bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SCN8A gain-of-function mutation is associated with a relatively mild phenotype of epilepsy
Authors: Wang Bao-Tian , Jang Jun-Hong , Yuan Jin-Jing , Wu De , Yang Li
Published: August 2023

SCN8A-associated epilepsy with encephalopathy has been identified in hundreds of individuals. The vast majority of cases are scattered de novo variants typically with an autosomal dominant expression often resulting in severe phenotypic expression. Familial inheritance has also been reported with diverse clinical features. The present study aimed determine the possible SCN8A pathogenic biophysical alterations associated with epilepsy. Using whole exome sequencing, we analyzed five members of a Chinese family and identified a heterozygous missense mutation of SCN8A (c.3926G > A, p.Arg1309Gln). All five affected members developed seizures at different times after birth with a mild clinical phenotype and no intellectual and behavioral development disorders. Low-dose sodium blockers mono-therapy was and effective seizure treatment. The study results suggests that the SCN8A mutation is associated with minor gain-of-function (GoF) effects resulting in the development of mild seizures, however, seizures are well controlled by sodium channel blockers. Therefore, our data broadens the spectrum of SCN8A mutations and the phenotypic-spectrum description of SCN8A mutations in epilepsy patients. In addition, these results suggests that sodium channel blockers may be the most effective treatment option for patients with GoF SCN8A mutations.
Statistical Inference on the Inverse Weibull Model Parameters Based on Dual Generalized Fuzzy Order Statistics
Authors: Maswadah M.
Published: August 2023

In statistical inference, the parameter estimations for lifetime distribution usually deal with precise information. However, in real world situations, experimental performance results cannot always be recorded or measured precisely, and each observable event may only be identified with a fuzzy subset of the sample space. The mean objective of this work is to apply Bayes estimation for the inverse Weibull distribution parameters based on dual generalized fuzzy order statistics when the available observations are described by means of fuzzy information. The Bayesian estimates are compared to the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) and the expectation maximization (EM) estimates, via Monte Carlo simulations, in terms of the mean square errors and mean percentage errors. The results are quite favorable to Bayes’ method, which provides better estimates and outperforms the maximum likelihood and the EM estimates for different sample sizes and several values for the true parameters. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Ripples in the Bottom of the Potential Energy Landscape of Metallic Glass
Authors: Egami Takeshi , Zella Leo , Moon Ji-Won
Published: August 2023

In the absence of periodicity the structure of glass is ill-defined, and a large number of structural states are found at similar energy levels. However, little is known about how these states are connected to each other in the potential energy landscape. We simulate mechanical relaxation by molecular dynamics for a prototypical CU64.5ZR35.5 metallic glass and follow the mechanical energy loss of each atom to track the change in the state. We find that the energy barriers separating these states are remarkably low, only of the order of 1 meV, implying that even quantum fluctuations can overcome these potential energy barriers. Our observation of numerous small ripples in the bottom of the potential energy landscape puts many assumptions regarding the thermodynamic states of metallic glasses into question and suggests that metallic glasses are not totally frozen at the local atomic level.
Ortho Silicic Acid: A Novel Approach to Enhance Plant Nutrition and Quality in Fodder Maize
Authors: Biswal Bisworanjita , Kumar Rakesh , Kumar Ashwani , Meena Rajesh Kumar , Jat Hardev Ram , Rai Arvind Kumar , Kashyap Suryakanta , Bhattacharjee Subhradip , Das Rajeswari , Baral Kirttiranjan , Padhan Smruti Ranjan , Rana Biswajit , Meel Birbal
Published: August 2023

Agriculture has neglected silicon (Si) fertilization due to the widespread belief that soil has enough of Si and it is beneficial under any kind of biotic or abiotic stress, often neglecting its usefulness under optimum and stress-free conditions. A two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar spray of orthosilicic acid (OSA) on the growth, yield, nutrient content, and quality of fodder maize. The experiment was conducted in Zaid season at the Research Farm of Agronomy Section, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. Seven treatments with different concentrations of OSA (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.25%, and 0.30%) were applied along with the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF). RDF without OSA application was used as control. The results showed that OSA application significantly improved green fodder yield (GFY) and dry fodder yield (DFY). The concentration of 0.25% OSA resulted in the highest GFY (53.63 t ha− 1) and DFY (13.35 t ha− 1), which were 10.6% and 45.3% higher than the control, respectively. The application of OSA also positively influenced growth parameters such as crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), dry matter accumulation (DMA), leaf:stem ratio, and physiological parameters including SPAD (chlorophyll content), relative water content (RWC%), and leaf area index (LAI). OSA foliar spray improved the nutrient content and uptake in fodder maize. Nitrogen (N%), potassium (K%), and calcium (Ca%) concentrations were significantly increased with OSA application, while phosphorus (P%) concentration remained unaffected. The uptake of N, P, K, and Ca was also significantly higher in the OSA-treated plots, with the 0.25% OSA treatment showing the highest nutrient uptake. OSA application recorded higher dry matter (DM%), crude protein (CP%), total ash (TA%), and lower neutral detergent fiber (NDF%), and acid detergent fiber (ADF%). Economic analysis revealed that OSA at 0.25% concentration resulted in the highest gross return, net return, and benefit-cost ratio (B:C), indicating its economic viability. Therefore, foliar spray of OSA, at 0.25% concentration, improved the growth, yield, nutrient content, and quality of fodder maize. This study highlights the potential of OSA as a beneficial foliar spray for enhancing production and quality of fodder maize.
Fresh white cheeses from buttermilk with polymerized whey protein: texture, color, gloss, cheese yield
Authors: Bielska Paulina , Cais-Sokolińska Dorota
Published: August 2023

Buttermilk and whey, despite their documented health and technological potential, are still not sufficiently utilized for the development of new products. In this research, the effect of heat treatment on whey protein’s texture, color, and gloss was analyzed using fresh white cheeses from buttermilk with polymerized whey protein. Additionally, the influence of the polymerization process on cheese yield and composition was examined. Four fresh white cheese samples were prepared: without whey protein concentrate (FWC); with whey protein concentrate (FWC/WPC); with single-heated polymerized whey protein (FWC/SPWP); and with double-heated polymerized whey protein (FWC/DPWP). The introduction of whey protein in buttermilk cheese production increased cheese yield over 2-fold. There were no differences in color and gloss between FWC/SPWP and FWC/DPWP samples.
Characterization of the plasma proteome from healthy adult dogs
Authors: Doulidis Pavlos G. , Kuropka Benno , Ramos Carolina Frizzo , Rodríguez-Rojas Alexandro , Burgener Iwan A.
Published: August 2023

Bloodwork is a widely used diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine, as diagnosis and therapeutic interventions often rely on blood biomarkers. However, biomarkers available in veterinary medicine often lack sensitivity or specificity. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics technology has been extensively used in biological fluids and offers excellent potential for a more comprehensive characterization of the plasma proteome in veterinary medicine. In this study, we aimed to identify and quantify plasma proteins in a cohort of healthy dogs and compare two techniques for depleting high-abundance plasma proteins to enable the detection of lower-abundance proteins. We utilized surplus lithium-heparin plasma from 30 healthy dogs, which were subdivided into five groups of pooled plasma from 6 randomly selected individuals each. Our goal was to identify and quantify plasma proteins via label-free quantification LC-mass spectrometry. Additionally, we employed different methods to deplete the most abundant proteins. Firstly, we used a commercial kit for the depletion of high-abundance plasma proteins. Secondly, we employed an in-house method to remove albumin using Blue-Sepharose. Among all the samples, some of the most abundant proteins identified were apolipoprotein A and B, albumin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, fibrinogen beta chain, fibronectin, complement C3, serotransferrin, and coagulation Factor V. However, neither of the depletion techniques achieved significant depletion of high-abundant proteins. Nevertheless, the two different depletion methods exhibited substantial differences in the fold-change of many proteins, suggesting partial depletion that did not contribute to an increase in the number of detected proteins. Despite this limitation, we were able to detect and quantify many clinically relevant proteins. The determination of the healthy canine proteome is a crucial first step in establishing a reference proteome for canine plasma. This reference proteome can later be utilized to identify protein markers associated with different diseases, thereby contributing to the diagnosis and prognosis of various pathologies.
Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Extended-spectrum β–Lactamase - producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Dairy Cattle with Endometritis in Gansu Province, China
Authors: Zhang Kang , Feng Haipeng , Zhang Jingyan , Guo Zhiting , Yan Zunxiang , Wang Guibo , Wang Xuezhi , Wang Lei , Li Jianxi
Published: August 2023

Background
The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from dairy cattle with endometritis in China. The presence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in the sample was detected using ChromID ESBL agar, and genotyping of the ESBL producers was performed by PCR and DNA sequencing.
Results
The results showed that 69.76% (180/258) of samples obtained from cows with clinical endometritis tested positive for pathogens, with E. coliaccounting for 170 out of the 180 positive samples. The incidence rate of isolated E. coli infection was 39.14% (101/258), and co-infections with other pathogens were prevalent. Furthermore, among the 158 E. coli isolates, 50 (31.64%) were identified as producers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), with TEM and CTX-M prevalence rates of 78.00% and 32.00%, respectively. Drug sensitivity experiments indicated that the 50 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant, with 48.0% of them testing positive for both the class 1 integron gene and five gene cassettes responsible for resistance to trimethoprim (dfr1 and dfrA17) and aminoglycosides (aadA1, aadA5, and dfrA1), respectively.
Conclusion
This investigation has demonstrated a substantial prevalence and elevated levels of antimicrobial resistance among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates derived from dairy cattle afflicted with endometritis in China.
Relative motion of fluid flow in poroelasticity: Implication for cancellous bone
Authors: Yoon Young June
Published: August 2023

In porous materials, ultrasound propagates in two forms, namely fast and slow waves. The fast and slow waves are described by the bulk equation and poroelastic dynamic equation, respectively. In cancellous bone, the relative motion between the solid bone matrix and fluid is believed to generate slow waves. This paper explains the slow wave generation numerically.
Use of thyroid hormones in hypothyroid and euthyroid patients: a 2022 THESIS questionnaire survey of members of the Latin American Thyroid Society (LATS)
Authors: Cassemiro Jessica F. , Ilera Veronica , Batalles Stella , Reyes Adriana , Nagy Endre V. , Papini Enrico , Perros Petros , Hegedüs Laszlo , Ramos Helton Estrela
Published: August 2023

Purpose: Inconsistencies in the medical management of hypothyroidism have been reported between endocrinologists in different countries. This study aimed to identify the attitudes of Latin America thyroid specialists towards the use of thyroid hormones.
Methods: Online survey of members of the Latin America Thyroid Society.
Results:81/446 (18.2%) completed the questionnaire. Levothyroxine (LT4) was the initial treatment of choice for all respondents. 56.8% would consider LT4 use in biochemically euthyroid patients: infertile women with elevated anti-thyroid antibodies (46.9%), resistant depression (17.3%) and growing goiter (12%). Most respondents preferred tablets (39.5%) over liquid formulations (21.0%) or soft gel capsules (22.2%) and would not consider switching formulations in patients with persistent symptoms. 39.5% would never use LT4+liothyronine (LT3) combination therapy in symptomatic euthyroid patients, due to low quality evidence for benefit. 60.5% reported that persistence of symptoms despite normal TSH is rare (below 5% of patients) and its prevalence has been stable over the last five years. Psychosocial factors (84.0%), comorbidities (86.4%) and the patient unrealistic expectation (72.8%) were considered the top three explanations for this phenomenon.
Conclusion:LT4 tablets is the treatment of choice for hypothyroidism. A significant proportion of respondents would use LT4 in some groups of euthyroid individuals, contrasting the recommendations of the major clinical practice guideline indications. LT4+LT3 combination treatment in euthyroid symptomatic patients was considered by nearly 50%. Practices based on weak or absent evidence included use of thyroid hormones for euthyroid subjects by 56.8% of respondents and use of LT4 +LT3 treatment by 60.5% of respondents for patients with persistent symptoms. In contrast to many European countries, LATS respondents report a low and unchanged proportion of dissatisfied patients over the last five years.
Qualitative and quantitative analyses in sulfated glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate, during 3T3-L1 adipocytes differentiation
Authors: CAHYADI Danang Dwi , WARITA Katsuhiko , TAKEDA-OKUDA Naoko , TAMURA Jun-ichi , HOSAKA Yoshinao Z.
Published: August 2023

Chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) is a member of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) found in animal tissues. Major CS/DS subclasses, O, A, C, D, and E units, exist based on the sulfation pattern in d-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc) repeating units. Dermatan sulfate (DS) chains are formed when GlcA is epimerized into l-iduronic acid (IdoA). Our study aimed to analyze the CS/DS profile in 3T3-L1 cells before and after adipogenic induction. Their CS/DS contents, molecular weight (Mw), and sulfation pattern were analyzed by using a high-performance liquid chromatography system. CS/DS synthesis/degradation- and sulfotransferase-related gene expression was also analyzed by reverse transcription real-time PCR. The CS/DS amount was significantly decreased in the differentiated (DI) group compared to the non-differentiated (ND) group, along with a lower expression of CS biosynthesis-related genes, chondroitin sulfate N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 1, chondroitin sulfate N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2, and chondroitin polymerizing factor. The GAGs in the DI group also showed lower Mw than those of ND. Furthermore, the A unit was the major CS/DS disaccharide in both groups, with a proportionally higher CS-A ratio in the DI group. This was consistent with the expression of carbohydrate sulfotransferase 12 that encodes chondroitin 4-O-sulfotransferase, for CS-A formation. Unlike the ND group, both GlcA and IdoA residues in the O unit of CS/DS from the DI group were absent. These qualitative and quantitative changes in CS/DS and CS/DS-synthases/hydrolases before and after adipocyte differentiation reveal valuable insights into adipocyte development.
First report of Fusarium solani causing root rot in Mushroom (Lyophyllum decastes) in China
Authors: Liu Zhongxuan , Xiang Zhun , Wang Jing , Yang Yihua
Published: August 2023

Lyophyllum decastes is a delicious mushroom with health care value, and has been successfully cultivated in many areas in China. In 2021 and 2022, root rot was found on the mushroom in a production base of Guiyang City, Guizhou province. Based on morphological and molecular identifications, the pathogenic fungus was identified as Fusarium solani. The pathogenicity was verified with Koch’s postulates. This is the first report confirming the presence of this Fusarium causing root rot on L. decastes in China.
Dietary L-arabinose-induced gut dysbiosis exacerbates bacterial infection
Authors: Yu Jingchen , Tang Huang , zhou Ning , Wang Zuoqiang , Huang Wanqiu , Wang Dan-Ni , Ni Jin-Jing , Lu Jie , Yao Yu-Feng
Published: August 2023

BackgroundGut microbiota is essential for providing colonization resistance against pathogens. Dietary sugars markedly shift the composition of the intestinal microbiota and alter host susceptibility to enteric infections. However, the role of dietary sugars in intestinal pathophysiology and colitis pathogenesis remains controversial.ResultsWe demonstrate the effect of L-arabinose on bacterial infection by usingSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium (S. Tm). L-arabinose triggers severe inflammation in the gut and aggravates systemic infection ofS. Tm in conventional mice. In addition, L-arabinose represses the expression ofSalmonellaPathogenicity Island 1 (SPI-1) genes by negatively regulating the activity of the cyclic 3’ 5’-AMP (cAMP)-cAMP receptor protein (CRP) complex. The cAMP-CRP complex activatesyfiAto maintain the stability of HilD. In a streptomycin-pretreated mouse model, L-arabinose supplementation promotesS. Tm initial bloom and is unable to alter the disease progression ofSalmonellainfection. However, in the presence of microbiota, L-arabinose induces a dramatic expansion ofEnterobacteriaceae, thereby decreasing the microbiota diversity and causing more severe systemic infections.ConclusionsOur work reveals that a high intake of dietary L-arabinose disrupts gut homeostasis in response to enteric infections, which offers new perspectives for dietary strategies and supplementation for diabetics.
Alleviation of arsenic induced neurobehavioral defects with selenium in the larvae of Zaprionus indianus
Authors: Kumari Shilpi , Kumari Puja , Sinha Sneha , Azad Gajendra Kumar , Yasmin Shahla
Published: August 2023

Selenium is an essential antioxidative micronutrient. This study was conducted to characterise the arsenic toxicity induced on African fig fly, Zaprionus indianus and its possible amelioration by selenium. We used computational tools and in vivo experiments to elucidate the mechanism of action of arsenic and selenium on Z. indianus larvae. We conducted experiments to study neuro-behavioural parameters including learning and memory ability test, crawling and contractions assays. Our in silico study revealed twelve primary targets of arsenic trioxide. The gene ontology annotation of primary and secondary targets of arsenic trioxide revealed selenocysteine metabolic processes as one of the most reliable targets. To validate our in silico data, we analysed the effect of arsenic trioxide on larvae of Z. indianus and tested the possible amelioration by sodium selenite supplementation. Our data demonstrated that the arsenic trioxide deteriorated the learning and memory ability of 2nd instar larvae of Z. indianus and such effect was reversed by sodium selenite supplementation. Furthermore, crawling and contractions assay done on 3rd instar larvae showed that there was reduction in both parameters upon arsenic trioxide exposure, which was restored with sodium selenite supplementation. Altogether, our computational and in vivo results strongly indicated that the neurobehavioral defects induced by arsenic trioxide on the larvae of Z. indianus can be successfully alleviated in presence of sodium selenite.
Sodium hypochlorite test for early pregnancy diagnosis in cows Promising innovative method
Authors: Siad Nesrine , Deghnouche Kahramen , Hanzen Christian , Siad Oussama
Published: August 2023

We present a groundbreaking scientific innovation that addresses the challenges faced by the agricultural industry in the early detection of pregnancy in cattle. The main objectives of our new urine-based pregnancy test are to reduce the number of empty cow days, increase production, improve profitability and guarantee accurate, rapid results. The test is based on a unique reaction between urine and sodium hypochlorite, which is triggered exclusively in the presence of an embryo or fetus. Our results reveal early detection as early as 16 to 25 days after insemination, with a sensitivity of 97.39%, a specificity of 73.33% and an accuracy of 93.33% for pregnant cows and 88% for non-pregnant cows. We are convinced that our test will be the starting point of a new breakthrough, given the flexibility and cost-effectiveness that will make it a practical choice for breeders, reducing stress on cattle and revolutionizing early pregnancy detection in the scientific field.
A formal two-parameter generalization of Kaniadakis κ-Gaussian distribution
Authors: Trifonov Mikhail
Published: August 2023

We introduce a new family of statistical distributions, the (κ,μ)-deformed Gaussian
distributions, which are based on the generalized κ-deformed Kaniadakis
exponential function. They are represented in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric
function, 2F1, and formally generalize the Kaniadakis κ-Gaussian distribution,
coinciding with it when μ = 0. The choice of the additional deformation parameter
μ under given κ value allows adjusting both the heavy tail behaviour and
the shape (unimodal or bimodal) of the (κ,μ)-deformed Gaussian distributions.
The wave mechanics for microwave absorption film – Part 2: The difference between film and material
Authors: Liu Yue , Liu Ying , Drew Michael
Published: August 2023

A novel theory based on wave mechanics has been developed recently with very different concepts compared to the current theory of microwave absorption. According to this new theory, the most efficient absorption in film can be constructed with less penetration and less attenuation power of material just by wave cancellation. Film is clearly differentiated from material in the new theory which is very simple and more relevant than the vague and complex impedance matching theory often used. In this work, it is proved with a new perspective that absorption in film is not equivalent to the attenuation power of material.
Independent and Fair-Domination in Hypercube
Authors: Chowdhury Debabani
Published: August 2023

For a positive integer m, an m-dominating set of a graph G is a subset D ⊆ V(G) such that every vertex not in D is adjacent to at least m vertices in D. An m-dominating set D in which every vertex not in D is adjacent to exactly m vertices in D is known as the perfect m-dominating set. The perfect m-dominating set is also known as m-fair dominating set. The cardinality of a minimum fair-dominating set is known as the fair-domination number. The problem of deciding whether a graph admits a perfect m-dominating set is NP-Complete. In this paper we study the perfect m-dominating set with a variant such as independence in which no two vertices are adjacent, i.e. an independent perfect m-dominating set. The cardinality of a minimum independent dominating set is known as the independent domination number. We show that the hypercube graph of dimension 2k+1 − 2, k being a positive integer > 1, is a perfect 2-dominating graph, i.e. the graph admits a perfect 2-dominating set which is an independent set. We compute in polynomial time an independent perfect 2-dominating set in hypercube graph Qn of dimension n = 2k+1 −2 and showed that the 2-fair domination number for hypercube graph of this dimension is to be fd2(Qn ) ≤ 2n−k , whereas the fair domination number for hypercube Qn of dimension 2k − 1 is to be fd(Qn ) = 2n−k . We also establish that the independent domination numbers are αn < O(fd2(Qn )) and αn = fd(Qn ) for hypercubes Qn of dimensions n = 2k+1 − 2 and n = 2k − 1, respectively.
ARTISTIC AND AESTHETIC EXPRESSION OF NATIONAL RESILIENCEIN UKRAINIAN FOLK DUMAS
Authors: Nabok Maryna
Published: August 2023

The article examines the artistic and aesthetic image and expression of the national resilience of the Ukrainian people based on the material of the dumas epic. Attention is focused on the symbolism of national opinions as a concept that reflects the levelof national consciousness and resilience of Ukrainians. Symbolism, as an ethnogenetic phenomenon, in folklore works helps to understand the way of thinking of our ancestors, their moral, spiritual, ethical and aesthetic ideals. It is emphasized that the verbal symbolism of the people is an important factor in creating the national and cultural picture of the world of Ukrainians. Even individual symbols, characteristic of the artistic and creative understanding of reality, are conditioned by the peculiarities of the national worldview and worldview. The images of the Steppe, the Path, and the House are most distinctly presented in the artistic and figurative system of thoughts, which deepen the ideological content of the work and serve to develop a number ofmotives and the artistic and aesthetic expression of the national stability of the epic heroes of Ukrainian folk dumas. Their aesthetic sacralization is determined precisely by the heroic nature of the attitude of Ukrainians to the world around them. Thisissue has not yet been adequately explored in Ukrainian public opinion. Therefore, on the material of the dumas of the heroic cycle «Cossack Holota», «Ivan Konovchenko» and «Sirchikha and Sirchenko», we will try to find out the content of the artistic symbol, which expresses the idea of resistance and struggle, national resilience in general.The article also analyzes the «mine –stranger» disposition, which has such cultural projections as contact, common ideas, common reactions, and a complexof national hatred. It is through them that we will trace the development of such qualities of the national character as honor, nobility, courage, wisdom, freedom, will, sense of family, attitude to the land, which are the basis of establishing the national resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Study on the relationship between tsunami waves in dam break state and initial water levels
Authors:   College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Lai Xiaohe , Deng Xin , Chen Cheng , Peng Chen , Li Zixuan , Chen Haoyan
Published: August 2023

Tsunami wave characteristics are greatly influenced by the initial water level when they attack structures. In this study, experimental and numerical investigations were conducted to investigated the relationship between tsunami wave characteristics and initial water levels. Results showed that, the wave height, wave velocity, and Froude number increase with the increase of tsunami wave intensity; the time history of water levels were influenced by the different initial water level conditions; the analytical solution proposed by Chanson (2005) may be extended to wet-bed conditions (for initial water level < 0.36 tsunami bore height in our experimental set-up). Due to the limitations of experimental ranges in the laboratory, the validated numerical model can provide more results for wider experimental ranges for tsunami bore investigations. It was observed from numerical results that, tsunami bore height increases with the increase of reservoir water level; tsunami bore velocity decreases with the increased initial water level on the bed; as the initial water level on the bed gradually increases, the mean tsunami bore Froude number shows a downward trend.
Prospect and challenges of integrating indigenous knowledge systems into the Natural Science curriculum in schools
Authors: Madlela Benkosi
Published: August 2023

The study explored the prospect and challenge of integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into the Natural Science (NS) curriculum in schools. An interpretivist research philosophy was employed to guide the data collection process that utilized a qualitative research approach and a case study research design. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from purposively selected NS Heads of Departments (HODs), NS teachers and Head masters in Phongola schools. Findings revealed that IKS has benefits in the NS curriculum, such as contextualising education and acting as learners’ prior knowledge, promoting diversity in class and making it possible for teachers to use field trips and traditional visual materials when delivering instruction in NS classes. Findings also revealed that integrating IKS into the NS curriculum faced challenges like a lack of government commitment to review education policies, lack of IKS study material in schools and extinction of IKS. It was recommended, that the Department of Basic Education should review its policies and integrate IKS as a full knowledge strand in the NS curriculum, document IKS as a full knowledge stand in the NS text books and incorporate IKS in teacher training programmes. Schools should use IKS custodians in communities as resource persons and also involve parents to help their children with their homework on IKS related topics and activities.
DEXMEDETOMIDINE/ FENTANYL INFUSION IN OPEN CARDIAC SURGERIES
Authors:   Professor H.G,Narendra Modi Medical Collage, Maninagar, Ahmedabad, Ex - Associate Professor in NHLM Medical Collage, Ahmedabad., S. Kapdi Manisha , Patel Shivangi ,   Assistant Professor in Anaesthesia, GMERS Collage, Junagadh, Ex- Resident in Anaesthesia,NHLM Medical Collage, Ahmedabad.
Published: August 2023

Background: patients of open heart surgeries are now a days extudated early for fasttraking & improve patient outcome. Aims and Objectives: To compare the efficacy of dexmedetomidine/ fentanyl for sedoanalgesia& time ro extubation in post-operative adult cardiac surgical patients. Methods: A prospective randomized double-blind study involving 60 adult patients undergoing open heart surgery were divided into two groups, each involving 30 patients. One group received fentanyl at 1 Âµg/kg/h (Group A) and the other received dexmedetomidine at 0.5 Âµg/kg/h (Group B) for post-operative sedation with intermittent rescue dose of fentanyl 0.5 Âµg/kg bolus in either group as rescue analgesia as per requirement. The efficacy of sedation was assessed using the Ramsay sedation score. The time taken for extubation from the stoppage of infusion was noted.Patients were enrolled in two Randomised groups of 30 patients each. With occasional rescue doses of fentanyl 0.5 g/kg bolus in either group as needed, one group (Group A) received fentanyl at 1 g/kg/h and the other (Group B) received dexmedetomidine at 0.5 g/kg/h for postoperative sedation. The Ramsay sedation score was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sedation. It was noticed how long it took to extubate once the infusion was stopped. Results: Haemodynamic parameters between the two groups were comparable. Sedation scores between fentanyl and dexmedetomidine groups were comparable. Average time (in minutes) required for extubation was 100.04 (Â±43.6 SD) in the dexmedetomidine group compared with 159.4 (Â±93.3 SD) in the fentanyl group. The difference in mean time for extubation was statistically significant. Conclusions: As compare to fentanyl , Dexmedetomidine facilitates adequate sedation for mechanical ventilation and also provide early extubation.
ANALYSIS OF PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG PRESERVATIVES IN CATTLE DUNG BY GC-MS: AN ASSESSMENT TOOLTO ESTIMATE VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAD ON CATTLE
Authors:   Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India., K. Karthik Yellepeddi , Satya A. Krishna ,   Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Published: August 2023

In villages farmers often use synthetic hormones and antibiotics without suggestion of medical practitioner. Government restricted the usage of synthetic hormones without prescription of medical practitioner but farmers use these hormones for enhanced production of milk in cows and buffaloes. As of now there is no scientific approach for the detection of usage of synthetic hormones in animals. HPLC, GC, LCMS, GCMS and ELISA are the widely using methods to detect or quantify hormones. Unfortunately these methods cannot give us a clue regarding the origin of hormone. As synthetic hormones have preservatives, the administrated hormones will be utilised by animals and the preservatives will be excreted by animal through dung and urine.Preservatives are the chemicals that are used in drug products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes and detection of these preservatives may give us a clue on usage of synthetic hormones. Our GCMS analysis of HPLC fractions proved that these preservatives are excreting in dung and our analysis found Benzoic acid, Benzothiazole, Benzoyl-2-ethoxymethyl benzene, Benzyl Benzoate, Glycerol, Levulonic acid, Phenazinol, Phenol, Propanoic acid and Succinic acid in Dung extracts. Our study provided a clue to investigate synthetic hormones by assessing preservatives using dung and it can be further investigated to evaluate the level of synthetic hormone and medicine load on cattle and their impact on human health.
Determinants of liquidity risk: Empirical evidence from Indian commercial banks
Authors: Maria Antony Tisa
Published: August 2023

Liquidity risk is a significant financial threat that must be handled carefully. Underestimation or mismanagement of liquidity risk may lead to severe financial losses or even bank failures. Therefore, timely and adequately estimating liquidity risk and examining factors that affect liquidity risk are essential. On that account, this paper aims to examine the determinants of liquidity risk for Indian commercial banks from 2013 to 2022. For this purpose, the study has employed a panel data regression model with pooled OLS, fixed effect, and random effect methods and has considered bank-specific and macroeconomic variables. The findings show that liquidity risk is affected by both bank-specific variables and macroeconomic variables. Bank-specific variables, such as bank age, have a negative impact on liquidity risk at the 1 percent significance using pooled OLS, FE, and RE models. In contrast, bank size and bank capitalization positively impacted liquidity risk. However, the operational efficiency of banks was found to have no significant impact on liquidity risk using both the liquid asset to total assets ratio and the loan to deposit ratio. In addition, the results show that macroeconomic variables such as GDP and inflation have a positive impact on liquidity risk. The study’s findings are expected to assist various stakeholders in making appropriate policies, decisions and managing their liquidity risk.
The effect of fiscal decentralization on economic growth in sub-national governments of Ethiopia: A two-step system general methods of moments (GMM) approach
Authors: Adafre Bushashe Million , Takele Bayiley Yitbarek
Published: August 2023

The study examines the impact of fiscal decentralization on Ethiopia’s Subnational (Regional) economic growth. The study followed a quantitative research procedure employing data from 2008 to 2021. The units of analysis in the study are Ethiopia’s sub-national governments (SNGs). The study used the two-step System General Method of Moments (GMM) of dynamic panel estimation because it resolves concerns such as endogeneity and heteroscedasticity. The study’s findings revealed that expenditure, revenue, and composite decentralization have a statistically significant negative effect on regional economic growth. Moreover, among the control variables, inflation and government size have a statistically significant detrimental effect on regional economic growth. However, human capital has no significant effect. Ethiopia’s fiscal decentralization contradicts the goals and theoretical underpinnings of fiscal federalism. This may be because fiscal decentralization and economic activities function within an ethnically based federalism framework. The primary implication is that the federal government needs to reevaluate the transfer of fiscal authority to SNGs. Transforming tax policy into a robust institutional mechanism for economic growth is vital. The revenue and spending sides of intergovernmental relations also need to be closely related. As opposed to prior studies, which utilized one or two fiscal decentralization indicators, this study used multiple indicators, making the study more thorough and closing the knowledge gap.
Determining the key factors of the innovation gap between EU countries
Authors: Polyakov Maxim , Khanin Igor , Shevchenko Gennadiy , Bilozubenko Vladimir , Korneyev Maxim
Published: August 2023

Innovation plays a crucial role in ensuring economic growth and competitiveness of national economies, creating conditions for their sustainable development. By focusing on supporting innovation, the EU is particularly helping to accelerate the development of those member states that lag far behind the EU average. This requires the selection of the indicators reflecting the development of innovation that determine the differences between member countries to the greatest extent. Therefore, the aim of the study is to identify the key factors of the innovation gap (FIG) between EU countries based on a comparison of indicators characterizing the national innovation systems (NIS). For this purpose, 22 relative indicators were selected from the indicators included in the Global Innovation Index to form an array of empirical data. At the first stage, the EU countries were divided into four clusters using the k-means method. At the second stage, using the decision tree method, a group of indicators was identified that together distinguish the obtained clusters to the greatest extent and, accordingly, determine the differences between EU countries and can be considered as FIG, namely: “Researchers”, “GERD financed by business”, “Joint venture/strategic alliance deals”, “Software spending”, and “High-tech manufacturing”. This allows individual member states to prioritize the development of those indicators (i.e. FIG) that most determine their position in the EU and therefore improve their NIS. At the EU level, this will contribute to the complementarity of the NIS, overcome differences between member states and increase the overall level of convergence in innovation.
Customer loyalty and administrative management of e-commerce in the telecommunications sector in Latin America
Authors: Briggith Gomez-Pino Leticia , Stefanny Huertas-Vilca Karla , Fabricio Maguiña-Rivero Omar , Cordova-Buiza Franklin
Published: August 2023

Business management plays a crucial role in brand positioning using the digitization of processes and strategies to attract customers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to identify the actions implemented by the administrative management of international corporations regarding investing in e-commerce and enhancing consumer loyalty. The sample comprised leading telecommunication companies, such as O Globo, Claro, and Tigo, according to the Katnar Ranking. A qualitative non-experimental design methodology was applied based on the documentary analysis of the annual reports. As a result of the investigation, it was found that 54% of the investments in business management maintained a customer attraction approach through electronic commerce strategies based on the organizational communication policy. In addition, 57% of the investment is allocated to the design of marketing plans through official websites. 54% of the incentive scale focuses on special offers on commemorative dates. On the other hand, 61% represent the importance of recognition of the digital shopping experience. Finally, 47% of the investment is focused on strengthening the processes that guarantee compliance with the duty of suitability. In conclusion, the business strategies proposed to promote electronic commerce and consumer loyalty have managed to promote digital transformation in the long term because administrative management focused on customer satisfaction and acquisition, which is essential to achieve business success in the digital age.
Trophic Status Assessment In Some Lotic Ecosystem In Turkey (Sakarya Basin)
Authors: MORKOYUNLU YUCE Arzu , GÖNÜLOL Arif , ERKEBAY Şebnem
Published: August 2023

Benthic diatoms constitute a very important group of organisms in terms of providing information about the water quality of the lotic ecosystems. This research was carried out in Istanbul creek, Aliaga creek, Bostancı creek and Orta creek in the Sakarya basin. The trophic states of these creeks were evaluated according to their diatomes. In the study, the epilithic diatoms were determined to consist of 42 taxa belonging to İstanbul creek, 28 to Bostancı creek, 25 to Orta creek and 20 to Aliaga creek. A total of 51 taxa were determined in the creeks. In this study, Cocconeis pediculus, Ulnaria ulna and Cymbella affinis were found to have the highest abundant at the stations. In the creeks, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were determined as respectively 9.1-14.1 ℃, 8.2-9.4 mg L-1, 7.1- 7.5 and conductivity as 210.2 - 240.4 μS cm-1. Although different results were obtained according to the diatom indices criteria (IBD, SLA,IDSE,IDAP, TID, SID,CEE, WAT, TDI, SHE, TIT) the creeks were determined to be close to water quality class I -II according to the Surface Water Quality Regulation In general, according to the diatom index values, it has been determined that the creeks have good-medium quality water characteristics.
Fekete-Szegö Inequality for Certain Subclasses of Analytic Functions Defined by The Combination of Differential and Integral Operators
Authors: KAZIMOĞLU Sercan
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we introduced certain general new subclasses of analytic functions defined by the combination of two special operator which one of them derivative (Deniz-Orhan derivative operator) and other integral (Noor integral operators). For these classes coefficient estimates and the Fekete–Szegö inequality is completely solved.
A New Technological Application Field for Lavender and Economic Profit Analysis for Agricultural Producers
Authors: ŞAHİN DEMİREL Ayça Nur , BAGI Fatmagül , YILDIRIM Bünyamin , DEMİREL Serkan
Published: August 2023

Nowadays, the energy and agriculture sectors are united for financial efficiency, and it brought the question to minds “can be stored the electrical energy that used in agriculture with an agricultural product?”. In this study, lavender essential oil, it obtained from Lavandula angustifolia, was used as a part of energy storage system. The essential oil was produced by distillation method. To energy storage performance analysis, the simple electrochemical capacitor was formed with platin foils and lavender essential oil. The capacitor application performances showed that the lavender essential oil can energy storage up to 4 Voltages (V). A capacity of 92 milli-Farad per cm2 (mF/cm2) was obtained with Lavender essential oil in the range of 0-4 V, and this value showed that lavender essential oil can be used in capacitors, as an electrolyte material. The results when evaluated in terms of agricultural economics, 1 million capacitors with a size of 1 cm2 can be produced with 1 ton lavender crops production per decare. Moreover, with lavender capacitors, the amount of energy required for a farm of 1000 hectares can be stored with 1000 capacitors of 10 cm2. Also, the stored energy is more than the farm's annual energy consumption, saving the farm ~534 USD annually on energy costs. In the case that all farm energy is produced with renewable energy sources, the annual profit is calculated as ~23697 USD. Also, the exploring of electrochemical capacitor electrolyte property of lavender essential oil could create an alternative sales pitch for agricultural producers.
A Work On Bitopologies Associated With Knots
Authors: YALAZ Ferit , UĞUR Tamer , ELMALI Ceren Sultan
Published: August 2023

The bitopologies have been associated with some knots in the literature with the help of a method called the knot digraph notation. The knot graphs and quasi pseudo metric spaces were used to obtain these bitopologies. With the help of quasi pseudo metrics, two topologies were obtained on a set. In this way, an association between some knots and bitopologies was established. The authors sought an answer to the question “Given the bitopologies associated with knots, can the knot itself be obtained ?” and they gave a method. This mentioned method consists of 6 steps.. In this work, it is shown in detail that according to the Alexander-Briggs notation, the reverse of the knot digraph notation is provided for the knots 3(1), 5(1), 5(2), 6(1), 6(2), 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 8(1), 8(2), 8(3), 9(1), 9(2), 9(3), 10(1), 10(2), 10(3).
Improving Plant Disease Recognition Through Gradient-Based Few-shot Learning with Attention Mechanisms
Authors: IŞIK Gültekin
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the use of few-shot learning algorithms to improve classification performance in situations where traditional deep learning methods fail due to a lack of training data. Specifically, we propose a few-shot learning approach using the Almost No Inner Loop (ANIL) algorithm and attention modules to classify tomato diseases in the Plant Village dataset. The attended features obtained from the five separate attention modules are classified using a Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifier, and the soft voting method is used to weigh the classification scores from each classifier. The results demonstrate that our proposed approach achieves state-of-the-art accuracy rates of 97.05% and 97.66% for 10-shot and 20-shot classification, respectively. Our approach demonstrates the potential for incorporating attention mechanisms in feature extraction processes and suggests new avenues for research in few-shot learning methods.