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Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer has potential side effects, including upper-limb lymphedema. Axillary reverse mapping (ARM) is a technique that enables discrimination of the lymphatic drainage of the upper limb in the axillary lymph node basin from that of the breast. We aimed to evaluate ARM node identification by near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging during total mastectomy with ALND and then to analyze potential predictive factors of ARM node involvement. The study enrolled 119 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer with an indication for ALND. NIR imaging using indocyanine green dye was performed in 109 patients during standard ALND to identify ARM nodes and their corresponding lymphatic ducts. 94.5% of patients had ARM nodes identified (95%CI = [88.4–98.0]). The ARM nodes were localized in zone D in 63.4% of cases. Metastatic axillary lymph nodes were found in 55% in the whole cohort, and 19.4% also had metastasis in ARM nodes. Two patients had metastatic ARM nodes but not in the remaining axillary lymph nodes. No serious adverse events were observed. Only the amount of mitosis was significantly associated with ARM node metastasis. ARM by NIR fluorescence imaging could be a reliable technique to identify ARM nodes in real-time when ALND is performed. The clinical data compared with ARM node histological diagnosis showed only the amount of mitosis in the diagnostic biopsy is a potential predictive factor of ARM node involvement. NCT02994225. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional geospatial analysis explores the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) concerning the proximity to toxic release inventory (TRI) facilities in Jefferson County, Alabama. Employing the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), the study evaluates COPD prevalence, comorbidities, healthcare access, and individual health assessments. Given the mounting evidence linking environmental pollutants to COPD exacerbations, the research probes the influence of TRI sites on respiratory health, integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to scrutinize the geospatial vulnerability of communities neighboring TRI sites. Socio-demographic disparities, economic conditions, and air pollution are emphasized in the analysis. The EPA's Toxic Release Inventory serves as the cornerstone for assessing the association between TRI proximity and COPD prevalence. The analysis uncovers a notable inverse correlation between distance from TRI sites and COPD prevalence, signaling potential health risks for populations residing closer to these facilities. Moreover, factors such as minority status, low income, and air pollution are associated with higher COPD prevalence, underscoring the imperative of comprehending the interplay between environmental exposure and respiratory health. This study bridges gaps in the literature by addressing the geographical nexus between COPD prevalence and pollution exposure. By leveraging FAHP, the research furnishes a holistic understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing vulnerability to COPD. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted public health interventions and policy measures to redress environmental disparities and alleviate the repercussions of TRI facilities on respiratory health. [Display omitted] • Pollution exposure heightens COPD risk disproportionately. • Social and environmental justice analysis reveals disparities near TRI sites. • Novel FAHP-GIS integration unveils intricate environmental-health dynamics. • Proximity to TRI facilities correlates with higher COPD prevalence. • Minority, low income, and pollution worsen COPD, demanding targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disulfide bonds play a key role in stabilizing proteins by cross-linking secondary structures. Whilst many disulfides are effectively unreactive, it is increasingly clear that some disulfides are redox active, participate in enzymatic reactions and/or regulate protein function by allosteric mechanisms. Previously (Karimi et al., Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 38752) we have shown that some disulfides react rapidly with biological oxidants due to favourable interactions with available lone-pairs of electrons. Here we present data from kinetic, mechanistic and product studies for HOCl-mediated oxidation of a protected nine-amino acid model peptide containing a N - to C -terminal disulfide bond. This peptide reacts with HOCl with k 2 1.8 × 106 M−1 s−1, similar to other highly-reactive disulfide-containing compounds. With low oxidant excesses, oxidation yields multiple oxidation products from the disulfide, with reaction predominating at the N -terminal Cys to give sulfenic, sulfinic and sulfonic acids, and disulfide bond cleavage. Limited oxidation occurs, with higher oxidant excesses, at Trp and His residues to give mono- and di- (for Trp) oxygenated products. Site-specific backbone cleavage also occurs between Arg and Trp, probably via initial side-chain modification. Treatment of the previously-oxidised peptide with thiols (GSH, N -Ac-Cys), results in adduction of the thiol to the oxidised peptide, with this occurring at the original disulfide bond. This gives an open-chain peptide, and a new mixed disulfide containing GSH or N -Ac-Cys as determined by mass spectrometry. Disulfide bond oxidation may therefore markedly alter the structure, activity and function of disulfide-containing proteins, and provides a potential mechanism for protein glutathionylation. Image 1 • Disulfide bonds play a key role in stabilizing proteins by cross-linking secondary structure. • Kinetic, mechanistic and product data are presented for HOCl-induced disulfide oxidation. • Low HOCl levels give disulfide cleavage and oxy acids via reactive intermediates. • The intermediates react with thiols to give adducts at the former disulfide bond. • Disulfide bond oxidation provides a novel pathway to peptide glutathionylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An integrated approach to evaluate performance of chemical plants is presented. • Asset integrity management criteria are considered. • ANP and DEA methods are applied for evaluation purposes. • 50 chemical plants are used to show the proposed approach applicability. • "Communication, participation & consultation" and "management review" are selected as the most influential factors. This paper proposes an integrated approach to evaluate and optimize performance of petrochemical plants based on asset integrity management criteria. The proposed approach consists of analytic network process (ANP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). Asset management criteria are identified by surveying related standards and literature and categorized into three levels. First level criteria which are major criteria are based on plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle, second level criteria are sub sets of the first level criteria and third level criteria are quantitative and qualitative indicators derived from the literature. ANP is used to calculate relative importance of the second level criteria which enables decision makers to calculate the final score of each decision-making unit. Constant return to scale (CRS) and variable return to scale (VRS) DEA models in both input and output oriented forms are applied and the preferred model for measuring DMUs' efficiency is selected via normality test. The proposed approach is applied to a set of real time petrochemical plants. Sensitivity analysis is performed to find significant factors affecting DMUs' efficiency scores. The proposed approach would improve overall performance and could reduce operational loss, safety issues and incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapevine, an important horticultural crop in the world, is moderately tolerant to cold conditions and is subjected to the cold injuries at different regions. So studies on different aspects of tolerance mechanism to unexpected cold of late spring as well as winter freezing seems necessary about this vine. For this reason, study on genes responsible for acquiring cold tolerance is very important. Transcription factors are among regulatory proteins that are responsible for cold acclimation. In this research work, expression levels of CBF1, CBF2, CBF3, and CBF4 transcription factors were studied on two cvs of Vitis vinifera (“Khalili-Danedar” and “Shahroodi”) as well as one Vitis riparia at different times after treating at 4 °C. Results showed that two vinifera cultivars, “Khalili-Danedar” and “Shahroodi”, had similar trend for each transcription factor. Gene expression increased at the beginning of cold stress and then decreased. Expression of these TF started some minutes (CBF1) after cold treatment and continued for several hours (CBF2), even till the tenth day (CBF4). All together V. riparia which is endemic to the cold regions behaved stronger and showed higher expression for all studied transcription factors. Among two V. vinifera cultivars, “Khalili-Danedar” showed significantly higher expression compared with “Shahroodi”. The comparison of expression levels of these four transcription factors revealed that the least and the greatest expressions were recorded for CBF1 and CBF3 respectively, and two CBF2 and CBF4 had approximately the same expression levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Holey fibers (HFs) can be used as amplifier in optical communication systems. These new fiber structures have flexibility to change the fiber parameters such as refractive index of guided mode, air filling factor (AFF), V number, group velocity dispersion (GVD) and numerical aperture, only by the change of the hole size and air-hole spacing. In this paper we will use improved fully vectorial effective index method (IFEIM) to analyze the erbium doped holey fiber amplifier (EDHFA) with hexagonal unit cell. The range that core size can change in any air-hole spacing will determine and the growth of core size in the amplifier character such as maximum gain and optimum length will study. By determination of single mode region the effect of pump power and dopant concentration growth, on the amplifier parameter will define. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new method is developed for validation of the simulation of a gas–solid fluidized bed via computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD–DEM). Chaotic attractors of two independent pressure signals (evaluation series of the CFD–DEM model and reference time series of measured pressure fluctuations) were compared in the state-space domain using the S-statistic to consider the null hypothesis (the same dynamics). To prove the capability of the proposed method, the S-statistic was tested on several series of experimental pressure fluctuations, measured at both similar and different dynamic conditions. The method was able to determine the similarities and differences in the measured pressure signals. It was shown that the whole pressure signal of the CFD–DEM passed the test. Results of the CFD–DEM and the experimental data were then compared in various ranges of frequencies. In order to achieve this objective, a combination of the S-statistic and wavelet transform was used which showed that the CFD–DEM attractors were obtained from the same dynamic features as the experiments at high and low frequencies corresponding to micro- and macro-structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Characterization of doped optical fibers (DOFs) is an essential primary stage for design of DOF-based devices. This paper presents design of novel measurement techniques to determine DOFs parameters using mono-beam propagation in a low-loss medium by generating pseudo parameters for the DOFs. The designed techniques are able to characterize simultaneously the absorption, emission cross-sections (ACS and ECS), and dopant concentration of DOFs. In both the proposed techniques, we assume pseudo parameters for the DOFs instead of their actual values and show that the choice of these pseudo parameters values for design of DOF-based devices, such as erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), are appropriate and the resulting error is quite negligible when compared with the actual parameters values.Utilization of pseudo ACS and ECS values in design procedure of EDFAs does not require the measurement of background loss coefficient (BLC) and makes the rate equation of the DOFs simple. It is shown that by using the pseudo parameters values obtained by the proposed techniques, the error in the gain of a designed EDFA with a BLC of about 1dB/km, are about 0.08dB. It is further indicated that the same scenario holds good for BLC lower than 5dB/m and higher than 12dB/m. The proposed characterization techniques have simple procedures and are low cost that can have an advantageous use in manufacturing of the DOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aggregating both left and right disparity maps to highlight areas containing binocular depth perception information. • Unsupervised learning of local visual discomfort aware features using sparse coding which are more discriminative than hand-crafted ones. • Composition of local sparse representations by a weighted pooling method proportional to the strength of sparse vectors to provide effective global 3D VDP descriptions. Viewing stereoscopic images sometimes causes viewers to feel inconvenience, which is called 3D visual discomfort. Excessive horizontal disparity, misalignment between the left and right views, or depth cues conflicts are some of the important factors involved in 3D visual discomfort. The ability to estimate the degree of 3D visual discomfort can be used to improve the 3D display systems and provide acceptable binocular visual quality. Most of the existing visual discomfort prediction (VDP) approaches extract hand-crafted features based on perceptual modeling and statistical analysis of disparities. We have proposed a simple yet effective VDP model based on unsupervised learning of sparse features which are highly predictive of subjective discomfort levels. These features are extracted from the aggregation of left and right disparity maps. This aggregation effectively highlights the areas with sudden changes and high levels of disparities where discomfort is most likely to occur. The regression model trained by the features, predicts high correlated 3D visual discomfort scores on each dataset. The cross-database results are also superior to other reported ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal comfort and air quality was successfully coupled for outdoor comfort index. • Moderate to very strong heat stress was observed during daytime. • Statistically significant hotspots for poor air quality were identified. • Poor outdoor comfort zones were clustered around large metropolitan areas. • Operational framework will serve as a forecasting tool for outdoor activities. Current bioclimate and air quality indices provide insufficient information about the combined effect on human physiology in outdoor spaces. This work examined, large scale gridded meteorological observations, including air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, and relative humidity, to derive Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) at hourly intervals along with the air quality index (AQI) derived from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) observation stations. UTCI and AQI were combined into a single framework using geospatial analytics and a newly developed lookup table approach. High risk areas for heat stress and poor air quality were identified using Moran's I and Getis-Ord GI* statistics. Moderate to strong heat stress was observed during the summer months of 2015–2019, with UTCI ranging from 26 °C to 38 °C. Coastal regions consistently experienced higher UTCI during noon due to higher humidity but the effect subsided with cooler air circulation from the ocean, especially in the morning and evening. Results also indicated the vulnerability of this region due to the combined impact of heat stress and poor air quality based on 95th percentile values. The final products from this analysis can provide valuable insights for urban planning and preventative measures to ensure improved public health in outdoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cooling benefits of street trees were assessed for different urban-morphological scenarios. • Mixed-use areas provide highest pedestrian thermal comfort without trees and benefit from tree plantation. • Adult shade trees added maximum cooling benefits in residential areas followed by mixed-use areas. • Shade trees contributed insignificantly in improving thermal comfort level for the commercial sites Urban morphology directly influences heating or cooling rate in street canopies. This paper assessed cooling benefits of street-trees in Philadelphia city, PA considering morphological elements. We assessed summertime thermal comfort for humid subtropical climate (i.e. Philadelphia) by studying human-biometeorological parameters such as Mean-radiant temperature (T mrt) and Physically Equivalent Temperature (PET) utilizing Rayman model. This paper will; 1. Quantify impacts of built environment with and without existing vegetation on pedestrian level temperature, 2. Observe impacts of T mrt , surface temperature (T s) , PET and global radiation at road intersections in five different scenarios where urban canopies are characterized as: a) built environment without vegetation (BE), b) built environment with existing vegetation (BEEV), c) built environment with additional vegetation after 1-year (BEAV-1), d) built environment after 5-years (BEAV-5) and e) built environment after 10-years growth period (BEAV-10). Compared results with the BE scenario suggest that, planting trees in residential and mixed-use sites with higher Sky-view factor (SVF) can improve pedestrian comfort in the long-term by reducing Tmrt, and PET, compared to the commercial sites with lower SVF and T s. Mixed-use sites were observed to provide highest thermal comfort and further benefit from tree plantation, while commercial sites receive lowest cooling benefit from street trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liposomal formulations were made using Solvent-assisted active loading technology (SALT). Two formulations composed of HSPC:DPPG:Chol:DSPE-mPEG 2000 (PG-LipCUR) and HSPC:Chol:DSPE-mPEG 2000 (LipCUR) demonstrated good colloidal properties and the CUR-encapsulation of 82% and 89% for PG-LipCUR and LipCUR, respectively. The results showed that both formulations were stable during 6 months storage at 4 °C. The release study showed that the PG-LipCUR and LipCUR formulations are relatively stable at pH 7.4. Both formulations had higher cytotoxicity on TUBO and 4T1 cell lines in compassion with normal cells. PG-LipCUR had the higher amounts of CUR cellular uptake than LipCUR. Biodistribution studies showed that both formulations could enhance the half-life of the CUR 2–3 times compared to free CUR. The tumor accumulation of PG-LipCUR was significantly higher than LipCUR. The antitumor activities of liposomes on 4T1 tumor model demonstrated the efficacy of both formulations compared to PBS and free CUR. PG-LipCUR also was more potent in tumor growth delay in comparison with LipCUR. However, combination of the Caelyx® and PG-LipCUR had the most antitumor properties among other treatments. Based on the results, PG-LipCUR could be a promising formulation for the delivery of CUR which also significantly increased the efficacy of Caelyx® and merits further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global challenges of water availability and quality are driven by land use and climate changes, further exacerbated by global warming. Altered Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) due to urbanization, deforestation, and agriculture triggers many environmental issues to eco-hydrological systems, which are already profoundly impacted by shifting climate patterns. The Upper Black Warrior River Basin in Birmingham, Alabama, is a prime example of how converting forests into urban areas impairs water quality and increases surface runoff due to impermeable surfaces. This study delved into the temporal and spatial alterations in eco-hydrologically relevant flows, considering individual and combined climate change scenarios and LULC transformation. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) served as the modeling platform, calibrated (2016–2022) and validated (2011–2015) at a daily time scale. Five distinct scenarios were crafted to portray eco-hydrology's past, present, and future responses (runoff and river nutrients) to climate and LULC variations. The model demonstrated strong performance for discharge and predicted increased runoff in future periods, which is attributed to the anticipated warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers characterized by more intense rainfall events. Notably, the study unveiled the adverse impact of climate change on monthly nitrates leaching into surface runoff, with the lowest levels predicted during May to September coinciding with reduced precipitation. Conversely, human activity positively impacts runoff, especially in FMC, which has a higher deforestation rate (42.8%) and increased runoff compared to VC. The study also emphasized the significant link between flow and nutrient concentration, highlighting the dominant role of nonpoint sources in contributing to these inputs. These findings have significant implications for local stakeholders, necessitating considering the potential consequences of integrated climate change and urbanization on eco-hydrology. Effective management strategies, such as improved land use practices and reduced nutrient leaching, must be implemented to minimize these impacts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The heme enzyme myeloperoxidase that is released by activated leukocytes at sites of inflammation, uses H 2 O 2 and chloride ions to form the bactericidal agent hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Inappropriate or excessive production of this powerful oxidant can however cause host tissue damage, with this being implicated in multiple human inflammatory diseases. Proteins are major biological targets for HOCl, with sulfur- and amine-containing residues particularly susceptible to damage. Reaction of HOCl with amines (e.g. the α-amino groups of oxidised glutathione, GSSG, or the amine group of Lys side-chains) generates chloramines (RNHCl) that undergo subsequent decomposition to aldehydes (R’CHO) and nitriles (R’C≡N). Hypothesis: Nitriles may be characteristic biomarkers of HOCl and chloramine generation, which can be readily detected by Raman spectroscopy via their characteristic absorbance bands. Methods: Sulfur- and amine-containing model peptides were incubated for 24 h with up to 20-fold molar excess HOCl, before drying and analysing by Raman spectroscopy Results Analysis of the HOCl-treated model peptides by Raman spectroscopy shows dose-dependent changes in the wavelength and intensity of characteristic Raman bands assigned to disulfides (500–550 cm -1 ), and the formation of a new Raman absorption at ~ 2255 cm -1 assigned to stretches of nitrile groups. The latter peak was detected in a dose-dependent manner on HOCl treatment of Lys-containing protein and peptide models, N -acetyl-histidine and oxidised glutathione (GSSG). Conclusions HOCl-mediated oxidation of proteins and peptides modifies protein and peptide side-chains in a manner that can be readily detected by Raman spectroscopy. The absorption band attributed to C≡N stretching at ~2255 cm -1 is well removed from other features in the Raman spectra, making it a potential marker of HOCl-mediated protein oxidation, chloramine formation and decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research systematically evaluated the fabrication of the functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( f -MWCNTs)/barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) nanocomposite through the use of a simple two-step mixing route. Different concentrations of f -MWCNTs (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 4%, and 8% wt) were applied to the BaTiO 3 matrix. The effects of different concentrations of f -MWCNTs on the structural and optical properties of BaTiO 3 were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra were used for sample analysis. Using the FTIR spectra, the optical parameters of the refractive index and permittivity of the synthesized samples were calculated by Kramers-Kronig relations. The optical constants of f -MWCNTs/ BaTiO 3 nanocomposites were strongly related to the concentrations of f -MWCNTs. This is because by increasing the concentrations of f -MWCNTs, both the real/imaginary parts of the refractive index and dielectric function were increased. Consequently, the transversal (TO) and longitudinal (LO) phonon frequencies were detected. The TO and LO frequencies shifted to the red frequencies by increasing the amount of f - MWCNTs in the BaTiO 3 matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and diastereoselective synthetic procedure has been designed for the preparation of new substituted indolo[2,3- b ]indole (IDID) moiety at position-5 of the pyrimidine ring by a one-pot four-component reaction of dimedone, aniline and substituted derivatives, barbituric acid/thiobarbituric acid and isatin under mild conditions. This method proceeds rely on a CsbndN bond formation under catalyst-free conditions affording a range of skeletally diversity 5-indolo[3,2- b ]indole-pyrimidine-based heterocycles. 5-Indolo[2,3- b ]indol-pyrimidine-2,4,6-trione and 5-indolo[2,3- b ]indol-2-thioxo-pyrimidine-4,6-dione were obtained in EtOH solvent in high yield, short reaction time and diastereoselectivity. The structural diversities of the synthesized compounds have been confirmed spectroscopically, by IR 1 H- and 13 C NMR, EI-MS spectra and elemental analyses which agree with the proposed structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) have recently been documented as an emerging pollutant that poses a critical threat to environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are commonly regarded as significant contributors to the presence of MPs. This study aimed to assess the MPs load of three wastewater treatment facilities in Oman using various treatments, including MBR, SBR, and CAS. Wastewater samples from influent, effluent, and sludge were collected and analyzed to determine the concentration, morphology, size, color, and polymer type of the MPs. A set of sieves with a mesh size range of 1 mm–45 μm was used to for filtration. Oxidation treatment was applied for all samples using Fenton's reagent, followed by density separation by sodium chloride solution. The Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR- FTIR) method was utilized to test 10% from each sampling point to confirm the polymer types of the MPs. The pollution load index (PLI) and hazard index (HI) have been employed to assess the risk associated with the chemical toxicity and concentration of detected particles. The PROMETHEE method was used to rank the risk of sampling sites based on different criteria that posed potential ecological and human health risks. The results indicate that the average concentrations of 0.99 MP/L, 1.38 MP/L, and 0.93 MP/L were detected in the final treated effluent of WWTP A, WWTP B, and WWTP C, respectively. These concentrations correspond to overall removal efficiencies of 82.5%, 77.4%, and 79.2% for WWTP A, WWTP B, and WWTP C, respectively Most MPs found in tertiary effluent were smaller particles (425 μm) and fiber-shaped. The major types of MPs were polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This study showed that treated effluent and sludge release significant MPs into the environment. [Display omitted] • MPs are a major threat to humans and ecosystems, with wastewater treatment plants as a key source. • In Oman, this study assessed different treatment methods' impact on MP removal rates and load. • Sampling and analysis examined MPs' concentration, size, shape, colour, and polymer type, focusing on tiny fibres. • Results showed removal efficiencies ranging from 77.4% to 82.5%, but significant MPs still entered the environment. • Major MP Types included PP, LDPE, PU, PET, and PVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a robust evacuation framework that integrates the hydrodynamic model into a traffic simulation model. • We quantify the risk of flooding on evacuation routes in a GIS framework. • Results enhance the emergency evacuation planning during extreme storm events. Developing an effective real-time evacuation strategy during extreme storm events such as hurricanes has been a topic of critical significance to the emergency planning and response community. The spatial and temporal variabilities of inland flooding during hurricanes present significant challenges for robust evacuation planning. In this study, a framework for real-time evacuation planning was developed that combines the results obtained from hydrodynamic modeling and traffic microsimulation. First, a fine-scale hydrodynamic model was developed based on depth-averaged 2D shallow-water equations (SWE) to obtain information pertaining to flood depth and velocity for planning evacuation routes during a storm event. Next, a traffic microsimulation was conducted using time-dependent information from the hydrodynamic model regarding the traffic velocities along evacuation routes during an event. An optimization technique was also implemented to reduce the overall travel time by about 6% from that of the base model. The last component of the framework involves combining the results from both models to generate a time-lapse animation of emergency evacuation based on a geographic information system (GIS). The results obtained using this framework could be easily accessed by the general public and decision-makers to enable efficient evacuation planning during extreme storm events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the dynamic viscosity (DV) is a key factor to determine the nanofluids' hydrodynamic behavior (NFs). In this research, the effect of volume fraction (φ), shear rate (SR), and temperature (T) on the DV, and torque of SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs)/ Ethylene glycol (EG) nanofluid (NF) are studied with an artificial neural network (ANN). Different machine learning (ML) models are examined to predict the rheological properties, and then the best model is selected for prediction. The results show that the torque mostly increased linearly with the SR in all samples. The slope of this enhancing trend is higher for lower T. The Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) models with the Matérn covariance function provided the best results on both datasets to predict the DV. The correlation results provided by this method to predict the DV in terms of Pearson's Linear Correlation Coefficient (PLCC), and Spearman's Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (SROCC) were 0.999 and 1, respectively. R squared (R2) was 0.996 and, the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values of about 0.24 and 1.61 represented the accuracy and power of this method to predict the DV values unseen data by the model. The GPR torque predictor model performed very well by providing a correlation of about 0.98 and an RMSE of about 4. Matérn covariance functions that used separate length scales per predictor with ν = 3 / 2 (ardmatern 32) and ν = 5 / 2 (ardmatern52) were superior to other functions. All 100 models trained on each dataset were well-trained and quite reliable. The trained models were accurate enough to be used in related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a scalable framework to combine flood damage and structural resiliency. • High resolution storm surge and 2D flooding was simulated using ADCIRC and TUFLOW. • Microscale variations in flood damage were successfully quantified. • Economic preparedness of the community dictates post disaster time of recovery. • Individual building scale damage and resiliency indices were geospatially mapped. The precise assessment of flood damage and structural resiliency is of the utmost importance for coastal communities, mitigating risk from repeated extreme storm events. However, most flood resiliency studies have been criticized for lack of accuracy and failing to depict the relationships among the hydrodynamics, structural characteristics, and community preparedness. This work intends to present an inclusive approach for quantifying community-scale flood damage and structural resiliency. Large-scale coastal flooding has been simulated and validated with semi-coupled storm surge and 2D inundation models. The depth and momentum components of flood flow were integrated with a newly developed multidimensional flood-damage assessment model, which includes the traditional depth–damage relationship as well as building height, age, configuration, and construction material to calculate the resiliency of structures as a function of recovery time, community preparedness, and level of flood-induced damage. The study region experienced flood depths ranging from 4.91 m to 8.06 m from various hurricane categories with 28.69%, 45.62%, and 92.13% damage to properties. The flood damage and resiliency results were presented via geospatial analytics at property level (i.e., microscale) and aggregated census block group (i.e., macroscale) levels, indicating the developed framework's universal applicability and scalability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Some 5-HT3 antagonists such as ondansetron have shown beneficial effects on negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of granisetron (another 5-HT3 antagonist) add-on therapy in the treatment of negative symptoms of patients with stable schizophrenia. In a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study, forty stable patients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR), were randomized to either granisetron (1 mg twice daily) or placebo (twice daily) in addition to risperidone up to 6 mg/day for eight weeks. The patients were assessed using positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and extrapyramidal symptom rating scale (ESRS) at baseline, week 4 and 8. Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) was used to assess depression at baseline and week 8. Thirty-eight patients completed the trial. Granisetron group showed a significantly greater improvement on negative subscale than the placebo group at endpoint [t(38) = 6.046, mean difference (±95% CI) = 3.2(1.8–3.7), P < 0.001]. The same effect was observed for total score [t(38) = 4.168, mean difference (95% CI) = 3.2(1.6–4.7), P < 0.001]. However the placebo and granisetron groups did not differ in their reduction of positive and general psychopathology symptoms scores. HDRS scores and its changes did not differ between the two groups. The ESRS score at week 4 was significantly lower in the granisetron than the placebo group while the two groups showed similar ESRS score at week 8. Frequency of other side effects was similar between the two groups. In summary, granisetron add-on can safely and effectively reduce the primary negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Lapatinib is a hydrophobic molecule. • Therapeutic effects of lapatinib can be enhanced using drug delivery systems. • Encapsulating lapatinib in a pegylated liposomal formulation can enhance therapeutic outcomes. • Liposomal lapatinib shows promising effects on inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing autophagy and apoptosis. • Co-administration of liposomal lapatinib with liposomal doxorubicin improves the survival time. Lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has poor water solubility, which results in poor and incomplete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. To overcome this obstacle, we designed a stable and high-loaded liposomal formulation encapsulating lapatinib and examined its therapeutic efficacy in vitro and in vivo on TUBO and 4T1 cell lines. We also assessed the impact of liposomal lapatinib on the extent of the tumor and spleen-infiltrating lymphocytes and the autophagy and apoptosis gene expression within the tumor site. Our results showed that liposomal lapatinib inhibits cell proliferation and significantly induces autophagy and apoptosis compared to control groups. Moreover, when it used in combination with liposomal doxorubicin, it extended the time to end from 22.4 ± 3.5 in the control group to 40 days in the TUBO cell line and from 29.2 ± 1.7 to 38.6 ± 2.2 days in 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer cell line, which reveals its promising effects on the survival of tumor-bearing mice. Our results indicated the need for further evaluations to understand liposomal lapatinib's potential effects on autophagy, apoptosis, and particularly on immune system cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immunosuppressive cells causing resistance to immunotherapies in cancer tumors. In the current study, various immunogenic and therapeutic features of the combination therapies with non-liposomal Doxorubicin (Dox) and the E75 immunogenic peptide (Pep), derived from the human epidermal receptor-2 (HER-2), are investigated in parallel with their liposomal formulations (Lip-Dox (Doxil®) and Lip-Pep). Therefore, triple injection doses of Lip-Pep were preceded with Dox and Lip-Dox injections in TUBO/breast tumor-bearing BALB/c mice. Chemotherapy with either Dox or Lip-Dox reduced the frequency of MDSCs, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and MDSCs-associated genes of Arg1, iNOS, S100A8, S100A9. Whereas Lip-Pep + Dox and Lip-Pep + Lip-Dox treatments synergistically potentiated the immunized splenocytes to produce INF-γ and enhanced the frequency of the anti-tumor CD8+ and CD4+ T cells as opposed to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens. Chemo-immunotherapy increased the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and reduced the level of CD25+ FoxP3+ T regulatory cells. Taken together, chemo-immunotherapy was the optimum treatment for the limitation of tumor progression as they targeted more cancer-related immune players. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]