Higher Degree Research Articles

Mutual fund net flows in China: A co-holding network perspective

As the largest part of the mutual fund, open-end funds play a critical role in the Chinese mutual fund market. In this work, we construct an undirected weighted fund network of Chinese open-end funds based on the asset co-holding and explore whether funds’ co-holdings influence their net flows. The network structure traits are introduced into a panel data model to examine the impact of the asset co-holding network on fund flow changes. It is revealed that when a fund has more connections with other funds, indicated by a higher degree in the co-holding network, it receives more net flows. However, when the average co-holding value of a fund increases, its outflows outnumber the inflows. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis suggests that this effect particularly exists for low-performance funds. The implications of these findings for fund investor behavior and the fund market are also discussed.

Brain arteriovenous malformations of the middle cerebral artery region: image characteristics and endovascular treatment based on a new classification system

BackgroundTo date, few studies have investigated the use of endovascular treatment (EVT) for brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) in the supplying area of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Moreover, no suitable classification was aimed at EVT for MCA-BAVMs. Therefore, this study proposed a new classification.MethodsThis study retrospectively collected 135 MCA‑BAVMs. They were classified into four types: Type I BAVMs located above the M1 segment; Type II BAVMs located in the region around the Sylvian fissure; and Type III BAVMs located in the supplying region of the M4 segment and subdivided into types IIIa and IIIb. The relevance of various types of MCA-BAVMs and their imaging characteristics and EVT outcomes was analyzed by ordinary one-way ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparisons test and the chi-square test.ResultsThe 135 patients averaged 33.8 ± 14.7 years and included 75 females (55.6%, 75/135). Among them, 15 (11.1%, 15/135), 16 (11.9%, 16/135), 54 (40%, 54/135), and 50 (37%, 50/135) MCA-BAVMs were type I, II, IIIa and IIIb, respectively. After EVT, a good outcome was achieved in 97% of patients. Statistical analysis showed that type I BAVMs were smaller than type II and IIIb BAVMs (P value < 0.05), and type IIIb BAVMs were larger than type I and IIIa BAVMs (P value < 0.05). Deep vein involvement in type I and IIIb BAVMs was more common than in other types (P value < 0.05), and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) was also more common (P value < 0.05). The normal morphology in type IIIb was less than that in the other types (P value < 0.05). Type IIIa BAVMs had a higher degree than other types (P value < 0.05).ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that the new classification of MCA-BAVMs can be used to evaluate imaging characteristics and EVT outcomes in different types. In addition, EVT may be a safe treatment modality for MCA‑BAVMs.

Rates of and factors associated with exclusive and any breastfeeding at six months in Canada: an analysis of population-based cross-sectional data

BackgroundBreastfeeding has many health, economic and environmental benefits for both the infant and pregnant individual. Due to these benefits, the World Health Organization and Health Canada recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of exclusive and any breastfeeding in Canada for at least six months, and factors associated with breastfeeding cessation prior to six months.MethodsWe performed a secondary analysis of breastfeeding-related questions asked on the cross-sectional 2017–2018 Canadian Community Health Survey. Our sample comprised 5,392 females aged 15–55 who had given birth in the five years preceding the survey. Descriptive statistics were carried out to assess the proportion of females exclusively breastfeeding and doing any breastfeeding for at least six months by demographic and behavioural factors. We also assessed, by baby’s age, trends in the introduction of solids and liquids, breastfeeding cessation and the reasons females stopped breastfeeding. Multivariate log binominal regression was used to examine the association between breastfeeding at six months and selected maternal characteristics hypothesized a priori to be associated with breastfeeding behaviour.ResultsOverall, for at least six months, 35.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 33.3%-37.8%) of females breastfed exclusively and 62.2% (95% CI: 60.0%-64.4%) did any breastfeeding. The largest decline in exclusive breastfeeding occurred in the first month. Factors most strongly associated with breastfeeding for at least six months were having a bachelor’s or higher degree, having a normal body mass index, being married and daily co-sleeping. Insufficient milk supply was given as the most common reason for breastfeeding cessation irrespective of when females stopped breastfeeding.ConclusionSix-month exclusive breastfeeding rates in Canada remain below targets set by the World Health Assembly. Continued efforts, including investment in monitoring of breastfeeding rates, are needed to promote and support exclusive breastfeeding, especially among females vulnerable to early cessation.

Knowledge, Acceptance, and Willingness to Pay for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: A Systematic Review

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer incidence in women. It has been recognized that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is causative agent in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. In 2022, 117 countries have included HPV vaccine in their national immunization program. Understanding participants’ decision regarding their children and themselves being vaccinated is important to ensure high coverage of the vaccine. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of knowledge, acceptance, and willingness to pay for HPV vaccine. The required information was collected by searching with relevant keywords during OctoberDecember 2022 for articles published from 2013 – 2022 in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. The data were analyzed in Excel and reported descriptively. Finally, 22 studies were included to review. Most of the participants were female (96.44%) and the majority had health workers background (50.09%). The knowledge of mostly results was poor (40.9%). The acceptance of HPV vaccine was high, the range vary from 39–98.8%, especially for the vaccine with higher degree, longer duration of protection, lower out-of-pocket, and lower risk of side effects. Overall, the respondents’ attitude was positive toward vaccination. The most frequent method used for measuring WTP was CVM (54.54%). The average WTP range from 0.1– 17.51% to GDP per capita (9.9–745.25 USD). The cost was the primary reason that impact to the willingness to pay and acceptance. Results showed that the acceptance rate of HPV vaccination and WTP were relatively high when the vaccine was offered for free or reasonable price, even though their knowledge was poor. It is recommended to reduce the cost of vaccination program and to increase knowledge, awareness, and attitude of people.

Using the Methodology Problem-Based Learning to Teaching Programming to Freshman Students

This work registers the initial results of a teaching strategy implemented with students entering the Algorithms discipline with a higher degree in Computing. This discipline offered to first-year students records cases of dropout and evasion. Thus, it is necessary to implement teaching strategies to provide engagement, interest, and motivation with the subjects worked on. The main objective is apply an active methodology problem-based learning in programming teaching. In this work participated 177 students in the years 2019-2 (47), 2020-1/2020-2 (83), and 2021-2 (47), enrolled in the first period of the course. The methodology adopted for the development of this study consisted of: use of questionnaires to measure prior knowledge about computing concepts; group discussion of the answers recorded in the questionnaire; development of an APP for smartphone; use of the PBL (Problem-based learning) methodology as a learning strategy. It is an activity related to the active teaching and learning methodology of problem-based learning that is being developed on the first day of class in groups of up to five students. The strategy consisted of two actions: 1) answering a questionnaire associating everyday computing elements; and 2) even though the programming concepts were not presented, the groups were challenged to develop a smartphone application. Each group received a questionnaire containing 19 questions divided into four blocks. What can be seen from the completion of this work was the enthusiasm, motivation, and engagement of the students, who, even though they were newcomers, organized themselves into groups and researched the necessary strategies to complete the challenge. When measuring the knowledge obtained through the application of a questionnaire relating to the content (with the participation of 62% of students), it was found that 81% of the participants obtained the necessary grade for approval of that content. Following the strategy of an active methodology of learning and teaching that favors the protagonism and autonomy of the student, we concluded that strategy was benefic for to the students, and the teacher acted as a guide in the teaching process, directing what should be researched to find the solution and serving as a tutor in the resolution of the problem presented. Preliminarily, part of this study was presented at the 2nd International Computer Programming Education Conference.

Assessments of Depression Anxiety and Stress among Volunteers Health Workers in Lagos, Nigeria

This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among volunteers who volunteered to carry out free health services in Lagos, Nigeria. It was a cross-sectional survey. The secondary objective was to determine whether there were differences between individuals who were experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress and those who were not. One hundred and sixty-three consecutive health workers were invited to take part in the study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered using a semi-structured proforma. Assessments were further done using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. According to the DASS-21 scale, 30.3% had various levels of depression, and various levels of anxiety were detected in 47.5% of participants. Similarly, various levels of stress were detected in 29.5% of the participants. There were significant associations between the sub-domains of depression anxiety and stress. High levels of depression, anxiety and stress were detected among the participants. The higher degree was evident, particularly among the single, female participants. The results will serve as supporting evidence for the timely intervention of further planning of preventative mental health services by the supervising ministry for volunteer health workers within the public and private health sectors. This implicates the need for mental health training. Hospital management and medical policymakers should continue to provide various types of therapies to increase the emotional resilience and coping skills of healthcare workers.

Doravirine and Rilpivirine Intra Cellular Accumulation in the Clinical Setting

Background: Doravirine (DOR) and Rilpivirine (RPV) are the NNRTIs currently most used in the clinical setting, in dual and triple drug regimens (2DR and 3DR). Intracellular (IC) Pharmacokinetics (PK) of these drugs has not been fully elucidated. Our aim was to compare plasma PK and IC accumulation in real-life experienced patients (pts). Methods: Pts on DOR- and RPV-including Antiretroviral (ARV) regimen were considered. DOR and RPV plasma and IC (PBMCs) concentrations were measured at 12 (37%) (T12) and 24 ± 4 hours (63%) (T24) after last drug intake by means of UHPLC-MSMS validated methods. Results: 90 pts (65% on 3DR and 35% on 2DR) were included: 52% on DOR- and 48% on RPV-containing ARV. RPV IC/plasma ratio was significantly higher than DOR IC/plasma ratio: 6.034 (4.878-7.186) vs. 1.479 (1.256-1.702) (p=0.001) independently from timing T12 (p=0.003) and T24 (p&lt;0.001). RPV in 3DR resulted to have higher plasma and IC accumulation compared to 2DR. Linear and significative correlations between DOR and RPV plasma and IC concentrations were found (+0.749, p&lt;0.001 and +0.733, p&lt;0.001). No significative correlation between overall DOR and RPV PK and creatinine, BMI or age or difference by gender was found. Conclusion: RPV proved to accumulate in PBMCs at a higher degree as compared to DOR: RPV and DOR IC levels were 498% and 50% higher than in plasma. RPV showed an IC PBMC/plasma ratio 3-fold higher than DOR. Potential explanation could rely on the higher lipophilicity of RPV. Clinical significance of these data needs to be investigated in further studies.

Assessment of gravity field recovery from a quantum satellite mission with atomic clocks and cold atom gradiometers

The aim of the MOCAST+ (MOnitoring mass variations by Cold Atom Sensors and Time measures) project, which was carried out during the years 2020–2022, was the investigation of the performance of a gravity field mission based on the integration of atomic clocks and cold atom interferometers. The idea was that the combined observations of the two sensors would be beneficial for the detection and monitoring of geophysical phenomena which have an impact on the time-variable part of the Earth gravity field models. Several different mission scenarios were simulated, considering different satellite configurations such as a Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)-class formation and a Bender-class formation with either two or three in-line satellites along each orbit. Moreover, different atomic species (rubidium and strontium), different inter-satellite distances, different noise power spectral densities, and different observation rates were taken into account. For the gravity field estimation from the simulated data, the space-wise approach was exploited. The results showed that, as it could be expected, the Bender configuration provides significantly better monthly gravity field solutions, as compared to a ‘nominal’ configuration with two or three satellites in a GRACE-class formation. In this way, and pushing the quantum sensors technology to its limits, it is in fact possible to obtain results which are comparable with those from GRACE at low harmonic degrees, and are better at higher degrees with positive effects in the detectability of localized time variable phenomena, as well as in the determination of the static gravity field at a higher maximum spherical harmonic degree than the one achieved by Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (of course considering an equivalent mission life-time).

Piecing together the history of change

This historical study of the tense morphology of moribund North American heritage Norwegian (AmNo) provides new diachronic insight into the language change of this variety. Change has been found in present-day (post-2010) AmNo tense morphology. Previous work argues that the observed changes have arisen with the present generation of speakers. However, this has not been proven with a systematic study of early AmNo data. AmNo presents a unique opportunity to explore the diachrony of old (moribund) heritage varieties since historical data have recently become available in the Corpus of American Nordic Speech (CANS). The present work uses such data from CANS, specifically a subcorpus of selected speakers from Coon Valley and Westby (WI) from 1942, which is supplemented by targeted searches in both a subcorpus of all speakers of CANS recorded in 1942 and a subcorpus of all speakers recorded from 1987 to 1992. The study found no evidence of change in the older stages of AmNo. This lack of evidence for change supports the claim that the change in the present-day tense morphology of AmNo has arisen with the present generation of speakers. A probable cause for the lack of change in early AmNo is that the AmNo language communities, to a large degree, functioned in Norwegian up until the 1940s. Thus, Norwegian was available to speakers to a much higher degree than it has been for the present generation. This study provides novel insight into language change in moribund heritage varieties, but it also argues that the study of further grammatical variables and heritage varieties is needed to increase our understanding of the language and grammar of the last multilingual speakers of moribund varieties.

Development of alkali activated cementitious material from sewage sludge ash: Two-part and one-part geopolymer

In order to realize the resource utilization of sewage sludge, geopolymer was prepared from alkali-activated precursors that consist of sewage sludge ash (SSA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). A traditional two-part geopolymer was prepared by adding alkali activator solutions, consisting of Na2SiO3 solutions and NaOH particles, to precursors consisting of equal portions of SSA and GGBS mixtures by weight. A one-part geopolymer was also prepared by just adding water to a mixture of SSA, GGBS and Na2SiO3-anhydrous solid alkali activators. Compressive tests were conducted on the two-part geopolymer with varying modulus and Na2O content, as well as the one-part geopolymer with varying Na2O content. The results showed that the compressive strength firstly increased and then decreased with the modulus of the alkali activators or Na2O content, and the compressive strength of one-part geopolymer was about 20% lower than the two-part geopolymer with the same modulus and Na2O content. Reaction process, mineralogy and microstructure of the two-part and one-part geopolymer were characterized and compared by the Isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results indicated that SSA participated in the geopolymerization process, and quartz and other crystals were largely transformed into amorphous phase. Moreover, there was a higher degree and rate of geopolymerization reaction in the two-part geopolymer with a dense and compact matrix, while there was about 20% higher porosity in the one-part geopolymer. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) revealed that concentrations of leached heavy metals from both types of geopolymer were well below the limits in Chinese specification. The cost index of the one-part geopolymer was about 15% higher than the two-part geopolymer, but the carbon emission index was 24% lower, indicating that it was a cleaner cementitious material.

Digital Educational Strategies to Teach Skin Self-examination to Individuals at Risk for Skin Cancer

ABSTRACT Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and early detection of melanoma may lead to diagnosis of thinner and more treatable cancers, resulting in improved survival rates. This study examined the effects of message interactivity (high vs. low) and imagery (cartoon, real human character, or customized imagery preference) on accuracy of identifying abnormal skin lesions (ASL) and skin self-examination (SSE) intention. This study employed a 3 (cartoon character vs. real person vs. customization) x 2 (high interactivity vs. low interactivity) between-subjects online experimental design. Participants at risk for skin cancer were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions and completed a survey after reviewing the educational materials. Univariate analyses were conducted to detect group differences on the accuracy of identifying ASL and intention to conduct SSE in the next 3 months. Among 321 participants who completed the study, the mean age was 36.61 years, 56.7% were females, 76.1% had a college or higher degree, and over 60% self-identified as non-Hispanic White. Individuals in the high interactivity and customization group (compared to the low interactivity and cartoon group) were more likely to accurately identify ASL. Individuals in the high interactivity and customization or low interactivity and real person imagery groups (compared to the low interactivity and cartoon group) reported higher intention to conduct SSE in the next 3 months. These results suggest that customization and interactivity may be beneficial for educational programs or intervention design to improve both melanoma identification and SSE intention.

Generalized quadratic commutator algebras of PBW-type

In recent years, various nonlinear algebraic structures have been obtained in the context of quantum systems as symmetry algebras, Painlevé transcendent models, and missing label problems. In this paper, we treat all these algebras as instances of the class of quadratic (and higher degree) commutator bracket algebras of Poincaré–Birkhoff–Witt type. We provide a general approach for simplifying the constraints arising from the diamond lemma and apply this in particular to give a comprehensive analysis of the quadratic case. We present new examples of quadratic algebras, which admit a cubic Casimir invariant. The connection with other approaches, such as Gröbner bases, is developed, and we suggest how our explicit and computational techniques can be relevant in other contexts.

Genes related to allergen exposure in allergic rhinitis: a gene-chip-based study in a mouse model

BackgroundThe typical clinical symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR) are known to be associated with allergen exposure; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We wanted to gain a comprehensive view of the molecular mechanisms related to allergen exposure in a well-controlled mouse model of AR.MethodsAn OVA-induced AR model was developed. Two hours and 4 weeks after the last OVA challenge, AR symptoms and local immune responses were assessed. At the same time, differentially expressed genes (DEG) in nasal mucosa were identified by gene expression microarray and further analyzed by bioinformatics methods. Verification of DEG was done by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe number of nasal rubbings and sneezes, serum OVA-specific IgE concentrations, and the number of neutrophils and eosinophils in the nasal mucosa were significantly increased at 2 h and decreased at 4 weeks after the last allergen challenge compared to controls. A total of 2119 DEG were identified, and their expression dynamics were clustered into 8 profiles. Enriched functions in Profile 5, which had a similar trend to clinical features, were mainly related to inflammatory and immune response to environmental factors, eosinophils and neutrophils chemotaxis, and cell migration. Gene co-expression Network for genes from profile 5 identified BCL3, NFKB2, SOCS3, and CD53 having a higher degree. Profile 6 showed persistence of inflammatory and immune response at 4 weeks after the last allergen challenge. Olfactory and coagulation functions were enriched mainly in profiles with downward trends.ConclusionsA wide range of genes with sequential cooperative action were identified to be associated with allergen exposure in AR. BCL3 may be the most vital in symptoms manifestation. Moreover, some inflammatory responses persisted for a period after allergen exposure, supporting a new treatment strategy of targeting inflammation out of season. This study may contribute to a better understanding of AR pathogenesis and provide potential therapeutic targets for AR patients.

Dietary Curcumin Supplementation Enhanced Ammonia Nitrogen Stress Tolerance in Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili): Growth, Serum Biochemistry and Expression of Stress-Related Genes

This study was conducted to determine whether curcumin has a positive effect in greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), especially the ammonia nitrogen stress tolerance ability. The results showed that the stress recovery process of digestive enzymes amylase and trypsin, as well as absorptive enzymes Na+/K+-ATPase, γ-GT and CK, was accelerated. Lysozyme activity increased in the fish fortified with both curcumin diets. Aspartate aminotransferase activity restriction was activated at a low curcumin level. However, alanine aminotransferase activity restriction happened only at 0.02% dietary curcumin. Facilitation of lipid metabolism by curcumin was very clear, as triglyceride and total cholesterol content was basically maintained at the original level or even showed a slight decrease after recovery. HSP70 and HSP90 genes were not evidently stimulated to express in liver, kidney and spleen tissues. In addition, curcumin showed its inhibition capacity on IL1β and IFN-γ and a promoting effect on TGF-β1. The expression of NF-κB1 decreased in a higher degree in fish fed with 0.02% dietary curcumin, while 0.01% dietary curcumin accelerated the recovery pace of C3 and lgT after stress. This study showed that dietary curcumin supplementation can enhance ammonia nitrogen stress tolerance in greater amberjack, and its application prospect can be confirmed.

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates and Factors Affecting Vaccine Hesitancy among Pregnant Women during the Pandemic Period in Turkey: A Single-Center Experience.

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was detected in the Wuhan region of China in 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world, was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2020. Since then, despite widespread recommendations to prevent the spread of the disease and provide treatment for sick people, 6,573,968 people died all over the world, 101,203 of which in Turkey. According to the international adult vaccination guidelines, pregnant women have been recommended to get vaccinated against the new coronavirus disease, as well as influenza and tetanus, during pregnancy. Before this study, not enough information was available about the vaccination awareness and vaccination hesitancy rates of pregnant women living in Turkey. For this reason, we believe that our study will contribute to filling this gap in the literature. The main objective of this study was to investigate the vaccination rates of pregnant women in a local hospital in Turkey and the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in this patient group. The minimum sample size of the study was found to be 241, with 80% power, 0.2 effect size, and 95% confidence interval, at p &lt; 0.05 significance level. We included 247 consecutive pregnant women who applied to the Samsun Training and Research Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinics between January 2022 and April 2022. The researchers prepared a questionnaire by taking into account the characteristics of the local community. A preliminary survey with these questions was also conducted before starting the main study. The mean age of the pregnant women participating in the study was 28.7 ± 5.3 years, and the mean gestational age was 28.2 ± 7.9 weeks. Among the participants, 26.3% were university graduates or had a higher degree, and 17% were actively working; in addition, 93 (37.7%) of the 247 pregnant women had received the COVID-19 vaccine, 203 (82.2%) had received at least one dose of the tetanus vaccine, and only 1 (0.4%) person had been administered the influenza vaccine during pregnancy. The most common reason for COVID-19 vaccine refusal and hesitancy was safety concerns, while the low rates of tetanus and influenza vaccination were due to a lack of knowledge. These results show that it is important to inform and educate the pregnant population on this subject to improve their vaccination behavior.

Explore the mechanism and substance basis of Mahuang FuziXixin Decoction for the treatment of lung cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

BackgroundMahuang FuziXixin Decoction (MFXD) is a classic Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of lung cancer. However, its mechanisms of action are unclear. In present study, network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were employed to investigate the molecular mechanism and substance basis of MFXD for the treatment of lung cancer. MethodThe active compounds and corresponding targets of MFXD were collected through the TCMSP database. OMIM and GeneCards databases were applied to filter the targets of lung cancer. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) were acquired through the STRING platform. Metascape and the Bioinformatics server were used for the visualization of GO and KEGG analysis. The tissue and organ distribution of targets was evaluated based on the BioGPS database. The binding affinity between potential targets and active compounds was evaluated by molecular docking. ResultA total of 51 active compounds and 118 targets of MFXD were collected. The target with a higher degree were identified through the PPI network, namely AR, RELA, NCOA1, EGFR, FOS, CCND1, ESR1 and HSP90AA1. GO and KEGG analysis suggested that MFXD treatment of lung cancer mainly involves hormone and response to inorganic substance, transcription regular complex, transcription factor binding and Pathways in cancer. Experimental validation showed that MFXD treatment inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells through downregulation the expression of EGFR, HIF1A, NCOA1 and RELA. Moreover, molecular docking revealed that hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction contribute to the binding of the compounds to targets. ConclusionOur findings comprehensively elucidated the actives, potential targets, and molecular mechanisms of MFXD against lung cancer, providing a promising strategy for the scientific basis and therapeutic mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for the treatment of the disease.

Prediction of Primary Deformation Modulus Based on Bearing Capacity: A Case on Forest Road with a Light Falling Weight Deflectometer Zorn ZFG 3000 GPS

Bearing capacity and compaction are among the most important and frequently used geotechnical parameters in road construction. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of predicting the value of the primary deformation modulus E1 (obtained from measurements using a static plate load test—PLT) based on measurements with a Zorn light falling weight deflectometer (LFWD), type ZFG 3000 GPS, with a drop weight of 10 kg. A regression analysis was performed on 245 bearing capacity measurements that were taken on 46 forest road sections with various road surfaces. Different regression models were tested, from linear to logarithmic, polynomial, exponential and power models, but excluding polynomials of fourth and higher degree. The results showed that the prediction of E1 values (PLT) from the dynamic deformation modulus values Evd (LFWD) was possible. However, the reported unsatisfactory strength of the relationship between the two parameters was associated with a high risk of error (r = 0.64, R2 = 0.41, Se = 49.78). Neither the use of more complex non-linear regression models, nor the use of multiple regression by introducing an additional estimator in the form of the s/v ratio, significantly improved estimation results. The quality of the prediction of the E1 value was not constant. It varied, depending on the type of forest road, the use of geosynthetic reinforcement and the type of road subgrade. During the study, it was also found that the quality of the prediction of the E1 value could be improved by limiting the range of Evd values tested from above. It is advisable to continue this type of research, as the obtained results could form the basis for future development of national standards for the use of LFWDs to control the bearing capacity and compaction of forest road pavements.

Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Fine Arts

Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan was a great personality in the history of the world. He got a higher degree in Law and started his political career on the platform of Indian National Congress but soon understood that their policies are anti-Muslim. So he joined All India Muslim League. He was a great and honorable political leader who was acknowledged by the representatives of different political groups. Mr. Jinnah was an honest, confident and hardworking political figure. This article deals with Mr. Jinnah and fine arts.

The Conditional Probability for Human Error Caused by Fatigue, Stress and Anxiety in Seafaring

Human error caused by the interaction and effect of fatigue, stress and anxiety in seafarers is the subject of this research. The human element is a major part of the maritime system. We used Bayesian networks to predict human error in maritime affairs by analysing interactions between people, technology, organisational and environmental factors which make up the specificity of the maritime system. Bayesian networks are graphical structures developed to represent the conditional dependencies among a number of variables and to make conditional conclusions related to the selected variables. Through the analysis of psychic causes such as stress, fatigue, anxiety and so on, the model can produce graphic diagrams indicating which rank on which type of vessel at which seafarers age contributes to an increase in conditional probability of human error. The contribution of the paper is to find the worst combinations of influencing variables that can lead to an increase in the risk of human error. The results show a significant level of fatigue and stress in all officers (engine and nautical), regardless of the type of vessel they serve. A strong presence of anxiety is also reported in all surveyed officers, with a higher degree between engine officers.

Patients Knowledge and Perception about Orthodontic Extraction of Sound Permanent Teeth

BACKGROUND&#x0D; There are many beliefs &amp; misconceptions of patients associated with the orthodontic extraction of sound teeth. The decision to extract creates a cycle of doubts in the patients' minds. So, the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and perception of patients undergoing extractions of sound permanent teeth for orthodontic reasons in a dental teaching institute.&#x0D; METHODS&#x0D; This prospective study involved patients who were advised and indicated for orthodontic extraction of sound permanent teeth. A questionnaire which was content, and face validated was used to measure the patients’ responses, which included questions about the knowledge and perception of patients regarding the extraction of sound permanent teeth for orthodontic reason. The returned questionnaires were analysed, and responses were tabulated and subjected to various statistical tests.&#x0D; RESULTS&#x0D; The overall level of knowledge was 38.18 % above average and the level of perception was 45.45 % above average. There was no statistically significant association between age groups with the level of knowledge (P=0.4980). Percentagewise: higher the age group, the higher the knowledge. While there was a statistically significant association (P=0.0490) between age groups with the level of perception. Percentagewise in ≤19 yrs. it was 38.10 % as compared to 69.23 % in ≥20 yrs. age who had an above average level of perception. A statistically significant association between the ANOVA test (F=8.0794, P=0.0009) and Tukey's post hoc test was seen between education level with mean perception level. Subjects with a higher degree had above-average perception levels followed by secondary and higher secondary education levels. Knowledge level was significantly higher in subjects residing in an urban area as compared to rural area (t=-2.9097, P=0.0053), percentage wise also urban area had more level of mean knowledge (53.33 %) as compared to rural area (20 %).&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS&#x0D; The overall level of knowledge and perception in patients reporting for orthodontic extraction of sound teeth was less. The study concluded the need for more awareness about the orthodontic extraction of sound teeth which can lead to more satisfaction and less anxiety, especially in lower age groups and rural populations.