bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic added-value of CA125 on O-RADS and Simple Rules in discrimination benign and malignant adnexal masses
Authors: Gong Li-ping , Dong Shuang , Li Xiao-Ying , Wu Ying-Nan , Zhang Shuang , Feng Ya-Nan , Du Xiao-Shan , Tian Jia-wei , Sun Li-tao
Published: September 2022

Objective: Since the promulgation of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Simple Rules (SR) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) , many studies have verified their diagnostic performance successively. But the low accuracy of masses of O-RADS 4 and SR inconclusive still perplex sonographers, thus this study aimed to settle this problem by combining Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125) with those masses, and to assess diagnostic added-value of CA125 on O-RADS and SR in discrimination benign and malignant adnexal masses.Methods:Data of women with adnexal masses recruited from a tertiary center between January 2019 and September 2021 were included in this study. All patients underwent transvaginal or transabdominal ultrasound examination as well as had complete ultrasound images and clinical data. Firstly, the masses were classified retrospectively using O-RADS and SR by two less experienced sonographers according to the corresponding criteria. Then, the masses of O-RADS 4 and SR inconclusive were reclassified according to the level of CA125,that is, the combination of O-RADS and SR with CA125. And analyzed the differences in diagnostic efficacy of the above methods for menopause status. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CA125,O-RADS, SR, CA125 combine with O-RADS, and CA125 combine with SR, and calculate the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity.Results:Of the 403 patients (143 premenopausal and 260 postmenopausal), 269 had benign lesions, and 134 had malignant tumors. The AUCs of CA125, O-RADS, SR, O-RADS combined with CA125, SR, SR combined with CA125,and CA125 in the whole study group were 0.842, 0.939, 0.963, 0.884, and 0.944, respectively. The findings showed that the AUCs of O-RADS and SR combined with CA125 were significantly higher than O-RADS and SR alone severally (p<0.05). The accuracy of O-RADS 4 and SR inconclusive masses were only 0.438 and 0.534, however, their accuracy has been improved to 0.829 and 0.814 when combined with CA125. Furthermore, the addition of CA125 into O-RADS and SR significantly increased the AUC to 0.930 (0.930 vs 0.712,p<0.001) and 0.931 (0.931 vs 0.774,p<0.001) separately in women with amenorrhea.Conclusions:CA125 can markedly improve the accuracy of O-RADS 4 and SR inconclusive masses, thereby improving the overall diagnostic efficiency of the O-RADS and SR classification system, especially for menopause women.
Investigating the effect of spatiotemporal, wind speed and wind direction on precipitation magnitudes within urban area
Authors: Algretawee Hayder
Published: September 2022

A number of documented precipitation changes are associated with the hydrological cycle, including changes in the magnitude of precipitation. Studying the effect of spatial, temporal, wind speed and wind direction on precipitation magnitude at specified points within Melbourne city - Australia could reveal how they affect precipitation magnitudes. To achieve this aim, a long rainy day was adopted to record the measurements at different places and times throughout the day and night. Study method involved measuring wind speed and direction at every measuring point by using a hand-held device, while precipitation values were recorded using the nearest ground weather station. The study revealed precipitation magnitudes at night were higher than during the daylight hours. On the other hand, fast winds increase precipitation magnitude, and wind direction has effect on precipitation either increase or decrease depending on upwind and leeward sides respectively. Respective to temporal parameter, precipitation magnitudes at night showed the highest. Wind speed directly effects precipitation values but the direction has a moderate effect on precipitation. Generally, spatiotemporal, wind speed and direction have distinct effect on precipitation with small time scale.
Association between indoor microbiota, home environment characteristics, and frailty status of elderly residents
Authors: Pan Xue-Yan , Zeng Jin-Mei , Yin Ming-Juan , Ma Xing-Yu , Liao Jia , Luo Xiao-Wen , Zhang Lei , Yu Zu-Wei , Li Yu-Lian , Ni Jin-Dong
Published: September 2022

Background: The elderly spends a larger proportion of time indoors compared to younger adults. Moreover, the link between frailty status in elderly residents, indoor microbiota exposure, and home environmental factors remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we evaluated the frailty status of elderly individuals aged 60 and older according to the frailty index scale. participants were divided into three groups according to whether the husband and wife exhibited frailty. We collected microbes from the elderly via air precipitation and sequenced the microbes using 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing technology. We also investigated the PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 concentration, illumination, sound level, wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, living area, and other indicators in their home.
Results: A total of 153 households were analyzed, including 42 households (27.45%) of both healthy spouses, 66 households (43.14%) with frailty in one spouse, and 45 households (29.41%) with both frail spouses.Based on the OTU level, there were significant differences in chao1, reads, and the richness index of the bacterial α diversity index and Simpson index of the fungus a diversity index (P < 0.05). The Kruskal-wallis test showed that some pathogenic bacteria, including Brevibacterium, Aerococcus, Dietzia, Sanguibacter, and Bacteroides were higher in the group containing both frail spouses compared to the group containing both spouses (P < 0.05). Based on an ordered regression analysis, we found that a small living area and low artificial light had a potentially dangerous effect on the frailty status of elderly residents (OR > 1, P< 0.05). A mediating effect model analysis revealed that this process was related to five bacteria genera (Pseudomonas, Cellulosimicrobium, Chryseomicrobium, Brevibacterium, and Brevibacillus) and two fungi genera (Lodderomyces and Trichoderma). Among these genera, Brevibacillus was a potential protective bacterium for the frailty status of elderly residents, whereas other bacteria were potentially dangerous.
Conclusions: These results illustrated the differential frailty effects of various genera. These findings demonstrate a potential association between the frailty status of elderly residents, indoor microbes, and home environment characteristics.
Concomitant impact of polycystic ovarian syndrome and associated comorbidities on cognitive functions, neurotransmitters, and metabolic enzymes in Indian women
Authors: Ananthasubramanian Poornima , Nair Rahul S. , Priyanka Hannah , Barathi S , Vasantharekha Ramasamy
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder leading to dysregulations in the homeostatic functions of the body, affecting reproductive, neural, and metabolic health. This study investigates the prevalence of PCOS-associated comorbidities and the effects of cognitive and metabolic alterations in Indian women.
Methods: Female volunteers (aged 18-40) were grouped into control and PCOS groups as per the Rotterdam criteria. The volunteers were administered with a standard PCOS questionnaire, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ), EDC exposure questionnaire, and neuropsychological tests including Corsi block-tapping test, Stroop color test, mental rotation test. Peripheral blood samples were collected from both groups (n=15 each). Serotonin and testosterone levels along with cholinesterase activity were estimated in plasma samples. Activity of rate-limiting metabolic enzymes of the glycolytic pathway (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase), citric acid cycle (citrate synthase), and mitochondrial electron transport chain (cytochrome-c-oxidase) were estimated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Results: PCOS patients reported a significant increase in PCOS-related comorbidities. The CFQ and MFQ scores were significantly higher while the recall memory, Corsi, Stroop, mental rotation scores were significantly lower in PCOS patients, compared to control group. There was a significant increase in cholinesterase activity, and a significant decrease in the serotonin levels in women with PCOS compared to the control group. The activities of the rate limiting metabolic enzymes showed significant changes in the PCOS, compared to the control groups.
Conclusion: Correlative effects of the altered cognitive functions and associated-physiological mechanisms are evident in Indian women with PCOS.
Continuous injection of high-dose lipopolysaccharide modulates microglia polarization via TREM2 to alter the status of septic mice
Authors: Qiu Zhiyun , Wang Huilin , Qu Mengdi , Zhu Shuainan , Zhang Hao , Liao Qingwu , Miao Changhong
Published: September 2022

Background
Neuroinflammation of the central nervous system (CNS) is a prevalent syndrome of brain dysfunction secondary to severe sepsis and is regulated by microglia. Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) is known to have protective functions, which modulates microglia polarization to M2 type to reduce inflammatory responses and thereby improve cognition.
Methods
We examined the effect of TREM2 on the polarization state of microglia during the onset of neuroinflammation. After one week of lipopolysaccharide consecutive injection, immunofluorescence (IF) assays, hematoxylin-eosin (HE), electron microscopy and western blotting were used to visualize hippocampal sections in C57BL/6 mice to assess TREM2 release. In addition, microglia polarization was analyzed by Quantitative RT-PCR.
Result
Continuous injection of LPS for 7 days improved systemic inflammation and behavioral cognitive dysfunction in septic mice. Serial injection of LPS for 7 days attenuated neuroinflammation in septic mice. LPS could reduce the expression of TREM2, however IFN-β enhanced TREM2 expression. TREM2 regulated the conversion of the microglial M1 phenotype to M2 phenotype.
Conclusion
The aim of this study was to further investigate the interconnection between microglia polarization and TREM2 in the CNS. All evidence supports our hypothesis that IFN-β can modulate TREM2 expression to alter the polarization state of microglia and thereby reduce central neuroinflammation induced by sequential LPS injections. Trem2 can be used as a new target for neuroinflammation treatment.
The Effect of Activation Functions in a Chest X-ray Image Classification
Authors: Nworu Charles Chinedu , Ekpenyong‬ Emmanuel John , John Chisimkwuo , Onyeukwu Christian Nduka
Published: September 2022

The choice of activation functons is very important in deep learning. This is because activation functions are capable of capturing non-linear patterns in a data. The most popular actiavtion function is the Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) but it suffers from gradient vanishing problem. Therefore, we examined the modifications of the ReLU activation function to determine its effectiveness (accuracy) and efficiency (time complexity). The effectiveness and efficiency verified by conducting an empirical experiment using X-ray images that contains pneumonia and normal samples. Our experiments show that the modified ReLU, ReLU6 performed better in terms of low generalization error (97.05% training accuracy and 78.21% test accuracy). The sensitivity measure also suggest that the ELU is capable of correctly predicting more than half of the positive cases with 52.14% probability. For efficiency, the GELU shows the lowest training time when compared with other activation functions. This will allow practitioners in this field to choose activation functions based on effectiveness and efficiency

JEL Classification: C63 , C67 , I10
Thermodynamics and Micellar Behavior of Surface-Active Drugs in Aqueous Solution of Electrolytes: Surface Tension Study
Authors: Sharma Sapna , Kumar Kuldeep , Sharma Saurabh , Thakur Naveen , Singh Kuldeep , Chauhan Suvarcha
Published: September 2022

The surface tension study of the surface-active drugs streptomycin sulphate and diphenhydramine hydrochloride has been carried out with three uni-univalent and three bi-univalent electrolytes viz. NaCl, KCl and RbCl (0.01 mol.kg-1), and MgCl2, CaCl2 and SrCl2, (0.002 mol.kg-1) at temperature range of 298.15 to 313.15 K. The interfacial parameters like maximum surface excess concentration ( Γmax), minimum area per surfactant molecule (Amin), and surface pressure at CMC (Πcmc) have been explored. The results represent the stronger affinity between drug-electrolyte molecules, which lower the surface tension values. The CMC relations govern the hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions in ternary system (water-drug-electrolyte). Further, the addition of electrolytes lowers the total number of drug molecules at the interface, correlated with increase in Amin, and decrease in Γmax and Πcmc. Thermodynamics of micellization directs about the work done for micellization, and lighten the surface and bulk properties of drugs.
The relationship between Problematic Instagram Use and Eating Disorders psychopathology: An explanatory Structural Equation Model
Authors: Fioravanti Giulia , Cassioli Emanuele , Rossi Eleonora , Angeletti Lorenzo Lucherini , Casale Silvia , Ricca Valdo , Castellini Giovanni
Published: September 2022

An emerging body of research has evidenced the negative influence of using and being exposed to social networking sites (SNSs) on body image. Furthermore, it has been postulated that SNS use might be related with onset and persistence of eating disorders (EDs) psychopathology. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the complex interplay between Problematic Instagram use (PIU) (conceptualized as a potential behavioral addiction comprising withdrawal, conflict, tolerance, salience, mood modification and relapse) and ED psychopathology, by means of an explanatory Structural Equation Model. We hypothesized that PIU would be associated with ED symptoms through the mediating role of appearance comparison, individual psychological investment in physical appearance, and body uneasiness. A sample of 386 young female participants (Mage = 26.04 ± 6.73) was recruited, of which 152 had received a diagnosis of ED. ED patients used Instagram more than the control group and showed higher levels of PIU. Results from structural equation modeling (fit indices: χ2 = 44.54, df = 19, p < .001; RMSEA = .059; CFI = .98; SRMR = .02) showed that PIU predicted appearance comparison and psychological investment in physical appearance, which in turn predicted body uneasiness. In turn, body uneasiness predicted ED psychopathology and interpersonal difficulties. Our model provides a useful account of how eating disorder symptoms could be triggered and maintained by an addictive use of Instagram.
Situation Awareness Measurement in Pedestrian Environments: A Comparison between Freeze-probing and Realtime-probing technique
Authors: Akbar Gilang Hamzah , Wijayanto Titis , Hartono Budi
Published: September 2022

Pedestrian safety is affected by their environment. Reduced pedestrian awareness is generally due to walking being an activity repeatedly every day. Situation Awareness (SA) measurements can evaluate a pedestrian's ability to handle environmental situations. This refers to the importance of knowing the SA of pedestrians using effective measurement methods. This study aims to evaluate methods of measuring SA based on the effectiveness of its measure in a pedestrian environment by comparing the freeze-probing and real-time-probing techniques. Participants were eleven pedestrians (seven male) with an average age of 22 (SD ± 1.3) years old and walking habits for 15 (SD ± 8.5) minutes/day. Participants watched a video of a pedestrian walking on a treadmill with three speed levels. SA was measured by freeze and realtime-probing in different scenarios. Performance was determined based on verbal protocol. The realtime-probing has better sensitivity, but it has more problems with intrusiveness. Based on the regression results between predictors in the form of SA scores and performance as dependent variables, this probe shows better predictive results at low workload conditions, which corresponds to the characteristics of the pedestrian domain. Based on its advantages, real-time-probing is considered more effective for SA measurement needs in pedestrian environments that tend to be simple, stable, and do not cause high workloads. An effective measurement method will result in an accurate measure of SA score that can be the basis for developing the concept of SA and designing new designs or procedures in the pedestrian environment.
Transformation field analysis and clustering discretization method in pyridynamic micromechanics of composites
Authors: Buryachenko Valeriy
Published: September 2022

In contrast to the classical local theories, the peridynamic equation of motion introduced by Silling (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 2000; 48:175-–209) is free of any spatial derivatives of the displacement field. A thermoelastic composite materials (CMs) theory with nonlocal peridynamic properties of multiphase constituents of arbitrary geometry is analyzed for periodic structure CMs subjected to the volumetric periodic boundary conditions. Effective properties of peridynamic CM are expressed through the introduced micropolarization tensor averaged over the extended inclusion phase. Decompositions of material and field parameters are performed to analyze the fields produced by both mechanical and eigenfield loading. Transformation field analysis (TFA) and clustering discretization method (defining offline linear stage) adapted to the linear peridynamic micromechanics are proposed by the use of formal similarity of proposed methods with corresponding approaches of local micromechanics. Stress and displacement in each cluster are assumed to be constant and linear functions, respectively, even when a cluster is not a simply connected area in general. This fact greatly reduces the degree of freedom in the problem being considered. The clustering version of TFA for the homogenization of nonlinear peridynamics micromechanics is based on employing eigenstrains to account for inelastic displacements arising from material nonlinearity. The scheme of numerical solution of linear thermoelastic peridynamic problem and estimation of influence functions are presented.
Required needs and related factors for supporting return to work for young adult cancer survivors
Authors: Kim Kisook , Yoon Hyohyeon
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Lamination of starch/polyesters by thermocompression for food packaging purposes
Authors: Arias Carla I. La Fuente , González-Martínez Chelo , Chiralt Amparo
Published: September 2022

Multilayer films were obtained by thermocompression to design laminates with better fit food packaging requirements. Films of glycerol-plasticised corn starch, both non-modified and modified by dry heating (DH) or PHBV layers containing 0, 10 or 20% PEG 1000 were combined with amorphous PLA sheets. Combinations of starch-PLA-PHBV tri-layers were also obtained and characterised as to their functional properties for the first time. The surface tension of the different polymer films was determined to estimate the adhesion work (Wa) of each polymer pair, which was compared to the experimental seal strength (SS). The analyses of the functional properties of the mono, bi- and tri-layers revealed a marked reduction in the water vapour permeability of starch films by DH modification while PEG weakened the strength of PHBV films and greatly increased their oxygen permeability. An overall improvement was observed in the functional properties of PLA-starch laminates with respect to the monolayers, although PLA-PHBV combinations and tri-layers did not offer great additional benefits as compared to the individual non-plasticised PHBV films. The interlayer migration of plasticisers, including the water present in starch films, altered the expected tensile and barrier properties of multilayers, which resulted in advanced materials with unique characteristics.
Groundwater Flow Algorithm: A Novel Hydro-geology based Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Guha Ritam , Ghosh Soulib , Ghosh Kushal Kanti , CUEVAS ERIK , Sarkar Ram
Published: September 2022

A novel meta-heuristic nature-inspired optimization algorithm known as Groundwater Flow Algorithm (GWFA) is proposed in this paper. GWFA is inspired from the movement of groundwater from recharge areas to discharge areas. It follows a position update procedure guided by Darcy’s law which provides a mathematical framework of groundwater flow. The proposed optimization algorithm has been evaluated on 23 benchmark functions. The significance of the results is statistically validated using Wilcoxon rank-sum, Friedman and Kruskal Walis tests. To prove the robustness of the algorithm, it has been further applied on several standard engineering problems. From these exhaustive experiments, it has been observed that the proposed GWFA can outperform many state-of-the-art optimization algorithms.
Völkerrechtliche Grundlagen und Hürden für eine Einziehung russischer Gelder und wirtschaftlicher Ressourcen
Authors: Achermann Katja F.
Published: September 2022

Nach dem völkerrechtswidrigen Angriff Russlands auf die Ukraine fordern Politiker die Einziehung eingefrorener russischer Gelder und wirtschaftlicher Ressourcen zwecks Vollstreckung der Wiedergutmachungsforderung der Ukraine gegen Russland. Dieser Beitrag situiert diese politische Forderung im Völkerrecht. Zunächst thematisiert er kurz die völkerrechtliche Verantwortlichkeit Russlands und die Wiedergutmachungsforderung der Ukraine als deren Rechtsfolge. Danach werden potenzielle völkerrechtliche Rechtsgrundlagen für eine solche Einziehung eruiert. Da diese wenig erfolgsversprechend scheinen, geht der Beitrag schliesslich auf völkerrechtliche Hürden beim Erlass einer entsprechenden Rechtsgrundlage zur Einziehung russischer Gelder und wirtschaftlicher Ressourcen auf nationaler Ebene ein. Neben Fragen der Immunität wären dabei insbesondere menschenrechtliche und investitionsschutzrechtliche Schranken zu beachten.

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Suite à l'invasion de l'Ukraine en violation du droit international, certains politiciens demandent la confiscation des fonds et des ressources économiques russes gelés afin d'exécuter la demande de réparation de l'Ukraine contre la Russie. Cet article situe cette demande politique dans le cadre du droit international. Il aborde tout d'abord brièvement la responsabilité de la Russie en droit international et la demande de réparation de l'Ukraine comme conséquence juridique. Il identifie ensuite les fondements qui pourraient permettre une telle confiscation. Comme ceux-ci semblent peu prometteurs, l'article aborde finalement les obstacles du droit international public à l'adoption d'une base juridique permettant la confiscation des fonds et des ressources économiques russes au niveau national. Outre les questions d'immunité, il convient notamment de tenir compte des limites imposées par les droits de l'homme et la protection des investissements.
Factors affecting the disclosure level of local government financial statements: Role of audit opinion
Authors: Arya Raditya Thio , Ermawati Ermawati , Aswar Khoirul , Andreas Andreas , Panjaitan Ingrid
Published: September 2022

This study empirically examines the factors that influence the level of disclosure of local government financial statements, with audit opinion as a moderating variable. The ratio of financial independence, capital expenditure, intergovernmental revenue, and legislative size are independent variables in this study. The dependent variable is the degree of disclosure of local government financial statements (LKPD). The population used in this study is the financial statements of local governments in Indonesia that have been audited by BPK RI. The sample on this study consisted of 338 district/city governments on Java Island in 2018–2020 with purposive sampling. The test carried out is Multiple Linear Regression analysis using STATA version 16. Based on the results that have been analyzed, it can be concluded that the ratio of financial independence and intergovernmental revenue has a significant effect on the level of LKPD disclosure. Meanwhile, capital expenditure and legislative size have no significant effect on the level of LKPD disclosure. Audit opinion moderated the ratio of financial independence and legislative size on the level of disclosure of LKPD. Meanwhile, audit opinion does not moderate capital expenditure and intergovernmental revenue on the level of LKPD disclosure. This study provides information on the factors that influence the level of disclosure of LKPD in local governments, both districts/cities. A high level of LKPD disclosure indicates an accountability and transparency carried out by local governments.
Regional modeling of winter wheat yield and water productivity under water-saving irrigation scenarios
Authors: Ahmadi Seyed Hamid , Jorenush Mohammad Hadi , Boroomand Nasab Saeed
Published: September 2022

Wheat is the major agricultural crop in Iran. Using reliable tools to estimate wheat grain yield may help the regional planners and stakeholders to employ proper cultivation approaches to increase grain yield in different regions. The process-based crop growth models are the essential analytical tools for representing the main interactions between the environment, crop, resources, and yield production. For these reasons, the crop growth models have been used as an important component in productive farming systems for assessing and improving the crop production at field and regional scales. In this study, the parameterized AquaCrop model was employed to simulate the four major elements that affect the crop growth process, such as soil water content, canopy cover, biomass, and grain yield, of three irrigated winter wheat cultivars. The field experiments were conducted in four locations with different climatic conditions in the south and southwest of Iran during three consecutive growing seasons of 2016–2017, 2017–2018, and 2018–2019. Results showed that AquaCrop had reliable simulation of soil water content with normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (CNS) ranging from 0.05 to 0.15 and 0.69 to 0.85, respectively, for the four study locations. The NRMSE and CNS ranged from 0.10 to 0.21 and 0.83 to 0.97 for canopy cover, respectively. The NRMSE and CNS values were 0.11–0.26 and 0.80–0.97 for biomass, respectively. These results indicate that the parameterized AquaCrop model has high skill in the simulation of soil water content, canopy cover, biomass, and grain yield of different winter wheat cultivars in the vast regions in the southern part of Iran. The model was then used to simulate wheat grain yield and irrigation water productivity (WP) for 324 scenarios, including nine sowing dates, three irrigation levels, and three climatic conditions. AquaCrop showed that it was skillful to simulate grain yield and WP of different irrigated winter wheat cultivars in different regional climatic conditions, deficit irrigation levels, and sowing dates. Overall, the AquaCrop model could be used as a reliable decision-making tool for the field managers and stakeholders.
Evaluating groundwater ponds for urban drinking water supply under uncertainty
Authors: Srđević Bojan , Srđević Zorica
Published: September 2022

Emerging deficits of drinking water in urban distributive systems require the application of sophisticated methodologies for assessing sources of water and deriving required strategic decisions about future development and exploitation of these sources. If there are more urban groundwater ponds of fresh water, their prioritization may help in planning allocation of human, technical, organizational, and other resources. Multi-criteria analysis and optimization, as a part of the decision-making process, can help in achieving the tasks. The possible approach is to use the fuzzy version of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and tackle this uncertain and imprecise process. Fuzzified AHP can be combined with fine-tuning mechanisms which emulate the optimism-pessimism behavior of decision-maker(s) and simulate their attitudes towards risk. The fuzzy decision-making (FDM) approach is presented for the evaluation of three groundwater ponds for freshwater supply in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. The complete problem hierarchy is treated and a parallel control mechanism, the standard (crisp) version of AHP, is employed to assure a more convenient and reliable environment during the judgments performed by the decision-maker. Results encourage further research in the subject area.The applicability of the approach is considered relevant to other uncertainty-related problems.
Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Cinsiyet Rollerinin Benlik Saygısı ve Yaşam Doyumu Üzerindeki Etkisi
Authors: Yar Dilan , Ulaş Sinem , Vefikuluçay Yılmaz Duygu
Published: September 2022

Bu araştırma üniversite öğrencilerinin cinsiyet rollerinin (erkeksi, kadınsı, androjen ve belirsiz) benlik saygısı ve yaşam doyumu üzerindeki etkisini belirlemek amacı ile tanımlayıcı olarak yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini 167 kadın, 171 erkek olmak üzere toplam 338 üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmuştur. Araştırma verileri araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan Kişisel Bilgi Formu, BEM Cinsiyet Rolü Envanteri, Rosenberg Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği ve Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği kullanılarak 31.12.2020-27.05.2021 tarihleri arasında toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler; tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Ki-kare testi, bağımsız t testi, çok değişkenli varyans analizi (MANOVA), korelasyon ve regresyon analizi kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Yapılan analiz sonucunda üniversite öğrencilerinin benlik saygısı ve yaşam doyumlarının cinsiyet rollerine göre anlamlı farklılıklar gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Benlik saygısı ve yaşam doyumu açısından androjen bireyler en yüksek ortalamaya sahipken belirsiz cinsiyet rolüne sahip kişilerin en düşük ortalamaya sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir.Araştırmanın daha geniş öğrenci grubunda yapılarak bölgesel ve kültürel farklılıkların cinsiyet rolleri, benlik saygısı ve yaşam doyumu üzerindeki olası etkilerinin ortaya çıkarılması önerilmektedir.
Structure-Activity Relationships Involving Modifications to The Macrolides FK-506 and Rapamycin
Authors: Caufield C. E.
Published: September 2022

The purpose of this review is to introduce the reader to the biological characteristics of FK- 506 and rapamycin and to describe in detail the biological and synthetic transformations that have been applied to these compounds and their relationships to biological activity including modifications which affect binding to FKBPs and effector proteins.
Neuropeptide Y Antagonists: Clinical Promise and Recent Developments
Authors: Gehlert D.R. , Hipskind P.A.
Published: September 2022

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36 amino acid peptide and a member of the family of "PP-fold" peptides that include peptide YY (PYY) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Neuropeptide Y is abundant in both the central and peripheral nervous system while PYY and PP are considered to be endocrine peptides. NPY receptors have been broadly subdivided into postsynaptic Y-1 receptors and presynaptic Y2 receptors. A YI receptor has been cloned and this receptor appears to mediate several effects of NPY including vasoconstriction and anxiolysis. The Y2 receptor inhibits the release of neurotrans-mitters in the brain by inhibiting the mobilization of intracellular calcium. Additional receptors have been proposed including a Y-3 receptor that recognizes NPY, but not PYY, and a YI variant that mediates the orexigenic effects of NPY in the hypothalamus. Receptors specifically recognizing only PYY or PP have been proposed as well. One of the great difficulties of defining receptor subtypes and studying the functional role of NPY has been the absence of specific receptor antagonists. The synthesis of peptide analogs or chimeric peptides has provided a few selective agonists, but few useful peptide antagonists are available. Recently, some progress has been made in the discovery of specific non-peptide antagonists for the YI receptor. These recent developments will be described.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors: Inhibitors, Subtypes, Pharmacology, Localization, and Their Role in Central Nervous System Function
Authors: Lovenberg Timothy W. , Grigoriadis Dimitri E. , Chalmers Derek T. , McCarthy James R. , De Souza Errol B.
Published: September 2022

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a major role in coordinating the endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral response to stress through actions in the brain and in the periphery. The actions of CRF are mediated through high affinity cell surface receptors which respond to CRF via activation of adenylyl cyclase and subsequent increases in cyclic AMP (cAMP) production. For more than a decade, receptors for CRF have been studied in an attempt to elucidate their structure-function relationship and define their potential as sites of therapeutic intervention for a variety indications. The recent cloning of the CRFJ and CRF2 receptors has begun a new era of CRF receptor study which has enabled precise pharmacological analysis and localization studies which will inevitably become the basis for understanding the activity of CRF as a multifunctional hormone and neurotransmitter. As will be highlighted in this review, studies now show that CRF1 and CRF2 receptors differ dramatically in their structures, pharmacological profiles, anatomical localizations within the central nervous system (CNS) and periphery, and their regulation in response to a variety of physiological challenges. This has led not only to the generation of novel hypotheses regarding CRF function, but more importantly to the tangible goal of creating selective CRF-based therapeutics which can target specific aspects of CRF-controlled behavior and physiology. The discovery of several classes of small molecule CRF receptor antagonists will allow testing of the function of CRF-based therapeutics
The Role of Laboratory Information System in Improving the Delivery of
Laboratory Services: A Recent Systematic Review
Authors: Alenazi Souad Marwan , Bugis Bussma Ahmed
Published: September 2022

Background:

Recently, laboratory information systems (LISs) have become a necessity for every laboratory to improve the decision-making process and achieve better treatment and diagnostic results. By standardizing a laboratory's tests, procedures, and workflows, the software enables laboratories to improve patient care, reduce human error, and constructively lower operating costs. The implementation of a laboratory information system (LIS) has a multidimensional impact on improving the delivery of laboratory services.

Objectives:

The aim of this paper is to investigate how patient service can be improved by a laboratory information system.

Methods:

This paper is based on a review conducted by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Saudi digital libraries and Research Gate for English language articles published from 2015 to 2021, and focused primarily on laboratory information system.

Results:

The literature searches yielded a total of 30 articles that were then initially screened based on the titles and abstracts. Seven articles were excluded because they did not primarily address LIMS for biosafety, automated verification of test results in the core clinical laboratory, clinical biochemistry, or the impact of health information technology on patient safety, or not written in English. The remaining 23 articles were then screened in full text.

Conclusion:

Advanced laboratory information systems may eliminate diagnostic errors in the preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical phases. In addition, they can incorporate genomic data at the analytical stage to generate useful reports for providers and patients.
A Comprehensive Insight on Recent Advancements in Self-emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Kadian Renu , Nanda Arun
Published: September 2022

A large proportion of new chemical moieties are poorly water-soluble. As a result, the biggest challenge for researchers is to enhance the solubility and oral bioavailability of lipophilic drugs. Self-emulsifying systems offer immense potential for improving lipophilic drugs’ oral bioavailability and solubility through various mechanisms such as: inhibiting efflux transporters, absorption of the lipophilic drug through the lymphatic system, and bypassing hepatic first-pass metabolism. These systems dissolve hydrophobic drugs, allowing them to be delivered in a unit dose form for oral administration. Despite much potential, issues like stability, low drug loading, packaging, etc., are associated with the self-emulsifying technique. This review discusses conventional Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS), which deliver poorly water-soluble drugs. Recent advancements in self-emulsifying systems to solve the issues associated with conventional SEDDS are described exhaustively, including their methodologies and excipients utilized for preparation. The current article also furnishes a literature review on recent advancements in self-emulsifying systems. Recent advances in SEDDS are a great option for overcoming oral bioavailability, stability, and solubility issues of lipophilic drugs. Solid-self emulsifying system can be used to improve the stability of the formulation, hydrophobic ion-pairing for improving mucus permeation properties, while supersaturated self-emulsifying systems with a low concentration of surfactant to overcome issues such as precipitation of drug after dilution and gastrointestinal related side effects. The day will come when medicine companies will see the value of selfemulsifying system developments and adopt this technology for next-generation product releases.
Potential Applications for Growth Hormone Secretagogues Treatment of
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Meanti Ramona , Bresciani Elena , Rizzi Laura , Coco Silvia , Zambelli Vanessa , Dimitroulas Anna , Molteni Laura , Omeljaniuk Robert J. , Locatelli Vittorio , Torsello Antonio
Published: September 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) arises from neuronal death due to complex interactions
of genetic, molecular, and environmental factors. Currently, only two drugs, riluzole and edaravone,
have been approved to slow the progression of this disease. However, ghrelin and other ligands of the
GHS-R1a receptor have demonstrated interesting neuroprotective activities that could be exploited in
this pathology. Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid hormone, primarily synthesized and secreted by oxyntic cells
in the stomach wall, binds to the pituitary GHS-R1a and stimulates GH secretion; in addition, ghrelin
is endowed with multiple extra endocrine bioactivities. Native ghrelin requires esterification with octanoic
acid for binding to the GHS-R1a receptor; however, this esterified form is very labile and represents
less than 10% of circulating ghrelin. A large number of synthetic compounds, the growth hormone
secretagogues (GHS) encompassing short peptides, peptoids, and non-peptidic moieties, are capable
of mimicking several biological activities of ghrelin, including stimulation of GH release, appetite,
and elevation of blood IGF-I levels. GHS have demonstrated neuroprotective and anticonvulsant
effects in experimental models of pathologies both in vitro and in vivo. To illustrate, some GHS, currently
under evaluation by regulatory agencies for the treatment of human cachexia, have a good safety
profile and are safe for human use. Collectively, evidence suggests that ghrelin and cognate GHS
may constitute potential therapies for ALS.
Preservatives in Pharmaceuticals: Are They Really Safe?
Authors: Kumar Mohit , Chopra Shruti , Mandal Uttam Kumar , Bhatia Amit
Published: September 2022

Preservatives are the ingredients that are utilized in order to improve the shelf life of
products (Medicines, food). These tend to slow down or stop the degradation or decomposition
processes, therefore, enhance the shelf life of the products. These agents either interfere with the
chemical reaction or check the growth of microorganisms in the products. Preservatives are classified
according to the mode of action or source or chemical nature. The preservation efficacy can be
affected by various factors, e.g., interaction with other components, nature of preservatives, type of
containers, type of micro-organism, and pH. Despite being vital for various types of products, these
chemicals are not safe, if not used appropriately. The review will provide an updated detail of different
types of preservatives along with their safety aspect. This review also highlighted the maximum
safe concentration of preservatives that can be required to develop a formulation with maximum
safety and low toxicity.
Covariance Matching Based Adaptive Attitude Estimation of a Nano-
Satellite Using SVD-Aided EKF
Authors: Hajiyev Chingiz , Cilden-Guler Demet
Published: September 2022

Aims:

Tuning the system noise covariance Q matrix for the single-frame method aided Kalman filtering algorithm.

Background:

The covariance matching procedure of the measurement noise covariance, namely the R matrix, was processed in singular value decomposition (SVD), which is one of the single-frame methods.

Objective:

Develop the R and Q double covariance matching rule for the single-frame method aided Kalman filtering algorithm.

Method:

The matching procedure of the measurement noise covariance, namely the R matrix, is processed in singular value decomposition (SVD), which is one of the single-frame methods. The second matching rule is defined in the second stage of the proposed EKF design.

Result:

The matching rules are run simultaneously, which makes the filter capable of being robust against initialization errors, system noise uncertainties, and measurement malfunctions at the same time without an external filter design necessity.

Conclusion:

A single-frame method aided Kalman filtering algorithm based double covariance matching rule is presented in this paper. First, the measurement noise covariance matching is introduced using the SVD method that processes the R-adaptation inherently for the filtering stage. Second, the system noise covariance matching is described so as to have double covariance matching at the same time during the estimation procedure. The SVD-Aided AEKF becomes R- and Q-adaptive simultaneously by applying the Q-adaptation rule to the intrinsically R-adaptive SVD-aided EKF.
Chronic Inflammatory Pain Modulating Potential of Rubiadin: In-vivo, In-vitro
and In-silico Investigations
Authors: Mali Suraj N. , Chopade Atul R. , Salunkhe Vijay R. , Burade Madhav R. , Somade Prakash M.
Published: September 2022

Background:

The study model of chronic musculoskeletal inflammatory pain, Rubiadin [1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione] choice of a drug aimed to evaluate the anti-hyperalgesic effects.

Objective:

To induce gastrocnemius muscle-stimulated hyperalgesia, 3 % carrageenan was injected intraperitoneally.

Methods:

The response to heat and mechanical stimuli was monitored for 9 days. The effect of 1st dose of rubiadin start monitoring after the 14th day of carrageenan injection and continued monitoring up to the 22nd day. After the administration of rubiadin intraperitoneally, the antihyperanalgesic activity was observed.

Results:

Furthermore, increasing the temperature and mechanical threshold supports histopathological observations with extreme reduction in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level.

Conclusion:

The objective is to observe anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperalgesic activity of rubiadin in a pain model that is initiated via supraspinal or spinal neuronal mechanisms, predominantly by inhibition of PEG2. Rubiadin provides a wide range of activities in the treatment of chronic muscle pain and chronic muscular inflammation.
Self-microemulsifying Drug Delivery System for Solubility and
Bioavailability Enhancement of Eprosartan Mesylate: Preparation,
In-vitro, and In-vivo Evaluation
Authors: Patil Mukesh Subhash , Shirkhedkar Atul Arunrao
Published: September 2022

Background:

Liquid self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) formulation of Eprosartanmesylate has been studied by applications of Surfactant like Kolliphor HS 15, Oil Phase like Labrafil M 1944 CS and cosurfactantTranscutol HP following screening by several vehicles.

Objective:

The aim is to prepare Liquid self microemulsifying drug delivery system for solubility enhancement of water insoluble drug Eprosartanmesylate.

Method:

The micro-emulsion unit, achieved through the phase diagram and augmented with the central- composite design (CCD) surface response process, was adjusted into SMEDDS by lyophilization using sucrose as a cryoprotective agent. Particle size, self-emulsification time, polydispersion index (PDI), zeta potential, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) screening, in-vitro drug release, and in-vivo pharmacokinetics were the essential features of the formulations. The subsequent DSC experimentation indicated that the drug has been integrated into S-SMEDDS. EprosartanMesylateloaded SMEDDS formulation showed greater In-Vitro and In-Vivo drug release than conventional solid doses form.

Results:

SMEDDS has reported effectiveness in reducing the impact of EprosartanMesylate pH thereby improving its release efficiency. The HPLC method was successfully implemented to assess EprosartanMesylate concentration in Wister rat plasma after oral administration of commercial tablet EM, SMEDDS, and EprosartanMesylate. The pharmacokinetics parameters for rats were Cmax 1064.91 ± 225 and 1856.22 ± 749 ngmL-1, Tmax 1.9 ± 0.3 hr, and 1.2 ± 0.4 hr and AUC0~t were 5314.36 ± 322.61 and 7760.09 ± 249 ng/ml hr for marketed tablets and prepared S-SMEDDS, respectively. When determined by AUC0~1, the relative bioavailability of EprosartanMesylate S-SMEDDC was 152.09 ± 14.33%.

Conclusion:

Present study reports the formulation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for enhancing the solubility and bioavaibility of a poorly water soluble EprosartanMesylate in an appropriate solid dosage form.
Nanogel Development and its Importance in Ophthalmic Drug Delivery
System
Authors: Gaikwad Sachin S. , Jadhav Sahil V. , Salunkhe Kishor S.
Published: September 2022

Background:

The current review focuses on ophthalmic nanogels, their applications, their benefits over traditional gels, and the challenges and opportunities of nanogels. The major goal is to investigate ophthalmic nanogels from preparation through characterization and how nanogels are the future of the ophthalmic drug delivery system compared to traditional gels, eye drops, and ointments.

Objective:

Because of the ophthalmic bioavailability, delivery to the eye is crucial. The lacrimal flu-id in the eye clears the eye surface, and the ocular sight is washed away as a result of this medicine. The limited ocular bioavailability was also due to the different obstacles present. Drug nano-gelling systems are effective in improving ocular bioavailability and corneal permeation time. Nanoparti-cles abound in these nanogels. Various natural polymers, such as Chitosan and Alginate, and syn-thetic polymers, such as PLA and PLGA, can be used to make nanogels. The use of nanotechnology improves medicine bioavailability and penetration in the eye. However, nanotechnology has some limits, such as large-scale manufacturing, restricting medicine doses, and so forth.

Conclusion:

Nanotechnology offers much clinical potential when it comes to treating eye issues. Although ophthalmic nanogels are suited for effective drug delivery, they must meet several re-quirements. First, the drug component must be encapsulated adequately in a stable polymer com-plex. In ocular drug delivery, nanogels are a preferable option since they can improve patient com-pliance and therapeutic impact. In addition, the nanogel has a faster corneal penetration time and higher bioavailability.