We report on an immunofluorescent paper-based assay for the detection of severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) humanized antibody. The paper-based device was fabricated by using lamination technique for easy and optimized handling. Our approach utilises a two-step strategy that involves (i) initial coating of the paper-electrode with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen to capture the target SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies, and (ii) subsequent detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using fluorophore-conjugated IgG antibody. The fluorescence readout was observed with fluorescence microscopy. The images were processed and quantified using a MATLAB program. The assay can selectively detect SARS-CoV-2 humanized antibodies spiked in PBS and healthy human serum samples with the relative standard deviation of approximately 6.4% (for n = 3). It has broad dynamic ranges (1 ng to 50 ng/µL in PBS and 5 to 100 ng/µL in human serum samples) for SARS-CoV-2 humanized antibodies with the detection limits of 2 ng/µL (0.025 IU/mL) and 10 ng/µL (0.125 IU/mL) in PBS and human serum samples, respectively. We believe that our assay has the potential to be used as a simple, rapid, and inexpensive paper-based diagnostic device with a portable fluorescent reader to provide point-of-care diagnosis. This assay can be used for rapid examination of a large batch of samples toward clinical screening of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies as a confirmed infected active case or to evaluate the immune response to a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Cellular response to mechanical stimuli is an integral part of cell homeostasis. The interaction of the extracellular matrix with the mechanical stress plays an important role in cytoskeleton organisation and cell alignment. Insights from the response can be utilised to develop cell culture methods that achieve predefined cell patterns, which are critical for tissue remodelling and cell therapy. We report the working principle, design, simulation and characterisation of a novel electromagnetic cell stretching platform based on the double-sided axial stretching approach. The device is capable of introducing a cyclic and static strain pattern on a cell culture. The platform was tested with fibroblasts. The experimental results are consistent with the previously reported cytoskeleton reorganisation and cell reorientation induced by strain. The orientation of the cells is highly influenced by external mechanical cues. Cells reorganise their cytoskeleton to avoid external strain and to maintain intact extracellular matrix arrangements.

This paper reports the design, development, and testing of a novel, yet simple and low-cost portable device for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The device performs loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and provides visually distinguishable images of the fluorescence emitted from the samples. The device utilises an aluminium block embedded with a cartridge heater for isothermal heating of the sample and a single-board computer and camera for fluorescence detection. The device demonstrates promising results within 20 minutes using clinically relevant starting concentrations of the synthetic template. Time-to-signal data for this device are considerably lower compared to standard qPCR machine (~10-20 minutes vs >38 minutes) for 1×105 starting template copy number. The device in its fully optimized and characterized state can potentially be used as simple to operate, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive platform for population screening as well as point-of-need SARS-CoV-2 detection and patient management.

Paper-based analytical devices have been substantially developed in recent decades. Many fabrication techniques for paper-based analytical devices have been demonstrated and reported. Herein we report a relatively rapid, simple, and inexpensive method for fabricating paper-based analytical devices using parafilm hot pressing. We studied and optimized the effect of the key fabrication parameters, namely pressure, temperature, and pressing time. We discerned the optimal conditions, including pressure of 3.8 MPa (3 tons), temperature of 80oC, and 3 minutes of pressing time, with the smallest hydrophobic barrier size (821 µm) being governed by laminate mask and parafilm dispersal from pressure and heat. Physical and biochemical properties were evaluated to substantiate the paper functionality for analytical devices. Wicking speed in the fabricated paper strips was slightly slower than that of non-processed paper, resulting from reducing paper pore size. A colorimetric immunological assay was performed to demonstrate the protein binding capacity of the paper-based device after exposure to pressure and heat from the fabrication. Moreover, mixing in two-dimensional paper-based device and flowing in a three-dimensional counterpart were thoroughly investigated, demonstrating that the paper device from this fabrication process is potentially applicable as analytical devices for biomolecule detection. Fast, easy, and inexpensive parafilm hot press fabrication presents an opportunity for researchers to develop paper-based analytical devices in resource-limited environments.

The upregulated expression of thyrosine kinase AXL has been reported in several hematologic and solid human tumors including gastric, breast, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Thus, AXL can potentially serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for various cancers. This paper reports the first-ever use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of the AXL gene as a diagnostic method for ovarian cancer. We demonstrated simple instrumentation toward a point-of-care device to perform LAMP. This paper also reports the first-ever use of core-shell beads as a microreactor to perform LAMP as an attempt to promote environmentally friendly laboratory practices.

Nowadays, more than 180 million people believe that the Holy Qur'an was sent by the Almighty Allah through Prophet Muhammad in 610-632 A.D in Mecca and Medina. However, the word Mecca (Q: 48:24) is mentioned only once in the entire Holy Qur'an, which is not related to the birth of the Prophet or any worship. Conventional Islam is mostly based on the hearsay of some Islamic narrators published in the eighth and ninth centuries. To think deeply and conduct research on the verses of the Holy Quran has been mentioned (special urge) directly and indirectly by this Holy Scripture itself many times but it would not be wrong to say that there is no scholarship on the verses of the Quran based on the research method described in the Holy Quran until the present century. Therefore, this paper has been dared to carry out by combining the methods of research followed in the Holy Quran and the academically accepted research methodology. The analysis shows that the results of almost fourteen hundred years of mythological history of conventional Islamic narrators are opposites. First of all, the proper name of the Prophet revealed by the Holy Quran is Ahmed, but Muhammad is an adjective and there are many such names. Secondly, this prophet was not born in Mecca, KSA, nor in 570/571 A.D, but in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, between the third and fourth centuries. Thirdly, the Muslim Hajj (pilgrimage) of Mecca is celebrated entirely according to the Lahwal Hadith (idle tales) (Q: 31:6) in the language of the Holy Quran. Originally the place designated for pilgrimage was in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. This article will have a double influence on the Muslim world, that is, Islamic scholars will think again deeply and research new ways of scholarship of the Holy Quran, instead of based on the hearsay of idle tales (Lahwal Hadith). On the contrary, those who are stubborn Islamic narrators, since they have already rejected the Holy Quran, will not hesitate to violently attack the researchers and they will not be positively motivated by this paper. This article specifically urges Islamic scholars to conduct in-depth studies on the most important issues of Islam using the Holy Quranic research method.

A new class of nano-cube core-shell heterostructures containing Ag coating on the top of WO₃ was fabricated. Physical vapor deposition was used to produce WO₃ based nano-heterostructures. All kind of wet toxic chemical process was avoided to make the process simple and contaminant free. Sputtering of WO₃ and a subsequent thermal annealing process was done to create nano-cubes of WO₃. After that, sputtering of Ag was performed to form the Ag-WO₃ core-shell nano-heterostructures (CSNH). The CSNHs were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The morphologies, elemental analysis, interfaces, crystallinity, phases, and chemical compositions were analyzed. The bottom-up growth of WO₃ nanocubes was studied using different time periods at 900°C. Ag coating was also studied before and after annealing. Finally, an optical property (band gap) was also analyzed using Tauc plot derive from absorption spectra. The tailoring the band gap of WO₃ from ~2.9eV to ~ 2.45 eV was observed while Ag-WO₃ CSNH formed.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common progressive human motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy. CMT type 1E is a demyelinating neuropathy affecting Schwann cells due to pmp22 mutations, modelized by Trembler-J mice. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol com-pound obtained from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits dose- and time-varying antitumor, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, however, the neurotherapeutic actions of curcumin still remain elusive. Here, we propose curcumin as a possible natural treatment capable of enhancing cellular detoxification mechanisms, resulting in an improvement of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J phenotype. Using a refined method for obtaining enriched Schwann cell cultures, we evaluated the neurotherapeutic action of low dose curcumin treatment on the PMP22 expression, and on the chaperones (HSF1 and Hsp27) and autophagy/mTOR (HDAC6 and ribosomes) pathways in Trembler-J and wild-type genotypes. In wild-type Schwann cells, the action of cur-cumin resulted in strong stimulation of the chaperone and macroautophagy pathway, whereas the modulation of ribophagy showed a mild effect. However, despite the promising neuroprotective effects for the treatment of neurological diseases, we report (demonstrate?) that the action of cur-cumin in Trembler-J Schwann cells could be impaired due to the irreversible impact of ethanol used as a common curcumin vehicle necessary for administration. These results contribute to expand our still limited understanding of PMP22 biology in neurobiology, and expose the intrinsic lability of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J genotype. Furthermore, they unravel interesting physiological mechanisms of cellular resilience relevant for to the pharmacological treatment of the neurodegenerative Tremble J phenotype with curcumin and ethanol. We conclude that the analysis of the effects of the vehicle itself is an essential and in-escapable step to comprehensibly assess the own effects and full potential of curcumin treatment for therapeutic purposes.

This paper discusses domestic problem of waiting hot water for the shower use till it reaches satisfactory temperature, which result a lot of wastage in fresh water. The outcome from research survey shows that there is no satisfactory solution till now as all solutions were either expensive or with no effective results. Local small inline electric heater equipped with fuzzy logic controller is proposed in this paper to be installed just before the showerhead to measure the water temperature and flow before the showerhead, as control input-variables, and decide the operating voltage of the heater, as control output-variable (MISO). MATLAB Simulink is used to model the proposed system. Different test cases are simulated to prove the performance and the safe operation of the system. Techno-economic study is carried out to determine the “Direct Benefits” and “Indirect Benefits” that can be achieved if such system is implemented in wide range. Azerbaijan data is taken as an example to calculate the economic benefits. The results show important benefits not only for economy but also for climate and the reduction of CO₂ gas emission. Different economic indices are provided to be an easy reference for decision makers and project managers.

We know that the classical Mittag-Leffler function play an important role as solution of fractional order differential and integral equations. We introduce the j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function. We evaluate the second order differential recurrence relation and four different integral representations and introduce a homogeneous linear differential equation whose one of the solution is the j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler function. Also we evaluate the certain relations that exist between j-generalized p - k Mittag-Leffler function and Riemann-Liouville fractional integrals and derivatives. We evaluate Mellin-Barnes integral representation of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Le er Function. The relationship of j-generalized p-k Mittag-Leffler Function with Fox H-Function and Wright hypergeometric function is also establish. we obtained its Euler transform, Laplace Transform and Mellin transform. Finally we derive some particular cases.

In this work, a numerical study on the loop-terminated Mach-Zehnder interferometer (LT-MZI) structure for CO2 gas sensing application is carried out via the finite element method. The sensing arm is covered with a polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) polymer which is highly receptive to CO2 gas. The refractive index of the host material decreases due to the absorption of the CO2 gas resulting in a shift in the interference pattern of the LT-MZI structure. As a result, a redshift in the wavelength is observed in the transmission spectrum of the device. The sensitivity of the device is estimated at 7.63 pm/ppm, 34.46 pm/ppm and 74.78 pm/ppm for the sensing arm length of 5 µm, 10 µm, and 15 µm, respectively. The sensitivity can be further enhanced, however at the cost of the bigger footprint of the device. Utilizing the innovative sensor design, a comprehensive range of CO2 gas concentrations spanning from 0 to 524 ppm is successfully detected. This compact and highly sensitive device serves as a vital tool for monitoring indoor CO2 levels, fostering a healthier breathing environment for all occupants.

Photonic sensors are innovative devices that leverage the principles of light-matter interaction to enable precise and efficient detection of various physical parameters. These sensors operate by exploiting the interaction between photons, the fundamental particles of light, and matter. The light propagates through an optical waveguide, and a portion of the electromagnetic field extends beyond the waveguide surface, forming the evanescent field. This evanescent field interacts with the surrounding medium, allowing for highly sensitive detection of changes in the refractive index or properties of nearby substances. The underlying concept involves the modulation of light properties, such as intensity, wavelength, or phase, when it interacts with a target substance or undergoes changes in the surrounding environment. The advancements in photonic sensor technology have paved the way for enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and miniaturization, making them invaluable tools in diverse industries. The ability to harness light-matter interactions for sensing purposes not only facilitates highly sensitive measurements but also allows for non-intrusive and remote monitoring, contributing to the evolution of smart and connected systems. In this overview, the material platforms and waveguide structures are explored that can make highly sensitive photonic devices applied to gas and biosensing applications.

In this research paper, design and development of pyramidal horn antenna for J-band application is reported. It is particularly designed for 17 dB gain and half beam width about 25 degrees at 6.93 GHz. Horn aperture, horn axial length and distance from the throat of the antenna to aperture are the main design constraints which are calculated and used for the antenna design and simulation. Beam width in E-plane and H-plane horn is calculated and it is 19.18 dB and 22.86 dB respectively. The reported antenna design shows good performance for J-band in radiometry, satellite, and radar applications.

Tumid Lupus Erythematosus has been the subject of heated debate as to its correct nosographic classification. In particular, its definition has changed over time, depending on the different studies performed. In this review we address the initial definition of TLE, the changes that have taken place in the understanding and placement within the classification of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), and focus on clinical, histopathological, immunophenotypical and differential diagnosis aspects.

For a considerable length of time synthetic composts are utilized to satisfy the dirt necessity of supplements and yield, however huge measure of these substance manures are hazardous for condition, advantageous microorganisms, creatures, and people also. In this way, natural inviting and savvy biofertilizers are utilized. Biofertilizer are the substances which contain microorganisms those microorganisms might be growths, microscopic organisms, and protozoa which have capacity to build ripeness of soil by Nitrogen obsession, Phosphorous solubilization, and Iron sequestration. These cycles convert insoluble type of supplements into solvent structure and make it accessible to the foundations of plant which effectively take them up and use them. There are assortment of the yields whose profitability can be expanded by applying biofertilizer, for example, rice, oat, and other grain crops. In this audit we experience the method of utilization of biofertilizers, and how the assistance the plants and in which they help.

With the advent of digitization, the integration of advanced technologies in operations and projects across all sectors is in progress. Accordingly, efforts are being made to utilize cutting-edge technologies to improve the circularity of the built environment. This study aimed to review the existing applications and limitations of building information modeling (BIM) tools for circular economy (CE) implementation from this perspective. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of the use of BIM tools for conducting life cycle assessments, energy analysis, waste management, and formulation of material passports for buildings. It was found that BIM tools, which are available across all life cycle phases of building, have a great potential to improve the circularity of the sector. The overview provided on the use of various BIM tools may help stakeholders of the built environment understand the role of BIM for CE adoption in the sector.

Gas sensing is crucial for detecting hazardous gases in industrial environments, ensuring safety and preventing accidents. Additionally, it plays a vital role in environmental monitoring and control, helping to mitigate pollution and protect public health. Integrated photonic gas sensors are important due to their high sensitivity, rapid response time, and compact size, enabling precise recognition of gas concentrations in real-time. These sensors leverage photonic technologies, such as waveguides and resonators, to enhance performance over traditional gas sensors. Advancements in materials and fabrication techniques could further improve their efficiency, making them invaluable for environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and healthcare diagnostics. In this review, we delved into photonic gas sensors that operate based on the principles of evanescent field absorption (EFA) and wavelength interrogation methods. These advanced sensing mechanisms allow for highly sensitive and selective gas detection, leveraging the interplay of light with gas molecules to produce precise measurements.

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), one of the prevalent branches of operations research, aims to design mathematical and computational tools for selecting the best alternative among several choices with respect to specific criteria. In the cloud, MCDA based online brokers uses customer specified criteria to rank different service providers. However, subjected to limited domain knowledge, the customer may exclude relevant or include irrelevant criterion, which could result in suboptimal ranking of service providers. To deal with such misspecification, this research proposes a model, which uses notion of factor analysis from the domain of unsupervised machine learning. The model is evaluated using two quality-of-service (QoS) based datasets. The first dataset i.e., feedback from customers, was compiled using leading review websites such as Cloud Hosting Reviews, Best Cloud Computing Providers, and Cloud Storage Reviews and Ratings. The second dataset i.e., feedback from servers, was generated from cloud brokerage architecture that was emulated using high performance computing (HPC) cluster at University of Luxembourg (HPC @ Uni.lu). The simulation runs in a stable cloud environment i.e. when uncertainty is low, shows that online broker (equipped with the proposed model) produces optimized ranking of service providers as compared to other brokers. This is due the fact that proposed model assigns priorities to criteria objectively (using machine learning) rather than using priorities based on subjective judgments of the customer. This research will benefit potential cloud customers that view insufficient domain knowledge as a limiting factor for acquisition of web services in the cloud.

Information about molecular mechanism of pesticide resistance in the rust-red flour beetle, a major pest destroying grains and flour across Nigeria is grossly lacking, hindering evidence-based con-trol. Here, we identified to species level three populations of the red-flour beetle from Kano, Ni-geria, as Tribolium castaneum, and investigated the mechanism driving their insecticide resistance. IRAC susceptibility bioassays established high cypermethrin resistance, with LC50s of 4.35-5.46mg/ml in the three populations, NNFM, R/Zaki and Yankaba. High DDT and malathion resistance was observed in NNFM, with LC50s of 15.32- and 3.71mg/ml, respectively. High sus-ceptibility was observed towards dichlorvos in all three populations with LC50s of 0.17-0.35mg/ml, respectively. Synergist bioassay with piperonylbutoxide significantly restored cypermethrin sus-ceptibility, with mortality increasing almost threefold, from 24.8% obtained from 1.25mg/ml of cypermethrin, to 63.3% in synergised group (p=0.013), suggesting a preeminent role of P450s. The two major knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations, T929I and L1014F in the IIS4 and IIS6 fragments of voltage-gated sodium channel were not detected in both cypermethrin-alive and cyperme-thrin-dead beetles, suggesting lesser role of target-site insensitivity. These findings highlight the need to explore alternative control tools for this pest and/or explore incorporation of synergists, like piperonylbutoxide as additional chemistries into pesticides formulations to improve their ef-ficacy.

The absorption of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) depends on the solubility of these components in the gastric fluid. Parameters such as the total MCFA concentration, carboxyl ionization level, and carbon chain length affect the solubility of these molecules. Moreover, the enzymatic lipolysis of solubilized triacylglycerol (TAG) molecules may depend on the carbon chain length of the fatty acids (FAs) components and their positions on the glycerol backbone. This present study aimed at investigating the effect of electrolyte usually formed during the gastric digestion phase on the solubility of MCFA, and evaluating the influence of the FA carbon chain length on the lipolysis rate during the in vitro digestion simulation. The results obtained here showed that the increasing of electrolyte concentrations tend to decrease the mutual solubility of systems composed by the caproic and caprylic fatty acids + sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium chloride solutions. We also observed that a conventional version of the thermodynamic UNIQUAC model was able to correlate the liquid-liquid phase behavior of the electrolyte solutions. Regarding the in vitro digestion simulation, the experimental data indicated that the action of the pancreatic enzyme occurred preferentially in TAG molecules comprised of short and medium-chain fatty acids.

Endocannbinoids system (ECS) engrossed a considerable interest as potential therapeutic targets in various carcinomas and cancer related conditions alongside with neurodegenerative diseases. Cannabinoids are implemented in several physiological processes such as appetite stimulation, energy balance, pain modulation and the control of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics interactions could be perceived in drug combinations, so in this short review we tried to shed the light over the potential drug interactions of medicinal cannabis. Hitherto, few data have been provided to the healthcare practitioners about the drug-drug interactions of cannabinoids with other prescription medications. In general, cannabinoids are usually well tolerated, but the bidirectional effects may be expected with concomitant administered agents via affected membrane transporters (glycoprotein p, breast cancer resistance proteins) and metabolizing enzymes (Cytochrome P450 and UDP- glucuronosyltransferases). The caveats should be undertaken to closely monitor the responses of cannabis users with certain drugs to guard their safety, especially for the elderly and people with chronic diseases or kidney and liver conditions.

The Aminofunctional starch/Carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (ANS/XNBR) latex films were prepared with control (0), 5, 10, 15, and 20 phr of ANS loadings. The films were subjected to soil burial test for 8 weeks, which recovered every two weeks to quantify the degraded properties. The control (week 0) and biodegraded films were subjected to physical tests (crosslink density, tensile, and tear strength tests) and biodegradation quantification (mass loss retention, and water vapor transmission rates). The optimum physical properties of ANS/XNBR films were subjected to further assessment of its degradation properties which include morphological (optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM)), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively. Overall, mechanical properties of biodegraded ANS/XNBR latex films decreased as biodegradation period elapses. The biodegradation assessment via water vapor transmission rates and mass loss analyses indicates the high degree of biodegradation rates were observed with higher loading of ANS/XNBR latex films. Morphological analyses via optical microscope shows the transformation of the films surface opacity during biodegradation test. SEM images depicted the microorganism remains on the film surfaces. For FTIR analysis, the most significant changes in the spectras of the films appeared in the region of 790–3000 cm⁻¹. TGA thermograph shows the thermal retention of the materials decreased, as the biodegradation period elapses for optimum ANS/XNBR latex films. From the results obtained, ANS/XNBR latex films shows optimum degradation and mechanical properties at 10 phr filler loading.

Structural design optimization (SDO) plays a pivotal role in enhancing various aspects of construction projects, including design quality, cost-efficiency, safety, and structural reliability. Recent endeavors in academia and industry have sought to harness the potential of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and optimization algorithms to optimize SDO and improve design outcomes. This review paper aims to synthesize these efforts, shedding light on how SDO contributes to project coordination. Furthermore, the integration of sustainability considerations and the application of innovative technologies and optimization algorithms in SDO necessitate more interactive early-stage collaboration among project stakeholders. This study offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary research in integrated SDO employing BIM and optimization algorithms. It commences with an exploratory investigation, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques following the PRISMA systematic review methodology. Subsequently, an open-ended opinion survey was conducted among construction industry professionals in Europe. This survey yields valuable insights into the coordination challenges and potential solutions arising from technological shifts and interoperability concerns associated with widespread SDO implementation. These preliminary steps of systematic review and industry survey furnish a robust knowledge foundation, enabling the proposal of an intelligent framework for automating early-stage sustainable structural design optimization (ESSDO) within the construction sector. The framework ESSDO addresses the challenges of fragmented collaboration between architects and structural engineers. This proposed framework seamlessly integrates with the BIM platform, i.e., Autodesk Revit for architects. It extracts crucial architectural data and transfers it to the structural design and analysis platform, i.e., Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis (RSA), for structural engineers via the visual programming tool Dynamo. Once the optimization occurs, optimal outcomes are visualized within BIM environments. This visualization elevates interactive collaborations between architects and engineers, facilitating automation throughout the workflow and smoother information exchange.

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of graduate physics programs assume students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning as key. One theoretical mathematical physicist focused on changing this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting self-directed learning through the type research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers with respect to their insights. This he provided through his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with his students and in collaboration with his colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, David J. Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping these students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. How Rowe set about supporting self-directed learning in his graduate physics education interactions will be examined with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations with the author he made available. His techniques will be presented and recommendations made regarding how Rowe’s work in this regard can be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education.

We studied the influence of lava meal, zeolite and top layer of sandy soil as bedding additives on gaseous C and N losses from a sloping-floor barn of naturally ventilated animal housing. We selected four barn units where eight young bulls’ group was reared in each barn. Chopped straw of wheat and barley applied daily at the rate of 5 kg per livestock unit (LU) in bedding areas where one LU consisted of 500 kg body mass of live bulls. Zeolite, lava meal and sandy soil (18% clay + silt) applied in barn at the rate of 10, 20 and 30% of straw dose, respectively. Static flux chamber was used to measure gases emissions from the barn unit and mass balance calculation was used to calculate straw manure total N (TN) losses during housing phase. On an average, all bedding additives decreased 85% of the NH₃ emission compared to control; however, they did not influence CH₄ emission. Zeolite decreased CO₂ (35%) and N₂O (37%) emission rates. Subsequently, lava meal, sandy soil and zeolite decreased 23, 37, and 50% of TN losses from barn manure, respectively. Overall, measured N emissions through NH₃-N and N₂O-N from the barns was 11% of calculated TN losses while remainder 89% was most probably attributed to di-nitrogen (N₂), a harmless gas. Hence, in straw-based cattle housings, zeolite could be a promising additive for reduction of CO₂, N₂O and NH₃ emissions and sandy soil can be considered as cheap and readily available resource for reducing NH₃ emission.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Patients satisfaction with fast and high-quality services is the most important in the healthcare settings and specially in outpatient departments and private clinics. High quality services on health sector are indicated by continuous quality improvement (CQI). CQI is a progressive incremental process focused on safety of all participants, outcomes, systematic process, regulated and improved working environment at the later than earlier stages. Among the various suggested strategies, we adopted the patents feedback to improve the quality of services our clinic. All of the patient visited hospital were sent a massage on mobile and requested to provide their feedback on our services. Roughly around 5% of all visitors responded and filled up questionnaire. Majority of them were satisfied with the services in various department. However, they provided us some suggestions to identify the further gaps and improve the services in improving patients experience at our clinic. We considered their feedback, identified problems, redesigned the policies and implemented. After implementation of new strategies, we preliminary again evaluated the patients’ feedback on our services. Patients feedback explores that optimized methods of services for the has considerably increased the patients’ satisfaction. Taken together, our this shows that patients’ feedback is very important factor to improve patients’ experience at outpatient clinics using continuous quality improvement tools. For that reason, this study would serve as reference for public health stack holders, administrators and researchers.

Kondo and collaborators recently reported the absence of Hox temporal collinearity in Xenopus tropicalis. They found none in the initiation of accumulation of Hox transcripts (detected via RNA seq). And none in the initial expression sequence of primary unprorocessed transcripts (Identified by using qRT-PCR against introns or intron-exon boundaries). Nor in the initial acquisition by Hox gene DNA of a mark for active chromatin. These findings are in conflict with the idea that temporal collinearity has to do with the initiation of Hox gene transcription or with the opening of and a progression from repressed to active states in Hox chromatin. But collinear acquisition of the same active chromatin mark has been shown by others in murine 5’ Hoxd cluster genes.The reason for this difference is unknown . This careful study thus indicated that the initiation phase of Hox expression shows no temporal collinearity in X. tropicalis. A previous study in X. laevis from the same group also showed that the sequence of times for reaching (normalised) half maximal Hox expression showed no temporal collinearity. These conclusions are likely to be correct. These authors do however also conclude that “experimental evidence for the temporal collinearity hypothesis is not strong” There is however strong evidence that Hox temporal collinearity does occur in early vertebrate embryos. Below. I present and discuss 3 lines of evidence to resolve the present conflict I argue that Hox temporal collinearity actually does exist and that it is part of a central mechanism in early development.

Starting from acid chlorides, alkynes, tryptamines, and acroyl chloride, 21 densely substituted tetrahydro-beta-carbolines are prepared in a four-component one-pot reaction. In this study, the aza-Michael addition step to generate intermediate enaminones is optimized in the presence of ytterbium triflate. Moreover, apart from acroyl chloride, all reactants can be deployed in almost equimolar ratios, which increases the atom economy of the sequence. For mechanistic rationali-zation, the concluding aza-anellation was investigated by DFT calculations on potential inter-mediates and corresponding activation energies, revealing that the aza-anellation rather pro-ceeds via ene-reaction than via electrocyclization.

We consider subtleties of the horizon (null-hypersurface) limit in the Parikh-Wilczek Membrane Approach to Black Holes. Specifically, we refine the correspondence between the (projected) Einstein equations of gravity with matter and the Raychaudhuri-Damour-Navier-Stokes (RDNS) equations of relativistic hydrodynamics. For a general configuration of gravity with matter we obtain additional terms in the hydrodynamic equations, which include logarithmic derivarives of a parameter (the regularization function) determining the proximity of a stretched membrane to the BH horizon. Direct computation of the new terms for exact (Schwarzschild and Kerr) solutions to the Einstein equations results in vanishing the additions to the RDNS equations in the horizon limit. For spacetimes, which are not exact solutions to the Einstein equations, as, for instance, for space-time configurations mimicking black holes, taking into account new terms in the RDNS equations is the mandatory operation. We also comment the correspondence between the horizon limit of the Parikh-Wilczek Membrane Approach and the Gourgoulhon-Jaramillo method of a null-hypersurface description, as well as the link of the obtained results to our previous work on the Kerr black holes.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role as both structural scaffold and regulator of cell signal transduction in tissues. In times of ECM assembly and turnover, cells upregulate assembly of the ECM protein, fibronectin (FN). FN is assembled by cells into viscoelastic fibrils that can bind upward of 40 distinct growth factors and cytokines. These fibrils play a key role in assembling a provisional ECM during embryonic development and wound healing. Fibril assembly is also often upregulated during disease states, including cancer and fibrotic diseases. FN fibrils have unique mechanical properties, which allow them to alter mechanotransduction signals sensed and relayed by cells. Binding of soluble growth factors to FN fibrils alters signal transduction from these proteins, while binding of other ECM proteins, including collagens, elastins, and proteoglycans, to FN fibrils facilitates the maturation and tissue specificity of the ECM. In this review, we will discuss the assembly of FN fibrils from individual FN molecules; the composition, structure, and mechanics of FN fibrils; the interaction of FN fibrils with other ECM proteins and growth factors; the role of FN in transmitting mechanobiology signaling events; and approaches for studying the mechanics of FN fibrils.

HepG2 cells reconstituted with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) entry receptor sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) are widely used as a convenient in vitro cell culture infection model for HBV replication studies. As such, it is pertinent that HBV infectivity is maintained at steady-state levels for accurate interpretation of in vitro data. However, variations in HBV infection efficiency due to imbalanced NTCP expression levels in the HepG2 cell line may affect experimental results. In this study, we performed single cell cloning of HepG2-NTCP-A3 parental cells via limiting dilution and obtained multiple subclones with increased permissiveness to HBV. Specifically, one subclone (HepG2-NTCP-A3/C2) yielded more than 4-fold higher HBV infection compared to the HepG2-NTCP-A3 parental clone. In addition, though HBV infectivity was universally reduced in the absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), subclone C2 maintained relatively greater permissiveness under PEG-free conditions, suggesting the functional heterogeneity within parental HepG2-NTCP-A3 may be exploitable in developing a PEG-free HBV infection model. The increased viral production correlated with increased intracellular viral antigen expression as evidenced through HBcAg immunofluorescence staining. Further, these subclones were found to express different levels of NTCP, albeit with no remarkable morphology or cell growth differences. In conclusion, we isolated subclones of HepG2-NTCP-A3 which support efficient HBV production and thus provide an improved in vitro HBV infection model.

We introduce the notion of generalized contraction on dualistic partial metric spaces. A fixed point theorem for mappings satisfying above mentioned contraction is obtained. Some consequences of our result are obtained. We construct an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of our result among the corresponding results in partial metric spaces. Our results provide substantial generalizations and improvements of several well known results existing in the comparable literature. We discuss an application of our fixed point results to show the existence of solution of functional equations.

The fourth industrial revolution has resulted in the digitalization of projects and operations across all sectors. Accordingly, efforts are being made to utilize advanced technologies to improve the energy efficiency of the building sector. This study has reviewed the current application and limitations of cutting-edge technologies in this regard. An overview of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin (DT), and building information modeling (BIM) for energy efficiency of buildings has been provided. It has been found that the use of Industry 4.0 technologies, during the construction and operational phase of buildings, has a great potential to reduce energy consumption and emissions of the sector. This study may help stakeholders of the built environment to understand the role of industry 4.0 tools for energy efficiency of the sector.

The SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed to cause the regional outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China. The 3C-like protease (3CL^pro), an essential enzyme for viral replication, is a valid target to compacts SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In this research, an integrated library consisting of 1000 compounds from Asinex Focused Covalent (AFCL) library and 16 FDA-approved protease inhibitors were screened against SARS-CoV-2 3CL^pro. Top compounds with significant docking scores and making stable interactions with catalytic dyad residues were obtained. The screening results in identification of compound 621 from AFCL library as well as Paritaprevir and Simeprevir from FDA-approved protease inhibitors as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL^pro. The mechanism and dynamic stability of binding between the identified compounds and SARS-CoV-2 3CL^pro were characterized using 50 nanoseconds (ns) molecular dynamic (MD) simulation approach. The identified compounds are potential inhibitors worthy of further development as SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors/drugs. Importantly, the identified FDA-approved therapeutics could be ready for clinical trials to treat infected patients and help to curb the COVID-19.

This review discusses a broad range of recent advances (2013-2017) of chemical imaging using electrochemical methods, with a particular focus on techniques that have been applied to study cellular processes, or techniques that show promise for use in this field in the future. Non-scanning techniques such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs) offer high time-resolution (< 10 ms) imaging, however at reduced spatial resolution. In contrast, scanning electrochemical probe microscopies (SEPMs) offer higher spatial resolution (as low as a few nm per pixel) imaging, with images collected typically over many minutes. Recent significant research efforts to improve the spatial resolution of SEPMs using nanoscale probes, and to improve the temporal resolution using fast scanning have resulted in movie (multiple frame) imaging with frame rates as low as a few seconds per image. Many SEPM techniques lack chemical specificity or have poor selectivity (defined by the choice of applied potential for redox-active species). This can be improved using multifunctional probes, ion-selective electrodes and tip-integrated biosensors, although additional effort may be required to preserve sensor performance after miniaturization of these probes. We discuss advances to the field of electrochemical imaging, and technological developments which are anticipated to extend the range of processes that can be studied. This includes imaging cellular processes with increased sensor selectivity and at much improved spatiotemporal resolution than has been previously customary.

Natural host defensins, also sometimes termed antimicrobial peptides, are evolutionarily conserved. They have been studied as antimicrobials, but some pharmaceutical properties, undesirable for clinical use, led to the development of synthetic molecules with constructed peptide arrangements and/or peptides not found in nature. The leading development currently is synthetic small molecule nonpeptide mimetics, whose physical properties capture the characteristics of the natural molecules, and share their biological attributes. We studied brilacidin, an arylamide of this type, for its activity in vitro against fungi (40 clinical isolates, 20 species) that the World Health Organization has highlighted as problem human pathogens. We find antifungal activity at low concentrations for many pathogens, which indicates further screening for activity, particularly in vivo, is justified to evaluate this compound, and other mimetics, as attractive leads for development of effective antifungal agents.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Angiogenesis is a critical physiological response to ischemia but becomes pathological when dysregulated and driven excessively by inflammation. We recently identified a novel angiogenic role for tripartite-motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2) whereby lentiviral shRNA-mediated TRIM2 knockdown impaired endothelial angiogenic functions in vitro. This study sought to determine whether these effects could be translated in vivo and to determine the molecular mechanisms involved. CRISPR/Cas9-generated Trim2–/– mice that underwent a periarterial collar model of inflammation-induced angiogenesis exhibited significantly less adventitial macrophage infiltration relative to wildtype (WT) littermates, concomitant with decreased mRNA expression of macrophage marker Cd68 and reduced adventitial proliferating neovessels. Mechanistically, TRIM2 knockdown in endothelial cells in vitro attenuated inflammation-driven induction of critical angiogenic mediators, including nuclear HIF-1α, and curbed the phosphorylation of downstream effector eNOS. Conversely, in a hindlimb ischemia model of hypoxia-mediated angiogenesis, there were no differences in blood flow reperfusion to the ischemic hindlimbs of Trim2–/– and WT mice despite a decrease in proliferating neovessels and arterioles. TRIM2 knockdown in vitro attenuated hypoxia-driven induction of nuclear HIF-1α but had no further downstream effects on other angiogenic proteins. Our study has implications for understanding the role of TRIM2 in the regulation of angiogenesis in both pathophysiological contexts.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) represents a global health threat. The etiological agents of EVD are 6 species of Orthoebolaviruses, with Orthoebolavirus zairense (EBOV) having the greatest public health and medical significance. EVD disease pathogenesis occurs as a result of broad cellular tropism of the virus, robust viral replication and a potent and dysregulated production of cytokines. In vivo, tissue macrophages are some of the earliest cells infected and contribute significantly to virus load and cytokine production. While EBOV is known to infect macrophages and to generate high titer virus in the liver, EBOV infection of liver macrophages, Kupffer cells, has not previously been examined in tissue culture or experimentally manipulated in vivo. Here, we employed primary murine Kupffer cells (KC) and an immortalized murine Kupffer cell line (ImKC) to assess EBOV-eGFP replication in liver macrophages. KCs and ImKCs were highly permissive for EBOV infection and IFN-γ polarization of these cells suppressed their permissiveness to infection. The kinetics of IFN-γ-elicited antiviral responses were examined using a biologically-contained model of EBOV infection termed EBOV ΔVP30. The antiviral activity of IFN-γ was transient, but a modest ~3-fold reduction of infection persisted for as long as 6 days post treatment. To assess the interferon stimulated gene products (ISGs) responsible for protection, the efficacy of secreted ISGs induced by IFN-γ were evaluated. Secreted ISGs blocked recombinant VSV expressing EBOV GP (rVSV/EBOV GP) infection, but failed to block EBOV ΔVP30. Our studies define new cellular tools for the study of EBOV infection that can potentially aid the development of new antiviral therapies. Furthermore, our data underscore the importance of macrophages in EVD pathogenesis and those IFN-γ-elicited ISGs that help to control EBOV infection.

Successful fertilization treatments targeted to improve stand productivity while reducing operational complexities and cost depend on a clear understanding of soil nutrient availability under varying environmental conditions. Soil nutrient data collected from 154 forest sites throughout the Inland Northwest, USA were analyzed to examine soil nutrient characteristics on different geologic soil parent materials and to rank soil fertility. Results show that soil parent material explains significant differences in soil nutrient availability. Soils developed from volcanic rocks have the highest CEC and are relatively high in P, K, S, Mg, Cu, Ca, and B, but generally poor in N. Forest soils developed from plutonic rocks exhibit the lowest CEC and are low in N, S, K, Mg, Cu, and Ca, but higher in P. Some soils located on mixed glacial till are low only in K, Cu, Mg, and Ca, but many glacial soils are relatively rich in other nutrients, albeit the second lowest CEC. Soils developed from metasedimentary and sedimentary rocks are among those with lowest soil nutrient availability for P and B. Sulfur was found to have the highest concentrations in metasedimentary influenced soils and the least in sedimentary derived soils. Our results should be useful in designing site-specific fertilizer and nutrient management prescriptions for forest stands growing on soils developed from these major geologies within the Inland Northwest region of the United States.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer is widely used in various fields today. In order to thoroughly reveal the structural impact performance of PMMA materials, this paper is based on the comprehensive Johnson-Cook constitutive model and damage failure model, and accurately confirm the J-C constitutive and damage failure model parameters of PMMA through material test data, The dynamic process of steel bullet impacting PMMA plate structure is analyzed by finite element software ABAQUS. The calculation results show that the numerical simulation results in this paper are in good agreement with the experimental test data. Therefore, the feasibility and accuracy of the impact analysis of PMMA structures based on J-C constitutive and damage failure models in this paper are studied. Finally, based on the J-C constitutive model and damage failure model, the variation of the residual velocity of the bullet with the PMMA plate thickness is analyzed in depth, that is, the results show that the residual velocity of the bullet has a certain linear relationship with the plate thickness.

The comfort of human life depends on the quality, size, and reliability of the infrastructure projects. In the infrastructure systems, rapid growth is found, where the economic and sustainable impact has become a topic of significant concern for policies and government officials. To achieve con-straints of sustainable development, all the policies and actions over the infrastructure project's life cycle must be assessed. Decision-makers have adopted approaches for economic, social, and en-vironmental initiatives through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analyses (LCCA) of infrastructure projects. The purpose of this review is to highlight the impact of per-forming LCA and LCCA in infrastructure projects. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review methodology is adopted in which renowned databases, i.e., Web of Science, Science Direct, Emerald and Scopus were selected to extract the relevant literature. Using the PRISMA approach, 1251 publications were identified which were then filtered and 55 documents were included in the final review. In the extracted publications most, researchers were biased toward LCA and LCA individually, whereas few focused on integrated LCA and LCCA. The researchers assessed the costs and impact associated with the infrastructure project while there were less focused on the environmental cost. Besides this, techniques of economic, social, and environmental growth of infrastructure projects have been emphasized during the design phase because of substantial relations between infrastructure design and operation management. Moreover, a conceptual framework has been developed that will assist the decision-makers to consider the effects of LCA and LCCA on various aspects of the infrastructure project and how it impacts sustainability. In the last, a case study was performed to assess the developed framework with the incorporation of environmental impact cost.

Blockchain innovation stands out enough to be noticed and adopted in various countries and organizations around the world. Many businesses, including finance, medical services, inventory networks, security, libraries, and the internet of things, are currently under attack. For the benefit of the blockchain, many businesses incorporate blockchain technology into their frameworks. Despite its solidarity, blockchain faces a few challenges in security, protection, adaptability, and other areas. This paper examines the forward leap in blockchain innovation, as well as its applications and challenges. While many blockchain papers focus on digital currencies, IoT, and security, this paper focuses on the overall best in a class of blockchain innovation, its new twists and turns, and choices, particularly in areas other than cryptographic forms of money. The investigators' goal is to provide a thorough audit of the cryptography underlying blockchain to better understand the innovation. The examiners also conduct general research on people and venture blockchains, as well as future exploration opportunities and their implications for blockchain innovation.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is often prodromal to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thus there should be detectable in vivo functional signatures shared between RBD and PD that aid in disease classification. To assess common in-vivo phenotypes, resting state data was collected on a 3T clinical MRI platform and a novel functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) approach, which combined independent component analysis (ICA) and graph theory, was used to evaluate deficits in interconnectivity among 15 PD, 14 RBD and 13 control participants. Whole brain and network-level analyses revealed the largest deficits in network connectivity in PD compared with controls, with less severe differences between RBD and controls. Importantly, the network-level analysis demonstrated decreased network interconnectivity, with the greatest aberrant networks in PD, and a subset in RBD. Additionally, a disease classification algorithm predicted PD cases by being trained on RBD cases with 0.87 sensitivity and 0.68 specificity. The functional alterations in cortical networks in RBD extended beyond the brainstem. These findings demonstrate progressive reductions in connectivity between brain networks, with less severe deficits in RBD than PD. Moreover, RBD phenotypes can be used to predict PD status in a cross-sectional sample, which suggests RBD is an intermediate phenotype.

Objectives: Isolated mild neutropenia is a common clinical problem. The current study aims to validate our previous findings regarding the high prevalence of isolated neutropenia in Southern and Southwestern Saudi Arabia and explore the effect of altitude or regional differences. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, laboratory results of a commercial laboratory were screened over a period of 5 years (2016–2020) in seven different cities in South and southwestern Saudi Arabia. Participants’ laboratory investigations were reviewed and excluded for any ab-normal complete blood count, renal profile, liver profile, lipid profile, thyroid function test, fasting blood glucose, or HbA1c findings. Descriptive analysis and 95th percentile range were calculated using standard statistical methods. Results: A total of 91,880 complete blood count results were included in the final analysis. isolated neutropenia is common laboratory finding, with a prevalence ranging from 11-23%. The 2.5th percentile of the neutrophil count was lower than 1.5×109/L in all seven cities. Conclusions: Mild to moderate neutropenia is common in Southern and Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) may explain this high prevalence. Since BEN has no clinical significance, the reference range for normal neutrophil counts needs to be adjusted to reflect the effect of BEN.

In this study, the microbiological quality of traditionally made yoghurt from Northern Uganda and Western Kenya were analysed. Six samples of typical traditionally fermented milk were randomly collected from traditional cattle keepers from Karamojong (UG 1) and Acholi (UG 2) in Northern Uganda), and Kalenjin in Western Kenya (KE). Analysis was carried out for microbial quality of the collected samples and was assessed using the conventional methods for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total coliform, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, yeasts, and mould counts. The results showed that the pH of the samples was low (2.9- 3.6). The mean aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts were 5.14 x 109 cfu/ml. The mean counts for mesophilic lactobacilli ranged from x 106 to x 108, cfu/ml. The mean thermophilic lactobacilli count ranged from x 107, to x 109, cfu/ml. However, the thermophilic lactococci counts ranged from x 106, to x 109, cfu/ml. On the other hand, the Streptococci counts were between x 106 to x 108 cfu/ml. The mean counts for the non-Sorbitol E. coli was 3.87 x 103 cfu/ml. The results suggest that although the pH of the yoghurt made in the Acholi and Karamojong (Northern Uganda) and in Kalenjin (Kenya) areas was low, the level of bacteria, yeast, and mould counts indicated poor microbiological quality control. This poses public health concerns. Therefore, attention of the appropriate government agencies is needed to ensure that environment of yogurt produced in a traditional setting in most appropriate condition to reduce contamination.

Introduction Prostate Cancer (PCa) exhibits one of the widest racial and socioeconomic disparities. PCa disparities have also been widely linked to location as living in more deprived regions was associated with lower healthcare access and worse outcomes. This study aims to examine PCa survival across various US counties in function of different socioeconomic profiles and discuss the role of potential intermediary factors. Methods The SEER database linked to county-level SES was utilized. Five-year PCa-specific survival using the Kaplan Meier method was performed for 5 racial/ethnic categories in function of SES quintiles. Multilevel Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to assess the relationship between county-level SES and PCa survival. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine the role of healthcare utilization and severity. Results 279,000 PCa records were extracted, 5-year PCa-specific survival was 94%. Overall, living in counties with worst poverty/income quintile and highest proportions of foreign-born/language-isolated increased PCa mortality by 23% each. No association was observed with county-level High-School education, while Bachelor’s-level education decreased mortality risk by 23%. Associations varied considerably upon racial/ethnic stratification. Multilevel analyses showed varying contributions of individual and area-level factors to survival within minorities. The relationship between SES and PCa survival appeared to be influenced by healthcare utilization and disease stage/grade. Discussion Racial/ethnic categories responded differently under similar county-level SES and individual-level factors to the point where disparities reversed in Hispanics. The inclusion of Healthcare utilization and severity factors may provide partial early support for their role as intermediaries. Healthcare access (insurance) might not necessarily be associated with better PCa survival, through performing biopsy and or/surgery. County-level education plays an important role in PCa decision-making as it might elucidate discussions of other non-invasive management options. Conclusion Findings of this study demonstrate that interventions need to be tailored according to each group's needs. This potentially informs the focus of public health efforts in terms of planning and prioritizing. This study could also direct further research delving into pathways between area-level characteristics with PCa survival.

Introduction: The association of gene variants for interleukin 6(IL-6) (rs1800796), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (rs1800896) and tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα (rs1800629) with the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) was investigated to determine whether these genetic variants are a risk factor. Materials and methods: 199 blood samples from pregnant women who had given birth prematurely and 200 control blood samples were analyzed to determine single nucleotide polymor-phisms (SNPs) of genes for IL-6 (rs1800796), IL-10 (rs1800896) and TNFα (rs1800629). The control samples were samples from pregnant women with term delivery. Isolation of DNA was per-formed on mini-spin columns according to the manufacturer's protocol. The quality and purity of the isolated DNA were tested using a Qubit 3 fluorometer. Genotyping was performed with an ABI PRISM 7500 SDS using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The genotypes obtained were an-alyzed using the 7500 Software v2.3 package. Results: Carriers of the A/A genotype for the rs1800629 of the TNFα gene have 4.81 times greater chance of late-onset PTB compared to carriers of the G/G and A/G genotypes in the recessive inheritance model. The presence of the G/G genotype in the recessive inheritance model compared with the G/A and A/A genotypes for the rs1800896 of the IL-10 gene represents a potentially protective factor, with mothers in the term-birth group having an almost 2-fold lower odds of PTB in general and an almost 10-fold lower odds of early PTB. On the other hand, carriers of the A/G genotype of rs1800896 have a 1.54-fold higher chance of preterm birth in general and a 1.6-fold higher chance of late preterm birth in the super dominant inheritance model compared to the A/A and G/G genotypes in the group of mothers with PTB. In this study, no association was found between PTB and rs1800796 of the IL-6 gene. Conclusion: rs1800629 in mothers was associated with PTB. rs1800896 shows a potentially protective effect for the occurrence of PTB in this study. No association was found between PTB and rs1800796.

This study explores the potential to reach a circular economy for post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) packaging and bottles by using it as a distributed recycling for additive manufacturing (DRAM) feedstock. Specifically, rPET is processed using only an open source toolchain with fused particle fabrication (FPF) or fused granular fabrication (FGF) processing. In this study, first the impact of granulation, sifting and heating (and their combination) is quantified on the shape and size distribution of the rPET flakes. Then feeding studies were performed to see if they could be printed through an external feeder or needed to be direct printed with a hopper using two Gigabot X machines, one with extended part cooling and one without. Print settings were optimized based on thermal characterization and for the latter which was shown to print rPET directly from shredded water bottles mechanical testing is performed. The results showed that geometry was important for extended feeding tubes and direct printed using a hopper. Further there is a wide disparity in the physical properties of rPET from water bottles depending on source and the history of the material. Future work is needed to enable water bottles to be used as a widespread DRAM feedstock.

Hearing impairment is an immensely diagnosed genetic cause, 5% of the total world population effects with different kind of congenital hearing loss (HL). In third-world countries or countries where consanguineous marriages are more common the frequency rate of genetic disorders are at its zenith. Approximately, the incidence of hearing afflictions is ostensibly 7-8:1000 individuals whereas it is estimated that about 466 million peoples suffer with significant HL, and of theses deaf cases 34 million are children’s up to March, 2020. Several genes and colossal numbers of pathogenic variants cause hearing impairment, which aided in next-generation with recessive, dominant or X-linked inheritance traits. This review highlights on syndromic and non-syndromic HL (SHL and NSHL), and categorized as conductive, sensorineural and mixed HL, which having autosomal dominant and recessive, and X-linked or mitochondrial mode of inheritance. Many hundred genes involved in HL are reported, and their mutation spectrum becomes very wide. Mapping of pathogenic genes in consanguinity family is facilitated to understand the disease history. Review presents the bases of HL and also focused on various genetic factors that cause deafness like the basics of genetic inheritance, and classic and well-characterized inherited factors of it. It also overviews the application of linkage analysis, SNPs genotyping and whole exome sequencing methods, in mapping and identification of new locus, causative genes and their variants in families inherited with HL. Conclusively, this review supports researchers in understanding the location of chromosome, the causative genes and specific locus which causing deafness in humans.

The transverse momentum distribution of J/ψ mesons produced in pp collisions at the center-of-mass energy 5 TeV, 7 TeV，and 13 TeV is described by the modified Hagedorn function which is based on the Tsallis function and Hagedorn function. The calculated results by the modified Hagedorn function are in accord with experimental data measured by the LHCb Collaboration at LHC. The related parameters are obtained and analyzed.

Considered one of the finest first-generation Nigerian writers, John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, who passed away on 13th October, 2020, had been categorised as a Eurocentric writer. This work assesses the authenticity or otherwise of this critics’ perception of Clark by critiquing his America, their America. By analysing this autobiography vis-à-vis the notion of self and other which is a theoretical concern in contemporary travel writing, it was established, among other things, that every culture has its dark sides which it must not feel too proud to change as time and situation demand; that Clark vehemently rejects the Americans’ claim of sophistication and superiority of their culture over African culture. The paper concludes that contemporary travel writing should be a rightful site for negotiating cultural, political and diplomatic compromises between the Self and the Other since the gulf may be difficult to close altogether.

Zinc oxide is one of the most important semiconductor metal oxides and one of the most promising n-type materials, but its practical use is limited because of both its high thermal conductivity and its low electrical conductivity. Numerous studies have shown that doping with metals in ZnO structures leads to the modification of the band gap energy. In this work, Al-doped ZnO, Ni-doped ZnO, and undoped ZnO nanocrystalline powders were prepared by sol-gel method coupled with ultrasound irradiation. The doping concentration in ZnO was 1.0 at.% of Al and Ni. Influence of Al³⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions in the ZnO network are explored in this paper. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Nitrogen Adsorption (BET method), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analyses demonstrated the incorporation of metal ions (aluminum and nickel) into the ZnO wurtzite structure. The crystallite size of the sample was decreased from 24.5 nm (ZnO) to 22.0 nm (ZnO-Al) and 21 nm (ZnO-Ni).

Rare earths are classified as most important and critical material for US economy and defense by Congress and a mandate has been set to increase their in-house production, domestic resource utilization and decrease reliance on foreign resources and reserves. They are widely available in earth crust as ore (bastnaesite (La, Ce)FCO₃, monazite, (Ce, La, Y, Th)PO₄, and xenotime, YPO₄), but their so-called economic reserves are sparsely located geographically. They may be produced by various means such as beneficiation (physical, chemical, mechanical, or electrical), reduction (direct or indirect), electrolysis (of aqueous or molten / fused single or mixed salt systems) at high temperature or hydrometallurgy. Out of these, direct reduction also known as metallothermic reduction (La and Ca reduction) is mostly utilized. Its variant, high temperature electrowinning of fused salts is also practiced widely. These processes are material and application specific. In this study, author will employ thermodynamics (Ellingham diagrams, free energy of formation, reduction potential, Nernst equation, Pourbaix (E_h-pH) diagrams, E-pO^-2 diagrams), kinetics and energetic of a chemical reaction (chemical metallurgy) to reduce rare earth oxide / salt to rare earth metals (REO/RES – REM). It is shown that materials and energy requirement vary greatly depending on type of mineral ore, production facility, and beneficiation / mineral processing method selected. Aim is to reduce dependence on coal deposits. It is anticipated this route will be able to produce rare earths with > 35% yield and > 98% purity which be described in subsequent studies and patents.

Currently, old-style personal medicare techniques rely mostly on traditional methods, such as cumbersome tools and complicated processes, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient in some circumstances. Furthermore, such old methods need the use of heavy equipment, blood draws, and traditional bench-top testing procedures. Invasive ways of acquiring test samples can potentially cause patients discomfort and anguish. Wearable sensors, on the other hand, may be attached to numerous body areas to capture diverse biochemical and physiological characteristics as a developing analytical tool. Physical, chemical, and biological data transferred via the skin is used to monitor health in various circumstances. Wearable sensors can assess the aberrant conditions of the physical or chemical components of the human body in real-time, exposing the body state in time, thanks to unintrusive sampling and high accuracy. Most commercially available wearable gadgets are mechanically hard components attached to bands and worn on the wrist, with form factors ultimately constrained by the size and weight of the batteries required for the power supply. Wearable gadgets with “skin-like” qualities are a new type of automation that is only starting to make its way out of research labs and into pre-commercial prototypes. In this paper, we studied the recent advancement in battery-powered wearable sensors established on optical phenomena and skin-like battery-free sensors which brings a breakthrough in wearable sensing automation.

Antiretroviral therapy has effectively suppressed HIV infection and replication and prolonged the lifespan of HIV-infected individuals. In the meantime, various complications including type 2 diabetes associated with long-term antiviral therapy have shown steady increases. Metformin has been the front-line anti-hyperglycemic drug of choice and the most widely prescribed medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, little is known about the effects of Metformin on HIV infection and replication. In this study, we showed that Metformin treatment enhanced HIV gene expression and transcription in HIV-transfected 293T and HIV-infected Jurkat and human PBMC. Moreover, we demonstrated that Metformin treatment resulted in increased CREB expression and phosphorylation, and TBP expression. Furthermore, we showed that Metformin treatment increased the recruitment of phosphorylated CREB and TBP to the HIV LTR promoter. Lastly, we showed that inhibition of CREB activation significantly abrogated Metformin-enhanced HIV gene expression. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Metformin treatment increased HIV transcription, gene expression, and production though increased CREB phosphorylation and recruitment to the HIV LTR promoter. These findings may help design the clinical management plan and HIV cure strategy of using metformin to treat type 2 diabetes, a comorbidity with an increasing prevalence, in people living with HIV.

The world is facing a serious energy crisis and environmental pollution problems due to a sharp increase in the world population. Bioenergy is an eminent solution to these problems. Anaerobic digestion is a green energy technology used worldwide for the conversion of organic waste to biogas. It is reported that organic wastes are hard to digest and need some technical improvement in the anaerobic digestion process to improve biogas yield. Iron-based additives, due to their electron acceptance and donation capabilities, have been emphasized as being exceptional in improving anaerobic digestion process efficiency amongst all other enhancement options. This study reviews the major available types of iron-based additives, their characteristics, and their preparation methods. The preferred iron-based additive that has a significant effect on the enhancement of biogas yield is also discussed. The use of iron-based additives in the anaerobic digestion process with varying dosages and their impact on the biogas generation rate is also being studied. Substrates, operating parameters, and types of anaerobic digesters used in recent studies while researching the effects of iron-based additives are also part of this review. Lastly, this study also confirms that iron-based additives have a significant effect on the reduction rate of the volatile suspended solids, methane content, biogas yield, and volatile fatty acids.

Egyptian cotton is one of the most important commodities to the Egyptian economy and is renowned globally for its quality, which is currently graded by manual inspection. This has several drawbacks including significant labour requirement, low inspection efficiency, and influence from inspection conditions such as light and human subjectivity. This current work uses a low-cost colour vision system, combined with machine learning to predict the cotton lint grade of the cultivars Giza 86, 97, 90, 94 and 96. Unsupervised and supervised machine learning approaches were explored and compared. Three different supervised learning algorithms were evaluated: linear discriminant analysis, decision trees and ensemble modelling. The highest accuracy models (77.3-98.2%) used an ensemble modelling technique to classify samples within the Egyptian cotton grades: Fully Good, Good, Fully Good Fair, Good Fair and Fully Fair. The unsupervised learning technique k-means showed that human error is more likely to occur when classifying lint belonging to the higher quality grades and underlined the need for an intelligent system to replace manual inspection.

Dictyostelium discoideum is gaining increasing attention as a model organism for the study of calcium binding and calmodulin function in basic biological events as well as human diseases. After a short overview of calcium-binding proteins, the structure of Dictyostelium calmodulin and the conformational changes effected by calcium ion binding to its four EF hands is compared to its human counterpart, emphasizing the highly conserved nature of this central regulatory protein. The calcium-dependent and -independent motifs involved in calmodulin binding to target proteins are discussed with examples of the diversity of calmodulin binding proteins that have been studied in this amoebozoan. The methods used to identify and characterize calmodulin binding proteins is covered followed by the ways Dictyostelium is currently being used as a system to study several neurodegenerative diseases and how it could serve as a model for studying calmodulinopathies such as those associated with specific types of heart arrythmia. Because of its rapid developmental cycles, its genetic tractability, and a richly endowed stock center, Dictyostelium is in a position to become a leader in the field of calmodulin research.

Present study offers mathematical calculations of the roll-coating procedure lubricated with upper Convected Maxwell Fluid. An incompressible isothermal viscoelastic fluid is considered with roll and the porous web having uniform velocities. By employing Lubrication Approximation Theory, the desired equations of motion for the fluid concerned over porous web are modelled and analyzed. The suction rate on the web and injection rate at the roll surface are anticipated proportionate. Results for velocity profile and pressure gradient are obtained analytically. Fluid parameters of industrial significance i.e. detachment point, pressure, sheet /roll separating force, power contribution and coating thickness are also calculated numerically. Substantial and monotonic increase is witnessed in these quantities with the increase of flow parameters.

High antioxidants level in food is gradually becoming popular because of the enhanced risk of oxidative stress in humans. Bread wheat is rich in vital antioxidants but its major bioactive compounds are not available for the human. This study was conducted with the aim to enhance the phytochemical constituents and antioxidative activity of wheat grains by fermenting it with the use of Bacillus subtilis KCTC 13241. The antioxidative potential was determined by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl- hydrazyl) and ABTS (3-ethyl-benzothiazo- line-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging assay as well by the concentration of amino acids, flavonoids, minerals, carbohydrates, and phenolic compounds. Different varieties showed different free radical scavenging potential on fermentation, which was significantly high with respect to their corresponding unfermented wheat varieties. The highest potential was found in a fermented wheat variety named Namhae and this combination can be used in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Thin films (100-400 nm) of Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ (0≤x≤1) deposited in RF-magnetron co-sputtering equipment are presented in this research work. The change of deposition rate, gap energy, and resistivity as a function of temperature- applied power change in the growth parameters was studied through the ISO colour-code lines constructed with MATLAB: By analysing the trend information and take into account the influence of the calculated "x" parameter with the Boltzmann profile fitting is proposed a method to allow a controlled set up of the RF-magnetron co-sputtering system and predict the E_g and resistivity values in the Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ solid solution with 0≤x≤1 for amorphous and crystalline phases. Also, a versatile tool to optimise the deposition process and material properties.

A new series of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles derivatives was synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo anti-thrombotic activity. Compounds (3a-3i) exhibited significant clot lysis with respect to negative control and reference drug streptokinase (30,000 IU) while enhanced clotting time (CT) values were observed (130-342 sec) for these tested compounds than the standard drug heparin (110 sec.). High affinity towards 1NFY with greater docking score was observed for the compounds (3a, 3i, 3e, 3d and 3h) than the control ligand RPR200095. In addition, very good inhibitory potential against factor Xa (F-Xa) was observed with higher docking scores (5612-6270) with ACE values (–189.68 to –352.28 kcal/mol) than the control ligand RPR200095 (Docking score 5192; ACE –197.81 kcal/mol. In vitro, in vivo and in silico results proposed that these newly synthesized compounds can be used as anti-coagulant agents.

In this work, we report the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in a quantum dot corresponding to an electron interacting with an antidot, under the effect of an Aharonov-Bohm flux subjected to a parabolic confinement potential. We use the Bogachek and Landman model, which additionally allows the study of quantum dots with Fock-Darwin energy levels for vanishing antidot radius and flux. We find that the Aharonov-Bohm flux (AB-flux) strongly controls the oscillatory behaviour of the MCE, thus acting as a control parameter for the cooling or heating of the magnetocaloric effect. We propose a way to detect AB-flux by measuring temperature differences.

Bubble (point defect) – a precursor of fuzz or under dense nanostructure formation is crystal lattice defect. Suitable selection of crystal lattice which inhibit Frenkel pair generation and intrinsically promotes self- interstitial solid solution strengthening contributes effectively towards making plasma facing material. For this, interstitial sites, their size, amount / fraction, positions, tendency of occupation and diffusion parameters (e.g. activation energies (Q), activation volumes) are determined. Fcc iron carbon alloys (austenitic stainless steels AISI / SAE 321, fcc structure, Pearson code cF4, space group Fm3̅m) are proposed as suitable candidates. Along with their room temperature fcc structure having 12 interstitial positions (4 octahedral, 6 coordination sites and 8 tetrahedral, 4 coordination sites / unit cell) to allow insertion of self (iron) atoms, they have excellent corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, and non- magnetic properties. After their melting, casting, and machining to required dimensions and geometry, stabilizing heat treatment is applied to precipitate all carbon as TiC and prevent formation of Cr23C6 (sensitization). This resist heat and surface degradation and yield excellent architecture which not onlyinhibit Frankel pair generation but will also allow bulk assimilation or surface annihilation (loop punching) of this lattice point defect. A superior thermal, fluid, and structural design augment above. A second choice is presented as Co base superalloys owing to same fcc crystal structure and excellent properties (such as strength, dimensional stability, oxidation resistance) at high temperature.

In the pathogenesis of endometriosis, the differences between the eutopic and ectopic endometrium as well as between the eutopic endometrium with and without endometriosis are repeatedly pointed out. Various mechanisms have been suggested to explain these changes among them epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Recently, we suggested based on immunohistochemical data that most of the changes occur after and not before implantation of endometrial cells into ectopic locations. Furthermore, the subtle changes between eutopic endometrium with and without endometriosis and maintenance of epithelial cell-to cell contacts only suggest a partial EMT. In this study, we have re-analyzed the mRNA expression array data of eutopic and ectopic endometrium with respect to expression changes and EMT. Especially, we found that the similarity between eutopic endometrium with and without endometriosis is extremely high (~99.1%). In contrast, eutopic endometrium compared to ectopic endometrium only shows an overall similarity of ~95.3%. Analysis of some EMT-associated genes revealed small differences in the mRNA expression levels of some members of the claudin family. The array data suggest that the changes in eutopic endometrium at the beginning of the disease are quite subtle and that the majority of differences occur after implantation into ectopic locations.

During December 2019, a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 has emerged in Wuhan, China. The human to human transmission of this virus has also been established. The virus has so far infected more than 2 million people and spread over 200 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global health emergency due to its spread well beyond China. It has been established that this virus originates from bats and uses an intermediate host for transfer to humans. The knowledge about the intermediate host is important to find the virus shuttle mechanism to stop future outbreaks. For this, the genetic and structural analysis of coronaviruses spike proteins was performed using a computer-assisted approach.To conduct the In silico analysis, 43 sequences of spike protein belong to different species were retrieved from the NCBI nucleotide database. Pairwise and multiple sequence alignments were performed to check the similarities and differences of the retrieved sequences. Moreover, to highlight relationships among different species, phylogenetics analysis was performed using the MEGA software tool. In the end, protein structure alignment (superimposition) was performed against the reference structure by UCSF Chimera software. The results highlighted that the maximum similarity of human protein was found against Bat and Pangolinsequences. Moreover, among Bat and Pangolin, the highest similarity was found against pangolin based on phylogenetics analysis. These results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 transfers from bats to humans through pangolins.

The transport of iron(III) from Fe(III)-Mn(II)-HCl mixed solutions through a flat-sheet supported liquid membrane is investigated, being the carrier phase of Cyanex 923 (commercially available phosphine oxide extractant) dissolved in Solvesso 100 (commercially available diluent), as a function of hydrodynamic conditions, concentration of manganese and HCl in the feed phase, and carrier concentration in the membrane phase. A transport model is derived that describes the transport mechanism, consisting of diffusion through a feed aqueous diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion of the Fe(III)-Cyanex 923 complex across the membrane phase. The membrane diffusional resistance (Δm) and feed diffusional resistance (Δf) are calculated from the model, and their values are 145 s/cm and 361 s/cm, respectively. It is apparent that the transport of iron(III) is mainly controlled by diffusion through the aqueous feed boundary layer, being the thickness of this layer calculated as 2.9x10-3 cm. Since Mn(II) is not transported through the membrane phase, the present system allows to the purification of this manganese-bearing solutions.

Even in the first quarter of XXI century, the presence of organic dyes in wastewaters is a normal occurrence in a series of countries, and being these compounds toxics, their removal from these waters is of a necessity. Among the separation technologies, adsorption processing appeared as one of the most widely used to reach this goal. The present work reviewed the most recent approaches (first half of 2021 year) about the use of a variety of adsorbents on the removal of, also, a variety of organic dyes of different nature.

The ionic liquid A327H+Cl- is generated by reaction of the tertiary amine A327 (industrial mixture of tri-octil and tri-decyl amines) and hydrochloric acid solutions. Further, the extraction of Au(III) by A327H+Cl- ionic liquid under various variables, including metal and ionic liquid concentrations, has been investigated. Results indicate that A327H+AuCl4- is formed, by an exothermic (ΔHº= -3 kJ/mol) reaction, in the organic solution. Aqueous ionic strength influences the formation constants values and the specific interaction theory (SIT) is used to estimate the interaction coefficient between AuCl4- and H+. Gold (III) is stripped using thiocyanate media, and from the strip solutions, gold is precipitated as gold nanoparticles.

Mercury is a toxic metal, thus, it is an element which has more and more restrictions in its uses, but despite the above, the removal of this metal, from whatever the form in which it is encountered (zero valent metal, inorganic or organic compounds), and from different sources, is of a widespread interest. In the case of Hg(II), or Hg²⁺, the investigations about the treatment of Hg(II)-bearing liquid effluents (real or in most cases synthetic solutions) appear not to end, and from the various separation technologies, adsorption is the most popular among researchers. In this topic, and in the 2019 year, more than 100 publications had been devote to this field: Hg(II)-removal-adsorption. This work examined all of them.

The transport of indium(III), from HCl solutions, across a supported liquid membrane in flat-sheet configuration was investigated, being the carrier the ionic liquid HA324H+Cl- (derived from the tertiary amine Hostarex A324 and hydrochloric acid). Different variables affecting the metal transport: hydrodynamic conditions in the source and receiving phases, metal and HCl concentrations in the source phase, and carrier concentration in the membrane phase, were investigated. Also the transport of indium(III) using carriers of various nature: ionic liquids, alcohol, ketone, phosphine oxide and phosphoric ester, was compared. The metal transport was modelled describing the transport mechanism as: diffusion across the source diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion of the InCl4--carrier complex through the membrane support. Diffusional parameters for the transport of indium(III), from the experimental data and the model, were estimated.

The transport of indium(III), from HCl solutions, across a supported liquid membrane in flat-sheet configuration was investigated, being the carrier the ionic liquid HA324H⁺Cl^- (derived from the tertiary amine Hostarex A324 and hydrochloric acid). Different variables affecting the metal transport: hydrodynamic conditions in the source and receiving phases, metal and HCl concentrations in the source phase, and carrier concentration in the membrane phase, were investigated. Also the transport of indium(III) using carriers of various nature: ionic liquids, alcohol, ketone, phosphine oxide, etc., was compared. The metal transport was modelled describing the transport mechanism as: diffusion across the source diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion of the InCl₄^--carrier complex through the membrane support. Diffusional parameters for the transport of indium(III), from the experimental data and the model, were estimated.

The present investigation deals with the adsorption of chromium(III) from alkaline media using multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The adsorption of Cr(III) has been studied under various experimental conditions: stirring speed of the aqueous solution, initial metal and adsorbent concentrations, NaOH concentration in the aqueous solution, and temperature. The rate law indicated that chromium adsorption is well represented by the particle diffusion model, whereas the adsorption process fits to the pseudo-second order kinetic model within an exothermic character. Equilibrium data fit to the Langmuir type-2 equilibrium isotherm in an spontaneous process. Chromium(III) can be eluted from metal-loaded nanotubes using acidic solutions, from which fine chromium(III) oxide pigment can be ultimately yielded.

We continue our recent endeavor in which a time-dependent black hole solution of a one-loop quantum-corrected Einstein-scalar system was obtained and its near-horizon behavior was analyzed. The energy analysis led to a trans-Planckian scaling behavior near the event horizon. In the present work the analysis is extended to a rotating black hole solution of an Einstein-Maxwell-scalar system with a Higgs potential. Although the analysis becomes much more complex compared to that of the previous, we observe the same basic features, including the quantum-gravitational trans-Planckian energy near the horizon.

Information-related measures are useful tools for multi-variable data analysis, as measures of dependence among variables, and as descriptions of order and disorder in biological and physical systems. Measures, like marginal entropies, mutual / interaction / multi -information, have long been used in a number of fields including descriptions of systems complexity and biological data analysis. The mathematical relationships among these measures are therefore of significant inherent interest. Relations between common information measures include the duality relations based on Möbius inversion on lattices. These are the direct consequence of the symmetries of the lattices of the sets of variables (subsets ordered by inclusion). While these relationships are of significant interest there has been, to our knowledge, no systematic examination of the full range of relationships of this diverse range of functions into a unifying formalism as we do here. In this paper we define operators on functions on these lattices based on the Möbius inversions that map functions into one another (Möbius operators). We show that these operators form a simple group isomorphic to the symmetric group S₃. Relations among the set of functions on the lattice are transparently expressed in terms of the operator algebra, and, applied to the information measures, can be used to derive a wide range of relationships among diverse information measures. The Möbius operator algebra is naturally generalized which yields extensive new relationships. This formalism now provides a fundamental unification of information-related measures, and the isomorphism of all distributive lattices with the subset lattice implies an even broader application of these results.

Metabolic flexibility is the ability of an organism to adapt its energy source based on nutrient availability and energy requirements. In humans, this ability has been linked to cardio-metabolic health and healthy aging. Genome-scale metabolic models have been employed to simulate metabolic flexibility by computing the Respiratory Quotient (RQ), which is defined as the ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed, and varies between values of 0.7 for pure fat metabolism and 1.0 for pure carbohydrate metabolism. While the nutritional determinants of metabolic flexibility are known, the role of low energy expenditure and sedentary behavior in the development of metabolic inflexibility is less studied. In this study we present a new description of metabolic flexibility in genome-scale metabolic models which accounts for energy expenditure, and we study the interactions between physical activity and nutrition in a set of patient-derived models of skeletal muscle metabolism in older adults. The simulations show that fuel choice is sensitive to ATP consumption rate in all models tested. The ability to adapt fuel utilization to energy demands is an intrinsic property of the metabolic network

Breast cancer is the most widespread malignancy in women from corner to corner of the world. Nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) proved its efficacy in the treatment of cancer. NLC loaded with Imatinib (IMA) (NANIMA) was prepared and evaluated for in vitro efficacy in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Hot homogenization method was used for the preparation of NANIMAs. Aqueous solution of surfactants (hot) was mixed with molten mixture of stearic acid and sesame oil (hot) under homogenization. The prepared NANIMAs were characterized and evaluated for size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, release studies, stability studies and MTT assay (cytotoxicity studies). The optimized NANIMA revealed particle size of 104.63 ± 9.55 d.nm, PdI of 0.227 ± 0.06 and EE of 99.79 ± 0.03. All NANIMAs revealed slow and sustained release behaviour. The surfactants used in the preparation of NANIMAs exhibited their effects on particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, stability studies and release studies. The cytotoxicity studies unveiled 8.75 times increase in cytotoxicity for optimized NANIMA (IC50 = 6 µM) when compared with IMA alone (IC50 = 52.5 µM) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. After this, NLC containing IMA possibly will be employed for the cure of breast cancer. A lesser amount of IMA loaded NLC will be sufficient than IMA alone for the treatment of breast cancer. Moreover, the patient will exhibit not as much of adverse effects as in case of IMA alone. Consequently, NANIMA could prove to be useful for effective therapeutic outcome in breast cancer treatment.

Biocomposite membranes based on polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were developed using a scientific approach. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used as a polymerization ini-tiator, while tin octoate (Sn(Oct)2) and triphenylphosphane (P(C6H5)3) were used as catalysts. A torque rheometer was used to mix the components of the biocomposite, and thin films was prepared by solvent casting. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the coupling between the PLA and CNCs. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that the CNCs were well-dispersed in the PLA matrix with an unimodal particle size distribution and a maximum particle size of around 200 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calo-rimetry (DSC) analysis demonstrated good thermal stability and improved biodegradability of the biocomposite membrane compared to pure PLA. Mechanical characterization showed a Young's modulus of 1.65 GPa, which is comparable to that of other composite materials, and a maximum tensile strength of 20.31 MPa, which is higher than that of pure PLA. These results suggest that the developed biocomposite membrane has potential applications in water filtration, food packaging, and biomedical devices.

CO₂ geological storage in deep saline aquifers was recently developed at industrial scale mainly in sandstone formations. Experiences on CO₂ injections in carbonates aquifers for permanent trapping are quite limited, mostly from US projects such as AEP Mountaineer, Michigan and Williston Basin. The behavior of fractures in carbonates plays a key role in those reservoirs in which porous matrix permeability is very poor, which drives the CO₂ plume migration through the fracture network where hydromechanics and geochemical effects take place due to injection. Hontomín (Spain) is the actual on-shore injection pilot in Europe (EP Resolution of 14 January 2014), whose reservoir is comprised of fractured carbonates. Existing experiences from field scale tests conducted on site have supported to better understand the behavior of this type of reservoirs for CO₂ geological storage. Innovative CO₂ injection strategies are being carried out in ENOS Project (EU H2020 Programme, http://www.enos-project.eu). First results based on field tests conducted at Hontomín, and the advanced modelling developed so far will be analyzed and discussed in this article, as well as, the description of future works. The evolution of operating parameters such as flow rate, pressure and recovery term during the tests confirm the CO₂ migration through the fractures.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is the main nuclear receptor regulating the expression of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and is highly expressed in the liver and intestine. Recent studies have highlighted its additional role in lipid homeostasis, however, the mechanisms of these regulations are not fully elucidated. We investigated the transcriptomic signature of PXR activation in the liver of adult wild-type vs Pxr-/- C57Bl6/J male mice treated with the rodent specific ligand pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile (PCN). PXR activation increased liver triglyceride accumulation and significantly regulated the expression of 1215 genes mostly xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Among the down-regulated genes, we identified a strong peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) signature. Comparison of this signature with a list of fasting-induced PPARα target genes confirmed that PXR activation decreased the expression of more than 25 PPARα target genes, among which the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21). PXR activation abolished plasmatic levels of FGF21. We provide a comprehensive signature of PXR activation in the liver and identify new PXR target genes that might be involved in the steatogenic effect of PXR. Moreover, we show that PXR activation down-regulates hepatic PPARα activity and FGF21 circulation, which could participate in the pleiotropic role of PXR in energy homeostasis.

We discuss the role of water bridging the DNA-enzyme interaction by resorting to recent 1 results showing that London dispersion forces between delocalized electrons of base pairs of DNA 2 are responsible for the formation of dipole modes that can be recognized by Taq polymerase. 3 We describe the dynamical origin of the high efficiency and precise targeting of Taq activity in 4 PCR. The spatiotemporal distribution of interaction couplings, frequencies, amplitudes, and phase 5 modulations comprise a pattern of fields instantiating the electromagnetic image of DNA in its 6 water environment, which is what the polymerase enzyme actually recognizes at long range. The 7 experimental realization of PCR amplification, achieved through replacement of the DNA template 8 by the treatment of pure water with electromagnetic signals recorded from viral and bacterial DNA 9 solutions, is found consistent with the gauge theory paradigm of quantum fields.

Crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens), crown/root rot (Phytophthora spp.), root lesion disease (Pratylenchus vulnus), and tree vigor are key traits affecting productivity and quality of walnuts in California. Non-inoculated hybrid rootstocks were analyzed by RNA-seq to examine pre-formed factors affecting these traits. Enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed that increased expression of cell wall biogenesis-related genes plays a key role in susceptibility to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., increased vigor, but not P. vulnus. Analysis of the predicted subcellular loci of the encoded proteins revealed that many gene products associated with vigor and susceptibility were targeted to the plasma membrane and extracellular space, connecting these traits to sustaining barrier function. We observed that RNA processing and splicing, along with predicted nuclear targeting, were associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., low vigor, but not P. vulnus. Four genes within the J. microcarpa QTL region for resistance to A. tumefaciens and Phytophthora spp. were represented among our transcripts, with two of the genes being differentially expressed in association with resistance to A. tumefaciens and decreased vigor. No differential expression related to Phytophthora spp. or P. vulnus traits was observed in this region. Additionally, the J. microcarpa haplotype expressed more transcripts associated with resistance to A. tumefaciens, Phytophthora spp., and low vigor, but not P. vulnus than the J. regia haplotype. We also report unique and shared hormone and defense responses associated with each trait. This research suggests a link between cell wall biogenesis, vigor, and critical root diseases of walnut.

An activated carbon manufacturing process using winemaking waste is analyzed and designed at industrial scale. Starting from experimental research, the chemical transformations and thermodynamics during pruning wood conversion are studied as a basis for plant design. In this way, mass and energy balances of hydrothermal carbonization and physical activation are fulfilled and a thermoeconomic methodology is applied to develop an energy-integrated plant. To achieve this target, a network of heat exchangers is allocated to minimize heat consumption and supply hot domestic water, while a cogeneration cycle is designed to provide electricity and satisfy the remaining heat demand. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the influence of the production scale and other operation parameters, such as annual workload, service life, and capital and feedstock costs, on the economic viability of the plant. The energy balance of the plant indicates that the energy integration design manages to provide 48.9% of the overall process energy demand by crossing hot and cold streams and recovering heat from residual flue gas. On the other hand, the exergy cost analysis identifies the combustion of pruning wood used to provide heat demands as the main source of exergy destruction, confirming the suitability of integration to improve the thermodynamic performance. Including activated carbon production, electricity, and hot domestic water, the exergy efficiency of the plant stands at 11.5%.

Chronic degeneration of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) is a precursor to pathological changes in the outer retina. The RPE monolayer, which lies beneath the neuroretina, daily internalises and digests large volumes of spent photoreceptor outer segments. Impaired cargo handling and processing in the endocytic/phagosome and autophagy pathways leads to the accumulation of lipofuscin and N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine aggregates and chemically-modified compounds such as malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal within RPE. These contribute to increased proteolytic and oxidative stress, resulting in irreversible damage to post-mitotic RPE cells and development of blinding conditions such as Age-related Macular Degeneration, Stargardt disease and Choroideremia. Here, we review how impaired cargo handling in the RPE results in their dysfunction, discuss new findings from our laboratory and consider how newly discovered roles for lysosomes and the autophagy pathway could provide insights into retinopathies. Studies of these dynamic, molecular events have also been spurred on by recent advances in optics and imaging technology. Mechanisms underpinning lysosomal impairment in other degenerative conditions including storage disorders, a-synuclein pathologies and Alzheimer’s disease are also discussed. Collectively, these findings help transcend conventional understanding of these intracellular compartments as simple waste disposal bags to bring about a paradigm shift in the way lysosomes are perceived.

Urban air quality is increasingly becoming a cause for concern for the health of the human population. The poor air quality is already wreaking havoc in major cities of the world, where serious health issues and reduction of average human life by a factor of years are reported. The air quality in developing countries can become worse as they undergo development. The urban air quality varies non-linearly depending upon the various factors such as land use, industrialization, waste disposal, traffic volume, etc. To address this problem, it is necessary to look at the plethora of available literature from multiple perspectives such as types and sources of pollutants, meteorology, urban mobility, urban planning and development, health care, economics, etc. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art in urban air quality. We first review the fundamental background on air quality and present the emerging landscape of urban air quality. We then explore the available literature from multiple urban air quality measurement projects and provides the insights uncovered in them. We then take a look at the sources that are significantly contributing to polluting the air quality. Finally, we highlight open issues and research challenges in dealing with urban air pollution.

Despite being well established phenomena, solidification principles are experiencing tough challenges in their application to explain microscale transport phenomena in additive manufacturing melt pool. The problem becomes even more complicated when applied to multicomponent bulk metallic glass matrix composites (BMGMC) whose behavior is dubious and still not fully understood. The aim of the present study is to highlight pathways to overcome these challenges. A comprehensive nucleation and growth model based on original KGT theory and Rappaz modification is proposed encompassing actual transient thermophysical BMGMC data to predict evolving microstructure during additive manufacturing. The model is aimed at pictorial representation of in-situ ductile phase dendrite evolution from melt pool during solidification using two-dimensional cellular automaton (CA) methods. It is proposed to be coded in MATLAB® using commercial simulation code ABAQUS® at back end for macroscopic heat transfer model. The results will be compared with experimental values for validation.

Sugarcane is an important industrial crop of semitropical and tropical areas. Due to the importance of this crop it is cultivated on nearly 20 million hectares by more than 90 countries. This crop belongs to family Poaceae, a grass family which is economically vital tracheophyte family that has properties much like that of wheat, maize, rice and sorghum. The Poaceae family is globally vital for providing dietary macromolecules, carbohydrates, and different nutrients. The most important item of sugarcane for the consumption is sucrose that gets accumulated in the stalk internodes. Sucrose is taken out and refined by different mills which is used as a sweetener in human food industries and in the fermentation industry. Large production of alcohol is attained by Brazilian sugarcane industries.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of moral distress on physician burnout during COVID-19. Physicians in the US were interviewed between February and March 2021; 479 responded to our survey. Results indicated that moral distress was a key mediator in explaining the relationship between perceived organizational support, medical specialization, emotional labor, and coping on burnout. There was no support for increased burnout among female physicians, and contracting COVID-19 likewise did not play a role in burnout. Our findings suggest that physician burnout can be mitigated by increasing perceived organizational support; likewise, physicians who engaged in deep emotional labor and problem-focused coping tended to fare better when it came to feelings of moral distress and subsequent burnout.

Since chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified nearly 50 years ago in a captive mule deer herd in the Rocky Mountains of the United States, it has slowly spread across North America through the natural and anthropogenic movement of cervids and their carcasses. As the endemic areas have expanded, so has the need for rapid, sensitive, and cost effective diagnostic tests – especially those which take advantage of samples collected antemortem. Over the past two decades, strategies have evolved from the recognition of microscopic spongiform pathology and associated immunohistochemical staining of the misfolded prion protein to enzyme-linked immunoassays capable of detecting the abnormal prion conformer in postmortem samples. In a history that parallels the diagnosis of more conventional infectious agents, both qualitative and real-time amplification assays have recently been developed to detect minute quantities of misfolded prions in a range of biological and environmental samples. With these more sensitive and semi-quantitative approaches has come a greater understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of this disease in the native host. Because the molecular pathogenesis of prion protein misfolding is broadly analogous to the misfolding of other pathogenic proteins, including Aβ and α-synuclein, efforts are currently underway to apply these in vitro amplification techniques towards the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other proteinopathies. Chronic wasting disease – once a rare disease of Colorado mule deer – now represents one of the few naturally occurring protein misfolding disorders which might allow continued development and implementation of novel diagnostic strategies in an animal model.

This study introduces and demonstrates a comprehensive, accurate, unbiased approach to robust quantitative comparison of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) appropriate for establishing substantial equivalence (or lack thereof) between tobacco products. The approach is demonstrated across a family of thirteen pen- and pod-style ENDS products. Methods employed consist of formulating a robust emissions surface regression model, quantifying the empirical accuracy of the model as applied to each product, evaluating relationships between product design characteristics and maximum emissions characteristics, and presenting results in formats useful to researchers, regulators, and consumers. Results provide a response surface to characterize emissions (total particulate matter and constituents thereof) from each ENDS appropriate for use in a computer model and for conducting quantitative exposure comparisons between products. Results demonstrate that emissions vary as a function of puff duration, flow rate, E-Liquid composition, and device operating power. Further, results indicate that regulating design characteristics of ENDS devices and consumables may not achieve desired public health outcomes; it is more effective to regulate maximum permissible emissions directly. Three emissions outcome measures (yield per puff, mass concentration and constituent mass ratio) are recommended for adoption as standard quantities for reporting by manufacturers and research laboratories. The approach provides a means of (a) quantifying and comparing maximal emissions from ENDS products spanning their entire operating envelope, (b) comparative evaluation of ENDS devices and consumable design characteristics, and (c) establishing comparative equivalence of maximal emissions from ENDS. A consumer-oriented product emissions dashboard is proposed for comparative evaluation of ENDS exposure potential. Maximum achievable power dissipated in the coil of ENDS is identified as a potentially effective regulatory parameter.

We present the design and overall development of an eight degrees of freedom (DOF) based Bioinspired Quadruped Robot (BiQR). The robot is designed with a skeleton made of cedar wood. The wooden skeleton is based on exploring the potential of cedar wood to be a choice for legged robots’ design. With a total weight of 1.19 kg, the robot uses eight servo motors that run the position control. Relying on the inverse kinematics, the control design enables the robot to perform the walk gait-based locomotion in a controlled environment. The robot has two main aspects: 1) the initial wooden skeleton development of the robot showing it to be an acceptable choice for robot design, 2) the robot’s applicability as a low-cost legged platform to test the locomotion in a laboratory or a classroom setting.

There is evidence that kidney involvement is frequently observed in COVID-19 patients, and can manifest as mild proteinuria to advancing acute kidney injury (AKI). One of the mechanisms is microvascular and macrovascular thrombosis caused by the hypercoagulation phase of the disease. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a valuable examination to detect significant hemostatic abnormalities, including the hypercoagulable state. This study analyzed the coagulation profiles, including TEG parameters, in COVID-19 patients who developed AKI compared to those who did not during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay, to identify predictors of AKI. Our single-center cohort retrospective study involved adult patients of COVID-19 in the ICU of Sardjito Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia between May and September 2021. Patients were divided into two groups of AKI and non-AKI based on 2012 KDIGO definition and the elaboration by Indonesian Society of Nephrology. Variables showing a significant difference in the two groups were then analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. A total of 60 COVID-19 patients were included in the study, and 35% of them developed AKI. Compared to non-AKI patients, those with AKI exhibited a greater prevalence of diabetes mellitus (66.7% versus 35.9%, P = 0.023), higher D-Dimer levels (970 versus 685 ng/mL, P = 0.045), and higher values in TEG parameters of maximum amplitude/MA (74.6 versus 65.9 mm, P = 0.001) and coagulation index/CI (2.3 versus 1.0, P = 0.033). TEG parameter of MA emerged as the sole significant predictor for the development of AKI (OR, 6.33; 95% CI, 1.56 to 25.64). Our study validated the kidney involvement of COVID-19 infection, and showed that diabetes mellitus, high D-Dimer levels, and hypercoagulability serve as prominent risk factors in the development of AKI. Furthermore, TEG parameter of MA exceeding 70 mm is the single independent significant predictor of AKI.

A case report of the diagnosis of Long Term Sequelae of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease in a patient with 9 years history. Empirical data of symptoms and test reports has been presented and based on the available data likely pathogenesis of the disease has been discussed. The empirical data has been compared to the published literature to reach a highly confident diagnosis.

Bidirectional gene promoters affect the transcription of two genes, leading to the hypothesis that they should exhibit protection against genetic or epigenetic changes in cancer. Therefore, they provide an excellent opportunity to learn about promoter susceptibility to somatic alteration in tumors. We tested this hypothesis using data from genome-scale DNA methylation (14 cancer types), simple somatic mutation (10 cancer types), and copy number variation profiling (14 cancer types). For DNA methylation, the difference in rank differential methylation between tumor and tumor-adjacent normal matched samples based on promoter type was tested by Wilcoxon rank sum test. Logistic regression was used to compare differences in simple somatic mutations. For copy number alteration, a mixed effects logistic regression model was used. The change in methylation between non-diseased tissues and their tumor counterparts was significantly greater in single compared to bidirectional promoters across all 14 cancer types examined. Similarly, the extent of copy number alteration was greater in single gene compared to bidirectional promoters for all 14 cancer types. Furthermore, among 10 cancer types with available simple somatic mutation data, bidirectional promoters were slightly more susceptible. These results suggest that selective pressures related with specific functional impacts during carcinogenesis drive the susceptibility of promoter regions to somatic alteration.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest public health challenges we are currently facing. To develop effective interventions against this, it is essential to understand the processes behind the spread of AMR. These are partly dependent on the dynamics of horizontal transfer of resistance genes between bacteria, which can occur by conjugation (direct contact), transformation (uptake from the environment) or transduction (mediated by bacteriophages). Mathematical modelling is a powerful tool to investigate the dynamics of AMR, however its application to study the horizontal transfer of AMR genes is currently unclear. In this systematic review, we searched for mathematical modelling studies which focused on horizontal transfer of AMR genes. We compared their aims and methods using a list of predetermined criteria, and utilized our results to assess the current state of this research field. Of the 43 studies we identified, most focused on the transfer of single genes by conjugation in Escherichia coli in culture, and its impact on the bacterial evolutionary dynamics. Our findings highlight the existence of an important research gap on the dynamics of transformation and transduction, and the overall public health implications of horizontal transfer of AMR genes. To further develop this field and improve our ability to control AMR, it is essential that we clarify the structural complexity required to study the dynamics of horizontal gene transfer, which will require cooperation between microbiologists and modellers.

Polymorphism in cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 enzyme is known to cause significant inter-individual differences in drug response and occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Different alleles of the CYP2C9 gene have been identified but the notable alleles responsible for reduced enzyme activity are CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3. No pharmacogenetic data is available on CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 alleles in Pakistani population. In Pakistan pharmacogenetics which examines the relationship between genetic factors and drug response, are in the early stages of development. We for the first time investigated the association between the CYP2C9 variant alleles CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 and the incidence of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients who were receiving the sulfonylurea medications. A total of n=400 individuals of Pashtun ethnicity were recruited from ten different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to participate in the study. The study participants were divided into two distinct groups: the case group (n=200) and the control group (n=200). The case group consisted of individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) who were receiving sulfonylurea medications and experience hypoglycaemia with it whereas the control group included individuals with T2DM who were receiving sulfonylurea medication but did not experience sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycaemia (SIH). Blood samples were obtained from study participants following informed consent. DNA was isolated from whole blood samples using Wiz-Prep DNA extraction kit. Following DNA isolation, CYP2C9 alleles were genotyped using MassARRAY sequencing platform at centre of genomics Rehman Medical Institute (RMI). The frequency of CYP2C9*2 (low activity allele) was more frequent in the diabetic patients with sulphonylurea-induced hypoglycaemia (SIH) compared to the control group (17.5% vs. 6.0%, p=0.021). The frequency of its corresponding genotype CYP2C9*1/*2 was higher in cases compared to control group (10% vs. 6% with P=0.036), same was true for genotype CYP2C9*2/*2 (7% vs. 3.5 % with P=0.028). Logistic regression analysis evident potential association of CYP2C9*2 allele and its genotypes with SIH. When adjusted for confounding factors such age, weight, sex, daily dose of sulphonylurea and triglyceride level the association between the CYP2C9*2 allele and hypoglycemia remains consistent. Confounding factors played no role in SIH because both groups (cases and controls) were closely matched in term of age, weight, sex, mean daily dose of sulphonylurea and trigyleride levels. Our study suggests that genetic information about a patient's CYP2C9 gene/enzyme can potentially assist physicians in prescribing the most suitable and safest drug based on their genetic make-up.

Structural displacement is an important metric for assessing structural conditions because it has a direct relationship with the structural stiffness. Many bridge displacement measurement techniques have been developed, but most methods require fixed reference points in the vicinity of the target structure which limits field implementations. A promising alternative is to use reference-free measurement techniques that indirectly estimate the displacement by using measurements such as acceleration, and strain. This paper proposes novel reference-free bridge displacement estimation by the fusion of single acceleration with pseudo-static displacement derived from co-located strain measurements. First, we propose a conversion of the strain at the center of a beam into displacement based on the geometric relationship between strain and deflection curves with reference-free calibration. Second, an adaptive Kalman filter is proposed to fuse the displacement generated by strain with acceleration by recursively estimate the noise covariance of displacement from strain measurements which is vulnerable to measurement condition. Both numerical and experimental validations are presented to demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed approach.

Consumption of poultry meat is higher than red meat due to easy availability, good taste, low cost and palatability. Significant improvement in meat yield and growth rate of broiler chicken has been brought about with the help of genetic selection of desirable traits. The present study was conducted to comparatively evaluate the chronic effect of domestic and broiler chicken meat consumption on male hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis, lipid profile and oxidative stress on postnatal male rats. Rats were divided into five groups: control, B1, B2, D1 and D2 groups and were fed with 0.17g and 0.34g of broiler and domestic chicken meat from postnatal day 21 to PND90.The significant elevated body weight and weight gain in B2 group (P<0.01), minor change in B1 and D40 group (P<0.05) were detected. In gonadosomatic index absolute and relative epididymis weight, weight of seminal vesical and Prostate weight was significantly augmented in B2 compared to control and D2. Kidney and liver weight in B1, B2 was markedly elevated and minor change in D2 groups. ROS level in B2 was significantly higher than other experimental groups. Serum level of FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol and low density lipoprotein was significantly elevated in B2 compared to control and D2. In B2 rats fed with 0.34g broiler meat exhibited a marked decreased seminiferous tubule diameter, epithelial height and increased lumen diameter changes that were more prominent compared to rats fed with 0.34g domestic chicken meat. Conclusively chronic administration of broiler meat induces marked alteration in reproductive system, testicular morphology, sexual hormones and oxidative stress in postnatal Sprague Dawley male rats compared to domestic chicken meat.