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Librarians organize information resources of all kind for easy access and retrieval; organizational records are one of such information resources that librarians organize for quick access and easy retrieval when needed by the organizations. Academic records being vital information resources that determines the future of students and the efficient workability of academic institutions like universities and other schools are to be well managed and organized so as not to get them mutilated, destroyed or missing. These academic records which include course registration, results, transcript and the likes are supposed to be well managed as they contain delicate information concerning the daily transactions of students and lecturers in the institution and they also contain evidence of academic performances of the trainees. In this 21st century universities in Nigeria are expected to be able to grow beyond managing such delicate and important records manually with the use of papers, files and cabinet to managing the records with the use of academic records management system software (ARMS) that is specially configured with the relevant and requisite modules to manage and organize academic records. Whereas a lot of universities in Nigeria are yet to upgrade to using some of these software to manage their academic records, it is pertinent for this paper to be able to expose some of such ways that these very important records can be properly and efficiently managed. This style of managing student academic records are important in order to guard against natural and artificial disasters like flood, fire, humidity, dust, mutilation, lost etc. when these records are managed with the use of the academic records management system (ARMS) it goes a long way to ensuring safety and easy access of the students academic records. So this paper presents Concepts of ARMS, Students' academic records, Types of records management systems (RMS), elements and feature of a efficient RMS, ARMS procedure, Advantages and perceived problems of using ARMS, Application of ARMS in maintenance of students academic records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research paper is to investigate the collaboration between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and African nations in the military domain, examining the impact of ideological, socio-economic, international, and other elements. Scientific novelty. Based on documents and historiographical materials, the study analyzes the stages of development, characteristics, and content of the PRC's military cooperation with African countries. Conclusions. The PRC's with African countries has gone through a long and complex path. The first stage (late 1950s - mid-1970s) coincided with the rise of national liberation struggles in Africa, and China's involvement had an ideological character. The second stage, (late 1970s - 1990s) witnessed a transition to commercialization, but faced limitations due to resource constraints, low-quality weaponry, and concerns about relations with Western investors. However, cooperation with Western corporations to modernize the military-industrial complex and develop new weapons was disrupted by the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Instead, cooperation with Russia in the defense field intensified, which allowed China to update the military-industrial complex and develop new weapons systems. However, due to their low quality, they did not stand up to competition, particularly in the African arms market. From the mid-1990s, China involved European and American corporations in modernization process, under the condition of potential export opportunities. The third stage of cooperation began in the early 2000s and continues to this day. China has significantly expanded its military cooperation with African countries through various military training programs, participation in international arms exhibitions, arms loans, military equipment sales, and involvement in UN peacekeeping missions. Deepening military cooperation strengthens China's position in Africa and increases its competitive advantage not only in the African arms market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arm movement recovery after stroke can improve with sufficient exercise. However, rehabilitation therapy sessions are typically not enough. To address the need for effective methods of increasing arm exercise outside therapy sessions we developed a novel armrest, called Boost. It easily attaches to a standard manual wheelchair just like a conventional armrest and enables users to exercise their arm in a linear forward-back motion. This paper provides a detailed design description of Boost, the biomechanical analysis method to evaluate the joint torques required to operate it, and the results of pilot testing with five stroke patients. Biomechanics results show the required shoulder flexion and elbow extension torques range from −25% to +36% of the torques required to propel a standard pushrim wheelchair, depending on the direction of applied force. In pilot testing, all five participants were able to exercise the arm with Boost in stationary mode (with lower physical demand). Three achieved overground ambulation (with higher physical demand) exceeding 2 m/s after 2–5 practice trials; two of these could not propel their wheelchair with the pushrim. This simple to use, dynamic armrest provides people with hemiparesis a way to access repetitive arm exercise outside of therapy sessions, independently right in their wheelchair. Significantly, Boost removes the requirements to reach, grip, and release the pushrim to propel a wheelchair, an action many individuals with stroke cannot complete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ankyrin repeat-rich membrane spanning (ARMS), a transmembrane neuronal scaffold protein, plays a fundamental role in neuronal physiology, including neuronal development, polarity, differentiation, survival and angiogenesis, through interactions with diverse partners. Previous studies have shown that the ARMS negatively regulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) secretion by interacting with Synaptotagmin-4 (Syt4), thereby affecting neurogenesis and the development and function of the nervous system. However, the molecular mechanisms of the ARMS/Syt4 complex assembly remain unclear. Here, we confirmed that the ARMS directly interacts with Syt4 through its N-terminal ankyrin repeats 1–8. Unexpectedly, both the C2A and C2B domains of Syt4 are necessary for binding with the ARMS. We then combined the predicted complex structural models from AlphaFold2 with systematic biochemical analyses using point mutagenesis to underline the molecular basis of ARMS/Syt4 complex formation and to identify two conserved residues, E15 and W72, of the ARMS, as essential residues mediating the assembly of the complex. Furthermore, we showed that ARMS proteins are unable to interact with Syt1 or Syt3, indicating that the interaction between ARMS and Syt4 is specific. Taken together, the findings from this study provide biochemical details on the interaction between the ARMS and Syt4, thereby offering a biochemical basis for the further understanding of the potential mechanisms and functional implications of the ARMS/Syt4 complex formation, especially with regard to the modulation of BDNF secretion and associated neuropathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbances are a common yet often overlooked symptom of psychosis that can drastically affect the quality of life and well-being of those living with the condition. Sleep disorders are common in people diagnosed with schizophrenia and have significant negative effects on the clinical course of the illness and the functional outcomes and quality of life of patients. There is a limited number of studies addressing this question in first-episode psychosis (FEP). In this narrative review, we aimed to provide an overview of sleep disorders in populations with FEP and at-risk mental states (ARMS). The review was focused on the various treatments currently used for sleep disorders, including both non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments. A total of 48 studies were included. We found that sleep disturbances are associated with attenuated psychotic symptoms and other psychopathological symptoms in ARMSs. The association of sleep disturbances with the transition to psychosis has been poorly investigated. Sleep disturbances have an impact on the quality of life and the psychopathological symptoms of people suffering from FEP. The non-pharmacological treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, bright light therapy, cognitive restructuring techniques, sleep restriction therapy, basic sleep hygiene education, and the provision of portable sleep trackers. Other treatments include antipsychotics in acute phases and melatonin. The early intervention in sleep disturbances may improve overall prognosis in emerging psychosis populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psychosis is usually preceded by a prodromal phase in which patients are clinically identified as being at in an "At Risk Mental State" (ARMS). A few studies have demonstrated the feasibility of predicting psychosis transition from an ARMS using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data and machine learning (ML) methods. However, the reliability of these findings is unclear due to possible sampling bias. Moreover, the value of genetic and environmental data in predicting transition to psychosis from an ARMS is yet to be explored. Methods: In this study we aimed to predict transition to psychosis from an ARMS using a combination of ML, sMRI, genome-wide genotypes, and environmental risk factors as predictors, in a sample drawn from a pool of 246 ARMS subjects (60 of whom later transitioned to psychosis). First, the modality-specific values in predicting transition to psychosis were evaluated using several: (a) feature types; (b) feature manipulation strategies; (c) ML algorithms; (d) cross-validation strategies, as well as sample balancing and bootstrapping. Subsequently, the modalities whose at least 60% of the classification models showed an balanced accuracy (BAC) statistically better than chance level were included in a multimodal classification model. Results and discussion: Results showed that none of the modalities alone, i.e., neuroimaging, genetic or environmental data, could predict psychosis from an ARMS statistically better than chance and, as such, no multimodal classification model was trained/tested. These results suggest that the value of structural MRI data and genome-wide genotypes in predicting psychosis from an ARMS, which has been fostered by previous evidence, should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensory ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is mainly expressed in small to medium sized dorsal root ganglion neurons, which are involved in the transfer of acute noxious thermal and chemical stimuli. The Ankyrin-rich membrane spanning protein (ARMS) interaction with TRPV1 is modulated by protein kinase A (PKA) mediating sensitization. Here, we hypothesize that PKA phosphorylation sites of ARMS are crucial for the modulation of TRPV1 function, and that the phosphorylation of ARMS is facilitated by the A-kinase anchoring protein 79 (AKAP79). We used transfected HEK293 cells, immunoprecipitation, calcium flux, and patch clamp experiments to investigate potential PKA phosphorylation sites in ARMS and in ARMS-related peptides. Additionally, experiments were done to discriminate between PKA and protein kinase D (PKD) phosphorylation. We found different interaction ratios for TRPV1 and ARMS mutants lacking PKA phosphorylation sites. The degree of TRPV1 sensitization by ARMS mutants is independent on PKA phosphorylation. AKAP79 was also involved in the TRPV1/ARMS/PKA signaling complex. These data show that ARMS is a PKA substrate via AKAP79 in the TRPV1 signaling complex and that all four proteins interact physically, regulating TRPV1 sensitization in transfected HEK293 cells. To assess the physiological and/or therapeutic significance of these findings, similar investigations need to be performed in native neurons and/or in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brightness temperatures and their Jacobians with respect to atmospheric temperature and humidity at the microwave to millimeter wave spectral bands from 23 GHz to 424 GHz are simulated with the ECMWF IFS-137 profiles as inputs to the Advanced Radiative transfer Modeling System (ARMS). The information content of temperature and humidity is then calculated individually through the Shannon entropy which is contributed by a-priori background information and observations. For a typical set of measurement uncertainties, a high information content for atmospheric temperature is mainly obtained from V band near 50–70 GHz, whereas that for water vapor comes from G band near 183 GHz and Y1 band near 380 GHz. The channels within the G band have a large temperature information content mainly for lower and middle layers of troposphere and the Y1 band has a relatively large humidity information content for the entire troposphere. A large measurement uncertainty can significantly reduce the information content of each band. Thus, to make a best use of the data from each band, it is important to reduce the instrument calibration noise and increase the accuracy in forward radiative transfer simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive upper limb exoskeletons are often designed to relieve muscle fatigue of manufacturing workers. Existing exoskeletons often provide partial assistance, and their assistive torque is only affected by elastic elements and mechanisms, which, however, are not sufficient because of the changing load of the shoulder joint due to the motion of the elbow and the weight of various tools. To improve the assistive effect without affecting the free movement of the arm, a passive exoskeletal vest has been designed. This exoskeleton has two operating states which can be switched using a unique ratchet bar mechanism. The upper arm can be locked at any vertical position when engaged. The assistive torque is determined by the load. The arm also can move freely without any resistance when separated. Seven subjects participated in the evaluation experiment, who performed static tasks, precision tasks, and dynamic tasks. The experimental data demonstrate that the exoskeleton can effectively reduce the activation level of related muscles at a variety of tasks. The accuracy and stability of the arm during heavy work are not affected. The exoskeleton has a minimal restriction on the range of motion of the arm. the comfort and portability achieved a high score of 8 (1-10) from subjective measures. The experimental results further revealed that the designed exoskeletal vest could effectively relieve the shoulder burden, where it does not impede or restrain the arm’s movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoulder-sideWINDER is an exoskeleton to assist the shoulder movement of workers performing manual tasks. It aims to minimize discomfort caused by a joint misalignment between the shoulder and an exoskeleton, which is a common problem with many closely coupled systems. Based on the shoulder’s musculoskeletal structure, we propose two novel misalignment correction mechanisms: center-of-rotation tracking mechanism and force-guiding mechanism. The center-of-rotation tracking mechanism compensates for the vertical misalignment that arises from the scapulohumeral rhythm. The force-guiding mechanism compensates for the horizontal misalignment due to changes in the plane of the arm elevation. The kinematic performance of reducing joint misalignment was evaluated using the angle ratio as the indicator under two conditions: with and without the center-of-rotation tracking mechanism. The muscle load caused by the kinematic disturbance was evaluated under three conditions: wearing the exoskeleton with and without the center-of-rotation tracking mechanism and not wearing the exoskeleton. The analysis used muscle load data measured by surface electromyography on five shoulder muscles. Five subjects executed 12 arm motions each, in 4 planes of elevation. Since the system was optimized for a pilot user, subjects with similar morphology presented positive results showing that the proposed mechanism reduced the misalignment in the dominant range of working motion. Apart from the anterior deltoid, the loads on muscles responsible for the dominant range of working motion also showed a significant reduction compared to the case without the mechanism. In conclusion, we verified that the Shoulder-sideWINDER provides comfortable support by reducing joint misalignment, and identified directions for design improvements that will further enhance usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean-warming and acidification are predicted to reduce coral reef biodiversity, but the combined effects of these stressors on overall biodiversity are largely unmeasured. Here, we examined the individual and combined effects of elevated temperature (+2 °C) and reduced pH (-0.2 units) on the biodiversity of coral reef communities that developed on standardized sampling units over a 2-y mesocosm experiment. Biodiversity and species composition were measured using amplicon sequencing libraries targeting the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcoding gene. Ocean-warming significantly increased species richness relative to present-day control conditions, whereas acidification significantly reduced richness. Contrary to expectations, species richness in the combined future ocean treatment with both warming and acidification was not significantly different from the present-day control treatment. Rather than the predicted collapse of biodiversity under the dual stressors, we find significant changes in the relative abundance but not in the occurrence of species, resulting in a shuffling of coral reef community structure among the highly species-rich cryptobenthic community. The ultimate outcome of altered community structure for coral reef ecosystems will depend on species-specific ecological functions and community interactions. Given that most species on coral reefs are members of the understudied cryptobenthos, holistic research on reef communities is needed to accurately predict diversity-function relationships and ecosystem responses to future climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]