Search results for: methods of Lagrange multipliers

Authors: AliAkbar Hafezi, Jahanbakhsh Asadi, Majid Shahbazi, Alijan Tabarraei, Nader Mansour Samaei, Hamed Sheibak, Roghaye Gharaei

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Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. In most cancer cells, apoptosis is blocked. As for the importance of apoptosis in cancer cell death and the role of different genes in its induction or inhibition, the search for compounds that can begin the process of apoptosis in tumor cells is discussed as a new strategy in anticancer drug discovery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Naringenin (NGEN) on the apoptosis in the T47D cell line of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study in vitro, the T47D cell line of breast cancer was selected as a sample. The cells at 24, 48, and 72 hours were treated with doses of 20, 200, and 1000 µm of Naringenin. Then, the transcription levels of the genes involved in apoptosis, including Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase 3, Caspase 8, Caspase 9, P53, PARP-1, and FAS, were assessed using Real Time-PCR. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0. Results: The results showed that Naringenin at doses of 20, 200, and 1000 µm in all three times of 24, 48, and 72 hours increased the expression of Caspase 3, P53, PARP-1 and FAS and reduced the expression of Bcl-2 and increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, nevertheless in none of the studied doses and times, had not a significant effect on the expression of Bax, Caspase 8 and Caspase 9. Conclusion: This study indicates that Naringenin can reduce the growth of some cancer cells and cause their deaths through increased apoptosis and decreased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene expression and, resulting in the induction of apoptosis via both internal and external pathways.

Keywords: apoptosis, breast cancer, naringenin, T47D cell line

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Authors: Iyagbaye O. Rich, Omoigberale O. Michael, Iyagbaye A. Louis

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The physical, chemical parameters and some trace contents of Ugbogui in Edo State, Nigeria were investigated from August 2015 to April 2016. Four stations were studied from upstream to downstream using standard methods. A total of thirty-three (33) physical and chemical characteristics and trace metal contents were examined; Air and water temperatures, depth, transparency, colour, turbidity, flow velocity, pH, total alkalinity, conductivity and dissolved solids etc. Other includes dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation, biochemical oxygen demand, chloride, phosphate, sodium, nitrate, sulphate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, vanadium and chromium. Eleven (11) parameters exhibited clear seasonal variations. However, there were high significant differences (p < 0.01) in the values of depth, colour, total suspended solid, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, sulphate, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chromium and cadmium among the stations. The anthropogenic activities had negatively impacted at station 3 of the river, although most of the recorded values were still within permissible limits.

Keywords: anthropogenic activities, Nigeria, permissible limits, physical and chemical parameters, trace metal, water quality

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Authors: Tomas Trainys, Algimantas Venckauskas

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Application of biometric features to the cryptography for human identification and authentication is widely studied and promising area of the development of high-reliability cryptosystems. Biometric cryptosystems typically are designed for patterns recognition, which allows biometric data acquisition from an individual, extracts feature sets, compares the feature set against the set stored in the vault and gives a result of the comparison. Preprocessing and fusion of biometric data are the most important phases in generating a feature vector for key generation or authentication. Fusion of biometric features is critical for achieving a higher level of security and prevents from possible spoofing attacks. The paper focuses on the tasks of initial processing and fusion of multiple representations of finger vein modality patterns. These tasks are solved by applying conventional image preprocessing methods and machine learning techniques, Convolutional Neural Network (SVM) method for image segmentation and feature extraction. An article presents a method for generating sets of biometric features from a finger vein network using several instances of the same modality. Extracted features sets were fused at the feature level. The proposed method was tested and compared with the performance and accuracy results of other authors.

Keywords: bio-cryptography, biometrics, cryptographic key generation, data fusion, information security, SVM, pattern recognition, finger vein method.

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Authors: Zahid Shafiq, Li Liu, Dong Wang, Yong-Jun Chen

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As synthetic organic methods are increasingly concerned with the growing importance of sustainable chemistry, iodine recently has emerged as an inexpensive, non-toxic, readily available and environmentally benign catalyst for various organic transformations to afford the corresponding products in high yields with high regio- and chemoselectivity. Iodine has found widespread applications in various organic synthesis such as Michael addition, coupling reaction and also in the multicomponent synthesis where it can efficiently activate C=C, C=O, C=N, and so forth. Iodine not only has been shown to be an efficient mild Lewis acid in various processes, but also due to its moderate nature, and water tolerance, reactions catalyzed by iodine can be effectively carried out in neutral media under very mild conditions. We have successfully described an efficient procedure for the nucleophilic substitution of the Baylis-Hillman (BH) adducts and their corresponding acetates with indoles to get α-substitution product using catalytic Silver Triflate (AgOTf) as Lewis acid. At this point, we were interested to develop an environmentally benign catalytic system to effect this substitution reaction and to avoid the use of metal Lewis acid as a catalyst. Since, we observed the formation of -product during the course of the reaction, we also became interested to explore the reaction conditions in order to control regioselectivity and to obtain both regioisomers. The developed methodology resulted in regioselective substitution products with controlled selectivity. Further, the substitution products were used to synthesize various Tri- and Tetracyclo Azepino indole derivatives via reductive amination.

Keywords: indole, regioselective, Baylis-Hillman, substitution

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Authors: Mohhamed El Habib Labdouni

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Introduction: Co-infection with VIH and tuberculosis poses one of the major ongoing challenges for global TB and AIDS prevention and control. The objective of this study is to raise the issue of the resurgence of TB, in People living with VIH supported in a referent center in western Algeria. Its epidemiological, clinical, biological and radiological new trends, and to compare the mortality rate between early and delayed ART. Methods: It was a prospective study, during 36 months from the 01st/01/2012 to 31st/12/2014, by identifying and analyzing cases of TB-VIH co-infection. Our population was devised in two groups/ early ART and delayed ART. The primary and secondary endpoints were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test the period of follow up, which was fixed at 300 weeks. Results: Sixty cases of co-infection TB -VIH were enrolled in our study: 78.3% had pulmonary tuberculosis associated with extra-pulmonary, 13.3% had only pulmonary tuberculosis and 08.3% presented strictly extra-pulmonary TB. The clinical particularity of this co-infection is the frequency of serious localization such us: pleural 23.3%, peritoneal 31.7%, and meningeal suffusion 13.3%.y-.biologicaly we notice the predominance both of pancytopenia and leucoanemia, hyponatremia in 38,6% and hypokalemia in 19,3%. By analyzing Kaplan-Meier survival curves, we notice that early ART initiation is associated with a significant reduction of all-cause mortality (p = 0,000), and we have identified several prognostic factors such as hypokalemia hyponatremia, leukocytosis thrombopenemia leucothrombopenia (p = 0,005). Conclusion: Our study confirms most of the results reported in the literature. Early ART initiation reduces the rate of all-cause mortality, despite the probability of the occurrence of TB-IRIS.

Keywords: TB-HIV co-infection, early ART, hyponatremia, extrapulmonary tuberculosis

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Authors: Mai Yen Nhi Doan, Viet Le, Chamindika Weerakoon

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Social enterprises have emerged as sustainable organisations that deliver social achievement along with long-term financial advancement. However, recorded financial barriers have urged social enterprises to divert to other financing methods due to the misaligned ideology with traditional financing capitalists, in which crowdfunding can be a promising alternative. Previous studies in crowdfunding have inadequately addressed crowdfunding for social enterprises, with conflicting results due to the unsuitable analysis of signals in isolation rather than in combinations, using the data from platforms that do not support social enterprises. Extending the signalling theory, this study suggests that crowdfunding success results from the collaboration between costly and costless signals. The proposed conceptual framework enlightens the interaction between costly signals as “organisational information”, “social entrepreneur’s credibility,” and “third-party endorsement” and costless signals as various sub-signals under the “campaign preparedness” signal to achieve crowdfunding success. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis, this study examined 45 crowdfunding campaigns run by Australian social enterprises on StartSomeGood and Chuffed. The analysis found that different combinations of costly and costless signals can lead to crowdfunding success, allowing social enterprises to adopt suitable combinations of signals to their context. Costless signal – campaign preparedness is fundamental for success, though different costless sub-signals under campaign preparedness can interact with different costly signals for the desired outcome. Third-party endorsement signal was found to be the necessary signal for crowdfunding success for Australian social enterprises.

Keywords: crowdfunding, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), signalling theory, social enterprises

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Authors: Yue Sun, Yuan Wang

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Most of the earliest national industries in Wuhan are located along the Hanjiang River, and Qiaokou is considered to be a gathering place for Dahankou old industrial base. Zongguan Waterworks, Pacific Soap Factory, Fuxin Flour Factory, Nanyang Tobacco Factory and other hundred-year-old factories are located along Hanjiang River in Qiaokou District, especially the Gutian Industrial Zone, which was listed as one of 156 national restoration projects at the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. After decades of development, Qiaokou has become the gathering place of the chemical industry and secondary industry, causing damage to the city and serious pollution, becoming a marginalized area forgotten by the central city. In recent years, with the accelerated pace of urban renewal, Qiaokou has been constantly reforming and innovating, and has begun drastic changes in the transformation of old cities and the development of new districts. These factories have been listed as key reconstruction projects, and a large number of industrial heritage with historical value and full urban memory have been relocated, demolished and reformed, with only a few factory buildings preserved. Through the methods of industrial archaeology, image analysis, typology and field investigation, this paper analyzes and summarizes the spatial characteristics of industrial heritage in Qiaokou District, explores urban renewal from the perspective of industrial heritage protection, and provides design strategies for the regeneration of urban industrial sites and industrial heritage.

Keywords: industrial heritage, urban renewal, protection, urban memory

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Authors: Jia-Yu Wu, Chih-Han Chang, Shu-Fen Chuang, Rong-Yang Lai

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Objective: This study was to examine the stress distribution of tooth with different class V restorations under different loading situations and geometry by 3D finite element (FE) analysis. `Methods: A series of FE models of mandibular premolars containing class V cavities were constructed using micro-CT. The class V cavities were assigned as the combinations of different cavity depths x occlusal -gingival heights: 1x2, 1x4, 2x2, and 2x4 mm. Three alveolar bone loss conditions were examined: 0, 1, and 2 mm. 200 N force was exerted on the buccal cusp tip under various directions (vertical, V; obliquely 30° angled, O; oblique and parallel the individual occlusal cavity wall, P). A 3-D FE analysis was performed and the von-Mises stress was used to summarize the data of stress distribution and maximum stress. Results: The maximal stress did not vary in different alveolar bone heights. For each geometry, the maximal stress was found at bilateral corners of the cavity. The peak stress of restorations was significantly higher under load P compared to those under loads V and O while the latter two were similar. 2x2mm cavity exhibited significantly increased (2.88 fold) stress under load P compared to that under load V, followed by 1x2mm (2.11 fold), 2x4mm (1.98 fold) and 1x4mm (1.1fold). Conclusion: Load direction causes the greatest impact on the results of stress, while the effect of alveolar bone loss is minor. Load direction parallel to the cavity wall may enhance the stress concentration especially in deep and narrow class cavities.

Keywords: class v restoration, finite element analysis, loading situation, stress

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Authors: P. Panwalkar, K. Veravalli, M. Tofighi, A. Mofidi

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Introduction: Anterior femoral perforation or distal anterior nail position is a known complication of femoral nailing specifically in pertrochantric fractures fixed with cephalomedullary nail. This has been attributed to wrong entry point for the femoral nail, nail with large radius of curvature or malreduced fracture. Left alone anterior perforation of femur or abutment of nail on anterior femur will result in pain and risk stress riser at distal femur and periprosthetic fracture. There have been multiple techniques described to avert or correct this problem ranging from using different nail, entry point change, poller screw to deflect the nail position, use of shorter nail or use of curved guidewire or change of nail to ensure a nail with large radius of curvature Methods: We present this technique which we have used in order to centralise the femoral nail either when the nail has been put anteriorly or when the guide wire has been inserted too anteriorly prior to the insertion of the nail. This technique requires the use of femoral reduction spool from the nailing set. This technique was used by eight trainees of different level of experience under supervision. Results: This technique was easily reproducible without any learning curve without a need for opening of fracture site or change in the entry point with three different femoral nailing sets in twenty-five cases. The process took less than 10 minutes even when revising a malpositioned femoral nail. Conclusion: Our technique of using femoral reduction spool is easily reproducible and repeatable technique for avoidance of non-centralised femoral nail insertion and distal anterior perforation of femoral nail.

Keywords: femoral fracture, nailing, malposition, surgery

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Authors: Agah Tugrul Korucu

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Significant changes have taken place for the better in the bulk of information and in the use of technology available in the field of education induced by technological changes in the 21st century. It is mainly the job of the teachers and pre-service teachers to integrate information and communication technologies into education by means of conveying the use of technology to individuals. While the pre-service teachers are conducting lessons by using technology, the methods they have developed are important factors for the requirements of the lesson and for the satisfaction levels of the students. The study of this study is to examine the satisfaction levels of pre-service teachers as regards e-learning in a technological environment in which there are lesson activities conducted through an online learning environment in terms of various variables. The study group of the research is composed of 156 pre-service teachers that were students in the departments of Computer and Teaching Technologies, Art Teaching and Pre-school Teaching in the academic year of 2014 - 2015. The qualitative research method was adopted for this study; the scanning model was employed in collecting the data. “The Satisfaction Scale regarding the E-learning Process”, developed by Gülbahar, and the personal information form, which was developed by the researcher, were used as means of collecting the data. Cronbach α reliability coefficient, which is the internal consistency coefficient of the scale, is 0.91. SPSS computerized statistical package program and the techniques of medium, standard deviation, percentage, correlation, t-test and variance analysis were used in the analysis of the data.

Keywords: online learning environment, integration of information technologies, e-learning, e-learning satisfaction, pre-service teachers

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Authors: Ziyun Li, Jiudi Zhong, June Zhang

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Background: The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer lead to varying degrees of psychological and social maladjustment among patients with lung cancer. Understanding psychosocial adjustment (PA) and its influencing factors in young and middle-aged lung cancer patients is essential to help them return to society and lead a normal life. Objectives: This study aims to examine the mediating role of resilience in the association between stigma and psychosocial adjustment among young and middle-aged patients with lung cancer. Methods: A total of 235 patients with lung cancer were recruited from a tertiary grade A cancer center in southern China and investigated using a self-designed general information questionnaire, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self-Report, Social Impact Scale, and Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale. Results: The mean score of PA was (32.61±14.75), and its influencing factors included treatment modalities, stigma, and resilience. The total effect of stigma on PA was significant (total effect=0.418, SE=0.045, 95%CI [0.310-0.497]), and a positive indirect effect was identified for stigma on PA via resilience (indirect effect=0.143, SE=0.041, 95% CI [0.075-0.236]). Conclusion: Stigma and resilience are significantly associated with PA, and resilience is also a mediating variable between stigma and PA. This study suggests that individualized interventions can be made to improve the PA by alleviating their stigma, or by enhancing their resilience in young and middle-aged lung cancer patients.

Keywords: psychosocial adjustment, lung cancer, cancer caring, nursing, young and middle-aged

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Authors: Anthony Iyenjamu, Josiah Adeyemo

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Due to the increasing water scarcity in South Africa, the prime focus of irrigation in South Africa shifts to creating feasible water sources and the efficient use of these sources. These irrigation systems in South Africa are implemented because of low and erratic rainfall and high evaporative demand. Irrigation contributes significantly to crop production in South Africa, as the mean annual precipitation for the country is usually less than 500mm. This is considered to be the minimum required for rain fed cropping. Even though the rainfall is low, a lot of the water in various areas in South Africa is lost due to runoff into storm water systems that run to the rivers and eventually into the sea. This study reviews the irrigation systems in South Africa which can be vastly improved by creating irrigation dams. A method of which may seem costly at first but rewarding with time. The study investigates the process of creating dam capacity capable of sustaining a suitable area size of land to be irrigated and thus diverting all runoff into these dams. This type of infrastructure method vastly improves various sectors in our irrigation systems. Extensive research is carried out in the surrounding area in which the dam should be constructed. Rainfall patterns and rainfall data is used for calculations of which period the dam will be at its optimum using rainfall. The size of the area irrigated was used to calculate the size of the irrigation dam to be constructed. The location of the dam must be situated as close to the river as possible to minimize the excessive use of pipelines to the dam. This study also investigated all existing resources to alleviate the cost. It was found that irrigation dams could solve the erratic distribution of rainfall in South Africa for irrigation purposes.

Keywords: irrigation, rainfed, rain harvesting, reservoir

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Authors: S. Mohamed, D. Gonzalez, C. Sayada, P. Halfon

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Drug resistance mutations are routinely detected using standard Sanger sequencing, which does not detect minor variants with a frequency below 20%. The impact of detecting minor variants generated by ultra-deep sequencing (UDS) on HIV drug-resistance (DR) interpretations has not yet been studied. Fifty HIV-1 patients who experienced virological failure were included in this retrospective study. The HIV-1 UDS protocol allowed the detection and quantification of HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase variants related to genotypes A, B, C, E, F, and G. DeepChek®-HIV simplified DR interpretation software was used to compare Sanger sequencing and UDS. The total time required for the UDS protocol was found to be approximately three times longer than Sanger sequencing with equivalent reagent costs. UDS detected all of the mutations found by population sequencing and identified additional resistance variants in all patients. An analysis of DR revealed a total of 643 and 224 clinically relevant mutations by UDS and Sanger sequencing, respectively. Three resistance mutations with > 20% prevalence were detected solely by UDS: A98S (23%), E138A (21%) and V179I (25%). A significant difference in the DR interpretations for 19 antiretroviral drugs was observed between the UDS and Sanger sequencing methods. Y181C and T215Y were the most frequent mutations associated with interpretation differences. A combination of UDS and DeepChek® software for the interpretation of DR results would help clinicians provide suitable treatments. A cut-off of 1% allowed a better characterisation of the viral population by identifying additional resistance mutations and improving the DR interpretation.

Keywords: HIV-1, ultra-deep sequencing, Sanger sequencing, drug resistance

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Authors: Ismail Tas, Yusuf Ersoy Yildirim, Yavuz Fatih Fidantemiz, Aysegul Boyacioglu, Demet Uygan, Ozgur Ates, Erdinc Savasli, Oguz Onder, Murat Tugrul

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The biggest input of agricultural production is irrigation, water and energy. Although it varies according to the conditions in drip and sprinkler irrigation systems compared to surface irrigation systems, there is a significant amount of energy expenditure. However, this expense not only increases the user's control over the irrigation water but also provides an increase in water savings and water application efficiency. Thus, while irrigation water is used more effectively, it also contributes to reducing production costs. The Mobile Drip Irrigation System (MDIS) is a system in which new technologies are used, and it is one of the systems that are thought to play an important role in increasing the irrigation water utilization rate of plants and reducing water losses, as well as using irrigation water effectively. MDIS is currently considered the most effective method for irrigation, with the development of both linear and central motion systems. MDIS is potentially more advantageous than sprinkler irrigation systems in terms of reducing wind-induced water losses and reducing evaporation losses on the soil and plant surface. Another feature of MDIS is that the sprinkler heads on the systems (such as the liner and center pivot) can remain operational even when the drip irrigation system is installed. This allows the user to use both irrigation methods. In this study, the effect of MDIS and linear sprinkler irrigation method on sugar beet yield at different irrigation water levels will be revealed.

Keywords: MDIS, linear sprinkler, sugar beet, irrigation efficiency

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Authors: Lolwa Alansari, Abdelhamid Azhaghdani, Sufia Athar, Hanen Mrabet, Annaliza Cruz, Tamara Alshadafat, Almunzer Zakaria

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Introduction: Improving the patient experience is a fundamental pillar of healthcare's quadruple aims. Recognizing the importance of patient experiences and perceptions in healthcare interactions is pivotal for driving quality improvement. This abstract centers around the Patient Experience Program, an endeavor crafted with the purpose of comprehending and elevating the experiences of patients in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Emergency Department (OB/GYN ED). Methodology: This comprehensive endeavor unfolded through a structured sequence of phases following Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, spanning over 12 months, focused on enhancing patient experiences in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Emergency Department (OB/GYN ED). The study meticulously examined the journeys of patients with acute obstetrics and gynecological conditions, collecting data from over 100 participants monthly. The inclusive approach covered patients of different priority levels (1-5) admitted for acute conditions, with no exclusions. Historical data from March and April 2022 serves as a benchmark for comparison, strengthening causality claims by providing a baseline understanding of OB/GYN ED performance before interventions. Additionally, the methodology includes the incorporation of staff engagement surveys to comprehensively understand the experiences of healthcare professionals with the implemented improvements. Data extraction involved administering open-ended questions and comment sections to gather rich qualitative insights. The survey covered various aspects of the patient journey, including communication, emotional support, timely access to care, care coordination, and patient-centered decision-making. The project's data analysis utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative techniques to identify recurring themes and extract actionable insights and quantitative methods to assess patient satisfaction scores and relevant metrics over time, facilitating the measurement of intervention impact and longitudinal tracking of changes. From the themes we discovered in both the online and in-person patient experience surveys, several key findings emerged that guided us in initiating improvements, including effective communication and information sharing, providing emotional support and empathy, ensuring timely access to care, fostering care coordination and continuity, and promoting patient-centered decision-making. Results: The project yielded substantial positive outcomes, significantly improving patient experiences in the OB/GYN ED. Patient satisfaction levels rose from 62% to a consistent 98%, with notable improvements in satisfaction with care plan information and physician care. Waiting time satisfaction increased from 68% to a steady 97%. The project positively impacted nurses' and midwives' job satisfaction, increasing from 64% to an impressive 94%. Operational metrics displayed positive trends, including a decrease in the "left without being seen" rate from 3% to 1%, the discharge against medical advice rate dropping from 8% to 1%, and the absconded rate reducing from 3% to 0%. These outcomes underscore the project's effectiveness in enhancing both patient and staff experiences in the healthcare setting. Conclusion: The use of a patient experience questionnaire has been substantiated by evidence-based research as an effective tool for improving the patient experience, guiding interventions, and enhancing overall healthcare quality in the OB/GYN ED. The project's interventions have resulted in a more efficient allocation of resources, reduced hospital stays, and minimized unnecessary resource utilization. This, in turn, contributes to cost savings for the healthcare facility.

Keywords: patient experience, patient survey, person centered care, quality initiatives

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Authors: A. Alhusban, M. Alqawasmeh, F. Alfawares

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Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic health problem and a major risk factor of stroke. A number of therapeutic modalities exist for diabetes management. It’s still unknown whether the different oral hypoglycemic agents would ameliorate the detrimental effect of diabetes on stroke severity. The objective of this work is to assess the effect of pretreatment with oral hypoglycemic agents, insulin and their combination on stroke severity at presentation. Patients and Methods: Patients admitted to the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH)-Jordan with ischemic stroke between January 2015 and December 2016 were evaluated and their comorbid diseases, treatment on admission and their neurologic severity was assessed using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were documented. Stroke severity was compared for non-diabetic patients and diabetic patients treated with different antidiabetic agents. Results: Data from 324 patients with acute stroke was documented. The median age of participants was 69 years. Diabetes was documented in about 50% of the patients. Multinomial regression analysis identified diabetes treatment status as an independent predictor of neurological severity of stroke (p=0.032). Patients treated with oral hypoglycemic agents had a significantly lower NIHSS as compared to nondiabetic patients and insulin treated patients (p < 0.02). The positive effect of oral hypoglycemic agents was blunted by insulin co-treatment. Insulin did not alter the severity of stroke as compared to non-diabetics. Conclusion: Oral hypoglycemic agents may reduce the severity of neurologic deficit of ischemic stroke and may have neuroprotective effect.

Keywords: diabetes, stroke, neuroprotection, oral hypoglycemic agents

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Authors: Lida Moghaddam-Banaem, Mahmood Tavoosi, Soheila Khalili

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Objective: The main objective of this study was designing a breast cancer health literacy questionnaire and assess its psychometric properties. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was performed to develop a primary questionnaire consisting of five domains. Qualitative and quantitative content validity were assessed by relevant experts, and after some modifications, the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were calculated. Qualitative and quantitative face validity were evaluated by a number of patients, and the impact score for each item was calculated. 225 women with breast cancer were asked to fill out the questionnaire and construct validity was determined by using exploratory factor analysis. The reliability was tested by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results: A 36-item questionnaire with five domains of reading, having access, understanding, assessing/judgment, and decision making/behavior was designed. 2 items were omitted in the qualitative content validity process. All items achieved optimum values in CVI, CVR and impact scores. Content and face validity of the questionnaire were confirmed too. According to the exploratory factor analysis, the five-factor solution accounted for 64.98 percent of the observed variance. Conclusion: Due to the obtained satisfactory validity and reliability, this tool can be used to assess health literacy in women with breast cancer. Health policy makers can use these findings for improving health-related behaviors in breast cancer patients.

Keywords: health literacy, breast cancer, questionnaire, psychometric properties

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Authors: Benjamin Ankomah-Asare, Richard Adade

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Sea level rise (SLR) poses a significant threat to coastal communities globally. Ghana has over the years implemented protective measures such as the construction of groynes and revetment to serve as barriers to sea waves in major cities and towns to prevent sea erosion and flooding. For vulnerable rural coastal communities, the planned retreat is often proposed; however, relocation costs are often underestimated as losses of future social and cultural value are not always adequately taken into account. Through a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews, surveys, and spatial analysis, the study examined the experiences of coastal rural communities in Ghana and assess the effectiveness of relocation strategies in addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges posed by sea level rise. The study revealed the devastating consequences of sea level rise on these communities, including increased flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources. Moreover, it highlights the adaptive capacities within these communities and how factors such as infrastructure, economic activities, cultural heritage, and governance structures shape their resilience in the face of environmental change. While relocation can be an effective strategy in reducing the risks associated with sea level rise, the study recommends that proper implementation of this adaptation strategy can be achieved when coupled with community-led planning, participatory decision-making, and targeted support for vulnerable groups.

Keywords: sea level rise, relocation, socio-ecological impacts, rural communities

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Authors: Richard S. Jatau, Kankanala Venkateswarlu, Bulus Kpame

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The purpose of this critical review is to find out what is known and what is unknown about the effects of aging on endurance performance, especially on ultra- triathlon performance. It has been shown that among master’s athlete’s peak levels of performance decreased by 50% by age 50 it has also been clearly revealed that age associated atrophy, weakness and fatigability cannot be halted, although year round athletic training can slow down this age associated decline. Studies have further revealed that 30% to 50% decrease in skeletal muscle mass between ages 40 and 80 years, which is accompanied by an equal or even greater decline in strength and power and an increase in muscle weakness and fatigability. Studies on ultra- triathlon athletes revealed that 30 to 39 year old showed fastest time, with athletes in younger and older age groups were slower. It appears that the length of the endurance performance appears to influence age related endurance performance decline in short distance triathlons. A significant decline seems to start at the age of 40 to 50 years, whereas in long distance triathlons this decline seems to start after the age of 65 years. However, it is not clear whether this decline is related in any way to the training methods used, the duration of training, or the frequency of training. It’s also not clear whether the triathlon athletes experience more injuries due to long hours of training. It’s also not clear whether these athletes used performance enhancing drugs to enhance their performance. It’s not also clear whiles there has been tremendous increase in the number of athletes specializing in triathlon. On the basis of our experience and available research evidence we have provided answers to some of these questions. We concluded that aging associated decline in ultra–endurance performance is inevitable although it can be slowed down.

Keywords: aging, triathlon, atrophy, endurance

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Authors: Suzanne Ahmed

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Nanomotors, also commonly referred to as nanorobotics or nanomachines, have garnered considerable research attention due to their numerous potential applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery and microsurgery. Nanomotors typically consist of inorganic or polymeric particles that are powered to undergo motion. These artificial, man-made nanoscale motors operate in the low Reynolds number regime and typically have no moving parts. Several methods have been developed to actuate the motion of nanomotors including magnetic fields, electrical fields, electromagnetic waves, and chemical fuel. Since their introduction in 2012, ultrasonically powered nanomotors have been explored in biocompatible fluids and even within living cells. Due to the common use of ultrasound within the biomedical community for both imaging and therapeutics, the introduction of ultrasonically propelled nanomotors holds significant potential for biomedical applications. In this work, metallic nanomotors are electrochemically plated within porous anodic alumina templates to have a diameter of 300 nm and a length that is 2-4 µm. Nanomotors are placed within an acoustic chamber capable of producing bulk acoustic waves in the ultrasonic range. The motion of nanomotors within biomimetic confines is explored. The control over nanomotor motion is exerted by virtue of the properties of the acoustic signal within these biomimetic confines to control speed, modes of motion and directionality of motion. To expand the range of control over nanorod motion within biomimetic confines, external forces from biocompatible magnetic fields, are exerted onto the acoustically propelled nanomotors.

Keywords: nanomotors, nanomachines, nanorobots, ultrasound

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Authors: Monisha Edirisooriya, Wilma Jack, Dominique Twelves, Jennifer Royds, Fiona Scott, Nicola Mason, Arran Turnbull, J. Michael Dixon

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Introduction: Excision biopsy has been the investigation of choice for patients presenting with pathological axillary lymphadenopathy without a breast abnormality. Core biopsy of nodes can provide sufficient tissue for diagnosis and has advantages in terms of morbidity and speed of diagnosis. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of core biopsy in patients presenting with axillary lymphadenopathy. Methods: Between 2009 and 2019, 165 patients referred to the Edinburgh Breast Unit had a total of 179 axillary lymph node core biopsies. Results: 152 (92%) of the 165 initial core biopsies were deemed to contain adequate nodal tissue. Core biopsy correctly established malignancy in 75 of the 78 patients with haematological malignancy (96%) and in all 28 patients with metastatic carcinoma (100%) and correctly diagnosed benign changes in 49 of 57 (86%) patients with benign conditions. There were no false positives and no false negatives. In 67 (85.9%) of the 78 patients with hematological malignancy, there was sufficient material in the first core biopsy to allow the pathologist to make an actionable diagnosis and not ask for more tissue sampling prior to treatment. There were no complications of core biopsy. On follow up, none of the patients with benign cores has been shown to have malignancy in the axilla and none with lymphoma had their initial disease incorrectly classified. Conclusions: This study shows that core biopsy is now the investigation of choice for patients presenting with axillary lymphadenopathy even in those suspected as having lymphoma.

Keywords: core biopsy, excision biopsy, axillary lymphadenopathy, non-breast malignancy

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Authors: Meghamala Nugehally

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This paper hypothesises and draws inferences on the impact of minimalism in dance education on the development of artistic and aesthetic sensibilities in individuals in the age group of 5-18 yrs of age. This research and conclusions are within the context of Indian Classical Dance, which is based on Indian theories of aesthetics drawn from the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on Indian dance and drama. The research employs training methods handed down through a strict one-on-one teacher-student tradition known as the Guru-Shishya Parampara. Aesthetic principles used are defined, and basic theories from the Natyashastra are explained to provide background for the research design. The paper also discusses dance curriculum design and training methodology design within the context of these aesthetic theories. The scope of the research is limited to two genres of Indian classical forms: Bharatanatyam and Odissi. A brief description of these dance forms is given as background and dance aesthetics specific to these forms are described. The research design includes individual case studies of subjects studied, independent predetermined attributes for observations and a qualitative scoring methodology devised for the purpose of the study. The study describes the training techniques used and contrasts minimal solo training techniques with the more elaborate group training techniques. Study groups were divided and the basis for the division are discussed. Study observations are recorded and presented as evidences. The results inform the conclusion and set the stage for further research in this area.

Keywords: dance aesthetics, dance education, Indian classical dance, minimalism

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Authors: Ana-Maria Gheldiu, Bianca M. Abrudan, Maria A. Neag, Laurian Vlase, Dana M. Muntean

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Background information: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of multiple-dose fluvoxamine on the pharmacokinetic profile of single-dose carvedilol in rats, in order to evaluate this possible drug-drug pharmacokinetic interaction. Methods: A preclinical study, in 28 white male Wistar rats, was conducted. Each rat was cannulated on the femoral vein, prior to being connected to BASi Culex ABC®. Carvedilol was orally administrated in rats (3.57 mg/kg body mass (b.m.)) in the absence of fluvoxamine or after a pre-treatment with multiple oral doses of fluvoxamine (14.28 mg/kg b.m.). The plasma concentrations of carvedilol were estimated by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetic parameters of carvedilol were analyzed by non-compartmental method. Results: After carvediol co-administration with fluvoxamine, an approximately 2-fold increase in the exposure of carvedilol was observed, considering the significantly elevated value of the total area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC₀₋∞). Moreover, an increase by approximately 145% of the peak plasma concentration was found, as well as an augmentation by approximately 230% of the half life time of carvedilol was observed. Conclusion: Fluvoxamine co-administration led to a significant alteration of carvedilol’s pharmacokinetic profile in rats, these effects could be explained by the existence of a drug-drug interaction mediated by CYP2D6 inhibition. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by CNCS Romania – project PNII-RU-TE-2014-4-0242.

Keywords: carvedilol, fluvoxamine, drug-drug pharmacokinetic interaction, rats

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Authors: Blanca Fatela Cantillo, Silvia Iglesias Cerrato, Guadalupe Garrido Ceca

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Purpose: Bleb dysfunction is a late complication following glaucoma filtration surgery. We describe our surgical technique for excision and reconstruction of a hypertrophic bleb complication using bovine pericardium patch graft (Tutopatch®) and amniotic membrane. Material and methods: The case report presents a hypertrophic bleb over the cornea with good intraocular pressure control. The hanging bleb without leak caused dysesthesia and high irregular astigmatism. Bleb reconstruction involved the excision of corneal fibrous material and avascular conjunctiva, preserving the original scleral and tennon. Bovine pericardium patch graft (Tutopatch®) was sited over these with fixed sutures, reinforcing the underlying scleral, and the conjunctiva advanced. The superior epithelium corneal defect was covered using an amniotic membrane. Conclusion: Repair of bleb dysfunction with varied techniques has been reported, including conjunctival advancement, use of scleral patch graft, dural patch graft, or pericardium. Additional use of amniotic membrane promotes epithelialization and exhibits anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory features. Reconstruction with bovine pericardium patch graft and amniotic membrane resulted in pain relief, visual rehabilitation, and good aesthetic results, with preservation of bleb function.

Keywords: reconstruction, hypertrophic bleb, bovine pericardium, amniotic membrane, dysesthesia of the bleb

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Authors: Dedy Pratama, Akhmadu Muradi, Hilman Ibrahim, Patrianef Darwis, Alexander Jayadi Utama, Raden Suhartono, D. Suryandari, Luluk Yunaini, Tom Ch Adriani

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Objective: Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is one of the complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) that can lead to disability and death. Inadequate vascularization condition will affect healing process of DFU. Therefore, we investigated the expression of polymorphism TGF- β1 in the relation of the occurrence of DFU in T2DM. Methods: We designed a case-control study to investigate the polymorphism TGF- β1 gene 1800469 C > T and 1982073 C > T in T2DM in Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital (RSCM) Jakarta from June to December 2016. We used PCR techniques and compared the results in a group of T2DM patients with DFU as the case study and without DFU as the control group. Results: There were 203 patients, 102 patients with DFU and 101 patients control without DFU. 49,8% is male and 50,2% female with mean age about 56 years. Distribution of wild-type genotype TGF-B1 1800469 C > T wild type CC was found in 44,8%, the number of mutant heterozygote CT was 10,8% and mutant homozygote is 11,3%. Distribution of TGF-B1 1982073 C>T wild type CC was 32,5%, mutant heterozygote is 38,9% and mutant homozygote 25,1%. Conclusion: Distribution of alleles from TGF-B1 1800469 C > T is C 75% and T 25% and from TGF-B1 1982073 C > T is C53,8% and T 46,2%. In the other word polymorphism TGF- β1 plays a role in the occurrence and healing process of the DFU in T2DM patients.

Keywords: diabetic foot ulcers, diabetes mellitus, polymorphism, TGF-β1

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Authors: Rajeshwari Biradar

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Background: The anecdotal evidences indicate that utilization of HIV services especially in Government facilities is affected by stigma and discrimination among HIV positive female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka. To our knowledge, there is no quantitative study on this issue. In this study an attempt is made to examine these aspects among positive FSWs exposed to prevention programs. Methods: This is a cross‐ sectional quantitative survey of HIV positive FSWs in the 3 districts of northern Karnataka using a structured questionnaire. The list of HIV Positive FSWs was organized by stratification, and 607 positive FSWs were selected using a systematic random selection. The data were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Results: Half of the sex workers (52%) are traditional (devadasi, dedicated to the temple), 22% are widowed and the mean age is 33 years. The FSWs practice sex work on an average 13 days a month with 2.3 clients per day and was in sex work for about 13 years. Almost all of them (97%) used condom with the clients they had on the last day of sex work. About 74% were ever registered in the ART center and 47% of them reported being ever on ART, of which 6% dropped out. Multivariate results support the hypothesis that the interventions addressing stigma and discrimination enabled accessing health services in the government facilities (AOR=1.37; p=0.17). Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, programs addressing stigma, discrimination and positive prevention can be implemented in places where government health services are not utilized by HIV positive FSWs. However, the study may be limited by the fact that majority of the FSWs entered into sex work through the traditional devadasi system, which may not be the case in other parts of India.

Keywords: sex work, HIV/AIDS, female sex workers, health

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Authors: Brandon Foggo, Nanpeng Yu

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Power distribution circuits undergo frequent network topology changes that are often left undocumented. As a result, the documentation of a circuit’s connectivity becomes inaccurate with time. The lack of reliable circuit connectivity information is one of the biggest obstacles to model, monitor, and control modern distribution systems. To enhance the reliability and efficiency of electric power distribution systems, the circuit’s connectivity information must be updated periodically. This paper focuses on one critical component of a distribution circuit’s topology - the secondary transformer to phase association. This topology component describes the set of phase lines that feed power to a given secondary transformer (and therefore a given group of power consumers). Finding the documentation of this component is call Phase Identification, and is typically performed with physical measurements. These measurements can take time lengths on the order of several months, but with supervised learning, the time length can be reduced significantly. This paper compares several such methods applied to Phase Identification for a large range of real distribution circuits, describes a method of training data selection, describes preprocessing steps unique to the Phase Identification problem, and ultimately describes a method which obtains high accuracy (> 96% in most cases, > 92% in the worst case) using only 5% of the measurements typically used for Phase Identification.

Keywords: distribution network, machine learning, network topology, phase identification, smart grid

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Authors: S. Visetpotjanakit, N. Nakkaew

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Determination of ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples has been widely developed with several radioanlytical methods and radiation measurement techniques since ⁹⁰Sr is one of the most hazardous radionuclides produced from nuclear reactors. Liquid extraction technique using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) to separate and purify ⁹⁰Y and Cherenkov counting using liquid scintillation counter to determine ⁹⁰Y in secular equilibrium to ⁹⁰Sr was developed and performed at our institute, the Office of Atoms for Peace. The approach is inexpensive, non-laborious, and fast to analyse ⁹⁰Sr in environmental samples. To validate our analytical performance for the accurate and precise criteria, determination of ⁹⁰Sr using the IAEA-TEL-2016-04 ALMERA proficiency test samples were performed for statistical evaluation. The experiment used two spiked tap water samples and one naturally contaminated spruce needles sample from Austria collected shortly after the Chernobyl accident. Results showed that all three analyses were successfully passed in terms of both accuracy and precision criteria, obtaining “Accepted” statuses. The two water samples obtained the measured results of 15.54 Bq/kg and 19.76 Bq/kg, which had relative bias 5.68% and -3.63% for the Maximum Acceptable Relative Bias (MARB) 15% and 20%, respectively. And the spruce needles sample obtained the measured results of 21.04 Bq/kg, which had relative bias 23.78% for the MARB 30%. These results confirm our analytical performance of ⁹⁰Sr determination in water and spruce needles samples using the same developed method.

Keywords: ALMERA proficiency test, Cerenkov counting, determination of 90Sr, environmental samples

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Authors: Gehan Hussein, Hams Ahmad, Baher Matta, Yasmeen Mansi, Mohamad Fawzi

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Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common problem worldwide with variable incidence in different countries. The exact etiology is unknown, suggested to be multifactorial. We aimed to study the incidence of various CHD in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in a tertiary care hospital in Egypt and the possible associations with variable risk factors. Methods: Prospective study was conducted over a period of one year (2013 /2014) at NICU KasrAlAini School of Medicine, Cairo University. Questionnaire about possible maternal and/or paternal risk factors for CHD, clinical examination, bedside echocardiography were done. Cases were classified into groups: group 1 without CHD and group 2 with CHD. Results: from 723 neonates admitted to NICU, 180 cases were proved to have CHD, 58 % of them were males. patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) was the most common CHD (70%), followed by an atrial septal defect (ASD8%), while Fallot tetralogy and single ventricle were the least common (0.45 %) for each. CHD was found in 30 % of consanguineous parents Maternal age ≥ 35 years at the time of conception was associated with increased incidence of PDA (p= 0.45 %). Maternal diabetes and insulin intake were significantly associated with cases of CHD (p=0.02 &0.001 respectively), maternal hypertension and hypothyroidism were both associated with VSD, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.36 &0.44respectively). Maternal passive smoking was significantly associated with PDA (p=0.03). Conclusion: The most frequent CHD in the studied population was PDA, followed by ASD. Maternal conditions as diabetes was associated with VSD occurrence.

Keywords: NICU, risk factors, congenital heart disease, echocardiography

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Authors: Lee Waters, Itay Basevitch, Matthew Timmis

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Objectives: Eye tracking technology is a valuable method of assessing individuals gaze behaviour, but it does not unveil why they are engaging in certain practices. To address limitations in sport eye tracking research the present paper aims to investigate the gaze behaviours soccer officials engage in during successful and unsuccessful offside decisions, but also why. Methods: 20 male active amateur qualified (Level 4-7) soccer officials (Mage 22.5 SD 4.61 yrs) with an average experience of 41-50 games wore eye tracking technology during an applied attack versus defence drill. While reviewing the eye tracking footage, retrospective semi-structured interviews were conducted (M=20.4 min; SD=6.2; Range 11.7 – 26.8 min) and once transcribed inductive thematic analysis was performed. Findings and Discussion: To improve the understanding of gaze behaviours and how officials make sense of the environment, during the interview’s key constructs of offside, decision making, obstacles and emotions were summarised as the higher order themes while making offside decisions. Gaze anchoring was highlighted to be a successful technique to allow officials to see all relevant information, whereas the type of offside was emphasised to be a key factor in correct interpretation. Furthermore, specific decision-making training was outlined to be inconsistent and not always applicable. Conclusions: Key constructs have been identified and explained, which can be shared with soccer officials through training regimes. Eye tracking technology has also been shown to be a useful and innovative reflective tool to assist in the understanding of individuals gaze behaviours.

Keywords: eye tracking, gaze behvaiour, decision making, reflection

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