bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Werktuigkundige Systemen
Authors: Cool Jan C. , Tuijthof Gabriëlle J.M. , Radaelli Giuseppe , Vroom Regine W.
Published: August 2023

Het boek Werktuigkundige Systemen is een compacte inleiding op het systeemdenken in de werktuigbouwkunde, met nadruk op inzicht en grafische methoden, gelardeerd met prikkelende werkingsprincipes en constructie-elementen. Velen merken dat ze nog lang nadat ze het vak gedaan hebben dit boek als naslagwerk gebruiken en het steeds meer gaan waarderen, ook omdat het boek de basis legt voor veel vervolgvakken en projecten. Het boek is al jarenlang in gebruik bij eerstejaars studenten Werktuigbouwkunde aan de TU Delft. Diverse docenten gebruiken het bij vakken of ontwerp-projecten. De oorsprong van dit boek in de tachtiger jaren is een college geweest, waarin op eenvoudige wijze de werking van bestaande apparaten en machines werd geanalyseerd. In een later stadium is deze stof uitgebreid met een aantal constructieve bijzonderheden. Daarbij heeft de systeemleer en de modelvorming een belangrijke basis gevormd. Meer uitgebreid: De fundamentele principes bij ontwerpen komen in dit boek ‘Werktuigkundige Systemen’ naar voren. Zo wordt de systeemleer toegepast op werktuigkundige constructies en wordt in het hoofdstuk over modelvorming de weg aangegeven om de complexe fysische werkelijkheid om te zetten in een overzichtelijk werkingsinzicht. Ook onder meer mechanische versterkers komen aan bod en is een hoofdstuk gewijd aan de belangrijke begrippen sterkte en stijfheid. Er is ruim aandacht gegeven aan wrijving en weerstand, alsmede aan de middelen om deze te vergroten of te verkleinen. Omdat veren tot de essentiële werktuigonderdelen behoren is een hoofdstuk gewijd aan de toepassing van veren in een ontwerp. Hier is het belangrijke begrip voorspanning behandeld. Het onderwerp Aandrijving wordt behandeld en daarin wordt aangegeven op welke wijze een motor met een last moet worden gekoppeld. Het hoofdstuk over comparalogie laat de problemen zien bij het verkleinen of vergroten van reeds bestaande constructies en bij de vaak noodzakelijke modelproeven. Het hoofdstuk over energie ten slotte, geeft een inleiding in de ‘warme werktuigbouwkunde’. Hierin is een technologisch rendement beschreven dat aangeeft in welke mate een machine warmtetechnisch goed is geconstrueerd. Dit boek kan gebruikt worden bij verschillende soorten technisch hoger onderwijs; zowel door het globale overzicht van de gehele werktuigbouwkunde, de introductie van systeemleer en modelvorming, als door de specialistische behandeling van enkele bijzondere onderwerpen.
Uma só língua, uma só bandeira, um só pastor: Spiritism and Esperanto in Brazil
Authors: Pardue David
Published: August 2023

Humankind has perennially attempted to recover - or construct - a utopian language, shared by all, which would unify us into a single family, thereby diminishing political and religious strife. Long before the time of Jesus, the prophet Zephaniah anticipated a messenger who would bring us a pure language so that we could better serve God (3: 9). Various religious groups, such as the Bahai Faith, the Omoto-kyo religion in Japan and Won Buddhism in Korea, believe in the need for a universal language, or support the adoption of an international auxiliary language. In this study I explore the beliefs of a group in Brazil, the Spiritists (Kardecists), who with great faith have embraced Esperanto as the solution to this language problem. Although it is not the central tenet of their religion, the connection between Brazilian Spiritism and Esperanto provides a textbook case of symbiosis, in which the language serves as more than a proselytization tool. I intend to present the most important texts on this topic from the vast corpus of Spiritist literature, and will propose some interpretations as to how this relationship might have developed.
One-Step Synthesis of Porous Graphitic Carbon Nitride and the Photocatalytic Performance under Visible-Light Irradiation
Authors: Zhang Ligang , Zhang Naipeng , Zhang Dejin , Ouyang Wenzhu , Xie Yong
Published: August 2023

Porous graphitic carbon nitride (pg-C3N4) was synthesized via a facile one-step dicyandiamide (DCDA) high-temperature calcination method using heat-labile ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) as the gaseous template, and different pg-C3N4 materials were obtained by mixing various mass ratios of NH4HCO3 into DCDA. The micro-structures and -morphologies of the porous materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) respectively, and the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye was tested under visible-light irradiation. It is found that the thermal decomposition of NH4HCO3 promoted destruction of the layer-structured g-C3N4 and increment of the specific surface area, producing more porous structures on the material surfaces, which is considered to be vital for the improvement of photocatalytic performance. Compared with the photocatalyst calcined by pure DCDA, the pg-C3N4 photocatalysts obtained by mixing the two raw materials performed better on MB dye degradation. Moreover, photocatalytic efficiency of the catalysts improved significantly with increasing NH4HCO3 contents in the raw materials. The degradation rate photocatalyzed by pg-C3N4 materials can reach more than 90% within 1.5 h, 6.5 times higher than that of the control material. It comes up to 99% at 2 h, basically achieving the complete degradation and decolorization of MB dye.
Analisis Konsekuensi Penerapan Pajak Pertambahan Nilai (PPN) dan atau Pajak Penjualan Barang Mewah (PPnBM) terhadap Minuman Beralkohol dalam Perspektif Ekonomi Islam
Authors: Nur Wahida Dachlan Ladiku  , Gusnasary  , Andi Fauziyyah Agustin Nur  , Della Fadhilatunisa
Published: August 2023

Jenis Barang yang dikenakan PPN dan PPnBM salah satunya adalah Minuman yang Mengandung Etil Alkohol (MMEA), dengan memiliki karakteristik tertentu. Dalam Islam sudah ditegaskan bahwa minuman beralkohol itu haram hukumnya karena mudharatnya lebih besar daripada manfaatnya. Tetapi, Pemerintah Indonesia masih melegalkan minuman beralkohol, namun tetap dalam aturan yang berlaku. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis dampak pemungutan Pajak Pertambahan Nilai dan Pajak Penjualan Atas Barang Mewah terhadap Minuman Beralkohol dalam perspektif Ekonomi Islam. Metode yang digunakan metode penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Sumber data berasal dari data sekunder. Pemerintah disarankan untuk menerapkan prinsip-prinsip Islam dan menjadikannya sebagai pedoman dalam melakukan segala aktivitas yang dilakukan oleh umat muslim. Oleh karena itu, untuk senantiasa memastikan kesesuaian syariah terhadap prinsip-prinsip Islam. Dari hasil penelitian pajak/cukai minuman alkohol berdasarkan perspektif ekonomi Islam tidak diharamkan, karena pajak/cukai berada di luar tsamanul khamar.
Zakat Profesi : Membangun Kesejahteraan Umat
Authors: Mutmainnah Rezky , Akbar Ince Nur , Pati Maipa Dhea , Fadhilatunisa Della
Published: August 2023

Pada zaman serba modern seperti sekarang ini, banyak orang mendapatkan penghasilan yang begitu besar dengan bermodalkan ilmu pengetahuan yang didapatkan dari jenjang pendidikan formal maupun non formal. Banyak pengusaha yang pendidikannya tidak sampai sarjana akan tetapi kesuksesannya begitu luar biasa, yang menjadi faktor kesuksesannya tentu saja kerja keras. Akan tetapi bukan berarti pendidikan formal menjadi tidak penting lagi. Pendidikan yang manusia dapatkan dari sistem pendidikan yang diprogramkan pemerintah, sedikit banyaknya dapat menimbulkan penghasilan-penghasilan yang luar biasa besarnya. Sehubungan dengan hal tersebut, maka penulis kali ini akan membahas tentang zakat profesi yang telah menjamur di zaman modern seperti sekarang ini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis Zakat Profesi Untuk Kemaslahatan Ummat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan zakat profesi atau disebut juga zakat pendapatan adalah zakat yang dikeluarkan dari hasil pendapatan seseorang atau profesinya bila telah mencapai nishab (batasan minimal harta yang wajib dikenakan zakat).
Effect of On-the-Job Training Techniques on Performance of SMES in Mombasa County
Authors: Ibua Mary , Kariuki Anne , Kamau Charles Guandaru
Published: August 2023

Organizations rely largely on their employees to deliver high-quality production and performance. This means that staff needs to be skilled and knowledgeable, which can only be achieved through learning and development. Most small and medium-sized (SMEs) organizations hardly train their staff, and as such, performance is affected. This can be seen in the poor performance of some SMEs. To change this trend, it is thought that improving the competence and capacity of the employees can improve their performance. Training, especially on-the-job training, will give the SME in the construction sector hands-on experience. The main objective of the study was to investigate the effect of on-the-job training techniques on the performance of SMEs. The specific objectives covered employee coaching and apprenticeships. The study was anchored on social learning theory and human capital theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population was stratified as per the position held in the organization. Primary data was collected through the use of structured questionnaires, which were self-administered to the respondents. The data was analyzed using SPPS, where descriptive analysis was done to obtain means, standard deviations, and inferential statistics. Pearson Moment of Correlation analysis was conducted to test the strength of the variables, and regression analysis was done to check the relationship between the study variables. The study established that employee coaching and apprenticeship all had a significant and positive effect on the performance of SME. The study concludes that on-the-job training techniques have a significant effect on organizational performance. The study recommends that training is very significant in improving the performance of SMEs, hence it should be embraced in the construction sector. As such, there should be more investment in enhancing training programs so as to drive organizational performance.
Multi-supervised bidirectional fusion network for road-surface condition recognition
Authors: Zhang Hongbin , Li Zhijie , Wang Wengang , Hu Lang , Xu Jiayue , Yuan Meng , Wang Zelin , Ren Yafeng , Ye Yiyuan
Published: August 2023

Rapid developments in automatic driving technology have given rise to new experiences for passengers. Safety is a main priority in automatic driving. A strong familiarity with road-surface conditions during the day and night is essential to ensuring driving safety. Existing models used for recognizing road-surface conditions lack the required robustness and generalization abilities. Most studies only validated the performance of these models on daylight images. To address this problem, we propose a novel multi-supervised bidirectional fusion network (MBFN) model to detect weather-induced road-surface conditions on the path of automatic vehicles at both daytime and nighttime. We employed ConvNeXt to extract the basic features, which were further processed using a new bidirectional fusion module to create a fused feature. Then, the basic and fused features were concatenated to generate a refined feature with greater discriminative and generalization abilities. Finally, we designed a multi-supervised loss function to train the MBFN model based on the extracted features. Experiments were conducted using two public datasets. The results clearly demonstrated that the MBFN model could classify diverse road-surface conditions, such as dry, wet, and snowy conditions, with a satisfactory accuracy and outperform state-of-the-art baseline models. Notably, the proposed model has multiple variants that could also achieve competitive performances under different road conditions. The code for the MBFN model is shared at https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/607014079.
Relações entre desenvolvimento humano, capital humano e transparência da gestão pública nos estados brasileiros
Authors: Faria Renata Sossai Freitas , Faria Luiz Henrique Lima , Medeiros Rodrigo Loureiro
Published: August 2023

O presente estudo, firmado sobre o referencial teórico oriundo do campo de conhecimento da Gestão Pública, objetivou analisar as possíveis relações entre os conceitos de Desenvolvimento Humano, Capital Humano e Transparência Pública. Para o alcance desse objetivo, utilizou-se do procedimento estatístico denominado Coeficiente de Pearson (r), a fim de testar a possibilidade de correlação entre o Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH), proxy de Desenvolvimento Humano, o Índice de Produtividade no Trabalho (IPT), proxy de Capital Humano e a Escala Brasil Transparente (EBT), proxy de Transparência Pública. Os resultados demonstraram evidências de relação positiva de grau moderado entre o Desenvolvimento Humano e o Capital Humano e de grau alto entre o Desenvolvimento Humano e a Transparência Pública. Esses resultados demonstraram alinhamento com estudos anteriores que teorizavam sobre as possíveis relações entre esses conceitos da Gestão Pública. Ao final do estudo, foram formuladas algumas sugestões para a realização de estudos futuros que examinem se os governos estaduais brasileiros adotam uma abordagem integrada, considerando as múltiplas dimensões do desenvolvimento humano, a fim de garantir que os benefícios alcancem todas as camadas da sociedade.
The Effect of Perceived Risk on Consumer’s Online Purchase Intention at Zalora for Muslim Clothing Product
Authors: Permatasari Dea Nita , Muthohar Muchsin
Published: August 2023

Aims: This study examines the effect of perceived risk on consumers' online purchase intention at e-commerce for a specific clothing product. Mainly, in this research, there are six perceived risk factors: Financial risk, product risk, security risk, time risk, social risk, and psychological risk.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Indonesia, without any specific domicile in determining the respondents, from November 2022 to June 2023.

Design/Methodology: This study uses a quantitative approach with data collection methods in an online questionnaire and is determined using non-probability purposive sampling. Data was obtained by distributing online questionnaires to 250 respondents who know Zalora (following the predetermined criteria). This research was processed using IBM SPSS Statistic 26.

Results: This study's results show the negative effects of product risk and time risk on consumers' online purchase intention. On the other hand, it also shows that there is no effect from financial, security, social, or psychological risks on consumers' online purchase intention.
Effects of Biofertilizers and Phosphorus on Growth and Yield of Mustard
Authors: Rohith Ch. , Umesha C.
Published: August 2023

The field experiment titled “Effect of Biofertilizers and Phosphorous on Growth and Yield of Mustard” was conducted during Rabi 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and control which are replicated thrice. The treatments viz T1: PSB + Phosphorus 40 kg/ha, T2: PSB + Phosphorus 50 kg/ha, T3: PSB + Phosphorus 60 kg/ha, T4: VAM + Phosphorus 40 kg/ha, T5: VAM + Phosphorus 50 kg/ha, T6: VAM + Phosphorus 60 kg/ha, T7: PSB + VAM + Phosphorus 40 kg/ha, T8: PSB + VAM + Phosphorus 50 kg/ha, T9: PSB + VAM + Phosphorus 60 kg/ha. The results obtained that growth parameters viz. plant height (180.40 cm), Number of branches (18.10), dry weight (42.01 g/plant), Significantly higher yield parameters viz. number of silique/plant (314.47), test weight (6.80 g) and number of seeds/silique (16.50). were recorded higher with the application of PSB + VAM + Phosphorus 60 kg/ha.
Effect of Organic Manure and Zinc on Growth, Yield Attributes and Economics of Maize
Authors: Raj Aditya , Mehera Biswarup , Kumar Prateek , Saharsh Malkarnekar
Published: August 2023

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi 2022 season at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agriculture Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, to study the response of organic manure and soil application of zinc on the growth, yield attributes and economics of maize. The treatment consists of three level of zinc sulphate (2, 4 and 6 kg/ha) vermicompost (12 t/ha), poultry manure (4 t/ha) and control. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatment and replicated thrice. The soil of the experimental field was sandy loam with pH (8.0), EC (0.56 ds/m), organic carbon (0.62%), available N (225 kg/ha), available P (38.2 kg/ha), and available K (240.7 kg/ha). The results showed that application of 50% poultry manure and 50% vermicompost along with zinc 6kg/ha recorded significantly higher plant height (208.33 cm), higher dry weight (89.90 g), number of cobs/plants (2.93), cob length (29.80 cm), number of seeds/cob (414.70). Maximum gross returns (254310.40 INR/ha), net returns (173950.40 INR/ha) and Benefit Cost (B.C) ratio (2.16).
Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin Isolate (TNAU ENT BB1) Against Rice Leaf Folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) in In-vitro (Laboratory) Conditions
Authors: Sharmila R. , Radhakrishnan V. , Shanmugam P. S. , Sendhilvel V. , Harish S.
Published: August 2023

Rice productivity is impaired by sucking, leaf feeding and borer insect pests. Among the leaf feeders, rice leaf folder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) cause significant yield loss. The non-chemical insect pest management is gaining momentum among farmers, and biocontrol management is one of the essential components. The efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin isolate against C. medinalis was studied using the laboratory culture maintained in rice leaves. Different concentrations of B. bassiana were applied topically on the second instar C. medinalis larvae. The mortality observations were recorded at 48 hrs intervals from the third day and continued up to 11 days. The highest mortality of 78.33% was observed at concentration 1×108 conidia/ml, and the lowest mortality of 36.67% was observed at concentration 1×103 conidia/ml. The determined median lethal concentration (LC50) of B. bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin isolate against C. medinalis is 5.44 x 105 conidia/ml.
Impact of Nutrient Management through Bio-organic Manure on Bio-chemical Attributes of Aonla (Emblica Officinalis Gaertn.) cv. NA-10
Authors: Mishra Diwakar Nath , Kumar Ashok , Maurya Aman Kumar , Pratap Ravi , Sonkar Abhishek , Singh Swapnil , Tiwari Saurabh , Ramdatt
Published: August 2023

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate influence of nutrient management using bio-organic manure on bio-chemicals in Aonla. The research was carried at Main Experiment Station, Horticulture, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) during the year 2021. It was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with 10 treatments namely: T1 – Control, T2- RDF 100% (1kg.N: 0.5kg.P:1kg.K per tree), T3- FYM (10kg./tree) + RDF 100%, T4- Poultry Manure (7.5kg./tree) + RDF 100%, T5- FYM (10kg./tree) + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml./tree), T6- Poultry Manure (7.5kg/tree) + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml./tree), T7 -FYM (10kg./tree) + RDF 50% + PSB (10ml./tree), T8- Poultry Manure + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml./tree), T9 –FYM (10kg/tree) + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml./tree) + PSB (10ml./tree) and T10- Poultry Manure (7.5kg/tree) + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml/tree) + PSB (10ml./tree). The experiment was replicated thrice. Results showed treatment T10- Poultry Manure (7.5kg/tree) + RDF 50% + Azospirillium (10ml/tree) + PSB (10ml./tree) outperformed the rest with maximum TSS (11.830 Brix), Ascorbic acid content ( 599.98 mg/ 100g fruit pulp), reducing sugar (3.28%), non-reducing sugar (3.00%), total sugar (6.29%) and minimum acidity (1.32%). The treatment combination is therefore recommended for application to Aonla trees in Eastern Uttar Pradesh in order to obtain high yields with better quality fruits.
Enhancing Morpho-Physiological and Yield Potential of Rice using Nutrients and Plant Growth Regulators
Authors: Preethi V. , Ravichandran V. , Prasad V. Babu Rajendra , Iyanar K. , Karthikeyan R.
Published: August 2023

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the major cereals and the staple food crops which is cultivated all over the   world. In order to meet the growing demand of population, it is important to increase the productivity of crop. The productivity of crop is influenced by nutrients and growth hormones. With this background, a field experiment was conducted during the month of January-May 2023 at wetland farms, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India to evaluate the effect of different foliar nutrients and growth regulators on growth, physiology, biochemical and yield attributes in rice. The experimental layout was Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with two varieties (CO55 and ADT 57). The treatments consisted of foliar spray of T1- Control (water spray), T2- Nutrio-hormonal consortia 1, T3- Nutrio-hormonal consortia 2, T4- Rice booster 1 and T5- Rice booster 2 given at the booting stage and 15 days after the first spray. Among the treatments, T5- Rice booster 2 significantly improved leaf area (1813.99 cm2, 2059.78 cm2), leaf area index (4.53, 5.15), crop growth rate (32.07 g/m2/day, 37.89 g/m2/day), chlorophyll index (37.60, 41.73), photosynthetic rate (27.15 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1, 30.04 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1), Transpiration rate (11.83 mmol H2O m-1 s-1, 14.20 mmol H2O m-1 s-1 ), soluble protein content (16.23 mg/g, 17.30 mg/g), nitrate reductase activity (98.15 µg of NO2/g/h, 112.47 µg of NO2/g/h) in ADT- 57 variety at both sprays, respectively. Foliar application of rice booster 2 (T5) resulted in higher number of productive tillers (23), number of spikelets per panicle (165.5), spikelet fertility (95.48%), 1000 grain weight (17.35g), grain yield/ plant (31.40g), grain yield/hectare (6694.32 Kg/ha), harvest index (45.44%) in ADT 57 and resulted in 15% yield increment over the control. Thus the present study concluded that the foliar application of rice booster 2 (T5) significantly improved the growth, physiology, biochemical and yield attributes in rice variety ADT 57.
DIAGNÓSTICO HIDROGEOLOGICO DAS ÁGUAS SUBTERRÂNEAS DA FORMAÇÃO SERGI NO ESTADO DA BAHIA
Authors: Da Costa Maíra Sampaio
Published: August 2023

O trabalho estudou a Formação Sergi localizada no Estado da Bahia e inserida na Bacia sedimentar do recôncavo, com o objetivo de verificar a potabilidade das águas para o consumo humano e a aplicabilidade na irrigação. Foi realizada análises de 10 poços obtidos pela CPRM (SIAGAS) no programa Qualigraf que viabilizou a classificação das águas (diagrama de Piper e Stiff), o cálculo do erro analítico, a caracterização da salinidade e a classificação para irrigação. Após, se utilizou a Portaria 2914/2011 com a finalidade de analisar a potabilidade das águas. As águas subterrâneas foram classificadas como 70% doces e variam entre bicarbonatadas sódico a cálcico e cloretadas sódico a misto. Três poços foram indicados para irrigação (P-01, P-04 e P-05) e os P- 01, P02, P-03, P-04, P-05, P-07 e P-08 atendem os parâmetros necessários para o consumo. Desta forma, a Formação Sergi foi considerada um bom aquífero para consumo humano.
Live Larva in Ocular Toxocariasis
Authors: Geada Sara , Fonseca Cristina , Proença Rui
Published: August 2023

This case report describes a finding of a live larva in a patient with a previous diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis.
Association Between Health Insurance and Primary Care Vision Testing Among Children and Adolescents
Authors: Killeen Olivia J. , Choi HwaJung , Kannan Niharica S. , Asare Afua O. , Stagg Brian C. , Ehrlich Joshua R.
Published: August 2023

This survey study assesses rates of vision testing by pediatrician or other primary care practitioners among insured and uninsured persons aged 3 to 17 years.
What Is Sinus Surgery?
Authors: Ryan Matthew , Riley Charles A.
Published: August 2023

This Patient Page describes the risks and benefits of sinus surgery for acute or chronic sinusitis.
Dysphagia Outcomes Before and After Adenotonsillectomy in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Wang Chao , Hu Huiying , Sun Kai , Ma Yulong , Lu Yuanyuan , Liu Kai , Yu Zhenkun
Published: August 2023

Importance

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and tonsil hypertrophy may be associated with dysphagia. However, randomized clinical trials assessing dysphagia outcomes in children randomized to adenotonsillectomy (AT) vs watchful waiting with supportive care (WWSC) are lacking.

Objective

To assess dysphagia outcomes in children with OSA and tonsil hypertrophy managed with AT or WWSC.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized clinical trial, the Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial (CHAT), was conducted at tertiary children’s hospitals from October 2007 to June 2012. Children aged 5.0 to 9.9 years with OSA were randomized to AT or WWSC and underwent polysomnography at baseline and 7 months. Caregivers completed the OSA-18 questionnaire, which includes an item on difficulty in swallowing at baseline and 7 months. The current secondary analysis was conducted from December 1, 2022, to January 10, 2023.

Interventions

AT vs WWSC.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Prevalence of dysphagia, based on parental responses to the difficulty in swallowing item on the OSA-18 questionnaire, was redefined as a binary outcome at baseline and 7-month follow-up.

Results

In total, 386 children were included (199 female [51.6%]; median [IQR] age, 6.0 [5.0-8.0] years). Of the total, 207 children were Black (53.6%). At baseline, the number of children with dysphagia was similar (4.0%; 95% CI, −4.9% to 12.9%) between the AT group (56 [29.8%]) and the WWSC group (51 [25.8%]). Following AT, a decrease was observed (21.3%; 95% CI, 13.5%-28.9%) in the prevalence of dysphagia among the children. In contrast, the prevalence of dysphagia did not change significantly (1.0%; 95% CI, −7.6% to 9.6%) in the WWSC group. Children in the AT group were more likely to experience a resolution of dysphagia than those in the WWSC group (adjusted odds ratio, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.91-12.25). Higher baseline AHI was associated with a lower resolution of dysphagia (AOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.98).

Conclusions and Relevance

This secondary analysis of the CHAT randomized clinical trial suggested that children with dysphagia and OSA undergoing AT may experience dysphagia improvement. A prospective randomized trial that uses a validated dysphagia survey is needed to verify the effectiveness of AT in treating dysphagia.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00560859
Glycopolymers With On/Off Anchors: Confinement Effect on Regulating Dendritic Cells
Authors: Heng Xingyu , Shan Fangjian , Yang He , Hu Jun , Feng Ruyan , Tian Wende , Chen Gaojian , Chen Hong
Published: August 2023

Insufficient activation or over‐activation of T cells due to the dendritic cells (DCs) state can cause negative effects on immunotherapy, making it crucial for DCs to maintain different states in different treatments. Polysaccharides are one of the most studied substances to promote DCs maturation. However, in many methods, optimizing the spatial dimension of the interaction between polysaccharides and cells is often overlooked. Therefore, in this study, a new strategy from the perspective of spatial dimension is proposed to regulate the efficacy of polysaccharides in promoting DCs maturation. An anchoring molecule (DMA) is introduced to existing glycopolymers for the confinement effect, and the effect can be turned off by oxidation of DMA. Among the prepared on‐confined (PMD2), off‐confined (PMD2‐O), and norm (PM2) glycopolymers, PMD2 and PMD2‐O show the best and worst results, respectively, in terms of the amount of binding to DCs and the effect on promoting DCs maturation. This sufficiently shows that the turn‐on and off of confinement effect can regulate the maturation of DCs by polysaccharides. Based on the all‐atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, the mechanism of difference in the confinement effect is explained. This simple method can also be used to regulate other molecule–cell interactions to guide cell behavior.
Perovskite Cathodes for Aqueous and Organic Iodine Batteries Operating Under One and Two Electrons Redox Modes
Authors: Li Xinliang , Wang Shixun , Zhang Dechao , Li Pei , Chen Ze , Chen Ao , Huang Zhaodong , Liang Guojin , Rogach Andrey L. , Zhi Chunyi
Published: August 2023

Although conversion‐type iodine‐based batteries are considered promising for energy storage systems, stable electrode materials are scarce, especially for high‐performance multi‐electron reactions. The use of tin‐based iodine‐rich 2D Dion–Jacobson (DJ) ODASnI4 (ODA: 1,8‐octanediamine) perovskite materials as cathode materials for iodine‐based batteries is suggested. As a proof of concept, organic lithium‐perovskite and aqueous zinc‐perovskite batteries are fabricated and they can be operated based on the conventional one‐electron and advanced two‐electron transfer modes. The active elemental iodine in the perovskite cathode provides capacity through a reversible I−/I+ redox pair conversion at full depth, and the rapid electron injection/extraction leads to excellent reaction kinetics. Consequently, high discharge plateaus (1.71 V vs Zn2+/Zn; 3.41 V vs Li+/Li), large capacity (421 mAh g−1I), and a low decay rate (1.74 mV mAh−1 g−1I) are achieved for lithium and zinc ion batteries, respectively. This study demonstrates the promising potential of perovskite materials for high‐performance metal‐iodine batteries. Their reactions based on the two‐electron transfer mechanism shed light on similar battery systems aiming for decent operational stability and high energy density.
Thiamine metabolism dysfunction syndrome 5 (THMD5) mimicking acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
Authors: Thompson Zachary E. , Boyd Natalie K. , Khoshnood Mellad M. , Santoro Jonathan D.
Published: August 2023

Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), the substrate of Thiamine pyrophosphate kinase (TPK), is an important cofactor in carbohydrate metabolism, specifically as a cofactor of the Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) complex. The nervous system is particularly dependent on TPP due to its reliance on glucose metabolism. In this case, a four‐year‐old girl had a previously unreported pathogenic variant of the gene encoding TPK (TPK1) which presented as Thiamine metabolism dysfunction syndrome 5 (THMD5; OMIM 614458). She had been diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and initially presented with fever and agitation following vaccinations. After follow‐up with genetic testing, our patient was found to have compound heterozygous pathogenic variants of TPK1. After treatment with biotin and thiamine her clinical status improved, and her ASD features resolved. The presentation of our patient was consistent with previous reports and adds to the evidence that thiamine and biotin are effective treatments of TPK1 related metabolic deficiencies. The improvement of neurobehavioral symptoms in this case was marked, highlighting the importance of early identification and therapeutic intervention in this condition.
Protocol optimization of a targeted sequencing panel for genomic profiling of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in lung cancer
Authors: Sather Cassandra L. , Yang Pamela , Zhang Chaomei , Fitzgibbon Matthew P. , Fournier Michelle , Toloza Eric , Tandon Amit , Schabath Matthew , Yoder Sean , Nair Viswam S.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

We investigated a commercially available sequencing panel to study the effect of sequencing depth, variant calling strategy, and targeted sequencing region on identifying tumor‐derived variants in cell‐free bronchoalveolar lavage (cfBAL) DNA compared with plasma cfDNA.

Methods

Sequencing was performed at low or high coverage using two filtering algorithms to identify tumor variants on two panels targeting 77 and 197 genes respectively.

Results

One hundred and four sequencing files from 40 matched DNA samples of cfBAL, plasma, germline leukocytes, and archival tumor specimens in 10 patients with early‐stage lung cancer were analyzed. By low‐coverage sequencing, tumor‐derived cfBAL variants were detected in 5/10 patients (50%) compared with 2/10 (20%) for plasma. High‐coverage sequencing did not affect the number of tumor‐derived variants detected in either biospecimen type. Accounting for germline mutations eliminated false‐positive plasma calls regardless of coverage (0/10 patients with tumor‐derived variants identified) and increased the number of cfBAL calls (5/10 patients with tumor‐derived variants identified). These results were not affected by the number of targeted genes.
I still haven't found what I'm looking for: Early relational–developmental deficits and the search for repair through the erotic
Authors: Campion Nick
Published: August 2023

Background

This heuristic study explores the client's experience of seeking to repair early relational deficits through their sexual practices, preferences, desires and relationships.

Aims

The aim of this study was to explore the hypothesis that a client's sexual practices, preferences, desires, relationships and needs can offer a direct opportunity to understand their early relational deficits.

Methodology

This study uses heuristic enquiry, seeking to capture the essence of participants' experiences. In‐person, semistructured interviews were conducted with four participants, and transcripts were analysed according to Moustakis' heuristic method.

Findings

The four research participants did seek repair in ways that aligned with the literature in terms of seeking a lost unity, searching for intimacy, to repair damage and resolve splits through the powerful contact of sex. The study demonstrates the irresistible power of the unconscious desire to address unmet needs and the destructive nature of the urgent search for intimacy—and suggests that although a repair through the erotic is sought, it is rarely found.
Expanding the Substrate Scope of N‐ and O‐Methyltransferases from Plants for Chemoselective Alkylation**
Authors: Jockmann Emely , Subrizi Fabiana , Mohr Michael K. F. , Carter Eve M. , Hebecker Pia M. , Popadić Désirée , Hailes Helen C. , Andexer Jennifer N.
Published: August 2023

Methylation reactions are of significant interest when generating pharmaceutically active molecules and building blocks for other applications. Synthetic methylating reagents are often toxic and unselective due to their high reactivity. S‐Adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAM)‐dependent methyltransferases (MTs) present a chemoselective and environmentally friendly alternative. The anthranilate N‐MT from Ruta graveolens (RgANMT) is involved in acridone alkaloid biosynthesis, methylating anthranilate. Although it is known to methylate substrates only at the N‐position, the closest relatives with respect to amino acid sequence similarities of over 60 % are O‐MTs catalysing the methylation reaction of caffeate and derivatives containing only hydroxyl groups (CaOMTs). In this study, we investigated the substrate range of RgANMT and a CaOMT from Prunus persica (PpCaOMT) using compounds with both, an amino‐ and hydroxyl group (aminophenols) as possible methyl group acceptors. For both enzymes, the reaction was highly chemoselective. Furthermore, generating cofactor derivatives in situ enabled the transfer of other alkyl chains onto the aminophenols, leading to an enlarged pool of products. Selected MT reactions were performed at a preparative biocatalytic scale in in vitro and in vivo experiments resulting in yields of up to 62 %.
Flexible neural color compatibility model for efficient color extraction from image
Authors: Yan Simin , Xu Shuchang , Zhang Sanyuan
Published: August 2023

Color choice is an essential aspect of many applications, including graphic design, web design and fashion design. The selection of colors can have a significant impact on the overall aesthetic and appeal of a design, as well as its effectiveness in conveying a particular message or mood. This paper introduces new and simple tools for choosing colors. First, we introduce a convolutional neural network that scores the quality of a set of five colors, called a color theme. Such a network can be used to rate the quality of a new color theme. Second, we propose a method to extract a variable‐size palette from an image. The size of the extracted palette can vary depending on the color richness of the image. Third, we demonstrate simple prototypes that apply the trained neural network and the palette extraction method to tasks in graphic design, such as improving existing themes. Our proposed network has the advantage of being significantly simpler than other state‐of‐the‐art methods with better performance.
Cyclopentadienyl Molybdenum(II) Compounds Bearing Ether and Thioether Functions in the Side Chain: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxic/Cytostatic Studies
Authors: Hanzl Lukáš , Vinklárek Jaromír , Honzíček Jan , Dostál Libor , Císařová Ivana , Šacherlová Lucie , Eisner Aleš , Muthná Darina , Řezáčová Martina
Published: August 2023

A series of molybdenum(II) compounds [(η5‐Cp’)Mo(CO)2(L2)][BF4] (Cp’=C5H4(CH2)2SPh, C9H6(CH2)2OMe, L2=N,N‐chelating ligand) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods including X‐ray crystallography. The in vitro assay on human leukemia cells MOLT‐4 has shown that the substitution in the π‐ligand in combination with suitable N,N‐chelating ligand can lead to species with cytotoxicity considerably higher than reported to cisplatin. Unusually high activity was observed for compounds bearing phenanthroline ligands [{η5‐C9H6(CH2)2OMe}Mo(CO)2(3,4,7,8‐Me4phen)][BF4] (IC50=0.7±0.3 μM) and [{η5‐C9H6(CH2)2OMe}Mo(CO)2(4,7‐Ph2phen)][BF4] (IC50 values 0.8±0.4 μM).
Can unexploited biomass of Ficus carica L. be valorized as a bio‐based material for the development of functional food formulations?
Authors: Manousi Natalia , Mikroulis Theodoros , Mourtzinos Ioannis
Published: August 2023

Figs are a valuable source of nutrients including polyphenols, dietary fiber, and minerals. Cultivation and consumption of figs generates a considerable amount of by‐products and waste which are also nutrient‐rich. Fig unexploited mass can efficiently be valorized in the frame of circular bioeconomy for the development of functional foods, food supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Herein, we provide a thorough assessment of the chemical composition of figs toward the potential utilization of unexploited fig biomass for the generation of bio‐based materials. Conventional and novel processes such as drying and extraction leading to the isolation of targeted ingredients are critically discussed.
Determination of total flavonoids, phenolics, and antioxidant activity of propolis from six stingless bee species in Kenya
Authors: Kegode Timothy M. , Ndungu Nelly , Kiatoko Nkoba
Published: August 2023

Background

Propolis is one of the hive products made by bees from wax and plant resins, which makes it rich in phytochemicals such as flavonoids and phenolic. The chemical composition of propolis from stingless bees is affected by several factors including vegetation type and species. In Kenya, we have diverse landscape vegetation and over 12 stingless bee species. Lifestyle diseases are affecting more people due to unhealthy diets and exposure to harmful chemicals, which lead to oxidation in cells. This led to the production of super radicals, which cannot be neutralized only by the endogenous antioxidants in the body. This has led to increased demand for exogenous antioxidants obtained from the diet. Propolis is a known source of natural antioxidants too due to the presence of polyphenols.

Results

In our study, we determined the total content of flavonoids, phenolic, and the antioxidant activity of propolis from six stingless bee species from Kenya. The total flavonoid content (TFC) in all species ranged from 651.90 to 3262.26 mg QE/100 g, while the total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 586.36 to 2010.53 mg GAE/100 g. Among the species, Meliponula beccarii had the highest concentration of total flavonoids, Meliponula togoensis had high concentrations of total phenolic, while Meliponula ferruginea had the highest antioxidant activity.

Conclusion

The outcome of this study demonstrates that propolis from Kenyan stingless bees have varying amounts of phytochemicals, which is dependent on the species identity. Hence it is a good source of exogenous natural antioxidants.
Edge Enhancement Optimization in Flexible Endoscopic Images to the Perception of Ear, Nose and Throat Professionals
Authors: Geleijnse G. , Veder L. L. , Hakkesteegt M. M. , de Gier H. H. W. , Rieger B. , Metselaar R. M.
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Digital endoscopes are connected to a video processor that applies various operations to process the image. One of those operations is edge enhancement that sharpens the image. The purpose of this study was to (1) quantify the level of edge enhancement, (2) measure the effect on sharpness and image noise, and (3) study the influence of edge enhancement on image quality perceived by ENT professionals.

Methods

Three digital flexible endoscopic systems were included. The level of edge enhancement and the influence on sharpness and noise were measured in vitro, while systematically varying the levels of edge enhancement. In vivo images were captured at identical levels of one healthy larynx. Each series of in vivo images was presented to 39 ENT professionals according to a forced pairwise comparison test, to select the image with the best image quality for diagnostic purposes. The numbers of votes were converted to a psychometric scale of just noticeable differences (JND) according to the Thurstone V model.

Results

The maximum level of edge enhancement varied per endoscopic system and ranged from 0.8 to 1.2. Edge enhancement increased sharpness and noise. Images with edge enhancement were unanimously preferred to images without edge enhancement. The quality difference with respect to zero edge enhancement reaches an optimum at levels between 0.7 and 0.9.

Conclusion

Edge enhancement has a major impact on sharpness, noise, and the resulting perceived image quality. We conclude that ENT professionals benefit from this video processing and should verify if their equipment is optimally configured.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 134:842–847, 2024
Fabrication and Characterization of an Electro‐Compacted Collagen/Elastin/Hyaluronic Acid Sheet as a Potential Skin Scaffold
Authors: Kang Lingzhi , Zhou Ying , Chen Xifang , Yue Zhilian , Liu Xiao , Baker Chris , Wallace Gordon G.
Published: August 2023

The development of biomimetic structures with integrated extracellular matrix (ECM) components represents a promising approach to biomaterial fabrication. Here, an artificial ECM, comprising the structural protein collagen I and elastin (ELN), as well as the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA), is reported. Specifically, collagen and ELN are electrochemically aligned to mimic the compositional characteristics of the dermal matrix. HA is incorporated into the electro‐compacted collagen‐ELN matrices via adsorption and chemical immobilization, to give a final composition of collagen/ELN/HA of 7:2:1. This produces a final collagen/ELN/hyaluronic acid scaffold (CEH) that recapitulates the compositional feature of the native skin ECM. This study analyzes the effect of CEH composition on the cultivation of human dermal fibroblast cells (HDFs) and immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaTs). It is shown that the CEH scaffold supports dermal regeneration by promoting HDFs proliferation, ECM deposition, and differentiation into myofibroblasts. The CEH scaffolds are also shown to support epidermis growth by supporting HaCaTs proliferation, differentiation, and stratification. A double‐layered epidermal‐dermal structure is constructed on the CEH scaffold, further demonstrating its ability in supporting skin cell function and skin regeneration.
The optimal decision for automobile enterprises considering shareholding strategies and dual‐credit policy
Authors: Pu Junchong
Published: August 2023

This article develops a new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain comprising a manufacturer and a retailer, considers the incentive effect of the dual‐credit policy, proposes three shareholding strategies (manufacturer shareholding, retailer shareholding, and cross‐shareholding), and investigates the optimal decisions of NEV enterprises. Our results indicate that increased credit trading price, manufacturer shareholding ratio, and retailer shareholding ratio all improve NEV low‐carbon levels and manufacturer profits. In contrast, the performance of retailer profits is more complex and requires a lower range of shareholding ratio in most situations to achieve growth. Meanwhile, the cross‐shareholding strategy is the optimal choice for the manufacturer. However, the retailer only sometimes benefits from a cross‐shareholding strategy, and the manufacturer shareholding strategy can lead to the highest retailer profits in most cases. Furthermore, these findings can provide critical managerial insights for automobile enterprises and governments.
A multi‐tier computational screening framework to effectively search the mutational space of SARS‐CoV‐2 receptor binding motif to identify mutants with enhanced ACE2 binding abilities
Authors: Chakraborty Sandipan , Saha Chiranjeet
Published: August 2023

SARS‐CoV‐2 gained crucial mutations at the receptor binding domain (RBD) that often changed the course of the pandemic leading to new waves with increased case fatality. Variants are observed with enhanced transmission and immune invasion abilities. Thus, predicting future variants with enhanced transmission ability is a problem of utmost research interest. Here, we have developed a multi‐tier exhaustive SARS‐CoV‐2 mutation screening platform combining MM/GBSA, extensive molecular dynamics simulations, and steered molecular dynamics to identify RBD mutants with enhanced ACE2 binding capability. We have identified four RBM mutations (F490K, S494K, G504F, and the P499L) with significantly higher ACE2 binding abilities than wild‐type RBD. Compared to wild‐type RBD, they all form stable complexes with more hydrogen bonds and salt‐bridge interactions with ACE2. Our simulation data suggest that these mutations allosterically alter the packing of the RBM interface of the RBD‐ACE2 complex. As a result, the rupture force required to break the RBD‐ACE2 contacts is significantly higher for these mutants.