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This study was performed to determine the influence of fish oil, an omega-3 fatty acids source, supplemented to diets of goats throughout all stages of gestation on the growth and milk production of weaned female kids. Eighty German Fawn (75%) x Hair (25%) crossbred goats were randomly assigned to treatment (fish oil, FiO group) and control (Rumen protected fat, RPF group) groups during the first half of pregnancy. Subsequently, the FiO group was further allocated into FiO-FiO and FiO-RPF subgroups and RPF group was further divided into RPF-FiO and RPF-RPF subgroups containing 20 goats in each during the second half of pregnancy. The growth and feed intake of 41 female kids (aged 75.1 ± 6.73 days, with a mean live weight of 11.6 ± 3.00 kg) were recorded for a 98 day post-weaning, In the continuation of the study, live weight changes, milk yield and composition of young female goats from mating to the second month of lactation and the growth of female kids until weaning were studied for a total of 210 days. Maternal nutrition slightly influenced the live weight gain of female kids over a 98-day investigation period (p = 0.070). When growth performance was considered, a higher feed conversion efficiency of female offspring was determined in RPF-FiO (5.52) treatment group compare to female kids in other treatment groups (p = 0.086). However, the maternal feeding system significantly affected live weight in the RPF-FiO treatment group during the mating period (P = 0.054). Concerning the feed intake, maternal nutrition significantly affected the feed intake of female kids (p < 0.01) with the highest feed consumption in the FiO-RPF group. The findings of this study have shown that fish oil enriched diet given to goats during gestation improved daily live weight changes and total live weight gain of female kids despite the initial disadvantage after weaning. At mating time, the live weight of young female goats in the RPF-FiO treatment group, which exhibited the highest feed conversion ratio during the 98-day study, was higher than the remaining treatment groups. Maternal nutrition had no effect on milk yield or milk components in young goats during lactation. Young female goats born to dams in the FiO-RPF group showed better performance than the other groups regarding live weight performance of their offspring on 56th day postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the effects of production parameters such as wood species and timber strength classes on some mechanical properties of CLT panels using both non-destructive and destructive methods. Additionally, the study compared the strength values obtained from non-destructive and destructive testing methods on CLT panels and elucidated the relationship between them through regression analyses. CLT panels were produced using spruce and alder timbers, as well as hybrid panels formed from combinations of these two wood species. According to the TS EN 338 standard, the C and D strength classes of the timbers were determined non-destructively using an acoustic testing device. Among the timbers whose strength classes were determined, a total of 6 different strength classes were selected for spruce and alder. The bending strength, modulus of elasticity, and screw withdrawal force tests were performed on the CLT panel groups both non-destructive and destructive. As a result of the regression analyzes, the determination coefficient (R2) between non-destructive screw withdrawal force and destructive bending strength values varied between 0.6135–0,9997. Moreover, the R2 value calculated between non-destructive and destructive modulus of elasticity values for CLT panels was found to be between 0.7076–0.9997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are effectively used in certain hematological malignancies, though tumor relapse and limited success in solid tumors persist. Recent efforts focus on developing combination treatments to enhance outcomes and safety. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of such combinatorial approaches and a consideration of ongoing clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic complaints are among the important complaints frequently seen in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD). Death anxiety has also increased significantly with the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the elderly population. In this study, we compared the difference of the death anxiety level among patients with GAD, SSD and healthy controls. This cross-sectional study which was carried out in Artvin State Hospital's Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic included 59 participants (GAD = 21, SSD = 18, HC = 20). Three groups were subjected to detailed psychiatric examination by the same psychiatrist. Subsequently, anxiety, somatic symptoms and death anxiety were assessed using standardized tools (GAD-7, Templer Death Anxiety Scale, Somatic Symptom Scale). The GAD-7 Scale mean of the GAD group was significantly higher than SSD (p = 0.001) and Healthy Control (HC) (p = 0.001) groups. Death anxiety and Somatic Symptom levels in GAD and SSD groups were significantly higher than in healthy controls. (GAD, p = 0.001; SSD, p = 0.001) with no significant difference between GAD and SSD groups (p = 1). Healthy controls exhibited significantly lower scores in the three scales mean scores compared to the SSD and GAD groups (p = 0.001). Irrespective of specific psychiatric diagnoses, these findings highlight elevated death anxiety in the elderly, underscoring the need for tailored mental health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural stones are widely used environmentally appropriate building materials as dimension stone both for exterior cladding and floor coverings in urban areas. Depending on their solar reflectivity, these materials may absorb more solar radiation, especially with noontime summer sunlight exposure, which may cause both increasing cooling costs in commercial buildings and overheating of a city with the formation of urban heat islands. Solar reflectance index (SRI) is defined as the ability of a surface to reject solar heat which tends to change with physical, chemical and biological degradation processes by varying solar reflectance (SR) and thermal emissivity (TE) values. Weakening of the stone matrix structure by physical degradation mechanism, such as thermal shock (T-S) cycles mostly have significant impact on SRI. Within the scope of this study, SRI values were calculated before and after cyclic T-S by measuring the optical properties such as SR and TE values of 30 selected sedimentary and metamorphic originated carbonate-based natural stone types. The changes in surface properties such as color, roughness, and gloss, that may have an impact on the SRI values were also analyzed. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis was established to predict SRI value from such properties with a high degree of accuracy. Finally, it was found that, initial SRI values of 9 natural stone types (mostly metamorphic originated) have been increased considerably by cyclic T-S and tend to increase their ability to reduce urban temperatures by higher SRI values, one of the most important selection criteria in energy consumption for natural stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the full potential of monolithic perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, crystal defects and film inhomogeneities in the perovskite top cell must be minimized. We discuss the use of methylenediammonium dichloride as an additive to the perovskite precursor solution, resulting in the incorporation of in situ-formed tetrahydrotriazinium (THTZ-H+) into the perovskite lattice upon film crystallization. The cyclic nature of the THTZ-H+ cation enables a strong interaction with the lead octahedra of the perovskite lattice through the formation of hydrogen bonds with iodide in multiple directions. This structure improves the device power conversion efficiency (PCE) and phase stability of 1.68 electron volts perovskites under prolonged light and heat exposure under 1-sun illumination at 85°C. Monolithic perovskite/silicon tandems incorporating THTZ-H+ in the perovskite photo absorber reached a 33.7% independently certified PCE for a device area of 1 square centimeter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to thoroughly examine the milling process applied to fused filament fabrication (FFF) parts. The primary objective is to identify the key variables in creating smooth surfaces on FFF specimens and establish trends about specific parameters. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, PLA and ABS samples fabricated by FFF are subjected to side milling in several experiments. Achievable surface quality is studied in relation to material properties, milling parameters, tooling and macrostructure. The surface finish is quantified using profile measurements of the processed surfaces. The study classifies the created chips into categories that can be used as criteria for the anticipated quality. Spectral analysis is used to examine the various surface formation modes. Thermal monitoring is used to track chip formation and surface temperature changes during the milling process. Findings: This study reveals that effective heat dissipation through proper chip formation is vital for maintaining high surface quality. Recommended methodology demands using a tool with a substantial flute volume, using high positive rake and clearance angles and optimizing the feed-per-tooth and cutting speed. Disregarding these guidelines may cause the surface temperature to surpass the material's glass transition, resulting in inferior quality characterized by viscous folding. For FFF thermoplastics, optimal milling can bring the average surface roughness down to the micron level. Originality/value: This research contributes to the field by providing valuable guidance for achieving superior results in milling FFF parts. This study includes a concise summary of the theoretically relevant insights, presents verification of the key factors by qualitative analysis and offers optimal milling parameters for 3D-printed thermoplastics based on systematic experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shirking, the act of avoiding the demands of one's job, is generally seen as unethical. Drawing on empirical evidence from the sociology of work, I develop a normative conception of shirking as a form of worker resistance against illegitimate managerial power. In doing so, I present a new approach to the political theory of the firm, which is more adversarial and agent-centered than available alternatives. It is more adversarial as it recognizes the political value of counterproductive and disruptive behavior in capitalist firms. It is more agent-centered because it theorizes the firm from the perspective of workers, asking what pro tanto reasons they have to shirk. I show that shirking under the structural domination of capitalism has diagnostic, agential, and epistemic values. The paper contributes to the wider methodological ambition to tailor political theorizing to the positionality of social actors by shifting attention from the institutional design of the firm to the methods of worker resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents a challenge in oncology, with limited treatment options for advanced-stage patients. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy targeting mesothelin (MSLN) shows promise, but challenges such as the hostile immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) hinder its efficacy. This study explores the synergistic potential of combining proton radiation therapy (RT) with MSLN-targeting CAR T therapy in a syngeneic PDAC model. Proton RT significantly increased MSLN expression in tumor cells and caused a significant increase in CAR T cell infiltration into tumors. The combination therapy reshaped the immunosuppressive TME, promoting antitumorigenic M1 polarized macrophages and reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). In a flank PDAC model, the combination therapy demonstrated superior attenuation of tumor growth and improved survival compared to individual treatments alone. In an orthotopic PDAC model treated with image-guided proton RT, tumor growth was significantly reduced in the combination group compared to the RT treatment alone. Further, the combination therapy induced an abscopal effect in a dual-flank tumor model, with increased serum interferon-γ levels and enhanced proliferation of extratumoral CAR T cells. In conclusion, combining proton RT with MSLN-targeting CAR T therapy proves effective in modulating the TME, enhancing CAR T cell trafficking, and exerting systemic antitumor effects. Thus, this combinatorial approach could present a promising strategy for improving outcomes in unresectable PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights The objective of this study is to improve the properties of polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer produced from renewable resources, without compromising its environmentally friendly “natural composite” properties. The aim was to expand the application range of PLA by making it suitable for the production of high performance composites. With this in mind, it was decided to use inorganic and environmentally friendly materials such as basalt fiber (BF) and boric acid (BA) as reinforcements. Adhesive wear and tensile tests were used to investigate the tribological and mechanical performance of the composites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dimensional stability analysis (DSA) methods were used to investigate the thermal properties. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was also used to investigate the morphological properties of the samples. In addition, a matrix modification process using Joncryl®, an epoxy‐based chain extender chemical, was applied to enhance the interfacial interaction between the composite components and improve the composite properties by improving the dispersion of reinforcing materials. As a result of the characterization tests, it was observed that a significant improvement in the properties of the material type containing 10 wt% BF, 0.25 wt% BA and 2 wt% Joncryl® was achieved. A 19% increase in tensile strength of this type of material was observed compared with unreinforced PLA, while the sharp peak increase in the coefficient of friction (COF) curve was shifted from 20 m to 60 m. As a result, it has been presented that environmentally friendly and inorganic materials such as BF and BA can be used to produce composite materials that will serve sectors where the need and use of high performance materials is intense, especially in the automotive, aerospace and aviation sectors. The properties of PLA matrix composites were improved by the simultaneous use of BF and BA and the addition of Joncryl®. The structural properties of PLA, an environmentally friendly polymer, have been improved without compromising this characteristic. PLA matrix natural composites with performance that can be used in the automotive, aerospace and aviation sectors have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tragopogon coelesyriacus is a pharmacotherapeutic herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family and consumed as a vegetable. Here, the methanolic and water extracts of T. coelesyriacus were obtained from its aboveground parts (stem, leaves, and flowers), and the phytochemical potentials were investigated by LC‐HRMS (liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry) analysis for the first time. The antibacterial, antifungal, and anticarcinogenic activities of T. coelesyriacus extracts were investigated using experimental and in silico methods. T. coelesyriacus methanol extract revealed remarkable inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia (MICs = 0.83, 1.67, and 1.67 mg/mL, respectively) compared to Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes (MIC = 53.3 mg/mL). Inhibitory effects of T. coelesyriacus methanolic extracts were also observed in all Candida species tested, with the highest inhibition on Candida krusei (MIC = 0.83 mg/mL), whereas no inhibitory effect was identified from the water extract. Additionally, both T. coelesyriacus methanolic (IC50 = 86 μg/mL) and water (IC50 = 92 μg/mL) extracts revealed significant selective anticarcinogenic effects on AR42J pancreatic cancer cells. HeLa and MDA‐MB‐231 cells were, however, more resilient to methanol and water extract, respectively. In silico analyses further elucidated the noteworthy antibacterial potential of keracyanin chloride on S. aureus MurB enzyme and the remarkable inhibitory potential of naringin on FYN kinase specific for pancreatic cancer (AR42J) development. In conclusion, T. coelesyriacus phytochemicals with antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties were revealed for the first time, and molecular docking studies on potential targets confirmed good agreement with experimental findings. Therefore, the current studies on T. coelesyriacus provide the basis for investigating new pharmaceutical potentials of other Tragopogon members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychoactive substances obtained from botanicals have been applied for a wide variety of purposes in the rituals of different cultures for thousands of years. Classical psychedelics from N,N′‐dimethyltryptamine, psilocybin, mescaline and various lysergamides cause specific alterations in perception, emotion and cognition by acting through serotonin 5‐HT2A receptor activation. Lysergic acid diethylamide, the first famous breakthrough in the field, was discovered by chance by Albert Hoffman in the Zurich Sandoz laboratory in 1943, and studies on its psychoactive effects began to take place in the literature. Studies in this area were blocked after the legislation controlling the use and research of psychedelic drugs came into force in 1967, but since the 1990s, it has started to be a matter of scientific curiosity again by various research groups. In particular, with the crucial reports of psychotherapy‐assisted psilocybin applications for life‐threatening cancer‐related anxiety and depression, a new avenues have been opened in the treatment of psychiatric diseases such as treatment‐resistant depression and substance addictions. An increasing number of studies show that psychedelics have a very promising potential in the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases where the desired efficiency cannot be achieved with conventional treatment methods. In this context, we discuss psychedelic therapy, encompassing its historical development, therapeutic applications and potential treatment effects—especially in depression, trauma disorders and substance use disorders—within the framework of ethical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Poor oral conditions in the elderly may have numerous effects on general health, including physical fitness and performance.This study aimed to determine the relationship between oral health and physical function in elderly people.Physical function and oral health parameters were compared using parametric comparison tests and Pearson correlation analyses. In addition, principal components analysis, hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling analysis clustered the patients' physical and oral health scores. The relationship between the groups was also determined using decision tree analysis.A total of 112 elderly patients participated in the study. Grip strength (GS) was higher in patients with high chewing ability, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores were lower in the high oral health group (p < .05). GS was correlated with Decay, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT) and the number of remaining and functional teeth (p < .05). According to principal component analysis, it was seen that there were three components (oral, functional and quality of life (QoL) parameters), and the features that were related to each other were gathered together. TUG and GS showed the highest relative importance among physical function criteria in the classification based on chewing ability. They were GS and physical activity for oral health‐related QoL.In the elderly, higher physical function parameters, especially GS may be an indicator of a better oral health and oral health‐related QoL. Preventive physical rehabilitation practices, in addition to oral treatments, may be effective in improving oral health in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analytically dissect the interrelated reasons behind the gender gap in wealth accumulation. To do so, it examines how the accumulation of different forms of capital by women in the course of their lives affects women’s prospects in the economic field, thereby shaping women’s potential for wealth accumulation. Focusing on women’s cooperatives in Turkey through a Bourdieusian lens, the article shows that the patriarchal roles assigned to women result in asymmetries of not only economic but also social and cultural capital that lead to structural impediments against women’s endeavors in the economic field. We show, however, that despite these structural impediments, women are not only passive victims of these conditions byt instead develop strategies to cope with these disadvantages and cooperatives play a crucial role in that regard. Finally, through our case study, we demonstrate that both the constraints faced and strategies developed by women are informed by class and occupational background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological development and environmental patents have become one of the policy options to solve the problem of global warming. With the development of technology, waste recycling can be faster and more environmentally friendly, which can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. The question of which patents and technologies should be promoted for waste management is an important decision-making and research topic. Given the increasing importance of ecological patents and waste disposal for environmental sustainability, this study examines the impact of technological progress on reducing waste-related greenhouse gas (WGHG) emissions in BRIC countries. The study considers energy generation and transmission-related patents (EPAT), patents to prevent pollution in the production process of goods (GPAT), and waste management-related patents (WPAT) as technological progress indicators. Methodologically, the study the applies novel quantile-on-quantile regression (QQ), Granger causality-in-quantiles (GQ), and quantile regression (QR) for the period from 1997m5 to 2019m12. The findings demonstrate that at higher quantiles, (i) EPAT have a dampening effect on WGHG in Brazil and India; (ii) GPAT have a diminishing effect on WGHG in Brazil, Russia, and India; (iii) WPAT have a diminishing effect on WGHG in Brazil, Russia, and India. Overall, technological progress contributes to WGHG emissions reduction in Brazil and India, while EPAT is not beneficial for Russia, and China cannot benefit from patents. The results suggest that Brazil, Russia and India should financially support and disseminate distinct patents to reduce WGHG emissions and improve waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Intermediate altitude (IA) is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease due to low oxygen levels. At IA, adaptive mechanisms develop both in the pulmonary and systemic circulatory systems from an early period. The effects of IA on atrial functions were investigated in the present study by using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Materials and Methods: The present study was on the subjects living at IA for 1 year. The effects of IA on atrial functions were investigated by comparing the baseline and first-year echocardiographic data of the subjects. Results: A total of 67 subjects were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 44.5 ± 6.2 years, and 62% of them were males. At the end of the first year, the left atrial (LA) conduit strain (p:0.011), reservoir strain (p:0.032), and contractile strain (p:0.037) rates were found to be significantly higher, whereas the left atrial volume index (p:0.005) was determined to be lower. Conclusion: IA leads to the development of adaptive mechanisms in the cardiovascular system, and the maintenance of tissue oxygenation is not affected by these mechanisms. These adaptive changes can be detected in LA structure and functions from the first year in individuals living at high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the viability of women's participation in women's cooperatives in Turkey. The prospects are evaluated by focusing on the sustainability of the cooperatives' economic activities as well as the recruitment and continued participation of individual women members. Taking a feminist social reproduction perspective, the article seeks to understand the underlying dynamics of women's participation in cooperatives, as this perspective enables us to analyze this participation as a process and captures the permeability between women's social reproduction duties, women's relationship with the state, and the economic market. Based on countrywide, semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with members of women's cooperatives in Turkey, we find that familial constraints as well as governmental policies and practices challenge women's economic development aspirations in the cooperatives, while social class deeply informs the challenges faced as well as the resources available to and strategies developed by women. The resulting analysis demonstrates that familial, social, and political issues related to social reproduction need to be addressed prior to focusing on the impact of cooperatives on women's empowerment. This is essential to ensuring the success of women's cooperatives and the continued provision of meaningful opportunities for women's participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In case of migration of Iranian nationals, while Mediterranean countries are hesitant to accept Iranian undergraduate students and do not admit applications from Iranian citizens due to sanctions, Turkey has increasingly been preferred by Iranian students and individuals who purchase real estate in Turkey in return of residency permit in the last decade. By revealing the South-South migration in context of capital intensified migration in Turkey, the article argues that the introduction of citizenship-by-investment category in 2016 regulating the exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship and increasing quotas for international students have motivated more Iranian students to apply undergraduate programs in Turkey and Iranian nationals to buy real estate in Turkey. This transformation in Turkish migration domain isin line with the neoliberal logic and demands of market by commodifying both citizenship and education. In unfolding motivations of Iranians, the research utilizes qualitative data collection technique in which I conduct twenty-five semi-structured interviews with Iranian undergraduate students and real estate purchasers. Interviews suggest that the mobility of Iranian students and investors offers a unique example in the Mediterranean region as Turkey has become a plausible option for Iranian nationals who can obtain an alternative way to exit from Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we consider the degenerate Frobenius-Euler-Genocchi polynomials utilizing the degenerate exponential function and the degenerate Changhee-Frobenius-Euler-Genocchi polynomials utilizing the degenerate logarithm function. Then, we analyze some summation and addition formulas for these polynomials. In addition, we derive some correlations with degenerate Stirling numbers of both kinds and degenerate Frobenius-Euler polynomials. Moreover, we present difference and derivative operator rules for the generalized degenerate Frobenius-Euler-Genocchi polynomials. Lastly, we show certain zeros of both the degenerate Frobenius-Euler-Genocchi polynomials and the degenerate Changhee-Frobenius-Euler-Genocchi polynomials and provide their beautifully graphical representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air data inertial reference system (ADIRS) parameters are very important for the safe flight of an aircraft. The ADIRS consists of air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) and the air data reference (ADR) part of the ADIRU, which provides the air data [altitude (ALT), angle of attack (AOA), airspeed, and temperature information] examined in this study. ADR is essential to continuously ensure accurate and precise information to the flight management guidance computers (FMGCs), electronic flight instruments system (EFIS), and other systems on the aircraft for reliable and safe flight operation. This study estimated the ADR parameters (altitude, angle of attack, airspeed, and temperature) to obtain a synthetic air data system for data continuity in the event of any sensor failure on the aircraft using correlated data. According to correlation analysis, the angle of attack, computed airspeed (CAS), and static air temperature (SAT) data have the highest correlation with the stabilizer position (STAB), whereas the altitude data have the highest correlation with the low-pressure engine spool rotational speed (N1). The AOA, CAS, SAT, and ALT parameters were estimated by decision tree, support vector machine, and Gaussian process regression models using real flight data collected from a local airline. The Gaussian process regression model was better at generalizing the data set for data estimation than were the other machine learning methods used in this study. MATLAB version R2023a software was used in all operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning sensorimotor trajectories through flexible neural representations is fundamental for robots as it facilitates the building of motor skills as well as equipping them with the ability to represent the world as predictable temporal events. Recent advances in deep learning led to the development of powerful learning from demonstration (LfD) systems such as Conditional Neural Movement Primitives (CNMPs). CNMPs can robustly represent skills as movement distributions and allow them to be 'recalled' by conditioning the movement on a few observation points. In this study, we focus on improving CNMPs to achieve a higher resource economy by adopting a divide-and-conquer approach. We propose a novel neural architecture called Coupled CNMP (C-CNMP), that couples the latent spaces of a pair of CNMPs that splits a given sensorimotor trajectory into segments whose learning is undertaken by smaller sub-networks. Therefore, each sub-network needs to deal with a less complex trajectory making the learning less resource-hungry. With systematic simulations on a controlled trajectory data set, we show that the overhead brought by the coupling introduced in our model is well offset by the resource and performance gain obtained. To be specific, with CNMP model as the baseline, it is shown that the proposed model is able to learn to generate trajectories in the data set with a lower trajectory error measured as the mean absolute difference between the generated trajectory and the ground truth. Importantly, our model can perform well with relatively limited resources, i.e., with less number of neural network parameters compared to the baseline. To show that the findings from the controlled data set well-transfer to robot data, we use robot joint data in an LfD setting and compare the learning performance of the proposed model with the baseline model at equal complexity levels. The simulation experiments show that with also the robot joint data, the proposed model, C-CNMP, learns to generate the joint trajectories with significantly less error than the baseline model. Overall, our study improves the state of the art in sensorimotor trajectory learning and exemplifies how divide-and-conquer approaches can benefit deep learning architectures for resource economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform a resolvent analysis of a compressible turbulent jet, where the optimisation domain of the response modes is located in the acoustic field, excluding the hydrodynamic region, in order to promote acoustically efficient modes. We examine the properties of the acoustic resolvent and assess its potential for jet-noise modelling, focusing on the subsonic regime. Resolvent forcing modes, consistent with previous studies, are found to contain supersonic waves associated with Mach wave radiation in the response modes. This differs from the standard resolvent in which hydrodynamic instabilities dominate. We compare resolvent modes with SPOD modes educed from LES data. Acoustic resolvent response modes generally have better alignment with acoustic SPOD modes than standard resolvent response modes. For the optimal mode, the angle of the acoustic beam is close to that found in SPOD modes for moderate frequencies. However, there is no significant separation between the singular values of the leading and sub-optimal modes. Some suboptimal modes are furthermore shown to contain irrelevant structure for jet noise. Thus, even though it contains essential acoustic features absent from the standard resolvent approach, the SVD of the acoustic resolvent alone is insufficient to educe a low-rank model for jet noise. But because it identifies the prevailing mechanisms of jet noise, it provides valuable guidelines in the search of a forcing model (Karban et al. in J Fluid Mech 965:18, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation infrastructure plays a significant role in exacerbating climate change as it contributes to a substantial increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The sole economic sector in which European countries have not succeeded in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions is the transportation industry. Therefore, reducing transport-related emissions is a primary focus of emphasis in the European Union's efforts to meet its climate targets. Accordingly, this study analyzes the impact of renewable energy use, patent development, and energy taxes in the transport sector on the three different modes of transport-related emissions (aviation, road, and rail) in the 10 highest-income countries of the European Union over the period 2008–2020. The study uses the novel half-panel jackknife estimator for this analysis. The results of the estimation show that patents contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in aviation and rail transportation, while renewable energies are only effective in rail transportation. In the context of road transportation, energy taxes are effective in mitigating CO2 emissions. Based on these findings, it is recommended that European Union policymakers promote the use of electric vehicles and eco- friendly means of transportation in road transport through energy taxes, increase the use of renewable energy sources such as biodiesel in rail transport, and reduce CO2 emissions by supporting patents that promote green innovations in the aviation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that instituting Citizen Boards of Governance (CBGs) is the optimal strategy to democratically contain Big Tech's algorithmic powers in the digital public sphere. CBGs are bodies of randomly selected citizens that are authorized to govern the algorithmic infrastructure of Big Tech platforms. The main advantage of CBGs is to tackle the concentrated powers of private tech corporations without giving too much power to governments. I show why this is a better approach than ordinary state regulation or relying on market mechanisms. My proposal follows from the critique of Big Tech's concentrated powers and explains how this justifies democratizing algorithms in the digital public sphere. My approach thus speaks to a core commitment in democratic theory: enhancing the autonomy of the public sphere from the centers of powers in modern societies, be it corporations or governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wearable energy harvester (EH) incorporating a face mask with a thermoelectric generator is demonstrated. The function of this device is to generate electrical power from the heat produced by the human body, particularly breath, with the specific aim of powering wearable sensor applications. A prototype was built using a commercially available N95 face mask, a thermoelectric generator, and a heatsink. The performance of this EH device was assessed using experimental and numerical methodologies. The experimentally tested power output of the prototype was found to be ≈100 µW, with a corresponding power density of ≈30 µW/cm3, for a temperature difference of 7°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of financial and technological innovations on India's ecological footprint—a comprehensive indicator of environmental degradation. Although previous research has addressed the individual impacts of these innovations, their collective influence has not been thoroughly investigated. Using data from 1973 to 2018 and employing ARDL Bounds and Bayer‐Hanck cointegration tests, we find a long‐run relationship between innovations, economic growth, energy consumption, and the ecological footprint. Notably, while the short‐term impact of innovations appears detrimental, both financial and technological innovations demonstrate a long‐term beneficial effect on the environment, which suggests that initial investments in innovation may have short‐term environmental costs, but ultimately contribute to environmental improvement. Additionally, this study confirms the harmful long‐term effects of energy consumption and economic growth on the environment. These findings underscore the importance of transitioning to cleaner energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and implementing robust environmental policies to foster sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although first aid knowledge and skills are a necessity, global studies show that there is a lack of awareness, hence the need for training that is accessible to all. This case study focuses on developing a blended learning plan for first aid training and creating interactive VR videos as a distance learning resource. An interactive video was created for VR glasses that explains the basic first aid coma position, enriched with questions. The video was uploaded to a web platform and configured for VR. Participants were randomly selected among Anadolu University staff, ranked according to their first aid knowledge scores. They gave feedback after using the application with VR glasses. For qualitative data, content analysis was performed and key concepts and themes were identified. As a result of the research, it was concluded that individuals with different demographic characteristics had a positive view of first aid learning experiences with VR, understood the steps of first aid application and gained the correct application. The developed VR video has a modular structure and can be developed with different scenarios and can be used to teach other first aid applications and different skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon mitigation and net-zero targets have an important place on the political agenda for all countries. Countries have been seeking to decouple economic growth and carbon emissions to achieve decarbonization. However, there is a cost of the decarbonization of economies, which can be called as Green Sacrifice Ratio (GSR), and this is critical for developing countries because they have been in the growing stage. By considering the critical role of GSR in achieving net-zero emissions by decarbonizing economies, the study comparatively examines how much environmental quality should be sacrificed for per capita economic growth in China and India. In line with this purpose, the study uses the Fourier-Shin cointegration test and various time series estimators with Fourier approximations for the period from 1989/Q1 to 2022/Q4. Estimation results are as follows: (i) all variables follow the non-stationary process, (ii) the long-run relationship exists between variables, and (iii) Estimation results show that GSR is 0.65% for China and 0.78% for India. Therefore, China and India sacrifice a significant amount of environmental quality for a 1% increase in per capita income level. Also, the ecological cost of increasing economic welfare in India is higher with regard to China. Besides, the results are robust according to the alternative method. Thus, the study recommends that both Chinese and Indian policymakers should revise the economic expansion structure with green growth strategies to prevent irreversible environmental degradation due to higher economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Transformer Rectifier Unit (TRU) in aircraft is DC power supplies. Three-phase AC power supplies are available as long as they work. DC power distribution, on the other hand, provides DC power directly to all DC users, providing input power to the emergency AC distribution system so that the static inverter can generate AC power. To the voltages produced by TRUs to be less oscillating and of higher quality, multi-pulse ones are studied and recommended for aircraft systems. In this study, Zener diode filtered multi-pulse rectifier, which can further reduce the oscillations in the output voltage, is recommended for aircraft. Three-phase half-wave rectifier design and analysis are presented to better demonstrate the effectiveness of Zener diode regulation in multi-pulse TRUs. First, the parts of the power system, which includes the rectifier circuit of a two-engine aircraft and fed by this rectifier, are given. The circuit structure and working order of the rectifier are given with mathematical explanations. In the application phase, low oscillating output voltages and currents are obtained by creating currents and voltages on the load for different Zener voltages. Conventional rectifiers and the proposed rectifier are tested on the same loads, and comparisons are done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) admissions are burdensome, and the mainstay of prevention is the timely detection of impending fluid retention, creating a window for medical treatment intensification. This study evaluated the accuracy and performance of a Triage-HF-guided carepath in real-world ambulatory HF patients in daily clinical practice. In this prospective, observational study, 92 adult HF patients (71 males (78%), with a median age of 69 [IQR 59–75] years) with the Triage-HF algorithm activated in their cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), were monitored. Following high-risk alerts, an HF nurse contacted patients to identify signs and symptoms of fluid retention. The sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 97%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 89%, and negative predictive value was 94%. The unexplained alert rate was 0.05 alerts/patient year, and the false negative rate was 0.11 alerts/patient year. Ambulatory diuretics were initiated or escalated in 77% of high-risk alert episodes. In 23% (n = 6), admission was ultimately required. The median alert handling time was 2 days. Fifty-eight percent (n = 18) of high-risk alerts were classified as true positives in the first week, followed by 29% in the second–third weeks (n = 9), and 13% (n = 4) in the fourth–sixth weeks. Common sensory triggers included an elevated night ventricular rate (84%), OptiVol (71%), and reduced patient activity (71%). The CIED-based Triage-HF algorithm-driven carepath enables the timely detection of impending fluid retention in a contemporary ambulatory setting, providing an opportunity for clinical action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality is an indispensable requirement in medical laboratories, where controls are performed at different phases of the laboratory processes. In the following, we consider the internal quality control activities during the analytical phase of medical laboratories for verifying the test results prior to their release. To monitor the measurement process for errors in the test results, one approach that is considerably attracting the health professionals is patient‐based real‐time quality control. In this respect, real‐time patient test results are monitored, commonly by implementing the Moving Average (MA) control chart with truncation limits. A usual practice is the use of truncation limits to exclude abnormal patient test results from the MA calculations. However, an open issue in the literature is how to determine the width of the truncation limits and the window size in the MA calculations. Furthermore, the distributions of the test results are often nonnormal and difficult to model by personnel having insufficient training in statistics. Consequently, robustness of the performance of the MA control chart to non‐normal distributions of test results is another open topic in the literature. In this study, a detailed robustness analysis is performed by considering various distributions having different shapes. Performance of several MA control chart designs constructed by altering the truncation limits and window sizes are investigated. Based on our simulation results with selected distributions, we conclude that the truncation limits should not be used and a window size of 20 is recommended. Under such a setting, the MA control chart performs similar to its intended performance in terms of false alarms and in detecting systematic errors, hence being robust to non‐normality of the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible extraction procedure is proposed to retrieve the diagonal tensor elements of the permittivity and permeability, and the magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of Omega-type biansiotropic metamaterials (MMs). The procedure is based on the state transition matrix approach and uses non-iterative closed-form expressions between constitutive parameters and scattering (S-) parameters to achieve such determination using S-parameters for normal incidence and oblique incidence of TE and TM modes (a desirable feature from practical point of view). S-parameter simulations of a bianisotropic MM slab constructed by edge-coupled resonators are performed using a 3D electromagnetic simulator program and used to validate the proposed procedure and compare its accuracy against previously developed extraction procedures. The effects of incidence angle, S-parameters' noise, and dimensional variations (fabrication tolerances) on the extracted parameters of the examined MM slab are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This study was aimed to investigate whether the practice of laughter yoga in nursing students who just started university can help them cope with stress. Design. An experimental randomized controlled study was conducted. Methods. The research was conducted with first‐year students (n = 38) who were willing to participate in the study. The intervention group took part in six 45–50 minute laughter yoga sessions twice a week for three weeks. Results. The comparison of the mean and total scores obtained from the Coping Behavior Inventory and Physio‐Psycho‐Social Response Scale by the participants in the control and intervention groups before and after the implementation of the laughter yoga practices demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference between the two tests in the intervention group and the difference was especially evident between the pre‐ and posttest scores obtained from the Coping Behavior Inventory. Conclusions. In this study, laughter yoga practice helped the participating nursing students who just started university to cope with stress. It can be recommended that laughter yoga should be integrated into the curriculum in schools where nursing education is provided as a way of coping with stress, that its use should be expanded, and that randomized controlled experimental studies in which its physiological and psychological effects in different groups are investigated with objective and subjective parameters should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary dickkopf 3 (uDKK3) is a marker released by kidney tubular epithelial cells that is associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may cause interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Recent evidence suggests that uDKK3 can also predict the loss of kidney function in CKD patients and kidney transplant recipients, regardless of their current renal function. We conducted a prospective study on 181 kidney transplant (KTx) recipients who underwent allograft biopsy to determine the cause, analyzing the relationship between uDKK3 levels in urine, histological findings, and future allograft function progression. Additionally, we studied 82 living kidney donors before unilateral nephrectomy (Nx), 1–3 days after surgery, and 1 year post-surgery to observe the effects of rapid kidney function loss. In living donors, the uDKK3/creatinine ratio significantly increased 5.3-fold 1–3 days after Nx. However, it decreased significantly to a median level of 620 pg/mg after one year, despite the absence of underlying primary kidney pathology. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased by an average of 29.3% to approximately 66.5 (±13.5) mL/min/1.73 m2 after one year, with no further decline in the subsequent years. uDKK3 levels increased in line with eGFR loss after Nx, followed by a decrease as the eGFR partially recovered within the following year. However, uDKK3 did not correlate with the eGFR at the single time points in living donors. In KTx recipients, the uDKK3/creatinine ratio was significantly elevated with a median of 1550 pg/mg compared to healthy individuals or donors after Nx. The mean eGFR in the recipient group was 35.5 mL/min/1.73 m2. The uDKK3/creatinine ratio was statistically associated with the eGFR at biopsy but was not independently associated with the eGFR one year after biopsy or allograft loss. In conclusion, uDKK3 correlates with recent and future kidney function and kidney allograft survival in the renal transplant cohort. Nevertheless, our findings indicate that the uDKK3/creatinine ratio has no prognostic influence on future renal outcome in living donors and kidney recipients beyond the eGFR, independent of the presence of acute renal graft pathology, as correlations are GFR-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAcute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning may cause liver damage and liver dysfunction. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the efficiency of normobaric oxygen (NBO) and high-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNCO) treatments on liver injury. For that purpose, 28 male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (Control, CO, CO + NBO, and CO + HFNCO). The control group was allowed to breath room air for 30 min. Acute CO poisoning in CO, CO + NBO, CO + HFNCO was induced by CO exposure for 30 min. Thereafter, NBO group received 100% NBO with reservoir mask for 30 min. HFNCO group received high-flow oxygen through nasal cannula for 30 min. At the end of the experiment, all animals were sacrificed by cardiac puncture under anesthesia. Serum liver function tests were measured. Liver tissue total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels, tissue histomorphology and immunoexpression levels of Bax, Caspase 3, TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB were also examined. Our observations indicated that acute CO poisoning caused significant increases in blood COHb, serum aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT0, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein, albumin, and globulin levels but a decrease in albumin to globulin ratio (all, p < 0.05). Furthermore, acute CO poisoning significantly increased the OSI value, and the immunoexpresssion of Bax, Caspase 3, TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB in liver tissue (all, p < 0.05). These pathological changes in serum and liver tissue were alleviated through both of the treatment methods. In conclusion, both the NBO and HFNCO treatments were beneficial to alleviate the acute CO poisoning associated with liver injury and dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A de-embedding method for determining all scattering (S-) parameters (e.g., characterization) of a sensing area of planar microstrip sensors (two-port network or line) is proposed using measurements of S-parameters with no calibration. The method requires only (partially known) non-reflecting line and reflecting line standards to accomplish such a characterization. It utilizes uncalibrated S-parameter measurements of a reflecting line, direct and reversed configurations of a non-reflecting line, and direct and reversed configurations of the sensing area. As different from previous similar studies, it performs such a characterization without any sign ambiguity. The method is first validated by extracting the S-parameters of a bianisotropic metamaterial slab, as for a two-port network (line), constructed by split-ring-resonators (SRRs) from waveguide measurements. Then, it is applied for determining the S-parameters of a sensing area of a microstrip sensor involving double SRRs next to a microstrip line. The root-mean-square-error (RMSE) analysis was utilized to analyze the accuracy of our method in comparison with other techniques in the literature. It has been observed from such an analysis that our proposed de-embedding technique has the lowest RMSE values for the extracted S-parameters of the sensing area of the designed sensor in comparison with those of the compared other de-embedding techniques in the literature, and have similar RMSE values in reference to those of the thru-reflect-line calibration technique. For example, while RMSE values of real and imaginary parts of the forward reflection S-parameter of this sensing area are, respectively, around 0.0271 and 0.0279 for our de-embedding method, those of one of the compared de-embedding techniques approach as high as 0.0318 and 0.0324. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The methanol extract of Hypericum linarioides (MHL) has positive effect on human dermal fibroblast cell proliferation. • MHL-containing nanoemulsion formulation (MHL-NEF) with droplet size less than 160 nm was prepared successfully. • For MHL and MHL-NEF, the maximum cell viability% was obtained at 0.4 µg/mL. • It was observed as a result of scratch assay that NEF improved the wound-healing potential of MHL. • TGF-β1 and FGFR-2 expressions in MHL-NEF-treated fibroblast cells increased significantly at 24 h. It was aimed to develop and in vitro characterize the methanol extract of Hypericum linarioides (MHL)-containing nanoemulsion formulation (MHL-NEF) to heal the wound effectively. MHL-NEF was prepared and its droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), viscosity, pH and zeta potential (ZP) values were determined. The effect of MHL and MHL-NEF on human dermal fibroblast cell viability was examined by MTT assay. Also, their wound healing potential was evaluated using the scratch assay. The droplet size, PDI, ZP, pH and viscosity values for the MHL-NEF were found to be 157.67±7.61 nm, 0.268±0.036, (-)40.20±6.79 mV, 4.27±0.01, and 1.82±0.01 cP, respectively. In the cell viability assay, the highest percentage of living cells was obtained at concentration of 0.4 µg/mL for the MHL and MHL-NEF. In the scratch assay, MHL-NEF showed significantly ameliorated wound closure (%) rates at 24 and 30 h than the groups of control, MHL and blank-NEF (NEF without MHL) (p < 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining was carried out. TGF-β1 and FGFR-2 expressions in MHL-NEF-treated fibroblast cells increased significantly at 24 h compared to the groups of control, MHL, and B-NEF (p < 0.001). Our findings show that MHL-NEF may be promising for better wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Though headache is commonly observed after stroke and may affect survivors' quality of life, it has rarely been studied after spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). In a cohort of ICH survivors, we assessed the long‐term prevalence and determinants of headache. Methods: We screened consecutive ICH survivors enrolled in the prospective, single‐centre Prognosis of Intracerebral Haemorrhage study for headache 1, 3, and 6 years after ICH, according to the International Headache Society's criteria. Depressive and anxiety symptoms severity was measured at 1‐year follow‐up. Variables associated with the presence of headache 1 year after ICH were analyzed using univariate and multivariable models. Results: Among the 146 patients included in this study, 31 (21%), 25 (19%), and 14 (20%) patients reported headache at 1‐, 3‐, and 6‐year follow‐up, respectively. In an age‐adjusted model, patients with headache at ICH onset (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.75; 95% CI 1.02–7.42) and previous history of headache (aOR 4.60; 95% CI 1.74–12.1) were associated with headache at 1‐year follow‐up. Patients with headache were more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms at 1‐year follow‐up (both p < 0.02). Conclusions: One in five ICH survivors suffered from headache and patients who reported headache at ICH onset were especially at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and inexpensive microwave measurement setup based on measurements of magnitudes of transmission properties ( | S 21 | dB ) is proposed for industrial-based microwave aquametry (moisture or water content) applications. An easy-to-apply calibration procedure based on normalization is implemented to eliminate systematic errors in the measurement system. As a case study, we applied this setup for the quantification of water-adulteration in flower honey. After validating this system by distilled water and pure flower honey measurements, | S 21 | dB measurements of the pure flower honey with various adulteration percentages (δ ) up to 9% are conducted to examine the performance of the measurement setup for quantification of water adulteration. A multi-dimensional fitting procedure is implemented to predict δ using the proposed inexpensive microwave measurement setup. It is shown that it is possible to quantify an adulteration level with an accuracy better than ∓ 1 % by the proposed measurement setup and the applied multi-dimensional fitting procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment in which animals are kept must provide suitable conditions for their species. This includes ensuring that animals are healthy, well-fed, safe, able to exhibit species-specific behaviors, not experiencing fear or pain, and not under chronic or acute stress. Poultry welfare is achieved when birds are raised in environments that meet their physiological and ethological needs. Fear can significantly impact animal welfare. Chickens have been significantly altered by human artificial selection. Despite this, they exhibit reactivity towards humans and tend to avoid them. Poultry animals reared in environmentally controlled poultry houses and bred for superior productivity are more sensitive to fear factors and have lost their adaptability to a great extent. This study aimed to determine the effect of personnel clothing color on stress and fear in chickens in layer hen coops. The experiment involved 32-week-old laying hens of three different genotypes. A worker in the henhouse wore six respective different colors of workwear (dark blue, green, red, yellow, black, and white), and sound measurements were taken during this time. The results showed that the color of the worker's clothing influenced the sound intensity of the chickens (P<0.05). White clothing elicited the least reaction, whereas black and dark blue elicited the most. The other three colors showed similar reactions. In conclusion, workers in layer hen coops wearing dark clothing, such as dark blue and black, can induce stress and noise in the animals. Additionally, chickens showed similar reactions to green, red, and yellow colors, with white being the color around which they felt the most secure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aims of this paper are to investigate the existence and uniqueness results for the solution of an inverse source problem for a multidimensional, semilinear, backward parabolic equation, subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions, and to propose an iterative difference scheme for the numerical solution of the problem. The unique solvability of the difference scheme is established, as well. In the foundation of the theoretical results, some tools and facts from the operator theory, contraction principle and the Banach fixed-point theorem are applied. Furthermore, a comprehensive numerical analysis and several illuminating visualizations are carried out by employing the iterative difference schemes proposed on some test problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The estimated prevalence of hemorrhoidal disease (HD) worldwide ranges from 2.9% to 27.9%. Conservative, medical, non-operative, and surgical therapy approaches are applied in HD treatment. Milligan-Morgan (MM) hemorrhoidectomy which is the most well-known and frequently applied surgical treatment method, and Laser hemorrhoidoplasty (LH) are among the accepted treatment methods in Grade 2-3 HD treatment where medical treatment is insufficient. Purpose: In this study, the early results of laser hemorrhoidoplasty and Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy techniques were compared. Material and Methods: A randomized clinical trial. The study included ASA 1-3, total 85 patients aged 18-70 years old with symptomatic Grade 2 and Grade 3 hemorrhoidal disease whose symptoms persisted despite at least one month of medical treatment. Fifty-four patients were allocated to Group L, whereas 31 were allocated to Group M. Age, gender, weight, body mass index, preoperative symptoms, presence of additional disease, use of anticoagulant medication, and length of hospital stay of the patients included in the study were recorded. Rescue analgesic used was recorded. Postoperative VAS score and complications were recorded within 10 days. The total energy numbers applied to all packages were recorded. Results: The incidence of minor perioperative hemorrhage was significantly lower in Group L compared to Group M (P =.035). The postoperative 3rd-hour VAS scores were statistically significantly lower in Group L compared to Group (P <.001). At the 3rd hour postoperatively, the need for rescue analgesia was statistically significantly higher in Group M compared to Group L. On the seventh postoperative day, Group M needed considerably more rescue analgesia compared to Group L (P <.001, P = 1.00, P =.035, respectively). The cut-off value of 571 J was calculated in Group L. Conclusion: We believe that it is not an advantageous method compared to MM hemorrhoidectomy, both in terms of patient comfort and cost-effectiveness, since postoperative pain, which is shown as the most important advantage of LH over conventional hemorrhoidectomy methods in the literature, can be relieved with simple NSA-I rescue analgesia in patients undergoing MM. Trial Registration: 03.06.2021/21-63. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green algae are well known for their plant growth-promoting role, but the biofertilization potential of some industrial algae waste has yet to be tested. Industrial algae production facilities are increasing rapidly yearly, but most growing liquids are unused and remain as waste. Here we examined the effects of various microalgae byproducts as tea plant growth biostimulants. The roles of cell-free supernatant (CFS), sonicated microalgae biomass and living cells of the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris in promoting tea plant growth were investigated through real field applications. All three algae by-products of the same culture were applied to the tea plants three times either from aerial parts or from the soil. After 40 days of incubation, it was determined that all microalgae waste, even CFS, significantly improved the vegetative growth of the treated tea plants. CFS were also able to improve chlorophyll accumulation, node length, leaf length, and leaf width by 23%-26%, 62%-69%, 5%-36%, and 23%-54%, respectively. Notably, the sonicated microalgae effluents were able to improve the node growth by 123%. To our knowledge, this is the first study revealing the significant biofertilization potential of C. vulgaris CFS for shoot growth of tea plants. The obtained results highlight the agricultural potentials of both microalgae culture broths and degreased microalgae wastes as sustainable and environmentally-friendly biofertilizers for Camellia sinensis organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scoring in creativity research has been a central problem since creativity became an important issue in psychology and education in the 1950s. The current study examined the psychometric properties of 27 creativity indices derived from summed and averaged scores using 15 scoring methods. Participants included 2802 middle-school students. Data included students’ scores on the Creative Scientific Ability Test (C-SAT). The following summed and averaged indices were included in the analysis: fluency, flexibility, creativity quotient, traditional creativity index, originality indices, 26 teachers’ ratings of creativity and appropriateness, and additive and multiplicative indices of originality and appropriateness. Results showed that most summed indices were slightly or largely right-skewed and displayed leptokurtic distributions. Averaged indices showed less skewness with mesocurtic, platycurtic, and leptokurtic distributions. Summed scores had higher variance and reliability than did the averaged scores. Fluency contamination was evident on all the summed indices, with much higher contamination on flexibility and percentile-raking-based originality. Interitem correlations between the indices are compared and contrasted using the equal odds baseline, dual pathway, and the trade-off model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important issue regarding the safety and performance of concrete face rockfill dams (CFRDs) is to determine stresses and deformations. However, predictions of crest settlements of CFRDs are usually performed using empirical relationships. In recent years, CFRDs have been constructed much higher and at more complicated topographical and geological dam sites, so numerical analysis is required to evaluate the stress and deformations in the entire dam body. Also, assessing long-term rockfill behaviour and the concrete face membrane crack potential are important for post-construction dam safety. This study evaluates post-construction deformations and crest settlements of a high CFRD under two different loading cases, considering the non-linear elasto-plastic behaviour of the rockfill structure. As a constitutive model, the Duncan–Chang hyperbolic stress–strain model was applied in finite-element simulations considering the failure criterion is isotropic and hardening. Calibration of the rockfill's hyperbolic parameters was performed by comparing the calculated displacements with actual settlement measurements. Computed crest settlements were also compared with those of some CFRDs given in the literature. Calculated crest settlement and other deformations are in good agreement with the rockfill settlement measurements and in acceptable ranges, and do not threaten the dam's safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has consistently shown that juvenile violent victimization is associated with an increased risk of future criminal involvement, a phenomenon commonly known as victim-offender overlap. Despite a growing interest in the factors underlying this overlap, potential roles of major life transitions and turning points that may interrupt and reshape the nature of this developmental association have garnered less academic attention. Analyzing nationally representative data from waves I, IV, and V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 10,205), this study investigates the association between juvenile violent victimization and adult criminal outcomes (i.e., violent offending, non-violent offending, arrest, and incarceration) and whether this association is moderated by military service with and without combat experience in young adulthood. Employing a series of logistic regression analyses and adjusting for a host of covariates, measures of selection, and criminogenic traits, we found that juvenile violent victimization was significantly associated with greater odds of violent offending, arrest, and incarceration in adulthood. Among individuals with violent victimization histories, military service with no combat experience was associated with a 16% decrease in the odds of incarceration in adulthood. Combat experience, however, was associated with over seven times greater odds of violent offending in adulthood for these individuals. These findings have important implications for theory, research, and practice, and highlight the relevance of life transitions and turning points in general, and military service in particular, in mitigating or perpetuating the criminogenic impacts of violent victimization in the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we construct a novel family of fractional‐type integral operators of a function f$$ f $$ by replacing sample values (f(k/n))k=0n$$ {\left(f\left(k/n\right)\right)}_{k=0}^n $$ with the fractional mean values of that function. We give some explicit formulas for higher order moments of the proposed operators and investigate some approximation properties. We also define the fractional variants of Mirakyan–Favard–Szász and Baskakov‐type operators and calculate the higher order moments of these operators. We give an explicit formula for fractional derivatives of proposed operators with the help of the Caputo‐type fractional derivative Furthermore, several graphical and numerical results are presented in detail to demonstrate the accuracy, applicability, and validity of the proposed operators. Finally, an illustrative real‐world example associated with the recent trend of Covid‐19 has been investigated to demonstrate the modeling capabilities of fractional‐type integral operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid biopsies are revolutionizing the detection and management of malignant diseases. While repetitive DNA sequences, such as LINE-1 and ALU are established in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) research, their clinical applications remain limited. In this study, we explore human satellite 2 (HSATII), a prevalent repeat DNA sequence in plasma that exhibits increased levels in cancer patients, thereby positioning it as a potential pan-cancer biomarker. We employed targeted sequencing and copy number variation (CNV) analysis using two primer pairs to assess the differential abundance of HSATII sequences in the plasma of breast cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. PCR amplicons of HSATII from 10 patients and 10 control subjects were sequenced, generating 151 bp paired-end reads. By constructing a pooled reference dataset, HSATII copy ratios were estimated in the patients. Our analysis revealed several significant CNVs in HSATII, with certain sequences displaying notable gains and losses across all breast cancer patients, suggesting their potential as biomarkers. However, we observed pronounced fragmentation of cfDNA in cancer, leading to the loss of longer PCR amplicons (>180 bp). While not all observed losses can be attributed to fragmentation artifacts, this phenomenon does introduce complexity in interpreting CNV data. Notably, this research marks the first instance of targeted HSATII sequencing in a liquid biopsy context. Our findings lay the groundwork for developing sequencing-based assays to detect differentially represented HSATII sequences, potentially advancing the field of minimally-invasive cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The melting of Antarctic glaciers has become a significant issue as a result of global climate change. Algae on the Antarctic ice/snow is an important part of terrestrial photosynthetic organisms. Monitoring and tracking these algal blooms is crucial for understanding the melting of glaciers in the region. Due to the climatic and natural conditions of the region, traveling to and arranging logistics for monitoring and observing snow algae in the Antarctic continent becomes extremely challenging. To overcome these challenges, a novel algorithm has been developed and designed to automatically detect and analyze green algae (Chlorella sp.) from satellite images. Leveraging the vast and free available data from the Sentinel-2 satellite, the algorithm utilizes its high spectral resolution capabilities, capturing invaluable information from various spectral bands. The algorithm was formulated based on the image obtained on February 28, 2017, where green algae formations were intensively seen in the Ryder Bay. The algorithm was developed based on rule-based detection of algae, with the usage of reflection values from the areas where ground truth was established on this date. The developed algorithm was coded and tested using Python version 3.9. The accuracy analysis of the algorithm was conducted using overall accuracy (OA), F1 score, and Kappa statistical test. As a result of the analysis, the OA, F1 score, and Kappa statistic values were calculated as %91, %88.82-%95.27, and 0.901, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]