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Background: Almost by default, young adult students are at increased risk of suffering from mental health issues, and this holds particularly true for medical students. Indeed, compared to the general population and non-medical students, medical students report higher scores for symptoms of depression. For Swiss medical students, research on the associations between psychiatric characteristics and symptoms of depression and insomnia, including cognitive–emotional processes and social activity, has been lacking so far. Given this, the aims of the present study were to relate self-declared psychiatric characteristics to symptoms of depression, insomnia, emotion regulation, and social activity. Methods: A total of 575 medical students (mean age: 22.4 years; 68.9% females) completed an online survey covering sociodemographic information (age and gender), study context (year of study), self-declared psychiatric characteristics and symptoms of depression, insomnia, emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal vs. emotion suppression), and social activity. Data on insomnia sum scores and categories of historical samples (862 non-medical students and 533 police and emergency response service officers) were used for comparison. Results: Of the 575 participants, 190 participants (33%) self-declared psychiatric issues, such as major depressive disorder; anxiety disorders, including PTSD and adjustment disorders; eating disorders; ADHD; or a combination of such psychiatric issues. Self-reporting a psychiatric issue was related to higher symptoms of depression and insomnia and lower symptoms of social activity and cognitive reappraisal (always with significant p-values and medium effect sizes). Compared to historical data for non-medical students and police and emergency response service officers, medical students reported higher insomnia scores. In a regression model, current self-declared psychiatric issues, female gender, higher scores for insomnia, and lower scores for social activity were associated with higher scores for depression. Conclusions: Among a sample of Swiss medical students, the occurrence of self-declared psychiatric issues was associated with higher scores for depression and insomnia and lower cognitive reappraisal and social activity. Further, insomnia scores and insomnia categories were higher when compared to non-medical students and to police and emergency response service officers. The data suggest that medical schools might introduce specifically tailored intervention and support programs to mitigate medical students' mental health issues. This holds particularly true for insomnia, as standardized and online-delivered treatment programs for insomnia (eCBTi) are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of water extract of Black seeds powder (Nigella sativa) on the nutritional quality of smoke-dried African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). A total of one hundred (100) live Clarias gariepinus weighing between 500 to 900g were used for the experiments. They were slaughtered, gutted and washed thoroughly with water. The fish was assigned at random to five different treatments using different concentrations of Black seeds extracts 0g/L (T1) as control, 50g/L (T2), 100g/L (T3), 150g/L (T4) and 200g/L (T5) of Black Seed powder each soaked in one (1) litre of water. Each treatment was replicated four times. The treated fish and control were then dripped under shaded for a period of an hour, arranged randomly in an improved drum smoke drying kiln and smoke-dried for a period of 30 hours using charcoal gotten from guava (Psidium guajava) tree wood. The smoke-dried fish were divided into three batches for proximate composition, sensory evaluation and microbial analysis. Data obtained was subjected to analyses of variance and the differences among the means separated using least significant difference (LSD) at 5% confidence level for proximate analysis and average means for organoleptic. The result revealed significantly (P<0.05) higher protein (68.87 and 67.79) in T5 and T4, Ether extract (22.40, 22.21 and 22.15) in T3, T4 and T5, although Nitrogen Free Extract was higher (11.67 and 11.40) in T1 and T4 but was statistically similar to T5 (10.83), dry matter was higher (91.56, 91.12 and 91.03) at T3, T4 and T5 respectively. The sensory characteristics observed with the panel response revealed that T5, T4, T3, and T2 have highest response for taste, flavor, Texture and aroma with mean likeness been higher according to concentration. The Black seed extracts increases both the nutritional quality (crude protein, ether extract and the dry matter content) and consumer acceptability in terms of taste, flavour, aroma, and texture of catfish because of its nutritional composition and spice nature. The microbial load of the smoke-dried fish decreases with increment of black seed extract. Thus, soaking African Catfish with up to 200g/liter of water concentration of Black seed is recommended before smoke-drying to reduce bacterial and fungal count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulse pressure index as a function of pulse pressure divided by systolic blood pressure served is a useful predictor of cardiovascular events. Objectives: Our aim was to assess the pulse pressure index as a discriminating variable of predicting cardiovascular events in untreated or hypertensive patients and treated with one member of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers by using the scores of Framingham study. Materials and methods: This observational cross-sectional study, including 140 patients who grouped into; Group I (n = 30): untreated hypertensive patients; Group II (n = 60): patients treated with angiotensin receptor blockers; and Group III (n = 50): patients treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. Anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, and blood pressure were determined. The probability of ten-year of cardiovascular events was calculated according to the Framingham study scores using The University of Edinburgh Cardiovascular Risk Calculator (http://cvrisk.mvm.ed.ac.uk/calculator/calc.asp). Results: There is a non-significant difference between Groups and within Groups of age, smoking habit, and the values of the cardio metabolic risk factors. Pulse pressure index as an independent risk factor found to be a significant discriminator of 10-year prediction of cardiovascular events by using the receiving operating characteristic curves. Conclusion: The pulse pressure index is a useful discriminator of predicting cardiovascular events, and it will improve the Framingham prediction risk among hypertensive patients.

A facile and sensible spectrofluorimetric approach for the measurement of two antipsychotic medications, aripiperazole (ARP) and clozapine (CLZ), was devised and validated. The approach involves reacting the examined medicines with o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol in a borate buffer of pH 9.0 and pH 10 for ARP and CLZ, respectively, to produce a robustly fluorescent compound that is detected at 450 nm following excitation at 340 nm. The experimental variables influencing the performance and product stability were thoroughly investigated and optimized. Under optimal conditions, the intensity of the fluorescence was linear during a concentration range of 0.1–0.5 μg/mL, with a limit of detection (0.0391 and 0.0400 μg/mL) and limit of quantitation (0.1035 and 0.1332 μg/mL), respectively, for ARP and CLZ. The suggested approach was successful in analyzing commercialized tablets. A statistical investigation of the results produced by the suggested and standard methods showed no remarkable variation in the precision and accuracy of the two approaches. A chemical mechanism using o-phthalaldehyde was proposed.

Green hydrogen is considered to be one of the best candidates for fossil fuels in the near future. Bio-hydrogen production from the dark fermentation of organic materials, including organic wastes, is one of the most cost-effective and promising methods for hydrogen production. One of the main challenges posed by this method is the low production rate. Therefore, optimizing the operating parameters, such as the initial pH value, operating temperature, N/C ratio, and organic concentration (xylose), plays a significant role in determining the hydrogen production rate. The experimental optimization of such parameters is complex, expensive, and lengthy. The present research used an experimental data asset, adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) modeling, and particle swarm optimization to model and optimize hydrogen production. The coupling between ANFIS and PSO demonstrated a robust effect, which was evident through the improvement in the hydrogen production based on the four input parameters. The results were compared with the experimental and RSM optimization models. The proposed method demonstrated an increase in the biohydrogen production of 100 mL/L compared to the experimental results and a 200 mL/L increase compared to the results obtained using ANOVA.

A series of novel pyran-linked phthalazinone-pyrazole hybrids were designed and synthesized by a facile one-pot three-component reaction employing substituted phthalazinone, 1H-pyrazole-5-carbaldehyde, and active methylene compounds. Optimization studies led to the identification of L-proline and ethanol as efficient catalyst and solvent, respectively. This was followed by evaluation of anticancer activity against solid tumor cell lines of lung and cervical carcinoma that displayed IC50 values in the range of 9.8–41.6 µM. Molecular modeling studies were performed, and crucial interactions with the target protein were identified. The drug likeliness nature of the compounds and molecular descriptors such as molecular flexibility, complexity, and shape index were also calculated to understand the potential of the synthesized molecules to act as lead-like molecule upon further detailed biological investigations as well as 3D-QSAR studies.

A molecular modeling assisted rational design and synthesis of naphthalene diimide linked bis-naphthalimides as potential DNA interactive agents is described. Chemical templates incorporating naphthalene diimide as a linker in bis-naphthalimide motif were subjected to molecular docking analysis at specific intercalation and telomeric DNA G-quadruplex sites. Excellent results were obtained, which were better than the standards. A short and convenient synthetic route was employed to access these hybrids experimentally, followed by evaluation of their ability to cause thermal denaturation of DNA and cytotoxic properties along with ADME predictions. The obtained results provided useful insights and two potential molecules were identified for further development.

The prediction of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of chemical reactions is increasingly being addressed by machine-learning (ML) methods, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs). While a number of recent studies have reported success in predicting chemical reaction activation energies, less attention has been focused on how the accuracy of ML predictions filters through to predictions of macroscopic observables. Here, we consider the impact of the uncertainty associated with ML prediction of activation energies on observable properties of chemical reaction networks, as given by microkinetics simulations based on ML-predicted reaction rates. After training an ANN to predict activation energies, given standard molecular descriptors for reactants and products alone, we performed microkinetics simulations of three different prototypical reaction networks: formamide decomposition, aldol reactions, and decomposition of 3-hydroperoxypropanal. We find that the kinetic modeling predictions can be in excellent agreement with corresponding simulations performed with ab initio calculations, but this is dependent on the inherent energetic landscape of the networks. We use these simulations to suggest some guidelines for when ML-based activation energies can be reliable and when one should take more care in applications to kinetics modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug resistance of bacteria is a significant threat to human civilization while the action of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria is severely limited owing to the hydrophobic nature of drug molecules, which unquestionably inhibit its permanency for clinical applications. The antibacterial action of nanomaterials offers major modalities to combat drug resistance of bacteria. The current work reports the use of nano–metal-organic frameworks encapsulating drug molecules to enhance its antibacterial activity against model drug-resistant bacteria and biofilm of the bacteria. We have attached rifampicin (RF), a well-documented antituberculosis drug with tremendous pharmacological significance, into the pore surface of zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF8) by a simple synthetic procedure. The synthesized ZIF8 has been characterized using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method before and after drug encapsulation. The electron microscopic strategies such as scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope methods were performed to characterize the binding between ZIF8 and RF. We have also performed picosecond-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to validate the formation of the ZIF8-RF nanohybrids (NHs). The drug release profile experiment demonstrates that ZIF8-RF depicts pH-responsive drug delivery and is ideal for targeting bacterial disease corresponding to its inherent acidic nature. Most remarkably, ZIF8-RF gives enhanced antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and also prompts entire damage of structurally robust bacterial biofilms. Overall, the present study depicts a detailed physical insight for manufactured antibiotic-encapsulated NHs presenting tremendous antimicrobial activity that can be beneficial for manifold practical applications.

Background: Psoriasis is a multifactorial and inflammatory skin disease. The etiology is not well. A large number of cytokines have been shown to be elevated in serum concentration and psoriatic lesion, and the elevation is correlate with psoriasis severity. Objective: To evaluate TNF-a and TGF-B1 index in psoriasis which could help as predictive marker of severity of psoriasis in Baquba teaching hospital Iraq. Patients and Methods: Forty nine patients with psoriasis (27male and 22 female) were included in this study . Their age range between (7-70) years old. The study was performed in Baquba Teaching Hospital during period from December 2018 to June 2019. Each case was diagnosed by Dermatologist. Results: In our study we compare the mean, standard deviation and P. value of TNF-a and TGF-B in patients of psoriasis. We have found that psoriasis patients have a highly significant difference compared to controls(P=0.001) in both genders. Conclusion: This study concludes a significant association between tumor necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta-1 in psoriasis patients in both gender.

The possibilities offered by molecular modeling tools to obtain relevant data at process conditions, while also gaining molecular insights on the techniques used for CO2 capture and separation, are presented here using selected case studies. Two different technologies, absorption with amine-based systems and adsorption on porous materials, were explored, using the molecular-based equation of state, soft-Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT), and Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations, respectively. The aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) system was set as the benchmark for absorption and compared to the performance of 8 alternative amine-based systems, while 16 adsorbents belonging to different families (zeolites, metal–organic frameworks, amorphous silicas, and activated carbons), bare or functionalized with alkylamines, were investigated for the separation of CO2 by adsorption. In addition to obtaining molecular information on the CO2 capture process, the models were further used to examine the CO2 capture performance in terms of cyclic working capacity and energy index as key performance indicators, allowing the identification of promising systems that can improve the current ones to be further evaluated for separation in non-power industries. Results show that for the same total amine mass concentration, non-aqueous amine solvents have a 5–10% reduction in cyclic working capacity, and a 10–30% decrease in the energy index compared to their aqueous counterparts due to their lower heat of vaporization and specific heat capacity. In addition, M-MOF-74, NaX, and NaY structures present the best results for adsorption in temperature swing adsorption (TSA) processes. Similar values of energy requirements to those of amine-based systems (2–2.5 MJ kg CO2–1) were obtained for some of the adsorbent; however, the disadvantage of the TSA process versus absorption should be considered. These results confirm the reliability of molecular modeling as an attractive and valuable screening tool for CO2 capture and separation processes.

Background and Objectives: Sarcomas are rare malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin. Their low prevalence and histological heterogeneity make their diagnosis a challenging task. To the best of our knowledge, the epidemiology of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) was not well studied in Jordan. This study thus aimed to determine STS epidemiologic trends at King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH); a tertiary hospital that provides cancer healthcare for 70% of the population in Irbid Governorate, North Jordan. The findings of this study will provide a good reference point of the burden of STSs in Jordan and the Middle East region. Materials and Methods: All cases with confirmed STS diagnoses who attended KAUH from January 2003 until December 2018 were included in the initial analysis. Bone sarcomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and uterine sarcomas were not included in the study. Information collected from the pathology reports and electronic medical records was used to determine STS prevalence, incidence rate, age and gender distributions, histological types and anatomic location. Cases were reviewed by three pathologists with interest in soft tissue tumors. The findings were compared with literature. Results: In total, 157 STS cases were reported (1.9% of cancers diagnosed at KAUH during the 16-year study period). Crude annual incidence rate (IR) per 100,000 person-years ranged from 0.48 in 2015 to 1.83 in 2011 (average = 1.04). Age-standardized IR (ASR)(World WHO 2000–2025) was 1.37. Male:female ratio was 1.3:1. Median age was 39 years. Age ranged from Conclusion: STSs are rare in North Jordan. A slight increase in their incidence was identified during the study period similar to global trends. The collection of relevant data on established risk factors along with a broader scale evaluation of the epidemiology of STS in the Middle East region is recommended to better evaluate disease burden and trends.