Neurobiological Divergence of the Positive and Negative Schizophrenia Subtypes Identified on a New Factor Structure of Psychopathology Using Non-negative Factorization:An International Machine Learning Study

ObjectiveDisentangling psychopathological heterogeneity in schizophrenia is challenging and previous results remain inconclusive. We employed advanced machine-learning to identify a stable and generalizable factorization of the “Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)”, and used it to identify psychopathological subtypes as well as their neurobiological differentiations.MethodsPANSS data from the Pharmacotherapy Monitoring and Outcome Survey cohort (1545 patients, 586 followed up after 1.35±0.70 years) were used for learning the factor-structure by an orthonormal projective non-negative factorization. An international sample, pooled from nine medical centers across Europe, USA, and Asia (490 patients), was used for validation. Patients were clustered into psychopathological subtypes based on the identified factor-structure, and the neurobiological divergence between the subtypes was assessed by classification analysis on functional MRI connectivity patterns.ResultsA four-factor structure representing negative, positive, affective, and cognitive symptoms was identified as the most stable and generalizable representation of psychopathology. It showed higher internal consistency than the original PANSS subscales and previously proposed factor-models. Based on this representation, the positive-negative dichotomy was confirmed as the (only) robust psychopathological subtypes, and these subtypes were longitudinally stable in about 80% of the repeatedly assessed patients. Finally, the individual subtype could be predicted with good accuracy from functional connectivity profiles of the ventro-medial frontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, and precuneus.ConclusionsMachine-learning applied to multi-site data with cross-validation yielded a factorization generalizable across populations and medical systems. Together with subtyping and the demonstrated ability to predict subtype membership from neuroimaging data, this work further disentangles the heterogeneity in schizophrenia

Acomparativestudyontoolwearandlaminatedamageindrillingofcarbon-fiberreinforcedpolymers(cfrp)

Preliminary to successful assembling, drilling of composites like carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) is an important but difficult process. The anisotropic and heterogeneous structure of the laminates and the highly abrasive nature of the carbon fibers make it prone to critical damages in the work piece as well as extensive tool wear. In this work, drill series with uncoated and diamond coated tungsten carbide hard metal tools were performed in two CFRP laminates with significant differences in their microstructure. The tool wear behaviour and the corresponding work piece damage were intensively studied to figure out the correlations between wear on light optical microscopy were applied and critically evaluated and delamination damage

Study on Loading and Unloading Telescopic Conveyor

In the era of increased energy consumption, shortage of manpower and economical manufacturing due to competition, Industries are seeking for better machines and material handling system consumes substantial energy during the transport. Our present work deal with utilization of telescopic material unloader for reduces the Manpower cost, time saving and safe loading and unloading the materials in industries. Our current attempt is towards developing an economical telescopic conveyor by adopting the exiting simple design.Telescopic conveyor is working on sliding mechanism, which include one fixed link and two or more sliding links. Sliding link provide telescopic action. Because of the increasing length due to telescopic action, telescopic conveyor can go inside a truck or container & give access to loading & unloading operation. Telescopic conveyor is used for loading & unloading of boxes, bundles & bags from trucks or containers to warehouse & vice versa. It will move in to & fro direction with the help of geared motor. Telescopic conveyor is easy to shift from one platform to another platform with the help of trolley wheels within plant.It is reliable to use, compact in size, adjustable. Italso saves working man-hours& labor efforts which increases profitability of industries engaged in material handling

Waste packaging polymeric foam for oil-water separation: An environmental remediation

Nowadays, its urgent need to develop and fabricate efficient, low cost, eco-friendly, oil-water separation methodologies especially for variety of polluted water in the environments. To deals with serious oil spills and industrial organic pollutants, here in we have developed a highly efficient oil-water separation methodology by using waste material such as expanded polyethylene (EPE) polymeric foam which is most commonly used for packaging as a shock absorber and most abundantly available in the surroundings as waste. Oil-water separation setup was fabricated by using waste EPE polymeric foam without any pre-treatment. By simply scratching, special properties (wettability performance) such as hydrophobicity, leophilicity, and low water adhesion was imparted to the EPE polymeric foam. The different types of oil-water mixture used for the study and separation were achieved almost up to 78%. The oil absorption efficiency of the EPE polymeric foam was within range of 0.491–0.788 g/g. In addition to efficient oil-water separation, the modified EPE polymeric foam exhibited fast and continuous oil-water separation solely by gravity. The easy operation, chemical durability, and efficiency of the waste EPE polymeric foam give it high potential for use in industrial and consumer applications for large scale oil-water separation. Keywords: Waste, Packaging foam, Oil-water separation, Removal, Wastewater, Environmental remediatio

A Comprehensive Review Of Drug-Device Combination

<p>The trend of combining drugs and devices has brought about advancements in medical product development, regulatory approval, and business involvement. These combination products are designed with modern links between key technologies and complementary elements, while still maintaining their fundamental purpose. To better understand the benefits and drawbacks of these combination medications, we will look at case studies of drug-device stents and transdermal patches. It seems that this generation of combination products has created a new, high-value area, as evidenced by advancements in product control and the realization that the competitive advantage lies in the sophistication of the mix. Recent studies show that combining technology, medicine, and biologics creates a developing opportunity. According to our analysis, a new type of combination product's first product includes both the regulator and the sponsor. If this first product is granted a license, it can greatly reduce uncertainty around the entire class of combination medications, establishing a leading regulatory center. The sponsor of a new type of combination product is crucial in reducing uncertainty by helping decision-makers understand the fundamental objective of the combination product.</p&gt

Hypoalbuminemia as an Early Predictor of Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Retrospective Observational Study

Objectives: Several unique characteristics have been found in severe COVID19, such as lymphopenia, old age, high CRP level, elevated D dimer levels and underlying comorbid diseases. Serum albumin, being a negative acute phase reactant has been found to be associated with inflammatory response and poor outcomes in infectious diseases. The aim of the study was to analyse whether the serum albumin levels on admission might reflect the severity of systemic inflammation in COVID 19 infection and thus serve as an early predictive factor for COVID 19 outcomes. Materials and Method: This retrospective observational study included 185 COVID-19 positive patients. Laboratory data was recorded from blood samples collected at admission and analyzed by standard methods in the laboratory. Hypoalbuminemia was defined as serum albumin levels <3.5g/dl. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In the 185 COVID 19 patients studied, average age was 51.29 (±15.68) years. The study population had a male predominance (68.11%). 85 (45.95%) individuals were found to have hypoalbuminemia on admission. 18 (9.73%) deaths were reported amongst the study population and  a significant association was found between low serum albumin levels on admission and mortality.(p < 0.001)

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Not AvailableFive hundred and eighty hybrid parents, 320 R- and 260 B-lines, derived from 6 pearl millet breeding programs in India, genotyped following RAD-GBS (about 0.9 million SNPs) clustered into 12 R- and 7 B-line groups. With few excep- tions, hybrid parents of all the breeding programs were found distributed across all the marker-based groups suggesting good diversity in these programs. Three hundred and twenty hybrids generated using 37 (22 R and 15 B) representative parents, evaluated for grain yield at four locations in India, showed significant differences in yield, heterosis, and combining ability. Across all the hybrids, mean mid- and better-parent heterosis for grain yield was 84.0% and 60.5%, respectively. Groups G12 B × G12 R and G10 B × G12 R had highest heterosis of about 10% over best check hybrid Pioneer 86M86. The parents involved in heterotic hybrids were mainly from the groups G4R, G10B, G12B, G12R, and G13B. Based on the heterotic performance and combining ability of groups, 2 B-line (HGB-1 and HGB-2) and 2 R-line (HGR-1 and HGR-2) heterotic groups were identified. Hybrids from HGB-1 × HGR-1 and HGB-2 × HGR-1 showed grain yield heterosis of 10.6 and 9.3%, respectively, over best hybrid check. Results indicated that parental groups can be formed first by molecular markers, which may not predict the best hybrid combination, but it can reveal a practical value of assigning existing and new hybrid pearl millet parental lines into heterotic groups to develop high-yielding hybrids from the different heterotic groups.Not Availabl