Deviation Change Research Articles

Investigating Ultraviolet-Visible Absorption of Pure Water and Normal Saline under the Treatment of Taheri Consciousness Fields

UV-Vis spectroscopy is a spectrophotometric technique that relies on the absorption of light by species within the ultraviolet to visible range (200 to 700 nanometers). The study of water absorption has been conducted over the decades from the 1930s to the 1980s to investigate electron transfer levels in various studies. The investigation of the absorptive properties of solutions provides significant information about changes in their internal environment, reactions, and molecular interactions. In this study, with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of T-Consciousness Fields on water molecules and examining the potential changes in the physical properties of water, we have focused on the changes in light absorption in the ultraviolet-visible range by water molecules in the presence of T-Consciousness Fields 1, 2, and 3. Additionally, alongside observing the effects of T-Consciousness Fields on the absorptive properties of pure water, the absorptive properties of normal saline are investigated to provide a valuable basis for comparison. In this study, absorptive properties of normal saline are also examined using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Changes in absorption between the control and samples subjected to T-Consciousness Fields 1, 2, and 3 are obtained compared to the standard deviations of changes caused by the control for each wavelength. According to the results obtained for pure water, T-Consciousness Field 1 has led to significant changes in the visible region, exceeding the standard deviation. In the case of normal saline samples, the absorption resulting from the samples in the visible region in the case of T-Consciousness Field 1 shows a decreasing trend, and in the case of T-Consciousness Field 2, it exhibits an increasing trend. Furthermore, the changes in absorption in the sample treated with T-Consciousness Field 3 fall within the range of the average standard deviation of absorption values for the sample and control. A detailed analysis of absorption regions and a comparison of the effectiveness of the three applied T-Consciousness Fields on pure water and normal saline are in the authors' agenda.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ РАЗВИТИЯ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯ ПРИ ДИВЕРСИФИКАЦИИ ИННОВАЦИОННЫХ ПРОИЗВОДСТВ

The article analyses the relevance of the issues of ensuring the sustainability of development of innovative industries, taking into account the role of diversification of production for risky projects. It highlights the problems on possibilities and disadvantages of traditional application of CVP-analysis for estimation of results of realisation of projects of multiproduct production. The paper offers the hypothesis and evaluates the possibility of providing stability of development of enterprises with multi-product production on the basis of the management model of corrective factors of forming the breakeven of planned profit of a set of productions at various characteristic initiating disturbances. The author's model makes it possible to take into account deviations of all constant and variable factors of formation of the final planned profit at joint diversified production, including the difference of clock productivity and planned periods of completion of production of separate products of the diversified line of nomenclature and the chronology of deviations of changes in factors. The methodical approach presented in the article is illustrated by examples of practical implementation with analytical calculations and graphical representation of the adjustment of the change in variable and fixed costs of one product due to the change in the value of tactual productivity of another product and the adjustment of the change in fixed costs due to the value of the price of the same product. The presented approach is largely universal under other boundary conditions for the analysed pairs of initiating-correcting influences to assess the sustainability of development of both mono- and multiproduct production.

Effectiveness of the pharmacological treatments for sialorrhea in patients with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The present systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized control trials (RCTs) aimed to establish whether there are evidence-based differences in the pharmacological agents used to manage sialorrhea in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The authors searched the databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for clinical trials. Unpublished trials were searched on clinicaltrials.gov and the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry. Means and standard deviations of changes in the salivary flow or drooling reported by participants due to the interventions were recorded. The authors analyzed 13 RCTs. Compared to the placebo, types A and B of the botulinum toxin effectively reduced the salivary flow and the severity or frequency of drooling. However, the network meta-analysis did not differentiate between the botulinum toxin types. Ipratropium bromide and glycopyrrolate did not differ from the placebo. Indirect evidence showed that ipratropium had similar results to those obtained with both types of botulinum toxin. The CINeMA approach estimated the quality of the evidence as very low for all comparisons. The best treatment for sialorrhea in patients with PD is not fully elucidated yet. Therefore, more well-conducted randomized clinical trials are required to increase the level of evidence. There needs to be more evidence defining the best intervention to treat sialorrhea in patients with PD. However, botulinum toxin types A and B seem to reduce sialorrhea in patients effectively.

The optimal dose of oral tranexamic acid in melasma: A network meta-analysis.

Melasma is a chronic skin condition that adversely impacts quality of life. Although many therapeutic modalities are available there is no single best treatment for melasma. Oral tranexamic acid has been used for the treatment of this condition but its optimal dose is yet to be established. We used network meta-analysis to determine the optimal dose of oral tranexamic acid for the treatment of melasma. We conducted a comprehensive search of all studies of oral tranexamic acid for the treatment of melasma up to September 2020 using PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library database. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Jadad score and the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool. Only high quality randomised controlled trials were selected. Some studies lacked standard deviation of changes from baseline and these were estimated using the correlation coefficient obtained from another similar study. A total of 92 studies were identified of which 6 randomized controlled trials comprising 599 patients were included to form 3 pair-wise network comparisons. The mean age of the patients in these studies ranged from 30.3 to 46.5 years and the treatment duration ranged from 8 to 12 weeks. The Jadad scores ranged from 5 to 8. The optimal dose and duration of oral tranexamic acid was estimated to be 750 mg per day for 12 consecutive weeks. Some confounding factors might not have been described in the original studies. Although clear rules were followed, the Melasma Area and Severity Index and the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index were scored by independent physicians and hence inter-observer bias could not be excluded. Oral tranexamic acid is a promising drug for the treatment of melasma. This is the first network meta-analysis to determine the optimal dose of this drug and to report the effects of different dosages. The optimal dose is 250 mg three times per day for 12 weeks, but 250 mg twice daily may be an acceptable option in poorly adherent patients. Our findings will allow physicians to balance drug effects and medication adherence. Personalized treatment plans are warranted.

Enamel Color Changes After Bleaching Treatment Using Common Bleaching Agents With Er, Cr:YSGG Laser

Background: Reports indicate that lasers accelerate tooth bleaching by activating bleaching agents. Due to the lack of sufficient information about the application of the Er, Cr:YSGG laser, the present study was conducted to compare the degree of enamel color changes after teeth bleaching treatment using chemical whitening agents alone and with Er, Cr:YSGG laser. Methods: In this laboratory study, several human molars were cut into 4 parts after cutting and removing the pulp. Based on laser application, the samples were randomly divided into two groups (N=20), including the chemical bleaching group (G1) and the chemical bleaching group with activated laser (G2). In G1, the bleaching process was performed only with 35% hydrogen peroxide for two weeks (3 times, 15 minutes each week). In G2, the gel bleaching was activated by the Er, Cr:YSGG laser with a wavelength of 2780 nm. It was placed 2.5 cm from the sample surface with bleaching agents and applied twice for 15 seconds. Color changes were recorded using a spectrophotometer before bleaching, immediately after, 1 month, and 3 months after bleaching. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 18), Repeated measures ANOVA, and Tukey’s tests (α=0.05). Results: Mean and standard deviation of changes in Δa showed a significant difference between the gel group and the gel group with laser over time (P<0.05), but this difference was not observed in ΔL and ΔB (P>0.05). However, the intragroup comparison demonstrated significant changes in Δa and Δb in both groups over time, but not in ΔL (P>0.05). The ΔE changes in both the laser and bleaching gel groups were above the threshold of 3.3. The results indicated no significant difference between G1 and G2 in terms of the ΔE (P>0.05). Finally, the results revealed that 1 and 3 months after teeth whitening, ΔE changes in both groups were greater than 3.3. Conclusions: Overall, the application of the Er, Cr:YSGG laser had no positive effect on bleaching efficacy when using a 35% hydrogen peroxide gel. Based on the findings, color changes were stable in the studied groups for up to 3 months after teeth bleaching.

Influence of the Signal-To-Noise Ratio on Variance of Chromophore Concentration Quantification in Broadband Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This study presented a theoretical or analytical approach to quantify how the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device influences the accuracy on calculated changes of oxy-hemoglobin (Δ[HbO]), deoxy-hemoglobin (Δ[HHb]), and oxidized cytochrome c oxidase (Δ[oxCCO]). In theory, all NIRS experimental measurements include variations due to thermal or electrical noise, drifts, and disturbance of the device. Since the computed concentration results are highly associated with device-driven variations, in this study, we applied the error propagation analysis to compute the variability or variance of Δ[HbO], Δ[HHb], and Δ[oxCCO] depending on the system SNR. The quantitative expressions of variance or standard deviations of changes in chromophore concentrations were derived based on the error propagation analysis and the modified Beer-Lambert law. In order to compare and confirm the derived variances versus those from the actual measurements, we conducted two sets of broadband NIRS (bbNIRS) measurements using a solid tissue phantom and the human forearm. A Monte Carlo framework was also executed to simulate the bbNIRS data under two physiological conditions for further confirmation of the theoretical analysis. Finally, the confirmed expression for error propagation was utilized for quantitative analyses to guide optimal selections of wavelength ranges and different wavelength combinations for minimal variances of Δ[HbO], Δ[HHb], and Δ[oxCCO] in actual experiments.

Study on dynamic responses of particle in aggregate mixture during the laboratory compaction utilizing Smart Aggregate

Knowing compaction process of pavement at meso-scale is of great significance for improving the material design and construction quality. This study aims to investigate dynamic responses of particle in aggregate mixture during compaction by using a Smart Aggregate. As the compaction method and material composition have significant influence on dynamic responses of the particle in compaction process, various compaction methods, including impact, vibration, static and gyratory compaction, were first conducted on lubricated mixtures in the laboratory. Then, number of contact points and movements of the Smart Aggregate in mixture were analyzed in different stages of gyratory compaction process. Additionally, effects of critical influencing material factors, including lubrication effect, particle size, aggregates packing and gradation on the particle movement in mixture were discussed. Results indicate that the dynamic responses (i.e. acceleration, rotation and contact force) of the Smart Aggregate exhibited significant relation to the loading mode of compaction efforts. Regarding to gyratory compaction, drastic particle movement and sharp increase in number of contact points mainly occurred in the first stage in which the reduced height of specimen was more than 1 mm. Although lubrication had a marked impact on compaction of aggregates system, its influence on movement could be negligible for the Smart Aggregate. Those adjacent aggregates with particle size less than 4.75 mm performed well in terms of restricting the movement of the Smart Aggregate. After filling fine aggregates with particle size less than 2.36 mm into packed aggregates, the deviation of change in acceleration amplitude and relative rotation was reduced to a low level. Compaction methods, adjacent particles’ size and aggregates packing had significant influences on the dynamic responses of the Smart Aggregate.

The Volatility of Individual Securities in Measuring Value at Risk of a Portfolio

Nowadays, investing in a portfolio of stocks or securities has been one of the most efficient ways for investors to increase wealth. Risk and return of each security are two main criteria to be considered in constructing an optimal portfolio. Previously, market risk is being measured using the standard deviation of changes in prices of the stock is referred to as price volatility. However, the majority of investors fail to relate it with the return of investment. Thus, the Value at Risk (VaR) concept has been successfully introduced to summarise the market risk of a portfolio as one number, for example in Ringgit Malaysia (RM). In this study, there are three main approaches consist of Delta Normal, Historical Simulation and Monte Carlo Simulation to measure monthly VaR for a portfolio of stocks from Sime Darby Sdn Bhd. at 95 and 99% confidence level. Empirical results show that VaR at 99% confidence level is higher than 95%. The findings also indicated that property stocks have the highest volatility and can be considered as the riskiest among the securities observed. Finally, risk managers and investors would be in a position to select a better stock portfolio with a known risk measure by employing the concept of VaR.

Relationship Between Leukocyte, ESR, and CRP Infection Markers with Changes in Wound Wagner 2 and 3 Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Introduction: In 2012, the annual incidence rate of diabetic foot ulcers and gangrene are estimated to be around 2-5% of the general population. About 15% of patients with diabetic foot can have an amputation in the lower limb. Diabetic foot is a health problem that is very difficult to cure. This is further exacerbated by severe conditions of infection and disrupt the process of tissue regeneration, so amputation must be done to prevent the spread of infection. Infection that is not well controlled can inhibit all phases of wound healing. This study aimed to know the relationship between laboratory profile and wound healing in diabetic foot ulcer patients. Method: This was a cross-sectional study with research subjects who were diabetic foot ulcer patients who went to the emergency room and the Cipto Mangunkusumo National Hospital polyclinic during August-December 2019. Statistical analysis was performed to see the correlation between changes in infection marker values and changes in the wound area. Results: During the period August 2019 to December 2019, 30 subjects met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were 14 subjects (46.77%) male and 16 subjects (53.3%) female. From the diagnosis, there were 20 subjects (66.3%) with ulcer pedis and ten subjects (33.3%) gangrene pedis. From this study, the average and standard deviation of changes in ABI values were 0.9080 ± 0.100, changes in the number of leukocytes amounted to 4899.87 ± 4512.048, changes in ESR values was 1.8333 ± 1.147, changes in CRP values was 2.6500 ± 1.702, changes in wound area was 10.2727 ± 6.512, and albumin was 2.9487 ± 0.392. From the correlative analysis, it was found between changes in the number of leukocytes with changes in wound area (p=0.058, r=0.350), changes in ESR values with changes in wound area (p=0.034, r=0.388), and changes in CRP values with changes in wound area (p=0.008, r=0.477). Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between changes in ESR values and CRP values with moderate correlation strength changes in the wound area. There was no significant relationship between changes in the number of leukocytes with changes in the wound area. Keywords: wound area, leukocytes, CRP, ESR, diabetic foot ulcer, leukocytes.

Can InSAR Coherence and Closure Phase Be Used to Estimate Soil Moisture Changes?

We studied the influence of the statistical properties of soil moisture changes on the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) coherence and closure phase to determine whether the InSAR coherence and closure phase can be used to estimate soil moisture changes. We generated semi-synthetic multi-looked interferograms by pairing n real single-looked pixels of an observed SAR image with n synthetic single-looked pixels. The synthetic SAR data are generated from the real SAR data by applying soil moisture changes with a pre-defined mean and standard deviation of changes. Our results show that the diversity of soil moisture changes within the multi-look window gives rise to decorrelation, a multi-looked phase artifact, and a non-zero phase triplet. The decorrelation and closure phase increase by enlarging the diversity of soil moisture changes. We also showed that non-soil moisture changes can lead to larger decorrelations and closure phases. Furthermore, the diversity of phase changes, decorrelation, and closure phases are correlated with land cover type. We concluded that the closure phase and coherence are independent of the magnitude of soil moisture changes and are inappropriate tools to estimate soil moisture changes. Coherence, however, can be used as a proxy for soil moisture changes if the diversity and magnitude of soil moisture changes within a multi-looked pixel are strongly correlated.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A SIMPLE HPLC METHOD FOR ESTIMATION OF MYCOPHENOLATE MOFETIL IN MICROEMULSION FORMULATION

Objective: The present study deals with the development, validation and application of a simple, precise and accurate HPLC method for the determination of mycophenolate mofetil in pharmaceutical formulations and microemulsions.
 Methods: In this method, a simple isocratic mobile phase composition of methanol and water (75:25 v/v) pumped at 1 ml/minute flow rate through Phenomenex C18 column (dimension: 250 4.6 mm and 5 µm particle size) was used. Injection volume was 20 µl and analysis of mycophenolate mofetil was carried out at 250 nm.
 Results: The coefficient of regression was found to be 0.9996, indicating the linearity of the developed method within a range of 0.1 to 10 µg/ml. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantization (LOQ) were found to be 3.660ng/ml and 11.091ng/ml, respectively. The results showed that % deviation for change in compositions of the mobile phase, flow rate and temperature was within a range of-5.51 to 10.99%,-3.70 to 8.80% and-5.29 to 10.90%, respectively. The method seemed sensitive to change of temperature (±5 ○C) and methanol composition (±2%) as the results were at the boundary limit of 10% deviation.
 Conclusion: A simple, precise and accurate HPLC method for the determination of drug content from microemulsion has been developed and validated in accordance with ICH guidelines.

A phase II study of enterade in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients with quality-of-life limiting bowel movement frequency.

TPS634 Background: BM frequency in NET pts is a major cause of morbidity. Though typically associated with serotonin excess in pts with carcinoid syndrome (CS), it can also occur in pts without CS due to etiologies such as short bowel syndrome, bile acid malabsorption, steatorrhea from somatostatin analogs (SSAs) and complications from chemotherapy/immunotherapy/biologics. Enterade is an oral rehydration solution, comprised of 5 amino acids, which has demonstrated pre-clinical and clinical potential to improve small intestinal resorption, thereby offering a potential treatment for limiting BM frequency in NET pts. Methods: We are conducting a phase II parallel cohort study in CS and non-CS NET pts (NCT 4073017). To be eligible, pts must be experiencing an average of ≥ 4 daily BM while on standard-of-care (SOC) therapies (SSAs, anti-diarrheals). Pts will be categorized into CS or non-CS cohorts based upon biochemical evaluation which includes plasma 5-HIAA/24-hour urine 5-HIAA, VIP or gastrin levels. Eligible pts will undergo observation during weeks 1-4 (baseline period). During weeks 5-8, pts will consume Enterade twice per day (Enterade period) while during weeks 9-12, pts will stop Enterade and resume observation. Daily stool diaries for each pt will be assessed to compute differences in mean bowel movement number between baseline and Enterade periods. Endpoints: The primary endpoint of the study is reduction in BM frequency in individual pts between baseline and Enterade periods. Based on parameters utilized in a prior study, we will assume that the mean daily reduction in bowel movements from baseline is equal to 1.5 (standard deviation of change = 1.5) representing a large effect size = 1.0. A sample of 12 pts in each cohort will provide nearly 90% power to detect this effect size based on a one-sample t-test (α = .05). An additional 3 pts will be added to each cohort to account for potential dropouts. Key secondary study endpoints include differences in pt-reported QOL outcomes (FACIT-D), pt weight, intravenous fluid requirement and utilization of SOC anti-diarrheals between baseline and Enterade periods. Accrual for the study will be ensuing shortly. Clinical trial information: NCT04073017.

Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Intake in the Form of Dietary Supplement or Enriched Food on C-Reactive Protein and Lipoprotein (a) Levels in Humans: A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background:C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp[a]) play essential roles in cardiovascular disease incidence. This study aimed to review the association between the intake of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the form of dietary supplement or enriched food with different treatment durations and the levels of Lp(a) and CRP in human studies. Methods:All the articles published in Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar from November 2014 to October 2015 were searched and the clinical trials on the effects of CLA on Lp(a) and CRP levels were assessed. Of the 2249 articles initially retrieved, 21 eligible randomized clinical trials were enrolled in this systematic review. The publication dates of the eligible articles ranged from 2005 to 2013. The mean difference and the standard deviation of changes in CRP and Lp(a) levels in intervention and control groups were used as effect-size measures for meta-analysis. The obtained data from the eligible randomized controlled trials were meta-analyzed using Stata, version 13.Results:The intake of CLA as a dietary supplement led to a significant increase in CRP levels (standardized mean difference [SMD]=0.41, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.54; P=0.001). Subgroup analysis based on the duration of CLA consumption showed that CLA consumption more than 24 weeks resulted in a significant increase in the levels of CRP (SMD=0.52, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.68; P=0.001) and Lp(a) (SMD=0.24, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.47; P=0.04). Conclusion:The current systematic review and meta-analysis showed that the long-term consumption of CLA increases the levels of CRP and Lp(a).

Standardized Nigella sativa seed oil ameliorates hepatic steatosis, aminotransferase and lipid levels in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial

Ethnopharmacological evidenceNigella sativa (N. sativa) seeds are used in the Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of liver diseases. Aim of studyTo study the efficacy and safety of N. sativa seed oil in the treatment of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Materials and methodsSixty patients received 2.5 mL fully standardized N. sativa seed oil every 12 h and 60 other patients received placebo for 3 months. At the baseline and endpoint, hepatic steatosis ultrasound grade and blood levels of triglycerides, LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and complete blood cell count as well as body mass index were determined in the oil and placebo groups and compared. ResultsGrade of hepatic steatosis was significantly reduced in the oil group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.004). Mean ± standard deviation of changes of variables in the oil and placebo groups were respectively 32.6 ± 16.6 and 14.2 ± 19.7% for ALT (P < 0/001), 29.4 ± 16.3 and 12.3 ± 16.8% for AST (P < 0.001), 10 ± 13.9 and 0.22 ± 18.2% for triglycerides (P = 0.001), 14.1 ± 9.8 and 9.2 ± 11.1% for LDL-C (P = 0.01), 9.5 ± 7.7 and 4.8 ± 6.5% for HDL-C (P = 0.001). However, the oil did not significantly affect the other outcome variables compared to the placebo (all P > 0.05). No adverse effect was observed. ConclusionsThe N. sativa seed oil seems to be safe and improve liver steatosis and injury and blood levels of triglycerides, LDL-C and HDL-C in the NAFLD patients.

Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis in Altering Inflammatory Biomarkers in Renal Transplant Recipients; A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Metabolic acidosis following kidney transplantation can lead to several undesirable effects such as disturbing the protein balance resulting in a negative nitrogen equilibrium, increased protein degradation, and essential amino acid oxidation. Objectives: The current study aimed tocompare the effect of normal saline as a common crystalloid in kidney transplant surgery to reduce the risk of hyperkalemia and sodium bicarbonate on the metabolic acidosis rate after renal transplantation. Methods: A total of 40 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and candidates receiving renal transplant from a living donor referring to the kidney transplantation department of a University affiliated hospital, Tehran, Iran, that meeting the inclusion criteria of this study, were randomly assigned to the intervention group, who were treated with sodium bicarbonate, and the control group, who were treated with normal saline. The primary outcomes measured in this study were acidosis biomarkers including BE, HCO3, PaCO2, and PH and the secondary outcomes included some inflammatory biomarkers and some renal function biomarkers. Results: The mean ± standard deviation of age in the intervention and control groups was 44.4 ± 12.4 and 40.0 ± 13.0, respectively (P = 0.01). A total of 29 of the participants were male (14 in the intervention group and 15 in the control group), and 11 of them (six in the intervention group and five in the control group) were female. The mean ± standard deviation of change in the concentration of PH, BE, HCO3, and PaCO2 in the intervention and control groups was 0.01 ± 0.1 and -0.08 ± 0.1 (P < 0.001); 0.61 ± 4.2 and -3.8 ± 2.6 (P < 0.001); 0.36 ± 2.9 and -2.67 ± 2.1 (P: 0.001); and 0.8 ± 5.4 and 1.4 ± 5.3 (P: 0.799), respectively. Conclusions: The present study revealed that the patients who received sodium bicarbonate had a better status than the normal saline recipients in terms of the maintenance of acid-base homeostasis, inflammatory indexes, and renal function.

Youth wellbeing through the lens of the Senian capability approach: insights from the occupied Palestinian territory: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundInterest in the Senian capability framework as an alternative approach to wellbeing measurement has increased in recent decades. The aim of this study was to look at the extent to which an individual's capability to achieve wellbeing in one dimension is associated with his or her attempt to achieve wellbeing in another dimension in a fragile setting affected by conflict. MethodsCapability is defined as the ability to achieve health, knowledge, and wealth and is measured as latent variables using a structural equation model. Health capability is identified by self-assessed health, mental health, lifestyle, and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases. Knowledge capability is captured using school attendance, completion of compulsory education, and media access. Wealth capability is identified using indicators on utilities, asset ownership, and housing conditions. Estimation results are used to derive normalised capability scores with values close to 1 indicating high capabilities. A nationally representative sample of 4329 youth aged 15–29 years was drawn from the 2010 Palestinian Family Survey. FindingsInterpretations are made in terms of standardised units, which measure the change in the explained variable due to a standard deviation's change in the explanatory variable. Achieving good health is associated with knowledge capability (0·125; p=0·098) and vice versa (0·462; p=0·004). Health capability is positively associated with wealth capability (0·109; p=0·021); however, the reverse is not the case (–0·753; p=0·021). Men are more likely than women to have higher health knowledge and living conditions capabilities but lower knowledge capabilities. Results suggest the importance of some exogenous factors in the conversion of capabilities into achievements (eg, location of residence). With the exception of health, the data show higher capabilities in Areas A and B of the West Bank than in Area C and the Gaza Strip (mean 0·71 and 0·69 vs 0·60 and 0·61 vs 0·57 and 0·68 for wealth and knowledge, respectively). InterpretationAlthough achieving good health appears to entail knowledge capabilities, the wealth-health association is blurred by the effect of exogenous factors (eg, health-care access). Capability deprivation in the local context seems to derive from geographical barriers, as is captured by the contribution of location of residence. This reflects the effect of geopolitical segregation that restricts the movement of people. FundingInvestissements d’Avenir French Government programme, managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR).

Impact of induction hardened workpiece hardness on EDM performance

ABSTRACTThe objective of this research work is to correlate the impact of thermally induced workpiece hardness with electric discharge machining (EDM) performances and establishment of the modified property responsible for the deviation in change in behavior of output responses in sinking electrical discharge machining process. The response surface methodology with central composite design approach was applied with four controllable input parameters such as pulse-on-time (Ton), pulse-off time (Toff), peak current (IP), and gap voltage (V) for experimental comparative study. In this current analysis, material removal rate, tool wear rate, and energy density were chosen as the desired response variables. It was observed that change in hardness through induction thermal hardening process of the base alloy had a predominant effect on the change in output responses such as material removal rate, tool wear rate, and energy density with strong confirmation. The modified electrical property associated with enhanced workpiece hardness was primarily responsible for alteration in EDM process behaviors. This preliminary assessment for the deviation in the performance of the EDM process with respect to change in hardness will be quite useful for the control settings in the job shop production planning for processing and modifying properties of induction hardened alloy steels.

Effect of Conjugated Linoleic Acid as a Supplement or Enrichment in Foods on Blood Glucose and Waist Circumference in Humans: A Metaanalysis.

Controversy persists regarding the effect of mixtures of conjugated linoleic acids (c9, t11- and t10, c12-CLA) in fasting blood glucose (FBG) and waist circumference (WC) in humans. The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore the effect of CLA on FBG and WC. PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Pro-Quest and Ovid were searched up to January 2015. Studies that examined the effect of CLA supplementation or foods enriched with CLA on FBG and WC in healthy adults were included. Studies in animals or unhealthy individuals and studies other than clinical trials were excluded. Of the 3,095 articles initially retrieved, 32 eligible randomized clinical trials were included in this systematic review. The mean difference and standard deviation of changes in FBG and WC in the intervention and control groups were used as effect size measures for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis showed that CLA supplement consumption did not significantly influence FBG (standardized mean differences [SMD] = 0.075 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.099 to 0.249; p = 0.399) or WC (SMD = -0.149 cm; 95% CI = -0.522 to 0.225; p = 0.435). Foods enriched in CLA also showed no significant effect on FBG (SMD = 0.126 mg/dL; 95% CI = -0.100 to 0.352; p = 0.274) or WC (SMD = -0.233 cm; 95% CI = -0.625 to 0.159; p = 0.244). We conclude that c9, t11- and t10, c12-CLA administered as a supplement or used to enrich foods does not affect FBG or WC in humans.

The Cross-Section of Currency Volatility Premia

We identify a global risk factor that drives the cross-section of volatility excess returns in the foreign exchange market. We show that a zero-cost strategy that buys forward volatility agreements with downward sloping volatility curves and sells those with upward slopes - the volatility carry strategy - earns on average 5.15% per month. When we form slope-sorted portfolios, the covariation with volatility carry returns fully explains the cross-sectional variation of our portfolios. The lower the slope of the volatility curve, the more the forward volatility agreement is exposed to volatility carry risk. A standard no-arbitrage model of exchange rates with two types of factor - a set of country specifi c factors and a global one - provides intuition for the findings. The state variables determining the exposure to the global risk factor are empirically related to squared deviations of changes in economic growth. In the cross-section, the returns to volatility carry strategy are only weakly related to traditional currency risk factors, like carry, global imbalance, global volatility and global liquidity risk.

Serum Uric Acid and Prehypertension Among Adults Free of Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes

The association between serum uric acid (SUA) and prehypertension was evaluated in a racially admixed sample of civil servants aged 35 to 74 years, enrolled (2008-2010) in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Health (ELSA-Brasil). Of the 15 105 patients who enrolled in the study, we analyzed 3412 after excluding those who reported previous cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or hypertension; were heavy drinkers; or had a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m(2). Among the men, logistic regression, adjusted for age, race, income, birth weight, salt intake, insulin resistance, BMI, and renal function revealed odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of prehypertension from the bottom quartile (referent) to the top quartile of SUA levels as follows: 0.84 (95% CI, 0.61-1.38), 0.97 (0.71-1.34) and 1.44 (1.04-2.0; P for trend .01). Analyzing for 1-standard deviation of change in SUA, the ORs were 1.19 (1.06-1.32). This association persisted in the subgroup analysis consisting of patients who were white, overweight, with a high salt intake but with normal renal function, and without metabolic syndrome. No association was found among women. In conclusion, SUA levels were associated with prehypertension among men.