Earlier Studies Research Articles

NEWS AND INFORMATION RIGIDITY: FURTHER EVIDENCE FROM GDP GROWTH FORECASTS

The study investigates the existence and the extent of information rigidity in gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts among 25 developed and 18 developing economies during 2002–2017 period utilizing a survey dataset never explored before on this issue. In general, the study finds ample evidence of information rigidity. However, it is not as common and as severe as it is in earlier studies. Our study also finds ample evidence of overreaction to new information. Information rigidity is present during the recession period for the developed countries, and we find some evidence of information gathering picking up during the recession period. Overall, we notice less forecast rigidity or inefficiency in our study compared to some earlier studies. Our multi-country test results show that forecast revisions depend on both own country and cross-country lagged revisions. In general, forecast revisions of developed economies, especially USA, prompt revisions in other developed and developing economies. Similarly, some developing countries’ forecast revisions prompt revisions in other developed and developing countries although at smaller magnitudes. Therefore, we confirm from earlier studies that one source of forecast rigidity is not to incorporate overseas events in forecast revisions quickly and completely.

Mapping the postwar legacies of eugenics in socialist countries: a conceptual history of eugenics in Hungary.

The paper aims to understand the various legacies of eugenics in the postwar period to recognize both the continuities and discontinuities of eugenics with an approach which is both conceptually sound and historically correct. Building on earlier work of Lene Koch, the paper endeavours to chart the historical trajectory of eugenics by examining how its definition and those of its related or oppositional concepts have evolved within selected lexicon entries across various stages of the century. The inclusion and publication of a concept within a lexicon indicate its significance, linguistic vitality, and prevalence in public discourse. These entries serve as a window into the contemporary understanding and application of concepts over an entire century, offering insights into the practices of eugenics as interpreted by the authoritative scholars of the era. Additionally, these lexicon entries offer more than just a mirror to the past's prevailing attitudes. The very act of articulating a concept may be viewed as a pivotal element in social struggles, influencing the course of eugenic practices and their interpretations. Both conceptual history and discourse analysis share common ground in their perception of concepts, considering the use of language as a social activity endowed with performative capabilities. They recognize that language does not merely reflect reality but can actively shape it, playing a significant role in societal dynamics and power relations. The Hungarian lexicon entries on eugenics reveal notable disparities in the identified content, the periodization, and the evolution of changes when compared to Lene Koch's earlier study on Scandinavian eugenics. In Hungary, the concept of eugenics underwent significant changes over four successive periods. The history and interpretation of eugenics can vary significantly from one country to another. Different nations have had their unique experiences and trajectories with the eugenics movement, which have been shaped by their specific cultural, political, and social contexts. These variations emphasize the importance of considering the localized and historical perspectives when examining the concept of eugenics.

Coffee consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of preeclampsia in rats by inhibiting 2-methoxyestradiol production.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disease that causes maternal symptoms such as high blood pressure and adverse pregnancy outcomes. 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeO-E2), an endogenous metabolite of 17β-estradiol (E2) formed by Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT), plays an important role in pregnancy. Our earlier studies have shown that polyphenols present in coffee can inhibit COMT activity, which may inhibit the formation of 2-MeO-E2 and contribute to PE. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the possible effect and mechanism of coffee intake during pregnancy on PE in SD rats. Coffee is administered with or without cotreatment of 2-MeO-E2 to pregnant rats from the10th to the18th day of pregnancy. The results show that pregnant rats with coffee intake had prominent fetal growth restriction, hypertension and proteinuria, which can be ameliorated by co-treatment of 2-MeO-E2. In addition, coffee treatment leads to significantly decreased serum 2-MeO-E2. Therefore, the PE symptoms induced by coffee treatment is probably mediated by decreased 2-MeO-E2. Our findings provide new mechanistic insight into how coffee intake could lead to increased risk of PE, and demonstrate the effectiveness of 2-MeO-E2 supplementation as a potential therapeutic agent for PE.

Study of the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition: an unsupervised machine learning approach

The Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless (BKT) transition in magnetic systems is an intriguing phenomenon, and estimating the BKT transition temperature is a long-standing problem. In this work, we explore anisotropic classical Heisenberg XY and XXZ models with ferromagnetic exchange on a square lattice and antiferromagnetic exchange on a triangular lattice using an unsupervised machine learning approach called principal component analysis (PCA). The earlier PCA studies of the BKT transition temperature ( TBKT ) using the vorticities as input fail to give any conclusive results, whereas, in this work, we show that the proper analysis of the first principal component-temperature curve can estimate TBKT which is consistent with the existing literature. This analysis works well for the anisotropic classical Heisenberg with a ferromagnetic exchange on a square lattice and for frustrated antiferromagnetic exchange on a triangular lattice. The classical anisotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnetic model on the triangular lattice has two close transitions: the TBKT and Ising-like phase transition for chirality at Tc , and it is difficult to separate these transition points. It is also noted that using the PCA method and manipulation of their first principal component not only makes the separation of transition points possible but also determines transition temperature.

Effect of cyclic meditation on anxiety and sleep quality in sailors on merchant ships-A quasi-experimental study.

Sailors undergo anxiety and sleep disturbances due to prolonged journeys and the nature of their work on ships. Earlier studies indicate Cyclic Meditation (CM) being beneficial for managing anxiety and improving sleep quality. Thus, the current study was designed to investigate the effect of CM on anxiety and sleep quality among sailors. Fifty sailors were assigned to experimental (n = 25) and control (n = 25) groups. The experimental group received 45 min of CM, 7 days a week for 3 weeks. Control group continued with their routine activities and were offered CM practice the following 3 weeks. Hamilton Anxiety Scale for anxiety (HAM-A) and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep along with blood pressure and pulse rate were taken at baseline and by the end of 3 weeks. Data were analyzed using Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RM ANOVA) for within and between group effects. Significant differences were found between the groups following 3 weeks for all the variables. Experimental group demonstrated reduced anxiety (p < 0.001) and improved sleep (p < 0.001) along with improvements in blood pressure and pulse rate. The control group did not show any significant changes following 3 weeks. CM could be incorporated as a routine for sailors to manage their anxiety and improve sleep quality during the period on board ships.

Reducing flea-beetle feeding wounds on canola seedlings with foliar insecticide failed to improve blackleg control

In earlier studies, it was found that Leptosphaeria maculans could readily infect canola via fresh wounds but would require extended leaf wetness to infect intact tissues. We hypothesized that flea beetle feeding wounds might facilitate L. maculans infection under field conditions. Multi-year plot trials were conducted in western Canada to assess the effect of reducing flea beetle feeding wounds on canola seedlings with in-crop insecticide on subsequent blackleg infection. The experiment encompassed susceptible and resistant cultivars seeded into canola stubble from the previous year, with pyrethroid insecticide applied weekly commencing at trace feeding (<5%) to mitigate the insect damage. Fluopyram seed treatment was used as an additional treatment against early blackleg infection. Results from eight station years showed moderate feeding damage by flea beetles and generally high blackleg pressure, with the average disease incidence > 80%. Despite reduced feeding damage due to in-crop insecticide treatment, significant blackleg reduction was not observed. A greenhouse study revealed no correlation between puncture wounds on cotyledons and successful stem infection under high-inoculum conditions, suggesting that reduced insect feeding might not effectively counteract the heavy inoculum pressure resulting from canola residue in field trials. Fluopyram seed treatment did not reduce blackleg substantially, while resistant cultivars consistently exhibited effectiveness. Furthermore, harvested seed from plots with lighter blackleg often displayed lower levels of L. maculans inoculum contamination.

Young people's experiences of addiction to nicotine vaping products: A qualitative analysis from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Young people who use nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes, or 'vapes', risk becoming addicted to these products. While several studies document dependency symptoms, few report in-depth qualitative analyses of addiction. We explored experiences of self-reported vaping addiction using in-depth interviews with 22 young people aged 16-20 years who vaped and lived in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our semi-structured interview guide probed participants' early experiences and how they progressed from experimentation to addiction and explored how addiction affected their perceptions and daily routines. We used an inductive reflexive thematic analysis approach to interpret the data. Vaping's pervasiveness piqued participants' curiosity and encouraged trial. Most transitioned from experimentation to addiction within a couple of months; while a minority described a slower progression, nearly all felt irritable, angry or uncomfortable if they had to delay vaping. Intense cravings disrupted school and work routines and dictated how they spent their time. Many deeply regretted vaping and some suffered shame and embarrassment. These participants saw vaping as a threat to the well-being of younger youth, which they tried to shield from addiction. We go beyond earlier studies by probing the burden vaping comes to represent, offering new insights into young people's everyday experiences of vaping addiction. In addition to informing health promotion campaigns, our findings could inform policy directions. Understanding the speed with which addiction can occur, its impact on daily life, and the considerable regret many felt could help inform a more strategic and sorely needed approach to reducing youth vaping.

Diurnal and seasonal dynamics of the canopy‐layer urban heat island of Kuwait

AbstractThis study examines the temporal and spatial variability of near‐surface air temperature and the canopy layer urban heat island (UHICL) of Kuwait City. Observations collected at 12 locations across the country of Kuwait and for the period 2010–2022 are analysed on an hourly and 3‐hourly basis to provide monthly and diurnal insights of the city's UHICL characteristics. Research on Kuwait's UHICL was first conducted by Nasrallah et al. (International Journal of Climatology, 10, 401–405). Results presented here have been afforded the benefit of additional stations and more extensive data compared with the earlier study. Mean positive UHICL intensities, ranging from 1.1°C to 3.8°C at night, are observed consistently across all months, owing to the prevalence of clear skies from winter to summer. Negative UHICL intensities, indicating a typical daytime urban cool island (UCICL), are most prominent on summer days, exhibiting a mean hourly magnitude range between 0.6°C and 2.6°C that extends into the early parts of the evening. Heat and cool island effects are maintained up to wind speeds approaching 10 m s−1 at the urban periphery. A coastal site near the city demonstrates strong influences of the Arabian Gulf temperatures and associated sea and land breeze effects on UHICL development. The results can be used for comparison with other desert locales, in the evaluation of urban climate models, for urban planning policies and improving local weather forecasts. This study honours in memoriam Dr. Hassan Nasrallah, who produced the first UHICL study in the Arab World.

Describing the play of three-year-old children in the home context

This study examines play in the Finnish home context by specifically concentrating on the forms of play, quality factors of play and social nature of play. It is of particular interest to study play especially of three-year-olds, because the research on play for this group, in home environment is scarce especially in the Finnish context. This study is part of longitudinal, multidisciplinary study (STEPS) and is based on the responses from 921 families who answered the questionnaires both at the study recruitment point and at three years. The data were gathered during the years 2011–2013 for the first time ever from the Finnish home context and are a basis for research to be done later. There is a need for this kind of descriptive and identifying study to understand play in the home context. The results suggest that play, and especially playing outdoors, had a strong position in children’s lives. Some forms of play were clearly gender-based and some demographic factors had a connection to the social nature of play. In addition, the level of participation in early childhood education and care was associated with play. No earlier studies have been conducted on the associations between participating in ECE and an increase in the sociability of play in the home context. Participating in ECE expands children´s social network and promotes possibilities to form friendships. In public discourse, the need to increase children's participation in ECEC has been strongly emphasized. This research supports these views.

Numerical and Experimental Determination of Selected Performance Indicators of the Liquid Flat-Plate Solar Collector under Outdoor Conditions

The paper proposes applying an in-house mathematical model of a liquid flat-plate solar collector to calculate the collector time constant. The described model, proposed for the first time in an earlier study, is a one-dimensional distributed parameter model enabling simulations of the collector operation under arbitrarily variable boundary conditions. The model is based on the solution of energy balance equations for all collector components. The formulated differential equations are solved iteratively using an implicit difference scheme. To obtain a stable numerical solution, it is necessary to use appropriate steps of time and spatial division. These were found by comparing the results obtained from the model with the results of the analytical solution available in the literature for the transient state, which constitutes the novelty of the present study. The accuracy of the results obtained from the model was verified experimentally by comparing the measured and calculated history of the fluid temperature at the outlet of the collector. The calculation of the collector time constant is proposed in the paper as an example of the model’s practical application. The results of the time constant calculation were compared with the values obtained experimentally on the test stand. This is another novelty of the presented research. The analysed collector instantaneous efficiency was then calculated for selected outdoor conditions. The presented mathematical model can also be used to verify the correctness of the collector operation. By comparing, on an ongoing basis, the measured and calculated values of the fluid temperature at the collector outlet, conclusions can be drawn about the process of solar glass fouling or glycol gelling. The simplicity of the model and the low computational demands enable such comparisons in an online mode.

Reflection–Polarization Characteristics of Greenhouses Studied by Drone-Polarimetry Focusing on Polarized Light Pollution of Glass Surfaces

Drone-based imaging polarimetry is a valuable new tool for the remote sensing of the polarization characteristics of the Earth’s surface. After briefly reviewing two earlier drone-polarimetric studies, we present here the results of our drone-polarimetric campaigns, in which we measured the reflection–polarization patterns of greenhouses. From the measured patterns of the degree and angle of linear polarization of reflected light, we calculated the measure (plp) of polarized light pollution of glass surfaces. The knowledge of polarized light pollution is important for aquatic insect ecology, since polarotactic aquatic insects are the endangered victims of artificial horizontally polarized light sources. We found that the so-called Palm House of a botanical garden has only a low polarized light pollution, 3.6% ≤ plp ≤ 13.7%, while the greenhouses with tilted roofs are strongly polarized-light-polluting, with 24.8% ≤ plp ≤ 40.4%. Similarly, other tilted-roofed greenhouses contain very high polarized light pollution, plp ≤ 76.7%. Under overcast skies, the polarization patterns and plp values of greenhouses practically only depend on the direction of view relative to the glass surfaces, as the rotationally invariant diffuse cloud light is the only light source. However, under cloudless skies, the polarization patterns of glass surfaces significantly depend on the azimuth direction of view and its angle relative to the solar meridian because, in this case, sunlight is the dominant light source, rather than the sky. In the case of a given direction of view, those glass surfaces are the strongest polarized-light-polluting, from which sunlight and/or skylight is reflected at or near Brewster’s angle in a nearly vertical plane, i.e., with directions of polarization close to horizontal. Therefore, the plp value is usually greatest when the sun shines directly or from behind. The plp value of greenhouses is always the smallest in the green spectral range due to the green plants under the glass.

Accessible tourism: using technology to increase social equality for people with disabilities

Purpose Information and communication technologies are being increasingly used across various sectors including the tourism industry. However, equitable access to online information remains a significant challenge, especially for people with disabilities (PwD). There is a pressing need for research into the accessibility of the internet to promote social equality. This study aims to identify patterns in both the technical accessibility and the content information related to accessibility and disability that is available on the official websites of leading global tourist destinations. Design/methodology/approach A cluster analysis assessed the technical accessibility of the websites, while a principal component analysis evaluated the content information concerning accessibility and disability. Findings There has been a substantial improvement in the technical accessibility of tourism websites over that described in earlier studies. There have been no advances in content information on accessibility and disability, which continues to be very heterogeneous and dispersed. Originality/value This evaluation of the technical accessibility and content related to accessibility and disability on tourism websites provides a basis for developing strategies to eliminate barriers that PwD encounter in accessing tourism information. To augment the efficacy of big data inputs, it is imperative to homogenise variables associated with technical access and content information on accessibility. Such standardisation will improve the functionality of algorithms critical to the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies. These enhancements are likely to spur innovations that bridge the inequality gap and promote environments where technology serves as a cornerstone of social inclusion and equality.

Impacts of seasonal activities and traffic conditions on the contamination and accumulation of gully pot sediments: Metal(loid)s and organic substances

Gully pots (GPs) are an integral urban drainage component, transferring surface runoff into piped systems and reducing sediment and contaminant load on downstream sewers and receiving waters. Sediment build-up in GPs impairs their hydraulic performance, necessitating maintenance for hydraulic function recovery. The variations in sediment accumulation rates between GPs suggested by earlier studies challenge the effectiveness of adopting a generalised maintenance frequency. This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding how various factors influence sediment contamination in GPs. The impacts of seasonal activities and traffic conditions on the contamination of sediments in 27 GPs in areas with varying traffic intensities and street features (roundabouts, intersections, and straight roads) were examined. Over one year, GPs were emptied twice, with sediments collected for winter-spring and summer-autumn accumulation periods. These sediments were analysed for 84 substances, including metal(loid)s, hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphenols, phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and organotins. Significant temporal changes were identified in key parameters such as electrical conductivity, total organic carbons, tungsten (W), heavy-molecular-weight PAHs (PAH-H) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) in GP sediments, influenced by winter road safety measures and autumn leaf abscissions. Significantly higher concentrations of 4-tert-octylphenol, DIDP, diisononyl phthalate, antimony and W were identified in GP sediments from roundabouts compared to those at the other two street features, exclusively during the winter-spring period. This is attributed to the synergistic effect of winter road safety measures and stop-and-go traffic patterns at roundabouts. No consistent spatial and temporal patterns were identified for substance concentration and mass accumulation rates. Results underscore the potential to develop a prioritisation-based maintenance strategy as an opportunity to enhance the efficiency of GP maintenance operations, ensuring better resource allocation and reduced environmental impact.

Limitations Reported in Evaluating Effectiveness of Risk Minimization Measures in the EU during 2018-2021: A Qualitative Analysis of Industry-Sponsored Post-Authorization Safety Studies.

Marketing-authorization holders evaluate the effectiveness of risk minimization measures (RMM) for medicines through the conduct of post-authorization safety studies (PASS). Earlier studies show that concluding on RMM effectiveness is challenging. The aim of this study was to describe reported limitations associated with RMM effectiveness assessments of industry-sponsored PASS that did not render a conclusion. We conducted a thematic analysis of study limitations extracted from assessment reports and study reports finalized by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee between 2018 and 2021. In 39 (61.0%) of the PASS a conclusion on RMM effectiveness was drawn, where 25 (39.0%) PASS was inconclusive. Most PASS had a cross-sectional design with surveys as primary data sources (73.4% and 65.6% respectively). Four main themes emerged: (i) survey-specific limitations, (ii) limitations specifically related to secondary use of data, (iii) general limitations related to study design, and (iv) limitations not related to study design. In general, frequently reported limitations were survey-related, such as selection bias or information bias. Interestingly, well-known study limitations related to secondary use of data such as missing or misclassification of data were more often presented in inconclusive compared with conclusive PASS. Given that about 40% of PASS did not allow a conclusion on RMM effectiveness, our results suggest prioritization for strategies to mitigate limitations related to the secondary use of data at the protocol stage, for example, through feasibility assessments. Although many databases may have incomplete registration of some variables, feasibility testing prior to conducting a PASS could contribute to meeting study objectives and concluding on RMM effectiveness.

Nucleation phenomena and extreme vulnerability of spatial k-core systems

K-core percolation is a fundamental dynamical process in complex networks with applications that span numerous real-world systems. Earlier studies focus primarily on random networks without spatial constraints and reveal intriguing mixed-order transitions. However, real-world systems, ranging from transportation and communication networks to complex brain networks, are not random but are spatially embedded. Here, we study k-core percolation on two-dimensional spatially embedded networks and show that, in contrast to regular percolation, the length of connections can control the transition type, leading to four different types of phase transitions associated with interesting phenomena and a rich phase diagram. A key finding is the existence of a metastable phase where microscopic localized damage, independent of system size, can cause a macroscopic phase transition, a result which cannot be achieved in traditional percolation. In this case, local failures spontaneously propagate the damage radially until the system collapses, a phenomenon analogous to the nucleation process.

Improving the introduction of telemedicine in pre-hospital emergency medicine: understanding users and how acceptability, usability and effectiveness influence this process

IntroductionIncreasing numbers of ambulance calls, vacant positions and growing workloads in Emergency Medicine (EM) are increasing the pressure to find adequate solutions. With telemedicine providing health-care services by bridging large distances, connecting remote providers and even patients while using modern communication technologies, such a technology seems beneficial. As the process of developing an optimal solution is challenging, a need to quantify involved processes could improve implementation. Existing models are based on qualitative studies although standardised questionnaires for factors such as Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness exist.MethodsA survey was provided to participants within a German county. It was based on telemedical surveys, the System Usabilty Scale (SUS) and earlier works describing Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness. Meanwhile a telemedical system was introduced in the investigated county. A comparison between user-groups aswell as an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed.ResultsOf n = 91 included participants n = 73 (80,2%) were qualified as emergency medical staff (including paramedics n = 36 (39,56%), EMTs n = 28 (30,77%), call handlers n = 9 (9,89%)) and n = 18 (19,8%) as emergency physicians. Most participants approved that telemedicine positively impacts EM and improved treatment options with an overall Usabilty Score of 68,68. EFA provided a 3-factor solution involving Usability, Acceptability and Effectiveness.DiscussionWith our results being comparable to earlier studies but telemedicine only having being sparsely introduced, a positive attitude could still be attested. While our model describes 51,28% of the underlying factors, more research is needed to identify further influences. We showed that Usability is correlated with Acceptability (strong effect), Usability and Effectiveness with a medium effect, likewise Acceptability and Effectiveness. Therefore available systems need to improve. Our approach can be a guide for decision makers and developers, that a focus during implementation must be on improving usability and on a valid data driven implementation process.

Healthy Effects of Milk and Dairy Product Consumption in the Mediterranean Area and Japan.

Milk is a food enriched in essential components for human health. Especially, in the Mediterranean area, besides cow's milk, milk from goats, sheep, and donkeys, is largely used. The consumption of animal milk is an important component of the Mediterranean (MED) diet, even if in moderate amounts. Milk is a complete food since it contains proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). Milk-fermented products are largely consumed in the MED diet, such as cheese and yogurt, which are rich in essential metabolites, bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, and exopolysaccharides. A large body of evidence suggests that consumption of milk and dairy products does not increase the risk of all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, even if some earlier studies have reported harmful effects associated with their higher consumption. Also, in Japan, despite the lower consumption of milk than in Western countries, intake of bovine milk is associated with healthy effects. The present review describes the effects of the various constituents of animal milk on human health, with special reference to the Mediterranean area and Japan. Experimental data and clinical trials support the ability of milk and dairy products to lower the risk of chronic diseases.

Biofouling and biomineralization of tubular concretions attached to Longquan celadon from Shengbeiyu shipwreck, China (14th Century CE): a multi-analytical case study

A comprehensive multi-analytical investigation was conducted on a piece of Longquan celadon excavated from the Shengbeiyu shipwreck site in the East China Sea. This study focused on a representative type of tubular bio-concretions attached to the submerged celadon, believed to have been formed through the construction activities of a marine tubeworm belonging to the benthic phylum of Polychaeta Annelids. The research examined the microstructure, composition and adhesion form of these tubular bio-concretions, aiming to elucidate their developmental and attachment patterns from a biomineralization and biofouling perspective. The tubular bio-concretions were found to have a bimineralic composition, with notably higher content of aragonite than calcite, and display diverse yet highly ordered microstructures. The presence of organic matter within the bio-concretions indicates an organic matrix-controlled crystallization model, commonly observed in the construction of benthic calcareous tubes. Microscopic analyses revealed the primary degradation microstructures and corresponding phases of the glaze to which calcareous tubes attached. These findings closely resembled the corrosion characteristics observed in submerged ceramic glaze without bio-concretion attachments, as documented in earlier studies. OM and SEM observations also indicated that the calcareous tubes intricately intermeshed with the cracked glaze layer of the celadon. Additionally, Raman spectroscopic analysis detected the presence of proteins at the interface, likely residual adhesives secreted by fouling organisms to cement themselves to the settlement substrata, suggesting the occurrence of organic-mediated bio-adhesion mechanisms. These results shed new light on the formation process of bio-concretions and their interaction with attached underwater ceramics. A simplified formation mechanism of this biologically-induced degradation has been discussed.

Anticancer therapeutic potential of multimodal targeting agent- "phosphorylated galactosylated chitosan coated magnetic nanoparticles" against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are extensively used as carriers in targeted drug delivery and has several advantages in the field of magnetic hyperthermia, chemodynamic therapy and magnet assisted radionuclide therapy. The characteristics of SPIONs can be tailored to deliver drugs into tumor via "passive targeting" and they can also be coated with tissue-specific agents to enhance tumor uptake via "active targeting". In our earlier studies, we developed HCC specific targeting agent- "phosphorylated galactosylated chitosan"(PGC) for targeting asialoglycoprotein receptors. Considering their encouraging results, in this study we developed a multifunctional targeting system- "phosphorylated galactosylated chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles"(PGCMNPs) for targeting HCC. PGCMNPs were synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized by DLS, XRD, TEM, VSM, elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. PGCMNPs were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant properties, uptake in HepG2 cells, biodistribution, in vivo toxicity and were also evaluated for anticancer therapeutic potential against NDEA-induced HCC in mice model in terms of tumor status, electrical properties, antioxidant defense status and apoptosis. The characterization studies confirmed successful formation of PGCMNPs with superparamagnetic properties. The internalization studies demonstrated (99-100)% uptake of PGCMNPs in HepG2 cells. These results were also supported by biodistribution studies in which increased iron content (296%) was noted inside the hepatocytes. Further, PGCMNPs exhibited no in vivo toxicity. The anticancer therapeutic potential was evident from observation that PGCMNPs treatment decreased tumor bearing animals (41.6%) and significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lowered tumor multiplicity. Overall, this study indicated that PGCMNPs with improved properties are efficiently taken-up by hepatoma cells and has therapeutic potential against HCC. Further, this agent can be tagged with 32P and hence can offer multimodal cancer treatment options via radiation ablation as well as magnetic hyperthermia.

Local convergence of a two-step Gauss-Newton Werner-type method for solving least squares problems

The aim of this paper is to extend the applicability of a two-step Gauss-Newton-Werner-type method (TGNWTM) for solving nonlinear least squares problems. The radius of convergence, error bounds and the information on the location of the solution are improved under the same information as in earlier studies. Numerical examples further validate the theoretical results.