bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The autoregressive neural network architecture of the Boltzmann distribution of pairwise interacting spins systems
Authors: biazzo indaco
Published: May 2023

Generative Autoregressive Neural Networks (ARNN) have recently demonstrated exceptional results in image and language generation tasks, contributing to the growing popularity of generative models in both scientific and commercial applications. This work presents a physical interpretation of the ARNNs by reformulating the Boltzmann distribution of binary pairwise interacting systems into autoregressive form. The resulting ARNN architecture has weights and biases of its first layer corresponding to the Hamiltonian's couplings and external fields, featuring widely used structures like the residual connections and a recurrent architecture with clear physical meanings. Moreover, its architecture's explicit formulation allows using statistical physics techniques to derive new ARNNs for specific systems. As examples, new effective ARNN architectures are derived from two well-known mean-field systems, the Curie-Weiss and Sherrington-Kirkpatrick models, showing superior performances in approximating the Boltzmann distributions of the corresponding physics model compared to other commonly used architectures. The connection established between the physics of the system and the neural network architecture provides a way to derive new architectures for different interacting systems and interpret existing ones from a physical perspective.
Perampanel’s forgiveness factor in a variable medication adherence paradigm in a rat model of chronic epilepsy
Authors: Guignet Michelle , Campbell Amanda , Vuong Jonathan , Whittington Dale , White H. Steve
Published: May 2023

Background:Poor medication adherence contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in patients with epilepsy and may be under-addressed in clinical practice. Ethical concerns make it impossible to study the impact of medication nonadherence in clinical trials, but our previous work emphasizes the importance of using preclinical approaches to address these questions. With over 30 clinically available antiseizure medicines (ASM’s), it remains an important question to understand the relationship between poor adherence and seizure incidence across mechanistically distinct ASM’s, including the broad-spectrum ASM, perampanel (PER).Methods:We formulated PER into chow pellets to deliver to rats in a 100% fully adherent or 50% variable nonadherent paradigm via our novel automated medication-in-food delivery system. Chronic oral dosing was initiated in male rats with chronic epilepsy while monitoring 24/7 for videoEEG evidence of seizures during a 4-week placebo baseline and 4-week treatment phase. PER concentrations were monitored in plasma at 1-week intervals and correlated with degree of seizure control. The relationship between missed doses and extended patterns of nonadherence were correlated with breakthrough seizures.Results:Fully adherent rats demonstrated a median reduction in seizure frequency of 50%, whereas nonadherent rats had a median increase of 54%. Plasma concentrations of PER were stable over the 4-week treatment period in both fully adherent and nonadherent groups, with levels being twice as high in fully adherent animals. There was no correlation between a single missed dose or series of missed doses and the incidence of breakthrough seizures. However, those animals in the nonadherent group that received PER for every meal during a 24-hour period had a reduced likelihood of seizure incidence.Conclusions. If our preclinical data is supported in the clinic, PER’s favorable pharmacokinetic profile in humans, combined with a lowered risk of breakthrough seizures suggests that it may provide a certain forgiveness factor if a dose is missed within a 24-hour window.
Broken Reproductive Health of Women Sugarcane Cutters in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Shinde Saroj , Rakshase Bal
Published: May 2023

Background:
Reproductive health is like an umbrella where many wires maintain an umbrella's contour. Likewise, certain factors should be considered to maintain women's reproductive health status. Every component of reproductive health is a crucial part of the wide-ranging reproductive cycle of women. However, when it comes to women sugarcane cutters, it becomes demanding for them to complete or maintain that cycle in the required manner.
Study Objectives:
The present research paper aims to explore the reproductive health issues of pregnant/lactating women sugarcane cutters. To understand the hardship and challenges of pregnant/lactating women while accessing the essential health services at the destined villages in Maharashtra.
Methods:
An exploratory study was conducted, which included interviews with 41 pregnant/lactating women sugarcane cutters. Along with a few critical reproductive health indicators, women’s perspectives on reproductive health-related services at the destined villages were central to this exploration.
Analysis:
Some of the significant findings of case exploration are that most of the women sugarcane cutters cannot deliver a baby in the health institute. They are not even able to register their pregnancy. Moreover, they cannot complete even a minimum of three ANC visits during pregnancy. Because of seasonal migration, women are more likely to be disconnected from access to essential reproductive health services. More importantly, after migration towards the sugar belt, pregnant or lactating mothers are not supported by any institute/agency to be attached to the health service.
Conclusion:
As per the analysis, the work of sugarcane cutting and the seasonal migration detach women from reproductive health services. Considering the recurrent phenomenon of seasonal migration, nobody has secured access to the health services of the women sugarcane cutters. The outcome of this exploration altogether marks the broken reproductive health and health exclusion of women sugarcane cutters.The study does not claim that women were denied health services at the destination. However, it questions the lack of responsiveness of health services and sugar factories toward the needs of these workers.
Substantial differences in attentional disengagement between Prolific and MTurk samples: Implications for experimental outcomes
Authors: Albert Derek A. , Smilek Daniel
Published: May 2023

Attention often disengages from primary tasks in favor of secondary tasks (i.e., multitasking) and task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., mind wandering). In this study, we assessed whether attentional disengagement, in the context of a standard cognitive task, can substantially differ between samples collected via commonly used online participant recruitment platforms, Prolific Academic (Prolific) and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Initially, eighty participants were recruited through Prolific to perform an attention task in which the risk of losing points for incorrect responses was varied (i.e., high risk = 80% chance of loss, low risk = 20% chance of loss). Attentional engagement was assessed by measuring task performance along with self-reported mind wandering and multitasking. On Prolific, we observed surprisingly low levels of disengagement. We then conducted the same experiment on MTurk. Strikingly, MTurk participants exhibited greater levels of disengagement than did Prolific participants. In addition, there was an interaction between risk and platform, with the high-risk group exhibiting less disengagement, in terms of better task performance, than the low-risk group, but only on MTurk. Platform differences in trait inattention and relations among study variables were also observed. Therefore, choice of recruitment platform could impact results, particularly those that relate to attentional disengagement.
Comparison Of Surgical And Conservative Treatment Outcomes For Type A Aortic Intramural Hematoma
Authors: Li Yin , Wang Jiankai , Qiu Zhibing , Chen Xin , Su Cunhua
Published: May 2023

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the hospital and long-term clinical effects of different treatment methods for Standford A type aortic intramural hematoma(IMH), as to provide reference for clinical treatment.Methods This is a single center cohort study. We retrospectively selected 73 patients with Type A IMH who were treated in our center from August 1, 2018 to August 1, 2021, including 26 patients treated conservatively and 47 patients treated surgically, and compared them with 154 patients with aortic dissection (AD) who were treated surgically at the same time.Results Compared with IMH patients treated with surgery, the diameter of CTA ascending aorta of IMH patients treated with surgery was higher than that of IMH patients treated with conservative therapy (44.92 ± 7.58 vs 51.22 ± 11.85, P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in other basic data. The in-hospital mortality of patients with IMH undergoing surgical treatment was lower than that of patients with IMH undergoing conservative treatment (11.5% vs 0%, P < 0.05). The long-term mortality of conservative IMH group was higher than that of surgical IMH group (26.1% vs 8.5%, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the basic information of surgery and postoperative complications between patients with AD surgery and those with IMH surgery. The proportion of circulatory arrest time in lower body (19.98 ± 9.39 vs 17.51 ± 3.97) and arch involvement (98 (63.6%) vs 22 (46.8%)) in IMH surgery group was lower than that in AD surgery group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Compared with conservative treatment, surgical treatment of IMH significantly improves the survival rate of patients. If the patient's physical condition and surgical conditions permit, surgical intervention is the first choice. Compared with the effect of AD surgery, IMH surgery is safe.
Toward Precision Medicine Using a “Digital Twin” Approach: Modeling the Onset of Disease-Specific Brain Atrophy in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Cen Steven , Gebregziabher Mulugeta , Moazami Saeed , Azevedo Christina , Pelletier Daniel
Published: May 2023

Digital Twin (DT) is a novel concept that may bring a paradigm shift for precision medicine. In this study we demonstrate a DT application for estimating the age of onset of disease-specific brain atrophy in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) using brain MRI. We first augmented longitudinal data from a well-fitted spline model derived from a large cross-sectional normal aging data. Then we compared different mixed spline models through both simulated and real-life data and identified the mixed spline model with the best fit. Using the appropriate covariate structure selected from 52 different candidate structures, we augmented the thalamic atrophy trajectory over the lifespan for each individual MS patient and a corresponding hypothetical twin with normal aging. Theoretically, the age at which the brain atrophy trajectory of an MS patient deviates from the trajectory of their hypothetical healthy twin can be considered as the onset of progressive brain tissue loss. With a 10-fold cross validation procedure through 1000 bootstrapping samples, we found the onset age of progressive brain tissue loss was, on average, 5–6 years prior to clinical symptom onset. Our novel approach also discovered two clear patterns of patient clusters: earlier onset vs. simultaneous onset of brain atrophy.
Seed Longevity is Controlled by Metacaspases
Authors: Moschou Panagiotis , Liu Chen , Chatzianestis Ioannis , Pfirrmann Thorsten , Salim Reza , Minina Elena , Moazzami Ali , Stael Simon , Gutierez-Beltran Emilio , Pitsili Eugenia , Dörmann Peter , D'Andrea Sabine , Gevaert Kris , Romero-Campero Francisco , Ding Pingtao , Nowack Moritz , Breusegem Frank van , Jones Jonathan , Bozhkov Peter
Published: May 2023

To survive extreme desiccation, seeds enter a period of dormancy that can last millennia. Seed dormancy involves the accumulation of protective storage proteins through unknown adjustments in proteasomal degradation. Mutating all six type II metacaspase (MCA-II) proteases in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed their essential roles in modulating proteasomal degradation. MCA-II mutant seeds fail to target the AAA ATPase CELL DIVISION CYCLE 48 (CDC48) at the endoplasmic reticulum to discard misfolded proteins, compromising their storability. Moreover, we show that MCA-IIs cleave a PUX (ubiquitination regulatory X domain-containing) adaptor, which is responsible for the localization of CDC48 to lipid droplets. This cleavage enables the shuttling of CDC48 between lipid droplets and the endoplasmic reticulum, constituting an important step in the regulation of spatiotemporal proteolysis. In summary, we uncovered a proteolytic pathway conferring seed longevity.
Towards achieving ultrahigh thermal stability of fine-grained alumina fibers via segregation-induced ordered superstructures
Authors: Ma Yunzhu , Wu Chaozhong , Liu Wensheng , Chen Baishan , Shi Jie , Liu Qiang , Zhan Lingjiao , Wang Juan , Yao Shuwei
Published: May 2023

High-strength materials often rely on their fine crystal structure, but the tendency of these crystals to coarsen at high temperatures poses a significant challenge in cutting-edge fields. Enhancing thermal stability while maintaining mechanical properties has become a complex issue in material development. In alumina ceramic fibers, we had observed that the ordered superstructures induced by segregation at the grain boundary networks of α-Al2O3 significantly enhanced the thermal stability of alumina grains without compromising their tensile strength. This led to a remarkable increase in heat-resistant temperature for fine alumina grains, which could exceed 1250 °C and thus greatly expanded the upper limit of alumina materials in high-temperature fields. Simultaneously, the phase-field simulation revealed that ordered superstructures likely reduced alumina's grain boundary diffusion coefficient to nearly match its volume diffusion coefficient. It was foreseeable that these structures would become a promising strategy for enhancing the high-temperature stability of alumina ceramic materials in the future.
A combined compost and endophyte addition improves phytostabilization by a native perennial grass in metal contaminated mine tailings
Authors: Creamer Courtney , Leewis Mary-Cathrine , Kracmarova-Farren Martina , Papík Jakub , Kacur Sean , Freeman John , Uhlík Ondřej , Foster Andrea
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims: Re-vegetation of contaminated and disturbed landscapes can reduce the transport of toxic elements while improving soil fertility. This study evaluated whether the planting of a perennial grass with diazotrophic microbial endophytes and municipal waste compost—alone and in combination—improved phytostabilization of potentially toxic trace elements in dolomite-amended tailings from a historically mined polymetallic mineral deposit.Methods We grew Bouteloua curtipendula seedlings in tailings with hazardous concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Mn, and Zn. We evaluated how plant growth, organic matter accumulation, and minor and trace element mobilization responded to microbial endophyte and organic amendments.Results Although most of the added endophytes were not uniquely identified, the best plant growth and fertility outcomes were achieved with a combination of amendments: dolomite to reduce acidity, a compost topdressing to accumulate nitrogen in the tailings, and a mixed consortium endophyte seed coating to synergistically increase organic carbon and grass biomass yields. Combining amendments also improved phytostabilization: compost reduced the shoot forage toxicity of B. curtipendula seedlings without reducing phytostabilized contaminant yields in the rhizosphere, while endophyte inoculated grass marginally reduced total and water-extractable concentrations of toxic trace elements through enhanced mobilization.Conclusion The most effective means of reclaiming these acidic, polymetallic tailings is with a simultaneous dolomite, compost, and endophyte seed treatment.
Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Drought Characteristics in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Authors: Deselegn Bereket , Assefa Tewodros , Tesfaye Tewodros
Published: May 2023

The understanding of past and future droughts is vital for the development and management of water resources at certain area. Thus, this study assessed climate change's impact on meteorological drought based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Rainfall data of nine stations for the period of 1985-2019 (historical) were obtained from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency. Projected rainfall data of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios under HadGEM2-ES were obtained from the CORDEX-Africa database selected for the years 2020-2049 (near), 2050-20779 (mid), and 2080-2100 (far future). The computed SPI values were, then subjected to frequency, intensity and Mann-Kendall (MK) and Sen’s slope-based trend analyses. Accordingly, based on SPI-3 values, 325 moderate, 141 severe, and 87 extreme drought events were identified in the historical period. Similarly, for the near future, 392 moderate, 171 severe and 95 extreme drought events were identified under RCP4.5, and 456 moderate, 184 severe, and 98 extreme drought events were identified under RCP8.5 scenarios for the far future. MK trend test showed about, 69% no trend and a 19% decreasing trend at 95% confidence level in the historical period. RCP 8.5 showed a significantly decreasing trend with the S-test of -158 and Z = -1.98 in near future and (S-test= -122, Z=-2.3) in the far future. But, RCP4.5 showed decreasing trend in the mid-future (S-test=-178, Z= -2.1). In general, the results showed that drought increased in intensity, severity and duration in the historical and future periods under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios.
The NK cell checkpoint NKG2A maintains expansion capacity of human NK cells
Authors: Kaulfuss Meike , Mietz Juliane , Fabri Astrid , Berg Johannes vom , Münz Christian , Chijioke Obinna
Published: May 2023

Human natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic effector cells that are increasingly harnessed in cancer immunotherapy. NKG2A/CD94 is an inhibitory receptor on NK cells that has established regulatory functions in the direct interaction with target cells when engaged with its ligand, the non-classical HLA class I molecule HLA-E. Here, we confirmed NKG2A as a checkpoint molecule in primary human NK cells and identified a novel role for NKG2A in maintaining NK cell expansion capacity by dampening both proliferative activity and excessive activation-induced cell death. Maintenance of NK cell expansion capacity might contribute to the preferential accumulation of human NKG2A+ NK cells after hematopoietic cell transplantation and enrichment of functionally impaired NK cells in human cancers. Functional silencing of NKG2A for cancer immunotherapy is highly attractive but will need to consider that this might also lead to a reduced survival by driving activation-induced cell death in targeted NK cells.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Female Sterilization in Rwanda: Evidence from the 2019/2020 Demographic and Health Survey Data
Authors: Ndayishimye Samuel , NAHAYO Bonfils , OLORUNFEMI Gbenga
Published: May 2023

Background
Female sterilization is a safe and effective surgical procedure of achieving contraception. Female sterilization is commoner in high income countries as compared to low- and middle-income countries such as Rwanda because of demand to limit family size. However, current evidence of the uptake of female sterilization in Rwanda is not known. We therefore evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with female sterilization among women of reproductive age in Rwanda.
Methodology
This was a secondary data analysis of 14,634 women of reproductive age (15-49) in Rwanda. The data utilized was from the Rwanda Demographic Health and Survey (RDHS) from 2016 to 2020. The predictors of female sterilization were determined using multivariable binary logistic regression.
Results
Findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of female sterilization was 1.1% among women of reproductive age in Rwanda. Older than 35 years old women had 8 times more chance to get sterilized than younger women (aOR: 7.87, 95% CI: 4.77-12.99). Women living with their partners had more odds compared to never married women(aOR: 19.225, 95% CI: 4.57-80.82), women from minority religion are more likely to get sterilized compared to those from catholic religion(aOR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.03- 4.37), women from rich household had more chance to get sterilized compared to their counterparts from poor household (aOR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.94-5.03), women from western region were more likely to uptake sterilization compared to women from Kigali (aOR: 2.025, 95% CI: 1.17-3.49) and women who had more than 5 children had more odds compared to women who had equal or less than 5 children (aOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.06-2.10).
Conclusion
The overall prevalence of sterilization among Rwandan women of reproductive age was 1.1%, which was very low as compared to India 29%, China 14.1% and USA 13.7 %. The age, marital status, religion, household wealth quintile, region and children ever born was associated with the uptake of female sterilization among Rwandan women. Government and stakeholders should enhance mobilization about the permanent methods.
Design of English video course platform based on machine learning and Sobel algorithm
Authors: Zhao Ling , Chen Lijiao , Zhang Junchi , Liu Ying
Published: May 2023

English video teaching is an indispensable part of English teaching, but there are certain difficulties in the design of English video courses, which need to be guided by artificial intelligence methods. Based on machine learning algorithm and Sobel algorithm, this paper builds an English video classroom design platform, uses image technology to process video, and proposes an improved algorithm based on Sobel operator. Moreover, this paper uses Sobel horizontal and vertical detection operators to define the edge strength of the block to be repaired, and introduces a weight factor to enable the improved algorithm to repair images with different texture levels. In addition, this article improves the original SSD by introducing STD based on the image standard deviation, and uses the degree of gray value dispersion between image blocks as a criterion for comparing whether two image blocks are similar, which effectively improves the accuracy of the search strategy. The experimental results show that the algorithm constructed in this paper can play a certain effect in teaching.
Shift-Left Testing Paradigm Process Implementation for Quality of Software Based on Fuzzy
Authors: Vaddadi Srinivas Aditya , Thatikonda ramya , Padthe Adithya , Arnepalli Pandu Ranga Rao
Published: May 2023

Traditionally, testing is done first at end of the design phase, however this is no longer the case. Testing, finding, and categorising bugs, as well as releasing the development changes into the product, carries a price tag. If the test/verification team discovers a high-severity issue at the end of the lifecycle, the costs may climb. Even if all of the issues are resolved, the release could be delayed. Shift-Left testing is done in isolation by the test/verification team and does not increase testing time, but it has demonstrated to be in sync with product development in some cases. In the context of a process, shifting-left refers to taking action early on. Shift-left testing refers to the practise of testing software earlier in the development cycle than is customary, or to the left in the delivery pipeline, as opposed to the traditional practise of testing software later in the development cycle. Shifting to a "shift left" strategy assumes that the software development team may find bugs faster if they test their code as it is being written, rather than waiting until the end of the project based on fuzzy. Before the code is available for testing, shift left testing encourages developers to write test cases. An agile software development strategy known as "shift left" stresses putting test cases in place early in the life cycle of a project rather than at the conclusion. It also means that automated tests will cover a larger portion of a project's planned functionality rather to just a small portion. The shift left testing adoption benefits the organization to reduce the development cost and time as the testing is done along with development to avoid delay in the process. This paper analyse the benefits of organizations who adopted shift left testing in the software development process.
Obesity and temporomandibular joint disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Xia , Yang Yan , Lin Linni , Yao Qianqian , Zhang Jingjing
Published: May 2023

Background Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) is the most common non-dental pain complaint in the maxillofacial region, which presents a variety of symptoms and signs, including temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and masticatory muscle pain, joint noise, tinnitus, headaches, irregular or restricted mandibular function, masticatory difficulty, and restricted mouth opening. When comes to the relationship between obesity and TMD, it has remained controversial and inconsistent, therefore, we first conducted this meta-analysis to estimate the unclear relationship between obesity and TMD.Methods Searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Subjects were divided into five groups according to BMI level in this study, including the normal weight group: 18.5 ≤ BMI < 23, obesity Ⅰ group: 25 ≤ BMI < 30, obesity Ⅱ group: BMI ≥ 30, non-obesity group: BMI < 25, and obesity group: BMI ≥ 25. Statistics analyses were conducted using Stata (15.0). The number of PROSPERO was CRD42022368315.Results Eight studies were included in this study, and six articles with a total of 74056 participants were synthesized for meta-analysis. Compared to normal weight individuals, the obesity Ⅰ decreased the risk of TMD (OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.69–0.94), and it was significantly decreased by obesity Ⅱ (OR = 0.74, 95%CI = 0.56–0.97). Moreover, it was lower in obesity compared with non-obese subjects (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.73–0.94). Furthermore, in obese individuals, it was much lower in obesity Ⅱ than obesity Ⅰ (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71–0.94).Conclusions Obesity is not a risk factor for TMD, and maybe a protective factor for TMD, of which patients with larger BMI are less likely to suffer from TMD pain. Therefore, the value of BMI should be taken into consideration in the assessment of TMD.
Effect of Iranian propolis on potassium dichromate reabsorption in Redfish (Carassius auratus)
Authors: Heidarieh Marzieh , Naeimi Saeideh , Nikrou Bagher , Multisanti Cristiana Roberta , Faggio Caterina
Published: May 2023

Chromium is an abundant metal in the earth's crust and plays an important role in water pollution. There are two main forms of chromium in the environment: trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium, as the most toxic form. The present study investigated the effects of propolis on the amount of chromium reabsorption in the Redfish's liver, kidney, gill, and muscle. Redfish were fed on four diets treated with irradiated/non-irradiated alcohol extract and irradiated/non-irradiated crude crushed propolis as an antioxidant natural bee product, for 70 days. Treatments and the positive control groups were exposed to 9 mg/L of chromium for 6 weeks. According to the data available in this study, the amount of chromium reabsorption in the positive control groups is in the order of gill > liver > kidney > muscle. The irradiated propolis diet treatment groups showed a significant difference compared to the positive control group. Treatment groups 3 and 4 showed significant differences compared to treatment groups 1 and 2 in all organs, except the liver. Treatment groups 3 and 4 showed a lower amount of chromium reabsorption in the gills, liver, kidneys, and muscles compared to the positive control group, demonstrating a significant difference. The results obtained showed that propolis could be effective as a chemoprotective compound in managing the reabsorption of dichromate. Therefore, it can be concluded that irradiated alcohol extract of propolis is recommended as a suitable and convenient food additive to increase its antioxidant properties in the fish industry.
Inherit or innovation? Research on the brand revitalization of China Time-honored Brands
Authors: Xiang Yongsheng
Published: May 2023

The sustainable development of time-honored brands in the new era is faced with the dilemma of inheritance or innovation. By selecting Wufangzhai company of Jiaxing city in China as the research object and conducting case study, it is found that the enterprise not only inherits the quality, ingenuity and culture of the time-honored brand, but also innovates in R&D, marketing, organizational structure and business strategy. The process of inheritance and innovation of time-honored brands is a blend of “DAO” and “SHU” in Chinese. “DAO” (principle) refers to the brand's concept rules and deep cores; “SHU” (skill) refers to the brand's methods and forms of display. Analysis from the perspective of levels constituted the brand, what is inherited are the real core internal elements and powers of the brand, which help to maintain the internal authenticity, consistency and continuity of the time-honored brand; what is innovated are the external levels of the brand, which helps to promote the external elements of the time-honored brand in fashion, novelty and flexibility. The ambidexterity equilibrium of brand management and revitalization in the “DAO” of inheritance and the “SHU” of innovation, reflects the dialectical logic of change and changeless: centering on improving the value of brand equity, adhering to the core of the brand on the one hand, breaking through the external form on the other hand, its essence is unified around better meet customer’s needs.
Effect of Chromated Copper Arsenate impregnation treatment on flexural and shear properties of Glue Laminated Eucalyptus grandis
Authors: Zziwa Ahamada , Nabacwa Allen Kyolaba , Kizito Simon , Syofuna Agatha
Published: May 2023

This study examined the effect of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) preservative treatment on selected mechanical properties of glue laminated Eucalyptus grandis wood. Test specimens were prepared and tested for Modulus of Elasticity [MOE], Modulus of Rupture [MOR] and shear strength using a Universal Testing Machine in accordance with ASTM D198 and BS373. The soaking delamination test was used to test for delamination percentage. The data was analyzed using the Levene’s test for the flexural properties (MOE and MOR) and one-way ANOVA test for the shear properties at 95% significance level. The results showed that MOE and MOR decreased in the treated glulam samples by 19.1% and 13.3% respectively. The shear strength properties also decreased in the treated samples by 3.3%. However, no delamination was found in all glulams. The treated wood glulams had lower MOE, MOR and shear strength properties than that of the untreated glulams but no significant differences in strength properties were detected. In conclusion, treatment of the eucalyptus glulam with CCA does not significantly weaken its flexural and shear properties. It is recommended that glulams extracted from CCA treated Eucalyptus grandis should not be used for high structural purposes but could be used in light construction works.
Unusual Case of Management of Osteomyelitis after Orthognathic Surgery: Mandibular Reconstruction with TMJ Prosthesis
Authors: Leal João Victor Borges Leal , Santo Luciano Mauro Del Santo Del , Nasim Omar Nasim Mohamed Nasim Khan Maboob , Ramos Thiago Ramos Magalhaes , Cavalcante Mateus Barros Cavalcante , Pessoa José Valdir Pessoa Neto
Published: May 2023

This case report presents a rare case of osteomyelitis following bimaxillary orthognathic and geioplasty surgeries. The patient, a 41-year-old female, presented with facial pain, difficulty in opening her mouth, and mandibular deviation four months after the initial orthognathic surgery. During the four months, the patient had experienced two post-operative complications that required surgical intervention. Examination revealed mobility between osteotomy segments of the right mandibular body, and Computer Tomographic scan analysis revealed osteomyelitis, and non-union of the right osteotomy side of the mandible from the previous surgery. Due to the advanced state of the disease and significant bone resorption, treatment was planned in two stages, involving bone debridement and then reconstruction with a custom made extended temporomandibular joint prosthesis. The patient had no postoperative complications and achieved satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes. This case emphasizes the importance of careful monitoring and prompt management of postoperative complications following orthognathic surgery to prevent rare but serious complications such as osteomyelitis.
Potential Applications of Silicate Solubilizing Bacteria and Potassium Silicate on Sugarcane Crop under Drought Condition
Authors: Anitha R. , Vanitha K. , Tamilselvi C. , Jeyakumar P. , Vijayalakshmi D. , Yuvaraj M. , Nageswari R. , Dhanushkodi V. , cyriac Jaiby
Published: May 2023

The decline of soil nutrient status and productivity of crops, and restoration of soil health is a key global problem. Crop yields are reduced by soil degradation, which endangers the world's food supply. Crop yields and soil health are further decreased by improper fertilizers in conjunction with intense cropping. A wide variety of plants, particularly monocotyledonous crops that can collect significant levels of silicon in their organs, have shown the benefits of silicon in terms of growth, biomass, and yield. According to the results, silica solubilizer was applied to the soil at a rate of 12.5 kg, 50 kg FYM/ha, and setts were treated with 0.5% K2 SiO3 and 2.5% urea and potash foliar spray every 15 days between 60 and 150 days after planting (DAP) showed, leaf area, maximum tiller population, specific leaf area, leaf area index, macro, and micronutrients, specific leaf weight, quality parameters and commercial cane sugar percent both the ratoon crop and the plant are in drought condition.
Differences of regional homogeneity and cognitive function between psychotic depression and drug-naïve schizophrenia
Authors: Chen Wensheng , Li Xiaoling , wu Weibin , Li Wenxuan , Huang Wei , Li Zhijian , Xu Caixia , Xie Guojun , Li Xuesong , Zhang Chunguo , Liang Jiaquan
Published: May 2023

Background: Psychotic depression (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are disorders with shared symptoms but unique causes, development, and treatments. Identifying them based on symptoms is difficult, requiring deeper comprehension of cognitive and neural mechanisms for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Aim: This study aims to compare cognitive impairments and brain functional activities in PD and SCZ, in order to identify unique features of each disorder.
Methods: We studied 42 PD and 30 SCZ patients using RBANS and rs-fMRI. We computed ReHo values from the rs-fMRI data and compared RBANS scores between groups. We also investigated the correlation between cognition and brain function using Pearson analysis.
Results: (1) SC group had lower RBANS scores than PD group in all test sections; (2) Left precuneus had significant ReHo difference between PD and SC groups, with SCZ group showing significantly increased ReHo (p < 0.05); (3) Negative correlation found between visuospatial construction score, delayed memory score and ReHo value of left precuneus by Pearson correlation analysis.
conclusion: Cognitive impairment is more severe in SCZ than PD. Elevated left precuneus activity distinguishes PD from SCZ and relates to cognitive deficits in both, offering neuroimaging evidence for differential diagnosis and insight into cognitive impairment pathology.
Applying the PRECIS-2 tool to pragmatic acupuncture trials: are they pragmatic? A systematic review
Authors: Lim Jinwoong , Lee Hyeonhoon , Kim Yong-Suk
Published: May 2023

Background
Pragmatic acupuncture trials (PATs) are a research tool for assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments in a real-world setting. The study aimed to provide a comprehensive methodological analysis of PATs using the PRagmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary-2 (PRECIS-2) tool to determine their pragmatism.
Methods
The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, WANFANG, Taiwan Periodical Literature Database, KoreaMed, KMbase, Research Information Service System, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, CiNii and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched. The search included randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and protocols of RCTs that investigated all types of acupuncture and used self-declared pragmatic design. Two authors independently collected the basic information and characteristics of the studies and assessed their pragmatism using the nine PRECIS-2 domains and one additional domain - control.
Results
A total of 93 studies were included. The means of eligibility, recruitment, organisation, primary outcome, primary analysis, and control domains were statistically larger than three and were shown to be pragmatic. The means of setting, flexibility:delivery, and follow-up domains were not greater than three and were shown to be non-pragmatic. For flexibility:adherence domain was inappropriate for assessment owing to insufficient information in the studies.
Conclusions
Future PATs need to strengthen the pragmatism in the setting, flexibility:delivery, and follow-up domains and to describe the flexibility:adherence domain in more detail.
Systematic review registration
CRD42021236975
Effect of early and delayed umbilical cord clamping on placental transfusion in two-step delivery: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Zanardo Vincenzo , Guerrini Pietro , Tortora Domenico , Severino Lorenzo , Sandri Andrea , Strafece Gianluca
Published: May 2023

Objective To investigate the effect of ‘two-step’ delivery and early (ECC) or delayed cord clamping (DCC) on placental transfusion in term infants.Methods Randomised clinical trial (NCT04459442). 90 infants were randomised to ECC (at 1 minute) or DCC (at 3 minutes) before two-step delivery wherein 83 (39 with ECC and 44 with DCC) received the allocated intervention. The primary outcome was the placental transfusion defined by ∆ haematocrit (Hct) from cord blood at birth and capillary heel blood at 48 h of age, accounting for body weight decrease, with the power estimate based on haematocrit (Hct) levels, in ECC and DCC neonate groups. The secondary outcomes were the contemporary readings of arterial cord blood gases, lactate, and glucose.Results It was found that Hct levels, comparable at birth between neonates who underwent ECC or DCC (49.501 ± 0.909 vs 48.764 ± 0.824, p 0.551), were significantly increased at 48 hours of age in the DCC group (50.778 ± 1.102 vs 55.051 ± 0.979, p 0.0051) representing a significantly higher ∆ Hct (1.278 ± 5.29 vs 6.287 ± 0.998, p 0.011) despite a comparable body weight decrease, all pointing to a higher placental transfusion in the DCC group, presenting with an acid–base and metabolic equilibrium.Conclusion In term infants born by ’two-step’ delivery, DCC results in a higher blood volume in the newborn and facilitates the maternal–placental–foetal exchange of circulating compounds, without potentially detrimental neonatal outcomes.
Gut microbiota of Suncus murinus, a naturally obesity-resistant animal, improves the ecological diversity of the gut microbiota in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Yi Shuang-Qin , Zhang Mingshou , Yang Ting , Li Rujia , Ren Ke , Li Jun , He Maozhang , Uetake Shunichi , Chen Juefei
Published: May 2023

Objective:
The global population of obese individuals is increasing, affecting human health. High-fat diets are a leading cause of this epidemic, and animal models, such as mice, are often used in related research. Obese individuals have a different gut microbiota composition from non-obese ones, characterized by a sizeable population of certain bacteria associated with fat storage. The gut microbiome plays a significant role in regulating human physiological and metabolic functions. Links between obesity, high-fat diets and gut microbiota have become hot topics of discussion. Recently, research on the modulation of the gut microbiota has focused on fecal microbiota transplantation, which has been recognized as an effective method of studying the function of gut microbiota.
Methods:
In this study, the naturally obesity-resistant animal Suncus murinus was used as a donor for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). C57BL/6NCrSIc mice were used as recipients, and changes in their gut flora were analyzed using a 16S rRNA gene analysis.
Results:
The study found that, after the FMT procedure, the FMT group tended to have a lower body weight than the control group. At the phylum level, the most predominant phyla in all groups were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Deferribacteres was not detected in the FMT or antibiotic administration groups, and Bacteroidetes was not present in the antibiotic administration group. At the genus level, the FMT group had significantly lower OTU richness than the control group but greater diversity than the control group.
Conclusion:
These results indicate that FMT from Suncus murinus can help reorganize and improve the gut microbiota of mice in a balanced and diverse ecosystem.
Impact of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy on vascular parameters and sexual function in patients with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction.
Authors: Rubino Matteo , Ricapito Anna , Finati Marco , Falagario Ugo , Annese Pasquale , Busetto Gian Maria , Cormio Luigi , carrieri Giuseppe , Bettocchi Carlo
Published: May 2023

Introduction & Objectives
Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) is a recent introduction for the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) with arterial hypo-inflow. The rationale of this non-invasive technique relies on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation, stem cells recruitment, Schwann cell activation and the result is neoangiogenesis and nerve regeneration, with consequent more vigorous erection. Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Li-ESWT in improving penile dynamic-doppler parameters and sexual function in patients treated for ED.
Materials & Methods
This was a prospective study with a cohort of patients evaluated for ED at our Department between 2019 and 2021. All patients underwent a standardized baseline visit with physical examination, medical history, International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF-5) administration and Penile dynamic-Doppler echography. Penile dynamic-Doppler was performed to evaluate vascular parameters and the latter two were repeated one month after treatment. Patients with a PSV<30 cm/s were considered eligible for Li-ESWT. Our protocol consisted of eight weekly-sessions with 1500 strokes distributed in 5 different locations along the penis. ANOVA and chi-square tests, Wilcoxon sign-rank test and Loess curve were used to examine differences in continuous and categorical variables, to compare peak systolic velocity difference (PSV-d) before and after treatment and to depict the relationship between PSV kinetics and IIEF score improvement after treatment, respectively.
Results
Li-ESWT was performed in 113/1145 (9,8%) patients with ED associated with PSV<30 cm/s. Preoperative median PSV was 25,5±4,6 cm/sec while IIEF score was 12 (IQR 4-14). After treatment, a significant median PSV-d increase of 5±3.4 cm/sec was recorded (p-value<0.001). 52/113 patients (46%) of patients reached a PSV>30 cm/sec at post-therapeutic penile dynamic Doppler. A significant IIEF score improvement was assessed in patients with a >5 cm/s PSV increase.
Conclusions
Shock wave treatment determined a significant increase in PSV and correlated IIEF-5 improvement in ED patients.
The prevalence of andropause symptoms and its relationship with social well-being among retired male nurses: A preliminary cross-sectional study
Authors: Nemati-Vakilabad Reza , Ajri-Khameslou Mehdi , Jegargoosheh Shiva , Nikjou Roya , Momeni Parisa
Published: May 2023

BackgroundAndropause is a syndrome that occurs due to decreased androgen levels in men. Various aspects of health such as social well-being can affect andropause status during men's retirement. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of andropause symptoms and its relationship with social well-being among retired male nurses.MethodsThis preliminary cross-sectional study was conducted on 284 retired male nurses in Ardabil (northwest of Iran). The participants were selected through the census sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic information form, Male Andropause Symptoms Self-Assessment Questionnaire (MASSQ), and Social Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22).ResultsThe mean scores of MASSQ and SWBS were 57.24 (12.62) and 94.54 (12.77), respectively. There was a significantly inverse relationship between andropause and SWB status (p < 0.05). The subscales of SWB together with age, marital status, and spouse’s menopause could thus predict 53.1% of the variance of andropause probability.ConclusionConsidering the predictive role of SWB and some background variables in andropause symptoms, further studies are required to find the main causes of this syndrome and provide efficient solutions for correcting its related factors.
A synergistic combination of SDS and TX-100 for the catalytic oxidation of an aromatic alcohol in aqueous media
Authors: Rakshit Atanu , Chowdhury Suman , Acharjee Animesh , Mahali Kalachand , Saha Rumpa , Sar Pintu , Saha Bidyut
Published: May 2023

In aqueous medium, oxidation of an aromatic alcohol (4-chlorobenzyl alcohol) was carried out in aqueous mixed micellar media under pseudo first order condition by chromic acid at 30 ºC. The micellar microenvironment constituted by anionic SDS and nonionic TX-100 surfactants showed excellent catalytic performance in course of oxidation, individually. In addition to that the nanomicelle produced by combination of SDS and TX-100 was found to be effective microheterogeneous catalyst for the aforementioned oxidation process. Use of two organic precursors, Phen and Bpy, entitled as promoter, made the reaction faster in presence of single micelle and mixed micelle. The fabrication of mixed micelle was confirmed by UV,1H-NMR and 2D NOESY study. The maximum improvement in reaction kinetic was noticed when SDS/TX-100 surfactants mixture introduced along with Bpy promoter.
Modulating the phenolic content and biological activity of pear pomace powder by granulation and extraction pre-treatment
Authors: Ferreira Joana , Tkacz Karolina , Turkiewicz Igor Piotr , Santos Maria Isabel , Belas Adriana , Lima Ana , Wojdyło Aneta , Sousa Isabel
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the degree of granulation of the pear (Pyrus L.) pomace powder, and the method of pre-treatment on the phenolic content and bioactivities. The dried pear pomace was fractionated into granulations: 1 mm, 710 µm, 180 µm, 75 µm, 53 µm, then treated with methanol extraction and two-step extraction with Soxhlet method. The results obtained confirmed the possibility of modulating the phenolic profile and biological activities through the selection of particle size and extraction methods. Total phenolic compounds was 375.0 to 512.9 mg gallic acid/100 g dw and total flavonoid compounds was 24.7 to 34.6 mg quercetin/100 g dw. Two-step extraction (1 - Soxhlet extraction, 2 - MeOH extraction) provided antioxidant activity of up to 418.8 (FRAP) and 340.0 mg Trolox/100 g dw (DPPH). The lowest granulation of pear pomace powder indicated the highest inhibitory activity of α-amylase, β-glucosidase (as antidiabetic activity), angiotensin-converting enzyme (as antihypertensive activity). Antibacterial activities against Gram (-) bacteria (E. coli) and Gram (+) (S. aureus) were also very significant in the pomace samples, but most noticeably in those extracts from Soxhlet technique. The study not only highlights the potential for pear pomace but also points towards the use of different processing techniques in designing products with enhanced health-promoting potential while supporting waste-free production.