Search

This study examines AISI630 steel to gain insight into the chip morphology. Chip morphology provides useful information about the plastic shear deformation involved in the machining process. The presented study aims to integrate the innovative artificial intelligence driven method to efficiently analyse the saw-tooth chip geometry. The paper used an artificial intelligence inspired algorithm based on the image processing of segmented chips that quantifies various output responses, including peak, valley, pitch, chip segmentation ratio, chip compression ratio, and shear angle. In order to generate chips related data, a finite element-based machining model was prepared for the stainless steel AISI630 workpiece. The performance of data collected using artificial intelligence (AI) inspired technique has been re-evaluated using manual image processing tool Image J software. The peaks and valleys of the chip's morphology are used to calculate the chip segmentation ratio. The study showed valleys can introduce average percentage errors of 7.3%. The shear angle is computed using the chip compression ratio, with an average percentage error of 2.4%. In addition, pitch values obtained from chip morphology have a percentage error of 5.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the formidable global energy challenges, promoting sustainable energy consumption practices within households has emerged as a promising avenue for addressing energy-related issues and promoting sustainability. This study represents a significant contribution to existing research by examining the factors that shape sustainable energy consumption behavior in households. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior, the research introduces a unique aspect by examining the role of consumer energy conservation preferences in bridging the intention-behavior gap. For this purpose, the authors analyzed the data of 1,552 households in Lahore division using Partial Least Square-Structural Equational Modelling (PLS-SEM). The key findings of the study showed that consumer’s sustainable energy consumption intentions and their energy conservation preferences are important determinants of sustainable energy consumption behavior, with energy conservation preferences also act as a significant moderator. It was observed that individuals with strong energy conservation preferences are more likely to translate their intentions into actual behavior, demonstrating the significance of these preferences in bridging intention-behavior gap. Moreover, our results reveal that individuals' attitudes and perceived behavior control indirectly impact their sustainable energy consumption behavior. The outcome of the study has broader applicability which carries sustainable policy insights in advancing sustainability and improving energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate below 6% and about 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent form, is commonly associated with diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, obesity, and smoking, mainly affecting individuals aged 60 to 80 years. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify clinical trials (Phases I–III) assessing immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer in PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science, adhering to PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines. The final search was completed on May 25, 2024. Ongoing trials were sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Keywords such as "pancreatic," "immunotherapy," "cancer," and "clinical trial" were used across databases. Gray literature was excluded. Results: Phase I trials, involving 337 patients, reported a median overall survival (OS) of 13.6 months (IQR: 5–62.5 months) and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.1 months (IQR: 1.9–11.7 months). Phase II/III trials pooled in a total of 1463 participants had a median OS of 12.2 months (IQR: 2.5–35.55 months) and a median PFS of 8.8 months (IQR: 1.4–33.51 months). Conclusions: Immunotherapy shows potential for extending survival among pancreatic cancer patients, though results vary. The immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment and diverse patient responses underline the need for further research to optimize these therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has explored the potential role of institutional quality and social inclusion in trust building. By utilizing the panel data spanning over thirty five years and for one hundred and twenty four countries of the world, we have applied Fixed Effects as well as Quintile Regression Models to explore the empirical relationship of our interest. The findings reveal that social inclusion is an important and key factor in trust building. The effects of social inclusion on trust are robust as the coefficient of social inclusion is positive and significant across all of our estimated models. Institutional quality also has positive and significant effects on trust building except at medial level of distribution of trust where it has positive but insignificant effect on trust. Income inequality has negative and significant effects whereas the effects of ethnolinguistic diversity on trust are contextual specific as these effects vary across different quintiles of trust distribution. Diversity has negative and significant effects on trust at 10th percentile and positive and significant effects at 90th percentile of trust distribution. Our findings are important for policymakers who can formulate strategies to foster inclusive environment which can be conducive to enhance trust in the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was aimed to synthesize a series of adamantane-linked aminothiazole derivatives (6a-) and to assess their enzyme inhibitory activities. These derivatives were synthesized based on the structural features of known enzyme inhibitors, and their structures were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques, including FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry. The synthesized compounds were further evaluated for their inhibitory activities against the enzymes urease, α-glucosidase and carbonic anhydrase. The results of the enzyme inhibitory activity showed that compounds 6c, 6g and 6k possessed an excellent urease inhibitory activities, with IC50 values of 18.07 ± 0.11, 13.05 ± 0.2 and 17.12 ± 0.1 µM, respectively. These values were significantly lower than the IC50 value of the standard inhibitor thiourea (21,021 ± 0.02 µM). Additionally, compound 6c and 6e showed good α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Therefore, compound 6c and 6e has excellent activity of IC50 value as 18.4 ± 0.11 and 58.01 ± 0.8 µM against α-glucosidase enzyme, respectively, and considerable relative potency compared with the known α-glucosidase inhibitor i.e., acarbose having an IC50 value of 883.93 ± 2.18 µM. The inhibitory effect of the compound 6f, 6k, 6j was considerably high against carbonic anhydrase, with their IC50 values of 3.02 ± 0.31 µM, 4.5 ± 0.041 µM and 2.7 ± 0.004 µM, respectively, as compared to acetazolamide with an IC50 value of IC50 0.12 ± 0.03 µM. The molecular docking of the active compounds docked in the active site of urease, α-glucosidase enzyme and carbonic anhydrase and depicted a good-binding score for all active derivatives. The present results indicate the significance of the structure–activity relationship in the development of potent enzyme inhibitors. Hence, the results obtained from the current study may be useful for designing further studies on related compounds with potential medicinal importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. This study broadens the literature on environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) by assessing Pakistan's carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector taking into account the impact of non-renewable energy, urbanization, and economic growth for the period of 1995–2018 using the novel QARDL model. Moreover, the outcomes of the study make a momentous benefaction to the literature by focusing a sector that contributes substantially to pollution in Pakistan. Specifically, the study finds that the EKC curve is confirmed for Pakistan's transportation sector in moderate to higher quantiles. Urbanization and non-renewable energy are also two other vital ingredients that dramatically aggravate the destruction of the environment. Except for the lowest (0.05th–10th) and highest (90th–95th) quantiles, urbanization affects transport-based carbon pollution positively. The study concludes by proposing some policy interventions for Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose- The presence of employees is indispensable for the sustenance of any company entity. Consequently, firms have made substantial investments in research endeavors over the course of several decades, with the aim of fostering employee engagement and productivity. Fostering a sense of ownership among employees and valuing their input is widely seen as an effective strategy for enhancing employee motivation. Design/methodology/approach- This study examined how goal setting affects employees' task crafting. Psychological ownership mediates goal-setting participation and task crafting behavior and Power distance moderates' goal-setting participation and task crafting behavior through psychological ownership. This study was conducted using a quantitative survey design. The survey was distributed to 372 employees working in small-scale manufacturing companies in China's six major cities. The survey measured goal-setting participation, psychological ownership, task crafting behavior, and power distance. Findings- The study's findings reveal that employee involvement in goal setting contributes to a stronger sense of psychological ownership, subsequently driving them to tailor their job tasks. The relationship is influenced by the organization's power distance, which impacts the level of ownership experienced. Research limitations/implications- This study expands basic theoretical research and sheds light on goal setting participation and task crafting. The study provides theoretical evidence that psychological ownership mediates the goal-setting participation-task crafting behavior relationship. Additionally, it helps explain how power distance moderates this association. Practical implications- In practice, this study suggests that organizations can promote task crafting behavior by supporting goal setting and psychological ownership. Psychological ownership can reduce the detrimental impacts of power distance on goal-setting participation and task crafting behavior in high-power distance cultures. Originality/Value of paper- This research addresses the need to study how goal setting affects employee task crafting. The paper suggests how organizations might encourage task crafting, especially in high-power distant cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we demonstrated a chondroitin sulfate (CHS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid (AMPS)-based captopril-loaded mucoadhesive hydrogel that efficiently facilitated the sustained release of drug molecules and is developed by radical polymerization technique. The designed hydrogel network is initially analyzed for the influence of different formulation ingredients as well as their quantities on swelling behavior and mucoadhesion capacity. The physical interaction along with biocompatibility of CHS/PVP-co-poly (AMPS) hydrogels is illustrated by utilizing FT-IR and histopathological analysis. Thermal stability, conversion of crystalline nature ingredient to amorphous nature hydrogel matrix, prolonged and sustained in vitro released behavior at 1.2 pH, porous surface morphology, and enhanced mucoadhesive characteristics are ensured by thermal analysis, XRD, drug in vitro released profile, SEM, and ex-vivo mucoadhesive analysis. Interestingly, the findings suggest that CHS/PVP-co-poly (AMPS)-based hydrogel systems are viable candidates for sustained delivery of captopril by enhancing its adherence with the gastric mucus layer and decreasing its dose frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group-II aluminates have a spinel structure widely used for energy storage purposes due to high thermal, chemical, and dielectric properties. These applications can be enhanced by the substitution of a small content of magnetic transition metals. In this study, MxSr1-xAl2O4 (where M = Mn, Fe, and Co and x = 0.1) compositions were successfully synthesized via a well-known hydrothermal technique. The uniform nano-sized sheets with the monoclinic structure without any impurity phase were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and field emission electron microscopy analysis. The qualitative and quantitative analysis studies reveal the presence of expected elements with their respective wt.% ratio observed through energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis. A clear non-magnetic and paramagnetic behavior with high saturation and remnant magnetization was observed from the M-H loop at room temperature for pure and transition metal (Mn, Fe, and Co) substituted Sr-aluminate samples. The highest values Ms, Mr, and Hc, i.e., 0.020 emu·g−1, 0.005 emu·g−1, and 0.026Oe are recorded for Co-doped SrAl2O4 composition. The dielectric studies reveal an increase in the value of the dielectric constant and a decrease in energy loss factor from 0.27 to 0.18 confirming the stability of the structure, and enhancement in ferroelectric parameters making these suitable candidates for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 are important members of aldo–keto reductase family which plays a significant role in cancer progression by modulating cellular metabolism. These enzymes are involved in various metabolic processes, including the synthesis and metabolism of hormones, detoxification of reactive aldehydes, and the reduction of various endogenous and exogenous compounds. This study aimed to explore the potential of strychnine as an anticancer agent by targeting AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 via drug repurposing approach. To assess the drug-like properties of strychnine, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PKPB) model and High Throughput Pharmacokinetics (HTPK) approach were employed. The obtained results fell within the expected range for drug molecules, confirming its suitability for further investigation. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) studies were conducted to gain insight into the electronic properties contributing to the drug molecule's reactivity. Building upon the promising DFT results, molecular docking analysis using the AutoDock tool was performed to examine the binding interactions between strychnine and the proposed targets, AKR1B1 and AKR1B10. Findings from the molecular docking studies suggested a higher probability of strychnine acting as an inhibitor of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 with docking scores of − 30.84 and − 29.36 kJ/mol respectively. To validate the stability of the protein–ligand complex, Molecular Dynamic Simulation (MDS) studies were conducted, revealing the formation of a stable complex between the enzymes and strychnine. This comprehensive approach sheds light on the potential effectiveness of strychnine as a treatment for breast, lung, liver, and pancreatic cancers, as well as related malignancies. The novel insights gained from the physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, density functional theory, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations collectively support the prospect of strychnine as a promising molecule for anticancer therapy. Further investigations are warranted to validate these findings and explore the therapeutic potential of strychnine in preclinical and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, Azo-Thiohydantoins derivatives were synthesized and characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques including FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, elemental and HRMS analysis. The compounds were evaluated for alkaline phosphatase activity and it was observed that among all the synthesized compounds, derivative 7e exhibited substantial inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.308 ± 0.065 µM), surpassing the standard inhibitor (L–Phenyl alanine, IC50 = 80.2 ± 1.1 µM). Along with this, these derivatives were comprehensively examined regarding the electronic properties and reactivity of the synthesized compounds using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, where the results were found very promising and the synthesized compound were found stable. After that, SwissADME evaluations highlighted compounds for their favorable physicochemical properties, including solubility and drug-likeness. Molecular docking exhibited the strong binding affinities of 7f and 7e derivatives with intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), further supported by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. This comprehensive integration of experimental and computational approaches sheds the light on the potential therapeutic applications of the synthesized compounds. By providing a detailed investigation of these aspects, this research opens the avenues for the development of novel pharmacologically active compounds with diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Optimal levels of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) applied at the stem base promote adventitious root (AR) initiation and primordia formation, thus promoting the rooting of leafy micro-cuttings of tetraploid Robinia pseudoacacia. Tetraploid Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a widely cultivated tree in most regions of China that has a hard-rooting capability, propagated by stem cuttings. This study utilizes histological, physiological, and transcriptomic approaches to explore how root primordia are induced after indole butyric acid (IBA) treatment of micro-cuttings. IBA application promoted cell divisions in some cells within the vasculature, showing subcellular features associated with adventitious root (AR) founder cells. The anatomical structure explicitly showed that AR initiated from the cambium layer and instigate the inducible development of AR primordia. Meanwhile, the hormone data showed that similar to that of indole-3-acetic acid, the contents of trans-zeatin and abscisic acid peaked at early stages of AR formation and increased gradually in primordia formation across the subsequent stages, suggesting their indispensable roles in AR induction. On the contrary, 24-epibrassinolide roughly maintained at extremely high levels during primordium initiation thoroughly, indicating its presence was involved in cell-specific reorganization during AR development. Furthermore, antioxidant activities transiently increased in the basal region of micro-cuttings and may serve as biochemical indicators for distinct rooting phases, potentially aiding in AR formation. Transcriptomic analysis during the early stages of root formation shows significant downregulation of the abscisic acid and jasmonate signaling pathways, while ethylene and cytokinin signaling seems upregulated. Network analysis of genes involved in carbon metabolism and photosynthesis indicates that the basal region of the micro-cuttings undergoes rapid reprogramming, which results in the breakdown of sugars into pyruvate. This pyruvate is then utilized to fuel the tricarboxylic acid cycle, thereby sustaining growth through aerobic respiration. Collectively, our findings provide a time-course morphophysiological dissection and also suggest the regulatory role of a conserved auxin module in AR development in these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In communication networks, where users are highly mobile, migrating edge servers that are performing services closer to users, i.e., service migration, is essential to maintain the high quality of service (QoS). However, existing dynamic service migration techniques face two distinct challenges: (1) The security and energy consumption of service migration systems need to be optimised urgently; (2) The uncertainty of user movement makes it difficult to develop optimal service migration strategies, especially in future three-dimensional (3-D) communication networks. To address these challenges, we propose a novel energy-efficient secure 3-D dynamic service migration framework for communication networks. We then quantify the cost of service migration based on the proposed framework considering security, energy efficiency and delay and present a solution based on a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach to make migration decisions optimally in the 3-D communication network. We also propose a universal formula for measuring the reliability value of intelligent autonomous nodes in order to reduce the energy consumption and delay of the proposed security paradigm and to optimise the service migration decision making. Simulation results demonstrate our proposed migration strategy for 3-D communication network services outperforms the baseline solutions in terms of reducing communication network delay and energy consumption while preserving migration security. Moreover, the results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed reliability value calculation approach applied to improve the QoS in the secured edge networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is dedicated to investigate the existence and uniqueness of solutions for abstract neutral differential equations with state-dependent time impulses. We employ the Banach contraction method and the Schauder’s fixed point approach to establish our results. In order to prove our findings, certain assumptions are made. Additionally, we provide an example to illustrate the application of our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental quality is a global concern, and an accurate assessment of environmental progress has emerged as a key element in achieving sustainable development goals. The study offers a two-pronged contribution by analyzing the interplay between renewable energy consumption, traditional energy consumption, and urbanization on environmental quality while simultaneously testing the impact of environmental quality on average temperature. Distinguishing itself from prior research, the study employs both carbon emissions and ecological footprint to ensure an intricate and reliable analysis. Current study analyzes data from 1970 to 2022 from South Korea to indicate that energy-environment association is influenced by energy consumption, urbanization, and economic growth, while renewable energy consumption is key in long-term environmental sustainability. Our extensive econometric analysis allows us to suggest that South Korea need to prioritize renewable energy, and green growth is prioritized so that economic growth and green agenda are synchronized to overcome environmental challenges. Addictingly, there is need to devise long-term environmental policies to strengthen the role of environmental innovation in energy productivity and boost renewable energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, ethical leadership has been proven to have a wide range of positive effects (resource acquisition spiral). Based on resource conservation theory and implicit leadership theory, this research instead focuses on the negative effect of ethical leadership on leaders themselves through leader emotional exhaustion under the condition of employee followership, therefore leader psychological withdrawal (resource loss spiral). In this time-lagged survey, a total of n = 238 leaders (male = 65.13%) were assessed over three measurement points with an interval of three months each. The results of the stuy are: (1) Ethical leadership links to growing leader emotional exhaustion; (2) Leader emotional exhaustion associates with intensified leader psychological withdrawal; (3) Leader emotional exhaustion mediates the relation between ethical leadership and leader psychological withdrawal; (4) Employee followership reversely moderates the effect of ethical leadership on leader emotional exhaustion; (5) Employee followership reversely moderates the effect of ethical leadership on leader psychological withdrawal through leader emotional exhaustion. Its indirect effect is non-significant under the condition of high employee followership. In summary, this research interpretates the mechanism and boundary condition for the negative effects of ethical leadership on leaders themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing nature of the ecological footprint, research studies focus on exploring new determinants of environmental degradation. Moreover, the role of natural resources and energy consumption in environmental quality has gained much attention in the literature. However, tourism raises the demand for energy consumption and extraction of natural resources. This research study investigates the influence of natural resources, tourism, and renewable energy in MINT countries, using novel Cross-Sectional Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (CS-ARDL) methodological techniques and employing yearly data from 1995 to 2018. The study also applied recently developed Kónya (Econ Model 23:978–992, 2006) causality to identify the causal relationship between the variables of the heterogenous panel. The result shows that tourism, natural resources, and economic growth are positively associated with the ecological footprint in the long-run. However, renewable energy consumption negatively impacts ecological footprint in both in short-run and the long-run. Further, the study explored a bidirectional causality between economic growth and ecological footprint in MINT countries. Finally, based on the empirical results, the study recommends that the authorities in MINT countries revisit their tourism, natural resources, and economic activities policies to enhance the environmental quality and reduce the ecological footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin pigmentation is regulated by intricate interaction of the dermis and epidermis. The extracellular components present in the dermis play a very important role in the maintenance of skin homeostasis. Therefore, our objective was to check the expression of various ECM components secreted by the dermal fibroblasts in the lesional skin and non-lesional skin of vitiligo patients. For this study, skin punch biopsies (4 mm) were collected from lesional skin (n = 12), non-lesional skin (n = 6) of non-segmental vitiligo patient's (NSV) and healthy control skin (n = 10). Masson's trichrome staining was performed to check the collagen fibre. The expression of collagen type 1, IV, elastin, fibronectin, E-cadherin and integrin β1 was checked by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. In this study, we demonstrated an increased expression of collagen type 1 in the lesional skin of vitiligo patients. The expression of collagen type IV, fibronectin, elastin and adhesion components such as E-cadherin and integrin β1 was observed to be significantly decreased in the lesional skin of NSV patients as compared to healthy control, whereas insignificant difference was observed between non-lesional and control skin. Increased expression of collagen type 1 in the lesional skin of vitiligo patients might be inhibiting the migration of melanocytes, whereas the decreased expression of elastin, collagen type IV, fibronectin, E-cadherins and integrins in the lesional skin may inhibit adhesion, migration, growth and differentiation of cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contaminated with toxic or radioactive HMs even in small concentrations is very hazardous to human and marine life. Secretion of these metals into the aquatic environment through industrial waste has raised global concern. In the current decade, different approaches have been adopted to extract the metals pollutants from water. Adsorption is a naive and fast process, which offers an effective approach for such remediation. However, most of the conventional adsorbents exhibit low adsorption performance with a high cost and slower process. Therefore these materials need to be replaced with more efficient and advanced adsorbents. Ti-MXenes are the most versatile group of two-dimensional nanomaterials, which seizes great potential for environmental application. Owing to the large specific surface area, hydrophilicity, chemical stability, efficient mechanism, and effective adsorption towards the removal of aquatic pollutants, these MXenes are considered a thriving candidate for wastewater treatment. In this paper, the synthesis techniques of Ti-MXenes using fluorine-containing etchants vis-a-vis their adsorption performance are critically reviewed. The adsorption mechanism of the hazardous and radioactive HMs, regeneration, and reusability of the MXenes nanosheets are also precisely covered. In addition, prospects of the MXenes particularly challenges from the current research and a way forward are proposed. Hopefully, this review will provide a valuable guide to relate, discuss and expand the synthesis and application of the MXenes family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations generally assess 30 days of perioperative outcomes with robotic-assisted and laparoscopic colectomy. Outcomes beyond 30 days serve as a quality metric of surgical services and an assessment of 90 days of outcomes may have greater clinical utility. The purpose of this study was to assess 90 days of outcomes, length of stay (LOS), and readmissions among patients who underwent a robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic colectomy using a national database. Patients undergoing either robotic-assisted or laparoscopic colectomy were identified using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes within PearlDiver, a national, inpatient records database from 2010 to 2019. Outcomes were defined using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) risk calculator and identified using International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnosis codes. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and continuous variables were compared using paired t tests. Covariate-adjusted regression models were also constructed to evaluate these associations while accounting for potential confounders. A total of 82,495 patients were assessed in this study. At 90 days, patients of the laparoscopic colectomy cohort experienced a higher rate of complications than patients who underwent robotic-assisted colectomy (9.5 vs. 6.6%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in LOS (6 vs. 6.5 days, p = 0.08) and readmissions (6.1 vs. 6.7%, p = 0.851) at 90 days. Patients undergoing robotic-assisted colectomy have a lower risk for morbidity at 90 days. Neither approach is superior for LOS nor 90 days of readmissions. Both techniques are effective minimally invasive procedures, yet patients may gain a greater risk benefit from robotic colectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification (re-id) is an autonomous process that uses raw surveillance images to identify a person across multiple non-overlapping camera views without requiring any kind of hard biometrics like fingerprints, retina patterns or the facial images. The CNN-based deep architectures are most frequently used to solve the person re-id problem. Generally these CNN architectures capture the attentive regions of a person at local neighborhood level with increased focal view at the deeper levels of the network. However these do not learn the self-attentions among distant parts of a person's image, which can play a vital role in person re-id especially to handle the inter-class and intra-class variances. In this work, we propose a novel person re-id approach to learn the self-attention among different parts of a person image whether these lie within local proximity or at the far distant regions for robust re-identification. We adapt the vision transformer architecture with a lightweight self-attention module, which learns the global associations among the distinct attentive regions having similar context within a person image. Further to this, we escalate the baseline model by acquainting it with a self-context mapping module, which coalesces the contextual embeddings into the self-attention learning for the neighboring and the distant image regions. It helps to capture the globally associated salient regions of a person to get the holistic view at the initial network layers. The proposed self-attention-based re-id architecture outperforms the vanilla CNN counterparts for both of the re-id performance measures, i.e., accuracy and mean average precision. The re-id accuracies are improved 5.5%, 4.6% and 17% for Market1501, DukeMTMC-ReID and MSMT-17 datasets, respectively, as compared to the vanilla CNN-based re-id architectures. The implementation and trained models are made publicly available at https://git.io/JLH2S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fake news and disinformation (FNaD) are increasingly being circulated through various online and social networking platforms, causing widespread disruptions and influencing decision-making perceptions. Despite the growing importance of detecting fake news in politics, relatively limited research efforts have been made to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) oriented FNaD detection models suited to minimize supply chain disruptions (SCDs). Using a combination of AI and ML, and case studies based on data collected from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan, we developed a FNaD detection model aimed at preventing SCDs. This model based on multiple data sources has shown evidence of its effectiveness in managerial decision-making. Our study further contributes to the supply chain and AI-ML literature, provides practical insights, and points to future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energetic heterocycles, including pyridines, triazoles, and tetrazoles, exhibit greater density, heats of formation, and oxygen balance compared to their carbocyclic counterparts, making them a promising approach for synthesizing novel bis-tetrazole acetamides. Synthesized compounds A-F, some of which feature a chlorine atom attached to the phenyl ring, serve as valuable synthons for aryl coupling reactions. Analysis via 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, as well as density functional considerations through B3LYP functional correlation with 6-311 + + G(d) and 6-31G(d) basis set, revealed the observed LUMO/HOMO energies and charge transfer within the molecule. Additionally, the dipole moment, chemical hardness, softness, ionization potential, local reactivity potential via Fukui indices and thermodynamic properties (entropy, enthalpy, and Gibbs free energy) of the molecule were calculated through density functional theory studies. In addition, Molecular Docking studies were conducted to investigate the anti-cancer potential of synthesized heterocyclic compounds against caspase 3, NF-KAPPA-B and P53 protein. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated a potent interaction between 2,2'-(5,5'-(1,4-phenylene)bis(1H-tetrazole-5,1-diyl))bis-N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) acetamides (6d) and TP53 and NF-KAPPA-B with binding energies of − 11.8 kJ/mol and − 10.9 kJ/mol for TP53 and NF-KAPPA-B, respectively. Similarly, 2,2'-(5,5'–(1,4-phenylene)bis(1H-tetrazole-5,1-diyl))bis-N-(2-chlorophenyl) acetamides (6f) exhibited a strong interaction with caspase-3 with binding energy of -10.0 kJ/mol, indicating their potential as therapeutic agents against these proteins. Furthermore, the findings of current study was further strengthen by 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Finally, theoretical studies of oxygen balance and nitrogen percentage suggest that these molecules can be utilized as energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compound, C23H20BrN3OS, containing a quinoline-based iminothiazoline with a thiazoline ring, was synthesized and its crystal and molecular structures were analyzed through single crystal X-ray analysis. The compound belongs to the triclinic system P − 1 space group, with dimensions of a = 9.2304 (6) Å, b = 11.1780 (8) Å, c = 11.3006 (6) Å, α = 107.146 (5)°, β = 93.701 (5)°, γ = 110.435 (6)°, Z = 2 and V = 1025.61 (12) Å3. The crystal structure showed that C–H···N and C–H···O hydrogen bond linkages, forming infinite double chains along the b-axis direction, and enclosing R22(14) and R22(16) ring motifs. The Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed that H...H (44.1%) and H...C/C...H (15.3%) interactions made the most significant contribution. The newly synthesized (Z)-4-bromo-N-(4-butyl-3 (quinolin-3-yl)thiazol-2(3H)-ylidene)benzamide, in comparison to oleanolic acid, exhibited more strong potential against elastase with an inhibition value of 1.21 µM. Additionally, the derivative was evaluated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies, which showed that the quinoline based iminothiazoline derivative has the potential to be a novel inhibitor of elastase enzyme. Both theoretical and experimental findings suggested that this compound could have a number of biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater quality risk assessment is vital to protect this precious resource, because increasing anthropogenic and agricultural activities combined with limited precipitation deteriorate the groundwater quality particularly in the arid regions. Therefore, the assessment of groundwater quality using hydro-chemical and spatial analysis can provide the guidelines for efficient management of groundwater resources. In present study, a total of 87 samples were collected from various pumping wells in district Multan, Pakistan. These samples were analysed for groundwater quality parameters like electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolve solids (TDS), pH, Na+, Ca2+ + Mg2+, Cl−, CO32−, HCO3−, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), total hardness (TH), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and Kelly's ratio (KR). The Wilcox, United States Salinity Laboratory (USSL) and permeability index (PI) diagrams were drawn to classify the water into excellent, good, marginal and poor-quality groundwater for irrigation obligatory. Using the ArcGIS vs 10, an ordinary kriging method with best fit semivariogram model was applied for preparation of spatial distribution maps. According to Wilcox classification, 40% of groundwater samples fall in 'Excellent to a Good' category. USSL diagram showed that 27% of groundwater samples fall in 'Medium Salinity' and 'Low sodium hazard' (C2S1) class. The PI values were found in the range of 22 to 95 meq/L with an average value of 58.5 meq/L. Similarly, the spatial analysis showed that upper part (northeast and northwest) of the Multan District have good quality of groundwater for irrigation. Furthermore, the finding may help to make the spatial management decision for groundwater in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical characteristics of quaternary Heusler alloys (QHAs) FeNbYZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Sn) are determined using full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) by implying generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange potential. First of all, structural stability is investigated to find the most optimized structure. The geometry optimization results indicated that the third type has the most stable structure among other two types along with ferromagnetic (FM) phase stability. The calculated band structures (BS) and density of states (DOS) indicated that these QHAs are half metals (HMs) having bang gap at only spin down channel. The computed magnetic moments (MMs) of FeNbYAl, FeNbYGa, FeNbYSn and FeNbYIn are compared with the MMs that obtained from Slater Pauling rule (SPR). These materials being totally spin polarization (SP) (i.e., 100%) had high Curie temperature (Tc) and high MM showing them half metallic nature and good to be used in useful applications. The mechanical stability is determined by computing elastic constants, bulk modulus, Young modulus, hardness, and Poisson ratio. The findings of mechanical attributes deduce that all investigated QHAs are ductile and had Pugh's ratio > 1.75 making these materials mechanically stable. Furthermore, the calculations of thermoelectric properties have shown that these alloys could be utilized as thermoelectric in addition to spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting of bone is a common practice in the surgery to treat the fracture in bones. There is a need to conduct a detailed study to analyse the influence of traditional cutting parameters on the overall cutting performance of bone. The intricate and resource-intensive nature of bone machining has led researchers to seek more efficient tools to aid in the optimization process. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations have emerged as a viable solution for such challenges. By combining FEM simulations with grey relational analysis (GRA), researchers can reduce the associated costs and improve the overall optimization process. The current study utilized the hybrid concept where finite element assisted orthogonal cutting simulations were performed on the cortical bone. Design of experiment was conducted using Taguchi orthogonal L09 experiments. The four controlling parameters were rake angle, edge radius, cutting speed and undeformed chip thickness. Output responses of forces, power, chip compression ratio and coefficient of friction were minimized, whereas shear angle was maximized. Finite element simulations provided the essential parameters such as deformed chip thickness and cutting forces, that were used to calculate the chip compression ratio, shear angle and total power in each condition. In addition, grey relational analysis (GRA) was conducted to get the meaning results of this work. It is rarely found in the literature that orthogonal cutting of cortical bone was studied with the above-mentioned techniques in combination. The optimal parameters for the optimized performance were rake angle of 20°, edge radius of 5 µm, cutting speed of 25 mm/s and undeformed chip thickness of 0.1 mm. The usage of the said optimal parameters results in a Grey Relational Grade improvement of 0.2828 in comparison to the referenced first experimental run. The percentage contribution of rake angle, undeformed chip thickness, cutting speed and edge radius is 79.58%, 17.18%, 2.33% and 0.90% respectively. The current study is helpful for the audience working in the biomedical and custom-made cutting tools manufacturing sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ectopic expression of anticancer genes (ACGs) imposes antineoplastic effects on transformed cells. Clinically, reduced expression of these genes has been linked with poor prognosis, metastasis and chemo/radiotherapy resistance in cancers. Identifying expression pattern of ACGs is crucial to establish their prognostic and therapeutic relevance in colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition to the clinical perspective, naturally occurring compounds can be explored in parallel for inducing ACGs to achieve cancer cell-specific death. Methodology: Expression profiles of three ACGs (NOXA, PAR-4, TRAIL) were identified via real-time PCR in CRC clinical isolates. Time lapse-based expression modifications in ACGs were studied in a CRC liver metastasis animal model using microarray methodology. Effects of a purified plant protein (riproximin) on selected ACGs were identified in three primary and metastatic CRC cell lines by real-time PCR. Lastly, importance of the ACGs in a cellular environment was highlighted via bioinformatic analysis. Results: ACGs (except NOXA) were persistently downregulated in clinical isolates when comparing the overall mean expression values with normal mucosa levels. In vivo studies showed a prominent inhibition of NOXA and PAR-4 genes in implanted CRC cells during rat liver colonization. TRAIL showed deviation from this theme while showing marked induction during the early period of liver colonization (days 3 and 6 after CRC cell implantation). Riproximin exhibited substantial potential of inducing ACGs at transcriptome levels in selected CRC cell lines. Bioinformatic analysis showed that vital molecular/functional aspects of a cell are associated with the presence of ACGs. Conclusion: ACGs are downregulated in primary and metastatic phase of CRC. Riproximin effectively induces ACGs in CRC cells and can be exploited for clinical investigations over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to American Heart Association standards, hypertension is classified into three stages based on blood pressure measurements: essential hypertension, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension. The global target is to reduce the prevalence of high blood pressure by 25% by the year 2025. Worldwide, the prevalence of high blood pressure among men and women aged 18 and above reported to be 24% and 20%, respectively. Aim: The aim of this study was to overall reduce high blood pressure of hypertensive patients to the recommended level of 140/90 mm of Hg through implementing a non-pharmacological and multi-component intervention based on Disease Control Priorities (3rd edition). Methods: A randomized controlled trial in which a multi-component intervention for lowering high blood pressure was tested. This was pilot-tested for its acceptance, appropriateness, and relevance, explored through an earlier formative research and desk review conducted from the available evidence. A total of 240 study participants were enrolled after obtaining informed consent. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Health Services Academy and the trial was registered in clinicaltrials.gov number NCT04336631. SPSS software version 21 was used to enter and analyze the data. Results: High blood pressure of hypertensive patients in a hospital setting during 03 months yielded –23.9 mm Hg of systolic blood pressure reduction (95% confidence interval, p ≤ 0.005). A significant reduction was observed in intervention group after delivering the intervention. Compared to patients in the usual care group, improved health outcomes were achieved for diet control, reducing salt intake and increased physical exercise. In the intervention group, the mean blood pressure among male hypertensive patients was 145/90 mm Hg and in female hypertensive patients, the mean blood pressure was recorded as 140/100 mm Hg. Conclusion: High blood pressure was significantly reduced in hypertensive patients who adhered to a low salt diet, weight loss measures, and increased physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing sector is among the fastest growing in today's industrialized world. Increasing the efficiency and sustainability of manufacturing processes is one way to improve productivity and improve profit margins. Learning about cutting conditions and how they affect machined surfaces and tool life can help improve productivity. This research aims to analyze the machinability of difficult-to-cut magnesium alloys through lubrication and different cooling strategies and their influence on the environment. Flank wear, chip morphology, tool contact length, and surface roughness were all measured in this study using controlled machining experiments with dry and vegetable oil mist cutting conditions and coated carbide tools. To improve the machinability of magnesium alloys, researchers looked at surface roughness, tool wear processes, and primary and secondary machining components such as effective shear angle, compression ratio, and coefficient of friction. In this study, we found that minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) performed well under various speed ranges for coated tools. Tool wear, surface roughness, and other output response characteristics were significantly connected to feed rate and cutting speed. MQL improved the surface finish and material removal rate by 20% compared to dry machining, and microhardness has been improved by 11.5%. MQL-based systems offer great potential to improve the machinability of magnesium alloys, and they should be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study extends the debate on social spending in the developing world by taking the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to examine the social policy reactions of democratic and non-democratic regimes to globalization which is one of the main social challenges of sustainable development. This article investigates the impact of globalization and democracy on the aggregate and disaggregates levels of social spending for the selected SAARC countries from the period 1996–2018. The investigation includes how governments react to the challenges of globalization with the welfare policy decisions that are located more toward reducing cost ("efficiency theory") otherwise ensuring individuals' government assistance ("compensation theory"). The results support both the efficiency and compensation thesis depending on which type of globalization indicator is taken under consideration, however, it would be misleading to assume that the efficiency thesis is valid for all developing countries. By using the TSCS data technique on SAARC countries we discovered the impact of globalization on social spending that was supposed to be conditional on regime type. However, the interactive variables reveal an important finding that trade openness tends to increase social spending (the coefficient indicates little systematic effect), and financial openness tends to cut social spending, while democracy of SAARC countries has no significant role or unrelated in counterbalancing these effects. Hence, social spending cannot automatically develop human capital through democratic regime, further SAARC governments are usually in fiscal insolvency that results in allocating most of the resources from budget on debt repayments, leaving a small portion for social-related expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anticancer genes are an endogenous defense against transformed cells as they impose antineoplastic effects upon ectopic expression. Profiling the expression of these genes is fundamental for exploring their prognostic and therapeutic relevance in cancers. Natural compounds can upregulate anticancer genes in malignant cells and thus be useful for therapeutic purposes. In this study, we identified the expression levels of anticancer genes in breast cancer clinical isolates. In addition, the purified and sequenced plant protein (riproximin) was evaluated for its potential to induce anticancer genes in two breast cancer cell lines. Methodology: Expression profiles of three anticancer genes (NOXA, PAR-4, TRAIL) were identified by immunohistochemistry in 45 breast cancer clinical isolates. Breast cancer cells were exposed to riproximin and expression of the anticancer genes was determined by microarray, real-time PCR and western blot methodologies. Lastly, a bioinformatic approach was adopted to highlight the molecular/functional significance of the anticancer genes. Results: NOXA expression was evenly de-regulated among the clinical isolates, while PAR-4 was significantly down-regulated in majority of the breast cancer tissues. In contrast, TRAIL expression was increased in most of the clinical samples. Expression levels of the anticancer genes followed a distinct trend in accordance with the disease severity. Riproximin showed a substantial potential of inducing expression of the anticancer genes in breast cancer cells at transcriptomic and protein levels. The bioinformatic approach revealed involvement of anticancer genes in multiple cellular functions and signaling cascades. Conclusion: Anticancer genes were de-regulated and showed discrete expression patterns in breast cancer patient samples. Riproximin effectively induced the expression of selected anticancer genes in breast cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, total six hydrazinyl 1,2,4-triazoles derivatives (5a–5f) are reported. A new series of pyridine substituted 1,2,4-triazoles was synthesized and tested for in vitro studies, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition assay, kinetics mechanism studies and chemical characterization (1HNMR and 13CNMR analysis). The acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity of the compound 5f (IC50 ± SEM = 0.0249 ± 0.01 µM) was maximum as compared to the rest of the derivatives. Results of kinetics mechanism showed that synthetic compound (5f) had inhibitory effect on enzyme in a competitive manner and its Ki Value was 0.025 µM. These findings were also supported by molecular docking studies to rule out the binding interactions in the molecules. In addition, comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the stability of protein–ligand complex. It was revealed that RMSD fluctuations demonstrated stable pattern. The data showed that almost all derivatives are best inhibitors of AChE in comparison to neostigmine. Therefore, it can be suggested that these derivatives must be explored further at molecular level so that their role can be identified as lead molecules in drug discovery for the management of age related neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of carbon dioxide is one of the most challenging parts of the chemical process industry. Various methods are used globally, but separation via membrane is one of the most feasible techniques due to its enormous advantages. Mixed matrix membranes have become an excellent way to trade-off between selectivity and permeability. In this context, cellulose acetate/zinc oxide nanorods based membranes were synthesized by a solution casting method. The fabricated membranes were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultimate tensile strength machine. Analytical techniques confirmed the successful incorporation of ZnO nanorods in the CA matrix. The effect of gas feed pressure on membrane performance was also studied. The permeability of CO2 was increased by incorporating ZnO nanorods into the membrane. On the other hand, the permeability of H2 decreased from 39 to 13.78 barrer at 0.7 wt%. The maximum selectivity of 2.77 was observed for the CO2/H2 gas pair with the addition of 0.7 wt% of ZnO nanorods. The permeability of both gases increased with increasing the feed pressure. However, the selectivity of CO2/H2 was dropped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquito-borne diseases are a persistent risk to humanity all over the world. A genetically modified alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) producing mosquito larvicidal cry11Ba protein was constructed in the Biopharmaceutical Laboratories of the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of Punjab, Pakistan. The current study aims at the biosafety assessment of this transgenic alga in Han Wistar rats for a 90-day trial period. Thirty male Han Wistar rats were used in the experiment, divided into three groups: transgenic algae mixed water (at 1 × 105 cells mL−1 concentration), non-transgenic algae mixed water (at 1 × 105 cells mL−1 concentration), and simple water without algae, for 90-days. Han Wistar rats were regularly observed for any mortality, moribundity, water consumption, feed consumption, body weight, hematology, serum chemistry (LFT, RFT, serum electrolytes), urine analysis, molecular analysis, necropsy analysis (organ morphology, organ weight, and histopathology of vital organs) and found no substantial difference among any of the groups. In conclusion, no adverse effect was found on the overall health of male Han Wistar rat feeding on transgenic algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) producing the cry11Ba protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naphthalene ring is present in a number of FDA-approved, commercially available medications, including naphyrone, terbinafine, propranolol, naproxen, duloxetine, lasofoxetine, and bedaquiline. By reacting newly obtained 1-naphthoyl isothiocyanate with properly modified anilines, a library of ten novel naphthalene-thiourea conjugates (5a–5j) were produced with good to exceptional yields and high purity. The newly synthesized compounds were observed for their potential to inhibit alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and scavenge free radicals. All of the investigated compounds displayed a more powerful inhibitory profile than the reference agent, KH2PO4 particularly compound 5h and 5a exhibited strong inhibitory potential against ALP with IC50 value of 0.365 ± 0.011 and 0.436 ± 0.057 µM respectively. In addition, Lineweaver–Burk plots revealed the non-competitive inhibition mode of the most powerful derivative i.e., 5h (ki value 0.5 µM). To investigate the putative binding mode of selective inhibitor interactions, molecular docking was performed. It is recommended that future research will focus on developing selective alkaline phosphatase inhibitors by modifying the structure of the 5h derivative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major concern for the modern world is to deal with environmental issues without compromising on economic growth targets. Energy use from renewable and nuclear sources offers a solution to this issue. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to examine the nexus between disaggregated energy consumption, economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions. To this end, a sophisticated econometric technique proposed by Machado and Silva (J Econom 213:145–173, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconom.2019.04.009) is used for a sample of 107 countries during 1996–2014. For robustness analysis, fixed and random effect with Driscoll Kraay standard errors model is used. The findings revealed an inverted N-shape EKC showing that nuclear and renewable energy alleviate pollution while non-renewable energy enhances it. Interestingly, the impact of nuclear and renewable energy is stronger at lower quantiles than at higher ones. Findings highlight the need for promoting nuclear and renewable energy to combat environmental challenges. Therefore, an adequate plan promoting the use of renewable energy should be established to ensure successful energy transition and reap its benefits in terms of economic development and environmental protection. In addition, important policy implications are suggested based on the findings of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the most widely produced tuberous crop all over the world because of its high nutritional value. Tissue culture practices are mostly used to produce true-to-type and virus-free planting material of potato as compared to traditional means. As various plant growth hormones affect the initiation and growth of microtuber, the current experiment was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of jasmonic acid (JA), kinetin (Kin) and putrescine, either alone or in combination on microtuberization. For this, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 80 gL−1 sucrose was supplemented with different concentrations of JA, Kin and putrescine under dark conditions. Overall, twelve treatments (T0 = control, T1 = 10 μM Kin, T2 = 15 μM Kin, T3 = 2.5 μM JA, T4 = 5 μM JA, T5 = 80 gL−1 putrescene, T6 = 2.5 μM JA + 10 μM Kin, T7 = 2.5 μM JA + 15 μM Kin, T8 = 5 μM JA + 10 μM Kin,T9 = 5 μM JA + 15 μM Kin,T10 = 2.5 μM JA + 15 μM Kin + 80 gL−1 putrescine, and T11 = 5 μM JA + 10 μM Kin + 80 gL−1 Putrescine in MS medium) of these biomolecules were supplemented to MS medium. The results indicated that medium T9 (MS + 5 μM JA and 15 μM Kin) significantly increased the microtuberization as well as average number (3.7), size (4.54 mm), fresh weight (503.44 mg) and dry weight (124.77 mg) of microtuber as compared to all other treatment media tested in this study. This might be due to the increased level of tuberonic acid, and its glucosides in the plant also increased due to the exogenous supply of JA that enhanced tuber formation. Hence, this technique can be used and suggested as an efficient microtuber production protocol in potato cv. Desiree at commercial scale to fulfill the requirement of healthy germplasm of potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) being widely used in the manufacturing of bottles, especially in the beverages industry, has obvious advantages over glass bottles and cans, including but not limited to its transparency, robustness, and light weightiness, etc. However, its permeability is a major concern for scientists as it evidently affects the quality of packaged food, especially beverages. The fact that it easily allows gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass through them makes it less effective and least cost-efficient when compared with its substitutes. Alternatively, if its permeability is ameliorated, this can drastically improve the overall statistics of profits in the beverage industry. This paper attempts to improve the gas barrier property of PET via a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) permeation. Through temperature-induced solution processing, WS2 (tungsten disulfide) is disseminated in PET. The decrease in CO2 permeability in WS2 nanosheets/PET composites is assessed. After an 11-h test run, free-standing composite membranes demonstrated a maximum 99.9% permeability decrease at extremely low filler loading (0.005 wt% WS2) in contrast to the polymer. It is interesting to note that WS2 loading over 0.005 wt% completely reduced permeation. High-aspect-ratio WS2, homogenous dispersion inside PET, and jiggling effect surrounding nanosheets per flake have all contributed to the gas flow's winding path's complexity. Through the use of models developed by Bharadwaj, Neilson, Lape, and Cussler, experimental findings have been confirmed. SEM evaluates the dispersion state, and X-ray diffraction has validated the formation of composites. Higher mechanical resilience of WS2 nanosheets/PET composites and adhesion property was demonstrated by tensile testing and tribology technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-of-care ultrasound has the potential to help inform assessment, diagnosis, and management of illness in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). To better understand current ultrasound use, barriers and facilitators to use, and perceptions and practices in LMIC, we conducted an anonymous online global survey targeting healthcare providers training and using ultrasound in LMIC. A total of 241 respondents representing 62 countries participated and most were physicians working in publicly-funded urban tertiary hospitals in LMIC. Most had received ultrasound training (78%), reported expertise (65%) and confidence (90%) in ultrasound use, and had access to ultrasound (88%), utilizing ultrasound most commonly for procedures and for evaluations of lungs, heart, and trauma. Access to an ultrasound machine was reported as both the top barrier (17%) and top facilitator (53%); other common barriers included access to education and training, cost, and competition for use and other common facilitators included access to a probe, gel, and electricity, and acceptance by healthcare providers, administrators, and patients. Most (80%) noted ultrasound access was important and 96% agreed that ultrasound improves quality of care and patient outcomes. Improving access to low-cost ultrasound equipment is critical to increasing ultrasound use among those who are trained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with low cultivation cost, absence of endotoxins and insusceptibility to human pathogens is emerging as a potential system for the future production of recombinant proteins. The recent development of molecular tools enabling recombinant protein expression in algae chloroplast has provided new research and advance opportunities for developing low-cost therapeutic proteins. In the present study, algae chloroplast expression system was evaluated for the recombinant production of an anti-cancerous therapeutic protein, Interleukin 29 (IL29). The IL29 gene was cloned into algae chloroplast expression vector (pSRSapI). After the transformation, the positive clones were screened for homoplasmy and the presence of the IL29 gene by spot test and PCR analysis, respectively. The expressed SDS-PAGE and western blotting assay characterized IL-29. The algae expressed IL-29 was biologically active in an anti-proliferating bioassay using HepG2 cells. The results suggest that the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii expression system is convenient, low-cost, eco-friendly, and safe to express IL29. Key points: The IL29 gene cloning in pSRSapI. IL-29 found as biologically active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free bulk ceramics 0.67Bi1.03Fe1−xNbxO3-0.33BaTiO3 (BFNbBT with x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03) were fabricated via a solid-state reaction method and then quenched in the air from its sintering temperature. The XRD analysis shows a morphotropic phase boundary between rhombohedral and tetragonal phases for the un-doped BFBT ceramics. Therefore, a high static piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ≈ 268 pC/N) with a large remnant polarization (Pr ≈ 20 µC/cm2) and the highest Curie temperature (TC ≈ 510 °C) were obtained. However, with Nb doping, a compositionally driven phase transformation occurred from rhombohedral and tetragonal mixed phase to pseudo-cubic phase. Because of the Nb doping, the grain size suddenly decreased, as a result, the long-range ferroelectric phase was converted into a short-range relaxor phase. Hence, a high dynamic piezoelectric constant (d33* ≈ 353 pm/V) was achieved at the crossover boundary between the normal and relaxor ferroelectric phases. In the current investigated results, the microstructure and crystal structure properties show a strong correlation with dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to develop and characterize polyethylene glycol (PEG) and xanthan-gum (XG) based interpenetrating network (IPN) for the controlled release of the drug. Natural and synthetic polymers were used in combination via free radical copolymerization to synthesize series of PEG/XG-co-poly-AA IPN hydrogels. Xanthan-gum and PEG (polymers) have been cross-linked with acrylic acid as a monomer, in presence of ammonium peroxo disulfate /sodium hydrogen sulfite as initiators. For cross-linking, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was employed. Venlafaxine HCl was incorporated in formulated hydrogel network as an experimental drug. FTIR, XRD, TGA, DCS, Sol–gel fraction, in vitro swelling, drug release, and in vivo toxicity analysis were performed to characterize the developed network. FTIR confirmed the formation of polymeric network and ensured physical entanglement of the drug within the matrix. TGA and DSC thermograms indicated that prepared hydrogels were more stable than individual constituents. Effective response for in vitro swelling and release was quantified at pH 1.2 and 7.4. No considerable toxicity was observed. It is concluded that an optimum drug delivery system can be designed to achieve desired characteristics by using a combination of polymers and altering the concentration of formulation ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]