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Advances in vaccine adjuvant development and future perspectives
Full text linkArticle number : 2517137
CODEN : DDELEUse of highly purified antigens to improve vaccine safety has led to reduced immunogenicity and efficacy, resulting in the need for adjuvants to increase and/or modulate the immunogenicity of the vaccine. Despite the need for potent and safe vaccine adjuvants, currently, there are still very few adjuvants in licensed human vaccines. Advances in immunology and molecular biology, especially in the last decade, have allowed researchers to understand better how the adjuvants work and enhance immune responses. While aluminum salts are still the most widely used adjuvants, research has shifted toward the rational design of adjuvant systems containing immunostimulatory molecules. Application of systems biology, which is based on high-throughput technologies using mathematical and computational modeling, has provided a deeper understanding of the biological events elicited by vaccination as well as the influence of other factors such as sex, age, microbiota, genetics and metabolism on the immune response. By this means, it became possible to tailor potential vaccine adjuvants more precisely for a successful vaccine with enhanced efficacy, safety and protection. In this review, after describing the mechanism of action of the adjuvants, current adjuvants in licensed vaccines, as well as those under clinical development will be mentioned in detail. Finally, new approaches in vaccine adjuvant development using systems biology and artificial intelligence will be reviewed, and future directions in vaccine research in regard to efficacy, safety and quality aspects will be discussed
LSOARP: A Link Stability and Obstacle-Aware Routing Protocol for UAV Networks
No full textAs using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) continues to grow across military, environmental, and public safety sectors, we are seeing a fast development of Flying Ad Hoc Networks (FANETs). Despite this progress, creating reliable routing protocols for UAVs remains complex because of their high mobility, constantly changing network topology, frequent link drops, and physical obstacles in the environment. Current protocols often overlook the importance of link stability and obstacleaware navigation, which can lead to decreased performance in realworld applications. we present LSOARP: a Link Stability and ObstacleAware Routing Protocol customized for UAV networks. This new protocol combines Bézier-curve-based trajectory adjustments for better obstacle avoidance with a multi-criteria link evaluation that considers residual link lifetime, energy efficiency, and route availability. We model UAV movement using a realistic prediction mechanism that captures various states such as high, low, idle, and paused. Routing decisions are then made using a weighted cost function to select the most stable and energy-efficient paths, ensuring strong network performance. Simulation experiments conducted under different conditions—including varying node density, speed, pause times, and traffic loads—show that LSOARP considerably outperforms traditional protocols like RLPR and AODV. It offers higher packet delivery ratios, lower end-to-end delays, reduced energy consumption, and less control overhead. These promising results demonstrate that LSOARP is both scalable and reliable in complex UAV environments, making it a strong candidate for real-time FANET applications
Formulation Optimization on Semi-Solid NLC Dispersions Containing Antioxidant Herbal Oils: A Novel Approach for Cosmeceuticals
No full textCODEN : JAOCASkin aging prevention is increasingly important in cosmetics. Topical application of antioxidants protects the skin against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated as a result of continuous exposure to UV radiation. Herbal oils offer significant anti-aging potential due to their antioxidant content. Lipid nanoparticles (i.e., SLN and NLC) have been comprehensively evaluated for dermal drug delivery and cosmetic applications since they offer enhanced skin hydration and improved percutaneous penetration. The latest approach for dermal application is the usage of semi-solid lipid nanoparticle dispersions, which offer unique advantages. Semi-solid SLN/NLC dispersions have a suitable consistency for dermal application and can be prepared by a one-step production method without additional excipients. Furthermore, they preserve the colloidal particle size in spite of their semi-solid consistency. Development of novel cosmeceutical semi-solid NLC dispersions containing valuable herbal oils such as pomegranate seed, argan, grape seed, and coconut oils was aimed at in this study. Formulation optimization was performed using a modeling program based on response surface methodology (RSM). Optimum semi-solid NLC formulation (Opt-NLC) was prepared using Compritol 888ATO and argan oil at amounts of 0.8403 and 0.5457 g, respectively. The particle size of the Opt-NLC formulation was found to be 188.6 ± 3.58 nm, which falls within the targeted size range. PDI was also reduced and a more uniform particle size was obtained by optimization. Rheological and mechanical characterization results revealed that Opt-NLC has suitable properties in terms of product performance and consumer compliance. As a result, formulation optimization of semi-solid NLC dispersions containing antioxidant herbal oils was successfully performed using RSM methodology
Clinical and economic consequences of medication nonadherence: a review of systematic reviews
Full text linkBackground: Medication efficacy observed in clinical trials may differ from its effectiveness during real-world usage. Medication nonadherence is one of the key factors being responsible for this efficacy-effectiveness gap. The World Health Organization estimated that only 50% of chronic medication users is adherent and nonadherence results in both negative health outcomes for the patient and higher societal costs. An overview of the consequences across disease groups may allow some comparison and could contribute to identification of priority clinical areas.
Objective: We aimed to provide an overview the impact of nonadherence on clinical and economic outcomes.
Method: We narratively reviewed systematic reviews published between 2014 and 2024 on the effect of medication nonadherence on clinical and economic outcomes.
Results: Overall, 43 systematic reviews were identified, including over 410 original studies on clinical outcomes and 174 on economic outcomes, covering different clinical areas (e.g., organ transplantation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depression and chronic lung diseases [asthma/COPD]). Beyond diminished treatment effects, medication nonadherence has been associated with elevated mortality, increased healthcare utilization (including hospital admissions), and higher direct (e.g., more healthcare provider visits) and indirect financial cost burden (e.g., work productivity losses due to absenteeism and presenteeism) for patients and society.
Conclusion: Medication nonadherence is associated with poor clinical and economic outcomes across disease areas. Given the significant impact of nonadherence, raising awareness among healthcare professionals and policymakers, early stakeholder engagement in intervention design, and eventually implementation of cost-effective interventions on both health policy, system and individual patient level are urgently required
Enhancing Radiotherapy Tolerance With Papaya Seed-Derived Nanoemulsions
No full textFlavonoid-rich plant materials have gained attention for their potential to reduce radiotherapy side effects. Carica papaya (CP) seeds, known for high flavonoid content, hold promise for therapeutic applications. This study explored the extraction and evaluation of two oils-sunflower oil-based papaya oil (SPO) and pure papaya oil (PPO)-and their nano emulsions (SPOE and PPOE), derived from CP seeds, for radioprotective effects. Chemical analysis using QTOF-MS revealed antioxidants and phytochemicals in the oils and emulsions. Size analysis and zeta potential measurements using dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed particle sizes of 140 ± 26.06 nm for PPOE and 293.7 ± 49.42 nm for SPOE. Post-radiation, both SPOE and PPOE significantly enhanced cell viability, with values of 72.24 ± 3.92 (p ≤ 0.001) and 75.85 ± 2.62 (p ≤ 0.001), respectively. These nanoemulsions show potential as topical agents for reducing radiation-induced tissue damage in radiotherapy. Despite the promising in vitro findings, further in vivo studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of these nanoemulsions. Additionally, their incorporation into sunscreen formulations could provide further protection against radiation-induced skin damage, broadening their potential applications
UHPLC-DAD method development and validation for simultaneous quantification of 7 phenolic compounds in dietary supplements of sage capsules
Full text linkThe content of the dietary supplements of capsules generated from extracts of medicinal plants in terms of bioactive compounds may not be known. The aim of this study is to do method development and validation for quantification of the phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid luteolin-7-o-glucoside, and rosmarinic acid) in capsules of dietary sage (Salvia officinalis) supplements by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UHPLC-DAD) to facilitate the quality control. Mobile phase gradient method is optimized in reverse UHPLC mode using aqueous acetonitrile as the mobile and C18 (50*2.1 mm, 1.8 µm) as the stationary phase. Quantitation was done by signal specific integration using diode array detector (DAD). Total run time is 18 minutes. Separation of the phenolic compounds were at 35 °C by employing gradient elution of water: trifluoroacetic acid (100:0.1, v/v) and acetonitrile: water: trifluoroacetic acid (95:5:0.1, v/v/v) as mobile phase A and B, respectively at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. The method showed good linearity with correlation coefficient (r2) that varied between 0.9993 and 0.9997. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were 1.97-18.77 and 6.58-62.56 mg/ml, respectively. Recovery (%) were between 90% and 114% for capsule matrix for all compounds at all levels except for ferulic acid and luteolin-7-o-glucoside. The method is suitable for application in quality control laboratories because of the short run time and simultaneous analysis of phenolic compounds in dietary supplements of sage capsules.Funding agency : Scientific Research Office
Grant number : PB2019-ECZ
BCI-DRONE CONTROL BASED ON THE CONCENTRATION LEVEL AND EYE BLINK SIGNALS USING A NEUROSKY HEADSET
Full text linkBrain neurons activate Human movements by producing electrical bio-signals. Neuron activity is used in several technologies by operating their applications based on mind waves. The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology enables a processor to connect with the brain using a signal received from the brain. This study proposes a drone controlled using EEG signals acquired by a Neurosky device based on the BCI system. Two active signals are adapted for controlling the drone motions: concentration brain signals portrayed by attention level and the eye blinks as an integer value. A dynamic classification method is implemented via a Linear Regression algorithm for attention-level code. The eye blinking generates a binary code to control the drone's motions. The accuracy of this code is improved through Artificial Neural Networks and Machine Learning techniques. These codes (attention level and eye blink codes) drive two controlling layers and manipulate nine possible drone movements. The experiment was evaluated with several users and showed high performance for the classification methods and developed algorithm. The experiment shows a 90.37% accuracy control that outperforms most existing experiments. Also, the experiment can support 16 commands, making the algorithm appropriate for various applications
Comparing Square Excision and Transposition Flap Versus Modified Limberg Flap in Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus Disease Surgery: A New Technique With Fewer Wound Issues
No full textObjective: Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a common disease that is an important health problem. Using new flap methods in defect closure in PSD surgery may be useful in obtaining ideal surgical outcomes. This study aimed to present the early outcomes of the square excision and transposition flap (SF) technique compared with the modified Limberg flap (LF).
Methods: Patients who underwent surgical intervention for PSD utilizing SF and LF techniques between January 2016 and January 2022 were evaluated. Demographics, comorbidity, clinical presentation, pain assessment, hospital stay duration, healing time, time to return to work, and recurrence status were compared between the SF and LF groups.
Results: There was no significant difference between the SF (53 patients) and LF (49 patients) groups regarding demographic and most clinical characteristics. Patients in the SF group experienced shorter healing times of 11 days and quicker returns to work at 13 days compared with patients in the LF group (P<.001). A lower incidence of wound infection was observed in the SF group (3.8%) compared with the LF group (16.3%) (P=.035). Partial wound dehiscence was more observed in the LF group (18.4%), marking a significant difference (P=.001). Regarding cosmetic satisfaction at the 6-month follow-up, the SF group reported higher satisfaction rates. The SF group had a lower recurrence rate.
Conclusions: The SF method had lower wound dehiscence, shorter healing time, and shorter return-to-work time compared with the modified LF. Patients have more cosmetic satisfaction. The SF technique can be considered as an option in the surgical treatment of PSD
Numerical Thermal and Structural Analysis for Enhanced Durability in Petroleum Pipelines Using Composite Coatings
Full text linkThis research investigates the effectiveness of composite coatings in preventing corrosion in petroleum pipelines, focusing on computational methods for thermal and structural analysis. A 3-meter section of a Basra, Iraq pipeline was selected for evaluation. The study begins by establishing a baseline with an uncoated pipeline, followed by applying composite coatings both internally and externally. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to assess structural integrity under high pressure and to perform a detailed numerical heat transfer analysis over a 15-year operational period. The thermal analysis evaluates the temperature distribution and thermal stresses that contribute to coating degradation and pipeline failure. By integrating Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE), this study demonstrates the critical role of advanced computational tools in modeling heat transfer phenomena and enhancing pipeline safety and durability. The findings provide actionable insights for optimizing coating technologies with a focus on thermal performance in real-world applications
Evaluation of Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction in HIV Patients Receiving Abacavir, Dolutegravir, and Lamivudine Therapy with Novel Tissue Doppler Imaging Techniques
No full textBackground/Objectives: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) effectively suppresses viral load and aids immunological recovery in HIV patients, but may still lead to subclinical myocardial dysfunction. This study assesses left and right ventricular functions in patients on HAART containing abacavir, dolutegravir, and lamivudine using Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI). Methods: This observational cross-sectional study involved 118 HIV-positive adults on HAART and 80 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Comprehensive echocardiographic assessments, including TDI, were conducted to evaluate myocardial performance index (MPI) and isovolumic acceleration (IVA). Results: Conventional echocardiographic parameters showed no significant differences; however, TDI indicated significant impairments in ventricular functions in the HAART group, with increased MPI and decreased IVA (p < 0.001). Pulmonary artery pressures were also higher in the HIV group (p = 0.012). There was a strong positive correlation between MPI and HAART duration (r = 0.675, p = 0.002), and a negative correlation with CD4 count (r = −0.545, p = 0.006). Conclusions: TDI reveals significant subclinical ventricular dysfunction in HIV patients on HAART, correlating with therapy duration and immune status. These findings underscore the utility of TDI in detecting myocardial deterioration before clinical symptoms appear