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Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) have significantly enhanced various aspects of human life, particularly in healthcare, fitness, entertainment, sports, and etc. In WBANs, the sensor nodes are placed in and around the body along with the sink node, which collects the physiological data from these sensors and forwards it for further processing. The placement of the sink node is one of the critical aspects in the design of WABNs as it affects both the energy efficiency and connectivity. To this end, this paper introduces a hybrid method called Distance and Angulation based AGglomerative Clustering (DAAG). DAAG, initially clusters the WBAN sensors using Distance and Angulation based k-Mean clustering. Afterward, Agglomerative Clustering is applied to determine the optimal placement of the sink node. The results of DAAG are compared with various machine learning and optimization approaches, including D-RMS (Distance based Random mean shift clustering), Reinforcement Q-Learning Approach (QL), Humpback Whale optimization (HWOA), Multi-Angulation (MA) and Closeness Centrality (CC). Given an initial energy, the results show that the DAAG exhibits superior performance in terms of latency, packet error rate (PER), and energy consumption. DAAG shows an energy consumption of only 1.51% outperforming QL, HWOA, MA, CC, and D-RMS along with an improved localization accuracy of 0.36 m.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an essential part of 5G, Beyond-5G (B5G), and 6G systems; it has several applications in two of the principal 5G use cases, namely ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and in their successors within B5G and 6G: extreme ultra-reliable low-latency communication (eURLLC) and ultra-massive machine-type communication (umMTC). IoT systems, which are characterized by narrow bandwidths, have stringent requirements owing to the specific nature of their applications and use cases. The purpose of this study is to investigate and jointly optimize the energy efficiency (EE) and latency through resource allocation for IoT cellular systems. With regard to the contributions, in this study we investigated the optimization of EE in narrowband IoT systems, compared resource unit configurations (RUCs), jointly formulated the optimization of EE and latency, and introduced a suboptimal but efficient algorithm. More precisely, as the EE performance of various resource unit configurations has not been exhaustively investigated in the current state of the art, we analyzed and compared the EE of RUCs. The results show vast differences in performance between RUCs. For example, in terms of EE, the best RUC has an EE more than 80 times higher than the worst, which illustrates the importance of this investigation. We then proposed a scheduler based on the shortest job first (SJF) for minimum latency allocation, and another scheduler based on a joint evaluation of EE and latency. With respect to conventional techniques, these schedulers achieve a better trade-off between latency reduction and gain in terms of EE for a wider range of parameter configurations in multi-cellular layouts. The study demonstrates that in the presence of repetitions, algorithms that achieve high EE will mostly achieve low latency.

The control of infections is one of the key strategies to treat cuts, wounds, lung, and skin infections. In this study the folkloric use of Rumex dentatus (R. dentatus) roots in the mentioned conditions was scientifically investigated. The methanolic (MeOH) crude extract of R. dentatus root was fractionated (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and water) via bioassay-guided method, and its antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays against clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The antibiofilm activity was measured using the crystal violet staining method. The crude extract, fractions and sub-fractions tested showed the MICs values ranging from 200 to 1000 μg/mL respectively. Among the fractions, notably, the water fraction exhibited the highest activity against P. aeruginosa. The water fraction was then subjected to thin layer chromatography (TLC). Following spectrometric analysis using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, gallic acid and emodin were identified as the primary components within the same fraction, responsible for eliciting antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. The in-silico studies conducted with AutoDock Vina on the LasR protein, using both isolated gallic acid and emodin, confirm the binding affinity of these molecules to the active sites of the LasR protein that has regulatory role in building of biofilm formation and its pathogenicity. By scientifically validating the infection-controlling properties of R. dentatus, this research provides compelling evidence that supports its traditional use as reported in folklore. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the plant's potential in managing infections, thereby substantiating its traditional therapeutic application in a scientific context.

Abstract Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and disturbance of carbohydrate, fats, and protein metabolism. Type 2 diabetes mellitus results from reduced insulin secretion, decreased glucose utilization, and increased glucose production, which results in hyperglycemia. Hypertension further increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, renal failure, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are very effective antihypertensive drugs. This study was done to find the effects of two different angiotensin receptor blockers on various biochemical markers in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients. Methods This was a prospective interventional study, comparing two ARBs Azilsartan and telmisartan, involving 76 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Results Both drugs controlled blood pressure equally. The study showed that improvement in fasting plasma glucose was more with Azilsartan as compared to Telmisartan but their mean difference is not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The improvement in post-prandial plasma glucose and HbA1C was more with Telmisartan as compared to Azilsartan but only mean HbA1C was statistically significant (p

The Trichilia emetica plant is traditionally used for medicinal and food purposes. However, there are limited studies on the bioactivity and cytotoxicity of its seed butter and aril oil. This study aimed to assess the antidiabetic activity and cytotoxicity of seed butter and aril oil, obtained via two different extraction methods, and compare their lipid profiles. The plant samples were collected from the Faifa mountains and extracted using a Soxhlet apparatus for hot extraction and a magnetic stirrer for cold maceration. The antidiabetic activity and cytotoxicity were evaluated using the α-amylase and MTT assays, respectively. The fatty acids were quantified utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study proves the impact of the extraction method on the yield, cytotoxicity, antidiabetic activity and lipid profile. The highest cytotoxicity was observed with the seed butter obtained via Soxhlet extraction. The α-amylase inhibition was observed at the highest levels with the seed butter and aril oil obtained via cold maceration. The palmitic acid (PA) and oleic acid (OA) were detected at their maximal concentrations in the seed butter obtained via Soxhlet extraction and aril oil obtained via cold maceration, respectively. This study represents an essential basis for understanding the importance of T. emetica as a valuable tree for food, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Further experiments can lead to the development of green extraction techniques and isolation of the cytotoxic and antidiabetic molecules that can be developed into new pharmaceutical products or serve as lead molecules for new drugs.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has attracted much interest, and its prevalence in both developed and developing countries has increased. During the Hajj season, millions of Muslims from many different countries travel to Makkah for the pilgrimage. In dealing with health issues during the holy season, many pilgrims prefer to self-medicate with traditional remedies instead of visiting medical practitioners, which could affect the efforts of state healthcare organizations to maintain overall public health during this mass gathering. This study aims to gauge the prevalence of CAM use during Hajj, and to assess pilgrims’ beliefs and knowledge of CAM therapies, with particular reference to products available in Makkah. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in several camps and hotels occupied by Hajj pilgrims in Makkah, during Hajj 2023. CAM modalities were used by 68.8 % of the study participants during the Hajj season. There were almost equal numbers of men (53.7 %) and women (46.3 %) participants, with 88 % of the CAM users being non-Saudi and only 12 % Saudi. The majority of the CAM users belonged to two age groups, the 31–40 year group (29.9 %) and the 41–50 year group (34.5 %). The most frequent self-practice therapies were religious prayer/rituals (30.2 %), and the most popular practitioner therapies was herbal treatments (12.3 %). The most common source of CAM-related information was family/friends (29.2 %), for improving well-being reason (25.8 %). More than half of the participants (56.8 %) strongly believed that CAM therapies have the potential to cure disease, although they were unaware of possible interactions between CAM and conventional drugs (76.7 %). More than half of the participants (57.8 %) did not disclose their CAM usage to healthcare practitioners. Half of the sample said they used CAMs during Hajj because of the common belief that therapeutic products from the holy city of Makkah, such as Zamzam water, are more effective. In conclusion, CAM therapies are commonly used by Hajj pilgrims as they are presumed to be natural and therefore safe, raising concerns about the potential risks of relying on CAM without adequate consultation with healthcare providers or awareness of potential interactions between prescription drugs and CAM treatments.

Annual influenza vaccination is an effective way to reduce the burden of disease throughout the year. A cross-sectional study was conducted in primary healthcare centres in Qatar to determine vaccination coverage among physicians, motivators, and barriers. The vaccination rate was higher among physicians aged 45 years and above (p-value

Background: Solanum pseudocapsicum (PC) and Capsicum annum (CA) belongs to the family of Solanaceae. CA have been reported a rich source of phenolics whereas, the phenolics content of GA (gallic acid), SC (scopoletin), RA (rosmarinic acid), and RV (resveratrol) are yet to be reported for the PC-fruit. This study comparatively evaluates the phenolics profile for different parts (seeds and skin) and colors (green and red) of the PC- and CA-fruits using the green solvents of ethanol (ET), acetone (AC), water (H2O), and different combinations of these solvents. Methodology: Ultrasonics extraction (US) and UHPLC analysis were employed for phenolics evaluation. Results: The USMD (method development) revealed the highest extract yield of 62 mg/100 mg for the PC-skin in ET:AC (70:30) solvent whereas, more phenolics (ppm) were observed for PC-seeds in ET:AC (50:50) solvent, particularly the SC (29.46) and GA (16.92). The UHPLCMDMV exhibited significant accuracies (100.70–114.14 %) with r2-values (0.9993–0.9997) in the linearity range of 1–200 ppm. The USMV (method validation) in PC- and CA-fruit parts and colors revealed more extract yields for the red skin part of the PC- (180.5 mg) and CA-fruit (126.2 mg). The phenolics were seen more in the green seeds of the PC-fruit (ppm); SC (276), GA (147.36), RV (28.54), and RA (23.87) followed by the green PC-skin, and red/green CA-seeds. The statistical models of mean differences, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation showed significant differences for the PC-fruit parts (seeds and skin) and colors (red and green) vs extract yield and phenolics content (P = 0.05). Conclusion: PC-and CA-fruits were successfully evaluated where the seeds for the green fruits exhibited more phenolics amount.

Abstract Impaired autophagy promotes Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Claudin-2 is upregulated in IBD however its role in the pathobiology remains uncertain due to its complex regulation, including by autophagy. Irrespective, claudin-2 expression protects mice from DSS colitis. This study was undertaken to examine if an interplay between autophagy and claudin-2 protects from colitis and associated epithelial injury. Crypt culture and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are subjected to stress, including starvation or DSS, the chemical that induces colitis in-vivo. Autophagy flux, cell survival, co-immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation assay, and gene mutational studies are performed. These studies reveal that under colitis/stress conditions, claudin-2 undergoes polyubiquitination and P62/SQSTM1-assisted degradation through autophagy. Inhibiting autophagy-mediated claudin-2 degradation promotes cell death and thus suggest that claudin-2 degradation promotes autophagy flux to promote cell survival. Overall, these data inform for the previously undescribed role for claudin-2 in facilitating IECs survival under stress conditions, which can be harnessed for therapeutic advantages.

Momordica charantia, commonly known as bitter melon, is a fruiting plant that has been used for several diseases including infectious diseases. In this study, we report the antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity of different bitter melon fruit parts originating from India and Saudi Arabia. The in vitro experiments are supported by the molecular docking of karavilosides to verify their role in the bioactivity. The antimicrobial assays revealed activity against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts exhibited the potent inhibition of HIV-I reverse transcriptase, with an IC50 of 0.125 mg/mL observed for the pith extract originating from Saudi Arabia and the standard drug doxorubicin. The molecular docking of karavilosides exhibited a significant affinity to reverse transcriptase comparable to Rilpivirine and higher than that of doxorubicin. These outcomes encourage the precious bioactive components of the seed and pith of the Saudi bitter melon fruits to be further studied for isolation and structure elucidation.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gut disorder that also elevates the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The global incidence and severity of IBD are rising, yet existing therapies often lead to severe side effects. Curcumin offers potent anti-inflammatory and chemotherapeutic properties. However, its clinical translation is hindered by rapid metabolism, as well as poor water solubility and stability, which limits its bioavailability. To address these challenges, we developed OC-S, a water-soluble and colon-targeted curcumin formulation that protects against colitis in mice. The current study advances OC-S as a dietary supplement by establishing its stability and compatibility with various commercial dietary products. Further, OC-S exhibited specific binding to inflamed colon tissue, potentially aiding in targeted drug retention at the inflammation site in colitis with diarrhea symptoms. We further investigated its efficacy in vivo and in vitro using a murine model of colitis and tumoroids from APCmin mice. OC-S significantly reduced colitis severity and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression compared with curcumin, even at very low doses (5 mg/kg/day). It also demonstrated higher anti-proliferative activity in CRC cells and colon cancer tumoroids vs. curcumin. Overall, this study demonstrated that OC-S effectively targets and retains water-soluble curcumin at the inflamed colon sites, while showing promise in addressing both colitis and colorectal cancer, which potentially paves the way for OC-S to advance into clinical development as a dietary product for both IBD and CRC.

Abstract The quality of olive fruit (OF) is widely affected due to geographical variation, affecting OF's chemical composition and biological properties. It is a novel and first-time study to evaluate the quality variation of 42 olive samples from different geographical origins based on phytochemical profile and their biological activities. The study reports the presence of unique chemical markers responsible for the difference in quality and biological activity of the olive samples. Biological activity (cytotoxic and antimicrobial) with GCMS phytochemical profile was evaluated. GCMS analysis confirmed the presence of 111 volatile compounds from various chemical classes with range (%) and average (%): esters (21.61–60.49) and 44.62, alcohols (20.73–49.2) and 38.06, hydrocarbons (3–38.88) and 15.39, ketones (0.16–3.87) and 0.75, acids (0.07–2.62) and 0.27, and aldehydes (0.12–1.47) and 0.45. The predominant ester was 13-methyl-pentadecanoic acid methyl ester, a differentiation marker between these samples. Cytotoxicity assay showed a significant inhibitory effect against MCF7 (8–64%) and HCT116 (0.11–44%) cell lines, whereas the extracts with the highest cytotoxicity observed were O17 (52.00 ± 2.00) and O25 (64.00 ± 4.88). The antimicrobial activity exhibited a range of zones of inhibition (mm) against P. aeruginosa (0.00–17.00), E. coli (0.00–15.00), S. aureus (0.00–13), and resistant S. aureus, i.e., MRSA (0.00–12.00). The extracts with the highest antimicrobial activity, i.e., O8 and O39 had identical MIC and MBC of 12.5 and 25 µg/ml against P. aeruginosa. In contrast, an MIC (50 and 25) and MBC (100 and 50) against E. coli were determined for O39 and O8. The statistical PCA and K-mean cluster analysis (P

ABSTRACTDysregulation of both the gut barrier and microbiota (dysbiosis) promotes susceptibility to and severity of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Leaky gut and dysbiosis often coexist; however, potential interdependence and molecular regulation are not well understood. Robust expression of claudin-3 (CLDN3) characterizes the gut epithelium, and studies have demonstrated a positive association between CLDN3 expression and gut barrier maturity and integrity, including in response to probiotics. However, the exact status and causal role of CLDN3 in IBD and regulation of gut dysbiosis remain unknown. Analysis of mouse and human IBD cohorts helped examine CLDN3 expression in IBD. The causal role was determined by modeling CLDN3 loss of expression during experimental colitis. 16S sequencing and in silico analysis helped examine gut microbiota diversity between Cldn3KO and WT mice and potential host metabolic responses. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) studies were performed to assess the role of gut dysbiosis in the increased susceptibility of Cldn3KO mice to colitis. A significant decrease in CLDN3 expression characterized IBD and CLDN3 loss of expression promoted colitis. 16S sequencing analysis suggested gut microbiota changes in Cldn3KO mice that were capable of modulating fatty acid metabolism and oxidative stress response. FMT from naïve Cldn3KO mice promoted colitis susceptibility in recipient germ-free mice (GFM) compared with GFM-receiving microbiota from WT mice. Our data demonstrate a critical role of CLDN3 in maintaining normal gut microbiota and inflammatory responses, which can be harnessed to develop novel therapeutic opportunities for patients with IBD.

BackgroundNumerous reviews of the epidemiology and risk factors for breast cancer have been published previously which heighted different directions of breast cancer.AimThe present review examined the likelihood that incidence, prevalence, and particular risk factors might vary by geographic region and possibly by food and cultural practices as well.MethodsA systematic review (2017-2022) was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, reporting on epidemiological and risk factor reports from different world regions. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms: “Breast neoplasm” “AND” country terms such as “Pakistan/epidemiology”, “India/epidemiology”, “North America/epidemiology”, “South Africa/epidemiology” were used to retrieve 2068 articles from PubMed. After applying inclusion and exclusion terms, 49 papers were selected for systematic review.ResultsResults of selected articles were summarized based on risk factors, world regions and study type. Risk factors were classified into five categories: demographic, genetic and lifestyle risk factors varied among countries. This review article covers a variety of topics, including regions, main findings, and associated risk factors such as genetic factors, and lifestyle. Several studies revealed that lifestyle choices including diet and exercise could affect a person’s chance of developing breast cancer. Breast cancer risk has also been linked to genetic variables, including DNA repair gene polymorphisms and mutations in the breast cancer gene (BRCA). It has been found that most of the genetic variability links to the population of Asia while the cause of breast cancer due to lifestyle modifications has been found in American and British people, indicating that demographic, genetic, and, lifestyle risk factors varied among countries.ConclusionThere are many risk factors for breast cancer, which vary in their importance depending on the world region. However, further investigation is required to better comprehend the particular causes of breast cancer in these areas as well as to create efficient prevention and treatment plans that cater to the local population.

Advances in Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) technology have paved a way for numerous configurations and applications in communication systems. However, UAV dynamics play an important role in determining its effective use. In this article, while considering UAV dynamics, we evaluate the performance of a UAV equipped with a Mobile-Edge Computing (MEC) server that provides services to End-user Devices (EuDs). The EuDs due to their limited energy resources offload a portion of their computational task to nearby MEC-based UAV. To this end, we jointly optimize the computational cost and 3D UAV placement along with resource allocation subject to the network, communication, and environment constraints. A Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) technique based on a continuous action space approach, namely Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) is utilized. By exploiting DDPG, we propose an optimization strategy to obtain an optimal offloading policy in the presence of UAV dynamics, which is not considered in earlier studies. The proposed strategy can be classified into three cases namely; training through an ideal scenario, training through error dynamics, and training through extreme values. We compared the performance of these individual cases based on cost percentage and concluded that case II (training through error dynamics) achieves minimum cost i.e., 37.75 %, whereas case I and case III settles at 67.25% and 67.50% respectively. Numerical simulations are performed, and extensive results are obtained which shows that the advanced DDPG based algorithm along with error dynamic protocol is able to converge to near optimum. To validate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm, a comparison with state-of-the-art Deep Q-Network (DQN) is carried out, which shows that our algorithm has significant improvements.

The use of photovoltaic (PV) panels in interior spaces is expected to increase due to the proliferation of low-power sensor devices in the IoT domain. PV models are critical for estimating the I–V curves that define their performance at various light intensities. These models and the extraction of their parameters have been extensively studied under outdoor conditions, but their indoor illumination performance is less studied. With respect to the latter, several studies have used the parameter-scaling technique. However, the model’s accuracy degrades when the light level decreases. In this study, we propose a simple PV modeling technique that can be applied at various illuminance levels by only using characteristic points (short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, and maximum-power voltage points) at a reference illumination level. The model uses the characteristic point translation technique to translate the reference characteristic points to other operating conditions. Then, parameter extraction technique is used to extract the model’s parameters. The proposed model’s accuracy is verified using two commercial PV panels and different indoor lighting technologies. The results indicate that the proposed model outperforms the other examined works in terms of accuracy, with an average improvement of 15.75%.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the correlation between COVID-19 infection and jaw osteonecrosis, along with the identification of risk factors that could be associated with the development of the condition. Another aim of our study is to establish whether maxillofacial osteonecrosis is an early or late complication seen in COVID-19 patients. Material and method: This was a retrospective study conducted over a period of two years. Case records of patients with a history of severe COVID and steroid treatment who later developed jaw osteonecrosis were evaluated. Result: 13 patients with an age range from 8 years to 70 years were identified. Osteonecrosis was seen as late as 21 months after COVID-19. The majority of the cases involved maxilla, one case was of bi-jaw involvement, and one case presented with isolated mandibular involvement. 6 patients were diabetic and 11 patients gave a history of provocative dental treatment like extraction. Conclusion: A triad of post-COVID coagulopathy, steroid administration, and a provocative dental treatment may contribute to jaw osteonecrosis which may be seen in patients without pre-existing systemic illness and may present as late as 21 months after COVID-19.

S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) is a sulfur-containing substance found in aged garlic extract (AGE), which has been observed to have numerous biological activities, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Compared to intact garlic, SAC has fewer odors and decreased toxicity, making it a more appealing option for individuals looking to gain the health benefits of garlic without experiencing unpleasant side effects such as indigestion and bad breath. SAC has been found to have potent antioxidant effects, protecting the body against oxidative stress and damage caused by free radicals. This may be particularly beneficial for those with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, where oxidative stress plays a key role in disease progression. Additionally, SAC has anti-inflammatory effects, which may help prevent or manage conditions associated with chronic inflammation, such as arthritis, asthma, and Alzheimer's disease. SAC is a chemically and physiologically fascinating substance with multiple pharmacological qualities, and as research continues into its potential health benefits, it may become an increasingly popular dietary supplement. The main aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview on physicochemical nature, mechanism, pharmacokinetics, and physiological functions of SAC.

Context Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, researchers have been working on finding ways to prevent viral entry and pathogenesis. Drug development from naturally-sourced pharmacological constituents may be a fruitful approach to COVID-19 therapy.Objective Most of the published literature has focussed on medicinal plants, while less attention has been given to biodiverse sources such as animal, marine, and microbial products. This review focuses on highlighting natural products and their derivatives that have been evaluated for antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties.Methods We searched electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Springer Link to gather raw data from publications up to March 2021, using terms such as ‘natural products’, marine, micro-organism, and animal, COVID-19. We extracted a number of documented clinical trials of products that were tested in silico, in vitro, and in vivo which paid specific attention to chemical profiles and mechanisms of action.Results Various classes of flavonoids, 2 polyphenols, peptides and tannins were found, which exhibit inhibitory properties against viral and host proteins, including 3CLpro, PLpro, S, hACE2, and NF-κB, many of which are in different phases of clinical trials.Discussion and conclusions The synergistic effects of logical combinations with different mechanisms of action emphasizes their value in COVID19 management, such as iota carrageenan nasal spray, ermectin oral drops, omega-3 supplementation, and a quadruple treatment of zinc, quercetin, bromelain, and vitamin C. Though in vivo efficacy of these compounds has yet to be established, these bioproducts are potentially useful in counteracting the effects of SARS-CoV-2.

Abstract Autoantibodies and inflammation are the hallmarks of autoimmune diseases (ADs). Organ‐specific and nonorgan‐specific ADs are divided according to whether the autoimmune reaction is directed against a specific tissue (e.g., thyroid in Hashimoto's thyroiditis) or widely expressed antigens (e.g., cell nuclei in systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE]). SLE is distinguished by the presence of circulating autoantibodies and immune complex deposition, both of which can induce inflammatory damage to many organs. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), sometimes called inflammatory arthritis, is a systemic AD that affects the joints and causes synovitis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system inflammatory disease with various neurological and autoimmune symptoms. Links have been reported between RA and SLE as well as between Type 1 diabetes mellitus and MS. Identification of shared genes and biological processes could aid in the discovery of possible treatment targets in these dual ADs. This review article explores the molecular nature and familial inheritance of dual ADs.

Background: This study, for the first time, reports a simultaneous determination of flavonoids; rutin (RT), quercetin (QT), luteolin (LT), and kaempferol (KF) in different origins of fenugreek seeds samples (N = 45) using a green UHPLC-DAD analysis Methodology: Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was employed to extract fenugreek flavonoids using different polarity solvents of n-hexane (n-hex), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH) Results: The extract yield on an individual basis was observed in the range of 1.03–17.29 mg, with the highest yield (mg/sample) for the Egyptian sample (17.29 mg). The highest total extract yield (mg/origin) was observed for the Iranian sample (82.28 ± 5.38). The solvent with the highest extract yield (mg) was n-hex 169.35 ± 13.47, followed by MeOH 114.39 ± 12.27. The validated green UHPLC-DAD method resulted in a short runtime (9 min) with an accuracy of 97.86(±12.32)-101.37(±5.91), r2-values = 0.993–0.999, LOD = 2.09–4.48 ppm, and LOQ = 6.33–13.57 ppm for flavonoids analysis within the linearity range of 1–500 ppm. The general yield for flavonoids exhibited a descending order (ppm): RT (2924.55 ± 143.84) > QT (457.05 ± 34.07) > LT (82.37 ± 3.27) > KF (4.54 ± 0.00). The yield (ppm) for the flavonoids was more in MeOH solvent (3424.81 ± 235.44) constructing a descending order of MeOH > n-hex > DCM. For an individual flavonoid yield; MeOH was seen with an order of RT > QT > LT, n-hex (LT > QT), and DCM (RT > LT > QT). The statistical analysis of PCA (principle component analysis) revealed a widespread distribution of flavonoids in fenugreek seeds with a variance of 35.93% (PC1). Moreover, flavonoids extraction was prone to the nature and specificity of the solvent used (PC2: 33.34%) rather than the amount of the extract yield (P = 0.00). The K-mean cluster analysis showed the origins with higher flavonoids yield in appropriate solvent as I3M (Indian accession # 3 MeOH extract) with more QT amount, IR2M (Iranian accession # 2 MeOH extract) with more LT amount along with I2M (Indian accession # 2 MeOH extract) and Q2M (Qassim Saudi Arabia accession # 2 MeOH extract) containing high amount of RT. The outcomes are supported by KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and Bartlett’s test value of 0.56 with X2-value of 191.87 (P = 0.00) Conclusion: The samples were effectively evaluated and standardized in terms of flavonoid amount suggesting a significant variation in fenugreek quality.

Metal contamination of lip care products can cause potential adverse effects for consumers, hence assessment of human health risks associated with the consumption of these products is inevitable to ensure the consumers’ safety. In the presented study, the profiles of 18 elements in 37 of the most popular lip cosmetic products, of various types and brands, sold in the Saudi Arabian markets, were investigated and their associated potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risks were assessed. The metal concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry preceded by microwave digestion for sample preparation. In general, the concentrations of the investigated metals were lower than the safe permissible limits with the exception of Cd, Pb and Hg. The results found that Cd was regarded as the primary metal contaminant present in the analyzed lip products contributing to 66.3% of the total determined carcinogenic health risk. Overall, however it was observed that there was no significant non-carcinogenic (hazard index

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers causing a serious threat to the agro-ecological system, developing resistance to pest and declining food safety. Under current scenario, the application of bio-organic nutrients sources become imperative to sustain the productivity of arable farming. Thus to study the possible use of bio-organic sources of nutrients in soil fertility, crop quality and saving the application cost of chemical fertilizer, a pot experiment was conducted in green-house at Land Resources Research Institute, NARC Islamabad. Integrated effects of bio-organic fertilizers such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), vermicompost (VC) along with chemical fertilizer was investigated on soil-plant nutrients contents, growth and yield of tomato. Post-harvest results showed that the integrated use of bio-organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizer significantly increased the agronomic yield (Plant height and chlorophyll content) and fruit yield (Number of fruits, fruit weight, fruit diameter and yield) in tomato. The maximum plant height (161.24cm), chlorophyll contents (61.2), number of fruits (19), fruit weight (55g), fruit diameter (45.6a) and fruit yield (1.39 Kg/plant) were recorded in the treatment T5 where VC+PSB+75%RD were applied and minimum in treatment T1 (control). Treatment T5 has increased 117% fruit yield over control. The highest N (2.05% and 2.89%), P (0.33% and 0.50%) and K (2.32% and 6.67%) concentration in shoot and fruit of tomato respectively were found in treatment T5 (VC+PSB+75%RD). Similarly, in soil the highest N (4 mg Kg-1), P (0.66mg Kg-1) and K (3.53mg Kg-1) was recorded in treatment T6 (VC+PSB+100RD). Thus, study results recommend that the integrated use of bio-organic sources with appropriate proportion of chemical/synthetic fertilizers is best option of fertilizer savings and to achieve maximum benefits regarding quality and yield.

BackgroundContemporary advances in low-field magnetic resonance imaging systems can potentially widen access to cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. We present our initial experience in building a comprehensive CMR protocol on a commercial 0.55 T system with a gradient performance of 26 mT/m amplitude and 45 T/m/s slew rate. To achieve sufficient image quality, we adapted standard imaging techniques when possible, and implemented compressed-sensing (CS) based techniques when needed in an effort to compensate for the inherently low signal-to-noise ratio at lower field strength.MethodsA prototype CMR exam was built on an 80 cm, ultra-wide bore commercial 0.55 T MR system. Implementation of all components aimed to overcome the inherently lower signal of low-field and the relatively longer echo and repetition times owing to the slower gradients. CS-based breath-held and real-time cine imaging was built utilizing high acceleration rates to meet nominal spatial and temporal resolution recommendations. Similarly, CS 2D phase-contrast cine was implemented for flow. Dark-blood turbo spin echo sequences with deep learning based denoising were implemented for morphology assessment. Magnetization-prepared single-shot myocardial mapping techniques incorporated additional source images. CS-based dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging was implemented for myocardial perfusion and 3D MR angiography. Non-contrast 3D MR angiography was built with electrocardiogram-triggered, navigator-gated magnetization-prepared methods. Late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) tissue characterization methods included breath-held segmented and free-breathing single-shot imaging with motion correction and averaging using an increased number of source images. Proof-of-concept was demonstrated through porcine infarct model, healthy volunteer, and patient scans.ResultsReasonable image quality was demonstrated for cardiovascular structure, function, flow, and LGE assessment. Low-field afforded utilization of higher flip angles for cine and MR angiography. CS-based techniques were able to overcome gradient speed limitations and meet spatial and temporal resolution recommendations with imaging times comparable to higher performance scanners. Tissue mapping and perfusion imaging require further development.ConclusionWe implemented cardiac applications demonstrating the potential for comprehensive CMR on a novel commercial 0.55 T system. Further development and validation studies are needed before this technology can be applied clinically.

Background: This is a first-time report to evaluate the effect of natural antioxidants, pH, and green solvents upon catechins yield and stability during the active process of extraction from green tea leaves. Methodology: Green solvents (model-A) augmented with piperine (PPN) and quercetin (QT) as natural antioxidants (model-B) at different pH 2–6 (model-C) were used to extract catechins from green tea leaves using an ultrasonic extraction process (USE). For quantification of catechins (EC; epicatechins, ECG; epicatechin gallate, and EGCG; epigallocatechin gallate), a green and sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated. Results: The UHPLC-MS/MS method showed an accuracy of 98.3–102.6 % within the linearity range of 1–500 ppb for EC (m/z) 289 → 245 → 109, ECG (m/z) 441.2 → 169 → 289, and EGCG (m/z) 457.1 → 169 → 125.1. The general yield (ppb) for EC, ECG, and EGCG was observed with the ranges and sum of (N = 180) 0.06–157.80 and 6696.83, 0.04–316.93 and 12632.60 and, 0.12–584.11 and 26144.83, respectively. Model-C revealed the highest yield for catechins at the lowest pH-2 with an individual catechin yield of EGCG (584.11) > ECG (316.93) > EC (157.80) in CW2. In terms of stability, EGCG was the most unstable catechin whereas, catechins extracted in model-B exhibited more stability (%recovery of 14.70 for EC, 10.55 for ECG, and 5.36 for EGCG in BEP). Moreover, model-B showed the minimal degradation for catechins within the range of 11.81–94.64 (BEP); even the most degradable EGCG was seen with the smallest %loss of 11.81–94.64 at time 24–70 h, as compared to the loss of > 95 % in model-A and C. The ANOVA score for catechins yield was; F11,168 = 61.06 (EC), F11,168 = 66.53 (ECG), and F11,168 = 48.92 (EGCG) (P = 0.00) with mean scores of (M = 94.63, SD = 25.46) for EC, (M = 194.87, SD = 51.41) ECG, and (M = 357.57, SD = 96.80) EGCG in CE2. Conclusion: A significant effect on catechins yield and stability was observed with the use of natural antioxidants and lowest pH-2.

Abstract The present study was designed to evaluate the beneficial synergistic effects of S-allyl Cysteine (SAC) and Taurine (TAU) on hyperglycemia, lipid profile and renal damage markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats. Experimental T2DM was developed by administering an intraperitoneal single dose of nicotinamide (NA; 230 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/ kg) in adult rats. Control and diabetic rats were treated with SAC (150 mg/kg); TAU (200 mg/ kg) or SAC and TAU (75+100 mg/kg) combination for four weeks. Measurements of traditional markers of kidney toxicity in serum, such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), together with serum cholesterol/triglyceride such as serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) may yield a snapshot of renal damage and lipid profile in NA/STZ-treated rats. The variation in levels of fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin and lipid profile was significantly augmented in SAC/TAU treatment group. The diabetic group showed elevated renal injury markers in serum, which were decreased significantly by SAC/TAU treatment. Thus the results of the experiment clearly indicate the potential of the SAC/TAU combination in improving diabetic complications.

Hypertensive crises is still a major public health problem, causing end organ damage like myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal failure. Labetalol and nitroglycerine are among the two most commonly used medicine to control the blood pressure, but there is no head to head comparison between these two medicines. This was a prospective randomized non-blinded study which included 50 patients of hypertensive crises, out which 25 patients received intravenous labetalol and 25 patients received intravenous nitroglycerine. We found that labetalol controlled the blood pressure more rapidly in comparison to nitroglycerine, without causing any extra side effect.

Background: Despite significant progress in clinical management, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. A positive association between PYCR2 (pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase-2), a terminal enzyme of proline metabolism, and CRC aggressiveness was recently reported. However, how PYCR2 promotes colon carcinogenesis remains ill understood. Methods: A comprehensive analysis was performed using publicly available cancer databases and CRC patient cohorts. Proteomics and biochemical evaluations were performed along with genetic manipulations and in vivo tumor growth assays to gain a mechanistic understanding. Results: PYCR2 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC and associated with poor patient survival, specifically among PYCR isoforms (PYCR1, 2, and 3). The genetic inhibition of PYCR2 inhibited the tumorigenic abilities of CRC cells and in vivo tumor growth. Coinciding with these observations was a significant decrease in cellular proline content. PYCR2 overexpression promoted the tumorigenic abilities of CRC cells. Proteomics (LC-MS/MS) analysis further demonstrated that PYCR2 loss of expression in CRC cells inhibits survival and cell cycle pathways. A subsequent biochemical analysis supported the causal role of PYCR2 in regulating CRC cell survival and the cell cycle, potentially by regulating the expression of MASTL, a cell-cycle-regulating protein upregulated in CRC. Further studies revealed that PYCR2 regulates Wnt/β-catenin-signaling in manners dependent on the expression of MASTL and the cancer stem cell niche. Conclusions: PYCR2 promotes MASTL/Wnt/β-catenin signaling that, in turn, promotes cancer stem cell populations and, thus, colon carcinogenesis. Taken together, our data highlight the significance of PYCR2 as a novel therapeutic target for effectively treating aggressive colon cancer.

This study analyzes how career competencies increase individuals’ career commitment through positive career shocks from the project perspective. Further, this paper discusses the interaction effect of career satisfaction and career shocks to career commitment. Survey data were collected from early-career engineers working on engineering projects, and later analyzed through PROCESS Macro. Findings revealed that positive career shocks increased the career commitment of young engineers who had acceptable career competencies. This study extends the current career debate more precisely in the project context by highlighting the role of positive career shock, a relatively new construct in project management research, in career commitment. This also highlighted policy implications from a project viewpoint, such as how project recruiters may help early-career workers develop and enhance their attitudes toward a certain career, which is advantageous to the organization and project outcomes.

The conventional orthotopic/xenograft models or genetically engineered murine models of colon cancer (CRC) are limited in their scope for a true understanding of tumor growth, progression and eventual metastasis in its natural microenvironment. In the currently used murine models of CRC metastasis, the metastasis occurs primarily in the liver, though lung metastasis accounts for a significant proportion of CRC metastasis. There is an urgent need for a murine model of CRC, which not only allows tumor progression in the colonic mucosa but also metastasis of the lung. The authors describe a minimally invasive murine model of colon cancer progression that may be ideal for a wide range of applications, including evaluating gene function, microenvironment, cancer metastasis and therapeutic translational research.

Rare earth elements are gaining significant importance in the scientific and technological fields for their exciting physical properties and characteristics. The aim of the present study was to determine rare earth elements (REEs) in geological ores found in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. We present the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS) for the elemental analysis of geological ore samples containing REEs. The laser-induced plasma plume exhibits a wide array of emission lines, including those of rare earth elements such as Ce, La, and Nd. Furthermore, the spectral range, from 220 nm to 970 nm, encompasses emission lines from C, Fe, Ti, Na, Mg, Si, and Ca. The qualitative analysis of the constituent elements in the samples was performed by comparing the LIBS spectrum of the unknown sample with that of the spectroscopically pure rare earth elements (La2O3, CeO2, and Nd2O3, with 99.9% metals basis) recorded under the same experimental conditions. The quantitative analysis was performed using the calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS), LA-TOF-MS, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The results obtained by CF-LIBS were found to be in good agreement with those obtained using the LA-TOF-MS and EDX analytical techniques. LIBS is demonstrated to yield a quick and reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis, of any unknown geological sample, comparable to that of the other analytical techniques.

Massive use of synthetic chemicals exerts deleterious effects on human and environmental health, which calls for the development of novel alternatives to manage agricultural pests. Botanical pesticides have drawn great interest due to their non-toxic and eco-friendly nature. Therefore, under this study, leaf-needles of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) were extracted by different solvents to obtain effective biochemical. These extracts were evaluated for biocontrol of two weed and an insect-pest species. Pine needles were soaked separately in methanol, ethanol, hot and cold water in the volume to weight ratio of 5:1 (solvent:pine needles) for 7 days. Extraction yield, and contents of organic acids, siloxanes and amides were higher with hot and cold water, while alcohols, ketones, terpenes and phenolic compounds were greater in methanolic and ethanolic extracts. These biochemicals with respective extractants increased quantitatively and progressively but not beyond 7 days. Raw extracts (with variable dilution) were employed topically against two weed species (Melilotus albus and Asphodelus tenuifolius) and an insect-pest (Plutella xylostella L.). Greater weed biocontrol efficacy through soaking of M. albus and A. tenuifolius weed seeds was exhibited by methanolic extract (100% concentration) with the highest germination inhibition (74% and 65%) followed by ethanolic extract (68% and 64%), respectively. The highest mortality (92%) of P. xylostella insects was achieved through methanolic extract bath (20% concentration) after 120 h. These results conclude that alcoholic extracts of pine needle contain more effective biochemicals (e.g., phenols and terpenes) with bio-pesticidal characteristics as compared to that from aqueous extracts. Therefore, the alcoholic extracts bear great potential to develop the bio-pesticides as novel and safe alternatives for weeds as well as insect-pest management.

Abstract Background Claudin-2 expression is upregulated in multiple cancers and promotes cancer malignancy. Remarkably, the regulation of claudin-2 expression in kidney cell lines contrasts its reported regulation in other organs. However, claudin-2 role in renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown despite its predominant expression in the proximal tubular epithelium (PTE), the site of RCC origin. Methods Publicly available and independent patient databases were examined for claudin-2 association with RCC. The novel protein function was validated in vitro and in vivo by gain or loss of function assays. Mechanistic results were concluded by Mass spectroscopy, immunoprecipitation and mutational studies, and functional evaluations. Results We show that the significant decrease in claudin-2 expression characterized PTE cells and Ex-vivo cultured mouse kidney subjected to dedifferentiation. Inhibition of claudin-2 was enough to induce mesenchymal plasticity and invasive mobility in these models. Further, a progressive loss of claudin-2 expression associated with the RCC progression and poor patient survival. Overexpression of claudin-2 in RCC-derived cancer cells inhibited tumorigenic abilities and xenograft tumor growth. These data supported a novel tumor-suppressive role of claudin-2 in RCC. Mechanistic insights further revealed that claudin-2 associates with YAP-protein and modulates its phosphorylation (S127) and nuclear expression. The tumor suppressive effects of claudin-2 expression were lost upon deletion of its PDZ-binding motif emphasizing the critical role of the PDZ-domain in claudin-2 interaction with YAP in regulating RCC malignancy. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a novel kidney specific tumor suppressive role for claudin-2 protein and further demonstrate that claudin-2 co-operates with the YAP signaling in regulating the RCC malignancy.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are increasingly used to convert sunlight into electricity, as a source of sustainable energy. It can be used in a wide variety of applications ranging from the well-known power generation to the emerging energy harvesting in Internet of Things (IoT). Hence, an accurate model is required to evaluate and predict the performance of the PV panel. However, the non-linear characteristics of PV panels make the modeling of their electrical response a challenging task. In the literature, most of the previous PV models have been developed for large wattage PVs under high irradiance, or for small wattage PVs under lower irradiance. Those that can model both usually require more information, including the I-V curves data at different irradiances, which is not always provided by the manufacturers. Therefore, this paper presents a simple PV modeling that can be applied for different wattage panels at different operating levels of irradiance, using only the commonly provided datasheet values at standard test condition (STC). The model uses the characteristic points translation technique to translate the short circuit current, open circuit voltage and maximum power voltage points, at STC to other operating conditions. These translated values are then used by the parameter extraction technique to extract the model’s parameters. The proposed model’s techniques can model the losses across the resistors at low irradiance, which reduces the error. The accuracy of the proposed model is validated using two representative commercial PV panels. Results are generated for the proposed model and other comparative works. The results show that the proposed model can improve the accuracy over the other compared works, with a consistent percentage difference of below 5% across all levels of irradiances for both panels.

Device-to-device communication, as provided by the third generation partnership project standardization, can play a vital role in designing a reliable pervasive public safety network, which allows the user equipment (UEs) to communicate directly with each other in emergency situations. In this paper, we analyze the performance of direct discovery, one of the features introduced by proximity services. This is examined in heterogeneous environments using the OpenAirInterface open-source software and USRP hardware platform. The experimental results highlight the suitable values for different gains and frequencies of the UEs for performing reliable baseline direct discovery in out-of-coverage scenarios. We evaluate the performance of direct discovery in terms of reliability and maximum range in outdoor and indoor scenarios. Furthermore, we propose a context-aware energy-efficient heuristic algorithm for direct discovery with the aim of extending the network lifetime in emergency scenarios. This heuristic yields significant improvements in UE lifetime (20-52%) and reduces redundant transmissions of discovery messages compared to the baseline approach.

Mango fruit is well known for its nutritional and health benefits due to the presence of a plethora of phytochemical classes. The quality of mango fruit and its biological activities may change depending upon the variation in geographical factors. For the first time, this study comprehensively screened the biological activities of all four parts of the mango fruit from twelve different origins. Various cell lines (MCF7, HCT116, HepG2, MRC5) were used to screen the extracts for their cytotoxicity, glucose uptake, glutathione peroxidase activity, and α-amylase inhibition. MTT assays were carried out to calculate the IC50 values for the most effective extracts. The seed part from Kenya and Sri Lanka origins exhibited an IC50 value of 14.44 ± 3.61 (HCT116) and 17.19 ± 1.60 (MCF7). The seed part for Yemen Badami (119 ± 0.08) and epicarp part of Thailand (119 ± 0.11) mango fruit showed a significant increase in glucose utilization (50 μg/mL) as compared to the standard drug metformin (123 ± 0.07). The seed extracts of Yemen Taimoor seed (0.46 ± 0.05) and Yemen Badami (0.62 ± 0.13) produced a significant reduction in GPx activity (50 μg/mL) compared to the control cells (100 μg/mL). For α-amylase inhibition, the lowest IC50 value was observed for the endocarp part of Yemen Kalabathoor (108.8 ± 0.70 μg/mL). PCA, ANOVA, and Pearson’s statistical models revealed a significant correlation for the fruit part vs. biological activities, and seed part vs. cytotoxicity and α-amylase activity (p = 0.05). The seed of mango fruit exhibited significant biological activities; hence, further in-depth metabolomic and in vivo studies are essential to effectively utilize the seed part for the treatment of various diseases.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted networks ensure agile and flexible solutions based on the inherent attributes of mobility and altitude adaptation. These features render them suitable for emergency search and rescue operations. Emergency networks (ENs) differ from conventional networks. They often encounter nodes with vital information, i.e., critical nodes (CNs). The efficacy of search and rescue operations highly depends on the eminent coverage of critical nodes to retrieve crucial data. In a UAV-assisted EN, the information delivery from these critical nodes can be ensured through quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees, such as capacity and age of information (AoI). In this work, optimized UAV placement for critical nodes in emergency networks is studied. Two different optimization problems, namely capacity maximization and age of information minimization, are formulated based on the nature of node criticality. Capacity maximization provides general QoS enhancement for critical nodes, whereas AoI is focused on nodes carrying critical information. Simulations carried out in this paper aim to find the optimal placement for each problem based on a two-step approach. At first, the disaster region is partitioned based on CNs’ aggregation. Reinforcement learning (RL) is then applied to observe optimal placement. Finally, network coverage over optimal UAV(s) placement is studied for two scenarios, i.e., network-centric and user-centric. In addition to providing coverage to critical nodes, the proposed scheme also ensures maximum coverage for all on-scene available devices (OSAs).

In recent years, massive development in the malware industry changed the entire landscape for malware development. Therefore, cybercriminals became more sophisticated by advancing their development techniques from file-based to fileless malware. As file-based malware depends on files to spread itself, on the other hand, fileless malware does not require a traditional file system and uses benign processes to carry out its malicious intent. Therefore, it evades conventional detection techniques and remains stealthy. This paper briefly explains fileless malware, its life cycle, and its infection chain. Moreover, it proposes a detection technique based on feature analysis using machine learning for fileless malware detection. The virtual machine acquired the memory dumps upon executing the malicious and non-malicious samples. Then the necessary features are extracted using the Volatility memory forensics tool, which is then analyzed using machine learning classification algorithms. After that, the best algorithm is selected based on the k-fold cross-validation score. Experimental evaluation has shown that Random Forest outperforms other machine learning classifiers (Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, XGBoost, and Gradient Boosting). It achieved an overall accuracy of 93.33% with a True Positive Rate (TPR) of 87.5% at zeroFalse Positive Rate (FPR) for fileless malware collected from five widely used datasets (VirusShare, AnyRun, PolySwarm, HatchingTriage, and JoESadbox).

Успішне оперативне лікування неопущеного яєчка визначається його положенням у калитці без ознак атрофічних змін. Найважливішими факторами, що визначають успішність оперативного лікування, є тип неопущеного яєчка, тобто пальпується / не пальпується, а також час операції. Кінцева мета орхіопексії - зберегти сперматогенний потенціал. Однак, у цьому можна впевнитися тільки у більш пізньому віці пацієнта. Тому на ранньому етапі для оцінки були використані радіологічні дані. Ми провели це дослідження для оцінки параметрів кровотоку.

Biomathematics is an interdisciplinary subject consisting of mathematics and biology, which is widely applicable for the analysis of biological problems. In this paper, we provide a mathematical model of two-phase hepatic blood flow in a jaundice patient’s artery. The blood flow is thought to be a two-phased process. The clinical data of a jaundice patient (blood pressure and hemoglobin) is gathered. To begin, hemoglobin is transformed into hematocrit, and blood pressure is turned to a decline in blood pressure. For the examination of hepatic arteries in Newtonian and non-Newtonian movements, a mathematical model is constructed. The relationship between two-phase blood flow flux and blood pressure reduction in the hepatic artery is established. For various hematocrit levels, the blood pressure decrease is determined. The patient’s states are defined by the slope of the linear relationship between computed blood pressure decrease and hematocrit.

The present study is aimed at enhancing the solubility of rosuvastatin (RST) by designing betacyclodextrin/polyvinypyrrolidone-co-poly (2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid) crosslinked hydrophilic nanogels in the presence of crosslinker methylene bisacrylamide through free-radical polymerization method. Various formulations were fabricated by blending different amounts of betacyclodextrin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid, and methylene bisacrylamide. The developed chemically crosslinked nanogels were characterized by FTIR, SEM, PXRD, TGA, DSC, sol-gel analysis, zeta size, micromeritics properties, drug loading percentage, swelling, solubility, and release studies. The FTIR spectrum depicts the leading peaks of resultant functional groups of blended constituents while a fluffy and porous structure was observed through SEM images. Remarkable reduction in crystallinity of RST in developed nanogels revealed by PXRD. TGA and DSC demonstrate the good thermal stability of nanogels. The size analysis depicts the particle size of the developed nanogels in the range of 178.5 ±3.14 nm. Drug loading percentage, swelling, solubility, and release studies revealed high drug loading, solubilization, swelling, and drug release patterns at 6.8 pH paralleled to 1.2 pH. In vivo experiments on developed nanogels in comparison to marketed brands were examined and better results regarding pharmacokinetic parameters were observed. The compatibility and non-toxicity of fabricated nanogels to biological systems was supported by a toxicity study that was conducted on rabbits. Efficient fabrication, excellent physicochemical properties, improved dissolution, high solubilization, and nontoxic nanogels might be a capable approach for the oral administration of poorly water-soluble drugs.

SONAR signal processing plays an indispensable role when it comes to parameter estimation of Direction of Arrival (DOA) of acoustic plane waves for closely spaced target exclusively under severe noisy environments. Resolution performance of classical MUSIC and ESPRIT algorithms and other subspace-based algorithms decreases under scenarios like low SNR, smaller number of snapshots and closely spaced targets. In this study, optimization strength of swarm intelligence of Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) is accomplished for viable DOA estimation in different scenarios of underwater environment using a Uniform Linear Array (ULA). Higher resolution for closely spaced targets is achieved using smaller number of snapshots viably with CSA by investigating global minima of the highly nonlinear cost function of ULA. Performance analysis of CSA for different number of targets employing estimation accuracy, higher resolution, variance analysis, frequency distribution of RMSE over the monte Carlo runs and robustness against noise in the presence of additive-white Gaussian measurement noise is achieved. Comparative studies of CSA with Root MUSIC and ESPRIT along with Crammer Rao Bound analysis witnesses better results for estimating DOA parameters which are further endorsed from the results of Monte Carlo simulations.

Objective: To prepare a novel Chitosan (CS)-coated-PLGA-NPs of catechin hydrate (CTH) and to improve lungs bioavailability via direct nose to lungs-delivery for the comparative assessment of a pulmokinetics study by the first-time UHPLC-MS/MS developed method in the treatment of lungs cancer via anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells. Material and methods: PLGA-NPs was prepared by solvent evaporation (double emulsion) method followed by coated with chitosan (CS) and evaluated based on release and permeation of drug, a comparative pulmokinetics study with their anticancer activities on H1299 lung cancer cells. Results: The particle size, PDI and ZP of the optimized CAT-PLGA-NPs and CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs were determined 124.64 ± 12.09 nm and 150.81 ± 15.91 nm, 0.163 ± 0.03 and 0.306 ± 0.03, –3.94 ± 0.19 mV and 26.01 ± 1.19 mV respectively. Furthermore, higher entrapment efficiency was observed for CS-CAT PLGA NPs. The release pattern of the CS-CAT-PLGA NPs was found to favor the release of entrapped CAT within the cancer microenvironment. CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs exposed on H1299 cancer cells upto 24.0 h was found to be higher cytotoxic as compared to CAT-solution (CAT-S). CS-CAT-PLGA-NPs showed higher apoptosis of cancer cells after their exposure as compared to CAT-S. CS-CTH-PLGA-NPs showed tremendous mucoadhesive-nature as compared to CTH-S and CS-CTH-PLGA NPs by retention time (RT) of 0.589 min, and m/z of 289.21/109.21 for CTH alongwith RT of 0.613 min and m/z of 301.21/151.21 was found out for IS (internal standard), i.e. Quercetin). Likewise, for 1–1000 ng mL−1 (linear range) of % accuracy (92.01–99.31%) and %CV (inter & intra-day, i.e. 2.14–3.33%) was determined. The improved Cmax with AUC0–24 was observed extremely significant (p

This paper reports the results of an experimental study on the high performance concrete made with copper slag as fine aggregate. The percentage of Copper Slag(CS) added by weight in a range viz. 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% as a replacement of sand used in concrete and cement was replaced with 15% Metakaolin. The properties studied include compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, Sorptivity, Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT), Accelerated Carbonation test and Microstructural properties. The test results showed that the compressive strength increases up to 50% copper slag as replacement of sand, beyond which decrease in strength was observed. The results of RCPT and sorptivity with different proportions of copper slag at 28, 90, 120 days of curing period showed the lowest value for the mix containing 25% and 50 % copper slag at each curing age. Carbonation results show that concrete mixes with 85% cement and MK 15% with increasing percentage of copper slag, the carbonation depth increases slowly especially for 75% and 100%. The microscopic view from Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated more voids, capillary channels, and micro cracks with the increment of copper slag as substitution of sand as compared to the control mix, profoundly visible at 100% replacement of sand which is due to the presence of free water.

In 2010, the UK’s Higher Education Sector set a carbon reduction target of 43%. This study aims to evaluate the performance of this Sector for the period before and after the implementation of its carbon reduction target. Dataset available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency has been extensively used in this study. Significant factors driving the sector’s energy consumption have been identified. Energy performance indicators have been established. The increasing role of green technologies in the sector’s energy mix has been unlocked. The sector’s energy and carbon performance have been additionally analysed by critically analysing the data collected from the display energy certificates. In the end, the impact of Brexit on the sector’s academic and environmental targets has been discussed.

Aim of the study: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) can’t be given orally because of very low bioavailability and produces serious adverse effects. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to develop, evaluate, and comparative effects by different nanoformulations of topical application on chemoprevention of skin cancer in different types of skin. Material and methods: Castor oil (oil), Transcutol HP (surfactant), and Polyethylene glycol (PEG)–400 (co-surfactant) have taken on the basis of nonionic property and highest nanoemulsion (NE)-region. Aqueous micro titration method with ultra-sonication method (based on high energy) was used for the preparation of 5-FU-NE. Optimized-5-FU-NE was stable thermodynamically, and their characterizations was performed on the basis of globule size, zeta potential, refractive index, and viscosity. Optimized-NE has been converted into 5-FU-NE-Gel with the help of Carbopol® 934 and also performed their permeation studies in the different skins (cow, goat, and rat, ex vivo) using Logan transdermal diffusion cell (DHC-6T). Optimized-5-FU-NE and 5-FU-NE-Gel were evaluated cytotoxic studies (in vitro) on the melanoma cell lines. Results: The permeation of 5-FU from 5-FU-NE-Gel nanoformulation for rat skin model was 1.56 times higher than the 5-FU-NE and 12.51 times higher than the 5-FU-S for the cow and goat skin model. The values of steady state flux and permeability coefficient for 5-FU-NE-Gel of rat skin were higher i.e. 12.0244 ± 1.12 µgcm−2h−1 and 1.2024 ± 0.073 × 10−2 µg cm−2h−1, respectively. Optimized-5-FU-NE and 5-FU-NE-Gel nanoformulation were found to be physically stable. SK-MEL-5 cancer cells have showed the results based on cytotoxicity studies (in vitro) that 5-FU as Optimized-5-FU-NE-Gel is much more efficacious than 5-FU-NE followed by free 5-FU. Localization of 5-FU from 5-FU-NE-Gel was higher with higher permeation in rat skin. Conclusion: 5-FU-NE-Gel is found to be for the better to treatment of cutaneous malignancies. It can be developed 5-FU-NE-Gel could be a promising vehicle for the skin cancer chemoprevention. Keywords: 5-Fluorouracil, Nanoemulsion, Nanoemulsion-gel, Different skin permeation, chemoprevention, Cytotoxic activity, Local accumulation efficiency, Transdermal delivery

Abstract To formulate a nanoformulation (PLGA-NPs) and to improve brain bioavailability for thymoquinone (THQ) through intranasal (i.n.) drug delivery, using a newly UHPLC-PDA developed the method and validated. Five different THQ-PLGA-NPs (THQ-N1 to THQ-N5) were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method. A new UHPLC method developed and validated for biodistribution studies in the rat’s brain, lungs and plasma. Optimized-THQ-N1-NPs showed a particle size of 97.36 ± 2.01 nm with a low PDI value of 0.263 ± 0.004, ZP of − 17.98 ± 1.09, EE of 82.49 ± 2.38% and DL of 5.09 ± 0.13%. THQ-N1-NPs showed sustained release pattern via in vitro release profile. A bioanalytical method was developed by UHPLC-PDA and validated for the evaluation of pharmacokinetics parameters, biodistribution studies, brain drug-targeting potential (89.89 ± 9.38%), and brain-targeting efficiency (8075.00 ± 113.05%) studies through intranasal administration which showed an improved THQ-brain- bioavailability, compared to i.v. Moreover, THQ-PLGA-NPs improved the seizure threshold treatment i.e. epilepsy increasing current electroshock (ICES) rodent models induced seizures in rats. A significant role of THQ-PLGA-NPs with high brain targeting efficiency of the nanoformulations was established. The reported data supports the treatment of epilepsy.