Heliyon最新文献

New developments in the field of chemical graph theory have made it easier to comprehend how chemical structures relate to the graphs that underlie them on a more profound level using the ideas of classical graph theory. Chemical graphs can be effectively probed with the help of quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) analysis. In order to statistically correlate physical attributes. Earlier research on medications motivated us to explore the quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) of babesiosis. We examined the babesiosis drugs data and used topological indices to do this. A measurement that reflects the theoretical characteristics of drugs is a topological index. The chemical structures of drugs that relieve pain are studied using well-known degree-based topological indices. Mepron, azithromycin, clindamycin, imidocarb, triclosan and other medications are among them. These drugs are administered to minimize or eliminate the discomfort that is felt in the affected location. The chemical structure of a molecule is represented as a graph. Further research into topological indices' QSPR analysis revealed so as a substantial link with the physical characteristics of drugs utilized in the production of drugs to halt the disease. The analysis of topological indices served as evidence for this. The results demonstrate how well the QSPR experiments on applying regression technique are useful in development of novel drugs for babesiosis and predict the characteristics of babesiosis drugs. The usefulness of applying TIs in this situation is demonstrated by the linear regression model's minimum error and correct prediction of these attributes.

Background: Variants in the CLUSTERIN gene have been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease and are linked to decreased white matter integrity in healthy adults. However, the specific role for clusterin in myelin maintenance in the context of Alzheimer's disease remains unclear.

Methods: We employed a combination of immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy techniques, primary culture of OPCs, and an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

Results: We found that phagocytosis of debris such as amyloid beta, myelin, and apoptotic cells, increases clusterin expression in oligodendrocyte progenitors. We further discovered that exposure to clusterin inhibits differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitors. Mechanistically, clusterin blunts production of IL-9 and addition of exogenous IL-9 can rescue clusterin-inhibited myelination. Lastly, we demonstrate that clusterin deletion in mice prevents myelin loss in the 5XFAD model.

Discussion: Our data suggest that clusterin could play a key role in Alzheimer's disease myelin pathology.

This study examined lecturers' teaching competencies at universities in the attempt to improve the teaching and learning process by considering students' perspectives. Specifically, the study examined indicators of lecturers' teaching competencies in universities as well as establishing whether there is a relationship between students' perceived lecturers' teaching competencies and students' demographic parameters. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to generate data from 422 undergraduate students from three public universities in Tanzania using a questionnaire. Means, standard deviations, percentages and the independent T-test were used to analyse data. Experts and peer reviews were carried out to determine the validity of the study. The study's reliability was assessed using Cronbach Alpha in which content competency = 0.889, pedagogical competency = 0.809, assessment and evaluation skills = 0.701, and technological competency = 0.777 show acceptance of theoretical constructs. From the findings, students perceived content, pedagogical, assessment and technological competencies are key indicators of lecturers' teaching competencies that improve the teaching and learning process. Based on demographic factors, there was no relationship among the four variables. These findings imply that university lecturers are required to possess and master the perceived competencies and see how best they connect these competencies to students' needs, beliefs and aspirations during their teaching processes. Thus, in designing their lesson, lecturers have to consider the four teaching competencies, which in turn may improve students' performance. The study recommends a policy guideline by the Tanzania Commission for Universities for academicians to undergo training on assessment, pedagogy and technology. This will help lecturers to develop a common understanding of the teaching competencies and maintain teaching quality. Furthermore, universities should mobilize their resources and set aside enough funds to buy ICT facilities so that lecturers can easily integrate technology into their teaching processes so as to meet the current demand for technological advancement.

Village development in Indonesia has become the national development agenda prioritized in conjunction with the enactment of the Village Law in 2014. Village development through smart village is considered relevant to the current era's progress and rapid technological advancements. Smart village is often defined as the concept of village development based on the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT). This research aims to identify the locations of smart village and analyze the role of ICT as determining factor for the smart village concept in Indonesia. The data on smart village locations are collected from the regulations of the Ministry of Village and literature obtained through internet browsing. The research was conducted using a quantitative descriptive approach and supported by spatial analysis. The exploration of determining factors for the smart village concept involves 12 variables sourced from the Village Potential data in 2021 and analyzed statistically using factor analysis. The results indicate that there are 1.424 villages developed as smart village until 2023 and their locations are spread across 32 provinces on all islands in Indonesia. The results show that ICT is one of the determining factors in the smart village concept in Indonesia through the utilization of village information systems in government (explained 15,972 % variance), community interest in ICT (explained 10,628 % variance), and the availability of communication access (explained 8509 % variance). However, ICT is not the only determining factor, but there are also internal village factors: community participation (explained 11,299 % variance) and leadership (explained 9137 % variance). From these findings, it implies that smart village development policies need to pay attention to the conditions of society as the subject and object of development, supported by the government's ability to provide adequate infrastructure. This research is a pioneer and provides real innovation in smart village studies so that it can be a reference for similar studies in the future, both in smaller areas (provinces/regencies), or countries with conditions similar to Indonesia.

The Al₂O₃: Cr³⁺ light-converting materials were successfully synthesized via co-precipitation, resulting in a grain size ranging from 100 to 400 nm. Under excitation wavelengths spanning from 360 to 650 nm, a distinct near-infrared (NIR) emission at 695 nm was observed. Through optimization, it has been established that a Cr³⁺ doping concentration of 1.0 mol% results from the optimal emission intensity. The material shows relatively stable in water and it was employed to cultivate the H9C2 cells, and the NIR emission from the cells was observed, indicating the successful absorption of the material by the cells. Additionally, the toxicity of the material was examined, by reducing the concentration to 2 nM/mL, the toxicity of the material was significantly reduced to a promising level. Therefore, the suitable grain size, NIR emission and the biocompatibility renders this material a candidate in cell imaging.

Population growth has led to excessive land use, affecting soil suitability and sustainability. Detailed soil characterization and land evaluation for various land uses are essential steps toward achieving food security and sustaining the environment. This study classifies soils and assesses their suitability for tomato cultivation using the FAO Land Assessment Framework and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model. The land use requirements were matched with land suitability criteria, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the relative importance of each evaluation criterion. Soil morphological and physicochemical properties were analyzed across different land uses. Based on USDA Soil Taxonomy, the soils under land use HK1 were identified as Typic Endoaqualfs, HK2 as Typic Albaqualfs and Inceptic Haplustalfs, while HK3 was categorized as Typic Haplustalfs and Typic Plinthaqualfs. The World Reference Base classification system identified these soils as Gleysols for soil unit HK1, Luvisols for pedon HK2P1, and Lixisols for the remaining soil units. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the AHP method in logically determining the weights of multiple parameters in a multi-criterion approach. The results show that 89.73 % of the area is highly suitable for tomato cultivation, while 10.27 % is moderately suitable. The primary limitations of these soils are low fertility and poor drainage. The study suggests that management techniques including incorporation of organic matter, inorganic fertilizers and improved drainage conditions are needed for sustainable productivity.

Background: Entrapment neuropathies, marked by nerve compression at various anatomical sites, can be effectively managed using conservative approaches like injections. Dextrose 5 % water injection has emerged as a potential therapy by reducing inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration. We aimed to evaluate dextrose injection's efficacy in treating entrapment neuropathies in upper extremities.

Method: We systematically searched EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Our eligibility criteria included participants aged 18 and older who had peripheral upper limb nerve entrapment from non-metabolic and non-traumatic sources. These participants were treated with dextrose injection compared to those receiving other injectables, such as corticosteroids and non-corticosteroid medications. The primary outcome was pain, with secondary outcomes including function, ultrasonographic, and electrodiagnostic findings. The quality of the clinical trials was assessed using Cochrane tools. Random-effect model was employed for meta-analysis.

Results: Thirteen studies, involving 754 patients, were included, with only two showing serious bias risk. Initial findings indicate significant pain relief with dextrose injection within a short time (≤4 weeks) compared to normal saline (MD: -1.30, 95%CI: -2.12; -0.47). Dextrose also demonstrated a significant pain decrease compared to corticosteroids (MD: -0.81, 95 % CI: -1.40; -0.21) with low heterogeneity (I² = 9 %, P = 0.36), and significantly improved function (MD = -0.46, 95 % CI: -0.76; -0.16) with low heterogeneity (I² = 17 %, P = 0.31) in mid-term (one to six months).

Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests dextrose injection as an effective therapy for managing pain and restoring function in entrapment neuropathies. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings and establish optimal dosing regimens and injection protocols. Healthcare providers should consider integrating dextrose injection into their treatment strategies for patients with entrapment neuropathies.

Recently, researchers have used silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) coupled with humic acid (HA) as antimicrobial agents. Herein, AgNPs were prepared and coupled with humic acid for their antimicrobial activities. The as-prepared AgNPs coupled with humic acid (HA) were characterized by an atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, zeta sizer, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Moreover, human plasma, varied salt concentrations, and pH levels were used for stability confirmation using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The antibacterial activities and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of coupled AgNPs were determined by disk diffusion and broth dilution methods, respectively, against identified Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogene, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, which are extracted from cow dung. AgNPs' peak in the UV-Vis spectral range showed maximal absorption at 415 nm. The coupled AgNPs displayed their distinctive peak under all circumstances, demonstrating their stability. The FT-IR displayed functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxylic acids, carbonyl, ester, and ether groups. The particles were face-centered cubic (FCC) in structure, according to the XRD. Moreover, particles had a spherical shape, high negative zeta potential, and were polydisperse in nature, with an average size of 25.43 nm. The minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of AgNPs was found to be 2.5 mg/mL, and the MBC of AgNPs/HA was found to be 5 mg/mL. The result indicated that the as-synthesizedAgNPs/HA are more effective in inhibiting all the studied microorganisms, which can be attributed to the therapeutic use of nanoparticles coated with humic acids.

Convexity and fractional integral operators are closely related due to their fascinating properties in the mathematical sciences. In this article, we first establish an identity for the modified Atangana-Baleanu (MAB) fractional integral operators. Using this identity, we then apply Jensen integral inequality, Young's inequality, power-mean inequality, and Hölder inequality to prove several new generalizations of Ostrowski type inequality for the convexity of $\left|\aleph \right|$ . From the primary findings, we also deduced a few new special cases. The results of this investigation are expected to indicate new advances in the study of fractional integral inequalities.

The rapidly increasing number of elderly people in the world highlights the need for the development of innovative foods with modified textures that do not expose the elderly to the risks associated with food consumption (risk of aspiration, suffocation, and chocking). Providing specific food such as edible gel for the elderly population and the study of their properties is a challenge for the scientific community. There are some available gels in the supermarkets destined for the sports population, with specific texture and technological properties that could be used and extrapolated for senior people. To explore this potential, five types of sport commercial gels purchased from a local Slovak market were characterized in order to evaluate their technological properties and to know if these types of gels are suitable for the senior population. The energy gels were evaluated using acceptance testing, involving 75 seniors who evaluated important organoleptic attributes by a combination of hedonic and intensity scales. The same consumer panel then profiled the gels using the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) technique. The prevalence of food neophobia was measured with the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and also using neuroimaging and biometric methods. The results suggest that there are significant differences in the perception of edible gels, as confirmed by measurements via electroencephalography (EEG) and Facereading. We conclude by suggesting the potential of specific foods such as edible gels for the elderly population as our findings also confirm that the composition of these specific and sustainable foods may elicit different perceptions. This highlights the need to use biometric and neuroimaging methods in food research in order to create more optimal formulations for specific populations.