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In this paper, we investigate the properties of temporally-topological defect modes (TTDMs) (or temporally-topological interface states) in the topological photonic time crystal (PTC) systems. The PTC systems are constructed by the cascade of multiple sub-PTCs that possess temporal inversion symmetries and different topologies. The cases of two-, three-, and multiple-sub-PTC for the topological PTC system are studied. By transfer matrix method, we find that the TTDMs appear when the topological signs of the corresponding gaps in the sub-PTCs are different. The positions of TTDMs can be adjusted by changing the modulation strength of the refractive index, the time duration, and the period of the sub-PTCs. Moreover, the number of TTDMs is one less than the number of sub-PTCs. In addition, the robustness of the systems is also studied. We find that the topological PTC systems have good robustness, especially on the random configuration of the refractive index and time duration for the temporal slabs in the systems. Such research may provide a new degree of freedom for PTC applications, such as novel PTC lasers, tunable band-stop or band-suppression PTC filters, and many others, in the field of integrated photonic circuits for optical communications.
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Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute jaundice in South Asia. Gaps in our understanding of transmission are driven by non-specific symptoms and scarcity of diagnostics, impeding rational control strategies. In this context, serological data can provide important proxy measures of infection. We enrolled a population-representative serological cohort of 2,337 individuals in Sitakunda, Bangladesh. We estimated the annual risks of HEV infection and seroreversion both using serostatus changes between paired serum samples collected 9 months apart, and by fitting catalytic models to the age-stratified cross-sectional seroprevalence. At baseline, 15% (95 CI: 14-17%) of people were seropositive, with seroprevalence highest in the relatively urban south. During the study, 27 individuals seroreverted (annual seroreversion risk: 15%, 95 CI: 10-21%), and 38 seroconverted (annual infection risk: 3%, 95CI: 2-5%). Relying on cross-sectional seroprevalence data alone, and ignoring seroreversion, underestimated the annual infection risk five-fold (0.6%, 95 CrI: 0.5-0.6%). When we accounted for the observed seroreversion in a reversible catalytic model, infection risk was more consistent with measured seroincidence. Our results quantify HEV infection risk in Sitakunda and highlight the importance of accounting for seroreversion when estimating infection incidence from cross-sectional seroprevalence data.
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Virus de la Hepatitis E , Hepatitis E , Humanos , Bangladesh/epidemiología , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Estudios Transversales , Anticuerpos AntihepatitisRESUMEN
Little or no information is available concerning online high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) antioxidants and the antibiofilm effect of Leonurus cardiaca. Five distinct extractions of methanolic, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, hexane, and water were obtained from L. cardiaca. In the online-HPLC-antioxidant analysis of all examined samples, rosmarinic acid emerged as the primary antioxidant, registering concentrations ranging from 6 to 15 ppm at wavelengths of 517 and 734 nm. Notably, the water extract exhibited robust antioxidant activity In vitro. Regarding acetylcholinesterase and butrylcholinesterase inhibition, the n-hexane extract exhibited superior inhibition with values of 3.08 and 5.83 galanthamine equivalent, respectively. Except for the water extract, all tested extracts (at a concentration of 20 µg/mL) exhibited substantial inhibitory activity against biofilm formation, in many cases superior to 80%, and reached even 94.52% against Escherichia coli. Although less vigorous, the extracts also acted against the mature biofilm (inhibition up 76.50% against Staphylococcus aureus). They could work against the metabolism inside an immature and mature biofilm, with inhibition percentages up to 93.18% (vs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 76.50% (vs. Acinetobacter baumannii), respectively. Considering its significant antioxidants, enzyme inhibition, and antimicrobial activity, L. cardiaca emerges as a promising candidate for therapeutic potential.
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Leonurus , Leonurus/química , Antioxidantes/análisis , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión , Acetilcolinesterasa , Agua , Extractos Vegetales/química , Antibacterianos/análisisRESUMEN
Crop simulation models are valuable tools for decision making regarding evaluation and crop improvement under different field conditions. CSM-CROPGRO model integrates genotype, environment and crop management portfolios to simulate growth, development and yield. Modeling the safflower response to varied climate regimes are needed to strengthen its productivity dynamics. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of DSSAT-CSM-CROPGRO-Safflower (Version 4.8.2) under diverse climatic conditions. The model was calibrated using the field observations for phenology, biomass and safflower grain yield (SGY) of the year 2016-17. Estimation of genetic coefficients was performed using GLUE (Genetic Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation) program. Simulated results for days to flowering, maturity, biomass at flowering and maturity and SGY were predicted reasonably with good statistical indices. Model evaluation results elucidate phenological events with low root mean square error (6.32 and 6.52) and high d-index (0.95 and 0.96) for days to flowering and maturity respectively for all genotypes and climate conditions. Fair prediction of safflower biomass at flowering and maturity showed low RMSE (887.3 and 564.3 kg ha-1) and high d-index (0.67 and 0.93) for the studied genotypes across the environments. RMSE for validated safflower grain yield (101.8 kg ha-1) and d-index (0.95) depicted that model outperformed for all genotypes and growing conditions. Longer appropriate growing conditions at NARC-Islamabad took optimal duration to assimilate photosynthetic products lead to higher grain yield. Safflower resilience to different environments showed that it can be used as an alternate crop for different agroecological regions. Furthermore, CROPGRO-Safflower model can be used as tool to further evaluate inclusion of safflower in the existing cropping systems of studied regions.
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Biomasa , Carthamus tinctorius , Carthamus tinctorius/crecimiento & desarrollo , Carthamus tinctorius/genética , Simulación por Computador , Modelos Teóricos , Genotipo , Flores/crecimiento & desarrollo , Flores/genética , ClimaRESUMEN
In the current investigation, a comprehensive analysis was carried out on essential oils (EOs) extracted from six aromatic plant species, namely Rosmarinus officinalis, Pelargonium graveolens, Thymus vulgaris, Origanum vulgare, Laurus nobilis, and Aloysia citrodora. An exploration was conducted into the chemical composition using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), antioxidant properties assessed through DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, MCA, and PBD assays, ecotoxicological impacts evaluated via allelopathy and the Daphnia magna heartbeat test, as well as bio-pharmacological effects including anticancer activity and gene expression analysis. Results revealed strong antioxidant activity in all essential oils, with T. vulgaris EO (2748.00â mg TE/g) and O.â vulgare EO (2609.29â mg TE/g) leading in CUPRAC assay. R.â officinalis EO showed the highest α-amylase inhibition at 1.58â mmol ACAE/g, while O.â vulgare EO excelled in α-glucosidase inhibition at 1.57â mmol ACAE/g. Additionally, cytotoxic effects were evaluated on human colorectal cancer (HCT116) cells. A.â citrodora, O.â vulgare, and R.â officinalis EOs were found the most potent anticancer, as also witnessed by their higher modulatory effects on the gene expression of BAX and Bcl-2. Collectively, the present data highlight the importance to implement the knowledge and to valorize the supply chain of aromatic plants.
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Antioxidantes , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas , Aceites Volátiles , Aceites Volátiles/química , Aceites Volátiles/farmacología , Aceites Volátiles/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Antioxidantes/farmacología , Antioxidantes/química , Antioxidantes/aislamiento & purificación , Animales , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/química , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/aislamiento & purificación , Ensayos de Selección de Medicamentos Antitumorales , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , alfa-Amilasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , alfa-Amilasas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Hemoglobinopathies are monogenic disorders affecting hemoglobin synthesis. Thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) are considered the two major hemoglobinopathies. Thalassemia is a genetic disorder and one of the major hemoglobinopathies determined by an impairment of globin chain production, which causes an alteration of erythropoiesis, an improvement in hemolysis, and an alteration of iron homoeostasis. In SCD, the mutations are on the ß-globin chain of hemoglobin which results in a substitution of glutamic acid by valine with consequent formation of Hemoglobin S (HbS). Several factors are involved in bone metabolism alteration in patients with hemoglobinopathies, among them hormonal deficiency, bone marrow hyperplasia, iron overload, inflammation, and increased bone turnover. Bone metabolism is the result of balance maintenance between bone deposition and bone resorption, by osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs). An impairment of this balance is responsible for the onset of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis (OP). Therefore, here we will discuss the alteration of bone metabolism in patients with hemoglobinopathies and the possible therapeutic strategies to contain and/or counteract bone health impairment in these patients, taking into consideration not only the pharmacological treatments already used in the clinical armamentarium, but also the new possible therapeutic strategies.
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Anemia de Células Falciformes , Hemoglobinopatías , Talasemia , Talasemia beta , Humanos , Densidad Ósea , Hemoglobinopatías/genética , Anemia de Células Falciformes/genética , Hemoglobina Falciforme , Talasemia beta/genéticaRESUMEN
For more than two millennia, Ferulago species have been revered as therapeutic herbs, maintaining their significance in present-day folk medicine practices. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical composition, inhibitory effects on metabolic enzymes, and possible therapeutic applications of F. trachycarpa, specifically focusing on its efficacy in diabetes management, anticholinergic effects, and antioxidant capabilities. The current investigation comprised an evaluation of a range of extracts acquired via conventional and modern methodologies, such as soxhlet (SOX), maceration (MAC) accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), homogenizer-assisted extraction (HAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), microwave-assisted extraction (MW), and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Various techniques were employed to assess their antioxidant capacity and enzyme inhibition. Furthermore, the research utilized ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-MS/MS (UHPLC-MS/MS) to ascertain the principal phenolic compounds that are responsible for the antioxidant capacity observed in the various F. trachycarpa extracts. Among these, extracts from HAE, ASE, and MW revealed the most promise across all methodologies tested for their antioxidant potential. Furthermore, SFE and MAC extracts inhibited the most enzymes, including cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α -amylase, and α -glycosidase, indicating their potential as efficient natural treatments for several health-related issues.
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Chemical upcycling of waste plastics into high-value-added products is one of the most effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally beneficial solutions. Many studies have been published over the past few years on the topic of recycling plastics into usable materials through a process called catalytic pyrolysis. There is a significant research gap that must be bridged in order to use catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics to produce high-value products. This review focuses on the enhanced catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics to produce jet fuel, diesel oil, lubricants, aromatic compounds, syngas, and other gases. Moreover, the reaction mechanism, a brief and critical comparison of different catalytic pyrolysis studies, as well as the techno-feasibility analysis of waste plastic pyrolysis and the proposed catalytic plastic pyrolysis setup for commercialization is also covered.
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BACKGROUND: Maintaining the quality of life is the main objective of managing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (QoL). Since it is a key factor in patient motivation and adherence, treatment-related QoL has always been considered when choosing glucose-lowering medicines. The objective of the study was to evaluate the quality of life besides glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving Treviamet® & Treviamet XR® (Sitagliptin with Metformin) in routine care. METHODS: It was a prospective, open-label, non-randomized clinical trial including T2DM patients uncontrolled on Metformin therapy. All patients received Treviamet® & Treviamet XR® for six months. Sequential changes in QoL, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, body weight, and blood pressure were monitored from baseline to 3 consecutive follow-up visits. The frequency of adverse events (AEs) was also noted throughout the study. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients were screened; 188 completed all three follow-ups. The mean QoL score significantly declined from 57.09% at baseline to 33.64% at the 3rd follow-up visit (p < 0.01). Moreover, a significant decline in mean HbA1c and FPG levels was observed from baseline to 3rd follow-up visit (p < 0.01). Minor adverse events were observed, including abdominal discomfort, nausea, flatulence, and indigestion. Gender, HbA1c, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort were significant predictors of a patient's QoL, as revealed by the Linear Regression Model (R2 = 0.265, F(16, 99) = 2.231). CONCLUSION: Treviamet® & Treviamet XR® significantly improved glycemic control (HbA1c levels) and QoL in T2DM patients without serious adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT05167513), Date of registration: December 22, 2021.
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Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Metformina , Humanos , Hipoglucemiantes/uso terapéutico , Calidad de Vida , Hemoglobina Glucada , Control Glucémico , Estudios Prospectivos , Glucemia , Metformina/uso terapéutico , Fosfato de Sitagliptina/efectos adversos , Quimioterapia CombinadaRESUMEN
A significant technological transformation has recently occurred in the agriculture sector. Precision agriculture is one among those transformations that largely focus on the acquisition of the sensor data, identifying the insights, and summarizing the information for better decision-making that would enhance the resource usage efficiency, crop yield, and substantial quality of the yield resulting in better profitability, and sustainability of agricultural output. For continuous crop monitoring, the farmlands are connected with various sensors that must be robust in data acquisition and processing. The legibility of such sensors is an exceptionally challenging task, which needs energy-efficient models for handling the lifetime of the sensors. In the current study, the energy-aware software-defined network for precisely selecting the cluster head for communication with the base station and the neighboring low-energy sensors. The cluster head is initially chosen according to energy consumption, data transmission consumption, proximity measures, and latency measures. In the subsequent rounds, the node indexes are updated to select the optimal cluster head. The cluster fitness is assessed in each round to retain the cluster in the subsequent rounds. The network model's performance is assessed against network lifetime, throughput, and network processing latency. The experimental findings presented here show that the model outperforms the alternatives presented in this study.
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Algoritmos , Redes de Comunicación de Computadores , Tecnología Inalámbrica , Programas Informáticos , Agricultura , ComunicaciónRESUMEN
Ambient assisted technology (AAT), which has the potential to enhance patient care and productivity and save costs, has emerged as a strategic goal for developing e-healthcare in the future. However, since the healthcare sensor must be interconnected with other systems at different network tiers, distant enemies have additional options to attack. Data and resources integrated into the AAT are vulnerable to security risks that might compromise privacy, integrity, and availability. The gadgets and network sensor devices are layered with clinical data since they save personal information such as patients' names, addresses, and medical histories. Considering the volume of data, it is difficult to ensure its confidentiality and security. As sensing devices are deployed over a wider region, protecting the privacy of the collected data becomes more difficult. The current study proposes a lightweight security mechanism to ensure the data's confidentiality and integrity of the data in ambient-assisted technology. In the current study, the data are encrypted by the master node with adequate residual energy, and the master node is responsible for encrypting the data using the data aggregation model using a node's key generated using an exclusive basis system and a Chinese remainder theorem. The integrity of the data is evaluated using the hash function at each intermediate node. The current study defines the design model's layered architecture and layer-wise services. The model is further analyzed using various evaluation metrics, such as energy consumption, network delay, network overhead, time in generating hash, tradeoff between encryption and decryption, and entropy metrics. The model is shown to adequately perform on all measures considered in the analysis.
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Thalassemia awareness among the youth is vital for policy- making to reduce the disease burden in our country. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted via simple random sampling technique for which data was collected from May 2020 to May 2021 through Google forms. Results showed that out of a total of 394 non-medical university students, the majority, i.e. 265 (67.3%), were not aware of prenatal screening. Majority, i.e. 117 (29.7%), agreed that the couple should be screened before marriage, and 190 (48.2%) strongly agreed, while 46 (11.7%) had no knowledge. Students, however, believed premarital screening was either unavailable, not possible, or expensive. Other reasons included custom and culture of arranged marriages and religious reasons. The query that if both the parents are carriers and the foetus has thalassemia major should they have an abortion, showed mixed results. The key to controlling thalassemia is awareness of future parents.
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Exámenes Prenupciales , Talasemia , Embarazo , Femenino , Adolescente , Humanos , Universidades , Pakistán , Estudios Transversales , Exámenes Prenupciales/métodos , Talasemia/diagnóstico , Talasemia/prevención & control , Diagnóstico PrenatalRESUMEN
A March-June 2021 representative serosurvey among Sitakunda subdistrict (Chattogram, Bangladesh) residents found an adjusted prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies of 64.1% (95% credible interval 60.0%-68.1%). Before the Delta variant surge, most residents had been infected, although cumulative confirmed coronavirus disease incidence was low.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Anticuerpos Antivirales , Bangladesh/epidemiología , Humanos , Estudios SeroepidemiológicosRESUMEN
MAIN CONCLUSION: Plant molecular biology and bacterial behaviour research in the future could focus on using genetically engineered bacteria as a sensor, hormonal/disease detector, and target gene expression, as well as establishing a bioluminescence feedback communication system. Over the last two decades, understanding plant signal transduction pathways of plant hormones has become an active research field to understand plant behavior better. To accomplish signal transduction, plants use a variety of hormones for inter- and intra-communication, and biotic or abiotic stressors activate those. Signal transduction pathways refer to the use of various communication methods by effectors to elicit a response at the molecular level. Research methodologies such as inter-kingdom signaling have been introduced to study signal transduction and communication pathways, or what we can term plant molecular communication. However, stochastic qualities are inherent in most technologies used to monitor these biological processes. Molecular communication (MC) is a new research topic that uses the natural features of biological organisms to communicate and aims to manipulate their stochastic nature to achieve the desired results. MC is a multidisciplinary research field inspired by the use of molecules to store, spread, and receive information between biological organisms known as "Biological Nanomachines." It has been used to demonstrate how biological entities may be characterised, modelled, and engineered as communication devices in the same manner as traditional communication technologies are. We attempted to link MC and PLANT'S MC in this study and we believe that reasonable combined efforts may be made to use the functional applications of MC for detecting and understanding molecular-level activities such as signaling transduction pathways in crops.
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Productos Agrícolas , Reguladores del Crecimiento de las Plantas , Bacterias/metabolismo , Productos Agrícolas/genética , Productos Agrícolas/metabolismo , Reguladores del Crecimiento de las Plantas/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) proteins play a crucial role in mitigating the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses in plants. In the present study, 21 full length non-redundant SlHSP70 genes were detected and characterized in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The SlHSP70 genes were classified into four groups based on phylogenetic analysis. Similarities were observed in gene features and motif structures of SlHSP70s belonging to the same group. SlHSP70 genes were unevenly and unequally mapped on 11 chromosomes. Segmental and tandem duplication are the main events that have contributed to the expansion of the SlHSP70 genes. A large number of groups and sub-groups were generated during comparative analysis of HSP70 genes in multiple plant species including tomato. These findings indicated a common ancestor which created diverse sub-groups prior to a mono-dicot split. The selection pressure on specific codons was identified through a maximum-likelihood approach and we found some important coding sites in the coding region of all groups. Diversifying positive selection was indirectly associated with evolutionary changes in SlHSP70 proteins and suggests that gene evolution modulated the tomato domestication event. In addition, expression analysis using RNA-seq revealed that 21 SlHSP70 genes were differentially expressed in response to drought and heat stress. SlHSP70-5 was down-regulated by heat treatment and up-regulated by drought stress. Furthermore, the expression of some of the duplicate genes was partially redundant, while others showed functional diversity. Our results indicate the diverse role of HSP70 gene family in S. lycopersicum under drought and heat stress conditions and open the gate for further investigation of HSP70 gene family functions, especially under drought and heat stress.
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Solanum lycopersicum , Solanum lycopersicum/genética , Solanum lycopersicum/metabolismo , Sequías , Proteínas HSP70 de Choque Térmico/genética , Proteínas HSP70 de Choque Térmico/metabolismo , Regulación de la Expresión Génica de las Plantas/genética , Filogenia , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Funciones de Verosimilitud , Estrés Fisiológico/genéticaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The conventional IMCI training for healthcare providers is delivered in 11 days, which can be expensive and disruptive to the normal clinical routines of the providers. An equally effective, shorter training course may address these challenges. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study in two provinces (Sindh and Punjab) of Pakistan. 104 healthcare providers were conveniently selected to receive either the abridged (7-day) or the standard (11-day) training. Knowledge and clinical skills of the participants were assessed before, immediately on conclusion of, and six months after the training. RESULTS: The improvement in mean knowledge scores of the 7-day and 11-day training groups was 31.6 (95% CI 24.3, 38.8) and 29.4 (95% CI 23.9, 34.9) respectively, p = 0.630 while the improvement in mean clinical skills scores of the 7-day and 11-day training groups was 23.8 (95% CI: 19.3, 28.2) and 23.0 (95% CI 18.9, 27.0) respectively, p = 0.784. The decline in mean knowledge scores six months after the training was - 12.4 (95% CI - 18.5, - 6.4) and - 6.4 (95% CI - 10.5, - 2.3) in the 7-day and 11-day groups respectively, p = 0.094. The decline in mean clinical skills scores six months after the training was - 6.3 (95% CI - 11.3, - 1.3) in the 7-day training group and - 9.1 (95% CI - 11.5, - 6.6) in the 11-day group, p = 0.308. CONCLUSION: An abridged IMNCI training is equally effective as the standard training. However, training for certain illnesses may be better delivered by the standard course.
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Competencia Clínica , Personal de Salud , Personal de Salud/educación , Humanos , PakistánRESUMEN
Background: Foreign body (FB) aspirations in adults are relatively uncommon. The most commonly aspirated FBs in adults are organic, especially vegetable matter, peanuts, and fragments of bones. We report a rare case of a FB discovered in the left main bronchus of an adult male admitted to the intensive care unit. Case report: A 52-year-old male smoker with COPD presented to the emergency department with a two-day history of increasing dyspnea and cough. He was hypoxic and febrile with a temperature of 38°C. Auscultation revealed decreased breath sounds over the left lung and a few rhonchi on the right side. Chest x-ray showed left lung collapse. His condition rapidly worsened, and he was immediately intubated for acute respiratory failure. CT chest identified a large endobronchial mass obstructing the left main bronchus. Flexible bronchoscopy confirmed a soft and mobile brownish lesion in the left main bronchus. The histological appearance of the specimen retrieved was consistent with an organic foreign body. This was later identified as a melon chunk. It was removed successfully via flexible bronchoscopy by cutting it into smaller pieces to aid retrieval. Conclusion: FB aspiration can occur in all age groups but is less common in adults accounting for only 0.16%-0.33% of adult bronchoscopic procedures. Early detection of an aspirated FB is essential to avoid significant complications, morbidity, and mortality.
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The junk DNA "pseudogenes," known as genomic fossils, are characterized by their ubiquitousness and abundance within the genomic structure. These genomics sets are recognized by the potential activity of meta-regulating the parent genes; these are transcribed into interfering RNA, consequently acting on miRNA concentration, thereby shedding light on the crosstalk of the pseudogenes' miRNA, siRNA, lncRNA/tumor therapy co-relationship. Moreover, an upcoming visualization regarding pseudogenes is under investigation, which describes the potentiality of pseudogenes as a fundamental component of cancerous evolutionary processing tools. Accordingly, here is a systematic review covering pseudobirth, pseudosignatures, and functional properties of pseudogenes, concluding that these pseudogenes are hypothetically predictive tumor therapies.
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Evolución Biológica , Genómica , Neoplasias/genética , Seudogenes , Interferencia de ARN , ARN Interferente Pequeño/metabolismo , Terapia Genética/métodos , HumanosRESUMEN
Mitochondria is a cellular source of energy, appears to play an essential role in dealing with cellular stress induced by environmental stimuli. The genetic diversity of mitochondrial genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation affecting the production of cellular energy and regional adaptation to various ecological (climatic) pressures affecting amino acid sequences (variants of protein). However, little is known about the combined effect of protein changes on cell-level metabolic alterations in simultaneous exposure to various environmental conditions, including mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress induction. The present study was designed to address this issue by analyzing the mitochondrial proteins in Fasciola species including Cytochrome oxidase (COX1, COX2, COX3, and CYTB) and NADH dehydrogenase (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4, ND5, and ND6). Mitochondrial proteins were used for detailed computational investigation, using available standard bioinformatics tools to exploit structural and functional relationships. These proteins in Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigentica, and Fasciola jacksoni were functionally annotated using public databases. The results showed that the protein of COX1 of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, and F. jacksoni consist of 510, 513, and 517 amino acids, respectively. The alignment of proteins showed that these proteins are conserved in the same regions at ten positions in COX and CYTB proteins while at twelve locations in NADH. Three-dimensional structure of COX, CYTB, and NADH proteins were compared and showed differences in additional conserved and binding sites in COX and CYTB proteins as compared to NADH in three species of Fasciola. These results based on the amino acid diversity pattern were used to identify sites in the enzyme and the variations in mitochondrial proteins among Fasciola species. Our study provides valuable information for future experimental studies, including identification of therapeutic, diagnostic, and immunoprophylactic interests with novel mitochondrial proteins.
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Fasciola hepatica , Fasciola , Fascioliasis , Animales , Fasciola hepatica/genética , Variación Genética , Proteínas Mitocondriales/genéticaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has taken a big toll on the world in terms of morbidity and mortality. The disease may progress in some of the patients leading to trigger of "cytokine storm" which is shown to be associated with adverse outcomes. Heat killed Mycobacterium w (Mw) is a known immunomodulator which is approved for the treatment of gram negative sepsis. This study was carried out to evaluate the role of Mw in the treatment of COVID-19 early in the course of the disease. METHOD: In this retrospective observational study, 117 (84 males, 33 females) COVID-19 patients admitted between July 3, 2020 and Aug 26, 2020 in the covid ward of Fortis Hiranandani hospital, Mumbai, were enrolled. Patients were tested COVID-19 positive on RTPCR and were treated with standard of care treatment along with Mw 0.3 ml intradermal injection per day for 3 consecutive days. Patients were evaluated for live discharge as well as changes in the levels of inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Use of Mw was seen to be associated with rapid recovery in 116/117 patients from COVID-19 who were discharged from the hospital within 10 days. A decrease in the levels of CRP and IL6 was observed after the administration of Mw. This decrease was associated with improvement in the patients' condition. The use of Mw was seen to be associated with no systemic side effects. CONCLUSION: The patients of COVID-19 may deteriorate due to exaggerated production of cytokines which may result in adverse outcomes. Mw used earlier in the disease not only effectively prevents excessive cytokine production but also contribute to rapid recovery. Mw was also found to be safe in use. Larger randomized controlled trials are recommended to assess the role of Mw in COVID-19.