• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제9권10호
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• pp.235-242
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• 2022

The ultimate motive of the paper is to establish whether financial inclusion (FI) has a consequential impact on the Sustainable Development (SD) of India. This study uses one model for the assessment of the influence of FI through the Co-Operative bank network on SD. This is purposely done to analyze the absolute impact of the role of the Co-Operative bank network in the said context. The sample encompasses data taken from 28 states and 3 Union Territories for two years (FY2018-FY2020). Assessment of data for the remaining Union Territories is not undertaken for the reason of the non-availability of data for other Union Territories. This study uses Panel Data Analysis (PDA) to establish the nexus of the relation between the said variables. Results of this study reveal elevated levels of SD resultant of increased FI thereby indicating a positive and significant relationship between the said variables. Unlike previous studies, this study gives India-specific significant findings, which suggests policy formulation for increasing the numbers and improving the governance of Co-Operative bank networks for SD. Co-Operative bank network as a proxy despite having high weighted significance in FI has not been incorporated in any recent study as per the last updated knowledge of authors.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.38-44
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• 2021

Purpose: Digital communication is becoming increasingly important in clinical practice and research. The finding that stool consistency can be evaluated similarly using either "in vivo" or photographic material by health care professionals will decrease subjective interpretation by parents. The primary outcome of this study was the reliability of stool consistency scoring using the Brussels Infant and Toddler Stool Scale (BITSS) between fresh stools and their photos; the secondary outcome was the inter-rater reliability based on the fresh stools. Methods: Fresh stool samples from healthy children were collected in a day care center. These stools, and one month later the corresponding photos presented in a random order, were presented to 14 observers. Reliabilities were analyzed using absolute agreements and weighted and unweighted Cohen's κ. Results: In total, 202 samples were rated 576 times. Absolute agreement between photographic and real time assessment ranged between 71.1% and 83.3% among observers. This corresponded with substantial agreement (unweighted κ=0.70 [95% CI, 0.61-0.78]; weighted κ=0.86 [95% CI, 0.78-0.88]). The inter-observer agreement showed similar percentages of absolute agreement (81.4-82.0%) and κ-values corresponding with fair-to-moderate agreement. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the assessment of fresh stool consistency can also reliably be done on photographic material when using the BITSS. This opens opportunities in scientific surroundings and in our daily life communication with parents and caretakers.

• Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.240-248
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• 2018

Objective Determine differences between faculty, residents, and nurses regarding night shift preparation, performance, recovery, and perception of emotional and physical health effects. Methods Survey study performed at an urban university medical center emergency department with an accredited residency program in emergency medicine. Results Forty-seven faculty, 37 residents, and 90 nurses completed the survey. There was no difference in use of physical sleep aids between groups, except nurses utilized blackout curtains more (69%) than residents (60%) and faculty (45%). Bedroom temperature preference was similar. The routine use of pharmacologic sleep aids differed: nurses and residents (both 38%) compared to faculty (13%). Residents routinely used melatonin more (79%) than did faculty (33%) and nurses (38%). Faculty preferred not to eat (45%), whereas residents (24%) preferred a full meal. The majority (>72%) in all groups drank coffee before their night shift and reported feeling tired despite their routine, with 4:00 a.m. as median nadir. Faculty reported a higher rate (41%) of falling asleep while driving compared to residents (14%) and nurses (32%), but the accident rate (3% to 6%) did not differ significantly. All had similar opinions regarding night shift-associated health effects. However, faculty reported lower level of satisfaction working night shifts, whereas nurses agreed less than the other groups regarding increased risk of drug and alcohol dependence. Conclusion Faculty, residents, and nurses shared many characteristics. Faculty tended to not use pharmacologic sleep aids, not eat before their shift, fall asleep at a higher rate while driving home, and enjoy night shift work less.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.62-75
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• 2022

Background: Pollinators help plants to reproduce and support economically valuable food for humans and entire ecosystems. However, declines of pollinators along with population growth and increasing agricultural activities hamper this mutual interaction. Nectar and pollen are the major reward for pollinators and flower morphology and volatiles mediate the specialized plant-pollinator interactions. Limited information is available on the volatile profiles attractive to honey bees and bumblebees. In this study we analyzed the volatile organic compounds of the flowers of 9 different plant species that are predominantly visited by honey bees and bumblebees. The chemical compositions of the volatiles were determined using a head space gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method, designed to understand the plant-pollinator chemical interaction. Results: Results showed the monoterpene 1,3,6-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl-, (E) (E-𝞫-ocimene) was the dominating compound in most flowers analyzed, e.g., in proportion of 60.3% in Lonicera japonica, 48.8% in Diospyros lotus, 38.4% Amorpha fruticosa and 23.7% in Robinia pseudoacacia. Ailanthus altissima exhibited other monoterpenes such as 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol (𝞫-linalool) (39.1%) and (5E)-3,5-dimethylocta-1,5,7-trien-3-ol (hotrienol) (32.1%) as predominant compounds. Nitrogen containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were occurring principally in Corydalis speciosa; 1H-pyrrole, 2,3-dimethyl- (50.0%) and pyrimidine, 2-methyl- (40.2%), and in Diospyros kaki; 1-triazene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl (40.5%). Ligustrum obtusifolium flower scent contains isopropoxycarbamic acid, ethyl ester (21.1%) and n-octane (13.4%) as major compounds. In Castanea crenata the preeminent compound is 1-phenylethanone (acetophenone) (46.7%). Conclusions: Olfactory cues are important for pollinators to locate their floral resources. Based on our results we conclude monoterpenes might be used as major chemical mediators attractive to both honey bees and bumblebees to their host flowers. However, the mode of action of these chemicals and possible synergistic effects for olfaction need further investigation.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.199-220
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• 2023

This article presents a new analytical model to study the effect of porosity on the shear correction factors (SCFs) of functionally graded porous beams (FGPB). For this analysis, uneven and logarithmic-uneven porosity functions are adopted to be distributed through the thickness of the FGP beams. Critical to the application of this theory is a determination of the correction factor, which appears as a coefficient in the expression for the transverse shear stress resultant; to compensate for the assumption that the shear strain is uniform through the depth of the cross-section. Using the energy equivalence principle, a general expression is derived from the static SCFs in FGPB. The resulting expression is consistent with the variationally derived results of Reissner's analysis when the latter are reduced from the two-dimensional case (plate) to the one-dimensional one (beam). A convenient algebraic form of the solution is presented and new study cases are given to illustrate the applicability of the present formulation. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the effect of the porosity distribution on the (SCFs) for various FGPBs. Further, the law of changing the mechanical properties of FG beams without porosity and the SCFare numerically validated by comparison with some available results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.119-138
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• 2023

Concrete carbonation is a prevalent phenomenon that leads to steel reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures, thereby decreasing their service life as well as durability. The process of carbonation results in a lower pH level of concrete, resulting in an acidic environment with a pH value below 12. This acidic environment initiates and accelerates the corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete, rendering it more susceptible to damage and ultimately weakening the overall structural integrity of the RC system. Lower pH values might cause damage to the protective coating of steel, also known as the passive film, thus speeding up the process of corrosion. It is essential to estimate the carbonation factor to reduce the deterioration in concrete structures. A lot of work has gone into developing a carbonation model that is precise and efficient that takes both internal and external factors into account. This study presents an ML-based adaptive-neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) approach to predict the carbonation depth of fly ash (FA)-based concrete structures. Cement content, FA, water-cement ratio, relative humidity, duration, and CO2 level have been used as input parameters to develop the ANFIS model. Six performance indices have been used for finding the accuracy of the developed model and two analytical models. The outcome of the ANFIS model has also been compared with the other models used in this study. The prediction results show that the ANFIS model outperforms analytical models with R-value, MAE, RMSE, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index values of 0.9951, 0.7255 mm, 1.2346 mm, and 0.9957, respectively. Surface plots and sensitivity analysis have also been performed to identify the repercussion of individual features on the carbonation depth of FA-based concrete structures. The developed ANFIS-based model is simple, easy to use, and cost-effective with good accuracy as compared to existing models.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.451-471
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• 2022

In the present paper, the static bending and buckling responses of functionally graded carbon nanotubes-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beam under various boundary conditions are investigated within the framework of higher shear deformation theory. The significant feature of the proposed theory is that it provides an accurate parabolic distribution of transverse shear stress through the thickness satisfying the traction-free boundary conditions needless of any shear correction factor. Uniform (UD) and four graded distributions of CNTs which are FG-O, FG-X, FG- and FG-V are selected here for the analysis. The effective material properties of FG-CNTRC beams are estimated according to the rule of mixture. To model the FG-CNTRC beam realistically, an efficient Hermite-Lagrangian finite element formulation is successfully developed. The accuracy and efficiency of the present model are demonstrated by comparison with published benchmark results. Moreover, comprehensive numerical results are presented and discussed in detail to investigate the effects of CNTs volume fraction, distribution patterns of CNTs, boundary conditions, and length-to-thickness ratio on the bending and buckling responses of FG-CNTRC beam. Several new referential results are also reported for the first time which will serve as a benchmark for future studies in a similar direction. It is concluded that the FG-X-CNTRC beam is the strongest beam that carries the lowest central deflection and is followed by the UD, V, Λ, and FG-O-CNTRC beam. Besides, the critical buckling load belonging to the FG-X-CNTRC beam is the highest, followed by UD and FG-O.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제89권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

This article introduces a novel analytical model for examining the impact of porosity on shear correction factors (SCFs) in functionally graded porous beams (FGPB). The study employs uneven and logarithmic-uneven modified porosity-dependent power-law functions, which are distributed throughout the thickness of the FGP beams. Additionally, a modified exponential-power law function is used to estimate the effective mechanical properties of functionally graded porous beams. The correction factor plays a crucial role in this analysis as it appears as a coefficient in the expression for the transverse shear stress resultant. It compensatesfor the assumption that the shear strain is uniform across the depth of the cross-section. By applying the energy equivalence principle, a general expression for static SCFs in FGPBs is derived. The resulting expression aligns with the findings obtained from Reissner's analysis, particularly when transitioning from the two-dimensional case (plate) to the one-dimensional case (beam). The article presents a convenient algebraic form of the solution and provides new case studies to demonstrate the practicality of the proposed formulation. Numerical results are also presented to illustrate the influence of porosity distribution on SCFs for different types of FGPBs. Furthermore, the article validates the numerical consistency of the mechanical property changesin FG beams without porosity and the SCF by comparing them with available results.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제52권2호
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• pp.141-151
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• 2024

Isochrysis sp. is a sea microalga that has become a species of interest because of the extreme lipid content and rapid growth rate of this organism indicating its potential for efficient biofuel production. Using genome sequencing/genome-scale modeling for the prediction of Isochrysis sp. metabolic utilities there is high scope for the identification of essential pathways for the extraction of byproducts of interest at a higher rate. In our work, we design and present iIsochr964, a genome-scale metabolic model of Isochrysis sp. including 4315 reactions, 934 genes, and 1879 metabolites, which are distributed among fourteen compartments. For model validation, experimental culture, and isolation of Isochrysis sp. were performed and biomass values were used for validation of the genome-scale model. OptFlux was instrumental in uncovering several novel metabolites that influence the organism's metabolism by increasing the flux of interacting metabolites, such as Malonyl-CoA, EPA, Protein and others. iIsochr964 provides a compelling resource of metabolic understanding to revolutionize its industrial applications, thereby fostering sustainable development and allowing estimations and simulations of the organism metabolism under varying physiological, chemical, and genetic conditions. It is also useful in principle to provide a systemic view of Isochrysis sp. metabolism, efficiently guiding research and granting context to omics data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권12호
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• pp.1760-1764
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• 2002

In order to elucidate the physiological function of circulating IGF-I on muscle protein synthesis in the chicken under malnutritional conditions, we administrated recombinant chicken IGF-I using a osmotic mini pump to fasted young chickens and measured the rate of muscle protein synthesis and plasma metabolite. The pumps delivered IGF-I at the rate of $22{\mu}g/d\{300{\mu}g{\cdot}(kg\;body\;weight{\cdot}d)^{-1}\}$. Fractional rate of protein synthesis in the muscle was measured using a large dose injection of L-[$2,6-^3H$]phenylalanine. Constant infusion of chicken IGF-I did not affect plasma glucose level. Significant interaction between dietary treatment and IGF-I infusion was observed in plasma NEFA and total cholesterol concentrations. When chicks were fasted, IGF-I infusion decreased plasma NEFA and total cholesterol concentrations. On the other hand, IGF-I administration did not affect plasma levels of both metabolites. Fasting reduced plasma triglyceride concentration significantly. IGF-I infusion also decreased the level of plasma triglyceride. Plasma IGF-I concentration of young chickens was halved by fasting for 1 d. IGF-I infusion using an osmotic minipump for 1 d increased plasma IGF-I concentration in fasted chicks to the level of fed chicks. Fasting decreased body weight and the loss of body weight was significantly ameliorated by IGF-I infusion. There was a significant interaction between dietary treatment and IGF-I infusion in the fractional rate of breast muscle protein synthesis. There was no effect of IGF-I infusion on muscle protein synthesis in fed chicks. Muscle protein synthesis reduced by fasting was ameliorated by IGF-I infusion, but did not reach to the level of fed control. Muscle weight of fasted chicks infused with IGF-I was similar to fasted birds without IGF-I infusion, which suggests that muscle protein degradation would be increased by IGF-I infusion as well as protein synthesis in fasted chicks.