bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diet modification impact on ADHD outcome
Authors: Abd El Baaki Olweya Mohammed , Abd El Hamid Enas Raafat , Zaki Safaa Taha , Alwakkad Amani Salah El Din , Sabry Rania Nabil , Elsheikh Eman Mohamed
Published: January 2021

Background

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affects 5% of children worldwide and characterized by impaired inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. One of the risk factors that precipitate ADHD is food. Food affects behavior of children by different ways such as food allergy, food intolerance and gut–microbiota–brain axis. The study aimed to assess effect of diet modification on ADHD outcome and the role of food as a precipitating factor for ADHD symptomatology. The study included 47 children newly diagnosed with ADHD, not receiving medical or behavioral therapy, their ages ranged from 6 to 9 years and their intelligence quotient not below 70 with no associated comorbidities. All participants were subjected to Full history taking, clinical examination, anthropometric measurements, 24 h dietary recall. Dietary analysis and Conner’s parent rating scale-revised short form (CPR-RS) were done before and after diet modification program for 5 weeks.

Results

There was improvement in ADHD symptoms as measured by CPR-RS after 5-weeks of diet modification program. Carbohydrate and protein intake decreased significantly after diet modification program. Energy intake did not show statistical difference while fat intake increased significantly after the diet program. Vitamin A, C, riboflavin, thiamin and iron intakes decreased significantly after diet program but were within the recommended dietary allowance.

Conclusion

Following the Diet modification program, ADHD symptoms were improved as documented by decrease in CPR scores. Diminished carbohydrate and protein intake in diet were positively associated with improvement of ADHD symptoms. Diet modification program succeeded in reducing obesity and then ADHD symptoms.
Ovarian odorant-like biomolecules in promoting chemotaxis behavior of spermatozoa olfactory receptors during migration, maturation, and fertilization
Authors: Olaniyan Olugbemi T. , Dare Ayobami , Okotie Gloria E. , Adetunji Charles O. , Ibitoye Babatunde O. , Eweoya Olugbenga , Dare Joseph B. , Okoli Bamidele J.
Published: January 2021

Background

Studies have shown that olfactory receptor genes are the largest in the human genome, which are significantly expressed in olfactory and non-olfactory tissues such as the reproductive systems where they perform many important biological functions.

Main body

There is growing evidence that bioactive metabolites from the ovary, follicular fluid, and other parts of the female reproductive tract signal the sperm through a series of signal transduction cascades that regulate sperm migration, maturation, and fertilization processes. Several studies have highlighted the role of G-protein-coupled receptors in these cellular processes. Thus, we aimed to summarize the existing evidence describing the physiological role of most prominent exogenous and endogenous biomolecules found in the female reproductive organ in enhancing the chemotaxis behavior of spermatozoa during migration, maturation, and fertilization and also to elucidate the pathological implications of its dysfunctions and the clinical significance in human fertility.

Short conclusion

In the future, drugs and molecules can be designed to activate these receptors on sperm to facilitate fertility among infertile couples and use as contraceptives.
Global longitudinal strain as a predictor of short-term effect of oral antiviral regimens on myocardium in Egyptian patients with chronic viral hepatitis C
Authors: Farrag Hazem Mohammad-Ali , Monir Mina Samir , Abdel-Dayem Wael Soliman , Ali Hisham Abdel-Haleem , Ibrahim Alaa Mohammad
Published: January 2021

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been noted with various cardiovascular (CV) diseases, and patients with detected HCV-RNA had higher CV mortality than uninfected individuals. The new direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA) proved to be more effective with fewer side effects compared to interferon in eradicating HCV, but their effect on myocardium is still questionable. In order to get some answers for such question, two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) was studied before and after treatment with different DAA regimens in HCV patients with either mildly impaired or normal basic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Results

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) significantly worsened after finishing antiviral treatment in patients with basic impairment of LVEF (n = 100) and those with normal basic LVEF (n = 20) [p = 0.006 and 0.039, respectively]; also, segmental strain showed significant worsening of many segments. Such worsening was significantly more in those with basic impairment of LVEF compared to those with normal basic LVEF (p = 0.036). No significant difference was observed in GLS and segmental strain when classifying and comparing patients according to gender, presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and established cardiac medications, or according to DAA regimen received.

Conclusion

DAA may have a cardiotoxic effect that could be early detected by 2D-STE, which was more significant in patients with pre-treatment impairment of LVEF.
Ethnobotanical, phytochemistry, and pharmacological property of Waltheria Indica Linn
Authors: Nirmala C , Sridevi M
Published: January 2021

Background

In modern therapeutics, various human pathological disturbances were treated with the plant-based products. Waltheria indica Linn, a perennial herb, was commonly used in traditional medicine worldwide against various ailments such as cough, dysentery, diarrhea, bladder disorder, hemoptysis, inflammations, neuralgia, wounds, and ulcers.

Main body

The shrub was majorly distributed in tropical, subtropical regions and exists in many distinct local forms. Both the crude extracts and purified compounds from the whole plant and its parts showed wide pharmacological properties like antioxidant, analgesic, sedative, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic. The phytochemical profile and traditional usage highlight the potency of the plant in the treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory diseases. Yet, additional studies are required for the confirmations of its traditional uses against other diseases. More detailed understanding of anti-cataract, anti-diabetics, asthma, anemia, and anti-cancer mechanism has to be explored. Though many research articles on the proposed plant are available, there has been a rising concern in the therapeutic property, especially on the alkaloids and flavonoids from this plant for drug design.

Conclusion

This article aims in a systematic and updated review on distribution, botany, traditional uses, phytocompounds, and relevant biological activities from each part of the plant. The information was collected from databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar, books, dissertation, and reports via academic libraries that included more than 100 articles published since 1937. This ethnopharmacological study of the plant may create new insight into drug discovery to develop important novel leads against various biological targets.
Impact of septoplasty alone or with endoscopic sinus surgery for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with deviated septum
Authors: Mostafa Soad Yehia , Abd-Elgaber Fatma Mohamed , Mohamed Bothina Ahmed , Hammad Al-Shimaa Said
Published: January 2021

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis represents an important health care problem in the world. Deviated nasal septum leads to increased chance of impaired mucociliary clearance, osteomeatal complex obstruction, and development of rhinosinusitis. Studies have revealed the role of septoplasty in curing chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with significant septal deviation. The purpose of this study is to reveal the role of septoplasty alone or combined with functional endoscopic sinus surgery in improving the outcome of chronic rhinosinusitis in patients with significant septal deviation.

Results

Postoperative computed tomography findings in group A (underwent septoplasty only) were mild opacity of ethmoid (25%), sinus mucosal thickening (15%), and occluded osteomeatal complex with discharge (25%). Postoperative computed tomography findings in group B mild opacity of ethmoid (30%), sinus mucosal thickening (20%), and occluded osteomeatal complex with discharge (30%). The Sino-Nasal Outcome Test score in group A decreased significantly from 85.75 to 28.85 (P < 0.05). In group B (underwent combination of septoplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery), the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test score also decreased significantly from 87.75 to 32.55 (P < 0.05). The improvement was 85% in group A and 80% in group B.

Conclusion

The post-operative improvement has no significant difference between the two groups. Hence, we suggest that septoplasty alone can be adequate for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with septal deviation.
Cervical spondylosis as a possible hidden reason beyond delayed phrenic nerve distal motor latency
Authors: Ali Rowaida Hamdy , Farouk Mai Mohamed , Moussa Salwa Galal
Published: January 2021

Background

Cervical spondylosis is a chronic degenerative condition of the cervical spine that can affect the cervical nerve roots. The origin of the phrenic nerve makes it vulnerable to injury. The purpose of this study is to investigate possible subtle phrenic nerve affection in patients with cervical spondylosis using nerve conduction studies (NCS). This study was conducted on 30 patients with cervical spondylosis above C5 and on 30 healthy volunteers. Nerve conduction studies of both phrenic nerves were performed in all cases.

Results

The patients with cervical spondylosis showed a statistically highly significant prolongation of phrenic nerve distal motor latency (DML) than the control group (P< 0.01). There was no significant difference regarding amplitude (P> 0.05). There was a significant correlation between DML andX-ray score (r< 0.05).

Conclusions

Cervical spondylosis is an underestimated cause of phrenic nerve delayed DML. There is a correlation between the delay of phrenic nerve DML and the severity of cervical spondylosis.
Assessing the educational impact of cognitive level of MCQ and SEQ on learning approaches of dental students
Authors: Arooj Mahwish , Mukhtar Khadijah , Khan Rehan Ahmed , Azhar Tayyaba
Published: January 2021

Objectives: MCQ’s and SEQ’s are the most widely used assessment tool in dental colleges across Pakistan. This study explores the impact of assessment tool: MCQ’s and SEQ’s on learning approach of dental students and also identifies correlation between these assessment tools and deep & surface learning approaches in integrated and discipline based curriculum.

Methods: A quantitative co-relational study was conducted in 2018 on 2nd and 4th year dental students. A pre-validated “Revised Study Process Questionnaire” was used. Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient and Wilcoxon signed ranks test were applied to determine the relationship between learning approaches and assessment tools. Internal consistency was calculated by Cronbach’s alpha.

Results: Ninety six students out of one hundred and fifty completed the questionnaire. Correlation test showed that surface approach correlates significantly with MCQ’s (0.73) while no co-relation exists with SEQ’s (-0.14) in our study. Deep approach has a strong and significant correlation with SEQ’s (0.80) as compared to MCQ’s (0.056).

Conclusion: Assessment tool has an impact on learning approaches used by the students. It was concluded that students used to prefer deep learning approach while preparing for SEQ’s as they were designed at higher cognitive level, whereas, they preferred surface approach while preparing for MCQ’s as they were developed at low cognitive order.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3475

How to cite this:Arooj M, Mukhtar K, Khan RA, Azhar T. Assessing the educational impact of cognitive level of MCQ and SEQ on learning approaches of dental students. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(2):445-449. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3475

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Understanding Currents and Theories in Indian and African Postcolonial Literature: Themes, Tropes and Discourse in the Wider Context of Postcolonialism
Authors: Ekkanath Shivani
Published: January 2021

The postcolonial narratives we see today are a study in contrast and tell a different tale from their colonial predecessors as minorities and individuals finally have found the voice and position to tell their stories. Histories written about our culture and societies have now found a new purpose and voice. The stories we have passed down from generation to generation through both oral and written histories, continue to morph and change with the tide of time as they re-centre our cultural narratives and shared experiences. As a result, the study of diaspora and transnationalism have altered the way in which we view identity in different forms of multimedia and literature. In this paper, the primary question which will be examined is, how and to what extent does Indian post-colonial literature figure in the formation of identity in contemporary art and literature in the context of ongoing postcolonial ideas and currents? by means of famous and notable postcolonial literary works and theories of Indian authors and theoreticians, with a special focus on the question and notion of identity. This paper works on drawing parallels between themes in Indian and African postcolonial literary works, especially themes such as power, hegemony, east meets west, among others. In this paper, European transnationalism will also be analysed as a case study to better understand postcolonialism in different contexts. The paper will seek to explore some of the gaps in the study of diasporic identity and postcolonial studies and explore some of the changes and key milestones in the evolution of the discourse over the decades.
Pour une théorie périphérique et/ou amoureuse : lectures d’Agamben, Derrida, Rancière
Authors: Manzari Francesca
Published: January 2021

For a Peripheral Theory in Love: Reading Agamben, Derrida, Rancière. The introduction of Giorgio Agamben’s book entitled Stanzas, Word and Phantasm in Western Culture is about the relationship of philosophy and poetry to knowledge in Western culture. The stanza is “the essential nucleus” of Tuscan poetry in the thirteenth century. It is actually an invention of Tuscan poets who call stanzas the parts that compose every canzone. Stanza is a word for chamber in Tuscan dialect as well as in Italian. Agamben points out that what makes possible its poetical existence is the fact that a stanza is a topos outopos, a topos which contains its own negation: it is the reality of unreality. Agamben’s thesis is that Western culture has forgotten the unitary status the Western word had until the thirteenth century. The thirteenth century could still conceive poetic activity as a philosophical one and then Western culture has known a separation between two poles that define knowledge and word. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between knowledge and words in Derrida, Rancière and Agamben.
Paris, « un lieu centre de tous les centres ». Est-ce toujours d’actualité ?
Authors: Le Baillif Anne-Marie
Published: January 2021

Paris, “The Centre of All Centres”. Is It Still the Case? In La République Mondiale des Lettres published in 1999 and 2008, Ms. Casanova wrote: “Paris is the Greenwich meridian for literature” for the 19th and 20th centuries. Writers and artists have come to the city in the past because it was extremely attractive for creative and economic reasons. But at the beginning of the 21st century, with the rise of the New Media for writing, publishing and diffusing, is it correct to say that Paris is still supreme? Is location more important than the time devoted to writing and reading?

The claims on which Ms. Casanova builds her assertions are not supported by the facts of recent history and geography. She refers to “La belle santé économique et la liberté” in Paris but she forgot to mention why artists came from central Europe. It was just because the life was cheaper in Paris than in Berlin, as Walter Benjamin observed in 1926. She notes that Paris was the world centre for high fashion and that writers came together there to be inspired by the place and each other. But these things are no longer true: Paris is one of the most unaffordable cities in the world. Fashion in clothes is determined in many centres, with fashion weeks held in New York, Milan and China; aesthetics no longer depend on a single country. Literary creativity has spread across many continents and the internet and social media provide access to millions of people around the globe. Globalisation has unified the world, note Jean-Philippe Toussaint and Sylvain Tesson, and brought the standardization of cultures.

There is also the matter of the dominant language today. The French language has not changed since Ms. Casanova was doing her research, but French writers now dream of being translated into English to reach the largest audience around the world. Publishers also favour English to make the most profit because literature and art are now worldwide commodities. Writers and researchers use the Internet, which connects them with documents, libraries and people all over the world. Newspapers such as Le Monde and Le Figaro in France provide literary reviews from around the world; for example, Histoire de la Traduction Littéraire en Europe Médiane, compiled by Antoine Chalvin, Marie Vrinat-Nikolov, Jean-Léon Muller and Katre Talviste, was written up in Cahiers Littéraires du Monde. What about the readership? If publishing and merchandizing are accelerating and globalizing because of how the Internet changes time and distance, the writer still has to follow the rhythm of the subject.
The Gnostic Hunters in Nabokov’s 'The Real Life of Sebastian Knight'
Authors: Junping Zhang , Bin Zhang
Published: January 2021

Nabokov’s The Real Life of Sebastian Knight presents the ambiguous identities of the two heroes, V. and Sebastian, attracting great attention among Nabokovian scholarship. The present article intends to reveal that Nabokov’s design of Sebastian and V. pertains to his own Gnostic faith and the ambiguous identities of V. and Sebastian, in light of certain Gnostic tenets and concepts, are the representation of their spiritual evolution and their merging spirits during their respective quest of “gnosis”. The article will show how the heroes as “aliens” break the shackles of “this world,” undo the chains of the heavy flesh, regain their spiritual identities of the inner selves, start the journey of spiritual evolution and self-revelation, and finally achieve the fusion of spirits in “the other world” by way of attaining “gnosis”.
„Ich werde eingetaucht / in vás“? Peter Waterhouses 'Prosperos Land' als Dynamisierung von T.S. Eliots 'The Waste Land'
Authors: Schöneich Dinah
Published: January 2021

’Ich werde eingetaucht/in vás’? Peter Waterhouse’s Prosperos Land as Dynamisation of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. The assumption of the existence of well discernible national languages is at odds with the dynamic nature of language. It is part of the so-called “monolingual paradigm” and therefore implies inextricably linking people to their mother tongue, which is in turn tied to one respective ethnicity, culture and nation. However, languages are not always clearly discernible from one another and do not always appear in fixed, static forms. Instead, language is subject to dynamic changes, which are at the same time subject to political interests and language policies. The poems presented in this article exemplify how modern and contemporary poetry can use the conjuncture of multilingualism and ambiguity to create a sense of language dynamics themselves. Their poetics simultaneously question and make use of the assumption of static multilingualism. They unfold political problems from it and awaken in their readers a desire for proactive reading and (language) change. T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land already problematizes the coexistence of the European languages as a challenge for understanding, suggesting that languages as well as their speakers might be untranslatably shut-off from each other. However, the poem also creates surprising synergistic effects from its multilingualism and ambiguity. This way, it invites its readers to connect and cross over (language) borders in an adaptive and poetic manner, stressing the importance and capability of poetry and learning for intercultural understanding. Prosperos Land by Peter Waterhouse perpetuates and even surpasses this movement. As the ambivalent bilingual, intertextual and ambiguous title suggests, the poem challenges the possibility of linguistic as well as national demarcation from the start. Moving away from strict language borders and rules, the poem highlights the transformative magic of an almost childish exploration of language itself.
Literary Theory as a Corrective in National Cultures
Authors: Hix Harvey Lee
Published: January 2021

Literary Theory as a Corrective in National Cultures
Living Streams of World Literature
Authors: Pilter Lauri
Published: January 2021

Gerald Gillespie, Living Streams: Continuity and Change from Rabelais to Joyce. Nouvelle poétique comparatiste, Vol. 40. Brussels: P. I. E. PETER LANG S. A., 2018. 207 pages.
Current Status and Contemporary Academic Perspectives of Comparative Literature in Slovakia
Authors: Taneski Zvonko
Published: January 2021

The paper seeks to offer an expert examination and brief overview of the development of Literary Comparison as a separate scientific discipline in the Slovak Republic, to present its current status and to consider the possibilities for its further realization in the future. The beginnings of Literary Comparison understood as a methodological paradigm in Slovakia can be traced back to the early works of Mikuláš Bakoš from the early second half of the twentieth century, whose primary researches are in the domain of historical poetics, formalism and structuralism. Decades later, the well-known Slovak theorist Dionýz Ďurišin reflects, and at the same time creatively shapes the postulates of his papers by building on his already well-known theory of special inter-literary communities, inter-literary centers and of characteristics of the inter-literary process. Drawing on national literature as a concept, Dionýz Ďurišin develops a whole theoretical model of rethinking world literature, and his terminological categories also inspire the academic sculptor Ludwig Korkoš, who “revives” them in an artistic way in the nineties of the 20th century. Today, in the Slovak Republic there is a Center for Research on the Heritage of Dionýz Ďurišin at the Faculty of Pedagogy at Comenius University Bratislava under the leadership of prof. Maria Bátorová; while the subject of Literary Comparatics is taught as a compulsory subject at the Faculty of Arts at the same University in Bratislava under the guidance of prof. Zvonko Taneski, and also an elective at the Universities “Constantine the Philosopher” in Nitra, “Matej Bel” in Banska Bystrica and “Pavol Jozef Šafárik” in Prešov. In 2015, the Czech-Slovak Association for Comparative Literature was formed, which recently became a full member of the International Association for Comparative Literature AILC / ICLA. The Slovak headquarters of the Association are at the Institute of World Literature at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and the president of the Slovak section of the same Association is prof. Róbert Gáfrik. The Association organizes domestic scientific conferences and congresses and regularly participates in appropriate scientific symposia abroad. In the last decade new representative collections have been published devoted to literary comparison in several academic centers in Slovakia. A good platform for presenting and publishing new posters from comparative literary science has become the prestigious scientific journal World Literature Studies, which is periodically published by the Institute of World Literature in Bratislava, and its status and prospects are growing as the magazine is registered, i.e. indexed in several important world scientific databases.
Genre Studies in Russian Literary Research: Achievements and Challenges
Authors: Nikitina Natalia , Tuliakova Natalia
Published: January 2021

Genre has been one of the key categories for Russian literary studies ever since the late nineteenth century, creating a long tradition of artistic, critical and scientific interpretation. The present paper aims to outline major findings of Russian scholars in the field of genre studies and to account for current pitfalls, suggesting a solution. Russian scholars have contributed noticeably to both constructing the theory of genre in general and establishing the laws and genesis of many separate genres. Historical poetics, the Russian Formalists, Bakhtin’s school and structuralism worked out the principles of generic evolution and explained the nature of the genre category. Still, currently Russian genology faces a number of challenges, among which is the inability to work out a universal approach to genre nomination and attribution, which causes inconsistent and unverified results. When it comes to describing new genres, most troubling is the choice of deductive method in genre analysis and a narrow specialist approach to each genre leading to inconclusive or biased results. The paper suggests that these challenges can be overcome by turning to the heritage of the classical Russian literary science and taking advantage of comparative and inductive methods proponed by it.
Argentine Literature as Part of the Latin-American: Debates, Characteristics and Dialogues
Authors: Caminada Rossetti Lucía
Published: January 2021

The article will suggest that the texts and ways of reaching some materials and perspectives in Argentina, remains at a national level. It is important to notice that in order to read criticism and theory regarding Latin American literature, Spanish from Río de la Plata separates at some point the fields. In that regard, one of the greatest assets and achievements of Argentinian literary research concerns the relationship between politics and fiction. In connection with this it might be asked how we can think of Argentinian literature without linking it to the social discourse? How can we think of the comparative field of Latin-American and Argentinian literature as one academic area of studies? In our view, comparatism seems to be one of the loneliest areas of studies in terms of the fields of theory, fiction and criticism. We thus suggest that in Argentina, literary research and criticism in general are strictly concerned with only one option: the national culture. Thus, exclusively, western theoretical frames are chosen to read literature and comparative perspectives are mostly applied to European studies. That is why I insist on the fact that comparative literary research is not represented institutionally at all.
Improvements on Spectral Bisection
Authors: De Souza Rocha Israel
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the third eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix is used to provide a lower bound on the minimum cutsize. This result has algorithmic implications that are exploited in this paper. Besides, combinatorial properties of certain configurations of a graph partition which are related to the minimality of a cut are investigated. It is shown that such configurations are related to the third eigenvector of the Laplacian matrix. It is well known that the second eigenvector encodes structural information, and that can be used to approximate a minimum bisection. In this paper, it is shown that the third eigenvector carries structural information as well. Then a new spectral bisection algorithm using both eigenvectors is provided. The new algorithm is guaranteed to return a cut that is smaller or equal to the one returned by the classic spectral bisection. Also, a spectral algorithm that can refine a given partition and produce a smaller cut is provided.
Additive Maps of Rank k Bivectors
Authors: Chooi Wai Leong , Kwa Kiam Heong
Published: January 2021

Let ${\cal U}$ and ${\cal V}$ be linear spaces over fields $\mathbb{F}$ and $\mathbb{K}$, respectively, such that Dim$\,{\cal U}=n\geqslant 2$ and $\left|\mathbb{F}\right|\geqslant 3$. Let $\bigwedge^2{\cal U}$ be the second exterior power of ${\cal U}$. Fixing an even integer $k$ satisfying $\frac{n-1}{2}\leqslant k\leqslant n$, it is shown that a map $\psi:\bigwedge^2{\cal U}\rightarrow\bigwedge^2{\cal V}$ satisfies $\psi(u+v)=\psi(u)+\psi(v)$ for all rank $k$ bivectors $u,v\in\bigwedge^2{\cal U}$ if and only if $\psi$ is an additive map. Examples showing the indispensability of the assumption on $k$ are given.
Comparison of static and dynamic cerebral autoregulation under anesthesia influence in a controlled animal model
Authors: Ruesch Alexander , Acharya Deepshikha , Schmitt Samantha , Yang Jason , Smith Matthew A. , Kainerstorfer Jana M.
Published: January 2021

The brain’s ability to maintain cerebral blood flow approximately constant despite cerebral perfusion pressure changes is known as cerebral autoregulation (CA) and is governed by vasoconstriction and vasodilation. Cerebral perfusion pressure is defined as the pressure gradient between arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure. Measuring CA is a challenging task and has created a variety of evaluation methods, which are often categorized as static and dynamic CA assessments. Because CA is quantified as the performance of a regulatory system and no physical ground truth can be measured, conflicting results are reported. The conflict further arises from a lack of healthy volunteer data with respect to cerebral perfusion pressure measurements and the variety of diseases in which CA ability is impaired, including stroke, traumatic brain injury and hydrocephalus. To overcome these differences, we present a healthy non-human primate model in which we can control the ability to autoregulate blood flow through the type of anesthesia (isoflurane vs fentanyl). We show how three different assessment methods can be used to measure CA impairment, and how static and dynamic autoregulation compare under challenges in intracranial pressure and blood pressure. We reconstructed Lassen’s curve for two groups of anesthesia, where only the fentanyl anesthetized group yielded the canonical shape. Cerebral perfusion pressure allowed for the best distinction between the fentanyl and isoflurane anesthetized groups. The autoregulatory response time to induced oscillations in intracranial pressure and blood pressure, measured as the phase lag between intracranial pressure and blood pressure, was able to determine autoregulatory impairment in agreement with static autoregulation. Static and dynamic CA both show impairment in high dose isoflurane anesthesia, while low isoflurane in combination with fentanyl anesthesia maintains CA, offering a repeatable animal model for CA studies.
CRISPR/Cas9 mediated knock-out of VPREB1 gene induces a cytotoxic effect in myeloma cells
Authors: Khaled Mai , Moustafa Amr S. , El-Khazragy Nashwa , Ahmed Maha Imam , Abd Elkhalek Marwa Ali , El_Salahy Eman M.
Published: January 2021

Background

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous, hematological neoplasm that accounts 2% of all cancers. Although, autologous stem cell transplantation and chemotherapy are currently the most effective therapy, it carries a notable hazards, in addition for being non curative. Recently, the Clustered Regular Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR-cas9) has been successfully tried at the experimental level, for the treatment of several hematological malignancies.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the in-vitro effect of CRISPR-cas9-mediated knock-out of V-set pre B-cell surrogate light chain 1”VPREB1” gene on the malignant proliferation of primary cultured myeloma cells.

Methods

Bioinformatics’ analysis was performed to explore the gene expression profile of MM, and the VPREB1 gene was selected as a target gene for this study. We knocked-out the VPREB1 gene in primary cultured myeloma cells using CRISPR-cas9, the VPREB1 gene editing efficacy was verified by determining VPREB1 gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels by qPCR and immunofluorescence, respectively. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect on primary myeloma cells proliferation was evaluated using cytotoxicity assay.

Results

There was a statistically significant reduction of both VPREB1 mRNA and protein expression levels (p<0.01). knock-out of VPREB1 gene in myeloma cell line resulted in a statistically significant reduction of myeloma cell proliferation.

Conclusion

CRISPR-cas9-mediated knock-out of VPREB1 gene is effective for inhibiting the proliferation of primary myeloma cells. This would provide a basis for a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with multiple myeloma.
Religious and Regulatory concerns of animal free meat and milk
Authors: Jagadeesan Premanandh , bin Salem Samara
Published: January 2021

Advances in scientific research have fostered cutting edge technologies such as cultured meat and cow less milk as touted by the promoters receiving considerable attention in recent times. The perceived benefits seem promising since, gas emissions, water and land use and animal suffering are reduced considerably as claimed by the proponents. This article aims to provide an overview on the religious and regulatory perspectives of animal less meat and milk. The dietary laws of some major religions are discussed followed by global food regulation and role of codex in emerging technologies. Religious perspectives of Hindus, Christians and Muslims on culture meat has also been discussed in detail. The regulatory status of European Union and United States are presented. In conclusion, consumer acceptance remains the wild card in making any technology grow. However, Innovation and technological progress are very important to shape the future of agriculture and food security and can only be achieved through appropriate support from all stakeholders.
Stability Analysis of an Inverted Pendulum on a Cart with the Presence of Restoring and Frictional Forces Disturbance using Observer Based and Full State Feedback H2 Controllers
Authors: Jibril Mustefa , Tadese Messay , Bogale Fiseha
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the stability control of the inverted pendulum on a cart with a disturbance forces has been done using observer based and full state feedback H2 controllers. The Lagrangian equation has been used to model the system equation of motions and linearized the system to the unstable upward position. Comparison of the system stability has been simulated by comparing the proposed controllers using Matlab/Scripts and a promising results has been analyzed successfully.
Power Series.Orthogonal Operational Expansions
Authors: Aballe Vazquez Pablo Enrique
Published: January 2021

Formulation of the classic Taylor series as an orthogonal concept based on identifying the expansions coefficients as differential transformation applied to a unique function; definition of operational orthogonality by analogy with the Hilbert space and identification of the nth derivative at a point based on the improper integral on the positive semiaxis ; deduction of inversion integrals for Laplace transforms for analytical functions
Evaluation of Soybean Varieties for Oxalate, Phytate and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Content
Authors: Francis Ameh , Luper Tsenum Joseph , Gbamwuam Dooshima Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

Various studies have been carried out on the composition of phytate, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in soybeans while very limited information is available on oxalate composition of soybean seeds. Due to the great potential of soybean in the global market with its attendant importance of edible cum-therapeutic oil to man and livestock as well as its valuable usage in industries, all available information both qualitative and quantitative should be used in making decisions about the food value of these soybean varieties.

The findings indicated significant levels of linoleic and linolenic acid with the exception of TGX-1987-10F with no peak in the result. The phytate composition of these soybean varieties are safe while the oxalate levels could pose a threat to human health particularly individuals diagnosed of kidney stones or hyperoxaluria. The oil obtained from these soybean cultivars are also less prone to auto-oxidation that is characteristic of most soybean oil due to high composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids which causes rancidity and off flavor thereby lowering their shelf life.
MAGNETOELASTIC ELECTROMAGNETIC ACOUSTIC TRANSFORMATION. PART VI
Authors: Komarov V. A.
Published: January 2021

In the case of EMAT using overhead transducers, a high-frequency alternating and strong polarizing magnetic fields jointly act on the magnetoelastic medium. These fields can be positioned at different directions to each other. The article analyzes the situation when the polarizing field, located along the interface of the media and the normal component of the emitter variable field are orthogonally related. That is, the classic Wiedemann effect is implemented in EMAT. It has been shown that the Wiedemann effect in EMAT contributes primarily to the generation of shear waves. The generation of longitudinal waves is secondary and less efficient. About an order of magnitude less In fact, the Wiedemann effect can only be observed (compared to the Joule effect) for the materials with low conductivity and for the ferrodielectrics. Increasing the efficiency of the method is possible by increasing the frequency of the current in the transducer. When the conductivity and frequency properly seltcted, the efficiency of the method can compete with EMAT performed by means of the Joule effect.
THE ENHANCEMENT OF METROLOGICAL SUPPORT THE COATING THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Golubev S. S. , Babadzhanov L. S. , Babadzhanova M. L. , Koryushkina T. A.
Published: January 2021

The article shows an improved hierarchy scheme in the field of coating thickness measurements, which was revised due to inclusion to Federal Information Fund for Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements more than a hundred new types of Russian and foreign thickness gauges based on of different operating principles. The range of measurements has expanded and accuracy has been improved. It is shown that about 40 % of the approved types of thickness gauges are measuring instruments of foreign production. For responsible groups of materials (nickel on steel and nickel on bronze), only foreign coating thickness gauges are used. To improve the unity of measurements of the coatings thickness, it was necessary to expand the measurement ranges of the reference measuring standards and thickness gauges from 0 to 120 000 microns, as well as the introduction of new measuring standards borrowed from other hierarchy schemes. The article provides the necessary reference measuring standards and thickness gauges, methods for transmitting a unit of length, measuring ranges and measurement errors.
MODELING OF RANDOM GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF INCLUSIONS IN THE MATERIAL
Authors: Kuznetsov А. О. , Koshelnikov V. S. , Chernov L. A. , Budadin O. N.
Published: January 2021

In the process of manufacturing complex multilayer PC structures, metal elements of small sizes (from 0.1…0.2 to 15 mm) can be detected randomly located in the bulk of the material (at a depth of up to 100 mm) and their presence is unacceptable for normal object operation. This determines the relevance of detecting small-sized metal inclusions in final products and in the technological cycle of their production. The main problems in detecting small-sized metal inclusions are their random location, size, shape and physical properties of both the metal inclusions and the product material. Due to the great laboriousness of the experimental process of testing the technology for detecting metal inclusions in PCM (defects settings in it, etc.), theoretical studies using modern mathematical models imitating real experimental studies are becoming important. The presence of modern mathematical apparatus and powerful computing technology contributes to this. Experimental studies have shown that inclusions have random sizes and shapes; therefore, in theoretical studies of the detection process, it is incorrect to use the deterministic shape of metal particles. The analysis of the current state of the developed mathematical models and algorithms that solve the problems of modeling various objects of random sizes, shapes, distribution and physical properties is carried out and it showed that a similar problem had not been solved before. While the work was in progress, a random distribution of the geometric dimensions of inclusions by a shape such as a polyhedral pyramid in the body of the control object was implemented. The developed model showed fair accuracy of modeling random geometric characteristics of particles. The algorithm created on the basis of the developed mathematical model of inclusions with random characteristics is supposed to be added as the first part of 3D modeling software for the detection of small metal inclusions in PCM.
THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING FOR AGING MANAGEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND PIPELINES AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. REVIEW
Authors: Ushakov V. M. , Evtushenko S. G. , Zhukov A. D. , Yurechko A. S.
Published: January 2021

The paper presents some approaches and methods for assessing and evaluation of different properties of equipment and pipelines metal of nuclear power plants during an operation such as a stress-strain state, a temperature and electrochemical effects. A problem statement for ageing management is considered for such metal properties of the heat – bearing agents. For this purpose, an observation of literature is provided for non – destructive testing (NDT) methods that have a correlation to a degradation factor defined by certain properties. There is has been made a case to apply NDT methods as a promising tool for an estimation and evaluation of degradation factor for a metal of potentially hazardous equipment. For this purpose there are proposed some rational and efficient solutions likes of acoustic methods based on structural – reverberation noise analysis, electromagnetic methods based on a coercive field strength deviation and electrical methods based on principles of potentiometry.
USING OF TOFD TECHNOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPC “ECHO +”
Authors: Bazulin A. E. , Butov A. V. , Tikhonov D. S. , Romashkin S. V. , Zaushitsyn A. V.
Published: January 2021

Since the creation of SPC «ECHO +», special attention has been paid to ultrasonic testing methods that provide visualization of defect images and measurement of their sizes. Due to its high sensitivity and high accuracy, diffraction methods in many cases make it possible to solve the problem of identifying, classifying, and determining the parameters of defects. A review of the capabilities of equipment and software developed by SPC «ECHO +» for the implementation of TOFD technology is presented.
APPLICATION OF LOCAL SPECTRUM OF NATURAL OSCILLATIONS FOR MONITORING OF STRESS STATE IN NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS OF STRUCTURES
Authors: Konovalov A. M. , Kugushev V. I. , Khudyakov S. S. , Yankevich A. I.
Published: January 2021

This work offers a method based on extraction of specially selected localized forms of oscillations from the general spectrum of frequencies of natural oscillations of a part by means of which non-destructive monitoring of stress state in various points of non-metallic parts is performed. Frequency spectrum is localized by use of special oscillation transducers with adjustable mechanic filter at the inlet before piezoelectric plate. Such filter allows both to extract localized frequency spectrum and to ensure adjustment of frequencies of natural oscillations of transducer rod wrt frequencies of natural oscillations of the part being monitored. The transducers operated as a part of acoustic impedance flaw detector «ДАМИ-С09». Stress variations at the points of the part were captured on the screen of the flaw detector by energy redistribution between the forms of natural oscillations of transducer rod. Captured energy redistribution between the forms of oscillations took place due to shift of frequencies of natural oscillations of the part during stress variation wrt to frequencies of natural oscillations of transducer rod and summing up of their amplitudes. Here, the amplitudes of some oscillations intensified and some subsided. The results which were experimentally gained during monitoring demonstrate variations of local stress state at the point on the perimeter of the square plate made of sphere plastic under effect of compressive stresses on the perimeter of the plate and in the centre. In the first case at the point of measurement “conditional compression” took place and in the second case it was “conditional tension”.
MEASUREMENT THICKNESS OF PROTECTIVE-DECORATIVE COATINGS ON CONCRETE BASES
Authors: Bulatov A. S. , Popov A. A.
Published: January 2021

The factors affecting to the ultrasonic testing of the coating thickness on concrete are considered. The structure and design of the transducer used to solve this problem. Features of the organization of the measurement process are described. Options for creating reference samples for tuning and testing ultrasonic thickness gauges used to solve this problem. The results of measuring the thickness of the polyurethane coating on concrete obtained on the Bulat 3 device using a specialized transducer are presented. The characteristics of concrete, which necessitate the use of special protective and decorative materials (surface abrasion, insufficient density, low hydrophobicity, etc.), and the characteristics of organic polymer coatings (adhesion, elasticity, wear resistance, chemical resistance, and hardness), which depend significantly on dry film thickness (protective layer). It is indicated that in order for the coating to ensure the fulfillment of the declared parameters taking into account economic feasibility, it is necessary to fulfill the requirements for a given minimum coating thickness, and that the use of the ultrasonic testing method seems to be the optimal method for measuring the coating thickness. Factors affecting the measurement process (the ratio of acoustic impedances, reflection coefficient and its variation range for various types of concrete and the most common coatings) are also considered. It is indicated that, based on a number of experiments with different types of transducers (dual element, single element and single element with the delay line), the maximum sensitivity and measurement range are ensured by using a direct single element transducer with a delay line. The data on the choice of the operating frequency of the transducer is given, depending on the range of measured coating thicknesses. The design and construction of the transducer, the features of the construction of its elements and their influence on the transducer characteristics, the principle of measuring the coating thickness and its implementation on the Bulat 3 ultrasonic thickness gauge are described. The char-acteristics of the device that allowed it to be used for such measurements are indicated. Information is provided on various options for the implementation of reference samples of the coating, on the methodology for their testing and the measurement results.