bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
« L’étrange voyage ! » : la traduction d’Arsène Lupin par Zhou Shoujuan au début de la République de Chine à Shanghaï
Authors: Shuo-Win Chen
Published: February 2024

Parmi les nombreux types de romans traduits à la fin de la dynastie des Qing, le genre policier est celui qui rencontre le plus de succès populaire, en particulier Sherlock Holmes, de Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Les multiples traductions de ses aventures ont inspiré le genre détective en Chine, et donné lieu à de nombreux travaux universitaires. Par comparaison, Arsène Lupin, le « gentleman-cambrioleur » du romancier français Maurice Leblanc, attire bien moins l’attention. Zhou Shoujuan, maître de la littérature populaire chinoise moderne, célèbre éditeur et traducteur, commence à traduire et à introduire Arsène Lupin en 1914. Ses stratégies de traduction, qui consistent à adapter et à modifier le texte original et les caractères des personnages pour le public chinois, transforment Arsène Lupin en « homme juste », faisant preuve de « sagesse et de courage », en s’inspirant des romans de cape et d’épée. Il crée ainsi pour ses lecteurs un univers fictionnel unique. Cet article explore la transformation d’Arsène Lupin de cambrioleur en héros populaire, effectuée par Zhou Shuojuan. Il examine l’imaginaire culturel de Zhou Shuojuan à travers son œuvre de traduction, et met en évidence sa valeur de dialogue entre traditions littéraires et valeurs culturelles chinoises et occidentales. L’étrange voyage d’Arsène Lupin dans la Chine moderne mérite d’être analysé dans une perspective plus globale à travers une comparaison détaillée des traductions chinoise, française et anglaise, ce qui est également l’objet de cet article.
Inclusion financière numérique et productivité agricole
Authors: Kitoto Patrick Arnold Ombiono
Published: February 2024

Cet article interroge les effets de l’inclusion financière numérique (IFN) sur la productivité agricole partielle de la terre (PPT) d’un panel de 18 pays d’Afrique subsaharienne (ASS) choisi pour la période 2015-2020. Dans cette optique, les données secondaires ont fait l’objet d’une estimation effectuée à l’aide des méthodes des moments généralisés en panel dynamique (MMGPD). Les résultats obtenus montrent que l’IFN (mesurée par l’accès et l’utilisation des services financiers d’argent mobile) contribue significativement à la croissance de la PPT. Ces résultats suggèrent de stimuler la transformation agricole en ASS en promouvant des services financiers numériques en fonction des besoins des agriculteurs.
Les soutiens publics à l’agriculture et à l’alimentation
Authors: Tapsoba Abdoul Fattath , Brun Matthieu
Published: February 2024

À partir de données issues de l’Observatoire mondial des soutiens publics à l’agriculture et à l’alimentation, cet article vise à analyser et comprendre le fonctionnement actuel des soutiens publics tout en évaluant dans quelle mesure ils sont effectivement orientés vers la promotion de systèmes agricoles durables. À l’aide d’une analyse d’économie politique des soutiens publics, nous montrerons au niveau global les différences de soutien et le manque d’outils et de dispositifs financés pour accélérer les transitions agricoles.
International Students as Peer Mentors for First-Year International Students
Authors: Thomas Lijo , Joseph Dennison , Thomas Becky
Published: February 2024

Peer mentoring is a process where an individual with more experience or knowledge in a particular area guides, advises, and supports another individual who is of a similar age or status in that area. The mentor provides guidance, encouragement, and feedback to the mentee, with the aim of helping them develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their personal or professional lives. In peer mentoring, both the mentor and mentee benefit from the relationship. The mentor gains a sense of satisfaction from helping someone else and reinforcing their own knowledge, while the mentee benefits from the mentor's experience and insights. Peer mentoring can occur in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, and community organizations. It is often used to support individuals who are new to a particular field, struggling with a particular challenge, or seeking to improve their performance in a particular area.
Growing Global
Authors: Anastasiou Maria , Guzman Stephanie
Published: February 2024

This chapter offers practitioners important perspectives on developing effective global learning opportunities given the challenges and changes many institutions face in our current times. The authors provide a case study of a diverse, mid-size institution to show how multiple entry points to global learning can be provided even in times of diminishing resources. In particular, the chapter will detail how to leverage partnerships within and outside of the institution to effectively achieve intercultural learning for freshmen, how to think creatively and find efficiencies when resources are limited, and how to support student success at a time when the value of higher education is being challenged by many.
Green Building Certificates in Building Projects
Authors: Barata Vasco , Gomes Jorge Vareda , Romão Mario
Published: February 2024

The importance of the building sector as a key player in the path of innovation associated with sustainable transition has been gaining preponderance at different levels of society. This radical change has been increasingly driven by governmental and non-governmental pressures, encouraging changes not only at the organizational level, but also at the macroeconomic level. Based on this premise, the present work aimed to study the influence of the use of green building certificates (GBC), not only in the innovation process, but also on what it promotes in collaborative processes in building projects. A multiple case study was used, and a comparison was made with academic references. It confirmed the importance of the role of the green project champion who, through the leadership process, has a direct influence on the development of the project in its different phases.
Sustainable Technology Accessing the Software Product Line (SPL) via Model-Based Mutation
Authors: Singh Muskan , Srivastava Sudhanshu , Garg Shelly
Published: February 2024

Due to frequently changing demands and for the sake of customer's satisfaction, engineers were forced to develop SPL also known as “software product line.” SPL is used for the product of similar families or having something in common. FMs also known as “feature models” are used for generating the altered versions of the products through linking features with the products. Generation of SPL sometimes leads to the production of billions of products. So, it becomes very challenging to test the quality of test suites. The techniques that exist focus more towards selecting only a limited set of products. If we talk about FMs then they impact test suites in some way. In this work, the authors have paid more attention to the capabilities of the test suites to detect the existing errors. So FMs are prone to errors. Two experiments that they have conducted for calculating mutation score clearly demonstrate that dissimilar test suites are able to detect errors present in FMs very easily as compared to the similar test suites.
Decision Support Framework for Parkinson's Disease Using Novel Handwriting Markers
Authors: Sharma Parul , Sharma Shweta , Goyal Manu , Goyal Kanu , Panwar Deepak
Published: February 2024

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Among its motor symptoms are bradykinesia, tremors, rigidity, and postural instability. Handwriting variations known as “Parkinsonian handwriting” or “micrographia” are frequently linked to Parkinson's disease. The condition is characterized by tiny, cramped handwriting that gets smaller with time. The illness may make writing challenging and frequently results in less readable text. Innovative handwriting markers are becoming more and more popular as methods for diagnosing and monitoring PD. A new handwriting marker-based Parkinson's disease decision support system is covered in this chapter, with an emphasis on how useful it may be for early detection and tracking.
Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis Using Voice Features and Effective Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Goyal Sonali , Kaur Amandeep , Batra Neera , Chauhan Rakhi
Published: February 2024

A neurodegenerative condition that largely affects the central nervous system is Parkinson's disease, and subtle changes in the early stages of this disease make accurate diagnosis challenging. 'Bradykinesia', or sluggish movements, are among the disease's typical symptoms. The disease's symptoms start to show up in middle age, and as people age, the severity of the condition worsens. A speech issue is one of the first indications of Parkinson's disease. In this work, it is suggested that employing supervised classification algorithms for the subjective disease categorization, such as support vector machines (SVM), artificial neural networks (ANN), Naive Bayes (NB), etc. could be successful. The proposed method is compared with previously used Parkinson's disease diagnosis methods and well-known classifiers. The experimental results show that ANN is better than other supervised algorithms with the highest accuracy. The proposed work provides equivalent and superior outcomes.
Genetic Determinants of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Bhuvaneswari A. , Legapriyadharshini N. , Thirumaraikumari T. , Rukmani Devi S. , Pandiaraj Saravanan
Published: February 2024

The chapter delves deeply into the complex genetic and molecular causes, focusing on SNCA and LRRK2 mutations. In addition to exploring the genetic dimension, the authors delve into the intricate molecular pathways involved in neurodegeneration, elucidating the roles of protein misfolding and aggregation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. These processes are examined in detail, revealing prospective treatment targets for drug development and interventions, giving Parkinson's disease patients hope. Furthermore, they critically evaluate the current genetic research developments including genome-wide association studies and CRISPR-Cas9. These developments promise customized medicine and creative therapeutic ways to transform novel Parkinson's disease treatments. This chapter study promises individualized treatments and a brighter future where genetic and molecular interactions can be harnessed to improve diagnosis, therapy, and the search for a cure, providing patients with this debilitating ailment hope and a better quality of life.
Identifying Parkinson's Patients by a Functional Gradient Boosting Approach
Authors: Sharma Shweta , Gupta Muskan , Goyal Kanu , Goyal Manu , Sharma Parul
Published: February 2024

Over 10 million people worldwide suffer with Parkinson's disease (PD). The ecumenical medical community continues to rely on physical examination, scales, signs, and symptoms, but there is no evaluation for this obscenely common disease. As technology advances, machine learning and healthcare are becoming more and more entwined. One of the machine learning methods known as functional gradient boosting (FGB) has shown promise as a diagnostic tool for PD patients, helping and speeding up their recovery. FGB helps practitioners create tailored therapeutics that improve treatment results and patient's quality of life. Additionally, it helps healthcare providers track the development of diseases, foresee symptoms, and describe treatments. As research on functional gradient boosting advances, it is positioned to significantly transform Parkinsonism rehabilitation and improve patient outcomes.
Strategic Leadership and Crisis Management in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: Şimşek Tuğçe
Published: February 2024

This chapter examines the relationship between strategic leadership and crisis management in the continuously changing hospitality industry, specifically during pandemics. It explains how strategic leaders, known for their forward-thinking and flexibility, are crucial for effective crisis management. The chapter analyzes decision-making during crises, emphasizing the importance of guest safety, adaptive innovation, ethical leadership, and sustainability. It emphasizes the role of timely, transparent communication in addressing concerns and maintaining stakeholder trust. The chapter also explores stakeholder engagement strategies, including segmentation, effective communication channels, and collaborative feedback, to enhance resilience and facilitate recovery. This chapter examines the disconnect between strategic leadership and crisis management, offering invaluable insights for practitioners, academics, and policymakers in navigating the challenges posed by pandemics in the hospitality industry, with the goal of avoiding failure, vulnerability, inflexibility, and sustained decline.
Number of replicates required to accurately evaluate the productivity and soluble solids in melon hybrids of the Inodorus group
Authors: Araújo Junior Bernardo Bezerra de , Melo Stefeson Bezerra de , Martins Adriano Ferreira , Nunes Elaíne Welk Lopes Pereira , Nunes Glauber Henrique de Sousa
Published: February 2024

Determining the number of replicates required to produce statistically testable results based on previously conducted tests is important to minimize labor costs via the use of existing information. The objective of this work was to determine the number of repetitions necessary to evaluate the characters of productivity and soluble solids in hybrids of two types of Inodorus melons. The study consisted of 20 experiments: 12 evaluated 10 hybrids of honeydew melons and 8 evaluated 13 hybrids of yellow melons. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with three replicates. Analysis of variance was performed to estimate the repeatability and genotypic determination coefficients. Variability in accurately predicting the genotype was observed for different number of repetitions between the evaluated characters and melon types. In the yellow melon, experiments with three repetitions allowed the accurate identification of superior genotypes with 81.1 and 61.9% certainty for productivity and soluble solids, respectively. In the honeydew melon, 62.4 and 71.2% accuracy was obtained for productivity and soluble solids, respectively.
Corn physical characteristics on piglet performance
Authors: Paiano Diovani , Silva Marcos Augusto Alves , Zanotto Marlon José , Hashimoto Juliano Hideo , Moreira Ivan
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to correlate the physical characteristics of ground corn, at different crushing intensities, with the zootechnical performance of piglets in the nursery phase. Forty piglets (20 castrated males and 20 females) with an initial average weight of 15.7±1.98 kg and final weight of 32.5±3.27 kg were used. They were subjected to the same type of experimental diet (4% of commercial premix for the phase, 29% of soybean meal, and 67% of ground corn), with the only difference being the corn grinding process. The corn used was fractionated into five portions, and each one of them was crushed in a hammermill equipped with a different screen hole diameter (2; 2.5; 3; 3.5 and 4 mm). Which resulted in ground corn with the following particle sizes (PS): 518, 580, 628, 706 and 740 μm, and the following corn geometric standard deviations (GSD): 1.72, 1.71, 1.75, 1.80 and 1.90, respectively. The piglets were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications, with the experimental units being formed by pens with two piglets each. There was no effect (p > 0.10) from grinding intensities on daily feed intake (DFI) and daily weight gain (DWG). Conversely, there was an effect (p < 0.10) from different grinding intensities on feed conversion (FC). The PS and GSD of both the corn and diet, as well as the corn fractions retained on the 4-, 2- and 1.2-mm test sieves showed positive correlations with FC (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the corn fractions retained on the 0.6-, 0.3- and 0.15-mm teste sieves showed negative correlations with FC (p < 0.05). The linear model was the one that fitted the estimated data into the data observed for FC. A corn PS reduction from 740 to 580 μm promoted a linear improvement in FC. The use of corn fractions, retained on the 1-, 2- and 0.3-mm test sieves, and the use of corn GSD and diet GSD as independent variables showed a higher R² than that obtained with the use of corn PS as an independent variable in linear equations for estimating FC.
The effects of intratesticular injection of sodium chloride on liveweights, reproductive characteristics, and histological appearance of testes in goat kids
Authors: Gökdal Özdal , Eren Vadullah , Eren Ülker , Özuğur Ali Kemali , Atay Okan
Published: February 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of intratesticular injection (ITI) of sodium chloride (NaCl) at two different concentrations for supressing reproductive development in goat kids at two months of age. The experiment was carried out at the experimental unit of Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Çine Vocational School, located in Çine, Aydın, Turkey. The experimental groups were control (C, n = 9), a single ITI of 20% NaCl (T1, n = 8) or 40% NaCl (T2, n = 8). The growth, reproductive characteristics, and histological appearance of the testis in the kids were examined up to nine months of age in different periods. The live weights, scrotal circumference, semen and sexual behavior characteristics were not different among groups. The histogical findings were observed in both testes at nine months of age. Greater intensity of destruction was observed in the testes of T1 and T2 kids than that of C kids. High levels of tubular degeneration were detected in testicular tissue samples in T1 and T2 groups. Based on the results, however, it was concluded that neither 20 nor 40% concentrations of NaCl did ensure the castration effect in the goat kids.
Effect of cutting time and storage time on the nutritional value of stargrass hay
Authors: Ribeiro Matheus Gonçalves , Tres Tamara Tais , Bueno Antonio Vinicius Iank , Daniel João Luiz Pratti , Jobim Clóves Cabreira
Published: February 2024

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of cutting time on the nutritional composition and dehydration rate of stargrass, as well as the nutritional value of the hay as a function of storage time. Two plant cutting times were analyzed: at 13:00 (H13) and 17:00 (H17). After cutting, the dehydration rate of both the plant and its fractions until baling was monitored. The bales were checked for nutritional composition and digestibility after 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. At the time of cutting, a difference was observed for the concentrations of ethanol-soluble carbohydrates, which were higher for H17 (90.3 g kg-1) compared to H13 (52.9 g kg-1). Leaf dehydration rates were higher in the H17 treatment. Cutting time had no influence on the nutritional value of the hay. With storage time, there was an increase in the levels of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, and a reduction in the content of ethanol-soluble carbohydrates. It was concluded that cutting at 17:00 allows for a greater accumulation of soluble carbohydrates in the plant. Cutting time does not change the time required for dehydration and the nutritional value of the hay. Storage time reduces soluble components and increases fibrous constituents
Energy efficiency of commercial offices by luminous retrofit
Authors: Miranda Débora Thomé , Barreto Douglas , Parsekian Guilherme Aris , Alves Netto Ary Rodrigues
Published: February 2024

Lighting is one of the systems that mostly consume electricity in commercial buildings. Therefore, improving its efficiency has the potential to reduce electricity consumption and emission of polluting gases. The objective of the present study was to assess an office lighting system retrofit of an existing building from the 1990s, verify the light levels in relation to standards of the Brazilian requirements, and to explore new systems with potential for luminous and energy improvement. The analyzes were carried out through computer simulations using the DIALux evo software, which allows the evaluation of artificial and natural illuminations simultaneously. The results indicated that the existing lighting system does not meet the average illuminance standard value for office environment. From simulations with new arrangements and types of luminaires and lamps, two more efficient lighting systems were designed. The first presented savings of 15.5% in lighting energy when replacing T12 fluorescent lamps with LED luminaires. The second system considered the use of natural light and was complemented by artificial lighting with the aid of a dimming system linked to the availability of daylight, and presented up to 67% less electric energy consumption when compared to the existing lighting system in the environments. Therefore, it was possible to propose actions to the existing lighting system retrofit and, thus, offer better visual comfort to users and at the same time save energy.
Simulation of robust adaptive regression multi-level models for quality analysis of special coffees in cold storage
Authors: Manoel Iuri dos Santos , Resende Mariana , Sousa Pedro Henrique Assis , Rosa Stella Dellyzete Veiga Franco da , Cirillo Marcelo Angelo
Published: February 2024

Numerous factors contribute to specialty coffee quality, storage and cooling conditions. We may therefore assume that sensory evaluation results can be corrupted by measurement errors, especially when cuppers are not trained, leading to occurrence of observation outliers. Therefore, this study aimed to propose simulation scenarios considering parametric values of multilevel model fit with robust adaptive regressions to the presence of outliers in a real experiment with processed and unprocessed coffee beans stored at different times and temperatures. In this context, we considered computationally simulated scenarios in which sensory scoring errors can be made at L = 5 and 10 units. The proposed method was feasible for the sensory scoring of an experiment of coffee storage conditions and cooled environments. This is because it included robust characteristics of samples evaluated with up to 30% of outliers.
An integrated exploration of heat kernel invariant feature and manifolding technique for 3D object recognition system
Authors: Usha Subramaniam , Karthik Murugesan , Jothibasu Marappan , Gowtham Vijayaragavan
Published: February 2024

Spectral Graph theory has been utilized frequently in the field of Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition to address challenges in the field of Image Segmentation and Image Classification. In the proposed method, for classification techniques, the associated graph's Eigen values and Eigen vectors of the adjacency matrix or Laplacian matrix  created from the images are employed. The Laplacian spectrum and a graph's heat kernel are inextricably linked. Exponentiating the Laplacian eigensystem over time yields the heat kernel, which is the solution to the heat equations. In the proposed technique K-Nearest neighborhood and Delaunay triangulation techniques are used to generate a graph from the 3D model. The graph is then represented into Normalized Laplacian (NL) and Laplacian matrix (L). From each Normalized Laplacian and Laplacian matrix, the feature vectors like Heat Content Invariant and Laplacian Eigen values are extracted. Then, using all of the available clustering algorithms on datasets, the optimum feature vector for clustering is determined. For clustering various manifolding techniques are employed.  In the suggested method, the graph heat kernel is constructed using industry-standard objects which are taken from the Engineering bench mark Data set.
App store mining for feature extraction: analyzing user reviews
Authors: Memon Zulfiqar Ali , Munawar Nida , Kamal Maha
Published: February 2024

A recent study shows that the most commonly used app stores, iOS app store and Android's play store had up to 2 million apps from where users can explore, purchase, share, download and install applications on a single click. More and more apps are being added daily which makes the app stores a large software repository. An enormous amount of data is provided by the end users in the form of user reviews. This data can provide valuable insights for acquiring requirements. User reviews include plenty of information as they contain information about faulty features (Bug reports), ideas for new features and improvements (feature requests), or user experience that can help app developers and vendors to achieve software enhancement and evolution tasks. As feature requests are the ones that are most helpful for the purpose of eliciting new requirements, the work is done on feature requests out of the 3 categories mentioned above. This study is conducted to provide a general approach that extracts feature request from user reviews. The proposed approach has five main building blocks, namely, (i) Extraction of Feature Requests, (ii) Feature Extraction from Feature Requests, (iii) topic modelling, (iv) sentiment analysis and (v) Classification into Functional Requirements (FR) and Non-Functional Requirements (NFR). Firstly, it finds the feature requests out of the reviews, then perform extraction of features from feature requests, then further work on grouping the features into topics, next apply sentiment analysis to mine the user opinions on the extracted topic and finally group them into Functional and Non-Functional requirements. This article provides the app developers a more user-centred definition of requirements and improvements. At the topic modelling phase, the results received the highest coherence score, 0.70, with k=22 topics. Sentiment analysis is used to classify feature request, with an accuracy of 80.20%, precision of 84.25%, and recall of 80.42%. With an accuracy of 84.4%, requirements are classified quite successfully as well.
Use of Ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Miller) mucilage as a wall material in microencapsulation by complex coacervation
Authors: Masugossa Mariana Justino , Mendoza Viviane da Silva , Ortega Nailene de Freitas , Yahagi Silvia Sayuri , Souza Clitor Junior Fernandes de , Argandoña Eliana Janet Sanjinez
Published: February 2024

Innovative materials for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds are a permanent challenge. In this sense, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of Ora-pro-nobis mucilage (MOPN) as a wall material to replace Arabic gum (AG), in microencapsulation by complex coacervation of bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata) pulp oil. The MOPN was obtained from green leaves, and the pH, color, water activity, humidity, fixed mineral residue, proteins, lipids, and extraction effectiveness were determined. MOPN was employed as a partial or total replacement of AG in the microencapsulation of bocaiuva pulp oil. Dehydrated and wet mucilages were used to emulsion formation. The interaction between biopolymers, the effectiveness, efficiency of microencapsulation, and the morphological characteristics of microcapsules were confirmed. In addition, the bioactive compounds (chlorophyll and β-carotene) and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The microcapsules were produced using moist mucilage. Microcapsules obtained with AG/gelatin/ bocaiuva oil were considered as control samples. MOPN showed brown color and chlorophyll content of 72.44±5.74 mg 100 g-1. The interaction between AG and MOPN in microcapsule formation was proven for the formulations with 25 and 50% MOPN substitution. The effectiveness was 74.83 and 75.22%, and encapsulation efficiency was 79.18 and 74.59%, respectively, verified through optical micrograph. In addition, the microcapsules with 25 and 50% MOPN as wall material showed three times more antioxidant activity against ABTS, and two times more β-carotene compared to the control microcapsule.
Seismic behavior of large concrete panel prefabricated structures in relation to structural joints
Authors: Socarrás Cordoví Yamila Concepción , Deulofeu Eduardo Rafael Álvarez , Quintana Ingrid Vidaud , Téllez Manuel Calzadilla , Nuñez Roberto Pompa
Published: February 2024

There is evidence of good performance against large magnitude earthquakes, of the buildings built with the I-464 system in Armenia and Chile. This is a system made up of prefabricated panels and slabs, which are joined through wet joints; rigid at the level of the superstructure and articulated in a continuous foundation of cast-in-situ reinforced concrete. However, the possibility of the appearance of potential seismic damage in buildings built in Santiago of Cuba is not ruled out, due to the state of deterioration of the elements and joints, as well as the structural transformations carried out by the residents. That is why this research is designed as a purpose, to analyze the seismic behavior in relation to the structural joints. To meet this objective, 16 hypothetical variants are evaluated, which are prepared based on the statistical analysis of the diagnosis made to a sample of 200 buildings, as well as 4 variants that correspond to the original typologies. Multi-mass models are used for the dynamic analysis by SAP 2000 v20, where the joints between the precast elements were not explicitly modeled and were assumed to be rigid. The calculation requests in the joints were obtained through 442 ‘section cuts’ in each of the five-level variants and 367 ‘section cuts’ in the four-level variants. Then, both the resistance of the concrete to shearing and the resistance of the weld seams that join the protruding steel bars are evaluated, as well as checking the possibility of creep of these bars. It is concluded that only in the 5-level variants, where pathological damage is contemplated, there is a danger of failure of horizontal joints because the steel can reach the design stress and flow. Likewise, vertical joints can fail due to shear and due to the creep of the steel.
Interlaminar Adhesion Study of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)-Printed Soft and Rigid Bilayer Structure with Composites
Authors: Goh Guo Liang , Lee Samuel , Han Boon Siew , Yeong Wai Yee
Published: February 2024

Multi-material Additive manufacturing (AM) has opened new opportunities for the creation of multifunctional structures that enables value-added structural product designs. Among the multi-material AM techniques, multi-nozzle fused filament fabrication which is a type of material extrusion technique is found to be the more popular choice for multi-material polymer fabrication. One major challenge of multi-material additive manufacturing of polymers is the poor mechanical strength at the interface of the dissimilar materials such as polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) due to the lack of chemical affinity. Therefore, understanding the mechanical strength at the interface of these dissimilar materials becomes an important topic as it allows product designers to do necessary tweak to the design to compensate for the weaker link in the structural design. In this work, we investigated the tensile strength and the shear strength of different combinations of PLA and TPU and their respective nanocomposites, as well as the fatigue analysis of the bi-layer structures made of these dissimilar materials in a 3-point bending test configuration. Generally, when functional fillers or particles are added to the polymer in composites, they tend to adversely affect the interlaminar adhesion property and fatigue life of the soft-rigid bilayer structure. It was found, that the interlaminar tensile strength and the interlaminar shear strength can reduce as high as 44% and 78%, respectively, compared to the baseline samples with no fillers.
Polymer-Based Metal-Organic Framework Composite Beads: Optimization for Methyl Orange Adsorption
Authors: Saporsantos Nathaniel , Lopez Edgar Clyde R. , Go Kobi Christian , Taclobao Kynan Daro , Medrano Hilda Luzelle , Perez Jem Valerie D.
Published: February 2024

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have gained traction as an adsorbent due to their high surface area and porosity. MIL-101(Fe), a MOF that has been used for removing dyes in water by adsorption, faces the problem of being inseparable from water after use. To get around this difficulty, MIL-101(Fe) was incorporated into composite beads consisting of polymers Chitosan (CS), and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) crosslinked with Glutaraldehyde (GLA) to remove Methyl Orange (MO) from water. The resulting CS/MIL-101(Fe)/PVA beads were optimized based on the right combination of synthesis parameters that gave the highest percent MO removal. It was found that the maximum MO removal can be achieved by beads made of 1500 ppm MIL-101(Fe), 2.0 % PVA, crosslinked in 2.5% GLA. Using FTIR analysis and SEM imaging, the beads exhibited favorable properties for adsorption, as shown by their coarse and porous structure. The beads proved viable for adsorption, exhibiting a percent MO removal of 69.62% upon validation.
Experimental Study on Mechanical, Chemical and Acoustical Properties of Waste Tea Leaf Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Authors: Prabhu Loganathan , Sathish S. , Gokul Kumar S. , Dharani Kumar S. , Namburigha K. , Naveen Kumar A. , Ragul Kumar M. , Ravishankar P.M. , Saravanagowri S.P. , Shobika K.M.
Published: February 2024

Fibre reinforced polymer composites are employed instead of metal and wood because they are stronger, more lightweight, have a favourable strength to weight ratio, and are noncorrosive. In the current research, sisal, carbon fibre, and industrial waste tea leaf fibre (WTLF) reinforced hybrid epoxy composites are being examined for their chemical, mechanical and acoustical properties with experimental study. The sisal and WTLF were chemically treated with 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. By modifying the weight percentage of sisal and WTLF with a structure of 40 weight percent fibre and 60 weight percent matrix, five different compositions of natural fibre reinforced hybrid composites were fabricated using an automatic compression moulding technique. As per the ASTM standard the manufactured hybrid composites are tested for mechanical, chemical and acoustic characteristics. According to the experimental findings, sisal fibre with a 25 wt% and WTLF with a 5 wt% demonstrated superior mechanical properties, while these materials also demonstrated an excellent acoustic absorption coefficient (AAC) of 0.62 between the frequency range of 2000 to 6300 Hz. The morphology of failure samples revealed the matrix micro crack, void formation, fiber pullout and layers of fractured fibers which are being examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The superior bonding between fibre and matrix was seen in the FTIR study of 5% alkali treated composites.
Role of antiphospholipid antibodies in Covid-19 and its correlation with disease progression
Authors: Ibrahim Toqa M , Moussa Mohamed M , Nabih Nermeen A , Abdelfatah Rana G
Published: February 2024

Background

The SARS-CoV2 infection that leads to COVID-19 is a condition with an erratic and changeable course. The majority of patients have the mildest form, which frequently has flu-like symptoms so mild that the illness can go unnoticed. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), progressive hypoxemia, and unilateral or bilateral pneumonia are among the severe manifestations that occur in about 15% of infected patients and may necessitate mechanical ventilation support. When systemic hyperinflammation is in its worst, multiple organs are affected (cytokine storm), lymphopenia is present, and levels of ferritin, D-dimers, C-reactive protein, chemokines and cytokines, are markedly elevated.

Aim of the work

To research the association between COVID-19 patient antiphospholipid (APL) markers and thrombotic events.

Patients and methodology

Our study was a cross-sectional study and patients were selected from ward and ICU unit in Dar El Shefa Hospital, Cairo governorate.

Results

Our study demonstrated that cases with risk factors for thromboembolic events had worse outcomes more frequently; obesity was a statistically significant factor in these differences. Additionally, we discovered that cases with cytokine storm had worse outcomes more frequently, and that the differences in thromboembolic events and deep venous thrombosis were statistically significant.

Conclusion

In COVID-19 pneumonia patients, the clinical significance of antiphospholipid syndrome (APAs) is still unknown. Furthermore, it is still unclear how long these APAs last and how much they contribute to thrombotic events in patients.
Recurrent Pneumonia in a Child: Identifying an Underlying Pulmonary Sequestration
Authors: Goswami Gauri , Bhatnagar Ruchika , Tandon Rajeev
Published: February 2024

Background:

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare foregut abnormality, accounting for a small percentage of lung malformations, with intralobar type being more common than extralobar.

Clinical Description:

A 10-year-old girl presented with recurring symptoms of breathlessness, cough, chest pain, and intermittent fever since 6 months of age. Earlier, she had been hospitalized four times in the past, and even received antitubercular treatment, but without any relief. Evaluation at our hospital revealed a cystic mass in the left lower lung with anomalous feeding vessels, leading to a diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration.

Management and Outcomes:

Surgical correction in the form of lobar resection and ligation of the feeding vessels was done. The patient’s symptoms significantly improved postoperatively, and there were no complications or recurrence during follow-up.

Conclusion:

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare abnormality. Misdiagnosis as a common respiratory infection can delay appropriate management. Surgical treatment through lobar resection can dramatically alleviate symptoms.
Clinical Features and Mutations in Children with Liddle Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Case Reports
Authors: Dev Vishnu , Jayan Jyotsna Aranakkal , Kumar Amber , Malik Shikha , Bhatt Girish Chandra
Published: February 2024

Background:

Liddle syndrome, an autosomal dominant condition, is a rare cause of hypertension, resulting from gain-of-function mutation in genes which encode the subunits of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC).

Objective:

The present systematic review focuses on clinical features, genes involved, mutations, and pharmacological management.

Methods:

A comprehensive search was done in major databases, PubMed and Google Scholar using defined search terms encompassing case reports or case series on Liddle syndrome. The identified reports underwent screening by three different authors for inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results:

In total, 44 cases were included from 35 articles. The median age of the children was 14 years, with a slightly higher proportion of males 63.63% (28/44). The most common clinical feature was hypertension (97.7%). Hypertension was controlled in all patients using ENaC channel blockers, amiloride, or triamterene.

Conclusion:

This is one of the first reviews collating data on Liddle syndrome. Mutations in SCNN1B were most common, with hypertension being the most consistent clinical feature.
Porphyria in an Adolescent Girl: A Clinician’s Quagmire
Authors: Varshney Jai Pratibha , Seth Atul
Published: February 2024

Background:

Porphyrias are a group of potentially life-threatening, metabolic disorders resulting from defective heme biosynthesis. They have a myriad of multisystem manifestations and pose a diagnostic and management challenge. Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a severe and the most common form of porphyria. Awareness of this uncommon entity and a high index of suspicion are warranted for a successful outcome.

Clinical Description:

A 12-year-old girl was referred to us with a history of severe pain in the abdomen and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. She had episodic abdominal pain for the past 6 months associated with abnormal menstrual cycles. She had acutely raised blood pressure. She had urine was orange-pink in color, which led us to suspect a diagnosis of AIP. A urine examination confirmed the presence of porphobilinogen. On genetic testing, a pathogenic missense variation (c.518G>A) in exon 9 of the hydroxymethylbilane synthase (+) gene, which is autosomal dominant, was detected, which confirmed the diagnosis.

Management:

Seizures were treated with lorazepam and levetiracetam. Hypertension was managed with labetalol infusion followed by amlodipine. Tramadol was given for severe pain abdomen. Persistent severe hyponatremia (serum sodium 104 mEq/L) was initially managed with normal saline 3% saline and later, with fluids restriction.

Conclusion:

The diagnosis of AIP should be suspected, especially in pubertal girls who present more than once with persistent symptoms of acute abdomen, vomiting, hypertension, or symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle.
Defining the end point of drug therapy in tuberculosis of spine: Analysis of 76 cases in a tertiary care centre
Authors: Bhargava Aayush , Arora Rajesh , Dhammi Ish Kumar , Yadav Manish , Haq Rehan-Ul , Jain Anil K
Published: February 2024

Background:

The duration of chemotherapy for the tubercular spine is an unresolved issue. Various drug regimens have been used for various durations.

Objectives:

(1) To calculate the duration of antitubercular therapy (ATT) for achieving the healed status of the tubercular spine, (2) to report the behavior of kyphotic deformity, and (3) outcome of neurological deficit.

Materials and Methods:

This longitudinal descriptive study included 76 cases of tubercular spine diagnosed on clinico-imaging and/or on histopathology/molecular tests. They were treated as per the DOTS regime. Surgery was done for predetermined indications. ATT was stopped once healed status was demonstrated on CE-MRI/PET-CT. Kyphotic deformity was measured by modified Konstam’s method, and neurological grading was assessed by Tuli’s grading.

Results:

The mean duration of healing was 20.08 ± 8.09 months (range 9–48 months) in primary spinal TB with no recurrence after the mean follow-up of 15 months (range 3–108 months). Overall, 92.6% showed good neural outcomes at the final follow-up. Mean kyphotic deformity was found to be 16.75° ± 12.23°, 18.78° ± 12.62°, and 18.78° ± 12.53° at presentation, after stopping ATT and at the final follow-up.

Conclusion:

It is unscientific to stop ATT in spinal TB till healed status is demonstrated by contrast-enhanced MRI or PET-CT. Although the sample size is small, the data is enough to prove this point that if all patients were treated till healed status was achieved, there would be no recurrence.
An analysis of maxillary anterior teeth dimensions for the existence of golden proportion in the representative North Indian population
Authors: Handa Aashish , Bhullar Kanwalpreet Kaur , Sandhu Roohan Malhar
Published: February 2024

Context:

Esthetic appearance of the face is a major concern in self-image among the majority of the population. The dimensions, anatomy, and arrangement of maxillary anterior are the key factors in the esthetic appearance of the face.

Aim:

The present study aimed to measure the mesiodistal dimensions of maxillary anterior teeth and analyzing the golden proportion in the representative North Indian population.

Materials and Methods:

Subjects were seated in the upright position in a dental clinical chair. A digital Vernier caliper was used to record the mesiodistal dimensions of central incisors (CIs), lateral incisor (LI), and canine (C) teeth in maximum smile position. A total of three sets of recordings were made by a single observer to avoid the measurement bias of both left and right sides of teeth. Digital images were also captured. Obtained measurements were used for the calculation of ratios and statistical analysis was done.

Results:

The prevalence of golden ratio between right CI/LI was observed in 3.1% males and 3.2% females. The calculated median ratio was 1.2 for males and 1.3 for females which differs significantly (P > 0.05) from the golden ratio. The divine proportion between visible portion of right C/LI was seen in 39.5% males and 32.3% females with calculated median value for males being 0.6 and that for females was 0.7.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of golden proportion between the CI/LI in esthetically pleasing smiles was too small (mean-3.9 in males and 2.75 in females) while the golden ratio of 0.6 was found in the majority of the population irrespective of the gender.
The incidence of dental fractures in the Italian population during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study
Authors: Abdellatif Dina , Iandolo Alfredo , Pisano Massimo , Fornara Roberto , Sangiovanni Giuseppe , Amato Massimo
Published: February 2024

Background:

The COVID-19 infection has become a pandemic after breaking out in China in the past months of 2019 and spreading rapidly worldwide. To counter this pandemic, several governments worldwide have taken several drastic measures to try to stop the spread of the virus, including a very strict lockdown that has caused a sudden and, in many cases, negative change in people’s daily lives. In the literature, several studies have shown how the pandemic has significantly impaired many people’s mental health, causing short- and long-term stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

Introduction:

This study aims to analyze the correlation between the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the parafunctions of the temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles, which in turn, have led to an increase in the incidence of fractures and dental injuries. The ultimate goal is to understand the best choice the dentist must make in the preventive and therapeutic fields.

Materials and Methods:

A questionnaire called “Incidence of tooth fractures during the COVID-19 pandemic” was prepared using the Google® Forms platform. This questionnaire consists of 13 questions. This electronic questionnaire was addressed to all dentists in the Campania Region (ITA) and disseminated through social networks such as WhatsApp® or Facebook® or E-mail.

Results:

A total of 730 dentists completed the survey. Of these, 450 (61.7%) stated that the number of patients reporting muscle and joint pain in the morning had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. 414 (56.7%) dentists noted an increase in parafunction and 392 (53.6%) an increase in dental fractures during the pandemic period.

Discussion and Conclusions:

As can be seen from the study results, an important correlation was found between the stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and dental fractures. The dental elements treated endodontically, depending on the extent of the damage, require restoration, which is also the best preventive strategy in the case of dental fractures.
An in vitro comparison of calcium ions release and diffusion ability of calcium hydroxide-based intracanal medicament in combination with three different vehicles like propolis, chitosan, and propylene glycol
Authors: Thomas Pinku T. , Issac Jyoti Sumi , Girija Parvathy , Chandran Lekshmi S. , Arjun D. S. , Siddik A. J.
Published: February 2024

Context:

Calcium hydroxide, which is an intracanal medicament, is widely used in endodontics. Improvements can be made to its effectiveness, as calcium hydroxide is dependent on the vehicle.

Aim:

The study aims to compare and evaluate the release and diffusion ability of calcium hydroxide when mixed with – propolis, chitosan, and propylene glycol.

Methods:

For this study, 33 single-rooted extracted premolar teeth have been decoronated. After the working length and enlargement of the canals had been established, different preparations of calcium hydroxide with vehicles such as propolis, chitosan, and propylene glycol were loaded into the canals. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to analyze the release of calcium ions in three groups, while a digital pH meter was used to determine an acid change.

Results:

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed sustained releases of calcium ions and the digital pH meter showed increased diffusion capacity in the propylene glycol paste group in comparison to the other two groups.

Conclusion:

Propylene glycol vehicle made it easier to enter calcium hydroxide into the dentinal tubules.