Hasil untuk "Pharmacy and materia medica"

K Poornima, P. Padmavathi

Background: The postpartum period is a vulnerable phase associated with significant physiological and psychological changes. Post-partum blues and parenting stress are common among post-caesarean section mothers and may adversely affect maternal wellbeing and postnatal outcomes. Non-pharmacological nursing interventions such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and web-based nursing interventions have emerged as feasible approaches to address these concerns. Aim: To assess and compare the effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Technique and web-based nursing intervention on post-partum blues, parenting stress and postnatal outcomes among post-caesarean section mothers. Methods: A pilot, pre-experimental, two-group pretest–posttest design was conducted among 20 post-caesarean section mothers selected using purposive sampling. Participants were allocated to Experimental Arm I (EFT, n = 10) and Experimental Arm II (web-based nursing intervention, n = 10). Post-partum blues, parenting stress and postnatal outcomes were assessed using the Likert “Am I Blue?” Assessment Scale, Parenting Stress Scale and selected biological parameters. Interventions were administered for six weeks, three sessions per week, each lasting 30 min. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results: Experimental Arm I showed a significant reduction in post-partum blues from severe levels (90%) to mild levels (70%), with marked improvement in parenting stress and postnatal outcomes. The highest mean percentage change was observed in postnatal outcomes (76%). Experimental Arm II also demonstrated significant improvement, with maximum change in postnatal outcomes (62%). Unpaired t-test analysis indicated that EFT was significantly more effective than the web-based intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both interventions were effective; however, Emotional Freedom Technique demonstrated superior outcomes, supporting its integration into postnatal nursing care.

Markus Huemer, Clemens Stilianu, Nick Scholand et al.

Purpose: This work proposes a method for the simultaneous estimation of the exchange-dependent relaxation rate Rex and the longitudinal relaxation time T1 from a single acquisition. Methods: A novel acquisition scheme was developed that combines CEST saturation with an inversion pulse and a Look-Locker readout to capture the magnetization evolution starting from the inverse transient Z-spectrum. The corresponding signal model, derived from the Bloch-McConnell equations, describes both the transient Z-spectrum and the Look-Locker dynamics. A model-based reconstruction approach is employed to jointly estimate Rex and T1. The proposed method was validated using a numerical phantom and benchmarked against conventional CEST and Look-Locker T1 mapping in phantom and in vivo on a clinical 3T scanner. Results: The joint estimation approach demonstrated strong agreement with ground truth and conventional methods across a wide range of T1 and CEST parameters. The acquisition time was reduced by 20-30% compared to standard CEST protocols, while providing higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in parameter maps. Conclusion: The proposed technique enables robust and efficient simultaneous quantification of CEST Rex and T1 in a single acquisition. It improves parameter map quality and reduces scan time, making it suitable for both phantom and in vivo imaging across a wide range of physiological conditions.

Diane Kim, Minh Nguyen Nhat To, Sherif Abdalla et al.

Coronary angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosing Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). However, its resource-intensive and invasive nature can expose patients to procedural risks and diagnostic delays, leading to postponed treatment initiation. In this work, we introduce TREAT-Net, a multimodal deep learning framework for ACS treatment prediction that leverages non-invasive modalities, including echocardiography videos and structured clinical records. TREAT-Net integrates tabular-guided cross-attention to enhance video interpretation, along with a late fusion mechanism to align predictions across modalities. Trained on a dataset of over 9000 ACS cases, the model outperforms unimodal and non-fused baselines, achieving a balanced accuracy of 67.6% and an AUROC of 71.1%. Cross-modality agreement analysis demonstrates 88.6% accuracy for intervention prediction. These findings highlight the potential of TREAT-Net as a non-invasive tool for timely and accurate patient triage, particularly in underserved populations with limited access to coronary angiography.

Matteo Menniti, Naëmi Leo, Pedro Villalba-González et al.

Multi-domain states of square artificial spin ice show a range of different morphologies ranging from simple stripe-like domains to more organically shaped coral domains. To model the relevant dynamics leading to the emergence of such diverse domain structures, simplified descriptions of the switching behavior of individual nanomagnets are necessary. In this work, we employ kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of the demagnetization of square artificial spin ice toward its ground state, and compare how the choice of transition barriers affect the emergence of mesoscale domains. We find that the commonly used mean-field barrier model (informed by equilibrium energetics only) results in propagation of ground-state string avalanches. In contrast, taking into account chiral barrier splitting enabled by state-dependent local torques supports the emergence of complex-shaped coral domains and their successful relaxation towards the ground state in later relaxation stages. Our results highlight that intrinsic contributions to switching barriers, in addition to the effect of extrinsic defects often attributed to nanofabrication irregularities, can subtly shift favored transition pathways and result in different emergent mesoscale features. Future kinetic Monte Carlo models that describe the evolution of artificial spin systems should thus account for these effects.

Shanjiang Tang, Rui Huang, Hsinyu Luo et al.

The explosive growth of video data in recent years has brought higher demands for video analytics, where accuracy and efficiency remain the two primary concerns. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have been widely adopted to ensure accuracy; however, improving their efficiency in video analytics remains an open challenge. Different from existing surveys that make summaries of DNN-based video mainly from the accuracy optimization aspect, in this survey, we aim to provide a thorough review of optimization techniques focusing on the improvement of the efficiency of DNNs in video analytics. We organize existing methods in a bottom-up manner, covering multiple perspectives such as hardware support, data processing, operational deployment, etc. Finally, based on the optimization framework and existing works, we analyze and discuss the problems and challenges in the performance optimization of DNN-based video analytics.

Jintong Wu, Zhuang Shao, Junlei Zhao et al.

Silicon carbide (SiC) polymorphs are widely employed as nuclear materials, mechanical components, and wide-bandgap semiconductors. The rapid advancement of SiC-based applications has been complemented by computational modeling studies, including both ab initio and classical atomistic approaches. In this work, we develop a computationally efficient and general-purpose machine-learned interatomic potential (ML-IAP) capable of multimillion-atom molecular dynamics simulations over microsecond timescales. Using the ML-IAP, we systematically map the comprehensive pressure-temperature phase diagram and the threshold displacement energy distributions for the 2H and 3C polymorphs. Furthermore, collision cascade simulations provide in-depth insights into polymorph-dependent primary radiation damage clustering, a phenomenon that conventional empirical potentials fail to accurately capture.

Joksić Ivana, Prosenc-Zmrzljak Uršula, Ninić Ana et al.

Ovarian cancer is a leading malignancy in the female reproductive system and is responsible for more deaths than any other type of cancer affecting this system. Ovarian cancers can be hereditary or sporadic. Anatomic, cellular, microenvironmental and molecular features of ovarian cancers show a high degree of heterogeneity. Numerous genes implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of ovarian cancers have been identified to date. The majority of these genes act as tumour suppressor genes, oncogenes, or are involved in mismatch repair and double-strand break repair mechanisms. The identification of mutations in cancer susceptibility genes could be a major step forward towards earlier diagnosis, personalized therapy approaches and outcome monitoring. In healthy women, detecting a specific mutated gene can provide a rationale for personalized surveillance, chemopreventive strategies, and prophylactic surgery. Next-generation sequencing offers comprehensive genome analysis, which enables profound understanding and identification of cancer susceptibility genes, and new molecular diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Deval K. Arora, Niladri Maiti, Carlo Gaeta et al.

Aim: The study focused to determine the microleakage of various materials using the dye penetration method. Materials and Methods: The study samples consisted of 45 healthy human mandibular premolar teeth removed for orthodontic therapy without caries. The samples were categorized into three groups of 15 each. All the samples were etched for 20 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid gel before being sealed with a glass ionomer cement (GIC) sealant (Fuji—VII GIC), light-cure glass ionomer composite cement (Prevest Fusion I), or flowable nanocomposite sealants (Prevest Fusion Flo), respectively. Every sample were thermocycled and immersed for one day in methylene blue (5%) solution to dye diffusion between the gaps present among the tooth and restoration. The teeth were sectioned and analyzed using image analysis software beneath a stereomicroscope at 10x magnification. Results: The marginal microleakage was found lowest in flowable nanocomposites (1.06 ± 0.98), then light-cure glass ionomer composite cement (2.44 ± 1.42), and GIC (4.07 ± 1.54). A statistically significant variance was noted. Conclusion: Current investigation evaluated that reduced marginal leakage was seen in flowable nanocomposites when compared to other two groups.

Paola Chiodelli, Patrizia Bonassi Signoroni, Elisa Scalvini et al.

<b>Background:</b> Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Despite standard care, recurrence due to tumor spread and chemoresistance is common, highlighting the need for novel therapies. Mesenchymal stromal cells from the human amniotic membrane (hAMSC) and the intact amniotic membrane (hAM) are promising due to their secretion of tumor-modulating bioactive factors, accessibility from biological waste, and ethical favorability. Furthermore, unlike isolated cells, hAM provides an easier, clinically translatable product. We previously demonstrated that hAMSC can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, both in contact and transwell settings, suggesting that hAMSC secrete bioactive factors able to target tumor cells. This study evaluates the anti-tumor effects of bioactive factors from hAMSC and hAM conditioned medium (CM) on ovarian cancer cells in 2D and 3D models, alone or with paclitaxel. <b>Methods:</b> The impact of CM, alone or with paclitaxel, was tested on ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and on angiogenesis. <b>Results:</b> hAMSC-CM and hAM-CM inhibited the proliferation and migration in 2D cultures and reduced spheroid growth and invasion in 3D models. Combining CM with paclitaxel enhanced anti-tumor effects in both settings. <b>Conclusions:</b> hAMSC-CM and hAM-CM show therapeutic potential against ovarian cancer, with synergistic benefits when combined with paclitaxel.

Yan-Lei Zhang, Ming Li, Xin-Biao Xu et al.

Quantum frequency converters that enable the interface between the itinerant photons and qubits are indispensable for realizing long-distance quantum network. However, the cascaded connection between converters and qubits usually brings additional insertion loss and intermediate noises. Here, we propose a cooperative quantum interface (CQI) that integrates the converter and qubit coupling into a single device for efficient long-distance entanglement generation. Compared to traditional cascaded systems, our scheme offers several advantages, including compactness, reduced insertion loss, and suppression of noise from intermediate modes. We prove the excellent performance over the separated devices by about two orders of magnitude for the entangled infidelity of two remote nodes. Moreover, we discuss an extended scheme for multiple remote nodes, revealing an exponential advantage in performance as the number of nodes increases. The cooperative effect is universal that can be further applied to multifunctional integrated quantum devices. This work opens up novel prospects for quantum networks, distributed quantum computing, and sensing.

Sofía González-Rueda, Osvaldo García-Pérez, Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez et al.

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Prostate cancer (PC) represents the second most diagnosed form of cancer in men on a global scale. Despite the theranostic efficacy of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligands, there is a spectrum of PC disease in which PSMA expression is low or absent. The gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), also known as the bombesin type 2 receptor, has been identified as a target in both the early and advanced stages of PC. The objective of this study was to prepare and preclinically evaluate [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-Bombesin ([^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN), estimate dosimetry in healthy subjects, and assess the diagnostic efficacy of the radiotracer in patients with metastatic PC, with the hypothesis of non-inferiority to one of the gold standards, [¹⁸F]-PSMA-1007. Moreover, the potential of [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN as a theranostic pair with [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-iPSMA-BN was investigated. <b>Methods:</b> [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN was prepared under GMP conditions with radiochemical purities > 95%, showing specific recognition by PSMA and GRP receptors in prostate cancer cells and mice bearing PC tumors. Six healthy volunteers were enrolled, and [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN SPECT/CT imaging (740 MBq) was performed to estimate the dosimetry. The pilot clinical study included seven mCRPC and four mCSPC patients with prior androgen deprivation therapy. All patients had a recent [¹⁸F]-PSMA-PET/CT scan and were enrolled in this prospective study on their own signed behalf. Volumetric lesion target-to-background ratios (TBRs) were obtained from PET/CT and SPECT/CT images. <b>Results:</b> [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN effective radiation dose was 1.94 ± 0.39 mSv/740 MBq. A total of 178 lesions were detected via CT, 162 via [¹⁸F]-PSMA-1007 PET, and 155 via [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN SPECT. Three patients with mCRPC had higher TBR values on SPECT than on PET. [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN appears to have better lesion detection in patients with aggressive histologic transformation. Two-way ANOVA analysis revealed a significant difference in TBR values between patients with mCRPC and mCSPC (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but no difference between [¹⁸F]-PSMA-1007 and [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN (<i>p</i> > 0.05). In one patient, [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-iPSMA-BN showed a high correlation with [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN for lesions that concentrated radioactivity. <b>Conclusions:</b> [^99mTc]Tc-iPSMA-BN SPECT/CT is a promising alternative not only for diagnostic purposes but also for broadening the spectrum of PC patients who may benefit from radionuclide theranostics. The results justify the development of a clinical trial involving a significant number of patients with PC.

Anuj Singh Parihar, Brahmananda Dutta, Diksha Yadav et al.

In recent years, antioxidants have gained significant attention in the field of dentistry due to their potential therapeutic benefits in various dental conditions. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed analysis of the role of antioxidants in dentistry, focusing on their mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and future prospects. The review highlights the potential of antioxidants in preventing and managing oral diseases, promoting oral health, and enhancing the outcomes of dental treatments.

Ayunanda Risetyaningsih, Novi Yantih, Derriawan Derriawan

Faktor halal adalah salah satu faktor penting untuk konsumen dalam melakukan keputusan pembelian sebuah produk. Apalagi Indonesia adalah salah satu negara dengan jumlah penduduk beragama Islam paling banyak di dunia. Karena itu pemerintah mengeluarkan Peraturan Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 33 tahun 2014 tentang Jaminan Produk Halal, bahwa produk yang beredar di masyarakat belum semua terjamin kehalalannya. Sabun Pembersih Wajah X  salah satu produk yang telah mendapatkan sertifikat halal dan mendapatkan Top Brand Award selama 3 tahun berturut-turut (2020-2022) dengan posisi pertama untuk kategori sabun pembersih wajah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah ada pengaruh label halal, harga, dan kualitas produk terhadap keputusan pembelian dan apakah ada dampaknya pada minat beli ulang pada produk sabun pembersih wajah X. Metode yang digunakan deskriptif kuantitatif, pengumpulan data melalui kuesioner. Analisis data menggunakan teknik SEM (Structural Equation Modelling). Jumlah responden sebanyak 235 orang yang pernah membeli dan menggunakan produk Sabun Pembersih Wajah X selama 6 bulan terakhir. Analisis data menunjukkan bahwa label halal, harga, dan kualitas produk berpengaruh  terhadap keputusan pembelian produk Sabun Pembersih Wajah X, namun tidak semua berpengaruh pada minat beli ulang konsumen. Artinya dengan adanya label halal, harga yang terjangkau, serta kualitas produk yang baik dari Sabun Pembersih Wajah X menjadi faktor yang menentukan untuk konsumen melakukan pembelian produk, namun belum tentu ada minat beli ulang dari konsumen. Label halal, harga dan kualitas produk dapat dijadikan faktor penentu oleh perusahaan, namun untuk minat beli ulang konsumen masih perlu upaya untuk mencari lebih dalam lagi terkait faktor apa saja yang menjadi penentu.

Gabriela Vlăsceanu

Xuyi Yue, Erik Stauff, Shriya Boyapati et al.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurocutaneous disorder. Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign tumors commonly formed in patients with NF1. PNFs have a high incidence of developing into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) with a 5-year survival rate of only 30%. Therefore, the accurate diagnosis and differentiation of MPNSTs from benign PNFs are critical to patient management. We studied a fluorine-18 labeled tryptophan positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, 1-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-L-tryptophan (L-[¹⁸F]FETrp), to detect NF1-associated tumors in an animal model. An ex vivo biodistribution study of L-[¹⁸F]FETrp showed a similar tracer distribution and kinetics between the wild-type and triple mutant mice with the highest uptake in the pancreas. Bone uptake was stable. Brain uptake was low during the 90-min uptake period. Static PET imaging at 60 min post-injection showed L-[¹⁸F]FETrp had a comparable tumor uptake with [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). However, L-[¹⁸F]FETrp showed a significantly higher tumor-to-brain ratio than FDG (<i>n</i> = 4, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Sixty-minute-long dynamic PET scans using the two radiotracers showed similar kidney, liver, and lung kinetics. A dysregulated tryptophan metabolism in NF1 mice was further confirmed using immunohistostaining. L-[¹⁸F]FETrp is warranted to further investigate differentiating malignant NF1 tumors from benign PNFs. The study may reveal the tryptophan–kynurenine pathway as a therapeutic target for treating NF1.

Joshua F. Robinson, Patrick B. Warren, Matthew R. Turner et al.

Aerosols are ubiquitous, and particle capture from particle-laden air as it flows past an obstacle is of widespread practical importance. Neglecting diffusion, previous work has shown that for a smooth curved surface in both Stokes flow and inviscid flow, only particles with inertia above a threshold value (quantified by the nondimensional Stokes number) collide with the surface. Here we show that the critical Stokes number decreases with increasing Reynolds number of the air flow, and the mechanism behind this threshold is the same at all finite Reynolds numbers but becomes qualitatively different in the limit of infinite Reynolds number (inviscid flow). In addition we show that in the latter case (inviscid flow) the threshold is set solely by the flow near the stagnation point, whereas at finite Reynolds numbers the threshold also depends on the flow far from the stagnation point. The threshold also depends on obstacle geometry and we show that fibers whose cross section is flattened along the flow direction have greater size selectivity than fibers with a circular cross section.

Sibghat Mansoor Rana, Muhammad Islam, Hamid Saeed et al.

The 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives <b>Ox-6a-f</b> have been synthesized by incorporating flurbiprofen moiety with the aim to explore the potential of target molecules to decrease the oxidative stress. The title compounds <b>Ox-6a-f</b> were prepared by simple reactions in which a flurbiprofen –COOH group was esterified with methanol in an acid-catalyzed medium, which was then reacted with hydrazine to afford the corresponding hydrazide. The acid hydrazide was then cyclized into 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol by reacting with CS₂ in the presence of KOH. The title compounds <b>Ox-6a-f</b> were synthesized by the reaction of an –SH group with various alkyl/aryl chlorides, which involves an <i>S</i>-alkylation reaction. The structures of the synthesized <b>Ox-6a-f</b> derivatives were ascertained by spectroscopic data. The in silico molecular docking was performed against target proteins cyclooxygenase-2 COX-2 (PDBID 5KIR) and cyclooxygenase-1 COX-1 (PDBID 6Y3C) to determine the binding affinity of the synthesized compounds with these structures. It has been inferred that most of the synthesized compounds bind well with an active binding site of 5KIR compared to 6Y3C, and especially compound <b>Ox-6f</b> showed excellent binding affinity (7.70 kcal/mol) among all synthesized compounds <b>Ox-6a-f</b>. The molecular dynamic (MD) simulation has also been performed to check the stability of docking complexes of ligands with COX-2 by determining their root mean square deviation and root mean square fluctuation. Little fluctuation was observed in case of <b>Ox-6f,</b> which forms the most stable complex with COX-2. The comprehensive antioxidant potential of the synthesized compounds has been evaluated by determining their free radical scavenging activity, including DPPH, OH, nitric oxide (NO), and iron chelation assay. The derivative <b>Ox-6f</b> showed promising results with 80.23% radical scavenging potential at a dose of 100 µg/mL while ascorbic acid exhibited 87.72% inhibition at the same dose. The anti-inflammatory activity of the final products has also been performed, and inflammatory markers were assayed, such as a thiobarbituric acid-reducing substance, nitric oxide, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and COX-2. The derivatives <b>Ox-6d</b> and <b>Ox-6f</b> displayed higher anti-inflammatory activity, exhibiting 70.56% and 74.16% activity, respectively. The results were compared with standard ibuprofen, which showed 84.31% activity at the same dose, 200 µg/mL. The anti-inflammatory potential has been performed by following the carrageen-induced hind paw edema model, and results showed that derivative <b>Ox-6f</b> exhibited 79.83% reduction in edema volume compared to standard ibuprofen, which reduced 84.31% edema volume. As dry lab and wet lab results confirm each other, it has been deduced that derivative <b>Ox-6f</b> may serve as the lead structure to design potent compounds to address oxidative stress.

Thana Thanayutsiri, Thapakorn Charoenying, Prasopchai Patrojanasophon et al.

A new assay of captopril (CTP) tablets was developed based on digital image colorimetry using Ellman’s reagent. For the first time, a facile technique of increasing the analytical path was applied in this work to enhance the sensitivity. For this purpose, the reaction solutions were photographed using a smartphone while they were contained in two 1-cm pathlength cuvettes which were placed side by side. The Red-Green-Blue (RGB) in term of [B/(R+G+B)] was used to plot a standard curve. Compared to using a single cuvette, double cuvettes resulted in more precise analytical signals and better linearity (r2 of 0.9992). Additionally, CTP could be analyzed at low concentrations (2.5–25 µM) with LOD of 0.70 µM and LOQ of 2.13 µM, thus lowering the reagent consumption. The assay was proven to be valid, and it was greener, faster, and more affordable than the pharmacopeial chromatographic method, thereby suitable for pharmaceutical quality control.

Kyriakos Stylianopoulos, George Alexandropoulos, Chongwen Huang et al.

The emergent technology of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) has the potential to transform wireless environments into controllable systems, through programmable propagation of information-bearing signals. Techniques stemming from the field of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) have recently gained popularity in maximizing the sum-rate performance in multi-user communication systems empowered by RISs. Such approaches are commonly based on Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). In this paper, we instead investigate the sum-rate design problem under the scope of the Multi-Armed Bandits (MAB) setting, which is a relaxation of the MDP framework. Nevertheless, in many cases, the MAB formulation is more appropriate to the channel and system models under the assumptions typically made in the RIS literature. To this end, we propose a simpler DRL approach for orchestrating multiple metasurfaces in RIS-empowered multi-user Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) systems, which we numerically show to perform equally well with a state-of-the-art MDP-based approach, while being less demanding computationally.

Victor Schetinger, Velitchko Filipov, Ignacio Pérez-Messina et al.

In this manifesto, we put forward the idea of data alchemy as a narrative device to discuss storytelling and transdisciplinarity in visualization. If data is the prima materia of modern science, how does one perform the Great Work? We use text-to-image diffusion-based generative art to develop the concept, and structure our argument in ten propositions, as if they were ten issues of a comic novel on data alchemy: Ad Disco Diffusionem. To follow the argument, the reader must immerse themselves in our miro board, and navigate a multimedia semiotic topology that includes comics, videos, code demos, and ergotic literature in a true alchemic sense. By accessing this paradigm one might find new sources of inspiration for scientific inquiry in familiar places, or get lost in the creative exploration of the unknown. Our colorful, sometimes poetic, exposition should not distract the reader from the seriousness of the ideas discussed, but ultimately it is about the journey.