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• Nepalese older people experiencing the disasters had an intermediate level of resilience. • The associated factors of resilience among older disaster survivors are age, marital status, literacy status, a current health problem, current regular personal income, frequent visits to HCCs, perceived QoL changes after earthquakes, and social support. Therefore, it is necessary to consider these findings while providing care to them. • It is a necessity for researching in the future for exploring other factors that enhance and impact the resilience of older people. Resilience is a valuable resource in attaining a productive life as well as successful and healthy aging. Little is known about how older people who have experienced the impacts of disasters have fared, especially after earthquakes, in the long term. This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to identify resilience and its associated factors among 324 older disaster survivors. Accordingly, participants reported having an intermediate level of resilience (48.5%), followed by low (28.7%) and high (22.8%) levels. Age, marital status, literacy status, current regular personal income, current health problem, frequent visits to health care centers, perceived quality of life changes after earthquakes, and perceived social support had a statistically significant association with resilience accounting for 33% of the variance in resilience. Nurses, mental health professionals, and other health care practitioners should consider these findings for promoting the resilience of older disaster survivors and develop multidimensional interventions for their disaster preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience is important to adapt and deal with difficult situations, particularly in a disaster, yet its related factors among older adults are unknown. This study aimed to synthesize the factors enhancing resilience among older adults experiencing disaster. A systematic review was conducted using international databases, i.e., CINAHL, ProQuest, JAMA Network, SCOPUS, Ovid, PubMed, and Google Scholar since 2000. The studies were independently appraised by two authors using a quality appraisal tool and the parallel-results convergent synthesis design was adopted for the synthesis. Five articles related to technological disasters, hurricanes, floods, and typhoons were included for review. Consideration for methodological strengths was limited in some studies. The factors enhancing the resilience of older adults were categorized into (1) demographic, (2) physical, (3) psychological, (4) spiritual, and (5) socio-cultural factors. The studies revealed that previous experience, social support and spirituality were the common factors. Five factors related to resilience should be considered by nurses and other health professionals when caring for older adults experiencing disasters. Due to limited robust evidence and the diverse contexts of the selected studies, future research remains important to enhance the older adults' resilience in long term care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Assessed governance quality of Nepal, Bhutan, India and Myanmar at three levels. • Myanmar has the highest total score followed by Nepal, India and Bhutan. • "Resources" received the lowest score, whereas "Durability" received the highest. • CBFMS has the ability to solve problems and ensure its sustainability. • Apply the highest-ranked four or five indicators across the whole country. Abstract Community-based forest management systems (CBFMS) are becoming increasingly popular in developing countries where 31% of the total forest is either managed or owned by the community. This paper presents the results of a four-country study conducted in 2017 in Nepal, Bhutan, India and Myanmar concerning the governance quality of CBFMS. The introduction outlines the global threat to forests, the contribution that forest-based emissions make to climate change, and the policy response of the international and national communities including REDD +. The next section provides a snapshot of CBFMS in the four case study countries, and is followed by an account of the methodology, approach, framework of analysis and sampling surveys undertaken during the course of, and informing, the research. The results of the surveys revealed that perceptions of governance quality, as well as governance priorities, varied between the countries, and also at the three levels of government (national, sub-national and local) within a country. For example, Myanmar and Bhutan had very high governance ratings from local levels compared to other levels, whereas, Nepal and India had similar ratings for all levels. Further, regarding the prioritisation of different indicators, Myanmar gave highest priority to "inclusiveness" at the local level but "democracy" at the national level. The reasons for the similarities and differences between and within these countries and the possible implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals contamination in soil and water resources is a great threat to developing countries because of the lack of waste treatment facilities. A majority of wastewater treatment methods are known to be expensive and out of reach for municipalities and small pollution treatment enterprises. Phytotechnology is a promising, sustainable, environment-friendly, and cost-effective technique for domestic and industrial wastewater treatment in places where land is available. However, interest in conventional remediation methods and the lack of information on recent advances in a significant portion of the society in developing countries have restrained the applications of phytoremediation. This review discusses the concept of phytoremediation, mechanisms of heavy metals removal by plants, and the potential application of enhanced phytoremediation technologies in developing countries like Nepal. The authors also review the commercially viable hyperaccumulator species with their native distribution, heavy metals intake capacity, and their availability in Nepal. Those native plants can be utilized locally or introduced strategically in other parts/countries as well. Thus, for a flora-rich country like Nepal, this study holds great potential and presents enhanced phytoremediation as an effective and sustainable strategy for the future. [Display omitted] • Heavy metals contamination in soil and water is a major problem in developing countries like Nepal. • Conventional treatment methods are costly and less effective in the remediation of heavy metals. • Enhanced phytoremediation can be adopted as an economic, eco-friendly, and sustainable method. • Phytoremediation holds great potential for resource recovery and commercial utility. • Level of heavy metals removal is both plant species- and metals-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the kinetics of oxide formation on an ultrathin copper (Cu) film is important both for fundamental understanding and for application, such as the use of copper as interconnects in semiconductor integrated circuits. We used angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to study the growth mechanism of Cu oxides at ambient conditions over times ranging from 1 h to 120 days after the preparation of a 50 nm-thick epitaxial Cu(1 0 0) film. We analyzed high resolution spectra near O 1s, Cu 2p and Cu LMM peaks to understand the kinetics of oxidation and to estimate overall oxide thickness as a function of time. We demonstrate that the oxide thickness of the epitaxial Cu film follows approximately an inverse logarithmic growth rate law, and that the rate of oxidation is substantially slower in epitaxial films than in polycrystalline films reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We conducted a comprehensive review of the epidemiology of epilepsy in the Arab world.Methods: Epidemiological literature about epilepsy from 22 countries of the Arab League was searched in French and English using several keywords (specific and wider) and combinations, individually for each country. The search was conducted on Google first and then on PubMed. The results are presented as counts, proportions, and medians along with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Unpaired t-test with unequal variance and regressions were performed, altogether and individually, for lifetime and active epilepsy prevalence as well as incidence.Results: Google provided 21 prevalence, four camp and nine incidence estimates while PubMed provided ten such estimates; none of them was identified by Google. No epidemiological data about epilepsy was found from 10/22 countries. Excluding pediatric studies, 13 prevalence estimates from six countries were identified. Including pediatric studies, 21 estimates from nine countries were found. Median lifetime and active epilepsy prevalence were 7.5/1000 (95% CI 2.6-12.3, range 1.9-12.9) and 4.4/1000 (95% CI 2.1-9.3, range 2.1-9.3), respectively, excluding pediatric studies (1984-2014, N=244081). Median incidence was 56.0/100,000 (n=9, N=122484, 95% CI 13.7-147.9, range 10.4-190).Conclusion: The fact that no epidemiological data about epilepsy is available in the public domain for almost one half of all Arab countries offers opportunities for future research. This thorough review of existing literature demonstrates a prevalence of epilepsy three times higher than previously reported for this region. The median incidence is similar to other regions of the world, e.g. North America. Google yielded additional valuable sources not indexed in PubMed and provided pertinent references more quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of protective factors of resilience among older adults experiencing disasters is essential to the promotion of a positive and successful psychosocial and spiritual adaptation to life adversities in the post-disaster phase. This cross-sectional analytical study was done to examine the factors explaining resilience among 303 randomly selected older adults experiencing disasters. Data were collected using the Socio-demographic, Personal, and Earthquake-related questions and another ten sets of standards and reliable instruments measuring explanatory and outcome variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics namely Pearson Product Moment Correlation were employed to analyze the data including path analysis for identifying the factors associated with resilience. The results reveal that the model shows a good fit with the empirical data that explained 75% of variance by self-efficacy, perceived stress, spirituality, self-esteem, and social support on resilience, and 47% of variance by self-esteem, social support, and perceived stress on self-efficacy. The strongest statistically significant factor explaining resilience was self-efficacy. Thus, resilience-focused interventions or services should be designed for public health practitioners, social workers, nurses, and other health professionals to enhance intrapersonal protective factors such as enhancing self-efficacy, creating a spiritual environment, alleviating perceived stress, and promoting self-esteem and social support which could foster older adults' survivors' resilience, both during and after disasters. • The statistically proved model of resilience among older adults exposed to earthquake-related disasters highlights self-efficacy as the substantial explanatory variable of resilience. • The public health practitioners, social workers, nurses, and other health professionals should play a vital role for promoting self-efficacy (via fostering self-esteem, social support, and alleviating stress), creating a spiritual environment, and lessening the stress level in order to enhance the resilience among older adults experiencing earthquake-related disasters. • This study extends the knowledge on gerontology research related to disaster resilience specific to earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nurses of developing countries remain inadequately prepared to deal with disasters. • Education and training as well as organizational factors were associated with disaster preparedness. • Skills for leadership and communication, resource mobilization, health economics, risk analysis, and epidemiology, are essential. • Training and education on disaster nursing, simulated disaster drills and exercises are strongly recommended strategies. • Interventional studies on disaster preparedness and development of disaster preparedness scales are necessary. Nurse preparedness and prompt response are essential to save lives and reduce the consequences of disasters and emerging pandemics. This paper aimed to synthesize the available evidence that demonstrates the adequacy on disaster preparedness among nurses in developing countries. Five stages of the integrative review approach were employed. Seventeen articles from 2010 to 2019 were selected using different databases after a quality appraisal performed by two researchers independently. The findings were summarized and synthesized based on the themes concerning disaster preparedness among nurses. The major themes emerged were disaster knowledge and perceived self-preparedness. Nurses were found to have a weak-to-average or a low-to-moderate level of disaster preparedness based on their knowledge and perception. Education and training were discovered to be vital factors, often requiring a variety of strategies, for the enhancement of the nurses' preparedness level. This review concludes that nurses in developing countries remain inadequately prepared on all domains of disaster nursing competencies. Therefore, providing well-designed disaster nursing educational packages, training manuals, and support to attend disaster drills or partake in actual disaster events are essential to the enhancement of disaster preparedness and the retention of relevant skills among nurses in all sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physics simulations like computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are a computational bottleneck in computer-aided design (CAD) optimization processes. To overcome this bottleneck, one requires either an optimization framework that is highly sample-efficient, or a fast data-driven proxy (surrogate model) for long-running simulations. Both approaches have benefits and limitations. Bayesian optimization is often used for sample efficiency, but it solves one specific problem and struggles with transferability; alternatively, surrogate models can offer fast and often more generalizable solutions for CFD problems, but gathering data for and training such models can be computationally demanding. In this work, we leverage recent advances in optimization and artificial intelligence (AI) to explore both of these potential approaches, in the context of designing an optimal unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) hull. For first approach, we investigate and compare the sample efficiency and convergence behavior of different optimization techniques with a standard CFD solver in the optimization loop. For the second approach, we develop a deep neural network (DNN) based surrogate model to approximate drag forces that would otherwise be computed via the CFD solver. The surrogate model is in turn used in the optimization loop of the hull design. Our study finds that the Bayesian Optimization—Lower Condition Bound (BO-LCB) algorithm is the most sample-efficient optimization framework and has the best convergence behavior of those considered. Subsequently, we show that our DNN-based surrogate model predicts drag force on test data in tight agreement with CFD simulations, with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.85%. Combining these results, we demonstrate a two-orders-of-magnitude speedup (with comparable accuracy) for the design optimization process when the surrogate model is used. To our knowledge, this is the first study applying Bayesian optimization and DNN-based surrogate modeling to the problem of UUV design optimization, and we share our developments as open-source software. • We evaluate various optimization algorithms on the task of optimal UUV hull design. • An AI surrogate model approach eschews a CFD solver in the design optimization loop. • We provide a ready-to-use software package for drag-based design optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found reasonably good black nickel coating when current density was maintained in between 2 mA/cm2 ≤ Id ≤ 4 mA/cm2. • Coating on tube found to possess different structural features from that of the films coated on copper sheets. • Black nickel based collectors were superior in its thermal performance by 20% than that of black paint based product. In the present study, the possibility of devising efficient and durable black nickel selective coating based solar thermal collectors (STCs) at ambient temperature was explored. For this, NASA electrochemical bath initially formulated by Peterson and Lin [Final Report: NASA-CR-149928, 1976] was employed. Quality of the STCs were optimized by evaluating pH, temperature, electric current density (I d) and deposition time (T d) dependence of optical, structural and thermal performance of the black nickel coating on the copper sheets and tubes. The optical measurements in the UV–Vis–NIR and NIR-MIR ranges inferred us that at pH ≈ 5.8, temperature in the range 20–25 °C, 2 mA/cm2 ≤ I d ≤ 4 mA/cm2 and 5 min. ≤ T d ≤ 7 min. result in reasonably good black nickel coatings with optimal selectivity factor. Moreover, from the analysis of XRD spectra, for the first time we observed the significantly larger crystallites size of coatings on Cu sheets than that of the coating on tubes. Observed thermal performances (evaluated by measuring the collector efficiencies) indicate that the electro-deposited black nickel-based STCs were superior by more than 20% over black paint based STCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most prevalent lethal genetic diseases with over 2000 identified mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Pharmacological chaperones such as lumacaftor (VX-809), tezacaftor (VX-661), and elexacaftor (VX-445) treat mutationinduced defects by stabilizing CFTR and are called correctors. These correctors improve proper folding and thus facilitate processing and trafficking to increase the amount of functional CFTR on the cell surface. Yet, CFTR variants display differential responses to each corrector. Here, we report that variants P67L and L206W respond similarly to VX-809 but divergently to VX-445 with P67L exhibiting little rescue when treated with VX-445. We investigate the underlying cellular mechanisms of how CFTR biogenesis is altered by correctors in these variants. Affinity purification-mass spectrometry multiplexed with isobaric tandem mass tags was used to quantify CFTR protein-protein interaction changes between variants P67L and L206W. VX-445 facilitates unique proteostasis factor interactions especially in translation, folding, and degradation pathways in a CFTR variant-dependent manner. A number of these interacting proteins knocked down by siRNA, such as ribosomal subunit proteins, moderately rescued fully glycosylated P67L. Importantly, these knockdowns sensitize P67L to VX-445 and further enhance the trafficking correction of this variant. Partial inhibition of protein translation also mildly sensitizes P67L CFTR to VX-445 correction, supporting a role for translational dynamics in the rescue mechanism of VX-445. Our results provide a better understanding of VX-445 biological mechanism of action and reveal cellular targets that may sensitize nonresponsive CFTR variants to known and available correctors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defective proteostasis is associated with the gradual accumulations of misfolded proteins and is a hallmark of many age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. In the aged brain, maintenance of the proteostasis network presents a substantial challenge, and its loss contributes to the onset and progression of neurological diseases associated with cognitive decline due to the generation of toxic protein aggregates, a process termed 'proteinopathy'. Emerging evidence suggests that reversing proteinopathies by boosting proteostasis might provide an effective means of preventing neurodegeneration. From this perspective, phytochemicals may play significant roles as potent modulators of the proteostasis network, as previous reports have suggested they can interact with various network components to modify pathologies and confer neuroprotection. This review focuses on some potent phytochemicals that directly or indirectly modulate the proteostasis network and on their possible molecular targets. In addition, we propose strategies for the natural product-based modulation of proteostasis machinery that target proteinopathies. • Loss of proteostasis network promotes the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates. • Activation of proteostasis can halt neurodegeneration. • Phytochemicals boost proteostasis either directly or indirectly through diverse signaling pathways. • Phytochemicals are reported to act on several targets, including ER, HSP90, SIRT1 and CB2, enhancing proteostasis networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centella asiatica is a 'medhya-rasayana (nootrophic or memory booster)' herb that has been indicated in Ayurveda for improving memory function and treating dementia disorders. Although the neuroprotective effects of C. asiatica have been reported in earlier studies, the information on whether this nootropic herb could promote early differentiation and development of axon and dendrites in primary hippocampal neurons is currently limited. To investigate the effects of C. asiatica and asiatic acid, one of the principal active constituents of C. asiatica , on the various stages of neuronal polarity, including early neuronal differentiation, axonal outgrowth, dendritic arborization, axonal maturation, and synaptic formation. Embryonic rat hippocampal neurons were incubated with C. asiatica leaf extract (CAE) or asiatic acid. After an indicated time, neurons were fixed and immunolabeled to visualize the neuronal morphology. Morphometric analyses for early neuronal differentiation, axonal and dendritic maturation and synaptogenesis were performed using Image J software. Neuronal viability was determined using trypan blue exclusion assay. CAE at varying concentrations ranging from 3.75 to 15 μg/mL enhanced neurite outgrowth with the highest optimal concentration of 7.5 μg/mL. The effects of CAE commenced immediately after cell seeding, as indicated by its accelerating effect on neuronal differentiation. Subsequently, CAE significantly elaborated dendritic and axonal morphology and facilitated synapse formation. Asiatic acid also facilitated neurite outgrowth, but to a lesser extent than CAE. These findings revealed that CAE exerted its modulatory effects in every stage of neuronal development, supporting its previously claimed neurotrophic function and suggest that this natural nootropic and its active component asiatic acid can be further investigated to explore a promising solution for degenerative brain disorders and injuries. Image 1 • Centella asiatica is a popular herb in Ayurveda for improving memory function. • C. asiatica accelerates early neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth. • C. asiatica elaborates dendritic and axonal morphology and facilitates synaptogenesis. • Asiatic acid promotes neurite outgrowth, but to a lesser extent than C. asiatica does. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proteinopathy is the common hallmarks of many age-related neurodegenerative disorders. • Activation of proteostasis can reverse proteinopathies and halt neurodegenerations. • Cannabidiol can boost proteostasis through diverse signaling pathways of proteostasis. • Cannabidiol reduces oxidative stress and neuroinflammation of brain. • Cannabidiol modulates protein clearance system and also inhibits Ca2+ induced protein misfolding. The aberrant accumulation of disease-specific protein aggregates accompanying cognitive decline is a pathological hallmark of age-associated neurological disorders, also termed as proteinopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Along with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, disruption in protein homeostasis (proteostasis), a network that constitutes protein surveillance system, plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology of these dementia disorders. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid of Cannabis sativa , is known for its pleiotropic neuropharmacological effects on the central nervous system, including the ability to abate oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and protein misfolding. Over the past years, compelling evidence has documented disease-modifying role of CBD in various preclinical and clinical models of neurological disorders, suggesting the potential therapeutic implications of CBD in these disorders. Because of its putative role in the proteostasis network in particular, CBD could be a potent modulator for reversing not only age-associated neurodegeneration but also other protein misfolding disorders. However, the current understanding is insufficient to underpin this proposition. In this review, we discuss the potentiality of CBD as a pharmacological modulator of the proteostasis network, highlighting its neuroprotective and aggregates clearing roles in the neurodegenerative disorders. We anticipate that the current effort will advance our knowledge on the implication of CBD in proteostasis network, opening up a new therapeutic window for aging proteinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]