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Despite various clinical options, human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesions do not fully heal. Biomaterial‐guided gene therapy using recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) vectors may improve the intrinsic mechanisms of ACL repair. Here, we examined whether poly(sodium styrene sulfonate)‐grafted poly(ε‐caprolactone) (pNaSS‐grafted PCL) films can deliver rAAV vectors coding for the reparative basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF‐2) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) in human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) as a source of implantable cells in ACL lesions. Efficient and sustained rAAV‐mediated reporter (red fluorescent protein) and therapeutic (FGF‐2 and TGF‐β) gene overexpression was achieved in the cells for at least 21 days in particular with pNaSS‐grafted PCL films relative to all other conditions (up to 5.2‐fold difference). Expression of FGF‐2 and TGF‐β mediated by rAAV using PCL films increased the levels of cell proliferation, the DNA contents, and the deposition of proteoglycans and of type‐I and ‐III collagen (up to 2.9‐fold difference) over time in the cells with higher levels of transcription factor expression (Mohawk, Scleraxis) (up to 1.9‐fold difference), without activation of inflammatory tumor necrosis alpha especially when using pNaSS‐grafted PCL films compared with the controls. Overall, the effects mediated by TGF‐β were higher than those promoted by FGF‐2, possibly due to higher levels of gene expression achieved upon rAAV gene transfer. This study shows the potential of using functionalized PCL films to apply rAAV vectors for ACL repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have become reliable green energy harvesters by converting biomechanical motions into electricity. However, the inevitable charge leakage and poor electric field (EF) of conventional TENG result in inferior tribo‐charge density on the active layer. In this paper, TiO2‐MXene incorporated polystyrene (PS) nanofiber membrane (PTMx NFM) charge trapping interlayer is introduced into single electrode mode TENG (S‐TENG) to prevent electron loss at the electrode interface. Surprisingly, this charge‐trapping mechanism augments the surface charge density and electric output performance of TENGs. Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) mixed polyurethane (PU) NFM is used as tribo‐active layer, which improves the crystallinity and mechanical property of PVDF to prevent delamination during long cycle tests. Herein, the effect of this double‐layer capacitive model is explained experimentally and theoretically. With optimization of the PTMx interlayer thickness, S‐TENG exhibits a maximum open‐circuit voltage of (280 V), short‐circuit current of (20 µA) transfer charge of (120 nC), and power density of (25.2 µW cm−2). Then, this energy is utilized to charge electrical appliances. In addition, the influence of AC/DC EF simulation in wound healing management (vitro L929 cell migration, vivo tissue regeneration) is also investigated by changing the polarity of trans‐epithelial potential (TEP) distribution in the wounded area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Adhesively bonded joints play a vital role in improving the structural performance of 3D‐printed components. This research aims to examine the effect of graphene inclusion on the failure load and vibrational behavior of polylactic acid flat‐joggle‐flat (FJF) joints prepared using fused deposition modeling. The present research focused on the effect of print directions (0°, 45°, 90°) and the inclusion of graphene nanofiller (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 wt%) on the performance of FJF joints. The effect of raster direction on mechanical properties was examined by tensile testing of dog‐bone samples. Results showed that 0° print orientation had higher tensile strength compared to other printing directions. Shear testing of FJF joints indicated that the inclusion of graphene has enhanced the strength of 3D‐printed FJF joints by 61.18%. Fractography results showed that the formation of the shear band with the inclusion of 0.50 wt% graphene helps to distribute the stress more evenly and prevent catastrophic failure of the FJF joint. The free vibrational test revealed that the inclusion of 0.50 wt% graphene had improved the natural frequencies, as the presence of graphene‐enhanced the interfacial bonding between FJF adherend and adhesive. 0° print orientation had higher tensile strength than other printing directions. Inclusion of graphene‐enhanced the shear strength of flat‐joggle‐flat (FJF) joints by 61.18%. Shear band formation delayed the failure of graphene‐reinforced FJF joints. FJF reinforced with 0.50 wt% graphene had adherend failure. FJF joint added with 1.0 wt% graphene had lower natural frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Mobile networks have advanced in many fields to share information with others. But finding the required resources for each user to share the data is a complex task because of the moving environment. So, the present research article has introduced a novel Chimp‐based Random Forest Peer Identification Framework (CbRFPIF) in the mobile environment. Initially, the required nodes were designed dynamically in the moving background. Hence, the designed wireless moving environment has included sender, peer, and receiver nodes. Moreover, the Chimp fitness model predicted the users' requested resources in the primary stage, then the nearest peer and the user locations were predicted. Consequently, the requested resource by users was distributed to the particular closest peers, and the peer forwarded the data to the specific users. Finally, the planned model is simulated in the NS2 environment, and the communication parameters were calculated and compared with other associated models, which gained the highest throughput and search rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of structures with a large radius of curvature is challenging because fiber‐reinforced composite materials have low resistance to delamination in the direction perpendicular to their thickness. These structures are commonly found in a wide variety of structural components that are used in the wind turbine and aviation industries. The objective of this study is to conduct an experimental investigation into the efficacy of incorporating milled glass fiber, cellulose nanoparticles, and carbon nanoparticles as fillers into an epoxy matrix to improve the resistance to delamination of glass/epoxy curved laminates and thereby inhibit crack growth. In contrast to the baseline samples, curved samples containing 3% cellulose nanoparticles demonstrated enhanced curved beam strength and interlaminar tensile strength by 4.95% and 3.82%, respectively. Additionally, filler‐loaded samples exhibited reduced delamination and fracture propagation damage compared with baseline samples. The adhesion between the epoxy matrix and infill was investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared analysis. In addition, live photographic images and fractured micrographs were correlated with mechanical findings in order to assess delamination suppression and damage processes in both the arm and arc directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Classical antiemetics that target the serotonin system may not be effective in treating certain nausea and vomiting conditions like cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). As a result, there is a need for better therapies to manage the symptoms of these disorders, including nausea, vomiting, and anxiety. Cannabis is often used for its purported antiemetic and anxiolytic effects, given regulation of these processes by the endocannabinoid system (ECS). However, there is considerable evidence that cannabinoids can also produce nausea and vomiting and increase anxiety in certain instances, especially at higher doses. This paradoxical effect of cannabinoids on nausea, vomiting, and anxiety may be due to the dysregulation of the ECS, altering how it maintains these processes and contributing to the pathophysiology of CVS or CHS.The purpose of this review is to highlight the involvement of the ECS in the regulation of stress, nausea, and vomiting. We discuss how prolonged cannabis use, such as in the case of CHS or heightened stress, can dysregulate the ECS and affect its modulation of these functions. The review also examines the evidence for the roles of ECS and stress systems' dysfunction in CVS and CHS to better understand the underlying mechanisms of these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unusual condition of the eye called diabetic retinopathy affects the human retina and is brought on by the blood's constant rise in insulin levels. Loss of vision is the result. Diabetic retinopathy can be improved by receiving an early diagnosis to prevent further damage. A cost‐effective method of accumulating medical treatments is through appropriate DR screening. In this work, deep learning framework is introduced for the accurate classification of retinal diseases. The proposed method processes retinal fundus images obtained from databases, addressing noise and artifacts through an improved median filter (ImMF). It leverages the UNet++ model for precise segmentation of the disease‐affected regions. UNet++ enhances feature extraction through cross‐stage connections, improving segmentation results. The segmented images are then fed as input to the improved gannet optimization‐based capsule DenseNet (IG‐CDNet) for retinal disease classification. The hybrid capsule DenseNet (CDNet) classifies disease and is optimized using the improved gannet optimization algorithm to boost classification accuracy. Finally, the accuracy and dice score values achieved are 0.9917 and 0.9652 on the APTOS‐2019 dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A new circular cavity‐backed slot antenna, which produces unidirectional radiation patterns, has been developed for wireless communication systems. The antenna utilizes substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) technology to create a low‐profile cavity. The metal cladding on top of the cavity has an engraved circular ring slot for radiation, and a microstrip transition feeding mechanism is used to excite the perturbed circular slot antenna element located away from the centre of the cavity. Two rectangular cuts, including slots and a shorted via probe, improve radiation performance and bandwidth matching by nearly −40 dB over the working frequency range. An optimized spacing of 0.6 mm is established between the patch centre and the input microstrip transition feed, which produces a circularly polarized (CP) wave. The antenna uses CP SIW technology to operate within a wide impedance bandwidth of 12.18% (10.02–11.31 GHz) below −10 dB and an ARBW of 320 MHz (10.40–10.72 GHz). Both experimental and simulated results agree on s‐parameters, and the antenna's gain, axial ratio, and radiation patterns are consistent. With 7.45 dB CP gain and planar integration, the antenna radiates unidirectional, making it suitable for lightweight wireless broadband applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) is popular because of its low cost, biodegradability, good processing properties, flexibility, and mechanical features. In this study, we explore the potential of PBAT‐based bioplastics by adding AgVO3 nanorods with PBAT to reduce costs. We produced nanocomposite films of PBAT reinforced with 1, 3, and 5 wt% of AgVO3 nanorods using solvent casting. The inclusion of AgVO3 in the structure of PBAT was investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The nanocomposite films demonstrate excellent properties, surpassing those of single‐component blends, enhancing mechanical properties, and improving the barrier properties of nanocomposite films. The water vapor transmission rate of AgVO3 reinforced (5 wt%) nanocomposite films improved by 42.45% compared to pure PBAT films. The tensile strength of the PBA‐3 film was 37.19 MPa, exhibiting higher strength than the films produced from clean PBAT (19.73 MPa). The AgVO3‐reinforced films demonstrated increased resistance to moisture and water, as indicated by their higher water contact angle values (88.04°). Food‐borne bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli have been stable to the antibacterial activity of the nanocomposites on the addition of AgVO3.The potential applications of these nanocomposite films in food packaging are promising, offering a sustainable and effective solution to food preservation. The AgVO3‐filled poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) nanocomposite films exhibit superior mechanical, barrier, and resistance to moisture and water compared to neat PBAT films. The water vapor transmission rate of the film is significantly enhanced, with a 42.45% enhancement in films reinforced with 5 wt% AgVO3. AgVO3‐filled PBAT nanocomposites demonstrate effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastomers based on cross‐linked bottlebrush polymers combine an extreme softness at low strains with a strain‐stiffening effect, which makes them attractive as active components in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). Their main disadvantage concerns the small relative permittivity, which is about 3.5, requiring relatively high driving voltage in actuators. We synthesized a bottlebrush polymer elastomer with polar brushes, which exhibit an enhanced dielectric permittivity of 4.4. Anionic ring‐opening polymerization of a polar cyclosiloxane gave telechelic polar brushes, while ring‐opening polymerization of a norbornene macromonomer gave a bottlebrush polymer which was cross‐linked to elastomers by a thiol‐ene reaction. Elastomers with a small elastic modulus below 100 kPa, strain at break exceeding 100 %, attractive elasticity, and small mechanical loss factors (tanδ) were achieved. Temperature‐dependent impedance measurements revealed a transition temperature of −95 °C and an interfacial polarization. The multigram scale synthesis demonstrates the potential for scaling up, which opens the door to broader applications of these materials beyond actuators, such as capacitive sensors, batteries, and electroluminescent devices. Notably, these devices operate at extremely low voltages where the dielectric breakdown does not limit their functionality, but still, the softness and the increased dielectric permittivity are a plus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme (MtTFE) is an α2β2 tetrameric enzyme in which the α‐chain harbors the 2E‐enoyl‐CoA hydratase (ECH) and 3S‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) active sites, and the β‐chain provides the 3‐ketoacyl‐CoA thiolase (KAT) active site. Linear, medium‐chain and long‐chain 2E‐enoyl‐CoA molecules are the preferred substrates of MtTFE. Previous crystallographic binding and modeling studies identified binding sites for the acyl‐CoA substrates at the three active sites, as well as the NAD binding pocket at the HAD active site. These studies also identified three additional CoA binding sites on the surface of MtTFE that are different from the active sites. It has been proposed that one of these additional sites could be of functional relevance for the substrate channeling (by surface crawling) of reaction intermediates between the three active sites. Here, 226 fragments were screened in a crystallographic fragment‐binding study of MtTFE crystals, resulting in the structures of 16 MtTFE–fragment complexes. Analysis of the 121 fragment‐binding events shows that the ECH active site is the 'binding hotspot' for the tested fragments, with 41 binding events. The mode of binding of the fragments bound at the active sites provides additional insight into how the long‐chain acyl moiety of the substrates can be accommodated at their proposed binding pockets. In addition, the 20 fragment‐binding events between the active sites identify potential transient binding sites of reaction intermediates relevant to the possible channeling of substrates between these active sites. These results provide a basis for further studies to understand the functional relevance of the latter binding sites and to identify substrates for which channeling is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging millimeter‐wave wireless communication systems require high‐performance radio frequency switches to support advanced functionality such as frequency agility, circuit reconfigurability, and beamforming. Ferroelectric (FE)‐gated AlGaN/GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HEMTs) (FeHEMTs) are developed and demonstrated as a technology option for this important role. AlGaN/GaN HEMT heterostructures grown by metal‐organic chemical vapor deposition are augmented with a FE gate stack comprising atomic layer deposition‐grown HfZrO2. In addition, highly doped regrown source and drain Ohmic contacts are integrated into an improved fabrication process flow. This improved process leads to contact resistances of 0.105 Ω mm and a reduction in switch on‐resistance as compared to prior reports, as well as drain current densities of 1 A mm−1 and measured ft = 54 GHz for gate lengths of 0.1 μm. The improved contact and gate length scaling makes FeHEMTs a promising candidate for mm‐wave switch applications achieving a reported switch figure of merit of fCO = 1.55 THz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the effects of Yoga with traditional exercise on the mobility and functional capacity of individuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: The participants of the study were recruited at the rheumatology department, adhering to the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were randomized into two groups (Group A – Yoga, and Group B – exercise).The candidates participated in an 8‐week intervention consisting of 3 weekly sessions of either Yoga or Exercise intervention. Outcomes were collected at pre‐treatment, at 8 weeks, and at 12 weeks. Results: The within‐group comparison showed an improvement in all outcome measures with p <.05 between post‐treatment and the follow‐up. In the yoga group, there was an improvement in the measures of BASMI (p =.001), BASFI (p =.005), PSQI (p =.021), CE (p =.053) and NPRS (p =.001). Similarly, in the exercise group, there was an improvement in BASMI (p =.002), BASFI (p =.003), PSQI (p =.010), CE (p =.004) and NPRS (p =.001). In the between group comparison at post‐treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in BASMI (yoga = 3.0 ± 1.50, exercise = 2.3 ± 1.38), PSQI (yoga = 5.3 ± 1.50, exercise = 4.9 ± 1.17) and NPRS (yoga = 1.3 ± 2.22, exercise = 0.4 ± 0.50) CE (yoga = 4.0 ± 1.18, exercise = 3.4 ± 0.96), BASFI (yoga = 1.8 ± 2.14, exercise = 2.1 ± 1.87). Conclusion: The results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in within‐group scores of mobility, functional capacity, sleep quality and pain in AS patients of both intervention programs but there were no significant differences between the groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a method for increasing the bandwidth of a substrate‐integrated‐waveguide (SIW) cavity‐backed antenna with taper‐based microstrip SIW transition feeding. For radio transmission, a circular slot is etched on top of the SIW cavity. For optimal antenna design, the slot is etched slightly away from the cavity center to generate circularly polarized waves. Simulations show a wide axial ratio bandwidth of 7.860% between 11.02 GHz and 11.806 GHz. Experimental results confirm a similar wide axial ratio bandwidth of 4.9% between 10.8 GHz and 11.35 GHz. An SIW feed from an inductive window excites the radiating circular slot, resulting in a simulated wide impedance range of 1.548 GHz (10.338 GHz–11.886 GHz) and bandwidth of 13.93%. Experimental results show a wide impedance of 2.08 GHz (10.2 GHz–12.08 GHz) and bandwidth of 18.84%. The SIW cavity‐backed antenna creates a unidirectional pattern, leading to gains of 6.61 dBi and 7.594 dBi in simulations and experiments, respectively. The proposed antenna was fabricated on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5880 substrate, and the reflection coefficient, radiation patterns, and gains were tested and compared using a computer simulator. The developed broadband antenna seems suitable for X‐band applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) comprises a heterogeneous group of autoantibody‐mediated disorders targeting the brain parenchyma. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), one of several first‐line therapies for AE, is often initiated when AE is suspected, albeit prior to an established diagnosis. We sought to characterize the role of TPE in the treatment of suspected AE. Methods: A single‐center, retrospective analysis was performed of adults (≥18 years) who underwent at least one TPE procedure for "suspected AE." The following parameters were extracted and evaluated descriptively: clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment course, TPE‐related adverse events, outcomes (e.g., modified Rankin scale [mRS]), and diagnosis once investigation was complete. Results: A total of 37 patients (median age 56 years, range 28–77 years, 62.2% male) were evaluated. Autoimmune antibody testing was positive in serum for 43.2% (n = 16) and cerebrospinal fluid for 29.7% (n = 11). Patients underwent a median of five TPE procedures (range 3–16), with 97.3% (n = 36) via a central line and 21.6% (n = 8) requiring at least one unit of plasma as replacement fluid. Fifteen patients (40.5%) experienced at least one TPE‐related adverse event. Compared with mRS at admission, the mRS at discharge was improved in 21.6% (n = 8), unchanged in 59.5% (n = 22), or worse in 18.9% (n = 7). Final diagnosis of AE was determined to be definite in 48.6% (n = 18), probable in 8.1% (n = 3) and possible in 27.0% (n = 10). Six (16.2%) patients were ultimately determined to have an alternate etiology. Conclusion: Empiric TPE for suspected AE is generally well‐tolerated. However, its efficacy remains uncertain in the absence of controlled trials, particularly in the setting of seronegative disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive decline in cognitive ability and behavior which eventually disrupts daily activities. AD has no cure and the progression rate varies unlikely. Among various causative factors, heavy metals are reported to be a significant hazard in AD pathogenesis. Metal‐induced neurodegeneration has been focused globally with thorough research to unravel the mechanistic insights in AD. Recently, heavy metals suggested to play an important role in epigenetic alterations which might provide evidential results on AD pathology. Epigenetic modifications are known to play towards novel therapeutic approaches in treating AD. Though many studies focus on epigenetics and heavy metal implications in AD, there is a lack of research on heavy metal influence on epigenetic toxicity in neurological disorders. The current review aims to elucidate the plausible role of cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and lithium (Li) metals on epigenetic factors and the increase in amyloid beta and tau phosphorylation in AD. Also, the review discusses the common methods of heavy metal detection to implicate in AD pathogenesis. Hence, from this review, we can extend the need for future research on identifying the mechanistic behavior of heavy metals on epigenetic toxicity and to develop diagnostic and therapeutic markers in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephalometric analysis has an important and essential role to treat the patients with craniofacial and dentofacial deformities. Cephalometric analysis is a relationship of human geometry which can be quantified and derived from the linear and angular measurements. To treat any patient, such analysis is required to be performed on the Head X‐ray image of the patient. The objective of the proposed work is to detect cephalometric landmarks automatically on CT (computational tomography) images. Twenty cephalometric landmarks were automatically localized on 100 CT scans using hybrid coarse‐to‐fine computational method. The mean error for landmark detection was computed as 2.88 mm and standard deviation of 1.85 mm. The highest detection rate for cephalometric landmarks was received as 100% for Nasion landmark under 4‐mm error and the highest detection rate was received as 99% for Nasion landmark under 3‐mm error. The less number of datasets were used for the training and higher number of datasets were used for the testing. Compared to the literature methods, our method used higher number of datasets to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation uses biodiesel extracted from Moringa oleifera seeds in a diesel engine. M. oleifera biodiesel is prepared via conventional transesterification with standard conditions (60°C reaction temperature, 120 min reaction time, 1% by wt. catalyst, and 7.5:1 molar ratio). The test engine is a single‐cylinder air‐cooled naturally aspirated direct injection diesel engine. The test engine for experimentation is operated at 100% load with different engine speeds ranging from 1000 to 2400 rpm. Emissions characteristics were analyzed at different engine speeds. Results were interesting as the MB10 blend (10% M. oleifera biodiesel + 90% diesel) lowered the smoke by 24% and hydrocarbon by 10.34% with respect to neat diesel. Almost all the test fuels have higher HC profiles at reduced engine speeds. The MB20 blend lowered the CO profile to the CO profile of diesel fuel by about 0.84%. However, it can be observed that the MB10 blend's average CO profile is improved by 1.97% than mineral diesel. These results are compromised with higher CO and NOx profiles of 2.4% and 8.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits and vegetables are nutritious and good in minerals, vitamins, and fib. Most fresh fruits and vegetables contain a minimum of 70% of moisture content which causes the formation of bacteria, fungi, and viruses to affect and cause the items to rot. But dried fruits contain only less than 20% of moisture content. So drying the fruits and vegetables helps to preserve the items for longer use without causing them to rot. Dried fruits have a great source of antioxidants and help in health benefits like improving blood flow, and reducing the effects of many diseases. Compared to fresh fruits, dried fruits are good in nutrition and have less weight for packaging and transportation usage. For drying materials, various types of solar dryers are used. Natural or open sun drying methods comparatively consume more than 12 h to dry material, whereas, direct and indirect drying methods would enhance the efficiency and dry the products quicker than open drying. For the consideration of quality drying and to increase efficiency, various modifications of solar dryers are designed and fabricated. In this review, we discussed the most appropriate developments in the drying of food items, required phase change materials (PCMs), performance, and environmental analysis of SD, and also reported the various designs of the solar drying techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarization grading in AlGaN/GaN‐based high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HEMTs) is a promising device design option that can improve linearity, speed, power, and noise performance for use in millimeter‐wave applications. This work investigates the potential of compositionally graded HEMT heterostructures to enhance device breakdown through lateral electric field engineering while maintaining a high device cutoff frequency (fT) due to reduced longitudinal optical (LO) phonon scattering. The impact of polarization grading on electric field profile is compared with conventional gate‐integrated mini‐field plates (mini‐FPs). It is also observed that polarization grading can augment the efficacy of gate‐connected FPs, further enhancing performance. Using physics‐based 2D device simulations, it is demonstrated that polarization engineering via polarization grading enhances breakdown (VBD) while preserving high fT, resulting in a Johnson's figure of merit (JFOM = fT × VBD), that is, ≈2.4× that of a conventional abrupt‐junction HEMT. This improvement represents a significant advancement over the ≈1.25× to ≈2× increase achieved with the use of mini‐FPs alone in HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a mix of traditional and modern approaches have been proposed to detect brain abnormalities using bio‐signal/bio‐image‐assisted methods. In hospitals, most of the initial/scheduled assessments consider the bio‐signal‐based appraisal, due to its non‐invasive nature and low cost. Further, brain bio‐signal scans can be recorded using a single/multi‐channel electrode setup, which is further evaluated by an experienced doctor, as well as computer software, to identify the nature and severity of abnormality. In this paper, we describe the development of a system for computer supported detection (CSD) of schizophrenia using the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal collected with a 19‐channel electrode array. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that interferes with the way an individual thinks and behaves. It is characterised by psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions, negative symptoms such as decreased motivation or a lack of interest in daily activities and cognitive symptoms such challenges in processing information to make informed decisions or staying focused. This research has utilized 1142 EEGs (516 normal and 626 schizophrenia) with a frame length of 25 s (6250 samples) for investigation. The work initially converts the EEG signals to images using a spectrogram. Local configuration pattern features were extracted from the images thereafter, and 10‐fold validation technique was used wherein Student's t‐test and z‐score standardization were computed per fold. The highest accuracy of 97.20% was achieved with the K‐nearest neighbour (KNN) classifier. The results obtained confirm that the KNN classifier is helpful in the rapid detection of schizophrenia. This work is one of the first studies to extract local configuration pattern features from spectrogram images, yielding a high accuracy of 97.20%, with reduced computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Brain 18F‐FDG PET/CT is a useful diagnostic in evaluating patients with suspected autoimmune encephalitis (AE). Specific patterns of brain dysmetabolism have been reported in anti‐NMDAR and anti‐LGI1 AE, and the degree of dysmetabolism may correlate with clinical functional status.18FDG‐PET/CT abnormalities have not yet been described in seronegative AE. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of brain18FDG‐PET/CT data in people with seronegative AE treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Utilizing NeuroQ™ software, the Z‐scores of 47 brain regions were calculated relative to healthy controls, then visually and statistically compared for probable and possible AE per clinical consensus diagnostic criteria to previous data from anti‐NMDAR and anti‐LGI1 cohorts. Results: Eight probable seronegative AE and nine possible seronegative AE were identified. The group only differed in frequency of abnormal brain MRI, which was seen in all of the probable seronegative AE patients. Both seronegative groups had similar overall patterns of brain dysmetabolism. A common pattern of frontal lobe hypometabolism and medial temporal lobe hypermetabolism was observed in patients with probable and possible seronegative AE, as well as anti‐NMDAR and anti‐LGI1 AE as part of their respective characteristic patterns of dysmetabolism. Four patients had multiple brain18FDG‐PET/CT scans, with changes in number and severity of abnormal brain regions mirroring clinical status. Conclusions: A18FDG‐PET/CT pattern of frontal lobe hypometabolism and medial temporal lobe hypermetabolism could represent a common potential biomarker of AE, which along with additional clinical data may facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric elastomer transducers (DET) are promising candidates for electrically-driven soft robotics. However, the high viscosity and low yield stress of DET formulations prohibit 3D printing, the most common manufacturing method for designer soft actuators. DET inks optimized for direct ink writing (DIW) produce elastomers with high stiffness and mechanical losses, diminishing the utility of DET actuators. To address the antagonistic nature of processing and performance constraints, principles of capillary suspensions are used to engineer DIW DET inks. By blending two immiscible polysiloxane liquids with a filler, a capillary ink suspension is obtained, in which the ink rheology can be tuned independently of the elastomer electromechanical properties. Rheometry is performed to measure and optimize processibility as a function of filler and secondary liquid fraction. Including polar polysiloxanes as the secondary liquid produces a printed elastomer exhibiting a four-fold permittivity increase over commercial polydimethylsiloxane. The characterization and multimaterial printing into layered DET devices demonstrates that the immiscible capillary suspension improves the processability of the inks and enhances the properties of the elastomers, enabling actuation of the devices at comparatively low voltages. It is anticipated that this formulation approach will allow soft robotics to harness the full potential of DETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows an effective approach for the synthesis of spirooxindole‐pyrans and bis‐spirooxindole‐pyrans derivatives using 5 mol % of [CMMIM][BF4] ionic liquid. The synthesis of a library of 28 derivatives was accomplished with impressive yields, ranging from 81 % to 97 %. The derivatives were successfully characterized by 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, FT‐IR, and high‐resolution mass spectral techniques. In addition, the photophysical properties of 17 selected derivatives, including the molar extinction coefficient (ϵ) and the Stokes shift (Δυ̅), have been investigated. The values for spirooxindole‐pyrans vary between 14863 to 47372 and 5516 to 9766 cm−1, respectively. On the other hand, the corresponding values vary from 30871 to 57622 and 9199 to 13351 cm−1 for bis‐spirooxindole‐pyrans. Furthermore, the experimental data is supported by density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT calculations. The theoretical studies conducted demonstrated a trend remarkably consistent with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcone and triazole scaffolds have demonstrated a crucial role in the advancement of science and technology. Due to their significance, research has proceeded on the design and development of novel benzooxepine connected to 1,2,3‐triazolyl chalcone structures. The new chalcone derivatives produced by benzooxepine triazole methyl ketone and different aromatic carbonyl compounds. Product structures were established by various spectral techniques such as IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass specrometric analysis. Among the tested compounds, two compounds exhibited exceptional antibacterial susceptibilities with MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) range of 3.59–10.30 μM against the tested S. aureus strain. Few of the compounds displayed superior antifungal activity against F. oxysporum with MIC value range from 3.25‐4.89 μM, when compared to fluconazole (MIC=3.83 μM). In addition, few derivatives demonstrated equivalent antitubercular action against H37Rv strain with MIC range of 2.16–4.90 μM. The capacity of one of the ligand to form a stable compound on the active site of CYP51 from M. tuberculosis (1EA1) was confirmed by docking studies. Additionally, the chalcone‐1,2,3‐triazole hybrids ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), molecular characteristics, estimation of toxicity, and bioactivity scores were assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greener solvent mediated simple and efficient synthesis of 6‐hydroxy‐5‐(3‐(3‐hydroxy‐1,4‐dioxo‐1,4‐dihydronaphthalen‐2‐yl)‐2‐oxoindolin‐3‐yl)pyrimidine‐2,4(1H,3H)‐diones has been achieved through the one‐pot multicomponent condensation reaction between 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone, substituted isatin and barbituric acid/thiobarbituric acid/1,3‐dimethylbarbituric acid using ethanol‐water as a solvent without any catalyst at room temperature has been described. Molecular docking studies have been performed with Akt kinase enzyme protein which helped to rationalize the binding energy of all the synthesized compounds. The docking of compound 4d, with human Akt kinase enzyme showed a good binding interaction with lowest binding energy. Based on the results from the molecular docking studies, the compound 4d was further studied for its in‐vitro anticancer activity against human breast cancer cells (MCF‐7) and human normal breast cells (HBL 100) by MTT assay which also proved the potential anticancer activity of 4d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), is an important phytophagous mite that causes extensive damage to a wide range of crop species across the world. Fenazaquin, a mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor (METI), is one of the commonly used acaricides for the management of P. latus. The response to fenazaquin selection over generations and the risk of development of resistance was estimated herein using a laboratory‐selected population of P. latus (FEN‐SEL). Repeated exposure to fenazaquin over generations resulted in decreased susceptibility (99.32 folds) as compared to the unselected counterpart. FEN‐SEL took 26 generations for a 10‐fold increase in resistance with a realized heritability (h2) of 0.12 which indicated a low genetic variation and high phenotypic variation. Over a selection intensity of 20%–80% mortality, the generations required for a 10‐fold increase in LC50 for fenazaquin were 14.21–55.75, 7.75–30.41 and 5.33–20.91 at h2 values of 0.12, 0.22 and 0.32, respectively, with a constant slope of 2.39. The FEN‐SEL population also exhibited moderate levels of cross‐resistance to diafenthiuron, dicofol and spiromesifen and low cross‐resistance to propargite. The findings suggest a rational and rotational application of fenazaquin in the field to delay the development of resistance and to prolong its efficacy against P. latus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing and developing high‐efficiency multifunctional catalysts materials is a significant challenge. In this view, we synthesized Graphene Quantum Dots (gQDs)/Gadolinium Manganese Oxide (GMO) nanostructures for photocatalytic dye degradation and hydrogen peroxide sensing. The structural, optical, composition, and morphology properties of the gQDs/GMO nanostructures were analyzed by using various analytical tools. The gQDs/GMO catalyst shows higher degradation efficiency compared to pure catalysts under visible light irradiation which is due to the large surface area, lower band gap, small amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and synergetic effect of gQDs/GMO. Furthermore, we extensively investigate the nonenzymatic H2O2 sensing and the gQDs/GMO catalytic materials show higher sensing behavior. From our results, the gQDs embedded in gadolinium‐modified manganese oxide (gQDs/GMO) serve as an efficient photocatalyst material for environmental pollutant degradation under visible light irradiation with and the sensitive electrocatalyst for nonenzymatic H2O2 sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the controllability problems for linear and nonlinear fractional control systems with multiple control delays in the context of the ψ$$ \psi $$‐Caputo fractional derivative. For the linear case, using the positive definiteness of the Gramian matrix, the necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained. For the nonlinear case, utilizing the iterative technique together with the completeness of the space, sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution are obtained. Just a few examples are included to make theoretical findings easier to grasp, and their respective graphs are plotted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to extraordinary electronic and optoelectronic properties, large‐scale single‐crystal two‐dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers have gained significant interest in the development of profit‐making cutting‐edge nano and atomic‐scale devices. To explore the remarkable properties of single‐crystal 2D monolayers, many strategies are proposed to achieve ultra‐thin functional devices. Despite substantial attempts, the controllable growth of high‐quality single‐crystal 2D monolayer still needs to be improved. The quality of the 2D monolayer strongly depends on the underlying substrates primarily responsible for the formation of grain boundaries during the growth process. To restrain the grain boundaries, the epitaxial growth process plays a crucial role and becomes ideal if an appropriate single crystal substrate is selected. Therefore, this perspective focuses on the latest advances in the growth of large‐scale single‐crystal 2D TMD monolayers in the light of enhancing their industrial applicability. In the end, recent progress and challenges of 2D TMD materials for various potential applications are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite materials are increasingly used in aircraft structural components with complex structures like L, C, or T shapes, which can cause delamination failure in the thickness direction under complex loading. This research focuses on the experimental investigation of the effect of different adhesive reinforcement phases with an adhesively bonded external patch to examine the residual strength and delamination resistance of repaired glass/epoxy curved samples. The damaged region in curved samples was repaired using adhesive reinforcement phases like neat epoxy, chopped glass fiber, and particulate glass fiber, along with adhesively bonded external patches like hybrid patches of glass/Kevlar (HP G/K), glass/carbon (HP G/C), and intraply patch carbon/Kevlar (IP C/K). The findings show that chopped glass fiber HP G/C patch-repaired curved samples had a curved beam strength (CBS) and interlaminar tensile strength (ILTS) recovery of 222.87% and 149.54%, respectively, as compared to damage area removed samples. In addition, it exhibited higher peak force, residual strength, and less elongation when compared to HP G/K and IP C/K patch-repaired curved samples. According to the findings of this research, composite angle brackets in aircraft structural components can be repaired utilizing an adhesively bonded HP G/C patch filled with chopped glass fiber at the dressed site. Highlights • The effect of patch hybridization on repaired curved laminates was studied. • Four-point bending test was conducted on indented and repaired samples. • Residual strength and delamination behavior were studied. • Chopped glass fiber HP G/C patch repaired samples had higher CBS and ILTS. • Delamination onset and propagation were assessed using Photographic images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite structures with L, C, and T shape geometries are commonly used in the design of aerospace structural components. These complex structures are prone to delamination failure at the curved region. This study investigates the effect of thickness and recycled milled glass fiber fillers to improve the strength properties and delamination resistance of glass/epoxy composite angle brackets. Different thicknesses of 3.5 mm (16 layers), 5 mm (24 layers), and 6.5 mm (32 layers) specimens were subjected to four-point bending test with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring for evaluating damage resistance. Mechanical results reveal that the specimen with a higher thickness of 6.5 mm has better damage tolerance, followed by 3.5 and 5 mm angle brackets. Moreover, the location of AE signals and % of AE hits noticed the initiation and propagation of delamination in 5 mm thickness specimen at the earlier stage of loading. However, the curved beam strength and interlaminar tensile strength (ILTS) of 5 mm thickness specimen were improved by 31.02% and 19.2% respectively, through the incorporation of 2 wt% of fillers. Further, the interfacial adhesion between the fillers and epoxy matrix was studied using Fourier-transform infrared analysis to confirm the improvement of delamination resistance in 5 mm thickness specimen. Finally, the mechanical and AE results were well correlated with field emission scanning electron microscope images to characterize the damage mechanisms in composite angle brackets. Highlights • Effect of thickness on the delamination resistance of composites was studied. • Interlaminar properties of composite angle brackets were assessed. • Acoustic emission parameters were used to study the damage mechanisms. • Recycled milled glass fillers were employed to improve delamination resistance. • Mechanical and acoustic emission results were correlated with field emission scanning electron microscope images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel‐shaped dual‐polarized low‐profile multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna with high isolation is proposed for 5G/WLAN application. An 8‐element MIMO antenna design comprises two unique planar radiators (chamfer, circular). Each radiator has dual feed and dual polarization characteristics. The prototype is fabricated with an FR‐4 dielectric substrate. A decoupling structure maintains desirable isolation for self‐isolated elements (≤ $\le $−12 dB) using substrate integrated waveguide stubs between inter‐ports and high isolation among the adjacent radiating elements (≤ $\le $−15 dB). The simulation was performed by using CST microwave studio. The simulated results of the proposed MIMO antenna are compared with the measurement results. Furthermore, ECC and DG are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural biomaterials are commonly used as tissue engineering scaffolds due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Plant‐derived materials have also gained significant interest due to their abundance and as a sustainable resource. This study evaluates the corn‐derived protein zein as a plant‐derived substitute for animal‐derived gelatin, which is widely used for its favorable cell adhesion properties. Limited studies exist evaluating pure zein for tissue engineering. Herein, fibrous zein scaffolds are evaluated in vitro for cell adhesion, growth, and infiltration into the scaffold in comparison to gelatin scaffolds and are further studied in a subcutaneous model in vivo. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on zein scaffolds express focal adhesion kinase and integrins such as αvβ3, α4, and β1 similar to gelatin scaffolds. MSCs also infiltrate zein scaffolds with a greater penetration depth than cells on gelatin scaffolds. Cells loaded onto zein scaffolds in vivo show higher cell proliferation and CD31 expression, as an indicator of blood vessel formation. Findings also demonstrate the capability of zein scaffolds to maintain the multipotent capability of MSCs. Overall, findings demonstrate plant‐derived zein may be a suitable alternative to the animal‐derived gelatin and demonstrates zein's potential as a scaffold for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catastrophic failure of dam structures has often led to severe consequences. The colossal wave receding at a higher velocity from the sudden failure of the dams may obliterate the downstream areas causing loss of lives and property damage. Thus, proper mitigation measures and contingency plans must be formulated beforehand to minimize the impact of such disasters. Consequently, there has been a strong tendency to study dam breach flood modeling using different approaches for both hypothetical dam breach scenarios and real incidents. The technology used for dam breach studies is advancing and a comprehensive review of the existing methodologies would help the modelers in their model development. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art methodologies utilized in studies to propagate the dam break flood wave. Furthermore this guides the selection of methods best suited considering the project-specific requirements and the complexity of project to simulate the risk to the vulnerable areas generated from the dam break flood flow. Different terrain datasets, mesh generation techniques and calibration techniques have been adapted and adhered to improve computational accuracy, stability and efficiency in modeling dam break floods. The use of high-resolution global and site-specific datasets, subgrid models, the choice of roughness coefficients and highresolution time steps have to be investigated thoroughly in these models. The paper reviews the existing methodologies with the strengths and limitations facilitating the future dam breach modelers to select the suitable approach in dam break flood wave modeling. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water Science of Water > Water Extremes Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colistin is known to cause nephrotoxicity due to its extensive reabsorption and accumulation in renal tubules. In vitro studies have identified the functional role of colistin transporters such as OCTN2, PEPT2, megalin, and P‐glycoprotein. However, the role of these transporter gene variants in colistin‐induced nephrotoxicity has not been studied. Utilizing targeted next‐generation sequencing, we screened for genetic polymorphisms covering the colistin transporters (SLC15A1, SLC15A2, SLC22A5, LRP2, and ABCB1) in 42 critically ill patients who received colistimethate sodium. The genetic variants rs2257212 ((NM_021082.4):c.1048C>G) and rs13397109 ((NM_004525.3):C.7626C > T) were identified as being associated with an increased incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) on Day 7. Colistin area under the curve (AUC) was predicted using a previously published pharmacokinetic model of colistin. Using logistic regression analysis, the predicted 24‐h AUC of colistin was identified as an important contributor for increased odds of AKI on Day 7. Among 42 patients, 4 (9.5%) were identified as having high predisposition to colistin‐induced AKI based on the presence of predisposing genetic variants. Determination of the presence of the abovementioned genetic variants and early therapeutic drug monitoring may reduce or prevent colistin‐induced nephrotoxicity and facilitate dose optimization of colistimethate sodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There are numerous medical applications for the growing use of wireless body area networks (WBANs), including remote patient health monitoring, early illness detection, and computer‐assisted rehabilitation. WBAN links many sensor nodes implanted or affixed to the human body to monitor physiological data. WBAN technology has the potential to benefit medical healthcare systems tremendously. However, the gathering and transferring sensitive physiological data in an unprotected environment raises severe security and privacy concerns. The limited resources and broadcast transmission of a WBAN pose grave safety issues in biomedical applications. Keeping sensitive patient data safe during broadcasts is critical in the healthcare business. As a result of the massive memory and processing requirements required by traditional public or private key architectures, tiny sensor nodes cannot use them. WBAN sensor nodes can communicate securely using the KHMAC key‐agreement technique proposed in this article. Measurements and confirmations of shared physiological parameters at the transmitter and recipient sensors are key to the proposed protocol KHMAC before communication is established. The proposed KHMAC protocol enables sensors to use their prior session knowledge for secure communication within a predetermined time window. This will shorten the time it takes to establish a shared key, prevent the retransmission of extracted characteristics in the medium and eavesdropping attacks, and preserve the unpredictability of the key. Both the feature extraction and key agreement stages will be shown to have higher precision and lower error rates with KHMAC's proposed key management methodology. The proposed protocol is proven to be more energy and memory efficient than existing key agreement systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unusual collection of mass tissue in human body is commonly refereed as tumor. The tumor when it is found in brain. These tumor cells have tendency to multiply and grow in rapid speed. The growth of tumors is generally uncontrollable in nature. Tumor in brain develops along the skull and it evolves to contact with the functioning of the brain. Brain tumor (BT) can be detected at the earlier stages with the help of MRI or CT scan techniques. These scanning techniques are proved to be efficient in detecting the tumor irrespective of its size. Brain tumor being a life‐threatening disease has to be diagnosed at the earliest before it turns to be malignant. The current research work focuses in proposing an efficient image processing techniques by processing the MRI images of human brain which is affected by brain tumor. This process is carried out in two stages as image denoising and image segmentation which are helpful in detecting and localizing the tumor affected region in human brain. Initially, the MRI image is read and preprocessed by converting the input image into a grayscale image and noise removed by involving the proposed method. Later, the proposed image is segmented using sobel edge detection method and the image is enhanced using the image enhancement techniques. It is achieved by using the proficient blended thresholding (PBT) Segmentation method. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated using PSNR (peak signal noise ratio) and RMSE (root mean square error). The proposed conserve edge scrutinize (CES) filter achieved highest PSNR value. Then segmentation is evaluated by five metrices: Sensitivity, Specificity, Dice, Jaccard, and Accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N,N‐Dimethylaniline.borane (DMAB) is a stable, multifaceted electrophilic boron agent that displays hydroboration of C = C as well as selective reduction of functional groups under reflux, microwave, and ultrasound conditions. Natural products contain a plethora of functional groups that govern the specific bioactivity. It will be interesting to correlate the change in a functional group with the concern for change in bioactivity. Current research emphasizes the influence of microwave irradiation on moderately reactive DMAB reagent towards the functional group modification of selected limonoid‐phytochemicals of Meliaceae family viz. cedrelone, azadirone, nimbin, and azadiradione. DMAB conveniently reduces the ketone, epoxide group into alcohol, and does a hydroboration reaction on the C = C bond. It does not show interest to reduce the ester group irrespective of 30 min of MW irradiation. Except for these reducing properties, the reagent DMAB unveils chemo‐selective nature in respect of different functional groups and utilizes in an asymmetric synthesis. The coalescence of amine.borane with microwave irradiation brings forth a commodious and prompt method for the selective reduction of functional groups. The bioactive efficacy of modified phytochemicals is further taken for the antimicrobial studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research focuses on the design, method development, characterization, and clinical assessment of novel irbesartan medication compounds. The objective of synthetic modification of a drug molecule is to achieve the desired properties such as enhancing the pharmacological properties and minimizing the side effects. It is a biphenyl tetrazole and an aza‐spiro compound, a highly selective, potent nonpeptide compound that belongs to the sartan group, an authorized type‐1 angiotensin II receptor (AT1), dilates the blood vessels and is used in curing of to treat high blood pressure, cardiac arrest, and renal disease in diabetics. To achieve the structural modification of the irbesartan drug, the researcher prepared the FeCl3/SiO2 catalyst and successfully used it for the acetylation, chloro acetylation reaction of irbesartan with acetyl chloride and chloroacetyl chloride. Further, the reaction is performed in presence of the catalyst and without a catalyst to elucidate the role of the catalyst. With the aid of TLC, FT‐IR, and UV–visible spectral methods, the structural interpretation of synthesized derivatives is completed. The present work illustrates a novel method of synthesis of irbesartan derivatives through safe and convenient procedures. The pharmacological evaluation of synthetic derivatives and green chemistry protocol of synthesis is under progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article communicates a novel compact four‐element orthogonal cavity‐backed antenna for 5G applications with enhanced isolation. The proposed dumbbell‐shaped substrate integrated waveguide–multiple input/multiple output (SIW‐MIMO) antenna resonate at 5.25 GHz (sub‐6 GHz) based on vias and resonate at 27 GHz (mm‐wave) with copper filling vias using FR‐4 substrate. Both prototypes are separately designed, fabricated, and tested using same dimension (40 mm × 40 mm × 1.6 mm) as well as same radiating structure. Moreover, SIW MIMO antenna design performances are compared between FR‐4 and Rogers RT/Duroid substrate. Deployment of SIW technique in MIMO antenna minimizes the antenna footprint and mutual coupling without involving any decoupling structure. The antenna simulation characteristics of both operating bands are compared and validated with the measurement results. Furthermore, the MIMO diversity parameters are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic neck pain is known to be caused by the weakness of the deep neck flexors and disturbances in the mechanoreceptors and the proprioceptors of the cervical spine. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is hypothesized to balance the relative stiffness and weakness of the muscles and activate the mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors. Objective: To investigate PNF techniques and the craniocervical flexor training (CCFT) techniques for pain and function in chronic neck pain. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 66 chronic mechanical neck pain patients randomly assigned to either the PNF or CCFT groups using block randomization for a duration of 4 weeks. Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Neck disability Index (NDI) and Active cervical range of motion (ACROM) were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention. Data were analysed using independent t test and MANOVA. Results: The mean difference scores for NPRS and NDI were 2.18 and 15.72 in PNF group and 2.26 and 15.76 in the CCFT groups, respectively. Both the groups showed a change that was statistically significant. Also, the mean differences for the ACROM in all the planes in both the groups were statistically significant. However, the between group changes did not reveal any statistical significance in this study except for the right rotation in the CCFT group (p = 0.01). Conclusions: This study concluded that the PNF treatment is also beneficial to pain and function in treating chronic mechanical neck pain patients as its results stand similar to the CCFT treatment, which is already established to be a reliable tool to treat this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has recently experienced one of the biggest and most severe public health disasters with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2). SARS‐CoV‐2 is responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID‐19) which is one of the most widespread and powerful infections affecting human lungs. Current figures show that the epidemic had reached 216 nations, where it had killed about 6,438,926 individuals and infected 590,405,710. WHO proclaimed the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), in 2014 that killed hundreds of people in West Africa. The development of vaccines for SARS‐CoV‐2 becomes more difficult due to the viral mutation in its non‐structural proteins (NSPs) especially NSP2 and NSP3, S protein, and RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Continuous monitoring of SARS‐CoV‐2, dynamics of the genomic sequence, and spike protein mutations are very important for the successful development of vaccines with good efficacy. Hence, the vaccine development for SARS‐CoV‐2 faces specific challenges starting from viral mutation. The requirement of long‐term immunity development, safety, efficacy, stability, vaccine allocation, distribution, and finally, its cost is discussed in detail. Currently, 169 vaccines are in the clinical development stage, while 198 vaccines are in the preclinical development stage. The majority of these vaccines belong to the Ps—Protein subunit type which has 54, and the minor BacAg‐SPV (Bacterial antigen‐spore expression vector) type, at least 1 vaccination. The use of computational methods and models for vaccine development has revolutionized the traditional methods of vaccine development. Further, this updated review highlights the upcoming vaccine development strategies in response to the current pandemic and post‐pandemic era, in the field of vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]