Search Results (80)

Traffic congestion is a problem in urban traffic that needs to be monitored and managed intelligently. In this study, a hybrid traffic management system is designed based on a combination of drone vision, large language model (LLM) inferences, and deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Using drones videos of real-time traffic, the lightweight You Only Look Once v11 model detects vehicles, and after, traffic flow levels are identified by the proposed LLM agent. A Circular-Deep Q-Networks-based DRL controller is proposed to reduce the average waiting time of vehicles. Simulation experiments validate improved congestion detection, reduced delay, and more effective communication for smart city traffic control. Full article

Glioblastoma (GB) is an aggressive brain cancer with high microvascular proliferation. The pathological angiogenesis leads to accelerated tumour invasion and diffused infiltration into the surrounding brain tissues, with a tragically short survival rate. Various transmembrane proteins, which are embedded on the glioblastoma cancer cell surface, interact with diverse extracellular ligands/molecules present in the tumor micro-environment. These ligands play a crucial role in the development, progression, and therapeutic resistance. In the present study, we systematically screened multiple transmembrane protein receptors, and their extracellular ligands involved/implicated in GB cancer cell progression. Additionally, we analyzed the homotypic and heterotypic protein associations within glioblastoma cancer cells to better understand their role in tumor development. Ten well-known and clinically approved GB cancer drugs were selected and retrieved from online databases for molecular docking analyses with extracellular proteins. Among the different ligands analyzed, computational analysis revealed a strong interaction between fibronectin (PDB ID: 3VI4) and the majority of GB surface receptors. Furthermore, molecular docking studies between GB-approved drugs and fibronectin demonstrated the strongest binding interaction with Irinotecan, followed by Etoposide, Vincristine, etc. In conclusion, identification of ligand-drugs interactions provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying GB cancer cell development and potential avenues for therapeutic inhibition strategies. Our study demonstrated that Irinotecan, Etoposide, and Vincristine exhibit strong binding interactions with fibronectin, effectively disrupting its interaction with surface receptor(s). Since fibronectin receptor interactions play a crucial role in GB tumor progression, these findings suggest that targeting fibronectin could present a promising strategy to inhibit GB cell proliferation and invasion. Full article

This paper utilises teleseismic Z-component data to investigate rupture propagation, extent, and velocity for two very destructive earthquakes in the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ): the $M_w$ = 7.8 earthquake near Kahramanmaras and the largest ($M_w$ = 7.5 s) aftershock at Elbistan (both on 6 February 2023). The extent of the rupture is modelled with beamforming and multichannel signal classification. The teleseismic data are derived from agencies in USA and Canada. The rupture of the $M_w$ = 7.8 earthquake is found to be bi-directional towards the northeast and southwest. Three rupture segments are identified for the Kahramanmaras earthquake between 34.5°–37.5° longitude and 37.0°–37.5° latitude, and another three are identified for the Elbistan earthquake between 36.5°–38.0° longitude and around 38.5° latitude. A total of 299 km is covered in 185 s with rupture velocities between 3.1 km/s and 3.4 km/s. Additionally, the mainshock’s splay and the second-largest aftershock’s rupture are also bidirectional, covering 150 km within 46 s. Five velocity segments are identified, three for the Kahramanmaras and two for the Elbistan earthquakes. Beamforming is efficient for identifying the velocity segments. The findings provide new insights on the evolution of the spatio-temporal rupture of the EAFZ and may serve as a basis for long-term earthquake hazard planning in the area. Full article

This is a pioneering study on the main drainage system in Gujranwala District, where untreated mixed wastewater is discharged and subsequently used for vegetable irrigation, leading to potential health and environmental risks. This study seeks to develop the spatial pattern of toxic metal accumulation in soil across an 11 km stretch of land used for vegetable cultivation. By using 90 samples of mixed wastewater and sludge, as well as 10 quadruplicate samples of rhizospheric soils and crops from ten vegetable fields, it was observed that the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Fe, Pb, Mg, and Ni in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), meadow clover (Trifolium sp. L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.), garlic (Allium sativum L.), brinjal (Solanum melongena L.), and mint (Mentha L.) were beyond the permissible limits set by the FAO/WHO, 2001. The declining trend of the toxic metal concentrations in the effluent was Mg > Cr > Ni > Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu > Fe, and in sludge, soil, and plants, it varied in the order of Mg > Fe > Cr > Ni > Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu. Radish, mint, and brinjal had the highest quantities of toxic metals. The spatial pattern of toxic metals was determined by using proximity interpolation, Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW), the fine tuning of the interpolation characteristics, and the kriging of selected sample variograms. Toxic metals were found in the following order: plants > soil > sludge > effluents. The most prevalent cause of metal pollution was soil irrigation with polluted water. This study provides crucial information about the extent of contamination, which could help in the identification of public health risk, the assessment of environmental impacts, and also sustainable water management. Full article

Social constructivism theory embraces peer-to-peer communication that helps students understand, examine, and discern the process of knowledge construction. The Social Constructivism Flipped-Classroom Model (SCFCM) inverts the traditional classroom paradigm by providing content outside of class, often through online materials, and devoting in-class time to active learning and discussion. This study aims to investigate the impact of the SCFCM on the conceptual understanding of photocatalysis, a crucial process in environmental science and chemistry, particularly in relation to sustainability and sustainable development. Photocatalysis, being a self-sustained process, holds potential for addressing global challenges such as renewable energy and pollution reduction, both of which are central to achieving sustainable development goals. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed at a public sector university, involving forty-three (43) students in each of the flipped- and non-flipped-classroom groups. Assessment tools, including pre- and post-tests and an interest survey, were used to gauge students’ conceptual understanding of photocatalysis and their degree of learning interest. The same chemistry teacher, one who had eight years of teaching experience, taught both groups. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results comparing students’ performance showed a significant difference in the performance of students in the experimental group compared to the control group. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results, however, revealed substantial differences in attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction between the experimental and control groups. The findings highlight that the SCFCM improved students’ understanding of complex photocatalysis concepts and demonstrated its relevance to sustainable development, offering valuable insights into the potential of this teaching approach for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education, especially in addressing sustainability challenges. Full article

In the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry, organizations in Bangladesh are facing the challenge of improving their performance to stay competitive. However, there is limited research on how big data analytics (BDA) impacts organizational performance (OP) in this context. Therefore, this study examines the impact of BDA on OP in Bangladesh’s telecommunications industry, with green innovation (GI) and knowledge management (KM) as mediating variables, and big data analytics technical capabilities (BDATCs) as a moderating variable. We collected data from 384 management-level employees across five major telecom companies in Bangladesh using a structured survey questionnaire. Our analysis employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart-PLS 4.0 software. The findings indicate that BDA positively influences OP, and both GI and KM significantly mediate this relationship. However, while BDATCs enhance the BDA–OP relationship, they do not significantly moderate the BDA–GI link. These results underscore the importance of integrating BDA with KM and GI to boost organizational performance. Telecom companies should invest in advanced data analytics, foster a culture of sustainability, and enhance knowledge management practices to achieve superior performance. This study contributes to the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory by demonstrating the strategic role of BDA, GI, and KM in a developing economy context. Future research should expand this investigation across different sectors and consider longitudinal approaches to capture the dynamic nature of BDA’s impact on organizational performance. Full article

This article sheds light on the various scaffolds that can be used in the designing and development of novel synthetic compounds to create DPP-4 inhibitors for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This review highlights a variety of scaffolds with high DPP-4 inhibition activity, such as pyrazolopyrimidine, tetrahydro pyridopyrimidine, uracil-based benzoic acid and esters, triazole-based, fluorophenyl-based, glycinamide, glycolamide, β-carbonyl 1,2,4-triazole, and quinazoline motifs. The article further explains that the potential of the compounds can be increased by substituting atoms such as fluorine, chlorine, and bromine. Docking of existing drugs like sitagliptin, saxagliptin, and vildagliptin was done using Maestro 12.5, and the interaction with specific residues was studied to gain a better understanding of the active sites of DPP-4. The structural activities of the various scaffolds against DPP-4 were further illustrated by their inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values. Additionally, various synthesis schemes were developed to make several commercially available DPP4 inhibitors such as vildagliptin, sitagliptin and omarigliptin. In conclusion, the use of halogenated scaffolds for the development of DPP-4 inhibitors is likely to be an area of increasing interest in the future. Full article

Background and Objectives: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune, mucocutaneous, oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD), which characteristically manifests with chronic, recalcitrant lesions, with frequent flare-ups and remissions. The precise etiopathogenesis of OLP is still debatable, although it is believed to be a T-cell-mediated disorder of an unidentified antigen. Despite the availability of various treatments, no cure for OLP exists due to its recalcitrant nature and idiopathic etiology. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties, in addition to its regulatory action on keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation. These salient properties substantiate the possible role of PRP in the treatment of OLP. Our systematic review focuses on assessing the therapeutic potential of PRP as a treatment modality in OLP. Materials and Methods: We conducted a detailed literature search for studies assessing PRP as a therapeutic regimen in OLP, using the Google Scholar and PubMed/MEDLINE search engines. The search was limited to studies published from January 2000 to January 2023 and included a combination of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. ROBVIS analysis was carried out for the assessment of publication bias. Descriptive statistics were performed using Microsoft Excel. Results: This systematic review included five articles that met the inclusion criteria. Most of the included studies demonstrated that PRP treatment considerably ameliorated both objective and subjective symptoms in OLP subjects, with comparable efficacy to the standard corticosteroid treatment. Further, PRP therapy offers the added benefit of minimal adverse effects and recurrences. Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that PRP has significant therapeutic potential for treating OLP. However, further research with larger sample sizes is imperative to corroborate these findings. Full article

BCS class II molecules suffer from low oral bioavailability because of their poor permeability and sub-optimal aqueous solubility. One of the approaches to enhance their bioavailability is using cyclodextrin-based nanosponges. This study aimed to optimise and evaluate the feasibility of a microwave-assisted approach to synthesise nanosponges and improve domperidone’s solubility and drug delivery potential. In the production process, microwave power level, response speed, and stirring speed were optimised using the Box-Behnken approach. Ultimately, the batch with the smallest particle size and highest yield was chosen. The optimised method of synthesis of the nanosponges resulted in a product yield of 77.4% and a particle size of 195.68 ± 2.16 nm. The nanocarriers had a drug entrapment capacity of 84 ± 4.2% and a zeta potential of −9.17± 0.43 mV. The similarity and the difference factors demonstrated proof-of-concept, showing that the drug release from the loaded nanosponges is significantly greater than the plain drug. Additionally, spectral and thermal characterisations, such as FTIR, DSC, and XRD, confirmed the entrapment of the drug within the nanocarrier. SEM scans revealed the porous nature of the nanocarriers. Microwave-assisted synthesis could be used as a better and greener approach to synthesise these nanocarriers. It could then be utilised to load drugs and improve their solubility, as seen in the case of domperidone. Full article

The current project was designed to prepare an oil-in-water (oil/water) hypericin nanoemulsion using eucalyptus oil for the preparation of an oil phase with chitosan as an emulsion stabilizer. The study might be a novelty in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, especially in the area of formulation development. Tween^® 80 (Polysorbate) was used as the nonionic surfactant. The nanoemulsion was prepared by using the homogenization technique, followed by its physicochemical evaluation. The surface morphological studies showed the globular structure has a nano-sized diameter, as confirmed by zeta size analysis. The zeta potential analysis confirmed a positive surface charge that might be caused by the presence of chitosan in the formulation. The pH was in the range of 5.14 to 6.11, which could also be compatible with the range of nasal pH. The viscosity of the formulations was found to be affected by the concentration of chitosan (F1-11.61 to F4-49.28). The drug release studies showed that the presence of chitosan greatly influenced the drug release, as it was noticed that formulations having an elevated concentration of chitosan release lesser amounts of the drug. The persistent stress in the mouse model caused a variety of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors that can be counteracted by chemicals isolated from plants, such as sulforaphane and tea polyphenols. In the behavioral test and source performance test, hypericin exhibited antidepressant-like effects. The results show that the mice treated for chronic mild stress had a considerably higher preference for sucrose after receiving continuous hypericin for 4 days (p = 0.0001) compared to the animals administered with normal saline (p ≤ 0.0001) as well as the naïve group (p ≤ 0.0001). In conclusion, prepared formulations were found to be stable and can be used as a potential candidate for the treatment of depression. Full article

A variety of metals and alloys are employed in the field of orthodontics, of which the construction of wires happens to be predominant. Through this systematic review, our primary goal was to review and assess studies focusing on complications that emerged during or directly after the completion of an orthodontic treatment plan. We then used a meta-analysis to determine how these complications affected the patients who were receiving orthodontic treatment. A total of 634 documents were discovered after a thorough search of online journals, and 416 of the papers were initially selected. In the end, 14 papers, including in vitro experiments, literature reviews, comparative analyses, observational studies, and retrospective studies, were chosen that met the requisite inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were difficulties related to orthodontic treatment in all of the studies listed in our systematic review, but their severity varied greatly. The effects of gingival mucosa and root resorption were two of the most often mentioned periodontal problems in this review. More long-term studies are required to confirm the involvement of an orthodontic component in these issues, but the majority of the complications were assessed to initially arise after the treatment plan had begun and to resolve with time. Full article

The quantification of a natural bioactive compound, pterostilbene (PTT), in commercial capsule dosage form, solubility, and stability samples was carried out using a rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) approach. PTT was quantified on a Nucleodur (150 mm × 4.6 mm) RP C₁₈ column with a particle size of 5 µm. Acetonitrile and water (90:10 v/v) made up the mobile phase, which was pumped at a flow speed of 1.0 mL/min. At a wavelength of 254 nm, PTT was detected. The developed HPLC approach was linear in 1–75 µg/g range, with a determination coefficient of 0.9995. The developed HPLC approach for PTT estimation was also rapid (R_t = 2.54 min), accurate (%recoveries = 98.10–101.93), precise (%CV = 0.59–1.25), and sensitive (LOD = 2.65 ng/g and LOQ = 7.95 ng/g). The applicability of developed HPLC approach was revealed by determining PTT in commercial capsule dosage form, solubility, and stability samples. The % assay of PTT in marketed capsules was determined to be 99.31%. The solubility of PTT in five different green solvents, including water, propylene glycol, ethanol, polyethylene glycol-400, and Carbitol was found to be 0.0180 mg/g, 1127 mg/g, 710.0 mg/g, 340.0 mg/g, and 571.0 mg/g, respectively. In addition, the precision and accuracy of stability samples were within the acceptable limit, hence PTT was found to be stable in solution. These results suggested that PTT in commercial products, solubility, and stability samples may be routinely determined using the established HPLC method. Full article

The purpose of the study is to develop and assess mucoadhesive in situ nasal gel formulations of loratadine and chlorpheniramine maleate to advance the bioavailability of the drug as compared to its conventional dosage forms. The influence of various permeation enhancers, such as EDTA (0.2% w/v), sodium taurocholate (0.5% w/v), oleic acid (5% w/v), and Pluronic F 127 (10% w/v), on the nasal absorption of loratadine and chlorpheniramine from in situ nasal gels containing different polymeric combinations, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, Carbopol 934, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and chitosan, is studied. Among these permeation enhancers, sodium taurocholate, Pluronic F127 and oleic acid produced a noticeable increase in the loratadine in situ nasal gel flux compared with in situ nasal gels without permeation enhancer. However, EDTA increased the flux slightly, and in most cases, the increase was insignificant. However, in the case of chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels, the permeation enhancer oleic acid only showed a noticeable increase in flux. Sodium taurocholate and oleic acid seems to be a better and efficient enhancer, enhancing the flux > 5-fold compared with in situ nasal gels without permeation enhancer in loratadine in situ nasal gels. Pluronic F127 also showed a better permeation, increasing the effect by >2-fold in loratadine in situ nasal gels. In chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels with EDTA, sodium taurocholate and Pluronic F127 were equally effective, enhancing chlorpheniramine maleate permeation. Oleic acid has a better effect as permeation enhancer in chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels and showed a maximum permeation enhancement of >2-fold. Full article

An accurate, precise and sensitive reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) bioanalytical approach was developed for the simultaneous estimation of cinnarizine (CIN) and domperidone (DOM) in rat plasma using irbesartan (IRB) as an internal standard (IS). The proposed RP-HPLC approach was validated as per the latest ICH M10 guidelines. The analytes (CIN and DOM) and IS were extracted from plasma samples using the protein precipitation strategy. Chromatographic separation is accomplished by a C₁₈ Sunfire^TM (5 µm, 250 mm × 4.6 mm) analytical column, using an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-methanol in 30:70 proportions at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The detection of all three constituents was recorded at a wavelength of 270 nm with a UV detector. DOM, CIN and IS were eluted at 3.2, 4.5 and 6.1 min, respectively, utilizing a total run time of 10 min. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5 ng/mL for CIN and DOM in rat plasma. The proposed RP-HPLC approach was linear in the 5–200 ng/mL range for CIN and DOM. The recovery of the method was greater than 95%, and the relative uncertainty was less than 2%, indicating that the proposed bioanalytical approach was accurate and precise. The limit of detection was established as 1.1 ng/mL for CIN and 1.7 ng/mL for DOM. The created approach was found to be robust and passed all validation criteria; thus, the proposed RP-HPLC approach can be employed successfully for the simultaneous assessment of CIN and DOM in rat plasma. Full article

The eco-friendly high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) approaches for measuring cinnarizine (CIN) are scant in reported databases. As a result, the current work has developed and validated an eco-friendly HPTLC technique for assessing CIN in commercial formulations. The proposed approach was based the use of ethyl alcohol-water (90:10 v/v) as the eco-friendly mobile phase. A wavelength of 197 nm was used to detect CIN. The greenness score of the current approach was measured using the Analytical GREENness (AGREE) approach. The current approach was linear for CIN measurement in 50–800 ng band⁻¹ range. The current approach for CIN measurement was validated successfully using ICH guidelines and was found to be linear, accurate (% recovery = 99.07–101.29%), precise (% CV = 0.80–0.95%), robust, sensitive (LOD = 16.81 ng band⁻¹ and LOQ = 50.43 ng band⁻¹), specific, selective, stability-indicating, and eco-friendly. The AGREE score for the current approach was calculated to be 0.80, showing an excellent greenness characteristic of the present approach. Under forced degradation conditions, the current approach was successful in separating the CIN degradation product, demonstrating the stability-indicating qualities/selectivity of the present approach. The % assay of CIN in commercial tablet brands A and B was found to be 98.64 and 101.22%, respectively, suggesting the reliability of the present approach in the pharmaceutical analysis of CIN in commercial dosage forms. The obtained findings indicated that CIN in commercial formulations could be routinely determined using the current approach. Full article