Search results for: dialectical behaviour therapy

Authors: Adina Dudau, Georgios Kominis, Melinda Szocs

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This paper links distinct bodies of literature around innovation and public services by examining a case of perceived innovation failure. Through a mixed methodology investigating student attitudes to, and behaviour around, technological innovation in higher education, the paper makes a contribution to the public service innovation literature by focusing on the duality of innovation outcomes, suggestive of an innovation typology in public services. The study was conducted in a UK Russell Group university and it focused on a technological process innovation. The innovation consisted of the provision of feedback to students in the form of a digital video (mp4), tailored to each individual submission, with extended voice-over commentary from the course coordinator and visual cues intended to help students see the relevance of comments to their submissions. The sample of the study consisted of a class of 79 undergraduate students. To investigate student attainment, we designed a field (also known as quasi or natural) experiment, essentially a manipulation of a social setting (in this case, the form of feedback given to students), but as part of a naturally occurring social arrangement (a real course which students attend and in which they are assessed). A two group control group design (see figure 3) was utilised to examine the effectiveness of the feedback innovation (video feedback). Two outcome variables of the service innovation were measured: student satisfaction and student attainment. In other words, the study examined not only students’ perceptions of whether VF was deemed to be beneficial towards their subsequent assignments; but also evidence of actual incremental benefits in students’ performance from one assignment to the next after VF was provided. The results were baffling and indicating competing agendas in higher education.

Keywords: higher education, audio-video, feedback, innovation

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Authors: Mario Isaza-Ruget, Claudia C. Colmenares-Mejia, Nancy Yomayusa, Camilo A. González, Andres Cely, Jossie Murcia

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Quantification of risks associated with complications development from chronic kidney disease (CKD) through accurate survival models can help with patient management. A retrospective cohort that included patients diagnosed with CKD from a primary care program and followed up between 2013 and 2018 was carried out. Time-dependent and static covariates associated with demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors were included. Deep Learning (DL) survival analyzes were developed for three CKD outcomes: CKD stage progression, >25% decrease in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), and Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT). Models were evaluated and compared with Random Survival Forest (RSF) based on concordance index (C-index) metric. 2.143 patients were included. Two models were developed for each outcome, Deep Neural Network (DNN) model reported C-index=0.9867 for CKD stage progression; C-index=0.9905 for reduction in eGFR; C-index=0.9867 for RRT. Regarding the RSF model, C-index=0.6650 was reached for CKD stage progression; decreased eGFR C-index=0.6759; RRT C-index=0.8926. DNN models applied in survival analysis context with considerations of longitudinal covariates at the start of follow-up can predict renal stage progression, a significant decrease in eGFR and RRT. The success of these survival models lies in the appropriate definition of survival times and the analysis of covariates, especially those that vary over time.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, chronic kidney disease, deep neural networks, survival analysis

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Authors: Alicia Regodon Puyalto, Alfonso Garcia-Santos

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This article presents a method to analyze the use of indoor spaces based on data analytics obtained from inbuilt digital devices. The study uses the data generated by the in-place devices, such as smart locks, Wi-Fi routers, and electrical sensors, to gain additional insights on space occupancy, user behaviour, and comfort. Those devices, originally installed to facilitate remote operations, report data through the internet that the research uses to analyze information on human real-time use of spaces. Using an in-place Internet of Things (IoT) network enables a faster, more affordable, seamless, and scalable solution to analyze building interior spaces without incorporating external data collection systems such as sensors. The methodology is applied to a real case study of coliving, a residential building of 3000m², 7 floors, and 80 users in the centre of Madrid. The case study applies the method to classify IoT devices, assess, clean, and analyze collected data based on the analysis framework. The information is collected remotely, through the different platforms devices' platforms; the first step is to curate the data, understand what insights can be provided from each device according to the objectives of the study, this generates an analysis framework to be escalated for future building assessment even beyond the residential sector. The method will adjust the parameters to be analyzed tailored to the dataset available in the IoT of each building. The research demonstrates how human-centered data analytics can improve the future spatial design of indoor spaces.

Keywords: in-place devices, IoT, human-centred data-analytics, spatial design

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Authors: Dogaru-Ulieru Valentin, Sălișteanu Ioan Corneliu, Ardeleanu Mihăiță Nicolae, Broscăreanu Ștefan, Sălișteanu Bogdan, Mihai Mihail

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The SiaMOTO system is a communications and data processing platform for vehicle traffic. The human factor is the most important factor in the generation of this data, as the driver is the one who dictates the trajectory of the vehicle. Like any trajectory, specific parameters refer to position, speed and acceleration. Constant knowledge of these parameters allows complex analyses. Roadways allow many vehicles to travel through their confined space, and the overlapping trajectories of several vehicles increase the likelihood of collision events, known as road accidents. Any such event has causes that lead to its occurrence, so the conditions for its occurrence are known. The human factor is predominant in deciding the trajectory parameters of the vehicle on the road, so monitoring it by knowing the events reported by the DiaMOTO device over time, will generate a guide to target any potentially high-risk driving behavior and reward those who control the driving phenomenon well. In this paper, we have focused on detailing the communication infrastructure of the DiaMOTO device with the traffic data collection server, the infrastructure through which the database that will be used for complex AI/DLM analysis is built. The central element of this description is the data string in CODEC-8 format sent by the DiaMOTO device to the SiaMOTO collection server database. The data presented are specific to a functional infrastructure implemented in an experimental model stage, by installing on a number of 50 vehicles DiaMOTO unique code devices, integrating ADAS and GPS functions, through which vehicle trajectories can be monitored 24 hours a day.

Keywords: DiaMOTO, Codec-8, ADAS, GPS, driver monitoring

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Authors: Abinash Tripathy, Girish Muralidharan, Amitava Pramanik, Prosenjit Sen

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Superhydrophobic surfaces are abundant in nature. Several surfaces such as wings of butterfly, legs of water strider, feet of gecko and the lotus leaf show extreme water repellence behaviour. Self-cleaning, stain-free fabrics, spill-resistant protective wears, drag reduction in micro-fluidic devices etc. are few applications of superhydrophobic surfaces. In order to design robust superhydrophobic surface, it is important to understand the interaction of water with superhydrophobic surface textures. In this work, we report a simple coating method for creating large-scale flexible superhydrophobic paper surface. The surface consists of multiple layers of silanized zirconia microparticles decorated with zirconia nanoparticles. Water contact angle as high as 159±10 and contact angle hysteresis less than 80 was observed. Drop impact studies on superhydrophobic paper surface were carried out by impinging water droplet and capturing its dynamics through high speed imaging. During the drop impact, the Weber number was varied from 20 to 80 by altering the impact velocity of the drop and the parameters such as contact time, normalized spread diameter were obtained. In contrast to earlier literature reports, we observed contact time to be dependent on impact velocity on superhydrophobic surface. Total contact time was split into two components as spread time and recoil time. The recoil time was found to be dependent on the impact velocity while the spread time on the surface did not show much variation with the impact velocity. Further, normalized spreading parameter was found to increase with increase in impact velocity.

Keywords: contact angle, contact angle hysteresis, contact time, superhydrophobic

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Authors: M. Klimova, O. Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, J. Kurts, E. Zinchenko, N. Navolokin, A. Shirokov, A. Dubrovsky, A. Abdurashitov, A. Terskov, A. Mamedova, I. Agranovich, T. Antonova, I. Blokhina

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The direction for research of Alzheimer's disease is to find an effective non-invasive and non-pharmacological way of treatment. Here we tested our hypothesis that the opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) induces activation of lymphatic drainage and clearing functions that can be used as a method for non-invasive stimulation of clearance of beta-amyloid and therapy of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To test our hypothesis, in this study on healthy male mice we analyzed the interaction between BBB opening by repeated loud music (100-10000 Hz, 100 dB, duration 2 h: 60 sec – sound; 60 sec - pause) and functional changes in the meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs). We demonstrate clearance of dextran 70 kDa (i.v. injection), fluorescent beta-amyloid (intrahippocampal injection) and gold nanorods (intracortical injection) via MLV that significantly increased after the opening of BBB. Our studies also demonstrate that the BBB opening was associated with the improvement of neurocognitive status in mice with AD. Thus, we uncover therapeutic effects of BBB opening by loud music, such as non-invasive stimulation of lymphatic clearance of beta-amyloid in mice with AD, accompanied by improvement of their neurocognitive status. Our data are consistent with other results suggesting the therapeutic effect of BBB opening by focused ultrasound without drugs for patients with AD. This research was supported by a grant from RSF 18-75-10033

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid, blood-brain barrier, meningeal lymphatic vessels, repeated loud music

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Authors: Ryuji Yamazaki, Masahiro Kochi, Weiran Zhu, Hiroko Kase

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In care for older adults, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) like agitation and aggression are distressing for patients and their caretakers, often resulting in premature institutionalization with increased costs of care. To improve mood and mitigate symptoms, as a non-pharmaceutical approach, emotion-oriented therapy like reminiscence work is adopted in face-to-face communication. Telecommunication support is expected to be provided by robotic media as a bridge for digital divide for those with dementia and facilitate social interaction both verbally and nonverbally. The purpose of this case study is to explore the conditions in which robotic media can effectively attract attention from older adults with dementia and promote their well-being. As a pilot study, we introduced the pillow-phone Hugvie^®, a huggable humanly shaped communication medium to five residents with dementia at a care facility, to investigate how the following conditions work for the elderly when they use the medium; 1) no sound, 2) radio, non-interactive, 3) daily conversation, and 4) reminiscence work. As a result, under condition 4, reminiscence work, the five participants kept concentration in interacting with the medium for a longer duration than other conditions. In condition 4, they also showed larger amount of utterances than under other conditions. These results indicate that providing topics related to personal histories through robotic media could affect communication positively and should, therefore, be further investigated. In addition, the issue of ethical implications by using persuasive technology that affects emotions and behaviors of older adults is also discussed.

Keywords: BPSD, reminiscence, tactile telecommunication, utterances

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Authors: H. M. Imam, H. M. Rezk, A. F. Tohamy

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Background: Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) is considered as a unique source for stem cells. HUCB contain different types of progenitor cells which could differentiate into hepatocytes. Aims: To investigate the potential of rat's liver damage repair using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs). We investigated the feasibility for hUCMSCs in recovery from liver damage. Moreover, investigating fibrotic liver repair and using the CCl4-induced model for liver damage in the rat. Methods: Rats were injected with 0.5 ml/kg CCl4 to induce liver damage and progressive liver fibrosis. hUCMSCs were injected into the rats through the tail vein; Stem cells were transplanted at a dose of 1×106 cells/rat after 72 hours of CCl4 injection without receiving any immunosuppressant. After (6 and 8 weeks) of transplantation, blood samples were collected to assess liver functions (ALT, AST, GGT and ALB) and level of Procollagen III as a liver fibrosis marker. In addition, hepatic tissue regeneration was assessed histopathologically and immunohistochemically using antihuman monoclonal antibodies against CD34, CK19 and albumin. Results: Biochemical and histopathological analysis showed significantly increased recovery from liver damage in the transplanted group. In addition, HUCB stem cells transdifferentiated into functional hepatocytes in rats with hepatic injury which results in improving liver structure and function. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that transplantation of hUCMSCs may be a novel therapeutic approach for treating liver fibrosis. Therefore, hUCMSCs are a potential option for treatment of liver cirrhosis.

Keywords: carbon tetra chloride, liver fibrosis, mesenchymal stem cells, rat

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Authors: M. S. M. Anjalee Umesha Bandara

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Hela Veda Shastra is a science that is an endowment from generation to generation. There is also an individualistic science and indigenous practice of traditional herbs. There are many effective cures for snakes, fractures, head cancer, cuts, lunatics, reflexology, etc. Hela physicians who rescued them from infections caused by snakes have recognized poems to remember the medicines they used to cure the patients. Due to the harmony of the Hela Osu and Hela Knowledge poetry collection, it has become easy for the juniors of the Hela Veda generation to gain medical knowledge. It is a research problem whether it is possible to arrive at a correct conclusion about the patient form of the snake information thread through the existing Dhuta characteristics of Hela Serpa Vedakam. This research was done with the assumption that snake venom can be successfully treated according to its characteristics. In this research, two generations related to the Ratmalavatiya Vedaparamparava and the Vannihatpattu of the Kalla Veda generation have been identified as Veda Paramparas who treat and created Dutha Kavya, including the form of the Serpent Dasthana. They have collected ancient books, documents and interviews related to qualitative research on snake disease treatment. In addition, collecting data by referring to books related to Hela medicine. The ancient indigenous lineage methods that are superior to modern Western science's snake therapy should save the Hela's amazing wealth of wisdom for the future, leaving aside the selfishness of keeping the teaching to themselves.

Keywords: snake venom medicine, vedic genealogy, Dhuta characteristic, snake

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Authors: Bryony Davies

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Many cell and tissue culture practices ignore the effects of gravity on cell biology, and little is known about how cell components may move in response to gravitational forces. Starfish oocytes provide an excellent model for interrogating the movement of cell components due to their unusually large size, ease of handling, and high transparency. Chromosomes from starfish oocytes can be visualised by microinjection of the histone-H2B-mCherry plasmid into the oocytes. The movement of the chromosomes can then be tracked by live-cell fluorescence microscopy. The results from experiments using these methods suggest that there is a replicable downward movement of centrally located chromosomes at a median velocity of 0.39 μm/min. Chromosomes nearer the nuclear boundary showed more restricted movement. Chromosome density and shape could also be altered by microinjection of restriction enzymes, primarily Alu1, before imaging. This was found to alter the speed of chromosome movement, with chromosomes from Alu1-injected nuclei showing a median downward velocity of 0.60 μm/min. Overall, these results suggest that there is a non-negligible movement of chromosomes in response to gravitational forces and that this movement can be altered by enzyme activity. Future directions based on these results could interrogate if this observed downward movement extends to other cell components and to other cell types. Additionally, it may be important to understand whether gravitational orientation and vertical positioning of cell components alter cell behaviour. The findings here may have implications for current cell culture practices, which do not replicate cell orientations or external forces experienced in vivo. It is possible that a failure to account for gravitational forces in 2D cell culture alters experimental results and the accuracy of conclusions drawn from them. Understanding possible behavioural changes in cells due to the effects of gravity would therefore be beneficial.

Keywords: starfish, oocytes, live-cell imaging, microinjection, chromosome dynamics

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Authors: Laila Khawaja

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In recent years, an increasing emphasis has been placed on measuring program implementation, in part because of the great variability in how complex interventions are delivered in real-life settings. There is an increased awareness that while conducting process evaluations, one should aim to identify and understand the complexities of intervention if they are to be used for future intervention development or the strategies needed to implement the same intervention in a different setting. Complex interventions are public health interventions that are not drugs or surgical procedures but have many potential active aspects of intervention. In this paper, process evaluations are aligned with MRC guidelines to identify contextual factors related to outcomes to assess the quality of implementation. This paper briefly discusses the perceptions of research team on the implementation of the intervention of ‘Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour’ (EACH-B), a school-based complex intervention study aiming to improve diet and physical activity among adolescents aged 12-13 years. Through qualitative interviews and focus groups with 10 staff members, we aimed to understand their experiences and reflections on implementing the EACH-B trial delivered in 49 Schools around Hampshire, England. Data were uploaded into NVivo, and analysis was conducted using thematic analysis. The investigation revealed two overarching themes: (a) how the communication patterns with teachers were impacted during the delivery of implementation and (b) what were the team’s strategies to keep logistics aligned with the research process that impacted the overall implementation of the trial. The paper informs adaptation strategies used by the research team to establish and maintain effective communication with the teachers as well as the thoughtfulness of the team’s logistic strategy for the successful delivery of the trial.

Keywords: complex interventions, process evaluation, adaptation strategies, randomised controlled trial

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Authors: Małgorzata Drzewiecka, Tomasz Śliwiński, Maciej Radek

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The inhibition of histone deacetyles (HDACs) holds promise as a potential anti-cancer therapy because histone and non-histone protein acetylation is frequently disrupted in cancer, leading to cancer initiation and progression. Additionally, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) such as class I HDAC inhibitor - valproic acid (VPA) have been shown to enhance the effectiveness of DNA-damaging factors, such as cisplatin or radiation. In this study, we found that, using of VPA in combination with talazoparib (BMN-637 – PARP1 inhibitor – PARPi) and/or Dacarabazine (DTIC - alkylating agent) resulted in increased DNA double strand break (DSB) and reduced survival (while not affecting primary melanocytes )and proliferation of melanoma cells. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition of class I HDACs sensitizes melanoma cells to apoptosis following exposure to DTIC and BMN-637. In addition, inhibition of HDAC caused sensitization of melanoma cells to dacarbazine and BMN-637 in melanoma xenografts in vivo. At the mRNA and protein level histone deacetylase inhibitor downregulated RAD51 and FANCD2. This study provides that combining HDACi, alkylating agent and PARPi could potentially enhance the treatment of melanoma, which is known for being one of the most aggressive malignant tumors. The findings presented here point to a scenario in which HDAC via enhancing the HR-dependent repair of DSBs created during the processing of DNA lesions, are essential nodes in the resistance of malignant melanoma cells to methylating agent-based therapies.

Keywords: melanoma, hdac, parp inhibitor, valproic acid

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Authors: Y. V. S. Annapurna, V. V. Lakshmi

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Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases at the community level with a high rate of morbidity . This is further augmented by increase in the number of resistant and multi resistant strains of bacteria particularly by those producing Extended spectrum of beta lactamases. The present study was aimed at analysis of antibiograms of E.coli and Klebsiella sp causing urinary tract infections. Between November 2011 and April 2013, a total of 1120 urine samples were analyzed,. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done with 542(48%) isolates of E.coli and 446(39%) of Klebsiella sp using the standard disc diffusion method against eleven commonly used antibiotics .Organisms showed high susceptibility to Amikacin and Netilimicin and low susceptibility to Cephalosporins. MAR index was calculated for the multidrug resistant strains. Maximum MAR index detected among the isolates was 0.9. Phenotypic identification for ESBL production was confirmed by double disk synergy test (DDST) according to CLSI guidelines. Plasmid profile of the isolates was carried out using alkaline hydrolysis method. Agarose-gel electrophoresis showed presence of high-molecular weight plasmid DNA among the ESBL strains. This study emphasizes the importance of indiscriminate use of antibiotics which if discontinued, in turn would prevent further development of bacterial drug resistance. For this, a proper knowledge of susceptibility pattern of uropathogens is necessary before prescribing empirical antibiotic therapy and it should be made mandatory.

Keywords: escherichia coli, extended spectrum of beta lactamase, Klebsiella spp, Uropathogens

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Authors: Nishu Atrey, Priyanka Singh, G. P. Talwar, Jagdish Gupta, Alka Kriplani, Rohini Sehgal, Indrani Ganguli, Soni Sinha

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Background: Vaginosis is a widely prevalent syndrome in India and elsewhere. Recurrence is frequent in women treated with antibiotics, whose vagina pH remains above 5.0 indicative of the loss of resident lactobacilli. The objective of the present trial was to determine whether a Polyherbal microbicide BASANT can regress Vaginosis. Another objective was to determine whether the three selected strains of Probiotics endowed with making high amounts of lactic acid can colonise and restore the pH of the vagina to the acidic healthy range. Materials and Procedure: BASANT, was employed in powder form in veg (cellulose) capsules. TRF#36 strain of Lactobacillus fermentum, TRF#8 strain of L.gasseri, and TRF#30 strain of L.salivarius (combination termed as Pro-vag-Health) were employed at 3x109 bacilli lyophilized, packaged in capsules. The trials were conducted in women suffering from vaginosis with vaginal pH above 5.0. Women were given intravaginally either BASANT, Pro-vag-Health or a combination of the two intravaginally for seven days and thereafter once weekly as a maintenance dose. Results: BASANT cleared vaginosis in 14/20 women and Pro-vag-Health in 13/20 women. Interestingly, the combination of BASANT plus Pro-vag-Health was effective in 19/20 women, in contrast to Placebo capsules effective only in 1/20 women. Interpretation and Conclusion: The combination of BASANT and Pro-veg-Health Probiotics taken together intravaginally for seven days relieves 19 out of 20 women from vaginosis to restore acidic pH and healthy vagina. Extension of trial with this combination in larger number is indicated.

Keywords: microbicide, probiotics, vaginal pH, vaginosis

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Authors: Marimuthu Gurusamy

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In vibration analysis (with accelerometers) of rotating machines with rolling element bearing, the customers are interested to know the failure of the machine well in advance to plan the spare inventory and maintenance. But in real world most of the machines fails before the prediction of vibration analyst or Expert analysis software. Presently the prediction of failure is based on ISO 10816 vibration limits only. But this is not enough to monitor the failure of machines well in advance. Because more than 50% of the machines will fail even the vibration readings are within acceptable zone as per ISO 10816.Hence it requires further detail analysis and different techniques to predict the failure well in advance. In vibration Analysis, the velocity spectrum is used to analyse the root cause of the mechanical problems like unbalance, misalignment and looseness etc. The envelope spectrum are used to analyse the bearing frequency components, hence the failure in inner race, outer race and rolling elements are identified. But so far there is no correlation made between these two concepts. The author used both velocity spectrum and Envelope spectrum to analyse the machine behaviour and bearing condition to correlated the changes in dynamic load (by unbalance, misalignment and looseness etc.) and effect of impact on the bearing. Hence we could able to predict the expected life of the machine and bearings in the rotating equipment (with rolling element bearings). Also we used process parameters like temperature, flow and pressure to correlate with flow induced vibration and load variations, when abnormal vibration occurs due to changes in process parameters. Hence by correlation of velocity spectrum, envelope spectrum and process data with 20 years of experience in vibration analysis, the author could able to predict the rotating Equipment and its component’s deterioration and expected duration for maintenance.

Keywords: vibration analysis, velocity spectrum, envelope spectrum, prediction of deterioration

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Authors: Elin Julianti, Marlia Singgih, Masayoshi Arai, Jianyu Lin, Masteria Yunovilsa Putra, Muhammad Azhari, Agnia S. Muharam

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The search for a source of new medicinal compounds with anticancer activity from natural products has become important to resolve the ineffectiveness problem of pancreatic cancer therapy. Fungal marine microorganisms are prolific sources of bioactive natural products. In this present study, the ethyl acetate extract of cultured broth of Trichoderma longibrachiatum marine sponge-derived fungi exhibited selective cytotoxicity against human pancreatic carcinoma PANC-1 cells cultured under glucose-deficient conditions (IC50 = 98,4 µg/mL). The T. longibrachiatum was fermented by the static method at room temperature for 60 days. The culture broth was extracted using ethyl acetate by liquid-liquid extraction method. The liquid-liquid extraction was conducted toward the ethyl extract by using 90% MeOH-H₂O and n-|Hexane as a solvent. The extract of 90% MeOH-H₂O was fractionated by liquid extraction using by C₁₈ reversed-phase vacuum flash chromatography using mixtures of MeOH-H₂O, from 50:50 to 100:0, and 1% TFA MeOH as the eluents to yield six fractions. The fraction 2 (MeOH-H2O, 70:30) and fraction 3 (MeOH-H2O, 80:20) showed moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 119.3 and 274.7 µg/mL, respectively. Fraction 4 (MeOH-H₂O, 90:10) showed the highest cytotoxicity activity with IC₅₀value of < 10 µg/mL. The chemical compounds of the fractions that are responsible for cytotoxic activity are potent for further investigation.

Keywords: cytotoxic activity, trichoderma longibrachiatum, marine-derived fungi, PANC-1 cell line

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Authors: Sohrab Jafarpour, Hamed Farokhi, Mohammad Rahmati, Alireza Gholipour

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In the current study, a nonlinear fluid-structure interaction (FSI) biomechanical model of atherosclerosis in the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery is developed to perform a detailed sensitivity analysis of the geometrical features of an atheroma plaque. In the development of the numerical model, first, a 3D geometry of the diseased artery is developed based on patient-specific dimensions obtained from the experimental studies. The geometry includes four influential geometric characteristics: stenosis ratio, plaque shoulder-length, fibrous cap thickness, and eccentricity intensity. Then, a suitable strain energy density function (SEDF) is proposed based on the detailed material stability analysis to accurately model the hyperelasticity of the arterial walls. The time-varying inlet velocity and outlet pressure profiles are adopted from experimental measurements to incorporate the pulsatile nature of the blood flow. In addition, a computationally efficient type of structural boundary condition is imposed on the arterial walls. Finally, a non-Newtonian viscosity model is implemented to model the shear-thinning behaviour of the blood flow. According to the results, the structural responses in terms of the maximum principal stress (MPS) are affected more compared to the fluid responses in terms of wall shear stress (WSS) as the geometrical characteristics are varying. The extent of these changes is critical in the vulnerability assessment of an atheroma plaque.

Keywords: atherosclerosis, fluid-Structure interaction modeling, material stability analysis, and nonlinear biomechanics

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Authors: M. Ali Lotfollahi Yaghin, M. Reza Bagerzadeh Karimi, Ali Rahmani, V. Sadeghi Balkanlou

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Structural engineers have long been trying to develop solutions using the full potential of its composing materials. Therefore, there is no doubt that the structural solution progress is directly related to an increase in materials science knowledge. These efforts in conjunction with up-to-date modern construction techniques have led to an extensive use of composite floors in large span structures. On the other hand, the competitive trends of the world market have long been forcing structural engineers to develop minimum weight and labour cost solutions. A direct consequence of this new design trend is a considerable increase in problems related to unwanted floor vibrations. For this reason, the structural floors systems become vulnerable to excessive vibrations produced by impacts such as human rhythmic activities. The main objective of this paper is to present an analysis methodology for the evaluation of the composite floors human comfort. This procedure takes into account a more realistic loading model developed to incorporate the dynamic effects induced by human walking. The investigated structural models were based on various composite floors, with main spans varying from 5 to 10 m. based on an extensive parametric study the composite floors dynamic response, in terms of peak accelerations, was obtained and compared to the limiting values proposed by several authors and design standards. This strategy was adopted to provide a more realistic evaluation for this type of structure when subjected to vibration due to human walking.

Keywords: vibration, resonance, composite floors, people’s rhythmic movement, dynamic analysis, Abaqus software

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Authors: Stephanie Cheng, Benjamin Poh, Vivyan Tay, Sachin Mathur

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Aim: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide pandemic affecting 500 million people. It is known to be associated with increased susceptibility to soft tissue infections (STI). Despite being a major public health burden, the literature relating the effects of DM and the presentation, severity and healing of STIs in general surgical patients remain limited. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients admitted with STI in a tertiary teaching hospital over a 12-month period. Patient demographics and surgical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results: During the study period, 1059 patients were admitted for STIs, of which 936 (88%) required surgical intervention. Diabetic patients were presented with a higher body-mass index (BMI) (28 vs 26), larger abscess size (24 vs 14 cm²) and a longer length of stay (LOS)(4.4 days vs 2.9 days). They also underwent a higher proportion of wide debridement as well as application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) (42% vs 35%). More diabetic patients underwent subsequent re-operation within the same sitting (8 vs 4). There were no differences in re-admission rates within 30 days nor subsequent abscess formation in those followed for 6 months. Conclusion: The incidence of STIs among DM patients represents a significant disease burden; surgeons should consider intensive patient counseling and partnering with primary care providers in order to help reduce the incidence of future STI admissions based on lifestyle modification and glucose control.

Keywords: general surgery, emergency general surgery, acute care surgery, soft tissue infections, diabetes mellitus

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Authors: Sara Mohammad Atef Sabaika

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Background: The development of factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitor and hemophilic arthropathy in patients with hemophilia A (PWHA) are a great challenge for hemophilia care. Both genetic and environmental factors led to complications in PWHA. The development of inhibitory antibodies is usually induced by the immune response. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), one of the cytokines, might contribute to its polymorphism. Aim: Study the association between tumor necrosis alpha level and genotypes in pediatric patients with hemophilia A and its relation to inhibitor development and joint status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sufficient number of PWHA attending the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit, Pediatric department in Menoufia University hospital. The clinical parameters, FVIII, FVIII inhibitor, and serum TNF-α level were assessed. The genotyping of −380G > A TNF-α gene polymorphism was performed using real time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Among the 50 PWHA, 28 (56%) were identified as severe PWHA. The FVIII inhibitor was identified in 6/28 (21.5%) of severe PWHA. There was a significant correlation between serum TNF-α level and the development of inhibitor (p = 0:043). There was significant correlation between polymorphisms of −380G > A TNF-α gene and hemophilic arthropathy development (p = 0:645). Conclusion: The prevalence of FVIII inhibitor in severe PWHA in Menoufia was 21.5%. The frequency of replacement therapy is a risk factor for inhibitor development. Serum TNF-α level and its gene polymorphism might be used to predict inhibitor development and joint status in pediatric patients with hemophilia A.

Keywords: hemophilic arthropathy, TNF alpha., patients witb hemophilia A PWHA, inhibitor

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Authors: K. Geetha Ramesh, A. Ramachandraiah

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In an internal building space, daylight becomes a powerful source of illumination. The challenge therefore, is to develop means of utilizing both direct and diffuse natural light in buildings while maintaining and improving occupant's visual comfort, particularly at greater distances from the windows throwing daylight. The geometrical features of windows in a building have significant effect in providing daylight. The main goal of this research is to develop an innovative window geometry, which will effectively provide the daylight component adequately together with internal reflected component(IRC) and also the external reflected component(ERC), if any. This involves exploration of a light redirecting system using fractal geometry for windows, in order to penetrate and distribute daylight more uniformly to greater depths, minimizing heat gain and glare, and also to reduce building energy use substantially. Of late the creation of fractal geometrical window and the occurrence of daylight illuminance due to such windows is becoming an interesting study. The amount of daylight can change significantly based on the window geometry and sky conditions. This leads to the (i) exploration of various fractal patterns suitable for window designs, and (ii) quantification of the effect of chosen fractal window based on the relationship between the fractal pattern, size, orientation and glazing properties for optimizing daylighting. There are a lot of natural lighting applications able to predict the behaviour of a light in a room through a traditional opening - a regular window. The conventional prediction methodology involves the evaluation of the daylight factor, the internal reflected component and the external reflected component. Having evaluated the daylight illuminance level for a conventional window, the technical performance of a fractal window for an optimal daylighting is to be studied and compared with that of a regular window. The methodologies involved are highlighted in this paper.

Keywords: daylighting, fractal geometry, fractal window, optimization

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Authors: Benedetta Isella, Aleksander Drinic, Alissa Heim, Phillip Czichowski, Lisa Lauts, Hans Leemhuis

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Introduction: Membranes for guided bone regeneration are essential to perform a barrier function between the soft and the regenerating bone tissue. Bioabsorbable membranes are desirable in this field as they do not require a secondary surgery for removal, decreasing patient surgical risk. Collagen was the first bioabsorbable alternative introduced on the market, but its degradation time may be too fast to guarantee bone regeneration, and optimisation is needed. Silk fibroin, being biocompatible, slowly bioabsorbable, and processable into different scaffold types, could be a promising alternative. Objectives: The objective is to compare the general performance of a silk fibroin membrane for guided bone regeneration to current collagen alternatives developing suitable standardized tests for the mechanical and morphological characterization. Methods: Silk fibroin and collagen-based membranes were compared from the morphological and chemical perspective, with techniques such as SEM imaging and from the mechanical point of view with techniques such as tensile and suture retention strength (SRS) tests. Results: Silk fibroin revealed a high degree of reproducibility in surface density. The SRS of silk fibroin (0.76 ± 0.04 N), although lower than collagen, was still comparable to native tissues such as the internal mammary artery (0.56 N), and the same can be extended to general mechanical behaviour in tensile tests. The SRS could be increased by an increase in thickness. Conclusion: Silk fibroin is a promising material in the field of guided bone regeneration, covering the interesting position of not being considered a product containing cells or tissues of animal origin from the regulatory perspective and having longer degradation times with respect to collagen.

Keywords: guided bone regeneration, mechanical characterization, membrane, silk fibroin

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Authors: Naser Kazemi Eilaki, Ilona Heldal, Carolyn Ahmer, Bjarne Christian Hagen

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Elderly people and people with disabilities are recognized as at-risk groups when it comes to egress and travel from hazard zone to a safe place. One's disability can negatively influence her or his escape time, and this becomes even more important when people from this target group live alone. While earlier studies have frequently addressed quantitative measurements regarding at-risk groups' physical characteristics (e.g., their speed of travel), this paper considers the influence of at-risk groups’ characteristics on their decision and determining better escape routes. Most of evacuation models are based on mapping people's movement and their behaviour to summation times for common activity types on a timeline. Usually, timeline models estimate required safe egress time (RSET) as a sum of four timespans: detection, alarm, premovement, and movement time, and compare this with the available safe egress time (ASET) to determine what is influencing the margin of safety.This paper presents a cross-sectional study for identifying the most critical items on RSET and people's decision-making and with possibilities to include safety knowledge regarding people with physical or cognitive functional impairments. The result will contribute to increased knowledge on considering at-risk groups and disabilities for designing and developing safe escape routes. The expected results can be an asset to predict the probabilistic behavioural pattern of at-risk groups and necessary components for defining a framework for understanding how stakeholders can consider various disabilities when determining the margin of safety for a safe escape route.

Keywords: fire safety, evacuation, decision-making, at-risk groups

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Authors: Murali Munisamy, Gauthaman Karunakaran, Mubarak Al-Gahtany, Vivekanandhan Subbiah, M. Manjari Tripati

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Background: Sodium valproate is a widely prescribed broad-spectrum anti-epileptic drug. It shows high inter-individual variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and has a narrow therapeutic range. We evaluated the effects of polymorphic uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A9) metabolizing enzyme on the pharmacokinetics of sodium valproate in the patients with epilepsy who showed toxicity to therapy. Methods: Genotype analysis of the patients was made with polymerase chain–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with sequencing. Plasma drug concentrations were measured with reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and concentration–time data were analyzed by using a non-compartmental approach. Results: The results of this study suggested a significant genotypic as well as allelic association with valproic acid toxicity for UGT1A9 polymorphic enzymes. The elimination half-life (t 1/2=40.2 h) of valproic acid was longer and the clearance rate (CL=937 ml/h) was lower in the poor metabolizers group of UGT1A9 polymorphism who showed toxicity than in the intermediate metabolizers group (t1/2=35.5 h, CL=1042 ml/h) or the extensive metabolizers group (t1/2=26. h, CL=1,302 ml/h). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the UGT1A9 genetic polymorphism plays a significant role in the steady state concentration of sodium valproate, and it thereby has an impact on the toxicity of the sodium valproate used in the patients with epilepsy.

Keywords: UGT1A9, sodium valporate, pharmacogenetics, polymorphism

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Authors: S. Aberkane, N. Djabali, S. Fafi, A. Baghezza

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Chronic illnesses affect many Algerians. It is possible to investigate the impact of illness representations and coping on quality of life and whether illness representations are indirectly associated with quality of life through their influence on coping. This study aims at investigating the relationship between illness perception, coping strategies and quality of life with chronic illness. Illness perceptions are indirectly associated with the quality of life through their influence on coping mediation. A sample of 316 participants with chronic illness living in the region of Batna, Algeria, has been adopted in this study. A correlation statistical analysis is used to determine the relationship between illness perception, coping strategies, and quality of life. Multiple regression analysis was employed to highlight the predictive ability of the dimensions of illness perception and coping strategies on the dependent variables of quality of life, where mediation analysis is considered in the exploration of the indirect effect significance of the mediator. This study provides insights about the relationship between illness perception, coping strategies and quality of life in the considered sample (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). Therefore, it proves that there is an effect of illness identity perception, external and medical attributions related to emotional role, physical functioning, and mental health perceived, and these were fully mediated by the asking for assistance (c’= 0.04, p < 0.05), the guarding (c’= 0.00, p < 0.05), and the task persistence strategy (c’= 0.05, p < 0.05). The findings imply partial support for the common-sense model of illness representations in a chronic illness population. Directions for future research are highlighted, as well as implications for psychotherapeutic interventions which target unhelpful beliefs and maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy).

Keywords: chronic illness, coping, illness perception, quality of life, self- regulation model

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Authors: G. De Matteis, L. Martina, V. Turco

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The work is focused on determining and comparing special nonlinear static configurations in cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), confined between two parallel plates and in the presence of an external static electric/magnetic field. The solutions are stabilised by topological and non-topological conservation laws since they are described in terms of integrable or partially integrable nonlinear boundary value problems. In cholesteric liquid crystals which are subject to geometric frustration; anchoring conditions at boundaries, i.e., homeotropic conditions, are incompatible with the cholesteric twist. This aspect turns out to be essential in the admissible classes of solutions, allowing also for disclination type singularities. Within the framework of Frank-Oseen theory, we study the static configurations for CLCs. First, we find numerical solutions for isolated axisymmetric states in confined CLCs with weak homeotropic anchoring at the boundaries. These solutions describe 3-dimensional modulations, namely spherulites or cholesteric bubbles, actually observed in these systems, of standard baby skyrmions. Relations with well-known nonlinear integrable systems are found and are used to explore the asymptotic behavior of the solutions. Then we turn our attention to extended periodic static configurations called Helicoids or cholesteric fingers, described by an elliptic sine-Gordon model with appropriate boundary conditions, showing how their period and energies are determined by both the thickness of the cell and the intensity of the external electric/magnetic field. We explicitly show that helicoids with π or 2π of rotations of the molecular director are different in many aspects and are not simply algebraically related. The behaviour of the solutions, their energy and the properties of the associated disclinations are discussed in detail, both analytically and numerically.

Keywords: cholesteric liquid crystals, geometric frustration, helicoids, skyrmions

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Authors: Ashit Syngle, Nidhi Garg, Pawan Krishan

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Objective: Bone marrow derived stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), protect against atherosclerotic vascular damage. However, EPCs are depleted in AS and contribute to the enhanced cardiovascular risk. Statins have a protective effect in CAD and diabetes by enhancing the proliferation, migration and survival of EPCs. Therapeutic potential of augmenting EPCs to treat the heightened cardiovascular risk of AS has not yet been exploited. We aimed to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin on EPCs population and inflammation in AS. Methods: 30 AS patients were randomized to receive 6 months of treatment with rosuvastatin (10 mg/day, n=15) and placebo (n=15) as an adjunct to existing stable anti-rheumatic drugs. EPCs (CD34+/CD133+) were quantified by Flow Cytometry. Inflammatory measures (BASDAI, BASFI, CRP and ESR), pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1) and lipids were measured at baseline and after treatment. Results: At baseline, inflammatory measures and pro-inflammatory cytokines were elevated and EPCs depleted among both groups. EPCs increased significantly (p < 0.01) after treatment with rosuvastatin. At 6 months, BASDAI, BASFI, ESR, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 improved significantly in rosuvastatin group. Significant negative correlation was observed between EPCs and BASDAI, CRP and IL-6 after rosuvastatin treatment. Conclusion: First study to show that rosuvastatin augments EPCs population in AS. This defines a novel mechanism of rosuvastatin treatment in AS: the augmentation of EPCs with improvement in proinflammatory cytokines and inflammatory disease activity. The augmentation of EPCs by rosuvastatin may provide a novel strategy to prevent cardiovascular events in AS.

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, Endothelial Progenitor Cells, inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, rosuvastatin

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Authors: Prakash Singh

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Employees who are satisfied at their place of work rate their leaders’ intrapersonal competencies as being high. They also believe that a leader’s intrapersonal competencies influence their sense of job satisfaction. Employees who indicate that they are unhappy at their place of work rate their leaders’ intrapersonal competencies as being low. They also believe that a leader’s intrapersonal intelligence influence their feeling of job satisfaction. The leader’s appropriate intrapersonal competencies are crucial to the creation of a motivated and satisfied employee team. In this study, the quantitative research method was used to determine the employees’ perceptions of their leaders’ intrapersonal competencies and their influence on their job satisfaction; the six competencies being self-awareness, self-confidence, self-expression, self-control, adaptability, and optimism. All the competencies of leaders identified in this quantitative study can therefore be described as intervening variables that influence an employee’s sense of job satisfaction. The number of responses that indicate that each of the intrapersonal competencies of a leader that will have an influence on an employee’s sense of job satisfaction, ranges from 93% (a leader’s sense of self-awareness) to 99% (a leader’s ability to be adaptable). As the responses are significantly similar, it can be stated that the respondents indicate that all the intrapersonal competencies of a leader can influence an employee’s sense of job satisfaction. The findings of this study strongly suggest that in order to be satisfied at work, employees prefer to be led by leaders who are confident in their leadership roles; who send out clear, unambiguous messages; who maintain self-control; who are adaptable and flexible;, who face the future with optimism and who support the establishment of a collegial working environment. Evidently, the findings corroborate the hypothesis that employees believe that the intrapersonal competencies of leaders have a positive influence on the employees’ sense of job satisfaction. This study’s findings, therefore, confirm that the key to the leaders’ self-knowledge is access to their own feelings and the ability to discriminate among them and draw upon them to guide behaviour in their organisations. This exploratory study makes a contribution to the emerging research being accomplished on leaders’ intrapersonal intelligence with more research still needing to be attempted to determine to what extent these competencies of leaders can reshape the organizational climate and culture.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, employees’ job satisfaction, leaders’ intrapersonal competencies, leaders’ self-knowledge

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Authors: Mira Kadric

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The proposed paper deals with a new developed approach for interpreting teaching, combining traditional didactics with a new element. The fundamental principle of the approach is taken from the theatre pedagogy (Augusto Boal`s Theatre of the Oppressed) and includes the discussion on social power relations. From the point of view of education sociology this implies strengthening students’ individual potential for self-determination on a number of levels, especially in view of the present increase in social responsibility. This knowledge constitutes a starting point and basis for the process of self-determined action. This takes place in the context of a creative didactic policy which identifies didactic goals, provides clear sequences of content, specifies interdisciplinary methods and examines their practical adequacy and ultimately serves not only individual translators and interpreters, but all parties involved. The goal of the presented didactic model is to promote independent work and problem-solving strategies; this helps to develop creative potential and self-confident behaviour. It also conveys realistic knowledge of professional reality and thus also of the real socio-political and professional parameters involved. As well as providing a discussion of fundamental questions relevant to Translation and Interpreting Studies, this also serves to improve this interdisciplinary didactic approach which simulates interpreting reality and illustrates processes and strategies which (can) take place in real life. This idea is illustrated in more detail with methods taken from the Theatre of the Oppressed created by Augusto Boal. This includes examples from (dialogue) interpreting teaching based on documentation from recordings made in a seminar in the summer term 2014.

Keywords: augusto boal, didactic model, interpreting teaching, theatre of the oppressed

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Authors: Somit Dutta, Pallab Kar, Arnab Kumar Chakraborty, Arnab Sen, Tapas Kumar Chaudhuri

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In the present study three species of Clerodendrum; Clerodendrum indicum, Volkameria inermis and Clerodendrum colebrookianum were used to investigate the possible activity against oxidative stress. A detailed in-vivo and in-vitro antioxidant profiling, directly associated with inflammation-related carcinogenesis, has been executed with a motive to evaluate the free radical scavenging activity of Clerodendrum extract. Measurement of cell viability and ROS generation in HEK-293 (Human Embryonic Kidney Cell Line) cells was also estimated. The immune cell proliferative properties (MTT) and in-vitro assay for evaluation of their antioxidant activities including hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, singlet oxygen, peroxinitrate and hydrogen peroxide, etc. were investigated. GC-MS and FTIR analyses have been performed to identify the active biological compounds. These active biological compounds were further studied to assess their potential medicinal properties, aided by molecular docking and interaction analysis between the active compounds and different proteins related to oxidative stress leading to progression of carcinogenesis. The research article clearly demonstrates the role of ROS in various phases of carcinogenesis. Therefore, the antioxidant and free radical scavenging capacity of all the Clerodendrum species might prove beneficial for the immune system. It might be concluded that this plant species offers great promise for cancer prevention and therapy due to the presence of several bioactive compounds and potent antioxidant capacity of C. colebrookianum.

Keywords: antioxidant, cancer, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS)

Procedia PDF Downloads 275