A novel granular approach for detecting dynamic online communities in social network

The great surge in the research of community discovery in complex network is going on due to its challenging aspects. Dynamicity and overlapping nature are among the common characteristics of these networks which are the main focus of this paper. In this research, we attempt to approximate the granular human-inspired viewpoints of the networks. This is especially helpful when making decisions with partial knowledge. In line with the principle of granular computing, in which precision is avoided, we define the micro- and macrogranules in two levels of nodes and communities, respectively. The proposed algorithm takes microgranules as input and outputs meaningful communities in rough macrocommunity form. For this purpose, the microgranules are drawn toward each other based on a new rough similarity measure defined in this paper. As a result, the structure of communities is revealed and adapted over time, according to the interactions observed in the network, and the number of communities is extracted automatically. The proposed model can deal with both the low and the sharp changes in the network. The algorithm is evaluated in multiple dynamic datasets and the results confirm the superiority of the proposed algorithm in various measures and scenarios

Expression of GABAAα1, GABAB1, and mGluR2 receptors in the lateral geniculate body of male neonates born to diabetic rats

Objective(s): Diabetes during gestation is one of the most common pregnancy complications and has adverse effects on offspring, including a negative impact on the offspring’s central nervous system (CNS). Diabetes is a metabolic disease associated with visual impairment. Due to the importance of the lateral geniculate body (LGB) in the visual pathway, the present study examined the effect of maternal diabetes on the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAAα1 and GABAB1) and metabotropic Glutamate (mGlu2) receptors in the LGB of male neonates of diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced in female adult rats by a single intraperitoneal dose of streptozotocin (STZ) 65 (mg/kg). In the Insulin-treated diabetic rats, diabetes was controlled by subcutaneous NPH-insulin injection daily. After mating and delivery, male offspring were killed by carbon dioxide gas inhalation at P0, P7, and P14 (postnatal days 0, 7, and 14). The expression of GABAAα1, GABAB1, and mGluR2 in the LGB of male neonates was determined using the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method.Results: The expression of GABAAα1 and GABAB1 was significantly reduced, whereas the expression of mGluR2 was markedly increased in the diabetic group compared with the control and insulin-treated groups at P0, P7, and P14.Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that induction of diabetes altered the expression of GABAAα1, GABAB1, and mGluR2 in the LGB of male neonates born to diabetic rats at P0, P7, and P14. Moreover, insulin treatment could reverse these effects of diabetes

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Effect of butanol, propanol and pentanol on the quality of cut Carnation cv. 'Nelson'

Abstract. Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is one of the most popular cut flowers in the world with the most economical importance to flower industry. This plant is categorized among cut flowers and is very sensitive to ethylene. A symptom of senescence in carnation is curving of its petals inward. In this sense, with regards to the role of Alcoholic compounds in preventing bio-synthesis of ethylene as a senescence preventing agent and increasing the preservation of cut flowers postharvest, the effect of different treatments including propanol, butanol, and pentanol on carnation 'Nelson' was investigated at 4 levels (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) taken randomly. Variables such as vase life, fresh weight, chlorophyll a, petal protein, and ethylene were measured. Findings showed that treatments with 2% and 4% of propanol caused the longest vase life and the least decrease in fresh weight while, in comparison with distilled water, pentanol especially at 4% and 6% had a significantly negative effect on the amount of protein. Except for curing with pentanol, the amount of ethylene increased notably particularly in high densities and propanol at 4% showed the largest amount of chlorophyll a

Investigating the relationship between Iranian EFL learners’ use of language learning strategies and foreign language skills achievement

This mixed methods study aimed at examining the relationship between EFL learners’ use of language learning strategies and the extent to which they achieved foreign language skills, namely writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The study also sought to identify possible differences between high and low achieving language learners regarding the frequency and type of their language learning strategies. To this end, the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) (Oxford, ) was administered to 120 Iranian EFL learners. Likewise, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore their perceptions of the relationship between their use of language learning strategies and the achievement of the four language skills. The results of the qualitative analysis verified those of the quantitative data, and indicated that a substantial majority of EFL learners perceived the use of language learning strategies as advantageous. However, minor discrepancies were observed not only in the frequency of strategies employed by high and low achievers in the learning of writing, reading, listening, and speaking, but also in the type of learning strategies they utilized while learning the four language skills. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that high achievers mostly employed compensation, affective, and cognitive strategies, whereas low achievers drew on social, metacognitive, and memory strategies more frequently than other strategies. This study holds significant implications for EFL teachers to integrate strategy training into their instruction in the classroom. Informed of the repertoire of strategies used by high language achievers, EFL teachers can encourage language learners to use these strategies to enhance their language learning skills

In Vitro Propagation of Pyracantha angustifolia (Franch.) C.K. Schneid.

Narrow-leaf firethorn or pyracantha (Pyracantha angustifolia (Franch.) C.K. Schneid.), from the family Rosaceae, is a species of large and thorny evergreen shrub. In this study, a procedure is presented for efficient axillary shoot multiplication and root induction in P. angustifolia using Murashige and Skoog (MS), woody plant (WPM), and Linsmaier and Skoog (LS) culture media supplanted with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The disinfection of the axillary buds was performed with a 70.23% success rate on a basal MS medium augmented with 0.5 mg·L−1 gibberellic acid (GA3). Uniform and axenic explants were then cultured on MS, WPM, and LS media enriched with different concentrations of BAP, 0.3 mg·L−1 GA3, and 0.1 mg·L−1 IBA. The highest multiplication coefficient (2.389) was obtained for the MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mg·L−1 BAP. After one month, newly formed micro-shoots were transferred to rooting media (MS, WPM, and LS) containing different concentrations of IBA, together with a constant concentration of 0.1 mg·L−1 BAP. The micro-shoots were kept in the dark for one week and then cultured in a 16/8 h light/dark regime. The MS medium supplemented with 1 mg·L−1 IBA was the most effective in stimulating rooting (88.76% of micro-shoots). The highest number of roots (3.5 per micro-shoot) was produced in the MS medium enriched with 1.5 mg·L−1 IBA. The rooted plantlets were transferred into pots filled with perlite and peat moss in a 2:1 proportion and acclimatized to ambient greenhouse conditions, with a resultant mean 92.84% survival rate. Thus, this protocol can be successfully applied for the in vitro mass propagation of P. angustifolia

Do Different Tooth Bleaching–Remineralizing Regimens Affect the Bleaching Effectiveness and Enamel Microhardness In Vitro?

Objective. Tooth bleaching may negatively affect the enamel surface properties, such as reduction in hardness values, and remineralizing agents can reverse these effects. This study evaluated the effect of remineralizing agents before, during, and after the bleaching process on enamel’s whitening effectiveness and microhardness. Methods and Materials. The initial color of 104 bovine incisors after immersion in tea solution was recorded, and then, the teeth were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 13). Group 1 (NC) was considered the control with no treatment, and Group 2 (B) was bleached with 40% hydrogen peroxide gel. The 3% fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) and 2% sodium fluoride (NaF) were applied before (FHA/B, NaF/B), during (FHA + B, NaF + B) and after (B/FHA, B/NaF) the bleaching process in other groups. The final color and microhardness in three depths of 20–30, 50–60, and 100–120 µm were measured. Data were analyzed using Shapiro–Wilk, one-way ANOVA, Tukey, Games Howell, repeated measurement, and LSD tests. Results. The FHA + B presented the lowest ΔE, significantly lower than other groups, except B/FHA. The ΔE in B/FHA was significantly lower than B/NaF. The bleaching significantly reduced the enamel hardness in three depths. The highest microhardness values were reported for B/NaF and NaF + B, which have no noticeable difference with NC, while FHA/B showed the lowest hardness in three depths, which was significantly lower than NC. Conclusion. The application of NaF before, during, and after the bleaching improved the microhardness of bleached enamel as the unbleached one with no adverse effect on whitening effectiveness

Evaluation of Chemical Quality and Salinity Origin of Groundwater in a Semi Aried Area; Seyed Gholi Region Saveh, Iran

Background & Aims of the Study: In recent years, groundwater resources of Seyed Gholi in Saveh area has been deteriorated because of some factors such as unconventional withdrawal in order to agricultural and industrial uses. This study has been conducted to evaluation of chemical quality and salinity origin of groundwater in this region. Materials & Methods: In order to survey on salinity of water in this region, data from 6 sampling wells (2002-2011) has been used. In first step by collecting valid information about the chemical quality of related aquifer, investigation on fluctuation trends of ions concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, HCO3, Cl, SO4, from 2002 to 2011 has been conducted. Then, pH and EC has been surveyed for ten years (2002-2011) to determine the general chemical quality of region groundwater. Finally, changes trends of ions and water salinity has been plotted on descriptive diagrams, piper, statistical models and other plans. Results: Results show that the average ion concentrations of sulfate and chloride are 803.52 and 579.72 mg/l, the average amounts of EC and TDS are 3665.70µm/cm & 2152.96 mg/l respectively in the period of 2002-2011. In other words, the average concentrations of sulfate and chloride iones have increased from 750.24 and 619.12 to 890.4 and 635.095 mg/l respectively and also TDS have changed from 2076.69 to 2357 mg/l in the period of 2002-2011. Conclusion: It has been concluded that descending trend of flow rate and increasing of ion concentration of sulfate and chloride indicated that quality of water in this region is not desirable which will lead to the deterioration of chemical quality of water for various uses. If the current conditions continue, the water will be non- potable