On choosing the vehicles of metaphors 2.0: the interactive effects of semantic neighborhood density and body-object interaction on metaphor production

In a metaphor, such as language is a bridge, two distinct concepts known as the topic (i.e., language) and vehicle (i.e., bridge) are juxtaposed to produce figurative meaning. Previous work demonstrated that, when creating metaphors, participants choose vehicles that are concrete, rather than abstract, and are also a moderate semantic distance away from the topic. However, little is known about the semantic representations underlying metaphor production beyond topic-vehicle semantic distance and vehicle concreteness. Here, we studied the role of two semantic richness variables in metaphor production – semantic neighborhood density (SND), which measures the proximity of a word and its associations in semantic space, and body-object interaction (BOI), which reflects the ease with which a human body can motorically interact with a word’s referent. In each trial, participants were presented with an abstract topic, such as miracle, and were instructed to make an apt and comprehensible metaphor by choosing a vehicle word (e.g., lighthouse). All of the topics were abstract but half were high-SND (from dense semantic neighborhoods) and half were low-SND (from sparse semantic neighborhoods). Similarly, half of the potential vehicle words were either high or low in SND and also differed on BOI such that half were high-BOI (e.g., bicycle), whereas half were low-BOI (e.g., rainbow). We observed a three-way interaction such that participants selected low-BOI, rather than high-BOI, vehicle words when topics or vehicles were high-SND. We interpret this finding to suggest that participants attempt to reduce the overall semantic richness of their created metaphors

Segmentation and measurement of lung pathological changes for COVID-19 diagnosis based on computed tomography

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) spread internationally in early 2020, resulting from an existential health disaster. Automatic detecting of pulmonary infections based on computed tomography (CT) images has a huge potential for enhancing the traditional healthcare strategy for treating COVID-19. CT imaging is essential for diagnosis, the process of assessment, and the staging of COVID-19 infection. The detection in association with computed tomography faces many problems, including the high variability, and low density between the infection and normal tissues. Processing is used to solve a variety of diagnostic tasks, including highlighting and contrasting things of interest while taking color-coding into account. In addition, an evaluation is carried out using the relevant criteria for determining the alterations nature and improving a visibility of pathological changes and an accuracy of the X-ray diagnostic report. It is proposed that pre-processing methods for a series of dynamic images be used for these objectives. The lungs are segmented and parts of probable disease are identified using the wavelet transform and the Otsu threshold value. Delta maps and maps created with the Shearlet transform that have contrasting color coding are used to visualize and select features (markers). The efficiency of the suggested combination of approaches for investigating the variability of the internal geometric features (markers) of the object of interest in the photographs is demonstrated by analyzing the experimental and clinical material done in the work. The suggested system indicated that the total average coefficient obtained 97.64% regarding automatic and manual infection sectors, while the Jaccard similarity coefficient achieved 96.73% related to the segmentation of tumor and region infected by COVID-19

Micellar effect upon the rate of alkaline hydrolysis of carboxylic and carbonate esters

AbstractThe alkaline hydrolysis of carboxylate (1-naphthylbutyrate) and carbonate esters (2-(methylsulfonyl)-ethyl-4-nitrophenylcarbonate) in the presence of different surfactants has been studied. The rate of hydrolysis of these esters was determined under pseudo first order condition in which the concentration of NaOH was kept in large excess over the [ester]. The cationic micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) and cetyltrimethylammonium sulfate ((CTA)2SO4) enhanced the rate of hydrolysis of esters to a maximum value and thereafter, the increasing concentration of surfactant decreased the reaction rate. The anionic micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) inhibited the rate of the hydrolysis. The reaction proceeds through the attack of OH− ions on the carbonyl carbon forming tetrahedral intermediate. The tetrahedral intermediate is unstable and collapses immediately to yield respective acid and alcohol. The micelles influence the stability of tetrahedral intermediate, in turn, altering the rate of hydrolysis. The variation in the rate of hydrolysis by micelles was treated by considering the pseudophase ion-exchange model and Menger–Portnoy model. The added salts viz. NaBr, NaCl, and LiCl inhibited the rate of the reaction in the presence of cationic and anionic micelles. The kinetic parameters i.e. km and Ks were determined from the rate–[surfactant] profile

Variación en parámetros bioquímicos en un grupo de pacientes con tumor cerebral primario: revisión de cuatro estudios

Introduction: It has been well established and evidence-based fact that serum levels of proteins, cholesterol, trace elements, andpseudouridines may suffer changes during a neoplastic disease process. This report encompassed four prospective studies, original in Iraq to our knowledge, had explored the serum total proteins (TP), pseudouridines levels, total serum cholesterol (TSC), and serum trace elements (TE), in groups of patients harboring primary brain tumours (PBT) compared to healthy persons. Patients and Methods:Study number 1: A group of 107 patients, from both sexes, aged 2-75 years, harboring PBT were admitted to and operated upon via formal craniotomy by staff neurosurgeons at The Teaching Hospital at Kadhimiyah (TTHK) and Neurosurgical Hospital (NH); their sera were tested for serum total proteins (TP); the latter biochemical parameters were compared with those of 40 healthy persons. Study number II: the same patients and healthy controls were tested for pseudouridine measurement. Study number III: Another group of 30 patients with PBT were studied for TSC levels and were compared with 30 healthy volunteers. Study number IV: A third group of 26 patients with PBT, from both sexes, their sera were tested and measured for TE; the measurements were compared to 1630 volunteers from both sexes and of different age groups. The sera and brain tumor tissue samples were analysed and examined by appropriate methods at relevant laboratories of the TTHK, NH, The Medical Research Centre (MRC) of The College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University and the Iraqi Atomic Energy Committee (IAEC). Results and Discussion: The serum TP and PBT study: Results are shown in table 1. The serum pseudouridines and PBT study: Mean levels of pseudouridine in serum of PBT patients, were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than its levels in the (normal) controls, table 2. The TSC and PBT study: 1. Hesalthy persons from both sexes: age range, in years, 15 – 75, mean 40.5, SD ± 19.8; TSC range 142 – 230 mg / dl, mean 185.6 mg / dl, SD ± 24.9, (3.7 – 5.9 mmol / l, mean 4.8 mmol / l, SD± 0.6), table 3. 2. Thirty persons from both sexes having peripheral tumors, with no clinical evidence of brain tumors: age range, in years, 15 – 75, mean 54.3 ± 12.8; TSC range 90 – 220 mg / dl, 143 ± 36.3 (2.3 – 5.7 mmol / l, mean 3.7 ± 0.9), table 4. 3. Thirty patients from both sexes with primary and secondary brain tumors, age range, in years, 15 - 75, mean 41.3 ± 20.9; TSC range 140 – 284 mg / dl, 217.6 ± 41.2 (3.6 – 7.3 mmol / l, 5.6 ±1.1), table 4. Study number IV: Serum mean values (and S.D.) of all measured TEs were as follow: Se 0.045 +/- 0.011, Zn 0.320 +/- 0.095, Cu 0.607 +/- 0.154, Fe 0.880 +/- 0.456, Mg 13.625 +/- 3.994, Co 0.020 +/- 0.036, Ni 0.016 +/- 0.030, Mn 0.016 +/- 0.009, Cd 0.050 (one sample), and Cr 0.015 +/- 0.005 micrograms per milliliter (mcg / ml). All mean concentrations were consistently lower in the patients than healthy volunteers; both the Student’s (t) and probability (p value) tests were performed; for Se, Zn, Cu, Mg, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cr the p value was <0.01 showing statistically significant results; however, for Fe, though the mean concentration was also lower in the brain tumor group, there was no statistical significance, p > 0.05. Due to technical difficulties and very low concentration of Cd, it was not measured in healthy volunteers; however, it was measured in only one patient’s serum sample; this has been discarded from the study, table 5. Conclusions: Levels of serum TP, TC, and pseudouridine are higher in patients with PBT than in healthy people; however, those of serum TE are lower in the PBT group than healthy persons; the results of this report are in keeping with those of other researchers. The biochemical parameters can be an additional laboratory monitor in the investigation of PBT patients; however, both the specificity and sensitivity need to be ascertained. To our knowledge, this was the first study to be performed in Iraq in the setting of PB

Evaluation of Marginal and Internal Fit of Ceramic Laminate Veneers Fabricated with Five Intraoral Scanners and Indirect Digitization.

The long-term success of ceramic laminate veneers (CLVs) is influenced by the marginal and internal fit of the restorations. However, studies comparing the fit of CLVs using different intraoral scanners or the indirect digitization technique are lacking. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the marginal and internal fit of CAD/CAM-milled CLVs using different intraoral scanners and the indirect digitalization technique. An ivorine typodont maxillary left-central incisor was prepared; the tooth and the neighboring teeth were scanned and used as a template to print ninety 3D partial models. Thereafter, ceramic laminate veneers (CLVs) (N = 90) were milled from IPS-Emax CAD blocks and divided into six equal groups (15 specimens each) according to the type of intraoral scanner (IOS), as follows: Omnicam IOS, SC3600 IOS, Trios 3 IOS, Emerald IOS, I500 IOS. Fifteen further CLVs were fabricated using the conventional indirect digitalization technique. After cementation on the resin dies and embedding in clear epoxy resin, specimens were sectioned inciso-gingivally and mesio-distally. At the incisal and cervical positions, the marginal discrepancy was measured and evaluated in addition to the internal gap at six locations using SEM (200×). Differences between gap measurements among the six groups were determined using ANOVA. Games-Howell multiple comparisons for homogenous variances and LSD multiple comparisons for non-homogenous variances were used with 95% confidence intervals. The significance level was set at 0.05. The lowest mean absolute marginal gap at the incisal margins (AMGI) was recorded for Omnicam group (203.28 ± 80.14) µm, while the highest mean absolute marginal gap at the cervical margins (AMGC) was recorded for Omnicam group (147.16 ± 59.78) µm. The mean AMGC was reported to be significantly different between the conventional technique (146.75 ± 38.43) µm and Trios 3 (91.86 ± (35.51) µm; p = 0.001) and between Emerald (112.37 ± (50.31) µm; p = 0.042) and I500 (86.95 ± (41.55) µm; p 0.05). Marginal gaps were higher in the incisal region compared to the cervical region with both the indirect digitization technique and the IOSs. Ceramic laminate veneers (CLVs) fabricated using IOSs produced overall internal and marginal fit adaptation results comparable to CLVs fabricated from the indirect digitalization method, and both techniques produced clinically acceptable results

The Audio Frequency Conductance Study of Some Metal Succinate Salts in Aqueous Medium at Different Temperatures (Part Ii: Zinc, Nickel and Cobalt Succinates)

The electrical conductances of aqueous solutions of zinc, nickel and cobalt succinates have been measured at four temperatures in the temperature range from 298.15K to 313.15K. The limiting molar conductances (Λo), association constants (KA) and the closest distances of approach (a) were calculated using the complete and modified forms of Fouss-Hsia (F/H) and Pitts (P). Quantitative results showed that these salts do not behave as "strong" electrolytes, and that their dissociations are far from complete. The abnormally law conductances of these electrolytes are due to the ion pair formation. The Walden product values, as well as the standard thermodynamic functions (DHo, DGo, DSo) for association reactions have been evaluated

Remote sensing of inland Sabkha and a study of the salinity and temporal stability for sustainable development: A case study from the West coast of Qatar

The inland sabkha of the Arabian Gulf is important to study for the occurrence of minerals, rocks, soil salinity, and stability of the sabkha due to the high demand for infrastructure and agriculture development region. This study describes the spectral absorptions of evaporite minerals, discriminates rocks, maps salt crusts, gypsiferous soil flats, and soil salinity, and studies the temporal stability of an inland sabkha of the Dukhan area, west coast of the State of Qatar. This was performed using satellite data of the Hyperion of EO1, ASTER of Terra, and multispectral instrument (MSI) of Sentinel-2. The occurrence of minerals in the area is detected using Hyperion data by the linear spectral unmixing (LSU) method and studied for their spatial distribution. The different geological formations of the sabkha were discriminated by using the VNIR (visible and near-infrared) and SWIR (shortwave infrared) spectral bands from ASTER by principal component analysis (PCA). The image developed by using the principal components (R:PC2, G:PC3, B:PC5) showed the formations in different tones. Salinity of the area was mapped using monthly data of MSI from 2018 to 2020 by normalized difference salinity index (NDSI) (band11-band12)/(band11 + band12). The results of the index displayed the distribution of salinity in the area. Besides, moisture of the area was studied by using the normalized difference moisture index (NDMI) (b8-b11)/(b8 + b11) and described the temporal stability of the sabkha. All the results of image analyses were validated through field and laboratory studies. The study of laboratory spectra of evaporite minerals namely gypsum, anhydrite, and halite present in the salt crusts and gypsiferous soil flats showed their unique spectral absorptions in between 1.4–1.5 μm and 1.9–2.0 μm whereas, the calcite and dolomite minerals of the carbonate formations exhibited deep absorptions near 2.345 and 2.495 μm respectively.This study was supported by the Qatar National Research Fund under the National Priorities Research Program (grant no NPRP10-0214-170462)

Linking depositional environments and diagenetic processes to porosity evolution and destruction in the Arab Formation reservoirs, Offshore oilfields of Qatar

Introduction: The Jurassic Arab Formation is the main oil reservoir in Qatar. The Formation consists of a succession of limestone, dolomite, and anhydrite. Materials and Methods: A multi-proxy approach has been used to study the Formation. This approach is based on core analysis, thin sections, and log data in selected wells in Qatar. Results: The reservoir has been divided into a set of distinctive petrophysical units. The Arab Formation consists of cyclic sediments of oolitic grainstone/packstone, foraminifera-bearing packstone-wackestone, lagoonal mudstone and dolomite, alternating with anhydrite. The sediments underwent a series of diagenetic processes such as leaching, micritization, cementation, dolomitization and fracturing. The impact of these diagenetic processes on the different depositional fabrics created a complex porosity system. So, in some cases there are preserved depositional porosity such as the intergranular porosity in the oolitic grainstone, but in other cases, diagenetic cementation blocked the same pores and eventually destroyed them. In other cases, diagenesis improved the texture of non-porous depositional texture such as mudstone through incipient dolomitization creating inter-crystalline porosity. Dissolution created vugs and void secondary porosity in otherwise non-porous foraminiferal wackestone and packstone. Therefore, creating a matrix of depositional fabrics versus diagenetic processes enabled the identification of different situation in which porosity where either created or destroyed. Future Directions:By correlating the collected petrographic data with logs, it will become possible to identify certain "facio-diagenetic" signatures on logs which will be very useful in both exploration and production. Studying the micro and nano-porosity will provide a better understanding of the evolution and destruction of its porosity system

THE FEATURES OF THE PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN CASES OF POISONING BIRDS WITH SALT

Кухонна сіль проявляє безпосередню подразнюючу дію на слизові оболонки стравоходу, шлунку, кишечнику на місцях контакту це призводить до крововиливів, а в подальшому до запалення і некрозу тканин. Інтоксикація організму призводить до пошкодження стінки дрібних судин і крововиливів на слизових і серозних оболонках серця, легень, печінки, селезінки, нирок, головного мозку. Характер змін в організмі загиблої птиці залежить від перебігу захворювання. При гострому процесі гістологічні зміни характеризувалися катарально–геморагічним запаленням слизової оболонки шлунку і кишечнику, зернистою і гідропічною дистрофією гепатоцитів, кардіоміоцитів, набряком сполучної тканини. При хронічному отруєнні сполуками хлористого натрію спостерігали білковий нефроз, і вісцеральну форму сечокислого діатезу. Сечова кислота осідає у вигляді крейдоподібних мас на серозних оболонках грудочеревної порожнини, нирок, печінки, селезінки, кишечника, серця і легень. Нирки у всіх досліджуваних випадках загибелі птиці були збільшені, мали в'ялу консистенцію, глинисто–рожеве забарвлення. Крім ураження сечовидільної системи, характерним було відкладення солей натрію на перикарді і епікарді. Печінка глинистого кольору, в'яла, збільшена в розмірі з ознаками білкової дистрофії. У травній трубці найбільш виражені зміни були в м'язовому і залозистому шлунку і характеризувалися ознаками катарального запалення з процесами альтерації.  У стінці кишечника спостерігаються процеси хронічного катарального запалення, до особливостей можна віднести руйнування не тільки слизової оболонки але і фрагментацію м'язової оболонки. Були встановлені процеси некротичного ураження слизової оболонки у вигляді сіро–чорних ділянок. В одних випадках некротичні ділянки мали вигляд дрібних вкраплень, дифузно розташованих по всій поверхні, а в інших – більші і розташовані розріджено.Поваренная соль проявляет непосредственное раздражающее действие на слизистые оболочки пищевода, желудка, кишечника в местах  контакта это приводит к кровоизлияниям, а в дальнейшем к воспалению и некрозу тканей. Интоксикация организма приводит к повреждению стенки мелких сосудов и кровоизлияниям на слизистых и серозных оболочках сердца, легких, печени, селезенки, почек, головного мозга. Характер изменений в организме погибшей птицы зависит от течения заболевания. При остром процессе гистологические изменения характеризовались катарально–геморрагическим воспалением слизистой оболочки желудка и кишечника, зернистой и гидропической дистрофией гепатоцитов, кардиомиоцитов, отеком соединительной ткани.При хроническом отравлении соединениями хлористого натрия наблюдали белковый нефроз, и висцеральную форму мочекислого диатеза. Мочевая кислота оседала в виде мелоподобных масс на серозных оболочках почек, печени, селезенки, кишечника, сердца и легких. Почки во всех исследуемых случаях гибели птицы были увеличены, имели дряблую консистенцию, глинисто–розовую окраску. Кроме поражения мочевыделительной системы, характерно отложение солей натрия на перикарде и эпикарде. Печень глинистого цвета, дряблая, увеличенная в размере с признаками белковой дистрофии. В пищеварительной трубке наиболее выраженные изменения были в мышечном и железистом желудке и характеризовались признаками катарального воспаления с процессами альтерации. В стенке кишечника наблюдаются процессы хронического катарального воспаления, к особенностям можно отнести разрушение не только слизистой оболочки но и фрагментацию мышечной оболочки. Были установлены процессы некротического поражения слизистой оболочки в виде серо–черных участков. В одних случаях некротические участки были ввиде мелких вкраплений, диффузно расположенных по всей поверхности, а в других – большие и расположены разреженно.Salt has an immediate irritant effect on the mucous membranes of the esophagus, stomach, intestines. This leads to hemorrhages and further causes inflammation and tissue necrosis. Intoxication causes damage to walls of small blood vessels and hemorrhages in mucous and serous membranes of the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, brain. The nature of the changes in the body of the deceased poultry depends on the disease. In acute process of the histological changes were characterized by catarrhal–hemorrhagic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, and the granular dystrophy of hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, edema of the connective tissue.Chronic poisoning compounds of sodium chloride was observed by protein nephrosis and visceral form of uric acid diathesis. Uric acid is deposited in the form chalk analogical masses on the serosal membranes abdominal cavity, kidney, liver, spleen, intestines, heart and lungs. The kidneys of dead birds have been increased, had a flabby consistence, of brown–pink color in all studied cases. Besides the defeat of the urinary system, was characterized by deposits of sodium salts in the pericardium and epicardium. Liver was clay–colored, flabby, enlarged with signs of protein dystrophy. In the digestive tube the most pronounced changes were in the muscle and gland stomach and was characterized by signs of catarrhal inflammation and the processes of alteration. It is observed the processes of chronic catarrhal inflammation in the intestinal wall, the features can be attributed to the destruction of not only mucosal, but also fragmentation of the muscle membrane. Processes of necrotic affection of the mucous membrane looked like a gray and black areas. In some cases, necrotic areas looked like small inclusions, diffusely located throughout the surface, while others were sparser

Correlation between Genetic Variations and Serum Level of Interleukin 28B with Virus Genotypes and Disease Progression in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Recent studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms near the interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene could predict the response to Peg-IFN-a/RBV combination therapy in HCV-infected patients. The aim of the study was to correlate the serum level of IL28B in HCV-infected patients with virus genotype/subgenotype and disease progression. IL28B serum level was detected and variations at five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL28B gene region were genotyped and analyzed. The variation of IL28B genetic polymorphisms was found to be strongly associated with HCV infection when healthy control group was compared to HCV-infected patients with all P values <0.0001. Functional analysis revealed that subjects carrying rs8099917-GG genotype had higher serum level of IL28B than those with GT or TT genotypes (P=0.04). Also, patients who were presented with cirrhosis (Cirr) only or with cirrhosis plus hepatocellular carcinoma (Cirr+HCC) had higher levels of serum IL28B when compared to chronic HCV-infected patients (P=0.005 and 0.003, resp.). No significant association was found when serum levels of IL28B were compared to virus genotypes/subgenotypes. This study indicates that variation at SNP rs8099917 could predict the serum levels of IL28B in HCV-infected patients. Furthermore, IL28B serum level may serve as a useful marker for the development of HCV-associated sequelae