A Visual Remote Associates Test and Its Validation

The Remote Associates Test (RAT) is a widely used test for measuring creativity, specifically the ability to make associations. The Remote Associates Test normally takes a linguistic form: given three words, the participant is asked to come up with a fourth word associated with all three of them. While visual creativity tests do exist, no creativity test to date can be given in both a visual and linguistic form. Such a test would allow the study of differences between various modalities, in the context of the same creative process. In this paper, a visual version of the well-known Remote Associates Test is constructed. This visual RAT is validated in relation to its linguistic counterpart

Changes in left atrial deformation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Evaluation by vector velocity imaging.

OBJECTIVES: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) represents a generalized myopathic process affecting both ventricular and atrial myocardium. We assessed the global and regional left atrial (LA) function and its relation to left ventricular (LV) mechanics and clinical status in patients with HCM using Vector Velocity Imaging (VVI). METHODS: VVI of the LA and LV was acquired from apical four- and two-chamber views of 108 HCM patients (age 40 ± 19years, 56.5% men) and 33 healthy subjects, all had normal LV systolic function. The LA subendocardium was traced to obtain atrial volumes, ejection fraction, velocities, and strain (ϵ)/strain rate (SR) measurements. RESULTS: Left atrial reservoir (ϵsys,SRsys) and conduit (early diastolic SRe) function were significantly reduced in HCM compared to controls (P  - 1.8s(- 1) was 81% sensitive and 30% specific, SRa> - 1.5s(- 1) was 73% sensitive and 40% specific. By multivariate analysis global LVϵsys and LV septal thickness are independent predictors for LAϵsys, while end systolic diameter is the only independent predictor for SRsys, P < .001. CONCLUSION: Left atrial reservoir and conduit function as measured by VVI were significantly impaired while contractile function was preserved among HCM patients. Left atrial deformation was greatly influenced by LV mechanics and correlated to severity of phenotype

Cognitive Dissonance Creation By Cultural And Psychological Factors And Its Effects On Consumer Decision Making Process

Customer Satisfaction has always been a matter of great attention for researchers and organizations. Different researches have been conducted at different levels to understand the importance of customer satisfaction and to relate it with other theories to improve the performance of a company or a product. This paper emphasizes on the affect of different behavioral, social and structural factors on human decision making while purchasing a product. The cognitive dissonance created during the decision making process will be linked with these social, behavioral and structural factors in order to see its relationship with customer decision making initially and customer propensity to trust a brand eventually. This paper provides an integrated theoretical framework for a pre-purchase cognitive dissonance created by different factors formulated by a model. The implementation will be beneficial for ongoing research conducted in a scenario of making stronger relationship between pre-purchase dissonance, consumer purchase behavior and its ability to create brand trust. Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, Pre-Purchase Dissonance, Customer Purchase Behavior, Brand Trus

Mechanical and comfort properties of Hydroentangled nonwovens from comber noil

Cotton fibre is one of the most important commodity fibre and is widely employed in apparels. At present, the share of natural fibres in production of nonwoven fabrics is low and employed in opt applications. The cotton fibre is conventionally converted into woven and knitted fabrics by short staple spinning methods. The comber noil is short fibre waste during production of combed cotton yarns. The aims of the current study were to employ comber noil for preparation of Hydroentangled cotton nonwovens at varying water jet pressures and conveyor speeds. The effect of these parameters is studied with respect to mechanical and comfort properties of prepared fabrics. The results showed that these variables can help to manufacture fibrous assemblies with engineered properties according to required application area

A comparative study of polyurethane nanofibers with different patterns and its analogous nanofibers containing MWCNTs

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that has evolved in various dimensions in recent years. One of the main aspects in this field is the proper adjustment and final compatibility of implants at the target site of surgery. For this purpose, it is desired to have the materials fabricated at the nanometer scale, since these dimensions will ultimately accelerate the fixation of implants at the cellular level. In this study, electrospun polyurethane nanofibers and their analogous nanofibers containing MWCNTs are introduced for tissue engineering applications. Since MWCNTs agglomerate to form bundles, a high intensity sonication procedure was used to disperse them, followed by electrospinning the polymer solutions that contained these previously dispersed MWCNTs. Characterization of the produced nanofibers has confirmed production of different non-woven mats, which include random, semi-aligned and mostly aligned patterns. A simultaneous and comparative study was conducted on the nanofibers with respect to their thermal stability, mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Results indicate that the mostly aligned nanofibers pattern presents higher thermal stability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. Furthermore, incorporation of MWCNTs among the different arrangements significantly improved the mechanical properties and cell alignment along the nanofibers

Detection of Helicobacter pylori oipA and dupA genes among dyspeptic patients with chronic gastritis

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): is a microbe with wide genetic diversity that infects the stomach of most people in developing countries, leading to several clinical outcomes among different individuals such as gastritis, ulcers, or gastric cancer. Outer inflammatory protein A (oipA) and duodenal ulcer promoting (dupA) genes are among the possible virulence factors which determine the patient outcome. Aim: To detect oipA and dupA genes of H. pylori among dyspeptic Egyptian patients, and to investigate their correlation with the varying degrees of the associated chronic gastritis. Methods: The study enrolled 50 patients with dyspepsia, attending the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy unit of the Gastroenterology and Tropical Departments at Ain Shams University Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, in the period between, June and, December 2019. Four antral gastric biopsies were taken from each patient for polymerase chain reaction assay to detect the virulence genes oipA, dupA, and cagA and for histopathological assessment. Results: Forty patients were H. pylori positive by histopathology and PCR. cagA, oipA, and dupA were identified in 6 (15%), 13 (32.5%), 9 (22.5%) of biopsies, respectively. Both cagA and oipA genes were highly significantly associated with increasing the severity of gastritis. Only oipA virulence gene showed a highly significant association with gastroduodenitis. There was a highly significant moderate association between cagA and oipA genes. Conclusion: oipA could be a virulence biomarker that serves a great value in predicting the progress of gastric mucosal damage in patients with chronic gastritis, and targeting antimicrobial therapy in those patients to prevent severe gastroduodenal diseases

Predictors of high calcium score in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major cardiovascular diseases. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) plays an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis of CAD.Objective: The aim of the present study was to reduce the generalization of doing calcium score for all coronary cardiac patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging. Patients and methods: A retrospective cohort study analysis using data from Alfa Scan Center, a major outpatient radiology center in Cairo, Egypt, and conducted in Cardiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University that included a total sample of 1168 participants with negative myocardial perfusion imaging not known to have history of CAD, and age ranged between 20 to 80 years from both sexes. All patients were subjected for SPECT-MPI after the intravenous injection of 99mTc-sestamibi.Results: There was statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding age, gender, weight, chest pain, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, family history of CAD, beta blockers, aspirin, resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP), rest ECG abnormalities and exercise duration. Age, gender, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were the predictors of any coronary artery calcification (CAC &gt; 0) in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging. Age, gender and Duke Treadmill Score were the predictors of significant coronary artery calcification (CAC &gt; 100) in patients with negative myocardial perfusion imaging.Conclusion: Calcium score for all not known coronary cardiac patients with negative MPI is a mandatory, particularly if they are old, male gender and have multiple risk factors

Intrauterine Contraceptive Device Migration Presenting as Abdominal Wall Swelling: A Case Report

A number of complications are reported with the use of intrauterine contraceptive devices. These may pursue asymptomatic course or present as an acute abdomen after migration into peritoneal cavity. The authors here are reporting an abdominal wall swelling caused by transuterine migration of a copper intrauterine contraceptive device in a 28-year-old female. An open approach was used, and impacted foreign body was retrieved

Locking Versus Non-Locking Miniplates in the Treatment of Mandibular Fractures in Above 35 Years Age Patients

Objective: To compare the frequency of short term post-operative infection of locking plates versus non-locking plate in mandibular fractures in patients above 35 years of age. Methodology: A randomized controlled study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from January 2018 to January 2019, involving a 100 patients (50 patients in each group). On the basis of history, clinical features, orthopantomogram (OPG) and intraoperative findings, the diagnosis of mandibular fractures was established. Group A patients were treated with reduction and fixation of fracture with locking miniplates and miniscrews following champy’s principle of osteosynthesis. Whereas in group B patients, fractures were reduced and fixed with non-locking miniplates and miniscrews following champy’s principle of osteosynthesis. Results: Effect modifiers such as age, gender, and type of fracture were controlled by stratification. A post-stratification chi-square test was applied. The 1 patient that had infection in group A had an age range 50- 65 years (53 years) (P value: 0.197) while the 2 patients that had infection in group B were younger in age range of 35-50 years (36 years and 38 years) (P value: 0.322). The 1 patient who had infection in group A was female (P value: 0.043) while the 2 patients of group B who had infection were also females (P value: 0.027). In group A, only 1 patient had infection at the para-symphysis of mandible according to site (P value: 0.494). In group B, 1 patient had infection at para-symphysis of mandible and 1 at the body of the mandible site (P value: 0.599).  The results were not statistically significant in terms of infection by the end of 3rd week. Conclusion: The study concludes that insignificant post-operative infection rates while managing mandibular fractures either by locking plates or non-locking plates.