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In the present study, the corrosion inhibition properties of Bacillus coagulansagainst mild steel (MS) were studied employing electrochemical procedures to monitor the real-time corrosion rate, mechanism, development of efficient mitigation strategies, and material protection. Results of the study revealed that under acidic environments B. coagulansformed a protective biofilm on MS surface and caused marked reduction in corrosion and other forms of mutilation. Characterization and electrochemical procedures were performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of B. coagulansat different pH and at different temperatures on the corrosion rate and, to determine the mechanism of corrosion prevention. The film developed on surface of the MS by B. coagulans,was crack free, compact, and lipophilic in nature and was composed of amyloid fibers, carboxylic acid, and proteins that make electrochemical reactions that, accruing on the metal–solution interface difficult and substantial reduction in corrosion rates observed. The film adhered to the surface of metal substrates shows fitting with diverse adsorption isotherm indications, with physical adsorption being the predominant pattern observed in most cases. This suggests that the interaction between the biofilm and metal surfaces is primarily governed by physical forces. To conclude, B. coagulansexhibits protective action on MS against corrosion.

Epigenetic modifications play a pivotal role in the process of neurogenesis. Among these modifications, reversible acetylation fine-tunes gene expression for both embryonic and adult neurogenesis. The CBP/KAT3A and its paralogue p300/KAT3B are well-known lysine acetyltransferases with transcriptional coactivation ability that engage in neural plasticity and memory. The exclusive role of their KAT activity in neurogenesis and memory could not be addressed due to the absence of a p300/CBP modulator, which can cross the blood–brain barrier. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that a small molecule activator, TTK21, specific to CBP/p300, when conjugated to glucose-derived carbon nanospheres (CSP), is efficiently delivered to the mouse brain and could induce dendritic branching and extend long-term memory. However, the molecular mechanisms of p300 acetyltransferase activity-dependent enhanced dendritogenesis are yet to be understood. Here, we report that CSP-TTK21 treatment to primary neuronal culture derived from mouse embryo enhances the expression of five critical genes: Neurod1(central nervous system development), Tubb3(immature neural marker), Camk2a(synaptic plasticity and LTP), Snap25(spine morphogenesis plasticity), and Scn2a(propagation of the action potential). Activation of these genes by inducing the p300/CBP KAT activity presumably promotes the maturation and differentiation of adult neuronal progenitors and thereby the formation of long and highly branched doublecortin-positive functional neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.

Introduction: The United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend COVID-19 vaccines for all immunocompromised individuals. Certain disease groups are at increased risk of comorbidity and death for which disease-specific recommendations should be considered. The objective of the Delphi panel of experts was to summarize expert consensus on COVID-19 vaccinations for patients with rheumatologic disease, renal disease, hematologic malignancy and solid organ transplant (SOT) in the US. Methods: A two-stage Delphi panel method was employed, starting with qualitative interviews with key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the four disease areas (n= 4 KOLs, n= 16 total) followed by three rounds of iterative revision of disease-specific COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Final consensus was rated after the third round. Statements addressed primary and booster dosing (e.g., number and frequency) and other considerations such as vaccine type or heterologous messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccination. Following the Delphi Panel, an online survey was conducted to assess physician agreement within the disease areas (n= 50 each, n= 200 total) with the consensus statements. Results: Moderate to strong consensus was achieved for all primary series vaccination statements across disease groups, except one in hematology. Similarly, moderate to strong consensus was achieved for all booster series statements in all disease areas. However, statements on antibody titer measurements for re-vaccination considerations and higher dosages for immunocompromised patients did not reach agreement. Overall, approximately 62%–96% of physicians strongly agreed with the primary and booster vaccine recommendations. However, low agreement (29%–69%) was found among physicians for time interval between disease-specific treatment and vaccination, recommendations for mRNA vaccines, heterologous mRNA vaccination, antibody titer measurement and higher vaccine dosage for immunocompromised groups. Conclusion: Consensus was achieved for disease-specific COVID-19 vaccine recommendations concerning primary and booster series vaccines and was generally well accepted by practicing physicians.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems globally. The lack of quality guidelines on the management of COVID-19 in rheumatologic disease, renal disease, hematological malignancy, and solid organ transplant recipients has resulted in a wide variation in clinical practice. Methods: Using a Delphi process, a panel of 16 key opinion leaders developed clinical practice statements regarding vaccine recommendations in areas where standards are absent or limited. Agreement among practicing physicians with consensus statements was also assessed via an online physician survey. The strength of the consensus was determined by the following rating system: a strong rating was defined as all four key opinion leaders (KOLs) rating the statement ≥ 8, a moderate rating was defined as three out of four KOLs rating the statement ≥ 8, and no consensus was defined as less than three out of four KOLs provided a rating of ≤ 8. Specialists voted on agreement with each consensus statement for their disease area using the same ten-point scoring system. Results: Key opinion leaders in rheumatology, nephrology, and hematology achieved consensuses for all nine statements pertaining to the primary and booster series with transplant physicians reaching consensus on eight of nine statements. Experts agreed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and well tolerated by patients with rheumatological conditions, renal disease, hematologic malignancy, and recipients of solid organ transplants. The Delphi process yielded strong to moderate suggestions for the use of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines and the necessity of the COVID-19 booster for the immunocompromised population. The expert panel had mixed feelings concerning the measurement of antibody titers, higher-dose mRNA vaccines, and the development of disease-specific COVID-19 guidance. Conclusions: These results confirmed the necessity of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters in immunocompromised patients with rheumatologic disease, renal disease, hematological malignancy, and solid organ transplant recipients. Statements where consensus was not achieved were due to absent or limited evidence.

Palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) in the past decade have been extensively used in the diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of numerous diseases owing to their unique physical, chemical, and catalytic properties. Previously, Palladium was almost singularly used for catalysis during chemical synthesis in industries. It is only in the past decade that researchers explore its potential in biomedicine. PdNPs can also be used in the imaging and diagnosis of cancer through techniques such as photoacoustic imaging, computed tomography, and flow cytometry-assisted cell sorting. They offer various advantages such as tunability, desirable photothermal and optical properties, thermal stability, antimicrobial properties, and many more. Cancer treatment through conventional techniques and the broad use of cytotoxic therapeutics has reached a plateau. This paved the way to design novel selective and targeted therapies, one of them being PdNPs. PdNPs are most commonly used in synergy with chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, as well as radiotherapy which improves the efficacy of cancer treatment. In this review, several studies are included that summarize the synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity of palladium nanoparticles as well as the functionalized PdNP complexes. In addition, the review provides insight into the mechanism of palladium nanoparticles in improving the efficacy and efficiency of synergistic therapies.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) represents a global health concern, including in older adults. This study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-1345, an investigational mRNA RSV vaccine, in adults aged ≥60 years of Japanese descent.

AbstractThe environment exposed to radionuclide faces detrimental effects of ionizing radiations and these radiations can damage DNA by inducing genotoxicity in living organisms. The gamma radiation induced genotoxicity was evaluated by employing Single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay in the foragers of Apis mellifera ligusticaby exposing to different doses (1 to 60 Gy) of gamma radiation. DNA damage was measured as the percentage of comet tail DNA. The results showed a dose dependent increase and post irradiation time (1-24 h) dependent decrease in % tail DNA level in bee foragers. A significant increase in DNA damage was observed in all the samples and the extent of damage was proportional to the dose of gamma radiation received by the bees except in those treated with the lower doses (1, 5 and 10 Gy) of gamma radiation. The highest amount of DNA damage was recorded at 1 h post-irradiation which decreased gradually with time, that is, at 3 h and 6 h post-irradiation. However, there were no significant differences in the % tail DNA of bees of 12 h and 24 h post irradiation. The present study shows gamma radiation induced DNA damage in foragers of A. m. ligusticaand also the comet assay is a suitable technique for detection of gamma radiation induced DNA damage.

IMPORTANCE: Vascular complications after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remain an important cause of procedure-related morbidity. Routine reversal of anticoagulation with protamine at the conclusion of transfemoral TAVI could reduce complications, but data remain scarce. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of routine protamine administration after transfemoral TAVI. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The ACE-PROTAVI trial was an investigator-initiated, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial performed at 3 Australian hospitals between December 2021 and June 2023 with a 1-year follow-up period. All patients accepted for transfemoral TAVI by a multidisciplinary heart team were eligible for enrollment. INTERVENTIONS: Eligible patients were randomized 1:1 between routine protamine administration and placebo. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The coprimary outcomes were the rate of hemostasis success and time to hemostasis (TTH), presented as categorical variables and compared with a χ2 test or as continuous variables as mean (SD) or median (IQR), depending on distribution. The major secondary outcome was a composite of all-cause death, major and minor bleeding complications, and major and minor vascular complications after 30 days, reported in odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs and P values. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 410 patients: 199 patients in the protamine group and 211 in the placebo group. The median (IQR) patient age in the protamine group was 82 (77-85) years, and 68 of 199 patients receiving protamine (34.2%) were female. The median (IQR) patient age in the placebo group was 80 (75-85) years, and 89 of 211 patients receiving the placebo (42.2%) were female. Patients receiving up-front protamine administration had a higher rate of hemostasis success (188 of 192 patients [97.9%]) than patients in the placebo group (186 of 203 patients [91.6%]; absolute risk difference, 6.3%; 95% CI, 2.0%-10.6%; P = .006); in addition, patients receiving up-front protamine had a shorter median (IQR) TTH (181 [120-420] seconds vs 279 [122-600] seconds; P = .002). Routine protamine administration resulted in a reduced risk of the composite outcome in the protamine group (10 of 192 [5.2%]) vs the placebo group (26 of 203 [12.8%]; OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.1-0.8; P = .01). This difference was predominantly driven by the difference in the prevalence of minor vascular complications. There were no adverse events associated with protamine use. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In the ACE-PROTAVI randomized clinical trial, routine administration of protamine increased the rate of hemostasis success and decreased TTH. The beneficial effect of protamine was reflected in a reduction in minor vascular complications, procedural time, and postprocedural hospital stay duration in patients receiving routine protamine compared with patients receiving placebo. TRIAL REGISTRATION: anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12621001261808

ABSTRACTGenerally, fault mitigation and classification technique has become an important issue in grid-connected PV (GCPV) systems. This study intends a control topology for fault grouping and mitigation scheme in GCPV systems. Whale optimization algorithm (WOA)-ANFIS controllers are applied to uphold the DC-link voltage in UPQC as a perpetual limit. The ANFIS algorithm is employed to attain the apprising procedure of the WOA. The ANFIS controller is working based on the ANN (Artificial Neural Network) and FIS (Fuzzy Interference system). Additionally, the fault classification is proposed in this paper. The fault classification is attained through the use of DWT and ANFIS. Initially, the normal signals are analyzed; the fault is created and extracted in the consumption of DWT. Then the extracted characteristics are fed to the ANFIS for classification. The ANFIS classified faults in the consumption of fuzzy rules. The goals of the projected model are to classify and mitigate the faults in GCPV systems. The projected system is executed using MATLAB/Simulink. So as to investigate the efficacy of the projected technique, the several categories of concerns are examined and verified with the prevailing tactics for instance, UPQC with PSO-ANFIS, UPQC with WOA-ANN method.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential medical tool for analyzing the functioning of the heart. An arrhythmia is a deviation in the shape of the ECG signal from the normal sinus rhythm. Long-term arrhythmias are the primary sources of cardiac disorders. Shockable arrhythmias, a type of life-threatening arrhythmia in cardiac patients, are characterized by disorganized or chaotic electrical activity in the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles), disrupting blood flow throughout the body. This condition may lead to sudden cardiac arrest in most patients. Therefore, detecting and classifying shockable arrhythmias is crucial for prompt defibrillation. In this work, various machine and deep learning algorithms from the literature are analyzed and summarized, which is helpful in automatic classification of shockable arrhythmias. Additionally, the advantages of these methods are compared with existing traditional unsupervised methods. The importance of digital signal processing techniques based on feature extraction, feature selection, and optimization is also discussed at various stages. Finally, available databases, the performance of automated algorithms, limitations, and the scope for future research are analyzed. This review encourages researchers’ interest in this challenging topic and provides a broad overview of its latest developments.

Chronic pruritus (CP) is a poorly characterized condition associated with intense pruritus without a primary skin eruption. This condition tends to emerge more commonly in older adults, and there is limited research on triggering factors.

In order to alleviate the existing global energy and environmental difficulties related to the usage of fossil fuels, there is requirement of improved energy alternatives such as limitless solar energy. The creation of low-cost photovoltaic devices and their design are of significant interest which represent the pinnacle of effective solar energy harvesting. PbS colloidal quantum dot solar cell has a promising ability for ultra-thin solar cell applications. In the present work, the device architecture indium tin oxide/SnO2/PbS–TBAI/MoO3/Au has been used in which MoO3(molybdenum trioxide) is employed as HTL (hole transport layer) with 3.0 eV bandgap and SnO2(tin (IV) oxide) as ETL (electron transport layer) with 3.5 eV bandgap and PbS–TBAI (tetrabutylammonium iodide) is used as an absorber layer with 1.2 eV bandgap. Further, 1D solar cell capacitance simulation program tool (SCAPS-1D) is used to obtain energy band diagram, quantum energy and current density curve. The achieved value of power conversion efficiency is 30.16%, Voc(open-circuit voltage) is 0.9025 V, Jsc(short-circuit current density) is 38.746 mA/cm2and fill factor is 86.14%. For further optimization, the impact of temperature, thickness of active layer and work function on the PV parameters has been studied.

Author verification is challenging because of the diversity in writing styles. We propose an enhanced handwriting verification method that combines handcrafted and automatically extracted features. The method uses a genetic algorithm to reduce the dimensionality of the feature set. We consider offline Bangla handwriting content and evaluate the proposed method using handcrafted features with a simple logistic regression, radial basis function network, and sequential minimal optimization as well as automatically extracted features using a convolutional neural network. The handcrafted features outperform the automatically extracted ones, achieving an average verification accuracy of 94.54% for 100 writers. The handcrafted features include Radon transform, histogram of oriented gradients, local phase quantization, and local binary patterns from interwriter and intrawriter content. The genetic algorithm reduces the feature dimensionality and selects salient features using a support vector machine. The top five experimental results are obtained from the optimal feature set selected using a consensus strategy. Comparisons with other methods and features confirm the satisfactory results.

The consistency and duration of the menstrual cycle exhibit significant associations with specific psychiatric conditions throughout an individual’s lifespan. The proposed methodology surveys the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the length or regularity of the menstrual cycle and analyzes the difficulties undergone by the women. A comprehensive dataset is generated and a mathematical model using an exploratory data analytics approach is developed, in order to establish a correlation between these variables. It utilizes a cyclic methodology, leveraging shared menstrual data and a predictive model derived from vehicles to enhance network learning. A decentralized secure learning procedure is implemented to ensure data privacy and security. The transfer learning techniques helps to enhance the ability to learn from diverse data distributions in IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) networks, improve the robustness of the learning process. This approach presents a practical and effective solution for IoMT network learning, allowing each participant to contribute their individual features to collectively extract valuable insights from the data. The decentralization facilitates end-users in accessing their personal medical records while ensuring privacy, irrespective of their location and time. This system also achieves a minimal delay sensitivity of 3.2%, by providing timely access to the required information.

Supramolecular biomaterials can recapitulate the structural and functional facets of the native extracellular matrix and react to biochemical cues, leveraging the unique attributes of noncovalent interactions, including reversibility and tunability. However, the low mechanical properties of supramolecular biomaterials can restrict their utilization in specific applications. Combining the advantages of supramolecular polymers with covalent polymers can lead to the fabrication of tailor-made biomaterials with enhanced mechanical properties/degradability. Herein, we demonstrate a synergistic coassembled self-healing gel as a multifunctional supramolecular material. As the supramolecular polymer component, we chose folic acid (vitamin B9), an important biomolecule that forms a gel comprising one-dimensional (1D) supramolecular polymers. Integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into this supramolecular gel alters its ultrastructure and augments its mechanical properties. A drastic improvement of complex modulus (G*) (∼3674 times) was observed in the folic acid-PVA gel with 15% w/vPVA (33215 Pa) compared with the folic acid gel (9.04 Pa). The coassembled hydrogels possessed self-healing and injectable/thixotropic attributes and could be printed into specific three-dimensional (3D) shapes. Synergistically, the supramolecular polymers of folic acid also improve the toughness, durability, and ductility of the PVA films. A nanocomposite of the gels with silver nanoparticles exhibited excellent catalytic efficiency and antibacterial activity. The folic acid-PVA coassembled gels and films also possessed high cytocompatibility, substantiated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and live-dead assays. Taken together, the antibacterial and cell-adhesive attributes suggest potential applications of these coassembled biomaterials for tissue engineering and wound healing.

ABSTRACTAZ91 Magnesium alloy is widely used in automobile components, bio-implants, mobile and computer parts, sporting goods, etc., owing to its low density, high strength to weight ratio, good machinability and biodegradable characteristics. However, it has moderate strength and poor ductility that hinders its engineering application. The incorporation of ceramic reinforcement in Mg alloys to form high-strength composites shows a major loss in its ductility. In this research work, friction stir processing (FSP) was used with two innovative tool designs to enhance mechanical and microstructural properties by employing titanium powders as reinforcement particles – metallic reinforcement possessing higher melting point, offering a solution to the issue. The tools were designed with stepped square profile, where in one design, the square steps were aligned with each other (S-type) and in the other design, the square edges were mis-aligned by 45˚ (D-type). Microstructural analysis was done using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Mechanical properties, micro-indentation hardness test and compression test, were studied in detail.Results revealed that the FSP process performed with D-type tool yielded better results with more uniform distribution of Ti particles in the stir zone and grain refinement with refined recrystallised grains down to about 8 µm due to severe plastic deformation and dynamic recrystallisation. The compressive strength of the material processed using D-tool was found to be increased to 456 MPa. Ti particles established a proper interface with the matrix delaying the failure of the material, thereby improving the ductility of the material as well. The mechanisms leading to microstructural refinement and enhancement in mechanical performance are presented in detail.

IMPORTANCE: Prurigo nodularis (PN) and chronic pruritus of unknown origin (CPUO) are chronic pruritic diseases that dramatically impair quality of life, but therapeutic options are limited. Abrocitinib, a Janus kinase 1 inhibitor, represents a promising therapy for both conditions. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of 200-mg oral abrocitinib administered once daily in adults with moderate to severe PN or CPUO. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 2, open-label, nonrandomized controlled trial conducted between September 2021 and July 2022 took place at a single center in the US. A total of 25 adult patients with moderate to severe PN or CPUO were screened. Ten patients with PN and 10 patients with CPUO were enrolled. All 20 patients completed the 12-week treatment period, 18 of whom completed the 4-week follow-up period. INTERVENTION: Abrocitinib, 200 mg, by mouth once daily for 12 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy end point was the percent change in weekly Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (PP-NRS) scores from baseline to week 12. Key secondary end points included the percentage of patients achieving at least a 4-point reduction in weekly PP-NRS score from baseline to week 12 and the percent change in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores. RESULTS: A total of 10 patients with PN (mean [SD] age, 58.6 [13.1] years; all were female) and 10 patients with CPUO (mean [SD] age, 70.7 [5.6] years; 2 were female) enrolled in the study. The mean (SD) baseline PP-NRS score was 9.2 (1.0) for PN and 8.2 (1.2) for CPUO. PP-NRS scores decreased by 78.3% in PN (95% CI, −118.5 to −38.1; P < .001) and 53.7% in CPUO (95% CI, −98.8 to −8.6; P = .01) by week 12. From baseline to week 12, 8 of 10 patients with PN and 6 of 10 patients with CPUO achieved at least a 4-point improvement on the PP-NRS. Both groups experienced significant improvement in quality of life as demonstrated by percent change in DLQI scores (PN: −53.2% [95% CI, −75.3% to −31.1%]; P = .002; CPUO: −49.0% [95% CI, −89.6% to −8.0%]; P = .02). The most common adverse event among patients was acneiform eruption in 2 of 20 patients (10%). No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of this nonrandomized controlled trial suggest that abrocitinib monotherapy may be effective and tolerated well in adults with PN or CPUO. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are warranted to validate these findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05038982

Agriculture is an essential economic sector as it plays an important role in providing growing populations with sufficient food. Thus, it is imperative for policymakers to plan sufficient food stockpiles based on consumption requirements while ensuring lands are used in an efficient manner for producing a range of crops. Land is a limited resource and should be utilised efficiently to meet crop/food production demands. Thus, this work presents land use pinch analysis (LUPA), to aid planning of crop based on land footprint. LUPA is a novel application that allows the decision maker to determine the minimum amount of low land footprint crop required to achieve reductions in land usage and to meet food product demands. To illustrate LUPA, this work provides a numerical case study intended to highlight the benefits and features of the methodology. The case study aims to determine the amount of low land footprint oil crop (e.g., palm oil) that could replace other oil crops to meet a given edible oil demand and achieve reductions in land footprint. Results from the case study suggest that policymakers can opt for around 1 million hectares of low land footprint oil crop to meet the specified edible oil demand and replacing about 8 million hectares of a higher land footprint oil crop in the process. The case study is revisited analyse the impact of crop yield on the planning. This evidently shows that LUPA can be used as a means for strategising land allocation and land use reductions to meet edible oil demands.