Inversely Related Research Articles

Fundamental equations linking methylation dynamics to maximum lifespan in mammals

We describe a framework that addresses concern that the rate of change in any aging biomarker displays a trivial inverse relation with maximum lifespan. We apply this framework to methylation data from the Mammalian Methylation Consortium. We study the relationship of lifespan with the average rate of change in methylation (AROCM) from two datasets: one with 90 dog breeds and the other with 125 mammalian species. After examining 54 chromatin states, we conclude three key findings: First, a reciprocal relationship exists between the AROCM in bivalent promoter regions and maximum mammalian lifespan: AROCM ∝\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\propto$$\\end{document} 1/MaxLifespan. Second, the correlation between average methylation and age bears no relation to maximum lifespan, Cor(Methyl,Age) ⊥ MaxLifespan. Third, the rate of methylation change in young animals is related to that in old animals: Young animals’ AROCM ∝\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\propto$$\\end{document} Old AROCM. These findings critically hinge on the chromatin context, as different results emerge in other chromatin contexts.

Oxidative Stress in Depression: A Case-control Study of Serum MDA Levels and Lipid Levels in Patients With Depression in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Introduction: Numerous theories have been proposed to substantiate the etiopathogenesis of depression. Recently, the hypothesis involving the oxidative stress (OS) pathway has been explored. Hence, potential markers are also being investigated for their role in depression. We aimed to assess the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and serum lipid levels in individuals with depression and controls and explore associated factors. Methodology: A semi-structured questionnaire, complete with a mandatory consent form and a reliable, validated scale, namely the Hamilton Depression scale (HAM-D), was used. The method of sampling was purposive, with 100 depression cases in the psychiatry outpatient being included and 50 age-matched, gender-matched controls. Blood was collected from both groups to evaluate serum MDA and serum Lipid levels. Appropriate statistics using SPSS 20 were administered. Results: Our study had a female preponderance in cases, with 38% having major depressive disorder (MDD), 50% of whom showed suicidal ideas, and 10% had a prior history of deliberate self-harm. Mean HAM-D scores were higher in cases than controls, 18.57 ± 6.02, and mean MDA levels were higher in cases, 2.5 ± 1.02 mmol/L. HDL levels were lower in depression cases compared to controls, 38.34 ± 7.442. An inverse correlation was seen between mean serum MDA levels and HDL levels in depression cases. A significant relationship was observed between the parameters of depression and serum MDA levels. Conclusion: Significantly elevated mean serum MDA levels were observed in depression cases, along with significantly lowered mean HDL values compared to controls. We found a positive correlation between serum MDA levels and the severity, recurrence, and suicidality of depression. An inverse relation was observed between serum MDA values and mean HDL levels in depression. This emphasizes the need for clinical vigilance in employing these biomarkers not merely for assessment but also for HDL as a preventive measure in depression.

Inverse Relations for Blossoms and Parametrisations of Rational Curves and Surfaces

Inverse Relations for Blossoms and Parametrisations of Rational Curves and Surfaces

Multi-modal Anaphora and Broadcasting of Information by Gestural Post-holds

This paper deals with three interrelated topics, linguistic anaphora, multi-modal anaphora and the top-down broadcasting of information using gestural post-holds in multimodal dialogue. Initially, a new solution for definite, pronominal and pro-adverbial anaphora is given based on the idea that an existentially quantified general term may output a definite reference. This approach is extended to multimodal anaphora, where part or all of an anaphor’s meaning is contributed by some sequence of iconic or deictic gestures. Anaphora exploit the semantic potential of their antecedents, they work, as tradition has it, “bottom-up”. An inverse relation, more general than cataphora, and investigated here for the first time, is “broadcasting”, where information is freely distributed top down and input to receiving sites (ports). Anaphora are modelled with the same top-down mechanism and the same applies for coherence relations in dialogue which generally show an anaphora-like behaviour. “Broadcasting” can be used in the context of anaphors, for example, to provide their gestural meaning parts but also for a verb’s multi-modal arguments for referring to a location, a direction or an area. As to multi-modal data, broadcasting is shown to be frequently tied up with gestural post-holds, the holding of a gesture’s stroke information independently of semantically alignable speech. This leads to considering post-holds from a new perspective, stressing their speech-independent function and their relevance for indicating topic-continuity. We show that multi-modal anaphora and especially broadcasting cross single contributions and turns. The data which let us develop these perspectives come from the SaGA (Speech and Gesture Alignment) corpus, a set of route-description dialogues generated in a VR-setting incorporating marker-based eye-tracking facilities. The calculus used to model the anaphora and broadcasting dynamics is the concurrent λΨ-calculus, a recently developed two-tiered machinery using a Ψ-calculus for input-output, data transport and broadcasting. The data transported are in a typed λ-calculus format incorporating Neo-Davidsonian representations; these data can be linguistic, gestural only or multi-modal. Multi-modal informational chunks are modelled as communicating agents sending and receiving information via input-output-channels. They are introduced incrementally on an empirically motivated construction or gesture-plus-construction or gesture only basis. The λΨ-calculus is also used for the multi-modal fusion component unifying gestural and linguistic information; hence, the paper is also a contribution to multi-modal fusion of linguistic and gestural input. Finally, it is shown how the presented algorithm can capture multi-modal coherence relations or a multi-modal anaphora resolution based on PTT ideas.

Simultaneous Causality and the Spatial Dynamics of Violent Crimes as a Factor in and Response to Police Patrolling

Simultaneous causality occurs when two variables mutually influence each other, creating empirical contexts where cause and effect are not clearly unidirectional. Crime and policing often appear in urban studies presenting the following characteristic: sometimes, increased police patrols can reduce criminal activities, and other times, higher crime rates can prompt law enforcement administrations to increase patrols in affected areas. This study aims to explore the relationships between patrol dynamics and crime locations using spatial regression to support public policies. We identify spatial patterns and the potential impact of crime on policing and vice versa. Data on crimes and patrol locations were collected from the database provided by the Planning and Management Secretariat and the Social Defense Secretariat of Pernambuco, Brazil. The study employed Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to create a spatial simultaneous regression model for integrated security zones within the Brazilian geography. This approach provides a holistic visualization, enhancing our understanding and predictive capabilities regarding the intricate relationship between police presence and crime. The results report a significant relationship, with crime locations explaining police patrols (varying in geographic domain and type of crime). No statistically significant results from most geographic locations point to the inverse relation. The quantitative analysis segregated by typology presents a potential for effective public decision support by identifying the categories that most influence the patrol security time.

Slip to twinning to slip transition in polycrystalline BCC-Fe: Effect of grain size

A slip-to-twinning-to-slip transition concerning grain size has not been reported in the literature on BCC-Fe so far. In the present investigation, we report slip-to-twinning and twinning-to-slip transitions at 8 nm and 20 nm grain sizes, respectively. For this purpose, we used molecular dynamics simulations to study ⟨110⟩ quasi-3D polycrystals of BCC-Fe with grain sizes ranging from 3 nm to 102 nm at 10 K. Hall-Petch and inverse Hall-Petch relations were obtained depending on the grain size. Grain boundaries (GBs) were converted to lower energy boundaries through twin-GB interactions. Nucleation of twin boundary through GB decomposition was observed even under the constraints of triple junctions. Various dislocation mechanisms were observed, like delayed slip transfer, slip absorption, dislocations from a twin boundary, and formation of debris/point defects/tubular-type cylindrical rods from the gliding dislocations. Dislocation activity was observed to increase with increasing grain size. Luster and Morris parameter was used to understand dislocation-GB interactions. Intergranular fracture was observed.

Mathematical modeling of Ebola using delay differential equations

Nonlinear delay differential equations (NDDEs) are essential in mathematical epidemiology, computational mathematics, sciences, etc. In this research paper, we have presented a delayed mathematical model of the Ebola virus to analyze its transmission dynamics in the human population. The delayed Ebola model is based on the four human compartments susceptible, exposed, infected, and recovered (SEIR). A time-delayed technique is used to slow down the dynamics of the host population. Two significant stages are analyzed in the said model: Ebola-free equilibrium (EFE) and Ebola-existing equilibrium (EEE). Also, the reproduction number of a model with the sensitivity of parameters is studied. Furthermore, the local asymptotical stability (LAS) and global asymptotical stability (GAS) around the two stages are studied rigorously using the Jacobian matrix Routh–Hurwitz criterion strategies for stability and Lyapunov function stability. The delay effect has been observed in the model in inverse relation of susceptible and infected humans (it means the increase of delay tactics that the susceptibility of humans increases and the infectivity of humans decreases eventually approaches zero which means that Ebola has been controlled into the population). For the numerical results, the Euler method is designed for the system of delay differential equations (DDEs) to verify the results with an analytical model analysis.

Impact of Public Health Emergencies on the Willingness of Rural Migrant Workers to Return Home: Evidence from China

In 2022, under the combined influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. The employment landscape is grim, particularly for rural migrant workers, who are under immense pressure to secure employment. This study used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods to identify the influencing factors of migrant workers’ willingness to return home during public health emergencies and the potential multiple causal relationships, based on 2879 questionnaires on the employment status of migrant workers who are from Chongqing in 2022. The result of this study will be used as a reference by policymakers to formulate employment policies. The results show that: (1) Public health emergencies have no discernible direct impact on people’s willingness to return home. However, they have a significant positive effect on hometown belongings and a significant negative effect on income level and employment stability. These effects are ranked in order of influence: sense of belonging to hometown > income level > employment stability. (2) The willingness to return home is significantly impacted negatively by employment stability and income level, but it is significantly positively impacted by hometown belonging, with employment stability having the biggest impact. (3) There is a substantial inverse relation between income level and sense of belonging to hometown; the higher the income level, the stronger the capacity to withstand outside threats, and the greater the propensity to remain employed. (4) Three pathways exist by which public health emergencies affect migrant workers’ willingness to return home: “PHE→ES→HI”, “PHE→IL→HI”, and “PHE→ES→IL→HI”. (5) Income level and employment stability have multiple chain’mediating effects between public health emergencies and the willingness to return home, while only income level plays a partial mediating role between employment stability and the willingness to return hometown.

Olfactory facilitation of visual categorization in the 4-month-old brain depends on visual demand.

To navigate their environment, infants rely on intersensory facilitation when unisensory perceptual demand is high, a principle known as inverse effectiveness. Given that this principle was mainly documented in the context of audiovisual stimulations, here we aim to determine whether it applies to olfactory-to-visual facilitation. We build on previous evidence that the mother's body odor facilitates face categorization in the 4-month-old brain, and investigate whether this effect depends on visual demand. Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in two groups of 4-month-old infants while they watched 6-Hz streams of visual stimuli with faces displayed every 6th stimulus to tag a face-selective response at 1Hz. We used variable natural stimuli in one group (Nat Group), while stimuli were simplified in the other group (Simp Group) to reduce perceptual categorization demand. During visual stimulation, infants were alternatively exposed to their mother's versus a baseline odor. For both groups, we found an occipito-temporal face-selective response, but with a larger amplitude for the simplified stimuli, reflecting less demanding visual categorization. Importantly, the mother's body odor enhances the response to natural, but not to simplified, face stimuli, indicating that maternal odor improves face categorization when it is most demanding for the 4-month-old brain. Overall, this study demonstrates that the inverse effectiveness of intersensory facilitation applies to the sense of smell during early perceptual development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Intersensory facilitation is a function of unisensory perceptual demand in infants (inverse effectiveness). This inverse relation between multisensory and unisensory perception has been mainly documented using audiovisual stimulations. Here we show that olfactory-to-visual facilitation depends on visual demand in 4-month-old infants. The inverse effectiveness of intersensory facilitation during early perceptual development applies to the sense of smell.

Corticosteroid therapy for nephrotic syndrome in children.

In nephrotic syndrome protein leaks from the blood to the urine through the glomeruli resulting in hypoproteinaemia and generalised oedema. Children with untreated nephrotic syndrome frequently die from infections. The majority of children with nephrotic syndrome respond to corticosteroids. However about 70% of children experience a relapsing course with recurrent episodes of oedema and proteinuria. Corticosteroid usage has reduced the mortality rate in childhood nephrotic syndrome to around 3%, with infection remaining the most important cause of death. However corticosteroids have known adverse effects such as obesity, poor growth, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and adrenal suppression. The original treatment schedules for childhood nephrotic syndrome were developed in an ad hoc manner. The optimal doses and durations of corticosteroid therapy that are most beneficial and least harmful have not been clarified. The aim of this review was to determine the benefits and harms of different corticosteroid regimens in preventing relapse in children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS). We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2002), Cochrane Renal Group Specialised Register (July 2002), MEDLINE (1966 - July 2002) and EMBASE (1980 - July 2002) without language restriction, reference lists of articles, abstracts from conference proceedings and contact with known investigators in the area. Randomised controlled trials were included if they were carried out in children (aged three months to 18 years) in their initial or subsequent episode of SSNS, if they compared different durations, total doses or other dose strategies using prednisone or other corticosteroid agent and if they had outcome data at six months or more. Two reviewers independently reviewed all eligible studies for inclusion, assessed study quality and extracted data. The principle outcome measure was the number of children with and without relapse after six and 12-24 months. Secondary outcomes sought included the number of children who developed frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome and adverse events. A random effects model was used to estimate summary effect measures (relative risk (RR), risk difference (RD)) after testing for heterogeneity. Meta-regression was used to explore potential between-study differences due to the baseline risk of relapse, study quality and types of interventions used. Nineteen trials have been included in this review. A meta-analysis of six trials, which compared two months of prednisone with three months or more in the first episode, showed that the longer duration significantly reduced the risk of relapse at 12 - 24 months (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.84) without an increase in adverse events. There was an inverse linear relationship between the duration of treatment and risk of relapse (RR = 1.26 - 0.112 duration; r(2) = 0.56; p = 0.03). The number of children who became frequent relapsers and the mean relapse rate/patient/year were also significantly reduced without increase in serious adverse events. In children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome, deflazacort was significantly more effective in maintaining remission than prednisone (RR 0.44; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.78). Children in their first episode of SSNS should be treated for at least three months with an increase in benefit being demonstrated for up to seven months of treatment. In a population with a baseline risk for relapse following the first episode of 60% with two months of prednisone, daily prednisone for four weeks followed by alternate day therapy for six months would be expected to reduce the number of children experiencing a relapse by about 33%. In children who relapse frequently, deflazacort deserves further study.

Sol-gel auto-combustion synthesis of Co0.5Cu0.5Cr0.5GdxFe1.5-xO4 spinel ferrites and their magneto-dielectric properties

In this work, Gadolinium (Gd3+) substituted Co–Cu–Cr (CCC) SFs with the chemical formula Co0.5Cu0.5Cr0.5GdxFe1.5-xO4 (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) were synthesized via the self-combustion process. The single-phase matrix of the Gd3+ substituted CCC SFs was verified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size (D) of Gd3+ doped CCC SFs was reduced from 51.20 nm to 36.27 nm with increasing Gd3+ doping. The addition of Gd3+ in the CCC SFs lattice enhanced specific surface area (S) from 22.11 cm2/g to 28.57 cm2/g. The energy bandgap (Eg) was increased from 4.83 eV to 5.40 eV and revealed an inverse relation with crystallite size. The tangent loss (tan δ), dielectric loss (ε″), dielectric constant (ε′), and ac conductivity (σac) of Gd3+ doped CCC SFs exhibit frequency-dependent behaviour. The behaviour of these dielectric properties has been analyzed using both Koop's theory and the Maxwell-Wagner model. Moreover, it was found that the ε′ was enhanced, while σac and tan δ was reduced with the doping of Gd3+ in CCC SFs. The saturation magnetization and microwave operating frequency were increased with the doping of Gd3+ in CCC SFs. Because of their diverse dielectric and magnetic properties, the Gd3+ doped CCC SFs have considerable potential for different applications, including microwave absorption materials, switching high-frequency devices, and microwave frequency-operating devices.

Analytical Analysis of Thermal Conductivity by Laminar Flow Under the Influence of MHD Using Vogel’s Model

Abstract The main aim of this work is to study the influence of thermal conductivity of uniform couple stress fluid of inclined Poiseuille flow in the presence of magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) between two parallel plates. A well-known Vogel’s viscosity model is used. The momentum and energy equations are solved analytically by utilizing Homotopy Perturbation method (HPM) and Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM). The results include the velocity profile, average velocity, volume flux, Shear Stress, Skin friction and the temperature distribution between the plates. Particular attention is given to the effect of MHD Γ on the velocity field and temperature distribution. As can be seen, that there exists direct relation between MHD parameter Γ and velocity profile and bears inverse relation with temperature distribution. In addition to that, influence of non-dimensional parameters like G, A, a, B and γ on the velocity field and temperature distribution are also discussed graphically. The physical characteristics of the problem have been well discussed in graphs for several parameters of interest. The results reveal that both techniques are reliable and are in great agreement with each other.

The evolution of Cow’s Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS™) in presumed healthy infants

The Cow’s Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS™) is a scoring system that reflects the appearance and intensity of symptoms possibly related to consumption of cow’s milk. The original tool was recently updated by changing the cut-off, and the stool scale and by adding angioedema. There is no data available regarding the natural evolution of CoMiSS in infants with no cow’s milk allergy (no-CMA) or a comparison between original and updated CoMiSS values. We determined the original and the updated CoMiSS in infants not diagnosed with cow’s milk allergy. The evolution of CoMiSS during the first year of life was assessed repetitively during predefined check-ups at 1.5, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months. The original and updated scores were compared with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. We also tested the impact of feeding type, age, gender, and order in the family on the CoMiSS. One hundred and twenty-two infants were included. CoMiSS values during the first year of life showed an inverse relation to age. The difference in CoMiSS between the original and updated versions was significant at 6,8,10, and 12 months (p < 0.001), related to the switch from the Bristol Stool Form Scale to the Brussels Infants and Toddlers Stool Scale (BITSS). The difference between both versions of CoMiSS was not significantly different in infants < 6 months (p = 0.999 at 1.5 and 4 months, and p = 0.586 at 3 months, respectively).Conclusion: CoMiSS decreases with age during the first year of life. While there is no difference between the two CoMiSS versions in healthy infants under 6 months of age, the CoMiSS value in the updated version is lower than the original 1 in infants aged 6 to 12 months.What is known?• The Cow’s Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS) is a validated awareness tool for cow’s milk allergy (CMA).• A CoMiSS of ≥ 10 indicates a risk for cow’s milk allergy.What is new?• The natural evolution of CoMiSS in infants not diagnosed with CMA (no-CMA) shows an inverse relation to age.• There is no difference between the original and the updated CoMiSS versions in no-CMA-infants under six months of age, but the updated CoMiSS is lower in infants 6–12 months than the original one.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter traces seasonally changing coastal processes in a river-influenced region of the western Bay of Bengal.

The optical characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) serve as a convenient tool for evaluating coastal processes, e.g., river runoff, anthropogenic inputs, primary production, and bacterial/photochemical processes. We conducted a study on the seasonal and spatial variability of absorbance and fluorescence characteristics of CDOM and nutrients in the coastal waters near the Gauthami estuary of River Godavari, the largest peninsular river of India, for a year. The surface aCDOM(350) showed a significant inverse relation with salinity in the coastal region, indicating a conservative mixing of marine and terrestrial end members. The aCDOM(350) was not conservative in the offshore (100m isobath) waters due to enrichment by secondary sources. Seasonal variability in optical properties indicated diverse sources for CDOM, as revealed by principal component analysis. The excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra followed by parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) revealed four distinct fluorophores. The tyrosine (B) fluorophore showed a predominant increase in the post-monsoon season (October to January), while tryptophan (T) was relatively more enriched, coincident with nutrient enrichment and transparency increase during the early monsoon phase (July). The biological index (BIX), which reflects recent photosynthetic activity, also displayed relatively higher values during the early monsoon. The humic fluorophores A and M, and humification index (HIX) were relatively enriched during the later phase of monsoon (July-October). HIX was > 4 in a few samples of the offshore region (100-m isobath) and indicated a probable contamination from drill-mud (bentonite) used in hydrocarbon exploration. During the monsoon, the relationship between T and B with CDOM was not evident due to the masking of B fluorescence in intact protein. However, during the post-monsoon (POM) and pre-monsoon (PRM) periods, this masking effect was not observed, likely due to protein degradation via bacterial and photochemical processes, respectively. Temporal variability in nutrients indicated that high ammonium levels were produced during POM (OM bacterial degradation), and high nitrite levels were observed during PRM (due to primary production). This study provides foundational insights into the use of CDOM for understanding the impact of diverse environmental, river discharge, and anthropogenic factors on coastal ecosystems.

Using progesterone to follicular index ratio is better correlated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome than using serum progesterone level alone.

to investigate the possibility of using the ratio of serum progesterone level to the number of follicles, according to ovarian response in the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin trigger, as a predictor of cycle outcome. A prospective intervensional study was conducted at Kamal Al-Samarai Hospital for Infertility Treatment and IVF during the period from December 2020 to September 2021. Ninety infertile women underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using antagonist protocol. Moreover, once the patient reached triggering criteria, meticulous recording of follicular index together with serum estrogen level and serum progesterone level are measured. Fresh embryo transfer of cleavage stage embryo is done once serum progesterone level was less than 1.5 ng/mL. A follow-up to confirm pregnancy rate and cycle outcome was done. The study showed a positive pregnancy rate of 28.9%. The relationship between progesterone follicular index (Prog/FI) ratio and (ICSI) outcome was highly significant with a p value of 0.001. Additionally, an inverse relationship, as the ratio was lower the pregnancy rate was improved, was documented. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for progesterone follicular index ratio was 0.711 with a cut off value of 0.0354 ng/mL in addition to a sensitivity of 65.6 and a specificity of 65.4. The serum progesterone level is an independent factor for the prediction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome, whereas the progesterone follicular index ratio can be used as a potential marker for predicting ICSI outcome in fresh embryo transfer.

Tailoring molecular structure and electromechanical properties of polydimethylsiloxane elastomer for enhanced energy conversion efficiency

AbstractThe molecular structure of dielectric elastomers dictates their mechanical, electrical, and properties to react under external stimuli, influencing their suitability for applications such as actuators, sensors, and energy harvesting devices. The molecular structure of polymers can be tailored by incorporating plasticizers and particulate fillers to achieve multifunctional properties. However, achieving a balance between flexibility and maintaining mechanical strength due to incorporation of fillers induced phase separation and compromised intermolecular interactions remains challenging. In the present work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites are synthesized using plasticizer and particulate fillers, polyethylene glycol (H‐(OCH2CH2)nOH) and titanium diboride (TiB2) respectively in various concentrations using shear mixing and doctor blade casting technique. Molecular structure of synthesized PDMS composite is confirmed by observing peaks of Raman spectra sift, which exhibits robust CO bonds dominating for both fillers. Chain entanglement due to filler incorporation significantly affects the crosslink density of PDMS composite, it increases with the concentration of plasticizer and possesses inverse relation for particulate. Furthermore, interdependence of the filler types and concentration are found on the mechanical as well as electrical properties. The specific deformation energy exhibits a significant increase of 118.9% when comparing particulate to the plasticizer at concentration of 8 wt.%. Although plasticizer increases the actuation strain and energy conversion efficiency but decreases the electrical breakdown voltage in comparison to particulate. By systematically varying fillers concentration, subtle changes in multifunctional properties are achieved. Overall, this investigation provides a framework for tailoring dielectric elastomer composites with desired electromechanical characteristics through the amalgamation of filler types and crosslinking densities, all intricately tied to the molecular architecture for electromechanical sensors.Highlights Filler incorporation changes DE molecular structure and materials properties. Formation of additional bonds and micro‐capacitors in DE enhances capacitance. Actuation strain in DE depends on filler type and concentration. Energy conversion efficiency varies with the concentration of filler.

Olfactory-to-visual facilitation in the infant brain declines gradually from 4 to 12 months.

During infancy, intersensory facilitation declines gradually as unisensory perception develops. However, this trade-off was mainly investigated using audiovisual stimulations. Here, fifty 4- to 12-month-old infants (26 females, predominately White) were tested in 2017-2020 to determine whether the facilitating effect of their mother's body odor on neural face categorization, as previously observed at 4 months, decreases with age. In a baseline odor context, the results revealed a face-selective electroencephalographic response that increases and changes qualitatively between 4 and 12 months, marking improved face categorization. At the same time, the benefit of adding maternal odor fades with age (R2 = .31), indicating an inverse relation with the amplitude of the visual response, and generalizing to olfactory-visual interactions previous evidence from the audiovisual domain.

Short-term time-series observations of phytoplankton light-absorption and productivity in Prydz Bay, coastal Antarctica

The optical characteristics of coastal Antarctic waters exhibit complexity due to the dynamic hydrography influenced by meltwater intrusion, which alters nutrient levels, thermohaline structure, and optically active substances (OAS) regimes. Studies on bio-optical variability and its implications on phytoplankton productivity (PP) are scanty in coastal polar regions. On this backdrop, time-series measurements (72 h at 6 h intervals) of bio-optical properties such as phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a), absorption (aph), and total suspended matter (TSM) concurrently with PP were measured to understand their interplay and variability in relation to the ambient physicochemical settings in the under-sampled Prydz Bay, coastal Antarctica. Our findings revealed thermohaline stratification within the bay, likely attributed to the inflow of less saline meltwater from nearby glaciers and minimal wind activity. The consistent presence of sub-surface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) beneath the stratified layer underscored the light-acclimatization response of shade-adapted phytoplankton. Surface waters exhibited higher TSM compared to deeper layers, indicating glacial melt influence, while the depth of the sunlit layer remained relatively stable, suggesting limited water mass movement and/or variability in OAS at the study site. An inverse relation between chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-a-specific phytoplankton light absorption (a*ph(λ)) manifested ‘pigment package effect’ within the prevailing phytoplankton community, implying reduced light-absorption efficiency and consequent lower PP. Compared to chlorophyll-a, the phytoplankton light absorption (aph(λ)) emerged as a better proxy for explaining PP variability. Nutrient availability was not limiting, which was conducive to micro (large) phytoplankton growth. Classification of phytoplankton size classes (micro, nano, and pico) based on the B/R ratio (aph at Blue (443 nm)/Red (676 nm) region) confirmed the dominance of larger (micro) phytoplankton that are more susceptible to package effect, thus have implications on reduced PP potential of this polar marine ecosystem.

Relationship between inflammatory laboratory parameters and severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A pilot study.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex condition whose pathogenesis may include inflammation and signs of joint and bone degeneration. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and inflammatory blood parameters. The study recruited patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who attended the Rehabilitation Center of the Apostolo Foundation in Merate (LC). The scoliosis curve (Cobb's angle) was used as a severity index to compare with inflammatory blood parameters (white blood cells subpopulations, immunoglobulins, protein electrophoresis). In addition, the study used an overall severity grading called "Scoliosis Score" which includes all spine angles and Risser's score (bone development index). Thirty-four subjects were recruited (mean age 14years, 2months), 30females and 2males. A significant correlation was found between Cobb's angle and the percentage values of beta-2 globulins in a directly proportional manner (r= 0.42, p= 0.01), and gamma globulins in an inversely proportional manner (r=-0.366, p= 0.04). However, no significant correlation between Cobb's angle and the absolute values of white blood cells and percentage subpopulations was found (r= 0.0821 p= 0.655). A moderate, inverse correlation was found between the Scoliosis Score and the percentage of neutrophils (r=-0.385, p= 0.02), a direct correlation was found between the Scoliosis Score and the percentage of lymphocytes (r= 0.404, p= 0.02). In addition, there was a strong correlation of the Scoliosis Score with alpha-2 globulin (r= 0.564, p= 0.0012), beta-1 globulin (r= 0.478, p= 0.0074), and beta-2 globulin (r= 0.370, p= 0.044) and an inverse relationship with gamma globulin (r=-0.625, p= 0.0002). The main correlations were confirmed by regression analysis. The correlation between beta-2 globulins and gamma globulins with Cobb's angle and the Scoliosis Score suggests a link between spinal curvature and inflammation in scoliosis patients, This link may indicate the significance of these parameters for diagnosing, staging the disease, and monitoring therapies.

Autoimmune hypothyroidism GWAS reveals independent autoimmune and thyroid-specific contributions and an inverse relation with cancer risk.

The high prevalence of autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIHT) - more than 5% in human populations - provides a unique opportunity to unlock the most complete picture to date of genetic loci that underlie systemic and organ-specific autoimmunity. Using a meta-analysis of 81,718 AIHT cases in FinnGen and the UK Biobank, we dissect associations along axes of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity. This largest-to-date scan of hypothyroidism identifies 418 independent associations (p < 5x10 - 8 ), more than half of which have not previously been documented in thyroid disease. In 48 of these, a protein-coding variant is the lead SNP or is highly correlated (r 2 > 0.95) with the lead SNP at the locus, including low-frequency coding variants at LAG3 , ZAP70 , TG, TNFSF11, IRF3, S1PR4, HABP2, ZNF429 as well as established variants at ADCY7, IFIH1 and TYK2 . The variants at LAG3 (P67T), ZAP70 (T155M), and TG (Q655X) are highly enriched in Finland and functional experiments in T-cells demonstrate that the ZAP70 :T155M allele reduces T-cell activation. By employing a large-scale scan of non-thyroid autoimmunity and a published meta-analysis of TSH levels, we use a Bayesian classifier to dissect the associated loci into distinct groupings and from this estimate, a significant proportion are involved in systemic (i.e., general to multiple autoimmune conditions) autoimmunity (34%) and another subset in thyroid-specific dysfunction (17%). By comparing these association results further to other common disease endpoints, we identify a noteworthy overlap with skin cancer, with 10% of AIHT loci showing a consistent but opposite pattern of association where alleles that increase the risk of hypothyroidism have protective effects for skin cancer. The association results, including genes encoding checkpoint inhibitors and other genes affecting protein levels of PD1, bolster the causal role of natural variation in autoimmunity influencing cancer outcomes.