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Fatema Al-Rashed,1 Sardar Sindhu,2 Ashraf Al Madhoun,2,3 Abdulwahab Alghaith,4 Rafaat Azim,1 Fahd Al-Mulla,3 Rasheed Ahmad1 1Immunology & Microbiology Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait; 2Animal and Imaging Core Facility, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait; 3Genetics and Bioinformatics Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Dasman, Kuwait; 4Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, IrelandCorrespondence: Fatema Al-Rashed; Rasheed AhmadMicrobiology & Immunology Department, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Al-Soor Street, Kuwait, P.O. Box 1180, Dasman, 15462, KuwaitTel +965 2224 2999 Ext. 4335; 4311Fax +965 2249 2406Email fatema.alrashed@dasmaninstitute.org; rasheed.ahmad@dasmaninstitute.orgBackground: Efficient sleep duration and its quality are increasingly recognized as important contributors for maintaining normal body weight. However, lifestyle and social structure within the Arab-gulf region differ compared to those in the western world. This study was specifically conducted in Kuwait’s population to investigate the link between sleep quality (SQ) and obesity in the absence of sleep apnea (SA) onset.Methods: SQ was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQSI) in 984 participants, then verified in 60 individuals including 20 lean (Body mass index/BMI: 18.5– 24.9 kg/m2), 20 overweight (BMI: 25– 29.9 kg/m2) and 20 obese (BMI: ≥ 30 kg/m2) through actigraph worn over the right-hip for 7 consecutive days to characterize their sleep–wake cycle, rest-activity, and physical activity. Blood samples were collected for metabolic markers.Results: 59.6% of participants reported a PSQI score higher than 5, with 57.6% of the participants reporting less than 6 hours of sleep per day. The data show that both SQ and sleep duration are considered inadequate in comparison to the international SQ standards. We found a significant association between SQ and obesity independent of age and sex. Actigraph data further supported the independent association of sleep duration on BMI within the population (p < 0.001). Additionally, total sleep time (TST) was found to significantly correlate with several other metabolic factors including diastolic blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate (RHR), triglycerides, total cholesterol, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), C-peptide, and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) secretion. Further multiple-regression analysis showed a significant independent association between blood pressure (p < 0.03), HOMA-IR (p < 0.04), and C-peptide (p < 0.3) and sleep duration.Conclusion: These findings suggest that sleep deprivation and disturbance could be indirect factors involved in the development of not only obesity in Kuwait but also other metabolic syndromes such as type 2 diabetes.Keywords: sleep, Kuwait, obesity, PSQI

This study investigates the potential of hydrogen and ammonia, as alternatives for transportation fuels to tackle urgent issues concerning greenhouse gas emissions and air quality in the worldwide transportation sector. By examining studies and technological progresses, we evaluate the feasibility of transitioning to these energy options. Through an investigation of production methods, energy efficiency, environmental consequences, and infrastructure requirements, we present both the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen and ammonia as fuel substitutes. We spotlight production techniques such as electrolysis and renewable energy sources that could significantly decrease carbon emissions and air pollutants. Nonetheless, key challenges such as expanding infrastructure, cost-effectiveness, and safety considerations need to be resolved for adoption. Drawing on findings from research and industry developments, this article contributes to publications on transportation solutions while proposing avenues for research efforts and policy initiatives. Existing challenges and limitations are also discussed in details. In conclusion, this research underscores the significance of research endeavors and policy backing to unlock the potential of hydrogen and ammonia as sustainable transportation fuels underscoring their role in mitigating environmental impacts and promoting global sustainability objectives.

Abstract A robust drug delivery system was created by grafting poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) onto silica nanoparticles with two different lengths using an in situ atom transfer radical polymerization, resulting in the formation of a pH- and temperature-sensitive shell. The high molecular weight PDMAEMA demonstrated effective controlled drug release, and prevented drug release in healthy cells. Drug release occurred through polymer shell protonation at pH 5. The critical temperature of 41 °C facilitated rapid solvation of the shell polymers in the blood, preventing tissue accumulation and reducing toxicity compared to systems with lower critical solution temperatures. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy analysis and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis showed that the nanoparticles have a fine network, mesoporous structure, and a mean size of around 17 nm that show their excellent capacity for loading drugs. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that all the modification steps and polymerization were successfully implemented. Thermogravimetric analysis showed PDMAEMA chains with two different lengths grafted onto the nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy analysis also showed grafted polymer chains on the hybrid nanoparticles. The release profile of model cancer drugs (doxorubicin and methotrexate) varied with pH and temperature, with high molecular weight PDMAEMA shells effectively preventing drug release at neutral pH. In vitro analysis using the HeLa cell line showed minimal toxicity in blank samples and significant release profile in acidic environment.

In this paper, a dual-band miniature uniplanar antenna is presented. The antenna size is 24.5 mm Ã-- 20 mm Ã-- 1.6 mm which consists of a modified bow-tie-shaped radiator, an inverted L-shaped ground plane, and an extended inverted U-shaped ground plane, and designed on the single side of a low-cost epoxy matrix reinforced woven glass material with permittivity 4.6. The numerical results confirm that the radiator is effectively coupled with the coplanar ground planes and the investigated antenna can cover dual frequency bands ranging from 3.32 to 10.9 GHz, and 11.88 to 17.77 GHz. The measured results of the prototype in frequency-domain and time-domain are obtained and compared with the simulated results. The results indicate that the proposed antenna demonstrates good performance over the dual impedance bands, which makes it a very potential candidate for WiMAX, WLAN, UWB, X-band, and Ku-band wireless communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants produced by anthropogenic activities that contaminate all environmental matrices, including soils, and can enter the food chains. Therefore, this study was conducted for the analysis of PAHs compounds content in agricultural soils of Hamedan city, west of Iran, in 2021. Materials and Methods: a total of 36 surface soil specimens were collected from 12 sampling sites in agricultural soils and after extraction of analytes based on the soxhlet method, the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was used for the determination of PAHs compounds in the samples. Furthermore, soil samples were further analuzed for the amounts of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and total organic carbon (TOC). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Results showed that 16 PAHs (∑16PAHs) total concentrations ranged from 435 to 3292 µg/kg with an average value of 1806 µg/kg. PAHs with higher molecular weight (≥ 4 rings) were dominant in PAHs profiles accounting for 78%. Based on the results, the mean concentrations of all 16 PAHs were lower than MPC established by MHWaS. Furthermore, the mean concentrations of Pyr, B(a)A, Chy, B(b)F, B(k)F­, B(a)P, and B(ghi)P were higher than the MPC established by the Iranian Department of Environment. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, as the mean contents of some PAHs were higher than the MPC, therefore, periodic monitoring of soil contamination with PAHs is recommended for the environmental and human health aspects.

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a fetal hematologic disorder that is mostly observed in children. Both B and T lymphocytes have been reported to play a role in ALL etiology. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are large regulatory molecules with more than 200nucleotides that participate in various cellular processes. Methylation at the promoter regions of these regulatory molecules has been reported to vary between ALL patients and healthy controls. This study aimed to evaluate methylation status at promoter regions of lncRNAs between these two groups. Methods: In the current study, 80 ALL patients and 80 healthy controls were enrolled. The intravenous blood samples were obtained from all patients and controls. The extracted DNA from blood samples underwent sodium bisulfite treatment. Thereafter, methylation levels in the promoter regions of lncRNAs RP11-137H2.4, RP11-624c23.1, RP11-203E8, RP11-446E9, andRP11-68118.10 were evaluated using methylation specific‑high resolution melting (MS‑HRM). Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to examine the sensitivity and specificity of the tests. Results: The methylation levels of all studied lncRNAs including RP11-137H2.4, RP11-624c23.1, RP11-203E8, RP11-446E9, and RP11-68118.10 were significantly increased (p

Background: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) explains 26% of pediatricmalignancies and is one of the leading causes of disease-related deaths in children. A novelmolecular class of non-coding genes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) having over 200nucleotides, have been defined as regulators of different cellular processes including pluripotency,oncogenesis, and transcription. It has been demonstrated that lncRNA transcription profilescan distinguish pre B-cell subtype of ALL accurately and act as early diagnostic and prognosticbiomarkers. Hence, the aim of this pilot study was the prior evaluation of expression profileof several lncRNA candidates including RP11-68I18.10, RP11-624C23.1, RP11-446E9, RP11-137H2.4, and RP11-203E8 in patients with ALL. Methods: In this study, 80 blood samples were obtained from patients, definitely diagnosed bypathologists with ALL, and from healthy subjects. Total RNA was extracted from blood samples,and cDNA was synthesized. Real-time PCR was applied to determine the expression of lncRNAs.A P-value of 0.010 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our findings revealed that the expression levels of lncRNAs RP11-624C23.1, RP11-446E9, RP11-137H2.4, RP11-68I18.10, and RP11-203E8 were significantly decreased in ALLsamples compared to those of healthy samples (P

The European option can be exercised only at the expiration date while an American option can be exercised on or at any time before the expiration date.In this paper, we will study the numerical solutions of a class of complex partial differential equations (PDE) systems with free boundary conditions. This kind of problems arise naturally in pricing (finite-maturity) American options, which is applies to a wide variety of asset price models including the constant elasticity of variance (CEV), hyper-exponential jump-diffusion (HEJD) and the finite moment log stable (FMLS) models. Developing efficient numerical schemes will have significant applications in finance computation. These equations have already been solve by the Hybrid Laplace transformfinite difference methods and the Laplace transform method(LTM). In this paper we will introduce a method to solve these equations by Tau method. Also, we will show that using this method will end up to a faster convergence. Numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and velocity of the method in CEV models.

This study presents application of an efficient approach to simulate fluid flow and heat transfer in naturally fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fluid flow is simulated by combining single continuum and discrete fracture approaches. The local thermal nonequilibrium approach is used to simulate heat transfer by conduction in the rock matrix and convection (including conduction) in the fluid. Fluid flow and heat transfer models are integrated within a coupled poro-thermo-elastic framework. The developed model is used to evaluate the long-term response of a geothermal reservoir with specific boundary conditions and injection/production schedule. A comparative study and a sensitivity analysis are carried out to evaluate the capability of the integrated approach and understand the degree by which different reservoir parameters affect thermal depletion of Soultz geothermal reservoir, respectively. Also observed, there exists an optimum fracture permeability after which the reservoir stimulation does not change the recovery factor significantly. Estimation of fluid temperature by the assumption of local thermal nonequilibrium heat transfer between the fracture fluid and the rock matrix gives fluid temperature of about 3°C less than that of estimated by thermal equilibrium heat transfer at early stage of hot water production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a novel hexagonal-circular Fractal antenna is proposed for wideband applications. The proposed antenna is made of iterations of a circular slot inside a hexagonal metallic patch with a transmission line and is fabricated on low cost epoxy matrix reinforced woven glass material. Measurement shows that with a dimension of 0.36λ0×0.36λ0×0.0071λ0 (where λ0 is the lower edge frequency of the operating band), the proposed antenna achieves a wide impedance bandwidth ranging from 1.34 GHz to 3.44 GHz (88%). The proposed antenna also achieves high gain and exhibits a stable radiation pattern which makes it suitable for many wireless communications such as DCS-1800, PCS-1900, IMT-2000/UMTS, ISM (including WLAN), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a compact ultra-wideband microstrip-fed annular ring antenna with band notch characteristics for wireless local area network (WLAN) and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) is proposed. The proposed antenna comprises an annular ring patch and a partial ground plane with a rectangular slot. The notched frequency band is achieved by etching a partial annular slot in the lower portion of the ring radiator. The centre frequency and bandwidth of the notched band can be controlled by adjusting the width and position of the annular slot. Measured results show that the proposed antenna achieved an impedance bandwidth of 3-10.6 GHz with a notched frequency band centred at 5.5 GHz. Compared to the recently reported band-notched UWB antennas, the proposed antenna has a simple configuration to realize the band notch characteristics to mitigate the possible interference between UWB and existing WLAN & DSRC systems. Furthermore, a symmetric radiation patterns, satisfactory gain and good time domain behaviour except at the notched frequency band makes the proposed antenna a suitable candidate for practical UWB applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact planar ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with triple band notch characteristics is proposed in this paper. The antenna consist a rectangular radiating patch, a modified partial ground plane, and has an overall dimension of 30 x 22mm². Three resonant elements are placed above the ground plane to generate three notch frequency bands separately in the WiMAX, the lower WLAN and the upper WLAN frequency bands. The proposed antennas are successfully simulated, prototyped and measured. Effects of the key deign parameters on band notch characteristics are also investigated. The realized antenna achieved an operating bandwidth (VSWR ≤ 2) ranges from 2.9 to more than 11GHz with triple notched bands of 3.26- 3.71 (12.9%), 5.15-5.37 (8.5%), and 5.78-5.95 (2.9%)GHz. Measured flat transfer function and constant group delay within the operating band except notched bands make the proposed antenna suitable for being used in practical UWB applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the bioavailability of an optimized mephenamic acid (MFA) microspheres (test) against a Ponstan® capsule (reference) in healthy volunteers, and to establish a correlation with in vitro parameters. Subjects andMethods: Four subjects received the test and reference (250 mg MFA each) in a randomized crossover design, separated by a 1-week washout period. The drug was analyzed in plasma by a specific high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The relevant pharmacokinetic parameters [maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time of peak concentration (Tmax), area under plasma concentration-time curves from 0 to 12 h (AUC0-12) and area under plasma concentration-time curves from zero to ∞ (AUC0-∞)] were calculated from the plasma drug concentration-time data. Results: The test product exhibited faster absorption (Tmax of 1.87 ± 0.482 vs. 2.14 ± 0.20 h; Cmax of 5.91 ± 0.604 vs. 3.58 ± 0.671 μg/ml) when compared to the reference. The relative bioavailability of the test compared to the reference capsule was 172%. Good correlations were established between the in vitro 90% dissolution (T90) and each of the AUC0-12 and Tmax, as well as between the percentage of drug released and plasma concentrations. Conclusion: The formulation of MFA microsphere with polyethylene glycol improved the dissolution rate and bioavailability of MFA, as evidenced by a higher Cmax, AUC0-12 and AUC0-∞, and shorter Tmax values. Good correlations between T90 and both AUC0-12 and Tmax as well as between the percentage of drug released and plasma concentrations were achieved. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]