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Fernand Bteich,1 Kush Desai,1 Chenxin Zhang,1,2 Anahat Kaur,3 Rachel A Levy,1 Lydia Bioh,1 Aaron Wang,1 Sharmin Sultana,1 Andreas Kaubisch,1 Milan Kinkhabwala,1,4 Sarah Bellemare,1,4 Shabnam Fidvi,5 Devaraju Kanmaniraja,5 Robert Berkenblit,5 Jee-Young Moon,1,2 Adebola Adedimeji,2 Clara Y Tow,6 Yvonne Saenger1 1Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA; 2Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; 3Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; 4Department of General Surgery, Division of Abdominal Transplantation, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA; 5Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; 6Department of Medicine, Division of Transplant Hepatology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USACorrespondence: Yvonne Saenger, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Golding Building, Room 701, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA, Tel +1 718-430-2715, Email yvonne.saenger@einsteinmed.eduBackground: : Incidence of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in the Bronx is 61% higher than the rest of New York State. Underserved populations are not well represented in clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).Methods: Demographics were tabulated for 194 patients treated with ICI at the Montefiore-Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) between 2017 and 2022. Categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-squared test, and survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier (KM) curves.Results: MECCC patients were 40.7% Hispanic and 20.6% Black, compared with 3% and 2%, respectively, in the landmark IMbrave 150 study. Median overall survival (mOS) on ICI was 9.0 months, 25.0 months for the 100 (51.5%) favorable-prognosis Child Pugh A (CPA) patients included in HCC clinical trials. Disease control rate (DCR) was 58.5% among 123 evaluable patients per mRECIST 1.1. Baseline liver function, as defined by CP and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na), correlated with survival (p < 0.001). Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and alcoholism were over-represented relative to National Cancer Institute (NCI) data (56.2% vs 4.7% and 38.7% vs 8.2%, respectively). HCV treatment correlated with prolonged survival in infected patients (p = 0.0017). AFP decline correlated with response (p = 0.001). Hispanic patients lived longer when clinical variables were controlled for (mOS 52 vs 23 months; p = 0.011).Conclusion: In an underserved HCC population, ICI yielded a DCR of 58.5% and low rates of severe toxicity. This work highlights ICI efficacy in minority groups, a need for earlier HCC diagnosis and for studies of genetic and environmental factors in Hispanics with HCC.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, systemic therapy, immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, minorities

The governance of flood resilience comprises an array of policy instruments that can he applied to reduce damages and risks to the communities. Policy instruments available at the local level tend to have the greatest impact on communities' ability to absorb shock and resume normal operation. This study is the first attempt to analyze policy instruments and regulations guiding the progression of flood resilience measures in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It aims to offer recommendations specific to the local context and identify the best practices to improve flood resilience of the communities. Therefore, the study adopted a multistage methodology including literature review, stakeholder consultations with the organizations (consisting of municipalities, regional districts, and First Nations), and quantitative analysis using present/absent criteria to measure prevalence of given indicators and five flood resilience classes. The results suggest that the flood resilience policies and strategies of 22 organizations in the Okanagan valley are predominantly focused on flood preparation and mitigation, whereas policies related to during and post-flood management are still in infancy and do not offer satisfactory support. Notably, some organizations are proactive in recognizing looming flood risks, thus enacting essential policy measures to strengthen resilience. These results further highlight that these organizations have focused on a variety of measures to improve resilience, such as spatial planning, building construction setbacks, enhancing natural environment, protecting riparian areas, and stormwater management. As well, current flood-resilient practices by the Prairies (Calgary) paved the way for how both regions can learn from each other. The study sheds light on broader takeaways of what the findings of this study mean for other world regions. The study results are of great importance to the organizations across the Okanagan Valley as they lay the groundwork for resource mobilization to achieve flood resilience and sustainability. Key words: flood resilience, governance, policy analysis, Okanagan valley, local regulations, 1. Introduction In 1987, the publication of the Brundtland report indicated climate change as one of the biggest environmental problems facing the world. Today, climate change is attributed to anthropogenic [...]

Cervical cancer (CC) results from a subsequent process, starting from the infection of normal cervical epithelium with oncogenic human papillomavirus and gradually progressing to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), before finally developing into invasive cervical cancer (ICC). Over recent decades, dietary micronutrients have gained much attention due to their pivotal role in cancer prevention. We reviewed several relevant literature studies to investigate the protective roles of dietary nutrient intake in CC. Dietary intake of vitamin C, green-yellow vegetables, and provitamin A carotenoids that are rich sources of antioxidants may widely inhibit the process of CC development, whereas vitamins A and D might be more helpful in preventing the early events in the disease development. Vitamin E, lycopene, and folate are more effective for the treatment of high-grade CIN. Fruits exert their protective effects in the late stages of the cancer process, thus playing a vital role in ICC prevention. Polyphenols, flavonoids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids are more often used in cases of CC in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, as a primary prevention strategy, the health benefits of various nutrients in CC must be clarified by vitro and in vivo approaches rather than epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tekupalli Ravikiran,1 Santosh Anand,2 Mohammad Azam Ansari,3 Mohammad N Alomary,4 Sami AlYahya,4 Sowbhagya Ramachandregowda,1 Saad Alghamdi,5 Anupama Sindhghatta Kariyappa,1 Bhagyalakshmi Dundaiah,1 Mamatha Madhugiri Gopinath,1 Sumreen Sultana,1 Shital Manohar Punekar,1 Thimappa Ramachandrappa Lakshmeesha1 1Department of Biotechnology, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India; 2Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Sciences, Reva University, Bengaluru, India; 3Department of Epidemic Disease Research, Institutes for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia; 4National Center for Biotechnology, Life Science and Environmental Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Thimappa Ramachandrappa LakshmeeshaDepartment of Biotechnology, Bangalore University, Bangalore, 560056, Karnataka, IndiaTel +91 8710937464Email lakshmeeshat6@gmail.comMohammad Azam AnsariDepartment of Epidemic Disease Research, Institutes for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 580306835Email maansari@iau.edu.saPurpose: 4-Hydroxyisophthalic acid (4-HIA) is a bioactive compound present in the roots of Decalepis hamiltonii, which has attracted considerable attention in attenuating oxidative stress-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, its efficacy is limited because of its low solubility and bioavailability. Therefore, the present study aimed to encapsulate 4-HIA using biocompatible copolymer polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and evaluate its antioxidant and neuroprotective potential.Methods: The nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated by solid/oil/water (s/o/w) emulsion technique and characterized using XRD, SEM, HR-TEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. Antioxidant assays such as 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability were performed to assess the antioxidant potential of the fabricated NPs.Results: The bioactive component, 4-HIA, was efficiently encapsulated by the PLGA polymer and was found to be spherical and smooth with a size < 10nm. 4-HIA showed better scavenging capability in DPPH and superoxide assays as compared to 4-HIA encapsulated PLGA and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). In contrast, 4-HIA encapsulated PLGA NPs exhibited a significant hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than 4-HIA and BHT alone. Further, the encapsulated NPs efficiently curtailed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that 4-HIA encapsulated PLGA NPs might be a therapeutic intervention towards the effective management of oxidative stress as it has exhibited efficient neuroprotective potential against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in PC12 cells.Keywords: 4-Hydroxyisophthalic acid, polylactic-co-glycolic acid, nanoencapsulation, PC12 cells, cytotoxicity

This work demonstrates the potentials of a commercially available few-layer graphene (FLG) in enhancing the electro-dissipative properties, mechanical strength, and UV protection of polyolefin blend composites; interesting features of electronic packaging materials. Polyethylene (PE)/ polypropylene (PP)/ FLG blend composites were prepared following two steps. Firstly, different concentrations of FLG were mixed with either the PE or PP phases. Subsequently, in the second step, this pre-mixture was melt-blended with the other phase of the blend. FLG-filled composites were characterized in terms of electrical conductivity, morphological evolution upon shear-induced deformation, mechanical properties, and UV stability of polyolefin blend composites. Premixing of FLG with the PP phase has been observed to be a better mixing strategy to attain higher electrical conductivity in PE/PP/FLG blend composite. This observation is attributed to the influential effect of FLG migration from a thermodynamically less favourable PP phase to a favourable PE phase via the PE/PP interface. Interestingly, the addition of 4 wt.% (~2 vol.%) and 5 wt.% (~2.5 vol.%) of FLG increased an electrical conductivity of ~10 orders of magnitude in PE/PP—60/40 (1.87 × 10−5 S/cm) and PE/PP—20/80 (1.25 × 10−5 S/cm) blends, respectively. Furthermore, shear-induced deformation did not alter the electrical conductivity of the FLG-filled composite, indicating that the conductive FLG network within the composite is resilient to such deformation. In addition, 1 wt.% FLG was observed to be sufficient to retain the original mechanical properties in UV-exposed polyolefin composites. FLG exhibited pronounced UV stabilizing effects, particularly in PE-rich blends, mitigating surface cracking and preserving ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigated the flood erosion and bed aggradations scenarios of the Dhansiri River in the Golaghat district in Assam, India. Topics include problems being faced by the flood affected due to river bank erosion, measure of parameters on Dhansiri River, and changing course of Dhansiri River during 1999 to 2010.