Comparison Of Profiles Research Articles

Determining Site-Specific Glycan Profiles of Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins from Multiple Sources.

Glycopeptide Abundance Distribution Spectra (GADS) were recently introduced as a means of representing, storing, and comparing glycan profiles of intact glycopeptides. Here, using that representation, an extensive analysis is made of multiple commercial sources of the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, each containing 22 N-linked glycan sites (sequons). Multiple proteases are used along with variable energy fragmentation followed by ion trap confirmation. This enables a detailed examination of the reproducibility of the method across multiple types of variability. These results show that GADS are consistent between replicates and laboratories for sufficiently abundant glycopeptides. Derived GADS enable the examination and comparison of the glycan profiles between commercial sources of the spike protein. Multiple distinct glycopeptide distributions, generated by multiple proteases, confirm these profiles. Comparisons of GADS derived from 11 sources of recombinant spike protein reveal that sources for which protein expression methods were the same produced near-identical glycan profiles, thereby demonstrating the ability of this method to measure GADS of sufficient reliability to distinguish different glycoform distributions between commercial vendors and potentially to reliably determine and compare differences in glycosylation for any glycoprotein under different conditions of production. All mass spectrometry data files have been deposited in the MassIVE repository under the identifier MSV000091776.

Computational identification of key residues regulating fluorescence emission in a red/green cyanobacteriochrome.

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are linear tetrapyrrole bilin-binding photoreceptors of cyanobacteria that exhibit high spectral diversity, gaining attention in optogenetics and bioimaging applications. Several engineering studies on CBCRs were attempted, especially for designing near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent proteins with longer fluorescence wavelengths. However, despite continuous efforts, a key component regulating fluorescence emission property in CBCRs is still poorly understood. As a model system, we focused on red/green CBCR Slr1393g3, from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to engineer Pr to get far-red light-emitting property. Energy profiling and pairwise structural comparison of Slr1393g3 variants effectively reveal the mutations that are critical to the fluorescence changes. H497 seems to play a key role in stabilizing the chromophore environment, especially the α3 helix, while H495, T499, and Q502 are potential key residues determining fluorescence emission peak wavelength. We also found that mutations of α2 and α4 helical regions are closely related to the chromophore binding stability and likely affect fluorescence properties. Taken together, our computational analysis suggests that the fluorescence of Slr1393g3 is mainly controlled by the stabilization of the chromophore binding pocket. The predicted key residues potentially regulating the fluorescence emission property of a red/green CBCR will be advantageous for designing improved NIR fluorescent protein when combined with in vitro molecular evolution approaches.

The Lower in Vivo Osteogenicity of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Correlates with a Higher Innate Immune Response.

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ATSCs) have been used as an alternative to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for bone tissue engineering applications. The ability of ATSCs to promote new bone formation remains lower than that of BMSCs. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying osteogenicity differences between human ATSCs and BMSCs in ceramic constructs, focusing on the effects of inflammation on this process. In contrast to ATSC-containing constructs, which did not induce bone formation in an ectopic mouse model, BMSC constructs consistently did so. Gene expression analysis revealed that human BMSCs, concomitantly with host murine progenitors, differentiated into the osteogenic lineage early post-implantation. In contrast, ATSCs differentiated later, when few implanted viable cells remained post-implantation, while the host murine cells did not differentiate. Comparison of the inflammatory profile in the cell constructs indicated concomitant upregulation of some human and murine inflammatory genes in the ATSC-constructs compared to the BMSC-constructs during the first-week post-implantation. The high level of chemokine production by the ATSCs was confirmed at the gene and protein levels before implantation. The immune cell recruitment within the constructs was then explored post-implantation. Higher numbers of TRAP-/ MRC1 (CD206) + multinucleated giant cells, NOS2 + M1, and ARG1 + M2 macrophages were present in the ATSC constructs than in the BMSC constructs. These results proved that ATSCs are a transient source of inflammatory cytokines promoting a transient immune response post-implantation; this milieu correlates with impaired osteogenic differentiation of both the implanted ATSCs and the host osteoprogenitor cells.

Comparison of Pivot Profile (PP), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and Pivot-CATA for the sensory profiling of commercial Chinese tea products

Rapid sensory profiling methods relying on consumers' perceptions are getting prevalent and broadly utilized by labs and companies to supersede conventional sensory profiling methodologies. Till now, various intensity-based sensory methods such as the newly proposed Pivot-Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) are limitedly developed and compared. In this investigation, Pivot Profile (PP), Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA), and Pivot-CATA methods were applied and validated using tea consumers and commercial Chinese tea products as samples. Data from three approaches were collected, analyzed by correspondence analysis (CA), and used to compare the three methods assessing the panel assessment process, sensory maps, confidence ellipses, and practical applications. Pivot-CATA exhibited a high similarity with RATA (RV = 0.873), and a lower similarity with PP (RV = 0.629). Of the three intensity-related methods, confidence ellipses on the RATA sensory map were the smallest and overlapped the least. However, Pivot-CATA consumed less time in collecting data and its questionnaire was more friendly to participants compared with PP and made the difference in intensity of samples more noticeable to the participants than RATA due to the existence of the pivot sample. Its experimental versatility also allows for a wide range of applications, indicating that the Pivot-CATA is an approach with great promise for routine use.

Comparison of Seasonal and Diurnal Concentration Profiles of BVOCs in Coniferous and Deciduous Forests

Ambient atmospheric concentrations of isoprene and monoterpenes were measured at two forest sites, one deciduous and one coniferous, over the year 2022. Both sites in a regional area were sampled monthly between April and September. The samples were taken using sorbent tubes and analyzed with thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The highest concentrations were determined in August at both sites. While isoprene is the most abundant compound at the deciduous forest with an average concentration of 5.59 µg m−3 in August, α-pinene and β-pinene dominate throughout the year at the coniferous forest with the highest concentrations also in August (3.44 µg m−3 and 1.51 µg m−3). Because other monoterpenes (camphene, sabinene, 3-carene, p-cymene and limonene) are also emitted in significant amounts, the total concentration measured in the coniferous forest is higher (7.96 µg m−3 in August) in comparison to the deciduous forest (6.08 µg m−3). Regarding the detected monoterpenes in the deciduous forest, sabinene is the dominant monoterpene in addition to α-pinene and is sometimes present in higher (July) or equal (August) concentrations. The seasonal and diurnal concentrations of all monoterpenes correlate very well with each other at both sites. An exception is sabinene with a diurnal concentration profile similar to isoprene.

Comparison of umbilical cord blood lipid profiles between appropriate and small for gestational age newborns with their mothers’ lipid profiles: a case-control study from tertiary care centre of Karnataka

Background: Fetal malnutrition and fetal growth restriction results in dysfunctions of neuroendocrine system, pancreas and adipose-tissue; finally increasing the food intake and decreasing energy use. This results in an increase in adipose deposition and insulin-resistance and ultimately increasing chances of adult metabolic-diseases. This study makes an effort to compare and contrast the lipid-profiles of Small for Gestational Age (SGA) and Appropriate for Gestational Age (AGA)newborns correlating and with their mother’s lipid-profiles. Methods: This was a case-control study, conducted in the Departments of Pediatrics and OBG of Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences,Karwar, Karnataka,India over a period of twelve months(January-2021 to January-2022). With 500neonates, 357appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 143 small for gestational age(SGA) babies were included for the study as controls and cases for their lipid profiles using their cord-blood. Results: here, we found that SGA-babies had lower gestational age (37.40±1.01 weeks) at birth compared to AGA-babies (39.22±1.05 weeks) which was statistically significant. The mean Total Cholesterol (TC) level (84.47±27.39 mg/dl) was higher in SGA-babies compared to AGA-babies (56.87±32.28 mg/dl) and this difference was statistically highly significant (p value<0.0001). The mean very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) level (14.10±10.67 mg/dl) was higher in SGA-babies than AGA-babies (7.17±3.69 mg/dl) with p value<0.0001 (highly significant). The mean low density lipoprotein (LDL) level (38.74±19.85 mg/dl) was higher in SGA-babies compared to AGA-babies (25.63±14.15 mg/dl) and this difference was statistically significant (p value<0.0001). The mean high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels of AGA and SGA-babies were comparable with low statistical significance (26.70±14.90 mg/dl of SGA; 24.45±9.567 mg/dl of AGA, p value 0.095). Conclusions: Levels of all lipids were observed to be higher in SGA babies than in AGA babies. Mothers who gave birth to SGA babies were found to have statistically significant high VLDL levels.

Molecular dynamics simulation study on the mass transfer across vapor-liquid interfaces in azeotropic mixtures.

Mass transfer through fluid interfaces is an important phenomenon in industrial applications as well as in naturally occurring processes. In this work, we investigate the mass transfer across vapor-liquid interfaces in binary mixtures using molecular dynamics simulations. We investigate the influence of interfacial properties on mass transfer by studying three binary azeotropic mixtures known to have different interfacial behaviors. Emphasis is placed on the effect of the intermolecular interactions by choosing mixtures with the same pure components but different cross-interactions such that different azeotropic behaviors are obtained. The molar flux is created by utilizing a non-stationary molecular dynamics simulation approach, where particles of one component are inserted into the vapor phase over a short period of time before the system's response to this insertion is monitored. From a direct comparison of the density profiles and the flux profiles in close proximity to the interface, we analyze the particles' tendency to accumulate in the interfacial region throughout the different stages of the simulation. We find that for mixtures with strong attractive cross-interactions, the inserted particles are efficiently transported into the liquid phase. For systems with weak attractive cross-interactions, the inserted particles show a tendency to accumulate in the interfacial region, and the flux through the system is lower. The results from this work indicate that the accumulation of particles at the interface can act as a hindrance to mass transfer, which has practical relevance in technical processes.

Phylogenetic modeling of enhancer shifts in African mole-rats reveals regulatory changes associated with tissue-specific traits.

Changes in gene regulation are thought to underlie most phenotypic differences between species. For subterranean rodents such as the naked mole-rat, proposed phenotypic adaptations include hypoxia tolerance, metabolic changes, and cancer resistance. However, it is largely unknown what regulatory changes may associate with these phenotypic traits, and whether these are unique to the naked mole-rat, the mole-rat clade, or are also present in other mammals. Here, we investigate regulatory evolution in the heart and liver from two African mole-rat species and two rodent outgroups using genome-wide epigenomic profiling. First, we adapted and applied a phylogenetic modeling approach to quantitatively compare epigenomic signals at orthologous regulatory elements and identified thousands of promoter and enhancer regions with differential epigenomic activity in mole-rats. These elements associate with known mole-rat adaptations in metabolic and functional pathways and suggest candidate genetic loci that may underlie mole-rat innovations. Second, we evaluated ancestral and species-specific regulatory changes in the study phylogeny and report several candidate pathways experiencing stepwise remodeling during the evolution of mole-rats, such as the insulin and hypoxia response pathways. Third, we report nonorthologous regulatory elements overlap with lineage-specific repetitive elements and appear to modify metabolic pathways by rewiring of HNF4 and RAR/RXR transcription factor binding sites in mole-rats. These comparative analyses reveal how mole-rat regulatory evolution informs previously reported phenotypic adaptations. Moreover, the phylogenetic modeling framework we propose here improves upon the state of the art by addressing known limitations of inter-species comparisons of epigenomic profiles and has broad implications in the field of comparative functional genomics.

Discriminative Dissolution Method Using the Open-Loop Configuration of the USP IV Apparatus to Compare Dissolution Profiles of Metoprolol Tartrate Immediate-Release Tablets: Use of Kinetic Parameters.

The use of the USP IV apparatus (flow-through cell) has gained acceptance in recent years due to its versatility and ability to discriminate due to its hydrodynamic conditions. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to develop a discriminative dissolution method in the USP IV apparatus using the open-loop configuration, as well as to propose a method to compare non-cumulative dissolution profiles obtained in the open-loop configuration considering kinetic parameters and validate its predictive power through its comparison with independent and dependent methods using five commercial immediate-release tablet drugs (one reference drug and four generic drugs) of metoprolol tartrate as a model drug. The comparison of the non-accumulated dissolution profiles consisted of determining the geometric ratio of Cmax, AUC0∞, AUC0Cmax, and Tmax (kinetic parameters) of the generic/reference drugs, whereby generic drugs "C" and "D" presented the highest probability of similarity since their 90% confidence intervals were included, or they were very close to the acceptance interval (80.00-125.00%). These results were consistent with the f2, bootstrap f2, and dissolution efficiency approaches (independent models). In conclusion, the proposed comparison method can be an important tool to establish similarity in dissolution profiles and to facilitate the development/selection of new formulations and positively ensure bioequivalence in clinical studies.

Age and gender-based categorization of very premature, premature, and non-premature acute myocardial infarction: A comparison of clinical and angiographic profile and in-hospital outcomes

BackgroundIn this study, we aimed to assess and compare the distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics and composite adverse clinical outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among “very premature”, “premature”, and “non-premature” patients with “ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (STE-ACS)” presented at a tertiary care center. MethodsWe included consecutive patients diagnosed with STE-ACS undergoing primary PCI. The “very premature” was defined as ≤40 years for males and ≤ 45 years for females, “premature” as <55 years for males and < 65 years for females, and “non-premature” as ≥55 years for males and ≥ 65 years for females. Clinical characteristics, angiographic patterns, and hospital course were compared among the three groups. ResultsIn a sample of 4686 patients, 78.8%(3691) were male, and the average age was 55.6 ± 11 years. In total, 12%(561) were categorized as very premature, 38.3%(1797) as premature, and 49.7%(2328) as non-premature. The distribution of clinical characteristics in very premature, premature, and non-premature groups were as follows; hypertension in 44.6% vs. 53.5% vs. 54.9%; p < 0.001, diabetes in 30.3% vs. 36.8% vs. 35.5%; p = 0.018, smoking in 29.6% vs. 23.3% vs. 26.3%; p = 0.005, obesity in 19.4% vs. 18.4% vs. 15.3%; p = 0.008, single vessel diseases in 58.8% vs. 37.8% vs. 28.8%; p < 0.001, and composite adverse clinical outcomes in 14.1% vs. 16.7% vs. 21.8%; p < 0.001, respectively. ConclusionIn conclusion, we have a substantial burden of premature STE-ACS. Very premature STE-ACS was found to be associated with a better prognosis, but a substantial burden of composite adverse clinical outcomes was also observed.

1H NMR-based metabolomics of cacao pod husk: profile comparison of three drying treatments

Aim: The aim of this study is to apply untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and chemometric analysis to obtain the cacao pod husk (CPH) fingerprint and evaluate the effect of dehydration in the CPH metabolome. Methods: Phosphate buffer extracts (pH 6.5) were obtained and measured using a one-dimension (1D) 1H NMR spectrometry. The 1D 1H NMR spectra were recorded without spinning and using the presaturation (PRESAT) pulse sequence to suppress the residual H2O signal. The 3-(trimethylsilyl) propionic-2,2,3,3-d4 acid sodium salt (TSP) was used as an internal reference. Analysis of processed data, applying an orthogonal projection on latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was used to highlight significant differences between the three dehydration treatments. Signal assignment of CPH metabolites was carried out based on the coupling constant, software simulation prediction, published data comparison, and metabolomics databases. Results: A total of 25 compounds were detected by 1H NMR, methylxanthines, sugars, some amino acids, fatty acids, and organic acids were found among the identified compounds. The fingerprint spectra of the three dehydration methods were clustered separately discriminating the metabolome profile of each of the dehydration treatments, finding that metabolome remarkably differed in theanine, myristic acid, fumaric acid, and aspartic acid composition. Conclusions: An untargeted metabolomics to obtain the fingerprint of CPH was successfully established. A 1H NMR spectra with a detailed signal assignment aided to identify 25 metabolites present in CPH fresh and dried by different methods. The results complement the information about CPH composition and how it is affected by the temperature used during the dehydration process. The multivariate analysis points out that freeze drying (FD) preserves the metabolites better than microwave drying (MWD) or hot air drying (HAD). FD and MWD are similar in composition maintaining most of the compounds after drying.

FGF1 supports glycolytic metabolism through the estrogen receptor in endocrine-resistant and obesity-associated breast cancer

BackgroundObesity increases breast cancer risk and breast cancer-specific mortality, particularly for people with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors. Body mass index (BMI) is used to define obesity, but it may not be the best predictor of breast cancer risk or prognosis on an individual level. Adult weight gain is an independent indicator of breast cancer risk. Our previous work described a murine model of obesity, ER-positive breast cancer, and weight gain and identified fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) as a potential driver of tumor progression. During adipose tissue expansion, the FGF1 ligand is produced by hypertrophic adipocytes as a stimulus to stromal preadipocytes that proliferate and differentiate to provide additional lipid storage capacity. In breast adipose tissue, FGF1 production may stimulate cancer cell proliferation and tumor progression.MethodsWe explored the effects of FGF1 on ER-positive endocrine-sensitive and resistant breast cancer and compared that to the effects of the canonical ER ligand, estradiol. We used untargeted proteomics, specific immunoblot assays, gene expression profiling, and functional metabolic assessments of breast cancer cells. The results were validated in tumors from obese mice and breast cancer datasets from women with obesity.ResultsFGF1 stimulated ER phosphorylation independently of estradiol in cells that grow in obese female mice after estrogen deprivation treatment. Phospho- and total proteomic, genomic, and functional analyses of endocrine-sensitive and resistant breast cancer cells show that FGF1 promoted a cellular phenotype characterized by glycolytic metabolism. In endocrine-sensitive but not endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells, mitochondrial metabolism was also regulated by FGF1. Comparison of gene expression profiles indicated that tumors from women with obesity shared hallmarks with endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells.ConclusionsCollectively, our data suggest that one mechanism by which obesity and weight gain promote breast cancer progression is through estrogen-independent ER activation and cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, partly driven by FGF/FGFR. The first-line treatment for many patients with ER-positive breast cancer is inhibition of estrogen synthesis using aromatase inhibitors. In women with obesity who are experiencing weight gain, locally produced FGF1 may activate ER to promote cancer cell metabolic reprogramming and tumor progression independently of estrogen.

Comparison of typical Thai and Hungarian personality profiles using the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire

The aim of our study was to compare typical Thai and Hungarian personality profiles of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ). 672 Thai and 647 Hungarian were included in our study. The distribution of age, gender and education level were matched. The ZKA-PQ was administered that measures Aggression, Extraversion, Activity, Sensation Seeking and Neuroticism. We tested reliability, the structural invariance and analyzed aggregated mean profiles for cultures as well as typical profiles by cluster analyses. Reliability of factors were acceptable in both cultures, but some facets (especially AC3 Restlessness) showed low reliability. The global Tucker’s coefficient of congruence (TCC) for cross-cultural factorial invariance was 95. We have also run a Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis, but fit indices were not adequate. Cross-cultural neural network invariance was not met either. Hungarians scored significantly higher on Extraversion, Sensation Seeking, Aggression and Activity. Cluster-analyses revealed six typical profiles: Introverted impulsive, Reserved, Resilients, Overcontrolled, Aggressive impulsive and Positive sensation seeker. Majority of first two clusters were Thai respondents, majority for last two clusters were Hungarians. In sum, there were some cross-cultural congruence in factor structure, but strict invariance was not fulfilled. Comparison of mean profiles remain tentative, but cluster analysis revealed cross-cultural differences in typical profiles.

Comparison of Phenotype Nutritional Profiles and Phosphate Metabolism Genes in Four Serovars of Salmonella enterica from Water Sources.

The surveillance of foods for Salmonella is hindered by bias in common enrichment media where serovars implicated in human illness are outgrown by less virulent serovars. We examined four Salmonella serovars, two common in human illness (Enteritidis and Typhimurium) and two that often dominate enrichments (Give and Kentucky), for factors that might influence culture bias. The four serovars had similar growth kinetics in Tryptic Soy Broth and Buffered Peptone Water. Phenotype microarray analysis with 950 chemical substrates to assess nutrient utilization and stress resistance revealed phenotype differences between serovars. Strains of S. Enteritidis had better utilization of plant-derived sugars such as xylose, mannitol, rhamnose, and fructose, while S. Typhimurium strains were able to metabolize tagatose. Strains of S. Kentucky used more compounds as phosphorus sources and grew better with inorganic phosphate as the sole phosphorus source. The sequences of nine genes involved in phosphate metabolism were compared, and there were differences between serovars in the catalytic ATP-binding domain of the histidine kinase phoR. Analysis of the predicted PhoR amino acid sequences from additional Salmonella genomes indicated a conservation of sequences each within the Typhimurium, Give, and Enteritidis serovars. However, three different PhoR versions were observed in S. Kentucky.

Comparison of bacterial profile and antibiotic susceptibility isolated from surgical site after ventral midline and lateral flank approaches of ovariohysterectomy in queens and bitches

Comparison of bacterial profile and antibiotic susceptibility isolated from surgical site after ventral midline and lateral flank approaches of ovariohysterectomy in queens and bitches

Simultaneous Comparison of Aqueous Humor and Serum Metabolic Profiles of Diabetic and Nondiabetic Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery-A Targeted and Quantitative Metabolomics Study.

The aim of this study was to compare the aqueous humor (AH) and serum concentrations of metabolites in diabetic (n = 36) and nondiabetic (n = 36) senior adults undergoing cataract surgery. Blood samples were collected before surgery and AH during surgery. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based targeted metabolomic and lipidomic analyses of samples were performed using the AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit. Out of 188 metabolites targeted by the kit, 41 and 133 were detected in >80% of AH and serum samples, respectively. Statistical analysis performed to indicate metabolites differentiating diabetic and nondiabetic patients showed 8 and 20 significant metabolites in AH and serum, respectively. Pathway analysis performed for significant metabolites revealed that galactose metabolism is mostly affected in the AH, while arginine biosynthesis is mostly affected in the serum. Among metabolites that differentiate diabetic and nondiabetic patients, arginine was the only metabolite common to both serum and AH samples, as well as the only one with a decreased concentration in both body fluids of diabetic patients. Concentrations of the rest were elevated in AH and lowered in serum. This may suggest different mechanisms of diabetes-related dysregulation of the local metabolism in the eye in comparison to systemic changes observed in the blood.

The Comparison of Coronary Angiographic Profile between Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease in a Nepalese Population

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing globally the burden of death related to cardiovascular disease including myocardial infarction will be a great burden to countries like Nepal. The aim is to compare the extent and severity of coronary artery disease between diabetic and non-diabetic patients referred for coronary angiography.&#x0D; Materials and methods: It was a Hospital-based, cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Internal medicine, BPKIHS Dharan, Nepal. All consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography with a clinical indication for the procedure during the study period of one year were included in the study. 61 subjects with diabetes were compared with 147 subjects without diabetes for assessing the severity and extent of coronary artery disease. The coronary atherosclerosis score was used to grade the severity of lesions visualized by coronary angiography.&#x0D; Results: The mean coronary atherosclerosis score was 6.64±4.18 among diabetes and 4.97±4.07 among the non-diabetic group with p-value of 0.008 which was statistically significant. The left anterior descending coronary artery was significantly more frequently involved in diabetics than nondiabetic patients 88.52% vs. 66.67% (p&lt;0.002).&#x0D; Conclusion: Diabetic patients had more severe and extensive atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries than the non-diabetic patients on coronary angiography suggesting atherosclerotic burden in the diabetes population is higher in our population.

A Comparison of Scimago Institutional Ranking and profile of Scopus-Indexed Publications of Sri Lankan Universities

This study aims to explore the SCImago Institutional Ranking (SIR) 2022 to gain insight into the profile of Sri Lankan universities. Additionally, the study aims to investigate whether there was consistency between Scopus profiles and SIR. Furthermore, the research delves into various factors that impact the research ranking of an academic institution as defined by SCImago, which goes beyond just the number of publications. The data for the study were retrieved from SIR (2022) and Scopus database (2022) and were systematically analyzed. The author chose the following options to extract the data for overall ranking, Universities as a sector, Sri Lanka as the country and 2022 as the year based on all subject areas. The study found that the number of Sri Lankan universities eligible for the SCImago ranking has gradually increased from 2013 to 2022. According to SIR, the University of Colombo is the top-ranked academic institution in Sri Lanka, followed by Rajarata University of Sri Lanka and the University of Jaffna. Out of the fourteen universities in Sri Lanka, eight were ranked by SIR, with six being in the Q1 (first cluster) and two in the Q2 (second cluster). Interestingly, the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka was ranked 1st in SIR 2022 for its research performance among Sri Lankan universities with their 105 publications indexed in Scopus. Analysis of data shows that there is no relationship between the Scopus profile and the SIR. It is also suggesting that having a high number of articles in the Scopus database does not necessarily guarantee a high rank in SIR. The SIR not only depends on the number of publications but also on other factors related to the quality of the publications. Therefore, universities cannot assume their SIR position by considering only the quantity of Scopus indexed publications. SIR mainly considers the quality of the publications to measure the institutional research performance. The SCImago ranking evaluates the institutional whole performance through three of its indicators, and research performance is measured only through Scopus indexed publication. Sri Lankan publications in local and international journals which are not indexed in Scopus and conference papers were not counted for research performance. The findings of this study will facilitate the institutions to compare their position with other institutions, standardize their research practices, improve the international collaboration to uphold the academic benchmark, regulate their research publications and promote their visibility and finally support government bodies and policymakers regarding fund allocations and strategic planning.

Late-onset epilepsy with cognitive symptoms: Comparison of cognitive and imaging profiles with probable Alzheimer’s disease

ObjectiveWe aimed to (i) compare the clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging characteristics of unprovoked late-onset epilepsy (LOE) patients with cognitive symptoms against probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients; (ii) clarify how neurodegeneration and other processes could be implicated in the cognitive symptoms of unprovoked LOE patients; and (iii) characterize the longitudinal trajectory of unprovoked LOE patients with cognitive symptoms. MethodsTwenty-six unprovoked LOE patients with cognitive symptoms and 26 probable AD were retrospectively recruited from epilepsy and memory clinics at a single tertiary referral center. The patients underwent comprehensive clinical, neuropsychological, and 18Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT assessments. All LOE patients had clinical follow-up and a subset of 17 patients had repeat neuropsychological assessments. ResultsAt baseline, 18% of LOE patients with cognitive symptoms had dementia-range cognitive impairment and one received a diagnosis of probable AD. Compared with the probable AD group, the LOE group did not perform significantly better in global measures of cognition (total ACE-III), neuropsychological tests for fluency, working memory, language, attention, or executive function, but performed better in naming, memory, and visuospatial ability. The commonest patterns of cognitive impairment in the LOE group were frontal and left temporal, whereas all AD patients exhibited parietotemporal patterns. The AD group had more 18Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT hypometabolism in the parietal and occipital, but not the temporal and frontal lobes. During the 3.0 ± 3.2 years follow-up, improved seizure frequency in the LOE group covaried with improved total ACE-III score, there was no further conversion to probable AD and no group-level cognitive decline. ConclusionUnprovoked LOE patients with cognitive symptoms had varying severities of cognitive impairment, and different patterns of cognitive and imaging abnormalities compared with AD patients. They were rarely diagnosed with probable AD at presentation or follow-up. Cognitive outcome in LOE may be related to seizure control. Cerebral small vessel disease may play a role in LOE-associated cognitive impairment.

Numerical Investigation of Confinement Effect on Supersonic Turbulent Flow Past Backward Facing Step With And Without Transverse Injection

Effect of confinement has been investigated numerically for supersonic turbulent flow past backward facing step in a nonreacting scramjet combustor. Flow structure downstream of the backward facing step has been studied by considering various configurations with different combustor heights as well as unconfined flow. Staged transverse sonic injectors with different combustor heights are also considered to find out the effect of confinement on the penetration, spreading and other flow features in the flow field. Three dimensional Navier Stokes equations along with k-ε turbulence model are solved using a commercial CFD software. The simulation captures all essential features of the flow. Good comparisons of various flow profiles have been obtained between experimental and computed values. Although confinement creates complicated shock reflections in the combustor, the length of the recirculation bubble behind the backward facing step remains almost constant. For the injection case, the recirculation region is extended upto the bow shock arising upstream of the injector and two recirculation bubble is seen between the backward facing step and the injector.