bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Failure Mechanism of Rock Specimens with a Notched Hole Under Compression - A Numerical Study
Authors: Manouchehrian Amin , Kulatilake Pinnaduwa H.S.W. , Wu Rui 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Discontinuities are natural structures that exist in rocks and can affect the stability of rock structures. In this article, the influence of notch presence on the failure evolution around a hole in compressed rock specimens is investigated numerically. Firstly, the uniaxial compressive test on a rock specimen with a circular hole is modeled and the failure evolution in the specimen is simulated. In a separate model, notches are created at the surface of the hole. Results show that when the notches are created in the model, failure zone around the hole is transferred to a distance away from the surface of the hole. In addition, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of the notch length and the confining pressure on the fracturing behavior of the specimen. Numerical results presented in this article indicate that the presence of notches at the surface of the hole and their dimensions can affect the fracturing mechanism of the specimen. In some cases, the failure at the boundary of the hole is prevented when the notches of certain dimensions are added to the hole. The insights gained from this numerical study may be helpful to control the failure around underground excavations.
Nano-curcumin Capped Au/ZnO Nanocomposite: A Promising Approach to Protect from Staphylococcus Aureus Infection through Inhibits Production of α-Hemolysin
Authors: Jabir Majid , Jabir Majid , Rashid Taha M. , Nayef Uday M. , Kadhim Duha A. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Gold with Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (Au@ZnO NPs) were prepared by laser ablation then capped with Curcumin nanoparticles. The ability of Nano-curcumin-Au/ZnO nanocomposite as a promising antibacterial agent was tested against Staphylococcus aureus. Cur-Au@ZnO NPs were characterized by TEM, FTIR spectroscopy, and Uv-spectroum. TEM image of Au@ZnO NPs has grain size almost 27–38 nm and it increased after capped Nano-curcumin to 72–113 nm. Agar well diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Cur-Au@ZnO against S.aureus. The activity of Cur-Au@ZnO NPs was determined via detection of (ROS) using (AO/EtBr) staining assay. The bacterial cytoplasmic membrane and nucleic acid were penetrated by tested nanoparticles, resulting in bacterial strain destruction. The results showed that Cur-Au@ZnO NPs as a novel DNA-mediated antibacterial agent. The Cur-Au@ZnO were observed to destroy the bacterial cells by permeating the bacterial nucleic acid and cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in the loss of cell-wall integrity, nucleic acid damage, and increased cell-wall permeability. Furthermore, in the present study we investigated the activity of Cur-Au@ZnO NPs against bacterial α-Hemolysin toxin. Western blot were used to measure the effect of Cur-Au@ZnO NPs on α-Hemolysin produced by S. aureus. The effectiveness of Cur-Au@ZnO NPs against human alveolar epithelial cell injury by α-Hemolysin was tested using live ⁄ dead staining. Also, we demonstrated the role of Cur-Au@ZnO NPs against S. aureus through histopathology examination in a mouse model. Taken together, Cur-Au@ZnO NPs is a potent inhibitor of α-hemolysin secreted by S. aureus. So, Cur-Au@ZnO NPs mediated inhibition of α-Hemolysin production may offer a new strategy in combating pathogen infections. The Cur-Au@ZnO could serve as a potential antibacterial agent in future for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
Impact of Aluminium on ZnO Thin Films for Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: ANANDH BA , SAKTHIVEL R , GANESH A SHANKAR , SUBRAMANI S , RAJAMANICKAM A T 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Thin films of pure Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Aluminium (Al) doped ZnO were deposited by two step SILAR technique. Pure and Al (1%, 3%, 5%) doped ZnO thin film’s structural, morphology and optical properties were analyzed. Diffraction peaks of the all the samples were indexed to hexagonal wurtizite structure. The crystallite size, lattice parameters, dislocation density and microstrain were calculated for the prepared thin films. Morphology study using FESEM shows spherical shaped structure of pure ZnO and hexagonal faced rod like structure for Al doped ZnO thin films.T he UV-Vis absorption spectrum for the thin films was also studied. There is decrease in bandgap as the Al doping ratio increases from 1–5%. Photoluminescence (PL) studies confirm that oxygen ion vacancy and interstitial Zn+ ion were present. The maximum zone of inhibition was studied against the bacteria’s the Gram-negative (E.coli) and Gram-positive (S.aureus) by Agar diffusion method. Significant antibacterial result was seen in pure and Al doped ZnO. Al doped ZnO shows more antibacterial activity over pure ZnO. All the samples give considerable antifungal activity which was done against Aspergillusniger. .
Research on Optimization of Routing Protocol for Quantum wireless Ad Hoc Network
Authors: Zhang Ling , Liu Qin 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
This paper addresses the optimization of on-demand routing protocols for quantum wireless Ad Hoc network. This paper proposes an optimal quantum route metric algorithm that integrates quantum route metric and classic route metric to select a better route path for quantum communication. The paper also improves the route discovery protocol by proposing a "reverse synchronization method" which means after the route request is completed, the quantum entanglement channel is established synchronously when the reverse path is established. This method, better than general methods which builds quantum channels after the forward path establishment, reduces the time and the numbers of messages for quantum channel establishment, thus improving the efficiency. Accordingly, this paper elaborates the specific methods, procedures and related upgrading message formats involved in quantum route discovery, quantum channel establishment and quantum information transmission of on-demand routing protocols for quantum wireless Ad Hoc network. The advantage of the "reverse synchronization method" in reducing the time and the numbers of messages for quantum channel establishment is verified through analysis on protocol performance.
Role of antispasmodics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Drozdov V. N. , Arefev K. I. , Serebrova S. Yu. , Komissarenko I. A. , Shikh E. V. , Starodubtsev A. K. 
Published: May 2021

Introduction. IBS is a functional bowel disorder that has a significant impact on patients and society, especially in terms of quality of life and medical costs.Pathogenesis. It is believed that the pathogenesis of IBS consists of several mechanisms: the syndrome of intersection of functional disorders (gut-brain), stress, visceral hypersensitivity and changes in motor skills.Visceral hypersensitivity. Changes in visceral sensitivity in IBS are characterized by central abnormalities in areas of the cerebral cortex. Motility impairment in IBS manifests itself as abnormal myoelectric activity in the colon, resulting in repetitive contractions of the small intestine and colon, which appear to cause pain.Intestinal microflora. FODMAPs are found in high amounts in some fruits, artificial sweeteners, legumes, and green vegetables and are poorly absorbed by all people. FODMAPs have enzymatic and osmotic effects that may contribute to the onset of symptoms in some patients.The principles of IBS therapy. Treatment for IBS should be based on the type and severity of symptoms. For the treatment of IBS, drugs of various pharmacological groups are used, depending on the prevailing symptoms. These include opioid receptor agonists, bile acid sequestrants, guanylate cyclase agonists, chlorine channel activators, as well as antibiotics, probiotics, antidepressants, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, and antispasmodics.Myotropic antispasmodics. Drugs with antispasmodic activity are used to treat functional and organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as a basic therapy or «on demand». Mebeverine quickly and effectively relieves spasm, pain and the entire complex of intestinal symptoms, in addition, the drug reduces visceral hypersensitivity due to a local anesthetic effect. The drug has a high safety profile and has a number of advantages over drugs of the same pharmacological group.Conclusion. Myotropic antispasmodics have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of IBS. Mebeverine occupies a special place among myotropic antispasmodics. Its combined action provides a pronounced antispasmodic activity along with a high safety profile.
Indicators of antioxidant status and oxidative stress in opisthorchiasis
Authors: Tsukanov V. V. , Gorchilova E. G. , Tonkikh J. L. , Vasyutin A. V. , Rzhavicheva O. S. , Kolenchukova O. A. 
Published: May 2021

Introduction. The course of opisthorchiasis is accompanied by clinically diverse symptoms and severe complications up to the development of cholangiocarcinoma. The role of oxidative stress in the development of liver fibrosis is not well understood. Aim. To determine the association of clinical manifestations and indicators of oxidative stress in the blood with liver fibrosis in patients with Opisthorchis felineus invasion.Materials and methods. We examined 103 patients with chronic opisthorchiasis and 51 practically healthy patients. All patients underwent general clinical examinations, esophagogastroduodenoscopy and ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, elastometry to assess liver fibrosis using the METAVIR system, and the content of malondialdehyde, catalase and superoxide dismutase in blood serum was determined by the immunoassay method.Results and discussion. Asthenic-vegetative syndrome, pain in the right hypochondrium, articular syndrome, cytolytic and cholestatic syndromes, hepatomegaly and signs of chronic cholecystitis were more often detected in patients with invasion of Opisthorchis felineus and liver fibrosis F3-F4 according to METAVIR. The content of malondialdehyde in the blood was 296.5 ng/ml in patients with liver fibrosis F3-F4 according to METAVIR and 69.5 ng/ml in patients with liver fibrosis F0-F1 according to METAVIR (p < 0.001). The content of superoxide dismutase and catalase did not differ significantly in the groups of patients with liver fibrosis F0-F1 according to METAVIR and F3-F4 according to METAVIR, which indicated insufficient effectiveness of antioxidant protection.Conclusion. The revealed changes indicate the presence in patients with opisthorchiasis of a pronounced association between the severity of the clinical course, the development of biochemical cytolysis syndromes and the severity of liver fibrosis and oxidative stress, which may be a promoter of inflammation, cell DNA damage and carcinogenesis.
Case of severe liver damage in COVID-19
Authors: Plotnikova E. Yu. , Baranova E. N. , Karyagina M. S. , Vorosova O. A. , Krasnov K. A. 
Published: May 2021

The 2019 outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute coronavirus 2 respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) has been a global concern since December 2019. Although most patients with COVID-19 have mild clinical manifestations, in about 5% of these patients the disease eventually progresses to severe lung injury or even multiple organ dysfunction. This situation presents various problems for hepatology. In the context of liver damage in patients with COVID-19, several key problems need to be addressed. For example, it is important to determine whether a SARS-CoV-2 can directly enter the liver, especially when it appears that ACE2 is marginally expressed in hepatocytes. In addition, the mechanisms underlying liver dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 are multifactorial and are associated with hyperinflammation, dysregulated immune responses, abnormal coagulation, and drugs. The article describes the potential pathogenesis of liver damage associated with COVID-19. Histopathological evidence suggests a marked disruption of the intrahepatic network of blood vessels secondary to systemic changes caused by a virus that can trigger a coagulation cascade and damage the endothelial layer of blood vessels. There is also a clinical case of polyethylene damage to the liver in a young man who led to death. Against the background of infection COVID-19 he developed massive thrombosis of the liver vessels, followed by the development of necrosis — fibrosis — cirrhosis — acute liver failure, which caused death.
Chronic acalculous cholecystitis and biliary dysfunction: how does clinical diagnosis affect management?
Authors: Kucheryavyy Yu. A. , Osipenko M. F. 
Published: May 2021

Similar abdominal pain of biliary type in functional disorders of biliary tract and chronic acalculous cholecystitis causes objective difficulties to differentiate not only between each other, but also with other diseases of gastrointestinal tract. The clinical picture is so homogeneous and difficult to distinguish from cholelithiasis that some patients undergo unreasonable surgical interventions for CAC and FDBT. Individual publications pushing for such an aggressive strategy are sporadic and need to be clarified in larger studies. The first choice drugs for treatment of FDBT are spasmolytics; ursodeoxycholic acid drugs are used as adjuvant agents. In CAC, the initial therapy will be similar, but the treatment regimen can be expanded with targeted etiotropic (if the cause of cholecystitis is identified – giardiasis, opisthorchiasis, etc.) or empirical antimicrobial/antiparasitic therapy. The greatest interest today is caused by hymecromone – a drug with proven by both experimental and controlled studies combined choleretic, selective spasmolytic action, mediated effect of reducing bile lithogenicity and possible anti-inflammatory action. Hymecromone effectively relieves biliary pain without causing gallbladder contractions, which determines the possibility of its wide application both in CAC and FDBT, both in monotherapy and in combination with other agents, primarily with UDCA. In this article the issues of optimization of diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of management of patients with biliary pain to avoid unreasonable cholecystectomies in acalculous diseases of the biliary tract are considered.
The duo Clostridium and Lactobacillus linked to hydrogen production from a lignocellulosic substrate
Authors: Pérez-Rangel Marisol , Barboza-Corona José Eleazar , Navarro-Díaz Marcelo , Escalante Ana Elena , Valdez-Vazquez Idania 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
The study aimed to identify interspecies interactions within a native microbial community present in a hydrogen-producing bioreactor fed with two wheat straw cultivars. The relationships between the microbial community members were studied building a canonical correspondence analysis and corroborated through in vitro assays. The results showed that the bioreactor reached a stable hydrogen production of ca. 86 mL/kg·d in which the cultivar change did not affect the average performance. Lactobacillus and Clostridium dominated throughout the whole operation period where butyric acid was the main metabolite. A canonical correspondence analysis correlated positively Lactobacillus with hydrogen productivity and hydrogen-producing bacteria like Clostridium and Ruminococaceae. Agar diffusion testing of isolated strains confirmed that Lactobacillus inhibited the growth of Enterococcus, but not of Clostridium. We suggest that the positive interaction between Lactobacillus and Clostridium is generated by a division of labor for degrading the lignocellulosic substrate in which Lactobacillus produces lactic acid from the sugar fermentation while Clostridium quickly uses this lactic acid to produce hydrogen and butyric acid. The significance of this work lies in the fact that different methodological approaches confirm a positive association in the duo Lactobacillus–Clostridium in a bioreactor with stable hydrogen production from a complex substrate.
Phase 1/2 Study of Lumasiran for Treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1
Authors: Frishberg Yaacov , Deschênes Georges , Groothoff Jaap W. , Hulton Sally-Anne , Magen Daniella , Harambat Jérôme , van’t Hoff William G. , Lorch Ulrike , Milliner Dawn S. , Lieske John C. , Haslett Patrick , Garg Pushkal P. , Vaishnaw Akshay K. , Talamudupula Sandeep , Lu Jiandong , Habtemariam Bahru A. , Erbe David V. , McGregor Tracy L. , Cochat Pierre ,   on behalf of the study collaborators
Published: May 2021

Background and objectives
In the rare disease primary hyperoxaluria type 1, overproduction of oxalate by the liver causes kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, kidney failure, and systemic oxalosis. Lumasiran, an RNA interference therapeutic, suppresses glycolate oxidase, reducing hepatic oxalate production. The objective of this first-in-human, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles of lumasiran in healthy participants and patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements
This phase 1/2 study was conducted in two parts. In part A, healthy adults randomized 3:1 received a single subcutaneous dose of lumasiran or placebo in ascending dose groups (0.3–6 mg/kg). In part B, patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 randomized 3:1 received up to three doses of lumasiran or placebo in cohorts of 1 or 3 mg/kg monthly or 3 mg/kg quarterly. Patients initially assigned to placebo crossed over to lumasiran on day 85. The primary outcome was incidence of adverse events. Secondary outcomes included pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters, including measures of oxalate in patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results
Thirty-two healthy participants and 20 adult and pediatric patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 were enrolled. Lumasiran had an acceptable safety profile, with no serious adverse events or study discontinuations attributed to treatment. In part A, increases in mean plasma glycolate concentration, a measure of target engagement, were observed in healthy participants. In part B, patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 had a mean maximal reduction from baseline of 75% across dosing cohorts in 24-hour urinary oxalate excretion. All patients achieved urinary oxalate levels ≤1.5 times the upper limit of normal.

Conclusions
Lumasiran had an acceptable safety profile and reduced urinary oxalate excretion in all patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 to near-normal levels.

Clinical Trial registry name and registration number:
Study of Lumasiran in Healthy Adults and Patients with Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1, NCT02706886
MOLECULAR DOCKING STUDIES OF ISOLATED COMPOUNDS ANDROGRAPHOLIDE AND BETULIN FROM METHANOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT OF ANDROGRAPHIS ECHIOIDES AS ALPHA-AMYLASE AND ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE ACTIVATORS
Authors: GURUPRIYA S. , CATHRINE L. 
Published: May 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study is to isolate and characterize the andrographolide and betulin from methanolic leaves extract of Andrographis echioides and also used to evaluate the alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of isolated compounds using in silico docking studies.
Methods: The isolation was done using column chromatography using gradient mobile phase. Structural elucidation was carried out on the basis of spectral analysis. In this view, andrographolide and betulin were prepared for the docking evaluation. In silico docking studies were carried out using a recent version of Auto Dock 4.2, which has the basic principle of Lamarckian genetic algorithm.
Results: On the basis of the spectral data, the compounds have been established as andrographolide and betulin are being reported from this plant for the first time. The result showed that the andrographolide showed a binding affinity for amylase: (-7.9 kcal/mol) and for glucosidase (-7.2 kcal/mol) while betulin showed (-8.6 kcal/mol) and (-5.2 kcal/mol), respectively.
Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested that isolated compounds andrographolide and betulin contributed excellent α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity because of its structural parameters. Thus, these isolated compounds can be effectively used as drugs for treating diabetes which is predicted on the basis of docking scores.
A 23 FACTORIAL DESIGN FOR FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DOXYCYCLINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN SITU GEL FORMING SOLUTION FOR WOUND HEALING APPLICATION
Authors: GUPTA N. VISHAL , SHANMUGANATHAN S. , KANNA SANDEEP , SASTRI K. TRIDEVA 
Published: May 2021

Objective: To develop and formulate doxycycline hydrochloride hydrogels employing various polymers for wound healing application.
Methods: A thermo-reversible gel can transmute from a sol-gel in replication to environmental temperature vicissitudes made up of gallic acid (GA) and tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP). An antimicrobial agent (doxycycline hydrochloride) integrated to provide the benefit and efficiently safeguard the wound from infection. A low temperature causes TSP to aggregate intermolecularly with GA to create a gel network. GA–TSP gel heat stability increased with increased concentration of GA. Prepared gel formulations were optimized by 23 factorial designs further evaluated for stability and compatibility, appearance, gelation temperature, gravitational flow simulation, in vitro release, in vivo excision wound model in rats.
Results: A strong viscoelastic gel was formed at body temperature in the GA–TSP mixture containing 0.6% (w/v) GA. The prepared formulation exhibited absolute stability and compatibility. The formulations indicated a range of 23±1.47 to 50±1.40 °C. The viscosity values were in the range 6628 to 19146 cps. The optimized gel formulation (DT8) was prepared to analyze the checkpoints and further evaluated for gelation temperature ( °C), viscosity (cps), gelation time (s), and in vitro release of drugs (percent cumulative release of drugs) up to 12 h reflecting R1=36.5±0.61 °C, R2=12887±11 cps, R3=16.2±1.38 min and R4=94.65±0.59 percent. Formulation DT8 showed significant wound healing property and it is comparable to the control group. Formulation DT9 treated group showed faster epithelialization and greater rates of wound contraction in rats.
Conclusion: The formulations comprising of TSP with antimicrobial agents demonstrated to be efficient in wound healing. Out of all formulations, DT8 showed better wound healing ability, which is evident from in vivo studies.
NOSE-TO-BRAIN DELIVERY, A ROUTE OF CHOICE FOR TARGETING BRAIN TUMORS
Authors: SHEHU IBRAHIM AMINU , ISLAM MOJAHIDUL , SINGH VIJENDER 
Published: May 2021

Brain tumours are the most lethal type of cancer, which is difficult to manage due to the inherent suboptimal bioavailability of the chemotherapy agent at tumour sites, consequent of high levels of protection of physiological blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood tumour barrier (BTB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (CSF). Improving the permeability of these barriers would enhance the disease's clinical prognosis and promote patients' quality of life. To this end, scientists have conducted several studies to determine the most suitable route for CNS delivery. Most of which show that the nose-to-brain is proposed to be the most convenient, efficacious and clinically beneficial non-invasive means of delivering chemotherapeutic agents directly to the brain. Therefore, this study compares the therapeutic benefits of intranasal and other conventional brain delivery systems and further evaluates the clinical benefits of using different nanocarriers for brain tumour targeting. However, we surveyed the literature by conducting an in-depth search of the research keywords and their combinations in recognized scientific databases, primarily Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate. Our findings have shown that the nose-to-brain delivery of chemotherapeutics is a breakthrough in bypassing the effects of BBB, BTB, and CSF barriers, improving the delivery of drugs to the brain for specific tumour targeting with desired clinical prognosis.