Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transdermal Delivery of Capsaicin Nanoemulgel: Optimization, Skin Permeation and In Vivo Activity against Diabetic Neuropathy

Purpose: Diabetic somatic neuropathy is one of the most prevalent complications in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Many treatments were investigated to alleviate the pain associated with this condition. Capsaicin is a naturally occurring lipophilic alkaloid that proved to be an effective and safe treatment of chronic painful disorders. Despite the known therapeutic benefits of capsaicin, the conventional topical formulations have limited bioavailability. Therefore, the current study aims to develop capsaicin nanoemulgel to increase skin permeation and enhance its activity against neuropathic pain. Methods: Low-energy emulsification method was used to prepare nanoemulsions, using eucalyptus oil as the oily phase, Tween 80 as a surfactant, propylene glycol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol as co-surfactants. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to investigate and optimize the formulation. Subsequently, the optimum formulation was formulated as a nanoemulgel and investigated for, skin permeation using Franz diffusion cell, and diabetic neuropathy (DN) management using alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Results: The selected nanoemulsion containing 0.05% capsaicin is composed of 8 % oil, 24 % S mix (Tween 80: isopropyl alcohol 2:1 w/w) and 68 % water. It is characterized by nanosized globules (28.15 ± 0.24 nm) with a relatively low polydispersity index (0.27 ± 0.05). The nanoemulgel revealed circa 4-fold increase in capsaicin cumulative permeation when compared to the conventional gel, and an improvement in its antinociceptive properties was observed in the treated diabetic mice (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The selected capsaicin nanoemulgel would be a promising transdermal formulation that may alleviate diabetic neuropathy in T1D patients.
Effects of Enzymatic Liquefaction, Drying Techniques, and Wall Materials on the Physicochemical Properties, Bioactivities, and Morphologies of Zinc-Amaranth (Amaranthus viridis L.) Powders

The demand for vegetable powder has been escalating considerably due to its various health benefits and higher shelf life compared to fresh green leafy vegetables. Thus, much research emphasised manufacturing vegetable powder at a lower operational cost and higher efficiency while preserving the nutritive values of the vegetables. In this study, zinc- (Zn-) amaranth puree was liquefied with three types of cell wall degrading enzymes (i.e., Viscozyme L, Pectinex Ultra SP-L, and Rapidase PAC) with varying concentrations (0–3% v/w) and incubation time (0.5–24 h) at pH 5 and 45°C before the drying process. The results showed that enzymatic liquefaction using 1% (v/w) of Viscozyme L for 3 h was the optimal procedure for the reduction of the viscosity of the puree. The liquefied puree was then microencapsulated through either spray- or freeze-drying with different wall materials, e.g., 10% of maltodextrin (MD) DE 10, resistant maltodextrin (RMD), N-octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) starches from waxy maize, HI CAP 100 (HICAP), Capsul (CAP), and gum Arabic (GA). The results showed that all freeze-dried powders generally had higher process yield (except for that encapsulated by HICAP), higher moisture content (but similar water activities), higher retention of total Zn-chlorophyll derivatives, lower hygroscopicity with slab-like particles, larger particle size, and lower bulk density than those of spray-dried powders. In contrast, the spray-dried powders exhibited irregular spherical shapes with relatively high encapsulation efficiency and antioxidant activities. Nonetheless, encapsulation using different wall materials and drying methods had no significant effect on the powder's cohesiveness and flowability.
Cyclophotocoagulation under Microscopy Combined with Phacoemulsification for Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cyclophotocoagulation under microscopy combined with phacoemulsification in patients with primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma. We retrospectively reviewed the results of cyclophotocoagulation under microscopic direct vision combined with phacoemulsification in 35 eyes (35 patients) with primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma and coexisting visually significant cataracts, treated between January 2017 and April 2020 at the glaucoma unit of the affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months postoperatively. The preoperative to postoperative changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), number of antiglaucoma medications, and surgery-associated complications were recorded. The BCVA improved from 1.15 ± 0.91 logMAR preoperatively to 0.86 ± 0.82 logMAR at the final postoperative examination (Z = −3.62, P < 0.0001). The mean IOP was 36.63 ± 13.50 mmHg preoperatively and 15.14 ± 3.19 mmHg at the final examination (Z = −5.16, P < 0.0001). The number of antiglaucoma drugs was significantly reduced from 2.23 ± 0.55 preoperatively to 0.54 ± 0.86 at the final postoperative examination (Z = −5.26, P < 0.0001). The absolute value of the mean defect and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at the last follow-up postoperatively were significantly reduced compared to preoperative values (Z = −3.35, P=0.001; Z = −4.56, P < 0.001, respectively). One patient experienced an explosive suprachoroidal hemorrhage during the operation. The sclera was incised at the corresponding site of the intraoperative hemorrhage. The operation was continued once there was no active bleeding, and the outcome was satisfactory. None of the patients required additional surgery to treat complications. Thus, cyclophotocoagulation under microscopic direct vision combined with phacoemulsification can be performed safely for the management of primary angle-closure glaucoma.
An overview of bottom trawl selectivity in the Mediterranean Sea

In the Mediterranean Sea, where bottom trawling for demersal species is the most important fishery in terms of landings, around 75% of the assessed fish stocks are overfished. Its status as one of the world’s most heavily exploited seas and the one subject to the highest trawling pressure has become a global concern. An extensive review of bottom trawl selectivity studies was performed to assess the sustainability of this fishery in the Mediterranean; the selectivity parameters were collected from 93 peer-reviewed publications of 10 countries, totalling 742 records and 65 species. The review highlighted that i) the catch of bottom trawls commonly employed in the Mediterranean, even complying with current regulations on codend meshes, still includes immature individuals for 64-68% of the species investigated, and individuals under the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) for 78% of the species investigated, and that ii) the MCRS set for 59% of the species analyzed is well below their length at first maturity, and is therefore ecologically inadequate. Although square-mesh codends are slightly more selective, the models developed herein demonstrate that improving size and species selectivity would require considerably larger meshes, which may significantly reduce profitability. The urgent need to reduce the biological impacts of bottom trawling in the Mediterranean should be addressed by promoting the adoption of more ecologically sustainable fishing gears through the introduction of more selective meshes or gear modifications.
RMHP_A_325777 4369..4378

1Oral Medicine & Special Care Dentistry, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Oral Medicine and Pathology, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Oral and Maxillofacial Department, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia; 4Scientific Research Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated widespread changes in delivery of dental care. Telemedicine utilization increased overnight during this pandemic because of its ability to enhance access to oral healthcare, easily link to remote area, time management, low cost, etc. We aimed to identify the utilization of telemedicine among oral medicine practitioners in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic and identify future impacts, potential challenges and barriers hindering the implementation of telemedicine. Methods: The present cross-sectional electronically self-administered supplement-based survey Supplement Based Survey study was conducted among different professional levels of oral medicine involving consultants, specialists, and residents. The supplement includes demographic data, the current use of telemedicine, participant’s perspective on future implications, and potential barriers and limitations of telemedicine. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha (α) to assess how closely related a set of items in our study. Results: Of the total (N = 75) oral healthcare professionals, 52% were male, 70.7% were Saudi, 45.3% were consultant, 42.7% had 1–5 years of experience, 82.7% were practicing in urban areas, 93.3% stated COVID-19 affected their clinics, consultation was the major reason for the use of telemedicine before (50.7%) and during (72%) COVID-19 outbreak, 57.3% were communicating with their patients, 97.33% had not experienced any cyber risk, and 45% patients were satisfied with the telemedicine service; our data showed a high level of homogeneity (α = 0.82). The poor knowledge and training on telemedicine technologies may substantially (p < 0.05) impact the future implications of telemedicine in oral medicine practice. Conclusion: Telemedicine could be a useful adjunct for oral medicine practice, especially for remote diagnosis, consultation, referral, training and education. Our study emphasizes an urgent need to increase the awareness and education on how to utilize and practice telemedicine technologies among medical staff to maximize the efficiency.
A three dimensional, full life cycle, anchovy and sardine model for the North Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean): Validation, sensitivity and climatic scenario simulations

We present the development of a 3D full-lifecycle, individual-based model (IBM) for anchovy and sardine, online coupled to an existing hydrodynamic/biogeochemical low-trophic level (LTL) model for the North Aegean Sea. It was built upon an existing 1D model for the same species and area, with the addition of a horizontal movement scheme. In the model, both species evolve from the embryonic stage (egg+yolk sac larva) to the larval, juvenile, and adult stages. Somatic growth is simulated with the use of a “Wisconsin” type bioenergetics model and fish populations with an adaptation of the ‘super individuals’ (SI) approach. For the reference simulation and model calibration, in terms of fish growth and population biomass, the 2000-2010 period was selected. Interannual biomass variability of anchovy was successfully represented by the model, while the simulated biomass of sardine exhibited low variability and did not satisfactorily reproduce the observed interannual variability from acoustic surveys. The spatial distribution of both species’ biomass was in relatively good agreement with field data. Additional single-species simulations revealed that species compete for food resources. Temperature sensitivity experiments showed that both species reacted negatively to a temperature increase. Anchovy, in particular, was more affected since its spawning and larval growth periods largely overlap with the period of maximum yearly temperature and low prey concentration. Finally, simulation experiments using IPCC climatic scenarios showed that the predicted temperature increase and zooplankton concentration decrease in the future will negatively affect anchovy, resulting in sardine prevalence.
Equity Risk and Return across Hidden Market Regimes

The key to understanding the dynamics of stock markets, particularly the mechanisms of their changes, is in the concept of the market regime. It is regarded as a regular transition from one state to another. Although the market agenda is never the same, its functioning regime allows us to reveal the logic of its development. The article employs the concept of financial turbulence to identify hidden market regimes. These are revealed through the ratio of the components, which describe single changes of correlated risks and volatility. The combinations of typical and atypical variates of correlational and magnitude components of financial turbulence allowed four hidden regimes to be revealed. These were arranged by the degree of financial turbulence, conceptually analyzed and assessed from the perspective of their duration. The empirical data demonstrated ETF day trading profits for S&P 500 sectors, covering the period of January 1998–August 2020, as well as day trade profits of the Russian blue chips within the period of October 2006–February 2021. The results show a significant difference in regard to the market performance and volatility, which depend on hidden regimes. Both sample data groups demonstrated similar contemporaneous and lagged effects, which allows the prediction of volatility jumps in the periods following atypical correlations.
A meta-synthesis of trade logistics influence on international trade

Logistics systems are inexplicably linked to trade and investment, and their significance in describing a country’s competitiveness in an increasingly globalized world is growing. Improved trade logistics, in conjunction by a way of more economic liberalization climate, increased volume and size of trade, as well as reach in distribution and production activities. With careful reviews, the study discussed a metasynthesis of trade logistics influence on international trade where about twenty-two papers across publishers were analyzed to observe their findings. According to several reports, the availability and consistency of physical infrastructure for effective transportation and logistics services, regulations, poor implementation, procedures, corruption at ports, and cargo handling costs all got a significant influence on a trade and competitiveness performance of the Nation. In order to meet consumer demand, exporting companies could develop reverse logistics systems while focusing on sustainable development. However, to make the understanding of the level of logistics of trade impacts on international trade, the response of logistics growth in international trade requires more in-depth research.
Comparison of Surgical Outcomes of Sponge Application versus Subconjunctival Injection of Mitomycin-C during Combined Phacoemulsification and Trabeculectomy Surgery in Asian Eyes

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of combined phacoemulsification–trabeculectomy surgery with intraoperative sponge-applied versus subconjunctival injection of mitomycin-C (MMC) in Asian eyes. Methods: This was a retrospective review of 95 eyes that consecutively underwent combined phacoemulsification–trabeculectomy surgery in a tertiary eye center in Singapore from January 2013 to June 2014. Data collected included intraocular pressure (IOP), best corrected visual acuity, and number of glaucoma medications. Outcome measures included postoperative IOP and complications at various timepoints up to 12 months after surgery. Results: Twenty eyes (21.1%) received 0.2 mg/ml subconjunctival MMC injection (“Group 1”) and 75 (78.9%) received 0.4 mg/ml sponge-applied MMC (“Group 2”). There was no difference between groups in demographics, IOP, and number of glaucoma medications preoperatively. There was a reduction in IOP at postoperative month (POM) 1, 6, and 12 in both the groups (POM12: Group 1, −2.8 ± 5.36 mmHg, P < 0.001; Group 2, −5.8 ± 6.29 mmHg, P = 0.054). At POM1, Group 2 showed a trend toward greater IOP reduction (−5.89 ± 7.67 mmHg vs. −1.55 ± 5.68 mmHg, P = 0.061). However, at both POM6 and POM12, there was no statistically significant difference in IOP reduction between the two groups. At POM12, complete success, defined as achieving an IOP of between 6 and 15 mmHg without the use of antiglaucoma medications, was achieved in 11 (55%) eyes in Group 1 and 48 (64%) in Group 2 (P = 0.9). There was a lower rate of postoperative hypotony in the Group 1 (0%) compared to Group 2 (8%) (P = 0.34). Conclusion: Combined phacoemulsification–trabeculectomy with subconjunctival MMC injection has comparable outcomes to that with sponge-applied MMC, with a similar reduction in IOP at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively and a lower postoperative complication rate.
EVALUATION OF CORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY

December. 2018 Vol. 24; Supplement Issue 1. S64 EVALUATION OF CORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY Sara Fawzy Ibrahim, Hassan Ali Zaki, Sherif Abbas Dabour, Ashraf Mahrous Eid Ophthalmology department, Faculty of medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt Corresponding author: Sara Fawzy Ibrahim sarafawzy@zu.edu. eg ABSTRACT Background: The corneal complications of vitreo-retinal surgery are rarely the primary concern of the surgeon operating on a difficult retinal detachment. However, the surgeon should be aware of which procedures are more likely to induce corneal decompensation, because corneal abnormalities are a common cause of visual loss following an otherwise successful surgery [1] . Thus it is important to evaluate corneal endothelial cell changes after PPV. Aim of the work: To evaluate corneal endothelial cell changes in patients undergoing Pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil (SO) injection. Subjects and Methods: This prospective comparative observational study evaluated the corneal endothelial cell characteristics of 27 SO filled vitrectomizied eyes operated in Zagazig University Hospitals, Ophthalmology department. Endothelial cell densities (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), central corneal thickness (CCT) and percentage of hexagonal cells (hexagonality) at the corneal center were measured preoperatively, 1 week,1 month and 3 months after surgery using noncontact specular microscopy and were compared pre and post operatively. Exclusion criteria were previous vitreoretinal surgery, aphakia, any degree of anterior chamber inflammation, history of previous eye trauma, SO bubbles in the anterior chamber and increased intraocular pressure in the postoperative period. Results: Three months after pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil injection, mean ECD was 2032.92±434.41cells/mm 2 in the vitrectomized eyeswhile mean hexagonality (pleomorphism) was 65.66±8.05. Three months after operation, CV (polymegathism) was 31.03±5.97 while mean CCT was 552.51±32. 01μm with no corneal edema reported at the end of the study. Conclusion: Although the presence of SO in the vitreous cavity, PPV was associated with corneal endothelial cell changes in the form of EC loss and pleomorphism. Silicone oil could be a risk factor for increasing endothelial cell loss after pars plana vitrectomy. The percentage of corneal endothelial cell loss was higher in patients with SO injection than those left saline filled, but it was statistically insignificant Thus, removal of SO after reaching the desired tamponade effect is recommended.
Usefulness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Based on Pulmonary Function Tests and Muscle Analysis Using Computed Tomography Images

Purpose The usefulness of rehabilitation in patients with reduced lung function before lung surgery remains unclear, and there is no adequate method for evaluating the effect of rehabilitation. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of rehabilitation in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing lung cancer surgery. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of NSCLC patients at Korea University Guro Hospital between 2018 and 2020. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they underwent rehabilitation. Pulmonary function test data and muscle determined using chest computed tomography images were analyzed. Because the baseline characteristics were different between the two groups, propensity score matching was performed. Results Of 325 patients, 75 (23.1%) and 250 (76.9%) were included in the rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation (control) groups, respectively. The rehabilitation group had a worse general condition at baseline. After propensity score matching, 45 patients remained in each group. Pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, %) (p=0.001) and the Hounsfield unit of erector spinae muscle (p=0.001) were better preserved in the rehabilitation group. Muscle loss of 3.4% and 0.6% was observed in the control and rehabilitation groups, respectively (p=0.003). In addition, the incidence of embolic events was lower in the rehabilitation group (p=0.044). Conclusion Pulmonary rehabilitation is useful in patients with NSCLC undergoing lung surgery. Pulmonary rehabilitation preserves lung function, muscle and reduces embolic events after surgery. Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for patients with NSCLC undergoing surgery.
Knowledge Acquisition of Self-Organizing Systems With Deep Multiagent Reinforcement Learning

Self-organizing systems (SOS) can perform complex tasks in unforeseen situations with adaptability. Previous work has introduced field-based approaches and rule-based social structuring for individual agents to not only comprehend the task situations but also take advantage of the social rule-based agent relations to accomplish their tasks without a centralized controller. Although the task fields and social rules can be predefined for relatively simple task situations, when the task complexity increases and the task environment changes, having a priori knowledge about these fields and the rules may not be feasible. In this paper, a multi-agent reinforcement learning based model is proposed as a design approach to solving the rule generation problem with complex SOS tasks. A deep multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm was devised as a mechanism to train SOS agents for knowledge acquisition of the task field and social rules. Learning stability, functional differentiation and robustness properties of this learning approach were investigated with respect to the changing team sizes and task variations. Through computer simulation studies of a box-pushing problem, the results have shown that there is an optimal range of number of agents that achieves good learning stability; agents in a team learn to differentiate from other agents with changing team sizes and box dimensions; and the robustness of the learned knowledge shows to be stronger to the external noises than with changing task constraints.
On the Primary Influences of Age on Articulation and Phonation in Maximum Performance Tasks

Maximum performance tasks have been identified as possible domains where incipient signs of neurological disease may be detected in simple speech and voice samples. However, it is likely that these will simultaneously be influenced by the age and sex of the speaker. In this study, a comprehensive set of acoustic quantifications were collected from the literature and applied to productions of sustained [a] productions and Alternating Motion Rate diadochokinetic (DDK) syllable sequences made by 130 (62 women, 68 men) healthy speakers, aged 20–90 years. The participants were asked to produce as stable (sustained [a] and DDK) and fast (DDK) productions as possible. The full set of features were reduced to a functional subset that most efficiently modeled sex-specific differences between younger and older speakers using a cross-validation procedure. Twelve measures of [a] and 16 measures of DDK sequences were identified across men and women and investigated in terms of how they were altered with increasing age of speakers. Increased production instability is observed in both tasks, primarily above the age of 60 years. DDK sequences were slower in older speakers, but also altered in their syllable and segment level acoustic properties. Increasing age does not appear to affect phonation or articulation uniformly, and men and women are affected differently in most quantifications investigated.