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The Security constraints unit commitment (SCUC) is a powerful scheduling technique used in power markets for daily planning. SCUC is a framework that combines two common algorithms in the electricity industry: Unit Commitment (UC) and Economic Dispatch (ED), while adding a new dimension – Security. Load demand is changing continuously due to variation of load of industrial, residential and commercial sectors. Thus, it is very important to decide which generating unit should be kept on and how much power should be dispatched so that time varying load demand can be meet on Hourly basis and there should be no scope of occurrence of loss of load hour (LOLH). In the proposed research, the recently developed hybrid meta-heuristics search algorithm i.e. GWO-RES has been applied to solve the security constrained Unit Commitment and dispatch problem of Electric power system. The efficiency of the proposed hybrid algorithm has been tested for standard IEEE-14 Bus, 30-Bus and 56-bus system and it has been experimentally found that GWO-RES performs much better than hybrid GWO-PS and GWO-RS algorithm.

The main aim of this review is to update the reader with practical knowledge concerning the relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases. Exclusive data is available on the association between these two chronic diseases till date. Articles published on this relationship often provide the knowledge of definitions of diabetes mellitus and periodontal diseases, prevalence, extent, severity of periodontal disease, complications of diabetes along with the possible underlying mechanisms. The authors reviewed human epidemiological studies, cross-sectional observations and longitudinal cohort, case control that evaluated variables exclusively over the past 30 years and the predominant findings from the "certain" articles are summarized in this review. This review clarifies certain queries such as 1) Do periodontal diseases have an effect on the metabolic control of diabetes? 2) Does diabetes act as a risk factor of periodontitis? 3) What are the possible underlying mechanisms relating the connection between these two chronic diseases? 4) What is the effect of periodontal intervention on metabolic control of diabetes? After a thorough survey of literature, it was observed that diabetes acts as a risk factor in development of periodontitis as periodontitis is significantly aggravated in patients suffering from diabetes having long term hyperglycemia. Different mechanisms underlying the association between the accelerated periodontal disease and diabetes are emerging but still more work is required. Major efforts are required to elucidate the impact of periodontal diseases on diabetes. At the same time, patients are needed to be made aware of regular periodontal maintenance schedule and oral hygiene.

Rationale: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) classifies attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with human functioning and development. As the clinical presentation of ADHD involves a deficiency in executive function, neurocognitive deficits involving distinctive neuropathological changes must be present for clinical diagnosis., Objectives: The vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), specifically VMAT-2, plays a role in ADHD pathogenesis. In addition, experimental data show that the stimulants (amphetamines and methylphenidate) are first-line treatments for the condition because of their extensive interaction with VMAT-2. The interactions of peptides, bupropion, and nutritional supplements with VMAT-2 receptors have been researched, but more evidence is needed to elucidate their pharmacodynamic properties. Therefore, this literature review evaluated the current pharmacological treatment modalities, peptides, and nutritional supplements for ADHD that target the VMAT-2 system., Methods, Results, and Conclusions: We obtained relevant studies from several platforms, including the National Center for Biotechnology, Clinical Key, Access Medicine, and PubMed. From the results of these studies, we observed that stimulants interact highly with the VMAT-2 transporter, with omega-3 fatty acids, peptides, and bupropion exerting some modulatory activity on VMAT-2. These agents should be considered for the future treatment of ADHD, although clinical-level research involving human participants is necessary., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Bacterial diseases caused by superbugs are expected to be the main cause of death worldwide within a decade as a consequence of the resistance they are acquiring to the antibiotics currently in use, therefore, the field of new antibacterial treatments is currently being thoroughly studied. The present work focuses on the synthesis, functionalization, characterization and antibacterial behaviour of different systems based on three different silica-based nanostructured materials (MSN, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, SBA-15 Santa Barbara amorphous-15 and FSP fibrous slica nanoparticles) which serve as scaffolds for the support of different platforms to target and treat bacterial diseases and biofilm formation. Thus, (3-carboxypropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide (PPh 3 + ) and a cytotoxic organotin(IV) fragment (Sn) have been incorporated in the silica-based materials to study their potential activity in different antibacterial applications. After a complete characterization of the synthesized systems, which confirmed the incorporation of both the targeting and the therapeutic fragments within the nanostructured materials, the antibacterial study of the materials demonstrated bactericidal capacity against Escherichia coli and perturbation of the bacteria metabolism via oxidative stress through an enhanced ROS (reactive oxygen species) production. In addition, biofilm inhibition and eradication tests of bacterial strains were carried out, showing that the activity of the materials in both biofilm inhibition and eradication is dependent on the concentration of the material. Furthemore, the material MSN-AP(1:1)-PPh 3 + -Sn containing the targeting triphenylphosphonium and a "SnPh 3 " fragment is capable of inhibiting and eradicating up to 50% of the formation of biofilms, which is outstanding for metallodrug-functionalized silica-based systems compared with other materials based on metal nanoparticles supported on silica. Finally, a hemolysis study was carried out with the nanostructured systems proving to be non-toxic, making them adequate for their subsequent use in preclinical trials through in vivo models.

Nanoscale materials have demonstrated a very high potential in anticancer therapy by properly adjusting their functionalization and physicochemical properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of some novel vanadocene-loaded silica-based nanomaterials incorporating four different S-containing amino acids (penicillamine, methionine, captopril, and cysteine) and different fluorophores (rhodamine B, coumarin 343 or Alexa Fluor™ 647), which have been characterized by diverse solid-state spectroscopic techniques viz; FTIR, diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, 13 C and 51 V solid-state NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and TEM. The analysis of the biological activity of the novel vanadocene-based nanostructured silicas showed that the materials containing cysteine and captopril aminoacids demonstrated high cytotoxicity and selectivity against triple negative breast cancer cells, making them very promising antineoplastic drug candidates. According to the biological results it seems that vanadium activity is connected to its incorporation through the amino acid, resulting in synergy that increases the cytotoxic activity against cancer cells of the studied materials presumably by increasing cell internalization. The results presented herein hold significant potential for future developments in mesoporous silica-supported metallodrugs, which exhibit strong cytotoxicity while maintaining low metal loading. They also show potential for theranostic applications highlighted by the analysis of the optical properties of the studied systems after incorporating rhodamine B, coumarin 343 (possible) in vitro anticancer analysis, or Alexa Fluor™ 647 ( in vivo studies of cancer models)., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The search for alternatives to cisplatin has led to the development of new metal complexes where thiazoline derivatives based on platinum(II) and palladium(II) stand out. In this sense, the Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes coordinated with the thiazoline derivative ligand 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)imino-N-(2-thiazolin-2-yl)thiazolidine (TdTn), with formula [PtCl 2 (TdTn)] and [PdCl 2 (TdTn)], have previously shown good results against several cancer lines; however, in this work, we have managed to improve their activity by supporting them on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). The incorporation of metal compounds with a melatonin derivative (5-methoxytryptamine, 5MT), which is a well-known antioxidant and apoptosis inducer in different types of cancer, has been able to increase the cytotoxic activity of both MSN-supported and isolated complexes with only a very low amount (0.35% w / w ) of this antioxidant. The covalently functionalized systems that have been synthesized are able to increase selectivity as well as accumulation in HeLa cells. The final materials containing the metal complexes and 5MT (MSN-5MT-PtTdTn and MSN-5MT-PdTdTn) required up to nine times less metal to achieve the same cytotoxic activity than their corresponding non-formulated counterparts did, thus reducing the potential side effects caused by the use of the free metal complexes.

Even though many varieties have been recommended across agro-climate zones of Himachal Pradesh, yet the information on stability is lacking in this State. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to identify high yielding stable genotypes among various pre-adapted landraces. The material consists of 20 chilli landraces including check i.e. DKC-8. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD. The data were recorded and analyzed to work out mean performances and the inferences were drawn for parameters of variability, correlation coefficients, path coefficients and stability analysis. As per mean performances, CS7 and CS9 were earliest in flowering, CS13 is earliest in days to ripe maturity, CS10 had highest plant height and CS9 had highest average fruit weight and ripe fruit yield plant -1 . High PCV and GCV were recorded for ripe fruit yield plant -1 . Heritability and genetic advance were recorded maximum for plant height in summer seasons and were recorded maximum for number of ripe fruits plant -1 in winter season. Correlation coefficients showed that number of ripe fruits plant -1 and average ripe fruit weight were positively and significantly correlated with ripe fruit yield plant -1 . Path coefficient analysis in summer and winter seasons showed that average ripe fruit weight had the highest positive direct effect on ripe fruit yield plant -1 . The pooled data over environments were analyzed to estimate the interaction effects between genotypes × environment. The mean sum of squares due to genotypes, environments and genotypes × environment interaction were significant for all the characteristics. CS1, CS3, CS6, CS10, CS13, CS15 were adapted to all environments, CS7 and CS9 were specifically adapted to favourable environment and CS2 was specifically adapted to unfavorable environment for 50% flowering, landraces CS1, CS2 and CS3were well adapted to all environments for ripe maturity whereas landraces CS6, CS10 and CS19 were well adapted to all environment for number of ripe fruit and ripe fruit yield., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The pharmacological activity of organotin(IV) complexes in cancer therapy is well recognized but their large applicability is hampered by their poor water solubility. Hence, carbon dots, in particular nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs), may be a promising alternative for the efficient delivery of organotin(IV) compounds as they have a substantial aqueous solubility, a good chemical stability, and non-toxicity as well as a bright photoluminescence that make them ideal for theranostic applications against cancer. Two different multifunctional nanosystems have been synthesized and fully characterized based on two fragments of organotin-based cytotoxic compounds and 4-formylbenzoic acid (FBA), covalently grafted onto the NGQDs surface. Subsequently, an in vitro determination of the therapeutic and theranostic potential of the achieved multifunctional systems was carried out. The results showed a high cytotoxic potential of the NGQDs-FBA-Sn materials against breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and a lower effect on a non-cancer cell line (kidney cells, HEK293T). Besides, thanks to their optical properties, the dots enabled their fluorescence molecular imaging in the cytoplasmatic region of the cells pointing towards a successful cellular uptake and a release of the metallodrug inside cancer cells (NGQDs-FBA-Sn)., (© 2023 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

We estimated prevalence and severity of substance use in college students from three cities in North India and explored demographic correlates of substance use. This was a cross-sectional online survey. We used Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). We contacted respondents through social groups. We performed analyses from the original sample, bootstrapped samples, and random subsamples. A total of 229 (58.3%) respondents reported any lifetime substance use. A third of substance-using respondents were female. Alcohol (54.7%), tobacco (40.2%), and cannabis (15%) use were most commonly reported. Prevalence estimates did not differ between original and subsample analyses. A significant proportion of respondents (alcohol 29.7% and amphetamines 66.7%) were at moderate risk level. Male gender, family history of substance use, and commerce stream correlated with substance use. There were positive correlations between tobacco and alcohol and licit and illicit substance use. The study highlights the need for a comprehensive college substance misuse prevention policy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Besides the known physiologic uptake of 131 I, the literature describes various false-positive findings on 131 I scans in benign lesions, inflammation, traumatic sites, and postsurgical sites, to name a few. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has shown false-positive uptake of 131 I in a postoperative seroma at the postsurgical site. We describe such a case here., (© 2023 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

Five different silica nanoparticles functionalized with vitamin B12, a derivative of coumarin found in green plants and a minimum content of an organotin(IV) fragment ( 1-MSN-Sn , 2-MSN-Sn , 2-SBA-Sn , 2-FSPm-Sn and 2-FSPs-Sn ), were identified as excellent anticancer agents against triple negative breast cancer, one of the most diagnosed and aggressive cancerous tumors, with very poor prognosis. Notably, compound 2-MSN-Sn shows selectivity for cancer cells and excellent luminescent properties detectable by imaging techniques once internalized. The same compound is also able to interact with and nearly eradicate biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus , the most common bacteria isolated from chronic wounds and burns, whose treatment is a clinical challenge. 2-MSN-Sn is efficiently internalized by bacteria in a biofilm state and destroys the latter through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Its internalization by bacteria was also efficiently monitored by fluorescence imaging. Since silica nanoparticles are particularly suitable for oral or topical administration, and considering both its anticancer and antibacterial activity, 2-MSN-Sn represents a new dual-condition theranostic agent, based primarily on natural products or their derivatives and with only a minimum amount of a novel metallodrug.

Since the pioneering work of Vallet-Regí's group on the design and synthesis of mesoporous silica-based materials with therapeutic applications, during the last 15 years, the potential use of mesoporous silica nanostructured materials as drug delivery vehicles has been extensively explored. The versatility of these materials allows the design of a wide variety of platforms that can incorporate numerous agents of interest (fluorophores, proteins, drugs, etc.) in a single scaffold. However, the use of these systems loaded with metallodrugs as cytotoxic agents against different diseases and with distinct therapeutic targets has been studied to a much lesser extent. This review will focus on the work carried out in this field, highlighting both the pioneering and recent contributions of Spanish groups that have synthesized a wide variety of systems based on titanium, tin, ruthenium, copper and silver complexes supported onto nanostructured silica. In addition, this article will also discuss the importance of the structural features of the systems for evaluating and modulating their therapeutic properties. Finally, the most interesting results obtained in the study of the potential therapeutic application of these metallodrug-functionalized silica-based materials against cancer and bacteria will be described, paying special attention to preclinical trials in vivo.

Aims: The fight against cancer is an active research topic that combines several disciplines to find suitable agents to treat various tumours., Background: Following cisplatin, organometallic compounds, including titanocene derivatives, have been tested as antitumoral agents. However, key issues still need to be addressed in metallodrug chemotherapy relating to solubility, stability, and dosage. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles, being low toxic biocompatible materials with high loading capacity, are ideal candidates to overcome these problems., Objective: This study aimed to prepare and structurally characterize titanocene functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles and evaluate their cytotoxic activity against cancer cells., Methods: The preparation of titanocene functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles was achieved by synthetic protocols, involving either grafting or tethering. Characterization was carried out using standard techniques, FT-IR, XRD, XRF, TEM, and BET. The titanocene functionalized materials were studied as antitumoral agents in the breast cancer lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231., Results: The functionalized MSN showed promising antitumoral activity against cells lines MCF-7 and MDAMB- 231 up to 9 times more than titanocene alone., Conclusion: This study reported the potential of titanocene-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles in future chemotherapeutic actions., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Covid-19 has changed the practice of present-day medicine. Social-distancing, hand-sanitation and use of face-mask are important measures taken against its spread. Post-thyroidectomy whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan is an important preliminary investigation for risk stratification and further management in thyroid cancer. False positive findings on diagnostic scan are not uncommon and must be evaluated to avoid unnecessary work-up and treatment. Clinical and biochemical correlation with adjunct SPCET/CT imaging may differentiate true from false-positive lesions. We report a case of unusual false positive linear neck tracer on whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan due to the use of an I-131 contaminated face mask., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 mums.ac.ir All rights reserved.)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devasting neurodegenerative disease with no cure to date. Therapeutic agents used to treat ALS are very limited, although combined therapies may offer a more effective treatment strategy. Herein, we have studied the potential of nanomedicine to prepare a single platform based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for the treatment of an ALS animal model with a cocktail of agents such as leptin (neuroprotective) and pioglitazone (anti-inflammatory), which have already demonstrated promising therapeutic ability in other neurodegenerative diseases. Our goal is to study the potential of functionalized mesoporous materials as therapeutic agents against ALS using MSNs as nanocarriers for the proposed drug cocktail leptin/pioglitazone ( MSN-LEP-PIO ). The nanostructured materials have been characterized by different techniques, which confirmed the incorporation of both agents in the nanosystem. Subsequently, the effect, in vivo , of the proposed drug cocktail, MSN-LEP-PIO , was used in the murine model of TDP-43 proteinopathy (TDP-43 A315T mice). Body weight loss was studied, and using the rotarod test, motor performance was assessed, observing a continuous reduction in body weight and motor coordination in TDP-43 A315T mice and wild-type (WT) mice. Nevertheless, the disease progression was slower and showed significant improvements in motor performance, indicating that TDP-43 A315T mice treated with MSN-LEP-PIO seem to have less energy demand in the late stage of the symptoms of ALS. Collectively, these results seem to indicate the efficiency of the systems in vivo and the usefulness of their use in neurodegenerative models, including ALS.

Background: In India, premarital partnerships whether involving sex or not are widely unacceptable. Various studies in India have reported heightened premarital sexual activities among youngsters., Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the involvement of youth in premarital sexual practices studying at Panjab University., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Panjab University situated in Chandigarh, India between February and August 2020. Purposive sampling was used to recruit students. Data was collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. The nature of the data was quantitative and was analyzed through SPSS version 20., Results: A total of 211 (female/male: 51.7%/48.3%, mean age: 22.5 years) respondents were enrolled. Prevalence of premarital sex was 68.7% with an average age of sexual debut 18.5 years. 62.1% of respondents were practicing unprotected sex. 91% of respondents were involved in vaginal sex, 61.4% in oral sex, 29% in online sex, and 19.3% in anal sex. 66.8% of respondents were involved in the habit of masturbation. In students having a positive premarital sexual background, 78.2% of respondents had sexting, 38.8% had friends with benefits, 33.9% had one-night stands, 4.8% had a threesome and 2.3% had gay sex. Out of all the respondents involved in premarital sexual practices, 86.9% were satisfied with sexual life., Conclusion: There is a need to empower the younger population involved in risky sexual behavior by accelerating their sexual and reproductive rights education to propagate safe sexual behavior in premarital sexual practices., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)

A new series of theranostic silica materials based on fibrous silica particles acting as nanocarriers of two different cytotoxic agents, namely, chlorambucil and an organotin metallodrug have been prepared and structurally characterized. Besides the combined therapeutic activity, these platforms have been decorated with a targeting molecule (folic acid, to selectively target triple negative breast cancer) and a molecular imaging agent (Alexa Fluor 647, to enable their tracking both in vitro and in vivo). The in vitro behaviour of the multifunctional silica systems showed a synergistic activity of the two chemotherapeutic agents in the form of an enhanced cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 cells (triple negative breast cancer) as well as by a higher cell migration inhibition. Subsequently, the in vivo applicability of the siliceous nanotheranostics was successfully assessed by observing with in vivo optical imaging techniques a selective tumour accumulation (targeting ability), a marked inhibition of tumour growth paired to a marked antiangiogenic ability after 13 days of systemic administration, thus, confirming the enhanced theranostic activity. The systemic nanotoxicity was also evaluated by analyzing specific biochemical markers. The results showed a positive effect in form of reduced cytotoxicity when both chemotherapeutics are administered in combination thanks to the fibrous silica nanoparticles. Overall, our results confirm the promising applicability of these novel silica-based nanoplatforms as advanced drug-delivery systems for the synergistic theranosis of triple negative breast cancer., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanotechnology has immensely advanced the field of cancer diagnostics and treatment by introducing potential delivery vehicles as carriers for drugs or therapeutic agents. In due course, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as excellent vehicles for delivering drugs, biomolecules, and biomaterials, attributed to their solid framework and porosity providing a higher surface area for decorating with various functional ligands. Recently, the metal tin (Sn) has gained huge importance in cancer research owing to its excellent cytotoxicity and ability to kill cancer cells. In the present work, we synthesized MSNs, conjugated them with organotin compounds, and characterized them using various physicochemical techniques. Subsequently, the biological evaluation of MSN (S1), MSN-MP (S2) and tin-conjugated MSNs (S3: MSN-MP-SnPh 3 ) (MP = 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane) revealed that these nanoconjugates induced cytotoxicity, necrosis, and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, these nanoconjugates exhibited anti-angiogenic properties as demonstrated in the chick embryo model. The increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was found as a one of the plausible mechanisms underlying cancer cell cytotoxicity induced by these nanoconjugates, encouraging their application for the treatment of cancer. The tin-conjugated MSNs demonstrated less toxicity to normal cells compared to cancer cells. Furthermore, the genotoxicity studies revealed the clastogenic and aneugenic effects of these nanoconjugates in CHO cells mostly at high concentrations. These interesting observations are behind the idea of developing tin-conjugated MSNs as prospective candidates for anticancer therapy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)