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The management of breast cancer by chemotherapeutic agents has significantly increased the survival rates and, at the same time, raised concerns about the side effects caused by these agents on healthy tissues. Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment resulting from non-CNS malignancies like breast cancer has emerged as a significant challenge among cancer survivors due to its negative impact on the quality of day-to-day life activities. Using doxorubicin-based chemotherapy as a preclinical model for chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, we assessed the effect of quercetin on behavioral memory alterations in tumor-bearing female rats in vivo and changes in neurite length and apoptosis in PC12 cell lines in vitro. Quercetin is purported to have neuroprotective effects in different preclinical models of human neurological conditions because of its possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Mammary carcinoma was induced by intraperitoneal administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea followed by doxorubicin administration once in 5 days (50 days). Pre-treatment with quercetin began 1 week before the chemotherapy and continued till the end of the chemotherapy cycle. Mechanistically, quercetin produced protection against doxorubicin-induced neurotoxicity by decreasing apoptosis and had a neurogenic effect evidenced by the prevention of toxicant-induced inhibition of neurite establishment. Quercetin reversed episodic and spatial memory deficits caused by doxorubicin treatment assessed by novel object recognition memory and Morris water maze, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin may be a contributor to neurogenic impairment in tumor-bearing animals, leading to memory deficits. Therefore, quercetin could be a promising therapeutic strategy for doxorubicin-related cognitive impairment, thus imparting hope for improved quality of life among cancer survivors. Graphical Abstract

Laser-based directed energy deposition (L-DED) is a rising field in the arena of metal additive manufacturing and has extensive applications in aerospace, medical, and rapid prototyping. The process parameters, such as laser power, scanning speed, and layer thickness, play an important role in controlling and affecting the properties of DED fabricated parts. Nevertheless, both experimental and simulation methods have shown constraints and limited ability to generate accurate and efficient computational predictions on the correlations between the process parameters and the final part quality. In this paper, two data-driven machine learning algorithms, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Random Forest (RF), were applied to predict the tensile behaviors including yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation (%) of the stainless steel 316L parts by DED. The results suggest that both models successfully predicted the tensile properties of the fabricated parts. The performance of the proposed methods was evaluated and compared with the Ridge Regression by the root mean squared error (RMSE), relative error (RE), and coefficient of determination (R

To describe a previously unreported anatomical variant of the hepatic arterial supply: a conjoined right hepatic artery, formed by branches of the common hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery. A 54-year-old female with oligometastatic colorectal cancer with metastases to the liver presented for planning stage arteriography in preparation for Y90 radioembolization. Arteriography of the common hepatic artery demonstrated bifurcation into a right hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery. The gastroduodenal artery gave rise to a proximal branch, from which the left hepatic artery originated and then continued to anastomose in the hilum of the liver to the right hepatic artery originating from the common hepatic artery. It was initially identified on visceral artery arteriography and then retrospectively recognized on pre-procedural CT scan. Anatomical variants of the hepatic arterial supply are important to recognize during planning stage arteriography in preparation for Y90 radioembolization. Knowledge of these variants is also important for pre-operative planning.

Lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are suitable as the emissive layers in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The external quantum efficiency of green LEDs based on LHPs is now over 20%. Nevertheless, the blue LHP LEDs lag behind the green ones in terms of efficiency. Photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) and stability of the NCs under various operating conditions are two major factors that influence the LED performance. Therefore, to promote the efforts towards achieving improved LED efficiencies, herein, we summarize several synthetic methods that produce blue-emitting LHP NC, followed by several approaches devised to boost their PL QYs up to near unity. Light-induced anion segregation is one of the limitations of using blue-emitting mixed-halide LHPs, which triggers the attention to single halide, quantum-confined LHP nanoplatelets (NPLs). Syntheses, structure, and luminescent properties of organic–inorganic and all-inorganic blue-emitting LHP NPLs are discussed elaborately. In the last portion, the luminescent properties of lead-free metal halides, which are of current interest, are discussed, followed by an outlook and future directions. In conclusion, our review discusses various literature attempts to obtain stable blue-emitting LHP NCs, which can be helpful in a better design of the blue-emitting LHP NCs towards various light-emitting applications.

Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) is uncommon in the pediatric population. Among the management options is medical management consisting of antithrombotic therapy with either antiplatelets or anticoagulation. There is no consensus on whether administration of antiplatelets or anticoagulation is more appropriate for BCVI in children < 10 years of age. Our goal was to compare radiographic and clinical outcomes based on medical treatment modality for BCVI in children < 10 years. Clinical and radiographic data were collected retrospectively for children screened for BCVI with computed tomography angiography at 5 academic pediatric trauma centers. Among 651 patients evaluated with computed tomography angiography to screen for BCVI, 17 patients aged less than 10 years were diagnosed with BCVI (7 grade I, 5 grade II, 1 grade III, 4 grade IV) and received anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy for 18 total injuries: 11 intracranial carotid artery, 4 extracranial carotid artery, and 3 extracranial vertebral artery injuries. Eleven patients were treated with antiplatelets (10 aspirin, 1 clopidogrel) and 6 with anticoagulation (4 unfractionated heparin, 2 low-molecular-weight heparin, 1 transitioned from the former to the latter). There were no complications secondary to treatment. One patient who received anticoagulation died as a result of the traumatic injuries. In aggregate, children treated with antiplatelet therapy demonstrated healing on 52% of follow-up imaging studies versus 25% in the anticoagulation cohort. There were no observed differences in the rate of hemorrhagic complications between anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy for BCVI in children < 10 years, with a nonsignificantly better rate of healing on follow-up imaging in children who underwent antiplatelet therapy; however, the study cohort was small despite including patients from 5 hospitals.

We report a rare variant in mesenteric arterial anatomy: replacement of the right hepatic and common hepatic arteries to the SMA in a patient treated for hepatocellular carcinoma. The potential clinical implications of this unusual variation of celiaco-mesenteric anatomy will be discussed.

Resting-state connectivity studies, which examine unconstrained low frequency BOLD fluctuations, have reported inconsistent abnormalities in bipolar disorder (BP). In this study, we investigated intrinsic brain connectivity under the constraints of a Continuous Emotion Regulation Task (CERT) in BP patients in depressed (BPD) and manic (BPM) states, along with healthy control participants. Medication-free participants, with either a diagnosis of BP (BPD = 27, BPM = 30) or healthy controls (N = 33) were included. We collected 2 fMRI scans using the CERT paradigm, in which participants continuously watched negative pictures and either maintained emotions (MAINTAIN) or suppressed emotion using reappraisal techniques (SUPPRESS). Network-based statistic and graph theory analyses were examined for (i) the main effect of condition (within-group) and (ii) group and condition interactions. In healthy participants, MAINTAIN largely involved occipital and parietal cortices (p

Intrathecal nicardipine has been shown to have some efficacy for the treatment of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We performed a PRISMA-based systematic review of intrathecal nicardipine for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A total of 825 articles were reviewed. After duplicates were removed and the search criteria was applied, 9 articles remained that were eligible for inclusion and analysis. 377 patients received a total of 6,596 injections of intrathecal nicardipine for aSAH-related cerebral vasospasm. The cumulative ventriculostomy-associated infection risk was 6%. Intrathecal nicardipine injections for aSAH-related cerebral vasospasm appears efficacious and safe. Administration of 4 mg of nicardipine every 12 hours was the most commonly reported dosing regimen. Intrathecal nicardipine decreases mean flow velocities on transcranial Doppler and reduces angiographic and clinical vasospasm. The infection risk appears to be in-line with studies in which rates of EVD-related infections have been reported.

Review of the literature with case illustration. Non-missile penetrating spinal injury (NPSI) represents a small subset of spinal cord injuries at tertiary trauma centers and is comprised mostly of knife violence. Strict guidelines for the management of penetrating spinal cord injury remain elusive given the variability of mechanisms, rarity of clinical experience, and paucity of prospective studies. A review of the literature was conducted by search of the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) in the English language through June of 2018. Additional articles were culled from the reference lists of the included series. Eleven case series totaling 1007 patients, along with 21 case reports, were identified. In summary, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be beneficial in assessing incomplete or progressive spinal injuries and can be considered with retained foreign bodies in select cases. Forty-eight hours of antibiotic prophylaxis is likely sufficient to prevent infection. Puncture wounds should be debrided, washed, and closed. Retained foreign bodies should be removed in the operating room and often require laminectomy. Early intervention is preferred. Non-missile penetrating spinal injury has a higher likelihood of neurologic recovery as compared to other traumatic spinal injuries.

Efficient and environmentally benign visible light responsive materials have been sought after owing to their interesting applications such as visible light photocatalysis, visible light water splitting and visible light sensing. In this research study, the effect of co-doping on the absorption and electrical properties of ZnS quantum dots is studied. Upon co-doping of Fe and Cu into ZnS quantum dots, a new absorption band in the visible region is observed. Furthermore, these quantum dots show photoresponse in the visible region unlike their undoped counterparts that is only effective in the UV region, suggesting their utility in light sensing applications.

The dead husk is a vital component of the dispersal unit whose biochemical properties can be modified following exposure to drought. This might affect seed performance and fate, soil properties and consequently plant biodiversity. We investigated the effects of extreme drought on the dispersal unit (DU) properties of winter wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) in the Mediterranean ecosystems focusing on a commonly ignored component of the DU, namely the dead floral bracts (husk). DUs were collected from a climate change experimental research station in the Judean Hills, Israel, simulating extreme drought and from two additional sites differing in the rainfall amounts. Our results showed that drought conditions significantly affected A. sterilis reproductive traits displaying reduced DUs and caryopses weights. The husk contributes profoundly to seed performance showing that germination from the intact DUs or the intact florets 1 was higher, faster and more homogenous compared to naked caryopses; no effect of drought on germination properties was observed. The husk stored hundreds of proteins that retain enzymatic activity and multiple metabolites including phytohormones. Changes in rainfall amounts affected the composition and levels of proteins and other metabolites accumulated in the husk, with a notable effect on abscisic acid (ABA). The husk of both control and drought plants released upon hydration substances that selectively inhibited other species seed germination as well as substances that promoted microbial growth. Our data showed that the dead husk represents a functional component of the DU that have been evolved to nurture the embryo and to ensure its success in its unique habitat. Furthermore, drought conditions can modify husk biochemical properties, which in turn might affect seed performance and fate, soil microbiota and soil fertility and consequently plant species diversity.

Sorption of yttrium on nano-thorium oxide and zirconium oxide was carried out as a function of pH, contact time, concentration, temperature and co-ions. The effect of initial yttrium ion concentration has been investigated in the range of 0.5–50 ppm for 1.0 mg of sorbent dosages. Maximum sorption of 10.5 mg/g in case of nano-thorium oxide and 18.0 mg/g in case of nano-zirconium oxide was noticed from the solution of initial metal ion concentration 0.5 ppm, temperature of 298 K, pH 6.9, shaking time of 120 min (nano-thorium oxide) and contact time of 50 min (nano-zirconium oxide) for the yttrium ion sorption. Sorption followed both Dubinin–Radushkevich and Langmuir isotherms. The free energy of sorption was found to be 8.77 kJ/mol (yttrium(III) vs nano-thorium dioxide) and 18.4 kJ/mol (yttrium(III) vs nano-zirconium oxide) using Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm. Sorption increased with increase in temperature in the studied temperature range. Sorption was endothermic. And the values of ∆H°, ∆S° and ∆G° were also evaluated. Pseudo-second-order equation fitted for the sorption kinetics. Reichenberg equation was used to explain the diffusion process. The effects of co-ions on sorptions were also investigated. BET surface areas of sorbent particles were 33 m2/g for nano-zirconium oxide and 25 m2/g for nano-thorium oxide. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy data revealed that the size of the sorbent particles was 4.7 and 15.5 nm for nano-thorium dioxide and nano-zirconium dioxide, respectively.

An optimal design approach is developed for a self-driven, self-locking tape-spring under a pure bending load in deployable space structures. A novel hinge with three tape springs is investigated and designed via an optimization process. Firstly, we investigate the steady-state moment and maximum stress of the hinge during deploying and folding processes using physics-based simulations. Experimental analyses are then conducted to verify the physics-based simulation results. Secondly, a parametric analysis is carried out to prove that both the tape spring thickness and subtended angle have significant effect on steady-state moment. A Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is employed to define an optimal surrogate model aimed at maximizing the steady-state moment, subjected to allowable stress. Finally, the Large Scale Generalized Reduced Gradient (LSGRG) optimization algorithm is used to solve the optimal design problem. Optimization results show that steady-state moment is increased by 19.5% while satisfying a maximum stress constraint. The proposed method is promising for designing novel deployable structures with high stability and reliability.

Cognitive dysfunction by chemotherapy compromises the quality of life in cancer patients. Tea polyphenols are known chemopreventive agents. The present study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of (+) catechin hydrate (catechin), a tea polyphenol, in IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells in vitro and alleviation of episodic memory deficit in Wistar rats in vivo against a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, Doxorubicin (DOX). In vitro, neuroprotective studies were assessed in undifferentiated IMR-32 cells using percentage viability and in differentiated cells by neurite length. These studies showed catechin increased percentage viability of undifferentiated IMR-32 cells. Catechin pretreatment also showed an increase in neurite length of differentiated cells. In vivo neuroprotection of catechin was evaluated using novel object recognition task in time-induced memory deficit model at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg dose and DOX-induced memory deficit models at 100 mg/kg dose. The latter model was developed by injection of DOX (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) in 10 cycles over 50 days in Wistar rats. Catechin showed a significant reversal of time-induced memory deficit in a dose-dependent manner and prevention of DOX-induced memory deficit at 100 mg/kg. In addition, catechin treatment showed a significant decrease in oxidative stress, acetylcholine esterase and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in DOX-induced toxicity model. Hence, catechin may be a potential adjuvant therapy for the amelioration of DOX-induced cognitive impairment which may improve the quality of life of cancer survivors. This improvement might be due to the elevation of antioxidant defense, prevention of neuroinflammation and inhibition of acetylcholine esterase enzyme.