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In this paper, I consider how the COVID‐19 pandemic shaped the gendered self‐understandings of cabdrivers in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. Extending research on the pandemic's effect on economically and socially marginalised groups such as app‐based cabdrivers and by taking into account masculinity as a framework of analysis, in this paper, I ask: how does a crisis like the pandemic impact self‐understandings of men cabdrivers? How does the intensification of precarity during a global crisis affect the way men understand themselves as gendered selves? Based on ethnographic fieldwork collected both before the pandemic and during, I trace two emergent patterns which I briefly explore in this paper. First, I show how and why the ‘breadwinner’ trope (and the attendant ideologies of protection and provision) was largely reinforced but also, sometimes, challenged during the pandemic. I then move the analytical gaze outside the space of the home to examine how care structures interrelatedness among cabdrivers as a community in the register of brotherhood. Ultimately, I argue that adopting a gendered lens on the pandemic offers an analytical flashpoint in identifying when and why ideologies of manhood, particularly among subaltern men, intersect with broader socio‐economic forces in shaping individual experiences and narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,4‐Thiazolidinedione derivatives represent nitrogen‐containing heterocyclic compounds utilized in type 2 diabetes mellitus management. Recent advances in medicinal chemistry have unveiled diverse therapeutic potentials and structural modifications of these derivatives. This review delves into novel TZD derivatives, encompassing their synthesis, structure‐activity relationships, and pharmacokinetic profiles. Various therapeutic potentials of TZDs are explored, including anticancer, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antihyperlipidemic, anticorrosive, and antitubercular activities. Additionally, it addresses mitigating side effects associated with marketed TZD derivatives such as weight gain, oedema, fractures, and congestive heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus management. The review elaborates on in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo studies supporting different biological activities, alongside predicting ADME and drug‐likeness properties of TZDs. Computational studies are also integrated to elucidate binding modes and affinities of novel TZD derivatives. Furthermore, a plethora of novel TZD derivatives with varied and enhanced therapeutic potentials are presented, warranting further evaluation of their biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sundarbans as a region is shared between Bangladesh (60%) and India (40%) and forms an intriguing geography to understand not only the consequences of macro‐political landmarks such as the partition, it is an arable field to explore the intersections of people, history, and politics‐ with a particular recognition of the constructions, constitutions, and manifestations of shifting, undefined, cultural and physical borders. This paper contends that Hindu nationalism in the Indian Sundarbans borderlands emerges as a result of what Sigmund Freud called ‘narcissism of minor differences’ between the Bengalis across borders and it makes for a distinct kind of nationalism that unfavourably impacts the Muslim Bengalis in the region. I situate that the ongoing aggressive Hindu nationalism in India's Bengal is a classic case of narcissism of minor differences and understanding its nuances can illuminate the multiple ways in which variant forms of nationalism are highly appropriated and propagated. Secondly, the study addresses how the liminal borderlands are fertile fields for such type of nationalism. Lastly, in order to further problematise the actors and the activism around nationalism, I study the work of Hindu nationalist women who volunteer with the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti to map and appraise the gendered aspect of this discourse. The Bengali Hindu Samiti women dedicate much of their nationalist activism in emphasising on both territorial and cultural borders and target Bengali Muslims who have migrated from Bangladesh and with whom they share deep civilisational and cultural sameness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater electrolysis holds great promise for sustainable green hydrogen generation, but its implementation is hindered by high energy consumption and electrode degradation. Two dimensional (2D) layered double hydroxide (LDH) exhibits remarkable stability, high catalytic activity, and excellent corrosion resistance in the harsh electrolytic environment. The synergistic effect between LDH and seawater ions enhances the oxygen evolution reaction, enabling efficient and sustainable green hydrogen generation. Here, we report a synthesis of low cost, novel 2D Vanadium Copper (VCu) LDH first time in the series of LDH's as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst. The electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) study of VCu LDH and VCu LDH/Graphite Carbon Nitride (g‐C3N4) nanohybrid was performed in 0.5 M H2SO4 (acidic), 1 M KOH (basic), 0.5 M NaCl (artificial seawater), 0.5 M NaCl+1 M KOH (artificial alkaline seawater), real seawater and 1 M KOH+real seawater (alkaline real seawater) electrolyte medium. It was found that VCu LDH shows a remarkable lower overpotential of 72 mV hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 254 mV oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at current density of 10 mA/cm2 under alkaline real seawater electrolysis exhibiting bifunctional activity and also showing better stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levodopa, a widely prescribed drug in Parkinson's disease treatment, stands as the foremost prodrug of dopamine. An affordable self‐testing kit is utilized to monitor levodopa content in anti‐parkinson drugs in human serum. A photoluminescent trinuclear Zn(II) complex [Zn3(L)2(κ1‐OAc)2(κ2‐OAc)2] has been synthesized, which cleaves into mononuclear ZC in aqueous solution. ZC was found to detect L‐Dopa in Tris‐HCl buffer, exhibiting a moderate decrease in PL‐emission. The real‐life utility of the ZC probe is limited, for its lower sensitivity (LOD 35.3 μM) and separation challenges. Therefore, an interface between homogeneous and heterogeneous supports has been explored, leading to the strategic development of NGOZC, where ZC was grafted onto NGOQD (Graphene oxide quantum dots). This material enables naked‐ eye detection under both ambient and UV light with color change from bright cyan to green, followed by dark. The nitrogen doping effect was investigated by several comparative investigations involving the synthesis of ZC‐grafted GOQD, leading to enhanced quenching performance. Steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence titration study, morphological analysis, and computational calculations have been performed to get insights into the sensing mechanism. To the best of our knowledge, this as‐synthesized NGOZC (LOD 1.78 nM) represents a promising strategy and platform for applications in biosensors, especially for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Class imbalance is a critical challenge in big data analytics, often leading to biased predictive models. This imbalance can lead to biased models that perform well on the majority class but poorly on the minority class. Many machine learning models tend to be biased towards the majority class because they aim to minimise overall error, often leading to poor performance on the minority class. This paper presents the balanced ensemble neural network, a novel solution to effectively address class imbalance in big data. Balanced ensemble neural network combines the robust capabilities of neural networks with the power of ensemble learning, incorporating class balancing strategies to ensure fair representation of minority classes. The methodology involves integrating multiple neural networks, each trained on balanced subsets of data using techniques like Synthetic Minority Over‐sampling Technique and Random Undersampling. This integration aims to leverage the strengths of individual networks while reducing their inherent biases. Our extensive experiments across various datasets reveal that BENN achieves an AUC‐ROC score of 0.94, surpassing other models such as random forest (0.88), support vector (0.84) and single neural net (0.80). It was also observed that BENN's performance is better compared to traditional neural network models and standard ensemble methods in key metrics like accuracy, precision, recall, F1‐score and AUC‐ROC. The results specifically highlight BENN's effectiveness in accurately classifying instances of minority classes, a notable challenge in many existing models. These findings underscore BENN's potential as a substantial advancement in handling class imbalance within big data environments, offering a promising direction for future research and application in machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous investigations study the improvement of flame retardancy of epoxy resins using additives, maintaining the flame retardant (FRs) modes of action present in the resins upon transfer to composites is challenging. In this study, ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and inorganic silicate (InSi) are loaded at 10%, 30%, and 50% by weight, in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin cured with dicyandiamide and transferred to bidirectional (BD) glass fiber (GF) composites. Although a 50% loading of the FRs impacts the curing kinetics of the resin system, the effect on the glass transition temperature of the resin system remains negligible compared to reactive FRs in the state of the art integrated into the resin's chemical structure. Increasing the FR content improved the heat release characteristics in both the resins and composites. However, the charring mode of action is completely suppressed in the formulation with 10% APP + InSi. A 30% concentration of the FRs restored the charring action in the composite and the GFs provide increased protective layer action upon transfer to the composites. This study highlights the importance of accounting for the changing dynamics related to processing and flame retardancy upon transferring FRs from resins to composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the synthesis of a binary composite was conducted by combining Cu‐MOF and Bi2WO6. The resulting composite, denoted as CuBW, was systematically prepared with varying weight percentages: CuBW20, CuBW50, and CuBW80. To assess the properties of the composites, multiple characterization techniques were employed, including FTIR, XRD, FESEM‐Elemental Mapping, BET‐BJH, TEM, HRTEM‐SAED, and XPS. The composites were subjected to electrochemical testing utilizing a three‐electrode system, with 3 M KOH serving as the electrolyte. Through the electrochemical study, various parameters were evaluated and subsequently compared to determine any differences or similarities among the different compositions. CuBW80 exhibits superior performance with a specific capacity of 1137 F g−1, specific energy of 11 Wh kg−1, and specific power of 4000 W kg−1 at an operating current density of 0.5 A g−1. In the cyclic stability test, CuBW80 demonstrated superior performance by retaining approximately 83% of its initial specific capacitance over 10000 cycles. This further highlights its resilience and durability, reinforcing its suitability for extended and reliable use in energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study tested a longitudinal mediation model throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic focused on whether students' housing instability stress and food/financial instability stress at the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020 (T1) informed sleep dissatisfaction and duration in fall 2020 (T2) and, in turn, physical and mental health in spring 2021 (T3). Further, we tested whether relations varied based on students' ethnic‐racial backgrounds. Participants included 879 Asian, Black, Latine, Multiracial, and White emerging adult college students (Mage = 19.95, SD = 0.33) from a large public university in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States who attended college during the COVID‐19 pandemic and completed surveys about their experiences. Findings indicated a significant mediation process, such that T1 housing instability stress predicted greater T2 sleep dissatisfaction and, in turn, less physical health, greater depressive symptoms, and greater anxiety symptoms at T3. Additionally, T1 food/financial instability stress was significantly associated with less T2 sleep duration but was not, in turn, associated with any T3 outcomes. Findings did not vary by students' ethnicity/race. Results highlight that sleep dissatisfaction is an important factor that accounts for relations between COVID‐19 stressors predicting mental and physical health outcomes throughout the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the geometrically deformed compact objects in the f(Q, T) gravity theory under an electric field through gravitational decoupling via minimal geometric deformation (MGD) technique are developed for the first time. The decoupled field equations are solved via two different mimic approaches Θ00=ρ${\Theta}_{0}^{0}=\rho $ and Θ11=pr${\Theta}_{1}^{1}={p}_{r}$ through the Karmarkar condition. Physical viability tests are conducted on our models and examine how decoupling parameters affect the physical qualities of objects. The obtained models are compared with the observational constraints for neutron stars PSR J1810+174, PSR J1959+2048, and PSR J2215+5135, including GW190814. Particularly, by modifying parameters α and n, the occurrence of a "mass gap" component is accomplished. The resulting models exhibit stable, well‐behaved mass profiles, regular behavior and no gravitational collapse, as verified by the Buchdahl–Andréasson's limit. Furthermore, a thorough physical analysis that is based on two parameters: n (f(Q, T)–coupling parameter) and α (decoupling parameter) is provided. This work extends our current understanding of compact star configurations and sheds light on the behavior of compact objects in the f(Q, T) gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) but is underrecognized clinically. Although systematic screening is a recommended strategy to improve depression recognition in primary care practice, it has not been widely used in PD care. Methods: The 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS‐15) was implemented at 5 movement disorders clinics to screen PD patients. Sites developed processes suited to their clinical workflow. Qualitative interviews with clinicians and patients provided information on feasibility, acceptability, and perceived utility. Results: Prior to implementation, depression screening was recorded in 12% using a formal instrument; 64% were screened informally by clinical interview, and no screening was recorded in 24%. Of 1406 patients seen for follow‐up care during the implementation period, 88% were screened, 59% using the GDS‐15 (self‐administered in 51% and interviewer administered in 8%), a nearly 5‐fold increase in formal screening. Lack of clinician or staff time and inability to provide the GDS‐15 to the patient ahead of the visit were the most commonly cited reasons for lack of screening using the GDS‐15; 378 (45%) patients completing the GDS‐15 screened positive for depression, and 137 were enrolled for a 12‐month prospective follow‐up. Mean GDS‐15 scores improved from 8.8 to 7.0 (P < 0.0001) and the 39‐item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire emotional subscore from 42.2 to 36.7 (P = 0.0007). Conclusions: Depression screening in PD using a formal instrument can be achieved at much higher levels than is currently practiced, but there are barriers to implementing this in clinical practice. An individual site‐specific process is necessary to optimize screening rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Both low family income and subclinical myocardial injury (SCMI) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. However, the impact of their joint association on CVD mortality is unclear. Methods: This analysis from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included 6805 participants (age 59.1 ± 13.4 years, 52.3% women, and 49.8% White) free of CVD at baseline. Family income was assessed using the poverty‐income ratio (PIR) and categorized into low (PIR < 1), middle (PIR = 1–4), and high (PIR > 4) income. A validated ECG‐based cardiac infarction injury score (CIIS) ≥ 10 was considered positive for SCMI. CVD mortality was determined using the National Death Index. Cox‐proportional hazard analysis was used to evaluate the associations of family income and SCMI, separately and jointly, with CVD mortality. Results: A total of 1782 (26.2%) participants had SCMI at baseline. During a median follow‐up of 18.2 years, 856 (12.6%) events of CVD mortality occurred. In separate multivariable Cox models, SCMI (vs. no SCMI) and middle‐ and low‐income (vs. high‐income) were each associated with a higher risk of CVD mortality (HR [95% CI]: 1.34 [1.16–1.54], 1.44 [1.16–1.78], and 1.59 [1.22–2.07], respectively). Compared to high‐income participants without SCMI, those with low‐income and SCMI had an increased risk of CVD mortality (HR [95% CI]: 2.17 [1.53–3.08]). The multiplicative interaction between PIR and SCMI was not significant (p = 0.054). Conclusion: Lower family income and SCMI are associated with CVD mortality, and their concomitant presence is associated with the highest risk. Family income and SCMI may help in the individualized assessment of CVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following heart transplantation (HT). Prior studies identified distinct CAV trajectories in the early post‐HT period with unique predictors, but the evolution of CAV in later periods is not well‐described. This study assessed the prevalence of late CAV progression and associated risk factors in HT recipients with ISHLT CAV 0/1 at 10 years post‐HT. Consecutive adult patients who underwent HT from January 2000 to December 2008 were evaluated and grouped by CAV trajectories into progressors (developed ISHLT CAV 2/3) or nonprogressors (remained ISHLT CAV 0/1). A total of 130 patients were included with a median age at angiography of 61.7 years and a median follow‐up time of 4.8 years. 8.5% progressed to CAV 2/3, while the remaining 91.5% were nonprogressors. Progression was not associated with death or retransplantation (27.3% [progressor] vs. 21.0% [nonprogressor], p = 0.70). These data may inform shared decision‐making about late CAV screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we explore a finite horizon optimal stabilization and tracking control scheme for the dynamical model of a 6‐DOF Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Dynamical equations of the AUV are represented in a Lie group (SE(3)$$ SE(3) $$) framework, encompassing both translational and rotational motions. Utilizing a left Lie group action on SE(3)$$ SE(3) $$, we define error function for velocities via a right transport map to effectively address optimal trajectory tracking. The optimal control objective is formulated as a trade‐off problem, aiming to minimize both errors and control effort simultaneously. Left action on SE(3)$$ SE(3) $$ yields the left trivialized Hamiltonian function from which the concomitant state and costate dynamical equations are derived using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle (PMP). Consequently, the resulting two‐point boundary value problem is solved to obtain optimal trajectories. We demonstrate the optimality of the resulting solution obtained from the derived control law. For ensuring boundedness in the presence of small disturbances, this study incorporates the effects of internal parametric uncertainties associated with added mass and inertia components, along with the influence of external disturbances induced by ocean currents. Through simulation validations, we confirm the alignment of our results with the theoretical developments, demonstrating that the proposed control law effectively mitigates both parametric uncertainties and ocean current disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present era, a significant amount of research work is focused on eco‐friendly technologies and advanced liquid waste management strategies. Notably, industries primarily textile chemical processing sectors which are inherently involved with a wide array of dye usage, are integral focal points for these transformative endeavors. Against this backdrop, we have successfully synthesized an innovative photocatalyst with a remarkable capability to rapidly neutralize deleterious dyes within an astonishingly brief span of 4–6 minutes, facilitated by exposure to UV‐visible irradiation. Briefly, our approach entails the hydrothermal synthesis of a composite material based on zinc stannate (ZnSnO3) nanoparticles integrated with the copper‐decorated metal‐organic framework (ZnSnO3@H3BTC‐Cu MOF). The resulting material is endowed with a crystalline and porous architecture that confers a specific surface area measuring 437.25 m2 g−1, a value surpassing that of unadorned nano‐ZnSnO3 by a factor of approximately 15 (29.11 m2 g−1). Noteworthy beyond its enhanced surface features, the newly synthesized ZnSnO3@H3BTC−Cu MOF exhibits remarkable antibacterial efficacy against gram‐positive S. aureus and gram‐negative E. coli bacterial strains. It might also be considered a stable photocatalyst to be used in wastewater treatment, as evidenced by the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the synthesis of a hybrid nanomaterial, denoted as Ni‐Zn−S@Cyclodextrine, through a cost‐effective and easy co‐precipitation method. The resulting nanomaterial has been thoroughly characterized and applied for the adsorptive removal of Crystal violet and Congo red dyes from their solutions. The study delves into the thermodynamics and kinetics of the sorption process, as well as helps to propose adsorption mechanism for both the dyes onto the Ni‐Zn−S@Cyclodextrine surface. A comprehensive analysis, encompassing techniques, such as XRD, FTIR, SEM‐EDX, TEM, TGA, Zeta potential, and XPS, have been conducted to explore the structural and morphological attributes of the prepared nanomaterial. Furthermore, key sorption parameters, including adsorbent's dosage, temperature, contact time, and solution pH, have been systematically optimized to achieve maximum efficiency. The TEM images of prepared nanomaterial indicated the particle size ranging between 60–80 nm. Moreover, it exhibited a strong affinity for both the dyes, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 138.20 mgg−1 for Congo red and 129.95 mgg−1 for Crystal violet dyes at 303 K. The thermodynamics of the adsorption process indicated an endothermic and spontaneous nature. Isotherm studies revealed that the data best aligned with the Freundlich isotherm, while the kinetics of the reaction adhered to a pseudo‐second order within the investigated temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While limited resources can make high‐quality, comprehensive, coordinated cancer care provision challenging in rural settings, rural cancer patients often rely on local hospitals for care. To develop resources and strategies to support high‐quality local cancer care, it is critical to understand the current experiences of rural cancer care physicians, including perceived strengths and challenges of providing cancer care in rural areas. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 13 cancer providers associated with all 12 non‐metropolitan/rural Iowa hospitals that diagnose or treat >100 cancer patients annually. Iterative thematic analysis was conducted to develop domains. Findings: Participants identified geographic proximity and sense of community as strengths of local care. They described decision‐making processes and challenges related to referring patients to larger centers for complex procedures, including a lack of dedicated navigators to facilitate and track transfers between institutions and occasional lack of respect from academic physicians. Participants reported a desire for strengthening collaborations with larger urban/academic cancer centers, including access to educational opportunities, shared resources and strategies to collect and monitor data on quality, and clinical trials. Conclusions: Rural cancer care providers are dedicated to providing high‐quality care close to home for their patients and would welcome opportunities to increase collaboration with larger centers to improve coordination and comprehensiveness of care, collect and monitor data on quality of care, and access continuing education opportunities. Further research is needed to develop implementation approaches that will extend resources, services, and expertise to rural providers to facilitate high‐quality cancer care for all cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural areas have low levels of advancement and access to resources compared to urban regions, and elevating these regions is fundamental for accomplishing balanced and sustainable development. Rural uplifting typically includes a range of interventions, and by drawing in local stakeholders, rural uplifting projects can make sustainable arrangements that are custom‐made for each community's unique difficulties and opportunities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) can contribute to and aid the government's efforts in rural development. CybageAsha's (CSR department of Cybage Software) flagship programs seek to improve rural communities through sustainable solutions. These encompass income‐generating interventions using contemporary agricultural methods as well as infrastructure development. This article analyses the impact of agricultural interventions on the farmers' livelihoods carried out by CybageAsha in 19 villages across the Pune district (India) by using the t‐test and difference‐in‐difference approach. Findings reveal that the shift from traditional farming methods to adopting new farming methods among beneficiaries has added value in improving the beneficiaries' yields, incomes, skills, and livelihood. CybageAsha's interventions positively impacted the beneficiaries, contributing to agricultural development, livelihood improvement, income generation, and a decline in migration. However, there is a need for continuous support and improvement to sustain the benefits for farmers. The article provides a new understanding for researchers and practitioners about the CSR approaches towards agricultural development. Addressing the challenges and concerns identified in the data analysis will further enhance the effectiveness of rural uplifting initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the widespread and diverse effects of transition metal ions such as copper and zinc in multiple biological processes, this research endeavor addresses herein the microwave‐aided synthesis of two novel tetradentate ONNO (L1) and tridentate NNO (L2) donor Schiff base ligands derived from 4,5‐dimethyl‐1,2‐phenylenediamine and 4‐bromo‐2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde in a 1:2 ratio and from 4,5‐dimethyl‐1,2‐phenylenediamine and 5‐methoxy‐2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde in a 1:1 ratio, with their respective zinc, ZnL1(1) and ZnL2(3), and copper, CuL1(2) and CuL2(4), Schiff base metal complexes, which are comprehensively characterized utilizing physiochemical and analytical techniques, along with geometry optimization using the DFT approach. Spectrophotometric analyses have been used to assess the biomimetic activity in the conversion of 3,5‐DTBC to 3,5‐DTBQ with turnover numbers 53.4 and 78 h−1 in methanol for 2 and 4, whereas the zinc complexes are found to be ineffective. With CT‐DNA, possible modes of interaction with the synthesized complexes have been explored using absorption spectroscopy, where the associated binding constants ranged between 1.541 × 105 and 2.186 × 105 M−1. EtBr‐bound DNA was used in the fluorescence quenching experiments with Stern–Volmer constant (Ksv) values in the range 4.084 × 104 and 3.402 × 104 M−1, showing a stronger association with CT‐DNA. The compounds' ability to inhibit bacterial strains was also examined in vitro, as well as their ability to reduce inflammation, through the protein denaturation method and the DPPH assay for antioxidant activity have been performed. Furthermore, molecular docking simulations have been carried out to obtain a deeper comprehension of the molecular‐level interactions with CT‐DNA and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanochemistry approach is developed for regioselective synthesis of functionalized dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidines by milling propargylic alcohols and 6‐aminouracils with HFIP/p‐TsOH. In the case of tert‐propargyl alcohols, this [3+3] cascade annulation proceeded through allenylation of uracil followed by a 6‐endo trig cyclization. With sec‐propargyl alcohols, the reaction furnished the propargylation of uracil. This atom economy ball milling reaction allows access to a broad range of dihydropyrido[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives in excellent yields. We demonstrated the gram scale synthesis of 3 g and post‐synthetic modifications to effect the cyclization of 5 to 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript seeks to describe diagnostic considerations in individuals with diabetes mellitus presenting to the ED with abdominal pain. It highlights the importance of early investigation with computerised tomography to differentiate aetiologies that compel early surgical intervention from those which may be treated conservatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate and analyze the behavior of 4G and 5G OFDMA cellular networks in real time, it is essential to have a real‐time testbed to emulate these cellular networks. We developed the experimental testbed in this work and proposed a real‐time approach to emulating these networks. We take real‐time measurements in indoor and outdoor environments. From the results, we say the proposed testbed can be used to identify the activity of spectrum occupancy of 4G and 5G cellular systems within a specified time, and one can also test their algorithm, protocols, and solutions using our developed testbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic transfer of solvent‐free, additive flame retardant (FR) formulations from epoxy resins to glass fiber‐reinforced epoxy composites (GFRECs) through prepregs is difficult. Additionally, obtaining data on their post‐fire mechanics is often challenging. Utilizing melamine polyphosphate (MPP), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and silane‐coated ammonium polyphosphate (SiAPP) FRs with low‐melting inorganic silicates (InSi) in an 8:2 proportion and 10% loading by weight in a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) resin, a systematic investigation of the processing properties, room‐temperature mechanics, and temperature‐based mechanics of the systems was performed. The resin was cured with a dicyandiamide hardener (DICY) and a urone accelerator. The results revealed no substantial impact of these FRs at the current loading on the resin's glass transition temperature or processability. However, the fire residues from cone calorimetry tests of the composites containing FRs were found to be only 15‐20% of the thickness of the resins, implying a suppression of intumescence upon transfer. At room temperature, the decrease in the flexural modulus for the composites containing FRs was negligible. Exposure of the composites in a furnace at 400°C as a preliminary study before ignition tests was shown to cause significant flexural moduli reductions after 2.5 min of exposure and complete delamination after 3 min making further testing unviable. This study emphasizes the need for future research on recovering modes of action upon transfer of FR formulations from resins to composites. Based on the challenges outlined in this investigation, sample adaptation methods for post‐fire analysis will be developed in a future study. Highlights: Processibility of resins for prepreg production unaffected by polyphosphate/inorganic silicate flame retardants (FRs).FR formulations had a negligible effect on the mechanics of the composites.15%–25% increase in the fracture toughness of the DGEBA‐based resin matrix with FRs.Suppression of intumescent behavior in the composites verified quantitatively.Significant reduction in flexural moduli of the composites post‐400°C exposure in a furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the prolonged, uneven, and evolving nature of the Covid‐19 pandemic, this study provides one of the first dynamic, multilevel perspectives of women's fertility intentions in response to the pandemic and its multifaceted impacts. We examine how evolving individual‐ and community‐level Covid‐19 risk mechanisms and socioeconomic and life‐course conditions are associated with continuity and change in women's fertility intentions. We combine individual‐level panel data from a population‐based sample of women aged 18–34 in Pernambuco, Brazil in 2020 and 2021 with corresponding administrative data from 94 municipalities. We use multinomial logit regressions to model continuity and change in fertility intentions across waves. We then estimate fixed effect models to highlight the time‐varying determinants of changing fertility intentions while accounting for unobserved, time‐invariant individual factors. We find that high and/or increasing individual and community‐level Covid‐19 exposure is associated with a greater likelihood of abandoning initial childbearing plans and a greater likelihood to maintain intentions to forego versus to intend having additional children. We advance the literature by highlighting how individual‐level Covid‐19 infection risk perceptions matter for fertility intentions, net of community‐level exposure, and the necessity of dynamic perspectives for understanding how fertility intentions have changed (or not) in response to the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically precise nanoclusters hold promise for supramolecular assembly and (opto)electronic‐ as well as magnetic materials. Herein, this work reports that treating palladium(0) precursors with a triphosphirane affords strongly colored Pd8(PDip)6 that is fully characterized by mass spectrometry, heteronuclear and Cross‐Polarization Magic‐Angle Spinning (CP‐MAS) NMR‐, infrared (IR), UV–vis, and X‐ray photoelectron (XP) spectroscopies, single‐crystal X‐Ray diffraction (sc‐XRD), mass spectrometry, and cyclovoltammetry (CV). This coordinatively unsaturated 104‐electron Pd(0) cluster features a cubic Pd8‐core, µ4‐capping phosphinidene ligands, and is air‐stable. Quantum chemical calculations provide insight to the cluster's electronic structure and suggest 5s/4d orbital mixing as well as minor Pd─P covalency. Trapping experiments reveal that cluster growth proceeds via insertion of Pd(0) into the triphosphirane. The unsaturated cluster senses ethylene and binds isocyanides, which triggers the rearrangement to a tetrahedral structure with a reduced frontier orbital energy gap. These experiments demonstrate facile cluster manipulation and highlight non‐destructive cluster rearrangement as is required for supramolecular assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the phenomenon of memory formation and recall associated with the use of psychotropic drugs has been extensively studied, mechanisms underlying memories for natural reward have not been clarified. Herein, we test the hypothesis that glutamatergic receptors in the dentate gyrus play a role in memories associated with sucrose. We used pellet self‐administration protocol to generate memories in two‐port nose‐poke discrimination task using male Wistar rats. During non‐rewarded probe trial, the conditioned animals readily discriminated the active port versus inactive port and showed massive increase in mRNA expression of AMPA receptor subunit genes (gria2, gria3) as well as c‐Fos protein in the DG. Access to sweet pellet further enhanced c‐Fos expression in the DG. However, animals pre‐treated with AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX (intra‐DG), on exposure to operant chamber (no pellet), showed decreased discrimination as well as c‐Fos expression. We suggest that AMPA receptors in DG mediate recall and consolidation of memories associated with sucrose consumption. CNQX pre‐treated animals, if presented with sweet pellet on nose poke, exhibited high discrimination index coupled with increased c‐Fos expression. In these CNQX treated rats, the DI was again decreased following administration of NMDA receptor antagonist AP5. We suggest that, although AMPA receptors are blocked, the access to sweet pellet may induce surge of glutamate in the DG, which in turn may reinstate memories via activation of erstwhile silent synapses in NMDA dependant manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate the efficacy of a virtual, interdisciplinary workshop in improving HPV knowledge, and vaccination practices among primary care and dental trainees. Methods: A virtual platform was utilized to hold HPV educational workshops with primary care and dental trainees. Online surveys were distributed before and after the 1‐h interactive workshop, led by otolaryngology residents. Surveys included the workshop's impact on (a) improving knowledge of HPV‐associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and (b) affecting change in HPV vaccination practices. The vaccination rates of trainees were recorded prior to and after workshop attendance. Results: After the workshop, participants demonstrated significantly improved scores related to knowledge of HPV in the head and neck (p = 0.003) and showed an increased comfort level with counseling on HPV vaccination (p = 0.002). Respondents were also more aware that the HPV vaccine is approved to prevent OPSCC (61% vs. 95%, p < 0.05). Ninety‐seven percent of respondents stated that the workshop changed their HPV vaccination practices, and 95% of those not fully vaccinated stated they would now be more likely to receive the vaccine themselves. There was a significant increase in the average number of HPV vaccines administered at the studied trainee clinic, from 16.83 vaccines/month to 37.6 vaccines/month (percent increase = 123%) in 5 months following the workshop (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The present interactive virtual workshop demonstrates efficacy in improving HPV‐related knowledge and vaccination practices among trainees. The virtual nature of the course facilitates knowledge transfer and can be used to foster multi‐institutional partnerships regarding medical education and vaccination efforts. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:3096–3101, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes an argument for a geography of girlhood, located at the intersection of historical geographies of globalisation and empire on the one hand, and feminist interventions in the geography of childhood and youth on the other. A focus on girlhood, I argue, opens up a debate on the discipline's own implication in a debate on climate science, moral hierarchies of civilisation and reproductive health at which intersection the category of 'girl' was materialised in the 19th century. This focus extends and historicises the argument made by scholars like Nicola Ansel that geographies of childhood speak not only to intimate scales of experience ‐ such as the home and neighbourhood—but instead suggest the ways in which everyday life is implicated in the scale of the global and the geopolitical. Drawing on an inter‐disciplinary scholarship, the paper argues that debates on gender and maturity—converging on the figure of the 'girl'—shaped raced and classed imaginaries of progress in the 19th and 20th centuries. Through this, the paper demonstrates that 'girlhood' is at the heart of historical geographies of urban planning, social care, and health, as well as indexing the continuities in the transition from a colonial discourse of civilisation to a mid‐20th century concern with development. Finally, the paper asks how to write about girls through an archive that is almost obsessively fixated on them as subjects of education and reform, even whilst they rarely appear in it as speaking subjects. I argue that both an emergent focus on non‐textual objects as sources, as well as the use of ephemeral material—including notes, creative writing exercises from the classroom, school diaries etc.—alongside the official archive might open the scholarship up to a multi‐scalar analysis of girlhood as imbricated in larger global and national discursive and material practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the world is still facing the global pandemic COVID‐19, another zoonosis monkeypox (Mpox) has emerged posing a great threat to society. Insight into the pathogenesis, symptoms, and management strategies will aid in the development of potent therapeutics for the treatment of monkeypox virus infection. Objectives: To get insight into the current treatment and prevention strategies will aid in effectively coping with the disease. Methods: For obtaining information regarding the ongoing treatment and prevention strategies and the drugs under pipeline, we referred to Google Scholar, Pub Med, Pub Chem, and WHO official site. Results: There are a few drugs that came out to be effective for the treatment of Mpox. Tecovirimat acts by inhibiting viral replication and viral wrapping. Another drug is cidofovir, which hinders the activity of viral DNA polymerase but has the drawback of nephrotoxicity. To overcome this, a conjugate of cidofovir is being used—known as brincidofovir—which has a similar mechanism as cidofovir but lesser toxicity. Ribavirin acts via inhibiting inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDPH) thus disrupting viral translation. It also interferes with helicase activity. Tiazofurin, Adenosine N1 oxide, and HPMPA have shown efficacy in in‐vitro studies by inhibiting IMPDH, DNA polymerase, and viral mRNA translation respectively. In‐silico studies have proven the effect of nilotinib, simeprevir, and dihydroergotamine for Mpox treatment. They have shown binding affinity for proteins required for the growth and release of MPXV. Vaccines have also been employed for the prevention of Mpox, which includes JYNNEOS, ACAM2000, and VIGIV. Conclusion: This review highlights the pathogenesis of the virus, disease manifestations, drugs, and vaccines that are being used and those under pipeline for the treatment and prevention of Mpox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored various drying techniques and temperatures to analyze their effects on the drying kinetics and quality of copra. The initial moisture content of coconut kernels was 50%–55% (w.b.), which decreased to 6%–8% (w.b.) as a result of the drying process. This study focuses on evaluating the individual and hybrid effects of infrared drying (IRD) and hot‐air drying (HAD) techniques to enhance the quality of copra. Three drying methods were used: IRD, HAD, and infrared‐assisted hot‐air drying (IRAHAD). Coconut pieces were subjected to different drying temperatures (50, 60, and 70°C) with a constant air speed of 2 m/s. Optimal results were achieved by employing the IRAHAD method at 60°C, preserving a crucial fat content of 68.4% essential for increased extraction of oil from copra and comparatively high drying rates. In particular, the drying rates in IRAHAD were twice as high as those in IRD and HAD. At a drying temperature of 60°C, the logarithmic model and the diffusion approximation model were deemed the best fit for HAD and IRAHAD, respectively. Practical applications: This study demonstrates the efficacy of infrared‐assisted hot‐air drying (IRAHAD) at 60°C in preserving copra's crucial fat content of 68.4% for optimal oil extraction. By implementing IRAHAD, producers can efficiently dry coconut kernels while maintaining quality, enhancing extraction yields, and improving overall profitability in the coconut processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the detrimental effects of terrestrial invasive plant species (TIPS) on native species, ecosystems, public health, and the economy, many countries have been actively looking for strategies to prevent the introduction and minimize the spread of TIPS. Fast and accurate detection of TIPS is essential to achieving these goals. Conventionally, invasive species monitoring has relied on morphological attributes. Recently, DNA‐based species identification (i.e., DNA barcoding) has become more attractive. To investigate whether DNA barcoding can aid in the detection and management of TIPS, we visited multiple nature areas in Southwest Michigan and collected a small piece of leaf tissue from 91 representative terrestrial plant species, most of which are invasive. We extracted DNA from the leaf samples, amplified four genomic loci (ITS, rbcL, matK, and trnH‐psbA) with PCR, and then purified and sequenced the PCR products. After careful examination of the sequencing data, we were able to identify reliable DNA barcode regions for most species and had an average PCR‐and‐sequencing success rate of 87.9%. We found that the species discrimination rate of a DNA barcode region is inversely related to the ease of PCR amplification and sequencing. Compared with rbcL and matK, ITS and trnH‐psbA have better species discrimination rates (80.6% and 63.2%, respectively). When ITS and trnH‐psbA are simultaneously used, the species discrimination rate increases to 97.1%. The high species/genus/family discrimination rates of DNA barcoding indicate that DNA barcoding can be successfully employed in TIPS identification. Further increases in the number of DNA barcode regions show little or no additional increases in the species discrimination rate, suggesting that dual‐barcode approaches (e.g., ITS + trnH‐psbA) might be the efficient and cost‐effective method in DNA‐based TIPS identification. Close inspection of nucleotide sequences at the four DNA barcode regions among related species demonstrates that DNA barcoding is especially useful in identifying TIPS that are morphologically similar to other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Establishing a new medical school is a significant venture involving many complex political, social, economic, educational, and organisational considerations. The published literature on the process of establishing a new medical school is, however, under‐developed with minimal empirical research and no explicit reference to theory. This research sought to address these gaps and establish an empirical and theoretical evidence‐base for the process of new medical school establishment in diverse contexts, particularly medically under‐served areas.A Critical Realist Multiple Case Study was undertaken to examine the establishment of new medical schools across three continents. Data were collected between 2016 and 2018 through observational data gathered on site visits to three medical schools in medically under‐served areas, relevant documents/audio‐visual materials, and semi‐structured interviews with key founding personnel. Data were analysed using the Critical Realist approach. Institutional Entrepreneurship theory was applied, adapted, and extended to explore and explain the phenomenon of new medical school establishment in diverse contexts.This study identifies eight critical success factors underpinning new medical school establishment. Framed as the Eight C's Framework (8CF), these factors include Context (field conditions), Catalysts (institutional entrepreneurs), Conducing (helping to bring about a particular situation or outcome), Collecting (resources), Connecting (relationships), Convincing (rationales), Challenges, and Consequences (outcomes). 8CF highlights that new medical schools are successfully established when Catalysts act within their Contexts to undertake the tasks of Conducing, Convincing, Collecting, and Connecting in order to produce desired Consequences and overcome Challenges.The Eight C's Framework is a theory‐based, empirically supported framework that can be applied across different contexts to strategically guide the successful establishment of new medical schools. Founding leaders and stakeholders could use 8CF to ensure their establishment efforts are underpinned by theory and scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) have greatest potential in fluorescence sensing, energy, bioimaging and environmental pollutant sensing. Heteroatom doping have dramatically enhanced fluorescent properties and stability of CDs. In this work, sulfur doped carbon dots (DCDs) using jaggery as carbon precursor through direct heating method at 180 °C. The synthesized DCDs were characterized through XRD, FTIR, XPS, TEM, Fluorescence and UV‐Visible spectroscopic techniques. The DCDs have 9 nm particle size with amorphous nature and surface decorated with −OH, C−S, C=O functional groups on surface because of contribution of major element like C, O, and S elements. The DCDs showing bright blue emission having 360 nm excitation and 460 nm emission wavelength. Further, the DCDs were employed for metal ion sensing and it selectively detects Fe3+ metal ion with 1.92 μg/mL of detection and 5.84 μg/mL limit of quantification. The experiment follows static quenching mechanism which is confirmed by fluorescence life time experiment. This low‐cost, time effective fluorescent sensitive carbon dots have potential application in environmental pollution control, biomedical and forensic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasing the stresses on crops, resulting in reduced productivity and further augmenting global food security issues. The dynamic climatic conditions are a severe threat to the sustainability of the ecosystems. The role of technology in enhancing agricultural produce with the minimum environmental impact is hence crucial. Active molecule/Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are molecules helping plants' growth, development, and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, their degradation, leaching in surrounding soil and ground water, as well as the assessment of the correct dose of application etc., are some of the technical disadvantages faced. They can be resolved by encapsulation/loading of PGRs on polymer matrices. Micro/nanoencapsulation is a revolutionary tool to deliver bioactive compounds in an economically affordable and environmentally friendly way. Carrier‐based smart delivery systems could be a better alternative to PGRs application in the agriculture field than conventional methods (e.g., spraying). The physiochemical properties and release kinetics of PGRs from the encapsulating system are being explored. Therefore, the present review emphasizes the current status of PGRs encapsulation approach and their potential benefits to plants. This review also addressed the mechanistic action of carrier‐based delivery systems for release, which may aid in developing smart delivery systems with specific tailored properties in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 2022/23 influenza season in the United Kingdom saw the return of influenza to prepandemic levels following two seasons with low influenza activity. The early season was dominated by A(H3N2), with cocirculation of A(H1N1), reaching a peak late December 2022, while influenza B circulated at low levels during the latter part of the season. From September to March 2022/23, influenza vaccines were offered, free of charge, to all aged 2–13 (and 14–15 in Scotland and Wales), adults up to 49 years of age with clinical risk conditions and adults aged 50 and above across the mainland United Kingdom. Methods: End‐of‐season adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates against sentinel primary‐care attendance for influenza‐like illness, where influenza infection was laboratory confirmed, were calculated using the test negative design, adjusting for potential confounders. Methods: Results In the mainland United Kingdom, end‐of‐season VE against all laboratory‐confirmed influenza for all those > 65 years of age, most of whom received adjuvanted quadrivalent vaccines, was 30% (95% CI: −6% to 54%). VE for those aged 18–64, who largely received cell‐based vaccines, was 47% (95% CI: 37%–56%). Overall VE for 2–17 year olds, predominantly receiving live attenuated vaccines, was 66% (95% CI: 53%–76%). Conclusion: The paper provides evidence of moderate influenza VE in 2022/23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive vascular leakage and shock is a major cause of dengue‐associated mortality. At present, there are no specific treatments available. Sphingolipid pathway is a key player in the endothelial barrier integrity; and is mediated through the five sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptors (S1PR1‐S1PR5). Signaling through S1PR2 promotes barrier disruption; and in Dengue virus (DENV)‐infection, there is overexpression of this receptor. Fingolimod (FTY720) is a specific agonist that targets the remaining barrier‐protective S1P receptors, without targeting S1PR2. In the present study, we explored whether FTY720 treatment can alleviate DENV‐induced endothelial hyperpermeability. In functional assays, in both in vitro systems and in AG129 animal models, FTY720 treatment was found effective. Upon treatment, there was complete restoration of the monolayer integrity in DENV serotype 2‐infected human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC‐1). At the molecular level, the treatment reversed activation of the S1P pathway. It significantly reduced the phosphorylation of the key molecules such as PTEN, RhoA, and VE‐Cadherin; and also, the expression levels of S1PR2. In DENV2‐infected AG129 mice treated with FTY720, there was significant improvement in weight gain, in overall clinical symptoms, and in survival. Whereas 100% of the DENV2‐infected, untreated animals died by day‐10 post‐infection, 70% of the FTY720‐treated animals were alive; and at the end of the 15‐day post‐infection observation period, 30% of them were still surviving. There was a significant reduction in the Evan's‐blue dye permeability in the organs of FTY720‐treated, DENV‐2 infected animals; and also improvement in the hemogram, with complete restoration of thrombocytopenia and hepatic function. Our results show that the FDA‐approved molecule Fingolimod (FTY720) is a promising therapeutic intervention in severe dengue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) is caused by mutations in STAR. A systematic review of phenotype–genotype correlation and data on testicular histology in LCAH patients is unavailable. We aim to describe our experience and provide phenotype–genotype correlation. Design, Patients and Measurements: Retrospective review of three genetically proven LCAH patients from our centre and per‐patient data analysis from a systematic review of 292 probands. The phenotypic subgroups of 46,XY were Group A (typical female genitalia), Group B (atypical genitalia) and Group C (typical male genitalia). Results: We report three new LCAH probands from India, all diagnosed post‐infancy with preserved gonadal function and one novel variant. The systematic review reports 46,XY to 46,XX LCAH ratio of 1.1 (155:140). Patients with 46,XY LCAH in Group A were diagnosed in infancy (116/117) and had higher mineralocorticoid involvement than Group C (96.4% vs. 75%, p = 0.035), whereas Group C had preserved gonadal function. Hyperplastic adrenals are noted in ~60% of LCAH diagnosed with primary adrenal insufficiency in infancy. There was no report of gonadal germ cell cancer and rare reports of germ cell neoplasia in situ in adolescents, especially with intraabdominal gonads. Two‐thirds of LCAH probands were East‐Asian and 11/16 regional recurrent variants were from East Asia. There was minimal overlap between variants in Groups A (n = 55), B (n = 9) and C (n = 8). All nonsense and frameshift and most of the splice‐site variants and deletion/insertions were present in Group A. Conclusions: We report three new cases of LCAH from India. We propose a phenotype‐derived genotypic classification of reported STAR variants in 46,XY LCAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with autism exhibit a higher risk of poor oral health due to difficulty in the performance of simple tasks such as toothbrushing. Aim: This current systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Picture based intervention of toothbrush training on improvement of oral hygiene in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) Materials and methods: Prospero registered (CRD42023450156). PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus databases are searched from years January 1, 1980 to August 1, 2023 using broad search terms (brush) AND (autism). Results: The search queries have identified 853 titles, from three databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane), after application of filters for exclusion of systematic reviews and meta‐analysis, duplicate exclusion and removal of irrelevant titles led to the final inclusion of 24 articles for full text screening. From the 24 included studies, 10 studies (four RCTs and six non‐randomized clinical studies) sustained the final rigorous PICO search. Quantitative pooling of data were performed for limited articles. Conclusion: Low quality evidence suggest that picture‐based intervention of toothbrush training has significant improvement (p ≤.05) in improving toothbrushing habit as well as performance as indicated by the Plaque Index score (PI), Gingival index (GI) and Oral hygiene index score (OHI‐S). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy atom free organic materials absorbing in red to near infrared (NIR) region are potential candidates as photosensitizers (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT relies on many factors and one of them is singlet oxygen generation ability of PS in aqueous medium. In this contribution, we report the synthesis of a new PS i. e. 8‐thienyl bisbenzothieno‐[b]‐fused‐boron‐dipyrromethene (BT‐[b]‐fused BODIPY). This PS shows absorption (λabs) at ~650 nm in toluene while in its water‐dispersible nanoaggregates it is found at ~764 nm. Nanoaggregates of BT‐[b]‐fused BODIPY demonstrated dual advantages, (i) facilitating PS release in the cellular system and (ii) sharply enhanced singlet oxygen efficiency (ΦΔ ${\Phi _{\rm{\Delta }} }$ ~48 %) in aqueous medium. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was confirmed by 2′,7′‐dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay in A549 cells. In vitro photocytotoxic studies of BT‐[b]‐fused BODIPY are carried out in different carcinomas i. e. MCF‐7 and A549 cells. It has zero dark cell toxicity while half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) in MCF‐7 is found to be low (6.08±1.1) μM and 7.41±1.9 μM in A549 on 15 min light exposure. These nanoaggregates induce apoptosis in cancer cells on light irradiation thereby proving it to be a potential PS for PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic flux balance analysis (FBA) allows estimation of intracellular reaction rates using organism‐specific genome‐scale metabolic models (GSMM) and by assuming instantaneous pseudo‐steady states for processes that are inherently dynamic. This technique is well‐suited for industrial bioprocesses employing complex media characterized by a hierarchy of substrate uptake and product secretion. However, knowledge of exchange rates of many components of the media would be required to obtain meaningful results. Here, we performed spent media analysis using mass spectrometry coupled with liquid and gas chromatography for a fed‐batch, high‐cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) expressing a recombinant protein. Time course measurements thus obtained for 246 metabolites were converted to instantaneous exchange rates. These were then used as constraints for dynamic FBA using a previously reported GSMM, thus providing insights into how the flux map evolves through the process. Changes in tri‐carboxylic acid cycle fluxes correlated with the increased demand for energy during recombinant protein production. The results show how amino acids act as hubs for the synthesis of other cellular metabolites. Our results provide a deeper understanding of an industrial bioprocess and will have implications in further optimizing the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a summary of our initial experience and assess the impact of the Saline‐Assisted Fascial Exposure (SAFE) technique on erectile function (EF), urinary continence, and oncological outcomes after Robot‐Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (RALP). Patients and Methods: From January 2021 to July 2022, we included patients with a baseline Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score of ≥17 and a high probability of extracapsular extension (ECE), ranging from 21% to 73%, as per the Martini et al. nomogram. A propensity score matching was carried out at a ratio of 1:2 between patients who underwent RALP + SAFE (33) and RALP alone (66). The descriptive statistical analysis is presented. The SAFE technique was performed using two approaches, transrectal guided by micro‐ultrasound or transperitoneal. Its principle entails a low‐pressure injection of saline solution in the periprostatic fascia to achieve an atraumatic dissection of the neural hammock. Potency was defined as a SHIM score of ≥17 and continence as no pads per day. Results: At follow‐up intervals of 6, 13, 26, and 52 weeks, the SHIM score differed significantly between the two groups, favouring the RALP + SAFE (P = 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.01, respectively). These results remained significant when the mean SHIM score was assessed. As shown by the cumulative incidence curve, EF rates were higher in the RALP + SAFE compared to the RALP alone group (log‐rank P < 0.001). The baseline SHIM and use of the SAFE technique were independent predictors of EF recovery. Conclusions: The use of the SAFE technique led to better SHIM scores at 6, 13, 26, and 52 weeks after RALP in patients at high risk of ECE who underwent a partial NS procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early identification of subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) may improve patient care if it predicts cognition-related functional impairment (CFI). Objectives: The aim was to determine the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between SCC and CFI in PD. Methods: Data were obtained from Fox Insight, an online longitudinal study that collects PD patient-reported outcomes. Participants completed a PD Patient Report of Problems that asked participants for their five most bothersome disease problems. SCCs were placed into eight categories through human-in-the-loop curation and classification. CFI had a Penn Parkinson’s Daily Activities Questionnaire (PDAQ-15) score ≤49. Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses determined if baseline SCC was associated with incident CFI. Results: The PD-PROP cohort (N = 21,160) was 55.8% male, mean age was 65.9 years, and PD duration was 4.8 years. At baseline, 31.9% (N = 6750) of participants reported one or more SCCs among their five most bothersome problems, including memory (13.2%), language/ word finding (12.5%), and concentration/attention (9.6%). CFI occurred in 34.7% (N = 7332) of participants. At baseline, SCC was associated with CFI (P-value <0.001). SCC at baseline was associated with incident CFI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.58 [95% confidence interval: 1.45, 1.72], P-value <0.001), as did cognitive impairment not otherwise specified (HR = 2.31), executive abilities (HR = 1.97), memory (HR = 1.85), and cognitive slowing (HR = 1.77) (P-values <0.001). Kaplan–Meier curves showed that by year 3 an estimated 45% of participants with any SCC at baseline developed new-onset CFI. Conclusions: Self-reported bothersome cognitive complaints are associated with new-onset CFI in PD. Remote electronic assessment can facilitate widespread use of patient self-report at population scale. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant tumor cells go through morphological and gene expression alterations, including rearrangement of cytoskeleton proteins that promote invasion and metastasis. Microtubules form a major cytoskeleton component that plays a significant role in regulating multiple cellular activities and function depending on the presence of posttranslational modification (PTM). Acetylation is a type of PTM that generally occurs in the lysine 40 region of α‐tubulin and is known to be critically associated with cancer metastasis. Current evidence demonstrates that noncoding RNAs, such as long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (or miRNA), which are correlated with gene regulation modulate the expression of acetylated tubulin in the development and metastasis of cancer. This review provides an overview about the role of lncRNA and miRNA in regulation of tubulin acetylation in various types of cancer. Significance statement: Tubulin acetylation is one of the primary factors contributing to cancer progression and metastasis. It is commonly observed in various cancers like breast cancer, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer. Through the different courses of cancer development, lncRNA and microRNA regulate the expression of this tubulin acetylation. In spite of a number of research studies reporting relationships of various lncRNAs and microRNAs with Tubulin acetylation, a comprehensive review highlighting their interrelationship has yet not been discussed. Understanding their association in depth will be beneficial in developing new treatments for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of pediatric hospitalization for cutaneous pathology has been increasing in recent years, often requiring the expertise of consulting pediatric dermatologists; however, the infrastructure of inpatient pediatric dermatology consultative services remains poorly characterized. We sought to assess the structure, consult volume, physician compensation, and utilization of teledermatology in pediatric dermatology inpatient services to better understand the current care model. Our survey of 118 pediatric dermatologists revealed that 89% of respondents see between 1 and 10 new consults per week, 39% perform all inpatient consults including evening and weekends without assistance from other providers, 71% do not have protected time during the week to provide inpatient consultations, and only 10% receive financial compensation via stipend. By highlighting both the high demand for pediatric consultative dermatology as well as the significant burden placed on these providers by existing practice models, we hope to encourage a reappraisal of the current infrastructure of pediatric inpatient dermatology to increase structural and financial support for this vital service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]