The experimental synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene has opened the door for its application in many catalytically important processes and to name a few are deoxygenation and hydrotreatment of raw bio-oil and/or its model compounds. In this study, the authors reported the properties of nitrogen doped graphene which include the electron density distribution, charge distribution, electrostatic potential, etc. Subsequently, the adsorption characteristics such as the charge transfer, adsorption energy, dipole moment change, etc are presented for the bio-oil model compound (phenol and guaiacol) to realise the potential of nitrogen doped graphene in bio-oil upgrading. Density functional theory (DFT) method is employed for calculating all aforementioned properties. The present approach of obtaining surface adsorption characteristics on N-doped graphene has also been validated with appropriate comparison with the literature results for the case of CO2 adsorption over N-doped graphene; and found excellent agreement. It is found that doping with nitrogen significantly alters the electronic properties of graphene in a favourable manner; and the same is witnessed in terms of highly irregular spin density distribution and charge distribution. For a strong adsorption, either a high charge transfer between the catalyst and the model compound, and/or a strong delocalization of the charge on the surface is found to be beneficial. Both phenol and guaiacol adsorption have similar adsorption energy on non-defective and defective nitrogen doped graphene. Although increasing the nitrogen atoms in the sheet altered the electronic properties to a larger degree than single nitrogen doping; however, the adsorption strength does not appear to change.

Using the Full Potential Linearized Augmented Plane Wave FP-LAPW, as implemented in the Wien2k package. The structural, electronic, magnetic and elastic properties of the Half Heusler (HH) RhNbGe and RhNbSn were investigated. The Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) and the Tran-Blaha-modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential method (TB-mBJ) was applied to model the exchange correlation potential. Our results show that the both compounds studied are mechanically stable. Moreover, RhNbZ (Z:Ge,Sn) presents a semiconductor behavior obeying the Slater-Pauling rule. The thermodynamic properties, in particular the Bulk modulus, the heat capacity, the Debye temperature and the thermal expansion coefficients of the two alloys are investigated using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The semi-classical Boltzmann theory, as implemented in the BoltzTraP code, is used to study thermoelectric properties. The high values obtained figures of merit ZT of RhNbGe and RhNbSn compounds make them promising candidates for thermoelectric applications at low and high temperatures.

In this work, we focus on the following non-linear fourth order SBVP \begin{eqnarray} \nonumber \frac{1}{r}\left[ r \left\lbrace \frac{1}{r} \left(r \phi’ \right)^{’} \right\rbrace^{’}\right]^{’}=\frac{\phi’ \phi’‘}{r}+\lambda, \end{eqnarray} where $\lambda$ is a parameter. We convert this non-linear differential equation into third order non-linear differential equation, which is given by \begin{eqnarray} \nonumber \frac{1}{r}\left[ r \left\lbrace \frac{1}{r} \left(r y \right)^{’} \right\rbrace^{’}\right]^{’}=\frac{y y’}{r}+\lambda. \end{eqnarray} The problem is singular, non self adjoint, nonlinear. Moreover, depending upon $\lambda$, it admits multiple solutions. Hence, it is too difficult to capture these solutions by any discrete method such as finite difference etc. Here we propose an iterative technique by using homotopy perturbation method (HPM) with the help of variational iteration method (VIM) in a suitable way. We compute these solutions numerically. Convergence of this series solution is studied in a novel way. For small positive values of $\lambda$, singular BVP has two solutions while solutions can not be found for large positive values of $\lambda$. Furthermore, we also find dual solutions for $\lambda <0$.

Aerobic cellular respiration provides chemical energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), to maintain multiple cellular functions. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) can deacetylate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) to promote mitochondrial biosynthesis. Targeting energy metabolism is a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as cardiac and neurological disorders. Ginsenosides, one of the major bioactive constituents of Panax ginseng, have been extensively used due to their diverse beneficial effects on healthy subjects and patients with different diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of total ginsenosides (GS) on energy metabolism remain unclear. In this study, oxygen consumption rate, ATP production, mitochondrial biosynthesis, glucose metabolism, and SIRT1-PGC-1α pathways in untreated and GS-treated different cells, fly, and mouse models were investigated. GS pretreatment enhanced mitochondrial respiration capacity and ATP production in aerobic respiration-dominated cardiomyocytes and neurons, and promoted tricarboxylic acid metabolism in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, GS clearly enhanced NAD+-dependent SIRT1 activation to increase mitochondrial biosynthesis in cardiomyocytes and neurons, which was completely abrogated by nicotinamide. In addition, GS had protective effects against hypoxia- or oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cardiomyocyte damage through activation of the SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway. Importantly, ginsenoside monomers, such as Rg1, Re, Rf, Rb1, Rc, Rh1, Rb2, and Rb3, were found to activate SIRT1 and promote energy metabolism. This study may provide new insights into the extensive application of ginseng for cardiac and neurological protection in healthy subjects and patients with ischemic disorders.

An 18-year-old female patient came with the complaint of abdominal pain and diagnosed with some non-mobile mass above the umbilical level which further ruled as big cysts like upon USG. Upon Surgical intervention, it was turned out as a Benign Papillary Serous tumor which was confirmed diagnosis upon histopathological examination.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a member of the Coronaviridae family that causes the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA enveloped virus that firstly emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 over the 21st century. It is rapidly spread by human-to-human transmission through droplets or airborne particles. COVID-19 can be complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe pneumonia, depending on ACE2 and Spike protein (as viral surface protein). It is required a proper defense mechanism for the body to be healthy in fighting back against infectious diseases, especially COVID-19. Since there are no wholly approved drugs, vaccines, or clinical prevention for this disease at the moment, it is essential to focus on natural resistance systems, which play critical roles in supporting the immune system defense function against COVID-19. The severity of COVID-19 is characterized by an increase in acute phase reactants and pro-inflammatory cytokines; ferritin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β. Numerous shreds of evidence propose that immune homeostasis, genetic susceptibility, dietary interventions, supplementation, and the environment can have an imperative role in controlling the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and infected patients’ prognosis. In the current study, we proposed a comprehensive overview of the considerable part of natural resistance in the COVID-19 forecast, whether it may afford protection to COVID-19. All in all, multidisciplinary investigations have been done and need to be done to identify the clinical implications of natural interventions and natural resistance potential in COVID-19 susceptibility

Vertical root segregation can be a key underpinning of species co-existence through below-ground niche partitioning but has rarely been tested in diverse forest communities. We randomly sampled > 4000 root samples from 625 0-30 cm soil profiles in a subtropical forest in China to determine the degree of vertical root segregation among 109 woody species and rooting plasticity in response to edaphic heterogeneity and root neighbours. Over 85% of species were predominantly distributed in the 0-10 cm soil zone, exhibiting low and inconsistent rooting plasticity in response to either edaphic heterogeneity or root neighbours. There was no evidence of vertical root segregation among co-occurring species. Contrastingly, the increase of one species’ root abundance tended to increase, but not reduce other species’ root abundance within soil zones. These findings suggest that interspecific differentiation of resource acquisition strategies might be more important than root segregation in mediating species co-existence in diverse forests.

Various host and parasite factors interact to determine the outcome of infection. We investigated the effects of initial infectious dose and co-infection with a red blood cell-limiting helminth on the within-host dynamics of murine malaria. Using a time-series approach to model the within-host “epidemiology” of malaria, we found that increasing initial dose reduced time to peak cell-to-cell parasite propagation, but also reduced its magnitude, while helminth co-infection delayed peak malaria propagation, except at the highest malaria doses. Using a mechanistic model of within-host dynamics, we identified dose-dependence in parameters describing host responses to malaria infection and uncovered a plausible explanation of the observed differences during co-infections: in co-infections, our model predicted a higher background death rate of RBCs combined with greater influx of new RBCs. Such interactions are key to understanding variation in disease severity, and could inform field studies of malaria, where co-infection and low doses are the norm.

Communities are shaped by the activity of ecosystem engineers, which modify their environment to their benefit and that of subordinate species within their functional domain. Communities are defined as embedded assemblages of interactions, from cells to landscapes. They are threatened by present-day global changes which trigger the invasive nature of ecological engineers, with cascading effects.

ABSTRACT Background: Sorafenib is an anticancer drug used in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and advanced renal cell carcinoma. It is a substrate for the human OATP1B1. This study aimed to assess the role of OATP1B1 in transportation and uptake of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma and how OATP1B1 affects the pharmacodynamics of sorafenib in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Sorafenib transport was measured in HepG2, HepG2-OATP1B1*1a, HepG2-OATP1B1*1b, HepG2-OATP1B1*15, LO2, LO2-OATP1B1*1a, LO2-OATP1B1*1b, and LO2-OATP1B1*15 cells, as well as in HepG2 cells transfected with miR-148a mimics. The cell viability and apoptosis rate of cells treated with sorafenib were evaluated. A liver cancer rat model was established to explore the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sorafenib after overexpression of Oatp2. Results: Changes in expression and genetic mutations of OATP1B1 significantly affected the uptake of sorafenib in HepG2 and LO2 transgenic cells, and sorafenib uptake by HepG2 was higher than that by LO2. Genetic mutations of OATP1B1 significantly affected the cell viability and apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells after sorafenib treatment. Compared to control HepG2 cells, miR-148a mimic-transfected HepG2 cells had decreased sorafenib uptake. The inhibitory effect of sorafenib on cell growth was weakened. PCN significantly increased the expression of Oatp2 and affected the pharmacokinetics of sorafenib. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels and microvascular density in tumor-adjacent tissues decreased significantly, suggesting that increased Oatp2 expression improves the treatment effect of sorafenib in a rat model of liver cancer. Conclusions: OATP1B1 plays an important role in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common liver malignant tumor in childhood and is related to premature delivery and low birth weight. Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is also related to premature delivery and low birth weight. We report two patients who were diagnosed as hepatoblastoma after having a history of NEC, and they are not common in hepatoblastoma due to their particularity. Premature delivery and low birth weight are the common factors leading to the onset of HB and NEC. The correlation between the two needs further study.

Introduction With the COVID-19 pandemic, a “new normal” on how surgeons and intensivists perform tracheotomy in COVID-19 patients is essential. We aim to summarize the recommendations and present the supporting evidence of these recommendations. Methods A search of published works on tracheotomy, tracheostomy, COVID-19, novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE/Cochrane Library. Articles relevant to the practice of tracheotomy on patients with COVID-19 were selected. The articles were then reviewed and divided into 4 key categories: 1) Personal protective equipment (PPE) in COVID-19 positive patients, 2) Adjunctive measures of airway management before definitive intervention in COVID-19 positive patients; 3) Timing of tracheotomy in COVID-19 positive patients; and 4) Perioperative considerations in performing tracheotomy in COVID-19 positive patients. Results and key points Firstly, enhanced PPE is recommended during tracheotomy of COVID-19 positive patients. Secondly, adjunctive airway management before definitive intervention includes the use of high flow nasal cannulas (HFNC). Thirdly, non-invasive ventilation via continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines are not recommended. Fourth, the general consensus suggests that timing of tracheotomy should be at least 10 days after intubation. Finally, percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy (PDT) is likely to be associated with a lower risk of transmission of the virus to healthcare workers (HCW) than a surgical tracheotomy (ST). Other key precautions would include minimizing the use of diathermy. Conclusions The “new normal” workflow summarizes the ideal recommendations across published societal guidelines. Enhanced PPE should be recommended whenever possible. Adjunctive measures before definitive intervention of COVID-19 patients should be limited to the use of HFNC, and CPAP/BiPAP should be avoided. Tracheotomy should be performed after 10 days, although the long term sequelae of tracheal stenosis and pulmonary fibrosis should be ascertained with this approach.

Background Sleep disruption is prevalent in childhood cancer survivors. However, no validated instrument is available to assess this symptom. We translated and adapted the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for Hong Kong Chinese cancer survivors and examined its psychometric properties and factor structure. Procedure A cross-sectional study was conducted. A convenience sample of 402 Hong Kong Chinese childhood cancer survivors aged 6–18 years were asked to complete the Chinese version of the PSQI, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC), Fatigue Scale-Child (FS-C)/Fatigue Scale-Adolescent (FS-A), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). To assess known-group validity, 50 pediatric cancer patients and 50 healthy counterparts were recruited. A sample of 40 survivors was invited to respond to the PSQI again 2 weeks later to assess test–retest reliability. Results The Chinese version of the PSQI had a Cronbach alpha of 0.71, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.90. Childhood cancer survivors showed significantly lower mean PSQI scores than children with cancer, and significantly higher mean scores than healthy counterparts. We observed positive correlations between PSQI and CES-DC scores and between PSQI and FS-A/FS-C scores, but a negative correlation between PSQI and PedsQL scores. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the translated PSQI data best fit a three-factor model. The best cutoff score to detect insomnia was 4.5. Conclusions The Chinese version of the PSQI is a reliable and valid instrument to assess subjective sleep quality among Hong Kong Chinese childhood cancer survivors.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common congenital defect in adults; its closure with an occluder device is safe with excellent clinical results. A rare and potentially fatal complication of this procedure is the device embolization. We report a case of a 52-year-old man with bicuspid aortic valve and surgically corrected aortic coarctation in which a PFO occluder device migrated to the abdominal aorta.

Retinoblastoma is the most common ocular tumor of childhood with cure rates exceeding 95%. Patients with high-risk features typically relapse within 3 years of diagnosis. We report a patient with low-risk bilateral retinoblastoma who suffered systemic relapse after eight years. His disease at first relapse was chemosensitive without PET avidity or bone marrow disease following therapy. Six months later, he experienced an isolated CNS relapse and succumbed to refractory disease. “Oncoseq” exome sequencing confirmed the presence of germline RB mutation among all tissues as well as somatic changes which may provide insights into the biology of relapse and tumor.

Background: The safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass (MGB) versus laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes of MGB and LSG procedures performed in bariatric surgery. Methods: A total of 363 patients who underwent MGB and LSG surgery between 2016 and 2018 at a single metabolic surgery center were analyzed retrospectively. Two surgical procedures were compared in terms of the perioperative, early and late postoperative outcomes. Results: There were 225 patients in the MGB group and 138 patients in the LSG group. No significant difference was found between the groups regarding the operating time, the conversion to open surgery and the early postoperative complications (p>0.05). The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the MGB group (p:0.001). The excess weight loss (EWL) was significantly higher in the MGB group (90.3 ± 13 vs. 79.2 ± 16). No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the remission rates of comorbidities. The symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease were observed in a significantly fewer number of the patients in the MGB group (6 patients 4.9% vs. 10 patients 18.5%). Conclusions: The MGB procedure is superior to the LSG in terms of the length of hospital stay, EWL, and the postoperative gastroesophageal reflux parameters.

p53, a tumor suppressor protein, is essential for preventing cancer development. Although individual domains of the human p53 have been well analyzed, no study has experimentally revealed a full-length structure of human wild-type p53 protein at atomistic level. The presence of all human p53 domains in one structure will help in showing the correlated interactions among these domains, thus, leading to enhance our understanding about the dynamics of this protein and its mutant forms. In this study we have modeled five human p53 forms, namely, inactive, distal-active, proximal-active, distal-mutant, and proximal-mutant forms. These forms have been investigated in this study by gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations in OPC water model at physiological temperature and pH. On the basis of the observed dynamical patterns, all wild-type forms can achieve better conformational stability through dimerization or tetramerization process. The dynamical patterns and free-energy profiles of the wild-type forms highlight the most vulnerable sites to mutations; that is, p53–DNA and p53–p53 interfaces. On the other hand, principal component and clustering analysis methods on Arg175His mutant forms reveal two distinct conformational states (clusters); extended and compact clusters. The two clusters of each mutant form reveal negative cavities near the mutation site, which can be used for drug screening studies. The observed compact structures in the conformations of Arg175His mutant forms may indicate formation of aggregation.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the value of speckle tracing imaging (STI) for assessment of left atrial (LA) function in uremic patients. Methods. One hundred uremic patients were divided into four groups according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) criteria. Thirty healthy participants were enrolled as a control group. LA functional parameters were determined using conventional echocardiography. The strain rate (SR) curve of LA wall was prepared using STI, and SR in different phases of cardiac cycle were obtained. +Results. The LA maximal volume (LAVmax) increased and LA passive ejection fraction (LAPEF) decreased. The LA active ejection fraction (LAAEF) showed an initial increase followed by a decrease (all p<0.05). The SR of LA lateral wall and interatrial septum (IAS) in systole (SRs-LA, SRs-IAS) and early diastole (SRe-LA, SRe-IAS) showed a steady decrease; the SR of LA lateral and IAS in late diastole (SRa-LA, SRa-IAS) showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. Compared with control group, the SRs-LA and SRs-IAS decreased in four groups with uremia (all p<0.05). A positive correlation was observed between LAPEF and the absolute value of mean peak early diastolic SR (|mSRe|) (r=0.862, p<0.05), and between LAAEF and the absolute value of mean peak late diastolic SR (|mSRa|) (r=0.756, p<0.05). LAVmax showed a negative correlation with mean peak systolic SR (mSRs) (r=-0.878, p<0.05). Conclusion. There was a significant correlation between LA function and LA strain rate in uremic patients. STI can allow for an objective and accurate evaluation of LA function in uremic patients.

Sea level rise has accelerated during recent decades, exceeding rates recorded during the previous two millennia1. Many coastal habitats and species around the globe are vanishing2. This situation is expected to worsen due to anthropogenically induced climate change. However, the magnitude and relevance of expected increase in sea level rise (SLR) for marine and terrestrial species reliant on coastal habitat for foraging, resting or breeding is unknown. We combined freely available digital elevation models for continental and remote island beaches across ocean basins with field data and sea level rise projections to explore the potential impact of SLR under various IPCC SLR scenarios on sea turtle nesting habitats at some of the largest rookeries worldwide. The study sites host five out of seven living species and all of them are categorized from vulnerable to critically endangered3 and essential due to sea turtles return to natal beaches to nest4. Our results confirm that the majority of sea turtle nesting habitat could vanish within the next few decades, leading to the depletion of many populations worldwide. Thus, even under moderate climate change scenarios, a large proportion of sea turtle nesting habitat will be flooded by 2050 and not survive to the end of the century. Overall, nesting populations with a low steep beaches slope and those species nesting at open beaches such as leatherback and loggerheads sea turtles might be the most affected under future SLR scenarios.

Purpose To investigate the predictive value of peripheral serum biomarkers such as albumin - globulin ratio (AGR) and eosinophilic - neutrophil ratio (ENR) in the advanced malignant tumors with anti-PD-1/PD-L1. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical efficacy of 95 patients with advanced metastatic malignancies treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor from January 1, 2017 to May 1, 2020 in our cancer center. The predictive value of baseline AGR, baseline ENR, baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other serum biomarkers was evaluated. We also develop a risk scoring tool and draw a Nomogram. Results The disease control rate was 64.2%, and the median progression-free survival(PFS) was 108 days. Univariate COX analysis showed that age, NLR, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS), platelet-neutrophil ratio (PLR), ENR, AGR), LDH, treatment lines, and treatment were closely correlated with PFS. Multivariate COX analysis showed that age, AGR, ENR, and treatment were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The low-risk group (-4~0 points) had significantly higher PFS than the high-risk group (1~3 points) when the risk scoring tool was constructed based on COX regression model. The Nomogram Concordia Index (C-index) with independent prognostic factors was 0.716. Conclusions Baseline AGR and baseline ENR may be effective biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 in the advanced malignant tumors, and their clinical value needs to be verified by further large-sample and prospective studies.

In this paper, we introduce the concept of neutrosophic $G$-sequential continuity as a new tool to further studies presenting the definitions of neutrosophic soft sequence, neutrosophic soft quasi-coincidence, neutrosophic soft $q$-neighborhood, neutrosophic soft cluster point, neutrosophic soft boundary point, neutrosophic soft sequential closure, neutrosophic soft group, neutrosophic soft method, which constitute a base to define the concepts of neutrosophic soft $G$-sequential closure, neutrosophic soft $G$-sequential derived set, $G$-sequentially neutrosophic soft compactness of a subset of a neutrosophic soft topological space. Their characters are analyzed and some implications are given. A counterexample to each implication is also given.

A middle-aged woman presented to the emergency department with unspecific symptoms developing over 2 weeks. Multimodality imaging revealed a large mass filling the left atrium with a large base adherent to the fossa ovalis and flow obstruction. After surgical extraction, the anatomopathological analysis was compatible with a primary benign cardiac tumor.

Background: Haemolytic disease of the newborn is often secondary to ABO incompatibility, the routine practice of early discharge of newborns leads to a higher occurrence rate for hyperbilirubinemia. We aim to compare the probability of ABO incompatibility and the prevalence of ABO haemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO HDN) and investigate the clinical characteristics of ABO HDN to identify risk factor for ABO HDN. Procedure: The blood type of 85 590 blood donors and the inpatient medical records of 471 ABO HDN were analysed retrospectively. Results: The possibility of a blood group O woman giving birth to a non-group-O infant should be 13.28%; however, only 6.03% of newborns had ABO HDN. 49.46% of total ABO HDN newborns developed disease due to anti-A antibody and 50.54%, due to anti-B. No significant difference was found in group A and B newborns in haemoglobin and peak total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels, but lower haemoglobin values were observed in ABO HDN infants with a positive direct anti-globulin test (DAT). Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between the postnatal age of admission and peak TSB levels was 0.54. When severe hyperbilirubinemia developed, the peak TSB levels increased gradually with the increase in postnatal age of admission. Conclusion: For ABO-incompatible mother-infant pairs, timely monitoring is advised, since early hospitalization and appropriate interventions, if necessary, can reduce the risk of severe hyperbilirubinemia, especially for DAT-positive newborns.

Elaboration of rheological behavior of phosphoric acids H 3 PO 4 is very important. In this paper we elaborated experimentally the rheological behavior of various phosphoric acids produced in Jorf-Lasfar phosphoric plant in Morocco, including phosphoric acids (PA) of 18%, 29%, 42% and 54% in P 2 O 5. Thus, we studied the effect of temperature and density on the rheological behavior of (PA) and the influence of magnesium monoxide derived from phosphate rock, which has a remarkable impact on the viscosity of (PA). Rheological measurements are made by the rotary cylinder rheometer over the range of shear rates (1 - 1000 S -1). We also were interested to establish the fluid-flow activation energy (Ea) corresponding to each acid. Our study has been completed by modeling all the rheological profiles of the acids by the regression of these profiles to the empirical models of Casson, Bingham, Power-Law and Herschel-Buckley.