The Association Between Perceived Discrimination, Age and Proportion of Lifetime in the United States Among Somali Immigrants: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Discrimination is detrimental to health. Little is known about perceived discrimination among Somali immigrants. We examined whether age or proportion of lifetime in the United States was associated with perceived discrimination among Somali immigrants. Guided by Intersectionality, we described a secondary analysis of Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) survey data from the Healthy Immigrant Community study. Younger participants ( ≤40 years) experienced more discrimination than older participants ( >40 years). Higher education, being male, and earning $20,000-$39,999 was associated with more perceived discrimination. These findings suggest that Somali immigrants who are younger, more formally educated, male, and/or earn $20,000-$39,000 report more discrimination than their counterparts. Possible explanations include exposure to discrimination outside the Somali community or more awareness about racism. Alternatively, the EDS may not capture the discrimination experienced by Somali women or older adults. Further research is needed to address the discrimination experienced by Somali immigrants. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05136339, November 29,2021.

Cardiac Muscle Injury and Echocardiographic Plus Electrocardiographic Findings in Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Myocardial injury has been described in coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). Few studies have reported cardiovascular imaging data with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and electrocardiography (ECG) findings in COVID-19 patients, and their correlation with mortality. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included COVID-19 patients from March 2020 through February 2021 who had TTE and ECG during hospital admission. Myocardial injury was defined by an elevated high-sensitivity troponin T level > 20 ng/L. Bivariate analysis was used to compare patients with myocardial injury and those without. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the variables associated with mortality. Results: A total of 438 patients were included. The mean age was 62.1 ± 14.9 years, and 58.9% were male. A total of 149 patients died, with a mortality rate of 34%. A total of 260 patients (59.4%) had myocardial injury. The average left ventricular ejection fraction was 59.8% ± 11.2%, with 30 patients (6.8%) having an ejection fraction of < 40%. Patients with myocardial injury had higher mortality than those without (P < 0.05, χ2 test). A multiple regression analysis model indicated that age, race and/or ethnicity, the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, the need for vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, and hemodialysis were the variables significantly associated with mortality. Conclusion: COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury had higher mortality than those without. Age, race and/or ethnicity, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, the need for vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, and hemodialysis were the clinical variables associated with mortality. The TEE and ECG variables studied were not significantly associated with mortality.

Contexte: Des atteintes myocardiques ont été décrites en présence d'une infection par le coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Quelques études ont rapporté des données d'imagerie cardiovasculaire obtenues par échocardiographie transthoracique (ETT) et électrocardiographie (ECG) chez des patients atteints de la COVID-19, et leur corrélation avec la mortalité. Méthodologie: Nous avons mené une étude de cohorte rétrospective comprenant des patients atteints de la COVID-19 entre mars 2020 et février 2021 qui ont été soumis à une ETT ou à une ECG pendant leur hospitalisation. L'atteinte myocardique était définie comme un taux élevé de troponine T de haute sensibilité > 20 ng/L. Une analyse à deux variables a été utilisée pour comparer les patients présentant une atteinte myocardique et ceux qui n'en présentaient pas. Une analyse de régression logistique à multiples variables a été menée pour définir les variables qui étaient associées à la mortalité. Résultats: L'étude comptait un total de 438 patients. L'âge moyen était de 62,1 ± 14,9 ans; 58,9 % étaient des hommes. Un total de 149 patients sont décédés, soit un taux de mortalité de 34 %. Un total de 260 patients (59,4 %) présentaient une atteinte myocardique. La fraction d'éjection ventriculaire gauche moyenne était de 59,8 % ± 11,2 %, alors que 30 patients (6,8 %) affichaient une fraction d'éjection inférieure à 40 %. Le taux de mortalité était plus élevé chez les patients qui présentaient une atteinte myocardique que chez ceux qui n'en présentaient pas (p < 0,05, test χ2). Selon un modèle d'analyse de régression multiple, l'âge, la race et/ou l'ethnicité, l'apparition du syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë, l'état de choc, le besoin de vasopresseurs, la ventilation artificielle et l'hémodialyse étaient les variables fortement liées à la mortalité. Conclusion: Parmi les patients atteints de la COVID-19, la mortalité était plus élevée chez ceux qui présentaient une atteinte myocardique que chez ceux qui n'en présentaient pas. L'âge, la race et/ou l'ethnicité, le syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë, l'état de choc, le besoin de vasopresseurs, la ventilation artificielle et l'hémodialyse étaient les variables cliniques liées à la mortalité. Les variables d'ETT et d'ECG étudiées n'avaient pas de lien important avec la mortalité.

Barriers to Mental Illness Treatment in Saudi Arabia: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Mental illness is a disorder that can cause impairment and disability, affecting mood, thinking, and behavior; therefore, early intervention will reduce morbidity. This study aims to evaluate all the personal, family, societal, and medical barriers that prevent mental health patients from seeking consultation and treatment. METHODS: In Saudi Arabia, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 463 individuals aged 18 and above. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a validated questionnaire, which consisted of two parts. The first part included sociodemographic data, while the second part contained subsections of society/family, personal, and medical barriers. RESULTS: The results showed that 379 (81.9%) indicated that society and family barriers impacted them, whereas 325 (70.3%) believed that personal barriers hindered seeking help. However, 294 (63.5%) opted for medical barriers as a hindrance. Regarding the highest barriers, 120 of the total respondents (25.9%) saw psychiatric illness as a source of shame and stigma, 166 respondents (35.9%) said that the psychiatric patient is seen as crazy, 159 of them (34.3%) believed it is tough for anyone to talk about their feelings and emotions and 183 respondent (39.5%) feared that psychiatric illness would decrease the chance of marriage to the appropriate person. Our findings also indicated a low trust in hospital treatment, hence a loss of confidence in using medications. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that societal stigma is the most common barrier preventing people from seeking mental health consultation. Many barriers differ significantly between males and females.

Emergence of carbapenem resistant gram-negative pathogens with high rate of colistin resistance in Egypt: A cross sectional study to assess resistance trends during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current study investigated the temporal phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends among multi-drug resistant and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from Egyptian clinical settings between 2020 and 2021. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial sensitivity of 111 clinical isolates against a panel of antibiotics were performed. Molecular screening for antibiotic resistance determinants along with integrons and associated gene cassettes was implemented. An alarming rate (98.2%) of these isolates were found to be phenotypically resistant to carbapenem. Although 23.9 % K. pneumoniae isolates were phenotypically resistant to colistin, no mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes were detected. Among carbapenem-resistant isolates, blaNDM and blaOXA-48-like were the most prevalent genetic determinants and were significantly overrepresented among K. pneumoniae. Furthermore, 84.78% of K. pneumoniae isolates co-produced these two carbapenemase genes. The plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes (qnrS and qnrB) were detected among the bacterial species and were significantly more prevalent among K. pneumoniae. Moreover, Class 1 integron was detected in 82% of the bacterial isolates. This study alarmingly reveals elevated resistance to last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems as well as colistin which impose a considerable burden in the health care settings in Egypt. Our future work will implement high throughput sequencing-based antimicrobial resistance surveillance analysis for characterization of novel AMR determinants. This information could be applied as a step forward to establish a robust antibiotic stewardship program in Egyptian clinical settings, thereby addressing the rising challenges of AMR.

Evaluation of the remineralizing effect of the chicken eggshell paste after removal of the fixed orthodontic appliance: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Demineralization of the enamel surface, which appears as white spot lesions during and after removal of the fixed orthodontic appliance, is the most common disadvantage of the orthodontic treatment course. Using the remineralizing agents during and after orthodontic treatment helps to avoid those enamel defects. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to assess the remineralizing effect of the chicken eggshell powder on the demineralized enamel surfaces after debonding the orthodontic bracket system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was performed on 80 prepared premolar crowns embedded into acrylic molds. The samples were prepared to receive routine steps of the bonding process for the bracket system. The paste of the chicken eggshell powder was added to the samples after the debonding process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) were used to evaluate the remineralization effect of the chicken eggshell powder. Also, the Vickers microhardness tester was used to assess the enamel surface microhardness. RESULTS: It was found that the mean value of the Ca/P ratio for the samples before bonding of the orthodontic bracket system was (4.17 ± 2.2). This value significantly decreased to (2 ± 1.3) after debonding of the orthodontic bracket system and then showed a significant increase to (4.79 ± 2.65) after remineralization. These results were assured by the values of the Vickers microhardness tester. CONCLUSION: The chicken eggshell powder has an excellent remineralization effect for the demineralized enamel surface after debonding the orthodontic enamel surface.

Recent Advances on Metal Oxide Based Sensors for Environmental Gas Pollutants Detection.

Optimizing materials and associated structures for detecting various environmental gas pollutant concentrations has been a major challenge in environmental sensing technology. Semiconducting metal oxides (SMOs) fabricated at the nanoscale are a class of sensor technology in which metallic species are functionalized with various dopants to modify their chemiresistivity and crystalline scaffolding properties. Studies focused on recent advances of gas sensors utilizing metal oxide nanostructures with a special emphasis on the structure-surface property relationships of some typical n-type and p-type SMOs for efficient gas detection are presented. Strategies to enhance the gas sensor performances are also discussed. These oxide material sensors have several advantages such as ease of handling, portability, and doped-based SMO sensing detection ability of environmental gas pollutants at low temperatures. SMO sensors have displayed excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and robustness. In addition, the hybrid SMO sensors showed exceptional selectivity to some CWAs when irradiated with visible light while also displaying high reversibility and humidity independence. Results showed that TiO2 surfaces can sense 50 ppm SO2 in the presence of UV light and under operating temperatures of 298-473 K. Hybrid SMO displayed excellent gas sensing response. For example, a CuO-ZnO nanoparticle network of a 4:1 vol.% CuO/ZnO ratio exhibited responses three times greater than pure CuO sensors and six times greater than pure ZnO sensors toward H2S. This review provides a critical discussion of modified gas pollutant sensing capabilities of metal oxide nanoparticles under ambient conditions, focusing on reported results during the past two decades on gas pollutants sensing.

Clinical Evaluation of Single Versus Repeated Micro-Osteoperforations During Orthodontic Canine Retraction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: In the majority of orthodontic premolar extraction cases, the canine retraction phase is the most laborious procedure. This randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the effect of single versus repeated micro-osteoperforations (MOPs) during orthodontic canine retraction. METHODS: In this split-mouth study, two equal groups of 18 patients who required maxillary first premolar extractions and fixed orthodontic therapy were randomly assigned (n=9). In Group I, MOPs were only performed once on one site before retraction, whereas in Group II, MOPs were performed on one site repeatedly once a month for four months. In both groups, the contralateral control sites received no MOPs. The canines were retracted using mini-screws and closed-coil nickel-titanium springs. Using the patients' 3D models, the primary outcome measure at four months was the amount of orthodontic canine distal movement. The amount of anchorage loss (AL), degree of molar rotation (MR) and canine rotation (CR), and degree of canine tipping (CT) were measured as the secondary outcomes. The comparison of mean changes in the primary and secondary outcomes between the groups was done using the independent sample t-test (p<0.05). RESULTS: The rate of canine retraction, degree of CT, and rotation were not significantly different between the two groups (p>0.05). Additionally, there were no statistically significant variations in the maxillary first MR and the degree of AL (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When maxillary canine retraction was performed with a single and repeated regimen of MOPs, comparable levels of distal CR and tipping were observed, along with an identical minimal degree of MR and AL.

One Health in Somalia: Present status, opportunities, and challenges.

One Health (OH) is an integrated approach aiming at improving the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the interconnectedness of human health with the health of animals, plants, and the environment. Since Somali people's livelihoods are mainly based on livestock, agriculture, marine resources, and their shared environment, OH-oriented initiatives could significantly impact the country toward reducing complex problems affecting the health of humans, animals, and the environment. The term "One Health" was first introduced into the global scientific community in September 2004 and in 2013 in Somalia. After ten years, there is still a long road ahead for implementing the OH approach in the country. Herein, we present the status, opportunities, and challenges of OH in Somalia and recommend ways to promote and institutionalize it. The country has been involved in various OH initiatives solely driven by external funding, focusing on research, capacity development, and community interventions, apart from university-led initiatives such as Somali One Health Centre. In Somalia, OH initiatives face numerous challenges, ranging from limited infrastructure and resources to weak governance and institutional capacity. We urge the Somali government to address these challenges and prioritize OH as the main approach to tackling critical health issues. We suggest the Somali government institutionalize and implement OH actions at all administrative levels, including Federal, State, District, and community, through a mechanism to improve multisectoral coordination and collaboration to predict, prevent, detect, control, and respond to communicable and non-communicable diseases at the human-animal-ecosystem interface for improving health outcomes for all.

Applicability of Titanium-Based Catalysts in the Photocatalytic Degradation of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran.

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are persistent toxic compounds that are ubiquitous in the environment. Nanocomposites of titanium(IV) oxide-vanadium(III) oxide (Ti3V2O7) and titanium(IV) oxide-silicon dioxide (Ti2Si7O30) were prepared and spectroscopically analyzed as potential decontaminants for dioxin-like materials. The analysis confirmed a homogeneous morphology with nanoscale particle size. The Ti-Si sample was found to have a high surface area compared to the Ti-V composite. Vanadium(III) oxide (V2O5) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) were chosen as materials for the formation of heterogeneous compounds with titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) because they possess a suitable band alignment with TiO2, thus forming effective photocatalysts. This study evaluated the photodegradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-furan (TCDF) in the presence of Ti-Si and Ti-V oxide composites, which was tested using high- (254 nm) and midenergy (302 nm) UV irradiation sources. While Ti-Si showed success in the photodegradation of 2,3,7,8-TCDF dissolved in a (1:1) methanol-tetrahydrofuran (MeOH-THF) solution, the Ti-V composite proved to be a powerful material in adsorbing TCDF with a high capacity immediately upon mixing. Ti-Si oxide was found to decompose TCDF under the two irradiation sources with 98-99% degradation occurring after 70 min. The use of 254 nm as an irradiation source in the presence of Ti-Si was 4.3 times faster than the analogue reaction irradiated without a catalyst. Byproducts of the degradation were evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), resulting in a lower chlorinated congener and less toxicity, as the main degradation product.

New design of high-power in-motion inductive charger for low power pulsation.

The magnetic coupler is the most vital component for charging EV wirelessly. Through it, the output power can be transported from the transmitter to the receiver by means of electromagnetic fields. Therefore, this manuscript presents a proposed design of a magnetic coupler in the form of Double-D (DD) on both sides, which is suitable for in-motion inductive charging. This charger is capable of transferring power of 200-kW through an airgap of 250 mm with an efficiency of 91.88% and an operating frequency of 85 kHz. Computational modeling is conducted to obtain the magnetic coupler and the compensation parameters of the proposed system. The appropriate dimensions of the coils, magnetic and metallic shielding are obtained by using the finite element model (FEM). The effect of misalignments on the self and mutual inductances of the two coils (Lp, Ls, M), the output power (Po), and the transmission efficiency (η) is studied in case of one and two coils at transmitter side. The output power in the distance between the two transmitter coils (d) is improved by controlling the operating frequency, adding magnetizable concrete (MC), or both together. These techniques have proven effectiveness in improving the output power by 45.15% for small d and 72.51% for large d. In addition, the efficiency improved by 15.95% for small d and 60.76% for large d. Moreover, these improvement cases were compared in terms of size, weight and cost for a 100-m driving track.

Cancer incidence in the Somali population of Olmsted County: A Rochester epidemiology project study.

BACKGROUND: Somali immigrants and refugees constitute one of the largest African ethnic groups immigrating to the United States over the past three decades with the majority resettling in the state of Minnesota. Previous studies have documented significant cancer screening disparities between the Somali population and the general population. However, little is known about cancer incidence among Somali groups living in the United States. METHODS: We determined the incidence of 18 types or sites of malignancy using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes and compared them between Somali and non-Somali populations in Olmsted County, Minnesota utilizing the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage infrastructure for the years 2000-2020. Poisson regression models were used to model the rates for each malignancy. RESULTS: There was a higher incidence and relative risk of liver malignancies among the Somali population versus non-Somali population, but lower relative risk and incidence of the following malignancies: breast, cervical, and melanoma. After direct age-sex adjustment to the United States 2000 Census population, liver was the most common cancer in Somali men, while breast cancer was the most common malignancy in women. CONCLUSION: Malignancies related to infectious agents such as viral hepatitis have a higher incidence in the Somali immigrant population of Olmsted County. There is a lower incidence of malignancies related to lifestyle factors in this Somali population. Findings of this study may help inform cancer prevention and screening strategies among Somali communities in the United States.

Interventions to Increase Cancer Screening Adherence Among Somali Immigrants in the US and Europe: A Systematic Review.

Cancer screening rates among immigrant and refugee populations in high income countries is significantly lower than native born populations. The objective of this study is to systematically review the effectiveness of interventions to improve screening adherence for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer among Somali immigrants. A literature search was conducted for the years 2000-2021 and eight studies met eligibility criteria. The following intervention components were found to increase adherence to cervical cancer screening: home HPV test, educational workshop for women and education for general practitioners. A patient navigator intervention was found to increase screening for breast cancer. Educational workshops motivated or increased knowledge regarding cancer screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. However, most of the studies had limitations due to methodology with potential for introduction of bias. Therefore, future studies comparing effectiveness of specific intervention components to reduce disparities in cancer screening among Somali immigrants and refugees are encouraged.

Anti-inflammatory effect of 3-fluorophenyl pyrimidinylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives as p38α inhibitors.

In the present work, the anti-inflammatory effect of 30 compounds containing 3-fluorophenyl pyrimidinylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazole was investigated. All final target compounds showed significant Inhibitory effect on p38α. P38α is considered one of the key kinases in the inflammatory process due to its regulatory effect on pro-inflammatory mediators. The final target compounds divided into four group based on the type of terminal moiety (amide and sulfonamide) and the linker between pyrimidine ring and terminal moiety (ethyl and propyl). Most compounds with terminal sulfonamide moiety and propyl linker between the sulfonamide and pyrimidine ring were the most potent among all synthesized final target compounds with sub-micromolar IC50s. Compound 24g (with p-Cl benzene sulfonamide and propyl linker) exhibited the highest activity over P38α with IC50 0.68 µM. All final target compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit nitric oxide release and prostaglandin E2 production. Compounds having amide terminal moiety with ethyl linker showed higher inhibitory activity for nitric oxide release and compound 21d exhibited the highest activity for nitric oxide release with IC50 1.21 µM. Compounds with terminal sulfonamide moiety and propyl linker showed the highest activity for inhibiting PGE2 production and compounds 24i and 24g had the lowest IC50s with value 0.87 and 0.89 µM, respectively. Compounds 21d, 22d and 24g were tested for their ability to inhibit over expression of iNOS, COX1, and COX2. In addition the ability of compounds 21d, 22d and 24g to inhibit inflammatory cytokines were determined. Finally molecular docking of the three compounds were performed on P38α crystal structure to expect their mode of binding.

Inclisiran and cardiovascular events: a comprehensive review of efficacy, safety, and future perspectives.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to offer an up-to-date evaluation of Inclisiran's (a small interfering RNA treatment) ability to decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as its safety and potential effects on decreasing cardiovascular risk. RECENT FINDINGS: Inclisiran significantly lowers LDL-C levels, as shown by phase III studies, by inhibiting hepatic synthesis of proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK-9), a protein implicated in the degradation of LDL receptors. Inclisiran has the benefit of subcutaneous injection twice a year, which may reduce patient nonadherence when compared with other LDL-C reducing therapies such as statins and ezetimibe, which require daily dosing. When added on top of statins, a greater proportion of patients achieved recommended cholesterol goals. It has also demonstrated a good safety profile with few adverse effects. SUMMARY: Inclisiran is a promising treatment for lowering LDL-C levels in people at high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is a practical and well tolerated option for those who struggle to stick to medication regimes because of its twice-yearly dosage schedule and a good safety profile. Although it has been demonstrated to be effective in decreasing LDL-C, further research is needed to determine its impact on reducing cardiovascular events. Nonetheless, Inclisiran is a significant advancement in lipid-lowering medication and could improve patient outcomes.

Development of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione hybrids as aldose reductase inhibitors endowed with antihyperglycaemic activity: design, synthesis, biological investigations, and in silico insights.

This research study describes the development of new small molecules based on 2,4-thiazolidinedione (2,4-TZD) and their aldose reductase (AR) inhibitory activities. The synthesis of 17 new derivatives of 2,4-TZDs hybrids was feasible by incorporating two known bioactive scaffolds, benzothiazole heterocycle, and nitro phenacyl moiety. The most active hybrid (8b) was found to inhibit AR in a non-competitive manner (0.16 µM), as confirmed by kinetic studies and molecular docking simulations. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that compound 8b had a significant hypoglycaemic effect in mice with hyperglycaemia induced by streptozotocin. Fifty milligrams per kilogram dose of 8b produced a marked decrease in blood glucose concentration, and a lower dose of 5 mg/kg demonstrated a noticeable antihyperglycaemic effect. These outcomes suggested that compound 8b may be used as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic complications.

A new hollow solenoid receiver compatible with the global double-D transmitter for EV inductive charging.

Inductive power transfer (IPT) technology is a promising solution for charging the electric vehicles (EVs) by enabling an EV to charge its energy storage system (battery) without any connecting wires through magnetic coupling. This paper proposes a new receiver design named Hollow Solenoid receiver that is compatible with the standard double-D transmitter defined by the SAE J2954 standard. A deep design analysis for the proposed Hollow Solenoid receiver is presented to define the optimum design parameters for coil (inductances, number of turns, dimensions, wires, etc.) and ferrite core (dimensions, number, arrangement, etc.). Several WPT3 (11.1kVA) solenoid receiver (SR) designs were presented and analyzed based on efficiency, weight, size, volume, and cost. The performance of the proposed SR was compared with the global Double-D receiver (DDR) presented by the SAE J2954 standard under different lateral and rotational alignment and loading conditions considering coupling factor, transmission power and efficiency, and stray electromagnetic fields (EMFs). The entire IPT system including coils, compensation network, power converters, controls, and battery load was modeled and analyzed for both SR and DDR coils. The results reveal that the proposed SR is compatible with the global DD transmitter at different alignment and loading conditions and is able to transmit the desired power (11 kW) at an efficiency > 85%. Hollow SR design shows the highest efficiency and lowest size, weight, and cost compared to DDR and other designs.

Secure Biomedical Document Protection Framework to Ensure Privacy Through Blockchain.

In the recent health care era, biomedical documents play a crucial role, and they contain much evidence-based documentation associated with many stakeholders data. Protecting those confidential research documents is more difficult and effective, and a significant process in the medical-based research domain. Those bio-documentation related to health care and other relevant community-valued data are suggested by medical professionals and processed. Many traditional security mechanisms such as akteonline and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are used to protect the biomedical documents as they consider the problem of non-repudiation and data integrity related to the retrieval and storage of documents. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive framework that improves protection in terms of cost and response time related to biomedical documents. In this research work, blockchain-based biomedical document protection framework (BBDPF) is proposed, which includes blockchain-based biomedical data protection (BBDP) and blockchain-based biomedical data retrieval (BBDR) algorithms. BBDP and BBDR algorithms provide consistency on the data to prevent data modification and interception of confidential data with proper data validation. Both the algorithms have strong cryptographic mechanisms to withstand post-quantum security risks, ensuring the integrity of biomedical document retrieval and non-deny of data retrieval transactions. In the performance analysis, Ethereum blockchain infrastructure is deployed BBDPF and smart contracts using Solidity language. In the performance analysis, request time and searching time are determined based on the number of request to ensure data integrity, non-repudiation, and smart contracts for the proposed hybrid model as it gets increased gradually. A modified prototype is built with a web-based interface to prove the concept and evaluate the proposed framework. The experimental results revealed that the proposed framework renders data integrity, non-repudiation, and support for smart contracts with Query Notary Service, MedRec, MedShare, and Medlock.

Development of Olive Oil Containing Phytosomal Nanocomplex for Improving Skin Delivery of Quercetin: Formulation Design Optimization, In Vitro and Ex Vivo Appraisals.

The objective of the current work was to fabricate, optimize and assess olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers to improve quercetin skin delivery. Olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers, prepared by a solvent evaporation/anti-solvent precipitation technique, were optimized using a Box-Behnken design, and the optimized formulation was appraised for in vitro physicochemical characteristics and stability. The optimized formulation was assessed for skin permeation and histological alterations. The optimized formulation (with an olive oil/PC ratio of 0.166, a QC/PC ratio of 1.95 and a surfactant concentration of 1.6%), and with a particle diameter of 206.7 nm, a zeta potential of -26.3 and an encapsulation efficiency of 85.3%, was selected using a Box-Behnken design. The optimized formulation showed better stability at ambient temperature when compared to refrigerating temperature (4 °C). The optimized formulation showed significantly higher skin permeation of quercetin when compared to an olive-oil/surfactant-free formulation and the control (~1.3-fold and 1.9-fold, respectively). It also showed alteration to skin barriers without remarkable toxicity aspects. Conclusively, this study demonstrated the use of olive oil/phytosomal nanocarriers as potential carriers for quercetin-a natural bioactive agent-to improve its skin delivery.

New benzothiazole hybrids as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and in silico study.

A new series of 2-aminobenzothiazole hybrids linked to thiazolidine-2,4-dione 4a-e, 1,3,4-thiadiazole aryl urea 6a-d, and cyanothiouracil moieties 8a-d was synthesised. The in vitro antitumor effect of the new hybrids was assessed against three cancer cell lines, namely, HCT-116, HEPG-2, and MCF-7 using Sorafenib (SOR) as a standard drug. Among the tested compounds, 4a was the most potent showing IC50 of 5.61, 7.92, and 3.84 µM, respectively. Furthermore, compounds 4e and 8a proved to have strong impact on breast cancer cell line with IC50 of 6.11 and 10.86 µM, respectively. The three compounds showed a good safety profile towards normal WI-38 cells. Flow cytometric analysis of the three compounds in MCF-7 cells revealed that compounds 4a and 4c inhibited cell population in the S phase, whereas 8a inhibited the population in the G1/S phase. The most promising compounds were subjected to a VEGFR-2 inhibitory assay where 4a emerged as the best active inhibitor of VEGFR-2 with IC50 91 nM, compared to 53 nM for SOR. In silico analysis showed that the three new hybrids succeeded to link to the active site like the co-crystallized inhibitor SOR.

Design, synthesis, and biological investigation of oxadiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, and pyrimidinyl linked antipyrine derivatives as potential non-acidic anti-inflammatory agents.

A novel series of 12 antipyrine derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazoles (4a-d), 1,3,4-thiadiazoles (6a-d), and pyrimidines (8a-d), was preparedand assessed for its potential in vitro COX-2 inhibitors. Compared to Celecoxib, compounds 4b-d and 8d were the most potent derivatives c with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration range of 53-69 nM. Considering COX-2 selectivity index, compounds 4 b and 4c were chosen among these most potent derivatives for further investigation. The in vivo ability of compounds 4 b and 4c to counteract carrageenan-induced paw edoema has been assessed and their potential underlying mechanisms have been elucidated and the results have been further validated using molecular docking simulations.