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Background: The SeDeM-ODT expert system is designed to assess the suitability of the pharmaceutical ingredients for their conversion into an orodispersible formulation by direct compression. The tool can be utilized to select the most appropriate excipients that improve the compressibility and buccodispersibility of the formulation. Objective: This study aimed to utilize the SeDeM-ODT expert system to evaluate the performance of superdisintegrants and select an appropriate superdisntegrant for Doxylamine Succinate orodispersible formulation. Method: The SeDeM-ODT expert system scrutinized the excipients to develop an orodispersible Doxylamine Succinate formulation. Among the 15 parameters of the tool, some of them were determined through experimental work, while the remaining were calculated through the experimental values of other parameters. The central composite design approach was used for formulation development. The prepared powder blends were compressed using the direct compression method and evaluated for different parameters (hardness, thickness, diameter, friability, weight variation, water absorption ratio, wetting time, and disintegration time). Results: The results of the SeDeM-ODT expert system were correlated with the values obtained by the post-compression tests. The Crospovidone formulation (F7) was found to be an optimized formulation as it disintegrated quickly compared with the other formulations containing other superdisintegtrants. The results perfectly endorsed the SeDeM-ODT expert system evaluation, as Crospovidone showed the highest IGCB value of 6.396. Conclusion: The study observed the effectiveness of the expert system in accurately examining the performance of disintegrating agents. The study observed the effectiveness of the expert system in accurately examining the performance of disintegrating agents. The assessment proved Crospovidone to produce quicker disintegration in Doxylamine Succinate orodispersible formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful control and prevention of dengue fever requires active involvement from all parties. For this reason, three innovative programs are needed, namely: i) increasing knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the community and health professionals as capital in controlling dengue fever in a sustainable manner; ii) application of "3M Plus" to suppress vector breeding in household settings; iii) promotion of the "Jumantik" program as an effective community empowerment approach to prevent and control dengue fever based on community independence. It was concluded that successful control of dengue fever requires integration of the community and health workers through various innovative programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological well-being has become a growing concern. Coping strategies, including religious activities, are needed to deal with psychological distress. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of psychological status and its relationship with religious activities among young Muslims in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our cross-sectional study was conducted during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. A total of 268 young Muslim from Islamic boarding schools in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia, were included in the study. A selfreported questionnaire containing sociodemographic information, religious activity, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) was filled up by the study participants. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed accordingly. RESULTS: Out of 312 people screened, a total of 268 participants were included in this study. The majority of participants were male (64.6%), aged between 14 to 18 years (55.2%), studying in high school (53.0%), memorised 1 to 10 juz (section) (79.1%), recited the Al-Quran 1 to 3 hours/day (59.3%), and fasted every Monday and Thursday (47.4%). The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were 24.6%, 46.6%, and 29.1%, respectively. Young Muslims with high religious activities were noted to be less suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress, but it was not statistically significant (p=0.57). CONCLUSIONS: This study reported a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (from mild to extremely severe) among the young Muslim community in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Our findings should raise awareness of the educational institutions, government, and public and trigger them to prepare appropriate preventive strategies for psychological distress in the young population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is still a public health problem even in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including in Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of DHF based on the integration of climatic factors, including rainfall, humidity, air temperature, and duration of sunlight and their distribution. Materials and Methods. This was an ecological time series study with secondary data from the Surabaya City Health Office covering the incidence of DHF and larva-free rate and climate data on rainfall, humidity, air temperature, and duration of sunlight obtained from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Silver station in Surabaya, the distribution of dengue incidence during 2018-2020. Results and Discussion. The results showed that humidity was correlated with the larvae-free rate. Meanwhile, the larva-free rate did not correlate with the number of DHF cases. DHF control is estimated due to the correlation of climatic factors and the incidence of DHF, control of vectors and disease agents, control of transmission media, and exposure to the community. Conclusions. The integration of DHF control can be used for early precautions in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic by controlling DHF early in the period from January to June in Surabaya. It is concluded that humidity can affect the dengue outbreak and it can be used as an early warning system and travel warning regarding the relative risk of DHF outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Low-density polyethylene microplastics are ingested into the bloodstream and distributed to all the organ tissue, including the hippocampus, causing toxic effects. This research aimed to elucidate the responses of hippocampal neurons to microplastic in the blood based on the expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in hippocampal neurons, and blood serum amyloid beta 1– 42 (Aβ 42) levels using SMART PLS pathway analysis. Methods: This was a pure experimental research on Wistar rats with a post-test control group design. Five experimental groups (X1, X2, X3, X4, X5) were given 0.0375 mg, 0.075 mg, 0.15 mg, 0.3 mg, and 0.6 mg of low-density polyethylene microplastics mixed in 2cc distilled water, respectively. Furthermore, except for control (C), the groups received microplastics an oral probe for 90 days. Results: The molecular response of hippocampal neurons of Wistar rats to microplastics in the blood significantly decreased SOD enzyme expression, while CAT enzyme was unaffected. It considerably increased neuronal membrane damage (expression of MDA), increased considerably neuronal deoxyribonucleic acid damage (expression of 8-OHdG), and decreased blood serum Aβ 42 levels (pathway analysis, all t-value > 1.96). Conclusion: The pathway analysis showed that hippocampal neurons were significantly affected by microplastic particles in the blood. Graphical [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An overview on the latest advancements of DAS technology and applications in Civil & Structural Engineering. • Give an insightful view to general readers regarding to the challenges in deploying DAS system. • Reports the future directions and anticipated innovation in DAS techniques across diverse application. • 170 articles reviewed and cited in the manuscript. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology has rapidly gained prominence across various applications. Integrating DAS with fibre-optic cables can bolster critical aspects such as wellbore integrity and pipeline security in oil and gas, geophysical exploration, enhances perimeter security, and structural health monitoring. Its groundbreaking ability to provide real-time data along the entire length of optical fibres signifies a paradigm shift in monitoring practices, allowing for a more proactive and informed approach to infrastructure management. This manuscript comprehensively reviews various applications of DAS technology and delves into the specific challenges associated with its implementation in civil engineering. Examples of its applications in civil engineering include but are not limited to bridge and dam monitoring, tunnel integrity monitoring, pipeline leakage detection, construction site monitoring, and geohazards sensing. In addition, engaging in discussions about potential solutions and areas for improvement within civil engineering, this forward-looking perspective contributes to a holistic understanding of the current state, challenges, and future possibilities of Distributed Acoustic Sensors in scientific research and civil engineering applications. Furthermore, the article emphasises the critical role of continuous improvement in equipment and innovative tools for advancing scientific research. Within this context, fibre-based sensors, notably distributed acoustic sensing, have emerged as advanced instruments with the potential to revolutionise research across diverse domains in the civil engineering field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock is one of the country's important economic resources, nevertheless, an unsystematic livestock farm management system contributes to microplastic pollution. Microplastics (MPs) pollutant hurts the environment and human life, limited studies have been done in Malaysia's freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, this research was to determine the abundance of MPs in surface water and sediments from the nearby river and the last catchment pond of pig farm effluent in Paya Mengkuang and Sungai Tuang, Melaka. The concentration of MPs was compared with six water quality parameters (pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), dissolved oxygen (DO), total ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). This study found that the average concentration of MPs was 487.38 particles/L and 50.96 particles/g for water and sediment samples consequently. This study showed a significant correlation between COD concentration and microplastic count in sediment samples. The source of microplastics in rivers is associated with anthropogenic activities such as unsystematic garbage disposal and poultry manure. The prevalence of microplastics in the environment of MPs could threaten the safety of resource utilization as MPs enter the food chain in aquatic ecology and pose a severe threat to aquatic organisms directly and subsequently to humans. Our study provides essential data on microplastic pollution in river estuaries and livestock farm areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality control charts are one of the main features of statistical process control. The performance of control charts is assessed on the basis of the average run length (Shepherd and Shi (1998) IFAC Proc Vol 31(16):435–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-6670(17)40518-0). ARL is the average number of sample points that must be plotted before a point shows an out-of-control condition. In-control average run length (ARL0) and out-of-control average run length (ARL1) are two types of ARLs. These values of ARL0 show the false alarm when the process is in control, and ARL1 indicates the true alarm when the process is out of control. The control chart that generates fewer ARL is considered more efficient. The exponentiated weighted moving average (EWMA) is used to detect small shifts in the process In this article comparative performance of one of the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts are evaluated using ARLs in conventional and fuzzy environments. The novelty of the study is that the comparison between Fuzzy EWMA and conventional EWMA was made. The fuzzy EWMA chart detects a shift at the 20th sample, while the conventional EWMA chart detects the same shift at the 25th sample. A conventional and fuzzy EWMA control chart based on the real-life example of a measurement of food color is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue Fever (DF) incidence in Bali has been the highest in Indonesia for decades. This study describes the annual distribution of DF and analyzes its association with population density, number of rainy days, and average humidity during 2010-2018 at the district level. The choropleth maps and Poisson regression were employed to provide geographical distribution and quantify the association. The P, 95% confidence interval (CI), and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) were adopted to assess the significance and the goodness of the association. During 2010-2018 there were 55 215 new DF cases notified. The annual incidence of dengue cases in Bali increased with IRR: 1.000186 (95% CI:1.0000183:1.000189) for every increment of population density per kilometers square and increased by IRR: 1.01043 (95% CI: 1.01019: 1.01078) for every additional one rainy day annually. The dengue cases also increased with IRR 1.0172 (95% CI: 1.0137: 1.0208) for every 1% increase in average humidity. Population density and climate factors are positively associated with dengue cases incidence in Bali from 2010 to 2018. The results underline the urgency of integrating population dynamics and climatic determinants into the DF control program and customizing the intervention program based on local characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexpression of c-Myc plays an essential role in leukemogenesis and drug resistance, making c-Myc an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, targeting c-Myc directly is impossible, and c-Myc upstream regulator pathways could be targeted instead. This study investigated the effects of thymoquinone (TQ), a bioactive constituent in Nigella sativa, on the activation of upstream regulators of c-Myc: the JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways in HL60 leukemia cells. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed for gene expression profiling after TQ treatment. The expression of c-Myc and genes involved in JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT/mTOR were validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, Jess assay analysis was performed to determine TQ's effects on JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling and c-Myc protein expression. The results showed 114 significant differentially expressed genes after TQ treatment (p < 0.002). DAVID analysis revealed that most of these genes' effect was on apoptosis and proliferation. There was downregulation of c-Myc, PI3K, AKT, mTOR, JAK2, STAT3, STAT5a, and STAT5b. Protein analysis showed that TQ also inhibited JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling, resulting in inhibition of c-Myc protein expression. In conclusion, the findings suggest that TQ potentially inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in HL60 leukemia cells by downregulation of c-Myc expression through inhibition of the JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing mining industry has led to environmental pollution, primarily from mining waste known as acid mine drainage (AMD). To effectively address AMD, a combination of constructed wetland and biochar treatment is necessary. This study aims to assess the ability of biochar in combination with wetland sediment to reduce sulfate and cadmium (Cd) heavy metals in AMD. The research method involved a laboratory-scale constructed wetland in a microcosmos and a treatment of: T1, biochar mixed with wetland sediment; T2, sediment; T3, biochar; and T4, control with no treatment. Observations included sulfate content, pH determination, heavy metal concentration, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the biochar. Results after 30 days of observation showed that T1 reduced sulfate concentration by 72.03%, compared to 63.33% for T2, 63.33% for T3, and 2.50% for T4. The reduction in sulfate was accompanied by a consecutive increase in pH, with T1 at pH 6.9, T2 at pH 6.6, T3 at pH 6.4, and T4 at pH 3.6 after 30 days. T1 treatment reduced heavy metal Cd by 80.16% after 30 days, while T2 of 55.46%. T3 of 65.83% and T4 of 2.31%. This indicates that the constructed wetland method, combined with biochar, is more effective in reducing sulfate and the heavy metal Cd in AMD, compared to using only biochar or wetland sediment treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As preventive measures to curb coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore had imposed web-accessible regulations where the popularity of relative internet search volume can be obtained from Google Trends (GT). This research aimed to seek the relationship between public search interest and countries' policies, furthermore to observe whether the GT data could be utilized as a tool to make a risk communication during this pandemic. Methods: This retrospective study used GT to analyze the relative search volume (RSV) of keywords large-scale social restrictions (Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar - PSBB), Movement Control Order (MCO) or Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) and Circuit Breaker (CB) for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore respectively. Daily number of COVID-19 confirmed cases were collected and analyzed using Pearson correlation and time-lag with P < 0.05. Every search interest peak and mobility trends changes were qualitatively analyzed. Results: The results exhibited the relationship between the government containment policy, the peaks of analyzed RSV keywords and the mobility trends. The containment policy has significant relationships with COVID-19 daily cases (P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicated that the government could use GT RSV as a strategy of crisis and risk communication to intervene public behavior towards the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A core design of MicroURANUS, a long‐cycle lead‐bismuth‐cooled fast nuclear reactor for marine applications, is presented. It aims to generate a power of 60MWth, which can be regulated during operation. MicroURANUS was designed to achieve a small burnup reactivity swing for 30 effective full‐power years of a lifetime without refueling. To attain these goals, a unit cell study with uranium oxide fuel was initiated to lay a solid foundation for core design, owing to size constraints. A reflector optimization was also performed to minimize neutron leakage. MicroURANUS adopts onion zoning constructed by two enrichment zones for flattening the power and lengthening the core lifetime. The coolant is driven by electromagnetic pumps to achieve inlet and outlet temperatures of 250°C and 350°C, respectively. MicroURANUS analyses were performed using the Argonne Reactor Computation suite and the Monte Carlo code MCS. Core performance features were analyzed for criticality, power profiles, fuel isotope mass inventory, reflector coefficients, reactivity feedback coefficients, and shutdown margin. Additional thermal‐hydraulic calculations were performed to confirm that the fuel and cladding temperatures were within the acceptable range. Furthermore, a load follow analysis using the quasi‐static reactivity balance method confirmed the feasibility of regulating power by adjusting the inlet coolant temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of medicine is the main pillar in creating patient satisfaction, doctors and pharmacy staff, so patients will get drugs according to medical needs. Drug emptiness still occurs even though it is small (0.48%), with the length of time the drug emptiness ranges from 1.42, 5.76 and 15.76%. however there is still a lack of drug stocks of 0.36%, 0.45% and 10.48%. Price transparency in healthcare can be defined as readily available information on the price of healthcare services or medicines that, together with other information, helps define the value of those services or medicines.[1] While the policy makers are advised to achieve more transparent prices and contract structures for medicines to address disproportionate price differences within and between countries [2], pharmaceutical industries stakeholders' view on medicine price transparency practice is still lacking. The preliminary findings of the study revealed that pharmacists were involved in improving compliance to prescribed regimen, and accessibility to affordable, quality and cost-effective medications; monitoring patient's treatment; and counseling patients and their caretakers on appropriate and rational drug therapy. Drug dosage adjustment of certain medicines is required in patients with reduced renal function to avoid toxicity, because many of these medicines are eliminated by the kidneys. [Extracted from the article]

• This paper presents a new inverted fuel fast reactor core design. This paper presents a detailed procedure for implementing the inverted fuel geometry to a fast reactor to improve its safety system and economy. The study is starting from the fuel unit cell, fuel assembly, reactor core, and burnup analysis. A proposed multivariable graph (v , Δ P , T F max – D co , V F) introduced at the fuel unit cell level provides comprehensive thermalhydraulic and neutronic parameters in a single graph, allowing for an efficient optimization process. The fuel unit cell study reveals that the inverted fuel design has a higher fuel volume fraction and lower core pressure drop than conventional pin-typed fuel. This is beneficial for the reactor economy and enhances the reliability of the safety system. With the inverted fuel design, the primary loop can save pumping power by up to 40 % and provides an excess driving force for natural circulation. The male–female axial grid structure separating the fuel assembly potentially eliminates coolant flow path restriction and fretting issues. The core is named the Inverted Core Fast Reactor (IC-FR), an LBE-cooled fast SMR designed to generate 60 MW th for at least 40 years of full-power operation without refueling and fuel shuffling. IC-FR is a transportable reactor and has load following capability that can be deployed for many applications, including marine and land-based applications, and stand alone or mixing power grid. The burnup study of IC-FR reveals that the balance of neutron leakage and fissile inventory yields a small reactivity swing (<1$) for 40 years. This study extensively utilizes Monte Carlo (MC) code MCS for neutronic calculation. Owing to the high computational expense of MC code, the approaches to optimize the MC usage are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the frequency of conversion to open cholecystectomy in elective cases that underwent laparoscopic procedure. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in surgical department of Northwest General hospital and research center, Peshawar-Pakistan. All the cases were performed by a single experienced general and laparoscopic surgeon. All patients who underwent Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (n =531) from September 2012 to April 2018 were identified from the medical records maintained in the Health Information and Management System. They were considered as 'converted' if Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was started initially but due to any reason it could not be continued safely and a conversion to open was necessitated. Cases that required conversion to open procedure in laparoscopic cholecystectomy were analyzed. the frequency of conversion to open and the factors responsible for such conversion were also noted. Results: A total of 531 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 48.82 years with a standard deviation (SD) of 15.06 years. Gender distribution of patients was analyzed and showed that 115(21.7%) of those recruited were male and the majority 416 (78.3%) were female. All patients were given standard laparoscopic surgery protocol under general anaesthesia. Fifty four [n=54(10.2%)] patients were converted to open cholecystectomy whereas, 477(89.8%) ended up with planned laparoscopic procedure. Conclusion: The conversion rate to open cholecystectomy in laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our study was 10.2%. The most common cause of conversion was gall bladder empyema and adhesion around gall bladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six maize (Zea mays L.) open pollinated varieties (OPVS) viz; PSEV-3, Azam, Sarhad white, Jalal, Iqbal and Pahari were used in this experiment to determine their combining ability through 6 x 6 diallel mating design. The research was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications at Cereal Crop Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak, Nowshehra (K.P.K) Pakistan during the year 2015. The results displayed highly significant (P≤0.01) variation among above six OPVS for days to germination, plant height, leaf area, number of grains ear-1, grains moisture % at harvest, grain yield and biological yield. Mean square values due to general combining ability were highly significant (P≤0.01) for all the experimental parameters except grain yield and biological yield. Highly significant specific combining ability for direct and reciprocal crosses shows highly significant differences for all the studied parameters. PSEV-3 proved best combiner for days to germination and grains moisture % at harvest while Azam for grain yield and biological yield. Sarhad White was the best combiner for grain yield. Reciprocal effects of Jalal x Iqbal exhibited best combination for leaf area and number of grains ear-1 while Pahari × Sarhad White for grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six maize (Zea mays L.) open pollinated varieties (OPVS) viz; PSEV-3, Azam, Sarhad white, Jalal, Iqbal and Pahari were used in this experiment to determine their combining ability through 6 x 6 diallel mating design. The research was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications at Cereal Crop Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak, Nowshehra (K.P.K) Pakistan during the year 2015. The results displayed highly significant (P≤0.01) variation among above six OPVS for days to germination, plant height, leaf area, number of grains ear-1, grains moisture % at harvest, grain yield and biological yield. Mean square values due to general combining ability were highly significant (P≤0.01) for all the experimental parameters except grain yield and biological yield. Highly significant specific combining ability for direct and reciprocal crosses shows highly significant differences for all the studied parameters. PSEV-3 proved best combiner for days to germination and grains moisture % at harvest while Azam for grain yield and biological yield. Sarhad White was the best combiner for grain yield. Reciprocal effects of Jalal x Iqbal exhibited best combination for leaf area and number of grains ear-1 while Pahari × Sarhad White for grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is known to ameliorate soil fertility and improve crop production but information regarding soil microbiota responses on biochar amendment remains limited. The experiment was conducted to study the effect of biochars from palm kernel (pyrolysed at 400°C) and rice husk (gasified at 800°C) in a sandy loam Acrisol from Peninsular Malaysia. The soil was amended with palm kernel shell biochar (PK), rice husk biochar (RH), palm kernel biochar with fertilizer (FPK), rice husk biochar with fertilizer (FRH), fertilizer and control soil. Soil samples were taken during maize harvesting and were analysed for physico-chemical properties, microbial biomass, microbial abundance and microbial diversity. Increase in pH, moisture content, CEC, organic C, and labile C were recorded in all biochar amended soils. Microbial biomass C was 65% and 36% higher in RH and FRH, respectively, than control. Microbial biomass N was greatest in FPK and FRH with respective increment of 359% and 341% than control. β-glucosidase and xylanase activities were significantly increased in all biochar treated soils than control. A shift in microbial diversity was not detected. The biochar affects the microbial community by altering the soil environment and increasing labile active carbon sources in the short-term amendment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the generation of mode-locked thulium-holmium doped fiber laser (THDFL) at 1979 nm. This is a first demonstration of mode-locked by using Titanium Dioxide (TiO 2 ) film as a saturable absorber (SA). A piece of 1 mm×1 mm TiO 2 film was sandwiched in between two fiber ferrule in the cavity. Fabrication process of TiO 2 film incorporated a TiO 2 and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The stable 9 MHz repetition rate of mode-locked mode operation with 58 dB SNR was generated under pump power of 902–1062 mW. At maximum pump power, the mode-locked THDFL has output power and pulse energy of 15 mW and 1.66 nJ, respectively. Our results demonstrate the TiO 2 can be used promisingly in ultrafast photonics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic landscape change affects and is affected by human attitudes. The effect of pattern on process has been investigated mainly in landscape ecological sciences, focusing on whether and how the human influence on spatial organization of landscape creates stable, functioning ecosystems. In earlier ecological studies, despite embedding their values, perception and attitudes when delineating a place, humans have been treated as an independent, separate entity. Equally, the ecological imperative expressed through operational models of conservation planning changes the physical organization of landscape in such a way that it affects public connection to landscape and influences views and attitudes towards ecosystem governance. A more comprehensive understanding is needed of these two phenomena, addressing the linkages between ecosystem conservation and how people respond to dynamic change. Therefore we employ 'sense of place' as a broad concept to assess and evaluate the way in which people shape their responsiveness to place through a bioregional planning approach. . This paper focuses on the attitudinal dimension of sense of place in planning-based activities. The results suggest that although place connection strongly empowers protective and ethical-based actions, it remains unclear how planning renders the negotiation of the different actors' values with respect to the concept of place. A conceptual framework is proposed, to assess the role of sense of place as an integrative concept in understanding the linkages of social-ecological systems and the need for future research to investigate how planning is receptive to the multitude of actor's values and attitudes that shape social-ecological changes across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lithium organic compounds are considered safe in use as compare to inorganic compounds of lithium for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. The aim of present study was to check the effect of lithium citrate on tripeptide master antioxidant glutathione of cytosolic fraction of human blood. Material & Methods: It was an experimental study which was conducted in PhD research laboratory in Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University, D.I.Khan, Pakistan, from January 2013 to March 2014.Blood components were separated by centrifugation at 10000 - 12000 rpm for 10 minutes method. The supernatant pale yellow layer was cytosolic fraction or lysate. 50μl of 0.1N HCl solution was added to keep GSH in reduced form. Results: The cytosolic fraction GSH level was decreased significantly (p<0.001) which was 3.739 μM (72.66%) by lowest used concentration of lithium citrate while the drop in GSH by other used concentrations of lithium citrate was 3.624 μM (70.42%), 3.567 μM (69.32%), 3.484 μM (67.70%), 3.420 μM (66.46) and 3.338 μM (64.87%) respectively. Conclusion: Although organic compounds of lithium are said to be safer in use as compare to inorganic compounds of lithium but our study suggests that lithium citrate can considerably depletes GSH in cytosolic fraction of human blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to describe and analyze the implementation of JSB in Jeneponto Regency by exploring the context of the implementation of the JSB program. This study used descriptive qualitative method. Data collection techniques in research are observational interviews and FGDs. This study uses Qualitative Data Analysis. The results of the study show that the analysis of the implementation environment analysis is: a). The characteristics of the institution and regime in power, the Jeneponto District Head has an important role in the JSB program; b). The degree of change to be achieved is that the JSB program is long-term in nature and requires changes in people's behavior; c). Awareness and responsiveness, as a whole in the institution, organizational structure, committee or working group implementing the program; d). Local Wisdom, If the mindset changes and progresses to implementing JSB then it will become a support. The implementation model that has been implemented so far has not been optimal, so it is necessary to recommend a good program implementation model by optimizing the factors that influence the content of the policy and the Context of Implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badung district has recorded the highest dengue fever (DF) in Bali Province. This research presents the distribution of DF in Badung district and analyses its association with climate and visitors. The monthly data of DF, climate and number of visitors during January 2013 to December 2017 were analysed using Poisson Regression. A total of 10,689 new DF cases were notified from January 2013 to December 2017. DF in 2016 was recorded as the heaviest incidence. Monthly DF cases have positive association with average temperature (0.59 (95% CI: 0.56–.62)), precipitation (5.7 x 10−4 (95% CI: 3.8 x 10−4 − 7.6 x 10−4)), humidity (.014 (95% CI: 0.003–.025)) and local visitors (7.40 x 10−6 95% CI: 5.88 x 10−6 : 8.91 x 10−6). Negative association was shown between DF cases with foreign visitors (−2.18 x 10−6 (95% CI: −2.50 x 10−6 : −1.87 x 10−6)). This study underlines the urgency to integrate climate and tourism for DF surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All forms of mercury are global pollutants having no environmental limits. Human exposure to mercury occurs basically through food chain due to accumulation of organic forms of mercury in fish. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effect of phenyl mercuric acetate on plasma and cytosolic fraction GSH. Study Design: Experimental Study. Setting: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan. Period: 29 January 2011 to 11 march 2012 .Statistical Analysis: One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnet's HSD test. Results: For the estimation of thiols Ellman's method was used and was found statistically significant (p < 0.001) decrease in plasma and cytosolic fraction GSH which was dose and time dependent. The plasma GSH contents drop in 0 to 120 minutes by various concentrations of phenyl mercuric acetate were 64.45%, 59.33%, 50.89%, 41.56%, 33.63% and 32.99% while drop in cytosolic fraction GSH level from 0 to 120 minutes by different concentrations of phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) was 53.86%, 48.60%, 45.41%, 36.11%, 29.38% and 27.06%.Conclusions: It is clear that during organic mercury toxicity the blood components are also affected which is proved from our results. With the increase of time, the mercury toxicity would be more harmful so detoxification of organic mercury should be done on emergency bases at the earliest with the help of suitable chelating agents along with antioxidant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental pollution of transition metals especially of mercury is of great concern to the researchers in medical field since long. Mercury causes oxidative stress in all the cells including lymphocytes of the human immune system. Effect of inorganic compound of mercury was compare with our own report of effect of organic compound of mercury on T and B lymphocytes in human blood. Material & Methods: The present experimental work was design to analyze the concentration and time dependent effect of mercuric chloride on the chemical modulation of T and B-lymphocytes GSH of human blood. Terasaki technique for lymphocytes isolation and then subsequently separation of T and B-cells was used. Quantification of thiol in T and B-cells was done by Ellman's method. Results: The lowest used concentration of mercuric chloride depleted T and B-cells GSH level 2.115 µM (27.34%) and 2.019 µM (32.41%) respectively which was significant (p<0.001) decrease in both T and B-cells GSH level. This effect of mercury was dose and time dependent. Conclusion: This study suggests that depletion of GSH due to inorganic mercury in T and B-lymphocytes is more severe as compared to its organic form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lithium carbonate is commonly used as mood stabilizing agent but it is so toxic that even its therapeutic dose can cause toxicity. Present work was designed with the aim that whether it has any effect on reduced form of glutathione in human erythrocytes. Material & Methods: It was an experimental study conducted in PhD research laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University, D.I.Khan during the month of January 2013. Six human volunteers of age group 21-24 years were selected for obtaining fresh blood. Exactly 15ml blood was collected from each volunteer. Erythrocyte's GSH was treated with different concentrations of lithium carbonate. One-way ANNOVA was applied to test the statistical significance. Results: The decrease in erythrocytes GSH was 31.68%, 34.16%, 37.02%, 38.90%, 40.91% and 43.01% respectively from lowest to highest used concentration of lithium carbonate. A significant decrease in GSH level was observed as lowest one concentration of lithium carbonate has significantly (p<0.005) decreased GSH which was up to 31.68% and this decrease was further noted with the passage of time indicating that during lithium toxicity depletion of erythrocytes GSH is dose and time dependent hence early measures for lithium detoxification guaranteed patient's safety. Conclusion: Of course lithium is extensively used as mood stabilizer as well as for the treatment of manic depressive psychosis but experts should keep in mind that it is the cause of depletion of GSH in erythrocytes so precautions must be taken during lithium therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of phenyl mercuric acetate as fungicides and herbicides has much increased in the recent years hence there are greater chances of mercury uptake by humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of phenyl mercuric acetate on human immune system. Material & Methods: This experimental study was conducted in PhD Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University, D.I.Khan, Pakistan, from December 2012 to January 2013. Terasaki technique was employed to isolate components of white blood cells which is a density gradient separation technique carried out with suitable medium. This medium separate the components of WBC's density-wise through centrifugation process. Results: In case of T -cells, the drop in T -cells GSH contents by all used concentrations (0.0001-2.0mM) of phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) with respect to T -cells GSH control was 76.71% (2.306 µM), 73.52% (2.210 µM), 70.99% (2.134 µM), 64.64% (1.943µM), 61.68% (1.854µM) and 59.31% (1.783µM) respectively. The level of GSH content was depleted significantly (p<0.001) in both T and B-cells. Conclusion: Our study suggests that mercury is able to deplete GSH in T and B lymphocytes cells resulting in a compromised immune system. Increasing use of these metals in the environment is a serious threat to human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cadmium causes oxidative stress because this metal lacerate antioxidant defense system in intracellular as well as extra cellular compartments resulting in depletion of reduced glutathione or GSH contents in these areas. This study was designed to estimate spectrophotometrically the depletion of GSH in plasma/cytosolic fraction of human blood for which Ellman's method was used. Material & Methods: This experimental study was conducted in PhD Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gomal University D.I.Khan during the month of December 2012. Fresh human volunteer's 12000μl venous blood was taken, for which 4 healthy volunteers age 22-27 years with no previous history of illness or long illness (having no history of any disease or abnormality) were selected. Plasma/cytosolic fraction GSH was exposed to various concentrations of cadmium and paired t-Test was applied to test the statistical significance. Results: It was found that even lowest most concentration of cadmium has statistically significantly (p<0.001) depleted GSH up to 3.662 μM (75.15%) in plasma and 3.408 μM (67.73%) in cytosolic fraction with respect to plasma and cytosolic fraction GSH control respectively. Moreover with the passage of time this drop in GSH level was greater showing that with the passage of time cadmium is more toxic toward antioxidant defense system as cadmium is accumulated in human body for a long period of time. Conclusion: Our study suggests that cadmium has strong chemical binding affinity towards reduced form of glutathione resulting in depletion of this master antioxidant thus rendering human body to have compromised immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RS- ion is called as thiolate anion and it is well stated in the literature that certain metals made complexes with thiolate anion, in order to prove this fact a study was design to check the affect of different concentrations of lithium carbonate on the status of thiolate anion by using UV-visible spectrophotometer. Results show that there is decrease in the concentration of thiolate anion with the increase in concentration of lithium ions showing the possibility of interaction between lithium ion and thiolate anion resulting in the formation of oligomeric Li-S-R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury toxicity is known since long and is a significant clinical entity as mercury is ubiquitous in the whole environment and poses serious risk to human health. In humans mercury toxicity encompasses direct damage to tissues and enzyme functions. It is the strong oxidant among heavy metal and is a neurotoxin. It was of interest to investiage the concentration and time dependent effect of phenyl mercuric acetate on the chemical status of reduced glutathione (GSH) in vitro conditions. Spectrophotometric analysis shows that with the increase in concentration of PMA (Phenyl Mercuric Acetate) and increase in incubation times cause greater depletion in reduced form of glutathione perhaps due to the conversion of GSH into GSSH or GS-HG complex formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied a sample of 75 Chinese, 73 Malay, and 29 Indian healthy neonates taking part in a cohort study to examine potential differences in neonatal brain morphology and white matter microstructure as a function of ethnicity using both structural T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We first examined the differences in global size and morphology of the brain among the three groups. We then constructed the T2-weighted MRI and DTI atlases and employed voxel-based analysis to investigate ethnic differences in morphological shape of the brain from the T2-weighted MRI, and white matter microstructure measured by fractional anisotropy derived from DTI. Compared with Malay neonates, the brains of Indian neonates' tended to be more elongated in anterior and posterior axis relative to the superior-inferior axis of the brain even though the total brain volume was similar among the three groups. Although most anatomical regions of the brain were similar among Chinese, Malay, and Indian neonates, there were anatomical variations in the spinal-cerebellar and cortical-striatal-thalamic neural circuits among the three populations. The population-related brain regions highlighted in our study are key anatomical substrates associated with sensorimotor functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological pH and body temperature are both very important in the life of an organism because different bio-chemical reactions take place at specific pH as well as on specific temperature. The rate of a particular bio-chemical reaction may increase or decrease due to slight alteration in either pH or temperature or both. Keeping in view this fact, we have studied the affect of lithium carbonate on GSH chemical status (reduced glutathione) at six different pH and at three different temperatures by using Ellman's modified method. Our results show that lithium carbonate shows better interaction at pH 7.5 and temperature 35°C which are both near to physiological pH and body temperature i-e lithium carbonate cause decrease in GSH concentrations near the physiological pH and near body temperature which may be due to the formation of Li-S-G complex or GSSG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruption of fronto-temporal connections involving the arcuate fasciculus (AF) may underlie language processing anomalies and psychotic features such as auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. No study to date has specifically investigated abnormalities of white matter integrity at particular loci along the AF as well as its regional lateralization in schizophrenia. We examined white matter changes (fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), asymmetry indices) along the whole extent of the AF and their relationship with psychotic symptoms in 32 males with schizophrenia and 44 healthy males. Large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping and Fiber Assignment Continuous Tracking were employed to characterize FA and AD along the geometric curve of the AF. Our results showed that patients with schizophrenia had lower FA in the frontal aspects of the left AF compared with healthy controls. Greater left FA and AD lateralization in the temporal segment of AF were associated with more severe positive psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia. Disruption of white matter integrity of the left frontal AF and accentuation of normal left greater than right asymmetry of FA/AD in the temporal AF further support the notion of aberrant fronto-temporal connectivity in schizophrenia. AF pathology can affect corollary discharge of neural signals from frontal speech/motor initiation areas to suppress activity of auditory cortex that may influence psychotic phenomena such as auditory hallucinations and facilitate elaboration of delusional content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological pH and body temperature are both very important in the life of an organism because different bio-chemical reactions take place at specific pH as well as on specific temperature. The rate of a particular bio-chemical reaction may increase or decrease due to slight alteration in either pH or temperature or both. Keeping in view this fact, we have studied the affect of lithium carbonate on GSH chemical status (reduced glutathione) at six different pH and at three different temperatures by using Ellman's modified method. Our results show that lithium carbonate shows better interaction at pH 7.5 and temperature 35°C which are both near to physiological pH and body temperature i-e lithium carbonate cause decrease in GSH concentrations near the physiological pH and near body temperature which may be due to the formation of Li-S-G complex or GSSG [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limbic circuitry disruptions have been implicated in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, which may involve white matter disruptions of the major tracts of the limbic system, including the fornix and the cingulum. Our study aimed to investigate regionally specific abnormalities of the fornix and cingulum in schizophrenia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We determined the fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) profiles along the fornix and cingulum tracts using a fibertracking technique and a brain mapping algorithm, the large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping (LDDMM), in the DTI scans of 33 patients with schizophrenia and 31 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched healthy controls. We found that patients with schizophrenia showed reduction in FA and increase in RD in bilateral fornix, and increase in RD in left anterior cingulum when compared to healthy controls. In addition, tractbased analysis revealed specific loci of these white matter differences in schizophrenia, that is, FA reductions and AD and RD increases occur in the region of the left fornix further from the hippocampus, FA reductions and RD increases occur in the rostral portion of the left anterior cingulum, and RD and AD increases occur in the anterior segment of the left middle cingulum. In patients with schizophrenia, decreased FA in the specific loci of the left fornix and increased AD in the right cingulum adjoining the hippocampus correlated with greater severity of psychotic symptoms. These findings support precise disruptions of limbic-cortical integrity in schizophrenia and disruption of these structural networks may contribute towards the neural basis underlying the syndrome of schizophrenia and clinical symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) plays an essential role in cancer pathogenesis, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). All of SHP-1, SOCS-1, and SOCS-3 are TSGs that negatively regulate JAK/STAT signaling. Enhanced re-expression of TSGs through de-methylation represents a therapeutic target in several cancers. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a major component of Nigella sativa seeds with anticancer effects against several cancers. However, the effects of TQ on DNA methylation are not entirely understood. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of TQ to re-express SHP-1, SOCS-1, and SOCS-3 in MV4-11 AML cells through de-methylation. Cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays were performed using WSTs-8 kit, Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit, and fluorometric-red cell cycle assay kit, respectively. The methylation of SHP-1, SOCS-1, and SOCS-3 was evaluated by pyrosequencing analysis. The expression of SHP-1, SOCS-1, SOCS-3, JAK2, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, FLT3-ITD, DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, TET2, and WT1 was assessed by RT-qPCR. The molecular docking of TQ to JAK2, STAT3, and STAT5 was evaluated. The results revealed that TQ significantly inhibited the growth of MV4-11 cells and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, the results showed that TQ binds the active pocket of JAK2, STAT3, and STAT5 to inhibit their enzymatic activity and significantly enhances the re-expression of SHP-1 and SOCS-3 through de-methylation. In conclusion, TQ curbs MV4-11 cells by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of JAK/STAT signaling through hypomethylation and re-expression of JAK/STAT negative regulators and could be a promising therapeutic candidate for AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the generation of passively Q-switched erbium (Er)-doped fibre laser using silver nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) (Ag/PVA) as a saturable absorber (SA). The Ag nanoparticles were synthesised via the chemical reduction technique. The Ag/PVA film based SA was fabricated by blending Ag nanoparticles powder into the PVA suspension, then left to dry at ambient to develop a free-standing SA film. Next, the Ag/PVA film was sandwiched in between two FC/PC fibre ferrules and integrated into the laser cavity for Q-switched pulse generation. The result shows that the Q-switched pulsed laser achieved pulse energy and peak power of 128.04 nJ and 21.34 mW at the maximum pump power of 107.1 mW. A signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value of 66.23 dB was obtained at a frequency of 66.23 kHz proving that it is an excellent candidate as a SA material for Q-switched generation in future large-scale manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalassemia is one of the most heterogeneous diseases, with more than a thousand mutation types recorded worldwide. Molecular diagnosis of thalassemia by conventional PCR-based DNA analysis is time- and resource-consuming owing to the phenotype variability, disease complexity, and molecular diagnostic test limitations. Moreover, genetic counseling must be backed-up by an extensive diagnosis of the thalassemia-causing phenotype and the possible genetic modifiers. Data coming from advanced molecular techniques such as targeted sequencing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and third-generation sequencing (TGS) are more appropriate and valuable for DNA analysis of thalassemia. While NGS is superior at variant calling to TGS thanks to its lower error rates, the longer reads nature of the TGS permits haplotype-phasing that is superior for variant discovery on the homologous genes and CNV calling. The emergence of many cutting-edge machine learning-based bioinformatics tools has improved the accuracy of variant and CNV calling. Constant improvement of these sequencing and bioinformatics will enable precise thalassemia detections, especially for the CNV and the homologous HBA and HBG genes. In conclusion, laboratory transiting from conventional DNA analysis to NGS or TGS and following the guidelines towards a single assay will contribute to a better diagnostics approach of thalassemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biochar amendment showed an amelioration effect on the soil properties. • Soil microbial biomass and gene abundances were significantly enhanced. • No significant change of microbial genotypic and enzymatic functional diversity was detected. • Biochar addition increased the labile active carbon sources for microbial utilization. Report on soil microbial community in tropical soil of humid tropics remained limited despite the current research interest in biochar-microbe study in various climatic regions. A field-trial spanning three consecutive crop cycles of Zea mays var. Masmadu was conducted in tropical Acrisols of Peninsular Malaysia. Palm kernel shell and rice husk biochars of different feedstock and pyrolysis conditions were used for amendment. Soil samples were collected during maize harvesting and were analyzed for physicochemical properties (pH, CEC, organic C, labile active C), microbial biomass (C, N), and seven C-cycle enzymes activity (total cellulase, endoglucanase, β-glucosidase, xylanase, invertase, phenol oxidase, peroxidase). Total soil genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to the analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS gene abundance quantification. Microbial genetic profiling was fingerprinted by using DGGE. Significant increases of all measured soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, and gene abundances were observed in all biochar amended soils. Significant changes of total cellulase, endoglucanase, phenol oxidase, and peroxidase were not detected. A significant shift in microbial genotypic and enzymatic functional diversity based on microbial C-cycle enzymes was not detected. Correlation data revealed significant linkages of soil microbial biomasses and gene abundances with all measured soil physicochemical properties. The biochar influences the microbial community by elevating microbial habitat potential to a more favorable state and increasing labile active carbon sources in the field trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]