Search

There are increased innovations in the field of concrete because there are endless opportunities for innovative materials, techniques, applications, and design. Today’s construction industry is looking for cost-effective materials to improve the strength of concrete structures. As a result, an attempt has been made in the current research to investigate the impact of adding polyester fibres (Recron 3s) to concrete. Fibres improve concrete's tensile and flexural strength, fatigue properties, durability, shrinkage properties, impact and erosion resistance, and serviceability. Polyester fibres (Recron 3s) are micro fibres; they contribute to enhancing the resistance of concrete to shrinkage and cracking and also help to improve mechanical properties such as the flexural / split tensile and transverse strength of concrete along with improvements in abrasion and impact strength. An experimental study was done using a M30 mix design. Polyester fibres (Recron 3s) were used in the concrete with varying dosage rates of 0.50 kgs / cu.m – 2.00 kgs / cu.m. This study describes the enhancement in the strength of the M30 grade mix concrete by the addition of polyester fibres (Recron 3s) in the proportions of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0kg/cu.m, and M30 concrete with varying dosages of the polyester fibres (Recron 3s) were mixed and cast.

Abstract Background Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based testing in cancer patients has led to increased detection of variants of uncertain significance (VUS). VUS are genetic variants whose impact on protein function is unknown. VUS pose a challenge to clinicians and patients due to uncertainty regarding their cancer predisposition risk. Paucity of data exists on the pattern of VUS in under-represented populations. This study describes the frequency of germline VUS and clinico-pathological features in Sri Lankan hereditary breast cancer patients. Methods Data of 72 hereditary breast cancer patients who underwent NGS-based testing between January 2015 and December 2021 were maintained prospectively in a database and analyzed retrospectively. Data were subjected to bioinformatics analysis and variants were classified according to international guidelines. Results Germline variants were detected in 33/72(45.8%) patients, comprising 16(48.5%) pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants and 17(51.5%) VUS. Distribution of VUS in breast cancer predisposing genes were :APC:1(5.8%), ATM:2(11.7%), BRCA 1:1(5.8%), BRCA 2:5(29.4%), BRIP 1:1(5.8%), CDKN 2A:1(5.8%), CHEK 2:2(11.7%), FANC 1:1(5.8%), MET:1(5.8%), STK 11:1(5.8%), NF 2:1(5.8%). Mean age at cancer diagnosis in patients with VUS was 51.2 years. Most common tumour histopathology was ductal carcinoma 11(78.6%). 50% of tumours in patients having VUS in BRCA 1/2 genes were hormone receptor negative. 73.3% patients had family history of breast cancer. Conclusions A significant portion of patients had a germline VUS. Highest frequency was in BRCA 2 gene. Majority had family history of breast cancer. This highlights the need to undertake functional genomic studies to determine the biological effects of VUS and identify potentially clinically actionable variants that would be useful for decision-making and patient management.

Abstract Background Asian adults develop Type 2 diabetes at a lower body mass index (BMI) compared to other racial/ethnic groups. We examined the variation in prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes among Asian ethnic groups within weight strata by comparing middle-aged Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, and White adults receiving care in the same integrated healthcare delivery system. Methods Our retrospective cross-sectional U.S. study examined data from 283,110 (non-Hispanic) White, 33,263 Chinese, 38,766 Filipino, and 17,959 South Asian adults aged 45–64 years who were members of a Northern California health plan in 2016 and had measured height and weight. Prediabetes and diabetes were classified based on laboratory data, clinical diagnoses, or diabetes pharmacotherapy. Age-standardized prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes were compared by race/ethnicity within healthy weight, overweight, and obesity categories, using standard BMI thresholds for White adults (18.5 to

This paper offers a comprehensive review of the advancements in the domain of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen Production. The review encompasses the exploration of various advanced control methods that have emerged as alternatives to traditional cascaded linear controllers, specifically for power converters in distributed generation systems and microgrids. The significance and functionalities of voltage source converters (VSCs) in these systems are elucidated, followed by a discussion on the dynamic performance limitations of linear controllers. The paper delves into the most notable advanced control methods, shedding light on their implementation principles, merits, and demerits. Furthermore, the paper touches upon the application of modelling methods apt for control and simulation of power electronic systems, emphasizing the benefits of non-linear modelling for controller design. The review also covers the state-of-the-art integrated switchedcapacitor and inductive power converters, providing insights into the utilization of transistor technology and various control strategies. By drawing comparisons and categorizing different converter technologies, the paper aims to present a holistic view of the current landscape and potential future directions in the realm of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Green Hydrogen Production.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a dominant multisystemic malformation syndrome due to mutations in five genes-NIPBL, SMC1A, HDAC8, SMC3, and RAD21. The characteristic facial dysmorphisms include microcephaly, arched eyebrows, synophrys, short nose with depressed bridge and anteverted nares, long philtrum, thin lips, micrognathia, and hypertrichosis. Most affected individuals have intellectual disability, growth deficiency, and upper limb anomalies. This study looked at individuals from diverse populations with both clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnoses of CdLS by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 246 individuals with CdLS were obtained from 15 countries. This cohort included 49% female patients and ages ranged from infancy to 37 years. Individuals were grouped into ancestry categories of African descent, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Caucasian. Across these populations, 14 features showed a statistically significant difference. The most common facial features found in all ancestry groups included synophrys, short nose with anteverted nares, and a long philtrum with thin vermillion of the upper lip. Using facial analysis technology we compared 246 individuals with CdLS to 246 gender/age matched controls and found that sensitivity was equal or greater than 95% for all groups. Specificity was equal or greater than 91%. In conclusion, we present consistent clinical findings from global populations with CdLS while demonstrating how facial analysis technology can be a tool to support accurate diagnoses in the clinical setting. This work, along with prior studies in this arena, will assist in earlier detection, recognition, and treatment of CdLS worldwide.

Introduction: Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) have been shown to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in veteran populations. The aim of this study was to examine the association between IOP participation and inpatient psychiatric and mental health-related emergency department (ED) encounters among patients with PTSD. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study among 258 adults with PTSD who participated in the IOP at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018. The authors compared changes in inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations and mental health-related ED encounters from the year before vs after the first IOP engagement. Bivariate analyses comparing ED and inpatient utilization pre- and post-IOP engagement, stratified by sociodemographic variables were conducted using paired t-tests and McNemar's test. Conditional multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the odds of psychiatric utilization. Results: Participants were more likely to have = 1 inpatient psychiatric encounter (28.7% vs 15.9%; p < 0.01) and = 1 mental health-related ED encounter (24.8% vs 18.2%; p = 0.04) pre-IOP vs post-IOP. The authors' multivariable analysis demonstrated that patients experienced a 56% reduction in the odds of inpatient psychiatric encounters (adjusted odds ratio = 0.42, 95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.68, p < 0.01) and a 35% reduction in mental health-related ED encounters (adjusted odds ratio = 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-1.00, p = 0.05) post-IOP vs pre-IOP. Discussion: This study demonstrated a significant reduction in inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations and mental health-related ED visits among patients with PTSD in the year following participation in an IOP. Conclusion: These findings support the use of IOPs for patients with PTSD to reduce the likelihood of intensive service use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common cause of kidney injury in systemic lupus erythematosus and associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Low medication adherence correlates with adverse clinical outcomes. METHODS: In a large, integrated health system at Kaiser Permanente East Bay Area, the authors identified mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) prescriptions for LN and collected patient demographics, medication adherence, and copay data. They interviewed patients with low medication adherence rates to understand contributing factors, such as side effects, cost, refill processes, and laboratory draws. Adherence was defined as a proportion of days covered at > 80%. The proportion of days covered is the number of days covered by a medication divided by the number of days in a defined period. RESULTS: Between November 30, 2021, and November 30, 2022, the authors identified 36 patients with LN on MMF. Almost a third (11/36) of these patients were nonadherent to medication. More than half (7/11) of these patients agreed to be interviewed. They identified the following causes of medication nonadherence: forgetfulness (57%, or 4/7), incomplete laboratory work (28%, or 2/7), medication cost (14%, or 1/7), and intentionally missed doses (14%, or 1/7). No patients identified medication side effects as a cause. The median 30-day copay for MMF was $4.55, and 28% (2/7) of patients paid $0 for their medications. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' integrated health system, 69% of their patients with LN on MMF were adherent to their medication regimen. Forgetfulness was a challenge for the nonadherent patients. Kaiser Permanente East Bay Area provides convenient refills and laboratory draws; this likely facilitates medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational stress is rampant across various professions. The process of murder case investigation culminates in a plethora of challenges, including mental health concerns among murder detectives, which can trigger occupational stress. Stress reduces productivity and is detrimental to a worker’s health and well-being. This study explored trauma contributing to occupational stress among murder detectives in the South African Police Service. The study adopted a case study design and a qualitative approach within the constructivist paradigm. To generate rich and thick data, participants were purposively selected. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with eight (n = 8) murder detectives and two (n = 2) employees from the SAPS’ Employee, Health, and Well-being Services (EHWS) department. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The sources of stress identified were attributed to the nature of police work, namely long work hours and exposure to traumatic crime scenes. Murder cases involving children and women were among the most emotionally challenging sources of stress. Further, most detectives reported resorting to defensive mechanisms in dealing with trauma. Although most detectives knew EHWS, high workloads were reported to be an insurmountable challenge. The findings have important implications for intervention programmes to improve the mental health and well-being of SAPS murder detectives.

Abstract Background Meditation-based practices have been suggested to result in many biological benefits which include reduction of attrition of telomeres, the protective nucleotide-protein complexes at termini of eukaryotic chromosomes. This systematic review evaluated the effects of meditation on telomere length (TL) in healthy adults. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies conducted to determine the effects of meditation on TL in healthy individuals, published up to July 2020 were retrieved by searching seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Google Scholar). The methodological quality of RCTs and observational studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist, respectively. The data was synthesized narratively and the effect estimates of TL in the RCTs were synthesized using alternative methods as a meta-analysis was not conducted. The certainty of evidence was classified according to the GRADE system. Results A total of 1740 articles were screened. Five studies comprising two RCTs and three case-control studies (CCS) were included in the final review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The combined sample consisted of 615 participants with 41.7% males. Average age of participants was 47.7 years. One CCS and one RCT reported significant beneficial effects of meditation on TL while the two remaining CCS and the RCT showed positive effects of meditation on TL which were not significant. For all CCS and one RCT, the methodological quality was high while the remaining RCT was of moderate quality. The quality of evidence for the primary outcome was moderate in RCTs. Conclusion The effect of meditation on TL per se is still unclear. Strictly designed and well-reported RCTs with larger sample sizes are required to provide evidence of higher quality. Systematic review registration The protocol of this review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (registration number: CRD42020153977 ).

Water plays a vital role in the creation of human being and other natural phenomena. More than 80% of the resources is surrounded by water but in that only 20% is good for consumption others are fully polluted and contaminated. Now a days water is more polluted, and even supplied in a very lesser level so to check and monitor the quality of the water we mainly using a number of sensors are used to monitor the water’s quality and distribute it to the less fortunate. The quality of the water is affected by several parameters. Water is provided from difference resources like lake, pond, well, ground water, oceans etc.so these waters are not good for consumption Therefore, our goal is to assess the water’s quality while keeping an eye on the flow and level of the water. It is intended to use a variety of cutting-edge devices to check various water quality system parameters.

Buprenorphine is an opioid drug used in the management of pain and the treatment opioid addiction. Like other opioids, it is believed that it achieves these effects by altering functional neurotransmitter pathways and the expression of important transcription factors; cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support these theories. This study investigated the pharmacodynamic effects of BUP administration by assessing neurotransmitter and molecular changes in the healthy rodent brain. Sprague-Dawley rats (150–200 g) were intranasally administered buprenorphine (0.3 mg/mL) and sacrificed at different time points: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 h post drug administration. LC-MS was used to quantify BUP and neurotransmitters (GABA, GLUT, DA, NE and 5-HT) in the brain, while CREB and BDNF gene expression was determined using qPCR. Results showed that BUP reached a Cmax of 1.21 ± 0.0523 ng/mL after 2 h, with all neurotransmitters showing an increase in their concentration over time, with GABA, GLUT and NE reaching their maximum concentration after 8 h. DA and 5-HT reached their maximum concentrations at 1 h and 24 h, respectively post drug administration. Treatment with BUP resulted in significant upregulation in BDNF expression throughout the treatment period while CREB showed patterns of significant upregulation at 2 and 8 h, and downregulation at 1 and 6 h. This study contributes to the understanding of the pharmacodynamic effects of BUP in opioid addiction by proving that the drug significantly influences NT pathways that are implicated in opioid addiction.

The current study investigates the effect of graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical properties of standard concrete. To compare, conventional concrete was designed to attain a compressive strength of 30 MPa, and GO was added to create graphene oxide concrete. The workability and compressive strength of various concrete mixtures were evaluated. The best mixture, GC2 (0.2% GO), demonstrated a compressive strength of 42 MPa and a flexural strength of 6.0 MPa after 28 days of curing. Additional analysis of GC2 using SEM, EDAX, and XRD revealed a more compact microstructure of hydration products. The results of this study suggest that graphene oxide (GO) enhances the mechanical properties of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmia characterized by disorganized atrial activity with an associated unevenly irregular ventricular response on an electrocardiogram. It is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with a lifetime risk of 25% in patients older than 40 years old. The incidence of AF increases with age and is associated with an increased risk for heart failure, stroke, adverse cardiac events, and dementia. The 2 main aims of AF treatment include anticoagulation for thromboembolism prophylaxis as well as rate vs rhythm control. The focus of this article will be on the treatment strategies in managing AF. Rate control refers to the use of atrioventricular nodal blocking medications, including beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, to maintain a goal heart rate. Rhythm control, on the other hand, refers to a treatment strategy focused on the use of antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD), cardioversion, and ablation to restore and to maintain a patient in sinus rhythm. Currently, the ideal treatment strategy remains greatly debated. Thus, we hope to compare the risks and benefits of rate to rhythm control to highlight how patients with AF are managed here at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Barakat syndrome is an autosomal dominant rare genetic disease caused by haploinsufficiency of the GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) gene. It is also known as HDR syndrome, and is characterized by varying degrees of hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness and renal disease. This is the first report of a heterozygous GATA3 whole gene deletion causing HDR syndrome in a Sri Lankan family. Case presentation A 13-year-old boy with an acute febrile illness, hypocalcaemia and bilateral carpopedal spasm was referred for evaluation. A past medical history of treatment for persistent hypocalcaemic symptoms since the age of 7 months was obtained. Biochemical investigations showed persistent low serum corrected calcium levels with hyperphosphataemia, hypomagnesaemia, low parathyroid hormone levels, hypercalciuria, and low total 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. His renal functions and renal sonography were normal. Audiometry showed bilateral moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. On screening, his mother was also found to have asymptomatic hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hyperphosphataemia, hypercalciuria and low total 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. She had impaired renal functions and chronic parenchymal changes in the renal scan. Audiometry showed bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. Genetic analysis using multiplex-ligation dependent probe amplification showed a reduced gene dosage for GATA3 that is consistent with a heterozygous whole gene deletion in both the child and mother. Conclusions This report demonstrates the wide intra-familial phenotypic variability observed in HDR syndrome and adds further to the existing scientific literature on the genotype-phenotype correlation of this syndrome. It highlights the need for HDR syndrome to be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent hypocalcaemia with sensorineural deafness and/or renal involvement, and for appropriate genetic evaluation to be done to confirm the diagnosis.

Abstract Objective A previous study undertaken at our centre to identify common genetic variants associated with sporadic breast cancer in Sri Lankan women showed that the T allele of rs3218550, located in the 3′untranslated region of X-ray repair cross-complementing gene-2 (XRCC2), increased breast cancer risk by 1.5-fold. Dual luciferase reporter assays performed in MCF-7 breast cancer cells showed a putative transcriptional repressor effect exerted mainly by the T allele. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were conducted to further investigate the interaction of this variant with DNA-binding protein, using nuclear protein extracts derived from MCF-7 cells. Results An allele-specific differential binding was observed. The T allele resulted in differential DNA–protein complex binding as evidenced by the presence of multiple bands of increased intensity compared to the wild-type C allele. This implies possible alteration in binding of regulatory proteins by the variant allele. These results implicate XRCC2:rs3218550C>T as a potential low-penetrant susceptibility allele for sporadic breast cancer. XRCC2 is known to play an essential role in homologous recombination repair of DNA double-strand breaks. It is plausible that this variant may be exerting regulatory effects on XRCC2 gene expression leading to altered DNA repair capacity. Further functional studies are warranted to validate this finding.