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Abstract In an attempt to develop potent anti-cancer agents, a new 1,3,4-substituted-thiadiazole derivatives (8b-g), starting from 4-substituted-thiazol-2-chloroacetamides (4b-g), were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic effects on multiple human cancer cell lines, including the hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG-2), human lung carcinoma (A549), human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and pseudo-normal human embryonic liver (L02) cancer cell lines by an MTT assay. Among all synthesized compounds, compound 8d showed the potent anti-cancer activities with GI50 values of 2.98, 2.85 and 2.53 μM against MCF-7, A549 and HepG-2 cell lines respectively as compared to standard drug Doxorubicin. Furthermore, molecular modelling studies have spotlighted the anchoring role of 1,3,4-substituted-thiadiazole moiety in bonding and hydrophobic interaction with the key amino acid residues. Therefore, these results can provide promising starting points for further development of best anti-cancer agents. Graphical Abstract

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the usage of portable cold storage technologies, as the demand for flexible and mobile solutions for storing perishable goods has expanded. The advantages of portable cold storage units include energy efficiency, portability, and use. This analysis examines portable cold storage technologies, their uses, and future prospects. We also examine the use of phase change materials (PCMs) in conjunction with portable cold storage units for the storage of perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables. Beginning with an introduction to the various types of portable cold storage units, including refrigerated shipping containers, portable refrigerators, and cold rooms, the study continues with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each. The various methods employed in portable cold storage units, such as compression refrigeration, absorption refrigeration, and thermoelectric cooling, are then discussed. The analysis also addresses the uses of portable cold storage units, including those in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and medical industries. The usage of PCMs in conjunction with portable cold storage units is then described, along with the various types and qualities of PCMs. The report continues with a consideration of future prospects in portable cold storage technologies, such as using renewable energy sources, intelligent sensors, and the Internet of Things.

Background: Current standard of care treatment for patients with ≥15 brain metastases (BM) is whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), despite poor neurocognitive outcomes. We analyzed our institutional experience of treating these patients with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), with the aim of evaluating safety, cognitive outcomes, and survival metrics. Methods: Patients who received SRS for ≥15 BMs in 1 to 5 fractions from 2014 to 2022 were included. Cognitive outcomes were objectively evaluated using serial Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and log-rank test for intergroup comparisons. Results: Overall, 118 patients underwent 124 courses of LINAC-based SRS. The median number of lesions treated per course was 20 (range, 15-94). Most patients received fractionated SRS to a dose of 24 Gy in 3 fractions (81.5%). At the time of SRS, 19.4% patients had received prior WBRT, and 24.2% had received prior SRS. The rate of any grade radiation necrosis (RN) and grade ≥3 RN were 15.3% and 3.2%, respectively. When evaluating longitudinal PROMIS score trends, 25 of 31 patients had a stable/improved PROMIS score. Patients who did not receive prior brain RT had a longer median survival (7.4 months vs 4.6 months, P = .034). The 12m local control was 97.6%, and the cumulative incidence of distant intracranial failure, with death as a competing event, was 46% (95% CI, 36%, 55%). One year freedom from neurologic death, leptomeningeal disease, and salvage WBRT were 89%, 94.6%, and 84%, respectively. Conclusion: We present here one of the largest studies evaluating SRS for patients with ≥15 BMs. SRS was safe, had favorable cognitive outcomes, and had comparable survival outcomes to contemporary studies evaluating WBRT in this population. Treatment-naïve patients had a median survival of >6 months, long enough to benefit from cognitive sparing with SRS. Our study supports randomized studies comparing SRS and hippocampal avoidance WBRT approaches for these patients.

The present study focuses on research findings related to the development and assessment of thiadiazole-linked thiazole derivatives as promising anti-tubercular agents. We present the synthesis data of eleven new compounds (4a-4k) and confirm their structures using spectroscopic techniques. Subsequently, the compounds were screened for their anti-tuberculosis activities against M. tuberculosis H37Ra. The results demonstrated that compounds 3 and 4b exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.90 μg/mL and 7.81 μg/mL, respectively. In-vitro, studies for few compounds exhibited high antioxidant activity against DPPH and OH radical scavengers along with minimal to no cytotoxicity against RBCs which is a promising result. Investigation of molecular docked conformations revealed different molecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds, halogen bonds, and interactions involving Pi electron cloud. The study sheds light on conserved interactions with residues like Met131, Val163, His90 and Gln161 from the tubercular MCAT enzyme. Interestingly, the synthetic chemistry reveals that the employment of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) plays a crucial role for N-butylation and it also expedites the reaction in tetrahydrofuran solvent.

BackgroundNearly all patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma experience recurrence following standard-of-care radiotherapy (RT) + temozolomide (TMZ). The purpose of the phase III randomized CheckMate 548 study was to evaluate RT + TMZ combined with the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (NIVO) or placebo (PBO) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with methylated MGMT promoter (NCT02667587).MethodsPatients (N = 716) were randomized 1:1 to NIVO [(240 mg every 2 weeks × 8, then 480 mg every 4 weeks) + RT (60 Gy over 6 weeks) + TMZ (75 mg/m2 once daily during RT, then 150-200 mg/m2 once daily on days 1-5 of every 28-day cycle × 6)] or PBO + RT + TMZ following the same regimen. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients without baseline corticosteroids and in all randomized patients.ResultsAs of December 22, 2020, median (m)PFS (blinded independent central review) was 10.6 months (95% CI, 8.9-11.8) with NIVO + RT + TMZ vs 10.3 months (95% CI, 9.7-12.5) with PBO + RT + TMZ (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3) and mOS was 28.9 months (95% CI, 24.4-31.6) vs 32.1 months (95% CI, 29.4-33.8), respectively (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.3). In patients without baseline corticosteroids, mOS was 31.3 months (95% CI, 28.6-34.8) with NIVO + RT + TMZ vs 33.0 months (95% CI, 31.0-35.1) with PBO + RT + TMZ (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9-1.4). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse event rates were 52.4% vs 33.6%, respectively.ConclusionsNIVO added to RT + TMZ did not improve survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with methylated or indeterminate MGMT promoter. No new safety signals were observed.

Brain cancers are some of the most complex diseases to treat, despite the numerous advances science has made in cancer chemotherapy and research. One of the key obstacles to identifying potential cures for this disease is the difficulty in emulating the complexity of the brain and the surrounding microenvironment to understand potential therapeutic approaches. This paper discusses some of the most important in vitro, in vivo, and microfluidic brain tumor models that aim to address these challenges.

Abstract Background The application of high throughput technologies has enabled unravelling of unique differences between healthy mares and mares with endometritis at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. However, differences in the uterine microbiome are yet to be investigated. Objectives The present study was aimed at evaluating the differences in uterine microbiome between healthy mares and mares with endometritis. Methods Low‐volume lavage (LVL) samples were collected from the uterus of 30 mares classified into healthy (n = 15) and endometritis (n = 15) based on their reproductive history, intrauterine fluid accumulation, gross appearance of LVL samples, endometrial cytology and bacterial culture. The samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing. Results Notable differences in the uterine microbiome were observed between healthy mares and mares with endometritis at various taxonomic levels. In healthy mares, the most abundant phylum, class, order and family were Firmicutes, Bacilli, Bacillales and Paenibacillaceae, respectively. In contrast, the most abundant corresponding taxonomic levels in mares with endometritis were Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacterales and Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. At the genus level, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus were more abundant in healthy mares, whereas Escherichia, Salmonella and Klebsiella were more abundant in mares with endometritis. In healthy mares, Brevibacillus brevis was the most abundant species, followed by Brevibacillus choshinensis and Paenibacillus sp JDR‐2. However, in mares with endometritis, Escherichia coli was the most abundant species, followed by Salmonella enterica and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Conclusions These results confirmed the previously reported presence of a uterine microbiome in healthy mares and helped unravel some alterations that occur in mares with endometritis. The findings can potentially help formulate new approaches to prevent or treat equine endometritis.

Introduction: Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is indicated for adult patients diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease (LMD). Proton-based vertebral body sparing (VBS) CSI has been explored with pediatric patients to minimize hematologic toxicity; however, utilization of VBS in an adult population is limited. A recent phase II trial has shown efficacy of proton-based CSI to treat non-small cell lung and breast cancer with LMD. We hypothesize that VBS CSI using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) could also effectively reduce dose to vertebral bodies and surrounding organs at risk, minimizing toxicity for adult patients with LMD and comparing favorably to proton-based CSI. Methods and Materials: Consecutive patients with LMD received VMAT VBS CSI, 30 Gy in 10 fractions, as a part of a prospective registry. Full VMAT arcs for the brain fields matched to 2 spine isocenters for the upper and lower spine were created using limited posterior arcs. To further decrease the vertebral body dose, an avoid entry and exit contour was created. Acute toxicity data were collected using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5. Results: Ten adult patients were treated in this cohort. One patient experienced grade 2 neutropenia with the remaining 9 experiencing grade 1 hematologic toxicity. Three patients experienced grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity with the remaining 7 experiencing grade 1 nausea. No patient experienced grade 3+ toxicities in this cohort. One patient experienced a 5-day delay in systemic therapy initiation due to neutropenia; otherwise, all patients planned for systemic therapy started without delay. Conclusions: In this study, VMAT VBS CSI led to acceptable toxicity compared with patients treated with proton CSI on a phase 2 clinical trial. Given its promising early results, future prospective evaluation of the technique is warranted.

Background: Pediatric patients with metastatic and/or recurrent solid tumors have poor survival outcomes despite standard-of-care systemic therapy. Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) may improve tumor control. We report the outcomes with the use of SABR in our pediatric solid tumor population. Methods: This was a single-institutional study in patients < 30 years treated with SABR. The primary endpoint was local control (LC), while the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. The survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier estimates in R v4.2.3. Results: In total, 48 patients receiving 135 SABR courses were included. The median age was 15.6 years (interquartile range, IQR 14–23 y) and the median follow-up was 18.1 months (IQR: 7.7–29.1). The median SABR dose was 30 Gy (IQR 25–35 Gy). The most common primary histologies were Ewing sarcoma (25%), rhabdomyosarcoma (17%), osteosarcoma (13%), and central nervous system (CNS) gliomas (13%). Furthermore, 57% of patients had oligometastatic disease (≤5 lesions) at the time of SABR. The one-year LC, PFS, and OS rates were 94%, 22%, and 70%, respectively. No grade 4 or higher toxicities were observed, while the rates of any grade 1, 2, and 3 toxicities were 11.8%, 3.7%, and 4.4%, respectively. Patients with oligometastatic disease, lung, or brain metastases and those who underwent surgery for a metastatic site had a significantly longer PFS. LC at 1-year was significantly higher for patients with a sarcoma histology (95.7% vs. 86.5%, p = 0.01) and for those who received a biological equivalent dose (BED10) > 48 Gy (100% vs. 91.2%, p = 0.001). Conclusions: SABR is well tolerated in pediatric patients with 1-year local failure and OS rates of

IoT-based applications are growing in popularity nowadays because they offer effective answers to numerous current problems. In this research, With the aim of decreasing human efforts for monitoring the power units and increasing users' knowledge of excessive electricity usage, an IoT-based electric metre surveillance system utilising an Android platform has been developed. With the help of an Arduino Uno and an optical sensor, the electric analyser pulse is captured. To reduce human mistake and the expense of energy usage, a low-cost wireless network of sensors for digital energy metres is implemented alongside a smartphone application that can autonomously read the metre of the unit. In this research, an intelligent power monitoring system with effective communication modules has been developed to make wise use of the electricity. The controller, NB-IoT connection module, and cloud are the three main components of an IOT-based smart energy metre system. The controller is essential for maintaining the functionality of each component. This solution reduces the need for human involvement in electricity maintenance by connecting energy metres to the cloud using an NB-IoT communication module. The IoT-based metre reading system in the proposed work is created to monitor and analyse the metre reading, and the service provider can cut off the source of electricity whenever the customer fails to pay the monthly bill. It also eliminates the need for human intervention, provides accurate metre reading, and guards against billing errors. The proposed SPM improves the overall accuracy ranges of 7.42, 27.83, and 20% better than DR, OREM, and SLN respectively.

Objective: Guduchi [Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) f. and Thoms.], a rasayana (rejuvenator) in the traditional system of Indian medicine (Ayurveda), is known for its diverse bioactivities. The aim of this study was to isolate the immunomodulatory protein (ImP) from commercial guduchi churna (stem powder) and characterize it. Methods: Guduchi churna extract following 80% ammonium sulfate precipitation was chromatographed on Q-Sepharose. Purified guduchi ImP was evaluated for its lymphoproliferative and macrophage activation properties, structural relatedness to certain plant lectins, amino acid composition, stability to trypsin, and N-terminal sequencing. Results: The purified protein, obtained in a yield of 140[Formula: see text]mg/100[Formula: see text]g guduchi churna, showed a molecular mass of [Formula: see text] kDa by SDS-PAGE. Guduchi ImP (10 [Formula: see text]g) showed seven-fold increase over control in mitogenic activity of murine splenocytes, and a four-fold increase over control in nitric oxide (NO) release from murine peritoneal exudates cells (PECs). These activities were abolished in pronase-treated guduchi ImP. Guduchi ImP does not agglutinate rabbit erythrocytes. Rabbit antiserum to guduchi stem ImP strongly reacted with purified guduchi ImP, and did not recognize common plant lectins (concanavalin A (Con A), poke weed mitogen (PWM) and garlic lectin). Amino acid composition of guduchi ImP shows high content of acidic amino acids, serine (12.4%) and cysteine (10.2%); guduchi ImP is highly stable to trypsin and has a blocked N-terminus. Conclusion: Guduchi ImP is an acidic, non-lectin ImP with a high content of serine and cysteine, and appears to have an immense potential for future structural, immunological, and therapeutic studies.

Background: The standard treatment for patients with large brain metastases and limited intracranial disease is surgical resection and post-operative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). However, post-operative SRS still has elevated rates of local failure (LF) and is complicated by radiation necrosis (RN), and meningeal disease (MD). Pre-operative SRS may reduce the risk of RN and MD, while fractionated therapy may improve local control through delivering a higher biological effective dose. We hypothesize that pre-operative fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (FSRT) will have less toxicity compared to patients who receive post-operative SRS or FSRT. Methods: A multi-institutional analysis was conducted and included patients who had surgical resection and stereotactic radiation therapy to treat at least one brain metastasis. Pertinent demographic, clinical, radiation, surgical, and follow up data were collected for each patient. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint defined as patients with one of the following adverse events: 1) LF, 2) MD, and/or 3) Grade 2 or higher (symptomatic) RN. Results: 279 patients were eligible for analysis. The median follow-up time was 9 months. 87 % of patients received fractionated treatment. 29 % of patients received pre-operative treatment. The composite endpoint incidences for post-operative SRS (n = 10), post-operative FSRT (n = 189), pre-operative SRS (n = 27), and pre-operative FSRT (n = 53) were 0 %, 17 %, 15 %, and 7.5 %, respectively. Conclusions: In our study, the composite endpoint of 7.5% for pre-operative FSRT compares favorably to our post-operative FSRT rate of 17%. Pre-operative FSRT was observed to have low rates of LF, MD, and RN. Prospective validation is needed.

Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cause of brain metastases (BM). Despite increasing incidence of BM in older women, there are limited data on the optimal management of BM in this age group. In this study, we assessed the survival outcomes and treatment patterns of older breast cancer patients ≥65 years old with BM compared to younger patients at our institution. Methods: An IRB-approved single-institutional retrospective review of biopsy-proven breast cancer patients with BM treated with 1- to 5-fraction stereotactic radiation therapy (SRS) from 2015 to 2020 was performed. Primary endpoint was intracranial progression-free survival (PFS) defined as the time interval between the end of SRS to the date of the first CNS progression. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) from the end of SRS and radiation treatment patterns. Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazard regression method were used for survival analyses. Results: A total of 112 metastatic breast cancer patients with BMs were included of which 24 were ≥65 years old and 88 were p = 0.036), while younger patients were more frequently triple negative (32% vs. 12%, p = 0.074) and HER2 positive (42% vs. 29%, p = 0.3). Treatment-related adverse events were similar in both groups. Overall, 14.3% patients had any grade radiation necrosis (RN) (older vs. young: 8.3% vs. 16%, p = 0.5) while 5.4% had grade 3 or higher RN (0% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.7). Median OS after RT was poorer in older patients compared to younger patients (9.5 months vs. 14.5 months, p = 0.037), while intracranial PFS from RT was similar between the two groups (9.7 months vs. 7.1 months, p = 0.580). On univariate analysis, significant predictors of OS were age ≥65 years old (hazard risk, HR = 1.70, p = 0.048), KPS ≤ 80 (HR = 2.24, p < 0.001), HER2 positive disease (HR = 0.46, p < 0.001), isolated CNS metastatic disease (HR = 0.29, p < 0.001), number of brain metastases treated with RT (HR = 1.06, p = 0.028), and fractionated SRS (HR = 0.53, p = 0.013). On multivariable analysis, KPS ≤ 80, HER2 negativity and higher number of brain metastases predicted for poorer survival, while age was not a significant factor for OS after adjusting for other variables. Patients who received systemic therapy after SRS had a significantly improved OS on univariate and multivariable analysis (HR = 0.32, p < 0.001). Number of brain metastases treated was the only factor predictive of worse PFS (HR = 1.06, p = 0.041), which implies a 6% additive risk of progression for every additional metastasis treated. Conclusions: Although older women had poorer OS than younger women, OS was similar after adjusting for KPS, extracranial progression, and systemic therapy; and there was no difference in rates of intracranial PFS, neurological deaths, and LMD in the different age groups. This study suggests that age alone may not play an independent role in treatment-selection and that outcomes for breast cancer patients with BMs and personalized decision-making including other clinical factors should be considered. Future studies are warranted to assess neurocognitive outcomes and other radiation treatment toxicities in older patients.

The ongoing Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) shortage has created challenges for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBCa). Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of reduced-dose induction BCG (RD-iBCG) compared to full-dose induction BCG (FD-iBCG) regarding recurrence rates. We hypothesized that patients receiving RD-iBCG may recur at a higher rate compared to those who received FD-iBCG therapy. A retrospective review of all patients with NMIBCa treated with intravesical therapy at our institution between 2015–2020 was conducted. Inclusion criteria consisted of having a diagnosis of AUA intermediate or high-risk NMIBCa with an indication for a six-week induction course of FD or RD-BCG with at least 1 year of documented follow up. The data were censored at one year. Propensity score matching for age, sex, tumor pathology, and initial vs. recurrent disease was performed. The primary endpoint was bladder cancer recurrence, reported as recurrence-free survival. A total of 254 patients were reviewed for this study. Our final cohort was 139 patients after exclusion. Thirty-nine percent of patients had HGT1 disease. 38.6% of patients receiving RD-BCG developed a recurrence of bladder cancer within a one-year follow-up as compared to 33.7% of patients receiving FD therapy. After propensity matching, this value remained statistically significant (p = 0.03). In conclusion, RD-iBCG for NMIBCa is associated with a significantly greater risk of recurrence than full-dose induction therapy, suggesting that RD-iBCG may not be equivalent or non-inferior to full-dose administration in the short term.

BackgroundWith advances in systemic therapy translating to improved survival in metastatic malignancies, spine metastases have become an increasingly common source of morbidity. Achieving durable local control (LC) for patients with circumferential epidural disease can be particularly challenging. Circumferential stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may offer improved LC for circumferential vertebral and/or epidural metastatic spinal disease, but prospective (and retrospective) data are extremely limited. We sought to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, and cancer control outcomes with this novel approach to circumferential spinal disease.MethodsWe retrospectively identified all circumferential SBRT courses delivered between 2013 and 2019 at a tertiary care institution for post-operative or intact spine metastases. Radiotherapy was delivered to 14–27.5 Gy in one to five fractions. Feasibility was assessed by determining the proportion of plans for which ≥95% planning target volume (PTV) was coverable by ≥95% prescription dose. The primary endpoint was 1-year LC. Factors associated with increased likelihood of local failure (LF) were explored. Acute and chronic toxicity were assessed. Detailed dosimetric data were collected.ResultsFifty-eight patients receiving 64 circumferential SBRT courses were identified (median age 61, KPS ≥70, 57% men). With a median follow-up of 15 months, the 12-month local control was 85% (eight events). Five and three recurrences were in the epidural space and bone, respectively. On multivariate analysis, increased PTV and uncontrolled systemic disease were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of LF; ≥95% PTV was covered by ≥95% prescription dose in 94% of the cases. The rate of new or progressive vertebral compression fracture was 8%. There were no myelitis events or any grade 3+ acute or late toxicities.ConclusionsFor patients with circumferential disease, circumferential spine SBRT is feasible and may offer excellent LC without significant toxicity. A prospective evaluation of this approach is warranted.

Spontaneous rupture of a bladder diverticulum is a rare entity typically associated with tissue weakness, bladder outlet obstruction, increased intra-abdominal pressure, or inflammation. Diagnosis is most often achieved via cystogram with a reported role for pelvic ultrasound. Extraperitoneal ruptures are typically treated with catheterization and antibiosis while intraperitoneal ruptures are most frequently treated with immediate surgical intervention. In this case, an adult female presented with an intraperitoneal rupture with no clear inciting event with diagnosis confirmed by pelvic transvaginal ultrasound following a non-diagnostic cystogram. The patient was treated successfully with delayed open surgical repair.

BackgroundCentral nervous system tumors are now the most common primary neoplasms seen in children, and radiation therapy is a key component in management. Secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) are rare, but dreaded complications. Proton beam therapy (PBT) can potentially minimize the risk of SMNs compared to conventional photon radiation therapy (RT), and multiple recent studies with mature data have reported the risk of SMNs after PBT. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to characterize and compare the incidence of SMNs after proton and photon-based radiation for pediatric CNS tumors.MethodsA systematic search of literature on electronic (PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Embase) databases was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. We included studies reporting the incidence and nature of SMNs in pediatric patients with primary CNS tumors. The crude incidence of SMNs and all secondary neoplasms were separately extracted, and the random-effects model was used for pooled analysis and subgroup comparison was performed between studies using photons vs. protons.ResultsTwenty-four studies were included for analysis. A total of 418 SMNs were seen in 38,163 patients. The most common SMN were gliomas (40.6%) followed by meningiomas (38.7%), sarcomas (4.8%), and thyroid cancers (4.2%). The median follow-up was 8.8 years [3.3–23.2].The median latency to SMN for photons and protons were 11.9 years [5-23] and 5.9 years [5-6.7], respectively. The pooled incidence of SMNs was 1.8% (95% CI: 1.1%–2.6%, I2 = 94%) with photons and 1.5% (95% CI: 0%–4.5%, I2 = 81%) with protons. The pooled incidence of all SNs was not different [photons: 3.6% (95% CI: 2.5%–4.8%, I2 = 96%) vs. protons: 1.5% (95% CI: 0–4.5%, I2 = 80%); p = 0.21].ConclusionWe observed similar rates of SMN with PBT at 1.5% compared to 1.8% with photon-based RT for pediatric CNS tumors. We observed a shorter latency to SMN with PBT compared to RT. With increasing use of pencil beam scanning PBT and VMAT, further studies are warranted to evaluate the risk of secondary cancers in patients treated with these newer modalities.

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes severe life-threatening condition, i.e., AIDS. HIV destabilises an individual’s ability to prevent infection. Therefore, the combine medication lamivudine (LVD) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) are prescribed to suppress the amount of HIV infection in individual’s body; thus, the individual’s immune system could function properly. Consequently, the objective of present research work was to investigate robust and sensitive liquid chromatography avenue for simultaneous determination of lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in pure material and combined dosage form. Results The reversed-phase chromatographic separation has been performed through Hypersil BDS C18 column using solvent system composed of 10 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 4.0): acetonitrile (60:40% v/v). The determination was executed at 30 oC at 1 mL/min rate for flow of solvent system through column. The eluents of column were monitored at 265 nm using Photodiode Array detector has revealed admirable retention times, i.e., 4.67 and 8.78 min for both drugs, respectively. The calibration curve demonstrated excellent linearity in the range of 10–50 μg/mL for lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with better determination coefficients was more than (r 2 0.999). Conclusion The estimable method was effectively validated with respect to accuracy, precision, sensitive (limit of detection and limit of quantitation), robustness, ruggedness, and for selectivity and specificity. The value less than 2 for percentage relative standard deviation for accuracy, precision, robustness, and ruggedness satisfying the acceptance criteria as per procedure of International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use.

BackgroundWith survival improving in many metastatic malignancies, spine metastases have increasingly become a source of significant morbidity; achieving durable local control (LC) is critical. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may offer improved LC and/or symptom palliation. However, due to setup concerns, SBRT is infrequently offered to patients with ≥3 contiguous involved levels. Because data are limited, we sought to evaluate the feasibility, toxicity, and cancer control outcomes of spine SBRT delivered to ≥3 contiguous levels.MethodsWe retrospectively identified all SBRT courses delivered between 2013 and 2019 at a tertiary care institution for postoperative or intact spine metastases. Radiotherapy was delivered to 14–35 Gy in 1–5 fractions. Patients were stratified by whether they received SBRT to 1–2 or ≥3 contiguous levels. The primary endpoint was 1-year LC and was compared between groups. Factors associated with increased likelihood of local failure (LF) were explored. Acute and chronic toxicity was assessed. In-depth dosimetric data were collected.ResultsOverall, 165 patients with 194 SBRT courses were identified [54% were men, median age was 61 years, 93% had Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥70, and median follow-up was 15 months]. One hundred thirteen patients (68%) received treatment to 1–2 and 52 to 3–7 (32%) levels. The 1-year LC was 88% (89% for 1–2 levels vs. 84% for ≥3 levels, p = 0.747). On multivariate analysis, uncontrolled systemic disease was associated with inferior LC for patients with ≥3 treated levels. No other demographic, disease, treatment, or dosimetric variables achieved significance. Rates of new/progressive fracture were equivalent (8% vs. 9.5%, p = 0.839). There were no radiation-induced myelopathy or grade 3+ acute or late toxicities in either group. Coverage of ≥95% of the planning target volume with ≥95% prescription dose was similar between groups (96% 1–2 levels vs. 89% ≥3 levels, p = 0.078).ConclusionsFor patients with ≥3 contiguous involved levels, spine SBRT is feasible and may offer excellent LC without significant toxicity. Prospective evaluation is warranted.

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the usage of portable cold storage technologies, as the demand for flexible and mobile solutions for storing perishable goods has expanded. The advantages of portable cold storage units include energy efficiency, portability, and use. This analysis examines portable cold storage technologies, their uses, and future prospects. We also examine the use of phase change materials (PCMs) in conjunction with portable cold storage units for the storage of perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables. Beginning with an introduction to the various types of portable cold storage units, including refrigerated shipping containers, portable refrigerators, and cold rooms, the study continues with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each. The various methods employed in portable cold storage units, such as compression refrigeration, absorption refrigeration, and thermoelectric cooling, are then discussed. The analysis also addresses the uses of portable cold storage units, including those in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and medical industries. The usage of PCMs in conjunction with portable cold storage units is then described, along with the various types and qualities of PCMs. The report continues with a consideration of future prospects in portable cold storage technologies, such as using renewable energy sources, intelligent sensors, and the Internet of Things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensifer sp. PC2 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from a nitrogen-fixing nodule of the tree legume P. cineraria (L.) Druce (Khejri), which is a keystone species that grows in arid and semi-arid regions of the Indian Thar desert. Strain PC2 exists as a dominant saprophyte in alkaline soils of Western Rajasthan. It is fast growing, well-adapted to arid conditions and is able to form an effective symbiosis with several annual crop legumes as well as species of mimosoid trees and shrubs. Here we describe the features of Ensifer sp. PC2, together with genome sequence information and its annotation. The 8,458,965 bp high-quality permanent draft genome is arranged into 171 scaffolds of 171 contigs containing 8,344 protein-coding genes and 139 RNA-only encoding genes, and is one of the rhizobial genomes sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopedia for Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project proposal.

Abstract Cloud repository is one of the most important services afforded by Cloud Computing where information is preserved, maintained, archived in distant servers and made available to the users over the Internet. Provided with the cloud repository facilities, customers can organize themselves as a cluster and distribute information with one another. In order to allow public integrity auditing on the information stored in semi-trusted cloud server, customers compute the signatures for every chunk of the shared information. When a malicious client is repudiated from the group, the chunks that were outsourced to the cloud server by this renounced customer need to be verified and re-signed by the customer present in the cluster (i.e., the straightforward approach) which results in huge transmission and reckoning cost for the customer. In order to minimize the burden of customers present in the cluster, in the existing scheme Panda, the semi-trusted Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is allowed to compute the R e−s i g n key. Further, the CSP audits and re-signs the revoked customer chunks by utilizing the R e−s i g n key. So, it is easy for the CSP by colluding with the revoked customer to find the secret keys of the existing customer. We introduce a novel Collusion Resistant User Revocable Public Auditing of Shared Data in Cloud (CRUPA) by making use of the concept of regression technique. In order to secure the secret keys of the existing customers from the CSP, we have allowed the information proprietor to compute the R e−s i g n key using the regression technique. Whenever the information proprietor revokes the customer from the cluster, the information proprietor computes the R e−s i g n key using the regression technique and sends to the CSP. Further, the CSP audits and re-signs the revoked customer chunks using the R e−s i g n key. The R e−s i g n key computed by the information proprietor using regression method is highly secure and the malicious CSP cannot find the private information of the customers in the cluster. Besides, our mechanism achieves significant improvement in the computation cost of the R e−s i g n key by information proprietor. Further, the proposed scheme is collusion resistant, supports effective and secure customer repudiation, multi-information proprietor batch auditing and is scalable.