A document by Mohammad . Click on the document to view its contents.

Background: Previous research demonstrated that emodin inhibits cardiac fibrosis through metastasisasspcoated protein 3 (MTA3), but its limited bioavailability hinders clinical application. Aim: To enhance emodin clinical potential, a new derivative, emodin succinyl ethyl ester, was synthesized by modifying the 3’-OH position. This study assessed its drug-likeness, anti-fibrotic properties, and molecular mechanisms involving MTA3. Methods: Drug-likeness properties of the emodin derivative were evaluated using computational-aided drug design (CADD) approaches. An animal model of transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiac fibrosis and Angiotensin II (AngII) stimulated cardiac fibroblasts were used in vivo and ex vivo, respectively, to determine the effects of emodin derivative on cardiac fibrosis and fibroblast transdifferentiation. Bioinformatics analysis of the PROMO database, CADD, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), luciferase reporter assays, and functional experiments were employed to predict, identify and validate the relationship between MTA3 and its upstream transcription factors. Results: Emodin derivative exhibited superior drug-likeness and anti-fibrotic effects compared to emodin by effectively inhibiting cardiac fibroblast transdifferentiation and restored MTA3 expression. E2F1 was identified and validated as a transcriptional regulator, promoting α-SMA and COL1A2 expression, and directly reducing MTA3 expression in cardiac fibroblasts. The emodin derivative demonstrated stronger binding to E2F1 transcription site than emodin, reducing E2F1 expression and enhancing anti-fibrotic action via MTA3. Conclusion: The emodin derivative shows improved drug-likeness and potent inhibition of cardiac fibrosis by targeting E2F1, disrupting its pro-fibrotic function, restoring MTA3 expression, and halting fibrosis progression. This advances emodin’s potential as a clinical therapy for cardiac fibrosis and provides insights into its anti-fibrotic mechanisms.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Landscape structure is a significant factor in ecological integrity, sustainable land management, and policy making. Assessing landscape structure is therefore critical for understanding its current state and providing support for its protection. Consequently, the current study was carried out in the Melokoza district, which includes a variety of land uses/covers, to investigate the spatial layout of the landscape structure at various scales using landscape metrics. Landsat photos were used to assess land use/cover types, and landscape indices were generated to characterize the landscape structure by employing the FRAGSTATS software. The study area’s landscape is distinguished by a progressive increase in values of all the landscape metrics related to agriculture and settlement, including patch number (73 and 70), total area (42.877 and 33.169 ha), patch density (9023.17 and 8652.35 ha), largest patch index (4855.56 and 3566.67 ha), Shannon Diversity Index (8.6474 and 11.52), and Shannon evenness index (12.11 and 15.15). Conversely, the values among all the landscape metrics related to bare land, forest, and shrub land were declined. These declined metrics included patch number (3, 5 and 3), total area (1.62, 2.43 and 0.81 ha), patch density (370.82, 618.03 and 370.82 ha), largest patch index (177.78, 266.67 and 77.78 ha), Shannon Diversity Index (0.53, 0.88 and 0.68), and Shannon evenness index (0.76, 1.27 and 0.62). In light of these findings, significant losses in forests, shrub lands, and barren areas combined with widespread farming and populated areas have caused previously unheard-of fragmentation levels of the landscape. Given the growing population in the area, it is likely that this fragmentation tendency will continue. This requires scientific-based knowledge and the participation of the local community and stakeholders in conservation and restoration.

The Input/Output Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) model has effectively described the electrical characteristics of circuit input and output ports while safeguarding intellectual property. However, under overclocking conditions, the model experiences distortion and reduced accuracy due to decreased circuit stability. To address this limitation, we introduce an optimized model designed to resist simulation distortions in the IBIS model during overclocking. First, we defined the relevant variables based on the IBIS circuit and constructed a physical model framework. Next, we studied the monotonicity and sufficient conditions of the physical model, established the relationship between model output and variable parameters, and derived the corresponding IBIS mathematical relationship. Then, to address distortion under overclocking conditions, we adjusted the model variables by setting weighting coefficients tailored to different scenarios, ensuring the output values were closer to the baseline model and significantly enhancing the model’s resilience against overclocking distortions. Extensive optimization experiments on three different devices confirm the general applicability of our proposed method, achieving optimization rates exceeding 90% while maintaining high consistency with the TL baseline model. Notably, our approach improves overclocking simulation accuracy by 21.7% with only a 2.2% increase in CPU time, surpassing existing methods. This work addresses the IBIS model’s overclocking distortion issue, significantly advancing the accuracy of circuit device simulations.

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA), guided by fluoroscopy, is the primary treatment for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). However, the accompanying concerns, such as radiation damage and vascular puncture complications caused by this traditional treatment method, have not been solved. Method: This retrospective study collected data from adults with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) who underwent RFCA between June 2022 and October 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on catheter access sites, the superior vena cava (SVC) group and the inferior vena cava (IVC) group. Outcomes were compared using an unpaired t-test or nonparametric test, and event-free survival analysis was conducted with the log-rank test. Results: A total of 31 patients were included, with 15 in the SVC group and 16 in the IVC group. Both groups achieved successful ablation. The SVC group had a longer operation time (86.0 vs. 64.6 minutes, p<0.01) but a shorter post-procedural hospital stay (17.52 vs. 23.52 hours, p=0.02). Relative costs were similar ( p=0.33). The SVC group did not require post-procedural bed rest, while the IVC group required an average of 6.6 hours. Vascular puncture events occurred in 12.5% of the IVC group but none in the SVC group. No deaths or major adverse cardiovascular events were reported. One-year follow-up showed similar long-term effects between SVC and IVC groups ( p=0.98). Conclusion: Zero-fluoroscopy RFCA via the SVC is safe and effective for treating AVNRT, reducing vascular complications and eliminating the need for bed rest compared to traditional RFCA via the lower extremity.

Global climate change has led to a shift in rainfall patterns. And as water is an essential ingredient for plant photosynthesis, shifts in rainfall patterns will inevitably affect plant growth. In this study, the response of leaf traits and photosynthetic fluorescence properties of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings to rainfall patterns during the dry and rainy seasons was investigated using a natural rainfall duration of 5 d (T) and an extended rainfall duration of 10 d (T+) as rainfall intervals; and a monthly average rainfall as control (W), with the corresponding rainfall treatments of a 40% increase in rainfall (W+) and a 40% decrease in rainfall (W-). The results showed that Pn, Gs, and Tr basically all tended to increase and then decrease with increasing rainfall in the dry season, and generally reached the highest under the W treatment; and Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr mostly remained high at 5d relative to 10d; PI was overall higher under the W treatment throughout the dry season. Extending the rainfall interval at the beginning of the rainy season significantly reduced Fm; throughout the rainy season, Gs, Ci, and Tr basically showed a decreasing trend with increasing rainfall, reaching the highest under the W-treatment, and mostly higher at 5d than at 10d. These results suggest that natural rainfall intervals and natural rainfall amounts are more favorable to the growth of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings in the dry season; reduced rainfall and multiple rainfalls in the rainy season tend to promote photosynthesis in Fraxinus malacophylla. This study reflects the different survival strategies of Fraxinus malacophylla under different rainfall patterns, as well as providing a theoretical basis for understanding how Fraxinus malacophylla can grow better under rainfall variability and for future management.

Metacommunity ecology was developed to advance our understanding of the local and regional processes that interact to shape community assembly. However, empirical metacommunity studies have largely focused on snapshot analyses that insufficiently describe the varying processes that act at the metacommunity scale. Estuarine assemblages are particularly underrepresented in empirical metacommunity studies despite their importance to global ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed long-term monitoring data using a Bayesian joint-species modeling framework to infer assembly processes in estuarine metacommunities over local and regional scales. We showed that metacommunity processes varied between local and regional analyses: local analyses provided support for species sorting among heterogeneous habitat patches, while regional analyses revealed spatiotemporal patterns of community assembly related to dispersal. Our work not only emphasizes the need to consider scale of analysis when investigating empirical metacommunities, but also highlights the importance of long-term ecological datasets for describing metacommunity processes.

This study aims to identify spermatozoa kinematics and seminal plasma proteomic profiles as biomarkers of motility sperms in Bali-polled bull. Semen was collected using an artificial vagina twice a week until 5 batches. Kinematic sperms were analyzed using CASA and fertility was assessed by S/C of AI. Proteomic profiling of seminal plasma was confirmed using LCMS/MS. All the data were processed using the Uniprot protein database. Gene Ontology annotation determined the protein functions related to molecular function, biological processes, and cellular components, using Panther. Protein interactions were analyzed using STRING. The results showed that post-thawing kinematic sperm of Bali-polled bulls was considered a good category, with satisfactory fertility rate (S/C ratio of 1.52). The result of profile protein showed that the seminal plasma of Bali-polled bull showed a protein molecular weight distribution of 13 to 70 kDa identifying 138 proteins, 6 of which were found associated with sperm motility, including TEX101, BSP1, PRSS55, BSP3, SPADH2, and TPPP2. These proteins could serve as fertility biomarkers, providing additional parameters for bull selection. The study suggests that examining sperm kinematics and seminal plasma proteins in Bali-polled bulls could illuminate mechanisms controlling bull fertility and potentially lead to the development of superior local breeds.

Objective To describe the annual incidence over time of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in the Netherlands as documented in routine birth statistics, stratified by induction of labour, augmentation of labour and mode of birth for nulliparous women. Design Population-based cohort study. Setting Nationwide. Population All nulliparous women who gave birth after 22 weeks’ gestation in the Netherlands between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2020 (n=1,568,279). Methods This study used the Dutch Perinatal Registry (Perined) from 2000 to 2020. PPH trends were analyzed for nulliparous women based on mode of birth, induction and/or augmentation of labour. Main outcome measures PPH, defined as blood loss of >1000 ml. Results Documented PPH increased from 4.4% to 7.0 % of all births between 2000 and 2009, after which the rate stabilized until 2020. In the entire period, PPH rates were higher after vaginal birth compared to caesarean section. Induction of labour was consistently correlated with higher PPH rates, which increased further in the presence of augmentation. The sharp increase in all groups in the first decade occurred after guide line adjustments and introduction of the mandatory training for health professionals active in obstetric acute care: the Managing Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) course, particularly after caesarean section, and indicates that better objectifiable measurements of blood loss might have played a role. Conclusion After an initial increase, the documented rate of PPH stabilized in the Netherlands. Induction and augmentation of labour are associated with a higher risk of PPH.

Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum are two destructive agricultural pests in agroecosystems, causing crop damage globally by feeding on phloem sap with their piercing-sucking mouthparts. To gain new insights into feeding preference and tructural anatomy of these two species, the fine structure of their mouthparts was observed using scanning electron microscopy. The basic mouthpart structure of both species is similar with no significant difference in the distribution, number and types of sensilla. However, six significant micromorphological characters were observed: 1) an external gap-like structure at the tip of the mandibular stylet was discovered for the first time; 2) the two thin lateral transverse ridges of the maxillary stylets of T. vaporariorum are closer together than those of B. tabaci; 3) the mandibular serrate ridge possesses mamelons only in T. vaporariorum; 4) microtrichia on the labrum are absent in T. vaporariorum and relatively conspicuous in B. tabaci; 5) microtrichia are present at the base of the first segment of the labium of T. vaporariorum but not in B. tabaci; 6) the labium is significantly longer in T. vaporariorum. New information on mandibular serration, the specific gap-like mandibular structures, and the variety of hair-like structures in both studied species are recorded for the first time. The distribution and structure of micro hairs vary within both species. The observed differences in microcharacters in two whiteflies may help better understand their feeding behavior and virus transmission by mouthparts.

In the present study, hairy root production in Plumbago europaea was elicited using elicitors for the production of plumbagin, an important medicinal compound. Accordingly, factors such as elicitor concentrations and time exposure of optimal concentration of elicitors on biomass, plumbagin production, and PKS gene expression were studied. The growth of hairy roots was decreased by high concentrations of salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and chitosan. On the other hand, all of the elicitors increased the accumulation of plumbagin. The expression of the PKS gene was significantly increased under the influence of elicitors. The maximum amount of total plumbagin (11.66 mg/g DW) was achieved in hairy root culture treated with 150 mg/l chitosan on the third day after treatment, which was 4.6 times higher than the control roots. Adding chitosan to hairy root culture led to the increase and release of plumbagin into the media, which is highly desirable for easy recovery of the product. Chi strongly influenced plumbagin accumulation, and hence it could be suggested as an effective elicitor for the Plumbago genus. The production of plumbagin was studied using combined treatments of chitosan elicitation and in situ adsorption using XAD-7 as an adsorbent. After chitosan treatment for 48 h, the addition of XAD-7 enhanced plumbagin production which was 1.5 and 5.5-fold higher than chitosan treated and untreated hairy root culture, respectively. Accordingly, chitosan elicitation in combination with XAD-7 was a suitable approach for the production of plumbagin.

This study employed fNIRS- and EEG-hyperscanning to investigate the effects of task sharing, social presence, and mental workload on intra- and inter-brain functional connectivity, and neurophysiological responses of dyads during a dual n-back task. The findings indicated a positive correlation between the n-back level and reaction times, heart rate, and PFC oxygenation, whereas task accuracy and heart rate variability decreased with difficulty. The effect of social presence was smaller than the effect of task difficulty, suggesting a lower level of mental workload during the social condition, possibly due to social facilitation. In the social condition, inter-brain connectivity tended to decrease as task difficulty increased, indicating that partners could monitor each other's actions to the extent that task demands allowed. The intra-brain connectivity analysis showed a larger difference between individual and social sessions compared to the difference between own and co-actor's go trials in the social session. Overall, the EEG- and fNIRS-hyperscanning measures obtained during a dual n-back task in this study provide evidence regarding the differential modulation of inter- and intra-brain functional connectivity due to the co-presence of another actor responding to the same stimulus to pursue a different goal and changes in task difficulty.

Objective: This study aims to establish the characteristics of second primary neoplasms (SPNs) and the long-term follow-up status of a tertiary pediatric oncology center. Methods: Records of 1799 patients followed up in the pediatric oncology division between January 1981 and December 2022 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Thirty-four (1.9%) cases of secondary neoplasms were identified throughout 41 years. The 5-year and 10-year cumulative incidence was 1% and 4%, respectively. The three most common SPNs were thyroid carcinomas, central nervous system (CNS) tumors, and leukemias. The shortest median latent period of SPN detection was 15.5 (2-35) months in secondary leukemias, while 8 (0-17) years in all SPNs. Secondary solid tumors that occurred within the radiation field were thyroid carcinomas and meningiomas with a 5.5 (3-12) and 16 (6-22) years latency period, respectively. Ten patients died; the median death time from the diagnosis of SPN was ten months in all secondary leukemias and 3,5 months in CNS tumors. The 5-year overall survival was 91%, with a median follow-up time of 13.1 years in all patients with SPN. Conclusions: Considering the SPN-inducing effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patient-protective improvements in treatment protocols are required. Multidisciplinary and long-term follow-up is essential even in adulthood because of the long latency period of some SPN occurring in pediatric cancer survivors

not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Thyroid Storm as the First Presentation of Graves’ Disease; a Case Report

This research paper presents an analysis of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in microgrids under nonlinear loads using a Dual Voltage Source Inverter (DVSI) strategy. The DVSI enhance power quality by injecting real power and compensating for reactive, harmonic, and nonlinear loads. The dq0 transformation technique is utilized for effective voltage analysis at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). Detailed simulation and experimental results validate the control strategy, demonstrating significant reduction in THD and improved power quality. The findings indicate that the DVSI scheme effectively mitigates harmonic problems, ensuring stable and reliable operation of interconnected grids, and complies with IEEE standards for THD and frequency maintenance.

A document by Yanling WU. Click on the document to view its contents.

Although the prevalence of pretreatment HIV drug resistance (PDR) in China is rising, the evidence of potential PDR on ainuovirine (ANV)-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) is inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of potential PDR on the virological outcomes of ANV-based ART. A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, positive parallel group, phase 3 trial was conducted in 7 sites across China. Plasma samples were collected and the entire pol and IN gene were amplified and sequenced using HIV genotypic resistance testing. Patients with successful sequencing were followed up for 48 weeks to observe the virological outcomes of ART. Between November 27, 2018 and March 11, 2021, a total of 630 were finally enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1) to either ANV (n = 315) or EFV (n = 315) groups. Among the 591 included study participants, PDR was detected in 3.9% (n=23). 20 (3.4%) were resistant to NNRTIs and 5 (0.84%) were resistant to NRTIs. The virological suppression (VS) rate of the no PDR group and the ANV group had potential PDR to NNRTIs were 95% and 96.6% respectively, which was significantly higher than that of the EFV group had potential PDR to NNRTIs (90%). ANV exhibits significantly better antiviral activity compared to EFV and the prevalence of potential PDR negatively impacts outcomes of ANV-based ART.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopment challenge, presenting a spectrum of difficulties in social interaction, communication, and the expression of repetitive behaviors in different situations. The increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) calls for a public health concern, necessitating more effective early detection methods. In this paper, we introduce a novel hierarchical feature fusion method for early ASD detection in children through the analysis of a code-switched speech corpus (English and Hindi), CoSAm. Our approach integrates acoustic, linguistic, and paralinguistic features using advanced audio processing techniques and Transformer Encoders. Our experiment, highlights the importance of modality order in feature fusion, demonstrating enhanced diagnostic capabilities when specific sequences are used. Our results, demonstrate the best performance from the hierarchical fusion technique with an accuracy of 98.75% using a combination of acoustic and linguistic features first, followed by paralinguistic features in a hierarchical manner. Additionally, analysing MFCCs and statistical features, of the audio corpus, we were able to map the variability and complexity of speech patterns.

A document by Dr.Deepa Mathews. Click on the document to view its contents.

Comments on Nanoparticles zinc paste bandages for the treatment of Syrian woman diabetic patient with ulcers in the foot: Case imagesMostafa Javanian1, Mohammad Barary2, Soheil Ebrahimpour1, *Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IranStudent Research Committee, School of Medical Education and Learning Technologies, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Natural pigments are becoming more popular because of their health- and environmentally-conscious qualities. Their application raises concerns about the consequences of artificial hues on nature and community. As a result, industries are increasingly searching for pigments made from natural sources as a substitute. There is a noticeable and consistent rise in the demand for organic alternatives in today's society. Certainly, there is a growing desire to replace artificial substances with their natural counterparts.There is a strong desire to appreciate how nature radiates brilliant hues, and this movement has swept the colorant industry by speed. Many hues are found in plants, animals, insects, and bacteria. Microbial pigments are still favored above other natural pigments.Microorganisms are the most common source of pigments, and they excel in bioavailability, yield, affordability, and ease of large-scale cell culture and downstream processing. This review examines the origins of many natural pigments and their varied industrial uses, as well as the latest technological developments and possible health advantages. Additionally, a host of difficulties associated with the use of pigments are described.

This paper focuses on the issue of adaptive event-triggered leader-follower consensus for multi-agents systems with output constraints and dead-zone inputs. By introducing an advanced nonlinear mapping technique to obtain the unconstrained auxiliary variables of constrained system states, a new systems model without output constraints is constructed. Unlike existing schemes, the proposed strategy can be used in both constrained and unconstrained situations without requiring changes to the control structure. Moreover, a state estimator is constructed to observe the unavailable states. To conserve communication resources, an event-triggered rule with a dynamic threshold is designed to decrease superfluous information transmissions from the controller to the actuator. It is proven that all signals in closed-loop systems are ultimately bounded and the system output does not violate the given constraint range. At last, a numerical simulation example is provided to confirm the correctness and efficiency of the proposed method.

The scope and precision of basketball skill development are sometimes restricted using subjective evaluation and manual observation in traditional training methods. The goal of this research is to develop a complete platform that combines data analytics, machine learning, and computer vision to precisely deliver feedback on players’ movements, shooting mechanics, strength training regimens, and player progress. The Computer Vision-Based Interactive Basketball Training Platform - Point Guard will use the existing literature on sports technology and methods of basketball training to present a game-changing solution for basketball training. The body will be tracked by computer vision algorithms to get quantitative feedback on a player’s agility, footwork, and body alignment to refine all training paradigms. Hoop Tracking allows players to practice their shooting skills while their shot mechanics and trajectory are analyzed with state-of-the-art computer vision techniques. Strength Training is a set of individual exercise programs designed based on user feedback that emphasizes muscle-building training and training for injury prevention. Progress Tracking, in conjunction with Performance Analytics, consolidates all data from other components and feeds them into a sophisticated analytical framework used to measure individual growth, consequently giving output on a personalized training recommendation. In the end, the proposed system aims to enable members to enjoy the maximum potential of playing the sport, from the novice to the professional. The proposition is really to create a platform that amalgamates advanced technology with customization of skills and analytics for valid data that will focus on improving basketball performances.

Aluminum alloys are primary structural materials in aircraft fuel systems, where jet fuel can significantly affect the crack propagation behavior of the materials. This paper presents a model for calculating the crack growth rate of aluminum alloys in jet fuel environment. The model is based on elastoplastic fracture mechanics and revises the interaction terms in the linear superposition model by taking into account corrosion damage and crack closure effects. The derivation process of the model is discussed in detail. To validate the efficacy of the model, fatigue crack propagation tests were conducted on three types of aviation aluminum alloys, namely 2524-T3, 7050-T7451, and 7075-T62, in the jet fuel environment. The experimental results were compared with crack growth rates in the laboratory air environment. Findings indicate that the proposed model effectively captures the primary trends observed in the experimental data. In addition, the failure surfaces of the specimens were observed using a super-depth-of-field optical microscopy system. When subjected to jet fuel, among three materials tested, the 7075-T62 alloy was found to have the roughest failure surface. This increased roughness contributing to crack closure was identified as one of the reasons why its fatigue crack growth rate is significantly lower in the jet fuel than in air.