Search results for: diagnostics of extremist manifestations

Authors: Suruchi Shukla, Shantanu Prakash, Amita Jain

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Introduction: Arboviral diseases are one of the most common causes of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). Of which, Dengue and Chikungunya pose a significant health problem in India. Arbovirus has a tendency to cross the territories and emerge in the new region. Considering the above issues, in the current study active surveillance was conducted among viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) cases reported from Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. We studied the arboviral etiology of VHF; mainly Dengue, Chikungunya, and ZIKA. Methods: Clinical samples of 465 suspected VHF cases referred to tertiary care referral center of UP, India were enrolled in the study during a period from 15th May 2016 to 9th March 2018. Serum specimens were collected and analyzed for the presence of Dengue, Chikungunya, and ZIKA either by serology and/or by molecular assays. Results: Of all tested, 165 (35.4%) cases were positive for either Dengue or Chikungunya. Dengue (21.2%) was found to be the most prevalent, followed by Chikungunya, (6.6%). None of the cases tested positive for ZIKA virus. Serum samples of 35 (7.5%) cases were positive for both Dengue and Chikungunya. DEN-2 serotype was the most predominant serotype. Phylogenetic and sequence analysis of DEN-2 strains showed 100% clustering with the Cosmopolitan genotype strain. Bleeding from several sites, jaundice, abdominal pain, arthralgia, haemoconcentration, and thrombocytopenia were significantly higher in dengue hemorrhagic cases. However, the rash was significantly more common in Chikungunya patients. Most of the Dengue and Chikungunya positive cases (Age group 6-40 years) were seen in post monsoon season (September to November). Conclusion: Only one-third of total VHF cases are positive for either Dengue/Chikungunya or both. This necessitates the screening of other etiologies capable of causing hemorrhagic manifestations.

Keywords: viral hemorrhagic fever, dengue, chikungunya, zika, India

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Authors: Sangwoo Oh, Jaewoo Kim, Dongmin Seo, Jaewon Park, Yongha Hwang, Sungkyu Seo

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Plasmonics has been regarded one of the most powerful bio-sensing modalities to evaluate bio-molecular interactions in real-time. However, most of the plasmonic sensing methods are based on labeling metallic nanoparticles, e.g. gold or silver, as optical modulation markers, which are non-recyclable and expensive. This plasmonic modulation can be usually achieved through various nano structures, e.g., nano-hole arrays. Among those structures, plasmonic lens has been regarded as a unique plasmonic structure due to its light focusing characteristics. In this study, we introduce a custom designed plasmonic lens array for bio-sensing, which was simulated by finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) approach and fabricated by top-down approach. In our work, we performed the FDTD simulations of various plasmonic lens designs for bacteria sensor, i.e., Samonella and Hominis. We optimized the design parameters, i.e., radius, shape, and material, of the plasmonic lens. The simulation results showed the change in the peak intensity value with the introduction of each bacteria and antigen i.e., peak intensity 1.8711 a.u. with the introduction of antibody layer of thickness of 15nm. For Salmonella, the peak intensity changed from 1.8711 a.u. to 2.3654 a.u. and for Hominis, the peak intensity changed from 1.8711 a.u. to 3.2355 a.u. This significant shift in the intensity due to the interaction between bacteria and antigen showed a promising sensing capability of the plasmonic lens. With the batch processing and bulk production of this nano scale design, the cost of biological sensing can be significantly reduced, holding great promise in the fields of clinical diagnostics and bio-defense.

Keywords: plasmonic lens, FDTD, fabrication, bacteria sensor, salmonella, hominis

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Authors: Silene Ten Seldam, Kiara Margarita Lu, Melina Nicole Kyranides

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Psychopathic traits are marked by a lack of empathy and an inability to maintain meaningful relationships. Yet little research has investigated differences in interpersonal relationships between primary and secondary psychopathic traits. Emotional contagion, the tendency to automatically mimic others’ facial expressions and movements, is a type of empathy contributing to relationship quality. Additionally, the motivating and pleasurable aspects of social interaction, social reward is integral to understanding relationships. Therefore, the current research investigated interpersonal relationships through relationship status, the quality of friendships, the susceptibility to positive (happiness, love) and negative (sadness, fear, anger) emotional contagion, and social reward. Recruited online, 389 participants between 18 and 76 years old (M = 33.61; of which 241 were female) completed self-report questionnaires assessing primary and secondary psychopathic traits, friendship, emotional contagion, and social rewards. Hierarchical multiple regression showed relationship status as a protective factor and that individuals with secondary psychopathic traits are less likely to be in a relationship. This study is the first to investigate emotional contagion with primary and secondary psychopathic traits. Emotional contagion for sadness predicted secondary psychopathic traits. Negative social potency (enjoying being cruel and antagonistic to others) predicted both primary and secondary traits. However, admiration and prosocial interactions only predicted primary psychopathic traits. Findings infer differences in maintaining relationships, regulating emotions, empathising with others through emotional contagion, and motivation to socially engage, perhaps due to each dimensions’distinct origins and manifestations.

Keywords: primary psychopathic traits, secondary psychopathic traits, interpersonal relationships, friendship, emotional contagion, social reward

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Authors: Laurence C. Hanes, Robert J. Stone

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Video games have reached a point of huge commercial success as well as wide familiarity with audiences both young and old. Much attention and research have also been directed towards serious games and their potential learning affordances. It is little surprise that the field of virtual heritage has taken a keen interest in using serious games to present cultural heritage information to users, with applications ranging from museums and cultural heritage institutions, to academia and research, to schools and education. Many researchers have already documented their efforts to develop and distribute virtual heritage serious games. Although attempts have been made to create classifications of the different types of virtual heritage games (somewhat akin to the idea of game genres), no formal taxonomy has yet been produced to define the different types of cultural heritage and historical information that can be presented through these games at a content level, and how the information can be manifested within the game. This study proposes such a taxonomy. First the informational content is categorized as heritage or historical, then further divided into tangible, intangible, natural, and analytical. Next, the characteristics of the manifestation within the game are covered. The means of manifestation, level of demonstration, tone, and focus are all defined and explained. Finally, the potential learning outcomes of the content are discussed. A demonstration of the taxonomy is then given by describing the informational content and corresponding manifestations within several examples of virtual heritage serious games as well as commercial games. It is anticipated that this taxonomy will help designers of virtual heritage serious games to think about and clearly define the information they are presenting through their games, and how they are presenting it. Another result of the taxonomy is that it will enable us to frame cultural heritage and historical information presented in commercial games with a critical lens, especially where there may not be explicit learning objectives. Finally, the results will also enable us to identify shared informational content and learning objectives between any virtual heritage serious and/or commercial games.

Keywords: informational content, serious games, taxonomy, virtual heritage

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Authors: Iveta Bryjova

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Recording of viscoelastic strain-vs-time curves with the aid of the suction method and a follow-up analysis, resulting into evaluation of standard viscoelastic parameters, is a significant technique for non-invasive contact diagnostics of mechanical properties of skin and assessment of its conditions, particularly in acute burns, hypertrophic scarring (the most common complication of burn trauma) and reconstructive surgery. For elimination of the skin thickness contribution, usable viscoelastic parameters deduced from the strain-vs-time curves are restricted to the relative ones (i.e. those expressed as a ratio of two dimensional parameters), like grosselasticity, net-elasticity, biological elasticity or Qu’s area parameters, in literature and practice conventionally referred to as R2, R5, R6, R7, Q1, Q2, and Q3. With the exception of parameters R2 and Q1, the remaining ones substantially depend on the position of inflection point separating the elastic linear and viscoelastic segments of the strain-vs-time curve. The standard algorithm implemented in commercially available devices relies heavily on the experimental fact that the inflection time comes about 0.1 sec after the suction switch-on/off, which depreciates credibility of parameters thus obtained. Although the Qu’s US 7,556,605 patent suggests a method of improving the precision of the inflection determination, there is still room for nonnegligible improving. In this contribution, a novel method of inflection point determination utilizing the advantageous properties of the Savitzky–Golay filtering is presented. The method allows computation of derivatives of smoothed strain-vs-time curve, more exact location of inflection and consequently more reliable values of aforementioned viscoelastic parameters. An improved applicability of the five inflection-dependent relative viscoelastic parameters is demonstrated by recasting a former study under the new method, and by comparing its results with those provided by the methods that have been used so far.

Keywords: Savitzky–Golay filter, scarring, skin, viscoelasticity

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Authors: Saulutė Juzelėnienė, Skirmantė Šarkauskienė

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In this paper, it is aimed to analyse the multimodal representations of the concepts of LOVE and PASSION in Lithuanian graphic novel “Gertrūda”, by Gerda Jord. The research is based on the earlier findings by Forceville (2005), Eerden (2009) as well as insights made by Shihara and Matsunaka (2009) and Kövecses (2000). The domains of target and source of LOVE and PASSION metaphors in comics are expressed by verbal and non-verbal cues. The analysis of non-verbal cues adopts the concepts of rune and indexes. A pictorial rune is a graphic representation of an object that does not exist in reality in comics, such as lines, dashes, text "balloons", and pictorial index – a graphically represented object of reality, a real symptom expressing a certain emotion, such as a wide smile, furrowed eyebrows, etc. Indexes are often hyperbolized in comics. The research revealed that most frequent source domains are CLOSINESS/UNITY, NATURAL/ PHYSICAL FORCE, VALUABLE OBJECT, PRESSURE. The target is the emotion of LOVE/PASSION which belongs to a more abstract domain of psychological experience. In this kind of metaphor, the picture can be interpreted as representing the emotion of happiness. Data are taken from Lithuanian comic books and Internet sites, where comics have been presented. The data and the analysis we are providing in this article aims to reveal that there are pictorial metaphors that manifest conceptual metaphors that are also expressed verbally and that methodological framework constructed for the analysis in the papers by Forceville at all is applicable to other emotions and culture specific pictorial manifestations.

Keywords: multimodal metaphor, conceptual metaphor, comics, graphic novel, concept of love/passion

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Authors: Christopher Dick

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While the translation of 'literal language' poses numerous challenges for the translator, the translation of 'figurative language' creates even more complicated issues. It has been only in the last several decades that scholars have attempted to propose theories of figurative language translation, including metaphor translation. Even less work has applied these theories to metaphoric translation in literary texts. And almost no work has linked an analysis of metaphors in translation with the recent scholarship on conceptual metaphors. A study of literature in translation must not only examine the inevitable shifts that occur as specific metaphors move from source language to target language but also analyze the ways in which these shifts impact conceptual metaphors and, ultimately, the text as a whole. Doing so contributes to on-going efforts to bridge the sometimes wide gulf between considerations of content and form in literary studies. This paper attempts to add to the body of scholarly literature on metaphor translation and the function of metaphor in a literary text. Specifically, the study examines the metaphoric expressions in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. First, the issue of Hemingway and metaphor is addressed. Next, the study examines the specific metaphors in the original novel in English and the German translations, first in Annemarie Horschitz’s 1928 German version and then in the recent Werner Schmitz 2013 translation. Hemingway’s metaphors, far from being random occurrences of figurative language, are linguistic manifestations of deeper conceptual metaphors that are central to an interpretation of the text. By examining the modifications that are made to these original metaphoric expressions as they are translated into German, one can begin to appreciate the shifts involved with metaphor translation. The translation of Hemingway’s metaphors into German represents significant metaphoric loss and shifting that subsequently shakes the important conceptual metaphors in the novel.

Keywords: Hemingway, Conceptual Metaphor, Translation, Stylistics

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Authors: Mulugeta K. Tefera, Xiaolong Yang, Jian Liu

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Detection and tracking of moving objects are very important in many application contexts such as detection and recognition of people, visual surveillance and automatic generation of video effect and so on. However, the task of detecting a real shape of an object in motion becomes tricky due to various challenges like dynamic scene changes, presence of shadow, and illumination variations due to light switch. For such systems, once the moving object is detected, tracking is also a crucial step for those applications that used in military defense, video surveillance, human computer interaction, and medical diagnostics as well as in commercial fields such as video games. In this paper, an object presents in dynamic background is detected using adaptive mixture of Gaussian based analysis of the video sequences. Then the detected moving object is tracked using the region based moving object tracking and inter-frame differential mechanisms to address the partial overlapping and occlusion problems. Firstly, the detection algorithm effectively detects and extracts the moving object target by enhancing and post processing morphological operations. Secondly, the extracted object uses region based moving object tracking and inter-frame difference to improve the tracking speed of real-time moving objects in different video frames. Finally, the plotting method was applied to detect the moving objects effectively and describes the object’s motion being tracked. The experiment has been performed on image sequences acquired both indoor and outdoor environments and one stationary and web camera has been used.

Keywords: background modeling, Gaussian mixture model, inter-frame difference, object detection and tracking, video surveillance

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Authors: I. Schäfer, B. Kohn, M. Volkmann, E. Müller

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Introduction: Blood-feeding arthropods transmit parasitic, bacterial, or viral pathogens to domestic animals and wildlife. Vector-borne infections are gaining significance due to the increase of travel, import of domestic animals from abroad, and the changing climate in Europe. Aims of the study: The main objective of this retrospective study was to assess the prevalence of vector-borne infections in cats in which a ‘Feline Travel Profile’ had been conducted. Material and Methods: This retrospective study included test results from cats for which a ‘Feline Travel Profile’ established by LABOKLIN had been requested by veterinarians between April 2012 and December 2019. This profile contains direct detection methods via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Hepatozoon spp. and Dirofilaria spp. as well as indirect detection methods via immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for Ehrlichia spp. and Leishmania spp. This profile was expanded to include an IFAT for Rickettsia spp. from July 2015 onwards. The prevalence of the different vector-borne infectious agents was calculated. Results: A total of 602 cats were tested using the ‘Feline Travel Profile’. Positive test results were as follows: Rickettsia spp. IFAT 54/442 (12.2%), Ehrlichia spp. IFAT 68/602 (11.3%), Leishmania spp. IFAT 21/602 (3.5%), Hepatozoon spp. PCR 51/595 (8.6%), and Dirofilaria spp. PCR 1/595 cats (0.2%). Co-infections with more than one pathogen could be detected in 22/602 cats. Conclusions: 170/602 cats (28.2%) were tested positive for at least one vector-borne pathogen. Infections with multiple pathogens could be detected in 3.7% of the cats. The data emphasizes the importance of considering vector-borne infections as potential differential diagnoses in cats.

Keywords: arthopod-transmitted infections, feline vector-borne infections, Germany, laboratory diagnostics

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Authors: Anandit Sachdev

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Auroville, a settlement in Tamil Nadu, India, is based on the principles of ‘human unity’as defined by Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo. The settlement was conceptualized on these principles by Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual partner Mirra Alfassa, known as ‘The Mother’ to the Aurovillians. In common perception, the settlement is an experiment in achieving ‘human unity’ through sustainable living. Since its inception in late 1960s, the settlement has attracted people from a variety of nationalities, each understanding, seeking, and rendering ‘human unity’ in their own unique way. This multiplicity of inhabitation has created and continues to create complex and layered human and more-than-human geographies, which are collectively understood as Auroville. This essay builds on these multiple narratives of local metaphysical and every inhabitation of spiritual and philosophical ideas of Sri Aurobindo as rendered in materiality by the Mother. The research aims to assess how theseforms of everyday spirituality conflict, interact, and engage with the principles of Auroville. The research further aims to understands how, if at all, the diverse landscapes of social, cultural, and infrastructural conflictssynthesizewhen perceived through the lens of spirituality. The research does so by detailing the different forms of the built environment which evoke the transcendental and its underlying processes. While doing so, it aims to understand how different manifestations of interiority within the Aurovillian landscape tie back to the self and its entanglements. By analysing the settlement through a spiritual lens, the research ultimately ties together questions relating to the built environment and ontology and asks how each facilitates a continuous synthesis with the other. Lastly, the paper enquires if these ongoing processes of synthesis of built space and ontological entanglements are what can be conceptualized as ‘human unity’ as perceived by Sri Aurobindo himself.

Keywords: sacrality, sacred, spirituality, philosophy, Indian philosophy, auroville, India

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Authors: V. Kuzhandai Velu, R. Ramesh

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Background and objectives: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity. Over the last decade, microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as a potential marker for detecting AMI. The current study evaluates the kinetics and importance of miRs in the differential diagnosis of ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and its correlation to conventional biomarkers and to predict the immediate outcome of AMI for arrhythmias and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Materials and Method: A total of 100 AMI patients were recruited for the study. Routine cardiac biomarker and miRNA levels were measured during diagnosis and serially at admission, 6, 12, 24, and 72hrs. The baseline biochemical parameters were analyzed. The expression of miRs was compared between STEMI and NSTEMI at different time intervals. Diagnostic utility of miR-1, miR-133, miR-208, and miR-499 levels were analyzed by using RT-PCR and with various diagnostics statistical tools like ROC, odds ratio, and likelihood ratio. Results: The miR-1, miR-133, and miR-499 showed peak concentration at 6 hours, whereas miR-208 showed high significant differences at all time intervals. miR-133 demonstrated the maximum area under the curve at different time intervals in the differential diagnosis of STEMI and NSTEMI which was followed by miR-499 and miR-208. Evaluation of miRs for predicting arrhythmia and LV dysfunction using admission sample demonstrated that miR-1 (OR = 8.64; LR = 1.76) and miR-208 (OR = 26.25; LR = 5.96) showed maximum odds ratio and likelihood respectively. Conclusion: Circulating miRNA showed a highly significant difference between STEMI and NSTEMI in AMI patients. The peak was much earlier than the conventional biomarkers. miR-133, miR-208, and miR-499 can be used in the differential diagnosis of STEMI and NSTEMI, whereas miR-1 and miR-208 could be used in the prediction of arrhythmia and LV dysfunction, respectively.

Keywords: myocardial infarction, cardiac biomarkers, microRNA, arrhythmia, left ventricular dysfunction

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Authors: Xu Yifei, Le Yining, Yang Qingluan, Tu Yanjie

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Objective: This study aims to investigate the distribution features of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes and syndrome elements in Epstein-Barr virus-associated diseases and then explores the relations between TCM syndromes or syndrome elements and laboratory indicators of Epstein-Barr virus-associated diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 70 patients with EBV infection was described. We assessed the diagnostic information and laboratory indicators of these patients from Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University between November 2017 and July 2019. The disease diagnosis and syndrome differentiation were based on the diagnostic criteria of EBV-associated diseases and the theory of TCM respectively. Confidence correlation analysis, logistic regression analysis, cluster analysis, and the Sankey diagram were used to analyze the correlation between the data. Results: The differentiation of the 4 primary TCM syndromes in the collected patients was correlated with the indexes of immune function, liver function, inflammation, and anemia, especially the relationship between Qifen syndrome and high lactic acid dehydrogenase level. The common 11 TCM syndrome elements were associated with the increased CD3+ T cell rate, low hemoglobin level, high procalcitonin level, high lactic acid dehydrogenase level, and low albumin level. Conclusion: The changes in immune function indexes, procalcitonin, and liver function-related indexes in patients with EBV-associated diseases were consistent with the evolution law of TCM syndromes. This study provides a reference for judging the pathological stages of these kinds of diseases, predicting their prognosis, and guiding subsequent treatment strategies based on TCM syndrome type.

Keywords: EBV-associated diseases, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, syndrome element, diagnostics

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Authors: Sukriti Sabharwal, Sonali Bhattar, Shikhar Saxena

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Introduction: COVID-19 molecular diagnostic laboratory is the cornerstone of the COVID-19 disease diagnosis as the patient’s treatment and management protocol depend on the molecular results. For this purpose, it is extremely important that the laboratory conducting these results adheres to the quality management processes to increase the accuracy and validity of the reports generated. We started our own molecular diagnostic setup at the onset of the pandemic. Therefore, we conducted this study to generate our quality management data to help us in improving on our weak points. Materials and Methods: A total of 14561 samples were evaluated by the retrospective observational method. The quality variables analysed were classified into pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical variables, and the results were presented in percentages. Results: Among the pre-analytical variables, sample leaking was the most common cause of the rejection of samples (134/14561, 0.92%), followed by non-generation of SRF ID (76/14561, 0.52%) and non-compliance to triple packaging (44/14561, 0.3%). The other pre-analytical aspects assessed were incomplete patient identification (17/14561, 0.11%), insufficient quantity of samples (12/14561, 0.08%), missing forms/samples (7/14561, 0.04%), samples in the wrong vials/empty VTM tubes (5/14561, 0.03%) and LIMS entry not done (2/14561, 0.01%). We are unable to obtain internal quality control in 0.37% of samples (55/14561). We also experienced two incidences of cross-contamination among the samples resulting in false-positive results. Among the post-analytical factors, a total of 0.07% of samples (11/14561) could not be dispatched within the stipulated time frame. Conclusion: Adherence to quality control processes is foremost for the smooth running of any diagnostic laboratory, especially the ones involved in critical reporting. Not only do the indicators help in keeping in check the laboratory parameters but they also allow comparison with other laboratories.

Keywords: laboratory quality management, COVID-19, molecular diagnostics, healthcare

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Authors: Mini P. Singh, Jagat Ram, Archit Kumar, Tripti Rungta, Jasmine Khurana, Amit Gupta, R. K. Ratho

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Introduction: Human adenovirus is the most common agent involved in viral conjunctivitis. The clinical manifestations vary with different serotypes. The identification of the circulating strains followed by phylogenetic analysis can be helpful in understanding the origin and transmission of the disease. The present study aimed to carry out molecular epidemiology of the adenovirus types in the patients with conjunctivitis presenting to the eye centre of a tertiary care hospital in North India. Materials and Methods: The conjunctival swabs were collected from 23 suspected adenoviral conjunctivitis patients between April-August, 2014 and transported in viral transport media. The samples were subjected to nested PCR targeting hexon gene of human adenovirus. The band size of 956bp was eluted and 8 representative positive samples were subjected to sequencing. The sequences were analyzed by using CLUSTALX2.1 and MEGA 5.1 software. Results: The male: female ratio was found to be 3.6:1. The mean age of presenting patients was 43.95 years (+17.2). Approximately 52.1% (12/23) of patients presented with bilateral involvement while 47.8% (11/23) with unilateral involvement of the eye. Human adenovirus DNA could be detected in 65.2% (15/23) of the patients. The phylogenetic analysis revealed presence of serotype 8 in 7 patients and serotype 4 in one patient. The serotype 8 sequences showed 99-100% identity with Tunisian, Indian and Japanese strains. The adenovirus serotype 4 strains had 100% identity with strains from Tunisia, China and USA. Conclusion: Human adenovirus was found be an important etiological agent for conjunctivitis in our set up. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the predominant circulating strains in our epidemic keratoconjunctivitis were serotypes 8 and 4.

Keywords: conjunctivitis, human adenovirus, molecular epidemiology, phylogenetics

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Authors: Shuji Fujimoto, Fumiko Kojima, Mika Shigematsu

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Biorisk management (Biosafety/Biosecurity) is required for anyone working in a clinical laboratory (including medical/clinical research laboratories) where infectious agents and potentially hazardous biological materials are examined/stored. Proper education and training based on international standards of biorisk management should be provided not only as a part of laboratory safety program in work place but also as a part of introductory training at educational institutions for continuity and to elevate overall baseline of the biorisk management. We reported results of the pilot study of biorisk management education for graduate students majored in laboratory diagnostics previously. However, postgraduate education is still late in their profession and the participants’ interview also revealed importance and demands of earlier biorisk management education for undergraduates. The aim of this study is to identify the need for biosafety/biosecurity education and training program which is designed for undergraduate students who are entering the profession in clinical microbiology. We modified the previous program to include more basic topics and explanations (risk management, principles of safe clinical lab practices, personal protective equipment, disinfection, disposal of biological substances) and provided incorporating in the routine educational system for faculty of medical sciences in Kyushu University. The results of the pre and post examinations showed that the knowledge of the students on biorisk control had developed effectively as a proof of effectiveness of the program even in the undergraduate students. Our study indicates that administrating the basic biorisk management program in the earlier stage of learning will add positive impact to the understanding of biosafety to the health professional education.

Keywords: biorisk management, biosafety, biosecurity, clinical microbiology, education for undergraduates

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Authors: N. G. Vepkhvadze, T. Enukidze

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Anthrax is a fatal disease caused by strains of Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming gram-positive bacillus that causes the disease anthrax in animals and humans. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is also well-recognized as a potential agent of bioterrorism. Infection in humans is extremely rare in the developed world and is generally due to contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. Testing of this zoonotic disease began in 1907 in Georgia and is still being tested routinely to provide accurate information and efficient testing results at the State Laboratory of Agriculture of Georgia. Each clinical sample is analyzed by RT-PCR and bacteriology methods; this study used Real-Time PCR assays for the detection of B. anthracis that rely on plasmid-encoded targets with a chromosomal marker to correctly differentiate pathogenic strains from non-anthracis Bacillus species. During the period of 2015-2022, the State Laboratory of Agriculture (SLA) tested 250 clinical and environmental (soil) samples from several different regions in Georgia. In total, 61 out of the 250 samples were positive during this period. Based on the results, Anthrax cases are mostly present in Eastern Georgia, with a high density of the population of livestock, specifically in the regions of Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli. All laboratory activities are being performed in accordance with International Quality standards, adhering to biosafety and biosecurity rules by qualified and experienced personnel handling pathogenic agents. Laboratory testing plays the largest role in diagnosing animals with anthrax, which helps pertinent institutions to quickly confirm a diagnosis of anthrax and evaluate the epidemiological situation that generates important data for further responses.

Keywords: animal disease, baccilus anthracis, edp, laboratory molecular diagnostics

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Authors: Samaneh Nabavi, Hadi Shirzad, Somayeh Khanjani, Shirin Jalili

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Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that exhibit intrinsic optical and electrical properties that are size dependent due to the quantum confinement effect. Quantum confinement is brought about by the fact that in bulk semiconductor material the electronic structure consists of continuous bands, and that as the size of the semiconductor material decreases its radius becomes less than the Bohr exciton radius (the distance between the electron and electron-hole) and discrete energy levels result. As a result QDs have a broad absorption range and a narrow emission which correlates to the band gap energy (E), and hence QD size. QDs can thus be tuned to give the desired wavelength of fluorescence emission.Due to their unique properties, QDs have attracted considerable attention in different scientific areas. Also, they have been considered for forensic applications in recent years. The ability of QDs to fluoresce up to 20 times brighter than available fluorescent dyes makes them an attractive nanomaterial for enhancing the visualization of latent fingermarks, or poorly developed fingermarks. Furthermore, the potential applications of QDs in the detection of nitroaromatic explosives, such as TNT, based on directive fluorescence quenching of QDs, electron transfer quenching process or fluorescence resonance energy transfer have been paid to attention. DNA analysis is associated tightly with forensic applications in molecular diagnostics. The amount of DNA acquired at a criminal site is inherently limited. This limited amount of human DNA has to be quantified accurately after the process of DNA extraction. Accordingly, highly sensitive detection of human genomic DNA is an essential issue for forensic study. QDs have also a variety of advantages as an emission probe in forensic DNA quantification.

Keywords: forensic science, quantum dots, DNA typing, explosive sensor, fingermark analysis

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Authors: William L. Whitehouse, Louisa H. Y. Lo, Andrew B. Kinghorn, Simon C. C. Shiu, Julian. A. Tanner

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C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase reactant and sensitive indicator for sepsis and other life-threatening pathologies, including systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Currently, clinical turn-around times for established CRP detection methods take between 30 minutes to hours or even days from centralized laboratories. Here, we report the development of an electrochemical biosensor using redox probe-tagged DNA aptamers functionalized onto cheap, commercially available screen-printed electrodes. Binding-induced conformational switching of the CRP-targeting aptamer induces a specific and selective signal-ON event, which enables single-step and reagentless detection of CRP in as little as 1 minute. The aptasensor dynamic range spans 5-1000nM (R=0.97) or 5-500nM (R=0.99) in 50% diluted human serum, with a LOD of 3nM, corresponding to 2-orders of magnitude sensitivity under the clinically relevant cut-off for CRP. The sensor is stable for up to one week and can be reused numerous times, as judged from repeated real-time dosing and dose-response assays. By decoupling binding events from the signal induction mechanism, structure-switching electrochemical aptamer-based sensors (SS-EABs) provide considerable advantages over their adsorption-based counterparts. Our work expands on the retinue of such sensors reported in the literature and is the first instance of an SS-EAB for reagentless CRP detection. We hope this study can inspire further investigations into the suitability of SS-EABs for diagnostics, which will aid translational R&D toward fully realized devices aimed at point-of-care applications or for use more broadly by the public.

Keywords: structure-switching, C-reactive protein, electrochemical, biosensor, aptasensor.

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Authors: Z. Abdollahi Biron, P. Pisu

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Connected vehicles are one of the promising technologies for future Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). A connected vehicle system is essentially a set of vehicles communicating through a network to exchange their information with each other and the infrastructure. Although this interconnection of the vehicles can be potentially beneficial in creating an efficient, sustainable, and green transportation system, a set of safety and reliability challenges come out with this technology. The first challenge arises from the information loss due to unreliable communication network which affects the control/management system of the individual vehicles and the overall system. Such scenario may lead to degraded or even unsafe operation which could be potentially catastrophic. Secondly, faulty sensors and actuators can affect the individual vehicle’s safe operation and in turn will create a potentially unsafe node in the vehicular network. Further, sending that faulty sensor information to other vehicles and failure in actuators may significantly affect the safe operation of the overall vehicular network. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to take these issues into consideration while designing the control/management algorithms of the individual vehicles as a part of connected vehicle system. In this paper, we consider a connected vehicle system under Co-operative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) and propose a fault diagnosis scheme that deals with these aforementioned challenges. Specifically, the conventional CACC algorithm is modified by adding a Kalman filter-based estimation algorithm to suppress the effect of lost information under unreliable network. Further, a sliding mode observer-based algorithm is used to improve the sensor reliability under faults. The effectiveness of the overall diagnostic scheme is verified via simulation studies.

Keywords: fault diagnostics, communication network, connected vehicles, packet drop out, platoon

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Authors: Yilin Ma, Zhaomiao Liu, Xiang Wang, Yan Pang

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Microscale droplets play an increasingly important role in various applications, including medical diagnostics, material synthesis, chemical engineering, and cell research due to features of high surface-to-volume ratio and tiny scale, which can significantly improve reaction rates, enhance heat transfer efficiency, enable high-throughput parallel studies as well as reduce reagent usage. As a mature technique to manipulate small amounts of liquids, droplet microfluidics could achieve the precise control of droplet parameters such as size, uniformity, structure, and thus has been widely adopted in the engineering and scientific research of multiple fields. Necking processes of the droplet in the cross junction microchannels are experimentally and theoretically investigated and dynamic mechanisms of the neck thinning in two different regimes are revealed. According to evolutions of the minimum neck width and the thinning rate, the necking process is further divided into different stages and the main driving force during each stage is confirmed. Effects of the flow rates and the cross-sectional aspect ratio on the necking process as well as the neck profile at different stages are provided in detail. The distinct features of the two regimes in the squeezing stage are well captured by the theoretical estimations of the effective flow rate and the variations of the actual flow rates in different channels are reasonably reflected by the channel width ratio. In the collapsing stage, the quantitative relation between the minimum neck width and the remaining time is constructed to identify the physical mechanism.

Keywords: cross junction, neck thinning, force analysis, inertial mechanism

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Authors: Kamilya Khamitova

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This study analyzes the overarching theme of obsession as portrayed through the two protagonists, Humbert Humbert and Kemal, in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita and Orhan Pamuk's The Museum of Innocence through the lens of Freudian psychoanalytical theory of “transference.” Their obsessions are channeled into various forms of artistic expression following the loss of their beloved Lolita and Füsun. Employing psychoanalytical literary criticism, firmly grounded in the classical era of psychoanalysis, as pioneered by Sigmund Freud, this research explores the characters' psyches, revealing the concealed desires, conflicts, and symbolic manifestations within their relentless obsessions. The aim of this study is to unravel the psychological complexities of obsession, shedding light on the motivations and behaviors of Humbert and Kemal within the context of their respective narratives. Methodologically, this research employs close textual analysis of the novels, dissecting the protagonists' thoughts, actions, and artistic expressions. Through the lens of Freud's fundamental concept of “transference,” this analysis uncovers the protagonists' mechanisms of projecting their desires onto unattainable objects of desire—Lolita and Füsun. Humbert's pursuit of Lolita mirrors his unresolved emotional traumas and attempts to recapture the lost object of his childhood. In contrast, Kemal's fixation on Füsun is a desperate desire to fill an existential void, address a sense of inadequacy, and construct a semblance of immortality through the meticulous preservation of his memories with her. By adopting a psychoanalytic lens, this research provides a richer understanding of the characters, themes, and symbolism inherent in their artistic expressions of devotion.

Keywords: artistic expression, psychoanalysis of obsession, Sigmund Freud, transference

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Authors: Nkatow Mafany Christian

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No other period in human history has offered such great opportunities for grievances not only to last long but also to be manifested across international boundaries. This state of affairs is likely a common feature of the advent of social media. The Anglophone Question in Cameroon has been a problem of poor constitutional arrangements that can be traced to 1961 when the former French Cameroon reunified with former British Southern Cameroons following a plebiscite in which the latter overwhelmingly voted to reunify with the former. Though Southern/Anglophone Cameroons complained of perceived marginalization and an attempt by the majority French section to assimilate them, the manifestation was subtle and took place only through protests, petitions, strikes movements and demonstrations. However, with the advent of social media, a new cream of leaders emerged in the diaspora, including the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, to champion the manifestations leading to violence and conflicts that have bedeviled the region since 2017. The feeling of political subjugation, economic exploitation, social suppression and cultural assimilation among Anglophone Cameroonians united them under diaspora leaders against the government of Cameroon, calling for the creation of a separate state for Anglophones. This paper draws from this lead-up to analyze the current Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon in the light of the Grievance Theory and Transnationalism. The paper makes an appeal to field experience, interviews, official sources, documentation, and the internet to succor its central thesis. From the fertility of its sources, the paper submits that social media is a potent source of conflicts and makes nonsense of the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity by its capacity to promote the transnational manifestation of grievances.

Keywords: grievance, transnationalism, anglophone crisis, Cameroon, crisis and social media

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Authors: Mohamed H. Kosba, Heba A. Ibrahim, H. Rozita

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Statement of the Problem: The life expectancy for transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients has increased dramatically with iron-chelation therapy and other modern management modalities. In these patients, the most dominant maxillofacial manifestations are protrusion of zygomatic bones and premaxilla due to the hyperplasia of bone marrow. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs according to the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) among Malay transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients. Orientation: This is a cross-sectional study consist of 43 Malay transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients, 22 males, and 19 females with the mean age of 15.9 years old (SD 3.58). The subjects were selected randomly from patients attending Paediatrics and Internal Medicine Clinic at Hospital USM and Hospital Sultana Bahiyah. The subjects were assessed for malocclusion according to Angle’s classification, and orthodontic treatment needs using DAI. The results show that 22 of the subjects (51.1%) have class II malocclusion, 12 subjects (28%) have class І, while 9 subjects (20.9%) have class Ⅲ. The assessment of orthodontic treatment needs to reveal 22 cases (51.1%) fall in the normal/minor needs category, 12 subjects (28%) fall in the severe and very severe category, while 9 subjects (20.9%) fall in the definite category. Conclusion & Significance: Half of Malay transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients have Class Ⅱmalocclusion. About 28% had malocclusion and required orthodontic treatment. This research shows that Malay transfusion-dependent thalassemia may require orthodontic management; earlier intervention to reduce the complexity of the treatment later, suggesting functional appliance as a suitable treatment option for them, a twin block appliance together with headgear to restrict maxillary growth suggested for management. The current protocol implemented by the Malaysian Ministry of Health for the management of these patients seems to be sufficient since the result shows that about 28% require orthodontic treatment need, according to DAI.

Keywords: prevalence, DAI, thalassaemia, angle classification

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Authors: Shrabani Ghosh

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Automatic offensive language detection in social media has become a stirring task in today's NLP. Manual Offensive language detection is tedious and laborious work where automatic methods based on machine learning are only alternatives. Previous works have done sentiment analysis over social media in different ways such as supervised, semi-supervised, and unsupervised manner. Domain adaptation in a semi-supervised way has also been explored in NLP, where the source domain and the target domain are different. In domain adaptation, the source domain usually has a large amount of labeled data, while only a limited amount of labeled data is available in the target domain. Pretrained transformers like BERT, RoBERTa models are fine-tuned to perform text classification in an unsupervised manner to perform further pre-train masked language modeling (MLM) tasks. In previous work, hate speech detection has been explored in Gab.ai, which is a free speech platform described as a platform of extremist in varying degrees in online social media. In domain adaptation process, Twitter data is used as the source domain, and Gab data is used as the target domain. The performance of domain adaptation also depends on the cross-domain similarity. Different distance measure methods such as L2 distance, cosine distance, Maximum Mean Discrepancy (MMD), Fisher Linear Discriminant (FLD), and CORAL have been used to estimate domain similarity. Certainly, in-domain distances are small, and between-domain distances are expected to be large. The previous work finding shows that pretrain masked language model (MLM) fine-tuned with a mixture of posts of source and target domain gives higher accuracy. However, in-domain performance of the hate classifier on Twitter data accuracy is 71.78%, and out-of-domain performance of the hate classifier on Gab data goes down to 56.53%. Recently self-supervised learning got a lot of attention as it is more applicable when labeled data are scarce. Few works have already been explored to apply self-supervised learning on NLP tasks such as sentiment classification. Self-supervised language representation model ALBERTA focuses on modeling inter-sentence coherence and helps downstream tasks with multi-sentence inputs. Self-supervised attention learning approach shows better performance as it exploits extracted context word in the training process. In this work, a self-supervised attention mechanism has been proposed to detect hate speech on Gab.ai. This framework initially classifies the Gab dataset in an attention-based self-supervised manner. On the next step, a semi-supervised classifier trained on the combination of labeled data from the first step and unlabeled data. The performance of the proposed framework will be compared with the results described earlier and also with optimized outcomes obtained from different optimization techniques.

Keywords: attention learning, language model, offensive language detection, self-supervised learning

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Authors: Kyunghun Kang, Sangwoo Oh, Yongha Hwang

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PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane)-based microfluidic device has been recently applied to area of biomedical research, tissue engineering, and diagnostics because PDMS is low cost, nontoxic, optically transparent, gas-permeable, and especially biocompatible. Generally, PDMS microfluidic devices are fabricated by conventional soft lithography. Microfabrication requires expensive cleanroom facilities and a lot of time; however, only two-dimensional or simple three-dimensional structures can be fabricated. In this study, we introduce fabricating method for complex three-dimensional microfluidic channels using soluble wax mold. Using the 3D printing technique, we firstly fabricated three-dimensional mold which consists of soluble wax material. The PDMS pre-polymer is cast around, followed by PDMS casting and curing. The three-dimensional casting mold was removed from PDMS by chemically dissolved with methanol and acetone. In this work, two preliminary experiments were carried out. Firstly, the solubility of several waxes was tested using various solvents, such as acetone, methanol, hexane, and IPA. We found the combination between wax and solvent which dissolves the wax. Next, side effects of the solvent were investigated during the curing process of PDMS pre-polymer. While some solvents let PDMS drastically swell, methanol and acetone let PDMS swell only 2% and 6%, respectively. Thus, methanol and acetone can be used to dissolve wax in PDMS without any serious impact. Based on the preliminary tests, three-dimensional PDMS microfluidic channels was fabricated using the mold which was printed out using 3D printer. With the proposed fabricating technique, PDMS-based microfluidic devices have advantages of fast prototyping, low cost, optically transparence, as well as having complex three-dimensional geometry. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by Supported by a Korea University Grant and Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF).

Keywords: microfluidic channel, polydimethylsiloxane, 3D printing, casting

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Authors: Omer Altaf, Liam Wotherspoon, Rolando Orense

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The Wairau Plains are located in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand, with alluvial deposits of fine-grained silts and sands combined with low-lying topography suggesting the presence of liquefiable deposits over significant portions of the region. Liquefaction manifestations were observed in past earthquakes, including the 1848 Marlborough and 1855 Wairarapa earthquakes, and more recently during the 2013 Lake Grassmere and 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes. Therefore, a good understanding of the deposits that may be susceptible to liquefaction is important for land use planning in the region and to allow developers and asset owners to appropriately address their risk. For this purpose, multiple approaches have been employed to develop regional-scale maps showing the liquefaction vulnerability categories for the region. After applying semi-qualitative criteria linked to geologic age and deposit type, the higher resolution surface mapping of geomorphologic characteristics encompassing the Wairau River and the Opaoa River was used for screening. A detailed basin geologic model developed for groundwater modelling was analysed to provide a higher level of resolution than the surface-geology based classification. This is used to identify the thickness of near-surface gravel deposits, providing an improved understanding of the presence or lack of potentially non-liquefiable crust deposits. This paper describes the methodology adopted for this project and focuses on the influence of geomorphic characteristics and analysis of the detailed geologic basin model on the liquefaction classification of the Lower Wairau Plains.

Keywords: liquefaction, earthquake, cone penetration test, mapping, liquefaction-induced damage

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Authors: Hyun-jin Kim, Gumgyung Gu, Dae-Hyun Ko, Woochang Lee, Sail Chun, Won-Ki Min

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Background: Ovarian carcinoma is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. HE4, a novel marker for ovarian cancer could be used for monitoring recurrence or progression of disease in patients with invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma. It is further intended to be used in conjunction with CA 125 to estimate the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in women presenting with an adnexal mass. In this study, we aim to evaluate the analytical performance and clinical utility of HE4 assay using Architect i 2000SR(Abbott Diagnostics, USA). Methods: The precision was evaluated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI) EP5 guideline. Three levels of control materials were analyzed twice a day in duplicate manner over 20 days. We calculated within run and total coefficient of variation (CV) at each level of control materials. The linearity was evaluated based on CLSI EP6 guideline. Five levels of calibrator were prepared by mixing high and low level of calibrators. For 43 women with adnexal masses, HE4 and CA 125 were measured and Risk of ovarian malignancy (ROMA) scores were calculated. The patients’ medical records were reviewed to determine the clinical utility of HE4 and ROMA score. Results: In a precision study, the within-run and total CV were 2.0 % and 2.3% for low level of control material, 1.9% and 2.4% for medium level and 0.5 % and 1.1% for high level, respectively. The linear range of HE4 was 14.63 to 1475.15pmol/L. Of the 43 patients, two patients in pre-menopausal group showed the ROMA score above the cut-off level (7.3%). One of them showed CA 125 level within the reference range, while the HE4 was higher than the cut-off. Conclusion: The overall analytical performance of HE4 assay using Architect showed high precision and good linearity within clinically important range. HE4 could be an useful marker for managing patients with adnexal masses.

Keywords: HE4, CA125, ROMA, evaluation, performance

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Authors: Nasrud Din, Fawad Saeed, Sajid Hussain, Rai Muhammad Dawoo, Qasim Khan, Lei Wei

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The continuously increasing external quantum efficiencies of Perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have received significant interest in the scientific community. The need for monitoring and medical diagnostics has experienced a steady growth in recent years, primarily caused by older people and an increasing number of heart attacks, tumors, and cancer disorders among patients. The application of Perovskite near-infrared light-emitting diode (PeNIRLEDs) has exhibited considerable efficacy in bioimaging, particularly in the visualization and examination of blood arteries, blood clots, and tumors. PeNIRLEDs exhibit exciting potential in the field of blood vessel imaging because of their advantageous attributes, including improved depth penetration and less scattering in comparison to visible light. In this study, we synthesized FAPbI₃ Perovskite doped with different concentrations of 5-Aminovaleric acid (5-AVA) 1-6 mg. The incorporation of 5-AVA as a dopant during the FAPbI₃ Perovskite formation influences the FAPbI3 Perovskite’s structural and optical properties. While improving the FAPbI3 Perovskite’s stability, photoluminescence efficiency, and charge transport characteristics. We found a resulting PL emission peak wavelength of 850 nm and bandwidth of 44 nm, along with a calculated quantum yield of 75%. The incorporation of 5-AVA-modified FAPbI₃ Perovskite into LEDs will show promising results, enhancing device efficiency, color purity, and stability. Making it suitable for various medical applications, including subcutaneous deep vein imaging, blood flow visualization, and tumor illumination.

Keywords: FAPbI₃ perovskite, near-infrared light-emitting diode, bioimaging, blood flow visualization, radiance, light-emitting diode (LED).

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Authors: Mariya Dzhyoyeva

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In the present paper, I examine manifestations of toxic masculinity in the novels by Tomás Eloy Martínez, a post-Boom author, journalist, literary critic, and one of the representatives of the Argentine writing diaspora. I focus on the analysis of Martínez´s characters that display hypermasculine traits to define the relationship between toxic masculinity and power, including the power of authorship and violence as they are represented in his novels. The analysis reveals a complex network in which gender, power, and violence are intertwined and influence and modify each other. As the author exposes toxic masculine behaviors that generate violence, he looks to undermine them. Departing from M. Kimmel´s idea of masculinity as homophobia, I examine how Martínez “outs” his characters by incorporating into the narrative some secret, privileged sources that provide alternative accounts of their otherwise hypermasculine lives. These background stories expose their “weaknesses,” both physical and mental, and thereby feminize them in their own eyes. In a similar way, the toxic masculinity of the fictional male author that wields his power by abusing the written word as he abuses the female character in the story is exposed as a complex of insecurities accumulated by the character due to his childhood trauma. The artistic technique that Martínez uses to condemn the authoritarian male behavior is accessing his subjectivity and subverting it through a multiplicity of identities. Martínez takes over the character’s “I” and turns it into a host of pronouns with a constantly shifting point of reference that distorts not only the notions of gender but also the very notion of identity. In doing so, he takes the character´s affirmation of masculinity to the limit where the very idea of it becomes unsustainable. Viewed in the context of Martínez´s own exilic story, the condemnation of toxic masculine power turns into the condemnation of dictatorship and authoritarianism.

Keywords: gender, masculinity., toxic masculinity, authoritarian, Argentine literature, Martínez

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Authors: Muhammad A. Ashraf, Scott Steinmetz, Matthew J. Dunn, Assaad R. Masri

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This study focuses on the evolution of soot and soot precursors in three different piloted diffusion turbulent flames. The fuel composition is as follow flame A (ethylene/nitrogen, 2:3 by volume), flame B (ethylene/air, 2:3 by volume), and flame C (pure methane). These flames are stabilized using a 4mm diameter jet surrounded by a pilot annulus with an outer diameter of 15 mm. The pilot issues combustion products from stoichiometric premixed flames of hydrogen, acetylene, and air. In all cases, the jet Reynolds number is 10,000, and air flows in the coflow stream at a velocity of 5 m/s. Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) is collected at two wavelength bands in the visible (445 nm) and UV regions (266 nm) along with laser-induced incandescence (LII). The combined results are employed to study concentration, size, and growth of soot and precursors. A set of four fast photo-multiplier tubes are used to record emission data in temporal domain. A 266nm laser pulse preferentially excites smaller nanoparticles which emit a fluorescence spectrum which is analysed to track the presence, evolution, and destruction of nanoparticles. A 1064nm laser pulse excites sufficiently large soot particles, and the resulting incandescence is collected at 1064nm. At downstream and outer radial locations, intermittency becomes a relevant factor. Therefore, data collected in turbulent flames is conditioned to account for intermittency so that the resulting mean profiles for scattering, fluorescence, and incandescence are shown for the events that contain traces of soot. It is found that in the upstream regions of the ethylene-air and ethylene-nitrogen flames, the presence of soot precursors is rather similar. However, further downstream, soot concentration grows larger in the ethylene-air flames.

Keywords: laser induced incandescence, laser induced fluorescence, soot, nanoparticles

Procedia PDF Downloads 128