In this study, we consider a Lambert series whose coefficients are the sum of divisors function. Utilizing the Lambert series in the sequel we introduce a normalized linear operator JR_(α,β) (z) by applying the convolution with Rabotnov function. We then, acquire sufficient conditions for JR_(α,β) (z) to be Univalent, Starlike and Convex respectively. In each component of this study, we expand the derived results by applying two Robin's inequalities, one of which is equivalent to the Riemann hypothesis.

The dynamic landscape of AI adoption and its impact on employment in Malaysia demands a multifaceted approach to navigate the challenges and harness the opportunities presented. While the government's commitment to fostering AI adoption through initiatives like the National AI Framework and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint is commendable, it is imperative to address concerns regarding job displacement and ensure inclusive growth. This study identifies the pressing research problem of workforce readiness for the AI-driven future, emphasizing the need to explore strategies for reskilling and upskilling affected workers. By employing critical lenses such as Marxist, feminist, and postcolonial perspectives, scholars highlight the power dynamics and societal implications inherent in AI deployment, guiding the development of policies and interventions that prioritize workers' interests and address social inequalities. Moving forward, a comprehensive approach combining policy interventions, educational reforms, and inclusive strategies is essential to maximize the benefits of AI adoption while mitigating its potential risks. Longitudinal studies, interdisciplinary research, and comparative analyses will further advance our understanding and inform evidence-based policymaking in this evolving field. Ultimately, by prioritizing workforce preparedness, social equity, and sustainable development, Malaysia can position itself as a leader in the AI-driven global economy, fostering a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous society for all.

The software design of autonomous vehicles (AVs) incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) characteristics to enhance their safety and overall driving performance. Central to vehicle’s operation is the ability to reason effectively in complex and uncertain environments. However, traditional logical systems, such as monotonic logic, often struggle to handle the inherent uncertainties and exceptions encountered in real-world scenarios. This paper proposes the utilization of non-monotonic logic in order to enhance the reasoning capabilities of autonomous vehicles. By incorporating non-monotonic reasoning, vehicles can navigate intricate traffic scenarios, make plausible inferences, and adapt their decisions when faced with conflicting information. This research aims to provide a comprehensive review of non-monotonic logic's application in autonomous vehicles, highlighting its advantages over traditional logical systems and its potential impact on safety and performance. Additionally, through this research, we seek to contribute to the advancement of autonomous driving technology by enhancing the reasoning capabilities of vehicles in various scenarios, such as car- following related to critical safety events. The personalized cognitive agent is proposed in driving behavior to consider particularly in their assumptions of homogeneous drivers. The personalized cognitive agent is incorporating heterogeneous driving behaviors, based on individual user preferences, characteristics, and needs. Driving behavior is a complex interplay of various factors, encompassing both human and external elements. Human factors, including age, experience, and gender, contribute significantly to how individuals navigate the roads. These factors influence decisions, reactions, and risk-taking tendencies on the part of drivers. Additionally, external factors such as weather conditions further compound this intricate dynamic, requiring drivers to adapt their behavior to the prevailing environment. The goal of a personalized cognitive agent is to provide tailored and customized experiences to cognitive vehicles, taking into account the unique requirements and individual preferences of occupants inside autonomous vehicles.

The present research was titled “A Study on Dark Triad Personality and Emergency Response and Psychological Adaptation among Young Adults during Pandemic.” The purpose of the study was to explore the association between the dimensions of dark triad personality namely narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and the dimensions of emergency response and psychological adaptation namely worry, agitation, awareness, prosociality, perceived self-efficacy. The correlation between the dimensions of dark triad personality and the dimensions of emergency response and psychological adaptation. Gender differences were also studied for the dimension dark triad personality. The results showed that a strong positive correlation existed between narcissism and agitation, Machiavellianism and worry and Machiavellianism and agitation. Narcissism and psychopathy were found to be strong predictors of agitation. Significant Gender differences were noted on the dimensions of psychopathy and Machiavellianism where males scored higher than females.

Population concentration in cities brings new risks as an increase in pollution, which causes urban health problems. In order to address this problem, traffic reduction measures are being implemented, as pedestrianization areas and the definition of Low Emissions Zones (LEZ). When the effectiveness of these types of measures is in doubt, smart city tools provide data that can be used to scientifically asses their impact. This article analyzes the situation of Madrid Central (Spain), a LEZ subject to controversy. We apply statistical and regression analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of this measure to reduce air pollution and outdoor noise. According to the results, this LEZ was able to significantly reduce NO$_2$, PM$_{2.5}$, and PM$_{10}$ concentration locally, having the same positive impact in the rest of the city. In terms of noise, this measure is able to mitigate background noise levels generated by the road traffic.

This research explores the predictive capabilities of autonomous driving systems by integrating human factor considerations within the context of safety-critical events. Recognizing the significance of human behaviors in influencing driving dynamics, the study employs advanced modeling techniques to enhance the accuracy of predictions in scenarios that demand heightened safety measures. Traditional rule-based systems and monotonic logic often fall short in addressing the complexities of safety-critical events. To overcome these limitations, the research proposes the application of non-monotonic logic, allowing for flexible and adaptive reasoning that accommodates exceptions and context-specific information.The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating individual differences among drivers, such as risk-taking tendencies, reaction times, decision-making processes, and driving styles. By considering these human factors, the research aims to develop realistic and accurate autonomous driving models that capture the nuances of real-world driving scenarios, especially in safety-critical situations. The predictive model takes into account both internal and external factors, enabling the autonomous system to anticipate and respond effectively to unforeseen events.The primary goal is to provide autonomous vehicles with the capability to make plausible inferences, handle conflicting data, and adapt their behavior in real-time during safety-critical events. The proposed model integrates personalized cognitive agents for each driver, incorporating their unique preferences, characteristics, and needs. This personalized approach aims to optimize the safety and efficiency of autonomous driving, contributing to the ongoing evolution of intelligent transportation systems.In conclusion, this research contributes to advancing the field of autonomous driving by introducing a predictive model that leverages human factor considerations to enhance safety in safety-critical events. The incorporation of non-monotonic logic and individualized cognitive agents signifies a comprehensive approach to address the challenges associated with predicting autonomous driving behavior, paving the way for safer and more reliable autonomous vehicles in dynamic and unpredictable environments.

This paper describes a new approach that can be used to determine the mechanical properties of unknown materials and complex material systems. The approach uses inverse finite element modelling (FEM) accompanied with a designed algorithm to obtain the modulus of elasticity, yield stress and strain hardening material constants of an isotropic hardening material model, as well as the material constants of the Drucker-Prager material model (modulus of elasticity, cap yield stress and angle of friction). The algorithm automatically feeds the input material properties data to finite element software and automatically runs simulations to establish a convergence between the numerical loading-unloading curve and the target data obtained from continuous indentation tests using common indenter geometries. A further module was developed to optimise convergence using an inverse FEM analysis interfaced with a non-linear MATLAB algorithm. A sensitivity analysis determined that the dual Spherical and Berkovich (S&B) approach delivered better results than other dual indentation methods such as Berkovich and Vickers (B&V) and Vickers and Spherical (V&S). It was found that better convergence values can be achieved despite a large variation in the starting parameter values and / or material constitutive model and such behaviour reflects the uniqueness of the dual S&B indentation in predicting complex material systems. The study has shown that a robust optimization method based on a non-linear least-squares curve fitting function (LSQNONLIN) within MATLAB and ABAQUS can be used to accurately predict a unique set of elastic plastic material properties and Drucker-Prager material properties. This is of benefit to the scientific investigation of properties of new materials or obtaining the material properties at different location of a part which might be not be similar due to manufacturing processes (e.g. different heating and cooling rates at different locations).

Seasonal snowpacks, characterized by their snow water equivalent (SWE), play a major role in the hydrological cycle, snow melt contributions to floods and the subsequent availability of water resources downstream. Accurately estimating SWE and understanding its spatial and temporal variations presents a considerable challenge, particularly within mountainous regions characterized by complex terrain and limited observational data. Seeking to enhance the performance of the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we report a new approach characterising snowpack behaviour incorporating both modelled and remotely sensed derived SWE calibration data. We focus on the Chenab River Basin (CRB) a headwater catchment of the Indus Basin, globally significant in terms of human inhabitants and intensifying flood risk due to climate change. We conducted a thorough assessment of five satellite-derived and reanalysis-based precipitation datasets: ERA5-Land, CMORPH, TRMM, APHRODITE, and CPC UPP. This reveals significant levels of uncertainty in global precipitation products when compared to reference data from observed stations as well as in the resulting simulated streamflow from the SWAT model. Subsequently, we expanded the scope of the SWAT model to encompass the spatial and temporal simulation of SWE. This was achieved by incorporating information from remotely sensed and modelled SWE products, manually adjusting snow parameters in R-SWAT for both the main basin and at sub-basin scales. Integrating SWE from reference snow products into the calibration process, alongside streamflow data, substantially enhanced modelling accuracy to simulate SWE compared to the conventional auto-calibration and single-variable approaches reliant solely on streamflow data. This approach results in considerable improvement in SWE predictions and to some extent in streamflow simulation in catchments dominated by snow. This research highlights the potential of remote sensing and modelled SWE parameterisation in the absence of in-situ snowpack data in high-altitude environments. An improved understanding of SWE behaviour is vital for predicting hydrological responses spanning hazards to water resources in the populous downstream regions of the Indus Basin, especially in the face of climate change.

Current low meat production in Omani goats under traditional feeding regimes justifies a study of the effects of Spirulina Platensis (SP) supplementation on goats’ performance. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating SP into diets on carcass characteristics, fatty acid profile and meat quality traits of two Omani goat breeds. Thirty-six eleven-month-old bucks from the Jabbali and Sahrawi goat breeds (n= 18/breed) were divided into three groups (control, Treatment 1, and treatment 2). All animals received a conventional concentrate feed ration (con-trol (CON) consisting of pellets creep fed. Animals were fed SP daily with Treatment 1 (T1) fed at 2g/head and Treatment 2 (T2) fed at 4g/head. Sahrawi bucks showed a highly significant response to SP feeding compared to Jabbali bucks. Average daily gain and carcass traits (body length, leg length and the rack weight) of Sahrawi bucks were significantly higher in the T1 group than in the CON group. The weights of omental and kidney fat increased in T1 group of Sahrawi goats, while it increased in T2 group of Jabbali goats compared to CON group. Ultimate pH increased in T1 group and meat color (lightness) increased in T2 group in both LD and SM muscles of Sahrawi goats. Most of PUFA n-6 and n-6/n-3 ratio increased in T1 group, while most of MUFA2 and PUFA n-3 fatty acids increased in T2 group of Sahrawi goats. In addition, a significant decrease in pentadecanoic and margaric acids of Sahrawi goats was observed by adding SP to the diet com-pared to the control group. The study concluded that incorporating SP (2g and 4g/head) into the diet of Omani goats, especially Sahrawi goats, can increase growth performance, improve fatty acid composition and meat quality.

Over the last few decades, there is a remarkable increase in air traffic worldwide; however, despite of rapid technological development and improved airport infrastructure, there is still an increasing number of aviation accidents and fatalities. In order to meet safety demands of Air Traffic Control (ATC), Machine Learning (ML) based aircraft conflict detection techniques are focused to predict events before they come to reality. This research presents a systematic literature review (SLR) about the applications of ML techniques in safety prediction of ATC system. Initially, the existing aircraft conflict prediction models are classified into three broad categories; logical, geometric and probabilistic. A formal process of SLR is then conducted which is initiated with preprocessing and effective searching. A series of filtering called title, abstract and objective-based are then applied to extract the most relevant articles. Detailed and critical reviews of selected articles are performed to identify challenges which are segregated into dataset, model and evaluation techniques, furthermore, the optimal solutions for each are proposed. Finally the matrices to map the identified challenged with their proposed solutions are constructed. This research serves as a foundation for future research and towards integration of ML based safety prediction techniques into modern ATC system.

Marangoni flow in foam fractionation in the lamellar film for the interior and exterior of a micro-foam was investigated. The three-dimensional node-film-Plateau Border system was modeled using computational fluid dynamics. The importance of the surfactant concentration of the foam fractionation column and air-liquid interface mobility on the Marangoni velocity in the film was emphasized. The study found that an increase in surfactant concentration in the reflux column significantly increases the Marangoni velocities. Additionally, a mobile interface results in a higher Marangoni flow, while a rigid interface leads to less intensive flow. The behavior of the Marangoni flow in both interior and exterior foam was explored, revealing that the flow in exterior foam has different behavior due to the presence of the wall, which reduces the Marangoni velocity compared to interior films.

Chronic unpredictable environmental stress (CUES) may induce predisposition to diabetes mellitus. This study investigates the role of CUES on impaired homeostasis. Stressed group mice (n = 20) were exposed to CUES for 16 weeks. Weekly body weight, feed consumption, feed efficiency ratio, fasting blood glucose were monitored. Plasma HbA1c, plasma cortisol, plasma epinephrine and plasma insulin, serum lipids, antioxidants and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes activity were assessed along with DNA damage and histopathological examination of liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen and skeletal muscles. Fasting blood glucose levels & HbA1c in the stressed were significantly higher compared to control (p < 0.001). Serum lipids were found insignificantly higher in stressed mice compared to control. Body weights of the stressed mice and feed efficiency ratio were found significant (p < 0.001). Plasma corticosterone, plasma epinephrine, HOMA-IR was found to be significantly higher in the stressed group (p < 0.001). Plasma insulin level was found to be significantly lower in the stressed group (p < 0.001). Significant changes were observed in antioxidants level, carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes activity, peripheral tissues and DNA integrity. CUES initiates pathogenesis of diabetes.

The evaluation of tourism sustainability has become of paramount importance for researchers and decision-makers to better protect tourist destinations, especially with the continuous increase in the number of tourists and visitors that alter the natural components of the environment and degrade ecosystems. Therefore, the use of geographical data is of great significance, particularly in environmental monitoring and land management, due to its ease of use and availability. However, calculating composite indices for sustainability involves several steps and requires a basic understanding of existing models. This article describes the development and design of a package of plugins in QGIS that serves as an easy-to-use tool for processing and automatically calculating economic, environmental, social indices, and the overall index of tourist sustainability. These plugins have been built in Python and designed as QGIS software plugins.

In the framework of a multiplicative metric space. We have discuss some Properties of convex structures in pseudo multiplicative metric space and have applied these properties toiobtain alfixed point results in complete pseudo. It would be interesting to prove some further results in such metric spaces with completeness property.

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) is the integration of computation and physical process that makes a complete system such as the physical components, networked systems, embedded computers and software and linking together of devices and sensors for information sharing. Cyber Physical Systems are Smart Systems that comprises of the merging and integration of Industry Control Systems, Critical Infrastructures, Internet of Things (IoT) and Embedded Systems. Major industries such as the Chemical and Industrial Plants, Aviation Systems, National Grid, the Stock Exchange, Military Systems, and others depends heavily on these Cyber Physical Systems for financial and economic growth. The benefits of CPS nationally and globally are in the areas of Manufacturing, Energy, Transport, Healthcare and Communication. Cyber Physical Systems incorporates Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements on network infrastructures to provide interactive systems. However, these three key components the Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements may have inherent threats and vulnerabilities on them that may run the risk of being compromise, exploited, attacked or hacked. Cybercriminals in their quest to bring down these systems and may cause disruption of services either for fame, revenge, political motive, economic war, cyber terrorism and cyber war. The study seeks to review the risks that are associated with these three key components Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements. The study considered four main risk mitigation goals for this purpose, and these are Business Value, Organizational Requirements, Threat Agent and Impact based on the review results. We used Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) to determine the relative importance of these goals that contributes to developing cybercrime and rich in CPS. For the results, the prioritized goals are then used to assess the risks using a semi-quantitative approach to determine the net threat level.

The early-season area estimation of the winter wheat crop as a strategic product is important for decision makers. Classification of multi-temporal images is an approach which is affected by many factors like appropriate training sample size, proper frequency and acquisition times, vegetation indices (VIs) type, temporal gradient of spectral bands and VIs, appropriate classifier and missed values because of cloudy conditions. This paper addresses the impact of appropriate frequency and acquisition times and VIs type along with the spectral and VI gradient on random forest (RF) classifier when missed values exist in multi-temporal images. To investigate the appropriate temporal resolution for image acquisition, the study area was selected on an overlapping area between two LDCM paths. In our developed method, the miss values of cloudy bands for each pixel are retrieved by the mean of k-nearest ordinary pixels. Then the multi-temporal image analysis is performed by considering different scenarios provided by decision makers in terms of desired crop types that should be extracted at early-season in the study areas. The classification results obtained by the RF decrease by 1.6% when temporally missed values retrieved by the proposed method, which is an acceptable result. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrated that if temporal resolution of Landsat 8 increased to one week the classification task can be conducted earlier with almost better results in terms of OA and kappa. The impact of incorporating VIs along with the temporal gradients of spectral bands and VIs as new features in RF demonstrated that the OA and Kappa are improved 3.1% and 6.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the obtained result showed that if only one image from seasonal changes of crops is available, the temporal gradient of VIs and spectral bands play the main role to discriminate remarkably wheat from barley. The experiments also demonstrated that if both wheat and barley merge to a single class the crop area can be estimated two months earlier with 97.1 and 93.5 in terms of OA and kappa, respectively.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a digital revolution that has transformed the way information are broadcast and consumed. This rapid evolution was accompanied by an “infodemic” (Beaulieu, 2019), a transformation of workplaces (Lulli LG, 2021)and difficulties in managing information flows (Bendahan & Nader, 2020). In this scientific article, we examine the communication strategies adopted by hospital structures as they are perceived by staff, highlighting their psychological and professional experiences throughout the crisis period. The results of the study carried out among hospital staff (n=200) demonstrate that the perception of communication strategies is generally positive for 78.56% of participants (M=1.85). The assessments of the staff interviewed as for the effect of this communication on the psychological experience and on the management of professional tasks have a positive trend respectively (M=2.15) and (M=1.86)

This study tries to focusing on applying information communication technology for economic importance of Mid Oil Company (MDOC), which is among contemporary oil companies in Iraq. Since ICT forms a significant aspect of achieving organizational economic objectives, most of public and private bodies seek to utilize ICT tool and techniques to improve work efficiencies. The emerging growth in ICT has made it process and service automation possible in managing organizational activities. To determine this effect of ICT on organizations, this study formulated statistical research model at MDOC through using fifteen questionnaires, which were distributed on three axes. The outcome of the questionnaire analysis revealed that there is inadequate comprehensive infrastructure to suitably support ICT within the selected organization management. In addition, it revealed that there are no ideal standards to maintain and sustain internet networks. Based on these revelations, the study presents recommendation for the adoption of ICT with the aim of minimizing cost, enhancing communication and managing infrastructure. Also recommends the need to support IT department within an organization, with essential equipment, in terms of man and machine, for better efficiency to employ the key of ICT Impact in Iraqi governmental oil companies.

(1) Background: Loss of weight is one of the practices which have been identified as key in reducing the risk of various forms of cancer. Therefore, this study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies related to the topic of loss of weight and risk of cancer and addresses the question, ‘does losing weight reduce the risk of cancer?’ Its purpose is to identify current high-quality evidence on such a question and synthesize such evidence before summarizing it given specific data attributes to improve decision-making processes on cancer management. (2) Methods: Research studies were identified from four main databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Google scholar, and Medline. A systematic review and meta-analysis of such studies were then conducted to reveal the most current evidence on the research topic. (3) Results: The studies showed that losing weight reduces cancer risk. Nonetheless, such intervention is not necessarily effective, especially in cases where patients may be at risk of developing cancer due to other risk factors. (4) Conclusions: The current study concludes that there is a need to implement effective interventions such as physical exercise, dietary restrictions, or both that can be effective in reducing weight to reduce the risk of cancer.

Pakistan being an agricultural country is raising 146.5 million commercial and domestic poultry birds which generate around 544,831 tons of waste. This waste finds its final disposal in agricultural land as soil fertilizer or disposal site amendment. The uncontrolled use of poultry litter for this purpose results in environmental impacts such as the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas. However, other options like thermochemical conversion of this waste can offer a better solution wherein poultry litter can be used as low-cost carbon sources for the synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs). In this study, efforts have been made to utilize this cheap and plenty of available carbon source for synthesis of CNTs in the presence of Ni/Mo/MgO as a catalyst, through pyrolysis. The optimum mole ratio of catalyst (4:0.2:1) was found to yield more carbon product. Furthermore, process parameters such as temperature, time, polymer & catalyst weight were also optimized. The best possible process parameters that resulted (pyrolysis time (12 min), temperature (825◦C), and catalyst weight (100 mg) good yield of CNTs . The structure and morphology of produced nanotubes were confirmed through X-ray Diffractometer (X-RD) & Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The environmental application of the nanotubes was tested in synthetic chromium solution in the lab using a batch experiment. Different experimental conditions (pH, adsorbent dosage and contact time) were optimized to enhance the adsorption of Cr (VI) by carbon nanotubes and UV-Visible spectrophotometer was used at 540nm to measure the absorbance of Cr (VI). Results show that up to 81.83% of Cr (VI) removal was achieved by using 8 mg of CNTs at pH 3 with 400 rpm at 180 min of contact time. Thus, it was concluded that poultry litter can be a useful source for the synthesis of CNTs and thereby removal of Cr (VI) from industrial tanneries wastewater.

Accurate diagnosis at an early stage of infection is essential for the successful management of any contagious disease. The COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a pandemic that has affected 214 countries affecting more than 30.8 million people causing 0.957 million deaths as of third week of September, 2020. The primary diagnosis of the infection is done either by the molecular technique of RT-qPCR by detecting portions of the RNA of the viral genome or through immunodiagnostic tests by detecting the viral proteins or the antibodies produced by the host. As the demand for the test increased rapidly many naive manufacturers entered the market with novel kits and more and more laboratories also entered the diagnostic arena making the test result more error-prone. There are serious debates globally and regionally on the sensitivity and specificity of these tests and about the overall accuracy and reliability of the tests for decision making on control strategies. The significance of the test is also complexed by the presence of asymptomatic carriers, re-occurrence of infection in cured patients as well as by the varied incubation periods of the infection and shifting of the viral location in the host tissues. In this paper, we review the techniques available for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and probable factors that can reduce the sensitivity and specificity of the different test methods currently in vogue. We also provide a check-list of factors to be taken care to avoid fallacious practices to reduce false positive and false negative results by the clinical laboratories

Car parking is a challenging part of urban transportation and the traffic violations around it cause many problems for citizens. In recent years, due to the fast growth and development of urbanization, temporary and unauthorized stopping of cars along the streets, especially in large cities, has led to an increased traffic, urban disorders, dangers for citizens, and violation of rules. Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between vehicle parking violations and urban places. GIScience capabilities and tools play an important role in analysing the spatial distribution of these violations. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of vehicle violations in a region of Tehran, Iran that is suffering from a heavy traffic load and heavily polluted air. Although two dissimilar urban segregations exist in the north and south of the study area, our analysis indicates a similar pattern of car parking violations. In both of the areas, about 70% of all curb parks are legal, while the remaining are illegal. Also, spatial analysis reveals a direct relationship between some POIs and the occurrence of car park violations so that the density of legal curb parks is high near some POIs, and less near some others and vice versa. For example, the number of vehicle park violation around the hospitals is more than the average of the study area. However, the number of park violations around the universities is less than the average. Our findings reveal that co-location of certain POIs, for instance a hotel and a supermarket will lead to an increase in the number of park violations. In other words, there is a strong correlation between the type of POIs and curb-parks violations. Our results also show that POIs have an impact radius that leads to violations occurring in that area. For example, the area of the impact of a hospital on the creation of car park violations was estimated at 125 meters. Our presented approach along with the discussed findings along with conclusions can be useful to a large range of stakeholders including urban planner, traffic police departments, local municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and environmentalists to have a better perspective of infrastructure planning.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly termed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a widespread global health concern that affects around 25% of the global population. Its influence is expanding, and it is anticipated to overtake alcohol as the leading cause of liver failure and liver-related death worldwide. Unfortunately, there are no approved therapies for MASLD; as such, national and international regulatory health agencies undertook strategies and action plans designed to expedite the development of drugs for treatment of MASLD. A sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet intake are important risk factors. Western countries have a greater estimated prevalence of MASLD partly due to lifestyle habits. Mitochondrial dysfunction is strongly linked to the development of MASLD. Further, it has been speculated that mitophagy, a type of mitochondrial quality control, may be impaired in MASLD. Thyroid hormone (TH) coordinates signals from the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes to control mitochondrial biogenesis and function in hepatocytes. Mitochondria are known TH targets and preclinical and clinical studies suggest that TH, thyroid receptor β (TR-β) analogs, and synthetic analogs specific to liver could be of therapeutic benefit in treating MASLD. In this review, we highlight how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to development of MASLD, and how understanding the role of TH in improving mitochondrial function paved the way for innovative drug development programs of TH-based therapies targeting MASLD.

Self-compacting concrete is essential for vertical structures due to high reinforcement and usage of pumps for transporting the concrete at the working site. SCC is mainly influenced by self-curing for arid areas. To explore the SCC (Self-Compacting Concrete) mixture and condition influencing the self-curing condition were determined using the experimental procedure. Determination of various parameters was done using T50 slump flow, V-funnel, L-box-box, J ring test, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength test. After the experimental investigation, it shows that if the dose if the dosage of superplasticizer (SNF%) increases, it will improve the concrete mixture's different properties, such as flowability and ability to pass. Higher water-to-cement ratios (w/c) generally result in enhanced flowability and stability. Mixture 9 (SNF 0.35, w/c 0.5) demonstrates favourable results across all parameters, indicating excellent flowability and stability. Mixture 9 (SNF 0.35, w/c 0.5) also shows favourable flowability and stability characteristics. Lower concentrations, such as 0.5%, may have a positive effect up to a certain point but might not provide sustained improvement over the curing period. On the other hand, concentrations of 1% and 2% demonstrated consistent and significant enhancement in strength throughout the 28 days. It is found that the higher concentrations of PEG 4000 may be more effective in improving the material strength.

Healthcare systems are mindful of the importance of proper diet and nutrition in reducing the risk of various chronic diseases resulting in hospitalizations. In this regard, they are focusing on promoting the intake of foods comprising various diets with health benefits, such as the ketogenic diet. In this meta-analysis, a total of 20 research studies on the effect of the ketogenic diet on the immune system were analyzed. The research studies were obtained from three databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct. From the meta-analysis, the odd ratio of a similar outcome of an improvement in the strength of immunity between the intervention and control group was 0.76. On the other hand, the p-value for the studies was 0.09, with 15 out of the 20 being considered statistically significant. The heterogeneity between the studies was I2 = 15%, signifying a low variability in the findings that is not by chance. The Ketogenic diet indeed has positive effects on immunity. Nonetheless, it can also result in negative effects that may harm human health.

Fatigue in any material is a result of continuous irreversible degradation process. Traditionally, fatigue life is predicted by extrapolating experimentally curve fitted empirical models. In the current study, unified mechanics theory is used to predict fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V under monotonic tensile, compressive and cyclic load conditions. The unified mechanics theory is used to derive constitutive model for fatigue life prediction using a three-dimensional computational model. The proposed analytical and computational models have been used to predict the low cycle fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V alloys. It is shown that the unified mechanics theory can be used to predict fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V alloys by using simple predictive models that are based on fundamental equation of the material, which is based on thermodynamics associated with degradation of materials.

Background: COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 that has become a global pandemic. Although children can contract the virus, they are generally less likely than adults to develop severe symptoms. Parents and caregivers should monitor their children for symptoms and seek medical attention if their child becomes ill. Practicing good hygiene and social distancing can help prevent the spread of the virus. Vaccines are available for children and can provide additional protection against COVID-19. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on children is crucial for developing effective public health strategies to control the pandemic.Objectives: The current study aims to determine the prevalence of Covid-19 in pediatric age group in Duhok province and Zakho city, in Kurdistan region. among the children who tested positive for IgG test. If IgG antibodies are detected in a person's blood sample, it suggests that they have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 at some point in the past and their immune system has responded by producing antibodies against the virus.Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken involving youngsters aged 5 to 12 years. The study encompassed a total of 330 participants, selected between October and December 2022. The children underwent testing to detect IgG antibodies. Moreover, a questionnaire was employed to gather demographic and individual information from each contributor.Results: Among the studied sample, 302/330 (91.5%) of children were positive to IgG antibody test. No gender difference for COVID-19 was found in pediatric age group. Case fatality rate was 0%. 22/302 (6.6%) cases were symptomatic during the infection. However, 282(93.4%) cases were asymptomatic. Conclusions: Covid-19 infection in pediatric age group has good prognosis compared to adults. Intensive care unit (ICU) and death are rare. High-risk groups should be targeted for education and immunization/vaccination. Furthermore, more studies are needed to be conducted in order to investigate the risk factors of the infection and to assess the awareness among the general population about the risk of infection.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common form of leukemia in adults and accounts for approximately 15% of all leukemia cases. The etiology of this disease is based on the presence of the oncogenic Bcr/Abl fusion protein, which has dysregulated tyrosine kinase activity. This pathological condition is the result of a chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 leading to the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Clinical establishment of targeted therapy with Abl kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has been observed in the treatment of CML. Therapy resistance in patients with CML is due to genetic alterations in the cells of CML, specifically affecting the Bcr/Abl oncoprotein. Acquired resistance of CML patients to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has also been associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to examine the role of hypoxic conditions in the development of chemoresistance to certain AKIs in CML. The findings of our study indicate that exposure to hypoxic conditions leads to a substantial increase in chemoresistance to crizotinib, while only resulting in a slight increase in chemoresistance to imatinib. It is worth noting that both drugs effectively block Bcr/Abl function. Furthermore, it was observed that the inclusion of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib resulted in an augmentation of chemoresistance to crizotinib in the context of hypoxia. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF1a) and silencing of JAK2 confirmed that the two proteins cooperate in mediating chemoresistance to crizotinib in CML cell lines. It is noteworthy that the compound 2-methoxy estradiol (2ME2), which is a metabolite of estradiol lacking estrogenic activity, has shown efficacy in reinstating the sensitivity of CML cells to crizotinib in the presence of hypoxic circumstances. Additionally, when used in conjunction with a JAK2 inhibitor, 2ME2 exhibited activity in restoring crizotinib sensitivity in CML cells. The findings of our study underscore the significance of selectively targeting elements of the HIF1α pathway in order to achieve total eradication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common form of leukemia in adults and accounts for approximately 15% of all leukemia cases. The etiology of this disease is based on the presence of the oncogenic Bcr/Abl fusion protein, which has dysregulated tyrosine kinase activity. This pathological condition is the result of a chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 leading to the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Clinical establishment of targeted therapy with Abl kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has been observed in the treatment of CML. Therapy resistance in patients with CML is due to genetic alterations in the cells of CML, specifically affecting the Bcr/Abl oncoprotein. Acquired resistance of CML patients to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has also been associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to examine the role of hypoxic conditions in the development of chemoresistance to certain AKIs in CML. The findings of our study indicate that exposure to hypoxic conditions leads to a substantial increase in chemoresistance to crizotinib, while only resulting in a slight increase in chemoresistance to imatinib. It is worth noting that both drugs effectively block Bcr/Abl function. Furthermore, it was observed that the inclusion of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib resulted in an augmentation of chemoresistance to crizotinib in the context of hypoxia. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) and silencing of JAK2 confirmed that the two proteins cooperate in mediating chemoresistance to crizotinib in CML cell lines. It is noteworthy that the compound 2-methoxy estradiol (2ME2), which is a metabolite of estradiol lacking estrogenic activity, has shown efficacy in reinstating the sensitivity of CML cells to crizotinib in the presence of hypoxic circumstances. Additionally, when used in conjunction with a JAK2 inhibitor, 2ME2 exhibited activity in restoring crizotinib sensitivity in CML cells. The findings of our study underscore the significance of selectively targeting elements of the HIF1α pathway in order to achieve total eradication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.

Symptoms attributed to the gastrointestinal manifestations of multi-system disorders play an important role in the long-term management of these conditions. Gastrointestinal complications of a variety of connective tissue disorders have been studied and there is an increased interest in the incidence and prevalence of these symptoms. Descriptions of the occurrence of gastrointestinal complications in Marfan syndrome have appeared infrequently in the medical literature. In this review article we focus on both structural and functional gastrointestinal pathology that may occur in patients with Marfan syndrome.

The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology has emerged as a groundbreaking innovation with profound implications across diverse domains, particularly in healthcare. By establishing a direct communication pathway between the human brain and external devices, BCI systems offer unprecedented opportunities for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, thereby reshaping the landscape of medical practice. However, despite its immense potential, the widespread adoption of BCI technology in clinical settings faces several challenges. These include the need for robust signal acquisition and processing techniques, ensuring user safety and privacy, addressing ethical considerations, and optimizing user training and adaptation. Overcoming these challenges is crucial to unleashing the complete potential of BCI technology in healthcare and realizing its promise of personalized, patient-centric care. This review work underscores the transformative potential of BCI technology in revolutionizing medical practice. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of medical-oriented BCI applications by exploring the various uses of BCI technology and its potential to transform patient care.

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) production is a complex operation that requires finding a good combination and a suitable dosage of each of its constituents. Several formulation methods have been developed to meet the workability requirements of SCC. In this paper, the relationships between the fresh properties of SCC based on local metakaolin (MK) and the spreading of its mortar was investigated. The results showed the existence of good correlations between the spreading of the mortar and the fresh state properties of the related SCC and that the MK substitution rate did not affect these correlations. The choice of the mortar flow rate should target appropriate fresh properties of the SCC and a viscosity enhancing agent (VEA) could be used if the mix is too fluid and present an instability.

The natural products and conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are believed to increase the cure rates of anti-cancer treatment while reducing their toxicity. The current study investigates the cytotoxic and apoptogenic effects of bioactive compounds from Monotheca buxifolia on Hep G2 cell lines. The effect on the viability of Hep G2 cells was evaluated by MTT assay; Morphological changes were studied, the apoptotic activity was demonstrated through Annexin-V-FITC/ PI, a molecular dynamics simulation study was conducted to explore the binding pattern of the compounds in the active site of the PPRAδ protein. The isolated compounds lauric acid, oleanolic acid, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibited the growth of hepatocellular cancer cells, as determined by MTT assay and annexin V-FITC/PI. The IC50 value for lauric acid was 56.4584 ± 1.20 µg/ml, that for oleanolic acid was 31.9421 ± 1.03 µg/ml, and that for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was 83.8019 ± 2.18 µg/ml. After 24 h of treatment, 29.5% of Hep G2 cells treated with lauric acid, 52.1% of those treated with oleanolic acid, and 22.4% of those treated with bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were apoptotic. Morphological assay and Hoechst staining microscopy revealed the morphological alterations of cell membrane accompanied by nuclear condensation after treatment. The high fluctuation indicates the high potency and adopting various interactions, and vice versa, the oleanolic acid showed highly residues fluctuation, which remains stable in the active site of PPARδ protein and involved in various interactions while remaining locally fluctuated in the binding site the other two compounds. In conclusion, a significant apoptogenic effect was exhibited by lauric acid, oleanolic acid, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate against HepG2 cells in inducing apoptosis. Our findings indicate that these bioactive compounds hold promise as potential therapeutic for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The wind flow patterns and pressure distribution around a plus-shaped building are significantly influenced by the dimensions of its re-entrant corners and the overall building height. The present study aims to find the wind effects and study of the pressure distribution with different flow patterns. Plan area of the building is around 300 square meter while the height of the building is 50 meters by keeping the equal length of the re-entrant corners. The research is performed using ANSYS CFX academic version and the results are depicted in various forms such as pressure coefficient (Cpe), stream lines in both vertical as well as in specific surface and pressure contours. The analysis is carried out by varying the wind incident angles, from 0° to 90° at the interval of 15°. The building dimension are scale down to perform the test on length scale of 1:100. Since the considered building model exhibits symmetry along both the axes, present study mostly emphasis on examining re-entrant corners located in the building. This method yields valuable information about how air circulates and how pressure is distributed across a broad spectrum of wind angles. This study provides valuable insights into flow circulation and pressure distribution for a wide range of wind angles.

Building situated in the flow path of wind is subjected to differential velocity and pressure distribution around the building envelope. Wind effects are influenced and vary for each individual shape of the tall building. Tall building structures are considered as cantilever structures with fixed ends at the ground. Wind exponential velocity acting along the height of the building makes velocity and pressure distribution more complex as the height of the building structure increases. This study discussed the effect of wind on an irregular cross-section shape. The study was conducted numerically with a building model placed in a virtual wind tunnel using the ANSYS (CFX) software tool. Wind effects are investigated on building model situated in a terrain category - II defined in IS: 875 (Part 3): 2015 wind scale model of 1:100 and turbulence intensity is 5 % and power law index α is considered as 0.143. Validation and verification of the study were made by comparing pressure coefficients on faces of a rectangular model of similar floor area and height as taken for a C-plan diamond-shaped model under similar boundary conditions, wind environment, and solver setting of numerical setup. The values of surface pressures generated on the recessed faces of the model and wind flow patterns within the recessed cavity were studied at wind incident angles 0°, 300, 60°, 1050, 1350 & 1800. The critical suction on all the recessed faces was observed to be at a 105° angle of wind attack.

Bangladesh is located in the alluvial floodplain of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna (GMB) river system and its numerous tributaries. In this country, the frequency, as well as severity, of riverbank erosion is high. To examine the impacts of riverbank erosion on rural food security, a baseline survey was conducted in Zajira, Bangladesh. The findings show that most people in the study area are affected by riverbank erosion. Moreover, agricultural production is gradually decreasing as a result of loss of farmland due to the catastrophe and its impacts. In some cases, people lose their entire homestead and are left with few income opportunities and low purchasing power. Consequently, they face the constant threat of a food crisis. The affected people follow some coping mechanisms to face these stressful situations, such as relying on less expensive or less preferred food items. While the local-government authorities have implemented some programmes to assist them, such as food aid and social-safety-net schemes, these are insufficient, due to the government's limited institutional resources and capacities. These findings suggest that for formulating effective rural-development plans, assessing the impact of riverbank erosion on the food security of people living in the affected areas is a prerequisite.

Family Phyllanthaceae is one of the largest segregates of the eudicot order Malpighiales and its species are herb, shrub, and tree, which are mostly distributed in tropical regions. Certain taxonomic discrepancies exist at genus and family level. Here, we report chloroplast genomes of three Phyllanthaceae species—Phyllanthus emblica, Flueggea virosa, and Leptopus cordifolius— and compare them with six others previously reported Phyllanthaceae chloroplast genomes. The species of Phyllanthaceae displayed quadripartite structure, comprising inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) that separate large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) regions. The length of complete chloroplast genome ranged from 154,707 bp to 161,093 bp; LSC from 83,627 bp to 89,932 bp; IRs from 23,921 bp to 27,128 bp; and SSC from 17,424 bp to 19,441 bp. Chloroplast genomes contained 111 to 112 unique genes, including 77 to 78 protein-coding, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA), and 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) that showed similarities in arrangement. The number of protein-coding genes varied due to deletion/pseudogenization of rps16 genes in Baccaurea ramiflora and Leptopus cordifolius. High variability was seen in number of oligonucleotide repeats while analysis of guanine-cytosine (GC) content, codon usage, amino acid frequency, simple sequence repeats analysis, synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions, and transition and transversion substitutions showed similarities in all Phyllanthaceae species. We detected a higher number of transition substitutions in the coding sequences than non-coding sequences. Moreover, the high number of transition substitutions was determined among the distantly related species in comparison to closely related species. Phylogenetic analysis shows the polyphyletic nature of the genus Phyllanthus which requires further verification. We also determined suitable polymorphic coding genes, including rpl22, ycf1, matK, ndhF, and rps15 which may be helpful for the reconstruction of the high-resolution phylogenetic tree of the family Phyllanthaceae using a large number of species in the future. Overall, the current study provides insight into chloroplast genome evolution in Phyllanthaceae.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevailing neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by memory dysfunction and the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau and amyloid β (Aβ) aggregate in multiple brain regions, including the hippocampus and cortex. The exact etiology of AD has not yet been confirmed. However, epidemiological reports suggest that populations who were exposed to environmental hazards are more likely to develop AD than those who were not. Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring environmental risk factor abundant in the Earth’s crust and human exposure to As predominantly occurs through drinking water. Convincing evidence suggests that As causes neurotoxicity and impairs memory and cognition although the hypothesis and molecular mechanism of As-associated pathobiology in AD are not clear yet. However, exposure to As and its metabolites leads to various pathogenic events such as oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunctions, ER stress, apoptosis, impaired protein homeostasis, and abnormal calcium signaling. Evidence has indicated that As exposure induces alterations that coincide with most of the biochemical, pathological, and clinical developments of AD. Here, we overview existing literature to gain insights into the plausible mechanisms that underlie As-induced neurotoxicity and the subsequent neurological deficits in AD. Prospective strategies for the prevention and management of arsenic exposure and neurotoxicity have also been discussed.

Although carbon (C) efflux from soils treated with organic wastes was widely covered in temperate and cold regions, still such data is not sufficient from arid and semi-arid regions. Saudi Arabia produces more than 335,000 tons/year of cow manure (CM), this CM either left as raw manure or being composted. The application of high C/N amendments is expected to increase soil organic carbon and reduce CO₂ fluxes. A 90-day incubation experiment was conducted to study CO₂ efflux, organic C microbial biomass C, available NH₄+and NO₃-when added to agricultural soil. Six manure types were added: cow manure, cow manure compost, cow manure biochar, cow manure stripped ammonia at pH 12 with a temperature of 95oC, cow manure stripped ammonia at pH 9 with a temperature of 95oC and control. The application of CM resulted in a considerable increase in soil available nitrogen, CO₂ efflux compared to other treatments. Cow manure biochar showed the lowest CO₂ efflux. Cumulative CO₂ effluxes of cow manure effluents were lower than CM this possibly due to the relatively high C:N ratio of manure effluent. The content of, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn were decreased as incubation time increased. microbial biomass C of cow manure stripped ammonia at pH 12 with a temperature of 95oC were increased at 7 and 60 days illustrating to temperature effect on the decomposing of manure materials.

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-BT) thin films were prepared by both chemical solution (CSD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. High stability of the dielectric permittivity (∆ɛ/ɛ(150 °C) ≤ ± 15%) over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 300 °C was obtained. Distinctly, the CSD film showed high TCC stability with variation of ± 5% up to 250°C. Furthermore, the CSD film showed an unsaturated ferroelectric hysteresis loop characteristic of the ergodic relaxor phase, however the PLD one exhibited almost saturated loop signature of the coexistence of both ergodic and non-ergodic states. The energy storage properties of the prepared films were determined using the P–E loops obtained at different temperatures. The results showed that these films exhibit stable and improved energy storage density comparable to the ceramic capacitors. Moreover, the CSD film exhibited more rigidity and better energy storage density that exceeds 1.3 J/cm3 under low applied field of 317 KV/cm as well as interesting efficiency in a large temperature range. The obtained results are very promising for energy storage capacitors operating at high temperatures.

Micro-gyroscopes based on the Coriolis principle are widely employed in inertial navigation, motion control, and vibration analysis applications. This paper presents our main contributions which include a novel dual-frame optomechanical gyroscope, a unique photonic crystal cavity design, and advanced numerical simulation and optimization methods. The proposed design utilizes an optical cavity formed between dual oscillating frames, whereby input rotation induces a measurable phase shift via optomechanical coupling. Actuation of the frames is achieved electrostatically via an interdigitated comb-drive design. Through theoretical modeling based on cavity optomechanics and finite element simulation, the operating principle and performance parameters are evaluated in detail. Results indicate an expected angular rate sensitivity of 22.8 mV/°/s and angle random walk of 7.1×10-5 °/h1/2, representing superior precision than to existing micro-electromechanical systems gyroscopes of comparable scale. Detailed analysis of the optomechanical transduction mechanism suggests this dual-frame approach could enable angular vibration detection with resolution exceeding state-of-the-art solutions.

Food safety is a persistent global health challenge. Improper handling of foods increases the chances of food contamination, which may endanger the consumers’ health. The knowledge gap and improper hygienic practices of food handlers are the key factors for the transmission of foodborne diseases. This study aimed to investigate the level of food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among street food vendors in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, a randomly selected 350 street vendors from seven locations in Dhaka City were enrolled. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a questionnaire. Only 36.5% of the respondents had primary, and 48% had secondary education. The majority of the vendors who handled food in front of observers showed good handwashing practice. However, very few vendors showed positive attitudes for washing hands before handling raw or cooked food (3.7%), practicing good personal hygiene (1.2%), and other food safety attitudes (less than 1%). This study showed a significant correlation between the education level of the participants, work experience, and qualification of the head chef with knowledge about hand washing, wearing gloves, and food-borne illnesses. The study demonstrated that formal education played a significant role in vendors’ knowledge and practice of health safety measures of food handlers in preventing foodborne illness.

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among the diabetic population. Given the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Saudi Arabia and the high prevalence of heart failure in the diabetic population, this study assesses the echocardiographic changes in Saudi patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) compared with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective case control study, 80 patients with diabetes (45 males, age: 58.78±10.2 years) were compared with 80 controls (45 males, age: 58.6±10 years) who underwent an echocardiographic study in the King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Results: There were no significant differences between patients with diabetes and controls in terms of aortic root diameter, left atrium diameter, posterior wall, interventricular wall thickness, left ventricular diameters and ejection fraction. However, diastolic dysfunction was statistically significantly higher in the diabetic group compared with the control group (P &lt;0.05). Conclusions: This is the first case control study in Saudi Arabia that assesses echocardiographic parameters in T2DM patients. DM is an independent risk factor for diastolic dysfunction regardless of its association with hypertension and dyslipidemia.

Bioactive glass (BG) represents a promising biomaterial for bone healing; here injectable BG pastes biological properties were improved by 25 wt% gelatin or chitosan, as well as mechanical resistance was enhanced by adding 10 or 20 wt% 3-Glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) cross-linker. Composites exhibited bioactivity as apatite formation was observed by SEM and XRD after 14 days immersion in SBF; moreover, polymers did not enhance degradability as weight loss was &gt;10% after 30 days in physiological conditions. BG-gelatin-20 wt% GPTMS composites demonstrated the highest compressive strength (4.8±0.5 MPa) in comparison with 100% BG control (1.9±0.1 MPa). Cytocompatibility was demonstrated towards human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC), osteoblasts progenitors and endothelial cells. The presence of 20 wt% GPTMS conferred antibacterial properties thus inhibiting the joint pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. Finally, hMSC osteogenesis was successfully supported in a 3D model as demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase release and osteogenic genes expression.

On March 11^th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) as a pandemic. Until an effective treatment or a vaccine is developed, the current recommendations are to contain the disease, and control its transmission. It is now clear that the primary mode of SARS-CoV2 transmission is aerosol/droplet spread, and by contacting virus contaminated surfaces acting as fomites (inanimate vectors). Furthermore, recent data indicate that the live virus particles are present in saliva, and, more alarmingly, asymptomatic individuals may transmit the infection. By virtue of the nature of the practice of dentistry where intrinsically, a high volume of aerosols are produced, as well as the close proximity of dentists and patients during treatment, dentists and allied dental staff are considered the highest risk health professional group for acquiring SARS-CoV2 during patient management. Therefore, several organizations and specialty associations have proposed guidelines and recommendations for limiting the transmission of SARS-COV2 from carriers to dentists and vice versa. This paper aims to provide a review of these guidelines, and concludes with a brief look at how the practice of dentistry may be impacted by COVID-19, in the post-pandemic era.

There are few published studies assessing dental students' and faculty's perception regarding environmental sustainability in dentistry (ESD), its existence within the dental curricula, along with barriers and enablers for its integration. As far as the authors know, no published study looked into this in Saudi Arabia, and this is what the current study aims to explore. A cross-sectional survey using validated online questionnaires for dental students and faculty was carried out in 26 dental schools in Saudi Arabia. The validated questionnaire utilized 25 questions using Qualtrics (XM) software. Both descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were included in the data analysis. ESD content is not formally embedded within the dental curricula in all 26 included universities in Saudi Arabia. Although the majority of students and faculty members agreed or strongly agreed on the importance of ESD as a whole and the importance of teaching it, more than 82% and 81% of students and faculty, respectively, demonstrated a lack of basic knowledge concerning ESD. There is a high demand for incorporating ESD content in dental education in Saudi Arabia. To achieve this, resources and policy changes are necessary. A top-down approach is needed, including incorporating ESD into dental education standards, using evidence-based practices in revising infection control regulations and providing institutional support through training, materials, and incentives. National dental associations and governments should provide practical solutions and actively support dental professionals in implementing ESD.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a decline in cognitive function with neuronal damage. Although the precise pathobiology of AD is still elusive, accumulating evidences suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the underlying causes of AD. Mutations of mitochondrial or nuclear DNA that encode mitochondrial constituents may cause mitochondrial dysfunctions. In particular, dysfunction of electron transport chain complexes along with interactions of mitochondrial pathological proteins are associated with mitochondrial dysfunctions in AD. Mitochondrial dysfunction causes an imbalance in reactive oxygen species, leading to oxidative stress (OS) and vice-versa. Neuroinflammation is another potential contributory factor to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Phytochemicals or other natural compounds have the potential to scavenge oxygen free radicals and enhance cellular antioxidant defense system, and thereby protect against OS-mediated cellular damage. Phytochemicals can also modulate other cellular processes, including autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Pharmacological intervention through neuroprotective phytochemicals can, therefore, be a potential strategy to combat mitochondrial dysfunctions as well as AD. This review focuses on the role of phytochemicals to mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction in the therapy of AD pathogenesis.

Background: Women in rural districts of Pakistan face numerous barriers to healthcare, rendering gender-responsive health programming important, including for Tuberculosis (TB). This study was conducted to assess the general understanding of TB and of access to healthcare for women, as a first step towards implementation of a gender responsive TB programme in TandoAllayar, a rural district of Pakistan. Methods: A total of 36 participants were interviewed. The focus group discussion guide comprised of questions on: (1) family/household dynamics (2) community norms (3) healthcare system (4) women’s access to healthcare (5) TB Awareness;, and (6) women’s access to TB Care. Results: Limited autonomy in household financial decision-making, disapproval of unassisted travel, long travel time, lack of prioritization of spending on women’s health and inadequate presence of female health providers, were identified as barriers to access of healthcare for women, higher in younger women. Facilitators to access of TB care included a reported lack of TB-related stigma, moderate knowledge about TB disease, and broad understanding of tuberculosis as a curable disease. Other suggested facilitators include health facilities closer to the villages and the availability of higher quality services. Conclusion: Significant barriers are faced by women in access to TB care in rural districts of Pakistan. Programme implementers in high burden countries, should shift towards improved gender-responsive TB programming.

The effect of ferromagnetic CaMnO3 (CMO) addition on structural, magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelec-tric properties of BiFeO3 are presented. X ray diffraction and Raman investigation allowed the identifi-cation of single pseudo cubic perovskite structure. The magnetic measurement showed that the pre-pared films exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior at low temperature with both coercive field and remnant magnetization increased with increasing CMO content. However, a deterioration of magnetization was observed at room temperature. Ferroelectric study revealed an antiferroelectric like behavior with a pinched P-E hysteresis loop for 5%CMO doping BFO resulting in low remnant polarization and double hysteresis loops. Whereas, high remnant polarization and coercive field with a likely square hysteresis loop are obtained for 10 % CMO addition. Furthermore, a bipolar resistive switching behavior with a threshold voltage of about 1.8V is observed for high doped film that can be linked to the ferroelectric polarization switching.

Background: Regardless of the indisputable benefits of insulin therapy, initiating insulin for diagnosed children with diabetes might be intimidating for parents. This study assesses the experience, fears, barriers and adherence to insulin use among the parents of diagnosed children with diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was utilized for data collection from 218 participants between February and March 2023 in Jordan. The survey consisted of six sections to evaluate and assess: sociodemographic for both children with diabetes and their parents, the experience of using the insulin, the diabetes fear of self-injecting questionnaire (D-FISQ), the barriers for insulin administration including both sociocultural and other insulin-related factors, and insulin adherence. Results: More than 80% of the participants perceived a number of sociocultural barriers to insulin administration such as the tendency for addiction, lower efficiency of insulin than oral medication, and preference for complementary medicine over insulin. More than two-thirds of the participants complained of insulin-related barriers such as infections and sudden death in addition to learning the correct injection method. The general fear level was low, 8.56±7.87 (out of 45); however, more fear of insulin injection and self-testing was significantly associated with both sociocultural and insulin-related barriers, especially at the younger age. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that parents have several barriers to insulin administration, mainly related to insulin injection. Therefore, more awareness about insulin therapy can help adjust the cooperation of patients, acceptance of treatment, ending with improving the quality of life and well-being.

In the present study, a simple approximation expression is given for the relationship between the period and amplitude of a simple pendulum under magnetic action. The analytical solution presented for the given problem. Two numerical quadrature methods Simpson's and Boole's method were utilized to demonstrate a new approximation of the problem. The results of the numerical quadrature have been compared to the exact solution. Absolute and relative mistakes of the problem have been presented. The Matlab program 2013R has created a numerical method that is used to analyze the outcome, It has been determined that the comparison's outcomes attest to the method's suitability and correctness. Moreover, the results show that numerical solution is suitable for the problem.

Among various metal-based nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) manifest superior inhibitory effect against several microorganisms. In fact, the AgNPs based therapy has been reported to inhibit both sensitive as well resistant isolates of bacteria and other disease causing microbes with equal propensity. Keeping this fact into consideration, we executed bio-mediated synthesis of AgNPs employing Hibiscus rosa sinensis flower extract. The as-synthesized AgNPs were evaluated for their potential to inhibit Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), one of the main causative bacteria for dental caries. Beside several other reasons, orthodontic appliances have also been reported to facilitate infliction of oral cavity with a range of microbes including S. mutans. To determine the growth inhibitory and anti-adherence activity of AgNPs on orthodontic appliance, we performed microbiological assays employing AgNPs adsorbed on to the orthodontic wires. Topographic analysis of orthodontic wires was executed by scanning electron microscopy. In addition to antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity against oral S. mutans, the as-fabricated AgNPs demonstrated significant inhibitory and anti-biofilm properties against other biofilm forming bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes as well.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a childhood disease caused by enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16). We hypothesize that capsid loops are important epitopes for EV-A71 and CV-A16. Seven chimeric EV-A71 (ChiE71) involving VP1 BC, DE, EF, GH and HI loops, VP2 EF loop, and VP3 GH loop were substituted with corresponding CV-A16 loops. VP3 GH loop is the most conserved (91.3%) while VP1 BC loop has only 45.5% similarity. Only ChiE71-1-BC, ChiE71-1-EF, ChiE71-1-GH and ChiE71-3-GH were viable. EV-A71 and CV-A16 antiserum neutralized ChiE71-1-BC and ChiE71-1-EF. Mice immunized with inactivated ChiE71 elicited high IgG, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10. Neonatal mice receiving passive transfer of WT EV-A71, ChiE71-1-EF and ChiE71-1-BC immune sera had 100%, 80.0% and no survival, respectively, against lethal challenges with EV-A71, suggesting that the substituted CV-A16 loops disrupted EV-A71 immunogenicity. Passive transfer of CV-A16, ChiE71-1-EF and ChiE71-1-BC immune sera provided 40.0%, 20.0% and 42.9% survival, respectively, against CV-A16. One-day-old neonatal mice actively immunized with WT EV-A71, ChiE71-1-BC, ChiE71-1-EF and CV-A16 achieved 62.5%, 60.0%, 57.1% and no survival respectively, after the EV-A71 challenge. Active immunization using CV-A16 provided full protection while WT EV-A71, ChiE71-1-BC, ChiE71-1-EF immunization showed partial cross-protection in CV-A16 lethal challenge with survival rates of 50.0%, 20.0%, and 40%, respectively. Taken together, the EV-A71 VP1 BC loop is essential in immunogenicity of EV-A71 and substitution with CV-A16 VP1 BC loop was insufficient to confer protection against CV-A16. The EF loop maintains the cross-protective immune responses. Disruption of a capsid loop could affect virus immunogenicity, and future vaccine design should include conservation of the enterovirus capsid loops.

Implants are used to replace damaged biological structures in human body. Although stain-less-steel (SS) is a well-known implant material, corrosion of SS implants led to the release toxic metallic ions which produce harmful effects in human body. To prevent material degradation and its harmful repercussions, these implanted materials are subjected to biocompatible coatings. Polymeric coatings play a vital role in enhancing the mechanical and biological integrity of the implanted devices. Zein is a natural protein extracted from corn and is known to have good bio-compatibility and biodegradability. In this study, Zein/Ag-Sr doped mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (Ag-Sr MBGNs) were deposited on SS substrates via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) at different parameters. Ag and Sr ions were added to impart antibacterial and osteogenic properties to the coatings, respectively. In order to examine the surface morphology of coatings, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed. To analyze me-chanical strength, pencil scratch test, bend test, corrosion and wear tests were conducted on ze-in/Ag-Sr doped MBGNs coatings. The results show good adhesion strength, wettability, corro-sion, and wear resistance for zein/Ag-Sr doped MBGNs coatings as compared to bare SS sub-strate. Thus, good mechanical and biological properties were observed for zein/Ag-Sr doped MBGNs coatings. Results suggested these zein/Ag-Sr MBGNs coatings have great potential in bone regeneration applications.

CCNs are specific type of matricellular proteins, which are essential signaling molecules, and play multiple roles in multicellular eukaryotes. This family of proteins consists of six separate members in mammals. The architecture of CCN proteins is multimodular and comprises four distinct motifs. CCN proteins achieve their specific physiological functions by binding to integrin receptors. The CCN family has been implicated in both cure and disease with impacts on biological interactions, such as cell adhesion, chemotaxis and migration, mitogenesis, cell survival, angiogenesis, differentiation, tumorigenesis, immune functions, chondrogenesis, and wound healing. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women triggered by atypical expression of CCNs. A favorable or unfavorable association between various CCNs has been reported in patients with breast carcinomas. Aberrant expression of CCN1 intensifies the proliferation of epithelial cells that line the lobes and ducts of the breast. Evidence also shows that the expression of CCN2 can ameliorate tumor growth and metastasis. However, CCN3 (NOV), CCN5 (WISP-2), and CCN6 (WISP-3) are consistent with neoplastic development and metastasis repression. Particular CCN members can develop tumors and cancer progression, whereas others can competitively counter the processes. Several studies have been conducted on CCN proteins and cancer in recent years. In our study, we intend to provide an overview of those research works while keeping breast carcinoma on focus. We believe that the importance of the CCN protein family in breast cancer should be reconsidered.

Beyond their significant contribution to the dietary and industrial supplies, marine algae are considered to be a potential source of some unique metabolites with diverse health benefits. The pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol homeostasis, protein clearance and anti-amyloidogenic potentials of algal metabolites endorse their protective efficacy against oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired proteostasis which are known to be implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders and the associated complications after cerebral ischemia and brain injuries. As was evident in various preclinical studies, algal compounds conferred neuroprotection against a wide range of neurotoxic stressors, such as oxygen/glucose deprivation, hydrogen peroxide, glutamate, amyloid β, or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and, therefore, hold therapeutic promise for brain disorders. While a significant number of algal compounds with promising neuroprotective capacity have been identified over the last decades, a few of them have had access to clinical trials. However, the recent approval of an algal oligosaccharide, sodium oligomannate, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease enlightened the future of marine algae-based drug discovery. In this review, we briefly outline the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries for identifying the targets of pharmacological intervention, and then review the literature on the neuroprotective potentials of algal compounds along with the underlying pharmacological mechanism, and present an appraisal on the recent therapeutic advances. We also propose a rational strategy to facilitate algal metabolites-based drug development.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be diminishing, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants represents a threat to humans due to its inherent transmissibility, immunological evasion, virulence, and invulnerability to existing therapies. The previous COVID-19 pandemic affected more than 500 million people and caused over 6 million deaths. Vaccines are essential, but in circumstances when vaccination is not accessible or in individuals with compromised immune systems, drugs can give additional protection. Targeting host signaling pathways is recommended due to their genomic stability and resistance barriers. Plant-derived products, which have been used in traditional medicine for treating pathological conditions, offer structurally novel therapeutic compounds including anti-viral. In addition, plant-derived bioactive substances might serve as the ideal basis for developing sustainable/efficient/cost-effective anti-viral alternatives. Epigenetic modifications in the genome can affect gene expression without altering DNA sequence. Host cells can use epigenetic gene regulation as a mechanism to silence incoming viral DNA molecules, while viruses have recruited cellular epi transcriptomic (covalent modifications of RNAs) modifiers to increase the translational efficiency and transcript stability of viral transcripts to enhance viral gene expression and replication. Moreover, viruses manipulate host cells' epigenetic machinery to ensure productive viral infections. Environmental factors, such as natural products, may influence epigenetic modifications. In this review, we are exploring the potential of plant-derived substances as epigenetic modifiers for broad-spectrum anti-viral activity, reviewing modulation processes and anti-viral effects on DNA and RNA viruses, and addressing future research objectives in this rapidly emerging field.

A facile and novel synthesis of thirteen 2-amino-3-cyanopyridine derivatives 5(a-m), by a one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCRs), is described for the first time, starting from aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile, methyl ketones, or cyclohexanone and ammonium acetate in the presence of the nanostructured diphosphate Na2CaP2O7 (DIPH) at 80 °C, under solvent-free conditions. These compounds were synthesized in short reaction times with good to excellent yields (84-94%). The diphosphate Na2CaP2O7 is used as an efficient catalyst, environmentally, easy handling, non-toxic, stable, and reusable. Our study was strengthened by the synthesis of five new pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives 6(b, c, g, h, j) by intramolecular cyclization of 2-amino-3-cyanopyridines 5(b, c, g, h, j), with formamide. The synthesized products were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, XRD, TEM, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, TLC, and BET. The operating conditions were optimized using a model reaction in which the catalyst amount, temperature, time, and solvent effect were evaluated. The antibacterial activity was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains for the synthesized compounds.

Background: DSCAM-AS1 is a cancer-related long noncoding RNA with higher expression levels in Luminal A, B and HER2-positive Breast Cancer (BC), where its expression is strongly dependent on Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ERα). Methods: To decipher its function, DSCAM-AS1 expression was measured by qRT-PCR in tissue samples from 93 BC patients in addition to a meta-analysis of 30 gene expression datasets, together with the evaluation of its association with clinical data. By computational analyses of our RNA-Seq in MCF-7 cells, we investigated the DSCAM-AS1 knock-down effects at both gene and isoform levels. Results: We confirmed DSCAM-AS1 overexpression in high grade Luminal A, B and HER2+ BCs and found a significant correlation with disease relapse. 908 genes were regulated by DSCAM-AS1-silencing, primarily involved in cell cycle and inflammatory response. Noteworthy, the analysis of alternative splicing and isoform regulation revealed 2,085 splicing events regulated by DSCAM-AS1, enriched in differential polyadenylation sites and 3’UTR shortening events. Finally, the DSCAM-AS1-interacting splicing factor hnRNPL was predicted as the most enriched RBP for exon skipping and 3’UTR events. Conclusion: The relevance of DSCAM-AS1 overexpression in BC is confirmed by clinical data and further enhanced by its possible involvement in the regulation of RNA processing, which is emerging as one of the most important dysfunctions in cancer.

We are witnessing the severe third outbreak mediated by coronaviruses affecting global public health with unprecedented economic consequences. A better understanding of its phylogenetics, exploration of sequence features and mutational changes could unveil its genealogy to gain insights into the mechanism of transmission and development of possible interventions. Our comparative genomic analyses of >160 isolates of SARS-CoV-2 reveal phylogenetic kinship with other coronaviruses and emergence of evolutionary divergence in clinical isolates. t-SNE-based clustering revealed different clades but no continent specific clusters. Amino acid substitutions at RBD of spike protein provide possible reasons for rapid transmission. Few proteins specific to SARS-CoV-2 were identified which could have implications as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. Virtual screening identified repurposed drugs, known nutraceuticals, for specific interventions. These phylogenetic observations reveal the ancestry and computational studies reveal the emergency measures to interject this emerging pathogen that pose threat to whole of mankind.

The purpose of this research work was to synthesis bio-derived nanocomposite films by incorporating Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) nanoparticles into Chitosan matrix. The NBT nanoparticles were synthesized using a traditional solid-state technique. Then, through a solution casting approach, flexible composite films were fabricated using Chitosan polymer. The morphology and structural assessments were carried out utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared technique. The SEM micrographs showed that NBT nanoparticles were randomly distributed and interconnected with other particles, forming interconnected grains with substantial interspaces within the matrix. The spectral response between 300 and 800 nm of the composites is mainly governed by light scattering of NBT particles with diameter sizes in the 100 - 400 nm range and the bandgap of the NBT phase. The dielectric studies demonstrated that the composite films exhibited higher dielectric values compared to the pure Chitosan film. Besides, the increase of NBT amount was found to increase the dielectric values. Additionally, local piezoelectric measurements reveal the expected piezoelectric and ferroelectric behavior for the NBT particles dispersed into the polymer matrix, as locally probed by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy. The studied system bears interest for advanced biocompatible opto- and piezo-electric materials.

Autophagy refers to the degradation of cytoplasmic constituents by a lysosomal-mediated pathway, which plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Importantly, dysregulation of autophagy has been implicated in multiple neurodegenerative disorders. Previous studies reported that autophagy affects the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), thus stimulating β‐amyloid (Aβ) production in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) eventually. Although the mechanism of autophagy modulation on APP processing and its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated at the molecular level, but modulation of autophagy has received considerable attention as a promising approach for the treatment of AD. In the early stage of AD, Aβ may prompt autophagy to facilitate its removal via mTOR‐independent as well as-dependent pathways. However, a recent study proposed that autophagy processes are not properly regulated as AD continues to progress, and consequently, the production of Aβ tends to accumulate rapidly. Meanwhile, a number of autophagy-related genes (Atg) as well as APP genes are also thought to influence the development of AD, which may serve as a bi‐directional link to autophagy and AD pathology. In this review, we summarized current observations related to autophagy regulation and APP processing, focusing on their dynamic modifications associated with the progression of AD. Recent findings together highlight the essential role of autophagy in the removal and clearance of APP and Aβ deposition in the pathological condition of AD.

Parametric cyclonic wind fields are widely used worldwide for insurance risk underwriting, coastal planning, or storm surge forecasts. They support high-stakes financial, development, and emergency decisions. Yet, there is still no consensus on the best parametric approach, or relevant guidance to choose among the great variety of published models. The aim of this paper is first and foremost to demonstrate that recent progresses on estimating extreme surface wind speeds from satellite remote sensing now makes it possible to select the best option with greater objectivity. In particular, we show that the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission of NASA is able to capture a substantial part of the tropical cyclones structure, and allows identifying systematic biases in a number of parametric models. Our results also suggest that none of the traditional empirical approaches can be considered as the best option in all cases. Rather, the choice of a parametric model depends on several criteria such as cyclone intensity and/or availability of wind radii information. The benefit of using satellite remote sensing data to better select a parametric model for a specific case study is tested here by simulating hurricane Maria (2017). The significant wave heights computed by a wave-current hydrodynamic coupled model are found to be in good accordance with the predictions given by the remote sensing data in terms of bias. The results and approach presented in this study should shed new light on how to handle parametric cyclonic wind models, and help the scientific community to conduct better wind, waves and surge analysis for tropical cyclones.

To make low-cost catalytic materials that mimic the activity of tyrosinase enzymes (Catechol oxidase) is an exciting challenge of biochemical technology. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of acylhydrazone-pyrazoles based biomolecule materials (L1-L7) with superior catecholase activity. These biomolecules were synthesized by a one pot chemical condensation between 5-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide and benzaldehyde derivatives. The X-ray single crystal diffraction (XRD) for two ligands L1 and L2 have been studied and the molecular structures were optimized and confirmed using the density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) method. Copper (II) complexes of the biomolecules (L1-L7), generated in-situ, and were studied for their catalytic activities towards the oxidation reaction of catechol to ortho-quinone according to two parameters: the nature of the ligand and the nature of counter anion. The L7-CuSO4 was found to have an excellent catalytic activity (105.42 μmol·L−1·min−1) among the catalysts recently reported in the existing literature.

The musculoskeletal system consisting of bones and muscles have been recognized as endocrine organs secreting hormones that are involved in regulating metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are associated with several musculoskeletal system complications. We hypothesized that an interaction exists between adipomyokines namely, irisin and METRNL, and various bone markers in individuals with obesity and T2D. A total of 228 individuals were enrolled in this study, including 124 non-diabetic and 104 T2D. A Multiplex assay was used to assess the level of various bone markers namely Osteoactivin, Syndecan, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteonectin/SPARC. Our data shows elevated levels of Osteoactivin, Syndecan, OPG and SPARC in T2D as compared to non-T2D individuals (p ≤ 0.05). Using Spearman’s correlation, irisin was positively correlated only with Osteoactivin and OPG (p &lt; 0.05). Similarly, a positive association was observed between METRNL and Osteoactivin (p &lt; 0.05). The strong positive association shown in our study between irisin, METRNL and various bone markers emphasises the strong interaction between these organs. This suggests that a dysregulation in the functional interaction between these molecules could play a possible role in the development of bone and muscle related complications that are associated with obesity and T2D.

Hydrogels can provide instant relief to pain and facilitate the fast recovery of wounds. Currently the incorporation of medicinal herbs/plants in polymer matrix is being investigated due to their anti-bacterial and wound healing properties. Herein, we investigated the novel combination of chitosan (CS), chondroitin sulfate (CHI) and garlic (Gar) to synthesize hydrogels through freeze gelation process for faster wound healing and resistance to microbial growth at the wound surface. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which confirmed the presence of relevant functional groups. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images exhibited the porous structure of the hydrogels, which is useful for the sustained release of Gar from the hydrogels. The synthesized hydrogels showed significant inhibition zones against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Furthermore, cell culture studies confirmed the cyto-compatibility of the synthesized hydrogels. Thus, the novel hydrogels presented in this study can offer antibacterial effect during wound healing and promote tissue regeneration.

Modern organic synthesis is majorly focused on developing environmentally benign synthetic protocols by employing green chemistry principles. Accordingly, in our recent research work, we herein report the use of modified supramolecular host cyclodextrin as an effective solid based green catalyst for accessing structurally diverse and medicinally relevant pyrimidone architectures. The catalyst and the synthesized compounds 4 (a-r) were characterized using FT-IR, NMR and GC-Mass spectroscopy. Major highlights of the reported work include: atom economical process, extremely milder reaction conditions, operational simplicity, high isolated yields, and excellent catalyst turnover number. The molecular docking studies suggest that the compound 4n has the hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and π-pair interactions with the active site of active sites of CXT M 15 receptor.

Leishmaniasis remains a significant global health concern, with current treatments relying on outdated drugs associated with high toxicity, lengthy administration, elevated costs, and drug resistance. Consequently, the urgent need for safer and more effective therapeutic options in leishmaniasis treatment persists. Previous research has highlighted selenium compounds as promising candidates for innovative leishmaniasis therapy. In light of this, a library of 10 selenium-containing diverse compounds was designed and evaluated in this study. The compounds were subjected to screening against L. amazonensis promastigotes, and their cytotoxicity was assessed in NIH/3T3 cells. Among the tested compounds, MRK-106 and MRK-108 displayed the highest potency against L. amazonensis promastigotes while demonstrating reduced cytotoxicity. Notably, MRK-106 and MRK-108 exhibited IC50 values of 3.97 µM, 4.23 µM, respectively, and most of the tested compounds showed low cytotoxicity in NIH/3T3 cells (CC50 &gt; 200 µM). Although these results are promising, additional investigations focusing on intracellular amastigotes are required to determine the antileishmanial activity of the compounds. In conclusion, the identified selenium-containing compounds hold considerable potential as antileishmanial drug candidates and warrant further exploration in subsequent studies. These findings represent a significant step towards the development of safer and more effective therapies for leishmaniasis, addressing the pressing need for novel and improved treatments.

Introduction: Wound healing is a multifaceted biological process, and diabetic wounds add more complexity to it. In diabetic wounds, the combination of chloroform fractions of Achyranthes aspera L. (A.aspera) leaves with β-Glucans has not been investigated. The additive effect of these two (A.aspera + β-Glucans) would benefit the inflammatory phase of diabetic wounds, as improper treatment will lead to chronic injuries. Therefore, the goal of this research work was to assess the in-vivo wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of chloroform fractions of A.aspera leaves and β-Glucans in a variety of wound models in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Preliminary phytochemical analyses of A.aspera were conducted to identify various phytoconstituents in the test extract. Acute and sub-acute dermal toxicity tests of A.aspera were carried out on mice and rats, respectively, to see whether there were any abnormalities. Excision and incision wound models, cotton pellet-induced granuloma models, rat paw edema and burn wounds were used to test wound healing and anti-inflammatory actions. To induce diabetes, streptozotocin (STZ) was administered intraperitoneally at a dosage of 65 mg/kg (i.p.). A.aspera (10% w/w) and β-Glucans (2% w/w) ointments were tested separately and in combination for wound healing activities. Silver sulfadiazine (1 % w/w) ointment was used to treat the positive control groups. Excision wound model rats that had been treated with basic ointment were used as negative controls, as were incision wound model rats that had not been treated. A.aspera (400 mg/kg, po) and β-Glucans (30 mg/kg, po) were tested separately and in combination for anti-inflammatory efficacy. Positive control groups were given indomethacin (10 mg/kg, po) for cotton pellet-induced granuloma and rat paw oedema models. Negative controls for both anti-inflammatory activity models were provided 2% Tween 80. The groups were made up of six rats, and the treatments were given topically and orally to assess wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects. The levels of hydroxyproline and hexosamine and the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) in the granulation tissue were measured in excision wound model. Healed excision wound skin was examined histopathologically. Results: The A.aspera and β-Glucans combination resulted in a significant percentage of wound contraction and a shorter epithelialization time (P<0.01). The combination was found to be the most effective, with the highest percentage of edema reduction (55 %; p<0.01). The combination also exhibited favourable hydroxylamine, hexosamine and anti-oxidant profiles supported by histopathology data. Conclusion: This research showed that the immunomodulatory effect of β-Glucans had significantly enhanced the wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant potential of A.aspera in diabetic wounds.

Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) is a natural sweetener with diterpenic glycosides, offering 300 times more sweetness than sucrose, and boasting low-calorie content, along with medicinal and therapeutic properties. To address a limited genetic diversity, a germplasm bank comprising 115 segregated lines of stevia was established in Colombia. Notwithstanding, the fungus Athelia rolfsii adversely impacted key stevia lines, leading to wilting and plant mortality. For this reason our study aimed to explore the biocontrol potential of native strains of Trichoderma spp., isolated from productive lots in Colombia's Cordoba department, as a solution to manage A. rolfsii. Soil samples underwent serial dilution technique (103 conidia.mL-1) to obtain Trichoderma spp. isolates, which were thoroughly morphologically and molecularly characterized. A total five native strains were identified through sequencing the PCR products using universal ITS primers, and comparisons with the GENBANK database confirmed their identity (OK310695.1, ON237703.1, ON238106.1, ON237737.1, and ON237923.1). Their biocontrol efficacy against A. rolfsii was evaluated using the dual culture technique. Remarkably, all strains exhibited significant biocontrol capacity against the A. rolfsii isolate INVEPAR-05 (OK271308.1), except for Trichoderma viride INVEPAR-T10 (ON237923.1). These findings suggest that Trichoderma spp. could be a potential option to manage the fungus in stevia.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease and affects more than 350 million people worldwide. However, there are no vaccines for humans, and current treatment is hampered due to its high cost, numerous side effects, and painful administration routes. Ending its epidemics by 2030 has become a United Nations goal, and the multitarget drug strategy emerges as a promising alternative. Flavonoids are an example of multitarget compounds and organic synthesis represents a tool to obtain high yields of these molecules. In our study, we synthesized 17 flavonoid analogs using a scalable, easy-to-reproduce, and inexpensive method. All compounds demonstrated an impressive inhibition capacity against rCPB2.8, rCPB3, and rH84Y, which are highly expressed in the amastigote stage, the target form of the parasite. Compounds 3c, f12a, and f12b stood out as effective against all isoforms and intermolecular interactions were investigated through a molecular modeling study. The compounds were highly potent against the parasite and demonstrated low cytotoxic action against mammalian cells. The results were pioneering, representing an advance in the investigation of the mechanisms behind the antileishmanial action of flavonoid derivatives. Furthermore, compounds have shown to be promising leads for the design of other cysteine protease inhibitors for the treatment of leishmaniasis diseases.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conducting face-to-face medical residency interviews was challenging due to infection prevention precautions, social distancing and travel restrictions. Virtual interviews were implemented by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) as an alternative process for residency matching while striving to maintain the same quality standards. This national survey was conducted to assess the satisfaction and perceptions of faculty members’ virtual interviews performance in the assessment for the medical training residency programs. Among the participating 173 faculty members (34.1%) did not have previous experience with video-conferencing. Zoom application was the most commonly used platform (65.9%). Most (89.6%) of the faculty perceived virtual interviews as “adequate” for the candidates to express themselves, while almost half of the faculty (53.8%) agreed that virtual interviews allowed them to accurately reach an impression about the candidates. Overall, 73.4% of faculty felt comfortable ranking the virtually interviewed candidates. We conclude that the acceptance of participating faculty members in the first Saudi medical residency training matching cycle virtual interviewing event was well perceived. This study provides evidence for future application and research of virtual interviews in residency candidates' assessment, especially after the pandemic crisis resolves.

Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines have been studied regarding drug development. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antileukemic capacity of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives by screening its ability as a pro-oxidant. Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives were synthesized and oral bioavailability and toxicity were analyzed in silico. Redox screening was performed on human Kasumi, KG-1, K562 and Jurkat leukemia cells. The imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivative and the most responsive leukemic cell were selected for cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell senescence and oxidative stress assays. The predictive toxicity analysis showed a possible effect on the reproductive system, but without mutagenic, carcinogenic or irritability effects. MRK-107 against K562 cells was the compound that showed the best redox profile. MRK-107 did not induce cell death in K562 and monocyte cells. However, this compound was able to decrease cell proliferation and increase cell senescence after 48 and 72 hours. Furthermore, MRK-107 induced oxidative stress in K562 cells after 72h, increasing lipid peroxidation and decreasing reduced glutathione (GSH) contents. This study demonstrated that MRK-107-induced senescence with the involvement of oxidative stress as a possible mechanism of action, addressing this compound as a potential antitumor drug against chronic myeloid leukemia.

Introduction the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, initiated by a major attack on the civilian population in Israel provided a tragic opportunity to study the community wide association between severe emotional stressors related to acts of war and the incidence and clinical characteristics of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) in this scenario. Methods Eight consecutive cases of TCM diagnosed during the first 50 days of the Israel-Gaza conflict were retrospectively collected from two southern medical centers who provided care to most of the war victims throughout the period of monitoring. The medical records were thoroughly reviewed and analyzed. Results During the monitoring period, the incidence of TCM increased substantially compared to the control period. Eight patients were included in the analysis. All patients were female and 100% of patients presented within the first 3 weeks of conflict whereas after this initial phase, despite the continuing war, the incidence of TCM reverted to pre-conflict levels. Two patients (25%) were under 50 years of age. All patients had hazardous clinical characteristics including severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (≤35%) and prolonged QTc interval (>500 ms). Five patients (62.5%) experienced complications. Nevertheless, no in-hospital mortality was reported. Conclusions Repeated exposure to severe emotional stress, on both personal and national level, due to mass crisis such as war is associated with an increased incidence of TCM potentially with high-risk phenotype in comparison to TCM following other, less potent, psychological insults.

Herein, we examined the effects of weather parameters and individual clinicodemographic risk factors on hemorrhagic stroke (HS) incidence, severity on admission, and disability at discharge in a harsh desert climate. In a retrospective design we studied patients admitted to a stroke unit in Arab Emirates in 2016-2019. With a distributed lag nonlinear model we explored immediate and delayed effects of weather on stroke incidence. Supervised machine learning was used to build models predictive of scores in NIHSS and mRS scales. We assessed model performance by calculating ROC AUC, F1 scores, specificity, and sensitivity. HS risk increased after a significant change in any weather parameter. The risk was reduced below baseline after 1-week adjustment to environmental changes. Climate input from the previous 3 days yielded reliable classification models. Humidex was a better predictor of severity than air temperature, whereas body mass index, age, and time of day at stroke onset were the strongest clinical predictors. Weather parameters before admission were stronger predictors of disease severity than individual clinical factors. We addressed limitations of previous studies by analyzing a full set of climate parameters: ambient temperature, relative humidity, humidex, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed. Predictive models may help to optimize patient management and develop preventative strategies.