Modified gastro-soleus turn-down flap for chronic or neglected achilles tendon ruptures.

BACKGROUND: Achilles' tendon chronic rupture is a common entity that is usually misdiagnosed or mistreated. Hence, she was presented to us later or with complications affecting her gait. Surgical resection is needed to either bridge the gap or reinforce the strength of the tendon repair. OBJECTIVES: Our study's goal was to assess the clinical results of repairing chronic Achilles' tendon lesions employing the middle segment of the proximal portion of the tendon (gastro-soleus), as a turn-down flap. METHODS: Our prospective interventional single arm study included 18 patients with chronic Achilles' tendon rupture attending at Al-Azhar university hospitals in Cairo, Egypt from May 2020 to April 2023. Diagnosis of the patients was confirmed by radiographic and clinical investigations. They were all treated with the same open reconstruction procedure using a modified GSF. The average follow-up was 12 months. The results of this study were assessed by the Achilles tendon rupture score (ATRS), American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, and capacity to perform repeated heel raises on the affected side. RESULTS: The mean operative time was 72.77 min. The median (IQR) time of reconstruction was 10 (8-12) after the injury. The median (IQR) length of flab was 4.5 (4.3-5) 9 (Table 2). No intraoperative complications occurred. The typical follow-up period was 12 months (6-18 months). In terms of the ATRS, we found a significant reduction from 82.8 ± 3 preoperatively to 20.8 ± 6.7 at 12 months postoperatively (P value = 0.001). As regards the AOFAS score, it was increased from 49.5 ± 10 preoperatively to 83.8 ± 8.5 12 months postoperatively (P = 0.001). In terms of the post operative complications, there was no re-rupture. Two patients experienced superficial wound infection which improved with daily dressing and antibiotics. Additionally, two patients had slight ankle stiffness four months after the operation, which improved after programmed rehabilitation at the sixth month. CONCLUSION: The modified GSTF is a simple, safe, well-tolerated and effective method of treatment with excellent functional results and greater patient content.

Ceiba pentandra ethyl acetate extract improves doxorubicin antitumor outcomes against chemically induced liver cancer in rat model: a study supported by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS identification of the bioactive phytomolecules.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent cancer worldwide. Late-stage detection, ineffective treatments, and tumor recurrence contribute to the low survival rate of the HCC. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, like doxorubicin (DOX), are associated with severe side effects, limited effectiveness, and tumor resistance. To improve therapeutic outcomes and minimize these drawbacks, combination therapy with natural drugs is being researched. Herein, we assessed the antitumor efficacy of Ceiba pentandra ethyl acetate extract alone and in combination with DOX against diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced HCC in rats. Our in vivo study significantly revealed improvement in the liver-function biochemical markers (ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP), the tumor marker (AFP-L3), and the histopathological features of the treated groups. A UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis of the Ceiba pentandra ethyl acetate extract enabled the identification of fifty phytomolecules. Among these are the dietary flavonoids known to have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant qualities: protocatechuic acid, procyanidin B2, epicatechin, rutin, quercitrin, quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, and apigenin. Our findings highlight C. pentandra as an affordable source of phytochemicals with possible chemosensitizing effects, which could be an intriguing candidate for the development of liver cancer therapy, particularly in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Molecular Diversity Assessment of Egyptian Bottle Gourd Cultivars.

The genetic variability and relationships between ten bottle gourd cultivars were evaluated based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. The results displayed high variability among selected cultivars in terms of photosynthetic pigments, total free amino acids, total phenol content, isozymes pattern, and protein electrophoresis. Furthermore, differences in molecular markers were revealed by the SCoT technique. The peroxidase (POD) and polyphenyl oxidase (PPO) isozymes patterns did not detect significant differences in bands among cultivars. The protein patterns revealed seventeen bands ranging from 126 to 9 kDa and five polymorphic bands representing 29.41%. On the other hand, eight SCoT primers were used to evaluate the genetic variability and relationships between the ten Egyptian bottle gourd cultivars. The results of SCoT analysis detected 44 amplicons with 50% polymorphism. In addition, the results of the phylogenetic tree that is constructed based on the similarity coefficient revealed by SCoT analysis confirm the results of biochemical analysis indicating a genetic relationship between the most efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S1 and S2 cultivars). In addition, there is a genetic relationship among the less efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S4 and S5 cultivars). These results could be beneficial to distinguish among bottle gourd cultivars in the plant breeding programs.

Genetic Components Derived Parameters and Heterosis in Okra under Saudi Arabia Conditions.

Four parental genotypes of okra were crossed in complete diallel design to study the direction and extent of relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis for yield and its associated traits for utilization of existing genetic diversity to develop heterotic F1 hybrids in okra. The additive genetic component (D) was significant in all studied traits except average pod weight. Nonadditive (H1 and H2) components were found to be significant in all studied traits. However, the values of the dominant effect (H1) were smaller than the D components for no. of nodes/plant, no. of pods/plant, weight of medium pods, weight of large pods, and total fresh pod yield. The maximum significant MP heterosis in the desirable direction (149.9%) was recorded for the weight of large pods/plot. The maximum significant heterobeltiosis in the desirable direction (120.1%) was recorded for the weight of small pods/plot followed by total fresh pod yield (107.4%), the weight of large pods/plot (104.9%), weight of medium pods/plot (92.1%), average pod weight (51.8%), number of pods/plant (38.4%), and plant height (34.3%). It could be concluded that plant height, average pod weight, and the number of branches could be considered for the development of elite hybrids (heterosis breeding) or inbred lines (pure line selection) in succeeding generations. Therefore, these parameters can be considered for selecting genotypes to improve the pod yield of okra. The superior crosses identified through heterosis analysis were Egyptian Balady × Line 4.1.18 (30.8 ton/ha), Line 4.1.18 × Egyptian Balady (29.8 ton/ha), Dwarf Green Long Pod × Line 4.1.18 (28.3 ton/ha), and Egyptian Balady × Dwarf Green Long Pod (27.6 ton/ha) as these crosses had high performance as well as significant and higher estimates of heterobeltiosis for fruit yield per plant and yield attributing other characters.

Exploring the China-Pakistan economic corridor project performance during Covid-19 pandemic.

The outburst of the coronavirus into the global arena, first as a respiratory disease and later as a worldwide pandemic and health emergency, pushed the world economic order into complete turmoil and aftermath, posing severe challenges to the financial stability of developing countries like Pakistan. The temporary suspension of economic activities worldwide has resulted in significant disruptions to international supply chains, leading to substantial delays in implementing infrastructure projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The pandemic has further hindered CPEC progress. Building mega-projects, such as the CPEC, is crucial in determining the economic stability of a nation such as Pakistan. Nevertheless, it is essential to consider that the implementation of infrastructure projects can be subject to delays due to the COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions. However, it is worth noting that there needs to be more scholarly research available examining the ongoing progress and performance of CPEC projects from a particular perspective. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown policy and travel restrictions on CPEC project performances by highlighting the role of socioeconomic and infrastructure development factors. The study will shed light on numerous causes of concerns in project development phases and provide policy recommendations to help CPEC officials reduce project losses and better survival in the event of extreme uncertainty. The data were collected through an online survey from all over Pakistan using self-administered questionnaires with 570 responses from CPEC employees, officials, and professors from management and economic departments. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique analyzes the problem mentioned above. As per the results of this study, it is evident that the COVID-19 lockdown policy and travel restrictions have a detrimental effect on the construction of the CPEC project. Moreover, it has been observed that the socioeconomic and infrastructure development associated with the CPEC has a notable impact on the performance of the CPEC projects. This paper aims to provide valuable insights to policymakers by examining the management of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the CPEC.

An adaptive optimized handover decision model for heterogeneous networks.

A heterogeneous network (HetNet), combining different technologies, is considered a promising solution adopted by several upcoming generations of mobile networks to keep up with the rapid development of mobile users' requirements while improving network performance. In this scenario, a vertical handover (VHO) algorithm is responsible for ensuring the continuity of the ongoing user connection while moving within the coverage of the HetNet. Although various VHO algorithms were proposed, achieving efficient performance from both network and user perspectives remains challenging. This paper proposes an adaptive optimized vertical handover algorithm based on a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) algorithm integrated with particle swarm optimization and gravitational search algorithm (PSOGSA) as a framework to implement the handover process. The algorithm includes three main ideas. Firstly, a network selection framework is proposed considering the most important criteria, including signal strength and other networks' attributes, along with users' characteristics regarding their mobility and service preferences. Secondly, two new parameters are introduced as control handover parameters named load factor (LF) and score priority (SP) to reduce unnecessary handovers and the overall HetNet power consumption while achieving balanced load distribution. Lastly, the desired aims are formulated as an objective function, then the PSOGSA algorithm is used to reach the optimal values of both LF and SP, which will be considered when executing the handover algorithm. The presented algorithm is simulated in a heterogeneous wireless network where the fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology coexists with other radio access networks to improve the evaluation field of the proposed algorithm. Also, the proposed algorithm's performance is evaluated in the case of using various MADM algorithms. The simulation results show that the proposed adaptive optimized approach attains efficient performance by decreasing unnecessary handovers by more than 40% and achieving much better load distribution by around 20% to 40%, outperforming traditional handover approaches.

Cell Death Markers in Children with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Preliminary Study.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease with possible dysregulation of the apoptotic pathways. We aimed to evaluate the possible role of some apoptotic markers (caspase 3, caspase 8 and BCL2) in the pathogenesis and course of ITP. We investigated some apoptotic markers (caspase 3, caspase 8 and BCL2) using the flow cytometry in 60 children with newly diagnosed ITP, 20 children with chemotherapy-related thrombocytopenia (CRT) and 20 healthy children. We also assessed the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and methyl prednisolone therapies on the platelet apoptosis in children with newly diagnosed ITP. We demonstrated significantly higher values of caspase 3 in the newly diagnosed ITP group than control and CRT groups, and non-significantly higher values of caspase 8 in the ITP group than the healthy group. After IVIG treatment, the platelet count increased in all patients, and there was a significant decrease in caspase 3 and caspase 8 levels while BCL2 level increased. Regarding methylprednisolone treatment, there was a significant decrease in BCL2 and caspase 8 levels while caspase 3 levels did not significantly decrease. There is a possible role of the caspase dependent cell death pathway of the platelets in the occurrence of newly diagnosed ITP. There is heterogeneity in the apoptotic changes of newly diagnosed ITP children who received IVIG versus those who received methylprednisolone.

Response of Diverse Peanut Cultivars to Nano and Conventional Calcium Forms under Alkaline Sandy Soil.

Calcium is one of the most limiting factors for the growth and reproduction of peanut, which ultimately affects pod and seed yields. A two-year field experiment was carried out to assess the impact of five calcium applications, including nano-calcium and conventional forms, on growth, leaf nutrient content, yield traits, and quality parameters of three diverse peanut cultivars (Ismailia-1, Giza-5, and Giza-6). The applied calcium applications were calcium sulfate, which is recommended for commercial peanut cultivation and commonly referred to as gypsum (coded as Ca-1), calcium nitrate (Ca-2), nano-calcium nitrate (Ca-3), 50% calcium nitrate + 50% nano-calcium (Ca-4), and 50% calcium sulfate + 50% nano-calcium (Ca-5). Calcium sulfate (gypsum, Ca-1) was soil-supplied during the seedbed preparation as recommended, while the other calcium applications (Ca-2, Ca-3, Ca-4, and Ca-5) were exogenously sprayed three times at 30, 45, and 60 days after sowing. The soil of the experimental site was alkaline, with a high pH of 8.6. The results revealed significant differences among cultivars, calcium applications, and their interactions. The soil-supplied gypsum Ca-1 displayed lower agronomic performance on all recorded growth, leaf nutrient content, yield traits, and quality parameters. On the other hand, the foliar-supplied calcium, particularly Ca-4 and Ca-5, displayed superior effects compared to the other simple calcium forms. Ca-4 and Ca-5 produced significantly higher seed yield (3.58 and 3.38 t/ha) than the simple recommended form (Ca-1, 2.34 t/ha). This could be due to the difficulty of calcium uptake from soil-supplied calcium under high soil pH compared to the exogenously sprayed nano-calcium form. Moreover, the superior performance of Ca-4 and Ca-5 could be caused by the mixture of fertilizers from the synergistic effect of calcium and nitrate or sulfate. Furthermore, the effect of nitrate was applied in nano form in the Ca4 and Ca-5 treatments, which contributed to improving nutrient uptake efficiency and plant growth compared to the other treatments. The peanut cultivar Giza-6 showed superiority for most measured traits over the other two cultivars. The interaction effect between the assessed cultivars and calcium applications was significant for various traits. The cultivar Giza-6 showed a significant advantage for most measured traits with the mixture of 50% calcium nitrate + 50% nano-calcium (Ca-4). Conclusively, the results pointed out the advantage of the exogenously sprayed nano-calcium form combined with calcium nitrate or calcium sulfate for promoting growth, leaf nutrient content, yield, and quality traits of peanut, particularly with high-yielding cultivars under sandy soil with high pH.

Effects of Different Doses of Multienzyme Supplementation on Growth Performance, Duodenal pH and Morphology, and Carcass Traits in Broilers Fed Diets with an Increasing Reduction in Energy.

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing different doses of a multienzyme (KZP) consisting of carbohydrases and a protease on growth performance, duodenal pH and morphology, and carcass traits in broilers fed diets with increasing reductions in energy. One thousand two hundred one-day-old broiler chicks were allocated to five dietary treatments with eight replicates of 30 birds each: a positive control diet formulated to meet Arbor Acres' nutritional requirements (PC); a negative control diet reformulated to 80 kcal/kg less than the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of the PC (NC1); a negative control diet reformulated to 120 kcal/kg less than the AME of the PC (NC2); an NC1 diet supplemented with 300 g/t of KZP (NC1 + KZP300); and an NC2 supplemented with 500 g/t of KZP (NC2 + KZP500). Growth performance was measured throughout the study. At 35 days, 10 birds per treatment were randomly selected and euthanized for a carcass trait evaluation, and samples of the duodenum were collected for morphological examination and pH level determination. The final average body weight and feed conversion ratio were better (p < 0.05) for the broilers in the NC1 + KZP300 group compared to those in NC1, NC2 and NC2 + KZP500 groups and were similar to those of the PC birds (p > 0.05). Birds from the NC1 + KZP500 group showed a better (p < 0.05) final body weight and feed efficiency compared to the NC1 and NC2 groups. The villus height was greater (p < 0.05) for the PC and NC1 + KZP300 groups compared to the rest of the treatments. The crypt depth was longer (p < 0.05) for the NC1 and NC2 groups compared to the NC1 + KZP300 group. The supplementation of KZP to both the NC1 and NC2 diets reduced (p < 0.05) the abdominal fat %. This study demonstrates that supplementing energy-reduced diets with KZP improved performance in broiler chickens.

Hemodynamic Effects of Oxytocin and Carbetocin During Elective Cesarean Section in Preeclamptic Patients Under Spinal Anesthesia: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Study.

Background: Oxytocin and carbetocin are uterotonic medications that are used to decrease postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). However, there are not enough clinical data about the hemodynamic side effects of carbetocin. Objectives: This study aimed to compare carbetocin and oxytocin hemodynamic effects in preeclamptic patients undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, intravenous oxytocin or carbetocin was administered to 80 women (40 per group). The hemodynamic effects, such as blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and oxygen (O2) saturation, were measured before the operation and after 1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes of the administration of both drugs. Intragroup and intergroup comparisons were conducted during statistical analysis. Results: Based on the intragroup comparison, there was a significant increase in HR and a reduction in BP from baseline to all intervals after the administration of both interventions. Moreover, based on the intergroup comparison, there was a significantly more increase in HR and a decline in BP and O2 saturation in the oxytocin group than in the carbetocin group. There were three and seven cases that required another dose of carbetocin and oxytocin, respectively. Moreover, one case developed PPH in the carbetocin group; nevertheless, two cases developed PPH in the oxytocin group. Conclusions: The minimal effect of carbetocin on patients' hemodynamics suggests extending the use of this drug instead of oxytocin as a uterotonic drug in patients with preeclampsia, hemorrhagic risk factors, and/or hypertension.

Prognostic Significance Of FOXP3+ Tumour-Infiltrating Tregs In Egyptian Breast Cancer Patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic importance of tumour-infiltrating forkhead box P3 protein + regulatory T cells in breast cancer patients. Method: The case-control study was conducted from January 2020 to March 2021 at the Kafrelsheikh University Hospital, Egypt, and comprised individuals with newly-diagnosed breast cancer who underwent conventionalsurgery, and controls who had a fibrocystic change of the breast. The density of tumour-infiltrating forkhead box P3 protein + regulatory T cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Overall survival and disease free-survival were assessed. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients having mean age 44.9±9.1 years, 76(76%) had moderate/strong forkhead box P3 protein expression in tumour-infiltrating regulatory T cells, and 24(24%) with no/low expression. On follow-up, Patients with moderate/strong expression had a significantly greater rate of recurrence (p<0.05). Disease-free survival was substantially shorter in patients with moderate/strong expression compared to those with little or low expression (p=0.035). Compared to individuals with no/low expression, patients with moderate/strong expression had a greater rate of mortality, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High density of forkhead box P3 protein + regulatory T cellsin Egyptian women with breast cancer may serve as a prognostic indicator.

Outcomes of two different treatment modalities in mild to moderate keratoconus.

PURPOSE: To describe visual and refractive outcomes of intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) and toric implantable collamer lenses (TICL) implantation in cases of mild and moderate keratoconus. METHODS: A prospective descriptive interventional case series. 40 eyes were allocated into two groups. First group (20 eyes) was treated with corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) 1 month after ICRS implantation and the second group was treated using TICL after 1 year of CXL. RESULTS: Both groups showed statistically significant improvement in spherical equivalent, cylindrical refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) over the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Both ICRS and TICL are effective in treatment of mid and moderate keratoconus with more predictable visual results with TICL.

Short-term climate change influence on surface water quality impacts from agricultural activities.

Climate change is a global phenomenon that directly affects agriculture by altering crop yield, nutritional quality, pests, and plant diseases. The North Aegean Basin located in Turkey has considerable agricultural importance due to its fertile soils. Agricultural activities have increased significantly and uncontrollably in the last decade, resulting in dramatic changes in nitrate and phosphorus levels in surface water within the watershed. Changes in climatic conditions have the potential to impact the quantity and quality of water resources. Best management practices (BMPs) are presently utilized as a planning tool to enhance the quality of water resources. To develop policies in this regard, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of BMPs. To this end, this study aims to investigate the potential effect of climate change on the surface water quality of the North Aegean Basin. For the period between 2010 and 2030, global climate data retrieved from Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5 and regionally downscaled were used to feed the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The various potential BMP scenarios were developed and simulated in the hydrological model by considering the effects of climate change. The RCP4.5 scenario reduced the precipitation by 15.11%, while the RCP8.5 scenario reduced the precipitation by 10.97%. Decreased precipitation also affected the runoff and the nutrient loads and concentrations. As a result of the RCP4.5 simulation, TP and TN concentrations increased by 24.42% and 58.45%, respectively, in the IST_KEN014 station. Improvements were observed in TN and TP concentrations with the effect of applied BMP simulations. Also, the results revealed that the applied BMP scenarios may contribute to considerable reductions in nutrient loads. Considering the RCP4.5 scenario, BMPs reduced TN loads in the basin by 2.42-10.97%, while reducing TP loads by around 3.60-16.81%. Considering the RCP8.5 scenario, the BMPs reduced the TN loads in the basin between 2.21 and 10.04%, while they reduced the TP loads between 3.57 and 16.67%.

Mobility of LoRaWAN Gateways for Efficient Environmental Monitoring in Pristine Sites.

Environmental monitoring of delicate ecosystems or pristine sites is critical to their preservation. The communication infrastructure for such monitoring should have as little impact on the natural ecosystem as possible. Because of their wide range capabilities and independence from heavy infrastructure, low-power wide area network protocols have recently been used in remote monitoring. In this regard, we propose a mobile vehicle-mounted gateway architecture for IoT data collection in communication-network-free areas. The limits of reliable communication are investigated in terms of gateway speed, throughput, and energy consumption. We investigate the performance of various gateway arrival scenarios, focusing on the trade-off between freshness of data, data collection rate, and end-node power consumption. Then we validate our findings using both real-world experiments and simulations. In addition, we present a case study exploiting the proposed architecture to provide coverage for Wadi El-Gemal national park in Egypt. The results show that reliable communication is achieved over all spreading factors (SFs) for gateway speeds up to 150 km/h with negligible performance degradation at SFs=11,12 at speeds more than 100 km/h. The synchronized transmission model ensures the best performance in terms of throughput and power consumption at the expense of the freshness of data. Nonsynchronized transmission allows time-flexible data collection at the expense of increased power consumption. The same throughput as semisynchronized transmission is achieved using four gateways at only five times the energy consumption, while a single gateway requires seventeen times the amount of energy. Furthermore, increasing the number of gateways to ten increases the throughput to the level achieved by the synchronized scenario while consuming eight times the energy.

Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation study of abyssomicins as potential inhibitors of COVID-19 virus main protease and spike protein.

The lack of any effective cure for the infectious COVID-19 disease has created a sense of urgency and motivated the search for effective antiviral drugs. Abyssomicins are actinomyces-derived spirotetronates polyketides antibiotics known for their promising antibacterial, antitumor, and antiviral activities. In this study, computational approaches were used to investigate the binding mechanism and the inhibitory ability of 38 abyssomicins against the main protease (Mpro) and the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The results identified abyssomicins C, J, W, atrop-O-benzyl abyssomicin C, and atrop-O-benzyl desmethyl abyssomicin C as the most potential inhibitors of Mpro and RBD with binding energy ranges between -8.1 and -9.9 kcal mol-1; and between -6.9 and -8.2 kcal mol-1, respectively. Further analyses of physicochemical properties and drug-likeness suggested that all selected active abyssomicins, with the exception of abyssomicin J, obeyed Lipinski's rule of five. The stability of protein-ligand complexes was confirmed by performing molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns and evaluating parameters such as such as root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent accessible surface area (SASA), total number of contacts, and secondary structure. Prime/MM-GBSA (Molecular Mechanics-General Born Surface Area) and principal component analysis (PCA) analyses also confirmed the stable nature of protein-ligand complexes. Overall, the results showed that the studied abyssomicins have significant interactions with the selected protein targets; therefore, they were deemed viable candidates for further in vitro and in vivo evaluation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

OCTUNE: Optimal Control Tuning Using Real-Time Data with Algorithm and Experimental Results.

Autonomous robots require control tuning to optimize their performance, such as optimal trajectory tracking. Controllers, such as the Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, which are commonly used in robots, are usually tuned by a cumbersome manual process or offline data-driven methods. Both approaches must be repeated if the system configuration changes or becomes exposed to new environmental conditions. In this work, we propose a novel algorithm that can perform online optimal control tuning (OCTUNE) of a discrete linear time-invariant (LTI) controller in a classical feedback system without the knowledge of the plant dynamics. The OCTUNE algorithm uses the backpropagation optimization technique to optimize the controller parameters. Furthermore, convergence guarantees are derived using the Lyapunov stability theory to ensure stable iterative tuning using real-time data. We validate the algorithm in realistic simulations of a quadcopter model with PID controllers using the known Gazebo simulator and a real quadcopter platform. Simulations and actual experiment results show that OCTUNE can be effectively used to automatically tune the UAV PID controllers in real-time, with guaranteed convergence. Finally, we provide an open-source implementation of the OCTUNE algorithm, which can be adapted for different applications.

Climate change, human health, and the exposome: Utilizing OMIC technologies to navigate an era of uncertainty.

Climate change is an anthropogenic phenomenon that is alarming scientists and non-scientists alike. The emission of greenhouse gases is causing the temperature of the earth to rise and this increase is accompanied by a multitude of climate change-induced environmental exposures with potential health impacts. Tracking human exposure has been a major research interest of scientists worldwide. This has led to the development of exposome studies that examine internal and external individual exposures over their lifetime and correlate them to health. The monitoring of health has also benefited from significant technological advances in the field of "omics" technologies that analyze physiological changes on the nucleic acid, protein, and metabolism levels, among others. In this review, we discuss various climate change-induced environmental exposures and their potential health implications. We also highlight the potential integration of the technological advancements in the fields of exposome tracking, climate monitoring, and omics technologies shedding light on important questions that need to be answered.

Comparative effect of transforaminal injection of Magnesium sulphate versus Ozone on oxidative stress biomarkers in lumbar disc related radicular pain.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of transforaminal injection of Magnesium sulphate versus Ozone on pain intensity, functional disability and the oxidative stress biomarkers; superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione (GSH) in patients with lumbar disc prolapse. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 135 patients having symptomatic lumbar disc prolapse, received either transforaminal injection of Magnesium sulphate with steroids, Ozone with steroids, or steroids alone. Assessment of pain severity and functional disability were done before intervention, 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after intervention. Serum SOD and GSH were measured for all included patients before and 2 weeks after intervention. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in pain intensity and functional disability 2 weeks after intervention in the three groups, but at 1-month and 3-months after intervention, the significant improvement was in Mg sulphate and Ozone groups only. At 6-months follow up, Mg sulphate group only showed a significant improvement. There was a statistically significant increase in SOD and GSH serum levels, 2-weeks after intervention in both Magnesium sulphate (P-value = 0.002, 0.005 respectively) and ozone groups (P-value < 0.001, < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant change in SOD and GSH serum levels in control group. CONCLUSION: Transforaminal injection of Mg sulphate in patients with lumbar disc prolapse causes significant long-term improvement (up to 6 months) in pain intensity and functional disability. The serum levels of SOD and GSH were significantly increased at 2 weeks following both transforaminal injection of Mg sulphate and ozone.

Congenital heart disease in a patient with COVID-19 infection during early pregnancy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Since the end of 2019, the world has been afflicted by a coronavirus pandemic caused by coronavirus 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome) (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 causes a wide range of signs and symptoms with varying consequences. The impact of the COVID-19 infection on pregnant women and their fetuses is still under investigation. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of a 34-years-old non-vaccinated pregnant woman who had a COVID-19 infection in the first month of her pregnancy and went into premature labor at 34 weeks was reported. Congenital heart disease and hydrops were present in the fetus. The infant girl was cyanotic after delivery, experienced bradycardia, and was in poor overall condition; she was admitted to the NICU and died 5 days later. CONCLUSIONS: Some theories suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may be transmitted vertically from mother to fetus. Congenital abnormalities can be caused by a variety of viruses. Although, congenital heart diseases can occur due to different causes, we suggest that COVID-19 may play a role in the development of congenital heart defects.

Experimental Techniques to Obtain the Cross-Sectional Images of Textile Yarns.

In the fabric industry, textile yarns are the fundamental building blocks. Hence, visualizing and studying yarn structure is essential to understand the structure and behavior of the fibers. Obtaining the yarn's cross-section images is crucial in the calculations of yarn's porosity; furthermore, a more precise expansion for the fiber's migration can be concluded from the cross-sectional images. In this paper, three different methods (microtome, micro-computed tomography, and epoxy grinding-polishing methods) to image and visualize the yarn's cross-section are presented. The experimental techniques are compared in terms of result useability, time of preparation, and overall outcome of the cross-sectional image. The images can be used for fiber distribution, air gap calculation, and twist analysis as well. The fiber diameter distribution of polyester yarn was measured based on the images obtained by the three different methods; the average fiber diameter measured based on the combined data from the three different methods was found to be 10.90 ± 0.30 µm.