Significant Combined Effect Research Articles

The Comparison between Microneedling and Fractional CO2 Laser for Amniotic Membrane Stem Cell-Conditioned Medium and Vitamin C in Photoaging Treatment.

Photoaging correlates with ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In addition to direct and indirect DNA damage, UVR leads to a breakdown of collagen, resulting in enlarged pores, visible wrinkles, also uneven skin tones and pigmentations. Amniotic membrane stem cell (AMSC) can be a useful modality in cell regeneration. Vitamin C has been known as an agent of depigmentation, antioxidants, and collagen synthesis. A topical combination of amniotic membrane stem cell-conditioned medium (AMSC-CM) and vitamin C is expected to improve photoaging. Fractional CO2 laser and microneedling served as transdermal drug delivery. To compare between microneedling and fractional CO2 laser for the administration of AMSC-CM and vitamin C in photoaging treatment. Sixty Indonesian women with photoaged skins participated in this experimental analytic, controlled, matching research and were divided into two groups. Thirty women received fractional CO2 laser, and others received microneedling. All participants received a topical combination of AMSC-CM and vitamin C. Three treatment sessions were repeated at a four-week interval for fractional CO2 laser and a two-week interval for microneedling. We evaluated the progression and side effects using a skin analyzer on weeks 0, 4, and 8 for the microneedling group and for the fractional CO2 laser group on weeks 0, 4, and 12. Assessment of wrinkles, UV spots, skin tone, and pore revealed a statistically significant effect of a topical combination of AMSC-CM and vitamin C after fractional CO2 laser (p < 0.05). Combination of AMSC-CM and vitamin c using fractional CO2 laser can improve photoaging and is better compared to microneedling.

Shannon entropy for hydrogen atom in Debye and quantum plasma environment

The plasma screening effect on Shannon entropy values is studied for atomic states of hydrogen under the more general exponential cosine screened Coulomb (MGECSC) potential, which can be used to model Debye and quantum plasmas. The wavefunctions used in the calculation of Shannon entropy are obtained by solving the Schrödinger equation employing the efficient Numerov technique. Shannon entropy is calculated for hydrogen atom quantum levels using various sets of screening parameters to account for the four different potential forms present in the MGECSC potential. The electron density distributions are considerably altered due to the plasma shielding influence on the embedded hydrogen atoms, and this effect is measured by the shift in Shannon entropy. A greater screening influence on entropy is observed in quantum plasma modeled by the MGECSC potential than that in Debye plasma due to the significant combined effects of screening parameters. Excellent convergence is obtained on comparing our results for plasma-free hydrogen atom with the currently available literature. This study is the first to examine the effects of shielding on Shannon entropy of hydrogen atoms in plasmas modeled by the MGECSC potential. These findings will be important for theoretical and experimental research in the disciplines of atomic physics and plasma diagnostics.

THE INFLUENCE OF CURRENT RATIO, DEBT TO ASSET RATIO AND TOTAL ASSET TURNOVER ON PROFIT CHANGES AT PT. UNILEVER TBK PERIOD 2014-2021

This study examines the impact of the Current Ratio, Debt to Asset Ratio, and Total Asset Turnover variables on earnings changes at PT. Unilever Tbk for the period of 2014-2021. The study utilizes secondary data from 32 samples. The analysis involves descriptive analysis, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, and hypothesis testing. The findings indicate that the Debt to Asset Ratio variable has no significant partial effect, whereas the Current Ratio and Total Asset Turnover exhibit a significant impact on earnings changes. However, the F test reveals that when considered together, the Current Ratio, Debt to Asset Ratio, and Total Asset Turnover do not have a significant effect on earnings changes. The analysis demonstrates that the Debt to Asset Ratio has no significant impact on changes in earnings, contradicting (H2), which suggests a positive and significant relationship between the two. Conversely, Total Asset Turnover demonstrates a positive and significant effect on earnings changes, supporting (H3) which states a partial and significant influence. Simultaneously, the Current Ratio, Debt to Asset Ratio, and Total Asset Turnover do not significantly affect earnings changes, contrary to (H4) which assumes a significant combined effect. Overall, the results indicate that the Current Ratio partially influences earnings changes, while the Debt to Asset Ratio and Total Asset Turnover do not significantly affect them.

FAMILY BACKGROUND AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION OF SELECTED CORP MEMBERS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Entrepreneurship Intention has been discussed in extant literature as the foundation for successful businesses. The decision of an individual to start a business is often derived from his constant interactions and consultations with his social environment. An individual who belongs to an entrepreneur-family has a greater chance to choose an entrepreneurial career than one hailing from non-entrepreneurial background. However, the effect of family background on entrepreneurial intention of corps members in Nigeria has not been fully established, which has created a literature. Therefore, this study investigated the the effect of family background on entrepreneurial intention in Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design. 439 batch B corps members in Ibadan North, Ibadan Southwest and Ogbomoso North Local government area of Oyo State, Nigeria served as the sample unit Questionnaires were administered to the selected Corp members. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.810 to 0.827. A response rate of 87.4% was recorded from the field work. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential tools with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. Findings revealed that family background has significant effect on entrepreneurial intention selected corps members in Oyo State, Nigeria. (R= 0.551, R2= 0.304, t = 6.476 P&lt;0.05). Specifically, the study found that Family background has a significant combined effect on entrepreneurial intention of selected corps members in Oyo State, Nigeria. (R= 0.568 R2= 0.323, AdjR2 0.293 F(4, 380) = 10.958 P&lt;0.05). The study concluded that there is significant relationship between family background and entrepreneurial intention, with a moderate positive correlation. The study therefore recommended that Youth corps members should understand the potential influence of family business experience and entrepreneurial education on their entrepreneurial competence and knowledge. Reflect on the experiences and knowledge gained from family businesses and leverage them to enhance your entrepreneurial abilities.

Combined Micro-Structural Effects of Linearly Increasing Reynolds Number and Mean Inflow Velocity on Flow Fields with Mesh Independence Analysis in Non-Classical Framework

The monolithic Eulerian formulation has widely been employed for solving numerically fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems of finite structural displacement using the same mathematical variational formulation for fluid and structural dynamics. Recently, different physical features of fluid flow have been analyzed using this approach to such coupling problems by computing the classical benchmark solutions in a non-classical framework. Despite producing decent results, the analysis of micro-structural characteristics of fluid flow by applying the classical benchmark solutions still needs to be enhanced and extended further for such coupling problems. In this paper, the classical benchmark solutions have been enhanced and extended further for analyzing the combined micro-structural effects of linearly increasing Reynolds number Re and mean inflow velocity U¯ on flow fields with mesh independence analysis by employing a monolithic Eulerian formulation in a non-classical framework. To this aim, the Cosserat fluids theory is taken into account for the present coupling problem by considering three micro-rotational degrees of freedom (dof) of fluid particles. The model equations of the proposed Cosserat fluid–structure interaction (CFSI) problem are derived using underlying laws of continuum mechanics. A numerical section presents the implementation of the benchmark problem with test examples followed by a detailed evaluation of the obtained results. The results obtained indicate that a uniform linear increase in Reynolds number Re and mean inflow velocity U¯ produce the significant combined micro-structural effects on the micro-rotation velocity field ω, and this effect is found increasing on the increase of both parameters. This combined effect of increasing Re and U¯ on the velocity field u is also observed to be very significant in a sense that horizontal and vertical flow velocity profiles experience great variation by maintaining the same pattern on each increasing value of Re and U¯ at any particular location in the computational domain. Further, the mesh independence analysis is employed to verify the convergence of obtained results. The study concludes that the linear increase in Reynolds number and mean inflow velocity affect micro-rotational velocity field significantly at the micro-structural level with mesh independence analysis. Finally, some future recommendations to enhance and extend the study with some of its limitations are presented.

Improved simpler R/C hysteresis model considering biaxial interaction

From practical point of view, it is evident that the seismic wave acted on structures through two mutually orthogonal components which have significant combined effect on inelastic demands of the structure. Usually a smaller amount of ground motion generally applied in only one direction than the other and in most of the cases the studies considered only limited inelasticity. Therefore, further research is needed that considers ground motion in both horizontal directions with corresponding bi-directional intensities. Study shows, the combined effects cause significant amount of degradation of strength and stiffness which in turn cause early yielding of R/C(Reinforced Concrete) structural member. Conventional uni-axial model does not consider this type of bi-directional interaction. Some existing simpler bi-axial hysteresis model which can capture biaxial interaction shows satisfactory results, but still the deviation from experimental results are very prominent. On the other hand, some existing sophisticated bi-axial hysteresis model shows better accuracy in predicting response of R/C structural elements but these types of models require large number of calibrated test results which makes them case-specific. In this backdrop, by using principle of yield surface, this study aims to incorporate bi-directional interaction over a simpler hysteresis model which primarily able to capture uni-directional loading effects. Detailed computational scheme of the enhanced simpler uni-axial hysteresis model and extension of the model to capture bi-directional interaction with its performance in prediction of inelastic cyclic behaviour of R/C structural members are presented in this paper. From the performance point of view, it is clearly visible that the proposed simple bi-axial hysteresis model can predict experimental load–displacement curves of R/C structural members under bi-directional reversible loading with acceptable accuracy. The requirement of limited number of input parameters for the present proposed bi-axial hysteresis model make it more convenient to assess the progressive seismic damage under bi-directional ground motion.

Effect of Volumes of Solutions on Intraocular Pressure During Intravitreal Injection of Low Dose Gentamicin in Horses With Recurrent Uveitis: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Horses with recurrent uveitis can be treated by intravitreal injection of low dose gentamicin under sedation and after local anesthetic techniques including the retrobulbar nerve block. Since it is reported that retinal degeneration can be secondary to an acute increase of intraocular pressure (IOP), the current randomized controlled study was carried out in order to investigate the changes in IOP following retrobulbar anesthesia, with two different volumes of local anesthetic (lidocaine) solution (10 and 5 mL), and intravitreal injection of 6 mg gentamicin in two different volumes of solution (0.3 and 0.15 mL). Multivariate regression showed that IOP was significantly lower in the pathologic eye at baseline (estimated effect size -6.1 mmHg; P=.0001) and after sedation (estimated effect size -9.4 mmHg; P < .0001). The IOP was significantly higher after a 10 mL block (P .0002) but this effect was very small (+0.5 mmHg). There was no significant difference in IOP after the injection of 0.15 or 0.3 mL solution of gentamicin. There was no significant combined effect of the volume of local anesthetic used for the block and the volume of the gentamicin solution. Since the expected anesthetic effects (desensitization and akinesia) were met in all cases, the smaller volume of 5 mL of lidocaine solution would be preferable for retrobulbar block for intravitreal injections, while intravitreal injections volumes of 0.15 and 0.30 mL can be used indifferently.

Combination Influence of Humic Acid and Chelated Iron on yield and quality of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L) in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

&nbsp;&nbsp;This study was conducted during winter season of 2020, at Murtka farm, Qushtapa, Erbil with GPS reading of (latitude 36. 068 880 N, longitude 44. 031 990 E) and elevation 413. m.a.s.l. to study the role of 5 levels of humic acid( 0, 15 ,30,45 and 60 Mg ha-1 ), five levels of chelated iron (0, 4, 8, 12 and16 Mg ha-1) and their combinations o yield and quality of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L).The results indicated significant effect of humic acid and combination between humic acid and chelated iron on broccoli yield, the highest yield values of yield and 21.20 and 22.53 Mg ha-1 were recorded from application of 60Mg ha-1&nbsp;&nbsp; humic acid and combination treatment of HA4-Fe3 or adding of 60 Mg ha-1 humic acid with 12 Mg ha-1 chelated iron respectively, while the lowest values 15.28 and 15.08 Mg ha-1 were obtained from HA0 and HA0-Fe0 respectively. The highest protein, potassium, phosphorus &nbsp;&nbsp;and Fe (30.25% ,4.10 g 100g-1 ,0.45 g 100 g-1 and 253 mg kg-1 head) were recorded from combination treatments of HA3-Fe2, HA4-Fe2, HA4-Fe2 and HA1-Fe4 respectively, while their lowest were obtained from control. The combination between humic acid and chelated iron (Fe-EDDHA) caused 1.71,2.37 ,1.60, 2.01 ,1.71 and1.49 times increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron protein content and broccoli yield respectively.

Assessing the effects of coral reef habitat and marine protected areas on threatened megafauna using aerial surveys

Abstract Overfishing and habitat degradation are major threats to marine megafauna worldwide. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are effective spatial conservation tools for reducing anthropogenic pressures on threatened species but their benefits for megafauna are still debated. While the effects of MPAs on species abundances are widely reported, few studies have simultaneously investigated the confounding effect of habitat. This study aimed at disentangling the effects of coral reef habitat and spatial protection on megafauna densities in a shallow lagoon partly covered by a no‐take MPA in New Caledonia (South‐west Pacific). Twenty replicates of aerial‐video surveys (representing 17 h of videos) were conducted during a 5‐month period to estimate and map the densities of five megafauna taxa (dugongs, sea turtles, sharks, Dasyatidae rays and Myliobatidae rays). A permutational multivariate analysis of variance was then applied to assess and disentangle the effects of coral reef habitat obtained from high‐resolution satellite imagery and spatial protection on megafauna taxa densities. The analysis revealed a significant effect of protection for sharks and Myliobatidae, with observed densities respectively 9 and 3 times higher inside the MPA compared with outside. The results also highlighted a significant combined effect of habitat and protection for dugongs and Dasyatidae, as well as a significant effect of habitat alone for Dasyatidae. In contrast, no significant effect of habitat or protection was detected for sea turtles. In conclusion, this study revealed positive effects of protection (alone or combined with habitat) for four of the five studied megafauna taxa, confirming the effectiveness of the current MPA. Future studies should be conducted over broader spatial and temporal scales to examine whether detected effects hold beyond the surveyed period and area.

Frailty and its combined effects with lifestyle factors on cognitive function: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundFrailty describes an age-related state of deterioration in biological function. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and cognitive function and its combined effects with lifestyles.MethodsA total of 3,279 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji (DFTJ) cohort were tested the cognitive function by using the Chinese version of Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Frailty was evaluated based on a 35-item frailty index (FI). Frailty status was dichotomized into robust (FI < 0.15) and frail (FI ≥ 0.15). Multivariate generalized linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of frailty with MMSE score and cognitive impairment. We also analysed the modification and combined effects of lifestyle factors, including smoking status, drinking status, and regular physical exercise, on the above associations.ResultsFI was significantly associated with lower MMSE score [β (95%Cl) = -0.28 (-0.43, -0.13)] and cognitive impairment [OR (95%Cl) = 1.19 (1.04, 1.35)]. The association of frailty status with MMSE were found to be stronger among ever smokers [β(95%Cl) = -1.08 (-1.64, -0.51)] and physical inactive individuals [β(95%Cl) = -1.59 (-2.63, -0.54)] while weaker or not significant among never smokers [β(95%Cl) = -0.30 (-0.62, 0.01)] and physical active individuals [β(95%Cl) = -0.37 (-0.65, -0.08))]. There were significant combined effects of frailty status with unhealthy lifestyles including smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical inactive on cognitive impairment.ConclusionsFrailty was associated with cognitive impairment among Chinese middle-aged and elderly people, while smoking cessation and regular physical exercise could attenuate the above associations, which highlight the potential preventive interventions.

Influence of residential indoor environment on quality of life in China

The residential indoor environment has been acknowledged as one of the main settings affecting quality of life. However, complex relationships exist between residential indoor environment and quality of life. Most studies frequently tend to address a narrow range of residential environmental factors and associated quality of life. Therefore, this study is to identify the relationships between overall residential indoor environment and quality of life, and how relationships can be influenced by potential confounding factors, based on the Pan-China residential environment and health survey data. Results showed that the prominent residential environmental issues reported by participants were thermal problems. There was a statistically significant association between the increase in physical/mental health conditions and the reduction in reported frequency of residential environmental problems, including thermal, indoor air quality, lighting, acoustic, hygiene, safe and security environment, even after adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking status, drinking status, and number of residents per household. Furthermore, the significant combined effects on physical/mental health were found for paired residential environmental problems, including temperature and humidity, thermal environment and air quality/noise/mold, air quality and noise, and fall risks and wet problems, after adjustment for confounders. This paper attempted to disentangle complex relationships between residential indoor environment and quality of life, which will provide a basis to develop strategies for improving quality of life.

Persistence of low pathogenic avian influenza virus in artificial streams mimicking natural conditions of waterfowl habitats in the Mediterranean climate

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) can affect wildlife, poultry, and humans, so a One Health perspective is needed to optimize mitigation strategies. Migratory waterfowl globally spread AIVs over long distances. Therefore, the study of AIV persistence in waterfowl staging and breeding areas is key to understanding their transmission dynamics and optimizing management strategies. Here, we used artificial streams mimicking natural conditions of waterfowl habitats in the Mediterranean climate (day/night cycles of photosynthetic active radiation and temperature, low water velocity, and similar microbiome to lowland rivers and stagnant water bodies) and then manipulated temperature and sediment presence (i.e., 10–13 °C vs. 16–18 °C, and presence vs. absence of sediments). An H1N1 low pathogenic AIV (LPAIV) strain was spiked in the streams, and water and sediment samples were collected at different time points until 14 days post-spike to quantify viral RNA and detect infectious particles. Viral RNA was detected until the end of the experiment in both water and sediment samples. In water samples, we observed a significant combined effect of temperature and sediments in viral decay, with higher viral genome loads in colder streams without sediments. In sediment samples, we didn't observe any significant effect of temperature. In contrast to prior laboratory-controlled studies that detect longer persistence times, infectious H1N1 LPAIV was isolated in water samples till 2 days post-spike, and none beyond. Infectious H1N1 LPAIV wasn't isolated from any sediment sample. Our results suggest that slow flowing freshwater surface waters may provide conditions facilitating bird-to-bird transmission for a short period when water temperature are between 10 and 18 °C, though persistence for extended periods (e.g., weeks or months) may be less likely. We hypothesize that experiments simulating real environments, like the one described here, provide a more realistic approach for assessing environmental persistence of AIVs.

Cellular structures of laminar lean premixed H2/CH4/air polyhedral flames

Fundamental studies on the effects of differential diffusion of hydrogen (H2) on flame structure are motivated as the high diffusivity of H2 presents challenges for the modeling and optimization of combustion systems. Polyhedral Bunsen flames are examples of cellular flames mainly induced by the thermal-diffusive and hydrodynamic instabilities, which are characterized by periodic positively curved troughs and negatively curved cusps. Stationary laminar premixed fuel-lean H2/CH4/air polyhedral flames, with 50%, 68% and 79% H2 (by volume) and Lewis number (Le) less than unity, are investigated in this study. The internal scalar structures of cellular troughs and cusps in target flames are measured with a high-spatial-resolution 1D Raman/Rayleigh scattering system, combined with planar laser-induced fluorescence of hydroxyl radicals (OH-PLIF) and chemiluminescence imaging measurements to quantify the cell number and local flame curvature. The performance of the 1D Raman/Rayleigh imaging system is first assessed by comparing measurements of temperature and major species in a laminar premixed counterflow H2/CH4/air twin flame with a corresponding simulation. The results reveal significant combined effects of differential diffusion and curvature on flame structures with differences between trough and cusp regions in the measured mole fractions, equivalence ratio, temperature, and C/H-atom ratio. The positively curved troughs have significantly higher H2 mole fraction compared to the negatively curved cusps, due to the respective focusing/defocusing effect of curvature on highly diffusive H2. Consequently, the local equivalence ratio and temperature in trough regions are higher than those of cusps. With the increase of H2 content in the reactant mixture, the scalar differences between trough and cusp regions are enlarged due to the enhanced effects of curvature and differential diffusion. Near-vertical initial trajectories in H2 mole fraction, equivalence ratio, and C/H-atom ratio plotted against temperature showed that differential diffusion of H2 alters the species mole fractions in the cold reactants (≤ 350 K).

Influential Factors of a Reactive Materials Projectile’s Damage Evolution Behavior

To determine the mechanism of penetration of multi-layer aluminum targets (MLAT) by a reactive materials projectile (RMP), AUTODYN-3D numerical simulations and experimental tests were carried out. The Powder Burn equation of the state ignition model was introduced for the reactive core activation under different projectile–target interaction conditions, which effectively simulated the deflagration reaction damage effects behavior of the RMP and the damage evolution behavior of the MLAT. The activation rate of the reactive core increased significantly when the thickness of the steel target was 8–15 mm; a significant combined destructive effect of kinetic and chemical energy was produced on the MLAT. The initial velocity was proportional to the penetration and destruction effect of the front-layer aluminum target. For the rear-layer aluminum target, the detonation damage showed a tendency to increase and then decrease. If the head metal block was too thick, the penetration ability would be improved at the same time, and the deflagration reaction damage effects ability of the steel target would be significantly reduced. In order to achieve good battlefield damage efficacy, all of the influencing factors should be comprehensively considered.

Association between organophosphorus pesticide exposure and depression risk in adults: A cross-sectional study with NHANES data

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are widely used pesticides, and previous studies showed that OPPs can increase the risk of central nervous system disorders (e.g., Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease). However, few studies have comprehensively explored their association with depression in general adults. We analyzed data from 5206 participants aged 20 years or more based on four National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles. OPPs exposure was estimated using measures of urinary concentrations for six OPPs metabolites. Survey-weighted generalized linear regression model (SWGLM) was used to explore the association of OPPs metabolites with depression. Subgroup analyses were performed by age (≦60 years and >60 years) and gender. The weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model was used to explore the overall association of six OPPs metabolites with depression. In addition, The Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model was applied to investigate the interaction and joint effects of multiple OPPs metabolites with depression. The SWGLM showed that dimethyl phosphate (DMP) and dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), whether taken as continuous or quartile variables, had a positive correlation with depression. Diethyl phosphate (DEP) and dimethyl dithiophosphate (DMDTP) in the highest quartile were positively associated with depression compared to the lowest quartile. In subgroup analysis, we found that the effects of the above chemicals on depression existed in the male and young middle-aged population, while DMP was present in the female. There was a significant combined overall effect of six OPPs metabolites with depression [OR = 1.232, 95%CI: (1.011, 1.504)] in WQS. Furthermore, the BKMR model also showed a positive trend in the overall effect of six OPPs metabolites with depression. In conclusion, our results suggest that exposure to OPPs may increase the risk of depression in US adults. Men and young and middle-aged populations are more vulnerable to OPPs and the mixture of OPPs metabolites may induce depression.

Maternal lipid profile during early pregnancy and birth weight: A retrospective study.

IntroductionElevated maternal serum lipid concentrations have been related to an adverse intrauterine environment and lead to abnormal birth weight.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to explore the association between maternal lipid profiles during early pregnancy and birth weight with stratified pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was based on a large population from two major maternity centers in Shanghai, China. We included 57,516 women with singleton live birth between January 2018 and October 2020. All of the enrolled women had fasting lipid concentrations measured in early pregnancy. The primary outcomes were birth weight and risks of adverse birth outcomes, including macrosomia, large for gestational age (LGA), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA).ResultsHigher maternal concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density cholesterol (LDL-c) in early pregnancy were associated with increased birth weight. Ln transformed TG and levels exhibited a positive association with LGA and macrosomia (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.42 and OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.52) and showed a negative relationship with SGA (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.85). High TG (>75th percentile, 1.67 mmol/L) group also showed higher risks of LGA and macrosomia (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.28 and OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.31) and decreased prevalence of SGA (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.83). Moreover, significant combined effects of pre-pregnancy BMI and lipid profiles on LGA and macrosomia were identified.ConclusionsElevated maternal lipid profiles in early pregnancy are associated with higher birth weight and increased risks of LGA and macrosomia. We propose that serum lipid profiles in early pregnancy and pre-pregnancy BMI could serve as screening indexes for high-risk women.

Emodin Combined with Multiple-Low-Frequency, Low-Intensity Ultrasound To Relieve Osteomyelitis through Sonoantimicrobial Chemotherapy.

ABSTRACTTreatment of osteomyelitis is still challenging, as conventional antibiotic therapy is limited by the emergence of resistant strains and the formation of biofilms. Sonoantimicrobial chemotherapy (SACT) is a novel therapy of low-frequency and low-intensity ultrasound (LFLIU) combined with a sonosensitizer. Therefore, in our study, a sonosensitizer named emodin (EM) was proposed to be combined with LFLIU to relieve acute osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. The efficiencies of different intensities of ultrasound, including single (S-LFLIU, 15 min) and multiple ultrasound (M-LFLIU, 3 times for 5 min at 4-h intervals), against bacteria and biofilms were compared, contributing to developing the best treatment regimen. Our results demonstrated that EM plus S-LFLIU or M-LFLIU (EM+S-LFLIU or EM+M-LFLIU) had significant combined bactericidal and antibiofilm effects, with EM+M-LFLIU in particular exhibiting superior antibiofilm performance. Furthermore, it was suggested that EM+M-LFLIU could produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), destroy the integrity of the bacterial membrane and cell wall, and downregulate the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress, membrane wall synthesis, and bacterial virulence, as well as that of other related genes (agrB, pbp3, sgtB, gmk, zwf, and msrA). In vivo studies, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and bacterial quantification of bone tissue indicated that EM+M-LFLIU could also relieve osteomyelitis due to MRSA infection. Our work proffers an original approach to bacterial osteomyelitis treatment that weakens drug-resistant bacteria and suppresses and degrades biofilm formation through SACT, which may provide new prospects for clinical treatment.IMPORTANCE Antibiotic therapy is the first choice for clinical treatment of osteomyelitis, but the formation of bacterial biofilms and the emergence of many drug-resistant strains also create an urgent need to find an alternative treatment to effectively eliminate the infection. Recently, LFLIU has come to be considered a safe and promising method of debridement and antibacterial therapy. In this study, we found that ultrasound and EM have a significant combined antibacterial effect in vivo and in vitro, which may play an antibacterial role by stimulating the production of ROS, destroying the bacterial cell wall, and inhibiting the expression of related genes. Our study expands the body of knowledge on the antibacterial effect of drugs—specifically emodin (EM)—through combined physiotherapy. If successfully integrated into clinical practice, these methods may reduce the burden of high concentrations of drugs needed to treat bacterial biofilms and avoid the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.

Four Key Factors of Job Performance of Air Customer Service Personnel in An Airline in Sri Lanka

An empirical survey study was carried out by focusing on four key factors of job performance of air customer service employees or cabin crew of an airplane in an airline. The four key factors were attitude about customers, agreeableness, competencies, and pay-for-performance which were selected from a previous study done in Sri Lanka by the authors of this study. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether attitude about customers, agreeableness, competencies, and pay-for-performance significantly and positively relate to job performance of the cabin crew on customer service of an airplane in an airline; and to investigate whether these four factors have a significant joint impact on their job performance. The respondents were cabin managers who worked as cabin crew members’ supervisors. The questionnaire was given to 100 cabin managers who were in the population but only 56 completed questionnaires were used for the primary data collection. The empirical findings revealed that job performance of the cabin crew on customer service of an airplane in an airline is positively and significantly related to the three factors, and not related to one factor, i.e., pay-for-performance. Further these four factors could make a positive and significant combined effect on the variability of job performance of cabin crew members.

The Effect of Teacher-Designed Intervention On Decoding Skills of English Language Learners (ELLS) with Specific Learning Disability

This ex post facto study sought to determine the efficacy of a teacher-designed intervention on decoding skills among English language learners (ELLs) identified to have a specific learning disability (SLD). This study examined the literacy profile of a cohort of thirty-six (36) ELLs with SLD grouped according to the intervention approach (IA) and attendance level (AL) to compare before- and after-intervention scores in decoding and word recognition (DWR) and to determine the interaction effect of intervention approach (IA) and attendance level (AL) on the respondents’ gain scores. This study’s findings demonstrated a significant increase in respondents’ scores after receiving the intervention. Also, results indicated a significant combined effect of IA and AL in DWR gain scores. Therefore, educators and interventionists might consider implementing the teacher-designed intervention to help ELLs acquire decoding skills. Future studies should replicate the study but include other learners to determine if these results are unique to ELLs with SLD. In addition, further studies on this topic could add to the body of literature.

The Effect of Selected Polymorphisms of the ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA Genes on the Immediate Supercompensation Training Effect of Elite Slovak Endurance Runners and Football Players.

We aimed to evaluate the effect of selected polymorphisms of the ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA genes on the immediate supercompensation training effect of elite Slovak endurance runners and football players compared with a sedentary control group. Adaptation effect levels were evaluated by 10 s continuous vertical jump test parameters measured by Optojump. Genetic polymorphisms were determined by PCR and Sanger sequencing. We found significant differences in the effect of PPARA genotypes in the experimental group. C allele genotypes represented an advantage in immediate supercompensation (p < 0.05). We observed a significant combined effect of multiple genes on immediate supercompensation (p < 0.05): the RR genotype of the ACTN3 gene, the ID genotype of the ACE gene, the Pro/Pro genotype of HIF1A, and the GC and GG genotypes of PPARA genes. In the control group, we found a significant effect (p < 0.05) on immediate supercompensation of the II genotype of the ACE gene and the Pro/Ser genotype of the HIF1A gene. We found significant differences in genotype frequency of ACE (p < 0.01) and PPARA (p < 0.001) genes. We confirmed that individual genetic polymorphisms of ACTN3, ACE, HIF1A and PPARA genes have a different effect on the level of immediate supercompensation of the lower limbs depending on the training adaptation of the probands and the combination of genotypes.