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Most voice features used in predicting the voice when a person has voted with instability in the vocal fold vibration cause problems in estimating such period; as a result of this challenge, scientists have focused on the development of powerful features independent of pitch estimation. The major goal of this paper is to study and investigate the Acoustic Voice Analysis methods ( AVA) based on adaptive features. This investigation will lead to the development of a system of detection. The essential parts of this topic is related to database (described later), sampling the sounds (and satisfying) from the German database with many diseases, degenerative neurological disease (such as chronic inflammation of the larynx and vocal fold nodules). Under the supervision of the used algorithm to accomplish the above task, the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs with different Jitter and Shimmer), as by likely flux model mixture (GMM) are used in the AVA. MATLAB was used to simulate such a study for the extraction of features as well as making the training and testing process. The achieved results showed that with some kind of analysis, it is possible to find different sound patterns of diseases, e.g. excessive twang, where additional spectral components exist due to the increase in air flow in nasal cavities. Another focal point is some mathematical transformations both in the temporal domain or frequency. These changes can improve the capacity of some voice features voice; however, there is a need to multivariate analysis of parameters which measure the various problems in the process of phonation; after that, it is necessary to analyse the importance of finding and sorting those features that provide more information. Finally, automatic classification of pathological voices was made using any of the known techniques for this purpose. Our achieved results prove that a good classification rate needs efficient features to characterize each class, in this work, on one hand the accuracy of system increases with the number of parameters (best accuracy with 39 coefficients including Jitter & Shimmer) which means that the difference between normal and abnormal become noticeable with second derivate of MFCC and energy more than the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce Defocusing Microscopy (DM), a bright-field optical microscopy technique able to perform total three-dimensional (3D) imaging of transparent objects. By total 3D imaging, we mean the determination of the actual shapes of the upper and lower surfaces of a phase object. We propose a methodology using DM and apply it to red blood cells subject to different osmolality conditions: hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic solutions. For each situation, the shapes of the upper and lower cell surface-membranes (lipid bilayer/cytoskeleton) are completely recovered, displaying the deformation of red blood cell (RBC) surfaces due to adhesion on the glass-substrate. The axial resolution of our technique allowed us to image surface-membranes separated by distances as small as 300 nm. Finally, we determine the volume, surface area, sphericity index, and RBC refractive index for each osmotic condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the red cell morphology in different stages of schistosomiasis. Patients were divided into three groups according to the stage of the disease. For each patient, complete clinical examination, liver function tests, renal function tests, complete blood picture, scanning electron microscopy for erythrocytes (SEM) and abdominal ultrasonography were done. Abnormal morphologic changes of a total discoid flat cells of 70.14%, margin changes of 12.34% and 3.55% of cup forms were found. To our knowledge, these marked changes were not reported in any other disease. No statistical differences were found between red cell shape changes and stage of liver disease. There was a positive correlation between portal vein diameter and percentage of flat discoid forms and a negative correlation between surface changes and clinical stage of liver disease. These changes are known to be accompanied by reduction of red cell deformability and impaired capillary flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Universal health coverage (UHC) is defined by WHO as ensuring that all people and communities receive the quality services they need, and are protected from health threats without financial hardship. Without considering the health and social care needs of the increasing numbers of older people, UHC will be impossible to achieve. One of the six assessment questions asked in UHC is “can you get medicine and other products that you need?” Hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis are common chronic illnesses among older populations, requiring constant accessibility of medication to prevent complications. We aimed to assess UHC among older patients in Nigeria. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we did a 1-day enrolment (on Dec 16, 2016) of older people in community projects in three communities (Ukpo, Uburu, and Afikpo) across Nigeria. Using a systematic random sampling technique, people who were aged 55 years or older and had at least one reported common chronic medical condition (hypertension, arthritis, and/or diabetes) were selected. An in-depth interview using a guided structured questionnaire was conducted. Participants’ demographics were recorded along with self-reported chronic medical conditions. Key questions on accessibility of medication and UHC were “Can you always afford the medicine that you need for your chronic medical condition?” and “Are you under the National Health Insurance scheme that aids health access?” Data was analysed using SPSS version 20, comparing demographic characteristics of respondents. Findings: Respondents were 521 older people aged 55–91 years. 365 (70%) were female, 302 (58%) had a minimum of primary education, 240 (46%) reported farming as their occupation, and 81 (16%) reported business as their occupation. 279 (54%) reported at least two of the three common chronic illnesses associated with ageing: 234 (45%) reported hypertension, 229 (44%) arthritis, and 57 (11%) had diabetes. Only 22% (114/521) responded yes to the question “Can you always afford the medicine that you need for your chronic medical condition?”—19% (44/234) of hypertensive patients, 24% (55/229) of arthritic patients, and 7% (4/57) of diabetic patients. The remaining 78% had missed medications owing to unaffordability. Those who stated “business” as occupation were most likely to afford medications compared with others (odds ratio 0·20, 95% CI 0·13–0·31, p

Exercise has many health benefits but also exercise is a stress situation for which the body must find a new dynamic equilibrium. If workout is performed beyond the limitations than it may disturb normal body homeostasis and results in stress. The basic objective behind this study was to evaluate the relation between Physical activities & Physical Stress. A cross sectional study was conducted to evaluate physical stress during exertion. All the subjects were randomly selected from Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering & Pharmacy faculty of Karachi University. Serum cortisol, a potential biomarker evaluating stressed condition and finding a correlation with stress scores noted by using sadaf stress scale showed high intensity of stress while other results showed that around 41 percent participants were severely affected with physical stress during performance.

Owing to their beneficial functional capabilities, essential oils were largely used. However, their low aqueous solubility, instability, and high volatility urged scientists to their encapsulation with cyclodextrins (CDs) to tackle their shortcomings. In this study, the co-precipitation method was used to prepare β-CD/Eucalyptus globulus essential oil (EGEO) inclusion complexes (ICs). β-CD/EGEO ICs were prepared at ratios (w:w) 1:2 and 1:4 with an encapsulation efficiency of 93 and 96%, respectively. The ICs characterization using the Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Laser Doppler Velocimetry confirmed the formation of β-CD/EGEO ICs. The insecticidal activity of the free EGEO and ICs was explored and displayed that the complex β-CD/EGEO 1:4 had the highest activity with the lowest LC 50 against Ephestia kuehniella larvae (5.03 ± 1.16 mg/g) when compared to the free oil (8.38 ± 1.95 mg/g). Molecular docking simulations stipulated that the compound α-Bisabolene epoxide had the best docking score (ΔG = -7.4 Kcal/mol) against the selected insecticidal target α-amylase. Additionally, toxicity evaluation of the studied essential oil suggested that it could be safely used as a potent bioinsecticide as compared to chemical insecticides. This study reveals that the formation of β-CD/EGEO ICs enhanced the oil activity and stability and could be a promising and safe tool to boost its application in food or pharmaceutical fields., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bats are a major reservoir of zoonotic viruses, including coronaviruses. Since the emergence of SARS-CoV in 2002/2003 in Asia, important efforts have been made to describe the diversity of Coronaviridae circulating in bats worldwide, leading to the discovery of the precursors of epidemic and pandemic sarbecoviruses in horseshoe bats. We investigated the viral communities infecting horseshoe bats living in Northern Vietnam, and report here the first identification of sarbecoviruses in Rhinolophus thomasi and Rhinolophus siamensis bats. Phylogenetic characterization of seven strains of Vietnamese sarbecoviruses identified at least three clusters of viruses. Recombination and cross-species transmission between bats seemed to constitute major drivers of virus evolution. Vietnamese sarbecoviruses were mainly enteric, therefore constituting a risk of spillover for guano collectors or people visiting caves. To evaluate the zoonotic potential of these viruses, we analyzed in silico and in vitro the ability of their RBDs to bind to mammalian ACE2s and concluded that these viruses are likely restricted to their bat hosts. The workflow applied here to characterize the spillover potential of novel sarbecoviruses is of major interest for each time a new virus is discovered, in order to concentrate surveillance efforts on high-risk interfaces.

Bat sarbecovirus BANAL-236 is highly related to SARS-CoV-2 and infects human cells, albeit lacking the furin cleavage site in its spike protein. BANAL-236 replicates efficiently and pauci-symptomatically in humanized mice and in macaques, where its tropism is enteric, strongly differing from that of SARS-CoV-2. BANAL-236 infection leads to protection against superinfection by a virulent strain. We find no evidence of antibodies recognizing bat sarbecoviruses in populations in close contact with bats in which the virus was identified, indicating that such spillover infections, if they occur, are rare. Six passages in humanized mice or in human intestinal cells, mimicking putative early spillover events, select adaptive mutations without appearance of a furin cleavage site and no change in virulence. Therefore, acquisition of a furin site in the spike protein is likely a pre-spillover event that did not occur upon replication of a SARS-CoV-2-like bat virus in humans or other animals. Other hypotheses regarding the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 should therefore be evaluated, including the presence of sarbecoviruses carrying a spike with a furin cleavage site in bats., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The animal reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown despite reports of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses in Asian Rhinolophus bats 1-4 , including the closest virus from R. affinis, RaTG13 (refs. 5,6 ), and pangolins 7-9 . SARS-CoV-2 has a mosaic genome, to which different progenitors contribute. The spike sequence determines the binding affinity and accessibility of its receptor-binding domain to the cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and is responsible for host range 10-12 . SARS-CoV-2 progenitor bat viruses genetically close to SARS-CoV-2 and able to enter human cells through a human ACE2 (hACE2) pathway have not yet been identified, although they would be key in understanding the origin of the epidemic. Here we show that such viruses circulate in cave bats living in the limestone karstic terrain in northern Laos, in the Indochinese peninsula. We found that the receptor-binding domains of these viruses differ from that of SARS-CoV-2 by only one or two residues at the interface with ACE2, bind more efficiently to the hACE2 protein than that of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated in Wuhan from early human cases, and mediate hACE2-dependent entry and replication in human cells, which is inhibited by antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2. None of these bat viruses contains a furin cleavage site in the spike protein. Our findings therefore indicate that bat-borne SARS-CoV-2-like viruses that are potentially infectious for humans circulate in Rhinolophus spp. in the Indochinese peninsula., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Catastrophic natural disasters and epidemics claim thousands of lives and have severe and lasting consequences, accompanied by human suffering. The Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016 and the current COVID-19 pandemic have revealed some of the practical and ethical complexities relating to the management of dead bodies. While frontline staff are tasked with saving lives, managing the bodies of those who die remains an under-resourced and overlooked issue, with numerous ethical and practical problems globally., Methods: This scoping review of literature examines the management of dead bodies during epidemics and natural disasters. 82 articles were reviewed, of which only a small number were empirical studies focusing on ethical or sociocultural issues that emerge in the management of dead bodies., Results: We have identified a wide range of ethical and sociocultural challenges, such as ensuring dignity for the deceased while protecting the living, honouring the cultural and religious rituals surrounding death, alleviating the suffering that accompanies grieving for the survivors and mitigating inequalities of resource allocation. It was revealed that several ethical and sociocultural issues arise at all stages of body management: notification, retrieving, identification, storage and burial of dead bodies., Conclusion: While practical issues with managing dead bodies have been discussed in the global health literature and the ethical and sociocultural facets of handling the dead have been recognised, they are nonetheless not given adequate attention. Further research is needed to ensure care for the dead in epidemics and that natural disasters are informed by ethical best practice., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Elucidating the influence of the monolayer interface versus bulk on the macroscopic properties (e.g., surface hydrophobicity, charge transport, and electron transfer) of organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) chemically anchored to metal surfaces is a challenge. This article reports the characterization of prototypical SAMs of n -alkanethiolates on gold (CH 3 (CH 2 ) n SAu, n = 6-19) at the macroscopic scale by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and contact angle goniometry, and at the molecular level, by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. The SAM capacitance, dielectric constant, and surface hydrophobicity exhibit dependencies on both the length ( n ) and parity ( n odd or n even ) of the polymethylene chain. The peak positions of the CH 2 stretching modes indicate a progressive increase in the chain conformational order with increasing n between n = 6 and 16. SAMs of n odd have a greater degree of structural gauche defects than SAMs of n even . The peak intensities and positions of the CH 3 stretching modes are chain length independent but show an odd-even alternation of the spatial orientation of the terminal CH 3 . The correlations between the different data trends establish that the chain length dependencies of the dielectric constant and surface hydrophobicity originate from changes in the polymethylene chain conformation (bulk), while the odd-even variation arises primarily from a difference in the chemical composition of the interface related to the terminal group orientation. These findings provide new physical insights into the structure-property relation of SAMs for the design of ultrathin film dielectrics as well as the understanding of stereostructural effects on the electrical characteristics of tunnel junctions.

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a complex and multifactorial entity in which various factors besides hyperglycemia play an important role. Symptoms of DPN are sensory, motor or autonomic. Intensive research proved that oxidative stress is the common denominator for the four major destructive pathways of hyperglycemia including increased hexosamine pathway flux, activation of Protein kinase-C (PKC) pathway, increased Advanced Glycated End-products (AGEs) formation, and increased Polyol Pathway flux. National data in Egypt confirms that more than 60% of Egyptian diabetic patients suffer from neuropathy. The most common complications of DPN are Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy (CAN), diabetic foot and ulcers, neuromuscular disability, and anxiety. In addition, DPN affects the Quality of Life (QoL). According to common clinical practice, the common diagnostic tools are bed-side diagnosis and electrophysiological tests. Early diagnosis is critical to improve the prognosis of DPN and therapeutic intervention in the early phase. In this review, we provide a clear understanding of the pathogenesis, early diagnosis and the good management of DPN. Since the pathogenesis of DPN is multifactorial, its management is based on combination therapy of symptomatic; either pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments, and pathogenic treatment. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a potent anti-oxidant that has several advantages as a pathogenic treatment of DPN. So, in clinical practice, ALA may be prescribed for patients with early neuropathic deficits and symptoms. Patient education has an important role in the managemement of DPN., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Adherence to medical treatment in primary open angle glaucoma is key to the success of the treatment. Most of the work show that glaucoma patients are poor observant. Poor adherence is multifactorial. The analysis of these factors is crucial. That is why the author wanted to expose, through a literature review, the main determinants of adherence in glaucoma.

Dietary antioxidants may be useful in counteracting the chronic inflammatory status in neurodegenerative diseases by reducing oxidative stress due to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we newly described the efficacy of a number of dietary antioxidants (polyphenols, carotenoids, thiolic compounds, and oligoelements) on viability of neuronal PC12 cells following Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) deprivation, a model of age-related decrease of neurotrophic support that triggers neuronal loss. Neuroprotection by antioxidants during NGF deprivation for 24 h was largely dependent on their concentrations: all dietary antioxidants were able to efficiently support cell viability by reducing ROS levels and restoring mitochondrial function, while preserving the neuronal morphology. Moreover, ROS reduction and neuroprotection during NGF withdrawal were also achieved with defined cocktails of 3-6 different antioxidants at concentrations 5-60 times lower than those used in single treatments, suggesting that their antioxidant activity was preserved also at very low concentrations. Overall, these data indicate the beneficial effects of antioxidants against oxidative stress induced by decreased NGF availability and suggest that defined cocktails of dietary factors at low concentrations might be a suitable strategy to reduce oxidative damage in neurodegenerative diseases, while limiting possible side effects.

Background: Background: Anal incontinence is a devastating functional postpartum complication. it can cause deep deterioration in the quality of life., Aim: To assess the incidence of postpartum anal incontinence (PPAI) and the major risk factors predisposing for it in the short and middle terms., Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology B in the Maternity and Neonatology Center of Tunis between March 1st and july 31st, 2009., Results: Five hundred and three women were included. PPAI was 4.2% on the fourth day postpartum and 4% between weeks 6 and 8 postpartum. Predisposing factors to 4th day PPAI were forceps delivery (p<0.001), prolonged second stage of labor> 5hours (p=0.047), expulsion phase > 20mn (p<0.001), uterine revision (P=0.001) and first degree perineal lacerations (p<0.001). Between 6 and 8 weeks postpartum, identified risk factors were Shoulder dystocia (p<0.001), anu-vulvar distance < 2cm, perineal scars and transverse abdominal diameter >105mm (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Preventive measures must be implemented in patients with PPAI risk factors.

Background: The diagnosis of an adnexal mass associated with pregnancy is increasingly common with the routine use of ultrasound during prenatal care., Aim: To assess the feasibility, advantages and limiting factors of laparoscopy in the management of ovarian masses during pregnancy., Methods: Rretrospective study of a series of 34 pregnant women operated by laparoscopy for adnexal masses during a period of 14 years., Results: The mean age of patients was 29 years. Fifty percent of patients were nulliparous. In 62% of cases, patients were asymptomatic. Laparoscopy was performed at a mean gestational age of 15 weeks. Open laparoscopy was performed in 58.8% of cases. Intraperitoneal cystectomy was performed in 28 cases (72%). In two cases (5 %), it was a borderline ovarian tumor requiring further surgery outside of pregnancy. Fetal loss was noted at a term of 16 weeks., Conclusion: Laparoscopic management of adnexal masses during pregnancy appears to be safe and reproducible procedure with few maternal and fetal complications.

Background: Assessment of early pregnancy is indicated in women with suspected abnormalities. It is based on biochemical assessment and on trans vaginal sonography ., Aim: To identify clinical, biological and ultrasonographic parameters that are predictive of spontaneous pregnancy resolution. methods: A prospective observational study was performed interesting women with a positive pregnancy test without visualization of the pregnancy on the initial scan. All parameters measured during the initial visit were tested by univariate and multivariate analysis to identify parameters predicting spontaneous resolution of pregnancy., Results: A total of 2675 women were included in the study. In 94 cases (4 %) the location of pregnancy was unknown. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that four parameters contributed significantly to the predictive power of the logistic model: Absence of pain (p =0,036), endometrial thickness < à 12 mm (p =0,021), initial serum βhCG level < 1000 UI/l (p =0,015) and progesterone level < 29 nmol/l (p <0,001)., Conclusion: Women with a high probability of spontaneous resolution of their pregnancies can benefit from a spaced monitoring until the rate of ß-hCG will be negative.

Background: The genome of living organisms is constantly exposed to several damaging agents that induce different types of DNA lesions, leading to cellular malfunctioning and onset of many diseases. To maintain genome stability, cells developed various repair and tolerance systems to counteract the effects of DNA damage. Here we focus on Post Replication Repair (PRR), the pathway involved in the bypass of DNA lesions induced by sunlight exposure and UV radiation. PRR acts through two different mechanisms, activated by mono- and poly-ubiquitylation of the DNA sliding clamp, called Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA)., Results: We developed a novel protocol to measure the time-course ratios between mono-, di- and tri-ubiquitylated PCNA isoforms on a single western blot, which were used as the wet readout for PRR events in wild type and mutant S. cerevisiae cells exposed to acute UV radiation doses. Stochastic simulations of PCNA ubiquitylation dynamics, performed by exploiting a novel mechanistic model of PRR, well fitted the experimental data at low UV doses, but evidenced divergent behaviors at high UV doses, thus driving the design of further experiments to verify new hypothesis on the functioning of PRR. The model predicted the existence of a UV dose threshold for the proper functioning of the PRR model, and highlighted an overlapping effect of Nucleotide Excision Repair (the pathway effectively responsible to clean the genome from UV lesions) on the dynamics of PCNA ubiquitylation in different phases of the cell cycle. In addition, we showed that ubiquitin concentration can affect the rate of PCNA ubiquitylation in PRR, offering a possible explanation to the DNA damage sensitivity of yeast strains lacking deubiquitylating enzymes., Conclusions: We exploited an in vivo and in silico combinational approach to analyze for the first time in a Systems Biology context the events of PCNA ubiquitylation occurring in PRR in budding yeast cells. Our findings highlighted an intricate functional crosstalk between PRR and other events controlling genome stability, and evidenced that PRR is more complicated and still far less characterized than previously thought.

Background: Despite the great advances made in neonatal intensive care, one of the greatest challenges in perinatology today, remains the management of very low-birth-weight infants (VLWB)., Aim: To evaluate the impact of the mode of delivery on very lowbirth- weight infants' survival and their outcome., Methods: We performed a retrospective comparative study in the department "B" of gynecology-obstetrics in collaboration with the neonatology department of the same centre during a 12-month period. The study population included mothers giving birth to infants weighing between 500 and 1500 grams, at gestational age > 26 weeks and an Apgar score > 3 at one minute. All included cases were classified according to the way of delivery: vaginal delivery ( Group A) giving birth to neonates of group 1 and cesarean section ( group B) giving birth to neonates in group 2 ., Results: The study involved 69 women giving birth to 82 very lowbirth- weight infants. Both groups of parturients were homogeneous and similar in age, parity, prenatal care and gestational age. No statistically significant difference was noticed in terms of morbidity and mortality in the very low-birth-weight infants of the two groups. A higher rate of cesarean sections was noticed in breech presentations (74%)., Conclusion: Systematic cesarean section does not guarantee better outcome for very low-birth-weight infants.

Background: Women having pregnancies of unknown location (PUL) can be defined as those having positive pregnancy test when no pregnancy is visualized on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS)., Aim: To identify diagnostic parameters which are predictive of ectopic pregnancies in women with early pregnancies of unknown location., Methods: We undertook a prospective observational study of pregnant women with suspected early pregnancy complications. Ninety-four patients were classified as having a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) by transvaginal ultrasound; blood sample was taken on presentation to measure the serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (,-HCG) and progesterone levels. All collected data were tested by univariate analysis and then analyzed in a stepwise procedure to form a logistic model for predicting ectopic pregnancy., Results: A total of 2675 women were referred for suspected early pregnancy complications. In 94 (4%) patients the location of the pregnancy was unknown. Three parameters were found to be statistically significant for predicting ectopic pregnancy:progesterone level, vaginal bleeding associated with pain and the presence of free fluid in the pouch of Douglas. The overall model described by these variables offer a sensitivity of 79 %and a specificity of 59% in the prediction of ectopic pregnancy., Conclusion: Logistic regression model can help in the clinical decision-making in women with pregnancy of unknown location.