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Geothermal brines contain high concentrations of ions and form a source of various valuable elements. The isolation of the elements from their water systems is a great challenge when the gradual depletion of ores in mining is considered. Attempts have been made for a long time to isolate valuable elements from aqueous mixtures prepared in the laboratory. However, those studies might not reflect the complexity of natural systems and might yield results that deviate significantly from the performance in real field systems. In this study, sorption is used to extract lithium ions from a representative field, Tuzla Geothermal Power Plant (TGPP) Turkey, using a mini-pilot reactor introduced to the reinjection well of the plant. Electrolytic manganese dioxide (γ-MnO2), a relatively inexpensive material widely used as the cathode material in lithium-ion batteries, was employed as a sorbent material for lithium. The sorption/desorption performance of the novel γ-MnO2 was investigated under various conditions. Sorption is performed at 360K and 2 bars. The maximum sorption performance was obtained at 1 h in Tuzla GPP. The desorption experiments were performed in acidic solutions. The concentration of Li+ in the desorption solution was found to be 25 mg/L on average when 10 g of γ-MnO2 was dispersed into 30 mL of the acidic aqueous solution. The first desorption solution was used consecutively for collecting more Li+ ions through the desorption of fresh brine-treated powder samples (cumulative desorption). By repeating this process four times consecutively, 230 mg/L of Li+ was obtained in the desorption solution. Moreover, the reusability of the γ-MnO2 sorbent was examined. The sorbent powder showed almost 40% performance efficiency compared to virgin powder under the conditions employed in this study. The use of electrolytic γ-MnO2 sorbent for lithium adsorption was found to be a promising process for practical use in the separation of lithium from geothermal brines.

Cardiac allografts suffer diastolic dysfunction early post-heart transplantation (HTx) due to ischemic injury, however the natural course of diastology recovery post HTx remains unknown (Tallaj et al., 2007 [1]). We retrospectively reviewed 60 adult HTx patients between 2015 and 2021 at a single site. Invasive hemodynamics and echocardiograms were obtained at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-HTx. RA strain by 2D feature tracking was compared to intracardiac pressure measurements. In all patients, we observed normalization of RV and RA filling pressures by post-operative week 12 and recovery of diastolic dysfunction by month 6. There was an inverse correlation between RV end-diastolic pressure and RA contractile (r = −0.192, p

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) may induce electromagnetic interference (EMI) affecting implanted cardiac devices, including more novel subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillators (S-ICDs). Methods: In this case series, the authors retrospectively reviewed courses of 6 patients with S-ICDs who underwent LVAD implantation at a single center. Results: Of the 6 patients reviewed, 4 experienced inappropriate ICD shocks, of which 3 resulted from EMI. Five of the 6 patients ultimately had S-ICD therapies disabled. Conclusions: Due to EMI resulting in inappropriate shocks and improved tolerability of malignant arrhythmias, deactivation or removal of S-ICDs should be considered in patients undergoing LVAD implantation.

Introduction: Diuretics are the mainstay of maintaining and restoring euvolemia in the management of heart failure. Loop diuretics are often preferred, however, combination diuretic therapy (CDT) with a thiazide diuretic is often used to overcome diuretic resistance and increase diuretic effect. We performed an analysis of the GUIDE-IT study to assess all-cause mortality and time to first hospitalizations in patients necessitating CDT. Methods: Patients from the GUIDE-IT dataset were stratified by their requirement for CDT with a thiazide to achieve euvolemia. A total of 894 patients were analyzed, 733 of which were treated with loop diuretics alone vs 161 used either chlorothiazide or metolazone in addition to loop diuretics. Kaplan-Meir curves were derived with log-rank p-values to evaluate for differences between the groups. Results: There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality regardless of CDT utilization status (mean survival of 612.704 days vs 603.326 days, p = 0.083). On subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality amongst those using loop diuretics compared to CDT in the BNP-guided therapy group, (mean survival time 576.385 days vs 620.585 days, p = 0.0523), nor the control group (614.1 days vs 588.9 days; p = 0.5728). Time to first hospitalization was reduced in all using CDT compared to loop diuretics alone (280.5 days vs 407.2 days, p

In the current study, the incline edge crack growth behavior in an aluminum alloy 7075-T6 specimens (which were coated using nickel-carbon nanotubes electroless coating) has been investigated undergoes uniaxial tensile fatigue loading. High purity multi walled carbon nanotubes have been used in nano-coating solutions with various concentrations (1 g/l, 2 g/l and 3 g/l) to examine the improvement extent of fatigue crack growth resistance and other mechanical properties. Water jet technique was used to cutting aluminum plates to the required dimensions before the nano-coating procedure. Multi-purpose fatigue apparatus has been adopted to apply tensile fatigue loading with zero stress ratios. High magnification camera with image j software has been utilized to measure the propagated crack lengths with the number of fatigue cycles. To inspection the quality, thickness uniformity and homogeneity of the nano-coating layer over specimen surfaces, EDXRF and FESEM techniques have been adopted in this study. Numerical simulation using ABAQUS 2021 programming was performed for the purpose of the results validation. The measured results offered a 25.9 %, 44.5 % and 47.9 % increasing in the hardness of the coated specimens using 1 g/l, 2 g/l and 3 g/l MWCNTs respectively. The modulus of elasticity produced an increasing of 26.7 %, 44.4 % and 46.3 % for the coated specimens using 1 g/l, 2 g/l and 3 g/l MWCNTs respectively. The nano-coating with 2 g/l MWCNTs produced more homogeneous, uniform thickness coating layer and fatigue crack growth resistance than that of the coated specimens using other concentrations of MWCNTs. The similarity in the crack growth behavior was the major outcome of the results validation from the fatigue tests and numerical simulation.

Antifouling membranes were developed by encapsulating amino-functionalized nano-silica in polymeric mixes of polyethersulfone (PES) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). Subsequently, the membranes were modified with a nano-Ag/PVP coating layer. The membranes’ performance was assessed against synthetic whey solutions model to mimic dairy wastewater. Various techniques were harnessed to evaluate the membranes' composition, structure and morphology, including SEM, XPS, XRD, AFM, mechanical characteristics, porosities and contact angles. Findings indicated that nanocomposite made with 1.5 % amino-functionalized nano-silica (M3) revealed optimum performance and was capable to separate 90 % of the whey in the feed along with a permeate flux of 238 L/m2.h, when the feed whey concentration was 0.4°Brix. the equivalent membrane but coated with a nano-Ag /PVP layer (M3S) displayed a trivial drop in permeate flux (229.3 L/m2.h) comparing to uncoated one. Nonetheless, the addition of the coating boosted the separation efficiency up to 99.7 % of the whey in the feed. The fouling test indicated that the coated membrane (M3S) had superior antifouling property, where flux recovery ratio (FRR) hit 99.5 % with a diminution in the backwash rate.

The study assessed the peptidomic profile of in-bag dry-aged (2 °C, RH 75 %, 0.5 m.s−1, n = 30) and wet-aged (-1.5 °C, n = 30) lamb with high and low levels of lipid oxidation. A total of 1056 low molecular weight peptides (< 10 kDa) were identified in aged lamb samples, using LC-MS/MS and label free quantification (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD047738). Partial Least Squares – Discriminant analysis highlighted that all discriminating peptides in dry-aged lamb were from titin, whereas discriminating peptides in the wet-aged samples were predominantly from nebulin, myotilin, collagen type IV, LIM domain binding 3, and heat shock protein family B. Comparison of peptides from aged lamb meat with high- and low-levels of lipid oxidation showed that most discriminatory peptides within an ageing method are derived from oxidatively modified peptides from creatine kinase. These peptides could thus potentially be used as signature biomolecules to discriminate ageing techniques and indicate lipid oxidation levels.

In the present research, ginger extracted compounds, namely; Gingerol {(1-[4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl]-5-hydroxy-3-decanone} (1), Zingerone {(4-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanone)} (2), and Shogoals {(E)-1-(4-Hydroxy-3- methoxyphenyl) dec-4-en-3-one)} (3) have been investigated as SARS-Cov-2 inhibitors. The interaction of extracted compounds with the virus's spikes may restrict the virus's reproduction or give time to the body's immune system to detect viruses, consequently producing appropriate antibodies. Gaussian 09 with a 6-311G (d, p) basis set, UCA FUKUI, MGL implement, DSV, and LigPlus software were utilized. The active sites for adsorption were identified using the total electron density (TED), FUKUI function, and Millikan charges. Furthermore, docking analysis clearly showed that the inhibition of viral replication depends on binding energy (Eb) and ligand efficiency (LE). A docking study revealed that the inhibition ability of the studied compounds on SARS-CoV-2 was in the order of 2 > 3 > 1.

The world witnessed significant economic growth due to the rapid recovery of businesses and industries in the post-epidemic era. Nonetheless, the problems of the emission of harmful gases, with all its attendant dangers, have recently attracted considerable attention. Using effective methods to accurately monitor these harmful gases is the first thing to be done for solving these problems. Within this work, by means of the first-principles density functional theory, a B3O3 monolayer (B3O3ML) gas sensor was introduced in order to monitor the harmful gas acetone (ACT). The negative adsorption energies of the complex of ACT/B3O3ML demonstrated that adsorption of the ACT molecules over the B3O3ML was favorable in terms of energy and the process of adsorption was exothermic. After the adsorption of ACT on the surface of the B3O3ML, there were noticeable changes in the electronic properties of ACT and in the density of sates. The recovery time of the B3O3ML for the detection of the ACT molecule was estimated to be 2.07 × 10−5 s, suggesting the rapid regeneration of the sensor at room temperature. Hence, the B3O3ML is a promising candidate for detecting the ACT molecule and will inspire experimentalists to design an efficient gas sensor.

One-dimensional nanostructures are generally cited as nanowires, nanofibers, nanotubes, and so on. The foremost prominent feature of these materials is their electrical conductivity, which, unlike classical physics, doesn't increase their resistance because the diameter decreases. Numerous properties of these materials like electrical conductivity, optical, magnetic, biological, and environmental their sensory have created many applications for them altogether industries. nanowires (NWs) propose potential impact on electronics, computing, memory, data storage, communications, manufacturing, health, medicine, national security, and other economic sectors as well. NWs offer excellent surface-to-volume ratio (interface phenomena), low defect density, high optical output, and controllable n-type conductivity, making them more appropriate and sensitive for sensing applications. NWs with their ultra-sensitive and real-time detection capabilities lend their applications in nano biosensors, chemical sensors, gas sensors, and electrochemical sensors. NWs have been used in improving the optical absorption as well as for the collection efficacy in photovoltaic devices. NWs having small size, low weight, low cost for mass production, and are also compatible with commercial planar processes for large-scale circuitry. In the paper, the authors are focusing to summarize the recent advances in NWs with their potential applications in various fields such as research, health, security, education, entertainment, and power generation.

Today, in diverse medical and clinical fields, including cancer treatment, nanoscience has evolved and evolved. Cancer and its forms, on the other hand, have been rumored and inclusive, and many individuals suffer from this fatal and lethal condition. Actually, even with the medicinal effect, current therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc., create symptoms that are inconvenient for patients. Scientists and scholars are also working to establish and, strengthen the options and methods of therapy to deal with this dangerous illness. Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been popular today, their different areas, including nanoparticles, are commonly used for a number of applications, especially for drug delivery and diagnostic products, and cases of imaging. Release mechanisms focused on nanotechnology have a profound effect on the release of cancer drugs. Biomaterials and bio-engineering developments are leading to novel approaches to nanoparticles that could offer a new way for cancer patients to improve. In the drug release method, Nano-technology has had a great effect on the selection of cancer cells, the release of a targeted drug, and the overcoming of traditional chemotherapy limitations. This article discusses the drug delivery to tumor tissue, a method that is more effective than traditional drug delivery methods, also many new nanoparticles have solved the problem of cell resistance to the drug, provided a new field in the treatment of cancer.

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation improves survival in advanced heart failure. Despite this, angiodysplastic bleeding complications remain a significant driver of costs as well as morbidity. Mechanisms implicated in post-LVAD implant bleeding include the dysregulation of angiogenic factors seen in this population. The present pilot study evaluates the safety of umbilical cord lining stem cells (ULSCs) in LVAD recipients while exploring any early evidence of efficacy to improve bleeding. Methods: In a 3 + 3 design, 9 patients received an intravenous (IV) infusion of ULSCs at escalating doses. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability, secondary exploratory outcomes included antibodies against hemoglobin to quantify the amount of blood in stool without the need for dietary restriction. Results: The primary safety and tolerability outcomes were met as no infusion-related adverse events or toxic responses were observed. There was no sensitization after administration of ULSCs as assessed by panel reactive antibody. An increase in angiopoietin-1 levels and a decrease in angiopoietin-2 levels from baseline to 30 days were observed in 4 patients. Quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test suggested a decrease in the mean blood content of stool from baseline to 30 days. Conclusions: In this first-ever IV administration of ULSCs in LVAD patients, infusion was noted to be safe and tolerable and did not cause immune sensitization. Half of the patients were noted to have angiogenic stabilization, and there was a trend toward decreasing amounts of blood noted in the stool, suggesting an early signal of efficacy.

The present study utilized molecular docking and density functional theory (DFT) approaches, and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) properties to investigate the binding interactions, reactivity, stability, and drug-likeness of curcumin (1), tetrahydrocurcumin (2), and tetrahydrocurcumin derivatives (3–6) as potential anti-cancer agents. MGL (Molecular Graphic Laboratory) and Discovery Studio Visualizer (DSV) software employed for docking studies. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (ADME-Tox) analyses were conducted using SwissADME and pKCSM web servers. Total Electron Density (TED) measurements identified molecular adsorption sites, considering various factors, including quantum chemical characteristics, to assess compound effectiveness using DFT method implanted in the Gaussian software. The binding energy (Eb) from docking simulations was used to evaluate inhibitory potential. ADMET analysis suggested favorable oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics for all studied substances, excluding compound 4. DFT and docking investigations highlighted compounds 1, 2, and 6 as optimal scaffolds for drug design based on in silico screening tests.

The human body is a remarkably aggressive medium and applied materials must be extremely resistant to corrosion and destruction, so copper, which is a biological material and is widely used in medicine, is being considered. Copper corrosion may be associated with inflammation in body because it releases ions that are toxic to humans. In aggressive solutions, biomolecules called amino acids act as corrosion inhibitors. In the present research, the purpose is to study the inhibitory action of l-alanine (L-Ala) and l-Leucine (L-Leu) amino acids on the corrosion of Cu. By density functional theory (DFT), inhibition behavior of l-Ala-and l-Leu-and their conformers against Cu corrosion have been investigated. According to values of back-donation of electrons (Eback-d), fraction of electron transferred (ΔN), electrophilicity (ω), electronegativity (χ), softness (σ), hardness (η), energy gap (Eg), ELUMO, and EHOMO computed reactivity factors between copper surface and inhibitors are studied. l-Leu's theoretical indicators confirm its tendency towards adsorption. l-Leu-activity against corrosion has been investigated and favorable results have been obtained.

in recent years, most researchers are trying to seek out and develop effective and comparatively simple methods for producing nanostructures. In this regard, the methods of manufacturing self-regulated nanostructures with alternating arrays are given special attention. The anodization, which ends up within the formation of a porous metal oxide layer consisting of an everyday array of nanoporous, is one such method. The numerous applications of aluminum, research on the anodization has focused more on this metal. Anodic corundum may be a key sample material for creating nanostructures like nanowires, nanotubes. The anodic aluminum, which ends within the formation of porous alumina samples, is comparatively easy and ultimately leads to an array of high-density parallel nanoporous. During this paper, the final structure of porous anoxic alumina further because the growth mechanism of this layer within the presence of electrical field and therefore Penetration of Electrolyte species into the oxide layer, furthermore as explaining the expansion mechanism of porous oxide layer in steady state and hexagonal plasma membrane structure. Affecting the geometric parameters of the porous alumina structure like the pore diameter, the interpore distance, the wall thickness, and also Thickness of the Barrier Layer are discussed.

The anticorrosive qualities of a number of natural items have been researched because of the growing concern regarding the environmental contamination produced by conventional corrosion inhibitors. Through electrochemical measurements, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of chamomile flower extract (CFE) in preventing the corrosion of aluminum in an artificial seawater solution. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) were used for surface examination. Utilizing FTIR, the chemical composition of CFE extract was investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) computations were used to conduct theoretical analyses of its main constituents. According to the electrochemical tests, corrosion inhibition increased as inhibitor concentration increased and reached a moderate inhibition efficiency of 75.66% at 20 mL/L. Polarization curves showed that CFE molecules behaved as mixed-type inhibitors and that their adsorption process primarily followed the Freundlich isotherm. Examination of the corroded aluminum surface by SEM and AFM confirmed the adsorption of compounds present in the extract. The main constituents of the natural extract's electronic characteristics were determined using chemical quantum calculations, which also clarified interactions between inhibitors and metal surfaces as well as adsorption modalities.

Sol-gel chemistry is currently applied as one of the most widely used methods for synthesis of nanoparticles. In this method hydrolysis and poly-condensation reactions occur when the gel precursors are mixed with water and catalyst. The further condensation of sol particles into a three-dimensional network produces a gel. There are several parameters that effect on gelation time such as the molar ratio of alkoxide to water, the rate of hydrolysis, the type and amount of catalyst used, initial concentration of precursors and the temperature of hydrolysis and drying. Encapsulated solvent can be removed from a gel by either evaporative drying or supercritical drying. Where the resulting solids are known as a xerogel and an aerogel, respectively. During the drying process due to the surface tension of the liquid, a capillary pressure gradient is built in the pore walls, which is able to collapse most part of the pore volume. The volume shrinkage may be prevented by supercritical drying. The strength, thermal stability, pore structure and morphology of aerogels are keys to success for wider applications such as catalyst supports, thermal and acoustic insulators and adsorbents. Among catalyst support materials, alumina became popular recently due to its highly thermal and chemical stability and higher porosity. In the present study, synthesis of alumina gel as a support for nano-catalysts through hydrolysis of aluminum tri-sec-butoxide (ASB) in ethanol was investigated. The gel synthesis was carried out at 32 and 60 °C with different concentrations of water and precursor and different types and amounts of acid as catalyst. Rate of gel formation, efficiency of hydrolysis and polymerization and amount of gel production were measured and discussed. Results showed that acid addition around 0.2 ml and water to ASB malar ratio of 2 at 60 °C maximized the amount of gel produced and minimized the gelation time. Then, the alumina gel that synthesized at optimum conditions was dried by two different methods, at atmospheric pressure and temperature and at supercritical conditions of carbon dioxide and the results of Scanning Electron Microscopy were compared.

With the rapid development of nanotechnology in the recent decade, novel DNA and RNA delivery systems for gene therapy have become available that can be used instead of viral vectors. These non-viral vectors can be made of a variety of materials, including inorganic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, liposomes, protein and peptide-based nanoparticles, as well as nanoscale polymeric materials. They have as advantages over viral vectors a decreased immune response, and additionally offer flexibility in design, allowing them to be functionalized and targeted to specific sites in a biological system with low cytotoxicity.gene therapy keeps hopes a life for the treatment of a wide range of diseases such as cancer, nano particles are now known as promising carriers for the effective and safe vectors of genes to specific cells or tissues. This could provide alternative therapies for conventional approaches that use viruses as gene carriers. The expression of genetic material such as DNA, RNA into cells and tissues has raised considerable hopes for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. But getting nucleic acids into the cell also faces challenges. These challenges are less for non-virus carriers as a gene and drug vectors method than for viral or free vectors and are therefore considered less risky and more appropriate. of expanding nonverbal nano carriers, we will look at a few of these nano carriers, penicillin, PEI, PLGA, silica, block copolymer, Quantum dot, gold nano particles, and common carbon nano tubes. Problems include the use of nano particles such as polymer nano particles, liposomes, solid lipid particles, in targeted gene vectors will be investigated. Gene-based therapy is the intentional modulation of gene expression in specific cells to treat pathological conditions. This modulation is accomplished by introducing exogenous nucleic acids such as DNA, mRNA, small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA) or antisense oligonucleotides. Given the large size and the negative charge of these macromolecules, their delivery is typically mediated by carriers or vectors. In this Review, we introduce the biological barriers to gene delivery in vivo and discuss recent advances in material sciences, nanotechnology and nucleic acid chemistry that have yielded promising non-viral delivery systems, some of which are currently undergoing testing in clinical trials. The diversity of these systems highlights the recent progress of gene-based therapy using non-viral approaches.

Background: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 may perturb normal microbiota, leading to secondary infections that can complicate the viral disease. The aim of this study was to probe the alteration of nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiota in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection and obesity and to identify other respiratory pathogens among COVID-19 cases that may affect patients’ health. Methods: A total of 107 NP swabs, including 22 from control subjects and 85 from COVID-19 patients, were processed for 6S amplicon sequencing. The respiratory pathogens causing secondary infections were identified by RT-PCR assay, using a kit that contained specific primers and probes combinations to amplify 33 known respiratory pathogens. Results: No significant (p > 0.05) difference was observed in the alpha and beta diversity analysis, but specific taxa differed significantly between the control and COVID-19 patient groups. Genera of Sphingomonas, Kurthia, Microbacterium, Methylobacterium, Brevibacillus, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Lactococcus, and Haemophilus was significantly abundant (p

In the process of this work, the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique was used to deposit nanoparticles of pure titanium oxide (TiO2) onto a glass substrate at temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 degrees Celsius. This experiment made use of a Nd: YAG laser that had its frequency-doubled. The laser had a wavelength of 532 nanometers and an average laser strength of 800 millijoules. To explore the optical properties, transmittance spectrometry measurements were carried out for both visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. These measurements were carried out. The results of the optical transmittance test showed that it was more than 80 percent, which indicates that it is suitable for use in applications involving solar cells. The research was conducted on a number of optical constants, including the refractive index, the absorption coefficient, and the attenuation coefficient, and the values of these optical constants were determined. The value of the refractive index was found to be 2.49 when measured at a temperature of 400 degrees Celsius and a wavelength of 550 nanometers. Additionally, it was feasible to calculate the density of the titanium dioxide coating, which came out to be 3.6881 grams per cubic centimeter after the calculation was complete. The use of a numerical equation was utilized to ascertain the connection that exists between density and base temperature. It is an empirical equation that may be employed in the process of calculating the density of the components that are being used, and it has the potential to do so successfully. This equation is one of a kind since it was produced via the use of a theoretical computer program, and it is specific to the results that were obtained from the research.

In this paper, the manufacturing of macro-porous tubular ceramic supports for membranes is described. The novel supports are fabricated from natural diatomite and alumina raw materials using the extrusion method. The structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mercury porosimetry techniques; the presence of possible defects was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The permeability has been measured from water flux in standard experiments. Experimental results show that the open porosity, the average pore size (APS), the pore size distribution, the strength, and the permeability of sintered supports, have been found to depend, mainly on the concentration of alumina (Al2O3) additive. Supports prepared with the addition of 10 wt.% of alumina and sintered at 1200 °C, can be considered as the most optimized; they have a porosity ratio of about 46%, an APS is around 7.7 μm, a flexural strength value of about 28 MPa, and water permeability of around 15 m3 h−1 m−2 bar−1. Such materials could be of great interest in the supports fabrication for membrane application, for instance, water filtration. Resumen: En este trabajo se describe la fabricación de soportes cerámicos tubulares macroporosos para membranas. Los nuevos soportes se fabrican a partir de materias primas de diatomita natural y alúmina mediante el método de extrusión. La estructura se analizó por medio de técnicas de difracción de rayos X (XRD) y porosimetría de mercurio; la presencia de posibles defectos se investigó mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM). La permeabilidad se ha medido a partir del flujo de agua en experimentos estándar. Los resultados experimentales muestran que se ha encontrado que la porosidad abierta, el tamaño medio de poro (APS), la distribución del tamaño de poro, la resistencia y la permeabilidad de los soportes sinterizados dependen, principalmente, de la concentración de aditivo de alúmina (Al2O3). Los soportes preparados con la adición de 10% en peso de alúmina y sinterizados a 1.200 °C, pueden considerarse como los más optimizados; tienen una relación de porosidad de alrededor del 46%, un APS es de alrededor de 7,7 μm, un valor de resistencia a la flexión de alrededor de 28 MPa y una permeabilidad al agua de alrededor de 15 m3.h-1.m-2. bar-1. Dichos materiales podrían ser de gran interés en la fabricación de soportes para la aplicación de membranas, por ejemplo, filtración de agua.

Photolysis was employed to produce titanium dioxide (TiO2) with exposed (001) facets, which were then modified by incorporating reduce graphene oxide (rGO) sheets at (1, 3 and 5) wt.%.The chemical composition, optical properties, morphology, and electrochemical behavior of both the pure and composite nanomaterials were analyzed. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy techniques confirmed the formation of the anatase phase of TiO2 in the samples. The Debye Scherrer method was utilized to estimate the size of the particles. It was observed that the particle size decreased as the concentration of rGO increased; at 5 wt% rGO, the size was 11 nm. The morphology of the rGO/TiO2 nanocomposite was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which showed that TiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed on the surface of the rGO sheets. The analysis of the X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) revealed that bonding of TiO2 with rGO occurred through the formation of Ti-C and Ti-O-C bonds. The results obtained from the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed a decrease in band gap upon an increase in rGO concentration. Moreover, confirmation was obtained regarding the reduction of recombination carriers through the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. The results indicated that the prepared nanocomposite had a high number of oxygen vacancies. The photodegradation mechanism of congo red dye under sunlight was studied by Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-Mass) and scavenger effect. The photodegradation of congo red dye (CR) utilizing TiO2, both pure and incorporated with rGO, was observed under normal conditions in the presence of sunlight. The study revealed that the optimal condition for achieving maximum photodegradation of CR dye was pH = 7, 100 min, 50 ppm initial CR dye concentration and 10 mg of catalyst dosage. The photodegradation data illustrated that 5 wt% rGO doped TiO2 exhibits higher efficiency than other 3; 1 wt% rGO and pure TiO2. Finally, the improving breakdown of CR dye using direct sunlight showed high efficiency without leaving behind any secondary intermediates.

In actual operation conditions, the structural parts of automotive, aerospace and other significant industrial applications undergo the multi axial fatigue loading with non-proportionality states. Fiber metal laminates (known as FML) are the best options to manufacture these structural parts. The current study examines the effects of a specific condition of multi-axial fatigue loadings (repeated tension with static shear stresses) on the behaviors of crack growth and delamination in GLARE specimens (abbreviated of glass laminates aluminum reinforced epoxy). Analytical model with idea of maximum tangential stress criterion modification has been adopted to represent the non-proportionality state of fatigue loading. Paris equation, equivalent stress intensity factor range, fiber-bridging effects and delamination shape were included in this model. The current idea was compared with a previous idea that depends on the principal stresses in representation of non-proportional multi-axial fatigue loadings. Specimens have coding GLARE_2A 2/1 were fabricated by VARTM technique (vacuum assisted resin transfer molding technique). Special treatments have been done on the aluminum surfaces before specimen fabrication to increasing delamination resistance. Novel fatigue apparatus was manufactured to guarantee apply the under study conditions for multi axial fatigue loading and to introduce experimental investigation of crack and delamination growths in GLARE specimens. The obtained results of the current idea were in a considerable agreement with that of the previous idea of the principal stresses. The maximum deviations between analytically extracted results were less than 1% for crack growth, 5.4% for bridging stress, 4.8% for crack opening and 6.3% for delamination growth. Experimentally, the measured results have been compared with analytical results for the purpose of validation. Acceptable matching between results with maximum difference of 7.65% was the important outcome of this study.

The present study was conducted to prepare the fish scales' hydroxyapatite/collagen beads (FsHA/FsCol) and characterize their biological, physical, and chemical properties. A new method was used to prepare FsHA/FsCol composite beads by infiltrating the beads of FsHA in the solution of FsCol as a green method. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), used to evaluate the physical-chemical properties of the synthesized samples. Meanwhile, the cytotoxic and attachment studies of the FsHA/FsCol beads were used to investigate the biological features against the MG-63 human cell line. The results specified the efficiency of the new method, functional groups of FsCol were indicated to be present inside the beads of FsHA according to the XRD analysis which shows the functional peaks of FsCol. The SEM image were conformed successfully use starch as a porous agent to increasing the porous of the FsHA beads after adding 20 wt% of it. Alamar Blue assay has been used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of FsHA/FsCol beads the results were shown 87% average cell viability of the MG-63 human cell line on the beads and attached very well to the surface of the composites, indicating no toxicity being exerted by all the composites at high concentrations.

Thermal energy storage technologies are a crucial aspect of a sustainable energy supply system, with latent heat thermal energy storage tanks being among the best thermal energy storage systems. The use of phase change materials (PCMs) is a suitable way to enhance the energy efficiency of the system and fill the gap between demand and supply. The objective of this work is to conduct a numerical and experimental investigation of the thermal storage tank capacity of different types of PCMs, such as wax, salt hydrate, and salt hydrate mixtures. An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the melting and super cooling temperature, which indicates the temperature gap for all the PCMs that were used in this study. A numerical model was developed to investigate the proposed heating system to determine the maximum heat storage capacity. Streamlines of the melting PCM, melting fraction, and temperature distribution were presented. According to experimental results showed that wax is the most stable PCM. The numerical stage showed that the thermal response of sample C (8:2 of used Ca(NO3)2·4H2O:Mg(NO3)2·6H2O) was comparatively better than that of the other samples (i.e., samples A and B) in terms of thermal capacity storage PCM. In sum, the samples/composite PCMs are favorable for thermal energy storage system utilization.

Water is the most necessary and significant element for all life on earth. Unfortunately, the quality of the water resources is constantly declining as a result of population development, industry, and civilization progress. Due to their extreme toxicity, heavy metals removal from water has drawn researchers' attention. A lot of scientific applications use artificial neural networks (ANNs) because of their excellent ability to map nonlinear relationships. ANNs shown excellent modelling capabilities for the water treatment remediation. The adsorption process uses a variety of variables, making the interaction between them nonlinear. Selecting the best technique can produce excellent results; the adsorption approach for removing heavy metals is highly effective. Different studies show that the ANNs modelling approach can accurately forecast the adsorbed heavy metals and other contaminants in order to remove them.

In the last decade, there has been a swift rise in the number of universities all around Egypt. Universities play an important role in the cultural, economic, and social aspects of each city. Design of University Open Spaces (UOS) is critical and needs post-occupation studies. The study analyses of UOS were accomplished through multidimensional analysis of selected juxtaposed UOS at Seberbay Engineering College as part of Tanta University. The hybrid method of this study is derived from integrating space syntax methodology as a computational method and as an observational method. Not all University Open Places at Tanta University are now successfully used as primary social spaces. In some cases, the ratio of parking lots to car access routes needs to be balanced. Retrofitting designs of the two selected UOS may be used as study method examples for additional research.

Autophagy is defined as a “self-digestion” signal, and it is a cell death mechanism its primary function is degrading toxic agents and aged organelles to ensure homeostasis in cells. The basic leve ls of autophagy are found in cells, and when its levels exceed to standard threshold, cell death induction is observed. Autophagy dysregulation in cancer has been well-documented, and regulation of this pathway by epigenetic factors, especially microRNAs (miRNAs), is interesting and noteworthy. miRNAs are considered short endogenous RNAs that do not encode functional proteins, and they are essential regulators of cell death pathways such as apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy. Accumulating data has revealed miRNA dysregulation (upregulation or downregulation) during tumor progression, and their therapeutic manipulation provides new insight into cancer therapy. miRNA/autophagy axis in human cancers has been investigated an exciting point is the dual function of both autophagy and miRNAs as oncogenic and onco-suppressor factors. The stimulation of pro-survival autophagy by miRNAs can increase the survival rate of tumor cells and mediates cancer metastasis via EMT inductionFurthermore, pro-death autophagy induction by miRNAs has a negative impact on the viability of tumor cells and decreases their survival rate. The miRNA/autophagy axis functions beyond regulating the growth and invasion of tumor cells, and they can also affect drug resistance and radio-resistance. These subjects are covered in the current review regarding the new updates provided by recent experiments.

Modern cars are equipped with autonomous systems to assist the driver and improve driving experience. Driving assist system (DAS) is one of the most significant components of a self-driving vehicle (SDV), used to overcome non-autonomous driving challenges. However, most conventional cars are not equipped with DAS, and high-cost systems are required to equip these vehicles with DAS. Moreover, the design of DAS is very complex outside of the industry while it requires going through the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), which has a high level of security. Therefore, a basic system needs be installed in conventional cars which makes driving more efficient in terms of driver assistance. In this paper, an intelligent DAS is presented for real-time prediction of steering angle using deep learning (DL) and raw dataset collected from a real environment. Furthermore, an object detection model is deployed to assist and warn the driver of various types of objects along with corresponding distance measurement based on DL. Outputs from DL models are fed into the steering control system, which has Electronic Power Steering (EPS). The steering angle is measured in real time using an angle sensor and is posted back to the steering control system to make automated adjustments accordingly. Real-time tests are conducted on a 2009 Toyota Corolla equipped with a digital camera to capture live video stream, Controller Area Network (CAN-BUS) messages, and a steering angle sensor. The performance evaluation of the proposed system indicates intelligent steering control and driver assistance when evaluated in a real-time environment.

The realisation of post-combustion CO2 capture (PCCC) at industrial scale remains limited; one challenge is the concerns around capital costs and another concern is corrosion of the system itself. Corrosion resistance and mitigation against the amine solvent monoethanolamine (MEA) was studied, using the inhibitor copper (II) carbonate basic (CC). Carbon steel (C1018) was tested in CO2 loaded, 5M aqueous MEA solution, alone and in the presence of CC, to assess the corrosivity of the solution. Immersion testing used mass loss, Fe and Cu ion concentration in solution via ICP-MS, imaging (SEM) and analytical techniques (XRD and EDX) to investigate the effect of corrosion. Generally, the use of CC improved C1018 corrosion resistance relative to C1018 alone. Even at low concentrations (0.9 mM), CC was effective in inhibiting corrosion against CO2 loaded MEA, as the observed corrosion rate was effectively zero and no dissolved Fe was detected in solution. There was no evidence of copper surface adsorption. To clarify the solution chemistry resulting in corrosion inhibition, the local chemical environment of Fe and Cu were probed by Cu and Fe K-edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, respectively. The Cu K- edge HERFD-XANES spectra reveal that a Cu2+ amine complex forms, critical to understanding the structure which is promoting significant corrosion inhibition.

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with motor and non-motor manifestations that have been previously reported to affect patient quality of life (QoL). Our objective is to investigate the factors that contribute to QoL in a cohort of PD patients receiving care at a major academic institution. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 124 participants (71.77% male, mean age 65.20, mean UPDRS-III score 11.25), we analyzed if certain clinical features such as UPDRS-III, QIDS-C, and total disease duration contributed to QoL as measured by two different metrics (PDQ-39 and EQ-5D) in PD patients at a university Movement Disorders Clinic. Results: Motor symptoms of PD, with the exception of tremor, as well as depression and specific depressive symptoms were significantly and positively correlated with lower QoL metrics for patients with Parkinson’s, with total depressive symptom severity (QIDS-C16 Total score) contributing most to QoL scores. Of the specific depressive and motor symptoms, anhedonia and rigidity contributed the most to QoL. Disease duration was significantly correlated with lower QoL for participants with Parkinson’s according to the QoL metric PDQ-39 but not ED-5D. Parkinson’s patients with access to high-quality healthcare are at risk for having diminished QoL due to both depressive and motor symptoms. Conclusion: While severity of motor symptoms certainly impacted QoL in our cohort, our findings suggest that depressive symptoms contribute more to impaired QoL than severe motor symptoms do. This phenomenon suggests that concomitant depression in PD as well as one’s psychological adjustment to disability may have a greater impact on QoL than severe motor symptoms.

Background: Metabolic syndrome characterized by abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose and triglyceride levels and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level is associated with pro-inflammatory state, increased risk for atherosclerosis, and multiple cancers. Our previous results on subjects with metabolic syndrome showed that 4-week dawn-to-dusk (sunset) dry fasting resulted in significant changes in the serum proteome and improvement in several metabolic risk factors. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proteomics is a powerful tool that can provide mechanistic insights into how dawn-to-dusk dry fasting affects protein expression in metabolic pathways at cellular level. In this study, we determined whether dawn-to-dusk dry fasting would induce favorable changes in PBMC proteome in subjects with metabolic syndrome, similar to the changes induced by dawn-to-dusk dry fasting in the same subjects' serum proteome. Methods: We conducted a prospective study on subjects with metabolic syndrome and collected blood specimens before 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting, at the end of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting, and one week after 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting. We performed untargeted proteomics using nano ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to assess the impact of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting on PBMC proteome. Results: There were 14 subjects with metabolic syndrome with a mean age of 59 who fasted from dawn to dusk (strict dry fasting without any liquid or food intake) for more than 14 h daily for 29 days. The quantitative proteome analysis showed that apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene protein products (GP) levels were downregulated and had the most statistical significance of the observed difference at the end of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting (P = 0.008) and one week after 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting (P = 0.0004) compared with the levels before 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting. The comparison between GP levels before and at the end of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting showed an alteration in the expression of genes associated with lipid and atherosclerosis pathway (P = 6.014e-4) and C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway (P = 1.064e-5). The genes that were differentially expressed in the lipid and atherosclerosis pathway were APOB (P = 0.008), CD36 (P = 0.040), CALM1, CALM2, CALM3 (P = 0.015), and HSPA8 (P = 0.047). One of the differentially expressed genes in the C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway was lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1), which showed an average of 19-fold increase at the end of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting compared with the GP levels before fasting (P = 0.004). Several GPs associated with tumor-suppressor effect (TUBB4B, LSP1, ACTR3B) were upregulated, and GPs associated with tumor-promoter effect (CD36, CALM1, CALM2, CALM3, FLOT2, PPIF) were downregulated at the end of 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting or one week after 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting compared with the GP levels before 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting. Conclusion: Based on our results, we conclude that in subjects with metabolic syndrome, 4-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting induced anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumorigenic PMBC proteome. Randomized, controlled clinical trials are needed to further investigate the effect of dawn-to-dusk dry fasting on subjects with chronic metabolic diseases and metabolic syndrome-induced cancers.

Predominately, the structures and components in aeronautic, automotive and other important implementations suffer from non-proportional multi-axial fatigue loading. One of the best selected materials to fabricate these structures and components are fiber metal laminates (FML). In this research, fatigue crack-propagation in glass-laminate aluminum reinforced-epoxy (GLARE) specimen under the effect of special case of multi-axial fatigue loading (constant shear with repeated tensile stresses) has been studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. GLARE_2 A 2/1 specimen was fabricated using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding technique after special preparation aluminum surface procedure. New multi-axial fatigue apparatus including mechanical, hydraulic and control systems was manufactured to investigate crack growth experimentally. Analytical model using Paris relation was adopted to predict crack growth through aluminum layers of GLARE specimen. The rate of crack propagation is related to the mixed-mode equivalent stress intensity factor, which is estimated by the superposition for both fiber-bridging and far-field stress intensity factors. The crack opening contour, distribution of fiber-bridging stress, delamination growth and its shape were evaluated in simultaneous manner to find the fiber-bridging stress intensity factor. ABAQUS 2021 software has been used to simulate crack and delamination growth in GLARE specimen with the aforementioned fatigue loading. The extracted results from analytical and numerical models such as crack growth, crack opening, delamination shape and crack angle have been compared with that measured experimentally. The comparison indicates that there is good agreement between the calculated and measured results (with maximum deviation of 8.74% for crack growth).

Efficient use of energy in crops production will minimize greenhouse gas emission (GHG), prevent destruction of natural resources, and promote sustainable agriculture as an economical crop production system. The aim of this study is applying the multi-objective genetic algorithm MOGA to optimize the energy inputs and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for wetland rice production in Malaysia. The developed multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) model, showed an excess of energy inputs used by the farmers more than the required energy by 37.8% and 40% for the transplanting and broadcast seeding methods. The potential of GHG emissions reduction by MOGA was computed as 95.89 and 236.13 kg CO2eq/ha. Nitrogen represents the highest contributor to the reduction of both, total energy input and total GHG emissions in the two cultivation methods transplanting and broadcast seeding methods. Despite lower consumption of inputs by MOGA, crop yield is estimated at 9.4 ton/ha in transplanting and 9.2 ton/ha in broadcast seeding, which is close to the region’s maximum under current condition.The main finding that MOGA model showed an excess of energy inputs used and the potential of GHG emissions reduction was 19.6% and 46.37%.for the transplanting and broadcast seeding methods.

A 50-year-old male presented with atrial flutter 25 days after heart and kidney transplantation. Rejection was excluded, but he developed severe COVID-19 infection with cardiac allograft dysfunction. Despite continued corticosteroid and tacrolimus therapy, he remained aviremic. Respiratory and myocardial functions recovered after a week of mechanical ventilation. The cardiomyopathy was stress induced. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

An efficient synthesis of novel spiro[2-oxobenzofuran-3,3′-pyrrolines] is achieved via a three-component 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition reaction at rt involving benzofuran-2,3-diones, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate along with imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine, or imidazo[1,5-a]quinoline or imidazo[5,1-a]isoquinoline. The expected isomeric benzofuro[3,2-f]oxazepines (kinetic control cycloadducts) were, however, not detected. Structures of the title spiro products are evidenced from HRMS and NMR spectral data and further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.

Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V or Gr.23) was widely used as a dental alloy. In the current study, polymerization of eugenol (PE) on Gr.23 titanium alloys was conducted by an electrochemical process before and after being treated by Micro Arc Oxidation (MAO). The formed films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion behavior of Gr.23 alloy in an artificial saliva environment at a temperature range of 293–323 K has been studied and assessed by means of electrochemical polarization and impedance spectroscopy techniques. Three cases are taken into consideration; bare Gr.23, Gr.23 coated by PE, and Gr.23 coated by PE after MAO treatment. The maximum corrosion protection efficiency was 76.55 % for Gr.23 coated with PE and 81.34 % for Gr.23 coated with PE after MAO, respectively. The results were comparable with the impedance spectroscopy technique.

In recent times, the extinction of fossil fuel resources and emission of harmful pollutants have persuaded the researchers to obtain alternative and renewable fuels. Consequently, in the present experimentation, a ternary fuel blend was acquired and analysed in a modified turbocharged gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine as a feasible alternative to neat fossil fuel. Experiments were carried out using a blend of 8% n-butanol and 8% mass fraction of hydrogen with gasoline fuel at city transport speed mode under stoichiometric and air-fuel ratio of 1.0. Butanol and hydrogen were blended with the gasoline due to their satisfying thermodynamic properties and combustion reactivity. The result shows gradual reduction of particles emitted with n-BH16 by 1.06 × 1011 particles/hr as compared to n-BH00 at 1.89 × 1012 particles/hr. For all fuels, the smallest particles measured by Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (EEPS) were no longer detectable at phase 2 from 548 s to ~789 s due to low concentrations. However, the gaseous emission of the n-BH16 fueled engine varies with 28 g/kW.h decrement in fuel consumption (FC), while increasing hydrocarbon (HC) emission. As a result, ultra-particles decreased in nucleation mode, which in-turn lead to minimum combustion duration and cylinder gas pressure. Adaptation of n-BH16 fuel blend in light-duty GDI engines might serve as a potential to meet the new particulate emission regulations and improve toxic air contaminant.

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key neurotrophin that regulates food intake and energy hemostasis. BDNF also promotes neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and neuroprotection. There are conflicting reports regarding how intermittent fasting affects circulating BDNF levels. We tested the hypothesis that 4-week intermittent fasting from dawn to sunset (4-week-IF) would decrease circulating BDNF levels in subjects with metabolic syndrome and healthy subjects. Methods: We conducted pilot studies in subjects with metabolic syndrome and healthy subjects who fasted from dawn to sunset for more than 14 h for four consecutive weeks. We measured serum BDNF levels and metabolic parameters before 4-week-IF, at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF, and one week after 4-week-IF. Results: We enrolled 28 subjects, 14 with metabolic syndrome (women/men:6/8) with a mean age of 59 years and 14 healthy subjects (women/men:1/13) with a mean age of 32 years. Overall, BDNF levels decreased at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF (mean paired difference = −98.5 ng/ml, P = 0.0006). When subjects with metabolic syndrome were compared with healthy subjects, subjects with metabolic syndrome had a lower mean paired reduction in BDNF levels at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF (BDNF mean paired difference = −27.6 ng/ml vs. −169.5 ng/ml, P = 0.003). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between the change in tumor necrosis factor-alpha and change in BDNF levels at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF in subjects with metabolic syndrome (P = 0.040) and healthy subjects (P = 0.007). The change in weight and body mass index independently predicted the change in BDNF levels 1 week after 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Four-week-IF resulted in a reduction in the BDNF levels at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF. Higher BDNF levels and a lower reduction in BDNF levels at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF in subjects with metabolic syndrome than healthy subjects suggest a potential BDNF resistance similar to insulin and leptin resistance in metabolic syndrome. A positive correlation between the change in BDNF and change in tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels at the end of 4th week during 4-week-IF compared with the levels before 4-week-IF suggests that BDNF is a biomarker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in addition to its neurotrophic and anorexigenic features.

Background: Citation count can be used as a key tool to assess the quality of the published literature and because of its immense advantages it is now widely used in ranking the articles on specific topics. Objective/hypothesis: To extract and assess the top cited work on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for depression treatment. Methods: Scopus Library Database was searched and two independent authors produced a list of 50 most cited articles on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment of depression. All the relevant articles having key-terms within their titles, abstract and keywords were included in our search. Our list was categorized into two categories, “mixed” and “focused”. Results: The articles in the produced list of top 50 most cited articles on rTMS for treatment of depression belong to the time period 1993–2012 with total citation count 12078. George MS was prominent in the list. ‘Biological Psychiatry’ published most number of articles (n = 13) among the list. Articles were categorized on the basis of primary population and intervention into ‘Focused’ and ‘Mixed’ categories. Limitations: Articles that were published before 1993 and after 2012 on rTMS for depression couldn't made it to the final list of top-50 most cited article. Conclusion: We attempted to conduct a topic-specific citation analysis considering the paucity of specified bibliometrics in medical literature. Our research provides an insight on emerging trends in rTMS for depression and highlights the characteristics, quality and dynamics of frequently cited articles in the field.

Radio-resistance is a major hurdle challenging oncologist worldwide. Despite their anti-cancer characteristics, the implication of phytochemicals in clinical trials is still limited. This study is designed to evaluate the anticancer characteristics and radio-sensitizing effect of a cocktail of seven phytochemicals on HepG2 cells. Characterization of phytochemicals combination phenolic and flavonoids content as well as their scavenging activity were tested. The effective concentration of BSG that will be used as a radio-sensitizing dose was calculated using AlamarBlue assay. Treatment of HepG2 cells with BSG and/or ionizing radiations led to significant downregulation at cell proliferation as indicated by the decrease of colony formation ratio, proliferation marker (Ki67) expression as well as G2/M cell cycle arrest. The combined treatment stimulated P53-dependent apoptosis which was indicated by the significant increase of early apoptosis marker (Annexin V) expression, DNA fragmentation, expression of P53 & Bax and downregulation of Bcl2 expression. Combined treatment significantly attenuated HepG2 cell motility which was validated using wound healing migration assay and the significant reduction at CD95 expression. This study demonstrates the anti-cancer effect of BSG and its fundamental role in provoking cell responsiveness to IR leading to a significant inhibition at HepG2 cell proliferation, survival and migration.