The AlzMatch Pilot Study - Feasibility of Remote Blood Collection of Plasma Biomarkers for Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Trials.

BACKGROUND: Advances in plasma biomarkers to detect Alzheimer's disease (AD) biology allows researchers to improve the efficiency of participant recruitment into preclinical trials. Recently, protein levels of plasma amyloid-beta and tau proteins have been shown to be predictive of elevated amyloid in brain. Online registries, such as the Alzheimer's Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy, include and follow participants using remote assessments to facilitate efficient screening and enrollment of large numbers of individuals who may be at higher risk for AD. OBJECTIVES: The AlzMatch Pilot Study investigated the feasibility of recruiting individuals from an online registry for blood sample collection at community-based phlebotomy centers and plasma biomarker quantification to assess an individual's eligibility for AD preclinical trials. DESIGN: Pilot feasibility study with co-primary outcomes. SETTING: This pilot feasibility study included participants from the APT Webstudy, the remote assessment arm of the Trial-ready cohort for Preclinical and Prodromal AD (TRC-PAD) Platform. Novel design included collection of electronic consent, use of community laboratories for plasma collection, mass spectrometry-based biomarker assay, and telephone communication of plasma biomarker screening eligibility. PARTICIPANTS: Participants invited to the AlzMatch pilot feasibility study were active in the APT Webstudy, 50 years of age or older, resided within 50 miles of both a Quest Diagnostics Patient Services Center (a national diagnostic laboratory with convenient locations for sample collection and processing) and one of six TRC-PAD vanguard clinical trial sites, had no self-reported dementia diagnosis, were able to communicate in English and engaged with the APT Webstudy within the prior 6 months. MEASUREMENTS: Primary feasibility outcomes were completion of electronic consent (e-consent) for invited participants and collection of usable blood samples. Additional feasibility outcomes included invitation response rate, plasma biomarker eligibility status (based on amyloid beta-42/40 [Aß42/40] concentration ratio), ApoE proteotype, and trial inclusion criterion), and completion of telephone contact to learn eligibility to screen for a study. RESULTS: 300 APT Webstudy participants were invited to consent to the AlzMatch study. The AlzMatch e-consent rate was 39% (n=117) (95% CI of 33.5%-44.5%) overall, which was higher than the expected rate of 25%. Similar consent rates were observed across participants based on self-defined sex (41% Female (n=75), 37% Male (n=42)) and race and ethnicity (37% from underrepresented groups (URG) (n=36), 40% not from URG (n=79)). Among those that consented (n=117), plasma was successfully collected from 74% (n=87) (95% CI of 66%-82%), with similar rates across sex (76% Female (n=57), 71% Male (n=30)) and race and ethnicity (75% URG (n=27) and 75% not from URG (n=59)). 60% (n=51) of participants with plasma biomarker results were eligible to screen for future preclinical AD trials. CONCLUSION: Electronic consent of participants through an online registry, blood sample collection at community-based centers, plasma biomarker quantification and reporting, and biomarker assessments for study eligibility were all feasible with similar engagement rates across demographic groups. Although this pilot was a small and selective sample, participants engaged and consented at higher than expected rates. We conclude that collecting blood at community laboratories for biomarker analyses may improve accessibility beyond research, and may facilitate broader access for clinical use of AD plasma biomarkers. Based on our results, an expanded version of the AlzMatch study is underway, which involves expanding invitations to additional APT Webstudy participants and clinical trial sites.

Risk of Aspiration Pneumonitis After Elective Esophagogastroduodenoscopy in Patients on Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists.

Background Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are gaining popularity in the management of diabetes mellitus and obesity. It has been suggested that this class of medications causes delayed gastric emptying which raised concerns about the potential for aspiration of gastric contents in patients undergoing sedation. This led to a statement by the American Society of Anesthesiologists about their preoperative use. Nevertheless, there is minimal evidence regarding the effects of GLP-1RAs on the risk of aspiration post-esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). In this study, we sought to evaluate the incidence of aspiration and pneumonia in patients receiving GLP-1RAs who underwent EGD. Methodology We performed a retrospective cohort study in TriNetX, a global federated research network of electronic health records. The primary outcome was the development of aspiration post-EGD. Secondary outcomes were the development of aspiration pneumonia and requiring antibiotics post-EGD. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other comorbidities between the cohorts. Results Our analysis showed a small but significant risk of aspiration pneumonitis in patients on GLP-1RAs undergoing elective EGD compared to non-GLP-1RA-receiving patients. However, there was no increased risk of the composite outcome of respiratory failure or intensive care unit (ICU) admission; however, this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions GLP-1RA use was associated with an increased risk of aspiration in patients undergoing elective upper endoscopy. However, this did not translate to an increased risk of respiratory failure or ICU admission. Our findings highlight the importance of following an individualized approach to preoperative management that takes into consideration GLP-1RA indications and other aspiration risk factors, including advanced age, impaired gag reflex, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and abdominal distention.

Acaricidal activity of Egyptian crude plant extracts against Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks.

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a common Ixodida tick species found in temperate areas of Asian countries. An anti-tick assay was conducted on adult female H. longicornis ticks. Plant extract solutions were prepared at concentrations of 50, 25, and 10 mg/mL. Tick survival and mortality were assessed by counting the number of dead and live ticks at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h posttreatment. Out of 11 plant extracts screened, Artemisia judaica extract exhibited the highest potency with 100% mortality (5/5) at 48 h when applied at high and moderate concentrations (50 and 25 mg/mL). Similar results were observed at 96 h for the 10 mg/mL group compared to the untreated ticks. Cleome droserifolia extract demonstrated partial activity with 60% (3/5) and 20% (1/5) mortality at 96 h posttreatment at concentrations of 50 and 25 mg/mL, respectively. Forsskaolea tenacissima extract showed a weak effect with 100% tick mortality (5/5) only at the highest treatment concentration after 96 h. To confirm the activity of A. judaica, trial 2 was conducted. A. judaica demonstrated potency within 48 h in high dose and 72 h in moderate dose, with 100% mortality (15/15) at 96 h posttreatment compared to untreated ticks. The median lethal time 50 (LT50) values were 30.37 h for the high and 55.08 h for the moderate doses. Liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry was performed on the most potent candidate (A. judaica) to identify its phytochemical components. The results revealed the presence of 9 compounds identified through manual annotation and 74 compounds from the Global Natural Products Social library. These compounds included terpenoids, steroids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoid glycosides, flavonoids, and benzenoids. Camphor was identified as the major component via both approaches. These findings suggest the potential use of A. judaica extract in the future development of acaricidal therapeutics.

Longitudinal Phospho-tau217 Predicts Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Blood-based AD biomarkers such as plasma P-tau217 are increasingly used in clinical trials as a screening tool. OBJECTIVES: To assess the utility of an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay in predicting brain amyloid PET status in cognitively unimpaired individuals. SETTING: Plasma samples collected at baseline, week 12, and week 240 or endpoint originated from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) trial and the companion Longitudinal Evaluation of Amyloid Risk and Neurodegeneration (LEARN) study. PARTICIPANTS: Both A4 and LEARN enrolled eligible cognitively unimpaired persons 65 to 85 years. Individuals with elevated brain amyloid PET levels were eligible for the A4 Study, while those without elevated brain amyloid PET levels were eligible for the LEARN Study. INTERVENTION: Participants in the A4 Study received intravenous solanezumab (up to 1600 mg) or placebo every 4 weeks. The LEARN Study is an observational study without intervention. MEASUREMENTS: Plasma P-tau217 concentration levels from A4 Study participants were measured using an ECL immunoassay. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for each biomarker against amyloid positivity, defined by ≥22 CL and ≥ 33 CL. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis indicates high diagnostic value of P-tau217 in individuals with amyloid PET ≥ 20 (Area under the ROC (AUROC): 0.87) and ≥ 33 CL (AUROC: 0.89). Repeated testing with the placebo group taken 12 weeks apart (range: 68 to 143 days) and the LEARN participants taken between 1.4 and 1.75 years resulted in a strong positive correlation (Corr. 0.91 (0.90 to 0.92)). CONCLUSION: An ECL immunoassay testing plasma P-tau217 accurately predicts amyloid PET positivity in cognitively unimpaired individuals. Our future analyses aim to determine if use of this assay may reduce the screening burden of preclinical individuals into anti-amyloid clinical trials.

Maximizing the Utility of Alzheimer's Disease Trial Data: Sharing of Baseline A4 and LEARN Data.

BACKGROUND: The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) and Longitudinal Evaluation of Amyloid Risk and Neurodegeneration (LEARN) studies were conducted between 2014 and 2023, with enrollment completed in 2017 and final study results reported in 2023. The study screening process involved the collection of initial clinical, cognitive, neuroimaging, and genetic measures to determine eligibility. Once randomized, enrolled participants were assessed every four weeks over a 4.5-year follow-up period during which longitudinal clinical, cognitive, and neuroimaging measures were collected. A large number of longitudinal fluid biospecimens were also collected and banked. Consistent with the NIH data sharing policy and the principles of Open Science, the A4/LEARN investigators aimed to share data as broadly and early as possible while still protecting participant privacy and confidentiality and the scientific integrity of the studies. OBJECTIVES: We describe the approach, methods, and platforms used to share the A4 and LEARN pre-randomization study data for secondary research use. Preliminary results measuring the impact of these efforts are also summarized. We conclude with a discussion of lessons learned and next steps. DESIGN: The materials shared included de-identified quantitative and image data, analysis software, instruments, and documentation. SETTING: The A4 and LEARN Studies were conducted at 67 clinical trial sites in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. PARTICIPANTS: The A4 study screened (n=6763), enrolled, and randomized (n=1169) participants between the ages of 65 and 85 with a blinded follow-up period of 240 weeks followed by an open-label period of variable length. The LEARN study screened and enrolled individuals (n=538) who were ineligible for the A4 study based on nonelevated measures of amyloid accumulation using positron emission tomography imaging (amyloid PET). MEASUREMENTS: We provide descriptive measures of the data shared and summarize the frequency, characteristics, and status of all data access requests submitted to date. We evaluate the scientific impact of the data-sharing effort by conducting a literature search to identify related publications. RESULTS: The A4 and LEARN pre-randomization study data were released in December 2018. As of May 8, 2024, 1506 requests have been submitted by investigators and citizen scientists from more than 50 countries. We identified 49 peer-reviewed publications that acknowledge the A4/LEARN study. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial results provide evidence supporting the feasibility and scientific utility of broad and timely sharing of Alzheimer's disease trial data.

Impacts of Biosynthesized Manganese Dioxide Nanoparticles on Antioxidant Capacity, Hematological Parameters, and Antioxidant Protein Docking in Broilers.

Using green tomato extract, a green approach was used to synthesize manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO2NPs). The synthesis of MnO2NPs was (20.93-36.85 nm) confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analyses. One hundred fifty-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into five groups. The control group received a diet containing 60 mg Mn/kg (100% NRC broiler recommendation). The other four groups received different levels of Mn from both bulk MnO2 and green synthesized MnO2NPs, ranging from 66 to 72 mg/kg (110% and 120% of the standard level). Each group comprised 30 birds, in three replicates of 10 birds each. Generally, the study's results indicate that incorporating MnO2NPs as a feed additive had no negative effects on broiler chick growth, antioxidant status, and overall physiological responses. The addition of MnO2NPs, whether at 66 or 72 mg/kg, led to enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in both serum and liver tissues of the broiler chicks. Notably, the 72 mg MnO2NPs group displayed significantly higher SOD activity compared to the other groups. The study was further justified through docking. High throughput targeted docking was performed for proteins GHS, GST, and SOD with MnO2. SOD showed an effective binding affinity of -2.3 kcal/mol. This research sheds light on the potential of MnO2NPs as a safe and effective feed additive for broiler chicks. Further studies are required to explore the underlying mechanisms and long-term effects of incorporating MnO2NPs into broiler feed, to optimize broiler production and promote its welfare.

Correlation between Depth of Medial and Lateral Curvatures of Clavicle.

Having the first bone to ossify clavicle is a bone of pectoral girdle. It is the only bony attachment between the trunk and upper limb. To obtain the precise data that is required to investigate the range in size and morphological features of the human clavicle, a study was undertaken on dry human clavicles which had been sourced from the Department of Anatomy. The purpose for undertaking this study was to obtain baseline data on the clavicular bow in the transverse plane. This cross-sectional descriptive study having some analytical components was done among 150 (65 right and 85 left) fully ossified dry clavicles in Mymensingh Medical College, Bangladesh from January 2020 to December 2020. Sample which met the inclusion criteria was collected through non random sampling technique, from Anatomy department of Mymensingh Medical College and Community Based Medical College Bangladesh. The parameters (the depth of medial and lateral curvatures) were measured with the help of rigid osteometry board and were expressed in millimeter. In the current study, the mean±SD depth of medial curvature of 65 clavicles of right side was 15.54±3.54mm and 15.45±3.24mm of 85 left clavicles. The mean±SD depth of lateral curvature of right side was 11.71±2.54mm and of left side was 9.21±2.31mm. Correlation was done in between depth of medial and lateral curvatures on both sides and the regression line showed positive correlation but these differences were statistically non-significant on both sides.

Extracts of wild Egyptian plants from the desert inhibit the growth of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in vitro.

Wild medicinal plants have been traditionally used as antimicrobial agents. Here, we evaluated the in vitro activity of extracts from wild Egyptian desert plants against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. From 12 plant extracts tested, the methanolic extracts from Artemisia judaica, Cleome droserifolia, Trichodesma africanum, and Vachellia tortilis demonstrated potent activity against the growth of T. gondii, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 2.1, 12.5, 21.8, and 24.5 µg/ml, respectively. C. droserifolia, an ethanolic extract of P. undulata, T. africanum, A. judaica, and V. tortilis demonstrated potent efficacy against N. caninum, with mean IC50s of 1.0, 3.0, 3.1, 8.6, and 17.2 µg/ml, respectively. Our data suggest these extracts could provide an alternative treatment for T. gondii and N. caninum infections.

Wild Egyptian medicinal plants show in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity and antimalarial activities.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants have been successfully used as an alternative source of drugs for the treatment of microbial diseases. Finding a novel treatment for malaria is still challenging, and various extracts from different wild desert plants have been reported to have multiple medicinal uses for human public health, this study evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of several Egyptian plant extracts. METHODS: We assessed the cytotoxic potential of 13 plant extracts and their abilities to inhibit the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7), and to treat infection with non-lethal Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL in an in vivo malaria model in BALB/c mice. RESULTS: In vitro screening identified four promising candidates, Trichodesma africanum, Artemisia judaica, Cleome droserifolia, and Vachellia tortilis, with weak-to-moderate activity against P. falciparum erythrocytic blood stages with mean half-maximal inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of 11.7 µg/ml, 20.0 µg/ml, 32.1 µg/ml, and 40.0 µg/ml, respectively. Their selectivity index values were 35.2, 15.8, 11.5, and 13.8, respectively. Among these four candidates, T. africanum crude extract exhibited the highest parasite suppression in a murine malaria model against P. yoelii. CONCLUSION: Our study identified novel natural antimalarial agents of plant origin that have potential for development into therapeutics for treating malaria.

Electronic Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury in a Previously Healthy Young Male.

Vaping (i.e., the use of electronic cigarettes) has been gaining popularity among people for the past few years, perhaps due to the misconception that its use is less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Although the long-term effects of these products are still unknown, it has been shown that they can be implicated in acute lung injury in healthy people. In 2019, an epidemic of severe acute lung injury was reported in the United States, and it was linked to vaping or electronic cigarette use and was referred to as e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Here, we present the first case of EVALI in the state of Qatar.

Improving tenderness and quality of M. biceps femoris from older cows through concentrate feeding, zingibain protease and sous vide cooking.

The study investigated the effect of zingibain protease and sous vide cooking on tenderness and water-holding capacity of M. biceps femoris (BF) from 30 older Angus cows (6-7 years) fed concentrates for 0, 28, 42 or 56 days. BF were cooked for 1, 8, and 18 h at 65 °C and 75 °C, without any pre-treatment, after they have been injected with water only or after they have been injected with either 1 g/L or 2 g/L ginger powder solution (containing zingibain). Samples were tested for cooking loss, total water content, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), collagen content, and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). Results revealed the significant interactions between concentrate feeding, ginger powder injection, cooking temperature, and time on quality traits. WBSF was reduced (P < 0.001) by increasing zingibain concentration at 65 °C but a gradual decrease was noted at 75 °C. Collagen solubility and MFI increased (P < 0.05) with increasing zingibain concentration. Injecting zingibain along with sous vide cooking demonstrated the weakening of myofibrillar and connective tissue proteins contributing to enhanced collagen solubility and tenderness in BF.

Surface water quality status and prediction during movement control operation order under COVID-19 pandemic: Case studies in Malaysia.

Global concerns have been observed due to the outbreak and lockdown causal-based COVID-19, and hence, a global pandemic was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2020. The Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia acts to moderate the spread of COVID-19 through the enacted measures. Furthermore, massive industrial, agricultural activities and human encroachment were significantly reduced following the MCO guidelines. In this study, first, a reconnaissance survey was carried out on the effects of MCO on the health conditions of two urban rivers (i.e., Rivers of Klang and Penang) in Malaysia. Secondly, the effect of MCO lockdown on the water quality index (WQI) of a lake (Putrajaya Lake) in Malaysia is considered in this study. Finally, four machine learning algorithms have been investigated to predict WQI and the class in Putrajaya Lake. The main observations based on the analysis showed that noticeable enhancements of varying degrees in the WQI had occurred in the two investigated rivers. With regard to Putrajaya Lake, there is a significant increase in the WQI Class I, from 24% in February 2020 to 94% during the MCO month of March 2020. For WQI prediction, Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) outperformed other models in predicting the changes in the index with a high level of accuracy. For sensitivity analysis results, it is shown that NH3-N and COD play vital rule and contributing significantly to predicting the class of WQI, followed by BOD, while the remaining three parameters (i.e. pH, DO, and TSS) exhibit a low level of importance.

Resource use efficiency of cotton in improved vs conventional planting geometry with exogenous application of bio-stimulant and synthetic growth retardant / Eficiência do uso de recursos do algodão na geometria de plantio melhorada vs convencional com aplicação exógena de bioestimulante e retardante de crescimento sintético

Abstract Plant growth regulators and improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. A field study was planned to assess the role of growth regulators in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars under different row spacing at Agronomic Research Area, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan and Usmania Agricultural Farm, Shujaabad during Kharif 2012. The study was comprised of cotton cultivars viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and improved ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) and foliar spray of growth regulators viz. moringa leaf extract (MLE) and mepiquat chloride (MC), either alone or in combination, distilled water as a control. The application of MLE alone and in combination (MLE + MC) showed the promoting effect on crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, leaf area duration, sympodial branches and number of bolls leading to higher seed cotton yield of both cotton cultivars grown under conventional row spacing. While application of MC averts the plant growth without considerably improving the productivity. MLE being rich source of growth promoting hormone and nutrients showed its potential to a far greater extent under conventional row spacing in efficient utilization of available resources compared to MC and distilled water.

Resumo Reguladores de crescimento de plantas e melhor densidade de plantio são técnicas inovadoras no estabelecimento de culturas mais produtivas de algodão. Um estudo de campo foi planejado com o objetivo de avaliar o papel dos reguladores de crescimento na eficiência de uso de recursos de cultivares de algodão sob diferentes espaçamentos na Área de Pesquisa Agronômica, da Universidade Multil de Bahauddin Zakariya, e na Fazenda Agrícola da Usmania, Shujabad, durante o Kharif 2012. O estudo foi composto de cultivares de algodão CIM-573 e CIM-598, cultivados em espaçamento de linhas convencional (75 cm), médio (50 cm) e superestreito (25 cm) e de pulverização foliar de reguladores de crescimento, a saber, extrato de folhas de moringa (MLE) e cloreto de mepiquat (MC), isoladamente ou em combinação, e água destilada como controle. A aplicação de MLE isoladamente e em combinação (MLE + MC) mostrou efeito promotor na taxa de crescimento da cultura, taxa de assimilação líquida, índice de área foliar, duração de área foliar, ramos simpodiais e número de cápsulas levando à maior produção de algodão nas cultivares com espaçamento de linha convencional. Em contrapartida, a aplicação de MC evitou o crescimento da planta sem melhorar consideravelmente a produtividade. O MLE, por ser uma rica fonte de hormônio promotor de crescimento e nutrientes, mostrou seu potencial em uma extensão muito maior sob o espaçamento convencional entre as linhas no uso eficiente dos recursos disponíveis em comparação com o MC e a água destilada.

Resource use efficiency of cotton in improved vs conventional planting geometry with exogenous application of bio-stimulant and synthetic growth retardant.

Plant growth regulators and improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. A field study was planned to assess the role of growth regulators in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars under different row spacing at Agronomic Research Area, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan and Usmania Agricultural Farm, Shujaabad during Kharif 2012. The study was comprised of cotton cultivars viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and improved ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) and foliar spray of growth regulators viz. moringa leaf extract (MLE) and mepiquat chloride (MC), either alone or in combination, distilled water as a control. The application of MLE alone and in combination (MLE + MC) showed the promoting effect on crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, leaf area duration, sympodial branches and number of bolls leading to higher seed cotton yield of both cotton cultivars grown under conventional row spacing. While application of MC averts the plant growth without considerably improving the productivity. MLE being rich source of growth promoting hormone and nutrients showed its potential to a far greater extent under conventional row spacing in efficient utilization of available resources compared to MC and distilled water.

Nilotinib-Induced Diabetes Mellitus in a Young Female with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of the myeloproliferative neoplasms whose incidence peaks in older individuals and is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the myeloid cell line. It can present with symptoms related to leukocytosis or splenomegaly, and it can also be asymptomatic and found incidentally. Nilotinib is a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of the chronic phase of CML and was found to cause diabetes mellitus among other adverse effects. These adverse effects seem to occur after a few months to a few years of drug administration. Type-two diabetes is the most common type of diabetes; its hallmark being insulin resistance with resultant hyperglycemia. Most often, it has no symptoms and is usually found as an incidental finding or on screening. Here we present a 45-year old Chinese female, who was diagnosed with CML chronic phase after an incidental finding of leukocytosis; treated with nilotinib as upfront for CML, and developed diabetes mellitus after about one and a half years of treatment, which was treated with metformin.

Error-Aware Data Clustering for In-Network Data Reduction in Wireless Sensor Networks.

A wireless sensor network (WSN) deploys hundreds or thousands of nodes that may introduce large-scale data over time. Dealing with such an amount of collected data is a real challenge for energy-constraint sensor nodes. Therefore, numerous research works have been carried out to design efficient data clustering techniques in WSNs to eliminate the amount of redundant data before transmitting them to the sink while preserving their fundamental properties. This paper develops a new error-aware data clustering (EDC) technique at the cluster-heads (CHs) for in-network data reduction. The proposed EDC consists of three adaptive modules that allow users to choose the module that suits their requirements and the quality of the data. The histogram-based data clustering (HDC) module groups temporal correlated data into clusters and eliminates correlated data from each cluster. Recursive outlier detection and smoothing (RODS) with HDC module provides error-aware data clustering, which detects random outliers using temporal correlation of data to maintain data reduction errors within a predefined threshold. Verification of RODS (V-RODS) with HDC module detects not only random outliers but also frequent outliers simultaneously based on both the temporal and spatial correlations of the data. The simulation results show that the proposed EDC is computationally cheap, able to reduce a significant amount of redundant data with minimum error, and provides efficient error-aware data clustering solutions for remote monitoring environmental applications.

Resource use efficiency of cotton in improved vs conventional planting geometry with exogenous application of bio-stimulant and synthetic growth retardant

Abstract Plant growth regulators and improved planting density are the innovative techniques in the establishment of more productive cotton crop. A field study was planned to assess the role of growth regulators in the resource utilization efficiency of cotton cultivars under different row spacing at Agronomic Research Area, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan and Usmania Agricultural Farm, Shujaabad during Kharif 2012. The study was comprised of cotton cultivars viz. CIM-573 and CIM-598, cultivated under conventional (75 cm), medium (50 cm) and improved ultra-narrow row spacing (25 cm) and foliar spray of growth regulators viz. moringa leaf extract (MLE) and mepiquat chloride (MC), either alone or in combination, distilled water as a control. The application of MLE alone and in combination (MLE + MC) showed the promoting effect on crop growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area index, leaf area duration, sympodial branches and number of bolls leading to higher seed cotton yield of both cotton cultivars grown under conventional row spacing. While application of MC averts the plant growth without considerably improving the productivity. MLE being rich source of growth promoting hormone and nutrients showed its potential to a far greater extent under conventional row spacing in efficient utilization of available resources compared to MC and distilled water.

Resumo Reguladores de crescimento de plantas e melhor densidade de plantio são técnicas inovadoras no estabelecimento de culturas mais produtivas de algodão. Um estudo de campo foi planejado com o objetivo de avaliar o papel dos reguladores de crescimento na eficiência de uso de recursos de cultivares de algodão sob diferentes espaçamentos na Área de Pesquisa Agronômica, da Universidade Multil de Bahauddin Zakariya, e na Fazenda Agrícola da Usmania, Shujabad, durante o Kharif 2012. O estudo foi composto de cultivares de algodão CIM-573 e CIM-598, cultivados em espaçamento de linhas convencional (75 cm), médio (50 cm) e superestreito (25 cm) e de pulverização foliar de reguladores de crescimento, a saber, extrato de folhas de moringa (MLE) e cloreto de mepiquat (MC), isoladamente ou em combinação, e água destilada como controle. A aplicação de MLE isoladamente e em combinação (MLE + MC) mostrou efeito promotor na taxa de crescimento da cultura, taxa de assimilação líquida, índice de área foliar, duração de área foliar, ramos simpodiais e número de cápsulas levando à maior produção de algodão nas cultivares com espaçamento de linha convencional. Em contrapartida, a aplicação de MC evitou o crescimento da planta sem melhorar consideravelmente a produtividade. O MLE, por ser uma rica fonte de hormônio promotor de crescimento e nutrientes, mostrou seu potencial em uma extensão muito maior sob o espaçamento convencional entre as linhas no uso eficiente dos recursos disponíveis em comparação com o MC e a água destilada.

ID-Viewer: a visual analytics architecture for infectious diseases surveillance and response management in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: Globally, disease surveillance systems are playing a significant role in outbreak detection and response management of Infectious Diseases (IDs). However, in developing countries like Pakistan, epidemic outbreaks are difficult to detect due to scarcity of public health data and absence of automated surveillance systems. Our research is intended to formulate an integrated service-oriented visual analytics architecture for ID surveillance, identify key constituents and set up a baseline for easy reproducibility of such systems in the future. STUDY DESIGN: This research focuses on development of ID-Viewer, which is a visual analytics decision support system for ID surveillance. It is a blend of intelligent approaches to make use of real-time streaming data from Emergency Departments (EDs) for early outbreak detection, health care resource allocation and epidemic response management. METHODS: We have developed a robust service-oriented visual analytics architecture for ID surveillance, which provides automated mechanisms for ID data acquisition, outbreak detection and epidemic response management. Classification of chief-complaints is accomplished using dynamic classification module, which employs neural networks and fuzzy-logic to categorize syndromes. Standard routines by Center for Disease Control (CDC), i.e. c1-c3 (c1-mild, c2-medium and c3-ultra), and spatial scan statistics are employed for detection of temporal and spatio-temporal disease outbreaks respectively. Prediction of imminent disease threats is accomplished using support vector regression for early warnings and response planning. Geographical visual analytics displays are developed that allow interactive visualization of syndromic clusters, monitoring disease spread patterns, and identification of spatio-temporal risk zones. RESULTS: We analysed performance of surveillance framework using ID data for year 2011-2015. Dynamic syndromic classifier is able to classify chief-complaints to appropriate syndromes with high classification accuracy. Outbreak detection methods are able to detect the ID outbreaks in start of epidemic time zones. Prediction model is able to forecast dengue trend for 20 weeks ahead with nominal normalized root mean square error of 0.29. Interactive geo-spatiotemporal displays, i.e. heat-maps, and choropleth are shown in respective sections. CONCLUSION: The proposed framework will set a standard and provide necessary details for future implementation of such a system for resource-constrained regions. It will improve early outbreak detection attributable to natural and man-made biological threats, monitor spatio-temporal epidemic trends and provide assurance that an outbreak has, or has not occurred. Advanced analytics features will be beneficial in timely organization/formulation of health management policies, disease control activities and efficient health care resource allocation.