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The Establishment of a Noninvasive Bioluminescence-Specific Viral Encephalitis Model by Pseudorabies Virus-Infected NF-κBp-Luciferase
No full text[[abstract]]Encephalitis is a rare brain inflammation that is most commonly caused by a viral infection. In this study, we first use an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) to determine whether NF-κBp-luciferase expression could be detected in the brain of pseudorabies virus (PRV)-infected NF-κBp-luciferase mice and to evaluate proinflammatory mediators in a well-described mouse model of PRV encephalitis. In in vitro studies, we used murine microglia (BV-2) cells to demonstrate the PRV-induced encephalitis model entailing the activation of microglia cells. The results indicate that PRV-induced neuroinflammation responses through the induction of IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS expression occurred via the regulation of NF-κB expression in BV-2 cells. In in vivo studies, compared with MOCK controls, the mice infected with neurovirulent PRV exhibited significantly elevated NF-κB transcription factor activity and luciferase protein expression only in the brain by IVIS. Mild focal necrosis was also observed in the brain. Further examination revealed biomarkers of inflammation, including inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, both of which constituted proinflammatory cytokines. PRV infection stimulated inflammation and COX-2 and iNOS expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. The presented results herein suggest that PRV induces iNOS and COX-2 expression in the brain of NF-κBp-luciferase mice via NF-κB activation. In conclusion, we used NF-κBp-luciferase mice to establish a specific virus-induced encephalitis model via PRV intranasal infection. In the future, this in vivo model will provide potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies focusing on NF-κB inflammatory biomarkers and the development of drugs for viral inflammatory diseases
Numerical Comparison of Restored Vertebral Body Height after Incomplete Burst Fracture of the Lumbar Spine
No full text[[abstract]]Background and objectives: Vertebral compression fracture is a major health care problem worldwide due to its direct and indirect negative influence on health-related quality of life and increased health care costs. Although a percutaneous surgical intervention with balloon kyphoplasty or metal expansion, the SpineJack, along with bone cement augmentation has been shown to efficiently restore and fix the lost vertebral height, 21–30% vertebral body height loss has been reported in the literature. Furthermore, the effect of the augmentation approaches and the loss of body height on the biomechanical responses in physiological activities remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to compare the mechanical behavior of the fractured lumbar spine with different restored body heights, augmentation approaches, and posterior fixation after kyphoplasty using the finite element method. Furthermore, different augmentation approaches with bone cement and bone cement along with the SpineJack were also considered in the simulation. Materials and Methods: A numerical lumbar model with an incomplete burst fracture at L3 was used in this study. Two different degrees of restored body height, namely complete and incomplete restorations, after kyphoplasty were investigated. Furthermore, two different augmentation approaches of the fractured vertebral body with bone cement and SpineJack along with bone cement were considered. A posterior instrument (PI) was also used in this study. Physiological loadings with 400 N + 10 Nm in four directions, namely flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation, were applied to the lumbar spine with different augmentation approaches for comparison. Results: The results indicated that both the bone cement and bone cement along with the SpineJack could support the fractured vertebral body to react similarly with an intact lumbar spine under identical loadings. When the fractured body height was incompletely restored, the peak stress in the L2–L3 disk above the fractured vertebral body increased by 154% (from 0.93 to 2.37 MPa) and 116% (from 0.18 to 0.39 MPa), respectively, in the annular ground substance and nucleus when compared with the intact one. The use of the PI could reduce the range of motion and facet joint force at the implanted levels but increase the facet joint force at the upper level of the PI. Conclusions: In the present study, complete restoration of the body height, as possible in kyphoplasty, is suggested for the management of lumbar vertebral fractures
Combined effect of CO2 concentration and low-cost urea repletion/ starvation in Chlorella vulgaris for ameliorating growth metrics, total and non-polar lipid accumulation and fatty acid composition
No full text[[abstract]]Different CO2 concentration such as 0.03, 5, 10 and 15% and low-cost urea repletion/starvation in Chlorella vulgaris on growth, total and non-polar lipid content and fatty acid composition was studied. Chlorella vulgaris grown at 0.03% CO2 apparently revealed inferior biomass yield 0.55 g/L on 14th day compared to CO2 supplemented cells. In the case of CO2 supply, 15% CO2 has unveiled higher biomass yield at about 1.83 g/L on day 12 whereas biomass yield for 5 and 10% CO2 supplemented cells was 1.61 and 1.73 g/L, respectively on 12th day of cultivation. The biomass productivity (g) per liter per day was 32 mg in control condition whereas it was 125, 134 and 144 mg/L/d in 5, 10 and 15% CO2 supplied cells, respectively. Lipid content of the strain grown at control, 5, 10 and 15% CO2 was 21.2, 22.1, 23.4 and 24.6%, respectively and however, without CO2 addition in low-cost urea repleted and urea depleted medium grown cells revealed 21.2 and 24.2%, respectively. Interestingly, strain grown at 15% CO2 supply in urea deplete medium yielded 28.7% lipid and contribution of non-polar lipids in total lipids is 69.7%. Further, the fatty acid composition of the strain grown in 15% CO2 supply in urea depleted medium showed C16:0, C16:1, C18:1 and C18:3 in the level of 30.12, 9.98, 23.43, and 11.97%, respectively compared to control and urea amended condition
Evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperglycemic effects of Wattakaka volubilis Linn. f
No full text[[abstract]]The phytochemicals, antioxidants, antiinflammatory and the anti-hyperglycemic properties of Wattakaka volubilis Linn. F were determined. The Hot Water Extract (HWE) and Acetone Extracts (AE) of W. volubilis leaves were tested for a variety of phytochemicals. The preliminary analysis revealed the presence of a large number of phytochemicals. The DPPH assay was used to measure the free radical scavenging activity of both HWE and AE. The HWE had the highest DPPH scavenging rate (87.72 %t), followed by the AE (33.33 %). At 500?g/mL concentration, the anti-inflammatory activity of HWE, AE, and Diclofenac (standard drug) was 54.27 %, 49.88 %, and 83.33 %, respectively. Orally administered alloxan (75?mg/kg body weight) resulted in a significant (p 0.05) decrease in blood glucose levels in diabetic mice with HWE and AE at 200?mg/kg b.wt for 4 weeks. Aside from all hypoglycemic parameters, the histopathology of the pancreas was also controlled, indicating that HWE exerted greater anti-diabetic activity than AE. Furthermore, HWE supported a significant inhibition of -amylase enzyme activity, with the highest action of 99.23 % reticence at 1000?g/mL. The findings indicate that HWE has a potential antidiabetic effect; thus, HWE may be a non-hazardous traditional and complementary medicine in treating hyperglycemia and related problems, substantiating as an anti-hyperglycemic agent
Synthesis of mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticles and toxicity assessment in early life stages of zebrafish
No full text[[abstract]]Mesoporous nanoparticles (MNPs) have attracted great interest in the biomedical applications as reliable drug carriers for cancer treatment. They have significant advantages over the traditional drug carriers due to high surface area, controllable pore size, large pore volume, easy adjustment of the inner and outer surfaces, and also, high drug loading capacity. This work has focused on the synthesis of mesoporous silicon dioxide nanoparticles (MNPs) with different pore volumes and their toxicity effects on zebrafish. The structural and morphological analyses of MNPs were carried out through XRD and HRTEM, functional groups have been identified by FTIR and N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm and the pore size distribution was determined by BET analysis. The maximum pore volume of 1.5 cm3/g and a pore size of 8.0 nm, were reported. Survival percentage of zebrafish was reported to be above 85%
Effect of Sarcopenia on Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes: A Long-Term Follow-Up Propensity Score-Matched Diabetes Cohort Study
No full text[[abstract]]Purpose: The effect of sarcopenia on the survival of patients with type 2 diabetes remains unclear. Therefore, we designed a propensity score-matched population-based cohort study to compare the patients with diabetes with or without sarcopenia.
Patients and methods: We included patients with type 2 diabetes and categorized them into two groups according to whether they had sarcopenia and compared their survival; patients in the groups were matched at a ratio of 1:2.
Results: The matching process yielded a final cohort of 201,698 patients (132,805 and 68,893 in the sarcopenia and nonsarcopenia diabetes groups, respectively) who were eligible for further analysis. According to both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of all-cause death for the sarcopenia diabetes group compared with the control group: 1.35 (1.33-1.38; p < 0.001). The aHRs (95% CIs) of all-cause death for those aged 41-50, 51-60, and >60 years (compared with those aged ?40 years) were 1.53 (1.48-1.60), 2.61 (2.52-2.72), and 6.21 (5.99-6.45), respectively. The aHR (95% CI) of all-cause death for the male patients compared with the female patients was 1.56 (1.54-1.60). The aHRs (95% CIs) of all-cause death for those with adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and ?5 (compared with an aDCSI score of 0) were 1.01 (1.00-1.14), 1.38 (1.35-1.42), 1.58 (1.54-1.63), and 2.23 (2.14-2.33), respectively.
Conclusion: Patients with type 2 diabetes and sarcopenia had higher mortality than did those without sarcopenia
Artificial Intelligence and Stochastic Optimization Algorithms for the Chaotic datasets
No full text[[abstract]]Almost every natural process is stochastic due to the basic consequences of
nature’s existence and the dynamical behaviour of each process that is not
stationary but evolves with the passage of time. These stochastic processes,
not only exist and appear in the fields of biological sciences but are also evident in industrial, agricultural and economical research datasets. Stochastic
processes are challenging to model and to solve as well. The stochastic patterns
when repeated, results into random fractals and are very common in natural
processes. These processes are usually simulated with the aid of smart computational and optimization tools. With the progress in the field of artificial
intelligence, smart tools are developed that can model the stochastic processes
by generalization and genetic optimization. Based on the basic theoretical
description of the stochastic optimization algorithms, the stochastic learning
tools, stochastic modeling, stochastic approximation and stochastic fractals, acomparative analysis is presented with the aid of the stochastic fractal search,
multi-objective stochastic fractal search and pattern search algorithm
Sarcopenia as an Independent Risk Factor for Specific Cancers: A Propensity Score-Matched Asian?? Population-Based Cohort Study
No full text[[abstract]]Purpose: Whether preexisting sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for cancer incidence remains unclear. Therefore, we performed this propensity score (PS)-matched (PSM) population-based cohort study to compare the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of specific cancers between patients with and without sarcopenia.
Patients and methods: The patients were categorized into two groups according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia, matched at a 4:1 ratio.
Results: PS matching yielded a final cohort of 77,608 patients (15,527 in the sarcopenia and 62,081 nonsarcopenia groups) eligible for further analysis. In our multivariate Cox regression analysis, compared with the nonsarcopenia group, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% confidence interval (CI)) for cancer risk in the sarcopenia group was 1.277 (1.10 to 1.36; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the adjusted IRRs (95% CIs) for sarcopenia patients were pancreatic cancer 3.77 (1.79 to 4.01), esophageal cancer 3.38 (1.87 to 4.11), lung cancer 2.66 (1.15 to 2.90), gastric cancer 2.25 (1.54 to 3.23), head and neck cancer 2.15 (1.44 to 2.53), colorectal cancer 2.04 (1.77 to 2.30), hepatocellular carcinoma 1.84 (1.30 to 2.36), breast cancer 1.56 (1.12 to 1.95), and ovarian cancer 1.43 (1.10 to 2.29), respectively.
Conclusions: Sarcopenia might be a significant cancer risk factor for lung, colorectal, breast, head and neck, pancreas, gastric, esophageal, and ovarian cancer, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma
Habit—Does it Matter? Bringing Habit and Emotion into the Development of Consumer’s Food Waste Reduction Behavior with the Lens of the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior
No full text[[abstract]]The immense food waste, generated by restaurants is not only a serious burden for the foodservice business but also a cause of anguish for the emerging nations in which eating out is becoming increasingly trendy. Consumers' food wastes account for a significant portion of restaurant food waste, indicating the need for a change in consumers' behavior to minimize food waste. To examine this problem, our study sought to identify the elements that influence restaurant consumers' behaviors on food waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. The influence of anticipated positive emotions, awareness of consequences, environmental knowledge, and social norms on waste reduction intentions were examined by using a quantitative technique in the investigation. Furthermore, the influence of habits, waste reduction intentions, and facilitating conditions on food waste reduction, reuse, and recycling behaviors have also been investigated. The study collected 1063 responses and employed the PLS-SEM approach to verify the hypotheses. The results suggested that anticipated positive emotions, awareness of consequences, environmental knowledge, and social norms all have substantial impacts on waste reduction intentions. In addition, habits, waste reduction intentions, and facilitating conditions have noteworthy influences on consumers' behaviors towards food waste reduction, reuse, and recycling in restaurants. Understanding these elements could help in correcting customers' waste behaviors in restaurants. The findings in this study are useful for managers, policymakers, and researchers who want to solve the problems of food waste. The implications, limits, and suggestions for further studies have also been discussed in our study
Statement in Honour of Professor Michael McAleer
No full text[[abstract]]It is with profound sadness that we write this statement for the former editor of this journal, our colleague and friend, Michael McAleer. Mike passed away peacefully on July 8, 2021, and he will be sorely missed by his vast number of colleagues and friends. Mike served on the editorial board of the Annals of Financial Economics (AFE) for more than 16 years and was the Editor-in-Chief since 2016. Mike was a wonderful friend, colleague, and mentor to all that knew him, and provided countless hours of service to AFE. He touched our lives deeply and was ever ready to lend a hand in any way he could, whether through his vast knowledge of econometrics, his willingness to work together on research projects, his efforts on behalf of this journal, or his contagious joie de vivre. We will miss him greatly. In the remainder of this editorial, we include a short biography, as well as a number of statements from co-authors, colleagues and friends of Mike