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This study investigates the factors affecting the effectiveness of Ruqyah (Islamic healing) treatments in Malaysia’s Darussyifa’ Islamic Treatment Center, focusing on the roles of Symptoms of Illness, Patient Management, Daily Patient Follow-up Practice, and Illness Disorder Assessment. The research aims to understand how these factors contribute to the effectiveness of treatments provided by Ruqyah practitioners. A conceptual model was developed to outline the expected relationships between these predictors and treatment outcomes. Utilizing a cross-sectional, quantitative approach to examine cause-and-effect relationships, data from 272 respondents were collected through surveys and analyzed using the PLS-SEM method. The findings reveal that, except for the Illness Disorder Assessment’s role as a moderating factor, which showed no significant impact, all other relationships in the model were significant. Daily Patient Follow-up Practice emerged as the most critical factor for improving treatment effectiveness, followed by Patient Management. Additionally, the identification of symptoms plays a crucial role in enhancing patient management practices at the Darussyifa’ Malaysia center. This research highlights the importance of continuous patient engagement and effective management in optimizing Ruqyah treatment outcomes, while suggesting areas for further investigation regarding the unanticipated insignificance of Illness Disorder Assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of scientific journals poses challenges owing to the existence of various impact measures. This is because journal ranking is a multidimensional construct that may not be assessed effectively using a single metric such as an impact factor. A few studies have proposed an ensemble of metrics to prevent the bias induced by an individual metric. In this study, a multi-metric journal ranking method based on the standardized average index (SA index) was adopted to develop an extended standardized average index (ESA index). The ESA index utilizes six metrics: the CiteScore, Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP), SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), Hirsh index (H-index), Eigenfactor Score, and Journal Impact Factor from three well-known databases (Scopus, SCImago Journal & Country Rank, and Web of Science). Experiments were conducted in two computer science subject areas: (1) artificial intelligence and (2) computer vision and pattern recognition. Comparing the results of the multi-metric-based journal ranking system with the SA index, it was demonstrated that the multi-metric ESA index exhibited high correlation with all other indicators and significantly outperformed the SA index. To further evaluate the performance of the model and determine the aggregate impact of bibliometric indices with the ESA index, we employed unsupervised machine learning techniques such as clustering coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). These techniques were utilized to measure the clustering impact of various bibliometric indicators on both the complete set of bibliometric features and the reduced set of features. Furthermore, the results of the ESA index were compared with those of other ranking systems, including the internationally recognized Scopus, SJR, and HEC Journal Recognition System (HJRS) used in Pakistan. These comparisons demonstrated that the multi-metric-based ESA index can serve as a valuable reference for publishers, journal editors, researchers, policymakers, librarians, and practitioners in journal selection, decision making, and professional assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested whether CRP combined with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) optimizes the prediction of infectious inflammation in hemodialysis patients. We conducted a retrospective study of 774 (mean age 71.1 ± 12.8 years, 35% women) hemodialysis patients from our institution, hospitalized between 2007 and 2021 for various reasons, with CRP levels available at admission. Infection was defined according to the International Sepsis Definition Conference criteria. An algorithm for the optimal CRP and NLR cutoff points for predicting infection was developed based on a decision tree analysis in the training cohort (n = 620) and then tested in the validation cohort (n = 154). A CRP level above 40 mg/L (obtained as the cutoff point in predicting infections in the training group, using ROC curve analysis) predicted an infection diagnosis with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 76% with an odds ratio (OR) of 9.37 (95% CI: 5.36–16.39), according to a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Whereas, CRP levels above 23 mg/L together with an NLR above 9.7 predicted an infection diagnosis with a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 84% with an OR of 25.59 (95% CI: 9.73–67.31). All these results were reproduced in the validation set. Combined use of CRP with NLR may lower the CRP cutoff point in distinguishing between infectious and noninfectious inflammation in hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins' molecular weight (MW) and isoelectric point (pI) are crucial for their subcellular localization and subsequent function. These are also useful in 2D gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and X-ray protein crystallography. Moreover, visualizations like a virtual 2D proteome map of pI vs. MW are worthwhile to discuss the proteome diversity among different species. Although the genome sequence data of the fungi kingdom improved enormously, the proteomic details have been poorly elaborated. Therefore, we have calculated the MW and pI of the fungi proteins and reported them in, FungiProteomeDB, an online database (DB) https://vision4research.com/fungidb/. We analyzed the proteome of 685 fungal species that contain 7 127 141 protein sequences. The DB provides an easy-to-use and efficient interface for various search options, summary statistics and virtual 2D proteome map visualizations. The MW and pI of a protein can be obtained by searching the name of a protein, a keyword or a list of accession numbers. It also allows querying protein sequences. The DB will be helpful in hypothesis formulation and in various biotechnological applications. Database URLhttps://vision4research.com/fungidb/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational Data Mining is widely used for predicting student's performance. It's a challenging task because a plethora of features related to demographics, personality traits, socio-economic, and environmental may affect students' performance. Such varying features may depend on the level of study, program offered, nature of subject, and geographical location. This study attempted to predict the final semester's results of students studying Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) based on their pre-admission academic achievements, demographics, and first semester performance. The imbalanced data led to non-generic prediction models, so it was addressed through synthetic minority oversampling technique. Among five prediction models, the Support Vector Machine led the best with 92% accuracy. The decision tree model identified key features affecting students' performance. The analysis led to the conclusion that marks obtained in Biology, Islamiat, and Urdu at Matric and English at Intermediate level affected the students' performance in their final semester. The findings provide useful information to predict students' performance and guidelines for academic institutes' management regarding improving students' achievement. It is speculated that adoption of digital transformation may help reduce difficulty faced in data collection and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of inert gases such as nitrogen continuously during torrefaction causes a burden in terms of operational cost. Therefore, a novel concept of mild pressurization has been introduced to eliminate the dependence on the inlet gas completely. In the present study, the torrefaction of fibrous empty fruit bunch (EFB) was performed for various temperatures of 250 °C–300 °C and residence times of 30–90 min. The pressure exerted by the load during torrefaction was 0.0230 MPa. The results show that torrefaction temperature is a dominant parameter in affecting physical and physicochemical properties as well as thermal stability of the torrefied EFB rather than residence time. An increase in temperature causes an improvement in gross calorific value, hydrophobicity, atomic H/C and O/C ratios as well as thermal stability. Besides, it was found that the EFB experiences a significant change after torrefaction at temperature of 300 °C in terms of surface, microstructure, crystallographic structure and functional groups. This is mainly due to the significant decomposition of the main biomass constituents especially hemicellulose and cellulose. Overall, it can be concluded that the best performance was obtained at torrefaction temperature of 300 °C and residence time of 90 min. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The perioperative management of patients who are receiving antithrombotic (antiplatelet or anticoagulant) therapy and require urologic surgery is challenging due to the inherent risk for surgical bleeding and the need to minimize thromboembolic risk. The aim of this review is to assess the quality and consistency of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and clinical practice recommendations (CPRs) on this topic, and to summarize the evidence and associated strength of recommendations relating to perioperative antithrombotic management. Methods: A pragmatic search of electronic databases and guidelines websites was performed to identify relevant CPGs/CPRs. The AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation) instrument was used to assess the methodological quality and integrity of the CPGs. Results: The CPGs provided by the European Association of Urology (EAU), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and the European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESC/ESA), and the CPRs provided by the International Consultation on Urological Disease (ICUD)/American Urologic Association (AUA) were retrieved and reviewed. The 3 CPGs were critically assessed using the AGREE II instrument. Inconsistent recommendations were provided based on the indication for antithrombotic medication, the antiplatelet/anticoagulant agent and the type of urological procedure. Based on the AGREE II tool for CPG assessment, the EAU CPGs scored higher (83.3 points) compared to the ESC/ESA (75 points) and ACCP CPG (66.7 points). Conclusion: The perioperative management of antithrombotic therapy in urological patients is potentially challenging but inconsistent CPG of varying quality may create uncertainty as to best practices to minimize thromboembolic and bleeding risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of several important biomass pyrolysis process parameters such as the biomass feedstock type, flow pressure, biomass feeding rate and biomass particle size play an important role to ensure an efficient pyrolysis process. Unfortunately, the determination of these parameters can be cumbersome and often requires the method of trial and error. As a result, our work discusses the idea of the application of discrete phase modelling (DPM) in the fast pyrolysis process so that the optimum value of these essential parameters can be determined numerically. The numerical test demonstrated in this paper involving the fast pyrolysis of wood indicates that the application of DPM in the simulation is feasible for obtaining the initial prediction of the optimum process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Context Empiric use of medical and nutritional supplements to improve semen parameters and pregnancy rates in couples with idiopathic infertility has reached global proportions, although the evidence base for their use in this setting is controversial. Objective We systematically reviewed evidence comparing the benefits of nutritional and medical therapy on pregnancy rates and semen parameters in men with idiopathic infertility. Evidence acquisition A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and the Cochrane Library (searched from January 1, 1990 to September 19, 2017). using the methods detailed in the Cochrane Handbook. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Evidence synthesis The literature search identified 5663 citations, and after screening of abstracts and full texts, 61 studies (59 randomised controlled trials and two nonrandomised comparative studies) were included. Pooled results demonstrated that pentoxyfylline, coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, follicle-stimulating hormone, tamoxifen, and kallikrein all resulted in improvements in semen parameters. Individual studies identified several other medical and nutritional therapies that improved semen parameters, but data were limited to individual studies with inherent methodological flaws. There were limited data available on live birth and pregnancy rates for all interventions. The GRADE certainty of evidence for all outcomes was very low mainly owing to methodological flaws and inconsistencies in study design. Some outcomes were also downgraded owing to imprecision of results. Conclusions There is some evidence that empiric medical and nutritional supplements may improve semen parameters. There is very limited evidence that empiric therapy leads to better live birth rates, spontaneous pregnancy, or pregnancy following assisted-reproductive techniques. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution as there were some methodological flaws, as a number of studies were judged to be either at high or unclear risk of bias for many domains. Patient summary This review identified several medical and nutritional treatments, such as pentoxyfylline, coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, follicle-stimulating hormone, tamoxifen, and kallikrein, that appear to improve semen parameters. However, there are limited data suggesting improvements in pregnancy and live birth rates. The lack of evidence can be attributed to methodological flaws in studies and the low number of pregnancies reported. Take Home Message This systematic review indicates that medical treatment and nutritional supplementation may improve male fertility. There is some evidence that empiric therapy may lead to improved rates of live birth, spontaneous pregnancy, and pregnancy following assisted reproductive techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a numerical technique for the solution of 2D Volterra Integral Equations (2DVIEs). The proposed method is based on the discretization of 2DVIEs by using two-dimensional Bernstein's approximation. Some results are developed regarding convergence analysis which shows that the given technique converges to the exact solution rapidly. Several examples are also presented to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of media practitioners in the UAE regarding audience measurement institutions. Methods: A quantitative approach was adopted, and a survey questionnaire was designed and administered to media practitioners working at various media and advertising agencies in the UAE. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the collected data, and the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Cronbach alpha test. Additionally, the relationship between media institutions and audience measurement institutions was examined using ANOVA. Results: The findings revealed that advertising and other media specialists had limited knowledge about data providing agencies, and those who were aware expressed concerns about reliability, trust, and transparency issues with audience measurement agencies. Conclusions: The study concluded that confidence and trust serve as crucial factors missing in the relationship between media institutions and audience and marketing research agencies. Establishing a link based on unified standards for data collection and a defined set of procedures is necessary to move forward in addressing this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the simultaneous effect of the intellectual capital (IC) dimensions (human capital (HC), structural capital (SC), and relational capital (RC)) in enhancing the learning organization (LO) capability, specifically in the health sector. Design/methodology/approach - A survey data were collected from administrative staff working in a wellknown hospital in Paris. In all, 182 observations were used to test the hypotheses. The data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Findings - The results illustrate that only one dimension of IC, namely HC has a positive and significant effect on the LO capability while the other two dimensions namely SC and RC were found to have no significant effect. Research limitations/implications - The current study highlights the significance of the HC in building and enhancing the LO. Practical implications - Hospitals' decision makers should play a more decisive role in the process of attracting, maintaining, and training HR. It also confirms the importance of sustaining a sound work environment that motivates HR for continuous learning. Originality/value - Few studies have examined the impact of IC on the LO capability in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context The findings of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are used for clinical decision making. The European Association of Urology has committed increasing resources into the development of high quality clinical guidelines based on such SRs and MAs. Objective In this paper, we have summarised the process of conducting SRs for underpinning clinical practice guidelines under the auspices of the European Association of Urology Guidelines Office. Evidence acquisition The process involves explicit methods and the findings should be reproducible. When conducting a SR, the essential first step is to formulate a clear and answerable research question. An extensive literature search lays the foundation for evidence synthesis. Data are extracted independently by two reviewers and any disagreements are resolved by discussion or arbitration by a third reviewer. Evidence synthesis In SRs, data for particular outcomes in individual randomised controlled trials may be combined statistically in a meta-analysis to increase power when the studies are similar enough. Biases in studies included in a SR/MA can lead to either an over estimation or an under estimation of true intervention effect size, resulting in heterogeneity in outcome between studies. A number of different tools are available such as Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool for randomised controlled trials. In circumstances where there is too much heterogeneity, or when a review has included nonrandomised comparative studies, it is more appropriate to conduct a narrative synthesis . The GRADE tool for assessing quality of evidence strives to be a structured and transparent system, which can be applied to all evidence, regardless of quality. A SR not only identifies, evaluates, and summarises the best available evidence, but also the gaps to be targeted by future studies. Conclusions SRs and MAs are integral in developing sound clinical practice guidelines and recommendations. Patient summary Clinical practice guidelines should be evidence based, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses are essential in their production. We have discussed the key steps of conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are important carbon sinks, therefore their degradation mainly due to lowering of the water table, has an adverse effect to the carbon cycle and largely burden the atmosphere. Annually, extensive areas of these peatlands are affected by wildfires, therefore large peatland areas have been degraded, directly or indirectly related to anthropogenic activities, largely contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the most pristine tropical peatlands worldwide occur primarily at the coastal lowlands of Southeast Asia. In terms of their geological features and evolution, these sites are generally understudied despite covering more than half of the global area of tropical peatlands. This review compiles geological data from 52 peatlands from insular and continental Southeast Asia, providing a comprehensive geological dataset for future research. The Southeast Asian peatlands are mostly ombrogenous and hence poorly supplied by nutrients. During the Last Glacial Period (ca. 115,000–11,000 years ago), extensive areas were exposed because of the lowering of the seawater level, which caused a consequent lowering of the groundwater table landwards; the forests were under severe threat, mainly due to dry conditions, thus resulting in the retreat of the forest boundaries inland. This was an unfavourable environment for peatland formation and hence, most of the Southeast Asian peatlands were formed right after that period. Almost 40% of the reviewed sites are located on Borneo Island, highlighting the importance of Bornean peatlands, where many peatlands are already deforested and drained and converted to plantations. Overall, the available geological data from the Southeast Asian peatlands is incomplete and non-comparable to each other because each study has a different focus. Details, such as the type of peat-forming plants, age of peat, peat thickness, substrate type and the pH value are not reported systematically in approximately 30% of the reviewed sites, while other important geological data, such as the ash yield and the carbon content of peat are only reported in 30% and 10% of the reviewed sites, respectively. Characterisation of peatlands using data imputation and principal component analysis (PCA) is based on three physical parameters (maximum ash yield, maximum thickness and oldest age), and includes the study of their relation in terms of climatic periods, peatland type, region and substrate. It is observed that peatlands which were developed in warming periods share similar physical parameters (such as accumulation rates, ash yield, peatland type, and environment of the substrates). With better data reporting on these parameters, the PCA analysis can provide a more accurate reflection of peatland characteristics and their relationships. The study aims to raise awareness on the importance and vulnerability of the Southeast Asian peatlands and to highlight their role in the global climate fluctuations. • Southeast Asia includes the majority of the tropical peatlands on Earth but their geological evolution is understudied. • Sea level fluctuations and climate changes have controlled peat accumulation since Late Pleistocene. • Faster accumulation rates of peatlands in Southeast Asia are reported in the wetter Holocene epoch. • Degradation and poor management of the Southeast Asian peatlands accelerated carbon emission between 2011 and 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years many automated topic coherence formulas (using the top-m words of a topic inferred by latent Dirichlet allocation) based on word similarities have been proposed and evaluated against human ratings. We treat a wordy topic as an object and quantitatively describe it via normalized mean values of pair-wise word similarities. Two types of word similarities, thesaurus and local corpus-based, are used as the descriptive features of a topic. We perform topic classification using represented topics as input and bi-level human ratings about topic coherence as class labels. Classification results (precision, recall and accuracy) based on two datasets and three supervised classification algorithms suggest that the novel topic representation is consistent with human ratings. Corpus-based word similarities are positively correlated with human ratings whereas thesaurus-based similarities have negative relations. The proposed representation of topics opens a window for us to investigate the utilization of topics with different perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synaptic events are important to define treatment strategies for brain disorders. In the present paper, freshly obtained rat brain striatal minces were incubated under different times and conditions to determine dopamine biosynthesis, storage, and tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation. Remarkably, we found that endogenous dopamine spontaneously accumulated during tissue incubation at 37 °C ex vivo while dopamine synthesis simultaneously decreased. We analyzed whether these changes in brain dopamine biosynthesis and storage were linked to dopamine feedback inhibition of its synthesis-limiting enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. The aromatic- l -amino-acid decarboxylase inhibitor NSD-1015 prevented both effects. As expected, dopamine accumulation was increased with l -DOPA addition or VMAT2-overexpression, and dopamine synthesis decreased further with added dopamine, the VMAT2 inhibitor tetrabenazine or D 2 auto-receptor activation with quinpirole, accordingly to the known synaptic effects of these treatments. Phosphorylation activation and inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase on Ser31 and Ser40 with okadaic acid, Sp-cAMP and PD98059 also exerted the expected effects. However, no clear-cut association was found between dopamine feedback inhibition of its own biosynthesis and changes of tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation, assessed by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The later technique also revealed a new Thr30 phosphorylation in rat tyrosine hydroxylase. Our methodological assessment of brain dopamine synthesis and storage dynamics ex vivo could be applied to predict the in vivo effects of pharmacological interventions in animal models of dopamine-related disorders. Chemical neurotransmitters -such as dopamine-are synthesized and stored by neurons in preparation to release. We describe here for the first-time endogenous dopamine accumulation ex vivo using a simple experimental method. This method allows to model brain dopamine dynamics in brain tissue under the influence of treatments used in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia. Neurotransmitter storage before release is relevant for the pharmacological treatments of these disorders as it can tonically modulate chemical communications between neurons. We show that neuronal dopamine synthesis and storage are intimately linked processes through a negative feedback mechanism. [Display omitted] • Dopamine synthesis becomes transiently hyperactive in brain incubated ex vivo. • Dopamine storage dynamics determine feedback inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase. • Dopamine transport by VMAT2 into vesicles regulates tyrosine hydroxylase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the reflection and transmission coefficients for a chiral–chiral interface of non-integer dimension has been determined theoretically. In order to realize the so-calledfractal chiral–chiral interface, one of the two chiral media, forming the interface, is assumed to be of fractal dimensions. The fields inside the fractal chiral media are expressed using a fractional parameter, which forcorresponds to ordinary two-dimensional space and fields so obtained reduce to the original two-dimensional results. Having obtained the fields, the effect of dimension on tunneling and rejection of power from the fractional chiral–chiral interface is investigated. Results are presented, for a circularly polarized incident field, depicting reflected power from the interface with parametric dependence on fractionality of the interface and chirality of the media. As anticipated, the dimension of the interface, apart from the chirality of the media, is shown to have a strong effect on tunneling and rejection of power from the interface. Therefore, fractionality of the interface, in addition to chirality of the media, can be used for controlling the reflected power from an interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare monopolar and bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate ( TURP) for clinical effectiveness and adverse events., We conducted an electronic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Science Citation Index, and also searched reference lists of articles and abstracts from conference proceedings for randomised controlled trials ( RCTs) comparing monopolar and bipolar TURP., Two reviewers independently undertook data extraction and assessed the risk of bias in the included trials using the tool recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration., The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation ( GRADE) approach., From the 949 abstracts that were identified, 94 full texts were assessed for eligibility and a total of 24 trials were included in the review., No statistically significant differences were found in terms of International Prostate Symptom Score ( IPSS) or health-related quality of life ( HRQL) score., Results for maximum urinary flow rate were significant at 3, 6 and 12 months (all P < 0.001), but no clinically significant differences were found and the meta-analysis showed evidence of heterogeneity, Bipolar TURP was associated with fewer adverse events including transurethral resection syndrome (risk ratio [ RR] 0.12, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.05-0.31, P < 0.001), clot retention ( RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30-0.77, P = 0.002) and blood transfusion ( RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.82, P = 0.004), Several major methodological limitations were identified in the included trials; 22/24 trials had a short follow-up of ≤1 year, there was no evidence of a sample size calculation in 20/24 trials and the application of GRADE showed the evidence for most of the assessed outcomes to be of moderate quality, including all those in which statistical differences were found., Whilst there is no overall difference between monopolar and bipolar TURP for clinical effectiveness, bipolar TURP is associated with fewer adverse events and therefore has a superior safety profile., Various methodological limitations were highlighted in the included trials and as such the results of this review should be interpreted with caution., There is a need for further well-conducted, multicentre RCTs with long-term follow-up data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-gasification is considered as a useful technique for post-treatment of anaerobic digestion residues. The present study has dealt with the efficiency parameter of 24 kWe downdraft biomass gasifier with 50% mixture ratio of wood chips + corn cobs and 50% ratio of sugarcane bagasse + coconut shells. The performance of the gasification process was assessed with respect to biomass ratios on gasification efficiencies, reactor thermal profiles and equivalence ratio on specific yield of syngas composition and tar contents. Trials were conducted at a temperature range of 650–950 °C using equivalence ratios from 0.15 to 0.30. The biomass feeding rate was maintained between 35 and 40 kg/h. The total volume of gas obtained from co-gasification of wood chips + corn cobs was low (75.6 m3) than the mixture of sugarcane bagasse + coconut shells (94.33 m3) of gas at 5% moisture content. The average yield of syngas produced from the mixture of 1 kg wood chips + corn cobs and sugarcane bagasse + coconut shells were 2.52 and 3.14 m3, respectively. These results have shown that the mixture of wood chips + corn cobs produced almost 4238.6 mg/m3 tar impurities compared with the co-gasification sugarcane bagasse + coconut shells that produced 3767 mg/m3 with LHV of 3.8 MJ/Nm3 and 4.56 MJ/Nm3 at 5% moisture content respectively. This research concluded that co-gasification of sugarcane bagasse + coconut shells were found to be a suitable feedstock mixture for gasification and utilization of syngas for power generation depends on tar production, the flowrate of syngas, and performance in a downdraft gasifier. [Display omitted] • A 24-KWe downdraft gasifier running on different feedstocks was studied. • Effects of fuel blending on gas composition, gas yield, carbon conversion and calorific value investigated. • Syngas behaviour deviation at different co-gasification conversion was quantified. • Temperature distribution significantly affects syngas composition estimation. • The amounts of the major gas products increased as temperature increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the role of low intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in improving postoperative recovery in Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and intracorporeal ileal conduit urinary diversion (ICUD). Methods: A retrospective case–control study of 49 bladder cancer patients offered RARC/ICUD with standard (12 mmHg, n = 24) or low IAP (8 mmHg, n = 25). Outcomes of interest included length of procedure (LoP), estimated blood loss (EBL), blood transfusion, margin positivity rates, time to first flatus (TtFF), time to first bowel movement (TtFBM), ileus and small bowel obstruction (SBO) rates, time to safe discharge (TtSD), postoperative hospital stay (PHS) and pain levels on a postoperative day (POD) 1 and 3. Perioperative complications were recorded using the Clavien-Dindo system. Results: Demographic and baseline clinical characteristics, LoP, EBL and margin positivity rates were similar between groups. No transfusions were recorded. Median (IQR) TtFF, TtFBM and TtSD were significantly longer in Group 1 vs Group 2 (4 (1) vs 2 (1), 7 (3) vs 6 (2) and 8.5 (5.75) vs 5.0 (1), respectively). PHS and rates of postoperative ileus and SBO were lower in Group 2, however not statistically significant. Severe pain was uncommon in both groups but moderate/severe pain was significantly higher in Group 1 (95.8% vs 48% on POD1 and 62.5% vs 16% on POD3). No significant intraoperative complications were recorded and ≥ Grade 3 postoperative complications at 30 and 90 days were similar. Conclusion: With limitations, Low-IAP RARC can be safely offered to RARC/ICUD patients and leads to faster bowel recovery, and shorter time to safe discharge compared to standard pneumoperitoneum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The true prediction of food crop with exact estimation of population growth can play a crucial role for evolving effective agricultural policy decisions for food concerns. This study integrated the efficacies of supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms using compound growth exponential regression models (CGREM) with linear regression models (LRM) to predict the wheat area, yield and population explosion. The historical data are collected from 1950 to 2020 and ML models are deployed using the 80% train and 20% test datasets. Various combinations of train test split have been applied to check the precisions of data partitions subset on the deployed models. ML model predict that the wheat area will rise up to 15%, 51.7%, wheat yield will grow up to 28%, 109.7% and population will rise up to 34.2%, 140.6%, respectively for the year 2030 and 2050. Population will upturn about 88.9% and 30.9% more than from wheat area and wheat yield up to 2050 and it might explode the food critiques in the region. It is concluded that wheat productivity must be raise to ensure the food demands. The results of this study demonstrated that the CGREM found to be superior comparing with benchmark LRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The true prediction of food crop with exact estimation of population growth can play a crucial role for evolving effective agricultural policy decisions for food concerns. This study integrated the efficacies of supervised machine learning (ML) algorithms using compound growth exponential regression models (CGREM) with linear regression models (LRM) to predict the wheat area, yield and population explosion. The historical data are collected from 1950 to 2020 and ML models are deployed using the 80% train and 20% test datasets. Various combinations of train test split have been applied to check the precisions of data partitions subset on the deployed models. ML model predict that the wheat area will rise up to 15%, 51.7%, wheat yield will grow up to 28%, 109.7% and population will rise up to 34.2%, 140.6%, respectively for the year 2030 and 2050. Population will upturn about 88.9% and 30.9% more than from wheat area and wheat yield up to 2050 and it might explode the food critiques in the region. It is concluded that wheat productivity must be raise to ensure the food demands. The results of this study demonstrated that the CGREM found to be superior comparing with benchmark LRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherently, the mechanical properties of soil determine the stability of a slope. These vital properties require serious scrutiny since slope instability can lead to a hazardous phenomenon. Geophysical approaches are recognised to give a detailed characterisation of slope stability. However, these approaches are only capable of providing limited information about the dynamic property of soil. Thus, this study assesses the heterogeneity of soil profile using P- and S- wave velocity for the different types of slope conditions. Distinctively, this study emphasises the elastic moduli and soil competence for stability measurement for Universiti Sains Malaysia and Lojing areas. It is well understood that the velocity profiles successfully delineate the subsurface material. A zonation map was produced and reveals that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area provides a more stable zone based on various geotechnical parameters. These parameters include the shear modulus, G0; Young modulus, E; Poisson's ratio, ν; material index, Mi; stress ratio, Si; concentration index, Ci; and density gradient, Di. We conclude that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area exhibits more competent soil deposits compared to the Lojing area. The values of geophysical and geotechnical parameters provide the preliminary data on defining the competency of the soil, besides reducing the uncertainty of the ground model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to 25% of prostate cancer (PCa) patients managed conservatively experienced hospitalization and emergency department visits within 12 mo after diagnosis; 6% experienced PCa-related symptomatic progression. The probabilities of receiving therapies for PCa decreased according to the time elapsed after the diagnosis. Conservative management is an option for prostate cancer (PCa) patients either with the objective of delaying or even avoiding curative therapy, or to wait until palliative treatment is needed. PIONEER, funded by the European Commission Innovative Medicines Initiative, aims at improving PCa care across Europe through the application of big data analytics. To describe the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of PCa patients on conservative management by using an international large network of real-world data. From an initial cohort of >100 000 000 adult individuals included in eight databases evaluated during a virtual study-a-thon hosted by PIONEER, we identified newly diagnosed PCa cases (n = 527 311). Among those, we selected patients who did not receive curative or palliative treatment within 6 mo from diagnosis (n = 123 146). Patient and disease characteristics were reported. The number of patients who experienced the main study outcomes was quantified for each stratum and the overall cohort. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate the distribution of time to event data. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (35–73%), obesity (9.2–54%), and type 2 diabetes (11–28%). The rate of PCa-related symptomatic progression ranged between 2.6% and 6.2%. Hospitalization (12–25%) and emergency department visits (10–14%) were common events during the 1st year of follow-up. The probability of being free from both palliative and curative treatments decreased during follow-up. Limitations include a lack of information on patients and disease characteristics and on treatment intent. Our results allow us to better understand the current landscape of patients with PCa managed with conservative treatment. PIONEER offers a unique opportunity to characterize the baseline features and outcomes of PCa patients managed conservatively using real-world data. Up to 25% of men with prostate cancer (PCa) managed conservatively experienced hospitalization and emergency department visits within the 1st year after diagnosis; 6% experienced PCa-related symptoms. The probability of receiving therapies for PCa decreased according to time elapsed after the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular weight and isoelectric point of the proteins are very important parameters that control their subcellular localization and subsequent function. Although the genome sequence data of the plant kingdom improved enormously, the proteomic details have been poorly elaborated. Therefore, we have calculated the molecular weight and isoelectric point of the plant proteins and reported them in this database. A database, PlantMWpIDB, containing protein data from 342 plant proteomes was created to provide information on plant proteomes for hypothesis formulation in basic research and for biotechnological applications. The Molecular weight and isoelectric point (pI) are important molecular parameters of proteins that are useful when conducting protein studies involving 2D gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and X-ray protein crystallography. PlantMWpIDB provides an easy-to-use and efficient interface for search options and generates a summary of basic protein parameters. The database represents a virtual 2D proteome map of plants, and the molecular weight and pI of a protein can be obtained by searching on the name of a protein, a keyword, or by a list of accession numbers. The PlantMWpIDB database also allows one to query protein sequences. The database can be found in the following link https://plantmwpidb.com/. The individual 2D virtual proteome map of the plant kingdom will enable us to understand the proteome diversity between different species. Further, the molecular weight and isoelectric point of individual proteins can enable us to understand their functional significance in different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherently, the mechanical properties of soil determine the stability of a slope. These vital properties require serious scrutiny since slope instability can lead to a hazardous phenomenon. Geophysical approaches are recognised to give a detailed characterisation of slope stability. However, these approaches are only capable of providing limited information about the dynamic property of soil. Thus, this study assesses the heterogeneity of soil profile using P- and S- wave velocity for the different types of slope conditions. Distinctively, this study emphasises the elastic moduli and soil competence for stability measurement for Universiti Sains Malaysia and Lojing areas. It is well understood that the velocity profiles successfully delineate the subsurface material. A zonation map was produced and reveals that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area provides a more stable zone based on various geotechnical parameters. These parameters include the shear modulus, G0; Young modulus, E; Poisson's ratio, ν; material index, Mi; stress ratio, Si; concentration index, Ci; and density gradient, Di. We conclude that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area exhibits more competent soil deposits compared to the Lojing area. The values of geophysical and geotechnical parameters provide the preliminary data on defining the competency of the soil, besides reducing the uncertainty of the ground model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherently, the mechanical properties of soil determine the stability of a slope. These vital properties require serious scrutiny since slope instability can lead to a hazardous phenomenon. Geophysical approaches are recognised to give a detailed characterisation of slope stability. However, these approaches are only capable of providing limited information about the dynamic property of soil. Thus, this study assesses the heterogeneity of soil profile using P- and S-wave velocity for the different types of slope conditions. Distinctively, this study emphasises the elastic moduli and soil competence for stability measurement for Universiti Sains Malaysia and Lojing areas. It is well understood that the velocity profiles successfully delineate the subsurface material. A zonation map was produced and reveals that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area provides a more stable zone based on various geotechnical parameters. These parameters include the shear modulus, G0; Young modulus, E; Poisson's ratio, ν; material index, Mi; stress ratio, Si; concentration index, Ci; and density gradient, Di. We conclude that the Universiti Sains Malaysia area exhibits more competent soil deposits compared to the Lojing area. The values of geophysical and geotechnical parameters provide the preliminary data on defining the competency of the soil, besides reducing the uncertainty of the ground model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHIR99021, also known as laduviglusib or CT99021, is a Glycogen-synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) inhibitor, which has been reported as a promising drug for cardiomyocyte regeneration or treatment of sensorial hearing loss. Since the activation of dopamine (DA) receptors regulates dopamine synthesis and they can signal through the β-arrestin pathway and GSK3β, we decided to check the effect of GSK3β inhibitors (CHIR99021, SB216763 and lithium ion) on the control of DA synthesis. Using ex vivo experiments with minces from rat brain striatum, we observed that CHIR99021, but not SB216763 or lithium, causes complete abrogation of both DA synthesis and accumulation, pointing to off-target effects of CHIR99021. This decrease can be attributed to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) inhibition since the accumulation of l -DOPA in the presence of a DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor was similarly decreased. On the other hand, CHIR99021 caused a dramatic increase in the DOPAC/DA ratio, an indicator of DA metabolization, and hindered DA incorporation into striatum tissue. Tetrabenazine, an inhibitor of DA vesicular transport, also caused DA depletion and DOPAC/DA ratio increase to the same extent as CHIR99021. In addition, both CHIR99021 or SB216763, but not lithium, decreased TH phosphorylation in Ser19, but not in Ser31 or Ser40. These results demonstrate that CHIR99021 can lead to TH inactivation and DA depletion in brain striatum, opening the possibility of its use in DA-related disorders, and shows effects to be considered in future clinical trials. More work is needed to find the mechanism exerted by CHIR99021 on DA accumulation. • CHIR99021, a GSK 3 inhibitor, abrogates dopamine (DA) levels in rat brain striatum. • SB216763 and lithium, other GSK3 inhibitors, do not affect DA levels. • CHIR99021 and SB216763 decrease tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) phosphorylation in Ser19. • CHIR99021 hinders dopamine incorporation into striatum. • DA decrease is attributed to TH inhibition and to off-target effects of CHIR99021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing awareness of the genetic basis of disease is transforming the opportunities for improving patient care by accelerating the development, delivery and uptake of personalised medicine and diseases diagnostics. This can mean more precise treatments reaching the right patients at the right time at the right cost. But it will be possible only with a coherent European Union (EU) approach to regulation. For clinical and biological data, on which the EU is now legislating with its planned European Health Data Space (EHDS), it is crucial that the design of this new system respects the constraints also implicit in the testing which generates data. The current EHDS proposal may fail to meet this requirement. It risks being over-ambitious, while taking insufficient account of the demanding realities of data access in daily practice and current economics/business models. It is marred by imprecision and ambiguity, by overlaps with other EU legislation, and by lack of clarity on funding. This paper identifies key issues where legislators should ensure that the opportunities are not squandered by the adoption of over-hasty or ill-considered provisions that jeopardise the gains that could be made in improved healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There remains uncertainty regarding the differences in patient outcomes between monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (MTURP) and bipolar TURP (BTURP) in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out up to March 19, 2019. Methods in the Cochrane Handbook were followed. Certainty of evidence (CoE) was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: A total of 59 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 8924 participants were included. BTURP probably results in little to no difference in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) at 12 months (mean difference -0.24, 95% confidence internal [CI] -0.39--0.09; participants=2531; RCTs=16; moderate CoE) or health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at 12 months (mean difference -0.12, 95% CI -0.25-0.02; participants=2004, RCTs=11; moderate CoE), compared to MTURP. BTURP probably reduces TUR syndrome (relative risk [RR] 0.17, 95% CI 0.09-0.30; participants= 6,745, RCTs=44; moderate CoE) and blood transfusions (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.30-0.59; participants=5727, RCTs=38; moderate CoE), compared to MTURP. BTURP may carry similar risk of urinary incontinence at 12 months (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.01-4.06; participants=751; RCTs=4; low CoE), re-TURP (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.44-2.40; participants=652, RCTs=6, I2=0%; low CoE) and erectile dysfunction (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-5]) at 12 months (mean difference 0.88, 95% CI -0.56-2.32; RCTs=3; moderate CoE), compared to MTURP. Conclusions: BTURP and MTURP probably improve urological symptoms to a similar degree. BTURP probably reduces TUR syndrome and blood transfusion slightly postoperatively. The moderate certainty of evidence available for primary outcomes suggests no need for further RCTs comparing BTURP and MTURP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Syzygium polyanthum leaves extract that contains gallic acid as the major phenolic compound has shown significant antihypertensive effect, however the amount of gallic acid was inversely-related with magnitude of this effect. This study aimed to conduct bioassay-guided fractionation of S. polyanthum leaves with gallic acid as a reference compound, and to screen for other possible compounds responsible for the antihypertensive effect. Methods: S. polyanthum leaves were extracted using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water. The most active crude extract was fractionated using column chromatography and analyzed for total phenolic content (TPC) (n=3). Crude extracts and the derived fractions were intravenously administered into pentobarbital-anaesthetized Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (n=5) for recording of blood pressure parameters. Liquid Chromatography-Quadruple Time-Off-Flight/Mass Spectrometry was used for determination of chemical composition. One-way and two-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis using GraphPad® PRISM Version 6. Results: Fractionation of aqueous S. polyanthum leaves extract (ASP) afforded nine fractions, later combined into three fractions (F1ASP, F2ASP, and F3ASP) based on the thinlayer chromatography profiles. ASP has the highest TPC while F2ASP has the lowest TPC. All fractions exhibited significant antihypertensive property, but F2ASP was the most active fraction. Few phenolics with related antihypertensive effects such as 1-galloyl glucose (a gallic acid-derivative majorly found in F2ASP and F3ASP), and other compounds such as polydatin, sesamol, brazilin, eugenol, ellagic acid, kukoamine A, and cyclocurcumin were found across all active fractions. Conclusion: These phenolics may partly contribute to the antihypertensive effect of S. polyanthum leaves, thus further isolation study is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overactive bladder is a manageable condition, with first-line treatment options including antimuscarinics, beta-3 agonists, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation. Second-line options include onabotulinumtoxin-A bladder injections or sacral nerve stimulation. The choice of therapies should be guided by individual patient factors. Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is highly prevalent among women and has a negative impact on their quality of life. The current available treatments for OAB symptoms include conservative, pharmacological, or surgical modalities. To provide an updated contemporary evidence document regarding OAB treatment options and determine the short-term effectiveness, safety, and potential harms of the available treatment modalities for women with OAB syndrome. The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane controlled trial databases and clinicaltrial.gov were searched for all relevant publications up to May 2022. The risk of bias assessment followed the recommended tool in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions , and quality of evidence was assessed using the modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. A meta-analysis was performed where appropriate. Antimuscarinics and beta-3 agonists were significantly more effective than placebo across most outcomes, with beta-3 agonists being more effective at reducing nocturia episodes and antimuscarinics causing significantly higher adverse events. Onabotulinumtoxin-A (Onabot-A) was more effective than placebo across most outcomes, but with significantly higher rates of acute urinary retention/clean intermittent self-catheterisation (six to eight times) and urinary tract infections (UTIs; two to three times). Onabot-A was also significantly better than antimuscarinics in the cure of urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) but not in the reduction of mean UUI episodes. Success rates of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) were significantly higher than those of antimuscarinics (61% vs 42%, p = 0.02), with similar rates of adverse events. SNS and Onabot-A were not significantly different in efficacy outcomes. Satisfaction rates were higher with Onabot-A, but with a higher rate of recurrent UTIs (24% vs 10%). SNS was associated with 9% removal rate and 3% revision rate. Overactive bladder is a manageable condition, with first-line treatment options including antimuscarinics, beta-3 agonists, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation. Second-line options include Onabot-A bladder injections or SNS. The choice of therapies should be guided by individual patient factors. Overactive bladder is a manageable condition. All patients should be informed and advised on conservative treatment measures in the first instance. The first-line treatment options for its management include antimuscarinics or beta-3 agonists medication, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation procedures. The second-line options include onabotulinumtoxin-A bladder injections or sacral nerve stimulation procedure. The therapy should be chosen based on individual patient factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Context Practice patterns for the management of urinary retention (UR) secondary to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO; UR/BPO) vary widely and remain unstandardized. Objective To review the evidence for managing patients with UR/BPO with pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments included in the European Association of Urology guidelines on non-neurogenic male lower urinary tract symptoms. Evidence acquisition Search was conducted up to April 22, 2018, using CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. This systematic review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective comparative studies. Methods as detailed in the Cochrane handbook were followed. Certainty of evidence (CoE) was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Evidence synthesis Literature search identified 2074 citations. Twenty-one studies were included (qualitative synthesis). The evidence for managing patients with UR/BPO with pharmacological or nonpharmacological treatments is limited. CoE for most outcomes was low/very low. Only α1-blockers (alfuzosin and tamsulosin) have been evaluated in more than one RCT. Pooled results indicated that α1-blockers provided significantly higher rates of successful trial without catheter compared with placebo [alfuzosin: 322/540 (60%) vs 156/400 (39%) (odds ratio {OR} 2.28, 95% confidence interval {CI} 1.55 to 3.36; participants = 940; studies = 7; I 2 = 41%; low CoE); tamsulosin: 75/158 (47%) vs 40/139 (29%) (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.45; participants = 297; studies = 3; I 2 = 30%; low CoE)] with rare adverse events. Similar rates were achieved with tamsulosin or alfuzosin [51/87 (59%) vs 45/84 (54%) (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.68 to 2.41; participants = 171; studies = 2; I 2 = 0%; very low CoE)]. Nonpharmacological treatments have been evaluated in RCTs/prospective comparative studies only sporadically. Conclusions There is some evidence that usage of α1-blockers (alfuzosin and tamsulosin) may improve resolution of UR/BPO. As most nonpharmacological treatments have not been evaluated in patients with UR/BPO, the evidence is inconclusive about their benefits and harms. Patient summary There is some evidence that alfuzosin and tamsulosin may increase the rates of successful trial without catheter, but little or no evidence on various nonpharmacological treatment options for managing patients with urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic obstruction. Take Home Message Alfuzosin and tamsulosin appear to provide higher rates of successful trial without catheter. Most nonpharmacological treatment options have not been evaluated in patients with urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic obstruction. Consequently, the evidence is inconclusive regarding the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions for the management of urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article related to th urethral strictures and bipolar transurethral resection, focused on saline of the prostate.

Context: Syzygium polyanthum has been traditionally formulated by the folklore for the treatment of diseases including diarrhea, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, gastritis and hyperuricemia. Normally, its phytochemicals are always extracted using solvent, maceration and steam distillation methods, but the use of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method is still not well documented. Aims: This study aims to extract the phytochemical compounds present in S. polyanthum leaves using UAE and to identify them by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Methodology: The leaves were consecutively soaked with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol in a bath sonicator to derive n-hexane (HSP), ethyl acetate (EASP), and methanol (MSP) extracts of S. polyanthum leaves and then the extracts were subjected to GC-MS analysis. Mass-spectral databases of peaks were compared with database from Wiley, NIST and FNSCC libraries for compound identification. Results: GC-MS analyses of HSP, EASP and MSP showed the presence of 21, 27, and 31 peaks, respectively. The major compound for HSP (31.912%), EASP (27.042%), and MSP (22.386%) were unknown compounds which were detected at retention time between 61.980 and 62.29 min, thus requires further characterization. Squalene and phytol were among the other major compounds present in all three extracts. Several identified compounds in the extracts such as squalene, phytol, hentriacontane, palmitic acid, α-pinene, nerolidol, linalool, α-tocopherol and β-tocopherol were known bioactive compounds. Conclusion: GC-MS analyses of n-hexane (HSP), ethyl acetate (EASP), and methanol (MSP) of S. polyanthum leaves extracts have revealed the presence of some known bioactive compounds with therapeutic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an effective numerical technique for obtaining the approximate solution of mixed Volterra-Fredholm Integral Equations (VFIEs) of second kind. The VFIEs arise from parabolic boundary value problems, mathematical modelling of the spatio-temporal development of an epidemic, and from various physical and Engineering models. The proposed method is based on the discretization of VFIEs by Bernstein’s approximation. Some results on convergence are also established which suggests that the technique converges to a smooth approximate solution. Its remarkable accuracy properties are finally demonstrated by several examples with graphical representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is aimed to investigate the in vivo lactogenic effects of Musa x paradisiaca flower extracts, namely the aglycone form of aqueous extract (AFEA) and condensed tannin (CT) on lactating rats. Lactating rats (n=6) of Spraque Dawley with six pups each were orally administered with aqueous extract, AFEA, CT and metoclopramide. They were daily administered starting Day 5 until Day 14 and the performance was measured by weight-suckle-weight method. Results were analysed using SPSS by means of ANOVA at 0.05 and was expressed as their mean ± standard deviation. Milk production of rats treated with AFAE (4.65 ± 1.67 gm/pup/day) and aqueous extract (4.86 ± 2.36 gm/pup/day) were comparable with each other and significantly higher than negative control (3.63 ± 2.10 gm/pup/day) group. The groups treated with aqueous, AFAE, metoclopramide and CT were observed to increase milk yield by 28.03%, 24.87%, 2.63% and 2.20%, respectively, compared to negative control. The percentage body weight increment of pups for aqueous extract, AFAE, negative control, metoclopramide and CT, respectively were 148.21%, 122.29%, 113.8%, 101.53% and 87.06%. This research reveals the potential efficacy of bioactive compounds from Musa x paradisiaca flower to enhance milk production of inadequate supply of milk for breastfeeding mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The use of scrotal ultrasonography (SUS) has increased the detection rate of indeterminate testicular masses. Defining radiological characteristics that identify malignancy may reduce the number of men undergoing unnecessary radical orchidectomy. Objective: To define which SUS or scrotal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics can predict benign or malignant disease in pre‐ or post‐pubertal males with indeterminate testicular masses. Evidence Acquisition This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration guidance. Medline, Embase, Cochrane controlled trials and systematic reviews databases were searched from (1970 to 26 March 2021). Benign and malignant masses were classified using the reported reference test: i.e., histopathology, or 12 months progression‐free radiological surveillance. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies‐2 tool (QUADAS‐2). Evidence Synthesis: A total of 32 studies were identified, including 1692 masses of which 28 studies and 1550 masses reported SUS features, four studies and 142 masses reported MRI features. Meta‐analysis of different SUS (B‐mode) values in post‐pubertal men demonstrated that a size of ≤0.5 cm had a significantly lower odds ratio (OR) of malignancy compared to masses of >0.5 cm (P < 0.001). Comparison of masses of 0.6–1.0 cm and masses of >1.5 cm also demonstrated a significantly lower OR of malignancy (P = 0.04). There was no significant difference between masses of 0.6–1.0 and 1.1–1.5 cm. SUS in post‐pubertal men also had a statistically significantly lower OR of malignancy for heterogenous masses vs homogenous masses (P = 0.04), hyperechogenic vs hypoechogenic masses (P < 0.01), normal vs increased enhancement (P < 0.01), and peripheral vs central vascularity (P < 0.01), respectively. There were limited data on pre‐pubertal SUS, pre‐pubertal MRI and post‐pubertal MRI. Conclusions: This meta‐analysis identifies radiological characteristics that have a lower OR of malignancy and may be of value in the management of the indeterminate testis mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the best economically viable power source with the least environmental impact and socially acceptable for the maize crop. Maize is one of the key economic crops in Pakistan. Solar-, electric-, and diesel-powered drip irrigation systems (DIS) were considered for comparative study. We selected 45 sites of maize crop to collect the data, with an area of 1–3 ha, from three divisions. For economic viability, the benefit:cost ratio, life cycle cost, and payback period were calculated, and CO2 emissions were calculated to assess the environmental impact. The SPSS model was used for one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc and chi-squared tests to check the significance level between all power sources. It was found that the B-C of electric power, solar, and diesel drip irrigation systems was 1.65, 1.52, and 1.44, respectively. Solar, diesel, and electricity power DIS have CO2 emissions of 0.02, 0.730, and 1.106 tons/ha, respectively. The research concludes that solar power and electric power are the best sources for the environment and economically, respectively. It is recommended that solar power DIS be subsidized, which will help to lower CO2 emissions and reduce the electricity shortfall in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles sensitized rare earth ions–doped inorganic oxide glasses with improved optical characteristics and optimum compositions became demanding for practical applications. However, the basic understanding of the interaction mechanism between various rare earth ions and metallic nanoparticles remains deficient. Based on this fact, some holmium ions (Ho3+)–doped magnesium zinc sulfophosphate glasses with Ag/TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) co–activation were prepared using the melt–quenching process and characterized. Effects of Ag/TiO 2 NPs co–activation at various contents on the physical, optical and structural properties of the glasses were determined. XRD analyses of the as–quenched samples confirmed their amorphous nature. FTIR and Raman spectra of the glasses showed structural modifications due to NPs incorporation. HRTEM image verified the existence of spherical Ag and non–spherical TiO 2 NPs (mean size of 13.01 nm) in the glass matrix. The absorption spectra of the glasses displayed eleven significant peaks and photoluminescence spectra revealed prominent green (5F 4 → 5I 8) and red (5F 5 → 5I 8) emission peaks corresponding to various transitions in Ho3+. The oscillator strengths, Judd–Ofelt intensity and radiative parameters of the glasses were calculated to support the experimental results. The optical properties of the glasses were shown to improve via the Ag/TiO 2 NPs co–activation. Among the prepared samples, glass containing 0.3 mol% of TiO 2 NPs showed high stimulated emission cross–section (3.24 × 10−20 cm2) for the green emission, maximum quantum efficiency and radiative lifetime. The explanation of PL intensity enhancement and quenching mechanisms of Ho3+ may provide better understanding on the co−activation of metal/semiconductor NPs in the studied glasses. • Ag/TiO 2 NPs co-activated Ho3+-doped phosphate glasses were made and characterized. • Spectroscopic properties of the glasses were evaluated using Judd–Ofelt theory. • Prominent green and red emission bands may be useful for solid-state laser making. • LSPR, PIRET and LFE of Ag/TiO 2 NPs notably influenced the emission of holmium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug–drug cocrystalllization is a novel mechanism for effective pharmacological combination therapy. In this work, we have demonstrated the preparation of a drug-drug cocrystal of a hypertension drug (Telmisartan; TEL) with a hyperuricemia drug (Febuxostat; FEB) in 1:1 molar ratio using a solvent evaporation method for the first time. Generally, a multi-component system may yield either a eutectic, salt, and/or a cocrystal. This study adopted a methodical orthogonal framework to analyze the final solid form. A single crystal X-ray structural investigation revealed the formation of a heterosynthon with carboxylic and benzimidazole groups of FEB and TEL, respectively, in the triclinic P-1 space group. Δp K a of the heterosynthon is ∼1.5, hence, based on the empirical rules, a salt-cocrystal continuum is hypothesized. Further, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy were employed to corroborate the hydrogen bond formation in the heterosynthon (-N---H-O-), which confirmed the propensity for cocrystal formation. An accelerated stability study and an in vitro biorelevant dissolution study of the cocrystal were performed, which demonstrated that it is physiochemically stable, but it resulted in a slower dissolution rate when compared with plain drugs. Graphical Abstract: Schematic representation of synthesis of Febuxostat-Telmisartan cocrystal, and the list of techniques used for the complete characterization. [Display omitted] • A novel drug-drug cocrystal of Febuxostat and Telmisartan was prepared. • The crystal structure of the cocrystal was successfully solved. • A methodical orthogonal framework was adopted to analyze the final solid form. • The cocrystal formation was confirmed by a binary phase diagram and vibrational spectroscopy. • Accelerated studies showed the obtained cocrystal was physically and chemically stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) is one of the most common solid tumors in men and both the disease and the treatments affect patients' quality of life (QoL). Patient-reported Outcome Measurements (PROMs) are important to assess the patient's subjective experience with disease and treatment. Our aim is to appraise, compare, and summarize the psychometric properties of Patient-reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Our findings can improve patients' care and their quality of life during treatment and the disease path. Introduction: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) represent important endpoints in metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). However, the clinically valid and accurate measurement of health-related quality of life depends on the psychometric properties of the PROMs considered. Objective: To appraise, compare, and summarize the properties of PROMs in mPCa. Evidence acquisition: We performed a review of PROMs used in RCTs, including patients with mPCa, using Medline in September 2021, according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) criteria. This systematic review is part of PIONEER (an IMI2 European network of excellence for big data in PCa). Results: The most frequently used PROMs in RCTs of patients with mPCa were the Functional Assessment for Cancer Therapy—Prostate (FACT-P) (n = 18), the Brief Pain Inventory—Short Form (BPI-SF) (n = 8), and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) (n = 6). A total of 283 abstracts were screened and 12 full-text studies were evaluated. A total of two, one, and two studies reported the psychometric proprieties of FACT-P, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and BPI-SF, respectively. FACT-P and BPI showed a high content validity, while BPI-SF showed a moderate content validity. FACT-P and BPI showed a high internal consistency (summarized by Cronbach's α 0.70–0.95). Conclusions: The use of BPI and FACT-P in mPCa patients is supported by their high content validity and internal consistency. Since BPI is focused on pain assessment, we recommend FACT-P, which provides a broader assessment of QoL and wellbeing, for the clinical evaluation of mPCa patients. However, these considerations have been elaborated on in a very limited number of studies. Patient summary: In this paper, we review the psychometric properties of PROMs used with patients with mPCa to find the questionnaires that best assess patients' QoL, in order to help professionals in their intervention and improve patients' QoL. We recommend the use of BPI and FACT-P for their high content validity and internal consistency despite the limited number of studies considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the comparative effectiveness and ranking of minimally invasive treatments (MITs) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Materials and Methods: We searched multiple databases up to 24 February 2021. We included randomized controlled trials assessing the following treatments: convective radiofrequency water vapour thermal therapy (WVTT; or Rezūm); prostatic arterial embolization (PAE); prostatic urethral lift (PUL; or Urolift); temporary implantable nitinol device (TIND); and transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) compared to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or sham surgery. We performed a frequentist network meta‐analysis. Results: We included 27 trials involving 3017 men. The overall certainty of the evidence of most outcomes according to GRADE was low to very low. Compared to TURP, we found that PUL and PAE may result in little to no difference in urological symptoms, while WVTT, TUMT and TIND may result in worse urological symptoms. MITs may result in little to no difference in quality of life, compared to TURP. MITs may result in a large reduction in major adverse events compared to TURP. We were uncertain about the effects of PAE and PUL on retreatment compared to TURP, however, TUMT may result in higher retreatment rates. We were very uncertain of the effects of MITs on erectile function and ejaculatory function. Among MITs, PUL and PAE had the highest likelihood of being the most efficacious for urinary symptoms and quality of life, TUMT for major adverse events, WVTT and TIND for erectile function and PUL for ejaculatory function. Excluding WVTT and TIND, for which there were only studies with short‐term (3‐month) follow‐up, PUL had the highest likelihood of being the most efficacious for retreatment. Conclusions: Minimally invasive treatments may result in similar or worse effects concerning urinary symptoms and quality of life compared to TURP at short‐term follow‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]