Alpha lipoic acid mitigates adverse impacts of drought stress on growth and yield of mungbean: photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidative defense mechanism.

Context: Exogenous use of potential organic compounds through different modes is a promising strategy for the induction of water stress tolerance in crop plants for better yield. Aims: The present study aimed to explore the potential role of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in inducing water stress tolerance in mungbean lines when applied exogenously through various modes. Methods: The experiment was conducted in a field with a split-plot arrangement, having three replicates for each treatment. Two irrigation regimes, including normal and reduced irrigation, were applied. The plants allocated to reduced irrigation were watered only at the reproductive stage. Three levels of ALA (0, 0.1, 0.15 mM) were applied through different modes (seed priming, foliar or priming+foliar). Key results: ALA treatment through different modes manifested higher growth under reduced irrigation (water stress) and normal irrigation. Compared to the other two modes, the application of ALA as seed priming was found more effective in ameliorating the adverse impacts of water stress on growth and yield associated with their better content of leaf photosynthetic pigments, maintenance of plant water relations, levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants, improved activities of enzymatic antioxidants, and decreased lipid peroxidation and H2O2 levels. The maximum increase in shoot fresh weight (29% and 28%), shoot dry weight (27% and 24%), 100-grain weight (24% and 23%) and total grain yield (20% and 21%) in water-stressed mungbean plants of line 16003 and 16004, respectively, was recorded due to ALA seed priming than other modes of applications. Conclusions: Conclusively, 0.1 and 0.15 mM levels of ALA as seed priming were found to reduce the adverse impact of water stress on mungbean yield that was associated with improved physio-biochemical mechanisms. Implications: The findings of the study will be helpful for the agriculturalists working in arid and semi-arid regions to obtain a better yield of mungbean that will be helpful to fulfill the food demand in those areas to some extent.

Development and assessment of immediate-release tablets containing clopidogrel bisulphate & aspirin-strategy for optimizing the combination formulation.

The main goal of the study was to improve the compliance and convenience of patients by designing and development of an immediate release (IR) fixed-dose combination (Clopidogrel bisulphate and Aspirin) tablets. The proposed combination product utilizes Clopidogrel to protect the moisture-sensitive aspirin component, enhancing its stability against atmospheric conditions. Response-surface approach (Design Expert vs. 13) was used to generate this IR tablet by calculating the right composition of independent variables such as Microcrystalline cellulose 102, pregelatinized starch and Hydroxypropyl cellulose. 32 factorial design was used to estimate the effects of these independent variables on the responses of dependent variables (disintegration & friability) and constructed a total of nine (9) formulations. Pre and Post formulation, quality control parameters were investigated as per pharmacopeia. A systematic approach was used for the optimization process and a prototype checkpoint batch (CPB) based on the better contrast of independent variables was prepared. In vitro analysis of formulations was carried out to estimate the responses. Friability was found in the range of 0.088-1.076%w/w, except F1 = 1.076 all are within limits (NMT 1.0%). Disintegration time was recorded 7.3 ± 1.20 as lower and 24.5 ± 1.63 min was the highest. The release of drugs from their dosage form was fast and rapid, for clopidogrel after 15min was 70.42-96.82% with SD ± 8.71 and aspirin was 69.88-91.49% in 15 min with SD ± 6.41, all the tablets were released more than 80% in 20 min. The stability outcomes of CPB tablets after 15 days of stress study (60 ± 2°C and 75 ± 5%) indicated good compatibility and stability of APIs with excipients. It was concluded that the direct compression method can be preferred to prepare a combination product with cost-effectiveness. It was also concluded that the proposed methodology could increase Aspirin's stability and allow for an aqueous coating system to finish the product with a film coating. By using Design Expert software, the best composition of the formulation can be selected and optimized in a short period of time with minimum trial and errors. The results also demonstrated that the use of a fixed-dose combination tablet instead of the individual is expected to be more convenient to patients and thus improves patient compliance and decreases the occurrence of adverse effects and side effects.

Cilta-cel, a BCMA-targeting CAR-T therapy for patients with multiple myeloma.

INTRODUCTION: Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a BCMA-targeting CAR-T therapy, is approved in the United States and Europe for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) and ≥1 prior line of therapy (LOT), including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug, and are lenalidomide refractory. AREAS COVERED: We examine recent long-term data in heavily pretreated RRMM (LEGEND-2, CARTITUDE-1) and earlier LOTs (CARTITUDE-4) compared with standard therapy and discuss the rationale for investigating cilta-cel as frontline therapy for transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients (CARTITUDE-5, CARTITUDE-6). EXPERT OPINION: CAR-T therapies can improve outcomes for patients with MM across different LOTs. CARTITUDE-1 and CARTITUDE-4 have set a new bar for efficacy, with median PFS of 34.9 months in heavily pretreated patients (CARTITUDE-1) and a 74% relative risk reduction for progression/death versus standard care in patients with 1-3 prior LOTs (CARTITUDE-4), with manageable safety. Response rates were consistent between the two studies: 98% in CARTITUDE-1 and approaching 100% for infused patients in CARTITUDE-4. Cilta-cel could be a key treatment choice for patients with RRMM after first LOT. Clinical trials investigating frontline cilta-cel therapy will provide valuable insights into optimizing treatment pathways with the aim to potentially cure MM.

Transformer-based framework for multi-class segmentation of skin cancer from histopathology images.

Introduction: Non-melanoma skin cancer comprising Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and Intraepidermal carcinoma (IEC) has the highest incidence rate among skin cancers. Intelligent decision support systems may address the issue of the limited number of subject experts and help in mitigating the parity of health services between urban centers and remote areas. Method: In this research, we propose a transformer-based model for the segmentation of histopathology images not only into inflammation and cancers such as BCC, SCC, and IEC but also to identify skin tissues and boundaries that are important in decision-making. Accurate segmentation of these tissue types will eventually lead to accurate detection and classification of non-melanoma skin cancer. The segmentation according to tissue types and their visual representation before classification enhances the trust of pathologists and doctors being relatable to how most pathologists approach this problem. The visualization of the confidence of the model in its prediction through uncertainty maps is also what distinguishes this study from most deep learning methods. Results: The evaluation of proposed system is carried out using publicly available dataset. The application of our proposed segmentation system demonstrated good performance with an F1 score of 0.908, mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 0.653, and average accuracy of 83.1%, advocating that the system can be used as a decision support system successfully and has the potential of subsequently maturing into a fully automated system. Discussion: This study is an attempt to automate the segmentation of the most occurring non-melanoma skin cancer using a transformer-based deep learning technique applied to histopathology skin images. Highly accurate segmentation and visual representation of histopathology images according to tissue types by the proposed system implies that the system can be used for skin-related routine pathology tasks including cancer and other anomaly detection, their classification, and measurement of surgical margins in the case of cancer cases.

Multimodal 2D and 3D microscopic mapping of growth cartilage by computational imaging techniques - a short review including new research.

Being able to image the microstructure of growth cartilage is important for understanding the onset and progression of diseases such as osteochondrosis and osteoarthritis, as well as for developing new treatments and implants. Studies of cartilage using conventional optical brightfield microscopy rely heavily on histological staining, where the added chemicals provide tissue-specific colours. Other microscopy contrast mechanisms include polarization, phase- and scattering contrast, enabling non-stained or "label-free" imaging that significantly simplifies the sample preparation, thereby also reducing the risk of artefacts. Traditional high-performance microscopes tend to be both bulky and expensive. Computational imaging denotes a range of techniques where computers with dedicated algorithms are used as an integral part of the image formation process. Computational imaging offers many advantages like 3D measurements, aberration correction and quantitative phase contrast, often combined with comparably cheap and compact hardware. X-ray microscopy is also progressing rapidly, in certain ways trailing the development of optical microscopy. In this study, we first briefly review the structures of growth cartilage and relevant microscopy characterization techniques with an emphasis on FPM and advanced X-ray microscopies. We next demonstrate with our own results computational imaging through Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) and compare the images with hematoxylin eosin and saffron (HES)-stained histology. Zernike phase contrast, and the nonlinear optical microscopy techniques of second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) are reported. X-ray attenuation-, phase- and diffraction-contrast computed tomography (CT) images of the very same sample are also presented for comparisons. Future perspectives on the links to artificial intelligence, dynamic studies and in vivo possibilities conclude the article.

An Enhanced Agile V-Model: Conformance to regulatory bodies and experiences from model's adoption to medical device development.

Context: Medical devices fall under the broad topic encompass everything from basic hardware to integrated software systems. The integration of software into hardware devices is not simple due to requirements of regional regulatory bodies. Therefore, medical businesses need to oversee not only the creation of devices but also the observance of guidelines and standards established by regulatory bodies. While plan-driven methodologies prevented software from evolving or changing, agile methodologies have inherent characteristics of insufficient planning and documentation. Objectives: The objective of our research is to propose a suitable process model for medical device development, keeping in mind the regulatory requirements. Methods: First, based on the detailed analysis of literature and McHughs proposed model, we suggested the Enhanced Agile V-Model (EAV), which combines plan-driven and agile approaches. Second, we mapped the proposed model to the MDEVSPICE framework to confirm that it adhered to the rules outlined in the standard IEC62304. Finally, the proposed model is evaluated through implication to case study of wave therapeutic medical device. Results: The support of both agile and waterfall approach in EAV model helps in accommodating new requirements in the medical devices and the proposed systems engineering approach helps in hardware and software integration. The mapping of the EAV model to the MDEVSPICE shows complete compliance. Moreover, the implication of the proposed model has been clearly shown statistically and successfully implemented in our case study. Further, device usability and efficiency metrics showed confidence of P < 0.05 and for device safety and efficiency, we conducted an experiment which shows significant improvement in selected parameters. Conclusion: The proposed model shows conformance to regulatory standards, and successfully implemented in development of wave therapeutic device. However, its applicability to more compact and straightforward medical products is unknown and can be determined by using this model to analyze the performance of other medical products.

Biochar enhances the growth and physiological characteristics of Medicago sativa, Amaranthus caudatus and Zea mays in saline soils.

Biochar is a promising solution to alleviate the negative impacts of salinity stress on agricultural production. Biochar derived from food waste effect was investigated on three plant species, Medicago sativa, Amaranthus caudatus, and Zea mays, under saline environments. The results showed that biochar improved significantly the height by 30%, fresh weight of shoot by 35% and root by 45% of all three species compared to control (saline soil without biochar adding), as well as enhanced their photosynthetic pigments and enzyme activities in soil. This positive effect varied significantly between the 3 plants highlighting the importance of the plant-biochar interactions. Thus, the application of biochar is a promising solution to enhance the growth, root morphology, and physiological characteristics of plants under salt-induced stress.

In vitro and split-faced placebo-controlled in vivo study on the skin rejuvenating effects of cream loaded with bioactive extract of Indigofera argentea Burm.f.

The bioactive extracts of traditional medicinal plants are rich in polyphenols and help to rejuvenate skin. The study was designed to assess the skin rejuvenating effects of a stable cream enriched with 4% I. argentea (IaMe) extract. The quantity of polyphenols by spectrophotometric methods was TPC, 101.55 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid content; 77.14 ± 0.13 mg QE/g, while HPLC-PDA revealed gallic acid; 4.91, chlorogenic acid 48.12, p-coumaric acid 0.43, and rutin 14.23 µg/g. The significant results of biological activities were observed as DPPH; 81.81% ± 0.05%, tyrosinase; 72% ± 0.23% compared to ascorbic acid (92.43% ± 0.03%), and kojic acid (78.80% ± 0.19%) respectively. Moreover, the promising sun protection effects Sun protection factor of extract (20.53) and formulation (10.59) were observed. The active cream formulation (w/o emulsion) was developed with liquid paraffin, beeswax, IaMe extract, and ABIL EM 90, which was stable for 90 days as shown by various stability parameters. The rheological results demonstrated the active formulation's non-Newtonian and pseudo-plastic characteristics and nearly spherical globules by SEM. The IaMe loaded cream was further investigated on human trial subjects for skin rejuvenating effects and visualized in 3D skin images. Herein, the results were significant compared to placebo. IaMe formulation causes a substantial drop in skin melanin from -1.70% (2 weeks) to -10.8% (12 weeks). Furthermore, it showed a significant increase in skin moisture and elasticity index from 7.7% to 39.15% and 2%-30%, respectively. According to the findings, Indigofera argentea extract has promising bioactivities and skin rejuvenating properties, rationalizing the traditional use and encouraging its exploitation for effective and economical cosmeceuticals.

A key parametric study of ultrasonic exfoliation of 2D TiB2 using DI water as a unique medium.

Liquid Phase Exfoliation (LPE) is a very effective technique for the synthesis of few layered two dimensional (2D) nanosheets. There is a surge to find environment friendly solvents for efficient exfoliation of layered materials to produce 2D nanosheets. TiB2 is an important layered material with very little reported work on its 2D nanosheets. The present work is about successful LPE of TiB2 using deionized (DI) water as a clean, green and low cost dispersion medium to make TiB2 nanosheets. The impact of ultrasonication conditions i.e. input power and treatment duration for efficient synthesis of few layered 2D nanosheets in DI water is studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). It is found that by increasing input power, the layer thickness is reduced from bulk to 34 nm with lateral dimensions as huge as up to 5 µm. The increased treatment duration has further reduced the layer thickness to 21 nm associated with a decrease in lateral dimensions to about 1 µm. The mechanism of variation in the aspect ratio of the 2D nanosheets with ultrasonication power and treatment duration is explained. The optimum conditions for the fabrication of high aspect ratio 2D nanosheets of TiB2 owe to a greater acoustic cavitation intensity, an optimum treatment duration and a homogenous distribution of the cavitation events while using an appropriate size of the sonotrode in the sonicated volume during ultrasonication.

A flexible nanofiber membrane containing dendritic oxygen probe for visual monitoring pressure distribution.

Pressure-sensitive paints (PSP) enable non-intrusive visualization of surface pressure distribution on model surface which is important for aerodynamic studies. However, conventional PSP materials suffer from photobleaching and inadequate sensitivity. In this work, we rationally designed and synthesized novel dendritic oxygen probes (PT1 and PT2) by covalently grafting fluorinated dendrons onto platinum tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (PT0) (a common oxygen probe). Subsequently, PT2 loaded nanofibers membranes from polycaprolactone (PCL) were fabricated by electrospinning. Fabricated membranes showed high oxygen sensitivity (I0/I100 = 35.3) with excellent flexibility, good reversibility, and outstanding photostability (merely 2.0% intensity loss after prolonged irradiation). The pressure sensitivity was found around 0.73 % per kilopascal. Furthermore, significant variation in emission intensity with respect to the variation in air pressure (1.3-101.32 kPa), facilitates the naked eye visualization of the pressure distribution on the membrane surface. Such excellent oxygen and pressure sensitivity and photostability might be due to high fluorine contents of complex dendritic structure of PT2. This flexible fluorine-functionalized dendritic oxygen probe puts forward a facile and effective strategy to develop advanced PSP materials enabling accurate pressure mapping for aerodynamic studies.

Potential role of Citrus bergamia flower essential oil against oral pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Oral bacterial infections are difficult to treat due to emergence of resistance against antibiotic therapy. Essential oils are considered emerging alternate therapy against bacterial infections and biofilms. We investigated Citrus bergemia flower essential oil against oral pathogens. METHODS: The essential oil was analsyed using Gas Chromatography(GC-MS), in silico investigations, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm and antiquorum sensing assays. RESULTS: Gas Chromatography analysis confirmed presence of 17 compounds including 1,6-Octadien-3-ol,3,7-dimethyl, 48.17%), l-limonene (22.03%) and p-menth-1-ol, 8-ol (7.31%) as major components. In silico analysis showed compliance of all tested major components with Lipinski's rule, Bioavailability and antimicrobial activity using PASS (prediction of activity spectrum of substances). Molecular docking with transcriptional regulators 3QP5, 5OE3, 4B2O and 3Q3D revealed strong interaction of all tested compounds except 1,6-Octadien-3-ol,3,7-dimethyl. All tested compounds presented significant inhibition of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (IC50 0.65 mg/mL), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) (63.5%) and high FRAP (ferrous reducing antioxidant power) value (239.01 µg). In antimicrobial screening a significant activity (MIC 0.125 mg/mL) against Bacillus paramycoides and Bacillus chungangensis was observed. Likewise a strong antibiofilm (52.1 - 69.5%) and anti-QS (quorum sensing) (4-16 mm) activity was recorded in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION: It was therefore concluded that C. bergemia essential oil posess strong antioxidant, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against tested oral pathogens.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin in surgical patients using a validated HPLC method.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin is being used for the treatment of a variety of infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is highly recommended for ensuring the safe and effective therapy with vancomycin. A reliable and cost-effective bioanalytical method is required for TDM as well as pharmacokinetic studies of vancomycin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A selective, sensitive, and cost effective HPLC method was developed and validated for quantification of vancomycin concentrations in human plasma. The mobile phase was a mixture of buffer (50 mM ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 2.4) and acetonitrile 88 : 12 v/v. The separation was carried on C18 column (125 × 4.6 mm, particle size 5 µm) with isocratic flow rate of 0.370 mL/min at room temperature with UV detection at 215 nm. The method was validated for sensitivity, accuracy, and precision as well as stability of vancomycin in human plasma by following European Medicine Agency (EMA) guideline. Therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin was performed by quantifying the trough concentrations of vancomycin in 65 human plasma samples after administration of therapeutically relevant dose. RESULTS: The developed method was sensitive enough to quantify vancomycin concentrations as low as 0.25 mg/L in human plasma. Moreover, the method was proved accurate and precise in terms of quantifying the unknown concentration of vancomycin. The evaluation of short-term, long-term, and freeze-thaw stability proved the stability of vancomycin in human plasma. The TDM of vancomycin by using this method showed that 39 (60%) samples were within the target trough concentration range (TTCR), i.e. 10 - 20 mg/L, while 23 samples (35.4%) were below the TTCR, and 3 samples (4.6%) were above this range. CONCLUSION: The developed method is sensitive and cost effective for quantification of vancomycin in human plasma. The results of sample analysis shows that the developed method can be used reliably for TDM of vancomycin.

Assessment of the Implementation of Pakistan's National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in the Agriculture and Food Sectors.

The agriculture and food (agrifood) sectors play key roles in the emergence, spread, and containment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Pakistan's first National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR was developed to guide One Health interventions to combat AMR through 2017-2022. To improve subsequent iterations, we assessed the implementation of Pakistan's NAP in the agrifood sectors (NAPag) in October 2022, using the Progressive Management Pathway on AMR tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The assessment tool addressed four crucial focus areas of the NAPag: governance, awareness, evidence, and practices. Each focus area contains multiple topics, which involve four sequential stages of activities to progressively achieve systematic management of AMR risk in the agrifood sectors. High-level representatives of the NAPag stakeholders provided information for the assessment through pre-event documentary review and workshop discussions. The assessment results showed that Pakistan's NAPag had an overall moderate coverage (59%) of the anticipated activities. Gaps were particularly notable in strengthening governance, good practices, and interventions in non-livestock sectors. Furthermore, only 12% of the evaluated activities were fully executed and documented, consistently remaining at the planning and piloting stages in the livestock sector across all the examined topics. Insufficient attention to non-livestock sectors, inadequate regulation and enforcement capacity, and resource constraints have hindered scalable and sustainable interventions under the current plan. This assessment provides valuable insights to strengthen the inclusiveness and contribution of the agrifood sectors in the next NAP iteration. In the short-to-medium term, strategic prioritization is necessary to optimize the use of limited resources and target the most critical gaps, such as improving awareness among key stakeholders and fortifying regulations for prudent antimicrobial use. In the long term, integration of AMR into the country's broader health, development, and agricultural transformation agendas will be needed to generate sustainable benefits.

Preparation, In Vitro Characterization, and Evaluation of Polymeric pH-Responsive Hydrogels for Controlled Drug Release.

The purpose of the current research is to formulate a smart drug delivery system for solubility enhancement and sustained release of hydrophobic drugs. Drug solubility-related challenges constitute a significant concern for formulation scientists. To address this issue, a recent study focused on developing PEG-g-poly(MAA) copolymeric nanogels to enhance the solubility of olmesartan, a poorly soluble drug. The researchers employed a free radical polymerization technique to formulate these nanogels. Nine formulations were formulated. The newly formulated nanogels underwent comprehensive tests, including physicochemical assessments, dissolution studies, solubility evaluations, toxicity investigations, and stability examinations. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) investigations confirmed the successful encapsulation of olmesartan within the nanogels, while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies verified their thermal stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed the presence of pores on the surface of the nanogels, facilitating water penetration and promoting rapid drug release. Moreover, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies indicated that the prepared nanogels exhibited an amorphous structure. The nanogel carrier system led to a significant enhancement in olmesartan's solubility, achieving a remarkable 12.3-fold increase at pH 1.2 and 13.29-fold rise in phosphate buffer of pH 6.8 (NGP3). Significant swelling was observed at pH 6.8 compared to pH 1.2. Moreover, the formulated nexus is nontoxic and biocompatible and depicts considerable potential for delivery of drugs and protein as well as heat-sensitive active moieties.

Effects of Lamiaceae family plants and their bioactive ingredients on coronavirus-induced lung inflammation.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a family of viruses that cause infection in respiratory and intestinal systems. Different types of CoVs, those responsible for the SARS-CoV and the new global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 in people, have been found. Some plants were used as food additives: spices and dietary and/or medicinal purposes in folk medicine. We aimed to provide evidence about possible effects of two Lamiaceae family plants on control or treatment of CoVs-induced inflammation. The keywords including coronaviruses, Thymus vulgaris, Zataria multiflora, thymol, carvacrol, antivirus, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects were searched in various databases such as PubMed, Web of Sciences (ISI), and Google Scholar until September 2022. The medicinal herbs and their main ingredients, thymol and carvacrol, showed antiviral properties and reduced inflammatory mediators, including IL-1ß; IL-6, and TNF-α, at both gene and protein levels but increased the levels of IFN-γ in the serum as anti-inflammatory cytokine. These medicinal herbs and their constituents also reduce oxidative stress and enhance antioxidant capacity. The results of molecular docking analyses also indicated that polyphenol components such as thymol, carvone, and carvacrol could inhibit the entry of the viruses into the host cells in molecular docking analyses. The antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of these plants may be due to actions of their phenolic compounds that modulate immune response and may be useful in the control and treatment of CoV-induced lung disorder.

Association of Oral Submucous Fibrosis Risk with GSTM1 and GSTT1 Gene Polymorphisms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, de Montmorency, College of Dentistry/ Punjab Dental Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from 1st April 2019 to 31st April 2020. METHODOLOGY: OSF patients were diagnosed with different clinical staging of mouth opening by Vernier caliper with the help of a professional dentist in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, de Montmorency, College of Dentistry, Lahore. One hundred and eight blood samples of OSF patients and 108 samples of normal controls were collected. Genomic DNA was obtained from whole-blood extraction. Multiplex PCR amplification using GSTM1, GSTT1, and ß -Globin gene primers was performed. RESULTS: GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes frequencies were found in 43.5% (47/108) and 13.9% (15/108) of controls, whereas 54.6% (59/108) and 25.9% (28/108) of OSF patients, respectively. OSF patients had a greater frequency rate of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes than controls [OR 1.56, 95% CI 0.91-2.67 (p=0.13)] and [OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.08-4.34 (p=0.04)], respectively. The GSTT1 genotype was found statistically significant with OSF (p=0.05), and risk was also determined. The cumulative effect of null genotypes of GSTM1/GSTT1 did not show any association with the controls and in OSF patients. Proportions of active and null alleles of the patient group were; 86.1%/13.9%; and in control, it was 92.6%/7.4% (OR = 2.01; CI: 0.82-4.97; p=0.18), respectively. CONCLUSION: The study determined a statistically significant association of GSTT1 gene polymorphism with OSF. KEY WORDS: Oral submucous fibrosis, GSTM1, GSTT1, Gene polymorphisms, Genetic risk.

Herbal Treatments for Obesity: A Review.

Obesity is the most pervasive metabolic disorder, further linked with many other diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and sleep apnea. To control the increasing weight of obese individuals, experts usually recommend exercise and lifestyle alterations, but medication and surgeries are also advised in severe cases. FDA-approved obesity-controlling drugs are effective but possess certain adverse effects, including dry mouth, drug abuse, dysregulation in monoamine neurotransmitters, insomnia, and many more. Medication processes are expensive; researchers have focused on safer and more effective alternative approaches than pharmaceutical drugs. Since ancient times, a diverse array of herbal plants have been used due to their therapeutic effect, as in-vitro and in-vivo experimentations have proved the effectiveness of herbal plants with no mortality. In this review, we have presented various herbs with their metabolically active secondary metabolites, including Berberis vulgaris L, Rhizoma Coptidis, Radix Lithospermi, Aloe vera, Clerodendrum multiflorum Burm f., Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch), Boerhaavia diffusa, Achyranthes aspera L., etc. All of these herbs are responsible for anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Most of the previously published clinical trials and animal studies that confirmed the significant potential of these herbal plants and their active ingredients to reduce weight by decreasing the accumulated fats in the body have also been discussed in this review. Thus, it is concluded that scientists must consider and utilize these natural treasures for safe, effective, and cost-effective treatment. It will open new and novel ways for treatment regimes.

UAV sensor failures dataset: Biomisa arducopter sensory critique (BASiC).

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) rely on a variety of sensors to perceive and navigate their airborne environment with precision. The autopilot software interprets this sensory data, acting as the control mechanism for autonomous flights. As UAVs are exposed to physical environment, they are vulnerable to potential impairments in their sensory mechanism. Their real-time interactions with the actual atmosphere make them susceptible to cyber exploitations as well, where sensory data alterations through counterfeit wireless signals pose a significant threat. In this context, sensor failures can result into unsafe flight conditions, as the fault handling logic may fail to anticipate the context of the issue, allowing autopilot to execute operations without necessary adjustments. Untimely control of sensor failures can result in mid-air collisions or crashes. To address these challenges, we created Biomisa Arducopter Sensory Critique (BASiC) dataset, a state-of-the-art resource for UAV sensor failure analysis. The BASiC dataset comprises 70 autonomous flight data, spanning over 7 hours. It encompasses 3+ hours of (each) pre-failure and post-failure data, along with 1+ hour of no-failure data. We selected the ArduPilot platform as our demonstration aerial vehicle to conduct the experiments. By engineering Software in the Loop (SITL) parameters, we effectively executed sensor failure test simulations. Our dataset incorporates six representative sensors failures which are critical to UAV operations: global positioning system (GPS) for precise aerial positioning, remote control for communication with the ground control station (GCS), accelerometer for measuring linear acceleration, gyroscope for rotational acceleration measurement, compass providing heading information, and barometer for maintaining flight height based on atmospheric pressure data. The availability of the BASiC dataset will benefit the research community, empowering researchers to explore and experiment with state-of-the-art deep learning models by tailoring them for time series signal analysis. It may also contribute in enhancing the safety and reliability of mission-critical autonomous UAV flights.

ANN-Based Intelligent Secure Routing Protocol in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) Using Enhanced AODV.

A vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is a sophisticated wireless communication infrastructure incorporating centralized and decentralized control mechanisms, orchestrating seamless data exchange among vehicles. This intricate communication system relies on the advanced capabilities of 5G connectivity, employing specialized topological arrangements to enhance data packet transmission. These vehicles communicate amongst themselves and establish connections with roadside units (RSUs). In the dynamic landscape of vehicular communication, disruptions, especially in scenarios involving high-speed vehicles, pose challenges. A notable concern is the emergence of black hole attacks, where a vehicle acts maliciously, obstructing the forwarding of data packets to subsequent vehicles, thereby compromising the secure dissemination of content within the VANET. We present an intelligent cluster-based routing protocol to mitigate these challenges in VANET routing. The system operates through two pivotal phases: first, utilizing an artificial neural network (ANN) model to detect malicious nodes, and second, establishing clusters via enhanced clustering algorithms with appointed cluster heads (CH) for each cluster. Subsequently, an optimal path for data transmission is predicted, aiming to minimize packet transmission delays. Our approach integrates a modified ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) protocol for on-demand route discovery and optimal path selection, enhancing request and reply (RREQ and RREP) protocols. Evaluation of routing performance involves the BHT dataset, leveraging the ANN classifier to compute accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and loss. The NS-2.33 simulator facilitates the assessment of end-to-end delay, network throughput, and hop count during the path prediction phase. Remarkably, our methodology achieves 98.97% accuracy in detecting black hole attacks through the ANN classification model, outperforming existing techniques across various network routing parameters.