bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of urine glycosaminoglycan excretion between children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developed children
Authors: Indika Neluwa-Liyanage Ruwan , Jasinge Eresha , Wijetunge Swarna , Peiris Hemantha , Engelen Marielle P.K.J. , Deutz Nicolaas E.P. , Perera Rasika
Published: April 2023

Abnormalities pertaining to glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycolipids) of the neural extracellular matrix have been identified as a susceptibility factor in autism spectrum disorder. We studied the urine excretion of sulfated glycosaminoglycans in children with autism spectrum disorder (n=61), in comparison to age- and sex-matched neurotypical controls (n=61). Urine glycosaminoglycan levels were determined in random urine samples by the dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) dye-binding assay, using a microplate reader. Urine GAG levels are significantly higher (p = 0.026) in the ASD group when covariates such as age, weight, urinary creatinine, and height are taken into consideration by ANCOVA. In neurotypical subjects, the urine glycosaminoglycan levels appear to decline with age, height, and weight while this trend was not apparent in subjects with autism spectrum disorder. Glycosaminoglycan excretion did not correlate with the presence of co-occurring symptoms of autism spectrum disorder; frequent gastrointestinal symptoms, self-injurious behaviors, food aversions, or parent-reported sleep problems. Children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit higher urine glycosaminoglycan excretion. Further research is needed to identify its correlation with severity and genetic factors and other metabotypes.
Metabolomics analysis of peony root using NMR spectroscopy and impact of the preprocessing method for NMR data in multivariate analysis
Authors: Dong Yuzhuo , Toume Kazufumi , Zhu Shu , Shi Yanhong , Tamura Takayuki , Yoshimatsu Kayo , Komatsu Katsuko
Published: April 2023

Peony root is an important herbal drug used as an antispasmodic analgesic. To evaluate peony roots with different botanical origin, producing areas, and post-harvest processing, 1H NMR-based metabolomics analysis was employed. Five types of monoterpenoids, including albiflorin (4), paeoniflorin (6), and sulfonated paeoniflorin (25), and six other compounds, including 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose (18), benzoic acid (21), gallic acid (22), and sucrose (26) were detected in the extracts of peony root samples. Among them, compounds 4, 6, 18, and total monoterpenoids including 21 were quantified by quantitative 1H NMR (qHNMR). Compound 25 was detected in 1H NMR spectra of sulfur-fumigated white peony root (WPR) extracts indicating that 1H NMR was a fast and effective method for identifying sulfur-fumigated WPR. The content of 26, the main factor affecting extract yield, increased significantly in peony root after low-temperature storage for one month, whereas that in WPR did not increase due to the boiling treatment after harvesting. We investigated the impact of preprocessing methods to such analysis for NMR data from commercial samples, resulting that the data matrix transformed from qHNMR spectra and normalized to internal standard were optimum for multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that among commercial samples derived from P. lactiflora, peony root samples in Japanese market (PR) had high contents of 18 and 22, and red peony root (RPR) samples had high content of monoterpenoids represented by 6; and among RPR samples, those derived from P. veitchii showed higher contents of 18 and 22 than those from P. lactiflora. The 1H NMR-based metabolomics method coupled with qHNMR was useful for evaluation of peony root and would be applicable for other crude drugs.
Coinfections in Covid-19 patients in India: A Systematic Review
Authors: Patel Divya , Chhaya Vatsal , Khambholja Kapil , Sekhar Sonal
Published: April 2023

Objectives
To determine the rate of coinfections and its subsequent impact on hospitalization and mortality rate in Indian COVID-19 patients.
Method
Systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, WHO-COVID-19 database, and Google Scholar. The studies were retrieved and included based on JBI’s CoCoPop framework. Meta-analysis was not performed due to limited number of studies and high heterogeneity. Hence, descriptive statistics was summarized based on the retrieved coinfections data. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO – CRD42021275644.
Results
Eight studies included 2418 patients. The prevalence of coinfections ranged from 4%-46%. Pathogen-specific data showed the highest prevalence of bacterial (57.3%) coinfections, followed by parasitic (21.1.%), viral (14.6%), and fungal coinfection (6.9%). About 60–80% of the patients with coinfections required ICU admissions with an average length of stay of 13.67 ± 3.51 days. The mortality rate of COVID-19 patients with coinfections ranged from 9%-65%.
Conclusion
The prevalence of bacterial coinfections was highest among COVID-19 patients, consistent with previous literature. A causal relationship between coinfections and mortality rate in COVID-19 patients remained unexplored. This brings up the need for comprehensive data recording practices and meticulous reporting. Further, large-scale epidemiologic studies are needed to determine the nationwide burden of coinfections in the COVID-19 pandemic.
An equation for determining the beta Euler shape exponents of plant growth data – a programming toolbox for plant physiologists and ecologists
Authors: Kosek Jerzy , Pietruszka Mariusz
Published: April 2023

Since the almost simultaneous appearance of the acid growth homeostasis approach in plant physiology and the increased availability of mainframe computers in the mid-20th century, there has been an amplified need to predict the plant cell critical parameters during growth quantitatively. Here, we provide a ready-to-use computer program using an original numerical method, solving a highly nonlinear equation based on the formalism published in [J. Plant Growth Regul. (2020) 39: 841–866]. In this method article, the standalone program is written in a Python-based open-source scientific software environment (CoCalc) to determine these cardinal traits and facilitate its use without any barriers to readers. It can be used to determine the growth of an elongating individual plant cell or multicellular organ (coleoptile or hypocotyl segment) at the non-meristematic limit. The low number of relevant parameters (two) and the inclusion of the quantities that are decisive for growth, such as pH and temperature, make this program a practical set of tools for comparing growth-related experimental data in various areas of plant biology. It can also be helpful to predict plant growth during assisted migration when the Earth faces climate change.
Modern climate agenda: what changes are relevant in Russian forestry?
Authors: Птичников А.В. , Шварц Е.А.
Published: April 2023

В стратегии социально-экономического развития РФ с низким уровнем выбросов ПГ до 2050 г. (СНУР) сделана ставка на повышение поглощения парниковых газов лесами с текущих 535 млн т до 1200 млн т СО2 экв. к 2050 г. Исследование показало наличие существенных нормативных и управленческих барьеров на этом пути. К их числу отнесены отсутствие наработок в области эффективных климатических проектов для их тиражирования; отсутствие приемлемых для инвесторов институциональных условий для привлечения инвестиций в природно-климатические проекты, соответственно низкая экономическая мотивация компаний инвестировать в такие проекты; отсутствие«углеродных» показателей при планировании федеральных программ и проектов в области лесного хозяйства; отсутствие привязки лесохозяйственного планирования к целям декарбонизации и др. Для исправления ситуации предложено принять значительные корректирующие меры по каждому из перечисленных направлений. Сделан вывод о том, что для реализации всегопотенциала снижения эмиссий и повышения поглощения в лесах России потребуется масштабная управленческая и политическая работа по трансформации и модернизации

In the strategy of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation with low GHG emissions until 2050 (SNSD), a stake is placed on increasing the absorption of greenhouse gases by forests from the current 535 million tons to 1200 million tons of CO2 eq. by 2050. Our study showed that there are significant regulatory and managerial barriers to this path. We included among them: the lack of developments in the field of effective climate projects for their replication; lack of institutional conditions acceptable to investors for attracting investments in natural and climatic projects. Accordingly, low economic motivation of companies to invest in such projects; lack of "carbon" indicators in the planning of federal programs and projects in the field of forestry; lack of linkage of forestry planning to the goals of decarbonization, etc. To correct the situation, it is proposed to take significant corrective measures in each of the listed areas. It is concluded that in order to realize the full potential of reducing emissions and increasing absorption in the forests of Russia, large-scale managerial and political work will be required to transform and modernize forest management.
Analysis of the landscape of the Pervomaisky park of Ufa using satellite images and GIS
Authors: Байтурина Р.Р. , Ишбирдина Л.М. , Габделхаков А.К. , Рахматуллин З.З. , Одинцов Г.Е.
Published: April 2023

Активное жилищное строительство приводит к частичному сокращению площади, занятой зелеными насаждениями. При этом темпы реконструкции зеленых зон становятся интенсивнее. Для изучения изменений на территории парковых зон после проведения реконструкции в качестве объекта исследования выбран парк культуры и отдыха (ПКиО) «Первомайский». Сравнительный анализ данных 2017 и 2022 гг. позволил оценить изменения, произошедшие в насаждениях: динамику количественного и видового состава, состояние деревьев и кустарников. Также изучена динамика баланса площадей парка и его пространственной структуры. Целью исследования является сравнение состояния территории парка культуры и отдыха (ПКиО) «Первомайский» г. Уфа до реконструкции и после нее с использованием доступных спутниковых снимков и ГИС и натурного ландшафтного анализа.

Active housing construction leads to a partial reduction in the area occupied by green spaces. At the same time, the pace of reconstruction of green areas is becoming more intense. To study the changes in the territory of park zones after the reconstruction, the Pervomaisky Park of Culture and Recreation (PCaR) was chosen as the object of research. A comparative analysis of the 2017 and 2022 data allowed us to assess the changes that occurred in the plantings: the dynamics of quantitative and species composition, the condition of trees and shrubs. The dynamics of the balance ofthe park's areas and its spatial structure have also been studied. The purpose of the study is to compare the state of the territory of the Park of Culture and Recreation (PCaR) «Pervomaisky» Ufa before and after reconstruction using available satellite images and GIS and full-scale landscape analysis.
Innovation and Management of Smart Transformation Global Energy Sector: Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Chygryn Olena , Bektas Cetin , Havrylenko Oleksii
Published: April 2023

The acceleration of globalisation processes and increasing countries’ energy interdependence are required to ensure national energy security and independence. That demands investigating and developing processes and approaches for sustainable transformation of the global energy sector. The article aims to perform a complex review and investigation of the academic environment to analyse the trends and features of scientific publications devoted to new trends and tendencies in the smart energy industry transformation. To provide a categorical and theoretical background on the key scientific publications’ trends, the paper conducted a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications about smart energy management and sustainable energy sector. The subject of investigation is publications on smart energy management and the sustainable energy sector. The article represented the results of bibliometric analysis using the Scopus tools analytics and VOSViewer tools. The investigation answered the central question of the key academic and research tendencies in the smart energy development and sustainable transformation field. Thus, qualitative, and quantitative trends describe the academic tendencies to spread smart and sustainable technologies in the energy industry. Using the Scopus scientometric database, a system of more than 5000 academic texts in the determined area was created from 2001 to 2022. Such countries as India, China, the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, South Korea, France represent the analysed scientific area. Describing the key trends and clusters has allowed understanding and systemised the dominant trends in the development of scientific publications in the field of management of sustainable development processes, spreading the IOT processes, and renewable energy.
Ethics of Digital Innovation in Public Administration
Authors: Pakhnenko Olena , Kuan Zhang
Published: April 2023

In public administration, digital technologies are considered a necessary direction of technical modernisation, improving the work of government agencies and the quality of their interaction with stakeholders. However, along with the benefits, several ethical concerns exist about using digital technologies. The purpose of the article is to analyse the state of the implementation of digital innovations in the field of public administration, as well as to systemise and analyse the main groups of ethical concerns arising in connection with the use of digital technologies in public administration. The article uses methods of bibliometric, comparative, and statistical analysis. The Google trends toolkit was used to study global trends in interest in e-governance, e-government, digital government, and related terms. Digital government and e-government were identified as the most common terms to define the use of digital technologies in public administration. The bibliographic analysis was carried out using VOSviewer v.1.6.18 based on Scopus articles for 2001-2022 and made it possible to identify four clusters of scientific research on e-government / digital government and ethics. The analysis used the criterion of at least five times the co-occurrence of all keywords in publications. Based on data from the World Bank, an analysis of the level of maturity of government technologies in European countries, particularly Ukraine, was carried out. The analysis showed that most countries had reached a very high level of e-government development in the European region. In recent years, Ukraine has significantly increased the indicators of the level of e-government, especially regarding the provision of digital administrative services. The article systematises the main ethical issues of using digital technologies in public administration. Three ethical problems were formed, namely 1) privacy, security, and data protection; 2) transparency and accountability; 3) inclusion, accessibility, and non-discrimination. The third group is defined as the most relevant at the current moment. The growing digital divide in the world necessitates the search for effective mechanisms to increase digital inclusion and ensure equal access to e-government for all stakeholders. The results of the research can be useful for scientists, state, and local self-government bodies in managing their technological and digital modernisation.
Intellectual Property and Patent Rights Protection for Innovators in Jordan
Authors: Soumadi Mustafa M.
Published: April 2023

Inventions do not come in one format, so the right holder varies according to the occasion it reaches them. Only the financial rights are transferred to employers while the moral rights remain in the interest of inventors, as they are among rights closely related to personality and may not be waived with or without compensation. The worker’s information, which is mainly associated with the establishment activity, becomes a weapon against employers if it falls into the hands of their competitors. Therefore, this research paper aimed to clarify what is meant by the worker and the employer, then define the invention types that the worker reaches during the implementation of the work contract. The study aims to distinguish labor law from other laws and then clarify the laws regulating the protection of workers’ inventions, their consequences, and what rules apply to it. The study also describes the legal effects that result before and after reaching the invention, as well as the rights and obligations of each party. This study followed the analytical approach of texts to get study results. Results showed that there are differences in the trademarks granted to foreign students, which necessitate attention in the applications granted to resident Jordanians and showed that there are differences for patents granted to foreign applications. Results also showed that Jordanian legislator came with a ruling that differs from what was stated in the Saudi law and the Omani patent law because the provisions of the Jordanian law talked about the case of accidental inventions and free inventions only. The study recommended adding some items to laws and legislations to be enforced in Jordan and deleting some texts and phrases that harm inventors. The study also recommends necessity to amend the text of article (22/b) of Jordanian labor law by deleting the phrase (unless otherwise agreed in writing) and replacing it with the phrase (and any agreement to the contrary is considered void).
Predicting olivine formation environments using machine learning and implications for magmatic sulfide prospecting
Authors: Xue Shengchao , Niu Yunyun , Yao Zhuosen , Wang Luyang , Zhang Xiaohao , Wang Qingfei
Published: April 2023

Global volcanic and plutonic olivines record the compositional characteristics and physicochemical conditions of the parental magmas. Thus, they have significant potential for use as petrogenetic discriminators of the olivine formation environment and prospecting indicators for potential host rocks of magmatic sulfide deposits. Several data visualization approaches have been proposed by researchers to determine olivine origins. However, they can only discriminate specific olivine populations and require the incorporation of trace elements for which data are lacking globally. In this study, a machine-learning method consisting of the random forest algorithm and the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) is used to discriminate the crystallization environments of olivine and predict the sulfide potential of olivine-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions. We employ a global data set of 24 341 olivine samples from 12 environments to determine the contents of MgO, FeO, Ni, Ca, Mn, and Cr and the Fo number [100 × Mg/(Mg+Fe)]. The results indicate that the proposed method can classify olivine into genetically distinct populations and distinguish olivine derived from mineralized intrusions from that derived from sulfide-barren intrusions with high accuracies (higher than 99% on average). We develop a dimensionality reduction algorithm to visualize the olivine classifications using low-dimensional vectors and an olivine classifier (accessible at http://101.33.204.62:8080/olivine_web/main.html, China University of Geosciences, Beijing). The model is used successfully to identify the contributions of distinct sources to regional magmatism using olivines from the late Permian picrite and basalt along the western margin of the Yangtze block (SW China) and to predict the sulfide potential of the newly discovered Qixin mafic-ultramafic complex in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (NW China). The findings suggest that the proposed approach enables the accurate identification of olivine origins in different formation environments and is a reliable indicator suitable for global Ni-Cu-platinum group element (PGE) exploration.
Raman spectroscopic investigation of selected natural uranyl sulfate minerals
Authors: Spano Tyler L. , Olds Travis A. , McDonnell Marshall , Smith Robert , Shields Ashley E.
Published: April 2023

Uranyl sulfates are important constituents of uranium ores and represent a significant fraction of U(VI) minerals discovered in recent years owing to their propensity to form in mine tailings and legacy sites related to uranium exploration. Recently, we surveyed all published Raman spectra for uranium minerals and found significantly less easily accessible data available for uranyl sulfates relative to other groups of uranium minerals (Spano et al. 2023). In that work, we described average spectra for groups of uranyl minerals to understand common vibrational spectroscopic features attributable to similarities in oxyanion chemistry among U(VI) minerals, but only data for three uranyl sulfate minerals were included in the study. The present work reports on Raman spectra collected for 18 additional uranyl sulfate minerals. To better understand underlying structural and chemical features that give rise to spectroscopic observables, we relate differences in structural topology, charge-balancing cations, and locality of origin to features observed in the Raman spectra of selected natural uranyl sulfates.
Educación emocional y bienestar docente. Los maestros como modeladores emocionales
Authors: Chica Palma Olga Cleosilda , Sánchez Buitrago Jorge Oswaldo
Published: April 2023

Educación emocional y bienestar docente
Bases de datos relacionales: un enfoque aplicado y orientado a resultados de aprendizaje
Authors: Galvis Lista Ernesto Amarú , Bustamante Martínez Alexander
Published: April 2023

Un enfoque aplicado y orientado a resultados de aprendizaje
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Advances in Proteomics
Authors: Zhou Hui , Feng Xiao-Li
Published: April 2023

Autism is a class of developmental disorders with extremely high rates of disability,
affecting patients throughout their lives. There is no cure to date clinically, and early
rehabilitation interventions can improve some of the behavioral problems of autistic patients, but
these are limited by age and often have minimal effects in older adults with autism. Early
diagnosis is also necessary while developing effective autism therapies. At present, the early
diagnosis of autism is dependent on the search for effective markers in an attempt to screen
differentially expressed proteins in autistic patients using high-throughput assays, such as
synaptic scaffolding proteins, microtubule-associated proteins, apolipoproteins, immunoglobulin
G complement factor-related proteins, etc. It would also be a big step forward for mechanistic
studies of autism if a valid biomarker for autism could be found.
A Review on Deep Learning-driven Drug Discovery: Strategies, Tools and
Applications
Authors: Sumathi Sundaravadivelu , Suganya Kanagaraj , Swathi Kandasamy , Sudha Balraj , Poornima Arumugam , Varghese Chalos Angel , Aswathy Raghu
Published: April 2023

It takes an average of 10-15 years to uncover and develop a new drug, and the process is incredibly
time-consuming, expensive, difficult, and ineffective. In recent years the dramatic changes in the field of artificial
intelligence (AI) have helped to overcome the challenges in the drug discovery pipeline. Artificial intelligence
(AI) has taken root in various pharmaceutical sectors, from lead compound identification to clinical trials.
Deep learning (DL) is a component of artificial intelligence (AI) that has excelled in many fields of Artificial
intelligence (AI) research over the past decades. Its numerous applications in the realms of science and technology,
especially in biomedicine and bioinformatics, are witnessed deep learning (DL) applications significantly
accelerate drug discovery and pharmaceutical research in recent years, and their usefulness has exceeded expectations
and shown good promise in tackling a range of issues with drug discovery. Deep learning (DL) holds
great potential for drug development since it allows for sophisticated image interpretation, molecular structure
and function prediction, and the automated creation of novel chemical entities with specific features. In the process
of drug discovery, deep learning (DL) can be incorporated at all stages like identification of targets, prognostic
biomarkers, drug designing and development, synergism and antagonism prediction, etc. This review
summarizes various approaches of deep learning (DL) in drug discovery like deep generative models for drug
discovery, deep learning (DL) tools for drug discovery, synergy prediction, and precision medicine.
Artificial Intelligence: An Emerging Intellectual Sword for Battling
Carcinomas
Authors: Arfi Sadaf , Srivastava Nimisha , Sharma Nisha
Published: April 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with mathematical
algorithms to mimic the abilities and intellectual work performed by the human brain. Nowadays,
AI is being effectively utilized in addressing difficult healthcare challenges, including complex
biological abnormalities, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical prognosis of various life-threatening
diseases, like cancer. Deep neural networking (DNN), a subset of AI, is prominently being applied
in clinical research programs on cancer. AI acts as a promising tool in radiotherapy, mammography,
imaging, cancer prognosis, cancer genomics and molecular signaling, pathology, drug discovery,
chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and clinical decision support system. This article provides
an elaborative view concerning the application of AI in cancer, an explorative review that how AI
has been used as a trenchant tool in the past, present and future of cancer. This review article provides
a new prospective that how the mimic of human intellectual (AI technology) has put forward
an unprecedented accuracy in the field of clinical research of cancer.
A Novel pH-sensitive Nanocomposite Based on Graphene Oxide for
Improving Doxorubicin Release
Authors: Kachousangi Marziye Javaheri , Shadboorestan Amir , Shamsian Azam , Amini Mohsen , Atyabi Fatemeh , Ghahremani Mohammad Hossein
Published: April 2023

Background:

Doxorubicin (DOX) as a chemotherapeutic drug has been widely used for
treatment of cancer but because of adverse side effects of this drug, different drug delivery systems have
been tested. One of them has been immobilization of DOX on the graphene oxide (GO) sheets through
non-covalent interactions (GO-DOX) with high efficiency however the release was very low and slow
due to strong forces between DOX and GO.

Objective:

The aim of this research was to increase the release of DOX and this goal was achieved
through the covalent binding of DOX to the GO-poly(ethyleneimine) 2KDa conjugate.

Methods:

Because of the reliable results, ease of operation, safety and high reproducibility, MTT was chosen to evaluate the cytotoxicity of samples. The MTT assay confirmed the advantage of this nanocarrier in comparison to the physical loading of DOX on GO sheets. Loading of DOX via hydrazide bond was as low as 4% versus near 75% physical loading of drug. While hydrazide bond-containing nanocomposite was 4 to 6 fold more toxic than GO-DOX.A novel nanocarrier for delivering DOX was fabricated using GO as a basic plane for conjugating
and assembling other compounds. DOX was attached to GO-poly(ethyleneimine) 2KDa conjugate
via a linker containing hydrazide bond. Drug loading and release was investigated at pH 7.5 and pH
5.5. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT on MCF7 cells and compared with previous nanocarrier.

Results:

The fabrication of the nanocarrier and the covalent attachment of DOX to the nanocarrier were
confirmed through FT-IR spectroscopy. The capacity of nanocarrier to load drug was as high as 383%.
96% of initial drug was loaded in the nanocarrier. The weight percentage of the drug in the nanocarrierdrug
conjugate was 79%. Release of drug at pH 5.5 was two times more than release at pH 7.5 and this
evidence supports conjugation of DOX to nanocarrier through hydrazide bond and pH-sensitivity of
related bond. Because of the reliable results, ease of operation, safety and high reproducibility, MTT
was chosen to evaluate the cytotoxicity of samples. Nanocarrier didn’t show significant toxicity even at
high concentrations. IC50 value for chemically-bound DOX to hydrazide-containing GO nanocomposite
was 9.5 μg/ml whereas the IC50 value for GO-DOX was 39 μg/ml after 72 h. Loading of DOX via hydrazide
bond was as low as 4% versus near 75% physical loading of drug while hydrazide bondcontaining
nanocomposite was 4 to 6 fold more toxic than GO-DOX.

Conclusion:

Based on the obtained data, the covalent attachment of DOX to the nanocarrier through
hydrazide linkers was an interesting idea that increased drug release and toxicity despite much lower
percentage of covalent attachment compared to non-covalent immobilization.
As could be concluded from this study, nanocarriers based on hydrazide bond could be a good candidate for
drug delivery.
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Medicinal Chemistry Research
Authors: Souza Rocha Weslany , Zhan Peng , Ferreira da Silva-Júnior Edeildo
Published: April 2023

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respirato-ry syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in millions of deaths and threatens public health and safety. Nowadays, modern society has faced a new challenging problem, the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). In this context, the Omicron (B.1.1.529) vari-ant, having more than 60 mutations when compared to its ancestral wild-type virus, has infected many individuals around the world. It is rapidly spread person-to-person due to its increased trans-missibility. Additionally, it was demonstrated that this newest variant and its subvariants have the capability of evading the host immune system, being resistant to neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, it has been proven to be resistant to monoclonal antibodies and several different vaccines. This abil-ity is associated with a huge number of mutations associated with its spike (S) glycoprotein, which presents at least 15 mutations. These mutations are able to modify the way how this virus interacts with the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), increasing its infectivity and making the therapeutic alternatives more ineffective. Concerning its chymotrypsin-like picornavirus 3C-like protease (3CLpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), it has been seen that some com-pounds can be active against different SARS-CoV-2 variants, in a similar mode than its wild-type precursor. This broad spectrum of action for some drugs could be attributed to the fact that the cur-rently identified mutations found in 3CLpro and RNA proteins being localized near the catalytic binding site, conserving their activities. Herein this review, we provide a great and unprecedented compilation of all identified and/or repurposed compounds/drugs against this threatening variant, Omicron. The main targets for those compounds are the protein-protein interface (PPI) of S protein with ACE2, 3CLpro, RdRp, and Nucleocapsid (N) protein. Some of these studies have presented on-ly in silico data, having a lack of experimental results to prove their findings. However, these should be considered here since other research teams can use their observations to design and investigate new potential agents. Finally, we believe that our review will contribute to several studies that are in progress worldwide, compiling several interesting aspects about VOCs associated with SARS-CoV-2, as well as describing the results for different chemical classes of compounds that could be prom-ising as prototypes for designing new and more effective antiviral agents.
Electrochemical Protein-based Bioanalytical Devices for Drug Analysis
Authors: Sanz Caroline G. , Diculescu Victor C.
Published: April 2023

Proteins are vital components of living cells and the loss of their native functions has been associated with a wide variety of medical conditions. From this point of view, investigation of the protein microenvironment is crucial to support the development of therapeutic approaches capa-ble of ensuring cellular functions. Therefore, analytical assays for the detection, quantification, and characterization of proteins, drugs, and protein-drug complexes play an essential role in fundamen-tal research and clinical applications. Electrochemistry arises as an alternative methodology for fast assessment of proteins and drugs and is attractive due to the adaptability to miniaturization and scalability of electroanalytical devices, which then can be further employed as strategies towards personalized medical care. Thus, this review summarizes electrochemical investigations in the past 10 years on protein-based analytical devices and biosensors. A general overview of electrochemical assays that integrate proteins with nanostructured materials and conductive polymers is presented. Applications of electrochemical assays and biosensors were divided into four categories. First, those designed for drug screening strategies that focus on targeting specific intracellular, extracellular, or membrane protein subdomains to modulate their functions, aggregation/misfolding of proteins, and protein degradation pathways. Then, drug metabolism assays that involve mimicking natural meta-bolic pathways to identify potential safety and efficacy issues related to a drug or its metabolites. The third was dedicated to electrochemical drug delivery systems with anchored drugs in the form of bioconjugates, while the fourth was dedicated to electroanalytical methodologies for quantitative drug assays, where the electroactivity of the target species is often used to correlate the electro-chemical signal to their concentration.
Formulation and Characterization Studies of Paclitaxel Incorporated
Kollidon® SR and Chitosan Nanoparticles: An In vitro Evaluation for
Potential Use for Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Authors: Koca Özge Atasoy , Büyükköroğlu Gülay , Başaran Ebru
Published: April 2023

Background:

Chemotherapy is regarded as first-line therapy in various cancer types besides surgical procedures. However, lack of cell selectivity and poor drug targeting to the cancer zone of the active agents results in accumulation in normal tissues with considerably high severe side effects. Therefore, novel drug delivery systems are required to enhance cancer treatment.

Objective:

In this study, Paclitaxel (PTX) incorporated Kollidon® SR (KSR) and Chitosan (CS) based polymeric nanoparticles were prepared for potential use for colorectal cancer treatment.

Methods:

Polymeric nanoparticles were prepared by spray dying method. Physicochemical characterization studies were performed with particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), drug loading (DL %), encapsulation efficiency (EE %) and structural evaluations using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analyses. Cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was screened on HT-29 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) and HTC-15 (Dukes' type C, colorectal adenocarcinoma) cell lines with MTT assay.

Results:

Analysis revealed the successful incorporation of PTX into the polymeric lattices. Particles showed cytotoxic activity on HT-29 and HTC-15 cell lines, depending on the application dose after 48 hours. Nanoparticles also remained stable at 5°C ± 3°C and 25°C ± 2°C (60% ± 5 Relative Humidity (RH)) during the storage period of 6 months.

Conclusion:

As a result of the study, KSR and CS-based nanoparticles could be regarded as promising nano-carriers for improved therapeutic efficacy of PTX for colorectal cancer treatment.
Quinoline-based Anti-oncogenic Molecules: Synthesis and Biological
Evaluation
Authors: Sharma Shivangi , Singh Shivendra , Yadav Dhananjay
Published: April 2023

Quinoline and its analogues are found in various natural products, many of which are active
pharmacophores with significant bioactivities. This article discussed the plethora of quinoline
derivatives and their analogues that have anti-cancer properties. The review will be helpful for the
scientific community since several possible anticancer drugs based on quinolines are discussed here.
In addition to this, the synthetic aspect of many such quinoline derivatives showing anti-cancer activities
is also revealed in this article. These quinoline-based anti-oncogenic molecules can be synthesized
using several acids, bases, and azides or with the help of reagents like Jone’s reagent and
Lawesson’s reagent.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Treating the Underlying Causes of
Diabetes Mellitus and Its Consequences
Authors: Esquivel Diana , Mishra Rangnath , Srivastava Anand
Published: April 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifaceted pathological condition, which at present is being
considered an epidemic disease keeping the rampant rate of its increase in almost all population groups of
the world in consideration. Out of the two types of DM described, T1D is characterized as an autoimmune
condition that leads to the destruction of pancreatic β-cells by macrophages and T-cells, thereby, adversely
affecting the production of insulin. On the other hand, T2D, often caused by insulin resistance, is
commonly related to unhealthy habits, and therefore, it can be prevented in most cases. In both of the
conditions, high levels of proinflammatory cytokines like IL-6, TNF-α, and INF-ƴ, lead to chronic inflammation,
and elevated oxidative stress resulting in apoptosis and destruction of tissues. Although several
treatments are available to treat the symptoms, the underlying causes are not well addressed. One of
the most promising approaches to tackle the ill effects and the primary causes of DM is mesenchymal
stem cell (MSC) therapy. The use of MSC therapy, because of the immunomodulatory and regenerative
properties recorded in this type of cells in a number of experiments carried out in animal models and clinical
trials of the disease, has reported positive outcomes. This review covers the principal mechanisms of
action induced during MSC therapy in reference to the described pathophysiological pathways of both
T1D and T2D. In addition, how this therapeutic intervention can counteract the ill effects of this condition
leading to the promotion of tissue regeneration has been covered.
miRNA, siRNA, and lncRNA: Recent Development of Bioinformatics
Tools and Databases in Support of Combating Different Diseases
Authors: Chakraborty Chiranjib , Bhattacharya Manojit , Ranjan Sharma Ashish
Published: April 2023

Today, the bioinformatics tool and database development are one of the most significant research
areas in computational biology. Computational biologists are developing diverse bioinformatics
tools and databases in the various fields of biological science. Nowadays, several non-coding RNAs
(ncRNA) have been studied extensively, which act as a mediator of the regulation of gene expression.
ncRNA is a functional RNA molecule that is transcribed from the mammalian genome. It also controls
the disease regulation pathway. Based on the size, ncRNA can be classified into three categories such as
small ncRNA (~18–30 nt), medium ncRNA (~30–200 nt), and long ncRNA (from 200 nt to several
hundred kb). The miRNA and siRNAs are two types of ncRNA. Various bioinformatics tools and databases
have recently been developed to understand the different ncRNAs (miRNAs, siRNAs, and
lncRNAs) disease association. We have illustrated different bioinformatics resources, such as in silico
tools and databases, currently available for researching miRNAs, siRNAs, and lncRNAs. Some bioinformatics-
based miRNA tools are miRbase, miRecords, miRCancer, miRSystem, miRGator, miRNEST,
mirtronPred and miRIAD, etc. Bioinformatics-based siRNA tools are siPRED, siDRM, sIR, siDirect
2.0. Bioinformatics-based lncRNAs tools are lncRNAdb v2, lncRNAtor, LncDisease, iLoc-lncRNA,
etc. These tools and databases benefit molecular biologists, biomedical researchers, and computational
biologists.
In silico Exploration of Phytochemical based Thiazolidinone- Caffeic Acid- Indole New Chemical Entities for Simultaneous Management of Diabetes and Hypertension- A Fascinating Study
Authors: Asgaonkar Kalyani , Patil Shital , Daga Yash , Gupta Manjish , Sagar Ashwini , Shevate Krishna , Mahadik Indrani , Randive Vrushali
Published: April 2023

Background:

Past few decades have witnessed the co-existence of diabetes and hypertension leading to other health disorders. Hence, it is imperative to look into new therapies for the treatment of both hypertension and diabetes simultaneously in order to gradually reduce the pill burden and subsequent side effects.

Objective:

The goal of the current work was to use several in silico methods to develop new entities that have both anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive activity.

Methods::

Structure activity relationship was drawn from the literature considering Thiazolidinones (Anti diabetes), Indole (Antihypertensive) and naturally occurring polyphenols (Dual activity) for simultaneous management of hypertension and diabetes. Fifty-six new chemical entities were designed and subjected to ADME and docking studies. Based on the Lipinski filter, bioavailability and lead likeness nineteen molecules were further docked into three PDB’s (5Y2T, 4BVN, 1O8A).

Results:

The majority of the NCE’s have shown higher binding affinities than the standard drugs, with Compound 42 having the best results. Among nineteen NCE’s, 50% of the compounds have shown the involvement of Thiazolidinone, Indole and Catechol pharmacophores with prominent hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, electrostatic and pi-pi stacking interactions with all three PDB’s signifying their potential dual activity. Most favourable interactions were shown by compound 42.

Conclusion:

The results obtained are encouraging for further exploration of the hit molecules for simultaneous treatment of the two diseases.
Development of edible coating based on Aloe vera gel to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut melon
Authors: Putri Humala Nasution Nabilla , Paramita Vita , Dwi Ariyanto Hermawan
Published: April 2023

Edible coating has been widely used in the food and agriculture industry to maintain the quality of food, specifically fresh-cut fruits, and can extend the shelf life of fruits. In this research, Aloe vera-based edible coating was developed with the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and citric acid (CA) as additives to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh-cut melons (Cucumis melo L). Edible coating based on Aloe vera was made with 30% (v/v) and 50% (v/v) Aloe vera gel and mixed with 1% (w/v) and 3% (w/v) CMC as additives and 1% (w/v) citric acid. Fresh-cut melons were uncoated and coated with six combinations of Aloe vera and CMC concentrations, then stored for ten days at 30 °C. Weight loss, microbiological contamination, ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity, colorimeter analysis, and sensory analysis were evaluated every two days to assess the quality of fresh-cut melons. The findings indicated that the samples coated with 50% (v/v) Aloe vera gel and 3% (w/v) CMC had superior effectiveness and the highest quality in terms of weight loss, microbiological contamination, ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity, colorimeter analysis, and sensory evaluation.
Vaginal dysbiosis as a factor contributing to the development of recurrent lower urinary tract infections
Authors: Kosova I. V. , Barsegian V. A. , Sinyakova L. A. , Lukianov I. V. , Kolbasov D. N.
Published: April 2023

Introduction. It is known that women are significantly more likely to suffer from lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs) than men. Nowadays, there is growing evidence to demonstrate the impact of vaginal microbiota on the development of recurrent LUTIs.

Objectives. To demonstrate the impact of vaginal microbiota disorders on the development of recurrent lower urinary tract infections.

Materials & methods. Seventy-five women with recurrent LUTIs 19 – 76 years old were enrolled in this study. The examination was performed according to the algorithm developed in the Department of Urology and Surgical Andrology, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education. Real-time PCR of vaginal epithelial cell scrapings (Femoflor 16) was performed to comprehensively evaluate the vaginal microbiota.

Results. Vaginal dysbiosis was detected in 47/75 (62.7%) women with recurrent UTIs: moderate vaginal dysbiosis was detected in 25/75 (33.3%) women and severe dysbiosis — in 22/75 (29.3%) women. A moderate correlation between the presence/absence of vaginal dysbiosis and the number of LUTI recurrences over 6 months was found (r = 0.310; p = 0.007). Vaginal dysbiosis was significantly more common among peri- and postmenopausal women with recurrent LUTIs than reproductive women (OR = 4.85; 95% CI = 1.45 – 16.17).

Conclusion. Vaginal dysbiosis contributes to the development of recurrent LUTIs with more relapses. Vaginal microbiota disorders and, consequently, recurrent LUTIs are more common in peri- and postmenopausal women than reproductive women.
Clinical portrait of an "ordinary" patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia and the efficacy of treating lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Medvedev V. L. , Efremov M. E. , Shornikov P. V. , Isayeva D. S.
Published: April 2023

Introduction. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition in aging men that is often associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Objective. To determine the clinical portrait of an "ordinary" patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia and develop an algorithm for improving the efficacy of treating lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Materials & methods. The study included 112 BPH-patients who received tamsulosin therapy or a combination of tamsulosin + solifenacin for three months. After three months of therapy, the patients were divided into two groups depending on the effectiveness of therapy: group 1 — a positive result (n = 77); group 2 — no positive effect (n = 35). Due to the lack of efficacy in patients of group 2, a multichannel urodynamics was performed, according to the results of which the patients were prescribed treatment with a subsequent assessment of the result after 3 months.

Results. After 3 months of therapy in patients of group 1, a decrease in pollakiuria was noted. Regression of obstructive and irritative symptoms was also observed, and the urination-associated quality of life (QoL) improved. The maximum urine flow rate (Q max) remained unchanged mainly. By the sixth month, the frequency of urination continued to decrease (11.05 vs 9.32 episodes; p = 0.022), as well as the improvement of other parameters (IPSS, QoL, Q max and post-void residual urine volume (PVR) (80.87 vs 56.17 ml; p = 0.012). The indicators of patients of group 2 following three months of therapy remained without significant changes. Sixteen patients underwent transurethral prostate resection, 19 patients underwent therapy correction, which allowed reducing the number of episodes of daily pollakiuria. The total IPSS score decreased by 4.37 compared to baseline (IPSS (obstructive) — 13.79 vs 7.26 pts; p = 0.032). The QoL value was 2.84 pts, Q max — 14.90 mL/s, PVR — 10.58 mL.

Conclusion. 19.8% of BPH-patients are resistant to drug therapy. The ineffectiveness of therapy may be due to the severe BOO. In the absence of the effect of the therapy within 3 months, it is recommended to perform multichannel urodynamics. Correction of therapy according to the multichannel urodynamics data improves its effectiveness by the sixth month of treatment. Indicators of IPSS, Q max and PVR after 3 months of therapy allow predicting the effectiveness of therapy, or suspect the need for surgical treatment.