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This article presents the findings of a study conducted on the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) in the right median nerve of healthy adults in the Malwa region. The study found that NCV decreases with age, potentially due to a decrease in the number of nerve fibers and fiber diameter. The results suggest that age should be taken into consideration when diagnosing neurological conditions, as normal individuals may be misdiagnosed as having a disease. The study concludes that there is an inverse correlation between age and NCV, and this information can be useful for diagnosing neurological and pathological conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Virtual reality is the sum of the hardware and software systems that seek to perfect an all-inclusive, sensory illusion of being present in another environment which is applied to a broad range of sports such as skiing, goalkeeping rugby union, baseball and basketball, pistol shooting and cycling speed. Reaction time is the elapsed time between stimulus onset and an individual's response on elementary cognitive tasks. Coordination is the capability to perform a sequence of movements rhythmically smoothly and accurately. Agility refers to the capacity to quickly change the location of the entire body in space with quickness and accuracy Objectives: The main objective of this study was to see the effect of virtual reality table tennis on coordination, reaction time and agility among collegiate students. Material and Methods: Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 collegiate students of age group 18-24 years were taken. The subjects were divided into two groups as group A and group B of 30 each. Group A played table tennis game in real environment and group B played table tennis in virtual environment. Pre and post score were taken for coordination, reaction time and agility using hand eye coordination test, plate tapping test and Davies test respectively. The data was collected, compiled and analyzed. Result:Descriptive statistics, paired & unpaired 't' test were used for the intra-group and intergroup comparison. Significant improvements were seen in post scores of coordination, reaction time and agilityin both groups at 0.05 level in both real and virtual table tennis groups. However, when both groups were compared, non-significant differences were observed in all the variables. Conclusion:The study concluded that virtual reality table tennis is as effective as real table tennis in improving reaction time, coordination and agility among collegiate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing energy consumption and minimizing environmental impacts have been significant factors in expanding the applicability of plant fiber-reinforced composites across a variety of industries. Plant fibers have major advantages over synthetic fibers, including biodegradability, light weight, low cost, non-abrasiveness, and acceptable mechanical properties. However, the inherent plant fiber properties, such as varying fiber quality, low mechanical properties, moisture content, poor impact strengths, a lack of integration with hydrophobic polymer matrices, and a natural tendency to agglomerate, have posed challenges to the development and application of plant fiber composites. Emphasis is being placed on overcoming this limitation to improve the performance of plant fiber composites and their applications. This study reviews plant fiber-reinforced composites, focusing on strategies and breakthroughs for improving plant fiber composite performance, such as fiber modification, fabrication, properties, biopolymers, and their composites with industrial applications like automotive, construction, ballistic, textiles, and others. Furthermore, Pearson rank correlation coefficients were used in this review to assess the relationship between the chemical composition of plant fibers with their physical and mechanical properties. If researchers study the behavior of plant fibers using correlation coefficients, it will be easier to combine plant fibers with a polymer matrix to develop a new sustainable material. Through this review study, researchers will learn more about the strategic value of these materials and how well they work in different real-world situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health Sport Rehabilitation is the property of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Physical fitness is a key element of a healthy life, and being overweight or lacking physical exercise will lead to health problems. Therefore, assessing an individual's physical health status from a non-medical, cost-effective perspective is essential. This paper aimed to evaluate the national physical health status through national physical examination data, selecting 12 indicators to divide the physical health status into four levels: excellent, good, pass, and fail. The existing challenge lies in the fact that most literature on physical fitness assessment mainly focuses on the two major groups of sports athletes and school students. Unfortunately, there is no reasonable index system has been constructed. The evaluation method has limitations and cannot be applied to other groups. This paper builds a reasonable health indicator system based on national physical examination data, breaks group restrictions, studies national groups, and hopes to use machine learning models to provide helpful health suggestions for citizens to measure their physical status. We analyzed the significance of the selected indicators through nonparametric tests and exploratory statistical analysis. We used seven machine learning models to obtain the best multi-classification model for the physical fitness test level. Comprehensive research showed that MLP has the best classification effect, with macro-precision reaching 74.4% and micro-precision reaching 72.8%. Furthermore, the recall rates are also above 70%, and the Hamming loss is the smallest, i.e., 0.272. The practical implications of these findings are significant. Individuals can use the classification model to understand their physical fitness level and status, exercise appropriately according to the measurement indicators, and adjust their lifestyle, which is an important aspect of health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanofluids extensively contribute to cope the new heat transport challenges facing by the engineering systems and industries including paint, ceramics, chemical, aerodynamics, electronics, and medical sciences, etc. Thus, the innovations in new nanoliquid models can be disregarded in light of broad applications spectrum. Therefore, the current work concerns with the thermal process of hybrid nanoliquid by adding the important physical phenomenon. The flow of bionanofluid is taken inside a uniform expanding/contracting channel. To increase the model novelty, the significant influence of Lorentz forces, porous media, and heating source is added in the problem formulation. The resultant bionanofluid model is then analyzed via VIM (variational iteration method) and provided a deep discussion. It is inspected that unvarying expansion/contraction in the range of α = 1.0 , 2.0 , 3.0 , 4.0 and α = - 1.0 , - 2.0 , - 3.0 , - 4.0 , the bionanofluid attained maximum velocity about the central portion and in rest of the part it declines. However, due to increased viscosity of hybrid nanofluid, it reduced rapidly than conventional nanofluid. By increasing the permeability from 0.1 to 0.4, a rapid decrease in the fluid movement is observed. Further, the heat transmission progress reduced against the porous medium and Lorentz forces. The heat generation effects boosted the heating performance of the hybrid nanofluid. Moreover, the skin friction and heat transport rate are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a modern society that comprises various ethnic and religious groups, who share different cultures and languages, tolerance between these groups is a critical element in building peace and harmony. In the Malaysian context, the promotion and fostering of ethnic tolerance has become one of the main agendas of the government in strengthening inter-ethnic relations. This is one of the best ways to prevent ethnic conflict in a pluralistic Malaysian society. In addition, building ethnic tolerance among students of different ethnicities, whether in schools or higher education institutions, should be a major concern that needs to be systematically addressed from within the Malaysian education system. To date, past studies have shown that ethnic slurs, prejudice, and discrimination among students still occur, even though various efforts has been introduced to foster tolerance in the education system and curriculum. As such, the role of religiosity is identified as an important element in sustaining ethnic tolerance. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between religious knowledge, religious personality and inter-ethnic tolerance among Malaysian undergraduate students. Data was collected from 53 Malaysian undergraduate students using a survey questionnaire. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between the variables. The results show a positive significant relationship between religious knowledge, religious personality and inter-ethnic tolerance among Malaysian undergraduate students. The results of this study indicate that the role of religious knowledge and religious personality could lead students to achieve ethnic tolerance in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to investigate the most important characteristics of elite volleyball players to identify sports talents. 150 elite and 150 non-elite volleyball players were selected by random sampling and accessible to perform the tests. The measured variables included anthropometric indices, physiological abilities, psychological characteristics, and skill abilities. Independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney statistical test were used to compare the variables of the two groups. Principal component analysis was used to determine the main variables. The significance level of 0.05 was considered. The result showed the variables of height, arm span index, brachial index, leg cororal index, aerobic power, anaerobic power, vigor, hand grip strength, Sargent's jump, spike jump, overhead serve, forearm, and overhead pass in elite volleyball players were significantly higher than in non-elite players. Variables of weight, body mass index, sitting height index, waist-to-hip circumference index, tension, and anger were significantly higher in non-elite players than in elite players. By using principal component analysis, the most important variables in the research to identify elite volleyball players were obtained, respectively: height, overhead serve and forearm pass, vigor, sitting height index, brachial index, spike jump, and anaerobic power. In the current research, the differences between the elite and non-elite groups, along with the most important variables from the anthropometric, physiological, psychological, and skill areas of the elite volleyball players, were obtained, and the main variables for the identification of sports talent were determined.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a solid biopolymer membrane (SBPM) with gellan gum (GG) and sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) has been prepared by solution casting method for the fabrication of solid-state sodium-ion battery (SIB). The prepared SBPMs were carried out with various characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) method confirms the crystalline/amorphous nature of the prepared biopolymer membranes (BPMs), and the membrane with the composition of 1g GG: 0.6 M.wt% of NaClO4 exhibits high amorphous nature. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy reveals the complexation between the host biopolymer GG and NaClO4. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of prepared membranes is examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the BPM with the concentration of 1g GG: 0.6 M.wt% of NaClO4 results with low Tg value (42.70 °C) in contrast to other salt-added membranes. From AC impedance analysis, the ionic conductivity calculated for pure GG is 3.87±0.15 ×10−6 S cm−1, and on addition of salt, the membrane 1g GG: 0.6 M.wt% of NaClO4 exhibits enhanced ionic conductivity of 4.85±0.11 ×10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature. Surface morphology analysis and thermal stability of the prepared BPMs have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Transference number measurement has been done to confirm that the conduction is mainly due to ions. The electrochemical stability for the highest ion conducting membrane has been analyzed using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The cycling stability for the prepared biopolymer electrolyte of 1g GG: 0.6 M.wt% of NaClO4 has been obtained using cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis. The solid-state primary sodium ion battery (SIB) has been constructed using the highest ion conducting membrane and results in an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 2.99 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined the uncertainty events encountered in the process of constructing highways and evaluates their impact on South African highway construction costs. Due to the lack of appropriate evaluation of the impact of uncertainty events encountered in the construction process of highway projects, the construction costs of these projects are underestimated. To counteract such underestimation, this research developed an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (Anfis) to assess the impact of uncertainty events involved in the construction of linear infrastructure projects. To validate the Anfis model, the stepwise regression analysis (SRA) and fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN) models were designed, and their results were compared with the outputs of Anfis. The prediction performance comparison proved that Anfis has a higher performance than SRA and FBN. Based on the results of the study, it can be deduced that the Anfis model is an accurate and reliable technique in assessing the impact of uncertainty events on the cost of construction projects. Therefore, the study concluded that using hybrid intelligent machine learning techniques not only minimises the time and difficulty of the estimation process but also reduces the potential inconsistency of correlation between variables in construction cost prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tennis is a popular and complex sport influenced by various factors. Early training increases the risk of career dropout before peak performance. This study analyzed game statistics of World Junior Tennis Final participants (2012–2016), their career paths and it examined how game statistics impact rankings of top 300 female players, aiming to develop an accurate model using percentage-based variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including neural networks, were employed. Four machine learning models with categorical predictors and one response were created. Seven models with up to 18 variables and one ordinal (WTA rank) were also developed. Tournament rankings could be predicted using categorical data, but not subsequent professional rankings. Although effects on rankings among top 300 female players were identified, a reliable predictive model using only percentage-based data was not achieved. AI models provided insights into rankings and performance indicators, revealing a lower dropout rate than reported. Participation in elite junior tournaments is crucial for career development and designing training plans in tennis. Further research should explore game statistics, dropout rates, additional variables, and fine-tuning of AI models to improve predictions and understanding of the sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The immunoglobulin kappa free light chain (KFLC) index has been proposed as a potentially suitable alternative to oligoclonal IgG bands (OCGB) for diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS), offering automation and reduced processing time. However, there is no consensus on the preferred approach or how to combine both techniques. Methods: This prospective cohort study aimed to determine the best utilization of OCGB and KFLC index in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) followed for at least two years. OCGB and KFLC were assessed using isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting and turbidimetry, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing MS were calculated for each method. Results: The study included 371 patients, with 260 (70.1 %) being women, and a median age of 34.9 (27.8 - 43.9) years. Using a cut-off value of 6.1, the KFLC index demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 86.3% and 93.9%, respectively. The sensitivity of OCGB (95.3%) was higher (p < 0.001 vs. KFLC index) and the specificity (100%) was comparable to that of the KFLC index (p = 0.5). The concordance between the methods was not uniform across all patients, with 97.8% agreement in patients with KFLC index ≥ 6.1 and 56.0 % in patients with KFLC index < 6.1. In patients with a KFLC index < 6.1, OCGB still identified 75.0 % of MS patients due to its higher sensitivity. An algorithm using the KFLC index as a screening tool and OCGB as an alternative for patients with a negative KFLC index result achieved an accuracy of 96.3 %. Discussion: Combining the KFLC index and OCGB can provide an easily reproducible and accurate method for diagnosing MS, with OCGB primarily reserved for patients with a KFLC index < 6.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) constitute an emerging class of safe and prospective electrolytes to be used in next-generation all solid-state energy storage devices. The present work is an attempt to incorporate organic nanofillers like carbon dots derived from glucose (g-CDs), in a benign polymer blend PVA-PEG with NaCl as the dopant salt and to establish the effect of organic nanofillers on the physico-chemical properties of the blend and the ionic conductivity and ion transport mechanism within the blend polymer. For the free-standing and flexible solid polymer electrolyte membranes of PVA-PEG/NaCl modified with g-CDs, a maximum room temperature ionic conductivity of 1.24 × 10−5 S cm−1 is reported which gets enhanced to 1.77 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 60 °C. A high Na ion transference number of 0.43 and a high electrochemical stability window of 0–3.5 V are also observed. Studies on flexible membranes based on PVA-PEG/NaCl/g-CDs as potential candidates in developing solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) have not been reported earlier. Superior Na ion conductivity and Na ion transference number could have originated from the presence of highly dispersed g-CDs with oxygen functional groups that effectively promote the dissociation of NaCl and increase the segmental motion and interconnection between amorphous domains in the blend polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessibility is a concept that refers to providing the required affordance to users with some kind of disability, or even without it, to use a website. Taking into account this goal, we can find two perspectives, those proposed by government laws, such as the section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act or the European Accessibility Act, and those recommendations proposed by consortia like the World Wide Web Consortium, which through the Web Accessibility Initiative proposes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In general, laws or recommendations, define the good practices to make a website and their content accessible. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the accessibility of websites with deaf users. The evaluation consists of the accomplishment of a set of tasks by deaf users in four websites. The natural hypothesis should be that the use of accessibility guidelines improve the user performance to achieve a task in websites that followed the guidelines. As a result, by observing interactions and listen to the comments of deaf users suggests that the content and the design of the web pages affect the success rate of the tasks. This content is affected more with regard to the level of their second language, in this case Spanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance of managing patients with β-thalassemia and the importance of early detection of disease complications, we examined the rate of sensorimotor neuropathy in patients with β-thalassemia and the risk factors related to it. This cross-sectional study included 44 blood transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia patients aged 5 years and older. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were performed via standard procedures for both motor and sensory nerves. Neuropathy was observed in 14 patients (31.8%). NCS results for sensorimotor nerves in patients were within normal range. In motor NCS results, increased ulnar nerve amplitude was observed in patients with increasing age, and peroneal nerve delay in patients with an increase in serum ferritin level (p < 0.05). In sensory NCS results, delayed ulnar and sural nerves latencies were found in patients with an increase in serum ferritin level (p < 0.05). We provide data that sensorimotor neuropathy exists in thalassemia patients. It seems that with the increase of serum ferritin level and the age of patients, neuropathy becomes more obvious, while other factors such as gender, body mass index, and the number of transfusions may not be associated with neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise functional localization plays an important role in deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) to target the lesion of stimulation and observe spike morphology of the neural circuit for evaluating effect of stimulation. This research described a functional localization method in the brain of a cynomolgus monkey based on spike patterns recognition at different locations through machine learning algorithm. Through K-means algorithm cluster, spikes were sorted into different clusters, and the template of sorting was considered as spike pattern of each cluster. Four different spike patterns in cortex, three different spike patterns in white matter, and two different spike patterns in striatum were found through sorting in normal monkey, which were seen as features of different locations in normal monkey. While spike patterns found in PD monkey were totally different, including four different spike patterns in cortex, four different spike patterns in white matter, and five different spike patterns in striatum, considered as features of different locations in PD monkey. Cubic support vector machine (SVM) was used to train spike pattern recognition model for functional localization with accuracy of 100% in normal monkey, and the evaluation of trained model demonstrated reasonably excellent recognition accuracy of 99.5%. Weighted K-nearest neighbor (KNN) showed a better performance of accuracy (94.5%) of spike pattern recognition for functional localization in PD monkey than cubic SVM. In evaluation testing of the trained weighted KNN model, the accuracy reached to 96.1%. The results revealed that functional localization based on spike patterns recognition using machine learning algorithm would be an important tool in precise targeting and evaluating outcome not only for Parkinson’s disease, but also for other major brain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alternative new method for solving an epistemic uncertainty such as fuzzy-based linear programming problem with equality constraints has been proposed here. In this approach, the optimal solution of the considered fuzzy problem has been achieved by solving a related crisp problem. Moreover, the objective function of the crisp problem has been obtained by taking the linear combination of the fuzzified version of the original uncertain objective function. The coefficients of the linear combination are considered as strictly positive real numbers. And the constraints of the crisp problem are obtained equivalently from the equality constraints of the fuzzy problem. Triangular fuzzy numbers are considered for this analysis. Comparisons have been made with the results of Kumar et al. (Appl Math Model 35:817–823, 2011), Najafi and Edalatpanah (Appl Math Model 37:7865–7867, 2013), Ezzati et al. (Appl Math Model 39:3183-3193, 2015) and Ghoushchi et al. (Mathematics 9:2937, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/math9222937). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of hybrid materials consisting of alternating layers of metal alloys and polymeric composites has revolutionized the engineering field. These metal‐composite laminates combine the merits of each individual component, forming advanced and promising structures which could be employed for structural applications. The low fatigue crack growth rate and high damage tolerance of these materials are particularly fascinating. When developing metal‐composite laminates with superb functional properties, the combination of several metal surface treatment techniques is a common practice to ensure optimum metal‐composite adhesion. Today, a new cutting‐edge manufacturing technique utilizing nano‐porous network film has been established to get rid of the massive infrastructure of conventional autoclave techniques and produce first‐rate materials. Even though various techniques can be adopted to manufacture metal‐composite laminates, the selection of the techniques is highly dependent on the nature of the polymer matrix. After the manufacture of the metal‐composite laminates, post‐stretching is considered a critical step to alleviate the unfavorable residual stress to ensure the optimum performance of these materials for long‐term service. When dealing with natural fibers, it is worth mentioning that the processing temperature should be limited to below 200°C regardless of manufacturing technique to avoid fiber degradation. Metal‐composite laminates consisting of synthetic/natural fibers are considered a viable option to offset the demerits of each kind of fibers. By incorporating fatigue‐resilient natural fibers in the laminates, it is expected that the overall fatigue resistance of the laminates can be apparently enhanced, which is in line with the initial goal of developing metal‐composite laminates. Highlights: Fiber bridging offers fiber‐metal laminates with superior fatigue properties.Metal surface treatment is vital to ensure an optimum fiber‐bridging mechanism.A novel out‐of‐autoclave method can produce first‐grade fiber‐metal laminates.Post‐stretching is needed to lessen residual stress in fiber‐metal laminates.Hybrid fiber‐metal laminates are feasible for structural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicoidal schemes possessed by biological creatures possess high strength and stiffness. The adoption of the layup configurations possessed by these biological creatures is not fully explored. The present article aims to carry out the free vibration analysis of biological-inspired laminated composite (B-ILC) plates having helicoidal layup. The analysis is carried out using higher-order zigzag theory (HOZT) as due to the presence of several layers, the HOZT can predict the behavior accurately compared to the shear deformation theory. Based on Hamilton's principle, the governing equations are worked out and analyzed using the finite element method. The influence of boundary conditions, geometric properties, number of layers, the skew angle of the plate, and material properties on the free vibration behavior are studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People living in the southeastern hilly areas of Bangladesh are primarily dependent on agriculture and face the problem of nutrient deficiency in soils. This research was conducted to assess the fertility status of paddy soils for better fertilizer management. Grid sampling (1 km × 1 km) was followed to collect soil samples, avoiding unusual spots (e.g., non‐agricultural land, settlements, hills, and forests). In total, 300 samples were collected (150 from each upazila) to assess the status of soil physical properties (soil texture) and chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and nutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), and zinc (Zn)]). Results: Results revealed that most of the soils were sandy to silt loam in texture. The soils were found to be strongly acidic with values of 4.79 and 4.73 in Ukhiya and Teknaf, respectively. Most of the soils were found to be nonsaline, except the paddy soils close to the sea and/or salt‐affected cultivated land. Soil organic matter in Ukhiya and Teknaf was low (1.47% and 1.43%, respectively). The soils in both upazilas were deficient in N, P, K, S, and Zn, but not in Mg in both upazilas and B in Teknaf. Conclusion: It is imperative that adequate amounts of nutrient provision are available to maintain soil health and produce a sustainable crop yield. We believe that these are the first digital soil maps developed at upazila level using ArcGIS software, which will be available for future reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health Sport Rehabilitation is the property of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose. Archery, a sport based on individual performance, requires postural stability, concentration and the ability to cope with stress. The effect of stress on success, however, is not clear in the adolescent age group. The present study investigates the association between stress and trait anxiety levels and postural control and shooting performance in young adolescent archers. Methods. Included in the study were a total of 22 licensed archers (6 female; 16 male) aged between 11 and 14 who were evaluated using the 'Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3' and 'Trier Social Stress Test' (child version, arithmetic component) to measure their trait anxiety status and susceptibility to stress, respectively. Stress was measured based on the number of heartbeats per minute. An evaluation of static postural control was made using a pedobarography device before arrow release, with and without subjecting the archer to stress. To assess performance, 10 arrows were shot at a target 18 metres away, twice - before and after subjecting the participant to stress.. Results. Postural control showed no significant change under stress. However, the participants' trait anxiety status inversely correlated with shooting success. Post-stress shooting scores correlated with total ASI-3 score (r = -0.513; p = 0.021) and its social sub-group (r = -0.634; p = 0.003). Conclusions. A moderately inverse correlation can be noted between the trait anxiety state and shooting success in young adolescent archers subjected to stress. Furthermore, stress was observed to have a detrimental effect on the shooting success of people with a high level of trait anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of urinary PAHs on MAFLD., Methods: The study included 3,136 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2009 and 2016. Among them, 1,056 participants were diagnosed with MAFLD and were designated as the case group. The analysis of the relationship between monohydroxy metabolites of seven PAHs in urine and MAFLD was carried out using logistic regression and Bayesian kernel regression (BKMR) models., Results: In single-pollutant models, the concentration of 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNAP) was positively correlated with MAFLD (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.18, 1.84), whereas 3-hydroxyfluorene (3-OHFLU) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPYR) demonstrated a negative correlation with MAFLD (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.48 0.73; OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.55, 0.89). Conversely, in multi-pollutant models, 2-OHNAP, 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHFLU), 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene (2&3-OHPHE) displayed positive correlations with MAFLD (OR = 6.17, 95% CI 3.15, 12.07; OR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.37, 4.89). However, 3-OHFLU and 1-OHPYR continued to exhibit negative correlations with MAFLD (OR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.05, 0.15; OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43, 0.88). Notably, the BKMR analysis mixtures approach did not indicate a significant joint effect of multiple PAHs on MAFLD, but identified interactions between 3-OHFLU and 2-OHFLU, 1-OHPYR and 2-OHFLU, and 1-OHPYR and 3-OHFLU., Conclusion: No significant association was found between mixed PAHs exposure and the risk of MAFLD. However, interactions were observed between 3-OHFLU and 2-OHFLU. Both 2-OHFLU and 2&3-OHPHE exposure are significant risk factors for MAFLD, whereas 3-OHFLU is a key protective factor for the disease., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: Oligoclonal bands (OCB) analysis is the reference standard for detecting an intrathecal IgG synthesis. Alongside OCB, free light chains kappa (FLCκ) are considered an additional sensitive biomarker for determining patterns 2 or 3, indicating intrathecal Ig synthesis. However, kFLC IF is not suitable for detecting a monoclonal pattern 5. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating FLCκ analysis into routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostics instead of OCB testing on the rate of missed monoclonal IgG detection., Methods: A two-center retrospective biomarker study was conducted. OCB were identified using isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels followed by silver staining or in agarose gels followed by immunofixation. FLCκ were quantified using nephelometry and FLCκ assay (Siemens)., Results: Out of a combined total of 17,755 OCB analyses conducted between 2011 and 2021, a subset of 269 cases (1.5 %) exhibited pattern 5. 98 samples (36 %), which included 18 samples with intrathecal inflammation as determined by additional OCB pattern 2 were included in the FLCκ analysis. Of those, 16 (89 %) had intrathecal FLCκ synthesis., Conclusions: While FLCκ offers a promising avenue for detecting an intrathecal inflammation, the pattern 5, though rare, remains a valuable additional finding of OCB analysis. A combined approach of FLCκ and OCB analysis is recommended for a comprehensive assessment of the humoral intrathecal immune response., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Carbon-fiber/epoxy steel composite laminate (CSL) is a type of fiber metal laminate formed by stacking thin layers of carbon-fiber/epoxy and steel sheet. To investigate the stress–strain relationship under monotonic tensile and cyclic tensile, comprehensive experiments were conducted on five groups, including four groups of CSL specimens with different steel volume fractions (SVF) and one group of control steel plate specimens. Furthermore, stable post-yield modules and comparatively small residual deformation could be observed from CSLs curves. Based on the experimental failure mode, the theoretical models were proposed, and the numerical simulation was established, and verified by the test results. Theoretical calculations and numerical analysis were performed to estimate the effect of varying the SVF on the mechanical performance of the CSL, particularly in the absorption and energy dissipation coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is still a major vector-borne disease problem in the world. It is caused by infection with the Dengue virus, which can be spread through a vector in the form of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. One of the ways to reduce the incidence of dengue infection is by controlling vectors. Aim: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of vector control of the Aedes aegypti mosquito on the dengue incidence in Southeast Asia. Methods and findings: This study was a systematic review that examines articles with experimental research designs and cluster randomized controlled trials. The scope of this research area is limited to Southeast Asian countries during 2012-2021. There are 333 articles obtained from two sources: PubMed and ScienceDirect, by using certain keywords. Furthermore, articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, so that 31 articles were obtained. A total of 6 articles that met the inclusion criteria were then selected for further analysis. Three journals that discussed the output in the form of the Larva Density Index (LDI) showed a decrease with significant results. Two journals that discussed biological control (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) got significant results in decreasing Pupal Density (PD). The two journals on chemical control (permethrin) that discussed the outcome of the presence or absence of IgG seroconversion show insignificant results. Conclusion: All control methods are considered effective. However, among the three vector control methods studied, the control with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is the most effective method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High accuracy in production parts and manufacturing quality are the requirements of production. Residual stress affects the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of manufactured parts. Production of parts with geometric tolerance, optimal residual stress, and suitable surface quality is always required by manufacturing industries. When machining parts, tensile residual stresses are created in them, which is one of the main reasons for the loss of geometric tolerances and distortion in the workpiece. This study investigated the effect of the ultrasonic-assisted vibration compared with conventional machining in various conditions of a 2024 aluminum workpiece on the surface quality, runout, straightness, and tensile residual stresses. In this article, the effects of geometric tolerance parameters, tensile residual stress, and surface roughness have been investigated simultaneously. A total of 18 experiments in different cutting speeds and feed rates in two machining states of conventional and ultrasonic vibration states were performed. The results showed that ultrasonic vibrations could be used to achieve 31% lower run out and 36% lower straightness in the parts. Also, the values of tensile residual stress in the ultrasonic vibration machining were 11% lower compared to conventional machining. Ultrasonic vibrations can also be used in most cases to achieve better surface quality, tolerance, and tensile residual stress according to machining parameters compared to conventional machining. The experimental results show that ultrasonic-assisted turning is a reliable method for machining, which can obtain lower tensile residual stress and improve the machined surface integrity and better tolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Regular developmental surveillance using structured developmental screening tools is a proven way to effectively identify developmental delays and disabilities. Most screening tools are developed and standardised in high-income countries and then adapted and translated for low- and middle-income countries. However, cultural differences and viewpoints make it challenging to translate and adapt developmental screening tools for low-income communities. Objectives. To determine caregivers' perspectives on linguistic and cultural appropriateness of the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) and the PEDS: Developmental Milestones (DM) as a first step in the adaptation process for low-income communities in South Africa. Method. Participants (N=102) were selected using convenience sampling at an immunisation clinic. We employed a survey research design. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative survey feedback survey was analysed using data-driven inductive methodology. Results. On the PEDS questionnaire, 38.2% of participants indicated the term 'development' on question 1 was not suitable; and 51% preferred the phrase 'sometimes worry' more than the phrase 'have any concerns' for questions 2 - 9. On the PEDS:DM, 58 of the 124 questions were deemed difficult. Most questions were problematic owing to cultural or linguistic differences (49 questions), while 9 questions were too difficult for the child's age. The expressive language developmental domain had the most challenges. Conclusion. The present study relied on robust community participation, enabling community-led adaptation of the PEDS tools. Items on the tools were viewed solely from a community perspective, empowering the community to be 'experts' in this process, ensuring greater contextual relevance and applicability of the tools, as well as generalisability to similar low-income communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of 316L stainless steel as an orthopedic bone plate material or as a substrate for coating implies the need to study its properties in a biological medium simulating human body environment. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate the microstructural characteristics, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel in the culture medium and then to check the cytotoxicity of the stainless steel in the presence of human mesenchymal stem cells. The characteristics of the stainless steel were evaluated by studying the microstructure of the samples in untreated state and after soaking in minimum essential medium‐alpha (α‐MEM) for 7 days. The results indicated the formation on the surface of the 316L stainless steel of goethite and deposits composed of Ca and P with porous and amorphous structures, which led to the decrease in the elastic modulus and the hardness of the soaked stainless steel as shown by nanoindentation test. Nevertheless, the hardness and the elastic modulus of the steel after soaking were influenced only for a surface depth of approximately 0.1% of the thickness of the sample. The potentiodynamic polarization curves exhibited that the corrosion resistance of the soaked stainless steel was reduced because of the higher passive current density. However, it should be noticed that the breakdown potential of the steel after soaking was slightly higher, leading to a wider range of passivation. In addition, microscopy examination showed the mesenchymal stem cell adhesion on the materials after 9 days of culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minituber production in aeroponics is a growing trend in the potato seed industry for ensuring high-quality disease-free seed, as it requires vigorous, healthy plantlets to survive under stressful conditions. Fungi can assist plantlets endure stress, and there is a pressing need to explore various native fungi from an environmentally beneficial standpoint. In this study, three strains of Trichoderma harzianum were tested for their ability to protect the early roots of tissue culture–raised potato plantlets during hardening and to reduce transplantation stress in an aeroponic system. In the bioactivity results, strain TI21 isolated from decayed wood significantly improved root length by 42.7%, shoot length by 25.9% and biomass weight by 29.9% of tomato seedlings compared to control and demonstrated strong biocontrol activity (percentage) against four phytopathogens, including Sclerotium delphinii SCR5 (75.97 ± 8.06), Fusarium equiseti PTR3 (67.27 ± 5.11), Curvularia spicifera BLR4 (61.66 ± 2.98) and Alternaria alternata ALT10 (61.90 ± 4.58). Strains TI26 and TI27, isolated from rice rhizospheric soil, yielded no significant results. In potato-plantlet-hardening experiments, TI21 increased plantlet survival by 22.46%, 25.75% and 24.12%, compared to TI26, TI27, and control, respectively, by reducing root-rot caused by Sclerotium sp. and Fusarium sp. After 7 days of transplantation in aeroponic, TI21-treated plantlets had a significantly higher survival (90.5%) than control (77.6%), but there were no significant differences after 12 days, revealing that plantlets were much more susceptible to transplantation stress within the first 7 days of transplantation, which was overcome by TI21-treated plantlets. According to the findings, strain TI21 can be employed in micropropagated plantlets' hardening to improve survival rates in aeroponic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) prosthesis during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a relatively new concept. Several studies have suggested that the thickness of cement penetration during TKA may affect the stability of the implants. The present study aimed to compare the cement penetration and clinical performance between PEEK and traditional cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo) prosthesis during TKA. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial with level I of evidence. A total of 48 patients were randomly assigned to either the PEEK group (n = 24) or the CoCrMo group (n = 24). Mean bone cement penetration under the tibial baseplate was assessed radiographically in four zones in the anteroposterior view and two zones in the lateral view, in accordance with the Knee Society Scoring System. Furthermore, parameters such as the Knee Society Score (KSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, complications and survivorship at 1 year postoperatively were also compared. Results: According to the results of this study, the mean bone cement penetration exhibited no significant difference between PEEK and CoCrMo groups (2.49 ± 0.61 mm vs. 2.53 ± 0.68 mm, p = 0.85). Additionally, there were no remarkable differences in the KSS clinical score, functional score, and VAS score between the two groups. Moreover, complications and survivorship were also statistically compared between the groups and presented no significant differences. Conclusions: Based on the current findings, it can be concluded that PEEK implant present similar bone cement penetration, short-term clinical outcomes, and survivorship with traditional CoCrMo implant in TKA without added complications. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100047563). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NK cells are important mediators of innate immunity and play an essential role for host protection against infection, although their responses to bacteria are poorly understood. Recently NK cells were shown to display memory properties, as characterized by an epigenetic signature leading to a stronger secondary response. Although NK cell memory could be a promising mechanism to fight against infection, it has not been described upon bacterial infection. Using a mouse model, we reveal that NK cells develop specific and long-term memory following sub-lethal infection with the extracellular pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Memory NK cells display intrinsic sensing and response to bacteria in vitro, in a manner that is enhanced post-bacterial infection. In addition, their transfer into naïve mice confers protection from lethal infection for at least 12 weeks. Interestingly, NK cells display enhanced cytotoxic molecule production upon secondary stimulation and their protective role is dependent on Perforin and independent of IFNγ. Thus, our study identifies a new role for NK cells during bacterial infection, opening the possibility to harness innate immune memory for therapeutic purposes. Author summary: Natural Killer (NK) cells serve as crucial effectors of the innate immune system and play a vital role in safeguarding the host against infections. It has recently emerged that NK cells exhibit characteristics of immunological memory resulting in a heightened response upon a second encounter with the same pathogen. Although the potential of NK cell memory in combating infections holds promise, cellular responses and memory functions to bacterial infections have not yet been elucidated. Using Streptococcus pneumoniae as our model bacterium, we reveal that NK cells sense and respond to bacteria, as well as develop specific memory properties. Remarkably, transferring NK cells from previously infected mice to naïve ones provided protection against lethal infection for at least 12 weeks. Furthermore, we show that memory NK cells produced more cytotoxic molecules upon secondary stimulation. These findings unravel a novel role for NK cells in the context of bacterial infections, thereby opening avenues for harnessing the potential of innate immune memory for therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the false smut incidence and its effect on yield in different varieties, and to determine the financial cost, return and profitability of rice production during the year 2018–2019 in Kushtia district. The highest average farmers (65%) lost their yield 0.85 t/ha in 5 severity scale of BRRI dhan49, while Dhani Gold as hybrid variety exerted the lowest yield losses of 0.20 t/ha in 7% affected farmers. Spraying of Nativo (75 WG) 0.40 kg/ha increased the yield 34.87% over control, and Amister Top 325 SC was applied in the field that produced lower yield compared to Nativo. Tilt (250 EC) 0.45 l/ha and Folicur 0.90 l/ha also showed significant increase of yield over untreated control plot. The highest gross return of BRRI dhan39 was determined at Tk. 114753/ha with higher price and its fine quality. The lowest gross return and net return were estimated at Tk. 106958/ha and (−) Tk. 1215/ha, respectively, in Shorna cultivar due to higher incidence of false smut disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Northern Uganda, 21 and 52.4% of children under five are underweight and stunted, respectively while 32.9% of pregnant women are anemic. This demographic situation suggests among other issues, a lack of dietary diversity among households. Good nutrition practices that confer dietary quality such as dietary diversity are known to depend on nutrition knowledge and attitude and are shaped by sociodemographic and cultural factors. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support this assertion for the variably malnourished population of Northern Uganda. Methods: A cross-sectional nutrition survey was conducted among 364 household caregivers (182 from two locations in Northern Uganda; Gulu District (the rural) and Gulu City (the urban), selected through a multistage sampling approach. The aim was to determine the status of dietary diversity and its associated factors between rural and urban households of Northern Uganda. The household dietary diversity questionnaire and the food frequency questionnaire on a 7-day reference period were used to collect data on household dietary diversity whereas multiple choice questions and the five points Likert Scale were used to determine knowledge and attitude toward dietary diversity. Consumption of ≤ 5 food groups were regarded as low in dietary diversity, 6–8 food groups as medium and ≥ 9 as high dietary diversity score using the FAO 12 food groups. An Independent two-sample t-test was used to differentiate the status of dietary diversity between the urban and rural areas. The Pearson Chi-square Test was used to determine the status of knowledge and attitude while Poisson regression was used to predict dietary diversity based on caregivers' nutritional knowledge and attitude and their associated factors. Results: The 7-day dietary recall period revealed that dietary diversity was 22% higher in urban (Gulu City) than in the rural area (Gulu District) with rural and urban households achieving medium (score of 8.76 ± 1.37) and high (score of 9.57 ± 1.44) dietary diversity status, respectively. Diets in both locations were dominated by starchy cereals and tubers while animal-source foods and fruits and vegetables were the least consumed. A higher proportion (51.65%) of urban respondents had good nutrition knowledge toward dietary diversity compared to their rural counterparts (23.08%) and a significantly higher proportion (87.91%) of the former exhibited positive attitude towards dietary diversity than the rural counterparts (72.53%). Application of the Poisson regression shows that nutritional knowledge was a positive predictor of dietary diversity in the rural (β = 0.114; ρ = 0.000) than in the urban areas (β = -0.008; ρ = 0.551). Caregivers attitude had no significant effect across locations. In terms of associated factors, marital status is a positive predictor of dietary diversity in the urban (β = 1.700; ρ = 0.001) than the other location (β = -2.541; ρ = 0.008). Whereas education level of household caregiver and household food expenditure show negative effects across the two locations, the educational level of the household head is an outlier as it positively predicted dietary diversity in the rural (β = 0.003; ρ = 0.002) when compared to urban area (β = -0.002; ρ = -0.011). Conclusion: Rural households in Northern Uganda have medium-level dietary diversity with urban households having high dietary diversity. Diets in both locations are dominated by starchy cereals and roots and tubers. The urban–rural food divide can be harmonized through nutrition education and outreach, specifically focusing on the FAO 12 food groups. Attitude toward consumption of fruits and vegetables which are seasonally abundant would improve dietary diversity and nutritional outcomes in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, students' various educational characteristics are evaluated according to the grades they get or the results of their answers to the scales. There are some limitations in making an evaluation based on the results. The fuzzy logic approach, which tries to eliminate these limitations, has recently been used in the field of education. While applying the fuzzy logic method to education, students' qualifications are determined qualitatively without using formulas in calculating student performance. However, fuzzy systems lack learning abilities. By combining fuzzy rules and neural networks, the evaluation tool will have greater adaptability to changing conditions. Thus, an educationally robust and easy-to-use assessment tool will be obtained. In this study, in the first stage, students' perceptions of problem solving skills, which is one of their educational characteristics, were modeled with the ANFIS approach, which is one of the neuro-fuzzy systems apart from traditional methods, through creative problem solving features. ANFIS is an adaptive network that allows neural network topology to be combined with fuzzy logic. It not only incorporates the benefits of both strategies but also eliminates some of their drawbacks when used alone. The inputs of the research were determined as students' creative problem-solving characteristics and the output was their perceptions of problem-solving skills. As a second step, statistical methods (correlation and hierarchical regression) were used to examine whether there was a relationship between students' PoPS skills and CPS characteristics. Afterwards, students' artificial PoPS skill scores obtained with ANFIS in the first step and real PoPS skill scores obtained from their answers to the scale were compared. 360 students from Turkey took part in the study. Depending on the findings of the study, real PoPS scores and artificial ANFIS PoPS scores do not statistically differ significantly. Therefore, the ANFIS results based on creative problem solving features accurately predict students' PoPS scores. Additionally, there is a clear relationship between PoPS talents and CPS features. One of the study's most startling conclusions is that the environment, which is accepted as one of the components affecting creative problem solving in this research, predicts students' perceptions of problem solving skills. These results also prove that the variable of creative problem solving characteristics, which is used to predict students' perceptions of problem solving, is an appropriate variable. It is possible to create the ANFIS system employed in this study utilizing a variety of fuzzy functions and other neuro/fuzzy techniques, and the systems can be compared with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal stability and degradation, near-to-surface mechanical properties, and scratch resistance and damage mechanism of poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite coatings are analyzed and discussed in terms of their nanosheet content and microstructure. Although RGO modified the thermal stability and degradation of the polymeric matrix, for instance, by slightly reducing the onset degradation temperature, its addition was not a limiting factor in the PEEK processing. Respecting the microstructural features induced by the nanosheets, the nanocomposite coatings were found to exhibit (i) a partially exfoliated and large-scale co-continuous morphology related to RGO nanosheets whose basal planes were mainly aligned with the coating surface, (ii) a dendritic morphology of PEEK domains related to transcrystallinity, (iii) and irregular domains associated with the deposition of PEEK particles wrapped by the nanosheets. The changes provoked by RGO in the morphology and PEEK crystalline phase influenced the near-to-surface mechanical properties, scratch resistance, and scratch damage mechanism of the nanocomposite coatings. Within this context, the interlayer strength between the nanosheets in the large-scale co-continuous morphology and PEEK transcrystallinity had an important effect. Furthermore, the random-bumpy surface texture formed by the irregular PEEK domains together with the conformal cracking damage mechanism was decisive in the scratch response of the PEEK/RGO nanocomposite coatings. The comprehensive characterization carried out in this work concludes that PEEK/RGO electrophoretic coatings are suitable for a variety of applications requiring tribo-mechanical resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of surface treatments on hot-pressed GLARE 3/2 laminates included AA6061-T6 is evaluated in this paper. Sandpapering, degreasing and both degreasing and sandpapering are applied on AA6061-T6 sheets in order to contribute the improvement of the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). The three-point bending tests are carried out by using two different span length-to-specimen thickness ratios (S/h) to examine also the effect of shear and bending on deformation and failure characteristics. Strength values and failure modes are obtained for both S/h ratios and all surface treatment types. Load-displacement and stress-displacement curves are evaluated. The results show that the maximum shear strength values for surface-treated laminates are increased by between 29% and 37% against untreated one. It is observed that the strength values and failure modes of all surface-treated GLARE laminates are influenced by an increase in the S/h ratio from 4.0 to 10.0 because of the increase in bending effect against shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence estimates are fundamental to epidemiological studies. Although they are highly vulnerable to misclassification bias, the risk of bias assessment of prevalence estimates is often neglected. Quantitative bias analysis (QBA) can effectively estimate misclassification bias in epidemiological studies; however, relatively few applications are identified. One reason for its low usage is the lack of knowledge and tools for these methods among researchers. To expand existing evaluation methods, based on the QBA principles, three indicators are proposed. One is the relative bias that quantifies the bias direction through its signs and the bias magnitude through its quantity. The second is the critical point of positive test proportion in case of a misclassification bias that is equal to zero. The third is the bound of positive test proportion equal to adjusted prevalence at misclassification bias level α ⁠. These indicators express the magnitude, direction and uncertainty of the misclassification bias of prevalence estimates, respectively. Using these indicators, it was found that slight oscillations of the positive test proportion within a certain range can lead to substantial increases in the misclassification bias. Hence, researchers should account for misclassification error analytically when interpreting the significance of adjusted prevalence for epidemiological decision making. This highlights the importance of applying QBA to these analyses. In this article, we have used three real-world cases to illustrate the characteristics and calculation methods of presented indicators. To facilitate application, an Excel-based calculation tool is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BP neural network is the most representative computational and research method of current machine learning, BP neural network has gradually developed into the most widely used and now the most widely used in the industry with its powerful nonlinear feature function mapping computing capabilities, good data induction and feature recognition computing capabilities. This paper closely links the actual activities of project engineering technology management with modern machine learning network technology, and proposes a new type of engineering management activity model based on machine-integrated GABP neural network. Based on artificial intelligence technology, this paper discusses the theory of analytical neural learning in depth, discusses the theory of analytical neural learning in combination with genetic algorithms, and systematically discusses the models commonly used in this study based on theoretical foundations such as genetic algorithms. And points out the defects and defects of the neural network structure itself. Good generalization ability, in order to minimize the impact of subjective factors on the valuation results. Although there are many management software specializing in construction project engineering currently on the market, the service scope and demand range of these management software specializing in construction project engineering are relatively narrow. For example, construction project management software can only be used manage a construction project. In the actual operation process, it is also found that unreasonable time arrangements often occur in various links, such as personnel scheduling and material distribution of engineering projects. It will not only cause a large waste of material resources, but also affect the effect of labor. To this end, starting from the government's desire to improve the efficiency of engineering management projects, this paper designs an engineering management system for general projects based on artificial intelligence technology and neural networks, and after a large number of practical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Decision -making is one of the key factors that are highly associated with psychological factors. However, there are few studies on the relationship between this variable and mental toughness. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mental toughness and decision -making accuracy considering the mediating role of gender. Method: The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the study included all futsal referees in the country's first division in 2020 -2021, and 123 individuals were voluntarily selected as the statistical sample. The Spitz & et al. (2018) Decision Accuracy Test of and the Clough & et al. (2002) Mental Toughness Questionnaire were used to collect data. Finally, to examine the relationship between the variables, Pearson correlation, regression and independent t - test, and SPSS version 21 software were used. Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between mental toughness and decision accuracy (r=0.32, P=0.001). Also, the results of the components of mental toughness showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the challenge, commitment, emotional control, and life control components with decision accuracy (P<0.05). A multiple regression test showed that decision accuracy is influenced by mental toughness (B=0.030), and there is a significant difference between men and women in mental toughness (t=3.81, P<0.001), but this difference in decision accuracy was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The presence of a significant relationship between mental toughness and decision accuracy indicates that decision accuracy improves with increasing mental toughness. Therefore, it is suggested that the variable of mental toughness can be used as an effective psychological method to improve cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, carbon fiber-reinforced U-notched composite plates were repaired with composite patches made of the same material using adhesive bonding and their mechanical performance was investigated experimentally and numerically. Repairs were made by applying a double-sided composite patch to the notched thin composite plates. The repaired composite plates were tested under tensile load. The effect of the variation in notch width and depth on the repaired plate failure load and type was investigated. At the end of the experiments, load–displacement graphs of each specimen were obtained. The effect of variation in notch depth and width in the repaired specimens was not as dominant as in the non-repaired specimens. While the variation in notch dimensions changed the failure load between 34% and 37% in the non-repaired specimens, this rate was between 18% and 21% in the repaired specimens. In the numerical analysis, progressive failure analysis was performed using the Hashin Failure Criteria. Subroutine codes were written in the program Ansys, which uses the finite element method for numerical analysis. In the results, numerical and experimental load–displacement graphs and failure types of the specimens are presented comparatively. The convergence rate of the experimental and numerical data was between 92% and 99.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing accidents, deaths, and serious injuries is an objective to be achieved by every health and road authority. To avoid road leaving, rigid barriers or stretched cables are used at the edges of the roads. These structures are based on metallic materials. This paper presents an innovative structure based on a composite reinforced with natural esparto stems as road barriers absorbing shock energy. The structure is lightened and reinforced by tensioned cables to ensure the prestressing of the whole. Prestressing is a technique widely used in civil engineering but rarely in composites. To develop new crash beam barriers based on Epoxy/Alfa10% material, Charpy tests were conducted to determine the absorbed energy per section of material per weight. Knowing the energy to be absorbed, the section and weight of the barrier can be designed. In this paper, physical tests were conducted on solid, solid-compressed, perforated, and perforated-cable-reinforced specimens according to the ASTM E23-18 standard. The results show that the compression prestressing improves the Epoxy impact energy absorption by 37.22%. The Epoxy/Alfa10% composite compression prestressing improves the absorbed energy by 67.7%. The Epoxy/Alfa10% compressed, perforated, and reinforced by cables composites gives a better result than the raw Epoxy material, with a minimum improvement of 22.69% with respect to the ratio Resilience value of Charpy V-notch specimen (KCV)/weight. Reinforcement of holed samples with cables gives the best energy absorption results on all experimental tests for both materials with a value of 8.83 J. Finite element models calibrated on Aluminum to be predictive are developed for the four types of specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Neotropical Ichthyology is the property of Neotropical Ichthyology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the presence of genes related to surface proteins between isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from healthy carriers (HC) and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) with a particular focus on serotype 19A. Methods: The presence of these genes was identified by real-time PCR. Subsequently, we employed the Galleria mellonella larval infection model to study their effect on pathogenicity in vivo. Results: The percentage of selected virulence genes was similar between the HC and IPD groups (p > 0.05), and the genes lytA, nanB, pavA, pcpA, phtA, phtB, phtE, rrgA, and sipA were all present in both groups. However, the virulence profile of the isolates differed individually between HC and IPD groups. The highest lethality in G. mellonella was for IPD isolates (p < 0.01), even when the virulence profile was the same as compared to the HC isolates or when the nanA, pspA, pspA-fam1, and pspC genes were not present. Conclusions: The occurrence of the investigated virulence genes was similar between HC and IPD S. pneumoniae serotype 19A groups. However, the IPD isolates showed a higher lethality in the alternative G. mellonella model than the HC isolates, regardless of the virulence gene composition, indicating that other virulence factors may play a decisive role in virulence. Currently, this is the first report using the in vivo G. mellonella model to study the virulence of clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]