Strengthening Active Aging through Older People’s Association and Economic Activity of the Older People in Nepal

Aging is a natural lifelong process ending in death. Many older people are living in poverty. Older people are generally considered dependent on others as they grow older. The purpose of this article is to explore the entrepreneurship activities of Nepalese older adults. Data for this study were collected from the project Help Age International (HAI) implemented in Nepal. Qualitative data observations and interviews were used to collect data. The findings of this study show the formation of the Older People’s Association (OPA) has supported many older people to participate outside the home in various social activities. Moreover, regular deposits through OPAs offer little help. OPAs support older people in their need of financial support to implement minor entrepreneurship. Older people who received support were pleased and were actively involved in their activities and also regularly deposited money in them. Subsequently, older people’s participation in social activities has increased and also helped to lower elderly abuse, loneliness, and depression. Local governments should promote such activities which will help with healthy aging.

Consumer Perception of Goat Cheese Using Word Association Technique

The word association technique was used to study the perception of Uruguayan consumers with regards to goat cheese and compare it with the perception of other cheeses sold in this market. For this, 149 subjects were presented with five different questionnaires to complete with their perceptions of the following cheeses Colonia, Parmesan, Camembert, goat and sheep cheese. The instructions were as follows： ＂Please, write down all the words, descriptions, associations, thoughts or feelings that come to your mind in connection with these products＂. Afterwards, these words were grouped into 16 categories： animal, color, like, dislike, eyes （of the cheese）, feelings, flavor, knowledge/consumption, meals and food, occasions, origin, price, quality, rind, smell and texture. Goat cheese was highly associated with factors related to flavor （51.7%） and texture （34.2%）. Participants used a wide range of terms, many contradictory （sour, bitter, strong, tasty, mild, bland, creamy, pasty, soft and hard） to describe this cheese. Such diversity in responses may reflect the difference among brands in Uruguay or lack of knowledge on goat cheese. There was also variation in perception in color categories （27.5%）, dislike （17.4%） and smell （21.5%）. The dislike for this cheese reflected in the choice of words such as ＂stinky＂ and ＂smelly＂ is mainly associated with negative connotations for smell （fetid and malodorous）. Three groups of consumers were identified based on the frequency of consumption of goat cheese. When frequency of consumption decreased, the percentage of mention of the categories like, meals and food and flavor also decreased, whereas the frequency of mention of the categories animal, knowledge/consumption and dislike increased. These results suggest that word association might be an interesting, easy and quick qualitative technique to gather useful information about consumer perceptions of cheese products.

Quantum Algorithm for Mining Frequent Patterns for Association Rule Mining

Maximum frequent pattern generation from a large database of transactions and items for association rule mining is an important research topic in data mining. Association rule mining aims to discover interesting correlations, frequent patterns, associations, or causal structures between items hidden in a large database. By exploiting quantum computing, we propose an efficient quantum search algorithm design to discover the maximum frequent patterns. We modified Grover’s search algorithm so that a subspace of arbitrary symmetric states is used instead of the whole search space. We presented a novel quantum oracle design that employs a quantum counter to count the maximum frequent items and a quantum comparator to check with a minimum support threshold. The proposed derived algorithm increases the rate of the correct solutions since the search is only in a subspace. Furthermore, our algorithm significantly scales and optimizes the required number of qubits in design, which directly reflected positively on the performance. Our proposed design can accommodate more transactions and items and still have a good performance with a small number of qubits.

基于S-O-R模型的视觉营销对消费者购买意愿的影响研究——以红色文创网店为例

为提高红色文创网店的点击转化率,文章从消费者视角出发,研究影响消费者购买意愿的视觉因素。基于S-O-R模型理论,构建红色文创网店视觉营销对消费者购买意愿因素的理论模型。利用S-O-R模型分析了红色文创网店视觉营销中的商品形象、界面形象以及品牌视觉形象对顾客感知价值及顾客购买意向的影响。通过设计量表和调查问卷进行实证研究,并结合结构方程模型加以论证,得出品牌视觉形象和界面形象是影响消费者购买意愿的关键因素,为设计师和红色文创品牌进行网店设计提供了一定的理论参考和建议。

AR、SKP2、SOX10、PD-L1及TIL表达在三阴性乳腺癌中的意义

目的:探索雄激素受体(androgen receptor,AR)、S期激酶相关蛋白2(S-phase kinase-associated protein 2,SKP2)、性别决定区Y相关的HMG盒含因子10(sry-related HMG box-containing factor 10,SOX10)、程序性死亡配体1(programmed death-ligand 1,PD-L1)及肿瘤浸润性淋巴细胞(tumor infiltrating lymphocyte,TIL)在三阴性乳腺癌(triple negative breast cancer,TNBC)表达与临床病理特征和预后的关系。方法:根据苏木精-伊红染色(hematoxylineosin, HE)染色切片评判109例TNBC瘤巢内TIL的比例,采用Leica Bond-Max全自动免疫组化仪检测TNBC组织中AR、SKP2、SOX10、PD-L1的表达。分析以上各生物指标与临床病理特征间的关系,并采用kaplan-Meier、Log-rank进行生存分析。结果:95例患者获得随访,中位随访时间为48个月,中位无病生存时间(disease-free survival, DFS)为42个月,中位总生存时间(overall survival, OS)48个月。在TNBC中,AR阳性表达与淋巴结转移阴性(P=0.009)、肿瘤最大径<2 cm(P=0.008)相关,TIL高表达与低级别TNBC相关(P=0.007),SKP2阳性表达与神经/脉管侵犯阳性(P=0.011)、高级别TNBC相关(P=0.002),SOX10阳性表达与淋巴结转移阳性(P=0.022)、高级别TNBC(P=0.005)相关,PD-L1阳性表达与淋巴结转移阳性(P=0.020)、神经/脉管侵犯阳性(P=0.006)、高级别TNBC(P=0.042)相关。生存分析显示,SKP2、SOX10阳性表达与更差的DFS(P=0.007、P<0.001)和OS(P=0.013、P<0.001)相关,TIL高表达与更好的DFS(P=0.016)及OS(P=0.004)相关。在生物表志物的联合表达中,AR+/SKP2-、AR+/SOX10-与更好的DFS(P=0.004、P<0.001)及OS(P=0.007、P=0.001)相关,SOX10+/低TIL、PD-L1+/低TIL与更差的DFS(P<0.001、P=0.008)及OS(P=0.001、P=0.002)相关,AR-/低TIL者具有更差的OS(P=0.014)。SKP2(HR=4.143,95%CI为1.578~10.875)、SOX10(HR=7.578,95%CI为2.067~27.782)的阳性表达是影响TNBC患者DFS的独立预后因子,SKP2(HR=3.758,95%CI为1.400~10.084)、SOX10(HR=5.131,95%CI为1.316~20.000)及TIL(HR=0.375,95%CI为0.154~0.917)的阳性表达是TNBC患者OS的独立预后因子(P均<0.05)。结论:在TNBC中,AR阳性、TIL高表达与具有更好预后的临床病理特征相关,SKP2、SOX10和PD-L1与具侵袭性的临床病理特征相关。SKP2、SOX10及TIL表达与TNBC预后相关,提示这些生物指标可能成为TNBC新的预后因子,同时它们也有可能成为潜在的治疗靶点。

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene polymorphisms in inflammatory bowel disease: An association study in New Zealand Caucasians and meta-analysis

AIM:To investigate the association of macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF)promoter polymorphisms with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)risk.METHODS:One thousand and six New Zealand Caucasian cases and 540 Caucasian controls were genotyped for the MIF SNP-173G>C(rs755622)and the repeat polymorphism CATT5-8(rs5844572)using a predesigned TaqMan SNP assay and capillary electrophoresis,respectively.Data were analysed for single site and haplotype association with IBD risk and phenotype.Meta-analysis was employed,to assess cumulative evidence of association of MIF-173G>C with IBD.All published genotype data for MIF-173G>C in IBD were identified using PubMed and subsequently searching the references of all PubMed-identified studies.Imputed genotypes for MIF-173G>C were generated from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium(and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases).Separate meta-analyses were performed on Caucasian Crohn’s disease(CD)(3863 patients,6031controls),Caucasian ulcerative colitis(UC)(1260 patients,1987 controls),and East Asian UC(416 patients and 789 controls)datasets using the Mantel-Haenszel method.The New Zealand dataset had 93%power,and the meta-analyses had 100%power to detect an effect size of OR=1.40 atα=0.05,respectively.RESULTS:In our New Zealand dataset,single-site analysis found no evidence of association of MIF polymorphisms with overall risk of CD,UC,and IBD or disease phenotype(all P values>0.05).Haplotype analysis found the CATT5/-173C haplotype occurred at a higher frequency in New Zealand controls compared to IBD patients(0.6 vs 0.01;P=0.03,OR=0.22;95%CI:0.05-0.99),but this association did not survive bonferroni correction.Meta-analysis of our New Zealand MIF-173G>C data with data from seven additional Caucasian datasets using a random effects model found no association of MIF polymorphisms with CD,UC,or overall IBD.Similarly,meta-analysis of all published MIF-173G>C data from East Asian datasets(416UC patients,789 controls)found no association of this promoter polymorphism with UC.

Unveiling DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease:a review of array-based human brain studies

The intricacies of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis are being increasingly illuminated by the exploration of epigenetic mechanisms,particularly DNA methylation.This review comprehensively surveys recent human-centered studies that investigate whole genome DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology.The examination of various brain regions reveals distinctive DNA methylation patterns that associate with the Braak stage and Alzheimer’s disease progression.The entorhinal cortex emerges as a focal point due to its early histological alterations and subsequent impact on downstream regions like the hippocampus.Notably,ANK1 hypermethylation,a protein implicated in neurofibrillary tangle formation,was recurrently identified in the entorhinal cortex.Further,the middle temporal gyrus and prefrontal cortex were shown to exhibit significant hypermethylation of genes like HOXA3,RHBDF2,and MCF2L,potentially influencing neuroinflammatory processes.The complex role of BIN1 in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is underscored by its association with altered methylation patterns.Despite the disparities across studies,these findings highlight the intricate interplay between epigenetic modifications and Alzheimer’s disease pathology.Future research efforts should address methodological variations,incorporate diverse cohorts,and consider environmental factors to unravel the nuanced epigenetic landscape underlying Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Association of (S)-Isoserine Derivatives and 2,2,4-Trimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-cyclohexenecarboxylate

Two novel compounds（4a and 4b） were obtained by the association of 2,2,4-trimethyl-3-hydroxy-5-cyclohexenecarboxylate with （S） -isoserine derivatives. The space location of the hydroxyl group of compound 1 was identified via the formation of lactone 6. Fe2 （SO4）3·xH2O was used as the catalyst for the synthesis of lactone 6. The carboxyl group was selectively protected with diazomethane. All the products were characterized via ^1H NMR and mass spectra. The Docking study showed that the associations have the potential therapeutic use of DPP-Ⅳ inhibitor.

Expert panel’s guideline on cervicogenic headache:The Chinese Association for the Study of Pain recommendation

Cervicogenic headache(CEH)has been recognized as a unique category of headache that can be difficult to diagnose and treat.In China,CEH patients are managed by many different specialties,and the treatment plans remain controversial.Therefore,there is a great need for comprehensive evidence-based Chinese experts’recommendations for the management of CEH.The Chinese Association for the Study of Pain asked an expert panel to develop recommendations for a series of questions that are essential for daily clinical management of patients with CEH.A group of multidisciplinary Chinese Association for the Study of Pain experts identified the clinically relevant topics in CEH.A systematic review of the literature was performed,and evidence supporting the benefits and harms for the management of CEH was summarized.Twenty-four recommendations were finally developed through expert consensus voting for evidence quality and recommendation strength.We hope this guideline provides direction for clinicians and patients making treatment decisions for the management of CEH.

Post electrical or lightning injury syndrome: a proposal for an American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual formulation with implications for treatment

In the past, victims of electrical and lightning injuries have been assessed in a manner lacking a system- atic formulation, and against ad hoc criteria, particularly in the area of neuropsychological disability. In this manner patients have, for example, only been partially treated, been poorly or incorrectly diagnosed, and have been denied the full benefit of compensation for their injuries. This paper contains a proposal for diagnostic criteria particularly for the neuropsychological aspects of the post injury syndrome. It pays attention to widely published consistent descriptions of the syndrome, and a new cluster analysis of post electrical injury patients. It formulates a proposal which could be incorporated into future editions of the American Psychiatric Association＇s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual （DSM）. The major neuropsycholog- ical consequences include neurocognitive dysfunction, and memory subgroup dysfunction, with ongoing consequences, and sometimes including progressive or delayed psychiatric, cognitive, and/or neurological symptoms. The proposed diagnostic criteria insist on a demonstrated context for the injury, both specifying the shock circumstance, and also physical consequences. It allows for a certain delay in onset of symptoms. It recognizes exclusory conditions. The outcome is a proposal for a DSM classification for the post electrical or lightning injury syndrome. This proposal is considered important for grounding patient treatment, and for further treatment trials. Options for treatment in electrical or lightning injury are summarised, and future trials are foreshadowed.

Scale and Associated Factors of Using Pyrethroid-Impregnated Mosquito Nets as Fishing Tools on Nokoué Lake within Sô-Ava Municipality in Benin, 2020

Background: In lacustrine communities, whether in Benin or elsewhere, populations use impregnated mosquito nets (IMNs) as fishing nets. This depletes the lake of its fishery resources, which in turn are contaminated by the pyrethroids impregnated in the nets. This study aims to determine the scale and factors associated with the use of pyrethroid-impregnated mosquito nets as fishing tools in the municipality of Sô-Ava in Benin. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and analytical study with two components. First, a quantitative component was made up of 280 volunteers who were interviewed in the seven districts of the city. Data collection was done in two phases: the first from September to October 2020, and the second in August 2022. Data were analyzed with Stata and logistic regression was used. Another qualitative component was made up of forty participants chosen by reasoned choice, of which 32 were split into four focus groups of eight members each, and the rest participated in semi-structured interviews. Triangulation of the different sources was used to analyze the data. Results: Around 67% of the population reported using impregnated mosquito nets as fishing tools and 33% exclusively for malaria. Seasonal fishermen (ORa = 2.03, CI = 1.35 - 4.97, P = 0.004) and years of professional experience (ORa = 1.53, CI = 1.00 - 2.05, P = 0.021) increase the risk of using these nets as fishing tools. The use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets against mosquitoes causes skin scratching and impairs breathing because of the impregnation products, as reported by respondents. Conclusion: A high prevalence of inappropriate use of impregnated mosquito nets in fishing practices is highlighted in this study. Interviews in the field revealed that nets are diverted for fishing purposes to increase the volume of catches. Consequently, it will be appropriate to assess the pyrethroid content in water and fishery products.

肿瘤相关巨噬细胞内Notch⁃1通过抑制组织蛋白酶S过表达影响非小细胞肺癌腺癌侵袭转移的机制研究

目的探讨Notch-1在合并及未合并肝转移非小细胞肺癌腺癌患者肿瘤相关巨噬细胞内的表达情况,并通过体外细胞培养分析其对癌细胞侵袭转移的影响及相关机制。方法收集2021年1月至2022年12月收治的64例非小细胞肺癌腺癌患者标本,并分为未合并肝转移组32例和合并肝转移组32例,利用流式分选法分离CD68+肿瘤相关巨噬细胞,应用Western blot法检测2组CD68+肿瘤相关巨噬细胞Notch-1及相关蛋白表达水平。采用体外培养人单核/巨噬细胞THP-1细胞分别感染Notch-1 NC(阴性对照)和shRNA慢病毒载体后与人非小细胞肺癌A549共培养,应用Western blot法检测THP-1细胞相关蛋白表达情况,Transwell实验及划痕实验检测共培养体系中A549细胞迁移及侵袭能力。结果与未合并肝转移组比较,合并肝转移组CD68+肿瘤相关巨噬细胞内Notch-1表达水平显著降低,并伴随精氨酸酶-1及组织蛋白酶S表达水平显著增高(P<0.05)。与Notch-1 NC组比较,Notch-1 shRNA组THP-1细胞Notch-1表达水平显著降低,并伴随组织蛋白酶S表达水平升高(P<0.05)。与感染Notch-1 shRNA的THP-1细胞共培养后抑制表达Notch-1的A549细胞侵袭和迁移细胞数目明显增多,且细胞划痕距离明显减小(P<0.05)。结论肿瘤相关巨噬细胞内Notch-1蛋白表达具有抑制非小细胞肺癌腺癌细胞侵袭及转移的作用。

Representation of an Integer by a Quadratic Form through the Cornacchia Algorithm

Cornachia’s algorithm can be adapted to the case of the equation x2+dy2=nand even to the case of ax2+bxy+cy2=n. For the sake of completeness, we have given modalities without proofs (the proof in the case of the equation x2+y2=n). Starting from a quadratic form with two variables f(x,y)=ax2+bxy+cy2and n an integer. We have shown that a primitive positive solution (u,v)of the equation f(x,y)=nis admissible if it is obtained in the following way: we take α modulo n such that f(α,1)≡0modn, u is the first of the remainders of Euclid’s algorithm associated with n and α that is less than 4cn/| D |) (possibly α itself) and the equation f(x,y)=n. has an integer solution u in y. At the end of our work, it also appears that the Cornacchia algorithm is good for the form n=ax2+bxy+cy2if all the primitive positive integer solutions of the equation f(x,y)=nare admissible, i.e. computable by the algorithmic process.

Genetic association of Parkinson's disease

Totally three articles regarding associations of Nurrl gene mutations, LRRK2 gene polymorphism sites $1647T and R1398H, and polymorphism of PARK2 gene mutations with Han Chinese patients with Parkinson＇s disease were published in Neural Regeneration Research. We hope that our readers find these papers useful to their research.

The Tamale Local Boy Scouts Association in the Northern Territories Protectorate in the 1920s

In 1907,military leader Robert Baden-Powell started the Boy Scouts Association in England as the British colonial government officers instituted Tamale village as the administrative centre of the Northern Territories Protectorate.Sam Yarney worked with Frank Collyer the European bank cashier and scoutmaster who started the Boy Scouts in the Gold Coast Colony in 1914,the year the First World War started.In 1922,Governor Gordon Guggisberg,who was brigadier general during the war was the chief scout.He reorganized the Local Boy Scouts Association in the Tamale Government School that received select boys from various schools in the Northern Territories Protectorate.The schoolboys excelled in the Standard VII and Civil Service Examinations to work with the government institutions and train as teachers and telegraphists.Arthur James Philbrick the chief scout commissioner of the Northern Territories employed Yarney as the assistant scout commissioner in the Southern Province to take on the staff of the reorganized Tamale Local Boy Scouts Association and register the 1st Tamale Troop.The scout officers subscribed to a Scout Fund to buy kit,for the schoolboys who passed the Tenderfoot Tests to buy uniforms and perform at events.

Diplomatic Implications of Women＇s Work in American Consumer Society

American foreign policies have observed guiding principles of democracy, yet an overemphasis on political values leads to more conflicts than mutual understandings in today＇s world. Therefore, this paper proposes that exploring diplomatic implications of ＂women＇s work＂ provides new insights into cultural values of the Four Freedomsmmajor pillars supporting modern American liberalism. This paper foregrounds the domestic and diplomatic significance of ＂women＇s work＂ by analyzing women＇s contributions as laborers at home, in the labor force, and in American consumer society. As American women participated in the paid labor force and took up most consumptive activities, women outside America also worked hard to provide food and care for families. This paper argues that a more comprehensive definition of＂women＇s work＂ is not only indispensable for the development of American industry, consumer society, and the expansion of marketplace, but integrates a system of dualisms separating wage labor and housework, or divisions between spheres of men and women. Moreover, investigations into hidden values of women＇s work alleviate worries arising from information revolution and economic globalization. Moreover, placing women＇s work in perspective enables diplomats to see through factors leading to international hostilities, to reduce conflicts arising from information revolution and economic globalization, and to understand America＇s soft power pertinently.

Initial Analysis on the Legal Protection of Consumers＇ Rights and Interests in Network Transaction

With the development of network technology and information technology, electronic commerce as a new business model wiht itsnew trading ideas-＋, In changing the traditional business structure,but also gradually changing people’s shopping patterns and consumptionpatterns,Online shopping has become the preferred way of shopping.Changes in consumption patterns will inevitably lead to new problems inthe process of consumption,and the development speed of the problem in sync with the development speed of network economy,as far as therenewal speed of laws and regulations is concerned,this asymmetric development is bound to bring great inconvenience to the consumer rights innetwork transactions.In this paper, from the angle of legal protection,the protection of consumer rights and interests in network transactions areexpounded,analysis of the current situation and reasons of the consumers’ rights and interests are infringed upon in the network transaction,learnfrom the experience of foreign consumer rights and interests protection,In order to put forward effective suggestions on the system constructionof the protection of consumer rights and interests.