bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of obesity on Ventriculo-Arterial Interaction in patients after Coarctation of Aorta repair
Authors: Bansal Prerna B , Zaidi Ali N , Bansal Neha , Stern Kenan , Mahgerefteh Joseph
Published: October 2022

Survival of patients after repair of coarctation of Aorta (CoA) has improved significantly over the decades, but patients have decreased life expectancy as compared to the general population. This has been attributed to increased hypertension, cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease. There has also been an increasing concern of overweight and obesity in patients with adult congenital heart disease. While there have been studies looking at the impact of long-term hypertension on myocardial performance and outcomes in this population, this study aims to assess the impact of obesity in these patients on their myocardial performance. Ventriculo-arterial coupling is used as a measure of myocardial performance which reflects the interaction between cardiac contractility and arterial elastance. Patients after CoA repair are known to have hypertension affecting the arterial elastance. Obesity affects cardiac contractility as well. This study demonstrated that in a group of young patients after CoA repair, Body Mass Index (BMI) has a relationship with Left Ventricular (LV) contractility and myocardial performance. This relationship was independent of blood pressure. BMI itself was not seen to affect the determinants of diastolic function in this study, suggesting that LV contractility may be affected before one can notice a change in the diastolic function secondary to BMI.
Identification of ADP-ribosylation factor 6 as the cellular target of withangulatin A against TNBC cells by ferroptosis
Authors: Sun Dejuan , Yang Yueying , Liu Yang , Ma Xiaoxin , Li Hua , Chen Lixia
Published: October 2022

Purpose
Effective anticancer therapy can be achieved by regulating ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) activation, but its biological roles are still challenging and few effective compounds against ARF6 have been identified. WA exerts the anti-proliferative effects on MDA-MB-231 cells. However, its molecular targets and unexplored mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, our objective was to develop novel therapeutic strategies to improve therapy effectiveness.
Methods
Using experiment approaches, including CCK8, MDC assay, colony formation assay, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry, we verified the therapeutic effects of Withangulatin A (WA). ARF6 was identified as the potential target of WA by human proteome microarray analysis. The binding of WA and ARF6 was validated by Microscale Thermophoresis assay, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and ARF6 GTP pulldown assay. The binding mode was analyzed by molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis.
Results
WA potently inhibited the activation of ARF6, which regulated the anticancer effect of WA in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Mechanistically, the ferroptosis mediated by WA was found through statistical analysis of genomics. Furthermore, WA can regulate ferroptosis by targeting ARF6, thus affecting the proliferation of TNBC cells. Particularly, Gln67 and His76 may be the key amino acid residues to influence the binding of WA to ARF6. Interestingly, the synergistic effects of WA and 3-MA sensitized TNBC cells to ferroptosis induction.
Conclusion
Our study identified the cellular target of WA and revealed the unrecognized function of ARF6, and it would provide a promising alternative therapy for triple negative breast cancer.
Skin involvement: a harbinger of worse prognosis in patients with sepsis
Authors: Pulido-Pérez Ana , Bergón-Sendín Marta , Suárez-Fernández Ricardo , Sánchez-Carrillo Carlos , Rosell-Díaz Ángel Manuel , Nieto-Benito Lula , Barchino-Ortiz Lucía , Muñoz Patricia , Bouza Emilio
Published: October 2022

Skin involvement can occur at the beginning of a septic episode (primary skin and soft tissue infections) or during its progression (secondary or metastatic skin lesions), making skin a useful accessible tissue in the study of septic patients. The objective of this study was to determine the overall prevalence of sepsis-related skin findings and evaluate their possible prognostic value. A retrospective, single-center, study of septic patients with documented bloodstream infections admitted in a tertiary hospital during 2019 was carried out. Unselected samples of 320 episodes of sepsis from 265 patients were included. Skin lesions were documented in 83 septic episodes from 69 patients (25.9%). Skin involvement was more frequently associated with bloodstream infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0.0001), coagulase-negative staphylococci (p = 0.036), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p = 0.005). Mean hospital stay (37.58 days vs 27.82 days, p = 0.023) and sepsis-related mortality (18.1% vs 11.0%, p = 0.024) were higher in patients with skin lesions than in individuals without them. Our results suggest that skin involvement (primary and/or secondary) is an unfavorable indicator in the evolution of septic patients with bloodstream infections. Thorough examination of the skin is recommended in the routine evaluation of septic patients, whether or not the origin of the infection is known.
Scale Transfer in 1849 Heinrich Schwabe to Rudolf Wolf
Authors: Bhattacharya Shreya , Lefevre Laure , Hayakawa Hisashi , Jansen Maarten , Clette Frederic
Published: October 2022

The focus of this study is to reveal the reason behind a scale problem detected around1849 in the historical version of the International Sunspot Number Series, i.e. version1 (Leussu et al, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 559, A28, 2013; Friedli, Solar Phys.291,2505, 2016). From 1826 to 1848 Heinrich Schwabe’s observations were consideredprimary by Rudolf Wolf, and a shift of primary observer from Schwabe to Wolf in1849 seems to have led to an inconsistency in the Sunspot Number series. In thisstudy we benefited from various datasets, the most important being Schwabe’s rawcounts from the Mittheilungen (Prof. Wolf’s Journals) that have been digitised at theRoyal Observatory of Belgium between 2017 and 2019. We provide a robust quantification of the detected problem by using classic algebraic calculations but alsodifferent methods such as a method inspired by Lockwood et al (Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics), 119(7), 5172, 2014), hence assigning a modern k-factorto Schwabe’s observations before 1849. We also assess the implications of this 1849 inconsistency on the International Sunspot Number series (Versions 1 and 2) beforeand after 1849.
Influence of ultraviolet radiation and temperature on the phototactic response of tropical species of stingless bees
Authors: Ramos Davi de L. , Mota² Theo R.P. , Bustamante¹ Mercedes M.C. , Pires³ Carmen S.S.
Published: October 2022

We evaluated how ultraviolet (UV) and green light in the solar spectrum, as well as temperature, affected the proportion and latency of phototactic choice for three distinct stingless bee species within a Y-shaped maze. We showed that all studied bee species chose the edges with a higher incidence of solar UV light more often and with shorter choice latencies than other edges. Under conditions of low UV at both ends of the maze, neither a higher proportion of green nor a higher total light intensity impacted the phototactic orientation of bees towards a particular maze arm. The proportion of choice in Frieseomelitta varia did not change in response to an increase in temperature, and remained high with increased UV light. These results indicate that UV light was an important component of the phototactic response of the tropical bee species studied, and this should be considered when using them to provide pollination services in environments with a low incidence of UV light, as is prevalent in greenhouses. Moreover, the phototactic behaviour observed in F. varia, even under heat stress conditions, suggested that this species was suitable for use as pollinators in greenhouses.
Long-lasting Effects of a Prosocial Counter-Misinformation Intervention in an Informational Autocracy
Authors: Orosz Gabor , Faragó Laura , Paskuj Benedek , Kreko Peter
Published: October 2022

Conservative voters have difficulties distinguishing fake from real news. In Hungarian representative data (N = 991) we found voters of the reigning populist, conservative party rated misinformation more accurate than real ones independently from the news’ political leaning and content. The question arises: what can psychological science do to make government supporters more motivated and capable in the long run to identify misinformation in this cultural, political, and historical context? Designing scalable misinformation-reducing interventions that have a sustainable effect in the long term is a challenge researchers are struggling to surmount. The present work demonstrates a social psychological randomized controlled trial intervention in which young adults (N = 473) were placed in an expert role and were requested to write a letter to digitally less competent relatives explaining six strategies that can help them to discern misinformation. Compared to the active control group, there was an immediate (d = 0.27) and four weeks later a general long-term effect (d = 0.30) on distinguishing fake news from real ones. This long-term effect was especially salient among participants who support the conservative populist government (d = 0.48). The present work is among the first providing comprehensive quantitative analysis on the gravity of the misinformation problem in an Eastern European country with a pioneering intervention attempt that can be appropriate to a context where misinformation appears regularly in the mainstream media.
Discount Puzzle of Closed-End Mutual Funds: A Case of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Farhana
Published: October 2022

The paper intends to perform a relevant study on the closed-end fund puzzle in the perspective of an emerging market. Quarterly data of 36 closed-end mutual funds traded in Dhaka Stock Exchange are collected over the sample period of 2016 to 2019. Dependent and independent variables are mapped down by exploring previous researches. Weight of top 10 investments, fund size, fund age, fund maturity, turnover and dividend yield are taken as explanatory variable to analyze the impact on CEF discount. A fixed effects panel regression is performed on the data set with few diagnostic tests to ensure the reliability of the analysis conducted. The results show that, the variable fund size and fund maturity have a significant positive and turnover has a significant negative impact on CEF discount while the impact of weight of top 10 investments, dividend yield and fund age are found insignificant.
Privacy Preservation Linear Regression Scheme with Applications
Authors: Shen Eric Z.
Published: October 2022

Linear regression is a basic and widely used machine learning algorithm, and the training of linear regression models usually depends on a large amount of data, but in reality, the data sets are usually held by different users and contain users' privacy information, so when multiple users want to pool a large amount of data to train a better model, it will inevitably involve users' privacy. Homomorphic encryption, as a privacy protection technique, can effectively solve the privacy leakage problem in computing. A new privacy-preserving linear regression scheme based on a hybrid iterative approach is designed for the scenario where the data set is horizontally distributed over two users, combined with the CKKS homomorphic encryption technique. In the second phase, a secure two-sided fast descent protocol is designed, which is based on the Jacobi iterative algorithm and can effectively compensate for the ineffectiveness of the gradient descent method in practical applications and speed up the collection of the model, thus reducing the computational cost and communication loss of the scheme. This reduces the computational cost and communication loss of the scheme, and protects the data privacy of both users while training the linear regression model efficiently. The efficiency, communication loss, and security of the scheme are analyzed, and the scheme is implemented in C++ and applied to real data sets. Extensive experimental results show that this scheme can efficiently solve linear regression problems with large feature sizes, and the relative error of the decidable coefficients is less than 0.001, which indicates that the obtained privacy-preserving linear regression model is close to the model obtained directly on the plaintext data in real data sets, and can meet the practical application requirements in specific scenarios.
Brain MRI Technics Images Translation by Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Kalejahi Behnam Kiani , Meshgini Saeed , Danishvar Sebelan
Published: October 2022

One of the most critical problems in medical imaging is having high-quality data on healthy and sick patients. Also, gathering and creating a useful dataset is very time-consuming and is not always cost-effective. Machine learning methods are the newest methods in image processing, especially in medical image processing for classification, segmentation, and translation. GAN (Generative Adversarial Networks) is a class of machine learning frameworks that we consider a solution to image-to-image translation problems and augmentation. One of GAN's applications is generating more realistic data for training and validation to improve the performance of the algorithm and evaluation. In this paper, we propose a high-quality image-to-image translation framework based on CycleGAN in a paired and unpaired model of translation from T1 (or T2) to T2 (or T1) weighted MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of brain images. For evaluation, we used a dataset that consisted of T1 and T2 images acquired using the 3D structural MRI modality in four training and testing categories, which included 1113 structural MRI scans of large amounts of neuroimaging data.
The Asian entrepreneurship core in COVID-19 period: value chains, specialized education, massive participation of women and strategic accompaniment
Authors: Castro Fernando Alonso Ojeda
Published: October 2022

The document seeks to follow up on companies, entrepreneurs and States, on the issue of strategy and entrepreneurship. For this, two parts are taken, “Companies and take-off strategies typical of central and southeast Asia, before the pandemic”, there are unicorn companies, ventures, new versions of organizations before COVID, period from 2012 to 2019. The cases to be studied come from companies, States, organizations, which are located in the center, such as in Southeast Asia: the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China. It also takes the leading countries of Southeast Asia, led by Japan, first-generation of the Asian Tigers, Singapore, South Korea, Republic of China Taiwan (ROC); second generation, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, among others. Then, strategic cases are described, analyzed, and sought, in the period 2021-2022, the same countries of Central Asia, plus Japan, the first-generation Tigers, all those previously analyzed, plus Hong Kong and the Second generation, all the analyzed in the previous period, plus Malaysia and Cambodia (OJEDA F. A., 2014). Sectors associated public policies, business strategies, exact cases of companies are observed, for each country, before and after the pandemic until today, 2022. With this research scheme, the reader establishes a “road map” of the companies, which has been generated from a highly volatile international environment, but with great opportunities. It is also an attempt to show a business “catalogue of practices” from these countries, which can be an example for Western organizations, in times of global crisis and international price volatility, especially affecting the value chains of food commodities, energy and basic electronic supplies.
Book Review on Prof. Dr. Erwin Dekker (2021). Jan Tinbergen (1903-1994) and the Rise of Economic Expertise
Authors: Gentle Paul F.
Published: October 2022

Jan Tinbergen was the first Nobel prize winner in economics. He shared that honor with Ragnar Frisch. The focus of their research that earned the Nobel prize, was “pioneering work in the field of econometric, the field at the intersection of statistics, mathematics, and economic theory” (p. 125). Erwin Dekker, a cultural economist provides this very comprehensive book about Jan Tinbergen. Dekker is on the faculty of Erasmus University, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Regulations and the characteristics of entrepreneurs
Authors: Kaya Halil D.
Published: October 2022

In this study, we examine whether different types of regulations affect the composition of small business owners in U.S. states. We employ a national survey titled the “United States Small Business Friendliness Survey”. This survey asks small business owners their opinions on different types of regulations (i.e. “health and safety regulations”, “employment regulations”, “tax code”, “licensing regulations”, “environmental regulations”, and “zoning regulations”). The survey also asks business owners questions on their own characteristics like “position in the firm”, “previous entrepreneurial experience”, “gender”, “age”, “political view”, “education level”, and “race”. Our results show that each regulation category affects almost all categories of owner characteristics. The exceptions are the following: “Health and safety regulations” do not affect position in the firm, “employment regulations” do not affect gender and age, “tax code” does not affect position in the firm and age, “licensing regulations” and “environmental regulations” do not affect position in the firm and gender, and “zoning regulations” do not affect position in the firm, previous experience, and gender. “Health and safety regulations” affect gender, age, political view, education level, and race. “Employment regulations” affect previous entrepreneurial experience, political view, education level, and race. “Tax code” affects previous entrepreneurial experience, gender, political view, education level, and race. “Licensing regulations” affect previous entrepreneurial experience, age, political view, education level, and race. “Environmental regulations” affect previous entrepreneurial experience, age, political view, education level, and race. “Zoning regulations” affect age, political view, education level, and race. Overall, our findings indicate that regulations affect the geographical choice of entrepreneurs. The states with a more favorable score in a certain area of regulation attract a certain group of entrepreneurs. Policymakers should consider these findings when devising their strategies to attract certain types of entrepreneurs to their states.
THE EFFECTS OF HYDROGEN ON SOME CONSTITUENTS ELEMENTS IN THE TARFAYA OIL SHALE LAYERS (MOROCCO)
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences Ben msik Casablanca, University Hassan II Morocco., Hafid Mohammed , Attaoui Abdeljabbar ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences Ben msik Casablanca, University Hassan II Morocco.
Published: October 2022

The elements calcium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon and potassium are part of oil shales, precisely they are found in the mineral matrix. In this work, hydrotreating in a dynamic regime (21Â°C/min) and under standard hydrogen pressure (1atm) was carried out and these elements were followed quantitatively before and after reaction by the dispersive X-ray diffraction technique (RXD). The compounds formed are hydrides which are mainly fuels, indeed, calcite, an element of oil shale, under hydrogen produces hydrolith (CaH2), dolomite under hydrogen produces magnesium hydride (MgH2), similarly kaolinite produces monosilane (SiH4) also carbon under hydrogen produces methane. It should be noted that oil shale around the world vary in their oil production capacity and quality. For example, the Green River shale in the western United States contains a high concentration of hydrogen relative to organic carbon and yields a high yield by simple decomposition using a conventional inert gas. However, much other shale that resembles to the Devonian shale in the eastern United States contains a lower concentration of hydrogen than the Green River (J.C. Janka: 1984).
MONKEYPOX CASES ARE STILL INCREASING AROUND THE WORLD AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: COULD THIS HEALTH SITUATION BE A GLOBAL THREAT?
Authors:   Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia., Mohammed Khatrawi Elham
Published: October 2022

Human monkeypox is a zoonotic disease resulting from the monkeypox virus (MPXV). During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, MPXV has become a global concern. From 1 January to 22 June of the current year, the World Health Organization (WHO) received reports of 3413 confirmed cases and one death. The most common cases (98%) have been recorded since May of this year (2022). The ongoing outbreak is largely affecting men who have sex with men (MSM). Most of the confirmed cases (86%, n=2933) have occurred in the WHO European countries. Other confirmed cases have been documented from the Americas (11%, n=381), Africa (2%, n=73), Western Pacific (less than 1%, n=11), and Eastern Mediterranean (less than 1%, n=15) regions. It is too early to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak is an independent phenomenon or has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, global healthcare organizations should apply precautionary measures to stop this outbreak.
Comparative analysis of Russian and international approaches to radiation safety related to exposure to natural sources of radiation
Authors: Kormanovskaya T. A.
Published: October 2022

The paper presents results of comparative analysis of the regulatory framework of the Russian Federation with the recommendations and requirements of international organizations in relation to the exposure of population and workers to natural sources of radiation. It is shown that the approaches to radiation safety related to exposure to natural sources of radiation in the Russian regulatory documents are somewhat more consistent with the provisions of the EU Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom than with the recommendations of the IAEA Basic Safety Standards. Analysis of requirements of Russian and international documents is the first step on the way to assess the possibility of implementation of recommendations of international organizations into the Russian regulatory documents and to develop the proposals on harmonization of requirements for control of the exposure of population and workers to natural sources of radiation.
Estimation of radiation doses on lymphocytes and their progenitors after ingestion of strontium-89,90
Authors: Tolstykh E. I. , Degteva M. O.
Published: October 2022

In radiobiology circulating T-lymphocytes are used as “natural biodosimeters” since the frequency of chromosomal aberrations that occur in them after radiation exposure is proportional to the accumulated dose. In addition, stable chromosomal aberrations (translocations) are detected in them years and decades after radiation exposure. Estimation of doses to circulating lymphocytes requires consideration of two dose components: the dose accumulated by the lymphocyte precursors (progenitors) in the red bone marrow; and dose accumulated by the lymphocytes in the lymphoid organs/tissues during circulation. A recently created model of T-lymphocyte exposure takes into account all these dose components, as well as the age-dependent dynamics of T-lymphocytes. The use of a model approach is especially important in assessing doses from osteotropic beta emitters (89,90Sr). They accumulate in the bone and locally expose predominately bone marrow. The dose to other lymphoid organs and tissues is much lower. The objective of this study is to evaluate the conversion factors from ingested 89,90Sr to the cumulative dose to circulating T-lymphocytes and their progenitors (DCL). For calculations, the previously developed model of T-lymphocyte exposure and new dose coefficients for the red bone marrow, estimated on the basis of a sex-and-age-dependent biokinetic model and a new dosimetric model of the human skeleton were used. As a result, the DCL values were evaluated for the first time. The age at the time of 89,90Sr intake varied from a newborn to 35 years, the age of T-lymphocyte examination (blood sampling age) was up to 75 years. The maximum values of DCL for both 90Sr and 89Sr were typical of children in the first years of life. It has been shown that doses to circulating T-lymphocytes from these radionuclides are lower than those to bone marrow, but are significantly higher than doses to other lymphoid tissues. The effect of sex on DCL is manifested for children 10 years of age and older. The area of DCL application covers the population of radioactively contaminated territories (the Urals region, the zone of the Chernobyl accident), as well as personnel of the nuclear industry enterprises.
Spatiotemporal changes of soil and water loss (2012–2019) in three government-divided regions, Chongqing Municipality, China
Authors: Zhang Yi , Lu Yang , Shi Jinsong , Gan Xiaoqing , Yan Jianmei
Published: October 2022

Understanding the changes in soil and water loss is important to make the regional sustainable development strategies for administrative department. This study compiled a series of datasets from 2012 to 2019 at the county scale to investigate the changes in soil and water loss in three government divided regions, i.e., urban region (UR), northeast region (NER) and southeast region (SER) in Chongqing Municipality, China. The area percentage of soil and water loss over moderate degree (OMD) in each year and change rate for the area of soil and water loss (CR) on the basis in 2012 for each region were compared. The area of soil and water loss decreased by 22.3%, 18.7% and 14.2% in the UR, NER and SER, respectively, from 2012 to 2019. The area of soil and water loss in NER almost accounted for 50% of the total area of soil and water loss in Chongqing City. The OMD decreased from 66.06% in 2012 to 24.84% in 2019. The CR always presented significantly declined trend (P < 0.05) with the year in the UR, NER and SER, respectively. Our results are valuable to developing reasonable conservation strategies for the local government to control soil and water loss.
Abdülhak Molla ve Tıbbîye’de çiçek aşısı uygulamasının başlangıcı
Authors: KARA Mahmut Alpertunga
Published: October 2022

Amaç: Hekimbaşı Abdülhak Molla’nın Türk tıbbının modernleşmesine katkıları ve Tıbbîye’de çiçek aşısı uygulamasının başlangıcı incelenmiştir.Yöntemler: Döneme ait temel kaynaklar ve konuyla ilgili monografiler taranarak karşılıklı okuma yapılmıştır.Bulgular: Abdülhak Molla Türkiye’nin modernleşme yönünde kritik bir dönüşüm yaşadığı yıllarda üst seviyede görevlerde bulunmuştur. Şahsi özellikleri yanında çevresi ve özellikle Mustafa Behçet Efendi’nin kardeşi olması Molla’nın faaliyetlerinde rol oynamıştır. İki kardeş birbirini takip eden görevleri ve ortak vizyonları ile hem tıp eğitiminin hem de sağlık hizmetlerinin modernleşmesinde öncü bir kurum olan Tıbbîye’nin kuruluşunda rol oynamışlardır. Çiçek aşısı uygulamasının başlaması bu dönemde yaşanan dönüşümün sonuçlarını örneklendirmektedir.Sonuç: Abdülhak Molla görev aldığı dönüşüm sürecinde modernleşme vizyonunu sürdürerek Türk tıbbına katkıda bulunmuştur.
p-Coumaric Acid: A Naturally Occurring Chemical with Potential Therapeutic
Applications
Authors: Kaur Jasleen , Kaur Ramandeep
Published: October 2022

Coumaric acid is a hydroxy derivative of cinnamic acid with three different isomers
(ortho, meta and para). Its most commonly available form is p-coumaric acid. p-Coumaric acid
i.e., 4-hydroxycinnamic acid is a potent phenolic compound found to exist naturally in various
plants, cereals, fruits and vegetables. It is one of the major constituent compounds of phenolic
polymer lignin in lignocellulosic materials. Various natural and synthetic derivatives of pcoumaric
acid have been reported in the literature. Different extraction methods including
conventional methods such as solvent extraction, acidification, alkaline extraction etc. and
recent approaches such as the clip-off method, sugaring out method, soft microwave extraction
etc. for its qualitative and quantitative determination in various plant materials have been investigated
by various researchers. This paper has discussed the synthesis of various derivatives
of p-coumaric acid such as amides, esters, aldehydes, polymers, and copolymers. p-Coumaric acid and its derivatives
have been found to possess different bioactive properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiarthritic,
anti-inflammatory, gout prevention, anti-diabetic, anti-melanogenic, skin regeneration, gastroprotective,
anti-ulcer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, reno-protective, bone formation, anti-angiogenic and anti-platelet etc.
Owing to this huge bioactive potential, p-coumaric acid could be incorporated in edible food products, pharmaceutical
products, cosmetics, etc. More studies are required to evaluate their compatability in these products. To the
best of our knowledge, this is the first review discussing natural occurrence, extraction, natural derivatives, synthesis
of various derivatives and therapeutic applications of p-coumaric acid.
Microneedles: A Versatile Drug Delivery Carrier for Phytobioactive
Compounds as a Therapeutic Modulator for Targeting Mitochondrial
Dysfunction in the Management of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Bandiwadekar Akshay , Khot Kartik Bhairu , Gopan Gopika , Jose Jobin
Published: October 2022

Neurodegenerative disease (ND) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with limited
symptomatic therapies. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a major risk factor in the progression of ND,
and it-increases the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overexposure to these ROS induces
apoptotic changes leading to neuronal cell death. Many studies have shown the prominent effect of
phytobioactive compounds in managing mitochondrial dysfunctions associated with ND, mainly due
to their antioxidant properties. The drug delivery to the brain is limited due to the presence of the
blood-brain barrier (BBB), but effective drug concentration needs to reach the brain for the therapeutic
action. Therefore, developing safe and effective strategies to enhance drug entry in the brain is required
to establish ND's treatment. The microneedle-based drug delivery system is one of the effective
non-invasive techniques for drug delivery through the transdermal route. Microneedles are micronsized
drug delivery needles that are self-administrable. It can penetrate through the stratum corneum
skin layer without hitting pain receptors, allowing the phytobioactive compounds to be released directly
into systemic circulation in a controlled manner. With all of the principles mentioned above, this review
discusses microneedles as a versatile drug delivery carrier for the phytoactive compounds as a
therapeutic potentiating agent for targeting mitochondrial dysfunction for the management of ND.
Prevalence and Predictors of Albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study from the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Hassan Almukhattin Moza Saleh , Abdulsalim Suhaj , Shareef Alawadhi Suhaila Mohammed , Biag Mirza R. , M Sonal Sekhar , Abdulkader Noufal
Published: October 2022

Background and aim:

Albuminuria in Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients may lead to nephropathy and end-stage renal disease. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of albuminuria and its associated predictors among type 2 DM patients in the United Arab Emirates.

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among type 2 DM patients in the diabetic clinic, Fujairah Hospital from 1st January 2016 to 30th January 2020 after getting the ethical clearance. Data were collected electronically from the health information system and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Regression analysis and ANOVA were used for inferential analysis. A P-value of ≤0.05 has been considered significant.

Results:

Among the 200 patients included in the study, the mean age of the study population was 56 years and the majority of them were females (71%). The prevalence of albuminuria was found to be 44%. By using regression analysis, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; P=0.038) and systolic blood pressure (SBP; P=0.003) were found to be predictors of albuminuria. One way ANOVA revealed that there were significant associations between the albumin levels and HbA1c (P=0.004), SBP (P= 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (DBP; P=0.028), serum creatinine (Scr) (P=0.039), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR; P=0.013).

Conclusion:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study from Fujairah emirate that explored the prevalence and predictors of albuminuria in type 2 DM patients. We found a high prevalence of albuminuria among type 2 DM patients. HbA1c and SBP were directly contributing to albuminuria. To improve glycemic control, patients need to improve physical activity, reduce overweight and, adherence to medications that improve overall therapeutic outcome.
Nutritional and Phytochemical Changes During Ripening in Mango:
A Review
Authors: Avinashe Harshal , Ghosh Sreejaya , Dubey Nidhi
Published: October 2022

Background:

The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is now widely recognised as one of
the best available fruits and “the king of fruits”. It has been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent
for well over 4000 years now. It has been recognized for its mesmerizing taste and captivating
flavour. It is not only known for sensory qualities but also for enriching nutritive value. The ripening
process brings about remarkable changes in mango's nutritional and phytochemical composition.
These changes make ripe mango preferable over its unripe form.

Conclusion:

Mango fruit has been cultivated for its nutritional value for years, and it is now included
in the human diet as a source of carbohydrates, vitamins (especially vitamin A and vitamin
C), β-carotene, and minerals. In recent years, researchers have been more interested in mango
phytochemicals. New bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory characteristics have been
discovered. Physiological and metabolic changes occur during mango ripening. An overview of
the nutritional and phytochemical properties of mangoes will be provided.
Modeling of the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Detection by Convolutional
Neural Networks (CNNs)
Authors: Albeeshi Annal A. , Alshanbari Hanan S.
Published: October 2022

Background:

The techniques differed in many of the literature on the detection of Acute
Lymphocytic Leukemia from the blood smear pictures, as the cases of infection in the world and the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were increasing and the causes of this disease were not known, especially
for children, which is a serious and fatal disease.

Objective:

Through this work we seek to contribute to discover the blood cells affected by Acute Lymphocytic
Leukem and to find an effective and fast method and to have the correct diagnosis as the time
factor is important in the diagnosis and the initiation of treatment. which is based on one of the deep
learning techniques that specialize in very deep networks, the use of one of the CNNs is VGG16.

Methods:

Detection scheme is implemented by pre-processing, feature extraction, model building, fine
tuning method, classification are executed. By using VGG16 pre-trained, and using SVM and MLP
classification algorithms in Machine Learning.

Results:

Our results are evaluated based on criteria, such as Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and F1-Score.
The accuracy results for SVM classifier MLP of 77% accuracy at 0.001 learning rate and the accuracy
for SVM classifier 75% at 0.005 learning rate. Whereas, the best accuracy result for VGG16 model
was 92.27% at 0.003 learning rate. The best validation accuracy result was 85.62% at 0.001 learning
rate.
Efficacy and Safety of Thrombolysis in COVID-19 Related ARDS
Authors: Goyal Abhishek , Niwariya Yogesh , Pawar Neeraj , Khurana Alkesh , Chaudhary Poonam
Published: October 2022

Introduction:

COVID19 causes significant pulmonary microthrombi in some individuals, which can lead to ARDS and death. Thrombolysis could be an effective approach in some patients with severe ARDS. We describe our experience with usage of thrombolytic agents in COVID19 critically ill patients, who were in worsening respiratory failure.

Methods:

Retrospective chart analysis was done in patients who were thrombolysed between May 2020- Sept 2020. Analysis was done to find out factors associated with improvement in oxygenation and survival.

Results:

Twenty seven patients with severe ARDS [all had respiratory rate >30, FiO2 >0.6(on NIV/HFNC) and PiO2/FiO2 ratio<120] were thrombolysed in our ICU for COVID19 causes. C.T. Pulmonary Angiography could not be done in any of the 27 patients due to poor general condition, but 2D echo was normal in most (5 had dilated RA,RV) and none of the patients was in shock. So there was no conventional indication of thrombolysis in these patients, yet after thrombolysis, we saw dramatic changes in oxygenation (defined by decrease in FiO2 by ≥0.2) in twenty patients. Five patients had major bleed. Eleven patients survived (survival rate of 40.7%) and survival rate was high { 66% (8/12)} in patients who were thrombolysed within 2 days of oxygen requirement.

Conclusion:

In this unprecedented pandemic with high mortality rates, efficacy of early thrombolysis needs to be further explored in randomised controlled trials.
Mass Screening of SARS-CoV-2 With Rapid Antigen Tests in a Receding Omicron Wave: Population-Based Survey for Epidemiologic Evaluation
Authors: Kwan Tsz Ho , Wong Ngai Sze , Chan Chin Pok , Yeoh Eng Kiong , Wong Samuel Yeung-shan , Lee Shui Shan
Published: October 2022

Background

The COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 epidemic wave in Hong Kong peaked in the first quarter of 2022. Following the implementation of stringent public health measures, the daily number of reported cases fell from over 50,000 to below 2000. Although outbreaks steadily receded, the government rolled out a 3-day “voluntary universal rapid testing” campaign to invite all citizens to self-perform a rapid antigen test (RAT) daily to identify undetected prevalent infections.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the uptake and results of RAT mass screening to estimate the population’s residual epidemic burden and assess the risk of further transmission.

Methods

A cross-sectional study comprising an open web-based population-based survey was conducted a week after the RAT campaign. Participants were asked to report their COVID-19 vaccination and infection history and the RAT performance and test result during the period. They were also invited to report their coliving individuals’ test performance and results. Reasons for nonuptake were enquired. Testing and positive rates were age-adjusted. Determinants of undergoing RAT were identified using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

In total, particulars from 21,769 individuals were reported by 8338 participants. The overall age-adjusted testing rate was 74.94% (95% CI 73.71%-76.18%), with over 80% of participants in the age groups between 45-84 years having self-performed RAT during the campaign period. After age-adjustment, 1.03% (95% CI 0.86%-1.21%) of participants tested positive. The positive rates in the age groups between 20-29 years and >84 years exceeded 2%. Taking into account the positive rate and 5819 reported cases during the period, the cases identified in the campaign might account for 7.65% (95% CI 6.47%-9.14%) of all infections. Testers were more likely to be female, older, not previously diagnosed with COVID-19, and have received COVID-19 vaccination. Adjusting for the number of household members, those living with a child aged <12 years and whose household members were also tested were more likely to have self-performed an RAT. Main reasons for not performing an RAT included the absence of symptoms (598/1108, 53.97%), disbelief of the appropriateness of the campaign as an antiepidemic measure (355/1108, 32.04%), and a recent COVID-19 diagnosis (332/1108, 29.96%).

Conclusions

The residual population burden remained substantial in spite of the clear evidence of a receding epidemic wave. Despite caution in generalization to the Hong Kong population, the high participation rate in mass screening indicated that the voluntary RAT was well accepted, making it a feasible option for implementation as a complementary means of public health surveillance.
Design and Analysis of Dual Input Z-Source Matrix Converter
Authors: Dhawale Achal , Ghaturkar Ram , Giri Sarvesh , Kaji Avesoddin , Gedam Hemant , Joshi Prof. Ashutosh
Published: October 2022

Abstract: Series Z-Source community, connecting in helping vast o preferred concept of Z-supply dc hyperlink, changed into initially projected for boosting the output voltage of strength digital inverters. Throughout this paper, that idea is prolonged on a three-section oblique matrix converter. The converter relies upon at the ultra-sparse matrix topology characterised via way of means of the minimal vary of semiconductor switches. The collection Z-supply community is positioned among the three-transfer enter rectifier level and moreover the six-transfer output electric converter level, in both the wonderful or terrible rail. A short shoot-via nation produces the voltage raise. Associate in Nursing optimum pulse breadth modulation approach is advanced for better boosting capability of the converter and decrease of transfer losses. A evaluation is made among the matrix converters mistreatment collection and standard cascade Zsource networks. The inpouring modern-day and Z-supply capacitor’s voltage are decreased in the collection Z-supply matrix converter.
Effect of Hard Chroming on Wear Loss of Rotavator Blade
Authors: Bawane Shivani S. , Nikalje Dr. A. M.
Published: October 2022

Abstract: Rotavator is the most important equipment which has been increasingly used in agricultural fields. To decrease the human effort and total time required in soil bed preparation. During the working condition, the rotary tilleris subjected to extreme abrasive wear. This problem is faced all over the world. Which considerably affects the service life of the tiller blade. Due to the abrasive wear, the rotavator blade requires frequent replacement resulting in increasing machine downtime and maintenance costs. So, it is necessary to improve the service life of the tiller blade. In the present research work laboratory test was conducted on rotavator blade specimen. Hard chroming is used as a surface modification technique, experimentation was conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium coating on the mechanical properties of the base material. The addition of chromium increases the surface hardness of the tiller blade. Tribometer is used for the wear testing method, to study the wear resistance of the coated and uncoated blade. Taguchi L9 array to optimize the laboratory investigation used in the present research work. Wear performance of hard chroming and the unhardchrome blade is examined after a fixed interval of time in terms of weight loss.
Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Clahe Based Transfer Learning
Authors: Alekhya Kesapragada , Chidambaranathan Visnunathan , Madhumida K.
Published: October 2022

Abstract: Diabetic Retinopathy(DR) has been a noticeable increase in the number of people diagnosed as blind in today’s day and age. Many of the individuals who were diagnosed as blind had long- term diabetes. As a result, persons who have had diabetes for a long time may develop diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease. This usually happens when high blood sugar levels damage the retina's blood vessels. These blood vessels have the potential to enlarge and leak. All of these variables have the potential to cause blindness. Diabetic Retinopathy affects roughly 117.12 million people, according to WHO (World Health Organization) figures from 2021 [Global Prevalence of DR and Projection of burden through 2045].Diabetic retinopathy is divided into four categories: no DR, moderate Nonproliferative (NP), Moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and Proliferative DR. Early detection of DR can prevent blindness caused by long-term diabetes, which can be accomplished if DR is detected early. We employ a preprocessing approach called Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and CNN algorithms like Alex net, Resnet, and Train net to classify eyeballs in this research. Normal eyes are classified as mild np, moderate np, and severe np based on the accuracy predicted. The evaluation results reveal that the suggested pre-processing algorithm CLAHE is effective in removing noise and redundant features from an input image, and when fed into the Efficient network, this system achieves a 96 percent accuracy
Sleep paralysis: at intersection of biology and folklore
Authors: Povetkina Polina B.
Published: October 2022

The author examines the concept of “sleep paralysis” from the point of view of biology and folk culture. The key components of this concept, highlighted by various authors, touches on the main problems related to this concept, including the relationship between biological and cultural in the context of sleep paralysis, are presented. In addition, the work describes possible interpretations of sleep paralysis, mythological characters associated with it in the folklore of different peoples of the world, and folklore genres in which it is reflected. Moreover, the article contains examples of narratives about cases of sleep paralysis in folklore; outside the cultural tradition, where mythological characters associated with sleep paralysis are known; as well as an example of the appearance of mythological characters connected with manifestations of sleep paralysis not in a mythological text, but in other folklore genres.
Comparison as a means of persuasion and a technique of manipulation: features of application in media space
Authors: Brusenskaya Ludmila A. , Belyaeva Irina V.
Published: October 2022

Manipulative techniques of verbal communication have rather recently moved into the focus of research attention (classical rhetoric was focused on honest argumentation and touched upon the problem of manipulation only in terms of criticism of “unsuitable persuasion techniques” used by sophists). In numerous modern studies, virtually the entire tropic is considered to be manipulative techniques, and it remains unclear what transforms the method of enhancing figurativeness and expressiveness into a destructive method of latent influence. Of course, this ambiguity is generated by the essence of the object: to explain manipulativeness, it is necessary to dive into the spheres of the intentional, which is difficult to verify. However, it is extremely important to distinguish between the tropics in its original role, on the one hand, and tropics used for manipulative purposes, on the other. Based on discursive analysis, which makes it possible to identify manipulation, using the inductive-deductive method and the method of linguopragmatic analysis, the authors study the conditions under which the use of linguistic means in general and the comparison trope in particular becomes manipulative. On the example of the trope comparison the authors attempt to clarify the conditions of its incorrect, it means manipulative, use. Manipulation is destructive, even if it bases on the tropics, and therefore for the cultivation of public space it is necessary to detect this technique.