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Background/objective: Despite the high efficacy of using Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in reversing upper airway obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the efficiency of this treatment is limited due to the low adherence. Mask pressure is suggested to play a significant role in adherence. In this study, we intend to investigate the effect of Lidocaine-prilocaine cream CPAP mask on pressure sensation. Methods: In this study, 75 patients referred to CPAP titration were divided into three groups. In groups one and two, Lidocaine-prilocaine cream and Petroleum jelly were used respectively. The third group had no intervention. Results: VAS discomfort immediately (VAS0), after 15 min (VAS15), and the next day (VAS all) in three groups were compared. VAS0, VAS15, and VAS all were not significantly different among the three groups (P > 0.05). Among participants with VAS0 above 5, VAS15 was significantly lower in intervention groups than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that both Petroleum jelly and Lidocaine-prilocaine cream can be used for decreasing pressure sensation during CPAP titration among patients who suffer excessive facial discomfort immediately after putting on a CPAP mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) powder synthesized by microwave irradiation method was used as photocatalyst for optimization of the photocatalytic degradation conditions of Rhodamine B dye under UV irradiation. The structural, morphological and optical characterizations of elaborated ZnO were performed by infrared spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Bruner-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. Plackett–Burman design was first used to evaluate the effects of five parameters (initial dye concentration, contact time, lamp height, material dose and initial pH of the solution) on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the dye. The obtained results showed that contact time and initial dye concentration are the parameters that influence the photocatalytic degradation yield. The effects in decreasing order of the five factors were as follows: contact time (46.597) > initial dye concentration (− 29.149) > lamp height (− 8.419) > ZnO mass (7.263) > pH (1.0072). Subsequently, a central composite design for the two influencing parameters was performed to optimize the dye photodegradation process. It was found that the effect of contact time on the photodegradation efficiency was the highest, followed by the effect of initial dye concentration, and the interactions between initial dye concentration and contact time. The predicted and the experimental values were found to be in good agreement; the coefficient of determination value 0.996 and the adjusted coefficient of determination value 0.993 indicated that the model was significant. First‐order kinetic model successfully fitted the experimental data. The synthesized photocatalyst was found to be photostable during at least five regeneration cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2012 the Moroccan Atlantic coast has witnessed the introduction of the brown alien seaweed Sargassum muticum with a high invasive potential presenting environmental and economic risks. This study evaluates the effect of seasons and location on the biochemical composition of S. muticum. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, pigments, minerals, and heavy metals were studied during four seasons from spring 2019 to autumn 2020 at four sites along the Moroccan Atlantic coast: El Jadida, Saada (SA), Sidi Bouzid (SB), Moulay Abdallah (MA) and Jorf Lasfar (JL). MA presents the highest protein content (12.5% dw) during spring and the highest level of lipid and carbohydrate content during summer (1.8% dw and 41.5% dw respectively). The highest chlorophyll a content was found in JL and MA sites with (21.6 and 21.45 mg mL-1, respectively) during winter. Maximum chlorophyll c and carotenoids were found at SA with (2.27 and 9.71 mg mL-1, respectively) during winter. In all locations and during all seasons, the mineral profile was rich in essential minerals such as magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, selenium, and lithium. Levels of toxic metals Al and Pb were lower than in previous studies whereas Cd and As were slightly higher than the legislation limits for dry seaweeds. Therefore, in this context, some strategies of S. muticum valorisation should be favoured such as bioenergy, bioplastic or biostimulant over others such as human food and animal feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the stochastic Fokas–Lenells equation with multiplicative white noise in the Itô sense. For this purpose, we will use the Jacobi elliptic expansion function method. The nonlinear partial differential equation is transformed into ordinary differential equations through the symmetry reduction technique. New optical solutions are constructed as dark, combined hyperbolic, periodic, bright, and rational solutions. Depending on the parameters, these optical solutions exhibit varying periods of qualitative characteristics. Furthermore, the effects of time on the solutions of the nonlinear stochastic Fokas–Lenells equation are examined. In addition, graphical representations of a few solutions are included to supplement our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical presentation of COVID-19 shows high variability among individuals, which is partly due to genetic factors. The OAS1/2/3 cluster has been found to be strongly associated with COVID-19 severity. We examined this locus in the Moroccan population for the occurrence of the critical variant rs10774671 and its respective haplotype blocks. The frequency of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cluster of OAS immunity genes in 157 unrelated individuals of Moroccan origin was determined using an in-house exome database. OAS1 exon 6 of 71 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals with asymptomatic/mild disease and 74 with moderate/severe disease was sequenced by the Sanger method. The genotypic, allelic, and haplotype frequencies of three SNPs were compared between these two groups. Finally, males in our COVID-19 series were genotyped for the Berber-specific marker E-M81. The prevalence of the OAS1 rs10774671-G allele in present-day Moroccans was found to be 40.4%, which is similar to that found in Europeans. However, it was found equally in both the Neanderthal GGG haplotype and the African GAC haplotype, with a frequency of 20% each. These two haplotypes, and hence the rs10774671-G allele, were significantly associated with protection against severe COVID-19 (p = 0.034, p = 0.041, and p = 0.008, respectively). Surprisingly, in men with the Berber-specific uniparental markers, the African haplotype was absent, while the prevalence of the Neanderthal haplotype was similar to that in Europeans. The protective rs10774671-G allele of OAS1 was found only in the Neanderthal haplotype in Berbers, the indigenous people of North Africa, suggesting that this region may have served as a stepping-stone for the passage of hominids to other continents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Chaouia - Ouradigha is a historical and ethno-geographic region of Morocco. Despite its historical relevance, this region has not received sufficient attention in terms of population genetic exploration. The present study aims to provide new data on the genetic background of the Chaouia-Ouardigha population, the Arabic-speaking North African population in the western center of Morocco, and to examine the relationship between this population and other reference populations based on our dataset as well as previously published population data. Genetic exploration will enable the reconstruction of past gene flows that have influenced the genetic makeup of this particular population. We utilized the Investigator® IDplex Plus PCR amplification kit (Qiagen, Germany) to establish the allelic frequencies and forensic statistical parameters of 15 autosomal Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) included in the kit in 153 random healthy unrelated individuals from the Chaouia-Ourdigha region. Results: The Chaouia-Ouardigha population, which speaks Arabic, exhibits a high degree of genetic diversity with heterozygosity values ranging from 0.670 to 0.879. The loci with the highest allele frequencies, namely D7S820 and TPOX, have the lowest heterozygosity values (0.670 and 0.672, respectively), resulting in lower exclusion power (PE) and typical relatedness index (TPI) values (PE = 0.427 and TPI = 1.66 for TPOX; PE = 0.442 and TPI = 1.72 for D7S820). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Arabic-speaking population of Chaouia-Ouardigha was found to be distinct from Sub-Saharan, East Asian, and Latin American populations. Conclusions: Our study provides insights into the genetic connections of the Chaouia Ouardigha population, highlighting how historical events, socio-cultural influences, and geographical proximity have contributed to shaping their genetic structure. It demonstrates the substantial impact of historical events and geographical closeness in fostering affinities between the Chaouia Ouardigha community and neighboring populations in North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. Additionally, the study has generated valuable data confirming the effectiveness of these 15 genetic markers for forensic applications across the broader population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational changes between micro- and hypergravity cause several adaptations and alterations in the human body. Besides muscular atrophy and immune system impairment, effects on the circulatory system have been described, which can be associated with a wide range of blood biomarker changes. This study examined nine individuals (seven males, two females) during a parabolic flight campaign (PFC). Thirty-one parabolas were performed in one flight day, resulting in ~22 s of microgravity during each parabola. Each participant was subjected to a single flight day with a total of 31 parabolas, totaling 11 min of microgravity during one parabolic flight. Before and after (1 hour (h) and 24 h), the flights blood was sampled to examine potential gravity-induced changes of circulating plasma proteins. Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) offers a proteomic solution, enabling the simultaneous analysis of a wide variety of plasma proteins. From 2925 unique proteins analyzed, 251 (8.58%) proteins demonstrated a differential regulation between baseline, 1 h and 24 h post flight. Pathway analysis indicated that parabolic flights led to altered levels of proteins associated with vesicle organization and apoptosis up to 24 h post microgravity exposure. Varying gravity conditions are associated with poorly understood physiological changes, including stress responses and fluid shifts. We provide a publicly available library of gravity-modulated circulating protein levels illustrating numerous changes in cellular pathways relevant for inter-organ function and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misdiagnosis is a critical issue in healthcare, which can lead to severe consequences for patients, including delayed or inappropriate treatment, unnecessary procedures, psychological distress, financial burden, and legal implications. To mitigate this issue, we propose using deep learning algorithms to improve diagnostic accuracy. However, building accurate deep learning models for medical diagnosis requires substantial amounts of high-quality data, which can be challenging for individual healthcare sectors or organizations to acquire. Therefore, combining data from multiple sources to create a diverse dataset for efficient training is needed. However, sharing medical data between different healthcare sectors can be problematic from a security standpoint due to sensitive information and privacy laws. To address these challenges, we propose using blockchain technology to provide a secure, decentralized, and privacy-respecting way to share locally trained deep learning models instead of the data itself. Our proposed method of model ensembling, which combines the weights of several local deep learning models to build a single global model, that enables accurate diagnosis of complex medical conditions across multiple locations while preserving patient privacy and data security. Our research demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach in accurately diagnosing three diseases (breast cancer, lung cancer, and diabetes) with high accuracy rates, surpassing the accuracy of local models and building a multi-diagnosis application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and environmental conditions were studied in Dakhla Bay (Morocco) to (1) characterize the macroinvertebrate composition and spatial distribution, (2) provide a species inventory, and (3) to assess the key environmental variables driving the observed patterns. We identified 9,288 individuals from 67 species. The most dominant taxa were molluscs, polychaetes and crustaceans. The most abundant species were (in this order) Peringia ulvae, Bittium reticulatum, Ophelia rathkei, Mesalia mesal and Maldane sarsi, while the most frequent were (in this order) M. sarsi, Ampelisca sp., Cyathura carinata, Naineris laevigata and Chondrochelia savignyi. The spatial distribution pattern was mainly driven by sediment grain-size and Chlorophyll-a, with hydrodynamics playing also a key role. This gives rise to a structure characterized by three different station clusters, well identified in the Hierarchical Ascending Classification analysis based on abundances, which correspond to a large moderately disturbed assemblage in the centre of the bay, a more disturbed assemblage in the extremes and a transition assemblage in between. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research consists of studying the characterization and treatment of the olive mill wastewater (OMWW) resulting from the olive industries of the region of Loukkos, Morocco. According to the national plan for green Morocco, the annual volumes of OMWW discharges increase with the expansion of the areas of olive plantations compared to agricultural activities. The study of the organic, mineral, and microbiological composition of the obtained OMWW showed that they are rich in microbiological (FMAT, Let M., and B.L.), mineral (total Kjeldhal nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and lead ions), and organic (COD, BOD5, and polyphenols) micropollutants with very high percentages that are higher than the standards in force. The treatment used in this study is the combined process of aerated lagooning/adsorption using powdered activated carbon after optimization of the experimental parameters (mass concentration of activated carbon (AC) and agitation rapidity (Ar)) by experiment design method. The obtained physicochemical parameters, such as pH, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), rate of discoloration, and polyphenol content of raw OMWW, were 4.87, 0.63, 80.3, 0.8, and 1.45 g/l, respectively. The results of these parameters for the treated OMWW were obtained in the order of 6.10, 0.22, 28, 0.28, and 0.44 g/l for pH, TSS, COD, discoloration rate, and polyphenol content, respectively. These results show that the proposed treatment significantly reduced acidity, TSS, COD, discoloration rate, and polyphenol contents, with a performance of about 25.26, 65, 65.13, 65, and 69.65%, respectively. This indicates that there is significant performance in the processing of exploited OMWW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we define a graded trinil clean ring graded by a group. The behavior of the property of being trinil clean is studied in ring constructions of graded group rings, graded matrix rings, and trivial ring extensions. Some sufficient conditions for these rings to be graded trinil clean are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let H be a complex separable Hilbert space, with dim H ≥ 4 , and let B (H) be the algebra of all bounded linear operators acting on H. Given a conjugate-linear isometric involution C : H → H , an operator T ∈ B (H) is called C-skew symmetric if it satisfies C T C = - T ∗ . In the present paper, we characterize all those maps Φ : B (H) → B (H) that satisfy the following: T S is C -skew symmetric ⟺ Φ (T) Φ (S) is C -skew symmetric for every conjugate-linear isometric involution C on H and all T , S ∈ B (H) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study focuses on investigating how to improve the efficacy of the combined process of aerated lagooning and adsorption for the treatment of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) from the olive industries in the Loukkos region using the design of experiments approach. The latter made it possible to optimize the experimental conditions, such as the mass concentration of lime, the mass concentration of powdered activated carbon (AC), and the speed of agitation (Va), which are required for the envisaged treatment, in order to control the results after the evaluation of the necessary physicochemical parameters, namely pH, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), rate of discoloration, and content of polyphenols. The experimental conditions necessary to carry out this study were between 1.4 and 1.75 g/l for AC, between 23 and 32 rpm for the stirring speed, and between 0.88 and 1.3 g/l for the mass concentration of lime. The results of this experiment showed that treating OMWW with the prototype II after adding lime to the mixture resulted in an estimated 85% reduction in the analyzed parameters. The pH, TSS, COD, discoloration rate, and polyphenol content were all reduced from initial values of 4.87, 0.63 (g/l), 80.3 (g (O2/l)), 0.8%, and 1.45 (g/l), respectively, to final values of 6.92, 0.12 (g/l), 12, 0.16%, and 0.25 (g/l). These results are highly significant when compared to those obtained during the treatment of prototype I using only powdered activated carbon, which showed a reduction rate of around 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing number of web services and the diversity of customers' requirements on the Web, it is still a challenge to develop a specific service in a heterogeneous environment dynamically. Given that most web service providers cannot always provide a service that meets a complex request, the service composition mechanism is required to resolve this problem. However, it constitutes a real challenge to create a dynamic and self-adaptive web service composition system to respond in real-time to a large scale of services. Furthermore, several criteria affect the composition process, including the number of services, the size of the graph, the run-path, the execution time, and the parallel execution. In this paper, we propose a new framework to efficiently solve the composition problem based on the cooperation of the mobile agents and an improved Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm. Firstly, a complex request is transformed into sub-problems to reach the potential sub-solutions. Secondly, the ACO is applied to find the optimal sub-solutions regarding the number of services and the run paths. In parallel, a crucial mobile agent named FRIEND-AGENT aims to reduce impractical paths and overlapped solutions during the solution building process by artificial ants. This cooperation leads to achieve an optimal service composition with less memory consumption, an optimal graph, and improved scalability of our proposed system in real-time. The proposed framework has been validated as high performance with eight different public repositories due to the high efficiency to resolve the composition problem in all the scenarios. Moreover, it has been proved that our approach excels the state-of-the-art approaches to find the optimal solutions concerning the execution time, the number of services, and the execution path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has various complications for individuals' health. This study aimed to evaluate the factors for referring obstructive sleep apnea patients to otolaryngologists in Iranian residency entrance examination volunteers. This cross-sectional study recruited volunteer participants from the Iranian Residency Entrance Examination on March 2, 2018. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes (OSAKA)/the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes in Children (OSAKA-KIDS) Questionnaires were distributed among residents attending exam preparation. Number of years working as a physician, number of adult and pediatric patients visited during the academic rank in residency examination, and the main specialty during general physician education in which they get familiar with obstructive sleep apnea were documented. The effect of the mentioned variables evaluated on patient referral preference specialty. Of the 95 volunteers, 57.9% were female; mean age was 29.6 ± 3.3 years. The overall knowledge score of the OSAKA questionnaire was 9.85 ± 3.9 and for the OSAKA-KIDS questionnaire was 9.2 ± 4.9. In patients under 18 years of age, the most frequent referrals were from otolaryngology specialists (51.2%). The only factor which had positive significant effect on adult patient referral preference was source of obstructive sleep apnea knowledge during general physician taring (p < 0.001). Given the low awareness about OSA in candidates for the residency entrance exam and the high importance of this treatable disease, the need for comprehensive training courses during residency is warranted and the adequacy of sleep apnea education through all involved specialty during general physician education should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are going to study the twisted Hessian curves on the local ring F q [ ϵ ] , ϵ 4 = 0 , with F q is a finite field of order q = p b , where p is a prime number ≥ 5 and b ∈ N ∗ . In a first time, we study the arithmetic of the ring F q [ ϵ ] , ϵ 4 = 0 , which will be used in the remainder of this work. After, we define the twisted Hessian curves H a , d 4 over this ring and we give essential properties and the classification of these elements. In addition, we define the group extension H a , d 4 of H a 0 , d 0 by K e r π ~ . We finish this work by introducing a new public key cryptosystem which is a variant of Cramer-Shoup public key cryptosystem on a twisted Hessian curves and study its security and efficiency. Our future work will focus on the generalist these studies for all integers n > 4 , ϵ n = 0 , which is beneficial and interesting in cryptography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs), especially GII.4 strains, are a major cause of gastroenteritis epidemics in both children and adults. Stool samples were collected from 113 Tunisian children with acute gastroenteritis in 2001 and 2002 and were retrospectively tested for HuNoVs. Fifteen (13.2%) of the 113 samples were positive for HuNoVs, all of which were genogroup II strains, and the GII.4-2004/Hunter variant was predominant (67%). We reconstituted the temporal circulation of HuNoV strains in central Tunisia between 2003 and 2012 using HuNoV isolates reported in our previous studies. A comparative analysis showed a dynamic change in the molecular profile of the HuNoV strains over a 12-year period. We found that GII.4-2004/Hunter strains were circulating as early as June 2002 and that GIX.1[GII.P15] HuNoVs were already circulating four years before this genotype was first reported in Japan in 2006. Our data suggest that epidemic strains of HuNoV circulate for several years in the pediatric population before becoming predominant. This study suggests that children from low-income countries with poor sanitation may play a significant role in the molecular evolution of noroviruses and the global emergence of new epidemic strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photocatalyst based on a ZnO/CQDs/AgNPs ternary heterostructure was synthesized by a green and easy in-situ hydrothermal method. The carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were used in order to reduce AgNO3 to form silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The as-prepared photocatalyst was characterized by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Bruner–Emmett–Teller. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were examined using UV–visible spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CQDs/AgNPs was evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation. The ternary heterostructure exhibits higher photocatalytic activity compared to pure ZnO, ZnO/CQDs and ZnO/Ag. It was found that a degradation of 98.6% of MB was achieved within 50 min of UV light irradiation. Finally, a possible mechanism is proposed to explain the photodegradation of MB by this nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In astrocytes, the water-permeable channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is concentrated at the endfeet that abut the blood vessels of the brain. The asymmetric distribution of this channel is dependent on the function of dystroglycan (DG), a co-expressed laminin receptor, and its associated protein complex. We have demonstrated that the addition of laminin to astrocytes in culture causes the clustering of AQP4, DG, and lipid rafts. The last, in particular, have been associated with the initiation of cell signaling. As laminin binding to DG in muscle cells can induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of syntrophin and laminin requires tyrosine kinases for acetylcholine receptor clustering in myotubes, we asked if signal transduction might also be involved in AQP4 clustering in astrocytes. We analyzed the timecourse of AQP4, DG, and monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) clustering in primary cultures of rat astrocytes following the addition of laminin, and determined that the clustering of DG precedes that of AQP4 and GM1. We also showed that laminin induces the formation of phosphotyrosine-rich clusters and that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, disrupts the laminin-induced clustering of both β-DG and AQP4. Using the Kinexus antibody microarray chip, we then identified protein-serine kinase C delta (PKCδ) as one of the main proteins exhibiting high levels of tyrosine phosphorylation upon laminin treatment. Selective inhibitors of PKC and siRNA against PKCδ disrupted β-DG and AQP4 clustering, and also caused water transport to increase in astrocytes treated with laminin. Our results demonstrate that the effects of laminin on AQP4 localization and function are relayed, at least in part, through PKC signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies partially observed optimal control problems of general McKean–Vlasov differential equations, in which the coefficients depend on the state of the solution process as well as of its law and the control variable. By applying Girsanov's theorem with a standard variational technique, we establish a stochastic maximum principle on the assumption that the control domain is convex. As an application, partially observed linear-quadratic control problem is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cigarette smoking has a negative effect on respiratory and skeletal muscle function and is a risk factor for various chronic diseases. To assess the effects of 14 days of smoking cessation on respiratory and skeletal muscle function, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in humans. Spirometry, skeletal muscle function, circulating carboxyhaemoglobin levels, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), markers of oxidative stress and serum cytokines were measured in 38 non-smokers, and in 48 cigarette smokers at baseline and after 14 days of smoking cessation. Peak expiratory flow (p = 0.004) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (p = 0.037) were lower in smokers compared to non-smokers but did not change significantly after smoking cessation. Smoking cessation increased skeletal muscle fatigue resistance (p < 0.001). Haemoglobin content, haematocrit, carboxyhaemoglobin, total AGEs, malondialdehyde, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 (p < 0.05) levels were higher, and total antioxidant status (TAS), IL-12p70 and eosinophil numbers were lower (p < 0.05) in smokers. IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12p70 had returned towards levels seen in non-smokers after 14 days smoking cessation (p < 0.05), and IL-2 and TNF-α showed a similar pattern but had not yet fully returned to levels seen in non-smokers. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, eosinophil count, AGEs, MDA and TAS did not significantly change with smoking cessation. Two weeks of smoking cessation was accompanied with an improved muscle fatigue resistance and a reduction in low-grade systemic inflammation in smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of recognizing some important elements of the skull base in axial CT-scan cuts, including the optic canal (OC), superior orbital fissure (SOF), vidian canal (VC), foramen rotundum (FR), jugular foramen (JF) and hypoglossal canal (HC). Methods: In this study, 25 otolaryngology residents and 25 recently graduated otolaryngologists were evaluated in terms of their recognition of skull base elements, using 30 axial CT-scan cuts. Two months later, the exam related to skull base CT scans was taken in groups after a brief anatomy courses for otolaryngology residents. Results: The percentage of correct answers from otolaryngology residents regarding OC, SOF, VC, FR, JF, and HC in the first exam were 74 ± 26, 47 ± 34, 65 ± 30, 41 ± 38, 58 ± 26, and 68 ± 32, respectively. The correct answer for each element was similar between groups, and the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). p value for the differences observed regarding the percentage of correct answers for the second exam between trained otolaryngology residents and recent otolaryngology graduates regarding OC and JF was no significant (p > 0.05) but significant for the other elements with better result in trained otolaryngology residents and most for SOF (p > 0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed that the ability of recognition for the mentioned elements in axial CT-scan cuts was low among otolaryngology residents and graduated otolaryngologists. The proposed novel method for distinguishing SOF from OC had a powerful and long-lasting effect on trainee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of 2 ⊗ -auto Engel subgroups was studied in Moghaddam and Sadeghifard (Bull Korean Math Soc 52:1097–1105, 2015). Let N be a characteristic subgroup of a group G including G ′ and A u t N (G) be the set of all automorphisms of group G which induces the identity on G / N. In the present paper, through the use of A u t N (G) we introduce the notion of 2 ⊗ -N-auto Engel elements in group G, which is a generalization of 2 ⊗ -auto Engel elements of G. In particular we show that the set of these elements is a characteristic subgroup of the group. So every characteristic subgroup N of G containing G ′ , induces a corresponding characteristic subgroup A N R 2 ⊗ (G) in G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the mission concept and engineering design of a debris-removing nanosatellite called Deorbiter CubeSat, within the framework of NASA's Pre-Phase A studies. The spacecraft is designed based on the utilization of an eight-unit form factor, and is intended for the removal of predetermined sizable debris objects from the low Earth orbit. A number of attitude and orbit determination sensors and control actuators are included on the CubeSat, which are employed during the rendezvous, attachment, and deorbiting operations. Upon attaching to a debris, the CubeSat stabilizes the rotational motion of the debris, and then proceeds to reducing the debris orbit size, in order to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up due to the high atmospheric density. The engineering design of Deorbiter CubeSat is outlined, and the selected components are detailed. The selected components are commercially available and have long space heritage. System's mass budget is analyzed, and preliminary component costs are estimated. Three scenarios for the Deorbiter CubeSat mission operations are considered, and the spacecraft power budget and components duty cycles are investigated for each scenario. In light of the results, the feasibility of each scenario for the Deorbiter CubeSat mission is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider a system of two coupled nonlinear lattice stochastic equations driven by additive white noise processes. We prove the master slave synchronization of the components of the coupled system, namely, for t → ∞ the solution of one of the subsystems (the slave component) converges to the values of a Lipschitz continuous function of the other component, the master component. To establish this kind of synchronization we will prove the existence of an exponentially attracting random invariant manifold for the coupled system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the two-dimensional Euler equations, damped by a linear term and driven by an additive noise. The existence of weak solutions has already been studied; pathwise uniqueness is known for solutions that have vorticity in L ∞ . In this paper, we prove the Markov property and then the existence of an invariant measure in the space L ∞ by means of a Krylov–Bogoliubov's type method, working with the weak ⋆ and the bounded weak ⋆ topologies in L ∞ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim in this paper is to study the influence of doping with transition metals (TM) on the physical properties of CdS. Thus, the structure stability, half-metallic ferromagnetic, and electronic properties of Cr-, V-, Mn-, Cu-, and Sc-doped CdS, at x = 0.0625 concentration have been investigated using first principle calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). The all-electron full-potential linear Muffin-Tin orbital (FP-LMTO) method and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) have been employed. The electronic properties indicate that the Cd0.9375Cu0.0625S and Cd0.9375Sc0.0625S compounds are magnetic degenerate semiconductors and the Cd0.9375Mn0.0625S compound is p-type magnetic semiconductor, while the Cd0.9375Cr0.0625S and Cd0.9375V0.0625S compounds are half-metallic ferromagnets. We have also found that the TM-3d states are responsible for the spin-polarization and the induction of magnetic moments in these compounds. Additionally, to explain the origin of half-metallic ferromagnetism, we have calculated the exchange splitting energy Δx(pd) and the exchange constants N0α and N0β. The calculated values suggest that the Cd0.9375Cr0.0625S and Cd0.9375VV0.0625S compounds may be useful for the development of spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cornerstone design courses have become a major part of engineering curricula, where students with different personality types and learning styles work together to design, develop, build, and demonstrate the functionality of a prototype within the duration of a term. This study analyzes student and team performance against gender, personality types, and learning styles in a second-year engineering design course. Further, the correlations between several assessment mechanisms are studied, and the effects of three different instructional design approaches on students' performance are explored. Data have been collected on student performance and psychometrics, including marks, gender, personality type, and learning style from 2001 to 2018. To identify students' personality types and learning styles, Myers–Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) and Neil Fleming's Learning VARK tests were administered. To evaluate students' performance in the course, a number of assessment mechanisms have been defined. Several statistical methods are used to analyze data, and to determine correlation between datasets. Over nearly two decades of marks, gender, MBTI, and VARK data for 2637 students are presented for an engineering design course. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference in performance across most assessments based on gender or gender distribution on a team. A better performance was observed from VK bimodal and quadmodal learning styles in most assessment mechanisms. Further, certain MBTI groups, namely, judging types outperformed their peers in engineering design assessments, with interesting interplay between MBTI dimensions for specific assessments and team dynamics. Traditional assessment mechanisms, such as engineering notebook and design proposals, are shown to be good predictors of student success. Lastly, scaffolded design activities and front-loading of lecture content were shown to be beneficial for student learning. There is negligible performance difference between female and male students in the engineering design course. Students whose preferred learning styles align with the assessment themes showed better performance in the course. The outcomes of this paper can be readily applied by instructors for design of assessment mechanisms, course materials, team formation, and instructional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: An electro-active biofilm of Fruit Peeling (FP) leachate was formed onto the Carbon Felt (CF) bio-anode in a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), after functioning for a long time. The electro active-biofilm thus formed was then scratched by ultrasound and re-inoculated in a new leachate to be transplanted onto the bio-anode. This procedure allowed the microbial electron charge transfer and therefore the enhancement of the bio-energy production of the fuel cell. Results: By using the repetitive mechanical biofilm removal, re-suspension and electrochemically facilitated biofilm formation, the voltage was substantially increased. In effect, the voltage of the 1st G of biofilm, rose gradually and reached its maximum value of 65 mV after 10 days. Whilst the 2nd generation allowed to obtain the maximum voltage 276 mV and without any lag time. The DCO abatement using the 1st G biofilm was 68% greater than the 3rd G 26%. Besides, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterization and cyclic voltammetry of bio-anode with 2nd G biofilm confirmed the ability of electro-active biofilm formation on a new support. The biofilm transplanted showed thus greater kinetic performance, with reduced lag time demonstrating the interest of the selection that took place during the formation of successive biofilms. Conclusions: Despite the transplantation of the electro-active biofilm onto the bio-anode, the MFC still produced relatively lower power output. Nevertheless, it has been tested successfully for monitoring and detecting the oxidation of sodium acetate substrate in the very wide concentration range 0.0025–35 g/l. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is the valorization of diss fibers with recycled and regenerated low-density polyethylene (rLDPE) for the development of biocomposites based on blends of rLDPE polypropylene (PP) and diss fibers. The diss fibers were characterized by laser granulometer and FTIR spectroscopy. Two PP/rLDPE blends of different compositions (50/50 and 75/25) were prepared. These polymer blends were reinforced by nano-Si particles and compatibilizers which were investigated using three compatibilizers: maleic anhydride functionalized ethylene copolymer rubber (MAC), maleic anhydride functionalized ethylene copolymer rubber/SiO2 (MAC/SiO2), and maleic anhydride functionalized ethylene copolymer rubber/SiO2/ionic liquid (MAC/SiO2/IL). The thermal properties of the blends were studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Their crystallinity was investigated by X-ray diffraction and their morphology by scanning electron microscopy, while mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile testing. The best tensile properties were obtained for the PP/rLDPE (75/25) blend. A significant increase of the Young's modulus, stress at break, and elongation at break was obtained with the three compatibilizers. MAC acted as a compatibilizer of both polymers, resulting in improved interfacial adhesion which increased tensile properties. Finally, the effect of diss fiber surface modification on the properties of PP/rLDPE blends was considered. The results showed a modification of tensile properties and a satisfactory interfacial adhesion between diss fibers and polymer blends. Furthermore, thermal stability was not significantly decreased by the addition of 5 wt% diss fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagas disease (CHD) has become a challenge in Spain due to the high prevalence of immigrants coming from endemic areas. One of the main difficulties for its control and elimination is its underdiagnosis. The identification and integral treatment of CHD are key to increasing rates of diagnosis, overcoming psycho-social barriers and avoiding CHD progression. Community interventions with in situ screening have proven to be a useful tool in detecting CHD among those with difficulties accessing health services. To determine the underdiagnosis rate of the population most susceptible to CHD among those attending two different Bolivian cultural events celebrated in Barcelona; to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the people screened; and to analyse the results of the screening. The community interventions were carried out at two Bolivian cultural events held in Barcelona in 2017. Participants were recruited through community health agents. A questionnaire was given to determine the participants' prior knowledge of CHD. In situ screening was offered to those who had not previously been screened. Those who did not wish to be screened were asked for the reason behind their decision. Results were gathered in a database and statistical analyses were performed using STATA v14. 635 interviews were carried out. 95% of the subjects reported prior knowledge of CHD. 271 subjects were screened: 71.2% women and 28.8% men, of whom 87.8% were of Bolivian origin. The prevalence of CHD was 8.9%. Community health interventions with in situ screening are essential to facilitating access to diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to provide a stochastic method to investigate the effects of the randomness of soil properties due to their natural spatial variability on the response spectra spatial variation at sites with varying conditions. For this purpose, Monte Carlo Simulations are used to include the variability of both incident ground motion and soil parameters in the response spectra by mean of an appropriate coherency loss function and a site-dependent transfer function, respectively. The approach is built on the assumption of vertical propagation of SH type waves in soil strata with uncertain parameters. The response spectra are obtained by numerical integration of the governing equation of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system under non-stationary site-dependent and spatially varying ground motion accelerations simulated with non-uniform spectral densities and coherency loss functions. Numerical examples showed that randomness of soil properties significantly affects the amplitudes of the response spectra, indicating that as the heterogeneity induced by the randomness of the parameters of the medium increases, the spectral ordinates attenuate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ertugliflozin is a new sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. As there are no head-to-head trials comparing the efficacy of SGLT2is, the primary objective of this analysis was to indirectly compare ertugliflozin to other SGLT2i in patient populations with inadequately controlled glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c > 7.0%) and previously treated with either diet/exercise, metformin alone or metformin plus a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i). Methods: A systematic literature review (SLR) identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting outcomes at 24–26 weeks of treatment. Comparators to ertugliflozin were the SGLT2is canagliflozin, dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, with non-SGLT2i comparators also evaluated third-line [insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs)]. Outcomes were change from baseline in HbA1c, weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP) as well as HbA1c < 7% and key safety events. Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to synthesize evidence. Results are presented as the median of the mean difference (MD) or as odds ratios with 95% credible intervals (CrI). Results: In patients uncontrolled on diet/exercise, the efficacy of ertugliflozin 5 mg monotherapy was not significantly different from that of other low-dose SGLT2is in terms of HbA1c reduction, while ertugliflozin 15 mg was more effective than dapagliflozin 10 mg (MD − 0.36%, CrI − 0.65, − 0.08) and empagliflozin 25 mg (MD − 0.31%, CrI − 0.58, − 0.04). As add-on therapy to metformin, ertugliflozin 5 mg was more effective in lowering HbA1c than dapagliflozin 5 mg (MD − 0.22%, CrI − 0.42, − 0.02), and ertugliflozin 15 mg was more effective than dapagliflozin 10 mg (MD − 0.26%, CrI − 0.46, − 0.06) and empagliflozin 25 mg (MD − 0.23%, CrI − 0.44, − 0.03). Among patients uncontrolled on combination therapy metformin plus a DPP4i, no relevant RCTs with insulin were identified from the SLR. One study with a GLP-1 RA was included in a sensitivity analysis due to limited data. There were no differences between ertugliflozin 5 or 15 mg and other SGLT2is, with the exception of dapagliflozin 10 mg, which was significantly less effective when added to sitagliptin and metformin. Overall, there were no other significant differences for remaining efficacy and safety outcomes except for a lower SBP for canagliflozin 300 mg compared to ertugliflozin 15 mg in the diet/exercise population. Conclusions: Indirect comparisons for HbA1c reduction found that ertugliflozin 5 mg was more effective than dapagliflozin 5 mg when added to metformin monotherapy, whereas ertugliflozin 15 mg was more effective than dapagliflozin 10 mg and empagliflozin 25 mg when added to diet/exercise and to metformin monotherapy. The HbA1c reduction associated with ertugliflozin was no different than that associated with canagliflozin across all populations. Funding: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D Euler equations, precisely local smooth solutions of class Hs with s>5/2 are obtained as a mean field limit of finite families of interacting curves, the so called vortex filaments, described by means of the concept of 1-currents. This work is a continuation of a previous paper, where a preliminary result in this direction was obtained, with the true Euler equations replaced by a vector valued non linear PDE with a mollified Biot-Savart relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of antihyperglycemic agents (AHA), especially insulin and sulfonylureas (SU), is a risk factor for hypoglycemia. Despite the significant clinical and economic burdens associated with hypoglycemia and the decreasing use of SU in favor of other oral AHA, relatively little is known about hypoglycemia trends specific to the use of non-insulin AHA. We sought to estimate annual hypoglycemia event rates and costs among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who started either SU or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) and to predict rates and costs in the absence of DPP-4i.Methods: Truven’s MarketScan Commercial Claims database was used to estimate hypoglycemia event rates and costs from 2007 to 2013. Hypoglycemia, defined using diagnosis codes, was assessed during the 12 months following SU (n = 245,201) or DPP-4i (n = 176,786) initiation by adults with T2DM. Coefficients from a Poisson regression model used to estimate the impact of patient characteristics on hypoglycemia rates for patients who started SU were used to predict rates for patients who started DPP-4i had they started SU instead.Results: Hypoglycemia events per 100 patient-years (costs per event) ranged from 5.4 ($565) in 2007 to 10.4 ($1154) in 2013 for patients starting SU; rates (costs) for patients starting DPP-4i ranged from 3.2 ($308) in 2007 to 6.4 ($482) in 2013. Predicted hypoglycemia rates would have been 5.3-9.9 per 100 person-years for patients who started DPP-4i had they started SU instead. Starting DPP-4i, rather than SU, would have resulted in national savings of $750.3 million in healthcare costs due to avoided hypoglycemia events during this period.Conclusions: Hypoglycemia rates and costs were consistently higher for patients who started SU rather than DPP-4i. The overall burden of hypoglycemia could be lowered substantially in the USA if, when feasible, patients with T2DM initiate DPP-4i instead of SU.Funding: Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ion exchange membrane is a polymer matrix of cross-linked polyvinyl chloride macromolecular chains, on which are grafted ionic functional sites. The transport numbers of two metal ions and proton through these membranes were determined using the well-known electrochemical Hittorf’s method. The cation exchange membrane Nafion, having sulfonic reactional site (-SO3−), yielded the transport number of copper relatively less than that of sodium, leaving way to proton to be transported. In contrast, the anion membrane of alkyl ammonium reactional site (-NR4+) prevented the transfer of cation metals and allowed the proton to displace by defect of permselectivity. These two membranes were used as separators in microbial fuel cells (MFC). In effect, the MFC with the anion membrane AMX, gave relatively higher power density (1.10 mW/m2) compared to the cation exchange membrane Nafion (0.45 mW/m2). Really, with the AMX separator, the metal ions present in the wastewater anolyte compartment were blocked by the membrane giving way to the protons to displace freely and be reduced efficiently at the cathode. In the mono-compartment cell, the ions moved sideways between anode and cathode, yielding the highest power density (11.90 mW/m2) so far obtained. The pH adjustment of anolyte and cathode compartments support, therefore, strongly the cell voltage evolutions. In addition, the cyclic voltammetry results showed that the electroactive biofilm of the bioanode using the AMX membrane described a diffusion-limited process, while that of the Nafion membrane made in evidence the adsorption monolayer of redox species. Besides, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the charge transfer resistance at the interface bioanode/biofilm decreased drastically from 728 to 18 Ω cm2 for Nafion MFC during 11 days of functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]