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Intercropping and biofertilizers application are the most important agricultural methods for moving towards minimizing the risks of agricultural production and increasing production efficiency. Consequently, this experiment was conducted at one year and in 2019. A factorial set of treatments was arranged within randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to investigate the effect of different planting ratios with safflower and soybean (sole cropping, 30:100 soybean to safflower ratio, 60:100 soybean to safflower ratio and 90:100 soybean to safflower ratio) and nutrient levels (100% urea fertilizer, 100% biofertilizer and the combined application of urea and biofertilizer) on growth and yield of these crops. The results of this study indicated that intercropping patterns had the highest plant height, number of grains per plant, biological and grain yields. In addition, the means of the number of heads per plant and the number of grains per head in safflower and the weight of 1000 grains in soybean were increased as intercrops were grown. Maximum of grain number per plant in safflower, leaf number per plan in soybean and biological and grain yields in both crops were attained in urea + biofertilizer. In all of intercropping patterns the values of LER (land equivalent ratio), RVT (relative value total) and RCC (relative crowding coefficient) was more than one, indicating an advantage from intercropping over sole crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the response of pinto bean and black mustard intercropping to application of biological and chemical nitrogen fertilizers, a factorial set of treatments was arranged within randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. In this experiment, fertilizer treatments were nonfertilizer, biofertilizers, biofertilizers + 50% chemical urea fertilizer (125 kg/ha) and biofertilizers + 100% chemical fertilizer (250 kg/ha). The cropping patterns comprised pure stands of bean and black mustard, additive intercropping with a ratio of 50% black mustard + optimum density of pinto bean mono cultures and an additive intercropping with optimum density of two species in mono cultures. Application of biofertilizers and chemical fertilizer increased most of the agronomic traits in pinto bean and black mustard plants. The biofertilizers + 100% of urea followed by biofertilizers + 50% of urea were the superior treatments, compared with other fertilizers. Evaluation of intercropping patterns with using land equivalent ratio (LER), relative yield total (RYT), relative value total (RVT) and relative crowding coefficient (RCC) indices showed that the highest LER and RYT were recorded for biofertilizer + 100% chemical fertilizer treatment. The highest RVT and RCC were obtained from control treatment (nonfertilization) in intercropping (optimum density of two species). Based on the LER, RVT, RYT and RCC indices, it was evident that intercropping of pinto bean and black mustard was more beneficial than mono cultures. Therefore, it was generally concluded that intercropping pattern was better than monocultures of two species at different levels of fertilizers and also biofertilizers application could increase efficiency of chemical fertilizer. Thus, biofertilizers + 100% chemical fertilizer and intercropping of pinto bean and black mustard was the better treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out in 2014 and 2015 to assess the effects of salicylic acid (SA) (0 and 1 mM) and abscisic acid (ABA) (0 and 50 µM) on essential oil content and yield of ajowan (Carum copticum L.) organs under different irrigation intervals (I1, I2, I3, I4: irrigation after 70, 100, 130 and 160 mm evaporation, respectively). Plants were sprayed by SA and ABA at vegetative and reproductive stages. In both years, the biomass of vegetative organs (leaves and stem), flower production and seed yield per unit area of ajowan decreased with decreasing water availability. All organs mass improved by application of ABA and particularly SA. Essential oil percentage of all organs increased, but essence yield decreased as a result of water limitation. Reduction in essential oil yield of ajowan organs due to water stress strongly related with the reduction of individual organ mass under stress. Foliar spray of ABA and especially SA improved the medicinal and commercial value of ajowan under different irrigation intervals by enhancing plant organs biomass and accumulation of more essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of mechanical alloying in the Cu-Fe system, as a model system for those with positive heats of mixing, has been investigated. The effects of impact force which pertains to ball-to-powder ratio, rotation speed and milling time, on the strain and grain size of final powders have been studied. The aim of this research was to find the optimum condition for mechanical alloying of Cu-Fe system by the automatic design and analysis of Taguchi experiments. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the effect of incoming energy on the diffusion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn2TiO4/ZnTiO3 nanopowders were synthesized via CBD method. TiCI4, ZnCI2 and NaOH were used as precursors. The effect of temperature was investigated on morphologies and compositions of final product. The calcinations of the samples were carried out at 630 °C. The structures and morphologies of the products were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the best temperature for fabrication of the compounds without ZnO is 25 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is detection of galaxy clusters based on weak gravitational lensing method. We apply mass aperture statistics method to 0.32 square degrees data obtained with the WFI@MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope and detect mass peaks based on their mass not the luminosity. So by the application of proper filter function, shear profile and mass map are produced. Finally mass peaks with higher detection significance are extracted. In future works, redshift of these mass concentrations and so their mass can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Controlled trials have demonstrated successful weight loss associated with certain weight management medications (WMMs). However, there are limited real-world data on prescribing patterns and efficacy and safety profiles of WMMs in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients., Objective: To evaluate: utilization patterns of WMMs liraglutide, naltrexone/bupropion, orlistat, phentermine, phentermine/topiramate, and semaglutide; weight loss at three, six, twelve, and more than 12 months; safety; and treatment barriers., Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional medication use evaluation (MUE) was conducted using electronic health records of outpatient Veterans newly initiated on WMMs at 37 VA Medical Centers between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2022. Chart review was used to identify WMM utilization and capture rates of clinical response, defined as 5% and 10% or greater weight loss at the final weight, adverse drug events (ADEs), non-adherence, and discontinuations. Site-specific surveys evaluated local practices and barriers., Results: Among 1959 eligible Veterans, semaglutide, phentermine/topiramate, and orlistat were most frequently prescribed. The clinical response was highest among phentermine/topiramate, liraglutide, and semaglutide. Naltrexone/bupropion and phentermine demonstrated the highest and lowest ADE rates, respectively. Potential barriers to WMM utilization and successful treatment by site reports were drug shortages, patient perceptions of therapeutic course, personal preferences, and VA WMM use criteria., Conclusions: Smaller weight loss and higher discontinuation rates were observed relative to clinical trials. The MUE data allow for better assessment of benefits and risks for Veterans prescribed WMMs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Published 2024. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Obesity Science & Practice published by World Obesity and The Obesity Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Inpatient pharmacies receive numerous phone calls from health care professionals and patients. This uncaptured workload poses potential staffing concerns for pharmacy administrators as unequal distribution or misdirected calls to the pharmacy team can lead to accountability and patient safety concerns. We aimed to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an automated call distribution (ACD) system in an inpatient pharmacy setting at a US Department of Veterans Affairs hospital., Observations: A new inpatient pharmacy service phone line extension was implemented at the Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital in Illinois. The ACD phone system yielded positive performance metrics, including ≤ 30 seconds mean speed to answer and ≤ 5% abandonment rate in the 12 months after implementation., Conclusions: The ACD phone system is a promising, new application of available technology implemented in a nontraditional setting. The ACD system provides more actionable information and quality metrics data to pharmacy leadership. The implementation of the ACD system has improved accountability, efficiency, work distribution, and the allocation of resources., Competing Interests: Author disclosures The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest or outside sources of funding with regard to this article., (Copyright © 2023 Frontline Medical Communications Inc., Parsippany, NJ, USA.)

Longevity, functionality, and metabolic fitness are key determinants of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell efficacy. Activated T cells follow an ordered differentiation program which is facilitated by metabolic adaptations. In response to antigen, T cells undergo a highly-regulated shift to glycolysis. Committing to, and engaging in, glycolysis supports T cell expansion and effector function. Inside tumors, heightened tumor cell metabolism and dysregulated perfusion create a competition for nutrients. As local metabolism supports the differentiation of T cells into functionally-competent progeny, nutrient depletion coupled with persisting antigen can trigger T cell exhaustion. Emerging insights into the barriers impeding CAR T cell function in hostile tumor microenvironments (TME) reveal that metabolic intermediates shape the immune response by influencing epigenetic programs and the control of gene expression. In this review, we discuss recent progress connecting cellular metabolism with epigenetic states in CAR T cells. Given that CAR T cell metabolism can be dynamically regulated, we introduce the concepts of "metabolic-based epigenetic altering" and "epigenetic-based metabolism altering" to restore functional competence in CARTs traversing solid TMEs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Adaptive CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell transfer has become a promising treatment for leukemia. Although patient responses vary across different clinical trials, reliable methods to dissect and predict patient responses to novel therapies are currently lacking. Recently, the depiction of patient responses has been achieved using in silico computational models, with prediction application being limited., Methods: We established a computational model of CAR T-cell therapy to recapitulate key cellular mechanisms and dynamics during treatment with responses of continuous remission (CR), non-response (NR), and CD19-positive (CD19 + ) and CD19-negative (CD19 - ) relapse. Real-time CAR T-cell and tumor burden data of 209 patients were collected from clinical studies and standardized with unified units in bone marrow. Parameter estimation was conducted using the stochastic approximation expectation maximization algorithm for nonlinear mixed-effect modeling., Results: We revealed critical determinants related to patient responses at remission, resistance, and relapse. For CR, NR, and CD19 + relapse, the overall functionality of CAR T-cell led to various outcomes, whereas loss of the CD19 + antigen and the bystander killing effect of CAR T-cells may partly explain the progression of CD19 - relapse. Furthermore, we predicted patient responses by combining the peak and accumulated values of CAR T-cells or by inputting early-stage CAR T-cell dynamics. A clinical trial simulation using virtual patient cohorts generated based on real clinical patient datasets was conducted to further validate the prediction., Conclusions: Our model dissected the mechanism behind distinct responses of leukemia to CAR T-cell therapy. This patient-based computational immuno-oncology model can predict late responses and may be informative in clinical treatment and management., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Rabies is a lethal infectious disease caused by rabies virus (RABV). Fear and anxiety are the distinguished symptoms in rabies patients. Fusion of RABV envelope glycoprotein (RVG) to host cell membrane initiates rabies pathogenesis via interacting with PDZ domain of signaling proteins. We assessed the anxiety-like behaviors, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) response to RVG infection. Contribution of PDZ binding motif (PBM) of RVG to the observed effects was also examined using a mutant form of RVG, ΔRVG, with deleted last four amino acids at PBM C-terminus. Lentiviral vectors containing RVG and/or ΔRVG genes were injected into the rat brain areas involved in anxiety including hypothalamus, dorsal hippocampus, and amygdala. RVG/ΔRVG neural expression was examined by fluorescent microscopy. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) tasks. HPA response was evaluated via measuring corticosterone serum level by ELISA technique. RVG/ΔRVG were successfully expressed in neurons of the injected areas. RVG, but not ΔRVG, infection of hypothalamus and amygdala increased the time spent in EPM open arms, and OF total distance moved and velocity. RVG, but not ΔRVG, infection of hypothalamus and dorsal hippocampus increased corticosterone level. The anxiety-like behaviors and exploratory/locomotor activities of rats with RVG infection in hypothalamus, and amygdala are mediated by PBM of RVG. The HPA response to RVG infection of hypothalamus and dorsal hippocampus is dependent to PBM of RVG. Triggering anxiety-related signaling by PBM of RVG seems to be one of the mechanisms involved in anxiety behaviors seen in patients with rabies., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)