We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save content items to your account,
please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies.
If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org
is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings
on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part
of your Kindle email address below.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations.
‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi.
‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Conduct disorder is a psychological condition marked by persistent patterns of rule-breaking, aggression and disregard for societal norms. As pornography consumption becomes increasingly prevalent among young adults, concerns have emerged regarding its potential psychological and social implications. This study explores how pornography consumption may contribute to conduct disorder symptoms among young adults through an in-depth qualitative analysis. Using a case-study approach, four individuals with a history of frequent pornography consumption and behavioural issues linked to conduct disorder were selected. Data were collected through detailed interviews, focusing on their experiences, behavioural patterns and psychological effects. The analysis revealed that prolonged exposure to certain types of pornography was associated with increased impulsivity, aggression and rule-breaking tendencies. Participants also reported social and emotional challenges, further reinforcing conduct disorder symptoms. This study suggests that specific patterns of pornography consumption may play a role in the development or worsening of conduct disorder symptoms. Recognizing these behavioural links is crucial for creating effective prevention and intervention strategies, especially for young adults at risk of engaging in deviant or criminal behaviour.
To present a tool and examine the minimum cost of a healthy and diverse diet that meets daily requirements of essential nutrients for the people of India, using interactive web-based tools.
Design:
Linear-programming algorithms were adapted into two web-based tools: a Food Optimization for Population (FOP) tool and a Diet Optimization Tool (DOT). The FOP optimizes daily food choices at a population level, considering local food consumption patterns. The DOT focuses on household or individual food selection.
Setting:
India, with consideration of locally produced and consumed foods.
Participants:
The two optimization tools are demonstrated for the state of Bihar: the FOP tool at population level, exemplified by diet optimization for children aged 1-3y; and DOT at household level, demonstrated through diet optimization for a household of four members.
Results:
Both tools provide cost-effective, optimized food plans, respecting cultural preferences. Based on food prices from June 2022, the FOP tool generated optimized diets for 1–3-year-old Bihari children priced at INR 26.8 (USD 0.32 converted as of January 2024 rate)/child/day. By applying a milk subsidy, this cost could drop to INR 23.7 (USD 0.28). The DOT was able to formulate a vegetarian diet for a family of four at INR 204 (USD 2.45)/day.
Conclusion:
These web-based tools offer diet plans optimized to meet macro and micro-nutrient requirements at population and/or individual/household levels, at minimum cost. This tool can be used by policymakers to design food-focused strategies that can meet nutritional needs at local price points, while considering food preferences.
Background: Meningiomas are the most common intracranial extra-axial lesion. Reports of meningioma regression exist, often in the context of known hormonal or vascular fluctuations, though very few describe complete resolution. Though rare, extra-axial mimics such as lymphoma and chloroma may also spontaneously regress. Methods: Electronic medical records were used to access patient information in accordance with our local ethics review board. Results: A 29-year-old male presenting with new onset seizures was found to have a 22.7 x 26.6 mm left temporal extra-axial lesion, radiologically consistent with meningioma. Due to wait times and patient preference, repeat pre-operative imaging was not available prior to surgical resection 13 months later, though an interim CT had confirmed persistence of the tumour’s size 1 month after diagnosis. Decision was made to proceed with resection; however, intraoperatively, no lesion was identified. Post-operative imaging demonstrated complete disappearance of the lesion, and follow-up imaging has shown no recurrence. Conclusions: This case highlights the possibility of spontaneous resolution of extra-axial lesions and emphasizes the importance of serial imaging prior to resection.
The two-spined deepwater cardinalfish, Epigonus bispinosus Okamoto & Gon 2018 is documented for the first time from the Arabian Sea (n= 2) (137.4–151.1 mm SL). The specimens were caught by a demersal shrimp trawl operated along the Kerala coast at a depth of 250–420 m. This species was previously recorded in South Africa and northern Madagascar regions. The present study also provides the first molecular information on E. bispinosus based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Detailed taxonomic identification, and molecular and phylogenetic analysis are described.
The path navigation of robot in an entirely known space is presented by various researchers in the recent times. The navigational complexity arises when a robot moves in a completely unknown and complex environment from one defined start to a designated desired location. As the success of the nature-inspired algorithms in the unclear navigational problem is better, therefore, an improved butterfly optimization algorithm (IBOA) to determine the optimal feasible path for a humanoid robot navigating through a platform cluttered with both known and unfamiliar barriers is presented in this study. The BOA is inspired by the food-gathering habits of butterflies, where the sense of smell is the vital parameter in the global optimal search. However, the performance of this technique in the complex environment is poor, as a result, the chances of being trapped in local minima are more. Hence, the BOA is improved by using a nonlinear weight reduction strategy in updating the position of the butterflies in every iteration. The simulation is carried out in the Webots platform by considering variable-legged robot, NAO, in an unfamiliar environment. The outcomes derived from the simulation and real assessments demonstrate the potential of the proposed technique and compare with other existing algorithms, which highlights the potential and efficacy of the proposed IBOA algorithm.
The application of a tube combustion system (pyrolyzer) for the batch combustion of low carbon content environmental matrices, such as soil and sediment, for determining 14C specific activity is examined. The samples were combusted at 600°C, and the CO2 species produced were trapped in 3N NaOH, precipitated as BaCO3 by adding BaCl2, and subjected to acid-hydrolysis to transfer the CO2 species to the absorber-scintillator mixture for liquid scintillation counting (LSC). The method was validated by analyzing the samples by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) method. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) for the method, at 2σ confidence level, was 10 Bq kg–1C (4 pMC) for a counting time of 500 min and 7 Bq kg–1C (3 pMC) for 1000 min. The capability of the method to quantify a small excess of 14C specific activity (a few Bq kg–1C or pMC) in the environment of a nuclear facility, when compared to the ambient natural background level, was demonstrated by analyzing a total of 23 soil and 7 sediment samples from the vicinity of a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) nuclear power plant (NPP) at Kaiga, India. The maximum excess 14C specific activity values recorded for soil and sediment matrices were 37 ± 7 Bq kg–1C and 11 ± 7 Bq kg–1C, respectively, confirming minimal radioecological impact of the operation of the NPP on the environment. The 14C specific activity ratio for the recently fallen leaf litter and the soil underneath at most of the sampling points in the vicinity of the NPP had a mean value of 1.03 with an associated standard deviation of 0.07. Statistical tests confirm that the mean values of the data set of 14C specific activity of leaf litter and underlying soil are not significantly different.
The therapeutic effects of soya consumption on adipokine concentrations have yielded inconsistent results in previous meta-analyses. This umbrella meta-analysis aims to investigate the impact of soya and its isoflavones on serum adiponectin and leptin levels in adults. We searched the Cochrane Central, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases until October 10, 2024. The articles were restricted to those written in English. We included meta-analysis studies that evaluated the effects of soya and its isoflavones on levels of adiponectin and leptin and reported effect sizes (ES) and corresponding CI. Two independent reviewers screened all articles based on eligibility criteria and extracted the required data from the included meta-analyses. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model in STATA software. Six meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the current umbrella meta-analysis. The findings indicated that soya and its isoflavones did not have a significant effect on adiponectin (ES = 0·10; 95 % CI: −0·22, 0·41; P = 0·55; I2 = 51·8 %) and leptin (ES = −0·37; 95 % CI: −1·35, 0·61; P = 0·46; I2 = 71·2 %) concentrations. Subgroup analysis based on participants’ mean age, total sample size and duration was conducted. Results showed that the effect is not statistically significant in any of the subgroups. In conclusion, soya and its isoflavones could not improve the adipokines mentioned above. However, further high-quality research in different countries is required to substantiate these findings.
With wide-field phased array feed technology, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is ideally suited to search for seemingly rare radio transient sources that are difficult to discover previous-generation narrow-field telescopes. The Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transient (CRAFT) Survey Science Project has developed instrumentation to continuously search for fast radio transients (duration $\lesssim$ 1 s) with ASKAP, with a particular focus on finding and localising fast radio bursts (FRBs). Since 2018, the CRAFT survey has been searching for FRBs and other fast transients by incoherently adding the intensities received by individual ASKAP antennas, and then correcting for the impact of frequency dispersion on these short-duration signals in the resultant incoherent sum (ICS) in real time. This low-latency detection enables the triggering of voltage buffers, which facilitates the localisation of the transient source and the study of spectro-polarimetric properties at high time resolution. Here we report the sample of 43 FRBs discovered in this CRAFT/ICS survey to date. This includes 22 FRBs that had not previously been reported: 16 FRBs localised by ASKAP to $\lesssim 1$ arcsec and 6 FRBs localised to $\sim 10$ arcmin. Of the new arcsecond-localised FRBs, we have identified and characterised host galaxies (and measured redshifts) for 11. The median of all 30 measured host redshifts from the survey to date is $z=0.23$. We summarise results from the searches, in particular those contributing to our understanding of the burst progenitors and emission mechanisms, and on the use of bursts as probes of intervening media. We conclude by foreshadowing future FRB surveys with ASKAP using a coherent detection system that is currently being commissioned. This will increase the burst detection rate by a factor of approximately ten and also the distance to which ASKAP can localise FRBs.
Weak-line T Tauri stars (WTTS) exhibit X-ray flares, likely resulting from magnetic reconnection that heats the stellar plasma to very high temperatures. These flares are difficult to identify through targeted observations. Here, we report the serendipitous detection of the brightest X-ray flaring state of the WTTS KM Ori in the eROSITA DR1 survey. Observations from SRG/eROSITA, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and XMM-Newton are analysed to assess the X-ray properties of KM Ori, thereby establishing its flaring state at the eROSITA epoch. The long-term (1999–2020) X-ray light curve generated for the Chandra observations confirmed that eROSITA captured the source at its highest X-ray flaring state recorded to date. Multi-instrument observations support the X-ray flaring state of the source, with time-averaged X-ray luminosity ($L_\mathrm{0.2-5\ keV}$) reaching $\sim 1.9\times10^{32}\mathrm{{erg\ s^{-1}}}$ at the eROSITA epoch, marking it the brightest and possibly the longest flare observed so far. Such intense X-ray flares have been detected only in a few WTTS. The X-ray spectral analysis unveils the presence of multiple thermal plasma components at all epochs. The notably high luminosity ($L_\mathrm{0.5-8\ keV}\sim10^{32}\ \mathrm{erg\ s}^{-1}$), energy ($E_\mathrm{ 0.5-8\ keV}\sim10^{37}$ erg), and the elevated emission measures of the thermal components in the eROSITA epoch indicate a superflare/megaflare state of KM Ori. Additionally, the H$\alpha$ line equivalent width of $\sim$$-5$ Å from our optical spectral analysis, combined with the lack of infrared excess in the spectral energy distribution, were used to re-confirm the WTTS (thin disc/disc-less) classification of the source. The long-duration flare of KM Ori observed by eROSITA indicates the possibility of a slow-rise top-flat flare. The detection demonstrates the potential of eROSITA to uncover such rare, transient events, thereby providing new insights into the X-ray activity of WTTS.
Residual blood specimens collected at health facilities may be a source of samples for serosurveys of adults, a population often neglected in community-based serosurveys. Anonymized residual blood specimens were collected from individuals 15 – 49 years of age attending two sub-district hospitals in Palghar District, Maharashtra, from November 2018 to March 2019. Specimens also were collected from women 15 – 49 years of age enrolled in a cross-sectional, community-based serosurvey representative at the district level that was conducted 2 – 7 months after the residual specimen collection. Specimens were tested for IgG antibodies to measles and rubella viruses. Measles and rubella seroprevalence estimates using facility-based specimens were 99% and 92%, respectively, with men having significantly lower rubella seropositivity than women. Age-specific measles and rubella seroprevalence estimates were similar between the two specimen sources. Although measles seropositivity was slightly higher among adults attending the facilities, both facility and community measles seroprevalence estimates were 95% or higher. The similarity in measles and rubella seroprevalence estimates between the community-based and facility serosurveys highlights the potential value of residual specimens to approximate community seroprevalence.
In order to recognize the best nutrient supply options for profitable and sustainable production systems, observations were recorded from 2001 to 2020 (20 years) in a long-term fertilizer experiment initiated in 1995–96 with soybean–wheat cropping systems (SWCSs) under irrigated conditions. The experiment comprised of seven treatments including control, organic, inorganic and their combinations. A combined use of 10 Mg farmyard manure (FYM)/ha (M) along with 120 kg N/ha provided statistically (P < 0.05) similar yield and economic benefits to the M + NPK and also provided a positive yield trend (30.0 and 16.2 kg/ha/year) and net return (14.7 and 5.81 US$/ha/year) over the year in both wheat and soybean, respectively. The combined use of organic and chemical fertilizers, provided 32–41% higher production efficiency than their individual use. In contrast, long-term chemical fertilization provided a negative yield trend in both the crops with the highest reduction in sole N-fertilized plots ranged from −39 to −42 kg/ha/year. Water-use efficiency ranged from 3.20 to 12.3 kg/ha/mm in soybean–wheat rotation and increased almost 1.74–3.15 times in wheat and 1.30–1.80 times in soybean due to fertilizer application. A similar trend was observed for water-expense efficiency and remain closely associated with fertilization practice. Long-term chemical fertilizers declined the yield potential of the studied crops while their conjoint application with FYM in the winter season considered as an input efficient approach to sustain the overall productivity and profitability of SWCSs.
Transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX) represents an effective tool for determining the stoichiometric composition of clay minerals, but the methodology is often hampered by analytical difficulties. Studies of beam-sensitive minerals, such as smectites, are associated with low count intensities and dynamic loss of cations (e.g. K+, Na+, and Al3+), which can lead to erroneous quantifications of composition. After exploring how to minimize cation migration by reducing the beam current density to <5 pA cm–2, the most reliable and consistent compositions were determined using 1 μm2 area measurements of particles acquired in normal TEM mode where the electron beam was parallel, the degree of specimen damage was at its minimum and good acquisition intensities (>10,000 cps) were acquired. Based on 528 TEM-EDX area analyses, the composition of Wyoming montmorillonites (SWy-1, SWy-2, and SWy-3) was studied in their natural and Ca-saturated states from thin (<50 nm thick) particle aggregates lying on lacey carbon films. Overall, the TEM-EDX results confirmed the heterogeneous charge distributions of montmorillonite at the particle and sample levels. The average composition per formula unit of SWy-1 to -3 was determined as: (Na0.12Ca0.04Mg0.03K0.02)(Si3.91Al0.09)(Al1.57Mg0.27Fe0.19)2.03 O10(OH)2 · nH2O, where the tetrahedral and octahedral layer charges are –0.09 and –0.19 per O10(OH)2, respectively, and the total layer charge ranges from –0.25 to –0.30 per O10(OH)2 (mean of –0.28). This study demonstrates how TEM-EDX can provide new insight into the natural heterogeneities of smectite chemistry as long as adequate calibration and specimen damage control procedures are implemented.
Residual blood specimens provide a sample repository that could be analyzed to estimate and track changes in seroprevalence with fewer resources than household-based surveys. We conducted parallel facility and community-based cross-sectional serological surveys in two districts in India, Kanpur Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh, and Palghar District, Maharashtra, before and after a measles-rubella supplemental immunization activity (MR-SIA) from 2018 to 2019. Anonymized residual specimens from children 9 months to younger than 15 years of age were collected from public and private diagnostic laboratories and public hospitals and tested for IgG antibodies to measles and rubella viruses. Significant increases in seroprevalence were observed following the MR SIA using the facility-based specimens. Younger children whose specimens were tested at a public facility in Kanpur Nagar District had significantly lower rubella seroprevalence prior to the SIA compared to those attending a private hospital, but this difference was not observed following the SIA. Similar increases in rubella seroprevalence were observed in facility-based and community-based serosurveys following the MR SIA, but trends in measles seroprevalence were inconsistent between the two specimen sources. Despite challenges with representativeness and limited metadata, residual specimens can be useful in estimating seroprevalence and assessing trends through facility-based sentinel surveillance.
Face milling is performed on aluminum alloy A96061-T6 at diverse cutting parameters proposed by the design of experiments. Surface roughness is predicted by examining the effects of cutting parameters (CP), vibrations (Vib), and sound characteristics (SC). Sound characteristics based on surface roughness estimation determine the rarity of the work. In this study, a unique ANN-TLBO hybrid model (Artificial Neural Networks: Teaching Learning Based Algorithm) is created to predict the surface roughness from CP, Vib, and SC. To ascertain their correctness and efficacy in evaluating surface roughness, the performance of these models is evaluated. First off, the CP hybrid model demonstrated an amazing accuracy of 95.1%, demonstrating its capacity to offer trustworthy forecasts of surface roughness values. The Vib hybrid model, in addition, demonstrated a respectable accuracy of 85.4%. Although it was not as accurate as the CP model, it nevertheless showed promise in forecasting surface roughness. The SC-based hybrid model outperformed the other two models in terms of accuracy with a remarkable accuracy of 96.2%, making it the most trustworthy and efficient technique for assessing surface roughness in this investigation. An analysis of error percentages revealed the exceptional performance of SC-based Model-3, exhibiting an average error percentage of 3.77%. This outperformed Vib Model-2 (14.52%) and CP-based Model-1 (4.75%). The SC model is the best option, and given its outstanding accuracy, it may end up becoming the go-to technique for industrial applications needing accurate surface roughness measurement. The SC model’s exceptional performance highlights the importance of optimization strategies in improving the prediction capacities of ANN-based models, leading to significant advancements in the field of surface roughness assessment and related fields. An IoT platform is developed to link the model’s output with other systems. The system created eliminates the need for manual, physical surface roughness measurement and allows for the display of surface roughness data on the cloud and other platforms.
Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations, both steady and unsteady, are used to investigate supersonic, chemically reacting, flow fields inside a strut-stabilised supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine operating under different fuel flow rates. Fully supersonic, fully subsonic and mixed modes of operations inside the combustor, obtained at different fuel flow rates, are studied numerically through shock wave visualisations and top-wall static-pressure probing. The effect of changing fuel flow rates, imposed both suddenly and gradually, on the behaviour of shock waves and wall pressure profiles are studied in detail. For certain modes of combustion characterised by the presence of oblique shocks at the strut, shockwaves in the combustor respond predictably to an increase or decrease in fuel flow rate attaining the steady state flow fields as predicted by RANS simulations for those fuel flow rates. For certain other modes of combustion, characterised by the presence of shockwaves in the isolator and the absence of oblique shocks at the leading edge of the strut, shockwaves in the flow field appear unstable to fuel flow rate modulations. For such cases, any change in fuel flow rates, sudden or gradual, increase or decrease, causes the isolator shocks to immediately move upstream and eventually out of the isolator. A plausible physics-based explanation of the observed phenomena is presented.
New drugs to target different pathways in pulmonary hypertension has resulted in increased combination therapy, but details of this use in infants are not well described. In this large multicenter database study, we describe the pharmacoepidemiology of combination pulmonary vasodilator therapy in critically ill infants.
Methods:
We identified inborn infants discharged home from a Pediatrix neonatal ICU from 1997 to 2020 exposed to inhaled nitric oxide, sildenafil, epoprostenol, or bosentan for greater than two consecutive days. We compared clinical variables and drug utilisation between infants receiving simultaneous combination and monotherapy. We reported each combination’s frequency, timing, and duration and graphically represented drug use over time.
Results:
Of the 7681 infants that met inclusion criteria, 664 (9%) received combination therapy. These infants had a lower median gestational age and birth weight, were more likely to have cardiac and pulmonary anomalies, receive cardiorespiratory support, and had higher in-hospital mortality than those receiving monotherapy. Inhaled nitric oxide and sildenafil were most frequently used, and utilisation of combination and monotherapy for all drugs increased over time. Inhaled nitric oxide and epoprostenol were used in infants with a higher gestational age, earlier postnatal age, and shorter duration than sildenafil and bosentan. Dual therapy with inhaled nitric oxide and sildenafil was the most common combination therapy.
Conclusion:
Our study revealed an increased use of combination pulmonary vasodilator therapy, favouring inhaled nitric oxide and sildenafil, yet with considerable practice variation. Further research is needed to determine the optimal combination, sequence, dosing, and disease-specific indications for combination therapy.
BrighT STAR was a diagnostic stewardship collaborative of 14 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) across the United States designed to standardize and reduce unnecessary blood cultures and study the impact on patient outcomes and broad-spectrum antibiotic use. We now examine the implementation process in detail to understand how sites facilitated this diagnostic stewardship program in their PICUs.
Design:
A multi-center electronic survey of the 14 BrighT STAR sites, based on qualitative data about the implementation process collected during the primary phase of BrighT STAR.
Setting:
14 PICUs enrolled in BrighT STAR.
Participants:
Site leads at each enrolled site.
Methods:
An electronic survey guided by implementation science literature and based on data collected during BrighT STAR was administered to all 14 sites after completion of the primary phase of the collaborative.
Results:
10 specific tasks appear critical to implementing blood culture diagnostic stewardship, with variability in site-level strategies employed to accomplish those tasks. Sites rated certain tasks and strategies as highly important. Strategies used in top-performing sites were distinct from those used in lower-performing sites. Certain strategies may link to drivers of culture overuse and represent key targets for changing clinician behavior.
Conclusions:
BrighT STAR offers important insights into the tasks and strategies used to facilitate successful diagnostic stewardship in the PICU. More work is needed to compare specific strategies and optimize stewardship outcomes in this complex environment.
With the rise of online references, podcasts, webinars, self-test tools, and social media, it is worthwhile to understand whether textbooks continue to provide value in medical education, and to assess the capacity they serve during fellowship training.
Methods:
A prospective mixed-methods study based on surveys that were disseminated to seven paediatric cardiology fellowship programmes around the world. Participants were asked to read an assigned chapter of Anderson’s Pediatric Cardiology 4th Edition textbook, followed by the completion of the survey. Open-ended questions included theming and grouping responses as appropriate.
Results:
The survey was completed by 36 participants. When asked about the content, organisation, and utility of the chapter, responses were generally positive, at greater than 89%. The chapters, overall, were rated relatively easy to read, scoring at 6.91, with standard deviations plus or minus 1.72, on a scale from 1 to 10, with higher values meaning better results. When asked to rank their preferences in where they obtain educational content, textbooks were ranked the second highest, with in-person teaching ranking first. Several themes were identified including the limitations of the use of textbook use, their value, and ways to enhance learning from their reading. There was also a near-unanimous desire for more time to self-learn and read during fellowship.
Conclusions:
Textbooks are still highly valued by trainees. Many opportunities exist, nonetheless, to improve how they can be organised to deliver information optimally. Future efforts should look towards making them more accessible, and to include more resources for asynchronous learning.