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Transparency within biomedical research is essential for research integrity, credibility, and reproducibility. To increase adherence to optimal scientific practices and enhance transparency, we propose the creation of a journal transparency tool (JTT) that will allow users to obtain information about a given scholarly journal's operations and transparency policies. This study is part of a program of research to obtain user preferences to inform the proposed JTT. Here, we report on our consultation with clinicians and researchers. This mixed-methods study was conducted in two parts. The first part involved a cross-sectional survey conducted on a random sample of authors from biomedical journals. The survey asked clinicians and researchers about the inclusion of a series of potential scholarly metrics and user features in the proposed JTT. Quantitative survey items were summarized with descriptive statistics. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze text-based responses. Subsequent focus groups used survey responses to further explore the inclusion of items in the JTT. Items with less than 70% agreement were used to structure discussion points during these sessions. Participants voted on the use of user features and metrics to be considered within the journal tool after each discussion. Thematic content analysis was conducted on interview transcripts to identify the core themes discussed. A total of 632 participants (5.5% response rate) took part in the survey. A collective total of 74.7% of respondents found it either 'occasionally, 'often', or 'almost always' difficult to determine if health information online is based on reliable research evidence. Twenty-two participants took part in the focus groups. Three user features and five journal tool metrics were major discussion points during these sessions. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts resulted in six themes. The use of registration was the only item to not meet the 70% threshold after both the survey and focus groups. Participants demonstrated low scholarly communication literacy when discussing tool metric suggestions. Our findings suggest that the JTT would be valuable for both researchers and clinicians. The outcomes of this research will contribute to developing and refining the tool in accordance with researchers and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, three different carboxylic acids were incorporated as a cross-linker into the blend films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and basmati rice starch (BRS) at a 70/30 ratio and plasticized with glycerol. The cross-linking succeeds through the creation of ester bonds between the free hydroxyl groups of PVA/BRS and the C = O groups. The effect of this cross-linking on physicochemical properties (film thickness, retraction ratio, moisture content, water absorption, and water vapor permeability) and optical (transmittance and color analysis), antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties was assessed. The current findings showed that COA incorporation into the PVA/BRS blend films demonstrated better hydrophobicity and excellent UV light-blocking properties. The incorporation of COA has no impact on radical scavenging activity; however, the cinnamic acid- and benzoic acid-containing films at higher percentages possess antimicrobial properties. FTIR studies confirm the existence of hydrogen bonding interactions among the PVA/BRS blend film and COA. The study encompasses the swelling properties of the blend film in water, brine, and seawater. The cast blend films can be utilized for the packaging purposes of foodstuffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud point (CP) of aqueous solution of metformin hydrochloride (MNH) and triton X-100 (TX-100) was examined in presence of several alcohols (MeOH, EtOH, 1-PrOH, 2-PrOH, and 1-BuOH). The main focal point of this study was to evaluate the cloud development for the combination of TX-100 and MNH, as well as to indicate the mode of how various alcohols influence both the physicochemical parameters and interaction forces of that mixture. The cloud point (CP) measurement technique was chosen because of its broad applicability in both the medical and industrial sectors. As alcohol contents increased, higher CP values of TX-100 and MNH mixture were observed except in aq. 1-BuOH (CP is decreased). In the aqueous alcoholic medium (above 3000 mmol·kg−1), the phase separation of TX-100 (92.7 mmol·kg−1) and MNH (2 mmol·kg−1) mixture showed the subsequent trend: CP (H2O + 2-PrOH) ˃ CP (H2O + MeOH) > CP (H2O + EtOH) ˃ CP (H2O + 1-PrOH). It was observed that the depth to which alcohol molecules penetrate micelles is influenced by the length of the alcohol chain. Longer hydrophobic alcohol molecules have the ability to impair more ethylene oxide–water (EO-water) interactions by penetrating deeper into the micelle's palisade layer. As a result, there is more occurrence of dehydration, which promotes the production of micellar particles as well as lowers the cloud point substantially. The calculated Δ G c 0 values of the TX-100 + MNH mixture in alcohols media are appeared as positive in every scenario examined, proving that the clouding procedure is not spontaneous. The positive Δ G c 0 results might be attributed to the surfactant's surface layer in forming H-bond via the water molecules. A decrease in the positive Δ G c 0 values is evidenced by a rise in alcohol concentrations. Consequently, there is less non-spontaneity at higher alcohol concentrations. The + Δ H c 0 (endothermic) and + Δ S c 0 magnitudes are detected in aq. MeOH, EtOH, and 2-PrOH solutions. However, Δ H c 0 and Δ S c 0 magnitudes are found as positive (endothermic) and negative (exothermic) at lower and higher contents of 1-PrOH solution while the opposite trend in the Δ H c 0 and Δ S c 0 was detected in aq. 1-BuOH solution. Possible interactions among TX-100 and metformin hydrochloride in aqueous 1-BuOH media [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between activity (physical, social and cognitive) and cognitive functioning (CF) is complex; theoretical evidence indicated that it was mediated by depressive symptomology. The current study intended to elucidate how depressive symptomology mediates between different dimensions of activity and cognitive functioning by taking into account negative emotionality (i.e., personality variable) as a covariate. This study recruited 350 community-dwelling older adults in Rawalpindi, Pakistan through a purposive sampling technique. Cognitive functioning was measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) assessed physical activity, social activity was examined using Lubben's Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), Late Life Cognitive Activity (LLCA) measure was used to assess cognitive activity, negative emotionality was assessed using Negative Emotional Scale from Short form of Big Five Inventory and depressive symptomology was measured using Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Hayes process model 4 was utilized to test the mediation effects in this correlational study. Physical activity (r =.454, p <.01), social activity (r =.586, p <.01) and cognitive activity r =.632, p <.01) have significant positive associations whereas negative emotionality (r = −.609, p <.01) and depressive symptoms (r = −.733, p <.001) have significant negative associations with cognitive functioning. Moreover, depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between social activity and cognitive functioning (β in direct model = 0.322, p <.001; β in full mediational model = 0.078, p =.003) and for cognitive activity and cognitive functioning (β in direct model = 0.324, p <.001; β in full mediational model = 0.161, p <.001) but fail to mediate between physical activity and cognitive functioning after controlling for the effects of negative emotionality. Altogether, this study's findings suggest that different domains of activity exert significant effects on depressive symptomology and cognitive functioning in the aging population. Understanding these results can help to optimize activity (physical, social, and cognitive) interventions to improve cognitive aging and minimize depressive symptomology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most prevalent malignancies, lung cancer displays considerable biological variability in both molecular and clinical characteristics. Lung cancer is broadly categorized into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with the latter being most prevalent. The primary histological subtypes of NSCLC are lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). In the present work, we primarily extracted mRNA count data from a publicly accessible database followed by differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed mitophagy-related genes (DEMRGs) identification in case of both LUAD and LUSC cohorts. Next, we identified important DEMRGs via clustering approach followed by enrichment, survival, and mutational analyses. Lastly, the finalized prognostic biomarker was validated using wet-lab experimentations. Primarily, we obtained 986 and 1714 DEGs across LUAD and LUSC cohorts. Only 7 DEMRGs from both cohorts had significant membership values as indicated by the clustering analysis. Most significant pathway, Gene Ontology (GO)-biological process (BP), GO-molecular function (MF), GO-cellular compartment (CC) terms were macroautophagy, GTP metabolic process, magnesium ion binding, mitochondrial outer membrane. Among all, only TDRKH reported significant overall survival (OS) and 14% amplification across LUAD patients. Lastly, we validated TDRKH via immunohistochemistry (IHC) and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In conclusion, our findings advocate for the exploration of TDRKH and their genetic alterations in precision oncology therapeutic approaches for LUAD, emphasizing the potential for target-driven therapy and early diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel converters have gained significant popularity in medium-voltage and high-power applications due to their numerous advantages over traditional two-level converters. These advantages include reduced harmonic distortion, improved efficiency, and lower stress on power semiconductors. Selective harmonic elimination (SHE) is a modulation method that can be employed with multilevel converters to achieve high-quality output voltage waveforms. In this work, an extension of Broyden's method, known as the Quasi-Modified Newton Method, is implemented for selective harmonic elimination and accurate calculation of switching angles for a wide range of modulation indices. The proposed method is applied to cascaded H bridge inverters operating at levels 5, 7, and 9. The method offers simplicity, reduced computational burden, and faster convergence, making it easily implementable, reducing total harmonic distortion (THD), and reducing RMSE and MAD errors. The paper includes simulation and experimental results that validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: This comparative systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the incidence of ischemic stroke in intermediate-to-high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus surgical aortic valve replacement. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from their inception to December 2023. The evaluated outcomes were primarily incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), along with other secondary safety end-points at 30 days and 1 year post-procedure. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized for each study, employing a random-effects model for data synthesis irrespective of heterogeneity. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. All statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager. Results: We screened 8028 articles and included 8 studies consisting of 5 randomized controlled trials and 3 observational studies. The studies examining 30-day and 1-year stroke incidence found no significant difference between TAVR and SAVR patients (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.17, p = 0.30, OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.33, p = 0.67, respectively). Both TAVR and SAVR also had a comparable risk of having a transient ischemic attack within 30 days (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.24 to 3.63, p = 0.92, I2 52%) and 1 year (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.82, p = 0.56, I2 0%) following the procedure. Regarding safety endpoints, TAVR had lower rates of all-cause mortality and acute kidney injury at 1 year post-procedure, but a higher incidence of major vascular complications at both 30 days and 1 year compared with SAVR. Conclusion: The results suggest that TAVR and SAVR have comparable outcomes for both TIA and stroke incidence at 30 days and 1 year post-procedure, but display varying safety profiles in intermediate-to-high surgical risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionized Mg (iMg) may offer a more reliable indicator of Mg status during acute illness than total Mg (tMg) concentrations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dysmagnesemia and their relationship using iMg and tMg. The clinical and biochemical characteristics as well as health outcomes and their association with iMg and tMg were also assessed. A prospective study including all eligible adult patients (≥18 years) who were hospitalized in the General Internal Medicine unit at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) for 3.5 months in 2023. The iMg and tMg concentrations were collected on all at the admission. In total 500 patients were included (females 49.2%) with a median age of 64.5 years (IQR: 48-77). The prevalence of hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia by iMg concentrations was 3.4% and 26.6%, respectively, while by tMg concentrations 13.2% and 11.0%, respectively. The agreement between both measurements was strong (r=0.665, p<0.01). An increased tMg concentration was independently associated with high dependency units' admission (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.34, 95%CI: 1.24-15.06, p=0.02) and cardiac arrest (aOR: 14.64, 95%CI: 3.04-70.57, p<0.01), and 6-month all-cause mortality (aOR: 11.44, 95%CI: 2.46-53.17, p<0.01). During follow-up hypermagnesemia using tMg had a higher mortality compared to other groups (hazard ratio (HR): 1.82, 95%CI: 1.11-3.01, p=0.02) while no significant findings were demonstrated using iMg concentrations. iMg and tMg concentrations had a strong correlation that might be supporting the potential use of point-of-care devices. Multivariant regression analysis showed that hypermagnesemia by tMg was associated with adverse outcomes. However, the generalizability of the study findings should be taken with caution and the difference in the associations with outcomes highlight the importance of further research to examine the complex associations and impacts of dysmagnesemia in various clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) were synthesized with polyanionic cellulose (PAC) as a stabilizer and reducing agent. According to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, the NPs have a cubic crystal structure and an average size of about 42 nm. The absorption spectra displayed a band at about 358 nm, approving the synthesis of MgO. Functional groups of NPs were determined by the FTIR spectrum. According to FESEM images, the morphology of NPs was spherical. EDX analysis approved that synthesized NPs contain elements such as Mg and O. The power of NPs to degrade methylene blue (MB) dye was assessed, and it was observed that the photocatalytic activity was about 93%. The toxicity effect of NPs on Huh-7 cells was tested, and the IC50 amount was observed at about 338 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer survivors exposed to anthracycline chemotherapy are at risk for developing cardiomyopathy, which may have delayed clinical manifestation. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, we evaluated the utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for detecting early cardiac disease in 35 pediatric cancer survivors by examining the associations between peak exercise capacity (measured via percent predicted peak VO2) and resting left ventricular (LV) function on echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). We additionally assessed the relationships between LV size on resting echocardiography or cMRI and percent predicted peak VO2 since LV growth arrest can occur in anthracycline-exposed patients prior to changes in LV systolic function. We found reduced exercise capacity in this cohort, with low percent predicted peak VO2 (62%, IQR: 53–75%). While most patients in our pediatric cohort had normal LV systolic function, we observed associations between percent predicted peak VO2 and echocardiographic and cMRI measures of LV size. These findings indicate that CPET may be more sensitive in manifesting early anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy than echocardiography in pediatric cancer survivors. Our study also highlights the importance of assessing LV size in addition to function in pediatric cancer survivors exposed to anthracyclines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic (As) contamination poses a major threat to the sustainable production of wheat by disrupting its cellular structure, ionome, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Therefore, it is important to identify As-tolerant wheat cultivars with a better ability to thrive in As-contaminated soil. For this purpose, two cultivars (SKD-1 and Borlaug-16) were exposed to As treatment (25 mg/L) for 21 days in a pot experiment and studied for morpho-physiological variations and ionomic profiling (using ICP-OES). The study revealed that Borlaug-16 accumulated more As in roots (0.21 µg/mL) than SKD-1 (0.15 µg/mL) and showed higher root-to-leaf translocation under As stress. The concentrations of trace elements (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Mn, and Zn) in Borlaug-16 increased by 143%, 853%, 75%, 300%, 200%, and 168%, respectively, whereas those of mineral elements (Fe, K, Mg, and P) increased by 160%, 729%, 274%, and 397%, respectively, compared to SKD-1 under As stress. In addition, SKD-1 leaves showed higher cellular thickness in the upper and lower epidermis (Ep), whereas roots showed lower cellular thickness in Ep. SKD-1 showed a 23.69% decrease in root H2O2, whereas Borlaug-16 showed a 12.1% increase. Additionally, the Borlaug-16 leaf H2O2 content exhibited a significant increase of 68.94%. SKD-1 exhibited increased antioxidant activity in both roots (SOD, Ascorbate, Glutathione) and leaves (Ascorbate Proline, TAC). Thus, the SKD-1 cultivar was found to be tolerant to As toxicity by restricting As translocation and stimulating defense mechanisms. Such cultivars have the potential to provide safer grains for consumption and ensure sustainable production of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) are widely applied to measure head acceleration event (HAE) exposure in sports. Despite laboratory validation, on-field factors including potential sensor skull-decoupling and spurious recordings limit data accuracy. Video analysis can provide complementary information to verify sensor data but lacks quantitative kinematics reference information and suffers from subjectivity. The purpose of this study was to develop a rigorous multi-stage screening procedure, combining iMG and video as independent measurements, aimed at improving the quality of on-field HAE exposure measurements. We deployed iMGs and gathered video recordings in a complete university men's ice hockey varsity season. We developed a four-stage process that involves independent video and sensor data collection (Stage I), general screening (Stage II), cross verification (Stage III), and coupling verification (Stage IV). Stage I yielded 24,596 iMG acceleration events (AEs) and 17,098 potential video HAEs from all games. Approximately 2.5% of iMG AEs were categorized as cross-verified and coupled iMG HAEs after Stage IV, and less than 1/5 of confirmed or probable video HAEs were cross-verified with iMG data during stage III. From Stage I to IV, we observed lower peak kinematics (median peak linear acceleration from 36.0 to 10.9 g; median peak angular acceleration from 3922 to 942 rad/s2) and reduced high-frequency signals, indicative of potential reduction in kinematic noise. Our study proposes a rigorous process for on-field data screening and provides quantitative evidence of data quality improvements using this process. Ensuring data quality is critical in further investigation of potential brain injury risk using HAE exposure data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstration Environments (DEs) are essential tools for testing and demonstrating new technologies, products, and services, and reducing uncertainties and risks in the innovation process. However, the terminology used to describe these environments is inconsistent, leading to heterogeneity in defining and characterizing them. This makes it difficult to establish a universal understanding of DEs and to differentiate between the different types of DEs, including testbeds, pilot-plants, and living labs. Moreover, existing literature lacks a holistic view of DEs, with studies focusing on specific types of DEs and not offering an integrated perspective on their characteristics and applicability in different contexts. This study proposes an ontology for knowledge representation related to DEs to address this gap. Using an ontology learning approach analyzing 3621 peer-reviewed journal articles, we develop a standardized framework for defining and characterizing DEs, providing a holistic view of these environments. The resulting ontology allows innovation managers and practitioners to select appropriate DEs for achieving their innovation goals, based on the characteristics and capabilities of the specific type of DE. The contributions of this study are significant in advancing the understanding and application of DEs in innovation processes. The proposed ontology provides a standardized approach for defining and characterizing DEs, reducing inconsistencies in terminology and establishing a common understanding of these environments. This enables innovation managers and practitioners to select appropriate DEs for their specific innovation goals, facilitating more efficient and effective innovation processes. Overall, this study provides a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in the effective use of DEs in innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STK11 adnexal tumour is a recently described female genital tract tumour, usually identified in a paratubal location, often associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) and with STK11 gene alterations identified in most of the cases. Morphologically, this tumour is composed of cells arranged in a variety of patterns, including cords, trabeculae, tubules and cystic and acinar structures. The cells are only moderately pleomorphic and mitotic activity is variable. As tumour cells express epithelial, sex cord stromal and mesothelial markers, STK11 adnexal tumour may be of sex cord stromal, epithelial or mesothelial origin; a Wolffian origin has also been suggested. We report the ultrastructural features of two STK11 adnexal tumours and compare their ultrastructural features with those of other sex cord stromal tumours, a granulosa cell tumour cell line, as well as the known ultrastructural features of epithelial, mesothelial and Wolffian cells. On ultrastructural examination, two STK11 adnexal tumours showed an admixture of elongated cells with regular elongated nuclei and polygonal cells with nuclei showing markedly irregular outlines and prominent nucleoli. Extracellular collagen fibres were identified. These are common ultrastructural features of sex cord stromal tumours, principally sex cord tumour with annular tubules; no ultrastructural features of epithelial, mesothelial or Wolffian cells were found. These findings in conjunction with the shared clinical and genetic association with PJS and shared molecular changes in STK11 gene suggest that STK11 adnexal tumour represents a poorly differentiated sex cord tumour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by impairment in neurons' functions, and complete loss, leading to memory loss, and difficulty in learning, language, and movement processes. The most common among these NDs are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), although several other disorders also exist. These are frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral syndrome (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and others; the major pathological hallmark of NDs is the proteinopathies, either of amyloid-β (Aβ), tauopathies, or synucleinopathies. Aggregation of proteins that do not undergo normal configuration, either due to mutations or through some disturbance in cellular pathway contributes to the diseases. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) have proven to be successful in the diagnosis and treatment of various congenital diseases. DL approaches like AlphaFold (AF) are a major leap towards success in CNS disorders. This 3D protein geometry modeling algorithm developed by DeepMind has the potential to revolutionize biology. AF has the potential to predict 3D-protein confirmation at an accuracy level comparable to experimentally predicted one, with the additional advantage of precisely estimating protein interactions. This breakthrough will be beneficial to identify diseases' advancement and the disturbance of signaling pathways stimulating impaired functions of proteins. Though AlphaFold has solved a major problem in structural biology, it cannot predict membrane proteins—a beneficial approach for drug designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: One highlighted pathogenesis mechanism of diseases is the negative impact of pro-inflammatory diets (PD) on the gut microbiome. This systematic review aimed to study the link between dietary inflammatory index (DII), as an indicator of PD, and gut microbiome. Methods: A systematic search was done in PubMed and Scopus, adhering to the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. The assessment of the included studies' quality was performed using the critical appraisal checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results: Ten articles were included eight cross-sectional, one case-control, and, one cohort study. Seven and three included articles reported a weak and moderate relationship between gut microbiome and DII scores, respectively. DII scores were linked to variety in microbiome composition and diversity/richness. More importantly, anti-inflammatory diets as measured by lower DII scores were linked to a more desirable gut microbiome profile. Prevotella stercorea, Veillonella rogosae, Morganella morganii, Ruminococcus torques, Eubacterium nodatum, Alistipes intestine, Clostridium leptum, Morganellaceae family, Enterobacteriaceae family, and, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron were related to higher DII scores. While, Butyrate-producing bacteria such as Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae families, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Akkermansia muciniphila were related to lower DII scores. Conclusion: An anti-inflammatory diet, as measured by a lower DII score, might be linked to variations in the composition and variety of the microbiome. Therefore, the DII score could be useful in microbiota research, however, this possibility needs to be investigated more precisely in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some aspects of atom-field interactions in curved spacetime are reviewed. Of great interest are quantum radiative and entanglement processes arising out of Rindler and black hole spacetimes, which involve the role of Hawking–Unruh and dynamical Casimir effects. Most of the discussion surrounds the radiative part of interactions. For this, we specifically reassess the conventional understandings of atomic radiative transitions and energy level shifts in curved spacetime. We also briefly outline the status quo of entanglement dynamics study in curved spacetime, and highlight literature related to some novel insights, like entanglement harvesting. On one hand, the study of the role played by spacetime curvature in quantum radiative and informational phenomena has implications for fundamental physics, notably the gravity-quantum interface. In particular, one examines the viability of the Equivalence Principle, which is at the heart of Einstein's general theory of relativity. On the other hand, it can be instructive for manipulating quantum information and light propagation in arbitrary geometries. Some issues related to nonthermal effects of acceleration are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most common congenital conditions detected globally, congenital heart diseases, and CT techniques provide a high-quality and thorough presentation of heart anatomy, thoracic vasculature, and extracardiac structures, and hence, it is becoming a more popular non-invasive diagnostic imaging method for congenital heart disease. The drawbacks with CT imaging are the radiation exposure from repeated scans is also rising, especially in young patients. The present study is aimed to evaluate the radiation dose in gated and non-gated cardiac CT for preoperative diagnosis of pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases. Results: A total of 111 pediatric patients with mean age of 7.47 years were prospectively included in the study. The mean value of "Effective dose (E)" for gated CT at 100 kV p was found to be 4.71 mSv which is higher than mean "E" of 3.95 mSv observed for gated CT at 80 kV p . The average value of "E" for non-gated technique was observed less than that of gated technique at both 100 kV p and 80 kV p . The multiple regression analysis shows that "E" is significantly dependent on DLP mGy cm for both gated and non-gated techniques at 95% level of significance p < 0.05 . The Student's t-test verifies that the mean value of "E" for both the techniques at 100 kV p and 80 kV p are significantly different at 95% level of significance p < 0.05 . Conclusions: The effective dose received by pediatric patients is much higher when using ECG-gated acquisition with an average value of 4.71 mSv and 3.95 mSv at 100 kV p , and at 80 kV p respectively. Because low-voltage X-rays are more sensitive to high atomic number iodinated contrast media, the mean "E" for non-gated cardiac CT imaging at 80 kV p is 2.26 mSv , and results in significant reduction of effective dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expression recognition (FER) is an essential field for intelligent human-computer interaction, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made unimodal techniques less effective due to masks. Multimodal approaches that combine information from multiple modalities are more robust at recognizing emotions from facial expressions. The need to accurately recognize human emotions based on facial expressions is still significant. The study proposed a multimodal methodology based on deep learning for facial recognition under masks and vocal expressions. The proposed approach used two standard datasets, M-LFW-F and CREMA-D to capture facial and vocal emotional cues. The resulting dataset was used to train a multimodal neural network using fusion techniques that outperformed unimodal methods. The proposed approach achieved an accuracy of 79.05%, while the unimodal approach achieved 68.76%, demonstrating that the proposed approach outperforms unimodal techniques in facial expression recognition under masked conditions. This highlights the potential of multimodal techniques for improving FER in challenging scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a modified proximity extension assay, total and immunoglobulin (Ig) class-specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were sensitively and conveniently detected directly from ø1.2 mm discs cut from dried blood and saliva spots (DBS and DSS) without the need for elution. For total Ig detection, antigen probes were prepared by conjugating recombinant spike protein subunit 1 (S1-RBD) to a pair of oligonucleotides. To detect isotype-specific antibody reactivity, one antigen probe was replaced with oligonucleotide-conjugated antibodies specific for antibody isotypes. Binding of pairs of oligonucleotide-conjugated probes to antibodies in patient samples brings oligonucleotides in proximity. An added DNA polymerase uses a transient hybridization between the oligonucleotides to prime synthesis of a DNA strand, which serves as a DNA amplicon that is quantified by real-time PCR. The S1-RBD-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies in DBS samples collected over the course of a first and second vaccination exhibited kinetics consistent with previous reports. Both DBS and DSS collected from 42 individuals in the autumn of 2023 showed significant level of total S1-RBD antibodies with a correlation of R = 0.70. However, levels in DSS were generally 10 to 100-fold lower than in DBS. Anti-S1-RBD IgG and IgA in DSS demonstrated a correlation of R = 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT) devices generate and transfer a vast volume of data in interaction with various objects. These data rely on cloud computing (CC) or fog computing (FC) for processing and calculations. Unlike CC, FC delivers task processing closer to IoT devices. Consequently, FC leads to reduced latency, increased efficiency, ease of deployment, and flexibility. The primary concern between the service requester and provider when agreeing to task offloading is trust. While several types of research are based on intelligent models for trust management, trust management in FC requires direct and indirect trust computation due to the presence of malicious nodes. To ensure security and maintain the quality of service when interacting with fog servers, trust is essential. In this paper, a new trust model for FC is proposed using a combination of the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Learning Automaton (LA). The crossover operator in GA by LA is improved. The changes in the search space and finding optimal solutions are dependent on the crossover rate. Thus, determining an optimal value for the crossover operator impacts the problem's solutions. The proposed methods evaluation was done in a MATLAB 2020 simulation environment. The results show that the performance of the proposed method with 200 iterations and 1000 tasks is superior in terms of reliability rate, energy consumption, and delay compared to GA and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory condition primarily affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints, often associated with human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) positivity. While musculoskeletal symptoms are typical manifestations, AS can also lead to systemic complications, including secondary systemic amyloidosis (SSA), also known as Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, involving multiple organs. Case presentation: We present a case of a 45-year-old Asian male with a complex medical history, including diabetes and hypertension, who developed AS complicated by SSA. The patient exhibited a diverse range of symptoms, including cardiac, renal, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal manifestations. He reported shortness of breath on exertion, orthopnea, pedal edema, generalized weakness, back pain, neck pain, low-grade fever, decreased appetite, frothy urine, and significant weight loss over the past year. Diagnostic evaluations revealed HLA-B27 positivity and histologically confirmed AA amyloidosis, providing a comprehensive understanding of the systemic involvement. Conclusion: This case report highlights the intricate interplay between AS and SSA, particularly AA amyloidosis, with a focus on its systemic impact beyond musculoskeletal symptoms. The tragic outcome, marked by severe cardiac involvement, underscores the challenges in managing such complex cases. This report emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of AS to prevent severe complications, along with vigilant monitoring and individualized treatment plans, as well as the need for further research to enhance our understanding and improve management strategies for AS-related amyloidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning applications have witnessed significant advancements across diverse domains, revolutionizing tasks such as image recognition, disease classification, cancer detection, natural language processing, and autonomous decision-making. However, striking a balance between performance and cost remains a fundamental challenge. Performance, which encompasses accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness, is crucial for the real-world applicability of deep learning models. Attaining high performance often involves using resource-intensive models with intricate architectures, extensive datasets, and hyperparameter tuning. While these factors lead to improved performance, they also result in increased costs, including computational resources, time, and energy consumption. This research addresses this challenge by proposing a novel low-cost deep learning model based on Sharpened Cosine Similarity (LC-SCS) for breast cancer classification using thermal images. In our study on a DMR-IR dataset, we also utilized pre-trained models: ResNet-101, VGG-16, Inception-V3, ResNet-50, VGG-19, and Xception. The proposed LC-SCS model achieved an impressive accuracy of 94%, trailing just 4% behind the leading VGG-19 model, while maintaining a low computational cost. It achieved recall and precision scores of 0.95 each, with an F1-score of 0.94. The LC-SCS model excels in computational efficiency, demanding only 1.85 GFLOPs and 1.2 million parameters. The memory requirement is minimal at 865.35 MB, and it exhibits a latency of just 0.003 s. Additionally, the CPU execution time for prediction is 3.59 s. Comparatively, the best-performing pre-trained VGG-19 model achieved 98% accuracy but incurred significantly higher costs. The proposed LC-SCS model showcases a remarkable 298.63 times reduction in GFLOPs, a 116.31 times reduction in total parameters, a 4.57 times reduction in memory requirements for model weights, a 5 times reduction in latency, and a 3.33 times reduction in CPU execution time for prediction, thus making it as an exceptionally resource-efficient model, particularly in scenarios with limited computational resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traveling wave solutions are a class of invariant solutions which are critical for shallow water wave equations. In this paper, traveling wave solutions for two perturbed KP-MEW equations with a local delay convolution kernel are examined. The model equation is reduced to a planar near-Hamiltonian system via geometric singular perturbation theorem, and the qualitative properties of the corresponding unperturbed system are analyzed by using dynamical system approach. The persistence of the bounded traveling wave solutions for the perturbed KP-MEW equations with delay is investigated. By using a criterion for the monotonicity of ratio of two Abelian integrals and Melnikov’s method, the existence of kink (anti-kink) wave solutions and periodic wave solutions of the model equation are established. The result shows that the delayed KP-MEW equations with positive perturbation and the one with negative perturbation exhibit completely diverse dynamical properties. These new findings greatly enrich the understanding of dynamical properties of the traveling wave solutions of perturbed nonlinear wave equations with local delay convolution kernel. Numerical experiments further confirm and illustrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the radon concentration in groundwater in Kupwara, the northernmost district of the Kashmir valley. It further assesses the annual effective dose experienced by the district’s diverse population—infants, children, and adults—attributable to both inhalation of airborne radon released from drinking water and direct ingestion. In addition to this, the calculation of gamma dose rate is also carried out at each of the sampling site of radon. A portable radon-thoron monitor and a portable gamma radiation detector were respectively employed to estimate the activity concentration of radon in water samples and to measure the gamma dose rate. The radon concentration was found to exhibit variability from a minimum of 2.9 BqL−1 to a maximum of 197.2 BqL−1, with a mean of 26.3 BqL−1 and a standard deviation of 23.3 BqL−1. From a total of 85 samples, 10.6% of the samples had radon activity concentrations exceeding the permissible limits of 40 BqL−1 set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiations as reported by UNSCEAR (Sources and effects of ionizing radiation, 2008) and only 1.2% of the samples have radon activity concentration exceeding the permissible limits of 100 BqL−1 set by the World Health Organization as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The mean of the annual effective dose due to inhalation for all age groups as well as the annual ingestion dose for infants and children, surpasses the World Health Organization’s limit of 100 μSv y−1 as reported by WHO (WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2008). The observed gamma radiation dose rate in the vicinity of groundwater radon sites ranged from a minimum of 138 nSv h−1 to a maximum of 250 nSv h−1. The data indicated no significant correlation between the dose rate of gamma radiation and the radon levels in the groundwater. Radon concentration of potable water in the study area presents a non-negligible exposure pathway for residents. Therefore, the judicious application of established radon mitigation techniques is pivotal to minimize public health vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choroid layer, situated between the retina and sclera, is a tissue layer that contains blood vessels. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a method that utilizes light for imaging purposes to capture detailed images of this specific part of the retina. Although there have been notable advancements, the automated choroid segmentation persists difficult due to the inherently low contrast of OCT images. Handcrafted features, which provide domain-specific knowledge, and convolutional neural network (CNN) methods, which handle large sets of general features, are both employed in addressing this challenge. There is a plea to merge these two different classes of feature-generation methods. The challenge is to form a combined set of features that can outperform either feature extraction method. We proposed a cascaded method for choroid layer segmentation that logically combines a CNN feature set with handcrafted features. Our method used handcrafted features, Gabor features, Haar features, and gray-level co-occurrence features due to the robustness to segment low-contrast images. A support vector machine was independently trained using the CNN feature set and handcrafted feature set, which were then linearly combined for the final choroid segmentation. The method under consideration was assessed using a dataset comprising 525 images. Furthermore, we introduced two metrics to quantitatively evaluate the thickness of the layer: (i) the pixel-wise error in the segmentation and (ii) the average error in the generated thickness map. Through experimentation, the results demonstrated that our proposed method successfully accomplished the intended objective, a remarkable accuracy of 97 percent, with a mean error rate of 2.84. Moreover, it outperformed existing state-of-the-art segmentation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, simple and low-cost colorimetric sensor has been developed for the detection of bisphenol A (BPA). In the assay, laccase catalyses the reaction between BPA and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) [ABTS] radicals, resulting in a colored product showing λmax at 560 nm. Raman spectroscopy and mass spectra analysis of the product suggests the possible formation of ABTS dication radicals. This assay could detect BPA up to 2 µM by the naked eye, which is lower than the European Union specific migration limit of 2.6 µM. UV–visible spectroscopy showed a linear response in the concentration range of 1.0–10.0 µM with a lower detection limit of 0.5 µM. Sensitivity of the assay was enhanced by 40 folds when laccase and ABTS were fabricated on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel beads, allowing BPA to be detected at concentrations as low as 50 nM. These hydrogel beads were highly stable for long-term storage. Screening of different phenolic contaminants showed that laccase along with ABTS exhibits propensity for para-substituted alkyl-phenols that are considered as xenoestrogens and are highly toxic, estrogenic and carcinogenic in nature. Thus, the assay developed may be utilized for in-situ monitoring of BPA and other toxic xenoestrogens present in the environment. Additionally, its applicability can be extended towards other potential laccase mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research has generated considerable interest in MBenes because of their promising applications in chemistry, physics, and materials science. We specifically investigated the MoB4 and MoB2 MBene family materials for gas sensing applications through density functional theory (DFT). These calculations indicate that the MoB4 structure exhibits a higher adsorption affinity for gases CO, CO2, NO, NO2, NH3, SO, SO2, and SO3, while MoB2 shows limited gas adsorption capacity. The metallic nature of the MoB4 monolayer, its stable characteristics, and its negative adsorption energy lead to the emergence of novel states in the density of states (DOS). The metallic behavior of the MoB4 material remains unchanged after the adsorption of gases. The CO₂, CO, NO, NO2, and SO3 exhibit chemisorption while NH3, SO, and SO2 display physisorption behavior. The gases transferred the charge to the substrate. We analyzed parameters like structural, electronic, adsorption properties, and electron localization function (ELF) concerning adsorbed gases on MoB4. Significant charge transfers determine the material's sensitivity to detect and adsorb various gases. ELF diagrams illustrate that all gases showed chemisorption behavior, with computed adsorption energies ranging from − 1.63 to -5.70 eV, and interaction distances observed on the MoB4 monolayer. MoB4 excels in detecting NO2 gas molecules due to its exceptional sensitivity, appropriate recovery time, and remarkable stability. These insights into MoB4 are expected to drive the discovery of new, highly conductive materials for future gas-sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the aggregation of anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with an antibiotic drug, ofloxacin (OFC) has been performed employing conductivity measurement technique in different aq. hydrotropes (HDTs) media. The aqueous solutions of four HDTs (two anionic HDTs (sodium benzoate (NaBenz) and sodium salicylate (NaSal)) and two non-ionic HDTs (p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and resorcinol (ReSC))), having different compositions, were used to investigate their effect on the micellization phenomena of the SDS + OFC mixture. The micelle formation of the SDS + OFC mixture has been detected to be reliant on the nature and composition of additives as well as the temperature variation. At lower concentration (1.00 mmol kg−1) of HDTs in aq. media, the CMC values of the working system followed the following order: CMCPABA > CMCNaBenz > CMCReSC > CMCNaSal, and the CMC values increased with the rising concentration of HDTs. An increase in temperature at a fixed composition of OFC and HDTs resulted in the elevation of CMC values. The extent of counterion binding (β) values exhibited to be reduced with an increase of both concentration of HDTs and temperature. The negative free energy change ( Δ G m 0 ) for the micellization processes across all temperatures and investigated media indicates spontaneous micellization. The enthalpy change ( Δ H m 0 ) of micellization of the SDS + OFC mixture was obtained to be positive (endothermic) and negative (exothermic) at lower and higher temperatures in all media studied. The entropy change (Δ S m 0 ) of micellization is positive even with varying temperatures in all the working additive media. The molar heat capacity ( Δ C m , p 0 ), transfer properties, and enthalpy-entropy compensation have been evaluated and explained with appropriate reasoning for the examined systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is a diverse group of tumors arising from oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx squamous epithelium, posing significant morbidity. Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins forming water channels, some associated with carcinomas. Chromobox (CBX) family is known to modulate physiological and oncological processes. In our study, we analyzed AQPs and CBXs having significant expression followed by their prognostic and mutational assessment. Next, we performed enrichment and tumor infiltration analysis followed by HPA validation. Lastly, we established a 3-node miRNA-TF-mRNA regulatory network and performed protein–protein docking of the highest-degree subnetwork motif between TF and mRNA. Significant upregulation of CBX3/2 and downregulation of AQP3/5/7 correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in HNSC patients. The most significant pathway, GO-BP, GO-MF, and GO-CC terms associated with AQP3 and CBX3 were passive transport by aquaporins, response to vitamin, glycerol channel activity, and condensed chromosome, centromeric region. AQP3 negatively correlated with CD 4 + T cells, positively with CD 8 + T cells and B cells, and negatively with tumor purity, whereas CBX3 positively correlated with CD 4 + T cells, negatively with CD 8 + T cells and B cells, and positively with tumor purity. Three-node miRNA-TF-mRNA regulatory network revealed a highest-degree subnetwork motif comprising one TF (SMAD3), one miRNA (miR-423-5p), and one mRNA (AQP3). Protein–protein interaction studies suggested a direct interaction between AQP3 and Smad3 proteins. We concluded that AQP3 and CBX3 hold potential as treatment strategies and individual prognostic biomarkers, while further protein–protein interaction studies of AQP3 could offer insights into its interactions with Smad3 proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significant research on environmental issues, there has not been considerable investigation on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the MENA nations using both CO2 emissions (CO2e) and ecological footprint (EF) environmental indicators in the same setting. Therefore, the primary goal of this research is to re-examine the EKC hypothesis in 18 MENA nations from 1990 to 2018 using a panel data model labeled the pooled mean group autoregressive distributed lags (PMG-ARDL). We employ CO2e and EF as environmental quality proxies to deal with all types of pollutants, not only air pollution, as well as the demand side of environmental assets. The outcomes of the econometric study revealed the absence of the EKC hypothesis using CO2e in contrast to EF where the hypothesis is held in the entire group and both oil-exporting and importing countries. Moreover, population and non-renewable energy significantly harm the environment in the three sub-sample groups of countries in this study. This is what requires the governments of these countries to strive more toward achieving environmental sustainability by preserving the environmental capacity of the region and reducing emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing argument regarding the quality of life of migrant domestic workers focuses on their vulnerabilities and the high risks of abuse, which ultimately have a detrimental impact on their well-being. However, there is a lack of quantitative evidence to support this argument. Using randomly sampled data from a large-scale survey of migrant domestic workers in Abu Dhabi, this study conducted hierarchical multiple regression to test for the direct effects of various predictors of life satisfaction of domestic workers. The results revealed a high level of life satisfaction among female migrant domestic workers, which was associated with emotional well-being, mental health, community identity, social support, awareness of local culture, and region of residence, but not with job-related variables and social relations related variables. Implications and limitations of this study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene selection is an essential step for the classification of microarray cancer data. Gene expression cancer data (deoxyribonucleic acid microarray] facilitates in computing the robust and concurrent expression of various genes. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) requires simple operators and less number of parameters for tuning the model in gene selection. The selection of a prognostic gene with small redundancy is a great challenge for the researcher as there are a few complications in PSO based selection method. In this research, a new variant of PSO (Self-inertia weight adaptive PSO) has been proposed. In the proposed algorithm, SIW-APSO-ELM is explored to achieve gene selection prediction accuracies. This novel algorithm establishes a balance between the exploitation and exploration capabilities of the improved inertia weight adaptive particle swarm optimization. The self-inertia weight adaptive particle swarm optimization (SIW-APSO) algorithm is employed for solution explorations. Each particle in the SIW-APSO increases its position and velocity iteratively through an evolutionary process. The extreme learning machine (ELM) has been designed for the selection procedure. The proposed method has been employed to identify several genes in the cancer dataset. The classification algorithm contains ELM, K-centroid nearest neighbor, and support vector machine to attain high forecast accuracy as compared to the start-of-the-art methods on microarray cancer datasets that show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide environmental challenges pose critical problems with the growth of the global economy. Addressing these issues requires the development of an eco-friendly and sustainable catalyst for degrading organic dye pollutants. In this study, copper-doped magnesium aluminates (CuxMg1−xAl2O4) with x = 0.0–0.8 were synthesized using a citrate-based combustion route. The inclusion of Cu(II) significantly impacted the structural, microstructural, optical, and photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction powder profiles revealed single-phase spinels crystallized in the face-centered cubic unit cell with Fd 3 ¯ m space group. Chemical states of the ions, surface morphology, and elemental investigation were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. UV–visible and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies confirmed the reduction of the band gap due to Cu(II) doping, validated by first-principle investigations using the WIEN2k code. The catalyst with x = 0.8 showed higher photocatalytic efficacy (90% and 93%) for removing two azo organic dye pollutants, rhodamine B and methyl orange, respectively, within 120 min. Degradation kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order mechanism. The doped (0.8) sample was structurally and morphologically stable and reusable under visible irradiation, retaining performance after three runs. Scavenger studies confirmed hydroxyl and superoxide radicals' involvement in the degradation. This work presents an effective approach to enhancing CuxMg1−xAl2O4 catalysts' photodegradation performance, with potential applications in pharmaceuticals and wastewater remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work, pure and lanthanum (La)-doped copper oxide nanoparticle (CuO-NPs) are synthesized using a sol-gel technique which is quite simple, efficient and cost-effective as well. Various characterization techniques have been employed to investigate the effect of rare earth dopant (La) on morphological, compositional, structural, optical, and vibrational properties of fabricated nanomaterial which is tested as potential photo catalyst. Quite interestingly, the bandgap was reduced by the introduction of dopant element. Additionally, the average particle size was also reduced for doped samples. Degradation of methylene blue (MB) was investigated under UV visible light for 100 min in the presence of synthesized photocatalysts. The best efficiency of 80% is achieved by 2% La-doped sample attributed to Burstein-Moss effect. Experimental results are well consistent with the results of the simulation which were realized while using finite element analysis (FEA) technique in RF module (version 5.3a) of COMSOL Multiphysics. This simulation technique helped to understand the insight about the various aspect of the photocatalytic process reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of biowastes for producing biochar to remove potentially toxic elements from water represents an important pathway for aquatic ecosystem decontamination. Here we explored the significance of thiol-functionalization on sugarcane bagasse biochar (Th/SCB–BC) and rice husk biochar (Th/RH–BC) to enhance arsenite (As(III)) removal capacity from water and compared their efficiency with both pristine biochars (SCB–BC and RH–BC). The maximum As(III) sorption was found on Th/SCB–BC and Th/RH–BC (2.88 and 2.51 mg g−1, respectively) compared to the SCB–BC and RH–BC (1.51 and 1.40 mg g−1). Relatively, a greater percentage of As(III) removal was obtained with Th/SCB–BC and Th/RH–BC (92% and 83%, respectively) at a pH 7 compared to pristine SCB–BC and RH–BC (65% and 55%) at 6 mg L−1 initial As(III) concentration, 2 h contact time and 1 g L−1 sorbent dose. Langmuir (R2 = 0.99) isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2 = 0.99) models provided the best fits to As(III) sorption data. Desorption experiments indicated that the regeneration ability of biochars decreased and it was in the order of Th/SCB–BC (88%) > Th/RH–BC (82%) > SCB–BC (77%) > RH–BC (69%) up to three sorption–desorption cycles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results demonstrated that the thiol (-S–H) functional groups were successfully grafted on the surface of two biochars and as such contributed to enhance As(III) removal from water. Spectroscopic data indicated that the surface functional moieties, such as -S–H, − OH, − COOH, and C = O were involved to increase As(III) sorption on thiol-functionalized biochars. This study highlights that thiol-grafting on both biochars, notably on SCB–BC, enhanced their ability to remove As(III) from water, which can be used as an effective technique for the treatment of As from drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Agaricus is a saprophytic and cosmopolitan genus occurring in diverse type of habitats. In the present study, we report three interesting species of genus Agaricus viz., A. sinoplacomyces, A. sylvaticus and A. subrufescens, from different regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Identification was carried out through combined morpho-anatomical and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) sequence analysis. Agaricus sinoplacomyces is recorded for the first time from India while A. sylvaticus and A. subrufescens are reported for the first time from Jammu and Kashmir. Detailed morphological descriptions, colour photographs, line drawings, and molecular phylogeny are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions of polyelectrolyte poly (sodium styrene sulfonate or NaPSS) and anionic surfactants, sodium glycodeoxycholate (SGDC) and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS), as well as their combination (SGDC + STS) at different mole fraction ratios, were investigated using surface tension analysis. In the SGDC + STS binary mixture, when the amount of NaPSS (0.005–0.03%) increased from α SGDC 0.0 to 1.0, increasing the critical micellization concentration (cmc) of the mixtures. The minimum cmc values were found from 0.833 to 1.480 mmol L−1 in the presence of 0.03% of NaPSS. Clint, Rubingh, Motomura, and Rodenas approaches were used to evaluate the ideal cmc, activity coefficients (fi), interaction parameter (–β), micellar compositions (x), and ideal micellar composition of (xid) of SGDC + STS mixtures. Synergism has been demonstrated by the experimental values of c0m being lower than the ideal values in water. Moreover, by adding NaPSS from 0.005 to 0.03%, the synergism interaction was eliminated and antagonism behavior was developed. The standard Gibb's free energy of micellization ( Δ G m 0) and surface excess (Γ) and surface area per absorbed molecules (Amin) was decreased or increased depending on NaPSS amount in the SGDC + STS mixture with varying a SGDC . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture ecosystems are seriously threatened by lead (Pb) contamination, which impacts plant growth and productivity. In this study, green synthesized manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO NPs) using citrus peel were used for priming of wheat seeds. For the synthesis of MnO nanoparticles, peel extract of Citrus paradisi and 1 mM solution of manganese acetate were stirred and calcinated at 500 °C. Successful synthesis of MnO NPs was determined using advanced techniques. In Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the presence of amines, alkanes, aldehydes, and alcohol molecules, on the surface of MnO NPs, confirmed their stability. X-ray diffraction analysis described their average size (22 nm), while scanning electron microscopy showed tetragonal crystalline shape and nano-flowers structure of MnO NPs. Sharp peaks of energy dispersive x-ray analysis described the presence of oxygen (28.81%) and manganese (71.19%) on MnO NPs. Priming of wheat seeds with synthesized MnO NPs significantly improved the growth attributes of wheat seedlings including the size of leaf, root length, size of shoots, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, relative water content, decreased relative electrolyte leakage, high proline accumulation and decreased concentration of malondialdehyde. Application of MnO NPs also helped plants to accumulate antioxidant enzymes in their leaves. These results proved that the priming of MnO NPs can greatly reduce lead-induced stress in wheat seedlings and these NPs can also be used for the priming of other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction is a worldwide disease with high morbidity and mortality and a major cause of chronic heart failure, seriously affecting patients' quality of life. Natural medicine has been used to cure or prevent cardiovascular disease for decades. As a natural flavonoid, anthocyanidin has been used to treat many diseases due to its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and other properties. A mouse model (C57BL/6) weighing 30–40 g was utilized to induce myocardial infarction by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Cyanidin (30 mg/kg) was administered orally to mice for four weeks. A variety of assessments were used to evaluate cardiac function. The gene expression was measured using RNAseq and Western blot. Histological changes in myocardial tissue were assessed using staining techniques, including Masson, Hematoxylin Eosin (HE), and transmission electron microscopy. Tunnel staining was implemented as a method to detect cellular apoptosis. For the quantification of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in the serum, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed. Furthermore, autodock simulation was executed in order to assess the interaction between cyanidin and a subset of genes. Cyanidin treatment inhibited myocardial cell apoptosis, improved cardiac function, and reduced serum concentrations of BNP and atrial natriuretic peptide ANP, as well as mitigated histological cardiac tissue damage. Cyanidin also inhibited the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2/9) and Fibronectin 1 (Fn1). Cyanidin improves heart function and reduces myocardial damage in mice after MI. Furthermore, cyanidin can prevent cardiomyocyte apoptosis. These effects are most likely caused by suppression of MMP9/2 and control of the Akt signaling pathway, suggesting an appropriate therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean water is a necessity for all life to survive and flourish. However, natural waters are being continuously contaminated due to the release of waste streams in water. Hence, it is important to remove pollutants from wastewater to fulfill human needs. Conventional treatment methods are neither efficient nor economical for wastewaters that especially contain refractory toxic pollutants. This requires novel techniques like Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), that may successfully degrade persistent micropollutants more efficiently. In this study, an azo dye Acid Red 1 was removed by three AOPs, namely Photocatalytic oxidation, Ozonation and Photocatalytic Ozonation, by employing heterogenous catalysts. TiO2 was used as photocatalyst, whereas Fe-Zeolite has been further added as Ozonation catalyst. The study revealed that photocatalysis degraded only 28% Acid red dye after 15 min, whereas for ozonation, the degradation percentage was 95% in same time. In combined photocatalytic ozonation process using TiO2, 95% degradation was achieved in just 9 min and treatment time further reduced to 5 min when Fe-zeolite was added. Optimization studies for initial concentration, UV intensity and catalyst loading were performed. Finally, rate constants and Electrical Energy per Order (EEO) values were determined for all AOPs, and mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the United States. Recent epidemiological evidence demonstrates an increasing incidence of young-onset CRC cases, defined as CRC cases in individuals 50 years old or younger. Studies have established that alterations in both the WNT and TGF-Beta signaling pathways have contributed to CRC development. While this is well understood, the comprehensive analysis of WNT and TGF-Beta pathway alterations in young-onset CRC cases has yet to be investigated. Here, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of mutations associated with each of the WNT and TGF-Beta signaling pathways according to age (≤ 50 years old versus > 50 years old) utilizing published genomic data from the cBioPortal. Chi-square results demonstrated no significant difference in WNT alterations between young-onset CRC and those > 50 years old. However, across all age groups, WNT alterations were frequently found in rectal cancers. We also found that WNT alterations were associated with better outcomes. The mutations associated with TGF-beta were observed at a higher rate in older CRC patients when compared to those ≤ 50 years old. Additionally, these mutations were found more frequently in colon primaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz (THz) spectral region from 0.1 to 3 THz is envisaged to hold immense potential in the next generation of wireless technologies. Recently, research has focused on this terahertz gap, because of its unprecedented channel capacities. At the physical layer, the design complexities and fabrication of THz devices, especially antennas are the prime bottlenecks to realize its full potential. This article introduces a cost-effective, easy-to-fabricate, and reproducible sub-THz antenna design based on a single-layer planar printed circuit board technology. The antenna incorporates carefully designed quasi-cross slots and applied machine learning-assisted global optimization techniques to achieve the desired performance metrics. The antenna performance is elucidated through numerical simulations and verified through a rigorous in-house THz experimental framework around 100–110 GHz. The proposed antenna offers a peak gain of 13.90 dBi with less than 1 dB variation within the entire band of 100–110 GHz. The antenna holds the potential to achieve terabits per second data rates and futuristic high-resolution short-range THz imaging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mentorship is essential for education and career development in health-related fields, yet Sub-Saharan African universities often lack structured programs. To address this, the MedXMentor program was established at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) to provide structured mentorship to undergraduate health sciences students in Uganda. This paper outlines insights gained from implementing the MedXMentor hybrid mentorship program. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the study employed the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation to assess mentees' reactions, learning, behavior, and goal achievement. Data were collected via Google Form surveys, feedback forms, mentoring logs, and session attendance records. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis provided a comprehensive understanding of the program's impact. Results: The program served 80 mentees, with 48 participating in one-on-one mentorship and 32 in group sessions. It enlisted 24 mentors, mainly from the medical field. Between April and September 2022, eight online group sessions were held, with an average attendance rate of 52%. These sessions focused on project planning, grant writing, and soft skills development, resulting in improved mentee comprehension and skill acquisition. Mentees reported an enhanced understanding of project planning, grant writing, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Their experiences were categorized into four themes: Mentor Engagement, Goal-Oriented Study, Skills and Professional Development, and High-Yield Mentor–Mentee Engagements. Conclusion and recommendations: Implementing the MedXMentor program proved effective in providing crucial mentorship and equipping students with vital academic and professional skills. The program highlighted its potential to bridge the mentorship gap in low-resource settings. By empowering future healthcare professionals in Africa, MedXMentor exemplifies how mentorship initiatives can drive significant advancements in healthcare education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]