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An integrated, miniature, dual-purpose circular patch antenna is proposed for Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transmission (SWIPT). The design proposes a proximity-coupled feed to the radiative circular patch for Wireless Information Transfer (WIT) in ${\mathrm {5.7 \text {GHz}}}$ - ${\mathrm {6.0 \text {GHz}}}$ band and an integrated capacitive-coupled feeding network, with full-wave rectification (FWR) using regenerative opposite fringing fields from the radiating edges of the patch for energizing IoT sensors by means of wireless power transfer (WPT) at ${\mathrm {5.2 \text {GHz}}}$ . For the realization, two co-polarized fringing field harvesters are capacitively coupled to the radiating edges of the patch to regenerate those opposite fringes whose currents are effectively matched to the FWR using a pair of Schottky diodes for direct current (DC) power generation. Since the gain and efficiency of the patch, in WIT mode, are favoured when using the FWR network, the effective regenerative fields, which are deemed attractive in modern wireless sensor network (WSN) applications for boosting the lifespan of sensor nodes.

Abstract A compact, flexible, long‐range, and impedance transformer balun‐like integrated UHF RFID tag antenna is proposed for the detection of water bottles. To alleviate the performance of a tag antenna in close proximity to a high dielectric material such as water, the radiating element of the tag antenna uses folded, unbalanced strips made of balun‐like arms wrapped around the tag's body. As a result, a wide bandwidth with reasonably good radiation resistance is achieved. The tag's body comprises dual loops for the impedance matching to the tag chip. This leads to a long read range of 13.33 m; >5.83 m compared to other state‐of‐the‐art designs. The proposed tag antenna conforms to a small footprint by wrapping the balun‐like arms around the tag's body, which results in a compact form. The tag is fabricated, and the results reasonably agree with simulations.

Background: Medical graduates enter work force with substantial knowledge but are they prepared for practice in diverse settings? To train medical interns in communication skills using Demonstration Observation Assistance and Performance (DOAP) and to assess communication skills in medical interns using objective structured video examination (OSVE). Methods and Materials: DOAP sessions of all 27 interns posted in Community Medicine and Pediatrics departments during the duration of the study were conducted in six clinical scenarios followed by two OSVEs. Methods and Material: Interns performed selected activity independently twice for assessments. Videos submitted by interns were assessed by Gap Kalamazoo assessment forms (OSVE). Data analysis was done by appropriate methods. Percentages and proportions and calculation of median scores with interquartile ranges. Results: Seventy one point four percent of faculty and 96.3% of interns were satisfied with module implementation. More than = 57.8% marks were scored by 94.45% interns in self-assessment and faculty assessment and by 100% interns in patient assessment. Median scores of all second assessments were higher. Conclusions: DOAP method is good for training of interns in communication skills. OSVE may be an appropriate assessment tool as it leads to progression in learning.

Agriculture is regarded as one of the most crucial sectors in guaranteeing food security. However, as the world’s population grows, so do agri-food demands, necessitating a shift from traditional agricultural practices to smart agriculture practices, often known as agriculture 4.0. It is critical to recognize and handle the problems and challenges related with agriculture 4.0 in order to fully profit from its promise. As a result, the goal of this research is to contribute to the development of agriculture 4.0 by looking into the growing trends of digital technologies in the field of agriculture. A literature review is done to examine the scientific literature pertaining to crop farming published in the previous decade for this goal. This thorough examination yielded significant information on the existing state of digital technology in agriculture, as well as potential future opportunities.

Cannabidiol (CBD), derived from Cannabis sativa, has gained remarkable attention for its potential therapeutic applications. This thorough analysis explores the increasing significance of CBD in treating neurological conditions including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, which present major healthcare concerns on a worldwide scale. Despite the lack of available therapies, CBD has been shown to possess a variety of pharmacological effects in preclinical and clinical studies, making it an intriguing competitor. This review brings together the most recent findings on the endocannabinoid and neurotransmitter systems, as well as anti-inflammatory pathways, that underlie CBD’s modes of action. Synthesized efficacy and safety assessments for a range of neurological illnesses are included, covering human trials, in vitro studies, and animal models. The investigation includes how CBD could protect neurons, control neuroinflammation, fend off oxidative stress, and manage neuronal excitability. This study emphasizes existing clinical studies and future possibilities in CBD research, addressing research issues such as regulatory complications and contradicting results, and advocates for further investigation of therapeutic efficacy and ideal dose methodologies. By emphasizing CBD’s potential to improve patient well-being, this investigation presents a revised viewpoint on its suitability as a therapeutic intervention for neurological illnesses.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 protease (HIV-1 PR) is one of the most challenging targets of antiretroviral therapy used in the treatment of AIDS-infected people. The performance of protease inhibitors (PIs) is limited by the development of protease mutations that can promote resistance to the treatment. The current study was carried out using statistics and bioinformatics tools. A series of thirty-three compounds with known enzymatic inhibitory activities against HIV-1 protease was used in this paper to build a mathematical model relating the structure to the biological activity. These compounds were designed by software; their descriptors were computed using various tools, such as Gaussian, Chem3D, ChemSketch and MarvinSketch. Computational methods generated the best model based on its statistical parameters. The model's applicability domain (AD) was elaborated. Furthermore, one compound has been proposed as efficient against HIV-1 protease with comparable biological activity to the existing ones; this drug candidate was evaluated using ADMET properties and Lipinski's rule. Molecular Docking performed on Wild Type, and Mutant Type HIV-1 proteases allowed the investigation of the interaction types displayed between the proteases and the ligands, Darunavir (DRV) and the new drug (ND). Molecular dynamics simulation was also used in order to investigate the complexes' stability allowing a comparative study on the performance of both ligands (DRV & ND). Our study suggested that the new molecule showed comparable results to that of darunavir and maybe used for further experimental studies. Our study may also be used as pipeline to search and design new potential inhibitors of HIV-1 proteases.

Objective. Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological illnesses defined by periodic seizures with or without loss of consciousness caused by aberrant neural activity. There are many allopathic medications available for the treatment of epilepsy such as phenytoin (PHY), but the side effects are a major concern. Therefore, the present study involved the evaluation of the pharmacological significance of Amaranthus viridis L. extract (EAV) in the management of strychnine (STR)-induced epilepsy. Method. STR (3.5 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected into male rats 30 minutes after the pre-treatment of a standard drug (PHY: 20 mg/kg) and the two doses of EAV (EAV-200 and EAV-400 mg/kg, p.o.) to the respective groups to cause the convulsions. The anti-convulsant effect of EAV-200 and EAV-400 against STR-induced convulsion in rats was investigated in terms of convulsion onset, duration of convulsions, number of convulsions, and convulsion score. Furthermore, the mitochondrial function and integrity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) were also estimated. Results. EAV-400 significantly increased the onset of convulsion from 61.67±3.051 to 119.2±2.738 and reduced the STR-induced duration of convulsions from 144.8±3.582 to 69.17±3.736, number of convulsions from 4.000±0.1592 to 1.533±0.1542, and convulsion score from 5.000±0.3651 to 2.833±0.3073 in rats. EAV-400 significantly attenuated the STR-induced decrease in the mitochondrial function and integrity of the rat PFC. In rats, EAV-400 significantly accelerated the onset of convulsions while decreasing the STR-induced duration, frequency, and score. Conclusion. Based on investigational findings, EAV-400 could be inferred to be a possible anti-epileptic option for the treatment of epilepsy of this plan in preclinical research.

The biosynthesis of cholesterol, an essential component of higher eukaryotic membranes, was worked out by Konrad Bloch (and Feodor Lynen) in the 1960s and they received the Nobel Prize around that time in recognition of their pioneering contributions. An elegant consequence of this was a hypothesis proposed by Konrad Bloch (the Bloch hypothesis) which suggests that each subsequent intermediate in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway is superior in supporting membrane function in higher eukaryotes relative to its precursor. In this review, we discuss an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder, known as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), associated with a defect in the Kandutsch-Russell pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis that results in accumulation of the immediate precursor of cholesterol in its biosynthetic pathway (7-dehydrocholesterol) and an altered cholesterol to total sterol ratio. Patients suffering from SLOS have several developmental, behavioral and cognitive abnormalities for which no drug is available yet. We characterize SLOS as a manifestation of the Bloch hypothesis and review its molecular etiology and current treatment. We further discuss defective Hedgehog signaling in SLOS and focus on the role of the serotonin1A receptor, a representative neurotransmitter receptor belonging to the GPCR family, in SLOS. Notably, ligand binding activity and cellular signaling of serotonin1A receptors are impaired in SLOS-like condition. Importantly, cellular localization and intracellular trafficking of the serotonin1A receptor (which constitute an important determinant of a GPCR cellular function) are compromised in SLOS. We highlight some of the recent developments and emerging concepts in SLOS pathobiology and suggest that novel therapies based on trafficking defects of target receptors could provide new insight into treatment of SLOS.

Next generation wireless systems include battery operated devices which demand higher throughput and a better reliability in an energy efficient fashion. To fulfil these requirements, in this paper, we propose a novel scenario where we include a dynamic Wireless Power Splitting (WPS) factor for Energy Harvesting (EH) at nodes in a Drone Assisted Network Coded Cooperation (DA-NCC) system. The dynamic WPS factor used for EH in DA-NCC system is made more realistic by determining through the probability of Line-of-Sight (LoS) occurrence. Analytical framework is developed for residual Analog Network Coding (ANC) noise and variance of ANC-noise in EH scenario. We also derive the average rate and average outage probability expressions for the proposed channel model. Various algorithms are developed for deciding the Air-to-Ground (A2G) channel distributions, harvesting the energy at relay and source nodes and evaluating the performance metrics of our proposed work. Our investigations reveal that the use of EH in DA-NCC improves the lifespan of the network. Our findings play important roles in disaster management scenarios where cellular connections to base stations are disrupted due to natural calamities and battery constrained drones are deployed for assistance.

The World Health Organization identifies tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a leading infectious killer. Although conventional treatments for TB exist, they come with challenges such as a heavy pill regimen, prolonged treatment duration, and a strict schedule, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. The rise of MDR strains endangers future TB control. Despite these concerns, the hunt for an efficient treatment continues. One breakthrough has been the use of nanotechnology in medicines, presenting a novel approach for TB treatment. Nanocarriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, facilitate targeted delivery of anti-TB drugs. The benefits of nanocarriers include reduced drug doses, fewer side effects, improved drug solubility, better bioavailability, and improved patient compliance, speeding up recovery. Additionally, nanocarriers can be made even more targeted by linking them with ligands such as mannose or hyaluronic acid. This review explores these innovative TB treatments, including studies on nanocarriers containing anti-TB drugs and related patents.

The limitations associated with the conventional treatment of cancer have necessitated the design and development of novel drug delivery systems based mainly on nanotechnology. These novel drug delivery systems include various kinds of nanoparticles, such as polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, hydrogels, and polymeric micelles. Among the various kinds of novel drug delivery systems, chitosan-based nanoparticles have attracted the attention of researchers to treat cancer. Chitosan is a polycationic polymer generated from chitin with various characteristics such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and mucoadhesiveness, making it an ideal polymer to fabricate drug delivery systems. However, chitosan is poorly soluble in water and soluble in acidic aqueous solutions. Furthermore, owing to the presence of reactive amino groups, chitosan can be chemically modified to improve its physiochemical properties. Chitosan and its modified derivatives can be employed to fabricate nanoparticles, which are used most frequently in the pharmaceutical sector due to their possession of various characteristics such as nanosize, appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, non-immunogenicity, improved stability, and improved drug loading capacity. Furthermore, it is capable of delivering nucleic acids, chemotherapeutic medicines, and bioactives using modified chitosan. Chitosan and its modified derivative-based nanoparticles can be targeted to specific cancer sites via active and passive mechanisms. Based on chitosan drug delivery systems, many anticancer drugs now have better effectiveness, potency, cytotoxicity, or biocompatibility. The characteristics of chitosan and its chemically tailored derivatives, as well as their use in cancer therapy, will be examined in this review.

While fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems are ubiquitous in various applications from cell biology to aerodynamics, they involve huge computational overhead. In this paper, we adopt a machine learning (ML)-based strategy to bypass the detailed FSI analysis that requires cumbersome simulations in solving the Navier–Stokes equations. To mimic the effect of fluid on an immersed beam, we have introduced dissipation into the beam model with time-varying forces acting on it. The forces in a discretized set-up have been decoupled via an appropriate linear algebraic operation, which generates the ground truth force/moment data for the ML analysis. The adopted ML technique, symbolic regression, generates computationally tractable functional forms to represent the force/moment with respect to space and time. These estimates are fed into the dissipative beam model to generate the immersed beam’s deflections over time, which are in conformity with the detailed FSI solutions. Numerical results demonstrate that the ML-estimated continuous force and moment functions are able to accurately predict the beam deflections under different discretizations.

Anticancer drugs in monotherapy are ineffective to treat various kinds of cancer due to the heterogeneous nature of cancer. Moreover, available anticancer drugs possessed various hurdles, such as drug resistance, insensitivity of cancer cells to drugs, adverse effects and patient inconveniences. Hence, plant-based phytochemicals could be a better substitute for conventional chemotherapy for treatment of cancer due to various properties: lesser adverse effects, action via multiple pathways, economical, etc. Various preclinical studies have demonstrated that a combination of phytochemicals with conventional anticancer drugs is more efficacious than phytochemicals individually to treat cancer because plant-derived compounds have lower anticancer efficacy than conventional anticancer drugs. Moreover, phytochemicals suffer from poor aqueous solubility and reduced bioavailability, which must be resolved for efficacious treatment of cancer. Therefore, nanotechnology-based novel carriers are employed for codelivery of phytochemicals and conventional anticancer drugs for better treatment of cancer. These novel carriers include nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, metallic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes that provide various benefits of improved solubility, reduced adverse effects, higher efficacy, reduced dose, improved dosing frequency, reduced drug resistance, improved bioavailability and higher patient compliance. This review summarizes various phytochemicals employed in treatment of cancer, combination therapy of phytochemicals with anticancer drugs and various nanotechnology-based carriers to deliver the combination therapy in treatment of cancer.

Abstract A bendable ultra‐high frequency (UHF) radio‐frequency identification (RFID) tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines for retail garments in the textile industry is presented. Based on an earlier UHF RFID tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines, the proposed tag is fully bendable and aimed to be embedded in retail garments for long‐life cycles. As a result, a relatively low cost, wideband, compactness, and good conjugate matching with good dipole‐like read range is presented. Results showed an antenna with a wide bandwidth of 900 MHz and a long read range of 10.1 m making the UHF RFID tag antenna using nonuniform meandered lines a potential candidate for retail garments in bendable applications of the textile industry. Simulations are corroborated by measurements and are in fairly agreement.

Abstract Infectious diseases caused by apicomplexan parasites remain a global public health threat. The presence of multiple ligand‐binding sites in tubulin makes this protein an attractive target for anti‐parasite drug discovery. However, despite remarkable successes as anti‐cancer agents, the rational development of protozoan parasite‐specific tubulin drugs has been hindered by a lack of structural and biochemical information on protozoan tubulins. Here, we present atomic structures for a protozoan tubulin and microtubule and delineate the architectures of apicomplexan tubulin drug‐binding sites. Based on this information, we rationally designed the parasite‐specific tubulin inhibitor parabulin and show that it inhibits growth of parasites while displaying no effects on human cells. Our work presents for the first time the rational design of a species‐specific tubulin drug providing a framework to exploit structural differences between human and protozoa tubulin variants enabling the development of much‐needed, novel parasite inhibitors.

Maxillofacial reconstruction with microvascular free tissue transfer is an effective procedure used to correct facial defects following resection of head and neck cancer. Flap failure is uncommon but can occur due to thrombosis, infection, or hemorrhage, and therefore needs to be addressed immediately. We present a case of a 78-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma who underwent right cheek resection, orbital exenteration and removal of the superior maxillary sinus with left radial forearm free tissue flap reconstruction which was complicated by infection and recurrent, intractable hemorrhage from an internal maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm. Initial management included multiple cautery and ligation attempts, but bleeding recurred despite these measures. Endovascular intervention proved to be an effective and safe treatment, leading to the resolution of bleeding. This report provides rationale for considering endovascular embolization for cases of bleeding following maxillofacial free flap reconstruction.

Summary: Dendritic cell (DC) activation is a critical step for anti-tumor T cell responses. Certain chemotherapeutics can influence DC function. Here we demonstrate that chemotherapy capable of microtubule destabilization has direct effects on DC function; namely, it induces potent DC maturation and elicits anti-tumor immunity. Guanine nucleotide exchange factor-H1 (GEF-H1) is specifically released upon microtubule destabilization and is required for DC activation. In response to chemotherapy, GEF-H1 drives a distinct cell signaling program in DCs dominated by the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and AP-1/ATF transcriptional response for control of innate and adaptive immune responses. Microtubule destabilization, and subsequent GEF-H1 signaling, enhances cross-presentation of tumor antigens to CD8 T cells. In absence of GEF-H1, anti-tumor immunity is hampered. In cancer patients, high expression of the GEF-H1 immune gene signature is associated with prolonged survival. Our study identifies an alternate intracellular axis in DCs induced upon microtubule destabilization in which GEF-H1 promotes protective anti-tumor immunity. : Certain chemotherapeutics elicit potent anti-tumor immunity. Kashyap et al. demonstrate that microtubule-destabilizing chemotherapeutics induce maturation of dendritic cells through activation of microtubule-associated protein GEF-H1. This leads to effective priming of CD8 T cells against tumor antigens. GEF-H1 is critical for anti-tumor immunity of microtubule-targeting chemotherapy. Keywords: GEF-H1, lfc, dendritic cells, microtubule-targeting agents, cross presentation, JNK pathway, ansamitocin-P3, plinabulin, immunotherapy, chemotherapy

Background: Microtubules are dynamic protein filaments that are crucial for cell division and constitute key elements of the cytoskeleton. They are assembled from αβ-tubulin heterodimers that form hollow cylindrical structures. There is a large number of naturally occurring compounds that are known to interact with tubulin, including alkaloids, macrolides and peptides, which are collectively called microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs). Based on their activities, MTAs can be classified as microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs) that enhance MT assembly, and microtubule-destabilizing agents (MDAs) that suppress MT assembly. The chemical structure of these drugs and their binding mode to microtubules varies greatly amongst each other and confer the ability to act either synergistically or competitively on microtubules. Owing to their effects on microtubule dynamics, MTAs are of great interest and widely used in a variety of medical applications as antiparasitic agents, herbicides and, most importantly, as chemotherapeutic drugs used for the treatment of cancer. In the past years, we and others solved the structures of a large number of different MTAs bound to tubulin to high resolution using X-ray crystallography. Very recently, however, with the advent of the “Resolution Revolution” in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), atomic structures of known MSAs bound to microtubules have also been obtained. These cryo-EM structures confirmed that the sites and modes of binding described in the previous X-ray crystallographic studies are similar in the context of the assembled microtubule but additionally explain the effects of MTAs on lattice parameters in microtubules and the lateral contacts between protofilaments, especially at the microtubule seam. Methods: Cryo-EM and model building. Results: We solved several high-resolution structures of microtubules bound to novel MSAs and identified differential binding modes in comparison to that revealed by X-ray crystallography. Conclusion: Cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography can be used in a complementary manner to investigate the molecular mechanism of action of MSAs in detail.

In the form of a discussion the founding editors of darkmatter journal reflect on the challenges of developing an online race project in the neoliberal context of knowledge production. The independent open access journal, operating at the borders of academia and cultural production, attempts to grasp the shifting contours of contemporary race and racism in a networked postcolonial world. Against the limitations of solely working within disciplines such as Postcolonial or Cultural Studies, darkmatter brings into dialogue a diverse range of conceptual frameworks to address the proliferation of race discourses. Interrogating and reworking the developments in digital publishing, the project constructs a space for the exploration and dissemination of race thinking and creating relations between different fields, sites and groups. The threats posed by the info-colonialism of corporate academic publishing are transversed through the evolution of darkmatter with its experiments in techno-cultural design and innovations in autonomous working practices.

Quinolin-6-yloxyacetamides (QAs) are a chemical class of tubulin polymerization inhibitors that were initially identified as fungicides. Here, we report that QAs are potent anti-proliferative agents against human cancer cells including ones that are drug-resistant. QAs act by disrupting the microtubule cytoskeleton and by causing severe mitotic defects. We further demonstrate that QAs inhibit tubulin polymerization in vitro. The high resolution crystal structure of the tubulin-QA complex revealed that QAs bind to the colchicine site on tubulin, which is targeted by microtubule-destabilizing agents such as colchicine and nocodazole. Together, our data establish QAs as colchicine-site ligands and explain the molecular mechanism of microtubule destabilization by this class of compounds. They further extend our structural knowledge on antitubulin agents and thus should aid in the development of new strategies for the rational design of ligands against multidrug-resistant cancer cells.