bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Half effective dose of rimazolam combined with a subanesthetic dose of esketamine inhibiting response to gastroscopy insertion in elderly patients
Authors: Yu Jian , Sun Liang , Zhang Haidong , Zhu Chunhua , Qi Yingkai
Published: January 2023

Objective To investigate the half effective dose of rimazolam inhibiting response to gastroscopy insertion when combined with a subanesthetic dose of esketamine in elderly patients.
Methods Twenty-six elderly patients, of any gender, aged 65-73 years, with body mass index 19-26 kg/m2 and ASA physical state I or II, who underwent painless gastroscopy in Cangzhou Central Hospital from January to May 2022 were selected. Intravenous esketamine 0.25 mg/kg and test dose rimazolam were administered sequentially, and the initial dose of rimazolam was 0.2 mg/kg. The dose of the next patient was determined according to the modified sequential method. If the patient had choking or somatic movement reaction when the gastroscope was placed, it was judged as positive, and the dose of rimazolam in the next patient was increased by one gradient; otherwise, the dose of rimazolam in the next patient was decreased by one gradient, and the dose of adjacent rimazolam was graded to 0.01 mg/kg according to the equal difference method.Termination of the study at the presence of seven positive-negative reaction crossover points. Probit analysis was used to calculate the median effective dose(ED50)and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI)． The occurrence of adverse effects such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting, muscle twitching, hypoxemia, hypotension, bradycardia, and postoperative cognitive impairment were recorded.
Results The ED50 of rimazolam combined with esketamine 0.25 mg/kg inhibiting response to gastroscopy insertion in patients was 0.177 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.161-0.184mg/kg). The total dose of remimazolam was (11.4±3.6) mg, the gastroscope diagnosis and treatment time was (7.5±2.5), the recovery time was (10.2±3.8) min and the stay time in the resuscitation room was (8.4±3.2) min. Postoperative dizziness occurred in 1 case, postoperative weakness in 1 case, and postoperative nausea and vomiting in 1 case; no other adverse reactions were found.
Conclusion The ED50 of rimazolam combined with esketamine 0.25 mg/kg inhibiting response to gastroscopy insertion in elderly patients was 0.177 mg/kg, with no significant circulatory and respiratory adverse effects.
Selection of insecticides, determitionof applying timing and times, and establishment of dynamic economic threshold on sweet corn for the invasive Spodoptera frugiperda in tropical Asia
Authors: Shi Jiayan , He Xing , Lyu Baoqian , Lu Hui , Tang Jihong , Zhang Qikai , Qiu Haiyan , Yan Sanqiang , Wan Peng , Liu Zhuo
Published: January 2023

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (FAW; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a migratory corn pest that causes major yield losses globally. In the (sub-)tropics, extensive FAW feeding damage regularly triggers the over-use of high-risk chemical insecticides and thereby deepens smallholder poverty vulnerability. In this study, we compared field efficacy of chlorfenapyr, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole and gauged their effects on FAW infestation dynamics in Hainan (China). Based upon an empirical assessment of how insecticide application frequency at different corn phenological stages affects yield and net (farmgate) income, we equally defined a dynamic, stage-specific economic threshold (ET). Overall, chlorantraniliprole had the highest efficacy at 80.69% over a 7-day period. Across treatments, FAW infestation levels ranged between 16.00–120.75% and peaked during early vegetative (V6) and silking stages (R1). While corn yields were highest for four or five spray applications of chlorantraniliprole, net income declined markedly after 5–7 applications. By accounting for variable input and corn prices, a dynamic ET was calculated. ET values for FAW larvae ranged between 7.77–13.10, 17.47–33.25, 24.89–46.52, and 12.44–21.78 per 100 plants at V4–V6, V8–V10, V12–V14, and VT–R1 stages in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The ETs of this study lower than the action threshold proposed in Colombia. Further communication and enforcement of those ETs is key to implementing economically-sound and environmentally-responsible pest management. As such, our study provides baseline information to advance integrated pest management (IPM) and resolve insecticide-induced externalities in FAW-invaded corn cropping systems across (sub-)tropical Asia.
An implementation of Secure Cloud Computing mechanism for transactions using Blockchain Technology
Authors: Hasan Muhammad Zulkifl , Hussain Muhammad Zunnurain , Qureshi Adnan Nabeel , Mustafa Ghulam
Published: January 2023

Blockchain is a system recording data that makes it difficult or impossible to alter, hack, or defraud the system. A blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions replicated and distributed over computer servers. Blockchain technology is a significant new financial innovation radically reshaping corporate transactions. It is a decentralized network that supports and employs multiple encryption algorithms. These safe, robust, and adaptable transactions are incorporated into another significant computer paradigm, cloud computing. This paper implements a blockchain-based secure method to make the cloud secure. Initially, the transactions are recorded in the blockchain using the SHA-256 cryptographic algorithm. After that, transactions are serialized, and block features are cached. Thirdly, the blockchain created new blocks after fulfilling desired requirements and performing transactions. Furthermore, the transaction is monitored by using the Merkle tree method in each step of the transaction to make it more secure and trustworthy. However, the research also highlighted the gaps and the impact of the gaps in the current work.
Discovery of key lipids from Panax quinquefolius against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity based on a zebrafish model
Authors: hu kaiqng , Wang Huan , Wang Haiyang , Li Taiping , Li Zhenyu , Wang Songsong , Han Liwen
Published: January 2023

Objective To discover novel pharmacodynamic substances fromPanax quinquefoliusagainst doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity using a zebrafish model. Methods AB line zebrafish embryos at 30h post-fertilization (hdf) were exposed to Dox (30 µM) for 42h and the heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac area, and fractional shortening of larval zebrafish were used to assess cardiotoxicity. The lipid sample fromPanax quinquefolius(PQL) was evaluated the protection of doxorubicin- induced cardiotoxicity compared with the lipids from soybean (SOL) and egg yolk (YOL). The three lipids were analysed using lipidomics techniques based on Q Exactive LC-MS/MS to screen differential lipids. The key lipid was verified the activity against doxorubicin- induced cardiotoxicity using the zebrafish model. Results PQL could significantly alleviate the Dox-induced the decreased heart rate, decreased stroke volume, and decreased fractional shortening (%) on the zebrafish model. 216 differential metabolites were identified, among which the unsaturated fatty acids were the crucial difference components between the three lipid samples. The 18 carbon fatty acids with four carbon–carbon double bonds (FA (18:4)) had been identified and be as a remarkable active compound with protection of Dox-induced cardiotoxicity on the zebrafish model. Conclusion In this research, PQL was discovered firstly to exhibit notable activity against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity in zebrafish, and FA (18:4) was identified as a novel key active component from PQ.
Antibiotics Susceptibility testing of Meropenem-resistant bacterial isolates from pigs in some selected farms in Ado Ekiti
Authors: Ekundayo Olajumoke kemi , Oyinloye Mofoluwaso Josiah Adedeji
Published: January 2023

Background
Antibiotic resistance has been a global problem, especially in the clinical setting, however little is known about antibiotics resistance, especially Meropenem resistance in pigs in Ekiti which is broad spectrum and mostly used as a last resort for ill patients harboring resistant strains in animals and understanding the molecular basis of resistance will help in combating the rate of resistance
Methods
This study was basically focused on farm animals especially pigs and a total of 100 samples were collected from the rectum of pigs in selected farms. Bacterial isolates were isolated using conventional methods of isolation of bacteria, antibiotics susceptibility testing using single oxoid disc of Gentamycin (30µg), Fosfomycin (100µg), Nitrofurantoin (300µg), Tigercycline (15 µg), and Polymyxin b (200µg) (Yohei et al., 2021) and Molecular identification by PCR (Mahmoud et al.,2020) and Multiplex PCR was used to determine the presence of carbapenemase genes. Evolutionary analyses were conducted using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 11 software (MEGA11).
Results
The result showed that about 13 bacterial isolates were identified from species of Proteus mirabilis, Providencia alcalifaciens, E.coli, Shigella flexneri, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus cereus. All 13 bacterial isolate sequences have been submitted to the NCBI database with their accession numbers ON715737- ON715749. The most effective antibiotics for the treatment of Meropenem-resistant bacteria were Gentamycin (92.86%), Fosfomycin (92.86%), Tigercycline (92.86%), Nitrofurantoin (85.71%) , and Polymyxin b (64.23%. All the bacterial isolates have one or more carbapenemase genes except Bacillus cereus (MR5) and Enterococcus feacalis (Fr2) . the percentage occurrence of carbapenemase genes in bacterial isolates with the highest from blaNDM, 9(42.85) ,blaVIM 5(23.81), blaOXA-48, 3(14.29), blakpc, 2(9.52), blaspm 1(4.76)and , blaIPM 1(4.76) respectively
Conclusions
Finding from the research has revealed that carbapenamase producing bacterial has been isolated from farm animal especially pig in Ado Ekiti and most of the bacterial isolates produces resistant genes that are plasmid mediated which makes the resistance to be acquired and can easily spread and cause high mortality rate, especially to humans beings. Therefore more research should be focused on other farm animals, farm managers, and environments where farm animals are reared
Primary CNS extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma: an unusual localization and clinical presentation
Authors: Fiorentino Vincenzo , Pizzimenti Cristina , Pierconti Francesco , Lentini Maria , Ieni Antonio , Caffo Maria , Angileri Filippo , Tuccari Giovanni , Fadda Guido , Martini Maurizio , Larocca Luigi Maria
Published: January 2023

Background
Primary Central Nervous System (CNS) extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBL) is a rare low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, characterized predominantly by small B cells, plasma cells, monocytoid cells, and scattered large immunoblasts. Primary CNS MZBL is a slow-growing tumour that remains localized and is characterized by an excellent clinical prognosis.
Case presentation:
A 48-year-old HIV-negative female with a history of a head trauma a year earlier, presented with worsening neurological symptoms and an MRI finding of an extra-axial mass of about 3 cm within the left lateral ventricle. From histopathology and immunohistochemistry, the lesion was diagnosed as a CNS MZBL: since no other primary lesions were found, the base of the chorioid plexuses of the left lateral ventricle was considered the primary site.
Conclusions
The current case is the first literature reported primary CNS MZBL arising in this anatomical site and paves the way for further studies on the role of chronic inflammation (in our case resulting from a trauma) in the pathogenesis not only of primary CNS MZBLs, but also of lymphomas in general. Additionally, it could be a starting point for studies analyzing the role of meningothelial cells in the pathogenesis of primary CNS MZBL.
Reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving long-term besifovir therapy
Authors: Yim Hyung Joon , Jung Young Kul , Ahn Sang Hoon , Kim Won , Yang Jin Mo , Jang Jae Young , Kweon Yong Oh , Cho Yong Kyun , Kim Yoon Jun , Hong Gun Young , Kim Dong Joon , Sohn Joo Hyun , Lee Jin Woo , Park Sung Jae , Yim Sun Young , Park Jin Kyung , Um Soon Ho
Published: January 2023

Background/aims

No information is available regarding the influence of besifovir (BSV) on the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to assess the reduced risk of HCC in patients undergoing BSV treatment.

Methods

Overall, 188 patients with CHB were treated with BSV for up to 8 years. We assessed the incidence of HCC during follow-up and compared it with the predictive numbers of HCC using models developed from untreated CHB patients. Additionally, we compared the performance of various HCC prediction models developed for patients with CHB receiving antiviral therapy.

Results

During the follow-up period of 8 years, five patients developed HCC; one of 139 patients with non-cirrhotic CHB, and four of 49 patients with liver cirrhosis. We compared the HCC incidence in non-cirrhotic patients with the predicted number derived from the REACH-B model. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 0.128 (P = 0.039) at 7 years, suggesting a significant decrease in HCC incidence in non-cirrhotic CHB patients. The incidence of HCC in patients with cirrhosis was compared using the GAG-HCC model, and the SIR was 0.371 (P = 0.047) at 7.5 years, suggesting a significantly decreased HCC incidence. When we compared several HCC prediction models developed for CHB patients under antiviral therapy, the HCC-RESCUE model showed the highest area under the curve (0.924).

Conclusions

BSV decreases the risk of HCC in patients with CHB, with or without liver cirrhosis. HCC prediction was available for BSV-treated patients using the existing prediction models.

Clinical trial registry website and trial number:

ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT01937806.
The impact of synbiotic on serum paraoxonase 1, (sCD163/sTWEAK) and lipid profile in patients with chronic heart failure: a randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial
Authors: Matin Shakiba Shoaei , Shidfar Farzad , Naderi Nasim , Amin Ahmad , Hosseini-Baharanchi Fatemeh Sadat , dehnad Afsaneh
Published: January 2023

Background: Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiome could play a role in cardiovascular diseases including heart failure.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of synbiotics on serum paraoxonase 1(PON1), (sCD163/sTWEAK) and lipid profile, which are involved in heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure.
Method: In this triple-blind randomized clinical trial, 90 eligible patients were included in the study. They were randomly assigned to receive one capsule (500 mg) of synbiotics or a placebo per day for 10 weeks. serum paraoxonase 1(PON1), (sCD163/sTWEAK), and lipid profile were measured at the beginning and end of the study. The data were analyzed by SPSS 24, and the p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Result: Among 90 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 80 patients completed the study. At the end of the intervention, and after adjusting for the effect of confounders, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), LDL-c, Triglyceride and TC/HDL-C showed a significant decrease. However, we found no significant differences between the groups when considering other study indices.
Conclusion: A favorable effect of synbiotics on the lipid profile of patients with heart failure was observed, but no statistically significant effect was found on paraoxinase1, sCD163, and sTWEAK factors
Registration number: IRCT20091114002709N55
Safety and efficacy of two-stage type II hybrid aortic arch repair in elderly patients with acute type A aortic dissection: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: XIANG JUN , he ling , Pen Tailuan , Li Donglin , Wei Shuliang
Published: January 2023

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of two-stage type II hybrid aortic arch repair (HAR) in elderly patients with acute type A aortic dissection (a-TAAD).
Methods: This was a single-center, prospective study involved 119 patients with a-TAAD, included 82 males and 37 females, aged 22 ~81 years old. Eighty-eight patients underwent total aortic arch replacement (TAR) with stented frozen elephant trunk (FET) implantation (TAR with FET group) and 31 patients underwent two-stage type II HAR (HAR group). Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust for preoperative data, and 25 pairs were matched successfully. The preoperative, perioperative, postoperative and follow-up data in the HAR group and TAR with FET group were compared.
Results: Fifteen patients died during the perioperative period; 13 cases were in the TAR with FET group and 2 cases were in the TAR group. The age, body mass index, cerebral infarction, renal insufficiency were significantly higher, and the 24-h fluid drainage, the incidence of acute liver injury, acute kidney injury and pulmonary infectionwere were lower in the HAR group. Moreover, the mechanical ventilation time, intensive care unit time, hospital stay timewere shorter in the HAR group.The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 54 months, with 7 deaths (9.3%) in the TAR with FET group and 2 deaths (6.9%) in the HAR group. The true lumen of the aortic arch (P<0.001) and the middle descending thoracic aorta were larger and the false lumen thrombosis rates of the middle descending thoracic aorta and renal artery level were higher in the HAR group.
Conclusion: Two-stage type II HAR is a safe and effective method for elderly patients with a-TAAD. It may be a good choice for elderly patients with a-TAAD and comorbidities.
A Compound Data Poisoning Technique with Significant Adversarial Effects on Transformer-based Text Classification Tasks
Authors: Begoli Edmon , Mahbub Maria , Sriniva Sudarshan , Passarella Linsey
Published: January 2023

Transformer-based models have demonstrated much success in various natural language processing (NLP) tasks. However, they are often vulnerable to adversarial attacks, such as data poisoning, that can intentionally fool the model into generating incorrect results. In this paper, we present a novel, compound variant of a data poisoning attack on a transformer-based model that maximizes the poisoning effect while minimizing the scope of poisoning. We do so by combining the established data poisoning technique (label flipping) with a novel adversarial artifact selection and insertion technique aimed at minimizing detectability and the scope of the poisoning footprint. We find that using a combination of these two techniques, we achieve a state-of-the-art attack success rate (ASR) of ~90% while poisoning only 0.5% of the original training set, thus minimizing the scope and detectability of the poisoning action.
Periodontitis-relieving Effect of Whey Bioconversion Products by Enterococcus faecalis M157 KACC81148BP
Authors: Lee Juhyun , Park Eunyoung , Lee Soomin , Yi Hae-Chang , Lim Sangdong , Elnar Arxel , Kim Geun-Bae , Yoon Yohan
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of whey bioconversion products (WBP) with Enterococcus faecalis M157 KACC81148BP on the improvement of periodontitis. Effects of whey bioconversion products (M157) produced by Enterococcus faecalis M157 KACC81148BP and M157 supplemented with bacteriocin active fraction (M157+) on the periodontal disease were examined in the animal models. In addition, the actions of M157 and M157 + were also examined. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis of M157 and M157 + were examined.M157 and M157 + decreased epithelial proliferation, bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV), bone loss volume, and increased bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) in the periodontal tissues. Periodontitis-induced rats treated with M157 and M157 + showed improved anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in protein expression levels. M157 and M157 + did not show cytotoxicity and hemolysis. These results indicate that both WBP by E. faecalis M157 KACC81148BP and the WBP supplemented with bacteriocin active fraction have beneficial properties for alleviating symptoms of periodontitis.
In silico Molecular Docking and ADMET evaluation for investigating the anti-cancer potential of ketoprofen amides against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
Authors: Zeeshan Muhammad , Batool Sidra , Alvi Muhammad Usman , Gul Zarif , Ahmed Maryam , Abbas Hassan
Published: January 2023

Many epithelial cancers overexpress the inducible cyclooxygenase-2 COX-2, which is thought to be the cause of NSAIDs' antitumor effects. While ketoprofens (Ket) are well-known NSAIDs and analgesics, their anticancer potential has not yet gotten much attention, despite the fact that they are used to treat mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. Effective drugs can be expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive to introduce in a traditional or customary method. Contrarily, computer-aided drug design, commonly referred to as in silico drug design, is a relatively recent method for high-throughput screening of a vast database of chemicals. By producing hits for lead compounds in less time and at a lower cost, the in silico virtual screening technique assists in the development of innovative medications. The compound 1 shows the least binding energy value which − 9.9 while compound 2 shows the highest which is -7.7. The overall purpose of this study is to assess the potential of different ketoprofen amides and to determine the effectiveness of these amides on the target protein COX-2 (PDB ID: 3Q7D). Additionally, this research compares and characterizes the ADMET profiles of the target ligands, ketoprofen amides. The drug score revealed that ketoprofens adhere to all regulations, are not hazardous, and are carcinogenic.
Greatest Common Divisor Deciphered SARS-CoV-2 superpandemic
Authors: Dong Ke , Li Wen
Published: January 2023

Global cases and deaths showed that COVID-19 and 1918 influenza were not normal pandemics, but superpandemics. Was there a common mechanism to push pandemics into superpandemics? This common ground was explored here from a new perspective and approach using the greatest common divisor (GCD). The results showed that superpandemic viruses played tricks like superbugs. One subtlety was that SARS-CoV-2 fighted antibodies, just as superbugs fighted antibiotics. The SARS-CoV-2 spike and ORF8 proteins recognized the "Achilles heel" of secretory antibodies, namely J-chains and secretory components, and hijacked them respectively. Another subtlety was that SARS-CoV-2 expanded ORF8 protein as a superpandemic catalyst, just as drug-resistant enzyme facilitated the spread of superbugs. The SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 protein corresponded to the 1918 H1N1 virus neuraminidase. Both functioned as glycosylated-modification enzyme and RNA base-modification enzyme. Tampering with the enzymes was not found in SARS-CoV and pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. The synergy of spike and ORF8 proteins acted as the ignition for SARS-CoV-2 superpandemic. Through GCD analysis of clinical and experimental results of different coronaviruses, it was proposed to comprehend the epidemiological traceability and evolutionary from virus sequence up to virus GCD. We sincerely recommend the GCD platform to WHO for early warning.
The correlation between vulnerable carotid plaque and inflammation——an exploratory research based on Histopathology
Authors: Cai Xinyi , Yan Yanhong , Ding Yafang , Pu Jianhong , Hui Pinjing
Published: January 2023

Background
Vulnerable plaques with ruptured fibrous cap were prone to produce emboli and cause distal arterial embolism. The identification of vulnerable plaque in humans before it becomes symptomatic has been elusive to date. Inflammation related ratio of leukocytes and their subtypes had been proved that they can predict cardiovascular diseases, while we aimed to explore the correlation between those and vulnerable carotid plaque.
Methods
Ischemic stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology were analyzed as study group (neurology group) from January 2019 and December 2020. Besides, patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) during the same period were collected as control group (neurosurgery group) for compare. All patients were categorized into stable and vulnerable plaque groups based on the characteristics of plaque assessed by carotid doppler ultrasonography (CDU). The H&E staining characteristics of carotid plaque after CEA were analyzed to test the feasibility of ultrasound grouping in the study group. The inflammation-related ratio (PLR: platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, MLR: monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio) were collected to analyze. Spearman linear correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between factors and plaque vulnerability, and multivariate analysis was used to exclude confounding factors.
Results
In study group, comparisons of hs-CRP and NLR among the vulnerable plaque group and stable plaque group showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that elevated levels of NLR were independent risk factors for carotid plaque vulnerability in the study group (2.399; 1.468–3.921; p < 0.001). Incorporating the control group’s data (neurosurgery group), patients with vulnerable carotid plaques present with higher hs-CRP and lower HDL-C. Low level HDL-C would lose its protective effect on vulnerable carotid plaque (0.15; 0.023–0.958; p = 0.045). The ultrasonic and pathological characteristics of carotid plaques in the control group had strong consistency.
Conclusions
The inflammation reflected by the high level of hs-CRP plays a vital role in forming vulnerable carotid plaques. NLR is expected to effectively predict vulnerable carotid plaque for stroke patients at the first visit and is easier to obtain in clinical.
Design and Analysis of Fabric Antenna for Medical and Wireless Applications
Authors: AWASTHI SHRUTI , Jain Priyanka
Published: January 2023

This paper aimed towards wearability of antenna by inspecting the probability of designing and fabrication of wearable microstrip antenna operating from 2–6 GHz, centered at 2.5 GHz and 5.3 GHz. The antenna is fabricated on jeans material with dielectric constant, εr = 1.7and thickness as 1mm. The proposed design is simulated on High frequency simulation software (HFSS) version 2015, followed by fabrication using 50 µm copper film on jeans substrate. The fabricated design is then tested by Anritsu MS2038C VNA Master. Also, specific absorption rate (SAR) values are computed for medical applications to account for the tumor detection in Human Breast tissue.
WITHDRAWN: Remotely Supervised At-home tDCS for Veterans with Persistent Post-Traumatic Headache: A Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Charvet Leigh , Harrison Adam T. , Mangold Kiersten , Moore R. Davis , Guo Siyuan , Zhang Jiajia , Datta Abhishek , Androulakis X. Michelle
Published: January 2023

Background. There is a scientific gap concerning the unmet need for treating persistent post-traumatic headache (PPTH) secondary to traumatic brain injury (TBI). No FDA approved therapy for PPTH is available. As such, the objective of the present trial was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a four-week at-home remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (RS-tDCS) intervention in veterans with PPTH secondary to mild TBI.
Methods. Veterans with PPTH completed this single site, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot clinical trial. Following a baseline period (four-weeks), participants completed 20-sessions of RS-tDCS with real-time video monitoring. Participants were followed up for four-weeks post-intervention. Primary outcomes were overall treatment adherence rate (feasibility) and change in moderate/severe headache days (efficacy) during the treatment phase. Secondary outcomes were change in total number of headache days, Headache Impact Test, and other functional outcomes.
Results. Twenty-six veterans (46.6±8.7 years) with PPTH completed baseline observations and were randomized to either active (n=13) or sham(n=13) RS-tDCS. Twenty-five veterans passed tolerability tests. Eighty-eight percent of participants fully completed either active (10/12) or sham (12/13) RS-tDCS interventions (p=.59). Moderate/severe headache days were significantly reduced within the active (difference=-2.5; 95% CI= [-4.98,-0.02]) but not sham group (difference=1.0; 95% CI= [-2.52,4.52]), however there was no statistically significant reduction when comparing active vs. shamgroups (B=-3.5; 95% CI= [-7.28,0.28]). There was a statistically significant reduction in total number of headache days within active RS-tDCS (difference=-4.0; 95% CI= [-7.71,-0.29]) but not sham (difference=0.58; 95% CI= [-2.52,3.69]). There was a statistically significant reduction in total number of headache days in active vs. sham RS-tDCS (B=-4.58; 95% CI= [-8.6,-0.56]).
Conclusion. Our RS-tDCS paradigm enables safe, highly feasible, effective tDCS treatment. Clinical application of this RS-tDCS protocol will not only serve as an efficacious neuromodulation but also facilitate outreach to rural communities, where veterans have limited access to care related to PPTH.
Trial Registry. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04012853
Dam site selection using remote sensing techniques and geographical information system (GIS): A case study of Kurram Tangi North Waziristan
Authors: Zada Noor , Javed Muhammad Asif , Ahmad Sajid Rashed , Waleed Muhammad
Published: January 2023

Pakistan is situated in the subtrophical area of the world, eighty percent of the hundred regions are dry or semi-barren since Pakistan is established. Due to high development in population increasing in water is warming situation world-wide. As a consequence, the requirement for dams has increased dramatically to meet the needs for water supply, fresh hydropower, and irrigation. Suitable dam site selection is considered among the significant tasks for water storages in District North Waziristan Former Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). This research is aimed at evaluation of potential dam site using advanced Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing techniques in the combination with AHP and selection of the relevant criteria and their weights calculation for optimal dam site selection. For this study, data were obtained from the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) 30 meter, LANDSAT-8 image, soil data and the geology data. All the layers were analyzed and reclassified giving high weightage to high suitable area and low weightage to low suitable sites. There is no uncertainty that all other variables have been taken into consideration to find the most suitable area. The result of this study illustrate 4 classes such as the highly suitable, moderately suitable, least suitable and not suitable. In last highly suitable site for proposed dam in the focused area indicating the pour point of the calculated dam. The sources are also suitable for multipurpose purposes, such as for irrigation, Agrarian use, flood protection, hydroelectricity in the study area.
Energy Demand Reduction as a Supply Chain: What are the Risks?
Authors: Axon C. J. , Darton R. C.
Published: January 2023

Demand Reduction is a strategy with the potential to make a significant contribution to the energy supply/demand balance. Its two major themes are improving the energy efficiency of devices (appliances and processes) and changing people’s behaviour towards using less energy. In our analysis of a nation’s energy security, we treat Demand Reduction as an additional fuel which delivers ‘negafuel’, allowing a particular level of energy services to be met at a lower volume of supply than would be possible in its absence. In common with other fuels, negafuel is delivered by a supply chain with linked stages, all encountering risks of various types. A comprehensive survey of these risks in a case study of the UK, shows that Demand Reduction belongs to a middle-ranking group of fuels in terms of overall risk. High-level risks encountered include the difficulty of assessing and delivering potential energy savings, the rate of building construction at the highest energy efficiency standards, optimism bias, changing policy and regulation, and operational failure (both of technology and policy). Assessing the risk of Demand Reduction as a supplied negafuel focuses attention on specific risks requiring mitigation, facilitating design of better policy and more effective commercial products.
Preparation and performance of novel flavonoid phenols-based biomass-modified phenol formaldehyde resins
Authors: Qin Yuan , Meng Fuliang , Xu Chunyu , Hu Zhenguo , Zhang Yimiao , Jia Yufei , Li Songjun , Yuan Xinhua
Published: January 2023

Low toxicity, environmentally friendly and sustainable bio-based phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins are the primary factors and health goals that researchers need to consider when modifying PF resins. Two novel biomass-modified PF resins were synthesized using two flavonoid phenols of daidzein and naringenin with rigid backbone structures. The results show that compared with ordinary PF, the introduction of daidzein and naringenin during the synthesis of N-PF and D-PF can delay the curing reaction and results in higher curing peak temperatures. The appropriate substitution rate of daidzein and naringenin can improve the crosslinking degree, resulting in N-PF and D-PF with higher thermal stability, ablation resistance and mechanical properties. The highest carbon yield YC800 for N-PF is 59.81% (56.85%for PF-1), and the highest YC800 for D-PF is 64.39% (PF-2 with 58.15%). The maximum tensile strength and flexural strengths of N-PF are respective 33.86 MPa and 110.42 MPa (28.77 and 79.89 MPa for PF-1), and the maximum tensile strength and flexural strengths of D-PF are respective 35.61 MPa and 103.17 MPa (24.48 and 55.79 MPa for PF-2). The D-PF and N-PF resins modified and enhanced by daidzein and naringenin have lower friction coefficient and more excellent wear resistance than pure PF.
Steroidal lactones from Withania somnifera effectively target Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 and reveal a decreased susceptibility to viral infection and perpetuation: A Polypharmacology Approach
Authors: Srivast Aditi , Ahmad Rumana , Wani Irshad A. , Siddiqui Sahabjada , Yadav Kusum , Trivedi Anchal , Upadhyay Shivbrat , Husain Ishrat , Ahamad Tanveer , Dudhagi Shivanand S.
Published: January 2023

Prevention from disease is presently the cornerstone of the fight against COVID-19. With the rapid emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 viz. B.1.1.7 (UK), B.1.351 (South Africa), P.1 (Brazil), delta variant B.1.617.2 (India) and the recently emerged Omicron variant B.1.1.529 (South Africa), there is an urgent need for novel prophylactic agents that have the ability to strengthen and fortify the immune system. To this effect, Withania somnifera (WS) and its phytoconstituent(s) have immense untapped immunomodulatory and therapeutic potential. The in vitro and in vivoanticancer potential of WS is well documented. Recent studies have indicated that the prognosis of COVID patients having cancer as a co-morbidity is poor as the viral infection has been shown to upregulate epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promote metastasis. WS methanolic extract (WSME) was characterized using HPLC and Withaferin A as standard. In vitro cytotoxicity of WSME was determined against cancer (MDA-MB-231) and normal (Vero) cell lines by MTT assay. Molecular dynamics simulations of Withanolide A with SARS-CoV-2 main protease, spike receptor-binding domain and Withanolide B with SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein and SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease were performed using Schrödinger. Withaferin A was identified in WSME. WSME displayed potent cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Stability of complexes followed the order 6M0J-Withanolide A>6W9C-Withnaolide B>5WRG-Withanolide B>6LU7-Withanolide A. Maximum stable interaction(s) were observed between Withanolides A and B with SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV spike glycoproteins, respectively. Withanolides A and B have the potential to be tested further in vitro and in vivo as novel antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV.
Evidence-Based Policy Making: Insights and Policy Recommendations for the Implementation of a Clean Energy Transition in Kenya.
Authors: Fields Neve
Published: January 2023

With ambitious targets to drastically increase economic activity over the next decade in order to propel itself to become a middle-income country, Kenya’s future is undoubtedly energy intensive. Through the achievement of its bold and aspiring goals, Kenya is poised to become a regional economic giant with the capacity to strengthen its position as a global leader in renewable energy production. However, current energy capacity expansion plans will see Kenya drastically ramp up fossil fuel generation, significantly increasing emissions and regressing progress made towards its climate and renewable energy targets. Therefore, Kenya is at a crucial stage of its national development with critical decisions to make regarding its future energy expansion and production. The use of energy systems modelling as a method to provide key insights for evidence-based policy making has risen in importance in energy planning globally. Such an approach can provide crucial insights and projections on the impact of potential policy decisions, creating pathways to be adopted within policy. As a result, this study employs long-term energy systems modelling to explore a series of potential future scenarios for Kenya’s power sector, providing insights into their generation, total production, and costs that can assist national policy making. Specifically, this research utilises OSeMOSYS modelling software to produce a Clean Energy Transition scenario (CET) as one possible future for Kenya’s power sector to increase renewable energy production under rapidly intensifying demand. The critical insights gained in this research were employed to suggest seven key policy recommendations for Kenya’s power sector.
Synthesized of poly(3-hydroxy butyrate)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) with Ag nanoparticles for removal of methylene blue by multivariate optimization approach
Authors: Ullah Rooh , Tuzen Mustafa , Hazer Baki
Published: January 2023

For the purpose of removing methylene blue (MB) from various ecological water samples, a brand-new solid phase micro-extraction in portable syringe system (SPME-PSS) has been developed. A 100 cm long by 5 mm wide column containing 10 mg of Poly(3-hydroxy butyrate)-b-Poly(methyl methacrylate) with Ag nanoparticles (PHB-AgPrici) serving as the adsorbent PHB-surface AgPrici's morphology has been studied using DSC, FT-IR, and SEM-EDX techniques. Adsorption mechanism of MB toward PHB-AgPrici was investigated using isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics experiments. To test adsorption and the capacity of PHB-AgPrici for adsorption, Langmuir and Freundlich's isotherms method was utilized. It was anticipated for MB to have a 169.3 mg/g monolayer adsorption capacity (qmax) toward PHB-AgPrici. The proposed sorbent material could successfully be recycled ten times (via adsorption and desorption cycles) without losing any of its capacity for regeneration. A kinetic analysis was also conducted, and it was discovered that the reaction obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetics because of a higher R2 and good qe values. The Kf and 1/n values (1/n > 0.1) further adhered to the favorable nature of adsorption. The G° (-3.7093) and H° (4.40391) values indicate that the reaction should be endothermic, but the S° (25.107698) data indicate that there is unpredictability at the solid solution interface throughout the adsorption phase. A multivariate optimization methodology was utilized to progress a superior considerate of the synergistic connection between the extraction and separation procedures by concentrating on the optimization of extraction parameters. Central composite design (CCD) was utilized for optimization procedure variables of PHB-AgPrici and (cycle of adsorption/desorption) later combining optimization. The recommended technique offers a linear reaction for MB over the range of conc. 10 to 150 µg L− 1 with correlation coefficient ≥ 0.99775. Validity of the desired approach has been confirmed by spiking addition technique. The recommended technique was productively utilized to diverse real water samples. Furthermore, based on the experimental results, a mechanism is proposed for the adsorptive removal of organic dyes with PHB-AgPrici polymer adsorbent.
STTR-3D: Stereo Transformer 3D Network for Video-Based Disparity Change Estimation
Authors: Yang QiTong , Rakai Lionel , Sun ShiJie , Song HuanSheng , Feng MingTao , Akhtar Naveed
Published: January 2023

In the field of computer vision and stereo disparity estimation, there has been little research in obtaining high accuracy disparity change maps from two-dimensional images. This map offers information that fills the gap between optical flow and depth which is desirable for numerous academic research problems and industrial applications, such as navigation systems, driving assistance, and autonomous systems. We introduce STTR3D, a 3D extension of the STereo TRansformer (STTR) which leverages transformers and an attention mechanism to handle stereo disparity change estimation. We further make use of the Scene Flow FlyingThings3D dataset which openly includes data for disparity change and apply 1) refinements through the use of MLP over relative position encoding and 2) regression head with an entropy-regularized optimal transport to obtain a disparity change map. This model consistently demonstrates superior performance for depth estimation as compared to the original model. In comparison to the existing supervised learning methods for stereo and depth estimation, our technique handles both depth estimation and the disparity change problem with an end-to-end network, also establishing that the addition of our transformer yields improved performance that achieves high precision for both problems. The open-source implementation of our work is available at https://github.com/Vp-SoLo/STTR3D.
Competitive Facility Location Under Attrition
Authors: Drezner Zvi , Zerom Dawit
Published: January 2023

In this paper we address the possibility that in a competitive facility location model, one of the existing competing facilities will go out of business. We find the best location for a new facility protecting against such a possibility. Four commonly used decision rules (optimistic, pessimistic, minimax regret, and expected value) are analyzed and optimally solved within a given relative accuracy. The results of extensive computational experiments are reported. Special upper bounds, that may be a basis for other optimization problems, are designed and run time was improved by more than 1,000 times. The largest instance of 10 existing competing facilities and 20,000 demand points was solved in less than one second by each of the four decision criteria. The idea of possible scenarios can be investigated by other models in future research.
Triboelectric charge saturation on multiple particles in air and vacuum
Authors: Cruise Reuben , Hadler Kathryn , Starr Stanley , Cilliers Jan
Published: January 2023

Triboelectric charging is the transfer of charge between two materials on contact. It occurs in numerous technologies, yielding problems and opportunities. Charge transfer on contact is complex and depends on contact properties such as material composition and contact area, as well as environmental factors including humidity, temperature, and air pressure. It has been shown that there is a reduction in charge saturation on many particles in close proximity, but no explanation has been definitively verified. Here we show that dielectric breakdown of air is the primary cause of triboelectric charge saturation on single and multiple electrically insulating particles. We combine computational simulations with experiments under controlled humidity and temperature, and at air pressures ranging from atmospheric down to vacuum (10-4 mbar). We find the charge saturation on particles increases below 0.1 mbar as expected. Our results show that the combined electric field contribution of multiple charged particles causing dielectric breakdown of air leads to a reduction in saturation charge per particle as the number of particles is increased. Furthermore, these results show that it is possible to completely remove charge from particles by maintaining a low pressure environment, yielding opportunities for improved industrial powder flows and dust mitigation from surfaces.
Designing peptide inhibitors targeting LRP6 co-receptor to restrict its association to DKK1; an Alzheimer’s disease therapeutic strategy
Authors: Bakthavachalam Dhivya , Arumugam Sivakumar
Published: January 2023

We aimed to design and develop short peptide inhibitors targeting Low-Density Lipoprotein receptor-related Protein 6 (LRP6) as a therapeutic for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Considering the critical association of LRP6 co-receptor with Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1), which is majorly involved in the upregulation of AD via canonical Wnt signaling. After assessing the critical amino acid residue involved in the DKK1-LRP6 complex, a 16-amino acid (16aa) length short peptide was retrieved to be used as the inhibitory peptide. Further, using alanine scanning, we generated 16 different mutated peptides and their binding potential in-silico to LRP6, which ensured the blockage of the DKK1 association to LRP6. Further, the peptides were subjected to envisage their toxicity, physicochemical properties, and ADMET properties. In the results, apart from the native inhibitory peptide (16aa), the mutated peptides 16aa8, 16aa1, 16aa7, and 16aa6 showed good binding with LRP6 which made the blockage of DKK1 association to LRP6. As a future perspective, the top-scored peptides including the native peptides will be screened for synthesizing characterizing, and validating their in vitro and in vivo therapeutic potential to treat AD through the DKK1 inhibition mechanism.
Impaired striatal glutathione metabolism induces dopamine increase and motor dysfunction.
Authors: Malik Mohd Yaseen , Guo Fei , Asif-Malik Aman , Eftychidis Vasileios , Barkas Nikolaos , Eliseeva Elena , Timm Kerstin , Bergin David , Zonta Barbara , Magill Peter , Nerlov Claus , Minichiello Liliana
Published: January 2023

Identification of initial triggering events in neurodegenerative disorders is critical to the development of preventive therapies. In Huntington’s disease (HD), hyperdopaminergia triggered by dysfunction of inhibitory indirect pathway spiny projection neurons (iSPNs) is believed to induce hyperkinesia, an early-stage HD symptom. Loss of TrkB signalling in iSPNs results in spontaneous motor dysfunction consistent with early HD hyperkinesia. We now show that this is preceded by striatal hyperdopaminergia at the pre-symptomatic stage induced by an increase in midbrain dopaminergic neurons. iSPNs transcriptome analysis revealed de-regulation of metabolic pathways in the absence of TrkB signalling, including up-regulation of Gsto2, encoding the glutathione S-transferase omega-2 (GSTO2). Selective in vivo knockdown of Gsto2 in iSPNs was sufficient to prevent dopaminergic dysfunction and block the onset of HD-like motor symptoms, identifying a functional link between iSPN dysfunction and striatal hyperdopaminergia and a putative disease-modifying enzyme that may be targeted in early stages of HD.
On damped Mathieu and periodic Lienard type equations
Authors: Akande J. , Adjaï K. K. D. , MONSIA M. D.
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we show the existence of damped Mathieu and periodic Lienard-type equations that can be solved in an explicit way or by quadrature. We prove for the first time an isochronous periodic solution for a Lienard-type equation with periodic coefficients, which does not exhibit parametric resonance.