idiopathic causes is uncertain. Our study aims to identify the frequency of EGJOO and to compare these two groups.MethodsWe conducted a case–control study of high‐resolution manometry (HRM) studies with a diagnosis of EGJOO performed at a single academic center. EGJOO cases were classified as anatomic (if any potential anatomic cause was identified) or idiopathic. Clinical and manometric characteristics of idiopathic EGJOO were compared with anatomic EGJOO cases.Key ResultsCriteria for EGJOO were met in 11% of HRM studies. Ancillary studies revealed 21/32 EGJOO cases had potential anatomic causes with a hiatal hernia noted in 15/21 cases of anatomic EGJOO. Idiopathic EGJOO cases met Chicago Classification criteria for hypercontractile esophagus with greater frequency than anatomic cases (p = 0.01). The mean distal contractile integral was significantly greater for idiopathic cases compared to anatomic cases (p = 0.003). Treatments used for EGJOO were varied and usually successful in alleviating symptoms. Patients with anatomic EGJOO related to a hiatal hernia who underwent an antireflux operation did not develop dysphagia postoperatively.Conclusions & InferencesEGJOO is a frequently encountered manometric diagnosis, commonly associated with anatomic abnormalities potentially explaining the EGJOO. These findings support current recommendations to pursue ancillary diagnostics to investigate cases of unexplained EGJOO. Cases of idiopathic EGJOO are more likely to have hypercontractility on HRM, possibly suggesting a primary esophageal motility disorder.
Terpene metabolic engineering via nuclear or chloroplast genomes profoundly and globally impacts off‐target pathways through metabolite signalling
Authors: Pasoreck Elise K. , Su Jin , Silverman Ian M. , Gosai Sager J. , Gregory Brian D. , Yuan Joshua S. , Daniell Henry 
Published: March 2016

SummaryThe impact of metabolic engineering on nontarget pathways and outcomes of metabolic engineering from different genomes are poorly understood questions. Therefore, squalene biosynthesis genes FARNESYL DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (FPS) and SQUALENE SYNTHASE (SQS) were engineered via the Nicotiana tabacum chloroplast (C), nuclear (N) or both (CN) genomes to promote squalene biosynthesis. SQS levels were ~4300‐fold higher in C and CN lines than in N, but all accumulated ~150‐fold higher squalene due to substrate or storage limitations. Abnormal leaf and flower phenotypes, including lower pollen production and reduced fertility, were observed regardless of the compartment or level of transgene expression. Substantial changes in metabolomes of all lines were observed: levels of 65–120 unrelated metabolites, including the toxic alkaloid nicotine, changed by as much as 32‐fold. Profound effects of transgenesis on nontarget gene expression included changes in the abundance of 19 076 transcripts by up to 2000‐fold in CN; 7784 transcripts by up to 1400‐fold in N; and 5224 transcripts by as much as 2200‐fold in C. Transporter‐related transcripts were induced, and cell cycle‐associated transcripts were disproportionally repressed in all three lines. Transcriptome changes were validated by qRT‐PCR. The mechanism underlying these large changes likely involves metabolite‐mediated anterograde and/or retrograde signalling irrespective of the level of transgene expression or end product, due to imbalance of metabolic pools, offering new insight into both anticipated and unanticipated consequences of metabolic engineering.
Human parechovirus type 3 infection: Cause of apnea in infants born prematurely
Authors: Nirei Jun , Aizawa Yuta , Okazaki Minoru , Kobayashi Akira , Onozuka Junya , Numata Osamu , Oishi Tomohiro , Saitoh Akihiko 
Published: March 2016

AbstractFour infants born prematurely presented with multiple apnea episodes caused by human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) infection. All patients required oxygen supplementation, and one patient required mechanical ventilation. HPeV3 infection might be included in the differential diagnosis of apnea in neonates and young infants, especially those born prematurely.
Some Problems of Statistical Modeling of Intermittent Turbulent Flows and Their Solutions
Authors: Nuzhnov Yu. V. 
Published: March 2016

Some problems of statistical modeling of turbulent flows associated with the hydrodynamic effects of intermittency of various dynamic and scalar fields are identified, and a justification of their solutions is proposed.
At first examines some problems of statistical modeling of large-scale (energy-containing) turbulence structure under the conditions of turbulent and nonturbulent fluid intermittency in the turbulent flow. This primarily applies to the problem of obtaining the differential equations of hydrodynamics for conditional statistical moments (conditional averages), i.e. for single-point statistical moments of each of the intermittent media of turbulent flow. To solve this problem is given a mathematically rigorous justification of conducting the operation of conditional averaging of the Navier-Stokes equations. As a result was obtained the system of differential equations for the conditional averages of turbulent and nonturbulent fluid. The main advantage of the obtained differential equations for the conditional averages is that these equations don’t contain the source terms. Therewith is given a physical substantiation of transformation process of nonturbulent fluid in turbulent, that occurs in a thin superlayer, which separates turbulent and nonturbulent fluid. Here also is given a justification of conducting the operation of total averaging of the partial derivates, which, as it turns out, is not a permutational and leads to a number of specific features in comparison with the unconditional averaging in RANS.
Another problem associated with statistical modeling of inhomogeneous turbulent flows, i.e. flows with an inhomogeneous field of scalar substance. It is known that the dynamic field with turbulent fluid does not coincide with the inhomogeneous field of scalar substance. To solve this problem is proposed a method of calculating the statistical characteristics both of the turbulent fluid and the inhomogeneous field of a passive admixture concentration. It is shown, that the conditional averages of the passive admixture concentration are significantly different.
In conclusion we consider the problem of statistical modeling of diffusional turbulent combustion of not pre-mixed chemically reacting gases, expressly the modeling by the known method PDF with involving the “reduced fuel concentration” as the passive impurity concentration. To solve this problem is given a justification of new differential equations, allowing to carry out calculations only of the conditional averages for the intersection region of the dynamic field of the turbulent fluid and the inhomogeneous field of the passive impurity concentration. Some results of such calculations, performed in the self-similar field of diffusion turbulent propane plume, are presented together with the experimental data available in literature.
Locomotive Underactuated Implement Guided via Elastic Elements (L.U.I.G.E.E): A Preliminary Design
Authors: Reilly Thomas , O’Rourke Jerome K. , Steudler Daniel , Piovesan Davide , Bortoletto Roberto 
Published: March 2016

This paper presents the simulation and fabrication of a bipedal humanoid system actuated with linear springs to produce a standing equilibrium position.
The humanoid system is comprised of two leg assemblies connected by a hip bracket. Eleven pairs of springs were attached to the system in locations designed to simulate the muscles and tendons in a human body. The assembly was modeled in the multi-body dynamics simulation software SimWise 4D. Simulations were performed to determine the springs’ stiffness and natural lengths using a top-down heuristic approach. After a set of springs were found to produce a good simulated stable position, they were cross referenced to standard commercially-available parts. A final simulation was then performed to verify that the real-world spring values produced a stable system.
Working in tandem with SimWise 4D, the humanoid assembly was fabricated using PLA plastic via an extrusion-type rapid prototyping machine. From the results of the simulation, the set of working springs were implemented onto the plastic model. After final modifications, the assembly then produced a standing equilibrium position. Finally, the assembly was perturbed in several directions to ensure that after the system experienced a displacement it would then return to its original position.
An Electrochemical Model Based Optimal Charging Algorithm for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Pramanik Sourav , Anwar Sohel 
Published: March 2016

In recent years, Lithium-Ion battery has gathered lot of importance in many forms of energy storage applications due to its overwhelming benefits. Any battery pack alone cannot achieve its optimal performance unless there is a robust and efficient energy management system, commonly known as battery management system or BMS. The Lithium-Ion charger is a voltage-limiting device that is similar to the lead acid system. The difference lies in a higher cell voltage; tighter voltage tolerance and the absence of trickle or float charge at full charge.
In this work, we propose the design of a novel optimal strategy for charging the battery that better suits the battery performance. A performance index is defined that aims at minimizing the effort of regeneration along with a minimum deviation from the rated maximum thresholds for cell temperature and charging current. A more realistic model based on battery electrochemistry is used for the optimal algorithm design as opposed to equivalent circuit models. To solve the optimization problem, Pontryagin’s principle is used which is very effective for constrained optimization problems with both state and input constraints.
Simulation results show that the proposed optimal charging algorithm is capable of shortening the charging time of a Lithium Ion cell while maintaining the temperature constraint when compared with the standard constant current charging.
Influence of Electric Fields and Surface Chemistry on Ice Nucleation Kinetics
Authors: Carpenter Katherine , Bahadur Vaibhav 
Published: March 2016

The majority of studies on ice formation have attempted to prevent or reduce ice build-up; very few studies have focused on promoting ice nucleation which would have applications in appliances, cryopreservation, and pharmaceutical freeze-drying. Such studies are also relevant to the synthesis of methane hydrates for natural gas transportation. This paper details a fundamental study on the influence of interfacial electric fields on ice nucleation promotion.
Electrofreezing, i.e. applying an electric field has been shown to electrically induce nucleation of supercooled water. The freezing temperatures of supercooled water can thus be increased via electrofreezing. However, the mechanisms responsible for elevating the freezing temperature are unclear. Typically, bare electrodes are submerged in water, which creates a volumetric electric field in water. With this type of electric field, the application of a voltage can result in multiple phenomena such as current flows, chemical reactions and gas bubble formation or growth. It is unclear whether electrofreezing is the result of the electric field or the current flow-related secondary phenomena.
In the present work, the role of electric fields and surface charge on electrofreezing is isolated by studying electrofreezing of water droplets on a dielectric layer. This dielectric layer blocks current and creates an interfacial electric field with a build-up of electric charge at the solid-fluid interface. Ultra-high electric fields of up to 80 V/μm were applied, which is one order of magnitude higher than in previous studies. Infrared (IR) thermography was used to capture ice nucleation and determine the electrofreezing temperature. The results show that the electric fields alone can elevate the freezing temperature of water by as much as 15 °C; however, this effect saturates at electric fields of approximately 20–40 V/μm. Also, the electrofreezing effect was found to be polarity independent. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the mechanism underlying electrofreezing is a reduction in the Gibbs free energy for ice crystal nucleation. Furthermore, by intentionally creating pinholes in the dielectric layer, which creates current paths, the influence of electric current on electrofreezing was also studied. It was observed that electric currents and/or other secondary effects, such as bubble generation, further increased the electrofreezing temperatures.
Overall, this work fills many existing gaps in the current understanding of electrofreezing. It is seen that both the electric field and electric current influence electrofreezing; however, the physical mechanisms are different.
Conceptual Design of an Active Transtibial Prosthesis Based on Expected Joint and Muscle Forces in a Unilateral Transtibial Amputee: A Modelling Study
Authors: Joshi Sagar , Gupta Abhishek 
Published: March 2016

Most modern active prostheses try to match the torque generated by the biological ankle in order to assist walking. However, due to the absence of a biarticular component like the gastrocnemius muscle, they are unable to provide complete rehabilitation. In this paper, a conceptual design of a prosthesis, having an active biarticular component is proposed; and it is studied if such a design can help in better rehabilitation of amputees. The muscle and joint forces during walking are predicted for three cases using musculoskeletal models: A healthy person, an Amputee wearing an active uniarticular prosthesis, and an Amputee wearing a prosthesis having active uniarticular as well as biarticular components (proposed design).
Based on the required muscle forces and generated joint reaction loads, the proposed model performs better than the uniarticular prostheses.
Divergent Engineering
Authors: Fukuda Shuichi 
Published: March 2016

This is a position paper.
Traditional engineering has focused on the design goal and all efforts have been paid to achieve design requirements and design specifications with the highest quality. Such engineering is indeed necessary to develop very high tech products or very sophisticated products.
But on the other hand, there are needs for engineering which makes the most of the available resources. To borrow Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” is the philosophy of such an approach.
Current engineering is convergent engineering or tree-structured engineering. We invent or use many technologies to achieve our high goal. But if we look at the developing countries, local people are not capable of using such high sophisticated systems and what makes the matter worse, materials, etc. which are needed are not available locally. For them, what is more important is how they can utilize their own local materials or resources and develop a system which can be used and repaired by themselves.
Thus, not only physical resources, but such resources as human, etc. must be considered how to utilize them in order to cater to their local needs. And in fact, if we are successful in developing such local products by utilizing their own local resources, it would increase employment and the market will grow up. In short, low-end to high-end industrial development can be expected.
To achieve this, we need divergent engineering. An engineering to think how we can make the most of the resources at hand. The product thus developed may be low tech, but has quality and performance to satisfy the local needs enough.
And it should be added that such low tech products would serve to cater to quickly aging society as well. Products that call for high capabilities cannot be used by seniors. So unless products are for a professional user, even in advanced countries, most of which are suffering from the problem of quick aging populations, very high tech and sophisticated products will not meet the aging customers’ needs or expectations. We need much simpler and intuitive engineering.
Engineering is an activity to satisfy our dreams. But current convergent technology is too much stuck on the traditional path. Convergent engineering helps engineering going higher and higher, but it does not help it going wider and wider. It requires high expertise not only on the side of the producer, but also on the side of the customer.
To expand engineering wider and wider, we need divergent engineering. This paper discussed the importance of divergent engineering and describes its importance with illustrative examples.