Search results for: guide for authors

Authors: Dina Athariah, Desriani Desriani, Bugi Ratno Budiarto, Abinawanto Abinawanto, Dwi Wulandari

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Breast cancer is a regulated by many genes. Defect in PIK3CA gene especially at position of exon 9 (E542K and E545K), called hot spot mutation induce early transformation of breast cells. The early detection of breast cancer based on mutation profile of this hot spot region would be hampered by the existence of pseudogene, marked by its substitution mutation at base 1658 (E545A) and deletion at 1659 that have been previously proven in several cancers. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, until recently no studies have been reported about pseudogene phenomenon in breast cancer. Here, we reported PCR optimization to to obtain true exon 9 of PIK3CA gene from its pseudogene hence increasing the validity of data. Material and methods: two genomic DNA with Dev and En code were used in this experiment. Two pairs of primer were design for Standard PCR method. The size of PCR products for each primer is 200bp and 400bp. While other primer was designed for Nested-PCR followed with DNA sequencing method. For Nested-PCR, we optimized the annealing temperature in first and second run of PCR, and the PCR cycle for first run PCR (15x versus 25x). Result: standard PCR using both primer pairs designed is failed to detect the true PIK3CA gene, appearing a substitution mutation at 1658 and deletion at 1659 of PCR product in sequence chromatogram indicated pseudogene. Meanwhile, Nested-PCR with optimum condition (annealing temperature for the first round at 55oC, annealing temperatung for the second round at 60,7oC with 15x PCR cycles) and could detect the true PIK3CA gene. Dev sample were identified as WT while En sample contain one substitution mutation at position 545 of exon 9, indicating amino acid changing from E to K. For the conclusion, pseudogene also exists in breast cancer and the apllication of optimazed Nested-PCR in this study could detect the true exon 9 of PIK3CA gene.

Keywords: breast cancer, exon 9, hotspot mutation, PIK3CA, pseudogene

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Authors: Atom Mkhitaryan, Astghik Avetisyan

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We analyze the developments of doctoral education in Armenia since 1990 and the management process. Education and training of highly qualified personnel are increasingly seen as a fundamental platform that ensures the development of the state. Reforming the national institute for doctoral studies (aspirantura) is aimed at improving the quality of human resources in science, optimizing research topics in accordance with the priority areas of development of science and technology, increasing publication and innovative activities, bringing national science and research closer to the world level and achieving international recognition. We present a number of defended dissertations in Armenia during the last 30 years, the dynamics and the main trends of the development of the academic degree awarding system. We discuss the possible impact of reforming the system of training and certification of highly qualified personnel on the organization of third–level doctoral education (doctoral schools) and specialized / dissertation councils in Armenia. The results of the SWOT analysis of doctoral education and academic degree awarding processes in Armenia are shown. The article presents the main activities and projects aimed at using the advantages and strong points of the National Academy network in order to improve the quality of doctoral education and training. The paper explores the mechanisms of organizational, methodological and infrastructural support for research and innovation activities of doctoral students and young scientists. There are also suggested approaches to the organization of strong networking between research institutes and foreign universities for training and certification of highly qualified personnel. The authors define the role of ISEC in the management of doctoral studies and the establishment of a competitive third-level education for the sphere of research and development in Armenia.

Keywords: doctoral studies, academic degree, PhD, certification, highly qualified personnel, dissertation, research and development, innovation, networking, management of doctoral school

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Authors: Rakan Hassan M. Alzahrani, Ziyad Alzahrani, Bader Bashrahil, Abdulrahman Elyasi, Abdullah a Ghaddaf, Rayan Alzahrani, Mohammed Alkathlan, Nawaf Alghamdi, Dakheelallah Almutairi

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Background: Corticosteroid irrigations, which regularly involve the off-label use of budesonide mixed with normal saline in high volume Sino-nasal irrigations, have been more commonly used in the management of post-operative chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Objective: This article attempted to measure the efficacy of post-operative budesonide nasal irrigation compared to normal saline-alone nasal irrigation in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: The databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched by two independent authors. Only RCTs comparing budesonide irrigation to normal saline alone irrigation for CRS with or without polyposis after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) were eligible. A random effect analysis model of the reported CRS-related quality of life (QOL) measures and the objective endoscopic assessment scales of the disease was done. Results: Only 6 RCTs met the eligibility criteria, with a total number of participants of 356. Compared to normal saline irrigation, budesonide nasal irrigation showed statically significant improvements in both the CRS-related quality of life (QOL) and the endoscopic findings (MD= -4.22 confidence interval [CI]: -5.63, -2.82 [P < 0.00001]), (SMD= -0.50 confidence interval [CI]: -0.93, -0.06 [P < 0.03]) respectively. Conclusion: Both intervention arms showed improvements in CRS-related QOL and endoscopic findings in post-FESS chronic rhinosinusitis with or without polyposis. However, budesonide irrigation seems to have a slight edge over conventional normal saline irrigation with no reported serious side effects, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression.

Keywords: Budesonide, chronic rhinosinusitis, corticosteroids, nasal irrigation, normal saline

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Authors: Benbiao Song, Yan Gao, Zhuo Liu

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Geostatistical modeling is the key technic for reservoir characterization, the quality of geological models will influence the prediction of reservoir performance greatly, but few studies have been done to quantify the factors impacting geostatistical reservoir modeling accuracy. In this study, 16 fluvial prototype models have been established to represent different geological complexity, 6 cases range from 16 to 361 wells were defined to reproduce all those 16 prototype models by different methodologies including SIS, object-based and MPFS algorithms accompany with different constraint parameters. Modeling accuracy ratio was defined to quantify the influence of each factor, and ten realizations were averaged to represent each accuracy ratio under the same modeling condition and parameters association. Totally 5760 simulations were done to quantify the relative contribution of each factor to the simulation accuracy, and the results can be used as strategy guide for facies modeling in the similar condition. It is founded that data density, geological trend and geological complexity have great impact on modeling accuracy. Modeling accuracy may up to 90% when channel sand width reaches up to 1.5 times of well space under whatever condition by SIS and MPFS methods. When well density is low, the contribution of geological trend may increase the modeling accuracy from 40% to 70%, while the use of proper variogram may have very limited contribution for SIS method. It can be implied that when well data are dense enough to cover simple geobodies, few efforts were needed to construct an acceptable model, when geobodies are complex with insufficient data group, it is better to construct a set of robust geological trend than rely on a reliable variogram function. For object-based method, the modeling accuracy does not increase obviously as SIS method by the increase of data density, but kept rational appearance when data density is low. MPFS methods have the similar trend with SIS method, but the use of proper geological trend accompany with rational variogram may have better modeling accuracy than MPFS method. It implies that the geological modeling strategy for a real reservoir case needs to be optimized by evaluation of dataset, geological complexity, geological constraint information and the modeling objective.

Keywords: fluvial facies, geostatistics, geological trend, modeling strategy, modeling accuracy, variogram

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Authors: Maria Ahmad, Alexandra Valetopoulou, Michael D. Christian

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Background: London’s Air Ambulance (LAA) provides advanced pre-hospital trauma care across London, bringing specialist resources and expert trauma teams to patients. Since its inception 32 years ago, LAA has treated over 40,000 pre-hospital patients and significantly contributed to pre-hospital patient care in London. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first analysis to quantify the magnitude of the publication impact of LAA on the international field of pre-hospital medicine. Method: We searched the Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed databases to identify LAA focused articles. These were defined as articles on the topic of pre-hospital medicine which either utilised data from LAA, or focused on LAA patients, or were authored by LAA clinicians. A bibliometric analysis was conducted and the impact of each eligible article was classified as either: high (article directly influenced the change or creation of clinical guidelines); medium (the article was referenced in clinical guidelines or had >20 Google Scholar citations or >10 PubMed citations); or low impact (article had <20 Google Scholar citations or <10 PubMed citations). Results: The literature search yielded 1,120 articles in total. 198 articles met our inclusion criteria, and their full text was analysed to determine the level of impact. 19 articles were classified as high-impact, 76 as medium-impact, and 103 as low-impact. 20 of the 76 medium-impact articles were referenced in clinical guidelines but had not prompted changes to the guidelines. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this review is the first to quantify the significant publication impact of LAA within the field of pre-hospital medicine over the last 32 years. LAA publications have focused on and driven clinical innovations in trauma care, particularly in pre-hospital anaesthesia, haemorrhage control, and major incidents, with many impacting national and international guidelines. We recommend a greater emphasis on multidisciplinary pre-hospital collaboration in publications in future research and quality improvement projects across all pre-hospital services.

Keywords: air ambulance, pre-hospital medicine, London’s Air Ambulance, London HEMS

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Authors: Diana A. Sokolova

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This article is devoted to one of the possibilities for identifying the author of an oral or written text - sociolinguistic profiling. Sociolinguistic profiling is utilized as a forensic linguistics technique to identify individuals through language patterns, particularly in criminal cases. It examines how social factors influence language use. This study aims to showcase the significance of linguistic profiling for attributing authorship in texts and emphasizes the necessity for its continuous enhancement while considering its strengths and weaknesses. The study employs semantic-syntactic, lexical-semantic, linguopragmatic, logical, presupposition, authorization, and content analysis methods to investigate linguistic profiling. The research highlights the relevance of sociolinguistic profiling in authorship attribution and underscores the importance of ongoing refinement of the technique, considering its limitations. This study emphasizes the practical application of linguistic profiling in legal settings and underscores the impact of social factors on language use, contributing to the field of forensic linguistics. Data collection involves collecting oral and written texts from criminal and civil court cases to analyze language patterns for authorship attribution. The collected data is analyzed using various linguistic analysis methods to identify individual characteristics and patterns that can aid in authorship attribution. The study addresses the effectiveness of sociolinguistic profiling in identifying authors of texts and explores the impact of social factors on language use in legal contexts. In spite of advantages challenges in linguistics profiling have spurred debates and controversies in academic circles, legal environments, and the public sphere. So, this research highlights the significance of sociolinguistic profiling in authorship attribution and emphasizes the need for further development of this method, considering its strengths and weaknesses.

Keywords: authorship attribution, detection of identifying, dialect, features, forensic linguistics, social influence, sociolinguistics, unique speech characteristics

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Authors: Mohammad Mosaddik Rahman

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This study embarks on an exploratory journey to assess the pervasive issue of heavy metal contamination in the water bodies along Chittagong Coast, Bangladesh. Situated along the mesmerizing Bay of Bengal, known for its potential as an emerging tourist haven, economic zone, ship breaking yard, confronts significant environmental hurdles. The core of these challenges lies in the contamination from heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury, which detrimentally impact both the ecological integrity and public health of the region. This contamination primarily stems from industrial activities, particularly those involving metallurgical and chemical processes, which release these metals into the environment, leading to their accumulation in soil and water bodies. The study's primary aim is to conduct a thorough assessment of heavy metal pollution levels, alongside an analysis of nutrient variations, focusing on nitrates and nitrites. Methodologically, the study leverages systematic sampling and advanced analytical tools like the Hach 3900 spectrophotometer to ensure precise and reliable data collection. The implications of heavy metal presence are multifaceted, affecting microbial and aquatic life, and posing severe health risks to the local population, including respiratory problems, neurological disorders, and an increased risk of cancer. The results of this study highlight the urgent need for effective mitigation strategies and regulatory measures to address this critical issue. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and public health implications of heavy metal contamination in Chittagong Coast, this research endeavours to serve as a catalyst for change, emphasising the need for pollution control and advancements in water management policies. It is envisioned that the outcomes of this study will guide stakeholders in collaborating to develop and implement sustainable solutions, ultimately safeguarding the region’s environment and public health.

Keywords: heavy metal, environmental health, pollution control policies, shipbreaking yard

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Authors: Aneta Nitsch-Osuch, Sylwia Dyk, Izabela Gołebiak

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Background. Since 2014 the pertussis vaccine is recommended to Polish health care workers who have close contacts with infants. Although this recommendation is implemented into the National Immunization Programme, its realization has remained unknown. The Purpose: The aim of the study, conducted at the department of Social Medicine and Public Health (Medical University of Warsaw, Poland), was to describe a perception, knowledge and coverage rates regarding pertussis vaccination among nursing staff. According to the authors' knowledge, it was the first study related to this topic in our country. Material and Methods: A total number of 543 nurses who work at pediatric or neonatal wards was included into the study (501 women and 42 men), average age was 47 years. All nurses were asked to fulfill the anonymous survey, previously validated. Results: 1. Coverage rates: The analysis of results revealed that only 4% of responders reported they were vaccinated with Tdpa within past 10 years, while 8% declared they would plan the vaccine in the future. 35% of responders would consider the Tdpa vaccine whether there is some kind of the reimbursement. 2. Perception and knowledge of the disease and vaccination: The majority (82%) of nurses did not recognize pertussis as a re-emerging infectious disease. 54% of them believed that obligatory vaccinations in the childhood protect against the disease and the protection is a life-long one. Only 15% of nurses considered pertussis as a possible nosocomial infection. The current epidemiology of the disease was known to 6% of responders, while 24% of them were familiar with pertussis vaccination schedules for infants, children and adolescents, but only 9% of responders knew that adults older than 19 years are recommended to be vaccinated with Tdpa every 10 years. Many nurses (82%) would expect more educational activities related to pertussis and methods of its prophylaxis. Conclusions: The pertussis vaccine coverage rate among Polish nurses is extremely low. This is a result of not enough knowledge about the disease and its prevention. Educational activities addressed to health care workers and reimbursement of the pertussis vaccine are required to improve awareness and increase of vaccine coverage rates in the future.

Keywords: coverage, nurse, pertussis, vaccine

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Authors: Recep Kesli, Gulsah Asik, Cengiz Demir, Onur Turkyilmaz

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Objective: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) has recently emerged as an important nosocomial microorganism. Treatment of invasive infections caused by this organism is problematic because this microorganism is usually resistant to a wide range of commonly used antimicrobials. We aimed to evaluate clinical isolates of S. maltophilia in respect to sampling sites and antimicrobial resistant. Method: During a two years period (October 2013 and September 2015) eighteen samples collected from the intensive care unit (ICU) patients hospitalized in Afyon Kocatepe University, ANS Practice and Research Hospital. Identification of the bacteria was determined by conventional methods and automated identification system-VITEK 2 (bio-Mérieux, Marcy l’toile, France). Antibacterial resistance tests were performed by Kirby Bauer disc (Oxoid, England) diffusion method following the recommendations of CLSI. Results: Eighteen S. maltophilia strains were identified as the causative agents of different infections. The main type of infection was lower respiratory tract infection (83,4 %); three patients (16,6 %) had bloodstream infection. While, none of the 18 S. maltophilia strains were found to be resistant against to trimethoprim sulfametaxasole (TMP-SXT) and levofloxacine, eight strains 66.6 % were found to be resistant against ceftazidim. Conclusion: The isolation of S.maltophilia starains resistant to TMP-SXT is vital. In order to prevent or minimize infections due to S. maltophilia such precuations should be utilized: Avoidance of inappropriate antibiotic use, prolonged implementation of foreign devices, reinforcement of hand hygiene practices and the application of appropriate infection control practices. Microbiology laboratories also may play important roles in controlling S. maltophilia infections by monitoring the prevalence, continuously, the provision of local antibiotic resistance paterns data and the performance of synergistic studies also may help to guide appropirate antimicrobial therapy choices.

Keywords: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, antimicrobial resistance, Stenotrophomonas spp.

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Authors: B. M. Pardeshi

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Introduction: Minerals and trace elements are chemical elements required by our bodies for numerous biological and physiological processes that are necessary for the maintenance of health. Medicinal plants are highly beneficial for the maintenance of good health and prevention of diseases. They are known as potential sources of minerals and vitamins. 30 to 40% of today’s conventional drugs used in the medicinal and curative properties of various plants are employed in herbal supplement botanicals, nutraceuticals and drug. Aim: The authors explored the mineral element content of some herbs, because mineral elements may have significant role in the development and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, and a close connection between the presence or absence of mineral elements and inflammatory mediators was noted. Methods: Present study deals with the elemental analysis of medicinal plants by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Medicinal herbals prescribed for skin diseases were purchased from markets and were analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using 252Cf Californium spontaneous fission neutron source (flux* 109 n s-1) and the induced activities were counted by γ-ray spectrometry and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) techniques (Perkin Elmer 3100 Model) available at Department of Chemistry University of Pune, India, was used for the measurement of major, minor and trace elements. Results: 15 elements viz. Al, K, Cl, Na, Mn by INAA and Cu, Co, Pb Ni, Cr, Ca, Fe, Zn, Hg and Cd by AAS were analyzed from different medicinal plants from India. A critical examination of the data shows that the elements Ca , K, Cl, Al, and Fe are found to be present at major levels in most of the samples while the other elements Na, Mn, Cu, Co, Pb, Ni, Cr, Ca, Zn, Hg and Cd are present in minor or trace levels. Conclusion: The beneficial therapeutic effect of the studied herbs may be related to their mineral element content. The elemental concentration in different medicinal plants is discussed.

Keywords: instrumental neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, medicinal plants, trace elemental analysis, mineral contents

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Authors: Uliana N. Tumanova, Viacheslav M. Lyapin, Vladimir G. Bychenko, Alexandr I. Shchegolev, Gennady T. Sukhikh

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It is well known that the gas formed as a result of postmortem decomposition of tissues can be detected already 24-48 hours after death. In addition, the conditions of keeping and storage of the corpse (temperature and humidity of the environment) significantly determine the rate of occurrence and development of posthumous changes. The presence of sepsis is accompanied by faster postmortem decomposition and decay of the organs and tissues of the body. The presence of gas in the vessels and cavities can be revealed fully at postmortem CT. Radiologists must certainly report on the detection of intraorganic or intravascular gas, wich was detected at postmortem CT, to forensic experts or pathologists before the autopsy. This gas can not be detected during autopsy, but it can be very important for establishing a diagnosis. To explore the possibility of postmortem CT for the evaluation of gas accumulations in the newborns' vessels, who died from congenital sepsis. Researched of 44 newborns bodies (25 male and 19 female sex, at the age from 6 hours to 27 days) after 6 - 12 hours of death. The bodies were stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of +4°C in the supine position. Grouped 12 bodies of newborns that died from congenital sepsis. The control group consisted of 32 bodies of newborns that died without signs of sepsis. Postmortem CT examination was performed at the GEMINI TF TOF16 device, before the autopsy. The localizations of gas accumulations in the vessels were determined on the CT tomograms. The sepsis diagnosis was on the basis of clinical and laboratory data and autopsy results. Gases in the vessels were detected in 33.3% of cases in the group with sepsis, and in the control group - in 34.4%. A group with sepsis most often the gas localized in the heart and liver vessels - 50% each, of observations number with the detected gas in the vessels. In the heart cavities, aorta and mesenteric vessels - 25% each. In control most often gas was detected in the liver (63.6%) and abdominal cavity (54.5%) vessels. In 45.5% the gas localized in the cavities, and in 36.4% in the vessels of the heart. In the cerebral vessels and in the aorta gas was detected in 27.3% and 9.1%, respectively. Postmortem CT has high diagnostic capabilities to detect free gas in vessels. Postmortem changes in newborns that died from sepsis do not affect intravascular gas production within 6-12 hours. Radiation methods should be used as a supplement to the autopsy, including as a kind of ‘guide’, with the indication to the forensic medical expert of certain changes identified during CT studies, for better definition of pathological processes during the autopsy. Postmortem CT can be recommend as a first stage of autopsy.

Keywords: congenital sepsis, gas, newborn, postmortem CT

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Authors: Daniel Scherman, Daniel Madani, Shanu Gambhir, Marcus Ling Zhixing, Yingda Li

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Objective: This study aims to identify clinical factors that may predict failed endoscopic lumbar spine surgery to guide surgeons with patient selection during the initial learning curve. Methods: This is an Australasian prospective analysis of the first 105 patients to undergo lumbar endoscopic spine decompression by 3 surgeons. Modified MacNab outcomes, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Visual Analogue Score (VAS) scores were utilized to evaluate clinical outcomes at 6 months postoperatively. Descriptive statistics and Anova t-tests were performed to measure statistically significant (p<0.05) associations between variables using GraphPad Prism v10. Results: Patients undergoing endoscopic lumbar surgery via an interlaminar or transforaminal approach have overall good/excellent modified MacNab outcomes and a significant reduction in post-operative VAS and ODI scores. Regardless of the anatomical location of disc herniations, good/excellent modified MacNab outcomes and significant reductions in VAS and ODI were reported post-operatively; however, not in patients with calcified disc herniations. Patients with central and foraminal stenosis overall reported poor/fair modified MacNab outcomes. However, there were significant reductions in VAS and ODI scores post-operatively. Patients with subarticular stenosis or an associated spondylolisthesis reported good/excellent modified MacNab outcomes and significant reductions in VAS and ODI scores post-operatively. Patients with disc herniation and concurrent degenerative stenosis had generally poor/fair modified MacNab outcomes. Conclusion: The outcomes of endoscopic spine surgery are encouraging, with a low complication and reoperation rate. However, patients with calcified disc herniations, central canal stenosis or a disc herniation with concurrent degenerative stenosis present challenges during the initial learning curve and may benefit from traditional open or other minimally invasive techniques.

Keywords: complications, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar endoscopic spine surgery, predictors of failed endoscopic spine surgery

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Authors: Matthias Steffan, Franz Haas

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The production process grinding is one of the latest steps in a value-added manufacturing chain. Within this step, workpiece geometry and surface roughness are determined. Up to this process stage, considerable costs and energy have already been spent on components. According to the current state of the art, therefore, large safety reserves are calculated in order to guarantee a process capability. Especially for non-circular grinding, this fact leads to considerable losses of process efficiency. With present technology, various non-circular geometries on a workpiece must be grinded subsequently in an oscillating process where X- and Q-axis of the machine are coupled. With the approach of RPM-Synchronous Noncircular Grinding, such workpieces can be machined in an ordinary plung grinding process. Therefore, the workpieces and the grinding wheels revolutionary rate are in a fixed ratio. A non-circular grinding wheel is used to transfer its geometry onto the workpiece. The authors use a worldwide unique machine tool that was especially designed for this technology. Highest revolution rates on the workpiece spindle (up to 4500 rpm) are mandatory for the success of this grinding process. This grinding approach is performed in a two-step process. For roughing, a highly porous vitrified bonded grinding wheel with medium grain size is used. It ensures high specific material removal rates for efficiently producing the non-circular geometry on the workpiece. This process step is adapted by a force control algorithm, which uses acquired data from a three-component force sensor located in the dead centre of the tailstock. For finishing, a grinding wheel with a fine grain size is used. Roughing and finishing are performed consecutively among the same clamping of the workpiece with two locally separated grinding spindles. The approach of RPM-Synchronous Noncircular Grinding shows great efficiency enhancement in non-circular grinding. For the first time, three-dimensional non-circular shapes can be grinded that opens up various fields of application. Especially automotive industries show big interest in the emerging trend in finishing machining.

Keywords: efficiency enhancement, finishing machining, non-circular grinding, rpm-synchronous grinding

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Authors: Pelin Yilmaz, Gizemnur Yildiz Uysal, Elcin Demirhan, Belma Ozbek

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The edible fig plant, Ficus carica Linn, belongs to the Moraceae family, and the leaves are mainly considered agricultural waste after harvesting. It has been demonstrated in the literature that fig leaves contain appealing properties such as high vitamins, fiber, amino acids, organic acids, and phenolic or flavonoid content. The extraction of these valuable products has gained importance. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is a method using microwave energy to heat the solvents, thereby transferring the bioactive compounds from the sample to the solvent. The main advantage of the MAE is the rapid extraction of bioactive compounds. In the present study, the MAE was applied to extract the bioactive compounds from Ficus carica L. leaves, and the effect of microwave power (180-900 W), extraction time (60-180 s), and solvent to sample amount (mL/g) (10-30) on the antioxidant property of the leaves. Then, the volatile organic component profile was determined at the specified extraction point. Additionally, antimicrobial studies were carried out to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of the microwave-extracted leaves. As a result, according to the data obtained from the experimental studies, the highest antimicrobial properties were obtained under the process parameters such as 540 W, 180 s, and 20 mL/g concentration. The volatile organic compound profile showed that isobergapten, which belongs to the furanocoumarins family exhibiting anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity besides promoting bone health, was the main compound. Acknowledgments: This work has been supported by Yildiz Technical University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under project number FBA-2021-4409. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from Tubitak 1515 - Frontier R&D Laboratory Support Programme.

Keywords: Ficus carica Linn leaves, volatile organic component, GC-MS, microwave extraction, isobergapten, antimicrobial

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Authors: Glenda Wrenn, Juliet Muzere, Meldra Hall, Allyson Belton, Kisha Holden, Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Martha Kent, Bekh Bradley

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Understanding the help seeking decision making process and experiences of health disparity populations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is central to development of trauma-informed, culturally centered, and patient focused services. Yet, little is known about the decision making process among adult Black women who are non-treatment seekers as they are, by definition, not engaged in services. Methods: Audiotaped interviews were conducted with 30 African American adult women with clinically significant PTSD symptoms who were engaged in primary care, but not in treatment for PTSD despite symptom burden. A qualitative interview guide was used to elucidate key themes. Independent coding of themes mapped to theory and identification of emergent themes were conducted using qualitative methods. An existing quantitative dataset was analyzed to contextualize responses and provide a descriptive summary of the sample. Results: Emergent themes revealed that active mental avoidance, the intermittent nature of distress, ambivalence, and self-identified resilience as undermining to help seeking decisions. Participants were stuck within the help-seeking phase of ‘recognition’ of illness and retained a sense of “it is my decision” despite endorsing significant social and environmental negative influencers. Participants distinguished ‘help acceptance’ from ‘help seeking’ with greater willingness to accept help and importance placed on being of help to others. Conclusions: Elucidation of the decision-making process from the perspective of non-treatment seekers has implications for outreach and treatment within models of integrated and specialty systems care. The salience of responses to trauma symptoms and stagnation in the help seeking recognition phase are findings relevant to integrated care service design and community engagement.

Keywords: culture, help-seeking, integrated care, PTSD

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Authors: Isadora Bugarin, Taygoara F. de Oliveira

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Binary fluids and emulsions, in general, are present in a vast range of industrial, medical, and scientific applications, showing complex behaviors responsible for defining the flow dynamics and the system operation. However, the literature describing those highlighted fluids in non-isothermal models is currently still limited. The present work brings a detailed investigation on droplet migration due to natural convection in square enclosure, aiming to clarify the effects of drop viscosity on the flow dynamics by showing how distinct viscosity ratios (droplet/ambient fluid) influence the drop motion and the final movement pattern kept on stationary regimes. The analysis was taken by observing distinct combinations of Rayleigh number, drop initial position, and viscosity ratios. The Navier-Stokes and Energy equations were solved considering the Boussinesq approximation in a laminar flow using the finite differences method combined with the Level Set method for binary flow solution. Previous results collected by the authors showed that the Rayleigh number and the drop initial position affect drastically the motion pattern of the droplet. For Ra ≥ 10⁴, two very marked behaviors were observed accordingly with the initial position: the drop can travel either a helical path towards the center or a cyclic circular path resulting in a closed cycle on the stationary regime. The variation of viscosity ratio showed a significant alteration of pattern, exposing a large influence on the droplet path, capable of modifying the flow’s behavior. Analyses on viscosity effects on the flow’s unsteady Nusselt number were also performed. Among the relevant contributions proposed in this work is the potential use of the flow initial conditions as a mechanism to control the droplet migration inside the enclosure.

Keywords: binary fluids, droplet motion, level set method, natural convection, viscosity

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Authors: L. A. Ostrovsky, Yu. A. Stepanyants

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Effect of Earth rotation on nonlinear waves is a practically important and theoretically challenging problem of fluid mechanics and geophysics. Whereas the large-scale, geostrophic processes such as Rossby waves are a classical object of oceanic and atmospheric physics, rotation effects on mesoscale waves are not well studied. In particular, the Coriolis force can radically modify the behavior of nonlinear internal gravity waves in the ocean having spatial scales of 1-10 kilometers and time durations of few hours. In the last decade, such a non-trivial behavior was observed more than once. Similar effects are possible for magnetic sound in the ionosphere. Here we outline the main physical peculiarities in the behavior of nonlinear internal waves due to the rotation effect and present some results of our recent studies. The consideration is based on the fourth-order equation derived by one of the authors as a rotation-modified Korteweg–de Vries (rKdV) equation which includes two types of dispersion: one is responsible for the finiteness of depth as in the classical KdV equation; another is due to the Coriolis effect. This equation is, in general, non-integrable; moreover, under the conditions typical of oceanic waves (positive dispersion parameter), it does not allow solitary solutions at all. In the opposite case (negative dispersion) which is possible for, e.g., magnetic sound, solitary solutions do exist and can form complex bound states (multisoliton). Another non-trivial properties of nonlinear internal waves with rotation include, to name a few, the ‘terminal’ damping of the initial KdV soliton disappearing in a finite time due to radiation losses caused by Earth’s rotation, and eventual transformation of a KdV soliton into a wave packet (an envelope soliton). The new results to be discussed refer to the interaction of a soliton with a long background wave. It is shown, in particular, that in this case internal solitons can exist since the radiation losses are compensated by energy pumping from the background wave. Finally, the relevant oceanic observations of rotation effect on internal waves are briefly described.

Keywords: Earth rotation, internal waves, nonlinear waves, solitons

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Authors: Javad Sarvestan, Zdenek Svoboda

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Force-time (F-T) curvature characteristics are globally referenced as the main indicators of athletic jump performance. Nevertheless, to the best of authors’ knowledge, no investigation tried to deeply study the relationship between F-T curve variables and real-game jump performance among elite volleyball players. To this end, this study was designated to investigate the association between F-T curve variables, including movement timings, force, velocity, power, rate of force development (RFD), modified reactive strength index (RSImod), and net impulse with spike jump height during real-game circumstances. Twelve young elite volleyball players performed 3 countermovement jump (CMJ) and 3 spike jump in real-game circumstances with 1-minute rest intervals to prevent fatigue. Shapiro-Wilk statistical test illustrated the normality of data distribution, and Pearson’s product correlation test portrayed a significant correlation between CMJ height and peak RFD (0.85), average RFD (r=0.81), RSImod (r=0.88) and concentric net impulse (r=0.98), and also significant correlation between spike jump height and peak RFD (0.73), average RFD (r=0.80), RSImod (r=0.62) and concentric net impulse (r=0.71). Multiple regression analysis also reported that these factors have a strong contribution in predicting of CMJ (98%) and spike jump (77%) heights. Outcomes of this study confirm that the RFD, concentric net impulse, and RSImod values could precisely monitor and track the volleyball attackers’ explosive strength, muscular stretch-shortening cycle function efficiency, and ultimate spike jump height. To this effect, volleyball coaches and trainers are advised to have an in-depth focus on their athletes’ progression or the impacts of strength trainings by observing and chasing the F-T curve variables such as RFD, net impulse, and RSImod.

Keywords: net impulse, reactive strength index, rate of force development, stretch-shortening cycle

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Authors: Jameelah Omolara Yaqub

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One of the main reasons for the existence of central bank is that it is believed that central banks have some influence on private sector decisions which will enable the Central Bank to achieve some of its objectives especially that of stable price and economic growth. By the assumption of the New Keynesian theory that prices are fully flexible in the short run, the central bank can temporarily influence real interest rate and, therefore, have an effect on real output in addition to nominal prices. There is, therefore, the need for the Central Bank to monitor, respond to, and influence private sector decisions appropriately. This thus shows that the Central Bank and the private sector will both affect and be affected by each other implying considerable interdependence between the sectors. The interdependence may be simultaneous or not depending on the level of information, readily available and how sensitive prices are to agents’ expectations about the future. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to determine whether the interdependence between asset prices and monetary policy are simultaneous or not and how important is this relationship. Studies on the effects of monetary policy have largely used VAR models to identify the interdependence but most have found small effects of interaction. Some earlier studies have ignored the possibility of simultaneous interdependence while those that have allowed for simultaneous interdependence used data from developed economies only. This study, therefore, extends the literature by using data from a developing economy where information might not be readily available to influence agents’ expectation. In this study, the direction of relationship among variables of interest will be tested by carrying out the Granger causality test. Thereafter, the interaction between asset prices and monetary policy in Nigeria will be tested. Asset prices will be represented by the NSE index as well as real estate prices while monetary policy will be represented by money supply and the MPR respectively. The VAR model will be used to analyse the relationship between the variables in order to take account of potential simultaneity of interdependence. The study will cover the period between 1980 and 2014 due to data availability. It is believed that the outcome of the research will guide monetary policymakers especially the CBN to effectively influence the private sector decisions and thereby achieve its objectives of price stability and economic growth.

Keywords: asset prices, granger causality, monetary policy rate, Nigeria

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Authors: Isabel Carrero, Raquel Redondo, Carmen Valor

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An unclosed issue in sustainable consumption (SC) literature is the relationship between SC and well-being. This paper seeks to address three limitations in past research. First, well-being has been measured as a single-faceted construct. However, other authors have defended the need to broaden the well-being construct since it goes beyond the emotional experiences and life satisfaction. By examining the relationship between SC and the multifaceted construct of psychological well-being, past contradictory results may be reconciled. To illustrate, past studies have shown that sustainable consumers experience negative emotions when they become aware of the harm that human beings inflict on the planet but they realize they have limited power to solving the problem or when they find limited alternatives or useful information to make sustainable decisions. Thus, these experiences may negatively affect the dimension of well-being 'environmental mastery'. However, as past studies have demonstrated that sustainable consumers feel meaningful, their assessment of the dimension 'purpose in life' would be positive. Thus, we need to understand how SC impinge on the different facets of psychological well-being, in order to better understand the relationship between SC and well-being. Another limitation of past research is that most studies failed to distinguish among different pro-environmental actions under SC (i.e., boycotting, buycotting) among others. For instance, activists have been found to experience higher levels of well-being and sense of meaning than less committed sustainable consumers but also burnt-out and social rejection, which should affect negatively the dimension of 'positive relations'. Finally, the influence of gender has been overlooked in the literature of SC and well-being when it has been identified consistently as a moderator variable in SC. Therefore, this study aims to (1) investigate the effect of SC on the six facets of psychological well-being, (2) distinguish between conventional SC behaviors vs. activism to examine whether these behaviors influence psychological well-being differently (3) and test gender as a moderator variable. It does so by surveying 861 individuals. This paper contributes to existing literature by showing that the relationship between well-being and SC is more intricate than it has been presented in previous literature, as it depends on the facet, the type of behavior carried out and gender.

Keywords: activism, gender, psychological well-being, structural equation modelling, sustainable consumption

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Authors: Moetazza M. Al-Shafei, Hala Abdel Karim, Eitedal M. Daoud, Hassan Zaki Hassuna

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Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting all age groups. It is one of the world's most prevalent non-communicable diseases. Increased evidence suggesting that long term usage of anti-epileptic drugs can have adverse effects on bone mineralization and bone molding .Aiming to study these effects and to give guide lines to support bone health through early intervention. From Neurology Out-Patient Clinic kaser Elaini University Hospital, 60 Patients were enrolled, 40 patients on antiepileptic drugs for at least two years and 20 controls matched with age and sex, epileptic but before starting treatment both chosen under specific criteria. Patients were divided into four groups, three groups with monotherapy treated with either Phynetoin, Valporic acid or Carbamazipine and fourth group treated with both Valporic acid and Carbamazipine. Estimation of serum Carboxy-Terminal Telopeptide of Type I- Collagen(ICTP) bone resorption marker, serum 25(OH )vit D3, calcium ,magnesium and phosphorus were done .Results showed that all patients on AED had significant low levels of 25(OH) vit D3 (p<0.001) ,with significant elevation of ICTP (P<0.05) versus controls. In group treated with Phynotoin highly significant elevation of (ICTP) marker and decrease of both serum 25(OH) vit D3 (P<0, 0001) and serum calcium(P<0.05)versus control. Double drug group showed significant decrease of serum 25(OH) vit D3 (P<0.0001) and decrease in Phosphorus (P<0.05) versus controls. Serum magnesium showed no significant differences between studied groups. We concluded that Anti- epileptic drugs appears to be an aggravating factor on bone mineralization ,so therapeutically it can be worth wile to supplement calcium and vitamin D even before initiation of antiepileptic therapy. ICTP marker can be used to evaluate change in bone resorption before and during AED therapy.

Keywords: antiepileptic drugs, bone minerals, carboxy teminal telopeptidetype-1-collagen bone resorption marker, vitamin D

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Authors: Brendan Mooney

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Context: Feelings and emotions are commonly misunderstood and the terms often used interchangeably, leading to potential negative impacts on individuals' mental well-being and relationships. The distinction between these two fundamentally different experiences of human life is crucial for effective psychological practice and communication. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to outline the disparities between feelings and emotions, emphasising the significance of this differentiation in psychological practice to enhance clients' observation, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication skills. Methodology: This research utilises a conceptual model developed by the author in 2017 based on clinical experience, client observations, and feedback. The model serves to guide effective clinical practice by providing clear definitions and understanding of feelings versus emotions. Case study examples were utilised to support the efficacy of the model. Findings: The study highlights that recognising and expressing feelings rather than emotions is more empowering and conducive to resolving unresolved issues, thereby fostering better psychological well-being and interpersonal relationships. Theoretical Importance: This research underscores the importance of clarifying fundamental definitions related to feelings and emotions in enhancing psychological interventions and preventing various relationship conflicts and individual issues. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data was collected through the author's clinical experience and interactions with clients, informing the development of the Feeling Emotions Mental (FEM) model. Analysis involved synthesising observations and feedback to elucidate the distinctions between feelings and emotions. Questions Addressed: What are the disparities between feelings and emotions? How does the confusion between these two fundamentally different experiences of human life impact individuals' mental well-being and relationships? Why is it essential to differentiate between feelings and emotions in psychological practice? Conclusion: The study advocates for a clear understanding of feelings versus emotions to support clients in addressing unresolved issues and improving their overall psychological functioning and communication skills, thereby preventing potential conflicts and relationship challenges.

Keywords: couples, mental, misinformation, misunderstanding, relationships

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Authors: Jia-Lien Hsu, Chiung-Wen Chang

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Research articles may follow a simple and succinct structure of organizational patterns, called move. For example, considering extended abstracts, we observe that an extended abstract usually consists of five moves, including Background, Aim, Method, Results, and Conclusion. As another example, when publishing articles in PubMed, authors are encouraged to provide a structured abstract, which is an abstract with distinct and labeled sections (e.g., Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussions) for rapid comprehension. This paper introduces a method for computational analysis of move structures (i.e., Background-Purpose-Method-Result-Conclusion) in abstracts and introductions of research documents, instead of manually time-consuming and labor-intensive analysis process. In our approach, sentences in a given abstract and introduction are automatically analyzed and labeled with a specific move (i.e., B-P-M-R-C in this paper) to reveal various rhetorical status. As a result, it is expected that the automatic analytical tool for move structures will facilitate non-native speakers or novice writers to be aware of appropriate move structures and internalize relevant knowledge to improve their writing. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian approach to determine move tags for research articles. The approach consists of two phases, training phase and testing phase. In the training phase, we build a Bayesian model based on a couple of given initial patterns and the corpus, a subset of CiteSeerX. In the beginning, the priori probability of Bayesian model solely relies on initial patterns. Subsequently, with respect to the corpus, we process each document one by one: extract features, determine tags, and update the Bayesian model iteratively. In the testing phase, we compare our results with tags which are manually assigned by the experts. In our experiments, the promising accuracy of the proposed approach reaches 56%.

Keywords: academic English writing, assisted writing, move tag analysis, Bayesian approach

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Authors: Layal Mansour

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The aim of this paper is to identify whether oil price volatility or geopolitical risks can predict future financial stress periods or economic recessions in Kuwait. We construct the first Financial Stress Index for Kuwait (FSIK) that includes informative vulnerable indicators of the main financial sectors: the banking sector, the equities market, and the foreign exchange market. The study covers the period from 2000 to 2020, so it includes the two recent most devastating world economic crises with oil price fluctuation: the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and Ukraine-Russia War. All data are taken by the central bank of Kuwait, the World Bank, IMF, DataStream, and from Federal Reserve System St Louis. The variables are computed as the percentage growth rate, then standardized and aggregated into one index using the variance equal weights method, the most frequently used in the literature. The graphical FSIK analysis provides detailed information (by dates) to policymakers on how internal financial stability depends on internal policy and events such as government elections or resignation. It also shows how monetary authorities or internal policymakers’ decisions to relieve personal loans or increase/decrease the public budget trigger internal financial instability. The empirical analysis under vector autoregression (VAR) models shows the dynamic causal relationship between the oil price fluctuation and the Kuwaiti economy, which relies heavily on the oil price. Similarly, using vector autoregression (VAR) models to assess the impact of the global geopolitical risks on Kuwaiti financial stability, results reveal whether Kuwait is confronted with or sheltered from geopolitical risks. The Financial Stress Index serves as a guide for macroprudential regulators in order to understand the weakness of the overall Kuwaiti financial market and economy regardless of the Kuwaiti dinar strength and exchange rate stability. It helps policymakers predict future stress periods and, thus, address alternative cushions to confront future possible financial threats.

Keywords: Kuwait, financial stress index, causality test, VAR, oil price, geopolitical risks

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Authors: T. Almutairi, K. Naudi, N. Nairn, X. Ju, B. Eng, J. Whitters, A. Ayoub

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Purpose: At present Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) imaging does not record dental morphology accurately due to the scattering produced by metallic restorations and the reported magnification. The aim of this pilot study is the development and validation of a new method for the replacement of the distorted dentition of CBCT scans with the dental image captured by the digital intraoral camera. Materials and Method: Six dried skulls with orthodontics brackets on the teeth were used in this study. Three intra-oral markers made of dental stone were constructed which were attached to orthodontics brackets. The skulls were CBCT scanned, and occlusal surface was captured using TRIOS® 3D intraoral scanner. Marker based and surface based registrations were performed to fuse the digital intra-oral scan(IOS) into the CBCT models. This produced a new composite digital model of the skull and dentition. The skulls were scanned again using the commercially accurate Laser Faro® arm to produce the 'gold standard' model for the assessment of the accuracy of the developed method. The accuracy of the method was assessed by measuring the distance between the occlusal surfaces of the new composite model and the 'gold standard' 3D model of the skull and teeth. The procedure was repeated a week apart to measure the reproducibility of the method. Results: The results showed no statistically significant difference between the measurements on the first and second occasions. The absolute mean distance between the new composite model and the laser model ranged between 0.11 mm to 0.20 mm. Conclusion: The dentition of the CBCT can be accurately replaced with the dental image captured by the intra-oral scanner to create a composite model. This method will improve the accuracy of orthognathic surgical prediction planning, with the final goal of the fabrication of a physical occlusal wafer without to guide orthognathic surgery and eliminate the need for dental impression.

Keywords: orthognathic surgery, superimposition, models, cone beam computed tomography

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Authors: Noemia Bessa Vilela, Jose Caramelo Gomes

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All law student are familiarized, in the first years of their bachelor of laws with the concepts of “public goods” and “ private goods”; often, such legal concept does not exactly match such economic concept, and there are consequences are some sort of confusion being created. The list of goods that follow under each category is not exhaustive, nor are students given proper mechanisms to acknowledge that some legal fields can, on its own, be considered as a “public good”; this is the case of Competition. Legal authors consider that “competition law is used to promote public interest” and, as such, it is a “public good”; in economics theory, Competition is the first public good in a market economy, as the enabler of allocation efficiency. Competition law is the legal tool to support the proper functioning of the market economy and democracy itself. It is fact that Competition Law only applies to economic activities, still, competition is object of private litigation as an integral part of Public Law. Still, regardless of the importance of Competition Law in the economic activity and market regulation, most student complete their studies in law, join the Bar Associations and engage in their professional activities never having been given sufficient tools to deal with the increasing demands of a globalized world. The lack of knowledge of economics, market functioning and the mechanisms at their reach in order to ensure proper realization of their duties as lawyers/ attorneys-at-law would be tackled if Competition Law would be included as part of the curricula of Law Schools. Proper teaching of Competition Law would combine the foundations of Competition Law, doctrine, case solving and Case Law study. Students should to understand and apply the analytical model. Special emphasis should be given to EU Competition Law, namely the TFEU Articles 101 to 106. Damages Directive should also be part of the curriculum. Students must in the first place acquire and master the economic rationale as competition and the world of competition law are the cornerstone of sound and efficient market. The teaching of Competition Law in undergraduate programs in Law would contribute to fulfill the potential of the students who will deal with matters related to consumer protection, economic and commercial law issues both in private practice and as in-house lawyers for companies.

Keywords: higher education, competition law, legal education, law, market economy, industrial economics

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Authors: Sataroopa Mishra, Mona Basker, Sneha Varkki, Ram Kumar Pandian, Grace Rebekah

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Background: Sleep deprivation is a matter of public health importance among adolescents. We used adolescent sleep wake scale and adolescent sleep hygiene scale to determine the sleep quality and sleep hygiene respectively of school going adolescents in Vellore city of India. The objective of the study was to do factorial analysis of the scales and validate it for use in local population. Methods: Observational questionnaire based cross sectional study. Setting: Community based school survey in a semi-urban setting in three schools in Vellore city. Data collection: Non probability sample was collected form students studying in standard 9 and 11. Students filled Adolescent Sleep Wake scale (ASWS) and Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS) translated into vernacular language. Data Analysis: Exploratory Factorial Analysis was used to see the factor loading of various components of the two scales. Confirmatory factorial analysis is subsequently planned for assessing the internal validity of the scales.Results: 557 adolescents were included in the study of 12 – 17 years old. Exploratory factorial analysis of adolescent sleep hygiene scale indicated significant factor loading for 18 items from 28 items originally devised by the authors and has been reconstructed to four domains instead of 9 domains in the original scale namely sleep stability, cognitive – emotional, Physiological - bed time routine - behavioural arousal factor (activites before bedtime and during bed time), Sleep environment (lighting and bed sharing). Factorial analysis of Adolescent sleep wake scale showed factor loading of 18 items out of 28 items in original scale reconstructed into 5 aspects of sleep quality. Conclusions: The factorial analysis gives a reconstructed scale useful for the local population. Further a confirmatory factorial analysis has been subsequently planned to determine the internal consistency of the scale for local population.

Keywords: factorial analysis, sleep hygiene, sleep quality, adolescent sleep scale

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Authors: May Al Sahib

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This paper draws together an analysis of two autobiographical writings; Ahdaf Soueif’s Cairo: My City, Our Revolution (2012), Radwa Ashour’s Heavier than Radwa (2013), and Revolution is My Name: An Egyptian Woman’s Diary from Eighteen Days in Tahrir (2015). Soueif, Ashour, and Prince are Egyptian authors, activists, and cultural commentators who are fully aware that being a ‘third world’ citizen constrains the writer into taking a specific pattern in writing. However, this paper will analyze the choice of literary form in writing the 2011 January revolution. All texts give factual accounts of the revolution with all its contesting powers lingering with mixed references of anxiety and merriment that accentuates their sense of communal solidarity against social corruption and political positioning. Through shifting between the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’, these narratives do not solely engage with the personal life of the memorialist; but rather give an account of the collective. Both writers take us to the heart of high-spirited Tahrir Square in 2011 while millions are ranting to oust Hosni Mubarak, the 30 years ruling dictator. By utilizing the instrumentality of collective memory for expressing textual collectivity in their non-fictional writings, these writers are depicting the people power of Egyptians and the historical civil-resistance against governmental unfairness and establishing a certain type of patriotism that elevates and priorities itself from minor conflicts. Their de-individualizing type of life narrative represents the Arabic nation through vital socio-political situations that perpetuate the politics of resistance and collectivity with a constant fear of betraying it and erupts historical moments aiming for an improved future. The texts incorporate an explicit set of reported political series of thought that shape an overall public argument and representational ideas.

Keywords: resistance narrative, life-writing, Tahrir memoir, Middle Eastern literature

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Authors: Riina I. Bray, Yifan Wang, Nikolas Argiropoulos, Stephanie Robins, John Molot, Kelly Tragash, Lynn M. Marshall, Margaret E. Sears, Marie-Andrée Pigeon, Michel Gaudet, Pierre Auger, Emily Bélanger, Rohini Peris

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Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic medical condition characterized by intolerances to chemical substances. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated health measures, people experiencing MCS (PEMCS) are at a heightened risk of environmental exposures associated with cleaners, disinfectants, and sanitizers. Little attention has been paid to the well-being of PEMCS in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study assesses the lived experiences of Canadian adults with MCS in relation to their living environment, access to healthcare, and levels of perceived social support before and during the pandemic. Methods: A total of 119 PEMCS completed an online questionnaire. McNemar Chi-Squared and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to evaluate if there were statistically significant changes in participants’ perception of their living environment, access to healthcare, and levels of social support before and after March 11, 2020. Results: Both positive and negative outcomes were noted. Participants reported an increase in exposure to disinfectants/sanitizers that entered their living environment (p<.001). There was a reported decrease in access to a family doctor during the pandemic (p<0.001). Although PEMCS experienced increased social isolation (p<0.001), they also reported an increase in understanding from family (p<0.029) and a decrease in stigma for wearing personal protective equipment (p<0.001). Conclusion: PEMCS reported experiencing: increased exposure to disinfectants or sanitizers, a loss of social support, and barriers in accessing healthcare during the pandemic. However, COVID-19 provided an opportunity to normalize the living conditions of PEMCS, such as wearing masks and social isolation. These findings can guide decision-makers on the importance of implementing nontoxic alternatives for cleaning and disinfection, as well as improving accommodation measures for PEMCS.

Keywords: covid-19, multiple chemical sensitivity, MCS, quality of life, social isolation, physical environment, healthcare

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Authors: Verena M. Moock, Darien E. Arce Chávez, Mariana M. Espejel González, Leopoldo Ruíz-Huerta, Crescencio García-Segundo

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Uncertainty analysis in industrial computed tomography is commonly related to metrological trace tools, which offer precision measurements of external part features. Unfortunately, there is no such reference tool for internal measurements to profit from the unique imaging potential of X-rays. Uncertainty approximations for computed tomography are still based on general aspects of the industrial machine and do not adapt to acquisition parameters or part characteristics. The present study investigates the impact of the acquisition time on the dimensional uncertainty measuring a stainless steel cylinder with a circular tomography scan. The authors develop the figure difference method for X-ray radiography to evaluate the volumetric differences introduced within the projected absorption maps of the metal workpiece. The dimensional uncertainty is dominantly influenced by photon energy dissipated as heat causing the thermal expansion of the metal, as monitored by an infrared camera within the industrial tomograph. With the proposed methodology, we are able to show evolving temperature differences throughout the tomography acquisition. This is an early study showing that the number of projections in computer tomography induces dimensional error due to energy absorption. The error magnitude would depend on the thermal properties of the sample and the acquisition parameters by placing apparent non-uniform unwanted volumetric expansion. We introduce infrared imaging for the experimental display of metrological uncertainty in a particular metal part of symmetric geometry. We assess that the current results are of fundamental value to reach the balance between the number of projections and uncertainty tolerance when performing analysis with X-ray dimensional exploration in precision measurements with industrial tomography.

Keywords: computed tomography, digital metrology, infrared imaging, thermal expansion

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