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To analyze the efficacy of a modified approach to thyroplasty type one using prolene mesh implant. Interventional study. Combined Military Hospital Kharian, Pakistan, in Ent department, from July 2020 to Jan 2021. Medialization thyroplasty with prolene mesh was performed on the patients satisfying the inclusion criteria. They were analyzed objectively as well as subjectively in terms of Mean Maximum phonation time, maximum word count, and visual analog score about the quality of voice. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20. Pre-operative and post-operative records were compared using paired sample t -test. A total of 39 patients underwent vocal cord medialization with prolene mesh implant. The Mean age for medialization was 41.09 + 13.37. 23 patients were females and 15 were males. 26 patients had unilateral and 13 patients had bilateral vocal dysfunction. 18 of them had vocal dysfunction due to thyroidectomy, eight had idiopathic causes and 13 had miscellaneous. The improvement in mean visual analog score was 2.87 postoperatively. Median maximum phonation time increased about five seconds postoperatively, seven seconds in males, and 4.5 seconds for females. The maximum word count increased from 11.33 preoperatively to 18.28 postoperatively. There were no major complications observed in our study. These results were comparable to many other studies for vocal cord medialization with different implant materials. But prolene mesh implant offers an easily available yet cost-effective alternative with similar benefits. III (Treatment benefits: Non-randomized controlled cohort/follow-up study) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the appealing problem of fixed-time fault-tolerant attitude control, using attitude-information-only, for a flexible spacecraft under the influence of inertial parametric variations, external disturbances, and multiple actuator faults while suppressing the flexible appendages' vibrations without using additional sensors or smart vibration suppression actuators. First, an adaptive fixed-time model-free observer (AFTMFO) is designed, using the attitude information, for rapid estimation of unavailable angular velocity. A novel adaptive continuous control is then synthesized based on an anti-unwinding fast fixed-time nonsingular sliding surface (AFFTNSS), utilizing variable gains in both the control law and sliding surface; that simultaneously alleviates the chattering but also improves the convergence speed when compared to existing fixed-time approaches. The proposed scheme offers superior performance characteristics such as velocity sensor-free fixed-time attitude maneuvering with high pointing accuracy, fault tolerance, vibration suppression, nonsingular and chattering-free control. The spacecraft can carry out the coveted control objective in a predeterminable time independent of the knowledge of initial states while overcoming the unwinding effect to reduce the control effort and time. The fixed-time closed-loop stability of the proposed scheme is corroborated via Lyapunov techniques. Finally, a comparative simulation analysis with the existing results elucidated the proposed scheme's efficacy. • Fixed-time fault-tolerant attitude control is proposed for flexible spacecraft with only attitude information. • Model-free observer-based rapid estimation of quaternion derivative and furnishing of angular velocity is designed. • Novel fast nonsingular and anti-unwinding terminal sliding mode based adaptive fault-tolerant attitude control. • Fixed-time convergence of attitude trajectories is studied in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the global digitalisation, big data has received growing attention from academicians and practitioners. However, only a few empirical studies examined the benefits of big data predictive analytics (BDPA) and its influence on supply chain collaboration (SCC) and supply chain performance (SCP). Addressing the identified gaps of the implementation of organisational information processing theory (OIPT), the current study provided the foundation to develop a conceptual framework. All relevant data were collected from 197 employees in the Chinese logistics industry. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling technique was performed. The obtained empirical results supported top management support and compatibility as critical factors for the adoption of BDPA. Moreover, BDPA exhibited positive influence on SCC and SCP. Additionally, SCC mediated the relationship between BDPA and SCP. This study presented significant theoretical contributions and provided guidelines that can benefit policymakers and organisations in the efforts of implementing BDPA for enhanced SCP. After all, improving SCP would benefit customers and the society in the case of reduction and wastage of resources. • We analyse BDPA impact on SCP and SCC mediation in logistics. • This research identifies gaps of the implementation of organisational information processing theory. • The results confirm that Top management support and Compatibility impact BDPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Metabolomics has been used as a powerful tool for the analysis, and drug-lead identification in medicinal plants and herbal medicines. For the coverage of a broader range of plant-based metabolites using LC-MS, one of the important parameters is the selection of analysis mode and data processing for identification. This paper describes the utility of two distinctive acquisition modes in combination, a classic data-dependent acquisition (DDA) mode and a data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode for obtaining the mass spectrometry data of plant extracts using LC-ESI-QTOF/MS. Tribulus terrestris plant was used as a case study. We have applied three-step data analysis pipeline 1-annotation and putative identification of metabolites, 2-validation, and relative quantification, and 3-multivariate analysis using open-access MS-DIAL, Skyline, and Perseus software. A total of four samples of T. terrestris (aqueous extracts), two fruits, and two whole plant samples, from two different regions, were used. By combining data analysis results of plant fruit samples from two different regions, a total of 95 and 77 metabolites were identified in positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. Similarly, in the analysis of the whole plant from two different regions, 75 and 76 metabolites were identified in positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. We suggested the use of DDA mode for annotation, identification of metabolites, and generation of transition lists in MS-DIAL, furthermore, the use of DIA acquisition mode for enhancing metabolites sensitivity in complex samples, deconvolute MS1/MS2 spectra in Skyline for the quantitative performance and analytical reliability. The developed protocol can be used for the broader coverage of plant-based metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerical study has been performed in this study to investigate the turbulent convection heat transfer on a rectangular plate mounted over a flat surface. Thermal and fluid dynamic performances of extended surfaces having various types of lateral perforations with square, circular, triangular and hexagonal cross sections are investigated. RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes) based modified k–ω turbulence model is used to calculate the fluid flow and heat transfer parameters. Numerical results are compared with the results of previously published experimental data and obtained results are in reasonable agreement. Flow and heat transfer parameters are presented for Reynolds numbers from 2000 to 5000 based on the fin thickness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aims to investigate blockchain technology for agricultural supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits and solutions are identified for the smooth conduction of agricultural supply chains during COVID-19 using blockchain. This study uses interviews with agricultural companies operating in Pakistan. The findings discover the seven most commonly shared benefits of applying blockchain technology, four major challenges, and promising solutions. About 100% of the respondents mentioned blockchain as a solution for tracking the shipment during COVID-19, data retrieval and data management, product and transaction frauds, and an Inflexible international supply chain. Roughly 75% of the respondents mentioned the challenge of lack of data retrieval and data management and the Inflexible international supply chain in COVID-19 besides their solutions. This study can expand existing knowledge related to agricultural supply chains. The experiences shared in this study can serve as lessons for practitioners to adopt the blockchain technology for performing agricultural supply chain during pandemic situations such as COVID-19. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffalo flies (Haematobia irritans exigua) are ectoparasites of major animal health and production concern in north Australian beef herds. Skin lesions associated with buffalo fly infestation, cause hide damage and welfare issues and are manifested as dermatitis or ulcerated areas found most commonly near the medial canthus of the eye, along the lateral and ventral neck and on the abdomen. Buffalo flies can transmit a nematode, Stephanofilaria sp., which has been considered the main aetiological agent for buffalo fly lesions, but the role of nematodes in the development of the lesions has not been defined. To investigate the geographical distribution of Stephanofilaria , swabs were taken from the surface of lesions and buffalo flies were netted from the backs of beef cattle from 20 properties located in northern, central and southern Queensland. Swabs and buffalo flies were then tested for the presence of Stephanofilaria by qPCR. In northern and central Queensland, all properties except one, tested positive for the presence of Stephanofilaria in either buffalo flies or swabs, or in both. The infection rate varied amongst sites ranging from 0% to 100% in lesions and 0–34% in female buffalo flies. No nematodes were found in male buffalo flies. In contrast, none of the 66 lesion swabs or 1220 buffalo flies collected from southern Queensland tested positive for Stephanofilaria infection despite the frequent occurrence of lesions in the herds from which samples were collected. These findings suggest that infection with Stephanofilaria , although frequently detected, is not essential for the development of buffalo fly lesions and other factors may contribute to the initiation of lesions. This study also confirmed the potential for using surface swabs as a quicker and less invasive means of sampling lesions than dermal biopsies when testing for the presence of Stephanofilaria by qPCR, but further studies will be required to estimate the sensitivity of this technique. Understanding the pathogenesis of buffalo fly lesions will aid the development of optimal treatment and control strategies. • Haematobia flies vector Stephanofilaria nematodes found in cattle skin lesions. • Lesion swabbing and qPCR detected Stephanofilaria in lesions and flies. • In some areas Stephanofilaria was not found despite frequent occurrence of lesions. • Stephanofilaria is not always the cause of Haematobia -associated skin lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the few unsuccessful space missions in the past few decades, designing a fault-tolerant spacecraft's attitude control has piqued the scientific and academic community's attention. In recent years, fault-tolerant control (FTC) emerged as a prominent control strategy to ensure the reliability and safety of modern systems. This paper critically assesses various theoretical and practical design approaches to achieve the desired level of fault-tolerance for the spacecraft's attitude control. First, a run-through on the conventional FTC methodology for spacecraft's attitude control is briefly presented, highlighting the shortcomings. Then, the need for an autonomous FTC for present and future space missions is established. More critically, a detailed review of the latest developments in spacecraft's fault-tolerant attitude control is discussed from two perspectives: controller-basis design techniques and various controller performance characteristics. Finally, several key challenges and open research areas in designing a practical and reliable spacecraft's fault-tolerant attitude control and the window for future research prospects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerically investigation of natural convection within a differentially heated modified square enclosure with sinusoidally corrugated side walls has been performed for different values of Rayleigh number. The fluid inside the enclosure considered is air and is quiescent, initially. The top and bottom surfaces are flat and considered as adiabatic. Results reveal three main stages: an initial stage, a transitory or oscillatory stage and a steady stage for the development of natural convection flow inside the corrugated cavity. The numerical scheme is based on the finite element method adapted to triangular non-uniform mesh element by a non-linear parametric solution algorithm. Investigation has been performed for the Rayleigh number, Ra ranging from 105 to 108 with variation of corrugation amplitude and frequency. Constant physical properties for the fluid medium have been assumed except for the density where Boussinesq’s approximation has been considered. Results have been presented in terms of the isotherms, streamlines, temperature plots, average Nusselt numbers, traveling waves and thermal boundary layer thickness plots, temperature and velocity profiles. The effects of sudden differential heating and its consequent transient behavior on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics have been observed for the range of governing parameters. The present results show that the transient phenomena are greatly influenced by the variation of the Rayleigh number with corrugation amplitude and frequency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An efficient and cost-effective finite-time fault-tolerant attitude controller for a class of flexible spacecraft is designed in this paper to cater to flexible appendages' vibrations, along with the simultaneous consideration of erratic inertial uncertainties, environmental disturbances, and actuator-related faults. First, a novel and in-depth modeling of the actuator's performance under output degradation, bias and orientation alignment faults is enacted, which redefines the actuator's performance matrix. Then adaptive estimators are conceived to estimate the lumped uncertainties and actuator-related faults. Based on a modified fast nonsingular terminal sliding mode control (MFNTSM), an adaptive fault-tolerant attitude controller is propounded to realize highly precise attitude tracking and error trajectories' finite-time convergence. The proposed controller's prominent feature is that the unknown uncertainties, actuator-related faults, and flexible vibrations are simultaneously tackled without the aid of intelligent actuators and sensors, which are generally applied for vibration suppression. The spacecraft can accomplish the coveted control objective in bounded time, and the stability of the propound controller is established via Lyapunov techniques. Finally, the simulation outcomes exhibit the profound performance of the propound controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifespan, power density, and transient response make supercapacitors a component of choice for the electric vehicle and renewable energy industry. Supercapacitors' long lifecycle often makes it difficult for designers to assess the system's reliability over the complete product cycle. In the existing literature, the remaining useful life (RUL) estimations utilize up to 50% state of health (SOH) degradation data to successfully predict the RUL of the supercapacitors with reasonable accuracy, making them impractical in terms of time and resources required to collect the data. The time to acquire data imposes restrictions on developing a data-driven RUL prediction model for the supercapacitors. The objective of this study is to reliably predict the SOH degradation curve of the supercapacitors with the availability of less than 10% degradation data to avoid time and cost-consuming lifecycle testing. This study presents a novel combination of deep learning algorithm-Deep Belief Network (DBN) with Bayesian Optimization and HyperBand (BOHB) to predict the RUL of the supercapacitors in the early phases of degradation. The proposed method successfully predicts the degradation curve using the data of the initial 15 thousand cycles (less than 6% data for training in most of the cases), which is very promising since the supercapacitor has yet to show much degradation at this stage, thus reducing up to 54% time for the development of the RUL prediction model. The proposed model shows good accuracy with percent error and root mean squared error (RMSE) ranging from 0.05% to 2.2% and 0.8851 to 1.6326, respectively. The robustness of the model is also tested by injecting noise in the training data during training. • BOHB-Deep Belief Network for supercapacitors' remaining useful life (RUL) estimation. • Accurate and robust estimation of degradation curve using 6% data for training. • Universal supercapacitors' RUL estimation model with proven adaptability to new data. • Saves up to 54% time in developing the data-driven model for RUL estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium an effective mood stabilizer, primary used in the treatment of bipolar disorders, has been reported as a protective agent in various neurological disorders. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective role of lithium chloride (LiCl) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cortex and hippocampus of the adult rat brain. We determined that LiCl -attenuated LPS-induced activated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling and significantly reduced the nuclear factor- k B (NF- K B) translation factor and various other inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). We also analyzed that LiCl significantly abrogated activated gliosis via attenuation of specific markers for activated microglia, ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule (Iba-1) and astrocytes, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in both the cortex and hippocampus of the adult rat brain. Furthermore, we also observed that LiCl treatment significantly ameliorated the increase expression level of apoptotic neurodegeneration protein markers Bax/Bcl2, activated caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) in the cortex and hippocampus regions of the LPS-treated adult rat brain. In addition, the morphological results of the fluoro-jade B (FJB) and Nissl staining showed that LiCl attenuated the neuronal degeneration in the cortex and hippocampus regions of the LPS-treated adult rat brain. Taken together, our Western blot and morphological results indicated that LiCl significantly prevents the LPS-induced neurotoxicity via attenuation of neuroinflammation and apoptotic neurodegeneration in the cortex and hippocampus of the adult rat brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (G.C) is one of the most lethal cancer types worldwide. Current treatment requires surgery along with chemotherapy, which causes obstacles for speedy recovery. The discovery of novel drugs is needed for better treatment of G.C with minimum side effects. Latcripin-7A (LP-7A) is a newly discovered peptide extracted from Lentinula edodes. It is recently studied for its anti-cancer activity. In this study, LP-7A was modeled using a phyre2 server. Anti-proliferation effects of LP-7A on G.C cells were examined via CCK-8, colony formation, and morphology assay. Apoptosis of LP-7A treated G.C cells was evaluated via Hoechst Stain, western blot and flow cytometry. Autophagy was assessed via acridine orange staining and western blot. The cell cycle was assessed via flow cytometry assay and western blot. Pathway was studied via western blot and STRING database. Anti-migratory effects of LP-7A treated G.C cells were analyzed via wound healing, western blot, and migration and invasion assay. LP-7A effectively inhibited the growth of G.C cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. G.C cells treated with LP-7A arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase, contributing to the inhibition of migration and invasion. Furthermore, LP-7A induced apoptosis and autophagy in gastric cancer cells. These results indicated that LP-7A is a promising anti-cancer agent. It affected the proliferation and growth of G.C cells (SGC-7901 and BGC-823) by inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and inhibiting cell cycle at the G1 phase in G.C cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been a considerable number of studies that underscored the need to integrate sustainability into the sustainable project management concept. However, there is a limited study that examines the significance of the concept and its future research directions. The present study aimed to investigate the imperative of the concept and identify a number of potential research themes. The research methodology used in this study is a narrative review that relies on literature analysis in the fields of sustainability, project management, and sustainable project management. The results provide numerous research topics that have been studied by academics, and further studies are required to advance the development of sustainable project management research. The research findings contribute to academics in providing research directions in order to observe new research themes. In a practical perspective, this study can assist practitioners in understanding the importance of embedding environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability into the process of managing projects. Image 1049 • The importance of SPM concept is highlighted. • A narrative review is used to analyse the literature. • Knowledge gap in SPM field of research is provided. • Potential research themes in SPM subject are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fourth Industrial Revolution begins, and policies are being formulated by economies as well as efforts are being made to meet the needs of the current times. Among other technologies which are part of Fourth Industrial Revolution, big open data is also the part of Pakistan's digital policy framework. Scholarship is available to explore and examine the determinants of BOD diffusion and adoption, a little literature is available to understand big open data as policy innovation and its diffusion. Therefore, this study drew on Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and its application to public policy innovation research to examine patterns of BOD policy innovation diffusion at government and public bodies' level in Pakistan. These patterns are based on policy declaration timing by the governments, policy adoption timing, development of technological applications, and proactively released datasets statistics in public bodies. An Event History Analysis was carried out to examine BOD policy innovation diffusion patterns. Results showed that Federal government is the innovator for the policy innovation diffusion across different governments and subsequent public bodies. It was also found that efficacy ranking of public bodies is quite low in terms of developing BOD technological platforms and proactive release of datasets in large quantities. Therefore, government and policy-makers should focus on effective implementation of big open data policy innovation in Pakistan to equip with 21st century needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein O-fucosylation is an important glycosylation modification and plays an important role in embryonic development. Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (poFUT1) is an essential enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of protein O-fucosylation. Our previous studies showed that poFUT1 promoted trophoblast cell migration and invasion at the fetal-maternal interface, but the role of poFUT1 in trophoblast cells proliferation remains unclear. Here, immunohistochemistry data showed that poFUT1 and PCNA levels were decreased in abortion patient’s trophoblasts compared with women with normal pregnancies. Our results also showed that poFUT1 promoted trophoblast cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay and cell cycle analysis. PoFUT1 increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and PI3K/Akt, while inhibitors of ERK1/2(PD98059), p38 MAPK(SB203580), and PI3K (LY294002) prevented ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and Akt phosphorylation. Moreover, poFUT1 stimulation of trophoblast cells proliferation correlated with increased cell cycle progression by promoting cells into S-phase. The underlying mechanism involved increased cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK 2, CDK 4, and pRb expression and decreased levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27, which were blocked by inhibitors of the upstream signaling molecules MAPK and PI3K/Akt. In conclusion, poFUT1 promotes trophoblast cell proliferation by activating MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning is an enterprise system that incorporates essential entities of the corporate sustainable value chain into a centralised system. It is a massive information system, and its deployment requires a considerable investment of money and time. Unwell plan, limited resources, and weak commitment can lead to the failure of system implementation. Few studies have discussed the concept of Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems. However, little research has focused on the implementation aspect of the system, especially on proposing a general plan that can guide practitioners to implement the Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems. To address this gap, this study aimed to develop comprehensive guidelines that provide steps and activities for implementing the system. The guidelines are developed using a conceptual research method that relies on the examination of literature to find and integrate various concepts, including sustainability aspects, project management, organisational decision levels, and stratc management. The method envelopes three phases: (i) Collection of steps and activities from the existing sustainability and ERP guidelines, (ii) Classification and evaluation of the identified steps and activities, and (iii) Identification of steps and activities required for the guidelines. The proposed guidelines entail three main modules comprising implementation steps, levels, and activities. The results would be useful for practitioners in giving a formal direction to efficiently implement Sustainable Enterprise Resource Planning systems in their corporate value chains. Image 10200 • S-ERP master plan incorporates three aspects of roadmap, guidelines, and framework. • S-ERP guidelines assist practitioners for effective implementation of S-ERP systems. • Conceptual research methods are applied for guidelines development. • S-ERP guidelines integrate implementation steps, levels, and activities. • New activities are considered in the developed guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]