Doane University

В роботі розглянуто вплив тугоплавких сполук і температури випалу в діапазоні температур 350…950°С на гамма розсіювання геоцементних компаундів для кондиціювання радіоактивних відходів. Відмічено позитивний вплив сплаву вольфраму нікелю та карбіду бору на загальне гамма розсіювання і лінійний коефіцієнт послаблення, а дисиліциду молібдену на теплове розсіювання, що сприяє уповільненню радіолізу при кондиціюванні радіоактивних відходів, зниженню гамма навантаження на металеві барабани та внутрішні поверхні бетонних контейнерів. Цим вимогам відповідає склад компаунду, що містить 2.5–5% WNi, 5% MoSi2 і 2.5–3.5% B4C. Знання об’ємних деформацій компаундів дозволить оптимально наповнювати металеві барабани радіоактивним розчином по висоті чи об’єму.

This study hypothesizes, from a philological point of view, the early existence of expressive and communicative skills in the Proto-Latin language of the early Italic peoples based on an engraving found on the 7th century BCE Praeneste fibula. This famed ancient artifact has an extensive, complex and disputed modern history, but its ancient authenticity has now been scientifically confirmed. The goldsmith, (Manios) who made the engraving was likely Etruscan. The inscription thus constitutes compelling evidence that both the carver and the object's patron (Numazios) shared a language, now considered Proto-Latin, that was unambiguously understood by contemporaries. Such a scenario, interestingly, precedes the introduction of Greek philosophical texts concerning the origins and meaning of language to the Italian peninsula by about two centuries.

Severe protein clumping in the lens can block light and lead to vision issues in cataract patients. Recent studies have linked β-crystallins, which are key proteins in the lens, to the development of cataracts. Specifically, the S175G/H181Q mutation in the βB2-crystallin gene plays a major role in cataract formation. To understand how this mutation can be activated, we utilized computational methods to predict activators from Phaseolus vulgaris. The Schrödinger platform was employed to screen bioactive compounds and simulate molecular interactions in order to analyze binding and structural changes. Our results indicated that these phytochemicals are stable near S175G/H181Q. These findings suggest novel approaches that could potentially be developed into effective anticataract medications through further refinement and additional testing, ultimately resulting in the creation of more potent agents for cataract treatment.

L'incidence de la sclérose en plaques (SEP) a progressivement augmenté en Europe. Nous avons précédemment analysé les taux d'incidence de la SEP dans la ville de Catane sur une période de 30 ans (1975-2005), constatant une incidence croissante. L'objectif de cette étude est de décrire les taux d'incidence et les tendances temporelles de la SEP dans la ville de Catane de 1975 à 2020. Des cas incidents de SEP ont été constatés à l'aide des registres des principaux centres MS de la municipalité de Catane. Les patients diagnostiqués avec les critères de Poser ou McDonald's, résidents dans la ville de Catane au début de la maladie, ont été recrutés. Le risque d'incidence annuel ajusté au début était basé sur l'année du début clinique. Des taux d'incidence annualisés par âge et par sexe ont été calculés. Au total, 718 cas incidents ont été diagnostiqués dans la ville de Catane. L'incidence a fortement augmenté, passant de 1,3/100 000 personnes-années au cours de la période 1975-1979 à 7,0/100 000 au cours du quinquennat 2000-2004 et montrant un plateau après avec des taux sensiblement stables de 2004 à 2020 avec un risque d'incidence brut annuel moyen de 7,3/100 000. Le rapport moyen femmes/hommes était de 1,6 (IC à 95 %, IC 1,4-1,8, p<0,0001), allant de 0,8 (IC à 95% 0,35-1,61) en 1975-1979 à 1,8 (IC à 95 % 1,2-2,8 p<0,003) en 2016-2020. L’âge moyen au début a augmenté régulièrement, passant de 23,9±8,6 ans entre 1975 et 1979 à 36,0±11,4 ans entre 2016 et 2020. L'augmentation de l’âge d'apparition observée pourrait être le résultat soit d'une amélioration du diagnostic, soit de l'effet de plusieurs facteurs de risque environnementaux, dont la pertinence a changé au fil des années.

In this paper, we demonstrate that the U.S. equity market and a few specific sectors produce significantly positive returns during high geopolitical threats, even with the presence of standard controls, whereas other major markets around the world fail to exhibit such results. We use the geopolitical threats (GPT) index of Caldara and Iacoviello (2022). We extend our study by examining the equity returns during extremely high geopolitical threats and find the results significantly positive for the U.S. equity market and two specific sectors- information technology and financials. The results of our investigation are likewise supported by the lead-lag regression and the Markov regime-switching model. Our results are robust in the presence of various alternative measures of market uncertainty indices, for instance, economic policy uncertainty, economic uncertainty, macroeconomic uncertainty etc., on a daily basis. However, the return on equity was not robust when conditional volatility and monthly frequency were considered. We also investigate and find the optimal hedging implications for investors during the presence of geopolitical threats. We find a considerable hedge alternative between the US market and gold and further explore how Geopolitical threats affect Gold and different US sectoral Exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Focused Clinical Question: What is the efficacy of dry needling (DN) compared to ischemic compression point therapy for improving pain and pain pressure threshold (PPT) in patients experiencing myofascial neck pain? Clinical Bottom Line: There is low-level evidence suggesting DN has the potential to elicit greater improvements in pain and PPT relief compared to ischemic compression techniques for individuals with myofascial neck pain.

Abstract Experimental data about known gene functions curated from the primary literature have enormous value for research scientists in understanding biology. Using the Gene Ontology (GO), manual curation by experts has provided an important resource for studying gene function, especially within model organisms. Unprecedented expansion of the scientific literature and validation of the predicted proteins have increased both data value and the challenges of keeping pace. Capturing literature-based functional annotations is limited by the ability of biocurators to handle the massive and rapidly growing scientific literature. Within the community-oriented wiki framework for GO annotation called the Gene Ontology Normal Usage Tracking System (GONUTS), we describe an approach to expand biocuration through crowdsourcing with undergraduates. This multiplies the number of high-quality annotations in international databases, enriches our coverage of the literature on normal gene function, and pushes the field in new directions. From an intercollegiate competition judged by experienced biocurators, Community Assessment of Community Annotation with Ontologies (CACAO), we have contributed nearly 5000 literature-based annotations. Many of those annotations are to organisms not currently well-represented within GO. Over a ten-year history, our community contributors have spurred changes to the ontology not traditionally covered by professional biocurators. The CACAO principle of relying on community members to participate in and shape the future of biocuration in GO is a powerful and scalable model used to promote the scientific enterprise. It also provides undergraduate students with a unique and enriching introduction to critical reading of primary literature and acquisition of marketable skills.Significance StatementThe primary scientific literature catalogs the results from publicly funded scientific research about gene function in human-readable format. Information captured from those studies in a widely adopted, machine-readable standard format comes in the form of Gene Ontology annotations about gene functions from all domains of life. Manual annotations based on inferences directly from the scientific literature, including the evidence used to make such inferences, represents the best return on investment by improving data accessibility across the biological sciences. To supplement professional curation, our CACAO project enabled annotation of the scientific literature by community annotators, in this case undergraduates, which resulted in contribution of thousands of validated entries to public resources. These annotations are now being used by scientists worldwide.

This study uncovers reasons why Buddhist sites in China since the time of Mao have received government patronage, and it argues that economic development at Buddhist sacred sites has resulted in religious revivalism—a perhaps unintended consequence of state support. The focus of the work is at Mount Putuo—the home of the Bodhisattva Guanyin—and data collected come from fieldwork during the summers of 2012 and 2013. The first portion of the study examines the various ways individuals have sponsored Buddhist sites through Chinese history and identifies the upholding of miracle tales, the financing of temples and the creation of religious commodities as particularly significant. The second portion of the study examines and evaluates contemporary financing, especially the processes of commodification that shape sacred sites like Mount Putuo. At the conclusion of this article, the author argues that Buddhist practice today has not been hindered by economic development but instead revived.