Association between composite dietary antioxidant index and stroke among individuals with diabetes

BACKGROUND Recent research has underscored the potentially protective role of dietary antioxidants against chronic conditions,such as cardiovascular diseases and stroke.The composite dietary antioxidant index(CDAI),which reflects the overall intake of key dietary antioxidants,has been identified as a crucial metric for exploring this relationship.Although previous research has shown a negative correlation between CDAI levels and stroke risk in prediabetic individuals,there remains a substantial gap in understanding this association among individuals with diabetes,who are at an inherently greater risk for cerebrovascular events.AIM To investigate the association between CDAI and stroke risk in individuals with diabetes.METHODS Using a cross-sectional study design,this investigation analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning from 2003 to 2018 that included 6735 participants aged over 20 years with diabetes.The CDAI was calculated from 24-h dietary recalls to assess intake of key antioxidants:Vitamins A,C,and E;carotenoids;selenium;and zinc.Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to rigorously examine the relationship between CDAI and stroke risk.RESULTS The participant cohort,with an average age of 59.5 years and a slight male majority,reflected the broader demographic characteristics of individuals with diabetes.The analysis revealed a strong inverse relationship between CDAI levels and stroke risk.Remarkably,those in the highest quintile of CDAI demonstrated a 43%lower prevalence of stroke compared to those in the lowest quintile,even after adjustments for various confounders.This finding not only highlights the negative association between CDAI and stroke risk but also underscores the significant potential of antioxidant-rich diets in reducing stroke prevalence among patients with diabetes.CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that CDAI was inversely associated with stroke prevalence among patients with diabetes.These results suggest incorporating antioxidant-rich foods into dietary regimens as a potential strategy for stroke prevention.

Drillability prediction in some metamorphic rocks using composite penetration rate index(CPRI)–An approach

Assessment of drillability of rocks is vital in the selection,operation,and performance evaluation of cutting tools used in various excavation machinery deployed in mining and tunneling.The commonly used rock drillability prediction methods,namely,drilling rate index(DRI)and Cerchar hardness index(CHI)have limitations in predicting the penetration rate due to differential wear of the cutting tool in rocks with varied hardness and abrasivity.Since cutting tools get blunt differently in different rocks,the stress beneath the tip of the bit decreases until it reaches a threshold value beyond which the penetration rate becomes constant.In this research,a new composite penetration rate index(CPRI)is suggested based on the investigations on four metamorphic rocks viz.quartzite,gneiss,schist and phyllite with varied hardness-abrasivity values.The penetration-time behavior was classified into active,moderate,passive,and dormant phases based on the reduction in penetration rate at different stages of drilling.A comparison of predicted penetration rate values using DRI and CPRI with actual penetration rate values clearly establishes the supremacy of CPRI.Micro-structure and hardness-based index was also developed and correlated with CPRI.The new indices can help predict cutting tool penetration and its consumption more accurately.

Wider frequency domain for negative refraction index in a quantized composite right–left handed transmission line

The refraction index of the quantized lossy composite right-left handed transmission line（CRLH-TL） is deduced in the thermal coherence state. The results show that the negative refraction index（herein the left-handedness） can be implemented by the electric circuit dissipative factors（i.e., the resistances R and conductances G） in a higher frequency band（1.446 GHz≤ ω ≤ 15 GHz）, and flexibly adjusted by the left-handed circuit components（Cl, Ll） and the right-handed circuit components（Cr, Lr） at a lower frequency（ω = 0.995 GHz）. The flexible adjustment for left-handedness in a wider bandwidth will be significant for the microscale circuit design of the CRLH-TL and may make the theoretical preparation for its compact applications.

Effects of NS Series Composite Lactobacillus Prepa-ration on Performance,Plasma Biochemical Indexes and Immunity of Sows

[Objective] The study was aimed to investigate the effects of NS series composite lactobacillus preparation on production performance and some immune indexes of sows. [Method] The sows were fed on the diets supplemented with the NS series composite lactobacillus prepara- tion, and the changes of production performance, plasma biochemical indexes, levels of IgG, IgA and IgM in serum and colostrum, and T lympho- cyte subpopulations were detected. [ Result] When the NS series composite lactobacillus preparation was supplemented to the sow diet at a propor- tion of 0.2%, the average weaning litter weight at 21 days old was significantly increased. The serum contents of total protein and glucose as well as the serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alkaline phosphatase （ALP） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） were significantly in- creased after 30 d post delivery. Moreover, the levels of IgG, IgA and IgM in serum and colostrum of sows were significantly increased at the time of delivery and after 30 d post delivery. The antibodies in colostrum could be maintained at high levels. The percentage of CD3 ＊ and CD4~ ｜ympho- cyte subpopulations was also increased after supplementation with the NS series composite lactobacillus preparation at a proportion of 0.2%. [ （Con- des＇ion] The NS series composite lactobacillus preparation can improve performance, promote growth and metabolism, and enhance humoral and cellular immunity in sows.

Facial Index Based 2D Facial Composite Process for Forensic Investigation in Sri Lanka

The “facial composite” is one of the major fields in the forensic science that helps the criminal investigators to carry out their investigation process. The survey conducted by United States Law Enforcement Agencies confirms that 80% of the law enforcement agencies use computer automated composite systems whereas Sri Lanka is still far behind in the process of facial composite with lot of inefficiencies in the current manual process. Hence this research introduces a novel approach for the manual facial composite process, while eliminating the inefficiencies of the manual procedure in Sri Lanka. In order to overcome this situation, this study introduces an automated image processing based software solution with 2D facial feature templates targeting the Sri Lankan population. Thus, this was the first ever approach that creates the 2D facial feature templates by incorporating both medically defined indexes and relevant aesthetic aspects. Hence, this research study is comprised of two separate analyses on anthropometric indices and facial feature shapes which were carried out targeting the local population. Subsequently, several evaluation techniques were utilized to evaluate this methodology where we obtained an overall success rate as 70.19%. The ultimate goal of this research study is to provide a system to the law enforcement agencies in order to carry out an efficient and effective facial composite process which can lead to increase the success rate of suspect identification.

Socio-economic development of countries based on the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI)

World experience indicates the existence of significant imbalances in the development of countries.The problem of assessing the rational development of the regional and national economy is becoming urgent,since such assessments can prevent development imbalances across countries.The aim of this study is to elaborate a methodology to assess the countries’socio-economic development by integraring 12 modern indices of socio-economic development into the Composite Country Development Index(CCDI).The methodology of this research was based on a set of key indices that described socio-economic development level in four fields(social development,digital development,economic development,and environmental security)and then these indices were integrated into the CCDI.The study further applied factor analysis and R-Studio software to define the gaps of social and economic development in 59 selected countries using the trigonometric function of the angle sine.The correlation analysis confirmed the existence of a close interrelation among the studied countries.This paper noted that due to the emergence of new priorities,it is necessary to revise the assessment methodology of socio-economic development level and expand them to cover the decisive factors.This was confirmed by the results obtained,demonstrating various combinations of the development level in the four fields and their impact on the CCDI.The scientific contribution of this research is to form a methodology(e.g.,the CCDI)for evaluating the socio-economic development level of countries in the world.

The Changes in World Oil Prices, Monetary Factors, and Foreign Index Toward Composite Index Movement： Indonesian Case for the Period of 2005-2011

Capital market is one of the drivers of the economy through the formation of capital investor excess as well as an indicator of a country＇s economy. Movement of stock price index is often influenced by many factors, derived from the company＇s performance, monetary factor, and changes in world oil prices. This study highlights the problem in world oil prices due to political turmoil in the Middle East. The samples are taken from the Jakarta Composite Stock Price Index （JCI）, oil prices, Indonesian inflation rate, Certificate of Bank Indonesia＇s （CBI） rate, and the reserve assets, during the period from January 2005 to December 2011 （84 months）. Using the data published by the Bank of Indonesia, reports of the Central Bureau of Statistics （Biro Pusat Statistik, BPS）, and other relevant sources, the data analyzed through the Eviews 7.1. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of oil prices, foreign stock price index, and monetary variables （inflation rate, CBI rate, country＇s foreign reserves, and others） toward the JCI analyzed through the error correction model （ECM）. Hypothesis testing with the F-test for the 95% confidence level indicates that the oil price, exchange rate （Indonesian Rupiah （IDR）/United States Dollar （USD））, CBI rate, foreign exchange reserves, the Dow Jones Index, and the Taiwan stock index, both simultaneously as well as partially have a significant influence on the JCI.

Experimental study on hysteretic behavior of prestressed truss concrete composite beams

This paper describes an experimental study of the hysteretic behavior of prestressed truss concrete composite beams （PTCCBs） under cyclic loading. Five beam models were designed and tested, in which the testing parameters include the global reinforcement index β0, the prestress level 2 and the ratio of stirrup ρsv in the potential plastic hinge zones. Based on the test results, the failure mode and hysteretic behavior of the tested models are obtained. In addition, the P-△ and sectional M-φ hysteretic models for the PTCCBs at the midspan are established. The P-△ hysteretic model shows good agreement with the test results.

△P index with different gas compositions for instantaneous outburst prediction in coal mines

In this study we measured the △P(initial speed of gas emission) index with different gas concentrations of carbon dioxide(pure CO2,90% CO2+10% CH4,67% CO2+33% CH4,50% CO2+50% CH4,30% CO2+10% CH4 and pure CH4) of coal samples from the No.2 coal seam in the Yaojie Coal Mine,Gansu province,China.The effect of carbon dioxide concentration,gas composition,coal strength and particle size of coal samples on the △P index was investigated.The experimental results show that with gas of various compositions,the △P value of three samples were clearly different.The △P index of coal samples A,B and C(0.2～0.25 mm) were 4,6 and 7 with pure CH4 and 22,30 and 21 when pure CH4 was used.Carbon dioxide concentration affects the △P index markedly.The △P index increases with an increase in carbon dioxide concentration,especially for coal B.Hence,the △P index and K(another outburst index) values tested only with pure CH4 for prediction of the danger of outburst is not accurate.It is important to determine the initial speed of gas emission given the gas composition of the coal seam to be tested for exact outburst prediction.

A modified multi-objective particle swarm optimization approach and its application to the design of a deepwater composite riser

A modified multi-objective particle swarm optimization method is proposed for obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions effectively. Different from traditional multiobjective particle swarm optimization methods, Kriging meta-models and the trapezoid index are introduced and integrated with the traditional one. Kriging meta-models are built to match expensive or black-box functions. By applying Kriging meta-models, function evaluation numbers are decreased and the boundary Pareto-optimal solutions are identified rapidly. For bi-objective optimization problems, the trapezoid index is calculated as the sum of the trapezoid’s area formed by the Pareto-optimal solutions and one objective axis. It can serve as a measure whether the Pareto-optimal solutions converge to the Pareto front. Illustrative examples indicate that to obtain Paretooptimal solutions, the method proposed needs fewer function evaluations than the traditional multi-objective particle swarm optimization method and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II method, and both the accuracy and the computational efficiency are improved. The proposed method is also applied to the design of a deepwater composite riser example in which the structural performances are calculated by numerical analysis. The design aim was to enhance the tension strength and minimize the cost. Under the buckling constraint, the optimal trade-off of tensile strength and material volume is obtained. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can effec tively deal with multi-objective optimizations with black-box functions.

Research on the performance of steel slag and blast furnace slag composite admixture

This study investigates the properties of Baosteel steel slag and blast furnace （BF） slag in order to develop high-performance steel slag and BF slag composite admixture by optimizing the composite mixing technique. Based on the investigation of the stability of steel slag powder and the performance of cement mortar in different mixing ratios and different adding amounts of steel slag and BF slag composite admixture, rational mixing ratios and the adding amount range of steel slag and BF slag composite admixture were determined.

Exploring overweight and obesity beyond body mass index:A body composition analysis in people with and without patellofemoral pain

Background:We compared body mass index(BMI),body fat,and skeletal muscle mass between(1) a mixed-sex nonathletic cohort of people with patellofemoral pain(PFP) and pain-free people,and(2) a nonathletic cohort of people with PFP and pain-free people subgrouped by sex(i.e.,men and women with PFP vs.pain-free men and women).Methods:This cross-sectional study included 114 people with PFP(71 women,43 men) and 54 pain-free controls(32 women,22 men).All participants attended a single testing session to assess body composition measures,which included BMI,percentage of body fat(%BFBioimpedance),and skeletal muscle mass(both assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis),and percentage of body fat(%BFskinfoid)(assessed by skinfold caliper analysis).A one-way univariate analysis of covariance(age and physical activity levels as covariates) was used to compare body composition measures between groups(i.e.,PFP vs.pain-free group;women with PFP vs.pain-free women;men with PFP vs.pain-free men).Results:Women with PFP presented significantly higher BMI,%BFBiompedance,and %BFSkinfold,and lower skeletal muscle mass compared to pain-free women(p≤0.04;effect size:-0.47 to 0.85).Men with PFP and men and women combined had no differences in BMI,%BFBioimpedance,%BFSkinfold,and skeletal muscle mass compared to their respective pain-free groups(p> 0.05).Conclusion:Our findings indicate that BMI and body composition measures should be considered as part of the evaluation and management of people with PFP,especially in women,who have demonstrated higher BMI and body fat and lower skeletal muscle mass compared to pain-free controls.Future studies should not assess body composition measures in a mixed-sex population without distinguishing men participants from women participants.

GPU-based composite subdivision

This paper proposes a novel strategy based on fragment meshes of Shiue et al. for GPU rendering of compos- ite subdivision surfaces. Two enumeration systems are established to label the primitives of each fragment mesh. A sector-layer-index enumeration system is responsible for retrieving proximities for subdivision masks while a sec- tor-index enumeration system designates a 2D texture buffer in GPU. Recurring to the free conversion between them, our approach may get rid of lookup tables that are designed to record subdivision masks. In addition, relatively small composite subdivision masks make it easy to develop automatically retrieving techniques. Finally, as center vertices are often irregular, their computation is related to an average with alterable number of items. Considering that variable loop is not efficient in GPU, we evaluate the center vertex of each fragment mesh using the linear combination of its level 0, level 1 and limit positions instead of averaging schemes. Experiments demonstrate that our approach generally outper- forms that of Shiue et al. in FPS by a long way.

STOCHASTIC BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD FOR RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF PLATE AND BEAMS COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

In this paper, the reliability of orthotropic plate and beams composite structures, which is under the actions of the stochastic loading and stochastic boundary conditions, have been analyzed by stochastic boundary element method. First, the boundary integral equation of orthotropic plate and beams composite structures is given in this paper, and then based on the stochastic boundary element method, the method for reliability analysis of stochastic structures is establishes and formulas for computation of reliability index of orthotropic plate and beams composite structures are obtained. The computed examples show the efficient of the method used in this paper.

Relationship of Food Craving Behavior with Body Mass Index and Body Composition in Reproductive Age Females

Objective: To estimate the relationship of Food Craving (FC) behavior with females’ Body Mass Index (BMI), and body-composition. Design, setting and participants: A cross-sectional study of 302 reproductive-age women from middle-socioeconomic class was conducted at the Health & Occupational-Environmental Laboratory. Variable Measures: A FC behavior questionnaire (FCQ) was designed and validated in 151 female subjects. This questionnaire evaluated five dimensions: FC-leisure, FC-psychological reactance, FC-depression, FC-anxiety/stress, and FC-anger. Dependent variables were Body Mass Index (BMI, kg/m2) and the body fat mass. Interventions: A second group of 151 women completed the FCQ. Anthropometrical variables were recorded using the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry procedure. Analysis: A multiple regression-analysis using STAT- ISTICS version 7 was performed to determine the relationship of FC behavior with anthropometrical variables described. Results: We demonstrated that 98.7% of women had FC behavior. Women with higher BMI had higher scores of FC-depressions (p = 0.02) and FC-anger (p = 0.007). Food craving behavior (p < 0.0008), and food psychological-reactance (p = 0.006), were positive predictors of BMI;food psychological reactance was also a positive predictor of upper and lower-body fat mass (p = 0.005) and (p = 0.008), respectively. Conclusion and Implications: The food craving behavior is a common problem in the female population. Food psychological reactance, in addition to another affective alteration that present the population of women are predictor variables for the increase in BMI and in body-fat mass. It is important that health professionals are aware of the affective states of their patients.

Reducing process of sinter in COREX shaft furnace and influence of sinter proportion on reduction properties of composite burden

In order to reduce the materials cost of COREX ironmaking process,sinter has been introduced into the composite burden in China.This work explored the reducing process of sinter in COREX shaft furnace to clarify its reduction properties change and then the effect of sinter proportion on metallurgical performance of composite burden was investigated.The results show that the reducing process of sinter in COREX shaft furnace was basically same with that in blast furnace but sinter seems like breaking faster.Under reducing condition simulated COREX shaft furnace,sinter possessed the worst reduction degradation index(RDI)and undifferentiated reduction index(RI)compared with pellet and iron ore lumps.Macroscopic and microscopic mineralogy changes indicated that sinter presents integral cracking while pellet and lump ore present surface cracking,and no simple congruent relationship exists between cracks of the burden and its ultimate reduction degradation performance.The existence of partial metallurgical performance superposition between composite and single ferrous burden was confirmed.RDI_(+6.3)≥70%and RDI_(+3.15)≥80%were speculated as essential requirements for the composite burden containing sinter in COREX shaft furnace.

A Transparent Photoresist Made of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle-Embedded Acrylic Resin with a Tunable Refractive Index for UV-Imprint Lithography

Transparent photoresists with a high refractive index(RI)and high transmittance in visible wavelengths have promising functionalities in optical fields.This work reports a kind of tunable optical material composed of titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in acrylic resin with a high RI for ultraviolet(UV)-imprint lithography.The hybrid film exhibits a tunable RI of up to 1.67(589 nm)after being cured by UV light,while maintaining both a high transparency of over 98%in the visible light range and a low haze of less than 0.05%.The precision machining of optical microstructures can be imprinted easily and efficiently using the hybrid resin,which acts as a light guide plate(LGP)to guide the light from the side to the top in order to conserve the energy of the display device.These preliminary studies based on both laboratory and commercial experiments pave the way for exploiting the unparalleled optical properties of nanocomposite resins and promoting their industrial application.

Volatility Spillover Effect of the International Crude Oil Futures Price on Composite and Sector Indices between the Chinese and Australian Stock Markets

As a type of non-renewable industrial resource,petroleum is of great strategic significance to the development of each nation.Ever since the 19th century,an array of oil crises have incurred certain downturn of the world economy.Pertinent studies have implied that financial crisis is always prone to be accompanied with oil crisis,yet the relevance of crude oil to the stock market,the barometer of the macro-economy,is ambiguous.In order to avoid the risks induced by the volatility of oil price,the oil futures market has appeared,and at the same time,the financial property of crude oil has become far more evident.Owing to lack of mature mining and refining technology,China still imports large amounts of oil from abroad at present.Thus,the economy of China is susceptible to fluctuation in petroleum price.As for Australia,the only net importer among the member countries of the International Energy Agency(IEA),it fails to attain the target of holding 90 days of fuel reserves set by the agency.However,in 2013,Australian Lincoln Energy announced that a gigantic shale oil field with an estimated value of 21 trillion US dollars was found in the South of Australia,and that if that field is mined,Australia has the possibility to turn into a net exporter of crude oil.It can be expected that the Australia’s economic conditions would be closely related to the international oil to a certain extent.Based on the approaches of the first difference and co-integration,this paper delves into the volatility spillover effect of crude oil futures on the Chinese and Australian stock markets.According to the empirical findings,in the short run,the price of crude oil futures has a greater impact on the Australian composite index than on the Chinese composite index.However,crude oil futures are negatively related to the Chinese composite index in the long run.The price of crude oil futures has no significant impact on the Chinese sector indices,but it has a certain impact on the Australian utilities,energy,materials,and industrial sector indices.In the Chinese stock market,the movement of short-run effect to long-run effect of crude oil futures on sector indices is in the reverse direction.Finally,the price of crude oil futures has a significant volatility spillover effect only on the Australian utilities sector index.

Longitudinal changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers in the first year after delivery and its relationship with human milk composition:a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional cohort study

Objective:Postpartum weight retention(PPWR)is a common problem among women after childbirth.The main objectives of this study are to understand the changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers during long-term follow-up and preliminarily explore the relationship between maternal body weight and human milk composition,including macronutrients,leptin,and adiponectin.Methods:The study included a longitudinal cohort(122 mothers),and a cross-sectional cohort(37 mothers).The human milk,maternal weight,and dietary surveys were collected in the longitudinal cohort at different follow-up time points(1-14 days postpartum,2-4 months postpartum,5-7 months postpartum,and 12-17 months postpartum).The maternal body weight was analyzed using the responses in the survey questionnaires.A milk analyzer based on the mid-infrared spectroscopy(MIRS)was used to determine milk composition,and nutrition analysis software evaluated dietary intakes.In the cross-sectional cohort,participating mothers were asked to provide blood and human milk samples and pertinent information related to maternal body composition.Maternal body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA),while ELISA analyzed leptin and adiponectin in milk and serum.Results:At 5-7 months postpartum,the PPWR of breastfeeding mothers was(2.46±3.59)kg.At 12-17 months postpartum,the PPWR was(0.98±4.06)kg.PPWR was found to be negatively correlated with milk fat content within 14 days postpartum and positively correlated at 2-4 months postpartum.In addition,the maternal weight and body muscle mass were positively correlated with leptin and adiponectin in milk.Plasma leptin was positively correlated with the mother’s body weight,body mass index(BMI),FAT percentage,and body fat mass,while plasma adiponectin did not correlate with any parameter.The results also indicate that the PPWR did not correlate with leptin and adiponectin in plasma or milk.Conclusions:Breastfeeding mothers may retain considerable weight gain one year after delivery.Human milk composition may be related to changes in maternal body weight.Leptin and adiponectin in breast milk and leptin in plasma are associated with the maternal body composition.This study supports the notion that maternal nutritional status may affect offspring health through lactation,and future research should focus on exploring weight management of postpartum mothers.

VisCI:A visualization framework for anomaly detection and interactive optimization of composite index

Composite index is always derived with the weighted aggregation of hierarchical components,which is widely utilized to distill intricate and multidimensional matters in economic and business statistics.However,the composite indices always present inevitable anomalies at different levels oriented from the calculation and expression processes of hierarchical components,thereby impairing the precise depiction of specific economic issues.In this paper,we propose VisCI,a visualization framework for anomaly detection and interactive optimization of composite index.First,LSTM-AE model is performed to detect anomalies from the lower level to the higher level of the composite index.Then,a comprehensive array of visual cues is designed to visualize anomalies,such as hierarchy and anomaly visualization.In addition,an interactive operation is provided to ensure accurate and efficient index optimization,mitigating the adverse impact of anomalies on index calculation and representation.Finally,we implement a visualization framework with interactive interfaces,facilitating both anomaly detection and intuitive composite index optimization.Case studies based on real-world datasets and expert interviews are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our VisCI in commodity index anomaly exploration and anomaly optimization.