Do You Know What Your Phone is Doing to You? - Analysis on Usage Data Over an Entire Semester

Like many teens today, I am a victim of cell phone addiction. Over the course of the spring 2017 semester I recorded my phone usage with the aim to quantify the degree of my addiction. I am using an iPhone application called Moment, which records the amount of time I spend on each application, the number of times I pick up my phone, and when I first and last used my phone during the day. I decided to keep track of the applications I want to minimize my time on which include Snapchat, Instagram, Netflix, YouTube and Messages. I am also tracking my usage of an application called LINE which is how I communicate with my parents since I am out of my home country. This is the only application I wish to use more. Along with application tracking, I am also keeping record of my mood during the day on a scale from 1-5, 1 being “horrible” and 5 being “amazing”. I keep track of my sleeping times by using the first and last used information, information provided by Moment

A Cost Estimate System for Gaza Strip Construction Contractors

Effective estimating and tendering process is a key to the success of a construction project. The preparation of cost estimate for a project is one of the most difficult tasks in project management. Nowadays, successful cost estimating has to be based on thorough and updated information, and processed utilizing a well designed estimating software. The aim of this thesis has been to explore the local practice in construction cost estimating and develop a cost estimating system to facilitate the local estimating practice mainly in building construction. Construction cost estimating related literature has been generally reviewed; meanwhile some estimating software packages have been reviewed also. The researcher explores Microsoft Excel capabilities and tries to acquire the skills needed to utilize these capabilities in developing a cost estimating system which he names "Gaza Estimator Software" (GES). A survey questionnaire supported by personal interviews is used to explore the local practice in cost estimating. Fifty-one questionnaires are distributed to contractors of first, second, and third classes. Forty questionnaires are received and analyzed. The study shows that most of contracting companies are still estimating the projects manually. Shortage of user friendly estimating software packages and lack of available qualified personnel in using computer-based estimating systems are considered the main obstacles in using computer in construction estimating. GES is a PC-based system which has been designed to run under Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Excel is used in developing GES, as most companies in Gaza Strip are familiar with it. Full description of GES has been given with detailed implementation procedures. GES has been evaluated to test its suitability to local estimating practice. Evaluation of GES has addressed both conceptual and practical issues. One of the main recommendations of this research is to encourage local contracting companies to have an estimating software package and use it in estimating the works in order to get more accurate estimates, save time, minimize error, and hopefully to have better chance to win bids

The Effectiveness of Dietary-Induced Ketogenesis on Cognition in Older Adults: A Scoping Review of the Literature

There is growing interest in the effect of dietary interventions in people living with memory impairment and delaying cognitive decline. Investigation of alterations in glucose metabolism and dietary-induced ketogenesis in older adults is a recent growing area of research. Ketone bodies are an important alternative energy source in the brain and may be beneficial to people developing or who already have memory impairment or those with Alzheimer’s disease. This scoping review aims to evaluate the available evidence on dietary-induced ketogenesis and its effect on cognition in older adults and the factors affecting feasibility of the dietary interventions to inform the design of future studies. The scoping review methodology explored the current knowledge about dietary interventions related to dietary-induced ketogenesis and cognition in older adults and identify gaps in the literature. Eleven dietary intervention studies included in the review demonstrated that both medium-chain triglyceride supplementation and ketogenic diets induce ketosis. Nine of these studies demonstrated that dietary-induced ketogenesis could lead to an improvement in cognitive functions, but the evidence remains inconclusive. Most of the included studies showed evidence to suggest that dietary-induced ketogenesis improves cognitive functions in older adults. However, the number of published papers is small and there were differences in the design and types of the dietary interventions (medium-chain triglyceride supplementation, ketogenic diet) along with high drop-out rates in some studies which limits the generalization of the findings. Although methodologies used in the studies vary, the findings warrant the need for further research with larger sample sizes in people at different stages of cognitive impairment, and to develop strategies to improve adherence to the intervention

Numerical investigation of shallow-water effects on hydrokinetic turbine wake recovery

Thrust, power and intermediate wake predictions obtained using resolved rotating blade with sliding mesh simulations for a hydrokinetic turbine (HKT) are assessed using the open-source flow solver OpenFOAM. Single- and two-phase URANS and DES computations are performed for three-blade, 0.5m diameter (D) turbine mounted on a stanchion that intersects the free surface with a tip-speed ratio λ = 6.15. The thrust and power predictions compare within 5% of the experimental data. Results show that the thrust predictions are dominated by the pressure distribution on the blades, whereas the shear stress plays a significant role in the power predictions. The turbine performance showed unsteadiness with amplitudes around 3% of the mean, due to the disruption of the flow each time a blade passed in front of the stanchion. The wake recovery is primarily due to the growth of shear layers (originating from the blade tips) towards the turbine axis, which are primarily caused by the cross-plane turbulent velocity. The shear layer growth is enhanced by the turbulence produced by the stanchion. Predictions of the mean wake profile compared within 10% of the experimental data, which is significant improvement over previous Fluent predictions that showed large errors of 22%. The improved predictions in OpenFOAM is attributed to better turbulence predictions. Two-phase results show that the interaction between the wake and free-surface is initiated by the interaction of stanchion with the free-surface. The free-surface creates a blockage effect that accelerates the flow in the upper bypass region and enhances the wake recovery

T2DM GWAS in the Lebanese population confirms the role of TCF7L2 and CDKAL1 in disease susceptibility

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of multiple populations with distinctive genetic and lifestyle backgrounds are crucial to the understanding of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) pathophysiology. We report a GWAS on the genetic basis of T2DM in a 3,286 Lebanese participants. More than 5,000,000 SNPs were directly genotyped or imputed using the 1000 Genomes Project reference panels. We identify genome-wide significant variants in two loci CDKAL1 and TCF7L2, independent of sex, age and BMI, with leading variants rs7766070 (OR = 1.39, P = 4.77 × 10(−9)) and rs34872471 (OR = 1.35, P = 1.01 × 10(−8)) respectively. The current study is the first GWAS to find genomic regions implicated in T2DM in the Lebanese population. The results support a central role of CDKAL1 and TCF7L2 in T2DM susceptibility in Southwest Asian populations and provide a plausible component for understanding molecular mechanisms involved in the disease

Multivariate epidemiologic analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus risks in the Lebanese population

Background: The burden of diabetes in Lebanon requires well-targeted interventions for screening type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes and prevention of risk factors. Newly recruited 998 Lebanese individuals, in addition to 7,292 already available, were studied to investigate the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes and their associated risk factors. Methods: Participants had fasting blood sugar and glycohemoglobin tests in addition to a lipid profile. Clinical and demographic information were obtained from a detailed questionnaire. The relationship between T2DM, its risk factors, and its complications were tested. Comparisons of these risk factors among diabetics, healthy, and coronary artery disease (CAD) patients were performed. Results: The prevalence of T2DM significantly increased with increasing BMI (p < 0.0001). Exercise activity level negatively correlated with the disease (p = 0.002), whereas the prevalence of T2DM (p < 0.0001) and CAD family history (p = 0.006) positively correlated with the affection status. The mean levels of triglycerides and LDL-C were significantly higher in diabetics (1.87; 1.35) compared to individuals with prediabetes (1.63; 1.26) and unaffected controls (1.49; 1.19). People with T2DM showed a significant decrease in HDL-C levels. A strong correlation of overall hyperlipidemia with the diabetes affection status was shown (p < 0.0001). Other comorbid factors such as hypertension (p < 0.0001) and self-reported obesity (p < 0.0001) were highly associated with T2DM and prediabetes. Reproductive health of women showed a strong correlation between giving birth to a baby with a high weight and the occurrence of T2DM and prediabetes later in life (p < 0.0001). Retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy were significantly correlated with diabetes and prediabetes (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The present study shows an alarming prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in the studied subgroups representative of the Lebanese population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1758-5996-6-89) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

‘Well I’m still the Diva!’ Enabling people with dementia to express their identity through graffiti arts: Innovative practice.

This article reports on a pilot study that investigated the use of graffiti arts as a medium for promoting self-expression in people with dementia. Two people with dementia attended a series of workshops with a graffiti artist where they explored their feelings of changing identity following their dementia diagnoses. As part of the workshops, they were encouraged to develop a personal ‘tag’ or signature to portray their sense of identity and a piece of street art to express ‘their message’. These completed artworks were displayed in a public space in Bournemouth, UK

The Effect of Ephedra Foeminea Extract as an Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agent

Drugs derived from natural sources play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of human diseases. In many developing countries, traditional medicine is an essential part of primary healthcare systems (Abdallah, 2011). Due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, it is essential to investigate new drugs with lesser resistance especially ones that can be derived from natural resources like plants. Ephedra is likely one of the oldest medicinal plants that are still currently in use. Antimicrobial and antifungal activities of some ephedra species have been noticed in recent years (ZHANG Ben-Mei et al,2018). The aim of the study is to observe and understand the effects of E. foeminea extracts as antimicrobial and antifungal agents. It is an experimental study; four different types of bacteria including, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MRSA, and Escherichia coli as well as two different types of fungi including, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans were used as test microorganisms. Maceration extraction technique (William P. Jones,2012) for the dried stem of E. foeminea will be used by methanol / water 90/10 for 2 days (Ali Parsaeimehr et el,2010). Three concentrations of the extract will be used on 30 plates for each type of microorganism in the laboratories of the University of Palestine. Antimicrobial activity will be tested by using plate methods in which a variable diameter of a growth inhibition zone in most types of bacteria will appear. The MIC values may also be evaluated using the broth serial dilution method according to standard methods (CLSI, 2012)

Biallelic loss of function variants in PPP1R21 cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome with impaired endocytic function

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has been instrumental in solving the genetic basis of rare inherited diseases, especially neurodevelopmental syndromes. However, functional workup is essential for precise phenotype definition and to understand the underlying disease mechanisms. Using whole exome (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) in four independent families with hypotonia, neurodevelopmental delay, facial dysmorphism, loss of white matter, and thinning of the corpus callosum, we identified four previously unreported homozygous truncating PPP1R21 alleles: c.347delT p.(Ile116Lysfs*25), c.2170_2171insGGTA p.(Ile724Argfs*8), c.1607dupT p.(Leu536Phefs*7), c.2063delA p.(Lys688Serfs*26) and found that PPP1R21 was absent in fibroblasts of an affected individual, supporting the allele's loss of function effect. PPP1R21 function had not been studied except that a large scale affinity proteomics approach suggested an interaction with PIBF1 defective in Joubert syndrome. Our co‐immunoprecipitation studies did not confirm this but in contrast defined the localization of PPP1R21 to the early endosome. Consistent with the subcellular expression pattern and the clinical phenotype exhibiting features of storage diseases, we found patient fibroblasts exhibited a delay in clearance of transferrin‐488 while uptake was normal. In summary, we delineate a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome caused by biallelic PPP1R21 loss of function variants, and suggest a role of PPP1R21 within the endosomal sorting process or endosome maturation pathway