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Medical students are one of the socially active, reliable, and persuading population of information, prevention and control, and incentive of vaccination to stop the current pandemic situation. Consequently, knowing the status of medical students' knowledge, about symptoms, and transmission of disease, prevention of COVID-19 and their attitudes towards a vaccine is important. This multi-center cross-sectional descriptive study was one of the first ones in Bangladesh among the undergraduate medical students who completed pathology, microbiology, and pharmacology. The study was conducted from March to April 2021, using a convenience sampling method in twelve government and non-government medical colleges. Among 1132 who completed the questionnaire, and 15 students from different centers were excluded from the pre-testing and face validation. The age of the 1117 respondents were 22 to 23 years, of which the majority of the respondents were female 749 (67.0%), and 368 (33.0%) were male. Almost all participants had correct knowledge (84.1%) about the symptoms of COVID-19. But 59.2% had wrong knowledge about transmission of disease by an afebrile person. Above 60.0 % of the participants have worn a facial mask when contacting people, refrained from shaking hands, washed hands, avoided people with signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, and avoided crowded places as a practice of prevention. 37.6% of medical students showed positive attitudes about the participation of management of a COVID-19 patient. Most of the participants' decided to have a vaccine depending on its availability. But 31.5% had trust in natural immunity rather than vaccination. Most undergraduate Medical college students understood the basic information, possessed a positive attitude, and presented good practice towards the COVID-19 and vaccination. They play a crucial role in motivation and acceptance of vaccines among the general citizen to fight back against the pandemic in the country with limited resources.

Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) is the level of uncertainty or unpredictability arising from government policy on topics such as taxes, trade, monetary policy, and regulation. Exploring the relationship between EPU and insurance premiums can provide insights into broader economic trends and policy decisions. EPU is often driven by political and economic events, and understanding its impact on insurance premiums can provide valuable information about how policy decisions and other external factors can affect the insurance industry and the broader economy. To understand the impact of EPU, this research examines the nexus between EPU and insurance premiums across 22 countries from 1996 to 2020. By applying panel cointegration tests, and the PMG-ARDL regression, it is found a periodical (both short-term and long-term) influence of EPU on insurance premiums. Additionally, it is revealed that EPU has a longer-term consequence on insurance premiums than it does in the short run. Also, EPU has a greater role in life insurance than non-life insurance. The results are consistent when robustness techniques (FMOLS and DOLS) are applied. The findings of the article have major implications for the government, policymakers, insurance authorities, and other relevant stakeholders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

To clarify the role of the aquaporin 5 (AQP5) in salivary secretion, we evaluated acetylcholine (ACh)-induced secretion in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, rats expressing a low level of AQP5 protein (AQP5/low SD) which developed from SD rats, and Wistar/ST rats. The salivary secretion in AQP5/low SD rats in response to infusions of low-dose ACh (60-120 nmol/min) was 27-42% of that in SD rats. By contrast, Wistar/ST rats exhibited comparable secretion to that of SD rats in response to low-doses ACh, despite their low-level expression of AQP5. Experiments using spectrofluorometry and RT-PCR demonstrated no differences in the ACh-induced Ca 2+ responses or the mRNA expression of muscarinic receptor, Cl - channel, or cotransporter between these strains. These findings imply that factors other than the function of salivary acinar cells regulates the secretion in response to weak stimuli. Monitoring of the hemodynamics in the submandibular gland revealed that low-doses ACh induced different patterns of the fluctuations in the blood flow in these strains. The blood flow decreased below the resting level in AQP5/low SD rats, but remained mostly above the resting level in Wistar/ST rats. The present study reveals that the contribution of AQP5-dependent transport of water is altered by stimulus intensity and blood flow.

Binding of fluorescent ligand (FL) to the cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)-coupled ligand-binding domain of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) receptor (CFP-LBP) produces fluorescence (Förster) resonance energy transfer (FRET). A competitive fluorescent ligand assay (CFLA), using the FRET signal from competition between FLs and IP 3 , can measure IP 3 concentration. The FRET signal should be enhanced by attaching a FRET donor to an appropriate position. Herein, we inserted five different circularly permuted CFPs in the loop between the second and third α-helices to generate membrane-targeted fluorescent ligand-binding proteins (LBPs). Two such proteins, LBP-cpC157 and LBP-cpC173, localized at the plasma membrane, displayed FRET upon binding the high-affinity ligand fluorescent adenophostin A (F-ADA), and exhibited a decreased fluorescence emission ratio (480 nm / 535 nm) by 1.6- to 1.8-fold that of CFP-LBP. In addition, binding of a fluorescent low-affinity ligand (F-LL) also reduced the fluorescence ratio in a concentration-dependent manner, with EC 50 values for LBP-cpC157 and LBP-cpC173 of 34.7 nM and 27.6 nM, respectively. These values are comparable to that with CFP-LBP (29.2 nM), indicating that insertion of cpC157 and cpC173 did not disrupt LBP structure and function. The effect of 100 nM F-LL on the decrease in fluorescence ratio was reversed upon addition of IP 3 , indicating binding competition between F-LL and IP 3 . We also constructed cytoplasmic fluorescent proteins cyLBP-cpC157 and cyLBP-cpC173, and bound them to DYK beads for imaging analyses. Application of F-ADA decreased the fluorescence ratio of the beads from the periphery to the center over 3 - 5 min. Application of F-LL also decreased the fluorescence ratio of cyLBP-cpC157 and cyLBP-cpC173 by 20-25%, and subsequent addition of IP 3 recovered the fluorescence ratio in a concentration-dependent manner. The EC 50 value and Hill coefficient obtained by curve fitting against the IP 3 -dependent recovery of fluorescence ratio can be used to estimate the IP 3 concentration., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study conducted a systematic review regarding the association between cryptocurrency and the stock market. This study used bibliometric and content analysis covering 151 articles from 2008 to November 2021. Using VOSviewer software, we explored the influential aspects of the literature, such as the prominent institutions, authors, countries, and journals. Additionally, we performed co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, and co-occurrence of keywords to understand the network. Furthermore, in the content analysis, we discussed key findings of four major research streams that we identified. Finally, we present seven research questions that can be explored in the future. The findings have a number of implications for the present state of the literature on cryptocurrency and the stock market, including study gaps and potential future research initiatives., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

The time-fractional Emden-Fowler model is an interesting mathematical model because it is widely used and important in mathematics and applied sciences. The current investigation compiles the Elzaki transform homotopy perturbation method (ET-HPM) and the Laplace transform homotopy perturbation method (LT-HPM) for the analytical solution of the considered model. In their developments, we show that fractional orders are simple to compute, and the resulting series lead to accurate results after a few iterations. We consider the fractional orders in the context of the Caputo form. The primary aim of these approaches is to compare the analytical results of the models under consideration. These schemes do not impose any constraints on the parameters or make any assumptions that could complicate the process of obtaining the analytical results. We show that the derived outcomes are in convergent sequence with a rapid iterative formula. The iterative series and the graphical illustrations in various fractional orders confirm the efficiency of the proposed approaches. The derived results are also compared to the precise solutions, which show that our suggested approaches are simple, effective, and accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The experiment aimed to determine the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polymyxin B, and honey on survival rates, hematological parameters, liver and kidney biomarkers, blood glucose levels, serum insulin levels, and histopathology of the liver, kidney, lungs, brain, and pancreas in LPS-challenged mice. Materials and Methods: 50 male Swiss Albino mice (Mus musculus), aged 3 weeks, were randomly assigned into 5 groups (10 mice per group): Control group (A), LPS (2 mg/kg bwt/day IP in NS) treated group (B), polymyxin B (1.2 mg/kg bwt/day IM) pre-treated plus LPS (2 mg/kg bwt/day IP in NS) treated group (C), honey (10 gm/kg bwt/day PO) pre-treated plus LPS (2 mg/kg bwt/day IP in NS) treated group (D), both polymyxin B (1.2 mg/kg bwt/day IM) and honey (10 gm/kg bwt/day PO) pre-treated plus LPS (2 mg/kg bwt/day IP in NS) treated group (E). The LPS was administered intraperitoneally (IP) at 80 µg/mice/day, diluting in normal saline. After 16 weeks, the mice were sacrificed, and blood samples and organs (liver, kidney, lung, brain, and pancreas) were collected for laboratory tests. Results: The results revealed that in LPS-treated mice, the mortality rate was the highest, and hemato-biochemical parameters were altered. Histopathological examination in the group treated with LPS showed disarrangement of hepatocytes, cellular infiltrations in the glomerulus, alveolar congestion in the lungs, several nerve fiber degenerations in the brain, and degenerative changes in pancreatic islets. The mortality rate and hemato-biochemical and histopathological changes were restored by the combined treatment of polymyxin B and honey. Conclusion: LPS has detrimental effects on survival rate and hemato-biochemistry, which are lessened by taking honey and polymyxin B supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity affects 800 million hectares of agricultural soils in the world and represents a serious concern for crop production. The soils of the San Jacinto de Yaguachi canton (Guayas province, Ecuador), where rice has traditionally been grown with low yield, are characterized as saline. This research aimed to evaluate the agronomical performance and yield of five commercial rice varieties (INIAP FL-Arenillas, SFL 011, INIAP 14, INIAP 11, and Fedearroz 60) grown in a saline soil amended with leonardite (150 kg/ha). A randomized complete block design was used in a split-plot arrangement with three repetitions; the leonardite amendments corresponded to the main plot, and the rice varieties to the sub-plots. At harvest time, in the amended plots, increments in plant height, number of tillers, panicle number and length, number of grains per panicle, grain weight, and yield were obtained. Nutrient uptake also increased in the amended plants, with the sole exception of phosphorus, which responded poorly to the treatment. Under these conditions, it is concluded that the use of the leonardite amendment can be an effective practice for obtaining significantly higher rice production in saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and many smart gadgets that support artificial intelligence, it is easier than ever to acquire, reproduce, and disseminate a large number of digital data. However, these great technologies have made it possible for intruders to easily violate issues related to copyright protection, identity theft, and privacy leakage. To address such issues, several approaches have been developed, among which image watermarking has been proven to be an ideal solution. In this paper, a blind watermarking approach for RGB color images based on joint Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is proposed. First, a self-adaptive color selecting strategy is used to select either the blue or green channel of the host image for embedding purpose. Subsequently, the selected color is subdivided into non-overlapping square blocks of size 4 × 4, and then DCT is applied to each block. Afterward, the DC values obtained from each block are decomposed into four sub-bands using DWT, and then the LH middle frequency sub-band is further decomposed into four sub-bands using DWT. Lastly, the LH1 obtained from LH is utilized for watermark embedding. To provide security to the proposed approach, the watermark image is encrypted before embedding using a chaotic sequence originated from a logistic map method. Experimental results reveal that the proposed approach not only enhances watermark invisibility but also provide excellent watermark robustness, meeting the main requirements of image watermarking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation's natural protraction, the (2+1) Fokas system, illustrates how a pulse moves across monomode optical fibers. Three efficient methods the Sardar sub-equation approach, the Bernoulli sub-ODE method, and the generic Kudryashov's method are used in this study to offer various families of solutions. Several sorts of function solutions, including those for hyperbolic, trigonometric, power, exponential, and rational functions, are provided by our suggested approaches. In order to highlight the many solutions found, numerous graphs are given toward the conclusion of the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitter gourd is a tropical wine grown mainly in India, China and South East Asia. The plant is cultivated mainly for its fruit part which is edible. Bitter gourd is unaccepted widely due to its bitter taste. Nevertheless, the fruit is a source of several key nutrients. The plant, as a whole contains, more than 60 phyto-medicines that are active against more than 30 diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Currently, the incorporation of the bioactive compounds isolated from bitter gourd into functional foods and beverages finds a new horizon. Nanoencapsulation and novel green extraction methods can be employed to improve the yield and quality of extracted compounds and their stability while incorporation into food products. The present review is an attempt to throw light to nutritional aspects, various bioactive compounds present and important nutraceutical properties of the bitter gourd plant in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) has been recognized as one of the most toxic heavy metals, which is continuously discharged into environments through anthropogenic (industrial activities, fertilizer production, and waste disposal) and natural sources with anthropogenic sources contributing greater than the natural sources. Therefore, Cd concentration sometimes increases in feeds, fodders, water bodies, and tissues of livestock including poultry in the vicinity of the industrial areas, which causes metabolic, structural, and functional changes of different organs of all animals. In poultry, bioaccumulation of Cd occurs in several organs mainly in the liver, kidney, lung, and reproductive organs due to its continuous exposure. Intake of Cd reduces growth and egg laying performance and feed conversion efficiency in poultry. Chronic exposure of Cd at low doses can also alter the microscopic structures of tissues, particularly in the liver, kidney, brain, pancreas, intestine, and reproductive organs due to increased content of Cd in these tissues. Continuous Cd exposure causes increased oxidative stress at cellular levels due to over-production of reactive oxygen species, exhausting antioxidant defense mechanisms. This leads to disruption of biologically relevant molecules, particularly nucleic acid, protein and lipid, and subsequently apoptosis, cell damage, and necrotic cell death. The histopatholocal changes in the liver, kidneys, and other organs are adversely reflected in hemogram and serum biochemical and enzyme activities. The present review discusses about Cd bioaccumulation and histopathological alterations in different tissues, pathogenesis of Cd toxicity, blood-biochemical changes, and its different ameliorative measures in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal, discharged into environments naturally or anthropogenically, where industrial and agricultural revolutions have led to serious Cd pollution into the environment. Poultry feed may be contaminated by Cd due to its presence in concentrates and supplements, and also in the machinery and equipment used in the feed production and processing. After absorption in the digestive system, Cd largely accumulates in kidneys, liver, bones and other organs and causes irreversible damage to these organs. Higher doses of Cd in poultry diet reduced feed intake, body weight, bone mineral density, egg production and eggshell quality. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient and important component of a variety of antioxidant enzymes, with the ability to antagonize metal toxicity including Cd. Hence, in the current review, we try to summarize recent information about the toxicological effects of Cd and provide updated information about the role of Se as an effective strategy in reducing Cd toxicity in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present digital era, multimedia like images, text, documents and videos plays a vital role, therefore due to increase in usage of digital data; there comes high demand of security. Encryption is a technique used to secure and protect the images from unfair means. In cryptography, chaotic maps play an important role in forming strong and effective encryption algorithm. In this paper 3D chaotic logistic map with DNA encoding is used for confusion and diffusion of image pixels. Additionally, three symmetric keys are used to initialize 3D chaos logistic map, which makes the encryption algorithm strong. The symmetric keys used are 32 bit ASCII key, Chebyshev chaotic key and prime key. The algorithm first applies 3D non-linear logistic chaotic map with three symmetric keys in order to generate initial conditions. These conditions are then used in image row and column permutation to create randomness in pixels. The third chaotic sequence generated by 3D map is used to generate key image. Diffusion of these random pixels are done using DNA encoding; further XOR logical operation is applied between DNA encoded input image and key image. Analysis parameters like NPCR, UACI, entropy, histogram, chi-square test and correlation are calculated for proposed algorithm and also compared with different existing encryption methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and anti-lipid peroxidation properties of a methanol extract of Paullinia pinnata root-bark, in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats. The extract of P. pinnata root-bark was prepared using a cold maceration method with 80% methanol and concentrated at 40°C in hot air oven. The extract was administered once daily per os at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for 21 consecutive days. Distilled water (5 mL/kg) and glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) were used as the vehicle and reference standard, respectively. The serum lipid profile, markers of liver and kidney functions, antioxidant status (malondialdehyde level, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities), histopathological changes in liver and kidney were examined 24h after the last treatment on day 21. The extract reduced serum lipid profile, markers of liver and kidney functions of treated rats relative to vehicle-treated rats. The superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of the extract treated rats were also elevated relative to the vehicle-treated rats. The extract reversed liver and kidney injuries induced by alloxan in the treated rats. This study provides some basic information which suggest that P. pinnata could be effective in managing diabetic complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use the Hirota bilinear method. With the help of symbolic calculation and applying this method, we solve the (2+1)-dimensional bidirectional Sawada-Kotera (bSK) equation to obtain some new lump-kink, lump-solitons, periodic kink-wave, periodic soliton and periodic wave solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]