Prediction of Percent Body Fat and Energy Requirements of Preparatory School Children in the Gaza Strip.

This study was conducted to describe anthropometric measures of body fat and energy requirements of Prep. School children (PSC) aged 12-14 yrs in three different socioeconomical communities in the Gaza Strip (GS). It was also aimed to test whether body mass index (BMI) values are associated with energy requirements or socioeconomical factors among PSC in these communities. Study sample was chosen purposively from three different socioeconomical communities in GS. These communities are Jabalia refugee camp (JRC), Gaza city (GC), and Al-Garrara village (GV). It was selected randomly from two largest preparatory schools (one for males and one for females) per each area and totally consisted of 680 PSC (350 males and 330 females). A structural and self-administered questionnaire about socioeconomical factors for each pupil in the sample was recorded. Data were analyzed by SPSS WIN program. Mean values of BMI and percent body fat (PBF) for the male pupils in GC, JRC, and GV were 19.77 (3.62), 18.92 (3.12), 18.51 (3.41) kg/m2 and 18.53 (5.40), 17.26 (4.64), 16.59 (5.04), respectively. On the other hand, mean values of BMI and PBF for female pupils in GC, JRC, and GV were 19.51 (4.00), 19.95 (4.00), 20.10 (2.81) kg/m2, and 21.75 (5.97), 22.42 (6.01), 22.59 (4.14), respectively. Moreover, means of predicted total daily energy requirements (TDR) for the males in GC, JRC, and GV were 2540 (357), 2491 (315), 2415 (326) kcal/day and for the female pupils were 2220 (206), 2231 (215), 2225 (160) kcal/day, respectively. Results also showed statistical significant differences in PBF or energy requirements between both

Multi-Modal Digital Impressions For Palatal Defects

INTRODUCTION: This in-vitro study investigated limitations of intra-oral scanners (IOS) in capturing palatal defects at decreased mouth openings. The trueness and precision of composite 3D-printed models from Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and IOS were measured.METHODS: A partially dentate palatal defect model was scanned with IOS (3M™TrueDefinition) at various simulated mouth openings. Five silicone impressions were poured in gypsum. Scans were taken using 3M™TrueDefinition; Planmeca Planscan®, n=5 each. Model was scanned on two CBCT (PlanmecaProFace®; Accuitomo170®CBCT, n=5 each). Geomagic®Control2014™ was used to create composite-models merging CBCT with IOS. Thirty composite-models were 3D-printed. Trueness and precision were measured. Pearson Correlation Coefficients measured correlation between mouth opening and data capture. Data analysed using Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and ANOVA. Statistical significance inferred when p⟨0.05.RESULTS: Mouth openings ⟨20mm, IOS didn't capture information of soft tissue. Increased mouth opening positively correlated with increased data capture(r=0.93, p=0.001). AccuitomoCBCT and TrueDefinition IOS composite-models had the highest (trueness) and [precision](median (IQR) 0.172 mm(0.062-0.426)); [mean [SD] 0.080 mm [0.008]]. Casts had the lowest results (median (IQR) 0.289 mm(0.119-1.565));[mean [SD] 0.338 mm [0.089]](p⟨0.001).CONCLUSION: Mouth opening ⟨20mm resulted in insufficient data capture by IOS for clinical applications. Composite digital models showed promising trueness and precision results.</p

The directional hybrid measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis

The efficiency measurement is a subject of great interest. The majority of studies on DEA models have been carried out using radial or non-radial approaches regarding the application of DEA for the efficiency measurement. This paper, based on the directional distance function, proposes a new generalized hybrid measure of efficiency under generalized returns to scale with the existence of both radial and non-radial inputs and outputs. It extends the hybrid measure of efficiency from Tone (2004) to a more general case. The proposed model is not only flexible enough for the decision-maker to adjust the radial and non-radial inputs and outputs to attain the efficiency score but also avoids the computational and interpretive difficulties, thereby giving rise to an important clarification and understanding of the generalized DEA model. Furthermore, several frequently-used DEA models (such as the CCR, BCC, ERM and SBM models) which depend on the radial or non-radial approaches are derived while their results were compared to the ones obtained from this hybrid model. The empirical examples emphasize the consequence of the proposed measure

Study of constraints analysis in organic farming cultivation in Sonipat and Hisar district of Haryana state, India

The present study was undertaken in two purposively selected districts, namely Sonipat and Hisar of Haryana state and a total no. of one hundred twenty farmers were selected and interviewed to study the prospects of organic farming and to assess the constraints in adoption of organic farming. The finding regarding farmers’ per-ception about input constraints in adoption of organic farming show that lack of knowledge and demand of bio pesticides (90.8%) was ranked first, the results regarding perception about technical constraints in adopting of organic farming reveals that non- availability of improved organic production technology and Lack of knowledge about weed management practices in organic farming were ranked first (94.2 %). The finding regarding farmers perception about marketing and economic constraints in adoption of organic farming showed that no separate market for organic produces and Weak marketing network /sale point both were ranked first with highest weight mean score (360). Absolutely hundred percent of the respondents had perceived it as most serious constraint in organic farming, the results show that transfer of technology constraints in adoption of organic farming namely, Data bank not available about consumers and demand was ranked first with highest weight mean score (2.98). Moreover 98.3 percent of the farmers had perceived it as most serious constraint in organic farming and the finding regarding farmers’ perception of certification constraints in organic farming shows that complicated process of organic certification was ranked first constraint (67.5 which in tern reflects the combersome procedure that may restrict the adoption of organic cultivation

Diversity and Conservation of Bats in Jordan

The diversity and the conservation status of bats in Jordan are discussed based on recent studies. The bat fauna of Jordan consists of 26 bat species belonging to nine families (Emballonuridae, Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, Miniopteridae, Molossidae, Nycteridae, Rhinolophidae, Rhinopomatidae, and Vespertilionidae). Bat echolocation calls for some selected species are included. Conservation status based on regional assessment according to the IUCN standards is amended, along with the current legislative laws for the conservation of bats. Threats affecting the bats of Jordan are highlighted including the recent introduction of wind farms and other mining activities. In addition, the role of bats in disease transmission is included

Genetic analysis of four consanguineous multiplex families with inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Family studies support a genetic predisposition to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but known genetic variants only partially explain the disease heritability. Families with multiple affected individuals potentially harbour rare and high-impact causal variants. Long regions of homozygosity due to recent inbreeding may increase the risk of individuals bearing homozygous loss-of-function variants. This study aimed to identify rare and homozygous genetic variants contributing to IBD. Methods: Four families with known consanguinity and multiple cases of IBD were recruited. In a family-specific analysis, we utilised homozygosity mapping complemented by whole-exome sequencing. Results: We detected a single region of homozygosity shared by Crohn's disease cases from a family of Druze ancestry, spanning 2.6 Mb containing the NOD2 gene. Whole-exome sequencing did not identify any potentially damaging variants within the region, suggesting that non-coding variation may be involved. In addition, affected individuals in the families harboured several rare and potentially damaging homozygous variants in genes with a role in autophagy and innate immunity including LRRK1, WHAMM, DENND3, and C5. Conclusion: This study examined the potential contribution of rare, high-impact homozygous variants in consanguineous families with IBD. While the analysis was not designed to achieve statistical significance, our findings highlight genes or loci that warrant further research. Non-coding variants affecting NOD2 may be of importance in Druze patients with Crohn's disease

COVID-19 alcoholic cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis outcomes among hospitalized patients in the United States: Insight from National Inpatient Sample database

Patients with co-morbidities like cirrhosis are at risk of worse outcome from COVID-19 infection. Given limited prior studies, we evaluated outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection in alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhotic (CC+) versus cirrhotic without COVID-19 (CC-). We performed retrospective analysis of 822,604 patients including 28,610 COVID-19 patients from the National Inpatient Sample database with alcoholic and NASH cirrhosis enrolled between 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020, with univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes was mechanical ventilation, vasopressor use, length of stay, hospitalization expense and predictors of mortality. In-hospital mortality was three time higher in the CC+ group compared to those in the CC- group(18.6% vs. 5.96%

Fixed-Parameter Algorithms in Analysis of Heuristics for Extracting Networks in Linear Programs

We consider the problem of extracting a maximum-size reflected network in a linear program. This problem has been studied before and a state-of-the-art SGA heuristic with two variations have been proposed. In this paper we apply a new approach to evaluate the quality of SGA\@. In particular, we solve majority of the instances in the testbed to optimality using a new fixed-parameter algorithm, i.e., an algorithm whose runtime is polynomial in the input size but exponential in terms of an additional parameter associated with the given problem. This analysis allows us to conclude that the the existing SGA heuristic, in fact, produces solutions of a very high quality and often reaches the optimal objective values. However, SGA contain two components which leave some space for improvement: building of a spanning tree and searching for an independent set in a graph. In the hope of obtaining even better heuristic, we tried to replace both of these components with some equivalent algorithms. We tried to use a fixed-parameter algorithm instead of a greedy one for searching of an independent set. But even the exact solution of this subproblem improved the whole heuristic insignificantly. Hence, the crucial part of SGA is building of a spanning tree. We tried three different algorithms, and it appears that the Depth-First search is clearly superior to the other ones in building of the spanning tree for SGA. Thereby, by application of fixed-parameter algorithms, we managed to check that the existing SGA heuristic is of a high quality and selected the component which required an improvement. This allowed us to intensify the research in a proper direction which yielded a superior variation of SGA