bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Listening Strategies on Self-Efficacy Perception and Listening Achievement
Authors: UĞUR Mert , TÜRKEL Ali
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of teaching listening strategies on 7th graders’ listening self-efficacy and listening achievement. Therefore, one of the quantitative methods, quasi-experimental method with control group was used. The research was carried out with sixty 7th grade students in a secondary school in Arpaçay,Kars in the 2018-2019 academic year. The research lasted eight weeks. Listening self-efficacy scale, narrative text achievement test and informative text achievement test were used to collect data. These scales were applied to the participants as pretest and posttest and it's evaluated whether there is a significant difference between the two tests. According to the analysis of the data, there was a significant increase in the listening self-efficacy perception of the students in the experimental group and their listening success in both text types compared to the control group. In the light of these results, it was determined that teaching listening strategies increased students' listening self-efficacy and listening achievement.
Users of Children Sections of Public Libraries: An International Reading Culture Research
Authors: ÇILDIR Burcu , AKYÜZ Emine , KOÇMAR DEMİRCİ Yonca
Published: October 2021

This study was designed for learning the patterns of utilization of the children sections of public libraries and understanding the functions and social structures that library users find in or bring to these sections. The study was designed as a qualitative case study for examining three public libraries (Erzincan, Essen & Niğde). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 72 children and 43 adults in 3 weeks of observation period. Findings for each of three libraries are given under the headings of quality of spaces for children, social climate, and overall picture of activities for children as the “within-case”. As to the “across-case” are reached the themes; preschool children, a place like a bookstore, a place like a playground, and reading as a sub-skill for academic success. Considering the functions of libraries in years, it is necessary to involve experts, writers, teachers, and parents in the process as well.
EFFECTS OF THE ISOLATION CONDITIONS ON MORPHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE OF HONEY BEES
Authors: Kelany Mahmoud , Abou-shaara Hossam
Published: October 2021

Keeping honey bee colonies in isolated areas can cause inbreeding. The inbreeding over a long period is good for the purity of bee subspecies but also has some negative effects including the low performance of colonies. This study was performed on hybrid honey bee colonies placed in an isolated location for about five years to check the effects of inbreeding on them. The bees were able to mate with each other during this period of time without introducing new bee queens or bee packages. Some morphological characteristics and parameters were studied to test the purity of the bees and the presence of any negative effects due to inbreeding. The results showed the presence of variations between studied colonies without any negative effects on bee morphology, hygienic behavior, bee larvae development, brood rearing activity, and food storing activity. The study highlighted the absence of deleterious effects on honey bees due to inbreeding under isolation conditions.
Desarrollo de una aplicación libre para el aprendizaje del diseño de muros de concreto reforzado sometidos a flexocompresión en el plano
Authors:   Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero. México, Sánchez Tizap Sulpicio , Godínez Baltazar Víctor Manuel ,   Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México, Altamirano de la Cruz Gerardo ,   Facultad de Ingeniería Civil – Instituto de Ingeniería Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Nuevo León, México, Vázquez Jiménez René , Cuevas Sandoval Alfredo ,   Facultad de Ingeniería. Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero. Guerrero, México
Published: October 2021

Este documento presenta una herramienta de libre acceso para apoyar en el proceso aprendizaje-enseñanza del diseño de muros de concreto reforzado sometidos a flexocompresión en su plano. Estos elementos son usados en México en la construcción de viviendas y edificios escolares entre otros. Por esta razón, su diseño estructural es un tópico importante en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes del área de Ingeniería Civil. El algoritmo fue implementado en una hoja de cálculo, que muestra las operaciones y toma de decisiones requeridas en la evaluación de la curva resistente momento-carga axial (MR-PR), además, para un par de elementos mecánicos de diseño (MU , PU) se calculó la relación acción/resistencia. En el desarrollo se utilizaron conocimientos básicos de aritmética, geometría analítica, álgebra matricial y programación, utilizando las especificaciones de las normas técnicas complementarias de concreto vigentes en la ciudad de México. El vector de datos puede modificarse de acuerdo con la preferencia del usuario. Las curvas nominales y resistentes fueron calculadas de forma simplificada con siete puntos MR-PR, en el mismo orden, la aproximación fue 98% y 87%, respecto a los resultados de una aplicación comercial. El valor más bajo de la aproximación es función de la cantidad de puntos utilizados en el cálculo. La herramienta es una introducción al pensamiento abstracto requerido en la automatización de procesos de cálculo y guía a los usuarios en el desarrollo de aplicaciones propias fortaleciendo el desarrollo de competencias específicas.
Conocimiento, uso y dominio de tecnologías para la enseñanza-aprendizaje del Inglés
Authors:   Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Facultad de LenguasEstado de México, México, Ruiz Zamora Uriel , Ampudia García María del Pilar , Caballero Gastélum Margarita Aurora , Trujillo Cabrera Jorge Roberto , Sánchez Calderón Claudia Angelica
Published: October 2021

Las tecnologías han sido un aspecto fundamental para la enseñanza – aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa en las diferentes épocas de la historia del desarrollo de la competencia lingüístico-comunicativa. Esta investigación pretende especificar el conocimiento, uso y dominio de las tecnologías tradicionales y las nuevas tecnologías empleadas por profesores y estudiantes de lengua inglesa en la Facultad de Lenguas de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEMex). La investigación es cuantitativa con alcance exploratorio correlacional. La obtención de datos se realizó por medio del Background Questionnaire (Liu, et al., 2008), el cual fue adaptado y diseñado en Microsoft Forms. El instrumento fue enviado vía correo electrónico, mismo que fue respondido por 13 profesores de la academia de inglés y 123 estudiantes de diversos niveles de dominio de inglés. La competencia lingüística identifica a un hablante-oyente ideal, en una comunidad lingüística homogénea que domina su lengua de manera perfecta Chomsky (1965); mientras que la competencia comunicativa visualiza el conocimiento lingüístico del sujeto, además de las reglas sociolingüísticas, así como su habilidad de emplear dichos conocimientos en distintas circunstancias (Hymes, 1972, citado en Whyte, 2019). Canale (1983, citado en Erton, 2017) desarrolla mayormente el modelo de Hymes, mismo que fue utilizado por Bachman y Palmer (1996, citado en Erton, 2017), proponiendo el término habilidad lingüística comunicativa. La habilidad lingüística comunicativa en lengua extranjera es una de las ocho competencias claves para el desarrollo humano, al igual que la competencia digital (OJEU, 2006). La competencia digital implica el uso de las TIC propias para el trabajo, el entretenimiento y la comunicación. Las TIC permiten crear, almacenar, intercambiar y procesar información en diversos formatos (Cabero, 2015; Sánchez Duarte, 2008; Tello, 2008). Los resultados obtenidos permiten determinar un nivel experimentado en el dominio de las tecnologías por parte de participantes, demostrando el desarrollo de la competencia digital. Sin embargo, es necesaria la formación continua para disminuir la brecha digital.
Recovering the regenerative potential in chronically injured nerves by using conditioning electrical stimulation
Authors: Senger Jenna-Lynn B. , Rabey Karyne N. , Acton Leah , Lin Ying-Ho S. , Lingrell Susanne , Chan K. Ming , Webber Christine A.
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVE

Chronically injured nerves pose a significant clinical challenge despite surgical management. There is no clinically feasible perioperative technique to upregulate a proregenerative environment in a chronic nerve injury. Conditioning electrical stimulation (CES) significantly improves sensorimotor recovery following acute nerve injury to the tibial and common fibular nerves. The authors’ objective was to determine if CES could foster a proregenerative environment following chronically injured nerve reconstruction.

METHODS

The tibial nerve of 60 Sprague Dawley rats was cut, and the proximal ends were inserted into the hamstring muscles to prevent spontaneous reinnervation. Eleven weeks postinjury, these chronically injured animals were randomized, and half were treated with CES proximal to the tibial nerve cut site. Three days later, 24 animals were killed to evaluate the effects of CES on the expression of regeneration-associated genes at the cell body (n = 18) and Schwann cell proliferation (n = 6). In the remaining animals, the tibial nerve defect was reconstructed using a 10-mm isograft. Length of nerve regeneration was assessed 3 weeks postgrafting (n = 16), and functional recovery was evaluated weekly between 7 and 19 weeks of regeneration (n = 20).

RESULTS

Three weeks after nerve isograft surgery, tibial nerves treated with CES prior to grafting had a significantly longer length of nerve regeneration (p < 0.01). Von Frey analysis identified improved sensory recovery among animals treated with CES (p < 0.01). Motor reinnervation, assessed by kinetics, kinematics, and skilled motor tasks, showed significant recovery (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). These findings were supported by immunohistochemical quantification of motor endplate reinnervation (p < 0.05). Mechanisms to support the role of CES in reinvigorating the regenerative response were assessed, and it was demonstrated that CES increased the proliferation of Schwann cells in chronically injured nerves (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CES upregulated regeneration-associated gene expression to increase growth-associated protein–43 (GAP-43), phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB) at the neuronal cell bodies, and upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in the surrounding satellite glial cells (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Regeneration following chronic axotomy is impaired due to downregulation of the proregenerative environment generated following nerve injury. CES delivered to a chronically injured nerve influences the cell body and the nerve to re-upregulate an environment that accelerates axon regeneration, resulting in significant improvements in sensory and motor functional recovery. Percutaneous CES may be a preoperative strategy to significantly improve outcomes for patients undergoing delayed nerve reconstruction.
A comparative propensity-adjusted analysis of microsurgical versus endovascular treatment of unruptured ophthalmic artery aneurysms
Authors: Catapano Joshua S. , Koester Stefan W. , Srinivasan Visish M. , Labib Mohamed A. , Majmundar Neil , Nguyen Candice L. , Rutledge Caleb , Cole Tyler S. , Baranoski Jacob F. , Ducruet Andrew F. , Albuquerque Felipe C. , Spetzler Robert F. , Lawton Michael T.
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVE

Ophthalmic artery (OA) aneurysms are surgically challenging lesions that are now mostly treated using endovascular procedures. However, in specialized tertiary care centers with experienced neurosurgeons, controversy remains regarding the optimal treatment of these lesions. This study used propensity adjustment to compare microsurgical and endovascular treatment of unruptured OA aneurysms in experienced tertiary and quaternary settings.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent microsurgical treatment of an unruptured OA aneurysm at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1997 to 2017 and either microsurgical or endovascular treatment at Barrow Neurological Institute from 2011 to 2019. Patients were categorized into two cohorts for comparison: those who underwent open microsurgical clipping, and those who underwent endovascular flow diversion or coil embolization. Outcomes included neurological or visual outcomes, residual or recurrent aneurysms, retreatment, and severe complications.

RESULTS

A total of 345 procedures were analyzed: 247 open microsurgical clipping procedures (72%) and 98 endovascular procedures (28%). Of the 98 endovascular procedures, 16 (16%) were treated with primary coil embolization and 82 (84%) with flow diversion. After propensity adjustment, microsurgical treatment was associated with higher odds of a visual deficit (OR 8.5, 95% CI 1.1–64.9, p = 0.04) but lower odds of residual aneurysm (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.28, p < 0.001) or retreatment (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02–0.58, p = 0.008) than endovascular therapy. No difference was found between the two cohorts with regard to worse modified Rankin Scale score, modified Rankin Scale score greater than 2, or severe complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with endovascular therapy, microsurgical clipping of unruptured OA aneurysms is associated with a higher rate of visual deficits but a lower rate of residual and recurrent aneurysms. In centers experienced with both open microsurgical and endovascular treatment of these lesions, the treatment choice should be based on patient preference and aneurysm morphology.
Predictors of thermal increase in magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound treatment for essential tremor: histogram analysis of skull density ratio values for 1024 elements
Authors: Iijima Ken , Yokota Hajime , Yamaguchi Toshio , Nakano Masayuki , Ouchi Takahiro , Maki Futaba , Takasaki Masahito , Shimizu Yasuhiro , Hori Hiroki , Iwamuro Hirokazu , Sasanuma Jinichi , Watanabe Kazuo , Uno Takashi
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVE

Sufficient thermal increase capable of generating thermocoagulation is indispensable for an effective clinical outcome in patients undergoing magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). The skull density ratio (SDR) is one of the most dominant predictors of thermal increase prior to treatment. However, users currently rely only on the average SDR value (SDRmean) as a screening criterion, although some patients with low SDRmean values can achieve sufficient thermal increase. The present study aimed to examine the numerical distribution of SDR values across 1024 elements to identify more precise predictors of thermal increase during MRgFUS.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed the correlations between the skull parameters and the maximum temperature achieved during unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus thalamotomy with MRgFUS in a cohort of 55 patients. In addition, the numerical distribution of SDR values was quantified across 1024 elements by using the skewness, kurtosis, entropy, and uniformity of the SDR histogram. Next, the authors evaluated the correlation between the aforementioned indices and a peak temperature > 55°C by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to compare the predictive ability of the indices. The diagnostic performance of significant factors was also assessed.

RESULTS

The SDR skewness (SDRskewness) was identified as a significant predictor of thermal increase in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses (p < 0.001, p = 0.013). Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the SDRskewness exhibited a better predictive ability than the SDRmean, with area under the curve values of 0.847 and 0.784, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The SDRskewness is a more accurate predictor of thermal increase than the conventional SDRmean. The authors suggest setting the SDRskewness cutoff value to 0.68. SDRskewness may allow for the inclusion of treatable patients with essential tremor who would have been screened out based on the SDRmean exclusion criterion.
Lateral versus vertical hemispheric disconnection for epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cossu Massimo , Nichelatti Michele , De Benedictis Alessandro , Rizzi Michele , _ _ , _ _ , Marras Carlo Efisio , Asioli Sofia , Barba Carmen , Caulo Massimo , Colicchio Gabriella , Consales Alessandro , Cossu Massimo , De Palma Luca , Di Gennaro Giancarlo , Vatti Giampaolo , Villani Flavio , Zamponi Nelia
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVE

Lateral periinsular hemispherotomy (LPH) and vertical parasagittal hemispherotomy (VPH) are the most popular disconnective techniques for intractable epilepsies associated with unilateral hemispheric pathologies. The authors aimed to investigate possible differences in seizure outcome and complication rates between patients who underwent LPH and VPH.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and Embase identified English-language articles published from database inception to December 2019 that reported series (minimum 12 patients with follow-up ≥ 12 months) on either LPH or VPH. Pooled rates of seizure freedom and complications (with a particular focus on hydrocephalus) were analyzed using meta-analysis to calculate both fixed and random effects. Heterogeneity (Cochran’s Q test) and inconsistency (fraction of Q due to actual heterogeneity) were also calculated.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies were included. Data from 825 patients were available for seizure outcome analysis (583 underwent LPH and 242 underwent VPH), and data from 692 patients were available for complication analysis (453 underwent LPH and 239 underwent VPH). No differences were found in the pooled rates of Engel class I seizure outcome between patients who underwent LPH (80.02% and 79.44% with fixed and random effects, respectively) and VPH (79.89% and 80.69% with fixed and random effects, respectively) (p = 0.953). No differences were observed in the pooled rates of shunted hydrocephalus between patients who underwent LPH (11.34% and 10.63% with fixed and random effects, respectively) and VPH (11.07% and 9.98% with fixed and random effects, respectively) (p = 0.898). Significant heterogeneity and moderate inconsistency were determined for hydrocephalus occurrence in patients who underwent both LPH and VPH.

CONCLUSIONS

LPH and VPH techniques present similar excellent seizure outcomes, with comparable and acceptable safety profiles.
Return to play in children with shunted hydrocephalus
Authors: Stanuszek Agnieszka , Bębenek Adam , Milczarek Olga , Kwiatkowski Stanisław
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess the relevance of shunted hydrocephalus in regard to participation by young patients in physical education (PE) classes. Students diagnosed with this condition are very often restricted in PE classes owing to the lack of official and well-defined guidelines. However, the medical literature suggests that there is no relationship between the disease and risk of sport-related injuries. In this study, the authors intended to evaluate not only the accuracy of this statement, but also to explore the factors that delay or foreclose return to exercise.

METHODS

The analysis was conducted on patients aged < 18 years with a diagnosis of shunt-treated hydrocephalus who received follow-up for a minimum of 1 year. Collected medical data were examined for factors limiting participation in PE at school. Indicators of both sport-related injuries and conditions acceptable for return to exercise were gathered during follow-up visits.

RESULTS

In this study, 72.72% of patients attended sport activities in schools. The group based on return to PE class differed significantly in the occurrence of neurological deficits, as well as presence of comorbidities. In univariate analysis, the authors identified these parameters as risk factors limiting participation in PE. On the contrary, etiology of hydrocephalus, type of shunting device, number of shunt malfunctions, and presence of epilepsy did not significantly influence sport engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that many patients with shunt-treated hydrocephalus can safely participate in PE. Presence of neurological deficits before and after neurosurgical treatment, as well as presence of comorbidities, are factors that negatively impact the possibility of a patient returning to physical activity. Sport-related injuries do occur, but at a low incidence.
Quality of Life and Caregiver Burden of Alzheimer’s Disease Among Community Dwelling Patients in Europe: Variation by Disease Severity and Progression
Authors: Froelich Lutz , Lladó Albert , Khandker Rezaul K. , Pedrós Montse , Black Christopher M. , Sánchez Díaz Emilio J. , Chekani Farid , Ambegaonkar Baishali
Published: October 2021

Background:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant burden on patients and caregivers. How this burden increases as disease progresses has not been well researched.

Objective:

To assess the association of caregiver burden and quality of life with Alzheimer’s disease severity and disease progression in community-dwelling patients in Germany, Spain, and the UK.

Methods:

This was a prospective observational longitudinal study of mild-to-moderate AD patients (assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE), and their caregivers. The humanistic burden was assessed using these instruments: [Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), EuroQoL-5-Dimension Level (EQ-5D-5L)] and caregiver-reported [Dependence Scale (DS), EQ-5D-5L, Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI)]. Caregiver-reported healthcare resource use was assessed using the Resource Use in Dementia (RUD) and ad-hoc questions.

Results:

Of 616 patients recruited, 338 and 99 were followed-up at 12 and 18 months, respectively. The caregiver-reported EQ-5D-5L scores of patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) showed a negative trend over time (baseline: 0.76; 18 months: 0.67) while patient-reported HRQoL remained at 0.85. DS scores tended to worsen. Disease progression was an independent predictor of HRQoL and increased dependence. Mean ZBI score increased over time reflecting an increase in caregiver burden; MMSE being an independent predictor for caregiver burden. Patient resource utilization and caregiver time for caregiving tended to increase over time.

Conclusion:

We found significant association between disease progression and caregiver and patient burden. Independently, both disease-specific outcomes and disease burden measures increased over time, but as disease progresses, we also found incremental burden associated with it.
Ontologies in human–computer interaction: A systematic literature review
Authors: Costa Simone Dornelas , Barcellos Monalessa Perini , Falbo Ricardo de Almeida
Published: October 2021

Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary area that involves a diverse body of knowledge and a complex landscape of concepts, which can lead to semantic problems, hampering communication and knowledge transfer. Ontologies have been successfully used to solve semantics and knowledge-related problems in several domains. This paper presents a systematic literature review that investigated the use of ontologies in the HCI domain. The main goal was to find out how HCI ontologies have been used and developed. 35 ontologies were identified. As a result, we noticed that they cover different HCI aspects, such as user interface, interaction phenomenon, pervasive computing, user modeling / profile, HCI design, interaction experience and adaptive interactive system. Although there are overlaps, we did not identify reuse among the 35 analyzed ontologies. The ontologies have been used mainly to support knowledge representation and reasoning. Although ontologies have been used in HCI for more than 25 years, their use became more frequent in the last decade, when ontologies address a higher number of HCI aspects and are represented as both conceptual and computational models. Concerning how ontologies have been developed, we noticed that some good practices of ontology engineering have not been followed. Considering that the quality of an ontology directly influences the quality of the solution built based on it, we believe that there is an opportunity for HCI and ontology engineering professionals to get closer to build better and more effective ontologies, as well as ontology-based solutions.
Anxiety Controlling Wrist Band
Authors: Shruthi S  , dharshini Priya , Ranjith Raj B  , Sarojini Vaddi Lakshmi Satya Sai , Ezhilarasi P  , Rajesh Kannan S
Published: October 2021

Since the 1950s, suicide rate has been tripled among people aged between 15 and 24. Also, suicide is reported as the second most common cause of their deaths. Depression and anxiety are one of the major reasons for planting the thought of suicide in students’ mind. People with anxiety disorders and stressful mind have excessive worry and fear about everyday situations. This intense worry and fear, though appears harmless, can reach its peak within minutes causing panic attacks. The main objective of our project is calming down the mind of people who are emotionally unstable and preventing the occurrence of any medical complications due to anxiety. Our innovation focuses on measuring the heart rate and controlling perturbation, anxiety, stress by applying acupressure at the H7 (Heart 7) point on the wrist crease.
Smart Shoe for Tracking and Monitoring of Army Soldiers
Authors: Jessica Pauline S , Bharkavi A G  , Jesgna Annlet , Maheswari S
Published: October 2021

Presently in India, all sections of the defence system like army, navy and air force are facing an issue of tracking the soldier. At present, to know the status and location of each soldier, soldiers are communicated over radio line. But these methods are not effectivet for tracking. At the time of war, we always hear the problem of missing of soldiers in the newspaper. On focusing this problem, we have decided to develop a system that will automatically trace the location of each soldier. This paper utilizes long distance RF communication modules such as LoRa modules which provide long distance communication in terms of kilometres. As the military personnel moves around the city, the location of the military personnel is been transmitted to a nearby LoRa which is then transmitted to the mobile app developed independently for tracking the military personnel. Thus this paper will help in effectively tracking the military personnel.
Experimental Investigation of Pulse Modulation Schemes in Free Space Optical Communication Under Turbulence
Authors: Arul Teen Y.P. , NimmyLazer  , Aravind J.M. , Rajesh K. B.
Published: October 2021

When we allow an optical beam to travel through Free Space Optical (FSO) Communication system, the optical beam faces immense issues due to so many factors such as diffraction, scattering, signal absorption, etc. These factors put down the quality rate of FSO communication system. In this experimental analysis, an artificial controlled turbulence chamber was built to create FSO communication with optical source laser. The signal to be tested is generated with the help of a LASER source, is allowed to pass on through the immense turbulent states by employing various pulse modulation schemes such as Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM), Pulse Duration Modulation (PDM), and Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) separately. In all the three modulation schemes, the parameters such as phase Jitter and 3dB bandwidth are observed and the observed values are compared. The results show that phase jitter value is 9.8414 radians for PPM. Also, PPM has the highest ability to overcome jitter than the remaining two schemes under high atmospheric turbulence parameters. However, in the case of Bandwidth utilization, PDM modulation reduces its utilization to 12MHz.
Design and Performance Analysis of Low Power High Speed Adder and Multiplier Using MTCMOS in 90nm, 70nm, 25nm and 18nm Regime
Authors: Kalpana.K  , Paulchamy. B  , Priyadharsini. R  , Kumar Sivaraman Arun , Vincent Rajiv , Muralidhar A. , Fah Tee Kong
Published: October 2021

Nowadays, VLSI technology mainly focused on High-Speed Propagation and Low Power Consumption. Addition is an important arithmetic operation which plays a major role in digital application. Adder is act as an important role in the applications of signal processing, in memory access address generation and Arithmetic Logic Unit. When the number of transistors increases in system designs, makes to increase power and complexity of the circuit. One of the dominant factors is power reduction in low power VLSI technology and to overcome the power dissipation in the existing adder circuit, MTCMOS technique is used in the proposed adder. The design is simulated in 90nm, 70nm, 25nm and 18nm technology and then comparison is made between existing and proposed system in the context of energy, area and delay. In this comparison, the efficiency metrics power and delay are found to be reduced 20% from the existing adder and the proposed adder is used for the design of low power multiplier.
A Generic System for Processing Insurance
Authors: Samundeswari S  , Jeshoorin G  , Vasanth M
Published: October 2021

Insurance companies are regularly provided with health check reports by the buyers of insurance. Different forms of printed lab reports/health check reports have to be digitized for each value of captured parameters. Optical Character Recognition (OCR), is used to convert the images of handwritten, typed, printed text or any kind of scanned documents into machine-encoded text in order to digitize the values from the report. Conversion to this standard set of digital values will benefit in automating a lot of backend approval process. we collect the reports from the user and read the values from the report and scrutinize the values. Based on the values with the company’s standard set, the scrutinization is done and it is then visualized using any visualization tool. The result is presented to the user so that the user can get an idea whether he/she is eligible for insurance claim. The foremost objective of this paper is making the insurance backend approval process a lot easier and a quick response to the buyers.
Wireless Charger for Artificial Pacemaker
Authors: Abinaya.B  , Abirami.A.P  , Divya.J  , Rajalakshmi.R
Published: October 2021

The vast majority of the modernized implantable devices and Bio-sensors are set inside a patient’s body. To overcome this constraint, in this paper we have designed a rechargeable battery with wireless power transfer technique. The transdermal power transfer for the Pacemaker which is placed inside the heart should be possible by the concept of mutual inductance. The receiver loop ought to be situated inside the body and the transmitter curl ought to be situated outside of the body. The voltage controller will give or manage the necessary yield (output) voltage. The experiments were conducted on wireless charging through pork tissues reveal that from a 3.919-mw power source, 3.072-mw power can be received at 300kHz, reaching a high wireless power transfer efficiency of 78.4%, showing that the charging is very fast. We have also connected a Bluetooth Module to the Atmega328 microcontroller. This Bluetooth technology is used in the Android mobile application to notice the charging levels of the pacemaker. This Inductive power transfer technique takes out the danger of contamination which is brought about by the medical procedure.
Vision Atrophy Screening and Revelation
Authors: Kiruthiga Devi M  , Lingamuthu K  , Baskar M  , Deepa B  , Merlin G
Published: October 2021

Glaucoma which is known as the “thief of sight”, is an irreversible eye disease It is mainly caused by increased intraocular pressure (IOP), or loss of blood supply to the optic nerve. Glaucoma detection and diagnosis is very important. By analyzing the optic disc and its surroundings, This paper introduces a method for providing automated glaucoma screening services based on a framework that proposes a retinal image synthesizer for glaucoma assessment by analyzing the optic disc and its surroundings. The Cup to Disc Ratio (CDR) is critical for the system, and it is calculated using 2-D retinal fundus images. The synthetic images produced by our system are compared quantitatively. The structural properties of synthetic and real images are analyzed, and the quality of colour is calculated by extracting the 2-D histogram. The system allows patients to receive low-cost remote diagnostics from a distance, preventing blindness and vision loss by early detection and management.
The acute effects of vibratory stimuli during exercise on the sensorimotor control of the shoulder complex: A pilot study
Authors: Kotoshiba Somu , Maeda Noriaki , Morikawa Masanori , Yoshimi Mitsuhiro , Sakai Shogo , Urabe Yukio
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND: Functional stability of the shoulder requires a balance of active forces, passive forces, and control subsystems of the joint complex. Although whole-body vibration enhances shoulder muscle function and proprioception, the impact of vibration on the sensorimotor control of the shoulder joint remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the acute effect of vibratory stimuli on the sensorimotor control of the shoulder joint. METHODS: Fifteen male participants (age, 22.7 ± 2.3 years) were included and performed the exercise in a modified push-up position with partial weight-bearing on a vibration platform with and without vibratory stimuli. The vibration protocol included six sets lasting for 30 s each with a 30-s rest between sets. The main outcome measures included the upper limb static stability test, Upper Quarter Y Balance Test (UQYBT), and electromyography data of the upper limb. RESULTS: Vibratory stimuli resulted in an increased UQYBT score (all directions; P< 0.01) and infraspinatus, serratus anterior, and lower trapezius muscle activity (P< 0.05) between pre- and post-exercise versus the control condition. Stabilometric parameters showed no significant interaction between condition and time. CONCLUSIONS: Vibratory stimuli could maximize training benefits while limiting injury risk for athletes. Our findings could guide the development of rehabilitation programs for patients with shoulder instability.
Comparison of the effect of the McKenzie method and spiral stabilization in patients with low back pain: A prospective, randomized clinical trial
Authors: Nechvátal Pavol , Hitrík Tomáš , Kendrová Lucia Demjanovič , Macej Michal
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) causes disability in daily life, and presents not only a health but also a socio-economic problem. New treatment options need to be tested and confirmed. OBJECTIVE: Compare the effect of the McKenzie method and spiral stabilization in patients with LBP. METHODS: Sixty patients with an average age of 47 years, which were included in our prospective, comparative study were randomly divided into two 30-member groups. One group exercised according to the McKenzie method (MDT), the other one according to the Spiral Stabilization Method (SPS). During the initial examination the Aberdeen Back Pain Scale was used to determine the degree of managing with daily activities and functionality, and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire was used to determine the degree of disability. Check- up was performed after 2 and 6 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: In both groups, there was a significant improvement in results after 2 and 6 weeks of treatment (p< 0.05). When comparing the effect of 2 and 6 weeks of treatment of both therapeutic procedures (MDT and SPS), the difference was insignificant (p> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: None of these two treatment methods achieved better results, as they both have a comparable effect on reducing disability and improving the management of daily activities and physical functions. Therefore, both are equally effective in patients with LBP.
Toll-like receptor 3 is a potential prognosis marker and associated with immune infiltration in stomach adenocarcinoma
Authors: Huang Zhihao , He Aoxiao , Wang Jiakun , Lu Hongcheng , Xu Xiaoyun , Zhang Rongguiyi , Liao Wenjun , Feng Qian , Wu Linquan
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptors participate in various biological mechanisms, mainly including the immune response and inflammatory response. Nevertheless, the role of TLRs in STAD remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the expression, prognosis performance of TLRs in STAD and their relationship with immune infiltration. METHODS: Student’s t-test was used to evaluate the expression of TLRs between STAD tissues and normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to explored the prognosis value of TLRs in STAD. And qRT-PCR validated their expression and prognosis value. Spearman’s correlation analysis and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to assess the association between TLRs and immune infiltration in STAD. RESULTS: The mRNA level of TLR3 was downregulated in STAD. We summarized genetic mutations and CNV alteration of TLRs in STAD cohort. Prognosis analysis revealed that STAD patients with high TLR3 expression showed better prognosis in OS, FP and PPS. The result of qRT-PCR suggested that TLR3 expression was decreased in STAD tissues and STAD patients with high TLR3 mRNA level had a better OS. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis suggested TLR3 expression and clinical stage as independent factors affecting STAD patients’ prognosis. A positive association existed between TLR3 expression and the abundance of immune cells and the expression of various immune biomarkers. Furthermore, key targets related to TLR3 were identified in STAD, mainly including MIR-129 (GCAAAAA), PLK1, and V$IRF1_01. CONCLUSIONS: Our result demonstrated TLR3 as a prognosis marker and associated with immune infiltration in STAD.
Dimension spectra of lines
Authors: Lutz Neil , Stull D.M.
Published: October 2021

This paper investigates the algorithmic dimension spectra of lines in the Euclidean plane. Given any line L with slope a and vertical intercept b, the dimension spectrum [Formula: see text] is the set of all effective Hausdorff dimensions of individual points on L. We draw on Kolmogorov complexity and geometrical arguments to show that if the effective Hausdorff dimension [Formula: see text] is equal to the effective packing dimension [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] contains a unit interval. We also show that, if the dimension [Formula: see text] is at least one, then [Formula: see text] is infinite. Together with previous work, this implies that the dimension spectrum of any line is infinite.
Competency management and the financial results of the foreign subsidiaries of Polish MNCs: The empirical research findings
Authors: Stor Marzena , Haromszeki Łukasz
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND:

Competency management (CM) is one of the basic subfunctions of HRM, which can significantly affect the results achieved by organizations. This is because the competencies of employees have become the key capital of enterprises and a factor of their success. Research on the relationships between CM and organizational performance results in Polish MNCs creates a research gap due to the object and subject of research.

OBJECTIVE:

The main goal of the article is to identify the potential regularities that may exist between the advancement level of CM and its composing activities and the company financial performance results. Of particular interest are the relationships that may appear between the studied variables in the context of their relationships with other subfunctions of HRM and the significance of human capital as a competitive factor.

METHODS:

The research sample includes 200 non-financial business entities with Polish capital, whose headquarters are in Poland, and local subsidiaries are located outside the country. The research was conducted using CATI and CAWI methods. Descriptive and correlation statistics were used to analyze the collected empirical data.

RESULTS:

Two fundamental regularities are observable. It turns out that the higher the advancement level of activities within CM, and in particular its links with other HRM subfunctions, the better the financial results of enterprises.

CONCLUSIONS:

The empirical research results lead to the conclusion that human capital is treated as a company’s competitive factor, and CM is of significant meaning to the financial results of the organization.
UHPLC, ATR-FTIR analysis of Nymphoides indica rhizome extract and determination of antioxidant & antibiofilm potential
Authors: Hanif Muhammad , Khan Muzammil Ahmad , Rafey Abdul , Aziz Imran , Khan Mohsin Ali , Khan Barkat Ali , Amin Adnan
Published: October 2021

The aim of the study was to perform comprehensive phytochemical analysis, UHPLC, ATR-FTIR profiling and evaluation of various biological activities of N. Indica rhizome. The phytochemical analysis indicated presence of alkaloids, saponins, and triterpenes. In the antioxidant assay, the methanolic (IC50 40.3±0.04) and chloroform fractions (IC50 40.05±0.21) showed highest DPPH inhition. Like wise, methanolic fraction showed highest FRAP value (756.2±0.06) followed by chloroform (225.0±0.04) and ethyl acetate fractions (193.0±0.21). In the antimicrobial assays, chloroform (MIC < 0.156 mg/ml) and methanol fractions (MIC 0.625 mg/ml) fractions showed significant inhibition of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Also a significant antibiofilm of biofilm formation was recorded by chloroform (IC50 1.73 mg/ml) and ethyl acetate fractions (IC50 1.76 mg/ml). It was concluded that the N. Indica rhizome posess antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential, that may be attributed to high flavonoid contents.
Dynamics of biomarkers across the stages of traumatic spinal cord injury - implications for neural plasticity and repair
Authors: Begenisic Tatjana , Pavese Chiara , Aiachini Beatrice , Nardone Antonio , Rossi Daniela
Published: October 2021

Background:

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex medical condition causing significant physical disability and psychological distress. While the adult spinal cord is characterized by poor regenerative potential, some recovery of neurological function is still possible through activation of neural plasticity mechanisms. We still have limited knowledge about the activation of these mechanisms in the different stages after human SCI.

Objective:

In this review, we discuss the potential role of biomarkers of SCI as indicators of the plasticity mechanisms at work during the different phases of SCI.

Methods:

An extensive review of literature related to SCI pathophysiology, neural plasticity and humoral biomarkers was conducted by consulting the PubMed database. Research and review articles from SCI animal models and SCI clinical trials published in English until January 2021 were reviewed. The selection of candidates for humoral biomarkers of plasticity after SCI was based on the following criteria: 1) strong evidence supporting involvement in neural plasticity (mandatory); 2) evidence supporting altered expression after SCI (optional).

Results:

Based on selected findings, we identified two main groups of potential humoral biomarkers of neural plasticity after SCI: 1) neurotrophic factors including: Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Nerve growth factor (NGF), Neurotrofin-3 (NT-3), and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1); 2) other factors including: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), and MicroRNAs (miRNAs). Plasticity changes associated with these biomarkers often can be both adaptive (promoting functional improvement) and maladaptive. This dual role seems to be influenced by their concentrations and time-window during SCI.

Conclusions:

Further studies of dynamics of biomarkers across the stages of SCI are necessary to elucidate the way in which they reflect the remodeling of neural pathways. A better knowledge about the mechanisms underlying plasticity could guide the selection of more appropriate therapeutic strategies to enhance positive spinal network reorganization.
Effect of conventional transcranial direct current stimulation devices and electrode sizes on motor cortical excitability of the quadriceps muscle
Authors: Gardi Adam Z. , Vogel Amanda K. , Dharia Aastha K. , Krishnan Chandramouli
Published: October 2021

Background:

There is a growing concern among the scientific community that the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are highly variable across studies. The use of different tDCS devices and electrode sizes may contribute to this variability; however, this issue has not been verified experimentally.

Objective:

To evaluate the effects of tDCS device and electrode size on quadriceps motor cortical excitability.

Methods:

The effect of tDCS device and electrode size on quadriceps motor cortical excitability was quantified across a range of TMS intensities using a novel evoked torque approach that has been previously shown to be highly reliable. In experiment 1, anodal tDCS-induced excitability changes were measured in twenty individuals using two devices (Empi and Soterix) on two separate days. In experiment 2, anodal tDCS-induced excitability changes were measured in thirty individuals divided into three groups based on the electrode size. A novel Bayesian approach was used in addition to the classical hypothesis testing during data analyses.

Results:

There were no significant main or interaction effects, indicating that cortical excitability did not differ between different tDCS devices or electrode sizes. The lack of pre-post time effect in both experiments indicated that cortical excitability was minimally affected by anodal tDCS. Bayesian analyses indicated that the null model was more favored than the main or the interaction effects model.

Conclusions:

Motor cortical excitability was not altered by anodal tDCS and did not differ by devices or electrode sizes used in the study. Future studies should examine if behavioral outcomes are different based on tDCS device or electrode size.
Design and analysis of a lightweight lower extremity exoskeleton with novel compliant ankle joints
Authors: He Yong , Liu Jingshuai , Li Feng , Cao Wujing , Wu Xinyu
Published: October 2021

BACKGROUND: The exoskeleton for lower limb rehabilitation is an uprising field of robot technology. However, since it is difficult to achieve all the optimal design values at the same time, each lower extremity exoskeleton has its own focus. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a modular lightweight lower extremity exoskeleton (MOLLEE) with novel compliant ankle joints, and evaluate the movement performance through kinematics analysis. METHODS: The overall structure of the exoskeleton was proposed and the adjustable frames, active joint modules, and compliant ankle joints were designed. The forward and inverse kinematics models were established based on the geometric method. The theoretical models were validated by numerical simulations in ADAMS, and the kinematic performance was demonstrated through walking experiments. RESULTS: The proposed lower extremity offers six degrees of freedom (DoF). The exoskeleton frame was designed adjustable to fit wearers with a height between 1.55 m and 1.80 m, and waist width from 37 cm to 45 cm. The joint modules can provide maximum torque at 107 Nm for adequate knee and hip joint motion forces. The compliant ankle can bear large flexible deformation, and the relationship between its angular deformation and the contact force can be fitted with a quadratic polynomial function. The kinematics models were established and verified through numerical simulations, and the walking experiments in different action states have shown the expected kinematic characteristics of the designed exoskeleton. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed MOLLEE exoskeleton is adjustable, modular, and compliant. The designed adjustable frame and compliant ankle can ensure comfort and safety for different wearers. In addition, the kinematics characteristics of the exoskeleton can meet the needs of daily rehabilitation activities.