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This paper considers a more general eventually time-varying Beverton–Holt equation for species evolution which can include a harvesting action and a penalty for overpopulation numbers. The harvesting action may be positive (typically consisting of hunting or fishing) or negative which refers to repopulation within the environment. One considers also a penalty of quadratic type on the overpopulation and the introduction of a term related to Allee effect to take account of small levels of population. The intrinsic growth rate is assumed either to exceed unity or to be under unity. In the second case, the extinction point is a locally stable attractor while the other positive equilibrium point is unstable contrarily to the commonly studied case of intrinsic growth rate exceeding unity where the above roles are inverted. This consequence implies that the extinction point is also globally asymptotically stable for any given finite initial condition. In the case when the eventual overpopulation is penalized with a sufficiently large coefficient which exceeds a prescribed threshold, to quantify such an excess, only a globally asymptotically stable extinction attractor is present and no other positive equilibrium points exist. In the case of a positive moderate quadratic evaluation term for such an overpopulation, one or two positive equilibrium points coexist with the extinction one. The smaller one is unstable contrarily to the extinction equilibrium which is locally asymptotically stable. If it exists a second largest positive equilibrium point, being distinct to the above-given one, then it can be unstable or locally stable depending on the parameterization. Also, some methods of monitoring the population evolution through control laws on the harvesting action are discussed. The authors are grateful to the Basque Government for its support through Grant no. IT1555-22 and to MCIN/AEI 269.10.13039/501100011033 for Grant no. PID2021-1235430B-C21/C22.

Leptonic mixing patterns are usually extracted on the basis of groups or algebraic structures. In this paper, we introduce an alternative geometric method to study the correlations between the leptonic mixing parameters. At the 3$\sigma$ level of the recent global fit data of neutrino oscillations, the distribution of the scattered points of the angles between the vectors, which are constructed by the element of the leptonic mixing matrix, is analysed. We find that the scattered points are concentrated on several special regions. Using the data in these regions, correlations of the leptonic mixing angles and the Dirac CP violating phase are obtained. The implications of the correlations are shown through the predicted flavor ratio of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos (HANs) at Earth., Comment: 21pages, 13figures

This work was partially supported by the Research Group “FQM-266-Anillos y Módulos.” This work was supported by grant A-FQM-394-UGR20 from Programa Operativo FEDER 2014–2020 and Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucía (Spain) and by the “María de Maeztu” Excellence Unit IMAG, reference CEX2020-001105-M, funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/., In the fuzzy theory of sets and groups, the use of α-levels is a standard to translate problems from the fuzzy to the crisp framework. Using strong α-levels, it is possible to establish a one to one correspondence which makes possible doubly, a gradual and a functorial treatment of the fuzzy theory. The main result of this paper is to identify the class of fuzzy sets, respectively, fuzzy groups, with subcategories of the functorial categories Set (0, 1], resp., Gr (0, 1]. In this line, the algebraic potential of this theory will be reached, in forthcoming papers., Research Group “FQM-266-Anillos y Módulos, Grant A-FQM-394-UGR20 from Programa Operativo FEDER 2014–2020, Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucía (Spain), “María de Maeztu” Excellence Unit IMAG, reference CEX2020-001105-M, funded by MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/

Background: Persistent elevation in beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) following a pregnancy is concerning for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). However, the differential diagnosis should remain broad during the evaluation process. Case: A 34-year-old G3P3 presented with elevated β-hCG four months after cesarean delivery with bilateral tubal ligation. The patient was treated with methotrexate for a presumed new ectopic pregnancy. Due to persistent β-hCG elevation, she received actinomycin-D for GTN treatment. After completing chemotherapy, her β-hCG increased. The patient underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy with unplanned left oophorectomy due to its nodular appearance at the time of surgery. Pathology confirmed a dysgerminoma of the ovary and benign uterus. Conclusion: Although dysgerminomas are uncommon, they should be considered when β-hCG levels remain elevated despite therapies for more common pathologies. Published version

Objectives. To determine if radial artery (RA) access compared with femoral artery (FA) access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Background. AKI results in substantial morbidity and cost following PCI. Prior studies comparing the occurrence of AKI associated with radial artery (RA) versus femoral artery (FA) access have mixed results. Methods. Using a large state-wide database, 14,077 patients (8,539 with RA and 5,538 patents with FA access) were retrospectively compared to assess the occurrence of AKI following PCI. To reduce selection bias and balance clinical data across the two groups, a novel machine learning method called a Generalized Boosted Model was conducted on the arterial access site generating a weighted propensity score for each variable. A logistic regression analysis was then performed on the occurrence of AKI following PCI using the weighted propensity scores from the Generalized Boosted Model. Results. As shown in other studies, multiple variables were associated with an increase in AKI after PCI. Only RA access (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.74–0.91) and male gender (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.72–0.89) were associated with a lower occurrence of AKI. Based on the calculated Mehran scores, patients were stratified into groups with an increasing risk of AKI. RA access was consistently found to have a lower risk of AKI compared with FA access across these groups of increasing risk. Conclusions. Compared with FA access, RA access is associated with an 18% lower rate of AKI following PCI. This effect was observed among different levels of risk for developing AKI. Although developed from a retrospective analysis, this study supports the use of RA access when technically possible in a diverse group of patients. Published version

Nephrotic syndrome progresses with various metabolic disturbances, such as proteinuria over 3.5 grams in 24 hours, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercoagulability. Patients usually complain about diffuse edema throughout the body, which is secondary to hypoalbuminemia. It has many primary and secondary causes. Patients may require a renal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Besides, many secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome should be examined and excluded. Although many vaccines were developed due to the COVID-19, many side effects are still reported because of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (COVID-19 mRNA and BNT162b2), which is widely used in Turkey. This study examines a case of nephrotic syndrome with acute renal injury after Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Montmorillonite is often used to enhance the mechanical and biological properties of polymer materials, but the weak interaction between the enhanced phase and the matrix limits the enhancement effect. Herein, ionic liquids were introduced as interfacial compatibilizer to improve the dispersion of the enhanced phase in the matrix and interaction between them, and a composite scaffold with enhanced mechanical properties was prepared by selective laser sintering. Specifically, the positively charged terminations of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium in ionic liquids were anchored to the montmorillonite interlayer domain under electrostatic action. At the same time, the long carbon chain at the other end extends in the opposite direction to increase the layer spacing of the montmorillonite, which provides enough space for the intercalation of the polyetheretherketone molecular chain. First, the blue shift of the diffraction peak in the small-angle X-ray diffraction pattern proves the successful insertion of ionic liquids into the interlayered domain of montmorillonite. In addition, the compression test results show that the compressive strength of the modified composite scaffold was increased by 23%, reaching 31.53 MPa. Besides, the composite scaffold exhibits good biomineralization capacity, which may be attributed to ion modification providing more apatite-shaped nucleation sites. These results suggested that the method of modifying inorganic fillers with ionic liquids to enhance mechanical properties and promote mineralization may be an effective means for bone scaffold modification.

The bacteria of shellfish bioaccumulate mainly in the gill and digestive gland tissues, which can affect shellfish health status and disease susceptibility under stressful conditions or environmental effects. Ruditapes philippinarum is a filter-feeding shellfish with both ecological and economic significance, and it is classified as a Mollusca (phylum), Bivalvia (class), Veneridae (family), and Ruditapes (genus). In this study, 16S high-throughput sequencing was used to explore the microbiomics of digestive glands and gills of R. philippinarum under temporary rearing without feeding (including the purification process) in different water environments (natural vs. artificial seawater) from 0–7 days. The results revealed that the digestive glands and gills of R. philippinarum had their own unique bacterial community structures. Tissue microorganisms under the overlap of different water environments and starvation factors showed different dynamic effects within 0–7 days. The sand spitting and purification steps (posttransport rehydration stage of 24 hours) effectively reduced microorganism abundance. There were different biomarkers in the prerearing and postrearing periods, and R. philippinarum may be more susceptible to the enrichment of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria during the postrearing period in artificial seawater.

Objective. Self-reported body silhouette is an anthropometric instrument that has been utilized as a screening tool for underweight, overweight, obesity, and other abnormal anthropometric variables. Herein, we analyzed the risk associated with the self-reported body silhouette in the scope of dyslipidemias, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and hypertension. Methods. Adult participants of the Health Workers Cohort Study enrolled between March 2004 and April 2006 were included. Then, risk analysis was performed considering dyslipidemias as serum triglycerides, high total cholesterol, high LDL-C, low HDL-C, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and hypertension. Results. A total of 2,297 males and 5,003 females were analyzed. The median ages of the studied population was 39 (30–49) and 41 (31–50) years for males and females, respectively. Overall, there is a stepwise increase in the risk of presenting dyslipidemias, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and hypertension as the self-reported body silhouette number increases, this tendency was observed in both males and females. Conclusion. Self-reported body silhouette is a useful risk assessment tool for dyslipidemias, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and hypertension in Mexican adults. Applications of questioners containing this silhouette might be considered a valuable public health instrument due to their low cost, relative simplicity, and absence of specialized equipment, training, or respondent knowledge.

The drilling fluid must be designed through a comprehensive process to select the right additives, and then must passed through different API standard evaluation processes to ensure the quality. However, the contamination of the drilling fluid with the drilled cuttings caused a significant alteration in the drilling fluid and sealing properties of the drilling fluid. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to identify the effect of different cuttings on the drilling fluid properties. The current work emphasized on the impact of four different cuttings (quartz sandstone, Argillaceous sandstone, Siliceous claystone, and Kaolinitic claystone). The utilized cuttings in this work were selected carefully from different sandstone types to have varied clay content ranged from 0 to 70%. The selected cuttings were prepared and then characterized in term of their mineral composition and particle size distribution. In order to accomplish the objective of this work, the base mud contains zero cutting concentration, after that, an additional four drilling fluid samples were prepared by adding the prepared cuttings in two different concentrations include 5 wt.% and 10 wt.%. Several indispensable tests were conducted to investigate the impact of the added cutting on the rheological properties, filtration performance, filter cake properties, and other primary properties such as the drilling fluid density and pH. The results exhibited that the fluctuation of fluid properties was governed by two factors, one was the cutting concertation and the other was the clay content. Filter cake thickness showed high sensitivity at the low cutting concentration while the other properties were mostly in the acceptable range. On the other hand, at higher concentration, the results fall down into two clusters: cuttings with clay content ranging from 0 to 50% (quartz sandstone cuttings, Argillaceous sandstone, and Siliceous claystone) and cuttings with clay content higher than 50% (Kaolinitic claystone) as shown in details in the result section of this work. This works highlight the important of considering the cutting impact on the drilling fluid properties which ultimately impact the whole drilling operations.

Benzothiazoles, an anticonvulsant, antiviral, antihypertensive, and cancer-fighting medication of the heterocyclic scaffold family, also acts as antibacterial and antiviral agents. There is much interest in this chemical’s production because of the strong and vital biological action it possesses. Substituted aromatic aldehydes were combined with 2-amino-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid amides, or Schiff base derivatives, to create Schiff base derivatives. Recrystallized, characterized, and tested for diuretic efficacy in vivo using online tools, m.p. (melting point), Rf, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared), 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) data The molecular characteristics of all the substances created were estimated using Lipinski’s rule of 5, OSIRIS (software) molecular property explorer, Molsoft, and Autodock 4.0 docking software. Male Wistar rats were used to make all the compounds traditionally in order to test for diuretic activity. Neither the elemental nor the spectral information for the synthesized compounds disagreed. There were five different methods used to evaluate these compounds: Lipinski rule of five, Molsoft to determine molecular characteristics, PASS (prediction of activity spectra for substances) values to determine the diuretic effect, and OSIRIS software to determine toxicology. In order to investigate the diuretic effects of the selected drugs, docking analysis was used. Acetazolamide was shown to have a diuretic effect that was superior to that of compounds IIIb and IIIe, whereas 2-{(E)-[(3-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]amino}-1,3-benzothiazole-6-sulfonamide (IIIb) was found to be the most promising potential.

Campylobacter jejuni is the major bacterial cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. Mechanistically, how this pathogen interacts with intrinsic defence machinery of human intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) remains elusive. To address this, we investigated how C. jejuni counteracts the intracellular and extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in IECs. Our work shows that C. jejuni differentially regulates intracellular and extracellular ROS production in human T84 and Caco-2 cells. C. jejuni downregulates the transcription and translation of Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAPDH) oxidase (Nox1), a key ROS-generating enzyme in IECs and antioxidant defence genes cat and sod1. Furthermore, inhibition of Nox1 by diphenylene iodonium (DPI) and siRNA reduced C. jejuni ability to interact, invade and intracellularly survive within T84 and Caco-2 cells. Collectively, these findings provide mechanistic insight into how C. jejuni modulates the IEC defence machinery.

Asthma is a common respiratory disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, has been shown to participate in regulating inflammatory states and thus exert organ protective actions. However, the potential of DEX in asthma is still unknown. This study is aimed at investigating the role of DEX in a mouse model of house dust mite- (HDM-) induced asthma and exploring its underlying mechanism. Here, we found that DEX treatment significantly ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, and airway remodeling in the asthmatic mice, which were similar to the efficacy of the reference anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone. In addition, DEX reversed the increased expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and its downstream signaling adaptor molecule nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in the lung tissue of asthmatic mice. Furthermore, these protective effects of DEX were abolished by yohimbine, an α2 adrenergic receptor antagonist. These results indicate that DEX is capable of ameliorating airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic mice, and this protective effect is associated with the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic hormonal and metabolic disorder in which our body cannot generate necessary insulin or does not act in response to it, accordingly, ensuing in discordantly high blood sugar (glucose) levels. Diabetes mellitus can lead to systemic dysfunction in the multiorgan system, including cardiac dysfunction, severe kidney disease, lowered quality of life, and increased mortality risk from diabetic complications. To uncover possible therapeutic targets to treat diabetes mellitus, the in silico drug design technique is widely used, which connects the ligand molecules with target proteins to construct a protein-ligand network. To identify new therapeutic targets for type 2 diabetes mellitus, Azadirachta indica is subjected to phytochemical screening using in silico molecular docking, pharmacokinetic behavior analysis, and simulation-based molecular dynamic analysis. This study has analyzed around 63 phytochemical compounds, and the initial selection of the compounds was made by analyzing their pharmacokinetic properties by comparing them with Lipinski’s rule of 5. The selected compounds were subjected to molecular docking. The top four ligand compounds were reported along with the control drug nateglinide based on their highest negative molecular binding affinity. The protein-ligand interaction of selected compounds has been analyzed to understand better how compounds interact with the targeted protein structure. The results of the in silico analysis revealed that 7-Deacetyl-7-oxogedunin had the highest negative docking score of −8.9 Kcal/mol and also demonstrated standard stability in a 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation performed with insulin receptor ectodomain. It has been found that these substances may rank among the essential supplementary antidiabetic drugs for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is suggested that more in vivo and in vitro research studies be carried out to support the conclusions drawn from this in silico research strategy.

The assumption of Hall current and ion slip is extremely crucial in several industrial and manufacturing processes, such as MHD (magneto hydrodynamics) accelerators, preservation coils, transmission lines, electric converters, and heating elements. Keeping this in view, the main aim of this article is to present a computational analysis of MHD ion Hall current with nonlinear thermal radiation on the sloping flow of shear thinning fluid through a porous medium on a stretching sheet that allows fluid suction and injection. The major mathematical modelling of governed problems is converted into a system of nonlinear ODEs (ordinary differential equations) by means of appropriate similarity relations. The influence of all relative physical parameters on velocity and temperature is studied through graphs and discussed in a detailed physical manner. Some beneficial mathematical quantities from the practical engineering and industrial point of view, such as skin friction factor and heat transfer rate at the porous surface, are calculated numerically and presented through graphs. It has been observed that flow may become unstable when M is small and the existence of a magnetic field and a porous ground contributes to a highly rough flow over the stretching surface. Suction is actually a resistive force which results in higher skin friction that is beneficial in controlling flow separation. Temperature of the fluid rises with stronger magnetic field and higher thermal radiation effects. The local heat flux decreases as the magnetic field strength and permeability parameter increase.

Symptomatic carotid stenosis and pheochromocytoma both require timely surgical intervention. Following a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a 46-year-old man was diagnosed with bilateral carotid artery stenosis and scheduled for carotid endarterectomy. He was a poor candidate for minimally invasive options due to prior neck radiation. Simultaneously, he began experiencing difficulty with diabetes management and elevated blood pressures and was ultimately diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. This unique situation required coordination to determine the appropriate timing of the two interventions. This case highlights the importance of communication and coordination amongst medical specialists and consideration for anesthetic management of patients with concomitant pheochromocytoma and carotid stenosis.

Porous MnO2 microflowers with a hexagonal crystalline structure were facilely prepared at a low hydrothermal temperature of 90°C, without using any template or capping agent. The as-prepared MnO2 only presented an excellent detection ability for copper (II) by a square wave anodic stripping voltammetry in the presence of super P carbon black as conducting agent, and Nafion as binder. In the present work, to evaluate the detection ability of copper (II) in the MnO2 microflowers, chips of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) having a polyurethane substrate, a silver working electrode, a carbon counter electrode, and a silver pseudoelectrode, were designed. Then, the SPEs chips were modified with MnO2 microflowers and/or super P carbon and used as electrochemical sensors for the detection of copper (II) present in water sources. From the measured results, the fabricated sensors with excellent copper detection in a linear range from 0.625 nM to 15 nM (R2 = 0.9737), and a low detection limit (0.5 nM), high sensitivity (214.05 μA/cm2 nM), and rapid response (180 s) demonstrated high application potential for electrochemical sensors in the detection of copper in water resources.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most severe microvascular complications of diabetes and has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease formation. The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is very complex and is still not fully understood. Fisetin is a flavonoid polyphenolic compound that is widely found in different fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. Many studies have indicated that it has a variety of pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of action of fisetin in the protection of DN-induced podocyte injury both in vivo and in vitro. Results showed that fisetin could reduce high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy in mice. According to the histopathological staining results, fisetin ameliorated DN-induced glomerular injury in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot and immunofluorescence results showed that fisetin effectively promoted the expression of podocyte functional integrity marker proteins and inhibited the expression of podocyte injury marker proteins. In addition, according to the Western blot and RT-qPCR results, fisetin activates the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 to exert antioxidative stress ability and affects the expression of downstream antioxidant enzymes HO-1, GPX4, and other ferroptosis-related markers, thereby protecting against HG-induced podocyte ferroptosis and oxidative stress injury in DN mice. In summary, this study demonstrated that fisetin could enhance the antioxidative stress capacity of DN mice by promoting the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1/GPX4 signaling pathway in renal tissues, and attenuated HG-induced podocytes injury and STZ-induced DN in mice.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) refer to infections in any part of the respiratory tract, which are common, with most of the world’s population contracting at least one infection annually. These infections are becoming important causes of death and morbidity due to the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance that has resulted in reduced efficacy of existing drugs. Different local societies residing in Ethiopia have been reported to use traditional medicinal plants to treat RTIs. Nevertheless, up-to-date summarized data on the diversity of plants used in the traditional medicine system to treat RTIs in Ethiopia are lacking. The purpose of this review was to assess plant species used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory tract infections in Ethiopia. It attempts to compile available data required for undertaking further scientific investigations. The data were collected by searching for published scientific articles and other grey literature. Following this, medicinal plant (MP) diversity, growth forms, plant parts used, modes of remedy preparation and application, sources and distributions, and frequently treated respiratory disorders were examined. An Excel spreadsheet and SigmaPlot software were used to summarize and present the data. Two hundred twenty-nine (229) plant species that have been used to treat respiratory disorders in Ethiopia were documented. Lamiaceae was the most cited family (27 species), followed by Asteraceae (23 species), and Fabaceae (18 species), whereas cough was primarily cited as being treated by MPs and scored the highest frequency of citation (FOC = 243), followed by the common cold (FOC = 151) and asthma (FOC = 63). The top-cited plant species used in the treatment of RTIs were Eucalyptus globulus (6.8%), Allium sativum (5.5%), Zingiber officinale (4.2%), Ruta chalepensis (3.8%), and Ocimum lamiifolium (2.8%). Herbs were the dominant plant growth form (46%) used to treat respiratory diseases, and the most commonly used MP parts were leaves (37%). The leading traditional method used for preparation was decoction (25.5%), and the remedies were usually administered orally (64.6%). The MP origin reported was mainly from the wild (59%). High diversity of medicinal plants was reported as being used to treat various RTIs in Ethiopia. Information obtained from this review could be used as a reference for the selection of plants for further pharmacological, phytochemical, and toxicological investigations for their possible therapeutic applications and the development of new plant-based drugs.

We investigate the early developmental characteristics of the skeletal system in Miichthys miiuy larvae using a double staining method on the whole larval skeletons (aged 1–30 days). We systematically observed and described the morphological development of both the spinal vertebrae and appendicular skeleton. The results showed that there were 25 spinal vertebrae in M. miiuy, which consist of 12 abdominal vertebrae and 13 coccyges; The development of spinal vertebrae began at 12 days after hatching (dah), with the emergence of ossified neural and haemal arches, where ossification appeared at 17 dah; and the appendicular skeletons were developed from the pectoral fins to ventral fins. The coracoid-scapula cartilage was clearly observable at three dah, and fin rays were clearly differentiated at 21 dah. The cartilage of appendicular of the ventral fins was formed until 19 dah, and the ventral fins were completely ossified at 21 dah. Subsequently, the caudal, dorsal, and anal fins appeared at 10, 13, and 14 dah, respectively. Additionally, the appendicular skeleton associated with the movement of M.miiuy was completely developed by 28 dah. Finally we observed that there are four types of spinal vertebrae abnormalities during the early development of M.miiuy, which included spinal bulging, splitting of vertebrae, and supernumerary and bifurcated haemal and neural spines. Skeletal length and age (in days) were highly correlated (r2 = 0.942). There was a strong relationship between total length and skeletal length (r2 = 0.979) and between body length and skeletal length (r2 = 0.9779).

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) as a titanate coupling agent (TCA) on surface modification of TiO2 nanotube (TNT) material. From the physical and chemical studies that have been performed on the modified TiO2 nanotube, scanning electron microscope micrographs, energy-dispersive X-ray and viscosity indicated that there was significant reduction in particle aggregation of the modified TiO2 Nanotube. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the functional group of the TCA reacted with the hydroxyl groups present on the surface of TiO2 nanotube resulting in an altered surface property from being hydrophilic to hydrophobic. X-ray diffraction indicated that crystalline structure did not change upon the modification with the coupling agent. Isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) is found to be superior in performance and has a significant effect on the dispersion and resolving of agglomeration. This paper presents the effect of surface modification with the TCA of isopropyl triisostearoyl titanate (KR-TTS) type on the TiO2 nanotube material.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) represents a leading threat to the global pig industry. Generally, pigs exhibit a pronounced age resistance against PRV, and the virus generally does not cause severe clinical signs and even death in old pigs. However, we characterized two PRV strains (HeN21 and HuB20) associated with severe respiratory and neuronal signs in old pigs. Among these two strains, HeN21 was isolated from the tonsil of a 24-week-old pig that died from severe neuronal and respiratory signs in a PRV-outbreak farm where a commercial PRV attenuated vaccine developed based on a PRV variant was used; while, HuB20 was isolated from the lung and lymph node of a 20-week-old with symptoms in another farm where Bartha-K61 vaccine was used. In vitro evaluations in different cell models demonstrated that HeN21 and HuB20 led to similar cytotoxic effects to those caused by PRV variants on PK-15, Vero, and SK-N-SH cells after 30 hours of inoculation. However, HeN21 possessed a higher titer than the other PRV variants from the first to the fifth passage on PK-15 cells and induced plaques with larger size. In vivo assessments in mouse and fattening pig models showed that inoculations of HeN21 and HuB20 caused higher morbidity and mortality and severe pathological damages in tested animals. In particular, challenge of HeN21 led to severe respiratory and neuronal signs in 90-day-old pigs. These two strains displayed higher virus loads on the main organs of challenged mice and pigs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that HeN21 and HuB20 belonged to genotype II. In addition, recombinant events were identified in the genomes of HeN21 and HuB20, and several events were located within genes associated with PRV virulence. Our data herein may suggest the emergence of novel PRV strains in China.

Laser-driven wakefield acceleration (LWFA) has attracted lots of attention in recent years. However, few writers have been able to make systematic research into the bow waves generated along with the wake waves. Research about the bow waves will help to improve the understanding about the motion of the electrons near the wake waves. In addition, the relativistic energetic electron density peaks have great potential in electron acceleration and reflecting flying mirrors. In this paper, the bow waves generated in laser-plasma interactions as well as the effects of different laser and plasma parameters are investigated. Multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations are made to present the wake waves and bow waves by showing the electron density and momentum distribution as well as the electric field along x and y directions. The evolution of the bow wave structure is investigated by measuring the open angle between the bow wave and the wake wave cavity. The angle as well as the peak electron density and transverse momentum is demonstrated with respect to different laser intensities, spot sizes, plasma densities, and preplasma lengths. The density peak emits high-order harmonics up to 150 orders and can be a new kind of “flying mirror” to generate higher order harmonics. The study on the bow waves is important for further investigation on the electron motion around the wake waves, generation of dense electron beams, generation of high-order harmonics, and other research and applications based on the bow waves.

Hui Yang Jiu Ji (HYJJ) decoction has been applied as a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). However, its comprehensive molecular mechanism remains unclear now. Our study aimed to explore the possible function and lncRNA-miRNA regulation networks of HYJJ on CHF induced by doxorubicin (DOX) in rats. Our study showed that HYJJ could recover cardiac function and alleviate myocardial injury of DOX-induced CHF. Besides, HYJJ had an effect on restraining myocardial apoptosis in CHF rats. Moreover, RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated that among a total of 548 significantly up- and down-regulated differentially expressed (DE) long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), 511 up- and down-regulated DE miRNAs were identified. Cushing’s syndrome and Adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes were common pathways between DE-lncRNAs-enriched pathways and DE-miRNAs-enriched pathways. Finally, we observed a new pathway-MSTRG.598.1/Lilrb2 pathway with the HYJJ treatment; however, it needs further studies. In conclusion, this study provided evidence that HYJJ may be a suitable medicine for treating CHF. Moreover, several pivotal miRNAs may serve important roles in these processes by regulating some key miRNAs or pathways in CHF.

Objective. Several meta-analyses have shown that curcumin can reduce inflammatory biomarkers, but the findings are inconsistent. The objective of the present umbrella meta-analysis was to provide a more accurate estimate of the overall effects of curcumin on inflammatory biomarkers. Methods. The following international databases were systematically searched until March 20, 2022: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A random-effects model was applied to evaluate the effects of curcumin on inflammatory biomarkers. Meta-analysis studies investigating the effects of curcumin supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers with corresponding effect sizes (ES) and confidence intervals (CI) were included in the umbrella meta-analysis. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Results. A meta-analyses of ten studies with 5,870 participants indicated a significant decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP) (ES = −0.74; 95% CI: −1.11, −0.37, p45 years and a sample size >300 participants. Conclusion. The umbrella of meta-analysis suggests curcumin as a promising agent in reducing inflammation as an adjunctive therapeutic approach in diseases whose pathogenesis is related to a higher level of inflammatory biomarkers.

Aims. This study investigates how authentic leadership influences the psychological well-being of Australian nurses. We examined whether authentic leadership could reduce the prevalence of workplace incivility and tested whether shared values and person-organization (P-O) fit could moderate the relationship between workplace incivility and psychological well-being (PWB). A mediated moderation model underpinned by social learning theory was developed to test the influence of authentic leadership on PWB. Design. We adopted a descriptive correlational research design to test the hypothesized model with a cross-sectional sample of Australian nurses using an online survey. Data were collected across two-waves separated by a six-month interval (N = 230, response rate = 38.3%) to minimize the potential effects of common source bias. The hypotheses were tested using Hayes Process Macro (Model 14) on IBM SPSS. Results. The hypothesized model had good fit indices and supported the mediated moderation model. There was no support for the direct association between authentic leadership and PWB. The supervisor authentic leadership behavior was negatively associated with workplace incivility and PWB. The association between incivility and PWB was positively associated with P-O fit. Nurses with high P-O fit reacted strongly to the positive effect of authentic leadership in reducing workplace incivility, such that they experienced higher levels of PWB. Conclusion. Authentic leadership behavior is important in the healthcare workplace. It reduces workplace incivility and improves PWB for nurses with high levels of congruence. Implications: our study suggests that senior management should deploy strategies through which frontline supervisors can learn and enact authentic leadership behaviors. They will then be better equipped to improve the PWB of their followers by minimizing the prevalence of workplace incivility. Impact: the study found a significant indirect relationship between authentic leadership behavior and psychological well-being, as mediated by workplace incivility and moderated by person-organization fit. The findings highlight the importance of positive leadership behaviors on the well-being outcomes of nurses in Australia.

Background. The mechanisms underlying M2 macrophage polarization induced by nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are unclear. The effects that M2-polarized macrophages have on NP cells are also controversial. Methods. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to detect the gene change profiles between NP cells from ruptured intervertebral disc (IVD) and normal IVD. The main difference on biological activities between the two cell groups were analyzed by GO analysis and KEGG analysis. Virus transduction, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, western blot, CCK-8, TUNEL staining, and AO/EB staining were performed to explore the interactions between NP cells and RAW264.7 macrophages. Statistics were performed using SPSS26. Results. 801 upregulated and 276 downregulated genes were identified in NP cells from ruptured IVD in mouse models. According to GO and KEGG analysis, we found that the differentially expressed genes (DEG) were dominantly enriched in inflammatory response, extracellular matrix degradation, blood vessel morphogenesis, immune effector process, ossification, chemokine signaling pathway, macrophage activation, etc. CX3CL1 was one of the top 20% DEG, and we confirmed that both NP tissue and cells expressed remarkably higher level of CX3CL1 in mouse models ( p < 0.001 ∗ ). Besides, we further revealed that both the recombinant CX3CL1 and NP cells remarkably induced M2 polarization of RAW264.7 ( p < 0.001 ∗ ), respectively, while this effect was significantly reversed by si-CX3CL1 or JMS-17-2 ( p < 0.001 ∗ ). Furthermore, we found that M2 macrophages significantly decreased the apoptosis rate ( p < 0.001 ∗ ) and the catabolic gene levels ( p < 0.001 ∗ ) of NP cells, while increased the viability, proliferation as well as the anabolic gene levels of NP cells ( p < 0.01 ∗ ). Conclusions. Via regulating CX3CL1/CX3CR1 pathway, NP cells can induce the M2 macrophage polarization. M2 polarized macrophages can further promote NP cell viability, proliferation, and anabolism, while inhibit NP cell apoptosis and catabolism.

Background. There is controversy regarding whether patients with single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) should be offered radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a first-line treatment option. Thus, this study compared overall survival after surgical resection (SR) and RFA for single HCC. Methods. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used for this retrospective study. The study included 30- to 84-year-old patients diagnosed with HCC from 2000 to 2018. Selection bias was reduced via propensity score matching (PSM). The study compared the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with single HCC who were treated with SR and RFA. Results. Before and after PSM, the median OS and median CSS were significantly longer in the SR group than in the RFA group ( p < 0.05 ). In the subgroup analysis, the median OS and median CSS for male and female patients with male and female patients with tumor sizes 5 cm, age at diagnosis between 60 and 84 years, and grades I–IV tumors were longer than in the SR group than in the RFA group ( p < 0.05 ). Similar results were reported for patients who received chemotherapy ( p < 0.05 ). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that compared with RFA, SR was an independent favorable factor for OS and CSS ( p < 0.05 ) before and after PSM. Conclusion. Patients with SR who had a single HCC showed higher OS and CSS compared with patients who received RFA. Hence, SR should be used as a first-line treatment in cases of single HCC.

Aiming at the network security problem of power system cable trench control industrial Internet system, we studied an intrusion detection method applied to the embedded industrial Internet of Things gateway. This method extracts rules from the DBN-DNN deep neural network to obtain intrusion detection models that are conducive to integration into embedded systems. We first use the DBN network to reduce the dimensionality of the data, then use the DNN to train the classification model, and extract the rules from the DNN’s neurons to form a rule tree for intrusion detection. The KDD CUP99 training database is used to verify the feasibility of the method, and the test is carried out in the embedded gateway. The results show that the detection method based on rule extraction used in this paper can ensure detection efficiency and accuracy compared to the traditional detection methods. At the same time, it saves more computing resources and is more conducive to integration in embedded gateway systems.

We give the illustration of a new decomposition: the core-EP-nilpotent decomposition, which is on the basis of the core-EP decomposition and EP-nilpotent decomposition for some square matrices in this thesis. According to the new decomposition, we show the definitions and characteristics of two new orders: core-E-N partial order and core-E-S partial order. We also illustrate relations of the two orders under some restricted conditions.

Under the research background of ecological environment protection and “double carbon” goal, this paper applies panel data on the logistics industry from 2010 to 2019 in 12 provinces of China’s new western land-sea corridor to statically measure the logistics industry’s technical efficiency after taking into account the impact of different environmental elements and to analyze the dynamics trends of total factor productivity in the logistics sector. It is measured by using the three-stage SBM model and the Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index, which considers undesirable output. The findings indicate the following: (1) In the context of “double carbon,” the overall technical efficiency of the logistics sector in the new western land-sea corridor seems to be relatively low; however, the average technical efficiency of the logistics sector in the southern portion of the new western land-sea corridor does seem to be higher than that of the northern part. (2) The logistics industry’s technical efficiency varies greatly by region, with locations near central China having much higher technical efficiency than remote inland areas. (3) The fundamental reason for the improvement of technical efficiency in the logistics industry is pure technical efficiency, and the driving force behind the increase in total factor productivity is technological advancement. (4) Economic development, informatization development, industrial market scale, and import and export all have a substantial influence on the logistics industry’s technical efficiency. Finally, depending on the findings, policy recommendations are offered.

The following case report describes the treatment of a 20-year-old man with dental and facial asymmetry. Patient presented upper dental midline shifted 3 mm to right side and the lower one 1 mm to left side, skeletal class I, molar class I and canine class III on the right side, molar class I and canine class II on the left side, and upper and lower crowding on teeth #12, #15, #22, #24, #34, and #35 in crossbite. The treatment plan provided four extractions: in the superior arch the right second and the left first premolar and in the lower arch first premolars on the left and right sides. Wire-fixed orthodontic device was used in combinations with coils to correct the midline deviation and to close post-extractive spaces, avoiding miniscrew implants. At the end of the treatment, optimal functional and aesthetic results were obtained: realignment of the midline improved facial symmetry, correction of the crossbite on both sides, and a good occlusal relationship.

Hypericum revolutum subsp. keniense is a plant mainly used to treat diarrhoea, rheumatism, nervous disorders and wounds in African traditional medicine. The objective of the current work was to establish antibacterial, antioxidant potency and chemical composition of essential oil from the leaves and flowers of Hypericum revolutum subsp. keniense. The oils were isolated by steam distillation. Antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 12393), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Acinetobacter baumannii (ATTC 19606), Salmonella Enteritidis (NCTC12023), Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 14028), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), and Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 49766) were done by Agar Disk Diffusion and Microtiter Broth Dilution methods. Antioxidant activities of the essentail oils were examined by different methods, DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 assays. Chemical characterization was done using Gas Chromatography interfaced with Mass Spectrometry, Fourier-Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and the quantification of phenolics and flavonoids by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and Aluminium nitrate respectively. The oils showed potential antibacterial activity with mean zone of inhibition ranging from 20.67 ± 0.33 to 32.00 ± 1.00 mm at 100 % oil concentration against the tested bacteria. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in all the tested microorganisms were in the range of 250 to 15.6250 µg/ml. The essential oils derived from th leaves revealed varied antioxidant activity levels with the different methods of assay. The IC50 of values obtained from the three methods, DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 were ˃1000 µg/ml, 0.31 µg/ml and 12.33 µg/ml respectively. Caryophyllene (22.1 %) and 2,3,4-trimethylhexane were the major chemical components of the essential oils derived from the leaves and flowers respectively. FTIR spectroscopy of the essential oils from the leaves and flowers showed similarity at peaks for hydroxyl, unsaturated olefinic and amine functional groups. Further findings indicated that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents essential oils derived from leaves were 130.4 6 ± 10.5 mg GAE/g dry weight and 0.911 ± 0.04 mg CE/g dry weight respectively. It was therefore concluded that essential oils from the leaves and flowers of H. revolutum subsp. keniense have compounds that have antibacterial and antioxidant potency.

Road surface roughness is the leading cause of vehicle oscillation. The suspension system is used to dampen these oscillations. The active suspension system equipped with a hydraulic actuator is more efficient than the passive one. Therefore, it is used to replace the passive suspension system. The article reviews and analyses models and control algorithms for active suspension systems. In this article, the author mentioned three dynamic models commonly used to simulate vehicle oscillations: a quarter-dynamic model, a half-dynamic model, and a fully dynamic model. Each hydraulic actuator can be considered a state variable in the dynamic model. Besides, the control algorithm for the suspension system is significant. Algorithms like PID (proportional–integral–derivative) and LQR (linear quadratic regulator) will fit the linear model. In contrast, the nonlinear model’s algorithms, such as SMC (sliding mode control), fuzzy, and ANN (artificial neural network), will perform better. Overall, vehicle oscillation can be significantly improved once an active suspension system is used. The contents analysed in this article will be the database for selecting control models and algorithms by other researchers in the future.

In general, sludge wastewater treatments from plants are often disposed of in landfills (60%) rather than recycled, and this eventually affects the environment. Microalgae cultivation in wastewater has recently emerged as an alternate method for successfully treating wastewater in an ecofriendly way. The present study explores the possibility of growing microalgae in sludge effluent derived from industries. Industrial sludge acts as the only nutritional supplement for algal growth. The amount of organic carbon might increase the amount of protein and carbohydrates used for the production of lipids. The batch culture of different ratios of sludge wastewater was compared. The features of algal growth and biodiesel generation were studied, as well as the nitrogen and phosphate removal rates. The lipid levels of Chlorella sp. produced in this medium were clearly superior to those grown on the BG11 medium. Furthermore, this study indicated that the removal of industrial sludge and wastewater, in the absence of other nutritional supplies, allows for an efficient culture of Chlorella sp., followed by biodiesel generation. This has significant research and industrial implications since it will enable Chlorella sp. production in a mixed waste culture medium without the need for additional nutritional sources.

Background. Metformin is one of the most common drugs for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment. In addition, metformin intends to have a positive effect on the prognosis of several cancers. However, the therapeutic effect of metformin on gastric cancer (GC) remains controversial. This study explores and updates the therapeutic effect of metformin in GC patients with T2DM. Methods. We searched through PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for relevant articles by July 2022. The relationship between metformin therapy and the prognosis of GC patients with T2DM was evaluated based on the hazard ratio (HR) at a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were the primary outcomes analyzed. Results. Seven retrospective cohort studies with a combined 2,858 patients met the inclusion criteria. OS and CSS were reported in six studies, and PFS was reported in four studies. Pooled results showed that, compared to the nonmetformin group, the prolonged OS (HR = 0.72, p = 0.001), CSS (HR = 0.81, p = 0.001), and PFS (HR = 0.70, p = 0.008) of the experimental group may be associated with the exposure to metformin. Conclusion. Metformin may have a beneficial effect on the prognosis of GC patients with T2DM.

Oxygen, an odorless and colorless gas constituent of the atmosphere, is a vital gas component for the Earth, as it makes up 21% of the composition of the air we breathe. Apart from the importance of oxygen for human breathing, its highly pure form is demanding for industrial applications. As such, several technologies have been established to increase the oxygen purity from 21% to somewhat higher than 95%. One of the competitive technologies for producing this high-purity oxygen from the air is through pressure swing adsorption (PSA), which has the advantages of low cost and energy while being highly efficient. Also, PSA is a simple and flexible system due to its ability to start up and shut down more rapidly since its operation occurs at ambient temperature, which is enabled through the use of adsorbents to bind and separate the air molecules. The enhancement of the PSA’s performances was reported through the modification of PSA step cycles and material (zeolite) tailoring. A simplified complete set of a mathematical model is included for modelling the PSA system, aiming to ease the experimental burden of the process design and optimization of an infinite modification of PSA step cycles. Finally, some technological importance of oxygen production via PSA, particularly for onboard oxygen generation system and oxy-enriched incineration of municipal solid waste, was discussed. Continuous development of PSA will make significant contributions to a wide range of chemical industries in the near future, be it for oxygen production or other gas separation applications.

Ordos Basin is a multicycle superimposed cratonic basin in northern China with a simple internal structure and a gentle stratigraphic slope. It is characterized by extensive development, numerous oil and gas-bearing layers, and complete source-reservoir-caprock assemblages. However, the research on continental shale reservoirs and gas-bearing characteristics in the southern part of the basin is not in-depth enough, which restricts the further exploration and development of shale gas in this area. In this paper, the development characteristics of pores and fractures in shale reservoirs and the gas-bearing characteristics of Yanchang Formation shale in the study area are summarized by the comprehensive use of field outcrop, core, and logging, combined with common thin section observation, scanning electron microscope observation, X-ray diffraction analysis, and other methods and techniques. Research indicates that the cement content of the sandstone in the Yanchang Formation reservoir in the south of Ordos is generally 5%-25%. The reservoir also has a large number of primary pores, secondary pores, and microfractures. The gas content of the Yanchang Formation shale represented by Chang 7 is related to both organic matter and pore structure.

Glycosylation is the most common posttranslational modification of proteins. Glycosyltransferase gene differential expression dictates the glycosylation model and is epigenetically regulating glioma progression and immunity. This study is aimed at identifying the glycosyltransferase gene signature to predict the prognosis and immune characteristics of glioma. The glycosyltransferase gene signature of glioma was identified in the TCGA database and validated in the CGGA database. Glioma patients were then divided into high- and low-risk groups based on risk scores to compare survival differences and predictive capacity. Subsequently, validation of glycosyltransferase gene signature merits by comparing with other signatures and utility in clinical judgment. The immune cell infiltration, immune pathways, and immune checkpoint expression level were also analyzed and compared in the high- and low-risk groups. Finally, the signature and its gene function were tested in our cohort and in vitro experiments. Eight glycosyltransferase genes were identified to establish the glycosyltransferase signature to predict the prognosis of glioma patients. The survival time was shorter in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group based on glycosyltransferase signature and was confirmed in an independent external cohort. The glycosyltransferase signature displayed outstanding predictive capacity than other signatures in the TCGA and CGGA database cohorts. Furthermore, patients in the high-risk group were positively correlated with TAM infiltration, immune checkpoint expression level, and protumor immune pathways in TCGA cohorts. Validation of clinical tissue specimens revealed that the high-risk group was closely associated with infiltration of M2 TAMs. High-risk genes in the signature promote glioma proliferation, invasion, and macrophage recruitment in an in vitro validation of U87 and U251 cell lines. This carefully constructed that glycosyltransferase signature can predict the prognosis and immune profile of gliomas and help us evaluate subsequent macrophage-targeted therapies as well as other immune microenvironment modulation therapeutic strategies.

Background. Bowel perforation in a pregnant patient with COVID-19 infection is a rarely reported complication. With the uncovering of the different treatment modalities and complications of this disease, this case highlights diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas and limitations in a special population. Clinical Presentation. A 35-year-old female, Gravida 2 Para 1 at 31 weeks age of gestation (AOG) who underwent cesarean section for nonreassuring fetal status in 2019, was admitted for severe COVID-19 infection presenting with dyspnea. During her hospitalization, she developed progressive dyspnea from worsening of COVID-19 infection. Patient was eventually intubated and was given a total of two doses of tocilizumab, adequate antibiotic treatment, remdesivir, and dexamethasone. An emergency repeat cesarean section was performed due to maternal deterioration and poor variability of the fetus. She delivered to a live preterm baby girl, with an Apgar score of 1 and 7 on the 1st and 5th minute of life respectively. During the postoperative days, patient remained intubated and sedated. Increasing residuals were noted per nasogastric tube (NGT). Serial scout film of the abdomen (SFA) and medical management were performed. Upon weaning from sedation, patient complained of right lower quadrant pain. A whole abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast was requested which revealed large bowel obstruction. Patient was referred to surgery service. Upon assessment, abdomen was noted to be rigid with guarding during palpation. A scout film of the abdomen was requested and revealed extensive amount of pneumoperitoneum with scanty to absent colonic gas suggestive of bowel perforation. Patient underwent emergency exploratory laparotomy. Upon opening the peritoneum, free air was evacuated. Approximately 1.4 liters of fecaloid peritoneal fluid was suctioned and adhesive band was noted at the pelvic area. A 2 cm full thickness perforation at the cecum with 17 cm serosal tear from the cecum to ascending colon was noted. Bowel loops proximal to the perforation were dilated. Nasogastric tube was inserted for bowel decompression. Right hemicolectomy was performed. Specimen was sent for histopathology. Acute inflammatory cells infiltrating the blood vessels and possible microthrombi and beginning thrombus formation were noted in the subserosa. Patient eventually expired on the 14th hospital day from sepsis. Conclusion. This case highlights a rarely reported complication of COVID-19 infection. Confluence of factors that predisposed the patient include pregnancy, COVID-19 infection, use of tocilizumab, and recent surgery. High index of suspicion is vital in the management and improvement of outcomes.

Introduction. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Regardless of many efforts made to control tuberculosis, the disease remains to be a major public health problem. Nonadherence to antituberculosis treatment poses a challenge to the disease treatment as it potentially increases the risk of drug resistance, mortality, relapse, and extended infectiousness. The North Shewa Zone had a poor performed on TB control status, so this study assessed the prevalence of antituberculosis drug nonadherence and its associated factors at governmental health institutions in Debre Berhan town, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia, 2020. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 180 tuberculosis patients were included in the study. The data was entered using EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 for statistical analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to determine factor associated with antituberculosis drug nonadherence. Result. Study finding shows that 26.0% respondents were nonadherent to their antituberculosis treatment. Respondents who were married were less likely to be nonadherent than who were single ( AOR = 0.307 ; 95 % CI = 0.120 , 0.788). Respondents who have primary and secondary education were less likely to be nonadherent than those who had no formal education ( AOR = 0.313 ; 95 % CI = 0.100 , 0.976). Respondents who experienced drug side effects were two times more likely to be nonadherent than those who did not experience drug side effects ( AOR = 2.379 ; 95 % CI = 1.008 , 5.615). In addition, respondents who do not screen for HIV were four times more likely to be nonadherent than their counterparts ( AOR = 4.620 ; 95 % CI = 11.135 , 18.802). Conclusion. The antituberculosis drug nonadherence is high. Marital status, educational status, drug side effects, HIV screening status of the patients, and availability of medication were the variables that influence drug nonadherence. There is a need to strengthen awareness creation and improve quality of the TB treatment services and anti-TB drug availability.

Pedestrians are more likely to be seriously injured in vehicle collisions. In fact, multiple collisions between vehicles and pedestrians occur on residential roads that lack street-to-sidewalk dividers and have numerous blind spots. Traditional traffic safety features and equipment, such as speed bumps and traffic signs, are not always sufficient to prevent pedestrian accidents on such residential roads. Therefore, we suggest a collision risk warning service for residential roads as a solution to this issue. We use CCTVs with computer vision techniques and radar to accurately detect objects in real-time and to trace their trajectories. In addition, we employ a time-to-collision-based method to identify dangerous situations. The service warns drivers and pedestrians about hazardous situations using a light-emitting diode sign board. We applied our service to three different roads on a university campus in Seoul, Korea, and then conducted a user survey to evaluate the service. In summary, more than 90% of respondents stated that the service was necessary for these specific locations, and 76.9% noted that the service significantly contributed to traffic safety on the campus. This implies that the proposed service improved traffic safety and can be applied to various locations on residential roads.

Phoenix dactylifera is known for medicinal importance due to its antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of P. dactylifera seeds to cure Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD was induced in the rats with streptozotocin + aluminium chloride followed by treatment of methanolic extract of P. dactylifera seeds. The blood glucose levels were determined at regular intervals, which showed a prominent decrease in the extracts treated group. Behavior tests, including the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) test and Morris Water Maze (MWM) test, were used to evaluate memory patterns in rats. The results indicated that extract-treated rats significantly improved memory behavior compared to the diseased group. After dissection, the serum electrolytes, antioxidant enzymes, and choline esterase enzymes were measured in different organs. The serum parameters creatinine, urea, and bilirubin increased after extract treatment. Similarly, the level of antioxidant enzymes like peroxidases (POD), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in the extract-treated group showed improved results that were close to the normal control group. The enzyme (lipase, insulin, amylase, and acetylcholine) levels were found enhanced in extract groups as compared to diseased rats. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the level of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters, which were increased significantly for P. dactylifera seeds with values of 0.18 μg/mg tissue and 0.56 μg/mg tissue, respectively. Overall, results showed that P. dactylifera seeds proved to be quite efficient in improving the memory and behavior of treated rats. The antioxidants and enzymes were also increased; therefore, it may be a potential candidate for treating AD.

Purpose. In this study, we report the usefulness of implant placement with modified ridge splitting technique from three cases of patients with narrow alveolar ridge. Materials and Methods. Three patients were those who visited the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Ewha Medical Center for consultation regarding implant placement. Through clinical and radiographic evaluation, narrowed alveolar ridge after tooth loss was confirmed in all three patients. For them, it was necessary to use the modified ridge split technique with bone augmentation for the implant to be well placed with enough bone width. Results. In all cases, sufficient bone width was confirmed for implant placement, and bone volume was well maintained after prosthetic restoration without any complications. Initial width of alveolar bone was 4.9 mm on average and was well maintained at an average of 7.6 mm at 1-year follow-up after implant installation. Conclusion. Although the number of subjects in this case report was small and was done by only one surgeon, we suggest that modified ridge splitting technique might be a useful surgical method to enhance narrow edentulous alveolar ridges and enable successful implant placement with shorter healing period compared with single guided bone regeneration.

Background. Though vaccines have been reported as highly efficacious in preventing severe COVID-19 disease, there is emerging data of severe infections, albeit a small number, in vaccinated individuals. We have conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the clinical characteristics, immunological response, and disease outcomes among the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients admitted to the ICU with severe COVID-19 disease. Methods. Study Design and Participants. We conducted a retrospective observational study in COVID ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected from the month of 1 April 2021 to 31 November 2021. All adult patients admitted to the ICU having severe COVID-19 disease were included in the study. Data were collected from the medical records database which included demographics, a clinical course in the ICU, laboratory and radiological parameters, and disease outcomes. In a subset of patients, cell-mediated immunity and S1S2-neutralising antibody assessment was done. Results. A total of 419 patients with severe COVID-19 were included in the study. Of the 419 patients, 90 (21.5%) were vaccinated, and 329 (78.5%) were unvaccinated. There was a significantly higher mortality in unvaccinated severe COVID 19 patients as compared to vaccinated severe COVID patients (46.2% vs 34.4%; P < 0.0455 ). The neutralizing antibody titre was significantly higher in survivors as compared to nonsurvivors (2139.8, SE ± 713.3 vs 471, SE ± 154.4); P < 0.026 . Conclusion. Our study suggests the association of lower neutralizing antibody levels with mortality in ICU patients admitted with COVID-19 breakthrough infections.

Increasing evidence suggests that diverse activation patterns of metabolic signalling pathways may lead to molecular diversity of cervical cancer (CC). But rare research focuses on the alternation of fatty acid metabolism (FAM) in CC. Therefore, we constructed and compared models based on the expression of FAM-related genes from the Cancer Genome Atlas by different machine learning algorithms. The most reliable model was built with 14 significant genes by LASSO-Cox regression, and the CC cohort was divided into low-/high-risk groups by the median of risk score. Then, a feasible nomogram was established and validated by C-index, calibration curve, net benefit, and decision curve analysis. Furthermore, the hub genes among differential expression genes were identified and the post-transcriptional and translational regulation networks were characterized. Moreover, the somatic mutation and copy number variation landscapes were depicted. Importantly, the specific mutation drivers and signatures of the FAM phenotypes were excavated. As a result, the high-risk samples were featured by activated de novo fatty acid synthesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and chronic inflammation response, which might be caused by mutations of oncogenic driver genes in RTK/RAS, PI3K, and NOTCH signalling pathways. Besides the hyperactivity of cytidine deaminase and deficiency of mismatch repair, the mutations of POLE might be partially responsible for the mutations in the high-risk group. Next, the antigenome including the neoantigen and cancer germline antigens was estimated. The decreasing expression of a series of cancer germline antigens was identified to be related to reduction of CD8 T cell infiltration in the high-risk group. Then, the comprehensive evaluation of connotations between the tumour microenvironment and FAM phenotypes demonstrated that the increasing risk score was related to the suppressive immune microenvironment. Finally, the prediction of therapy targets revealed that the patients with high risk might be sensitive to the RAF inhibitor AZ628. Our findings provide a novel insight for personalized treatment in CC.

We present a distinctive case of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm as seen in a 44-year-old woman who presented with an abdominal mass but unremarkable labs with no elevation in any of the tumor markers. Her symptomatology ranged from typical symptoms suggestive of malignancy such as weight loss, lethargy, and anorexia to complaints like abdominal pain and jaundice. Prior to presenting at our center, she was given no hope or much in terms of treatment options. She was found to have a substantial mass over the body and tail of pancreas with characteristic and typical gross as well as histological features. Subsequently, she underwent a successful surgery and has found herself in remission since.

The portable executable header (PEH) information is commonly used as a feature for malware detection systems to train and validate machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) classifiers. We propose to extract the deep features from the PEH information through hidden layers of a feed-forward deep neural network (FFDNN). The extraction of deep features of hidden layers represents the dataset with a better generalization for malware detection. While feeding the deep feature of one hidden layer to the succeeding layer, the Gaussian error linear unit (GeLU) activation function is applied. The FFDNN is trained with the GeLU activation function using the deep features of individual layers as well as concatenated deep features of all hidden layers. Similarly, the ML classifiers are also trained and validated in with individual layer deep features and concatenated features. Three highly effective ML classifiers, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) have been investigated. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated using a statically significant large dataset. The obtained results are interesting and encouraging in terms of classification accuracy. The classification accuracy reaches 99.15% with the internal discriminative deep feature for the proposed FFDNN-ML classifier with the GeLU activation function.

In recent years, an increasing number of mobile platforms and applications have adopted traffic encryption protocol technology to ensure privacy and security. Existing researches on encrypted traffic identification approaches often rely on a single-modal feature pattern (such as packet sequence and statistical features), which cannot fully represent the detail information of complex traffic features, and so their predictions are susceptible to anomalies. In order to improve the effect of classification on encrypted app traffic, we propose FusionTC, a novel app traffic classification framework based on feature fusion of flow sequence. FusionTC consists of two-level subclassifiers, which are used to perform decision-level fusion of multimodal features by an upgraded stacking method. The comprehensive capture and fusion of multimodal traffic details, coupled with the refined processing and segmentation of traffic, enables FusionTC to significantly promote classification accuracy and enhance robustness in challenging situations. Based on our self-built app traffic dataset, FusionTC improves the accuracy by at least 3.2% over the state-of-the-art approaches.

This study was performed to evaluate phytochemical composition of Khaya senegalensis stem bark and Azadirachta indica leaf hydroethanolic (80%) extracts using GC-MS technique as a tentative identification method and screen for antioxidant and antidiabetic properties in Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg·bw). Animals were divided into groups of six and treated by extracts (400 mg/kg·bw) for 28 days. The results compared with positive and negative control groups of animals. After treatment, blood samples were collected to determine the blood glucose level, lipid profile, liver and kidney function markers, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity was evaluated. Phytochemical investigations revealed that extracts were enriched with a wide range of secondary metabolites such as phenols, saponins, triterpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, fatty acids, siloxane derivatives, and anthraquinones in diverse concentrations with reported antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Biological screening results indicated that both extracts exhibited free-radical scavenging property in DPPH screening, and in that, K. senegalensis stem bark extract (91 ± 0.02%) showed greater reduction than A. indica leaf extract (55 ± 0.03%), with an IC50 of 0.023 ± 0.03 g/mL, which was lower than the reference drug propylgallate (0.077 ± 0.03 g/mL). Both the extracts remarkably reduced the blood glucose concentration in diabetic rats ( p < 0.05 ). However, A. indica leaf extract showed greater reduction (52%) than K. senegalensis stem bark extract (37%). Similarly, the cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels decreased significantly ( p < 0.05 ), in comparison to diabetic control animals. However, the concentrations of HDL slightly increased. Overall, both extracts showed significant antidiabetic and antioxidant potential in diabetic rats. As oxidative stress is associated with the hyperglycemia, the antioxidant activity displayed by the extracts will provide additional benefits in the antidiabetic therapy.