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In this study, the clay was interwoven with cellulose to change its structure. The product clay/cellulose was used to assess the efficacy of the methylene blue (MB) dye removal from aqueous solutions (CC25). The response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design were used to optimize the influence of crucial parameters (cellulose load, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, temperature, and contact duration) (RSM-BBD). The greatest removal effectiveness was 98.76% for a cellulose loading of 25.0% and the following working conditions, i.e., adsorbent dosage of 0.06 g/L, pH 7, temperature of 45 °C, and contact length of 20 min. At the time, the maximum adsorption capacity was 254.8 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order adsorption model, according to the adsorption kinetics research, was used to describe the process. The MB adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous, according to computed thermodynamic functions. The developed composite material, according to our results, has a very high capacity for the color absorption and removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To implement the principle of sustainable development worldwide, multiple sustainability criteria are utilized. The challenges that significantly impact quality of life and the environment are largely influenced by residential and service buildings, which rely heavily on energy and water demands, as well as the strategies and smart systems used for their optimization. This study aims to investigate the relationship between energy and water usage based on various building assessment standards. The research question explored is how extensively the Global Sustainability Systems approach energy-water assessments. The objectives of the study were to examine the weight and density valuations of six (6) notable global sustainable systems. The various stages of the study include defining the research question, categorizing the data, analyzing the data to generate reportable metrics, and providing an in-depth discussion of the findings. The findings of the study illustrate the strong influence of energy, with a maximum allocation of 55% for the Green Mark (GM) assessment. GM also recorded the highest allocation for the issue of Energy Optimization, at 22%. On the other hand, the maximum allocation for the Water category is 10% in both the Green Star (GS) and Green Building Index systems. Furthermore, GS has the highest allocation for the issue of Water Reduction, at 9%. When considering all the reviewed systems, GM demonstrates the highest share for assessment issue distribution and the highest assessment correlation with the other systems - with a significance of 0.999 at p < 0.01 with Pearson correlation. Further critical evaluation of new assessment methodologies launched by, for instance, GS and GM, was considered a limitation of the research and is recommended for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The KRAS oncogene drives many common and highly fatal malignancies. These include pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer, where various activating KRAS mutations have made the development of KRAS inhibitors difficult. Here we identify the scaffold protein SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain 3 (SHANK3) as a RAS interactor that binds active KRAS, including mutant forms, competes with RAF and limits oncogenic KRAS downstream signalling, maintaining mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) activity at an optimal level. SHANK3 depletion breaches this threshold, triggering MAPK/ERK signalling hyperactivation and MAPK/ERK-dependent cell death in KRAS-mutant cancers. Targeting this vulnerability through RNA interference or nanobody-mediated disruption of the SHANK3–KRAS interaction constrains tumour growth in vivo in female mice. Thus, inhibition of SHANK3–KRAS interaction represents an alternative strategy for selective killing of KRAS-mutant cancer cells through excessive signalling. The multidomain scaffold protein SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain 3 (SHANK3) can bind GTP-bound Ras and Rap small GTPases. Here the authors show that, by binding active KRAS, SHANK3 maintains oncogenic KRAS/MAPK/ERK signaling at an optimal level while its depletion in KRAS-mutant cancer cell lines results in ERK signalling overdose and impaired cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae are naturally rich in carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, pigments, minerals, and vitamins. These metabolites make them a renewable and sustainable source of bioactive compounds in nutraceuticals, food, feed for aquaculture, and biofuels. Genetic engineering of the existing strains remains crucial in utilising and upscaling microalgae-based biorefineries. CRISPR/Cas9, TALENs, ZFNs, and genetic transformation are the established tools utilised in microalgae genetic engineering. The common genetic transformation methods include electroporation, particle bombardment (biolistics), glass-bead agitation, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Expression vectors and promoters are the prerequisites in genetic engineering. The present accessibility of genome sequences and omics datasets from a diverse array of microalgae species holds promise for catalyzing strategic progress in developing a superior microalgae strain suitable for numerous applications. This paper describes the genetic engineering to enhance microalgae biomass and metabolite production, particularly lipids. The advantages and precautions to fulfil the future application of genetically engineered microalgae are also reviewed and addressed.Article highlights: Strategic genetic engineering optimises microalgae strains for enhanced lipid synthesis and biomolecule production. CRISPR/Cas9 enables precise genome modifications in microalgae, enhancing their potential for various applications. Establishing regulatory frameworks for genetically modified (GM) microalgae is crucial for safe deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: miRNAs are known as non-coding RNAs that can regulate gene expression. They are reported in many microorganisms and their host cells. Parasite infection can change or shift host miRNAs expression, which can aim at both parasite eradication and infection. Purpose: This study dealt with examination of miRNA expressed in intestinal protozoan, coccidia , as well as profile changes in host cell miRNA after parasitic infection and their role in protozoan clearance/ survival. Methods: The authors searched ISI Web of Sciences, Pubmed, Scholar, Scopus, another databases and articles published up to 2024 were included. The keywords of miRNA, intestinal protozoa, toxoplasma and some words associated with topics were used in this search. Results: Transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors can control parasitic diseases, and be introduced as a new therapeutic option in parasitology. Conclusion: This review can be used to provide up-to date knowledge for future research on these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma brain metastases present a major challenge in cancer treatment and reduce overall survival despite advances in managing primary melanoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that target PD-1/PD-L1 pathways have shown promise in treating advanced melanoma, but their efficacy for melanoma brain metastases is debated. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarize evidence on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for melanoma brain metastases. This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines. PICO criteria targeted melanoma brain metastasis patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, assessing overall survival, progression-free survival, and complications. Inclusion criteria were English studies on humans using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for melanoma brain metastases with > 10 patients. A total of 22 trials involving 1523 melanoma brain metastase patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors were thoroughly analyzed. Our findings show the 6-month OS rate of 0.75 [95%CI:0.67–0.84], the 6-months PFS rate of 0.42 [95%CI:0.31–0.52], the 1-year OS rate of 0.63 [95%CI:0.52–0.74], the 1-year PFS rate was 0.45 [95%CI:0.32–0.58], the 18-months OS rate of 0.52 [95%CI:0.37–0.67], the 2-year OS rate of 50% [95% CI: (34%-65%)], the 2 year PFS rate of 0.36 (95%CI:0.23–0.50), the 3-year OS rate of 0.42 (95%CI:0.17–0.67), the 4-year PFS rate of 0.35 [95%CI:0.08–0.61], the 4-year OS rate of 0.29 [95%CI:0.01–0.56], the 5-year OS rate of 0.29 (95%CI:0.09–0.50), and the 5-year PFS rate of 0.11 (95%CI:0.03–0.19). The combined disease stability rate was 0.13 [95%CI:0.05–0.20], the progressive disease rate was 0.49 [95%CI:0.37–0.62], the partial response rate was 0.14 [95%CI:0.07–0.20], the object response rate was 0.35 [95%CI:0.24–0.46], and the complete response rate was 0.22 [95%CI:0.12–0.32]. In conclusion, our meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with melanoma brain tumors, as evidenced by favorable survival outcomes and disease control rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role of spirituality in Islamic banking sustainability is pivotal, yet current literature within this avenue remains inadequate. The present research investigates the role of the spiritual dimension (Prophet) through different theoretical and methodological lenses. We apply the quadruple bottom line theory (Prosperity, People, Planet, Prophet) and employ structural equation modeling and artificial neural network techniques to investigate the issue. Primary data were gathered in six provinces in Indonesia through a survey resulting in 506 usable respondents. The findings of this study suggest that the Prophet dimension is considered to be more prioritized than the prosperity (profit) dimension. Consequently, in the future, practitioners need to dynamically adjust to conducting more ethical business (Prophet) rather than emphasizing the pursuit of profits (prosperity). The regulator is encouraged to provide incentives for Islamic banks undertaking social functions (people) and conserving the environment (planet). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oral pathway is the preferred drug administration route in pharmaceutical sciences, however, the most employed 'highly active' drug candidates suffer from poor water solubility. The aim of this study was to develop repaglinide (RL)-loaded chitosan-grafted mesoporous silica material (MSM) to enhance drug dissolution. Such enhanced dissolution was investigated in in vitro and in vivo conditions. Our results showed successful grafting of chitosan (CN) on the surface of the MSM and the loading of RL into the mesopores of the silica host. Furthermore, the obtained drug dissolution profiles were fitted to mathematical models to characterize and compare drug dissolution profiles. Cytotoxicity evaluation against the human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cell line showed concentration-dependent toxicity for the MSN-based particles. Various liver and kidney mitochondrial functional parameters including lipid peroxidation assay, complex II activity, mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) level assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, protein carbonyl level, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, were used to investigate the biosafety of the silica-based dissolution enhancer. A significant reduction in blood glucose was observed after oral administration of the biocomposites for 24 h. The histopathological studies of the kidney and liver indicated no MSM-related adverse effects. We believed that our achievements can help the use of the hybrid organic–inorganic MSMs in improving the bioavailability of PWSDs in the one hand and, on the other hand, open a novel avenue to develop biocompatible and nontoxic MSMs in oral bioavailability of PWSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we considered a nonlinear compartmental mathematical model that assesses the effect of treatment on the dynamics of HIV/AIDS and pneumonia (H/A-P) co-infection in a human population at different infection stages. Understanding the complexities of co-dynamics is now critically necessary as a consequence. The aim of this research is to construct a co-infection model of H/A-P in the context of fractional calculus operators, white noise and probability density functions, employing a rigorous biological investigation. By exhibiting that the system possesses non-negative and bounded global outcomes, it is shown that the approach is both mathematically and biologically practicable. The required conditions are derived, guaranteeing the eradication of the infection. Furthermore, adequate prerequisites are established, and the configuration is tested for the existence of an ergodic stationary distribution. For discovering the system's long-term behavior, a deterministic-probabilistic technique for modeling is designed and operated in MATLAB. By employing an extensive review, we hope that the previously mentioned approach improves and leads to mitigating the two diseases and their co-infections by examining a variety of behavioral trends, such as transitions to unpredictable procedures. In addition, the piecewise differential strategies are being outlined as having promising potential for scholars in a range of contexts because they empower them to include particular characteristics across multiple time frame phases. Such formulas can be strengthened via classical techniques, power law, exponential decay, generalized Mittag-Leffler kernels, probability density functions and random procedures. Furthermore, we get an accurate description of the probability density function encircling a quasi-equilibrium point if the effect of H/A-P minimizes the propagation of the co-dynamics. Consequently, scholars can obtain better outcomes when analyzing facts using random perturbations by implementing these strategies for challenging issues. Random perturbations in H/A-P co-infection are crucial in controlling the spread of an epidemic whenever the suggested circulation is steady and the amount of infection eliminated is closely correlated with the random perturbation level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of fines and chips during rock cutting plays an essential role in the efficiency of rock cutting, which in turn impacts productivity and performance of mechanical excavators. In this study, small scale linear rock cutting experiments were conducted using a conical tool on thirteen sedimentary and metamorphic rock samples to evaluate the transition between ductile to brittle cutting mode by examining the volume of fines versus chips produced in the process of cutting. Cuts with depths of 0.5, 0.8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mm were made to investigate the production of fines and chips in unrelieved cutting mode. The forces acting on the conical tool, cutting rate, and volume of fines were measured. Initially, the critical cutting depth was determined by analyzing the cutting force signals, aiming to identify both ductile and brittle cutting failure zones. Subsequently, the percentage of fines were classified into three classes using the hierarchical clustering algorithm. Finally, the support vector machine algorithm was employed to create a two-dimensional space utilizing cutting parameters, enabling the identification of the fines to chip transition zone. The effective cutting depth was determined based on specific energy variations, and subsequently, the effective limit was determined in the fines transition zone. The results showed that cutting depths lower than the critical value lead to the production of high fines under ductile failure mode. Also, the results obtained from assessing the performance of the two-dimensional fines space, predicated on cutting parameters, demonstrated that the developed model effectively evaluates the fines transition zone with a high level of accuracy. The results of this study can help in managing the fines production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: We review the cell-based pathophysiology of MS to provide a firm basis for understanding of the processes involving MSCs and their exosomes in MS treatment. MS is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease targeting the CNS. MSCs considered as promising therapeutic essence in MS with their cell-cell contact, paracrine and differentiation abilities. We review the properties of exosomes, a component of the MSC secretome. We highlight the potential of MSC-derived exosomes as a novel therapy for MS and clarify the differences between MSC-based and exosome-based therapies. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Current medicines are not sufficient to control the inflammation and progressive damage to the CNS that is known in MS. These drawbacks highlight the need for novel treatment options. Cell therapy can now be used to treat complex diseases when conventional therapies are ineffective. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a diverse group of multipotential non-hematopoietic stromal cells which have immunomodulatory, neurogenesis, and remyelinating capacity. Their advantageous effects mainly rely on paracrine, cell–cell communication and differentiation properties which introduced them as excellent candidates for MS therapy. Exosomes, as one of the MSCs secretomes, have unique properties that make them highly promising candidates for innovative approach in regenerative medicine. This review discusses the therapeutic potential of MSCs and their derived exosomes as a novel treatment for MS, highlighting the differences between these two approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation focused on evaluating the potential of Curcumin as neoteric bio-based additive for lithium ion batteries electrolyte to enhance the cycling behavior of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cell at 4.4 V (vs Li/Li+) charging cut-off voltage. Inclusion of 0.04-wt% Curcumin to the carbonate electrolyte resulted in a tremendous enhancement on the cycling performance with the capacity retention of 91% after 100 cycles, while it was only 79% for pristine electrolyte. According to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it has been found that Curcumin possesses a higher energy level for its highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and exhibits a lower oxidation potential when compared to carbonate solvents. These results indicate that Curcumin undergoes oxidation decomposition prior to the electrolyte solvents, thereby creating a protective cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) on NCM. This observation is in line with the results obtained from the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis. The effects of Curcumin were examined using various electrochemical and physical techniques, including linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge/discharge test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopy (FESEM, TEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The findings demonstrated that the enhanced battery performance is related to the construction of a thinner film on NCM facilitated by Curcumin, which led to reduced interfacial impedance and inhibit the degradation of carbonate electrolyte at higher charging cut-off voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an experimental analysis is conducted on the settling of straight and curved cylindrical rods, which are used to replicate a Reynolds number range applicable to atmospheric settling of microplastic fibres. The rods are dropped in a chamber filled with a quiescent water–glycerin mixture, and their settling velocity is determined from the images of two cameras arranged with perpendicular views. It is shown that a curved cylindrical rod settles faster than a straight cylindrical rod with the same diameter and length. As the rod radius of curvature decreases, the terminal velocity increases, and the corresponding drag coefficient decreases. The maximum difference in the terminal velocity between the straight and curved rods depends on the rod aspect ratio, curvature index, and Reynolds number. A new semi-empirical model is also developed to estimate the drag coefficient and terminal velocity of both straight and curved cylindrical rods studied in this research. The results of the new model are significantly more consistent with the experimental data compared to the previous models, with a low RMS error of 6.8%. This novel model has been utilized to predict the terminal velocity of realistic fibres in the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle East frontal sand and dust storms (SDS) occur in non-summer seasons, and represent an important phenomenon of this region's climate. Among the mentioned type, spring SDS are the most common. Trend analysis was used in the current study to investigate the spatial-temporal variability of springtime dust events in the Middle East using synoptic station observation from 2011 to 2022. The plausible changes in some controlling factors of dust activity at selected important dust sources in the Middle East were also studied during this time period. Our results showed a statistically significant spike in springtime dust events across the Middle East, particularly in May 2022. To evaluate the relative importance of controlling factors, the applied feature of importance analysis using random forest (RF) showed the higher relative importance of topsoil layer wetness, surface soil temperature, and surface wind speed in dust activity over the Middle East between 2011 and 2022. Long-term trend analysis of topsoil moisture and temperature, using the Mann-Kendall trend test, showed a decrease in soil moisture and an increase in soil temperature in some selected important dust sources in the Middle East. Moreover, our predictions using ARIMA models showed a high tendency to dust activities in selected major dust origins (domain 2 and domain 5) with a statistically significant increase (p-value < 0.05) between 2023 and 2029. Observed spatial and temporal changes within SDS hotspots can act as the first step to build up for the first time an SDS precise intensity scale, as well as establishing an SDS early warning system in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separators are regarded as an essential component of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their critical roles in the electrochemical performance and safety of these batteries. The purpose of this study was to examine the structural and electrochemical properties of a new separator based on zwitterionic cellulose (Cell). The free radical polymerization method was used to graft 4-vinyl pyridinium propane sulfonate (4-VPPS) onto the hydroxyl groups of Cell, and the polymer solution in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solvent was prepared to form a thin membrane using an automatic film applicator. The results showed that the modified Cell (MCell) separator had significantly higher tensile strength and elastic modulus, as well as superior thermal and dimensional stability, when compared to control separators (polypropylene (PP) at transverse direction and unmodified Cell). The improved separator material effectively reduced the growth of lithium dendrites, which cause short circuits and battery failure. Furthermore, the zwitterionic Cell separator demonstrated improved cycling stability and rate capability. Overall, this study suggests that using MCell separators with 4-VPPS is a promising alternative for improving LIB performance. The findings help to advance battery technology by increasing safety, efficiency, and overall battery life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heedless disposal of oil-based fly ash contributes to the contamination of the air, water, and soil. Acid leaching of industrial solid wastes is recognized as a versatile, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solid waste treatment approach. The present study investigated the viability of conventional leaching (CL) and microwave-assisted leaching (MAL) of predominant heavy metals from Mazut-burnt fly ash. For this purpose, the practicality of four organic acids with various specifications (ascorbic, gluconic, citric, and oxalic acids) on the dissolution efficiency of fly ash components was examined. Utilization of oxalic acid led to achieving full V recovery, complete Fe removal, and Ni enrichment in the residue in both CL and MAL setups. The Ni content of the sample was enriched from 6% in the calcinated sample to 23.7% in the oxalic acid leaching residue. Using citric acid resulted in the co-extraction of V, Ni, and Fe with nearly 70% V, 50% Ni, and 89% Fe dissolved in CL. The dissolution efficiencies were slightly lower in MAL. Oxalic acid was selected as the most promising organic acid reagent for fly ash treatment, so its CL kinetics was studied and defined by the shrinking particle model. The model showed that the controlling steps in the leaching of V differ over time, changing from a chemical reaction before 60 min to fluid film diffusion or mixing afterward. The kinetic study proved MAL as an effective technique in overcoming the leaching kinetic barriers. A life cycle assessment study was conducted to determine the environmental impacts of the proposed process. Accordingly, the MAL using oxalic acid was the most environmentally friendly process among the studied ones, and the utilization of microwaves leads to the reduction of the leaching processes' environmental impacts by decreasing the processing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus known as coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that affects the pulmonary structure and results in the coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19). Tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 codynamics have been documented in numerous nations. Understanding the complexities of codynamics is now critically necessary as a consequence. The aim of this research is to construct a co-infection model of TB and COVID-19 in the context of fractional calculus operators, white noise and probability density functions, employing a rigorous biological investigation. By exhibiting that the system possesses non-negative and bounded global outcomes, it is shown that the approach is both mathematically and biologically practicable. The required conditions are derived, guaranteeing the eradication of the infection. Sensitivity analysis and bifurcation of the submodel are also investigated with system parameters. Furthermore, existence and uniqueness results are established, and the configuration is tested for the existence of an ergodic stationary distribution. For discovering the system's long-term behavior, a deterministic-probabilistic technique for modeling is designed and operated in MATLAB. By employing an extensive review, we hope that the previously mentioned approach improves and leads to mitigating the two diseases and their co-infections by examining a variety of behavioral trends, such as transitions to unpredictable procedures. In addition, the piecewise differential strategies are being outlined as having promising potential for scholars in a range of contexts because they empower them to include particular characteristics across multiple time frame phases. Such formulas can be strengthened via classical technique, power-law, exponential decay, generalized Mittag–Leffler kernels, probability density functions and random procedures. Furthermore, we get an accurate description of the probability density function encircling a quasi-equilibrium point if the effect of TB and COVID-19 minimizes the propagation of the codynamics. Consequently, scholars can obtain better outcomes when analyzing facts using random perturbations by implementing these strategies for challenging issues. Random perturbations in TB and COVID-19 co-infection are crucial in controlling the spread of an epidemic whenever the suggested circulation is steady and the amount of infection eliminated is closely correlated with the random perturbation level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal changes in the sperm quality of rams may be influenced by the activity of 5α-reductase (5αR) and androgens, i.e., testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in the levels of 5αR type 2 (5αR2) and androgens in serum and seminal plasma and their association with sperm quality parameters during the breeding season (BS) and non-breeding season (NBS) in Arabi rams. A total of ten adult pure Arabi rams with 3.5 ± 0.5 years old were used. Semen and blood samples were collected during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Sperm quality parameters were evaluated by routine methods. 5αR2, testosterone and DHT concentrations in serum and seminal plasma were determined. Sperm characteristics including concentration, motility and viability as well as serum parameters including 5αR2, testosterone and DHT were significantly higher in BS than NBS (P < 0.05). Furthermore, content of DHT and the conversion rate of testosterone to DHT in seminal plasma were higher in BS compared to NBS (P < 0.05). In BS, there was a positive correlation between 5αR2 and DHT levels in both of the serum (P < 0.01, r = 0.96) and seminal plasma (P < 0.01, r = 0.91). During BS, serum 5αR2 and DHT levels had a positive correlation with motility rate (P < 0.05, r = 0.72 and 0.77, respectively) and concentration (P < 0.01, r = 0.93 and 0.95, respectively) of spermatozoa. Sperm quality parameters of rams improve during natural BS, which can likely be due to an increase in 5α-reductase enzyme activity and therefore a higher serum DHT/testosterone ratio in BS than in NBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent pneumothorax is a life-threatening complication that can occur after congenital cardiac surgery. Traditional treatment such as chest tube drainage may not be effective in managing this condition. This study presents a new minimally invasive method for treating persistent pneumothorax using platelet-rich plasma–fibrin glue (PRP–FG). The method has been successful in treating postoperative chylothorax in previous studies, and its use has decreased morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay in chylothorax patients. Ten patients with persistent pneumothorax following cardiothoracic surgery (3 TAPVC, 2 d-TGA, 2 VSD + IAA,1 TRUNCUS + TAPVC, 1 VSD + COA, 1 GLENN), who did not respond to conservative management, underwent treatment with PRP–FG. Follow-up was done for a period of 1–4 years. The age and diagnoses of pneumothorax after surgery were 85.5 ± 36.0 days and 62.4 ± 34.3 h, respectively. Persistent pneumothorax of 8 patients (80%) was cured completely after PRP–FG injection. PRP–FG therapy was failed in two patients who died. All cured patients had a normal life without any complications during follow-up. After PRP–FG injection, 3 patients stopped bubbling at one-time injection, 3 patients stopped bubbling at two-time injection, and 2 patients stopped bubbling at three-time injection. Two patients died during treatment; in these cases, one-time injections were done which was not successful. Persistent pneumothorax after congenital–cardiac surgery can be treated successfully with PRP–FG. This bedside minimal-invasive procedure may significantly decrease the morbidity and mortality rate. Further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of this promising treatment through multicentre clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otitis media is a common health problem affecting people of all ages and significantly impacting public health and healthcare costs. Otitis media, a type of middle ear disease, is one of the most common types. This scientometric study aimed to provide an overview of the knowledge domain in otitis media research. Documents were retrieved from the Web of Science database. A scientometric study was then performed on a sample of 27,213 documents. This study found that research on otitis media has increased significantly in recent years, with an annual growth rate of 4.58%. The average age of the documents analyzed was 18 years, with an average of 21.88 citations and an average of 4.58 authors. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan ranked first to third in terms of number of publications. Still, the United States, China, and Sweden were in a better position in terms of impact on the research network. Co-occurrence word analysis showed that significant attention was given to topics such as chronic inflammation in autism, acute inflammation in otitis media, and increased fluid in the middle ear. This study highlights the need to prioritize and focus attention on otitis, particularly otitis media, due to its prevalence and impact on public health. The use of scientometric software, such as Biblioshiny and CiteSpace, provides a valuable means of assessing research trends and identifying important areas for future study in the field of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foundation of the salutogenic approach that prevents stress, is the Sense of Coherence (SOC) that inspires this research paper. The results of the SOC questionnaire showed a direct relationship between the quality of the built environment and the quality of people`s life. In order to verify the statements, Shiraz city was selected as a case study and two neighborhoods were compared: Ghodoosi-Gharbi (Totally-prosperous neighborhood) and Sang-e-Siah (Low-prosperous neighborhood). In the first step, Aaron Antonovski’s (13-item) questionnaire was used. Also the three components of SOC were clarified in it and the effectiveness of each in the built environment was examined. Then to assess the quality of life (QOL) of residents, the World Health Organization QOL questionnaire was used. This study used a mixed-research methodology. By surveying and analyzing the data, the main factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) in individuals were identified. Internal relationships between variables were identified Using structural modeling. SPSS-24 software was used to analyze the data. Furthermore, the hypothesis of this research was based on the Interpretive Structural Modeling method using variance in the SMART-PLS 2. In order to promote health commensurate with the salutogenic approach, we should first focus on increasing the individual`s SOC, that can decrease and the physical and mental illness. According to the results, the meaningfulness factor had the highest correlation with the SOC variable in Sang-e Siah neighborhood and also the comprehensibility factor had the highest correlation with the SOC in the Ghodoosi-Gharbi neighborhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent randomized controlled trials did not show benefit of early/immediate coronary angiography (CAG) over a delayed/selective strategy in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and no ST-segment elevation. However, whether selected subgroups, specifically those with a high pretest probability of coronary artery disease may benefit from early CAG remains unclear. Methods: We included all randomized controlled trials that compared a strategy of early/immediate versus delayed/selective CAG in OHCA patients and no ST elevation and had a follow-up of at least 30 days. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause death. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated and pooled across trials. Interaction testing was used to assess for heterogeneity of treatment effects. Results: In total, 1512 patients (67 years, 26% female, 23% prior myocardial infarction) were included from 5 randomized controlled trials. Early/immediate versus delayed/selective CAG was not associated with a statistically significant difference in odds of death (OR 1.12, 95%-CI 0.91–1.38), with similar findings for the composite outcome of all-cause death or neurological deficit (OR 1.10, 95%-CI 0.89–1.36). There was no effect modification for death by age, presence of a shockable initial cardiac rhythm, history of coronary artery disease, presence of an ischemic event as the presumed cause of arrest, or time to return of spontaneous circulation (all P-interaction > 0.10). However, early/immediate CAG tended to be associated with higher odds of death in women (OR 1.52, 95%-CI 1.00–2.31, P = 0.050) than in men (OR 1.04, 95%-CI 0.82–1.33, P = 0.74; P-interaction 0.097). Conclusion: In OHCA patients without ST-segment elevation, a strategy of early/immediate versus delayed/selective CAG did not reduce all-cause mortality across major subgroups. However, women tended to have higher odds of death with early CAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Domestic violence (DV) is a global public problem that is seen at all levels of society. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of married women of the psychosocial challenges of DV. Subject and methods: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 women who had been subjected to violence by their spouses. The interviews were transcribed. Initially, semantic resemblances and differences were reviewed and subcategories were defined. After repeated review, the related subcategories were placed in one category. Results: Women with a history of DV experienced psychosocial challenges in the form of psychological concerns and socio-cultural challenges. Psychological concerns included fear, anxiety, and attempts to end life. Socio-cultural challenges also included ending relationships with others, lack of social support, and DV as a cultural taboo. Conclusion: The results of our study acknowledge that DV against women occurred in the context of psychological and social challenges, which can threaten women's mental and social health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic thin random lasers have many applications in photonic sensors and communications. In this report, plasmonic thin random lasers were fabricated based on Au nanoparticles diffused doped a glass substrate. To this purpose, we use physical vapor deposition to produce a thin gold film, and using thermal annealing in the oven, we reach gold nanoparticles doped the glasses. Three samples were fabricated with these substrates, which were covered by different concentrations of Rhodamine 6G gain media and pumped by nanosecond green laser to record random lasing output. Our results show that in the middle concentration of Rh6G over the gold nanoparticles, we have good efficiency of random lasing with two separate lasing works compared to two other low and high concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural properties, such as mechanical and electrical properties of materials irradiated with γ-rays are affected by displacement damage. Successive processes with different behaviours ultimately lead to the formation of sets of ‘defects’ within the material, and as an example, it may cause the substance to become brittle. In this study, Monte Carlo codes provide information using a code-based simulation method on primary knock-on atoms, or PKAs, that cause damage. Also, the rate of damage caused by the gamma radiation from the cobalt-60 source on the structural properties of iron is calculated. To access PKA information, a program called GAMMATRACK has been developed. This software provides information about the rejected atoms' properties and the interaction kinematics. The theoretical calculation method has also been used to confirm the results of the Monte Carlo method. Using the generated secondary electrons, the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM) code can calculate the damage caused by gamma radiation. PKA data were extracted by the GAMMATRACK program, which can be used as input for the SRIM code for the systematic analysis of gamma damage. The obtained PKA spectrum for iron agrees with the previous works. It is realised that only monovacancies are produced, and under cobalt-60 irradiation, the possibility of the atom–atom collision is negligible. Therefore, creating PKA cascades will be ruled out. Also, the damage rate for an iron target is calculated at ~10−7, 10−8 (displacement per atom (DPA) / year) for both theoretical and Monte Carlo method (MCNPX + SRIM code) computations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of speech recognition makes it simpler for humans and machines to engage with speech. Number-oriented communication, such as using a registration code, mobile number, score, or account number, can benefit from speech recognition for digits. This paper presents our Amazigh automatic speech recognition (ASR) experience based on the deep learning approach. The convolutional neural network (CNN) and Mel spectrogram are exploited to evaluate audio samples and produce spectrograms as a part of the deep learning strategy. To attempt the recognition of the Amazigh numerals, we use a database that includes digits ranging from zero to nine collected from 42 native speakers in total, men and women between the ages of 20 and 40. Our experimental results show that spoken digits in Amazigh can be identified with a maximum accuracy of 93.62%, 94% Precision, and 94% Recall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the healthcare sector, organizational identity (OI) and commitment (OCO) are essential in ensuring quality nursing care. Therefore, the relationship between them has been empirically supported in several studies. However, little attention has been paid to how organizational culture (OCU) mediates the relationship between these two constructs. To fill this gap, this research was conducted. Data collected from nurses and paramedics working in Milad hospital, Iran, were examined first to determine the relationship between OI and OCO. Then, we investigated the role that OCU plays in mediating these relationships. The data was collected from 347 nurses and paramedics of Milad Hospital using a single-stage cluster sampling method. The collected data were then analyzed using a causal model. Based on the results of the data analysis, this study's model fits the data well. As a result of the path analysis, it was only membership that had a direct and significant relationship with OI among the three dimensions of OI, including membership, similarity, and loyalty. Additionally, the model determined that OCU mediates the influence of OI on OCO. The study's insights may be helpful for nursing executives and healthcare managers to create specific policies aimed at strengthening feelings of OI and creating a positive hospital OCU so that nurses and paramedics will have a greater sense of commitment in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional histochemical staining of post-mortem samples often confronts inferior staining quality due to autolysis caused by delayed fixation of cadaver tissue, and such chemical staining procedures covering large tissue areas demand substantial labor, cost and time. Here, we demonstrate virtual staining of autopsy tissue using a trained neural network to rapidly transform autofluorescence images of label-free autopsy tissue sections into brightfield equivalent images, matching hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained versions of the same samples. The trained model can effectively accentuate nuclear, cytoplasmic and extracellular features in new autopsy tissue samples that experienced severe autolysis, such as COVID-19 samples never seen before, where the traditional histochemical staining fails to provide consistent staining quality. This virtual autopsy staining technique provides a rapid and resource-efficient solution to generate artifact-free H&E stains despite severe autolysis and cell death, also reducing labor, cost and infrastructure requirements associated with the standard histochemical staining. Conventional staining of post-mortem samples can be affected by several factors, including tissue autolysis. Here, the authors demonstrate a virtual staining tool using a trained neural network to turn autofluorescence images of label-free autopsy tissue into brightfield equivalent images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is some evidence to suggest that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence may be lower in Muslim-majority countries and among Muslims in general. The low prevalence is usually accredited to Islam’s influence on the behaviours that affect transmission of HIV. Reports of HIV epidemics, predominately among injection drug users (IDUs), are emerging in Muslim-majority countries, forcing the Muslim world to respond to them. Objective: This study is a scoping review of the literature that addresses (a) the messages communicated regarding HIV from an Islamic perspective, (b) the approaches Muslims adopt to comprehend and treat people living with HIV, and (c) roles of Islam and religious leaders. This review scopes the available literature and identifies the nature and extent of research conducted to date. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed using PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Academic Search Ultimate. Primary research that focused on the Islamic perspective and discourse of HIV and AIDS, were considered. In total 22 studies dating from 2002 to 2017 studies were included. Findings. Five themes emerged (1) Western Import, (2) God’s Wrath, (3) God’s Test, (4) Tolerance and Mercy, and (5) Religious Silence. Conclusion: HIV has indiscriminately affected communities globally and the Muslim community has not been an exception. More diverse research is required as well as Muslim- majority countries and communities must develop effective HIV awareness and prevention campaigns that are rooted in Islamic teachings and involve religious leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to prepare a functional set-type yogurt fortified with turnip extract (TE) (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1%) and evaluate its physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity, microstructure, and rheological, microbiological, and sensory characteristics. The results showed that the addition of TE did not significantly change the protein, fat, and solid non-fat contents, as well as the viability of starters in yogurt (P > 0.05). The acidity, b* value, chroma, and browning index increased by elevating the level of TE, whereas decreasing trends were observed in pH, L*, and a* values (P < 0.05). There were significant changes in the syneresis and water holding capacity (WHC) of yogurt containing 1% of TE compared to the control at the end of storage (13.96% vs. 11.81% for syneresis and 55.17% vs. 60.72% for WHC). The TE caused a significant increase in TPC (357.4–893.33 mg GAE/g.d.m) and antioxidant activity (16.06–26%) of yogurts compared to the control (182.91 mg GAE/g.d.m for TPC and 6.87% for antioxidant activity) on 1st day (P < 0.05). TE also affected the viscoelastic properties and the viscous behavior prevailed over elastic in the yogurt with 1% TE at higher frequencies. The microstructure of yogurts with TE was more uneven and with empty spaces. Although TE decreased the taste score in sensory evaluation, the overall acceptance of yogurts with 0.25% and 0.5% of TE were satisfactory. Therefore, TE up to 0.5% has the potential to develop a functional yogurt with high antioxidant capacity and appropriate quality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, modern science demonstrated its ability to respond well to the health crisis by publishing useful and reliable information. This disease has also led to an increase in psychological publications in this field. However, most scientometric studies have focused on medical aspects, and social science research has been neglected. Therefore, to fill this research gap, we analyzed the research on COVID-19 in the field of psychology to provide an insight into the perspective, research fields, and international collaborations. Data were collected from the Web of Science database and analyzed using Citespace and Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny). The overall performance of the documents was described, and then keyword co-occurrence and co-authorship networks were visualized. Fifteen main clusters were formed by drawing document co-citation network. The result indicates that Anxiety, mental health, delirium, loneliness, and suicide were important topics for researchers. Considering the special conditions that COVID-19 created for human societies, perhaps one of the most important subjects in the field of health is psychological studies. Using the results of this study, psychology researchers can identify their potential colleagues and research gaps in the subject of Covid-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss the problem of feedback stabilization for distributed bilinear systems with discrete delay evolving on a Hilbert state space. Firstly, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the mild solution of system at hand. Secondly, we study the weak and strong stabilization. More precisely, we provide some sufficient conditions to ensure the weak and strong stabilization for the delayed bilinear system. Moreover, in the case of the strong stabilization, an explicit decay estimate is established. Applications to wave and heat equations with delayed bilinear parts are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel S-based compound, methyl p-toluene sulfonate (MPTS) has been investigated as film-forming additive in Li/graphite cells. According to the density functional theory (DFT) investigation of electron affinity energy of MPTS and carbonate solvents, MPTS has more negative electron affinity energy of −2.17 eV, while it is only −1.03 eV for ethylene carbonate (EC) and −0.73 eV for dimethyl carbonate (DMC). It confirms the highest reductive activity of MPTS, which was consistent with the CV test result. The physicochemical features of the graphite electrode were studied using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical test results showed that the battery with 1.5% wt% MPTS exhibited a low impedance on the electrode interface and remarkable cyclability, maintaining 93.17% of its initial capacity at 0.2 C after 100 cycles, approximately 11% more than the conventional electrolyte. These outstanding performances are ascribed to the preferential absorption of MPTS and the as-created interface. TEM and XPS analysis confirmed that MPTS forms a thinner SEI layer containing sulfur on the graphite electrode, predicted by the recommended mechanism via theoretical calculations. This protective sulfur-containing film promotes faster lithium intercalation/deintercalation kinetics via declining the charge transfer resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Ruddlesden–Popper 2D perovskite PEA2PbX4 (X = I, Br, and Cl) is proposed for metasurface applications. Density functional theory is used to analyze the optical, electrical, mechanical properties, moisture and thermodynamic stability of PEA2PbX4. The refractive index of PEA2PbX4 varies with the halides, resulting in 2.131, 1.901, and 1.842 for X = I, Br, and Cl, respectively. Mechanical properties with Voigt-Reuss-Hill approximations indicate that all three materials are flexible and ductile. Based on the calculations of formation energy and adsorption of water molecules, PEA2PbI4 has superior thermodynamic and moisture stability. We present a novel metasurface based on 2D-PEA2PbI4 and analyze symmetry protected-bound states in the continuum (sp-BIC) excitation. The proposed structure can excite multiple Fano quasi-BICs (q-BICs) with exceptionally high Q-factors. We verify the group theoretical analysis and explore the near-field distribution and far-field scattering of q-BICs. The findings indicate that x-polarized incident waves can excite magnetic toroidal dipole-electromagnetic-induced transparency-BIC and magnetic quadrupole-BIC, while y-polarized incident waves can excite electric toroidal dipole-BIC and electric quadrupole-BIC. The influence of meta-atom and substrate losses, array size limitations, and fabrication tolerances are also discussed. The proposed structure can be employed for applications in the THz region, such as polarization-dependent filters, bidirectional optical switches, and wearable photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The procedures currently used for hepatitis B (HB) detection are not suitable for screening, clinical diagnosis, and point-of-care testing (POCT). Therefore, we developed and tested a QCM-based immunosensor by surface modification with AuNP-PEIs to amplify the signal and provide an oriented-immobilization surface. The AuNP-PEIs were characterized by ICP-Mass, UV/Vis, DLS, FE-SEM, and ATR-FTIR. After coating AuNP-PEIs on the gold electrode surface, anti-HBsAg antibodies were immobilized using NHS/EDC chemistry based on response surface methodology (RSM) optimization. The efficiency of the immunosensor was assessed by human sera and data were compared to gold-standard ELISA using receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis. FE-SEM, AFM, EDS, and EDS mapping confirmed AuNP-PEIs are homogeneously distributed on the surface with a high density and purity. After antibody immobilization, the immunosensor exhibited good recognition of HBsAg with a calibration curve of ∆F = − 6.910e-7x + 10(R2 = 0.9905), a LOD of 1.49 ng/mL, and a LOQ of 4.52 ng/mL. The immunosensor yielded reliable and accurate results with a specificity of 100% (95% CI 47.8–100.0) and sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 96.2–100.0). In conclusion, the fabricated immunosensor has the potential as an analytic tool with high sensitivity and specificity. However, further investigations are needed to convert it to a tiny lab-on-chip for HB diagnosis in clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The team discovery task is concerned with finding a group of experts from a collaboration network who would collectively cover a desirable set of skills. Most prior work for team discovery either adopt graph-based or neural mapping approaches. Graph-based approaches are computationally intractable often leading to sub-optimal team selection. Neural mapping approaches have better performance, however, are still limited as they learn individual representations for skills and experts and are often prone to overfitting given the sparsity of collaboration networks. Thus, we define the team discovery task as one of learning subgraph representations from a heterogeneous collaboration network where the subgraphs represent teams which are then used to identify relevant teams for a given set of skills. As such, our approach captures local (node interactions with each team) and global (subgraph interactions between teams) characteristics of the representation network and allows us to easily map between any homogeneous and heterogeneous subgraphs in the network to effectively discover teams. Our experiments over two real-world datasets from different domains, namely DBLP bibliographic dataset with 10,647 papers and IMDB with 4882 movies, illustrate that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines on a range of ranking and quality metrics. More specifically, in terms of ranking metrics, we are superior to the best baseline by approximately 15 % on the DBLP dataset and by approximately 20 % on the IMDB dataset. Further, our findings illustrate that our approach consistently shows a robust performance improvement over the baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in the work of Tartar [59], we develop here some new results on nonlinear interpolation of α-Hölderian mappings between normed spaces, by studying the action of the mappings on K-functionals and between interpolation spaces with logarithm functions. We apply these results to obtain some regularity results on the gradient of the solutions to quasilinear equations of the form − div (a ^ (∇ u)) + V (u) = f , where V is a nonlinear potential and f belongs to non-standard spaces like Lorentz–Zygmund spaces. We show several results; for instance, that the mapping T : T f = ∇ u is locally or globally α-Hölderian under suitable values of α and appropriate hypotheses on V and â. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Previous studies have shown that Cervical myofascial pain syndrome with dizziness (CMPS-D) is one of the most common causes of cervicogenic dizziness and is associated with challenge in diagnosis and treatment. this study aimed to investigate the Romberg neck torsion test in patients with CMPS-D and healthy controls. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional, observational study. twenty patients with CMPS-D were compared with twenty healthy controls. the Romberg (neutral position and neck torsion) and smooth pursuit neck torsion tests were performed in patients with CMPS-D and healthy controls. Results: The results confirmed that there are significant differences in the Romberg neck torsion test between subjects with CMPS-D and healthy controls (p < 0.05). in addition, There was a significant correlation between Romberg neck torsion and smooth pursuit neck torsion results (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of Romberg neck torsion test in CMPS-D subjects were different from those in healthy controls, which was attributed to neck pain and changes in cervical proprioception input. Romberg neck torsion is a new method for assessing cervicogenic dizziness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, intelligent systems and services are getting increasingly popular as they provide data-driven solutions to diverse real-world problems, thanks to recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). However, machine learning meets software engineering not only with promising potentials but also with some inherent challenges. Despite some recent research efforts, we still do not have a clear understanding of the challenges of developing ML-based applications and the current industry practices. Moreover, it is unclear where software engineering researchers should focus their efforts to better support ML application developers. In this paper, we report about a survey that aimed to understand the challenges and best practices of ML application development. We synthesize the results obtained from 80 practitioners (with diverse skills, experience, and application domains) into 17 findings outlining challenges and best practices for ML application development. Practitioners involved in the development of ML-based software systems can leverage the summarized best practices to improve the quality of their system. We hope that the reported challenges will inform the research community about topics that need to be investigated to improve the engineering process and the quality of ML-based applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees in the United States are believed to be at high risk of COVID-19. A cross-sectional study design was utilized to collect anonymous, online surveys from refugee communities in the United States during December 2020 to January 2021. We invited bilingual community leaders to share the survey link with other refugees aged ≥18 years. We identified factors associated with COVID-19 infection and measured the distribution of contact tracing among those who tested positive. Of 435 refugees who completed the survey, 26.4% reported testing positive for COVID-19. COVID-19 infection was associated with having an infected family member and knowing people in one's immediate social environment who were infected. Among respondents who tested positive, 84.4% reported that they had been contacted for contact tracing. To prepare for future pandemics, public health authorities should continue partner with refugee community leaders and organizations to ensure efficient programs are inclusive of refugee communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an all-dielectric metasurface that measures refractive index and temperature using silicon disks is presented. It can simultaneously produce three resonances excited by a magnetic toroidal dipole, magnetic toroidal quadrupole, and electric toroidal dipole, in the THz region. Asymmetric structures are used to generate two quasi-bound states in the continuum (BIC) resonances with ultra-high-quality factors driven by magnetic and electric toroidal dipoles. We numerically study and show the dominant electromagnetic excitations in the three resonances through near-field analysis and cartesian multipole decomposition. The effects of geometric parameters, scaling properties, polarization angles, incident angles, and silicon losses are also investigated. The proposed metasurface is an excellent candidate for sensing due to the extremely high-quality factor of the quasi-BICs. The results demonstrate that the sensitivities for liquid and gas detection are Sl = 569.1 GHz/RIU and Sg = 529 GHz/RIU for magnetic toroidal dipole, and Sl = 532 GHz/RIU and Sg = 498.3 GHz/RIU for electric toroidal dipole, respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivity for temperature monitoring can reach up to 20.24 nm/°C. This work presents a valuable reference for developing applications in the THz region such as optical modulators, multi-channel biochemical sensing, and optical switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discharging untreated dye-containing wastewater gives rise to environmental pollution. The present study investigated the removal efficiency and adsorption mechanism of Acid Red 18 (AR18) utilizing hexadecyl-trimethyl ammonium chloride (HDTMA.Cl) modified Nano-pumice (HMNP), which is a novel adsorbent for AR18 removal. The HDTMA.Cl is characterized by XRD, XRF, FESEM, TEM, BET and FTIR analysis. pH, contact time, initial concentration of dye and adsorbent dose were the four different parameters for investigating their effects on the adsorption process. Response surface methodology-central composite design was used to model and improve the study to reduce expenses and the number of experiments. According to the findings, at the ideal conditions (pH = 4.5, sorbent dosage = 2.375 g/l, AR18 concentration = 25 mg/l, and contact time = 70 min), the maximum removal effectiveness was 99%. The Langmuir (R2 = 0.996) and pseudo-second-order (R2 = 0.999) models were obeyed by the adsorption isotherm and kinetic, respectively. The nature of HMNP was discovered to be spontaneous, and thermodynamic investigations revealed that the AR18 adsorption process is endothermic. By tracking the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for five cycles under ideal conditions, the reusability of HMNP was examined, which showed a reduction in HMNP's adsorption effectiveness from 99 to 85% after five consecutive recycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the active treatment option and perioperative complications using the 5-Factor Modified Frailty Index (mFI-5) in localized prostate cancer patients. Material and methods: Patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in our clinic between January 2018 and October 2022 were evaluated. The patients were separated according to the mFI-5 scores as Group 1 (score = 0, n = 74), Group 2 (score = 1, n = 41), and Group 3 (score ≥ 2, n = 69). Factors affecting the determination of treatment selection, oncological results, and surgical complications were identified with regression analysis. Results: The mean age of the patients in Group 1 was lower than in Group 2 and Group 3 (63.09 ± 7.25 years vs. 67.56 ± 7.98 years and 69.2 ± 6.77 years, p < 0.001, respectively). In Group 1, more patients were treated with retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP), and in Group 3 with radiotherapy (RT) and active surveillance (AS) (62.2%, 53.6%, and 17.4%, p = 0.001, respectively). The rate of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 and 4 complication rates were higher in Group 3 than in Group 1 (50% vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001, respectively). Frailty was found to be an independent risk factor for overall survival (HR: 10.68, p = 0.02), the presence of Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3 complication (HR: 4.9, p = 0.02) and determination of RT/AS as the active treatment option (HR: 2.45, p = 0.04). Conclusion: In patients with frailty according to the mFI-5, the complication rate after RRP in localized prostate cancer increased. When selecting the treatment to be applied in these patients, it will be useful to also evaluate the frailty status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shells are thin-walled structures that achieve stability and bearing capacity based on their specific shape. This specification enables them to generate the maximum geotechnical efficiency with minimum materials. In this research, a set of small-scale plate load tests were designed to investigate the behavior of triangular shell strip footings with different apex angles and a flat strip footing located on flat and sloped backfill under unreinforced, single and double geogrid layer reinforcement conditions. The results indicated that a decrease in the apex angle of shell footings significantly increased the bearing capacity and decreased the settlement. The ratio of the optimum depth of first geogrid layer to the footing width in sloped backfill was observed to be about 3–4 times of that in flat backfill under similar conditions. It was also shown that using two geogrid layers considerably enhanced the performance of shell footings and the flat footing in flat and sloped backfills. Moreover, the ratio of the optimum distance between two reinforcement layers to the footing width was found to increase with a decrease in the apex angle. For sloped backfill with an angle of 45°, the ratio was 2–5 times of that in flat backfill under similar conditions. The findings indicated better behavior of shell footings over the flat footing in terms of settlements. Finally, design curves were presented for the optimum location of the first and second layers of geogrid for shell footings located on the flat and sloped backfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Afghanistan, there are no reliable epidemiological data available about thyroid cytopathology and its possible relationship with the age and gender of patients. Therefore, we conducted this study to outline this relationship and the importance of fine needle aspiration cytology in this regard. A retrospective review study was conducted including 686 consecutive medical records of thyroid nodules diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology in a span of five years. Out of 686 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules included in this study, 566 were females and 120 were males. Most of the thyroid nodules diagnosed were benign lesions with female predominance. These nodules were commonly arising in between 3rd and 6th decades of life in both the genders with mean age of 42 ± 13 years in females and 52 ± 15 years in males. Thyroid malignancy was commonly diagnosed in middle-age females, however in males, it was frequently diagnosed in older age with a peak at 7th decade. Most of the malignant nodules were solid and complex with no purely cystic nature. In both the genders, thyroid nodules were commonly arising in the right thyroid lobe (52.3%), followed by left (35.7%), isthmus (8.7%) and bilateral (3.2%). Fine needle aspiration cytology remains the modality of choice for the diagnostic evaluation of nodular lesions of thyroid. In contrast to the data reported around the world, thyroid malignancies, in our study, were diagnosed in relatively older age groups with peak incidence in the 5th decade of life for females and 7th decade for males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted predominantly by the pineal gland that is demonstrated to be associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). This research desires to evaluate the tolerability and beneficial effects of exogenous melatonin supplementations in patients with MS. Methods: This study was executed following the PRISMA 2020 statement. Both observational and interventional studies which reported the clinical effectiveness and/or safety of melatonin supplementation in patients with MS were included in this systematic review. Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched and the risk of bias in included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools based on study design. Results: Out of 1304 results of database searches, finally, 14 articles, including 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 6 case–control studies, and one quasi-experimental study, were included based on the full-text review. Included phenotypes of MS were mostly relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (in 11 studies); it was secondary progressive MS (SPMS) in only one study, and two other studies had a mixture of the different phenotypes. The course of treatment with melatonin supplementation was between 2 weeks and 12 months. There were no substantial safety issues. Although melatonin was associated with enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation status, concerning the clinical benefits, limited studies suggested improvements in sleep conditions, cognitive outcomes, and fatigue in MS. Discussion: There are insufficient data to support the regular melatonin prescription in MS. Limitations such as the small number of included studies, the diversity of the dosage, route, and duration of melatonin administration, and the diversity of assessment tests lead to unconvincing findings in this study. There is a need for future studies to achieve a comprehensive judgment on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a part of our contribution to research on the enhancement of network automatic speech recognition system performance. We built a highly configurable platform by using hidden Markov models, Gaussian mixture models, and Mel frequency spectral coefficients, in addition to VoIP G.711-u and GSM codecs. To determine the optimal values for maximum performance, different acoustic models are prepared by varying the hidden Markov models (from 3 to 5) and Gaussian mixture models (8–16-32) with 13 feature extraction coefficients. Additionally, our generated acoustic models are tested by unencoded and encoded speech data based on G.711 and GSM codecs. The best parameterization performance is obtained for 3 HMM, 8–16 GMMs, and G.711 codecs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important principle of forest management worldwide is the sustained conservancy of regional biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of climate and climate change on biodiversity in several uneven-aged, mixedwood stands in the world-heritage, Hyrcanian forest of northeastern Iran. The study involves the analysis of site-specific biodiversity records amassed from inventory plots distributed across three distinctive sub-regions of the Hyrcanian forest. In the current study, indices of species richness and evenness were assessed using both parametric and nonparametric techniques, i.e., generalized linear models (GLM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Both methods employed physiographic, historical biometric and climatic data sourced from the three sub-regions as input to model development and validation. Results showed that ANN with R2-values of 0.68 and 0.57 was better skilled at predicting the indices of species richness and evenness than regression with GLM, yielding R2-values of 0.13 and 0.10. Climate and physiographic variables were determined as the more important explanatory variables in both models. As per climate scenarios, representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5, biodiversity was predicted to stay mostly unchanged by 2070. These results suggest that management and conservation decisions made today can help ease the potential, undesirable effects of future climate change. Understanding the future distribution of key Hyrcanian forest tree species is critical for effective conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]