Search

The basic purpose of this work was to develop environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles of sorafenib that can effectively release the desired drug in a customized and controlled manner for targeting hepatocellular carcinoma. The solvent evaporation technique was employed for the synthesis of sorafenib-loaded PLGA-chitosan nanoparticles, followed by various experimental specifications and compatibility studies using poloxamer 407 as the stabilizer. The best nanoparticles thus synthesized were selected to be used for cytotoxicity investigations through in vitro and in vivo assessments. For the in vitro drug release tests, the dialysis bag diffusion technique was used. For both chitosan nanoparticles and PLGA loaded with sorafenib, a biphasic release pattern was found, exhibiting a protracted release lasting 10 days after a 24-h burst release. As experimental animals, rabbits were utilized to evaluate different in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of the selected formulations. Plasma samples were extracted with acetonitrile and analyzed through the developed HPLC method. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as AUC0-t, Cmax MRT, Vd, and half-life (t1/2) were enhanced significantly (p = 0.001), while clearance was considerably decreased (p = 0.001) for the chosen synthesized nanoparticles in contrast to the commercially accessible sorafenib formulation (Nexavar®). The cytotoxicity of the reference drug and sorafenibloaded PLGA and chitosan nanoparticles was calculated by performing an MTT assay against HepG2 cell lines. The developed polymeric sorafenib nanoformulations possess the appropriate physicochemical properties, better targeting, surface morphology, and prolonged release kinetics. The pharmacokinetic parameters were improved significantly when the results were compared with commercially available sorafenib formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are exposed to adverse environmental conditions, including cold, drought, heat, salinity, and heavy metals, which negatively impact plant growth and productivity of edible crops worldwide. Although the previous literature summarized the nanoparticle's involvement in abiotic stress mitigation, the interaction of nanoparticles with other stress mitigators to overcome abiotic stress from plants remains unclear. Currently, nanotechnology is considered a growing new field in agriculture for understanding plants' adapted stress tolerance mechanisms. Recent research has shown that nanoparticles can effectively mitigate abiotic stress by interacting synergistically with plant growth regulators. To address this, we comprehensively demonstrated the combined positive potential of nanoparticles in combination with plant growth regulators (signaling molecules, phytohormones, nanoparticles-nanoparticles interaction, fungi, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and other metal salts) to improve plant growth and mitigate abiotic stresses. Their co-applications augment the plant's growth, nutrient uptake, antioxidant defense system, water absorption, cell viability, water use efficiency, and photosynthetic and biochemical attributes by reducing oxidative stressors under various abiotic stresses in different plant species. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the combined applications of nanoparticles and plant growth regulators, a novel strategy to reduce the harmful effects of abiotic stress on plants. It identifies research gaps and recommends future studies to overcome their phytotoxicity worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of air, water, and soil pollution poses a significant threat to global health, leading to widespread disease and premature mortality. Soil health is vital, ensuring the production of safe food, but it is compromised by pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, and excessive fertilization, resulting in the depletion of beneficial microorganisms and subsequently groundwater contamination. Water bodies are polluted due to contamination from industrial effluents, domestic wastewater, agricultural runoff, and oil spillage, further intensifying environmental pollution. On the other hand, atmospheric pollution, characterized by high emissions of gases, volatile compounds, greenhouse gases, not only impacts the climate but also poses serious risks to human health, leading to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and increased cancer risks. Thus, the strategic utilization of traditional plants emerges as a potent tool for environmental restoration and improving human health. The plants possess natural filtering capabilities, absorbing pollutants from air, soil, and water, thus mitigating their adverse effects. Through phytoremediation, plants can be actively used to extract and remove contaminants, contributing to detoxification and improving water and soil quality. Additionally, plants offer various health benefits. Moringa oleifera or the drumstick plant belonging to the Moringaceae family is one such indigenous plant with wide applications, that can be grown in extreme arid conditions. Since ancient times, this plant has been used for treating skin infections, anaemia, and blood impurities. This plant thrives in diverse climates addressing over 300 different aliments. Rich in phytochemicals and bioactive compounds, M. oleifera serve as a superfood, offering high nutritional values and exhibiting potential for drug development with fewer side effects. Extensive research has elucidated the diverse properties and applications of M. oleifera, however, in-depth research is needed to identify bioactive molecules, phytochemicals, and protein compounds involved, which will aid in understanding of the mechanisms of action of the plant's diverse functions. Although studies have reported several of individual M. oleifera attributes, there is no comprehensive study available addressing its diverse applications. This review covers the findings of past three decades and provides a detailed outline of M. oleifera plant and its various parts, its applications in environmental, industrial, food and health aspects documented to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Syntax Literate is the property of Ridwan Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mitochondria are recognized as essential organelles that form a dynamic network responsible for energy production, calcium homeostasis, and cell signalling for cell metabolism. Dysfunction in mitochondria results in many diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Muscular dystrophy, Diabetes, and Parkinson's. As a result, it is of great significance to directly visualize mitochondria inside cellular environment for therapeutic target. Carbon dots (CDs) are one of the probes with low toxicity and high biocompatibility that have been utilized for mitochondrial visualization. However, till date, CDs are synthesized using multi‐step synthesis and most of them emit in the blue to green region thus limiting their application in bioimaging. Herein, we synthesized orange emissive mitochondria‐specific CDs via a one‐pot method using 3‐(carboxypropyl) triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP) and citric acid as precursors. Synthesized CDs have excellent photoluminescence properties to stain and image mitochondria in different cancerous and non‐cancerous mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding polymer retention is a critical aspect in the field of chemical-enhanced oil recovery (cEOR). This article presents a comprehensive review of polymer retention in reservoir rocks, focusing on the underlying mechanisms, measurement techniques, and the factors influencing this phenomenon. Three main (proposed) mechanisms that contribute to polymer retention are discussed in detail. Polymer adsorption, hydrodynamic retention, and mechanical entrapment are identified as key factors affecting the overall retention of polymers during flow through porous media. Also, herein, we explore the details of these mechanisms, explaining how polymer characteristics and rock surface properties influence the degree of retention. Furthermore, we analyze the influencing factors that affect polymer retention. The rock surface properties, such as surface charge and wettability, play a vital role in determining the interaction between polymers and rocks. The interplay of these factors provides valuable insights into understanding and controlling polymer retention in cEOR applications. This review paper put in a nutshell a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms, measurement techniques, and influencing factors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: Among Black African adults with hypertension, how effective and safe is a low-dose triple-pill protocol compared with standard-care protocol for lowering blood pressure? Findings: In this randomized trial in Nigeria among 300 Black African patients with uncontrolled hypertension who were either untreated or receiving a single blood pressure–lowering drug, treatment with low-dose triple-pill protocol, compared with standard-care protocol, for 6 months significantly reduced home systolic blood pressure (by 5.8 mm Hg), with no increase in discontinuation of trial treatment due to adverse events. Meaning: Compared with standard-care protocol, treatment with a low-dose triple-pill protocol can improve blood pressure lowering. Importance: With the high burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need for effective, safe and scalable treatment strategies. Objective: To compare, among Black African adults, the effectiveness and safety of a novel low-dose triple-pill protocol compared with a standard-care protocol for blood pressure lowering. Design and Setting: Randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multicenter trial conducted in public hospital–based family medicine clinics in Nigeria. Participants: Black African adults with uncontrolled hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg) who were untreated or receiving a single blood pressure–lowering drug. Interventions: Participants were randomly allocated to low-dose triple-pill or standard-care protocols. The triple-pill protocol involved a novel combination of telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide in triple one-quarter, one-half, and standard doses (ie, 10/1.25/0.625 mg, 20/2.5/1.25 mg, and 40/5/2.5 mg), with accelerated up-titration. The standard-care protocol was the Nigeria hypertension treatment protocol starting with amlodipine (5 mg). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary effectiveness outcome was the reduction in home mean systolic blood pressure, and the primary safety outcome was discontinuation of trial treatment due to adverse events, both from randomization to month 6. Results: The first participant was randomized on July 19, 2022, and the last follow-up visit was on July 18, 2024. Among 300 randomized participants (54% female; mean age, 52 years; baseline mean home blood pressure, 151/97 mm Hg; and clinic blood pressure, 156/97 mm Hg), 273 (91%) completed the trial. At month 6, mean home systolic blood pressure was on average 31 mm Hg (95% CI, 28 to 33 mm Hg) lower in the triple-pill protocol group and 26 mm Hg (95% CI, 22 to 28 mm Hg) lower in the standard-care protocol group (adjusted difference, −5.8 mm Hg [95% CI, −8.0 to −3.6]; P <.001]). At month 6, clinic blood pressure control (<140/90 mm Hg) was 82% vs 72% (risk difference, 10% [95% CI, −2% to 20%]) and home blood pressure control (<130/80 mm Hg) was 62% vs 28% (risk difference, 33% [95% CI, 22% to 44%]) in the triple-pill compared with the standard-care protocol group; these were 2 of 21 prespecified secondary effectiveness end points. No participants discontinued trial treatment due to adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance: Among Black African adults with uncontrolled hypertension, a low-dose triple-pill protocol achieved better blood pressure lowering and control with good tolerability compared with the standard-care protocol. Trial Registration: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: PACTR202107579572114 This randomized clinical trial compares the effectiveness and safety of a novel low-dose triple-pill protocol, compared with a standard-care protocol, for blood pressure lowering among Black African adults in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuropsychiatric symptoms including chorea, dementia, and depression. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and exhibits anticipation leading to earlier and more severe symptoms in the affected offspring of a patient. With a much lower prevalence in Asia than in Europe and other parts of the world, its diagnosis can be missed easily in the early stages due to mildness of the symptoms and significant overlap between its symptoms and those of other diseases. We present the case of a 38-year-old male of Pashtun ethnicity presenting with mild cognitive impairment and clumsiness who was eventually diagnosed with HD, but his mild clinical features, no documented history of HD in his parents, and his relatively young age coupled with the relatively low prevalence of HD in his geographical location presented a significant challenge in our diagnosis of his condition. This case underscores the importance of keeping a high clinical suspicion for HD in patients with chorea despite a negative parental history, especially in resource-limited areas where the parents may have gone undiagnosed and highlights the need for further research on HD's prevalence in different parts of the world as well as the barriers to its diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to determine the total and available amounts of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) in the humid tropical acid soils of Lampung, Indonesia, and to identify the key factors affecting them. Topsoil samples were taken from 10 agricultural fields and 6 natural fields in 16 sub-districts of Lampung, Indonesia. The average total contents of Fe (26.36 g kg−1), Cu (8.97 mg kg−1), and Zn (53.24 mg kg−1) are generally below the world-soil average contents and those in other acid soils, which may be due to eluviation of Fe, Cu, and Zn into subsoil induced by high rainfall and the low natural contents of especially Cu and Zn in the parent rocks (acid volcanic rocks and sandstone). In contrast, the average total Mn content (1.20 g kg−1) is 2 to 8 times higher than that commonly found in acid soils and the world-soil average content, indicating that the parent materials may contain high Mn-bearing minerals. The total Fe, Mn, and Zn are positively correlated to the clay content, exchangeable-Ca and -Mg, and exchangeable-Mg, respectively, whereas the total Cu has no correlation to any soil properties. The amounts of available Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn account for on average 0.38%, 6.20%, 21.50%, and 4.40% of the total contents, respectively. Around 6%, 12.5%, and 56% of the soil samples exhibit Mn, Cu, and Zn deficiency, respectively, and 25% face Fe toxicity. Total Fe and Mn are the main factors determining available Fe and Mn, respectively, whereas exchangeable-Mg and organic-C content mainly control available Cu and Zn, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Transcranial Doppler (TCD) identifies acute stroke patients with arterial occlusion where treatment may not effectively open the blocked vessel. This study aimed to examine the clinical utility and prognostic value of TCD flow findings in patients enrolled in a multicenter prospective study (CLOTBUST‐PRO). Methods: Patients enrolled with intracranial occlusion on computed tomography angiography (CTA) who underwent urgent TCD evaluation before intravenous thrombolysis was included in this analysis. TCD findings were assessed using the mean flow velocity (MFV) ratio, comparing the reciprocal ratios of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) depths bilaterally (affected MCA‐to‐contralateral MCA MFV [aMCA/cMCA MFV ratio]). Results: A total of 222 patients with intracranial occlusion on CTA were included in the study (mean age: 64 ± 14 years, 62% men). Eighty‐eight patients had M1 MCA occlusions; baseline mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 16, and a 24‐hour mean NIHSS score was 10 points. An aMCA/cMCA MFV ratio of <.6 had a sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 16%, positive predictive value (PV) of 60%, and negative PV of 94% for identifying large vessel occlusion (LVO) including M1 MCA, terminal internal carotid artery, or tandem ICA/MCA. Thrombolysis in Brain Ischemia scale, with (grade ≥1) compared to without flow (grade 0), showed a sensitivity of 17.1%, specificity of 86.9%, positive PV of 62%, and negative PV of 46% for identifying LVO. Conclusions: TCD is a valuable modality for evaluating arterial circulation in acute ischemic stroke patients, demonstrating significant potential as a screening tool for intravenous/intra‐arterial lysis protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Self Management Hypertension (SMH) application is a digital-based educational media solution to improve knowledge of elderly with HT in managing their disease independently, easy to use and can be accessed wherever they are. Smartphone -based digital technology, Recently, it has become a very common tool needed by most people, including the elderly, not only as a communication tool but can also be used as a medium for education and information. Research Objectives: This research aims to design the development of a prototype of the SMH application and to determine the feasibility of the SMH application for self-management of hypertension for the elderly. Method: The research method used is Research and Development (R&D). The research subjects for the expert validation test consisted of 3 experts. Meanwhile, the application trial subjects consisted of a one-on-one trial sample of 3 elderly people and a small group trial of 12 elderly people. Data collection uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire which consists of 13 questions with 4 assessment aspects, namely the convenience aspect, usefulness aspect, trust aspect and user intention aspect. There are 4 Likert scale answer choices ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Results: Expert validation results show the percentage and eligibility criteria are 86.6%. The results of one-on-one trials show that the ease of application aspect is in the range of 3.25-4.00, the usefulness aspect is in the range of 3.00-4.00, the trust aspect is in the range of 3.67-4.00 and the user intention aspect is in the range of 3.00-4. .00. Small group trials showed an average convenience aspect of 3.52, an average usefulness aspect of 3.53, an average trust aspect of 3.69 and an average user intention aspect of 3.64. Conclusion: The SMH application has decent content, is easy to use, very useful, and trustworthy, thereby increasing the intention of elderly people with HT to use the SMH application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a persistent and devastating obstacle to crop production, affecting both humanity and livestock. The application of selenium (Se) effectively mitigates various types of abiotic stresses and enhances crop yield under unfavorable conditions. However, our understanding of how nano-Se (nSe) alleviates drought stress (DS) in soybeans is still limited. To address this gap, our study focused on assessing the effectiveness of foliar nSe application during the reproductive stage of soybeans. Three concentrations of nSe were applied to plants grown in pots filled with clay loam soil, simulating DS conditions. Our findings reveal that nSe spraying significantly promoted the accumulation of above-ground dry biomass and enhanced relative water content (RWC) and photosynthetic pigment over alone-DS treatment. Furthermore, nSe application boosted the activity and contents of protective enzymes and osmolytes, resulting in a dose-dependent reduction in electrolyte leakage (EL), reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Additionally, nSe improved stomatal characteristics and mesophyll cell ultrastructure, further mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress. These findings suggest the potential of nSe as an effective strategy to enhance soybean tolerance and potentially improve crop yields under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste (FW), piggery waste (PW), and activated sludge (AS) were investigated as potential organic feeds for bioelectricity generation in laboratory-scale microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The MFCs fed by FW gained the highest maximum power density at 7.25 W/m3, followed by those fed by PW at 3.86 W/m3 and AS at 1.54 W/m3. The tCOD removal in the FW-, PW-, and AS-MFCs reached 76.9%, 63.9%, and 55.22%, respectively, within a 30-day retention time. Food waste, which resulted in the highest power density and tCOD removal, was selected for a series of following tests to investigate the effects of some physicochemical properties of organic feed on the performance of MFCs. The effect of feed particle size was tested with three controlled size ranges (i.e., 3, 1, and <1 mm) in MFCs. A smaller feed particle size provided a higher power density of 7.25 W/m3 and a tCOD removal of 76.9% compared to the MFCs fed with organic waste with a larger particle size. An increment in feed moisture from 70% to 90% improved the maximum power density from 7.2 to 8.5 W/m3, with a 17.5% enhancement, and improved the tCOD removal from 75.8% to 83.3%, with a 10.0% enhancement. A moderate C/N ratio of approximately 30/1 maximized the power density and COD removal (7.25 W/m3 and 81.73%) in the MFCs compared to C/N ratios of 20/1 (4.0 W/m3 and 64.14%) and 45/1 (4.38 W/m3 and 71.34%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical learning of the structures of cellular networks, such as protein signaling pathways, is a topical research field in computational systems biology. To get the most information out of experimental data, it is often required to develop a tailored statistical approach rather than applying one of the off-the-shelf network reconstruction methods. The focus of this paper is on learning the structure of the mTOR protein signaling pathway from immunoblotting protein phosphorylation data. Under two experimental conditions eleven phosphorylation sites of eight key proteins of the mTOR pathway were measured at ten non-equidistant time points. For the statistical analysis we propose a new advanced hierarchically coupled non-homogeneous dynamic Bayesian network (NH-DBN) model, and we consider various data imputation methods for dealing with non-equidistant temporal observations. Because of the absence of a true gold standard network, we propose to use predictive probabilities in combination with a leave-one-out cross validation strategy to objectively cross-compare the accuracies of different NH-DBN models and data imputation methods. Finally, we employ the best combination of model and data imputation method for predicting the structure of the mTOR protein signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study hopes to bring insights for researchers and educators in using artificial intelligence for essay writing through a systematic review on the use of AI in writing for the past 10 years. Although Artificial Intelligence has long existed in other fields such as medicine, engineering, journalism, and forensic analysis, it has only made a great impact in the education field after the emergence of ChatGPT. Generative Artificial Intelligence is seen as a tool that can assist teachers and students in academics such as generating ideas, evaluating essays, storytelling, and providing feedback. It has even been considered as the co-author in students' manuscripts and essays. However, there are still lack of studies on the usage of Artificial Intelligence in developing students' essay writing performance. Thus, this study hopes to enlighten researchers and educators in using Artificial Intelligence tools in improving students' essay writing performance. This study will provide insights for researchers and teachers on the different types of artificial intelligence tools that can be used in teaching essay writing. It also provides areas that researchers can focus on since majority of the studies are conducted overseas and only two studies are carried out in Malaysia so far. Hopefully, this study will provide useful information for language teachers in using artificial intelligence tools in teaching essay writing to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS), is a widely used chemical mutagen that causes high‐frequency germline null mutation by inserting an alkyl group into the nucleotide guanine in eukaryotic cells. The effect of EMS on the dynamics of the aneuploid genome, increased cellular instability, and carcinogenicity in relation to benign and malignant tumors are reported, but the molecular level understanding of morphological changes of higher‐order chromatin structure has poorly been understood. This is due to a lack of sufficient resolution in conventional microscopic techniques to see small structures below the diffraction limit. Here, using super‐resolution radial fluctuation, a largely fragmented, decompaction, and less dense heterochromatin structure upon EMS treatment to HEK 293A cells without any change in nuclear DNA domains is observed. This result suggests an early stage of carcinogenicity happened due to the point mutation. In addition, the distinct structural changes with an elongated morphology of lysosomes are also observed. On the other hand, fragmented and increased heterogeneous populations with an increased cytoplasmic occupancy of mitochondria are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical global environmental issue due to its widespread distribution, persistence, and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Although research on microplastic pollution in aquatic environments has gained significant attention. However, a limited literature has summarized the impacts of microplastic pollution the agricultural land and human health. Therefore, In the current review, we have discussed how microplastic(s) affect the microorganisms by ingesting the microplastic present in the soil, alternatively affecting the belowground biotic and abiotic components, which further elucidates the negative effects on the above-ground properties of the crops. In addition, the consumption of these crops in the food chain revealed a potential risk to human health throughout the food chain. Moreover, microplastic pollution has the potential to induce a negative impact on agricultural production and food security by altering the physiochemical properties of the soil, microbial population, nutrient cycling, and plant growth and development. Therefore, we discussed in detail the potential hazards caused by microplastic contamination in the soil and through the consumption of food and water by humans in daily intake. Furthermore, further study is urgently required to comprehend how microplastic pollution negatively affects terrestrial ecosystems, particularly agroecosystems which drastically reduces the productivity of the crops. Our review highlights the urgent need for greater awareness, policy interventions, and technological solutions to address the emerging threat of microplastic pollution in soil and plant systems and mitigation strategies to overcome its potential impacts on human health. Based on existing studies, we have pointed out the research gaps and proposed different directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency anemia in adolescent girls can cause decreased concentration, cognitive levels and fitness. In the long term it will have an impact on low productivity and school achievement. This study aims to analyze the correlations between hemoglobin level, physical fitness and cognitive score in Anemic adolescent girls. The research design was cross-sectional, with a sample of adolescent girls aged 12-18 years (n=139). Iron status was determined by hemoglobin levels using Hemocue. Cognitive function was measured using the Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT), memory scores using the Intelligenz Structure Test (ITS), and physical fitness based on the predicted VO2max using the Bleep Test. Correlation analysis uses Pearson correlation analysis. The research results showed that overall 58.3% of students experienced anemia, of which 64.1% experienced mild anemia and 32.1% experienced moderate anemia. The average value of hemoglobin levels in respondents was 11.6 mg/dl. The mean predicted VO2 max is 25.3 kg/m2 and kognitif score 81,02 and memori score 11,01. Pearson's test results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between hemoglobin levels and predicted VO2 max (r = 0.28, p<0.05) and memori score (r = 0.31, p<0.05). There was a weak correlation between hemoglobin levels and kognitif score (r=0.17, p=0.053). Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between hemoglobin levels and physical fitness and cognitive function. Therefore, an intervention program is needed to increase Hb levels in adolescent girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: South Sulawesi Province ranks in the top 7 with a percentage of 58.9% coverage of TTD provision to adolescent girls. Based on data from the Gowa District Health Service in 2021, it shows that the number of coverage for taking blood-added tablets among young women is 57% of the accumulated achievements of 26 health centers, where the health center with the lowest number of coverage for taking blood-added tablets is one of the Kanjilo Community Health Centers with an achievement of 18% of 1239 targets targets. Youth Integrated Healthcare Center with a peer-group approach allows for continuous interaction between peer educators and their peers so that the delivery of information is more intensive. This research aims to determine the effect of peer group empowerment to increase adolescent behavior in consuming blood supplement tablets at the Youth Integrated Healthcare Center, Barombong District, Gowa Regency. Methods: This research uses a quantitative method of quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test group approach. The population in this study were all members of the youth Integrated Healthcare Center in the Kanjilo health center working area, Barombong sub-district, South Sulawesi province, who were divided into two groups, namely the intervention group and the control group, each with 40 people. Results: The results of the study showed that there was a significant effect of peer group empowerment intervention on intention, self-efficacy, knowledge, attitudes, parental support, and teacher support in the intervention group and control group in consuming blood supplement tablets in youth Integrated Healthcare Center with a p-value < 0.05. Apart from that, the results showed that adolescent Integrated Healthcare Center participants were more disciplined in consuming blood supplement tablets because of peer invitations which made changes in adolescent behavior in a more positive direction. Conclusion: There is a significant influence between the intervention group and the control group before and after being given counseling and peer group empowerment training on adolescent behavior in consuming blood supplement tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The growth and development of rice (Oryza sativa L.) are affected by multiple factors, such as ROS homeostasis and utilization of iron. Here, we demonstrate that OsUGE2, a gene encoding a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, controls growth and development by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron (Fe) level in rice. Knockout of this gene resulted in impaired growth, such as dwarf phenotype, weakened root growth and pale yellow leaves. Biochemical analysis showed that loss of function of OsUGE2 significantly altered the proportion and content of UDP-Glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-Galactose (UDP-Gal). Cellular observation indicates that the impaired growth may result from decreased cell length. More importantly, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that knockout of OsUGE2 significantly influenced the expression of genes related to oxidoreductase process and iron ion homeostasis. Consistently, the content of ROS and Fe are significantly decreased in OsUGE2 knockout mutant. Furthermore, knockout mutants of OsUGE2 are insensitive to both Fe deficiency and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment, which further confirmed that OsUGE2 control rice growth possibly through Fe and H2O2 signal. Collectively, these results reveal a new pathway that OsUGE2 could affect growth and development via influencing ROS homeostasis and Fe level in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging research area of ultrasmall, luminescent coinage metal nanoclusters exhibiting delayed emission through thermally-activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has garnered considerable interest in diverse applications such as imaging, therapy, and optoelectronics. To utilize the metal nanoclusters for advanced applications, it is crucial to understand the excited state dynamics governing delayed emission. Here, we comprehensively review the recent advancement in the design strategies of metal nanoclusters aimed at achieving control over their long-lived luminescence. The design strategies include solvent-induced aggregation, crystallization-induced self-assembly, complexation methods, ligand engineering, metal core doping, and composition regulation. Through these strategies, long-lived emission can be achieved which can provide TADF and RTP luminescence mechanism. Our primary goal is to harness the versatile capabilities of long-lived metal nanoclusters to advance their optoelectronic properties and broaden their range of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, being sessile, have developed complex signaling and response mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic stressors. Recent investigations have revealed the significant contribution of phytohormones in enabling plants to endure unfavorable conditions. Among these phytohormones, jasmonic acid (JA) and its derivatives, collectively referred to as jasmonates (JAs), are of particular importance and are involved in diverse signal transduction pathways to regulate various physiological and molecular processes in plants, thus protecting plants from the lethal impacts of abiotic and biotic stressors. Jasmonic acid has emerged as a central player in plant defense against biotic stress and in alleviating multiple abiotic stressors in plants, such as drought, salinity, vernalization, and heavy metal exposure. Furthermore, as a growth regulator, JA operates in conjunction with other phytohormones through a complex signaling cascade to balance plant growth and development against stresses. Although studies have reported the intricate nature of JA as a biomolecular entity for the mitigation of abiotic stressors, their underlying mechanism and biosynthetic pathways remain poorly understood. Therefore, this review offers an overview of recent progress made in understanding the biosynthesis of JA, elucidates the complexities of its signal transduction pathways, and emphasizes its pivotal role in mitigating abiotic and biotic stressors. Moreover, we also discuss current issues and future research directions for JAs in plant stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enteritidis, which is mostly to blame for the bulk of Salmonella food-borne enteritis in people worldwide and may cause enteric infection in a range of host species, is the usual cause of poultry salmonellosis. This food-borne illness is a major problem in both industrialized and developing nations. The transmission of disease is facilitated by the presence of numerous animal reservoirs and the extensive commercial distribution of both livestock and food products. In terms of its effects on the socio-economic system, this disease is among the biggest public health issues. There was, however, little information available about their incidence, description, and antibiotic susceptibility in Pakistan. To lessen the public risk associated with consumption of contaminated items, S. enteritidis was identified in the current study using Whole cell protein profiling and plasmid encoded antibiotic resistance. Six antibiotics were used to evaluate ten isolates for plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance. All isolates tested totally resistant to ampicillin (100%) in an in vitro susceptibility test using a typical disc, and that 60% of the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin. Levofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin were found sensitive to S. enteritidis i.e. 90% and 80% respectively. The plasmid profiling of resistant isolates revealed the presence of a plasmid that appears to be a serotype-specific virulence plasmid. By using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), whole cell protein profiling was carried out, revealing tight relationships between S. entertidis isolates and the presence of the main bands 78.1 and 35 kDa in all strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the challenges faced by infrastructure development projects in Balochistan, often leading to outcomes below expectations. The research analyzes impact of stakeholders' power and interest attributes on project success and examines the mediating role of the stakeholders' active involvement. Based upon the dataset of 216 valid responses from 25 union councils in 5-randomly selected Balochistan districts, statistical tools include correlation, regression as well as variance analysis were utilized. The results of study provide important information that are helpful in reaching the conclusion and making desired decisions about hypothesized relationships among research variables under consideration. Results highlight significant influence of stakeholders' power and interest on project success. Notably, stakeholders' involvement was found to strongly mediate the relationship between their attributes and project success. This study sheds light on the complex dynamics influencing project success, providing insights valuable for future infrastructure development strategies in Balochistan. The study offered certain recommendations to project managers, policy-makers and future researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report new red emissive highly photostable and water-soluble carbon nanodots (TPP CNDs) to visualize mitochondrial dynamics using super-resolution radial fluctuations (SRRF) microscopy. The TPP CNDs were synthesized in a one-step method, using 3-(carboxypropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP) and o-phenylenediamine (OPDA) as precursors. The obtained crystal structure, NMR, and mass data suggested the presence of [3-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)propyl](triphenyl)phosphonium bromide (C28H26N2P+Br−) as a molecular fluorophore (MF) on the surface of the TPP CNDs. The TPP CNDs showed better photostability than the commercially available MitoTracker™ Green and were highly capable for long-term imaging of mitochondrial fission during hyperglycemic conditions and structural changes upon an antidiabetic drug treatment, without altering their fluorescence nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenanthrene fluorescence quenching in anionic micellar system of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) was explored for the development of a sensitive and selective method for a group of selected aldehydes (2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde, 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde, 4-aminobenzaldehyde, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, 2-chlorobenzaldehyde, benzaldehyde and 2-methoxybenzaldehyde). Experiments were performed in 0.02 mol L− 1 SDS. All the studied aldehydes quenched the fluorescence intensity of the probe (phenanthrene). Stern-Volmer equation was useful in explaining the phenanthrene quenching by the studied aldehydes. Stern-Volmer constants () were obtained as a result of using the Stern-Volmer equation that gives the information in respect of sensitivity of the method for the studied aldehydes. Greater the higher will be the sensitivity and vice versa. , detection limit (DL) and quantification limit (QL) were observed in the order 2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde > 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde > 4-aminobenzaldehyde > 4-nitrobenzaldehyde > 2-chlorobenzaldehyde > benzaldehyde > 2-methoxybenzaldehyde. Phenanthrene fluorescence quenching by the studied aldehydes is useful for their determination in environmental samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to sessile, plants are unable to avoid unfavorable environmental conditions which leads to inducing serious negative effects on plant growth, crop yield, and food safety. Instead, various approaches were employed to mitigate the phytotoxicity of these emerging contaminants from the soil–plant system. However, recent studies based on the exogenous application of ZnO NPs approve of their important positive potential for alleviating abiotic stress-induced phytotoxicity leads to ensuring global food security. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed the promising role of ZnO NPs as alone or in synergistic interactions with other plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the mitigation of various abiotic stresses, i.e., heavy metals (HMs), drought, salinity, cold and high temperatures from different crops. ZnO NPs have stress-alleviating effects by regulating various functionalities by improving plant growth and development. ZnO NPs are reported to improve plant growth by stimulating diverse alterations at morphological, physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural levels under abiotic stress factors. We have explained the recent advances and pointed out research gaps in studies conducted in earlier years with future recommendations. Thus, in this review, we have also addressed the opportunities and challenges together with aims to uplift future studies toward effective applications of ZnO NPs in stress management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to sessile, plants are unable to avoid unfavorable environmental conditions which leads to inducing serious negative effects on plant growth, crop yield, and food safety. Instead, various approaches were employed to mitigate the phytotoxicity of these emerging contaminants from the soil–plant system. However, recent studies based on the exogenous application of ZnO NPs approve of their important positive potential for alleviating abiotic stress-induced phytotoxicity leads to ensuring global food security. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed the promising role of ZnO NPs as alone or in synergistic interactions with other plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the mitigation of various abiotic stresses, i.e., heavy metals (HMs), drought, salinity, cold and high temperatures from different crops. ZnO NPs have stress-alleviating effects by regulating various functionalities by improving plant growth and development. ZnO NPs are reported to improve plant growth by stimulating diverse alterations at morphological, physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural levels under abiotic stress factors. We have explained the recent advances and pointed out research gaps in studies conducted in earlier years with future recommendations. Thus, in this review, we have also addressed the opportunities and challenges together with aims to uplift future studies toward effective applications of ZnO NPs in stress management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging manycore servers with Intel DC persistent memory (DCPM) are equipped with hundreds of CPU cores on multiple CPU sockets. Such servers are designed to guarantee high performance and scalability. Several recent studies proposed persistent fault-tolerant indexes for DCPM. Fast & Fair (F&F) is the state-of-the-art concurrent variant of the B+-tree for DCPM. However, its adoption on manycore servers is hampered by scalability limitations due to lengthy, lock-based synchronization including structure modification operations. The lack of NUMA awareness induces further performance overhead from remote memory accesses. In this paper, we propose F3-tree, a concurrent, NUMA-aware and persistent future-based B+-tree for DCPM servers. F 3 -tree relies on per-thread local future objects and a global B+-tree. To introduce NUMA awareness and minimize remote memory accesses, F 3 -tree adopts per-socket dedicated asynchronous evaluation threads to checkpoint future objects to the global B+-tree. F 3 -tree employs an in-memory hash table to mitigate the read overhead of key searches over the future objects. We implemented F 3 -tree atop F&F and evaluated its performance on Linux using both synthetic and realistic workloads. Our evaluation shows that F 3 -tree outperforms F&F on average by 3.4 × and 5 × without and with NUMA awareness, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the integration and diversification potential of European football club stocks. Football clubs represent a unique asset class with ties to geographic regions yet distinct brand identities. Using stock data for 14 major clubs before and after March 2020, we examine how COVID-19 altered correlations between equities. We find increased market synchronization, with higher correlations over 0.3 post-pandemic, indicating tighter relationships especially along country/league lines. However, some differentiation based on firm-specific factors persists. Our analysis shows constructing optimized portfolios can still enhance returns versus equal weighting, but managing risk is more difficult. Overall, while COVID-19 integration presents diversification challenges, opportunities remain by carefully selecting assets with moderate correlations. This study provides investors and academics insight into how a major crisis reshapes football stock dynamics, increasing systematic risk exposure. It highlights the need to reevaluate assumptions underlying portfolio construction in light of shifting correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The airline industry is highly competitive, and airlines need to provide high-quality services to attract and retain customers. This study examines how airline service quality, safety regulations, airline safety and empathy affect consumer satisfaction and how price sensitivity moderates this effect. Airlines must deliver high-quality services to attract and keep customers in a competitive industry. Moreover, how price sensitivity moderates the relationship between service quality and passenger satisfaction. The results indicate that airline service quality, safety requirements, safety, and empathy affect customer satisfaction. Airline service quality, safety regulations, empathy are the most essential factors affecting passenger satisfaction. Price sensitivity moderates the relationship between passenger satisfaction and passenger loyalty, price-sensitive passengers more likely to switch airlines if they are dissatisfied. The study emphasizes the necessity of high-quality services to improve passenger satisfaction for airlines. To satisfy customers, airlines must prioritize safety, Empathy, ticket pricing, and service quality. Airlines must also recognize price sensitivity's moderating influence and develop strategies to serve price-sensitive passengers. This study adds to the literature by examining how airline service quality, safety regulations, empathy, and price sensitivity affect passenger satisfaction. In a competitive industry, airlines must focus on different service aspects to improve passenger satisfaction and passenger loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gaceta Médica de Caracas is the property of Academia Nacional de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Gaceta Médica de Caracas is the property of Academia Nacional de Medicina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the portrayal of cognitive, social, and teaching presence among postgraduate students using mobile instant messaging in a fully online learning environment. Understanding the portrayal of these presences can help researchers to gain insights into the specific dynamics of these presences and develop strategies to optimize the learning experience among postgraduate students. However, a lack of evidence on how cognitive, social, and teaching presence is portrayed in this platform makes it difficult to identify possible gaps where postgraduates may need more assistance. This study conducted a qualitative content analysis of 2074 messages from four groups on WhatsApp's mobile instant messaging application. From the research, 68% of the messages demonstrated social presence, 25% teaching presence, and 7% indicated cognitive presence. The cognitive presence on WhatsApp was the least demonstrated, as students preferred rich mediums like video conferencing to engage in discussions that require higher-order thinking skills. Future research can consider analyzing how students show presences using multiple mediums and explore how cognitive, social, and teaching presences are dynamically interplayed in different mediums using a qualitative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate Bayesian linear regression (MBLR) is a popular statistical tool with many applications in a variety of scientific fields. However, a shortcoming is potential model over-complexity, as the model assumes that all responses depend on the same covariates and that all errors are mutually pairwise correlated. The class of Bayesian seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models generalizes the class of MBLR models by allowing for response-specific covariate sets. In a recent work it has been proposed to employ Gaussian graphical models for learning sparse SUR (SSUR) models with conditional independencies among the errors. The proposed SSUR model infers undirected edges among the errors, and the proposed Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) inference algorithm relies on approximations of the marginal likelihoods. In this paper, we propose a new refined SSUR model that replaces the undirected graphs (Gaussian graphical models) by directed acyclic graphs (Gaussian Bayesian networks). Unlike the earlier proposed model, our new model is therefore able to learn some directed edges among the errors. And we derive a RJMCMC algorithm that does not require approximations of the marginal likelihoods. In particular, we present an algorithm for sampling covariance matrices that are coherent with a given directed acyclic graph. The proposed RJMCMC algorithm allows for exact Bayesian model averaging across both: the response-specific covariate sets and the directed acyclic graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]