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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients suffer premature development of cardiovascular disease and commonly require cardiac revascularization using the autologous saphenous vein (SV). Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the principal cell type within the vascular wall and are dysfunctional in T2DM SV-SMCs, yet the mechanisms underpinning this are incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to interrogate differential microRNA (miRNA) expression in SV-SMCs to enhance our understanding of T2DM SV-SMC phenotypic change. miRNA expression in primary human SV-SMCs from T2DM and non-diabetic (ND) donors was determined using an array (n = 6 each of ND and T2DM SV-SMCs). Differentially expressed miRNAs were ranked, and functional annotation of the 30 most differentially expressed miRNAs using DAVID and KEGG analysis revealed pathways related to SMC phenotype, including proliferation, migration, cytokine production and cell signaling. After selecting miRNAs known to be involved in SMC phenotypic regulation, miR-17, miR-29b-2, miR-31, miR-130b and miR-491 were further validated using qRT-PCR (n = 5 each of ND and T2DM SV-SMC), with miR-29b-2 subsequently being removed from further investigation. Potential mRNA targets were identified using mirDIP. Predicted target analysis highlighted likely dysregulation in transcription, epigenetic regulation, cell survival, intracellular signaling and cytoskeletal regulation, all of which are known to be dysfunctional in T2DM SV-SMCs. In conclusion, this paper identified four miRNAs that are dysregulated in T2DM SV-SMCs and are implicated in functional changes in the behavior of these cells. This provides a step forward in our understanding of the molecular and epigenetic regulation of vascular dysfunction in T2DM.

Protein O-GlcNAcylation, a dynamic and reversible glucose-dependent post-translational modification of serine and threonine residues on target proteins, has been proposed to promote vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration events implicated in vein graft failure (VGF). Therefore, targeting the enzymes (glutamine fructose-6P amidotransferase (GFAT), O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), and O-GlcNAcase (OGA)) that regulate cellular O-GlcNAcylation could offer therapeutic options to reduce neointimal hyperplasia and venous stenosis responsible for VGF. However, it is unclear how type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hyperglycaemia affect the expression of these enzymes in human saphenous vein smooth muscle cells (HSVSMCs), a key cell type involved in the vascular dysfunction responsible for saphenous VGF. Therefore, our aim was to assess whether T2DM and hyperglycaemia affect GFAT, OGT, and OGA expression levels in HSVSMCs in vitro. Expression levels of GFAT, OGT, and OGA were determined in low-passage HSVSMCs from T2DM and non-T2DM patients, and in HSVSMCs treated for 48 h with hyperglycaemic (10 mM and 25 mM) glucose concentrations, by quantitative immunoblotting. Expression levels of OGT, OGA, and GFAT were not significantly different in HSVSMC lysates from T2DM patients versus non-T2DM controls. In addition, treatment with high glucose concentrations (10 mM and 25 mM) had no significant effect on the protein levels of these enzymes in HSVSMC lysates. From our findings, T2DM and hyperglycaemia do not significantly impact the expression levels of the O-GlcNAcylation-regulating enzymes OGT, OGA, and GFAT in HSVSMCs. This study provides a foundation for future studies to assess the role of O-GlcNAcylation on VGF in T2DM.

Background: Pectoralis major muscle/myocutaneous flaps (PMMFs) are commonly used in reconstructive surgery, but may result in shoulder disability on the donor side. A systematic review evaluating this morbidity could be beneficial for guiding patients and providers considering this procedure. Methods: In October 2022, a systematic review of studies evaluating quantitative/qualitative measures of functional morbidity after PMMF was conducted. The results were categorized into PMMF's effect on range of motion (ROM), strength, and ability to complete shoulder-related activities/quality of life. Results: Eleven studies were included for analysis, which analyzed standard PMMF and two PMMF variants that spared portions of the muscle. Three of five studies demonstrated reduced shoulder ROM for standard PMMF versus controls lasting at least 4 months after head and neck reconstruction. Two of five studies, including two prospective studies demonstrated reduced shoulder strength for standard PMMF versus controls lasting at least 3 months after surgery. Five of nine studies found significant impairment in the ability to conduct shoulder-related activities, including work, up to one year postoperatively for standard PMMF versus controls. Muscle-sparing PMMF variants exhibited more promising outcomes in some categories. Conclusion: Standard PMMF results in prolonged reductions in shoulder ROM and strength, which may impair patients in shoulder-related activities. Other reconstructive options should be considered in patients who frequently participate in such activities. For patients requiring PMMF, muscle-sparing PMMF variants should be considered as alternatives to the standard PMMF.

Abstract Increased sales of natural products (NPs) in the US and growing safety concerns highlight the need for NP pharmacovigilance. A challenge for NP pharmacovigilance is ambiguity when referring to NPs in spontaneous reporting systems. We used a combination of fuzzy string-matching and a neural network to reduce this ambiguity. Our aim is to increase the capture of reports involving NPs in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For this, we utilized Gestalt pattern-matching (GPM) and Siamese neural network (SM) to identify potential mentions of NPs of interest in 389,386 FAERS reports with unmapped drug names. A team of health professionals refined the candidates identified in the previous step through manual review and annotation. After candidate adjudication, GPM identified 595 unique NP names and SM 504. There was little overlap between candidates identified by each (Non-overlapping: GPM 347, SM 248). We identified a total of 686 novel NP names from FAERS reports. Including these names in the FAERS collection yielded 3,486 additional reports mentioning NPs.

Background and Aim: Despite the plethora of drugs currently available, neurodegenerative diseases are leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Hence, there is a need for the development of more alternatives that are safe, efficient, and effective. In Nigeria, the leaves of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius are used ethnomedicinally for the management of central nervous system related disorders such as convulsion and anxiety. In this study, we evaluated some neuropharmacological effects of the methanol leaf extract of C. aconitifolius (CAE) in mice. Methods: Different groups of mice (n = 5) were administered 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of CAE and then evaluated for sedative-hypnotic, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant properties using standard protocols. Results: The onset of sleep was significantly reduced (P < 0.001), and sleep duration was significantly (P < 0.01) prolonged at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. All doses of the extract significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the number of head dips in hole-board test. In elevated plus maze test, the dose of 400 mg/kg increased (P < 0.05) the number of open arm entries without altering the time spent in the open arms of the maze. At 400 mg/kg, there was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the duration of immobility in forced swimming test. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract reduced (P < 0.05) the duration of immobility in the tail suspension test. The extract did not exhibit any anticonvulsant effect either in chemically induced or electrically induced models, and there was no significant alteration in motor coordination in extract-treated mice. Conclusion: Our results showed that CAE possesses sedative-hypnotic and antidepressant properties but lack anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and muscle relaxant actions in mice.

Abstract Aim This study aimed to assess nurses' satisfaction and perceptions of the impact of virtual learning. Design A descriptive cross‐sectional survey. Method 236 nurses attending an online conference from several parts of Nigeria participated in the study. Analysed data were summarized and presented in tables and graphs, while linear regression was used to measure the associations. Results Most of the respondents perceived the programme as highly impactful. All three domains: learner‐content interaction (p = 0.020), learner–instructor interaction (p = 0.000) and learner–learner interaction (p = 0.000), were found to be statistically significantly associated with the perceived impact of the programme, and thus statistically significant predictors of the effects of online learning (p = 0.02), (F = 5.471). Conclusively, the Interaction of learners with learning content, lecturers and other learners was seen as determinants of an effective and impactful online education. It is recommended that nursing training institutions embrace online learning either as the leading platform or as an adjunct to a face‐to‐face method.

The excessive intake and bioaccumulation of sodium fluoride (NaF) through water, toothpaste or pesticides could trigger cardiac oxidative stress. The effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) fractions on biochemical markers of the heart in NaF-induced rats. Thirty male and female rats were grouped into five: Normal control (NC) received water only, Sodium fluoride (NaF, 300 mg L−1), the others were exposed to 300 mg L−1 NaF while the treated animals received100 mg kg−1d−1 of aqueous, n-hexane and butanol -H. sabdariffa (AQE-HS, HEE-HS, BTE-HS) fractions orally for 14 days respectively. This study revealed that NaF exposure increases TBARS, TC, TG, LDL-c, AI, AC, CRI-I, CRI-II and arginase activity with a decrease in catalase, GST, SOD, GSH, HDL-c, and NO level whilethe HS treatment stimulates antioxidant production which eventually reduce oxidative stress. The AQE-HS suppressed TBARS, lipid profile, and cardiac indices. Therefore, bioactive constituent of HS attenuates NAF-induced cardiac oxidative stress.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine whether external debt procurements during the military and civilian regimes had a correlation with infrastructural developments using available data from Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – The sample period covering 41 years, was divided into two periods representing the military and civilian regimes with respective secondary data secured from the World Bank Group online database. The study employed robust least square regression, autoregressive distributed lag and the error correction term to test the variables at the 0.05 significance level. Findings – The results affirmed that external debts shows positive and significant relationship with infrastructural developments proxy for capital investments during the short-run for both military and civilian regimes in Nigeria, while the outcome was only significant and negatively signed for the civilian regime in the long-run with 52.28% speed of convergence to long-run. This study concludes that external debt showed significant correlation with infrastructural development during the civilian regime better than the military regime in Nigeria and this conclusion applies globally. Research limitations/implications – Research period covered only 41 years, between 1979 and 2020 and focused on sub-Saharan African country – Nigeria. Practical implications – The research encourages civilian administration in governments and urged them to carefully appraise and contract external debts to finance self-liquidating priority projects. Social implications – The national economy and the masses suffer during military regime but are better off during civilian regime. Originality/value – Apart from adding to current literature, the work focused on a coverage period that comprehensively compares two different regimes of government – military and civilian administrations.

Studies have been carried out on bovine bone due to its abundance and large quantity of hydroxyapatite (HAP) in it while caprine bone has been understudied. In this study, locally sourced bovine and caprine bones were washed in distilled water, defatted at 120°C for 1.5 hr in a pressure pot, ball-milled, sieved to 150 µm particle size and characterised. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Energy dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed calcium, phosphorus and carbon as the main components. Both bones contained carbon and oxygen due to the presence of organic collagen but the quantity in caprine bone was a bit higher as revealed by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and EDS spectra. A slight difference in thermal decomposition patterns was recorded while X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD) revealed the presence of identical functional phases. The microstructures showed needle-like and pebble-like shapes for bovine and caprine respectively, also on visual examination of the Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM), the bovine samples tended to have particle surface roughness more than caprine. Consequently, the chemical properties of both bone raw samples were insignificantly different from each other except for collagen composition and morphology.

Background: Plants contain diverse phytochemicals with different solubility levels, depending on their molecular charges and polarity. This study was conducted to examine the effects of three extraction solvents in their pure and aqueous forms: absolute petroleum ether, acetone and ethanol on the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activities of Manihot esculenta leaves extracts. Methods: The preliminary phytochemical investigations were performed, using standard procedures. The in vitro antioxidant properties were estimated by: 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picryl-Hydrazyl (DPPH), Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Ferric Thiocyanate (FTC). Results: The phytochemical analyses revealed the occurrence of an array of compounds: alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannin phenols, saponins and anthraquinones, the concentration of which varied with the solvent type. A considerable presence of all phytochemicals was found in the aqueous ethanol. The extracts from pure solvents were much less effective against DPPH synthetic radical than those 50% diluted. The petroleum ether extract provided the least antiradical activity, while the aqueous ethanol was the richest. The scavenging effect of the extracts on H2O2 varied in this order: 50% ethanol > absolute ethanol > ascorbic acid > 50% acetone > absolute acetone > 50% petroleum ether > absolute petroleum ether. Similarly, the results of the FRAP and FTC methods agreed largely with those of the DPPH and H2O2. Thus, the results of antioxidant activity positively correlated with the phytochemical results, with the aqueous ethanol showing the maximum activity overall. Conclusion: The results indicated that the extraction solvents considerably affected the phytochemical contents and the antioxidant activities of the tested extracts. These extracts can potentially serve as the alternative sources of natural antioxidant preparations.

The Brazilian Midwest has significant spatiotemporal variability in terms of precipitation and air temperature, making it more vulnerable to the occurrence of extreme weather events. The objective of this study is to characterize the trend of extreme climatic events regarding precipitation and air temperature in the Brazilian Midwest, and to analyze their relationship with Pacific and Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature anomalies (SSTAs). We used daily precipitation and air temperature data measured at 24 conventional weather stations. Pacific and Atlantic SSTA data were obtained from the Climate Prediction Center. The frequency of hot extremes had increased, while that of cold extremes had decreased significantly, thus highlighting the consistent warming across the Brazilian Midwest. The precipitation extremes had greater variability than the temperature extremes. Precipitation intensity increased in Amazonia, with no change in annual precipitation volume. The precipitation extremes in the Brazilian Savanna, Pantanal, and the Atlantic Forest did not have a well-defined pattern but indicated a trend towards a decrease in days with intense precipitation events. In general, the Equatorial Pacific and Atlantic Ocean (TNAI and TSAI) SSTAs were negatively correlated with precipitation extreme indices and positively correlated with air temperature extreme indices in the Amazon. However, the North Atlantic SSTAs were positively correlated with precipitation and air temperature extreme indices in the Brazilian Savanna and Pantanal. In addition, the Pacific SSTAs were positively correlated with precipitation intensity in the Atlantic Forest. Thus, the variability of the trends of precipitation and air temperature extreme indices in the Brazilian Midwest was observed, and it was surmised that this measure was significantly related to Pacific and Atlantic SSTAs.

The interaction of Phenolic compounds with carbohydrate has been observed to reduce postprandial glucose released from carbohydrate foods. This study investigates the chemical composition of eight species of vegetable; the vegetables (raw and blanched) were subjected to phytochemical screening, phenolic and antioxidant potential analyses. The phenolic compounds profile of Amaranthus hybridus was also determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Composite foods containing A. hybridus vegetable with either rice or wheat were prepared, digested in-vitro using a multienzyme simulated method and the digestates dialyzed. The dialysates were analyzed for phenolic and glucose availability. The results indicated that the total phenol, tannin and flavonoids ranged from 21.1 to 106 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, 1.89 to 14.4 and 3.5–20.5 mg catechin equivalent/g, respectively. Crude and neutral detergent fibres varied between 0.02 - 16.7% and 10.8–79.2%, respectively. Reducing sugar, total sugar and Uronic acid ranged from 0.84 to 9.40 mg/g, 5.00–11.12 mg/g and 136.8–498.4 mg/g, respectively. Blanching was observed to cause reduction in phenolic compounds in A. hybridus. The in-vitro available phenolics and glucose were inhibited in the composite diets, and the percentage inhibition varied between 37.5 and 53.3% for phenolics, and 11.3 and 51.5% for glucose. The study revealed that interaction between phenolic compounds and carbohydrates could impair starch digestibility hence the inclusion of vegetable with high glycemic index foods could serve as an alternative nutrition therapy in the management of diabetes.

As a contribution towards developing a platform for the mechanical characterization and eventual certification of steered fiber laminates, this paper presents a methodical breakdown of principal considerations. It is acknowledged that the synthesis of such a laminate will introduce curvilinear fibers that would result in a spatial variation in fiber orientation, which is one of the main characteristics that define the response of steered fiber laminates. The other important factors are identified as the presence of gaps and overlaps. Subsequently, the current publication proposes that these main characteristics interact to produce significantly complex stress-states in steered fiber laminates. By comparing the characteristics of steered fiber laminates with those of conventional laminates and laminates with ply drops, it is deduced that significant interlaminar stresses would develop especially at high stress gradient regions such as gaps and overlaps. Research on the examination of the effect of the principal factors – fiber orientation, interlaminar stresses, gaps and overlaps, are discussed in the context of the characterization and certification. For every principal factor, corresponding discussions are constructed by a review of literature firstly regarding their nature and existing methods for quantifying them, and secondly related to their implementation in characterization frameworks.

This research investigates the effect of baking temperature and time on the resistant starch (RS), glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of gluten-free cookies, optimized the processing parameter using a chemometrics approach of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The in-vitro starch digestibility of the formulated cookies exhibited a monophasic starch digestogram. Increase in resistant starch, and a decrease in the predicted GI of the cookies, was associated with low temperature and high baking time. The use of RSM and ANN modelling techniques accurately predict the RS, pGI and GL (coefficient of determinant, R2 > 0.93 and root mean square of error = 0.43–0.62) of the gluten-free cookies. The optimal condition for the production of cookies with high RS, low pGI and GL were baking temperature of 158 °C and baking time of 20 min with predicted RS value of 19.61 g/100g of dry starch, pGI value of 56.98 and GL value 52.64.

The spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation is of great importance for the rain-fed agricultural production and the socioeconomics of Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil. MT has a sparse network of ground rain gauges that limits the effective use of precipitation information for sustainable agricultural production and water resources in the region. Several gridded precipitation products from remote sensing and reanalysis of land surface models are currently available that can enhance the use of such information. However, these products are available at different spatial and temporal resolutions which add some challenges to stakeholders (users) to identify their appropriateness for specific applications (e.g., irrigation requirements, length of growing season, and drought monitoring). Thus, it is necessary to provide an assessment of the reliability of these precipitation estimates. The objective of this work was to compare regional precipitation estimates over MT as provided by the Global Land Data Assimilation (GLDAS), Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) with ground-based measurements. The comparison was conducted for the 2000–2018 period at eleven ground-based weather stations that covered different climate zones in MT using daily, monthly, and annual temporal resolutions. The comparison used the Pearson correlation index–r, Willmott index–d, root mean square error—RMSE, and the Wilks methods. The results showed GPM and GLDAS estimates did not differ significantly with the measured daily, monthly, and annual precipitation. TRMM estimates slightly overestimated daily precipitation by about 4.7% but did not show significant difference on the monthly and annual scales when compared with local measurements. The GPCP underestimated annual precipitation by about 7.1%. MERRA underestimated daily, monthly, and annual precipitation by about 22.9% on average. In general, all products satisfactorily estimated monthly precipitation, and most of them satisfactorily estimated annual precipitation; however, they showed low accuracy when estimating daily precipitation. The TRMM, GPM, GPCP, and GLDAS estimates had the highest performance, from high to low, while MERRA showed the lowest performance. The findings of this study can be used to support the decision-making process in the region in application related to water resources management, sustainability of agriculture production, and drought management.

The one-dimensional Klein-Gordon equation for equal vector and scalar q-parameter hyperbolic Poschl-Teller potential is solved in terms of the hypergeometric functions. We calculate in detail the solutions of the scattering and bound states. By virtue of the conditions of equation of continuity of the wave functions, we obtained explicit expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients and energy equation for the bound state solutions.

Nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis continues to be used widely for resolution and characterization of lipoprotein subclasses. Methods for making such gels in the laboratory have been published, but occasionally samples do not display uniform mobilities for all lanes in a laboratory-made gel.To help overcome this limitation, we recommend a modification

In this paper, the heat transfer in a flat-plate solar collector with water tubes spreading across its width was analyzed. The performances of the system both theoretically and experimentally were evaluated and compared. The theoretical results obtained agreed well with the experimental results, except that a slight higher deviation of heat loss was obtained in the experimental analysis and low solar radiation in the morning and late afternoon affects the system. An average heat loss coefficient of 0.68 W/m2.°C was obtained in the experimental analysis, while 0.65 W/m2.°C was obtained in the theoretical analysis. The collector efficiency was high around the mid-day when the collector receives the highest energy and the useful heat rate was at its maximum. The results also reveal that the performance of the solar collector depends much on the heat rate. The collector efficiency increases as the heat rate increases until a maximum efficiency of 72.2 % was reached at optimum heat rate of 785 W.

El trabajo expone los resultados del estudio luminotécnico y la evaluación del impacto energético de las 40 víaspúblicas más importantes del centro urbano de la ciudad de Santiago de Cuba. Se identifican las causas yconsecuencias del problema presentado, demostrándose que estas instalaciones a pesar de que poseen unademanda eléctrica poco significativa sí presentan un consumo de energía eléctrica apreciable que requiere de undiseño y explotación a partir de políticas adecuadas para logra la mayor eficiencia energética durante todo suciclo de vida. Las soluciones planteadas permiten ahorrar 792,15 MWh/año lo que constituye una reducción del67,7 % respecto al consumo actual. This paper exposes the lighting study results and energy impact evaluation of the 40 more important public roadsin the urban center of Santiago de Cuba city . The causes and consequences of the problem are identified. It isdemonstrated that these facilities, in spite of possessing a not very significant electric demand, presents anappreciable electric power consumption that incentivates to be designed and exploded from appropriate politicsfor it achieves the biggest energy efficiency during all their cycle of life. The outlined solutions allow to save792,15 MWh per year that which means a reduction of 67,7 % regarding the current consumption.

Immunoassays based on reactions between target pathogen (antigen; Ag) and antibody (Ab) are frequently used for Ag detection. An external magnetic field was used to immobilize magnetic microbeads-tagged-antibodies (mMB-Ab) on the surface of a microchannel in the capture zone. The mMB-Ab was subsequently used for Ag detection. The objective of this numerical study, with experimental validation, is to assess the surface reaction between mMB-Ab and Ag in the presence of electro-osmotic flow (EOF). First, immobilization of mMB-Ab complex in the wall of the capture zone was achieved. Subsequently, the Ag was transported by EOF toward the capture zone to bind with the immobilized mMB-Ab. Lastly, mMB-Ab:Ag complex was formed and immobilized in the capture zone. A finite volume solver was used to implement the above steps. The surface reaction between the mMB-Ab and Ag was investigated in the presence of electric fields (E): 150 V/cm–450 V/cm and Ag concentrations: 0.001 M–1000 M. The depletion of mMB-Ab increases with time as the E decreases. Furthermore, as the concentration of Ag decreases, the depletion of mMB-Ab increases with time. These results quantify the detection of Ag using the EOF device; thus, signifying its potential for rapid throughput screening of Ag. This platform technology can lead to the development of portable devices for the detection of target cells, pathogens, and biomolecules for testing water systems, biological fluids, and biochemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how leadership styles, particularly the principal's approach, influence organisational effectiveness in secondary schools, arguing that structured and supportive leadership fosters committee effectiveness, while laissez-faire or free-reign leadership may undermine collaboration, motivation, and decision-making, ultimately impacting school performance. A quantitative descriptive research design approach was employed. The study used a multistage sampling technique to select 313 participants from secondary schools in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The data collected was analysed using percentage and linear multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses formulated at a 0.05 significance level. It was found that leadership styles (participatory and free-reign) had a significant negative relationship with the committee system effectiveness, while directive leadership style and committee system effectiveness did not have a significant relationship. Policymakers and educational authorities should address the resource constraints that limit the availability of welfare and feeding committees. School leaders should also adopt balanced management styles that incorporate clear directives and controls while allowing some level of participation and flexibility to foster a positive and effective committee system.