Mixed Components Research Articles

Patients' UX Impact on Medication Adherence in Czech Pilot Study for Chronically Ill.

This article presents a comprehensive and multistage approach to the development of the user experience (UX) for an mHealth application targeting older adult patients with chronic diseases, specifically chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study adopts a mixed methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative components. The underlying hypothesis posits that baseline medicine adherence knowledge (measured by the MARS questionnaire), beliefs about medicines (measured by the BMQ questionnaire), and level of user experience (measured by the SUS and UEQ questionnaires) act as predictors of adherence change after a period of usage of the mHealth application. However, contrary to our expectations, the results did not demonstrate the anticipated relationship between the variables examined. Nevertheless, the qualitative component of the research revealed that patients, in general, expressed satisfaction with the application. It is important to note that the pilot testing phase revealed a notable prevalence of technical issues, which may have influenced participants' perception of the overall UX. These findings contribute to the understanding of UX development in the context of mHealth applications for older adults with chronic diseases and emphasise the importance of addressing technical challenges to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

Unsupervised separation of nonlinearly mixed event-related potentials using manifold clustering and non-negative matrix factorization

Event-related potentials (ERPs) can quantify brain responses to reveal the neural mechanisms of sensory perception. However, ERPs often reflect nonlinear mixture responses to multiple sources of sensory stimuli, and an accurate separation of the response to each stimulus remains a challenge. This study aimed to separate the ERP into nonlinearly mixed source components specific to individual stimuli. We developed an unsupervised learning method based on clustering of manifold structures of mixture signals combined with channel optimization for signal source reconstruction using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). Specifically, we first implemented manifold learning based on Local Tangent Space Alignment (LTSA) to extract the spatial manifold structure of multi-resolution sub-signals separated via wavelet packet transform. We then used fuzzy entropy to extract the dynamical process of the manifold structures and performed a k-means clustering to separate different sources. Lastly, we used NMF to obtain the optimal contributions of multiple channels to ensure accurate source reconstructions. We evaluated our developed approach using a simulated ERP dataset with known ground truth of two components of ERP mixture signals. Our results show that the correlation coefficient between the reconstructed source signal and the true source signal was 92.8 % and that the separation accuracy in ERP amplitude was 91.6 %. The results show that our unsupervised separation approach can accurately separate ERP signals from nonlinear mixture source components. The outcomes provide a promising way to isolate brain responses to multiple stimulus sources during multisensory perception.

A Case of Parotid Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma with Mixture of Malignant Subtypes

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma is an uncommon malignant salivary gland tumor that arises from a longstanding pleomorphic adenoma. The carcinomatous component of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma can possess virtually any histologic subtype of salivary gland cancer. We experienced a case of a 61-year-old patient who presented with a right parotid mass that was initially palpated 20 years ago, with a sudden increase in size in the last few months. Radiological and cytological findings from fine needle aspiration biopsy could not exclude malignancy. Total parotidectomy and selective neck dissection were performed for treatment, and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma with mixed carcinoma components of salivary duct carcinoma and myoepithelial carcinoma was diagnosed. After receiving postoperative radiation of 6000 cGy over 6 weeks, there has been no recurrence up to the 18-month follow-up. We report this rare case of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma with mixed malignancy subtypes, accompanied by a review of literature.

FOXM1 and CHD4 expression is associated with chemoresistance in hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common malignant liver tumor in childhood. Although pre-operative cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy is often used in cases of HB, about 20％ of HB patients exhibit resistance to CDDP. Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) and chromo-domain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) have been associated with CDDP resistance in various tumors. We here analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of FOXM1 and CHD4 in HB specimens of 33 patients (mean age: 20 months) post-chemotherapy. The differentiation of specimens was assessed using the digital pathology software QuPath®, and then the relation between the FOXM1 or CHD4 expression and the differentiation and various other clinicopathological parameters was investigated. The histological type was epithelial in 19 cases (57.6%) and mixed epithelial and mesenchymal in 14 cases (42.4%). Nine cases had only a fetal component, 1 case had only an embryonal component, 22 cases had both fetal and embryonal components, and 1 case had no viable tumor. Both the FOXM1 and CHD4 immunoexpressions were found significantly more frequently in the embryonal than fetal components (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). Regarding chemotherapy efficacy, the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level after chemotherapy was correlated with both the imaging shrinkage rate (R=-0.52) and histological residual rate (the percentage of the viable tumors of HB after chemotherapy)(R=0.62). High FOXM1 score was correlated with a high-postoperative AFP value (p<0.01) and a low AFP attenuation rate (p<0.05), but the FOXM1 score was not correlated with the imaging shrinkage rate (p=0.4418) or histological residual rate (p=0.4418). High CHD4 score showed a nonsignificant trend toward correlation with high postoperative AFP value (p=0.0849) and was not significantly correlated with the other parameters. Collectively, our results showed that FOXM1 expression may be useful in evaluating the response to CDDP-based chemotherapeutic regimens. Accurate measurement of FOXM1 expression by our scoring system using QuPath® is important in cases with mixed HB components of various differentiation levels.

Topological understanding of the influence of mixed alkali components on the structure and properties of aluminosilicate glass

Herein, aluminosilicate (AS) glasses exhibit varying trends in Vickers hardness (HV), coefficient of thermal expansion, softening temperature (Ts) and glass transition temperature owing to the mixed alkali effect. To elucidate the mechanism of the mixed alkali effect, the glass structure was characterised using multiple methods. Employing temperature-dependent topological constraint theory, the variations in HV and Ts were investigated, and the constraint strengths of sodium (Na) and lithium (Li) in AS glasses were calculated. The findings indicated that an increase in alkali metal–ion content elevates the proportion of non-bridging oxygen, leading to a progressive decrease in constraint strength and the depolymerisation of the glass structure. For AS glasses with mixed alkali components, as the content of Li2O replacing Na2O increases, the constraint strength of the glass structure below the critical temperature (Tc) gradually rises, while above Tc, it undergoes unconventional changes. These alterations lead to non-linear variations in glass properties.

Bowstring-type inerter negative stiffness damper for vibration control of slender towers

The difficulty of practical installation restrains the application of tuned damping devices in the high-performance vibration control of slender towers. In order to address this issue, a novel Bowstring-type Inerter Negative Stiffness Damper (BINSD) is proposed. The BINSD is composed of an inerter-negative-stiffness-dashpot system connected between the tower and a mass block (or a massless node) located on a vertical prestressed cable like a bowstring. In order to determine the multiple optimal parameters of the proposed BINSD, analytical parametric optimizations are investigated for the following three aspects. Firstly, the optimal tuning frequency and damping ratios are obtained via an analytical approach considering H∞ and H2 norms. Secondly, the optimal negative stiffness is determined by balancing the static and dynamic performances, particularly for practical excitations with mixed static and dynamic components (such as wind). Thirdly, the optimal installation height is analytically derived to fulfil a least negative stiffness criterion, which leads to an economic realization in practice. Finally, the effectiveness of the presented BINSD and corresponding optimal design approaches is numerically validated by the wind- and seismic- induced vibration control cases of a wind turbine tower. The proposed optimal design approaches lead to a high-performance, economic, and feasible design of BINSD.

Clinicopathological characteristics and immune microenvironment of breast squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of breast squamous cell carcinoma and to analyze the relationship between its immune microenvironment tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and prognosis. Methods: Forty-four cases of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast diagnosed and treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China from January 2006 to July 2022 were selected. Their clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. The cell composition of TILs was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (Mainly markers of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes and plasma cells). The relationship between TILs and prognosis was also analyzed. Results: The 44 patients of breast squamous cell carcinoma were all female and all were invasive carcinoma. Eight cases (8/44, 18.2%) were squamous cell carcinoma, while 36 cases (36/44, 81.8%) were mixed squamous cell carcinoma. The mixed components included non-specific carcinoma and spindle cell metaplastic carcinoma (17 cases each). One case contained ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast and 1 case contained tubular carcinoma. The proportion of squamous cell carcinoma was 10% to 90%. The cases with pure squamous cell carcinoma often had a large cystic cavity, which was lined by atypical squamous epithelium, while infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma nests were seen in the breast tissue around the cystic cavity. Immunohistochemical staining showed that p63 and CK5/6 were expressed in the squamous cell carcinoma component, but ER, PR and HER2 were not, except for one case of HER2 1+. The positive rates of TRPS1 and PDL-1 were 76% and less than 1%, respectively. Fifteen cases were in the high TILs group (TILs≥30%) and 29 cases were in the low TILs group (TILs<30%). Twenty-three patients were followed up for 5 to 118 months. Among them, 12 died within 3 years and 9 were alive at the end of the follow up. There was no significant difference in TNM stage, TILs and prognosis between simple squamous cell carcinoma and mixed squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions: Breast squamous cell carcinoma can be divided into simple squamous cell carcinoma and mixed squamous cell carcinoma. There are differences in gross findings and histology between the simple and mixed squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. Sufficient samples should be taken to avoid missing the diagnosis of a minor squamous component. The prognosis of patients with high TILs is significantly better than that of patients with low TILs. The expression rate of TRPS1 in primary squamous cell carcinoma of breast is high and helpful to the differential diagnosis from metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.

Theoretical analysis of hydrogen solubility in direct coal liquefaction solvents

The cyclic hydrogenation technology in a direct coal liquefaction process relies on the dissolved hydrogen of the solvent or oil participating in the hydrogenation reaction. Thus, a theoretical basis for process optimization and reactor design can be established by analyzing the solubility of hydrogen in liquefaction solvents. Experimental studies of hydrogen solubility in liquefaction solvents are challenging due to harsh reaction conditions and complex solvent compositions. In this study, the composition and content of liquefied solvents were analyzed. As model compounds, hexadecane, toluene, naphthalene, tetrahydronaphthalene, and phenanthrene were chosen to represent the liquefied solvents in chain alkanes and monocyclic, bicyclic, and tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The solubility of hydrogen X (mol/mol) in pure solvent components and mixed solvents (alkanes and aromatics mixed in proportion to the chain alkanes + bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic saturated aromatic hydrocarbons + bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons + compounds containing heteroatoms composed of mixed components) are determined using Aspen simulation at temperature and pressure conditions of 373–523 K and 2–10 MPa. The results demonstrated that at high temperatures and pressures, the solubility of hydrogen in the solvent increases with the increase in temperature and pressure, with the pressure having a greater impact. Furthermore, the results revealed that hydrogen is more soluble in straight-chain alkanes than in other solvents, and the solubility of eicosanoids reaches a maximum of 0.296. The hydrogen solubility in aromatic ring compounds decreased gradually with an increase in the aromatic ring number. The influence of chain alkanes on the solubility of hydrogen predominates in a mixture of solvents with different mixing ratios of chain alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. The solubility of hydrogen in mixed aromatic solvents is less than that in the corresponding single solvents. Hydrogen is less soluble in solvent compounds containing heteroatoms than in compounds without heteroatoms.

Advancements in Laser Therapies for Dermal Hyperpigmentation in Skin of Color: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Experience of Sequential Laser Treatments in a Cohort of 122 Indian Patients.

The heightened awareness of ethnic dermatology aligns with the growing prevalence of skin of color communities globally, where hyperpigmentation disorders pose a common dermatological challenge. Effectively addressing dermal pigmentation is challenging due to its resistance to conventional therapies and its association with impaired quality of life. This underscores the need for effective treatments and a thorough grasp of laser advancements. A relevant literature search spanning the last 7 years across the PubMed database reveals core studies, challenges, and the evolution of laser technologies tailored for various forms of congenital and acquired dermal hyperpigmentation in skin of color. This comprehensive review explores the mechanisms, applications, and recommendations for pigmentary laser technologies, highlighting the key role of Q-switched lasers in their established millisecond/ nanosecond forms and emerging picosecond lasers, fractional non-ablative and ablative lasers, Intense Pulsed Light, etc. The summary of evidence includes studies on dermal melanocytosis (nevus of Ota and Hori's nevus), tattoos, acquired dermal macular hyperpigmentation, etc., and also entities with mixed epidermal-dermal components, such as melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The review offers valuable insights for clinicians to make informed decisions based on diagnosis, skin type, and the latest technologies to optimize results and minimize complications, especially in darker Fitzpatrick skin types. In their five-year study with 122 Indian patients, the authors applied specific laser combinations for diverse dermal melanoses, including tattoos, dermal/mixed melasma, acquired dermal macular hyperpigmentation, and dermal nevi. Substantial pigmentation reduction, subjectively assessed by both physicians and patients, was observed across all groups. A one-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference in mean improvement scores across various pigmentary conditions (F = 3.39, p = 0.02), with melasma patients exhibiting a significantly higher improvement score than tattoos (p = 0.03). The results affirmed the safety and efficacy of sequential laser therapy for dermal pigmentation in skin of color, advocating for flexibility in approach while maintaining the rationale behind the laser sequences. Despite advancements, challenges persist, and gaps in the current literature are identified. In conclusion, this summary highlights the ongoing pursuit of optimal protocols in dermatological laser treatments for dermal melanoses, offering valuable insights for future research and clinical practice.

Current understanding of nociplastic pain.

Nociplastic pain by the "International Association for the Study of Pain" is defined as pain that arises from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of nociceptive or neuropathic pain. Augmented central nervous system pain and sensory processing with altered pain modulation are suggested to be the mechanism of nociplastic pain. Clinical criteria for possible nociplastic pain affecting somatic structures include chronic regional pain and evoked pain hypersensitivity including allodynia with after-sensation. In addition to possible nociplastic pain, clinical criteria for probable nociplastic pain are pain hypersensitivity in the region of pain to non-noxious stimuli and presence of comorbidity such as generalized symptoms with sleep disturbance, fatigue, or cognitive problems with hypersensitivity of special senses. Criteria for definitive nociplastic pain is not determined yet. Eight specific disorders related to central sensitization are suggested to be restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder, migraine or tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, and whiplash injury; non-specific emotional disorders related to central sensitization include anxiety or panic attack and depression. These central sensitization pain syndromes are overlapped to previous functional pain syndromes which are unlike organic pain syndromes and have emotional components. Therefore, nociplastic pain can be understood as chronic altered nociception related to central sensitization including both sensory components with nociceptive and/or neuropathic pain and emotional components. Nociplastic pain may be developed to explain unexplained chronic pain beyond tissue damage or pathology regardless of its origin from nociceptive, neuropathic, emotional, or mixed pain components.

Bulk viscous late acceleration under near equilibrium conditions in f(R, T) gravity with mixed dark matter

Numerous studies have tried to explain the observed late acceleration of the Universe as being caused by the bulk viscosity associated with the dark matter (DM) component. However, for driving the said accelerated expansion, all such models require a violation of near equilibrium conditions (NECs) associated with the background viscous theory. But recently, it was found that, with the aid of a cosmological constant, it is possible to maintain NEC for the bulk viscous warm DM during certain evolutionary epochs of the Universe. Nevertheless, this negated the possibility of having a ‘solely’ viscous-driven late acceleration in Einstein gravity within the NEC limit. In the present study, we investigate a model of the Universe composed of mixed DM components, with viscous DM, and inviscid cold DM as its constituents, in the context of R+2λTvm gravity, and show that the model predicts late acceleration by satisfying NEC, critical energy condition and second law of thermodynamics (SLT) throughout the evolution, even in the absence of a cosmological constant. One intriguing feature observed in this model is the possibility of having a negative bulk viscous coefficient and yet satisfying the SLT. Finally, by applying both theoretical and observational constraints on the model parameters, we determined the best-fit values of model parameters and thereby analyzed the evolutionary behavior of some relevant cosmological observables.

Low detection based on Pd Pt /In2O3 nanospheres for rapid hydrogen detection

Semiconductor gas sensors still have limitations in realizing rapid hydrogen measurement in lower hydrogen concentration environments. Therefore, in this paper, In2O3 cloud-like spherical hydrogen detection sensing materials with different Pd and Pt ratio loading were successfully prepared using the water bath method. The In2O3 sensing materials modified with noble metals Pd and Pt were designed for the rapid detection of hydrogen at 400 ppb with good selectivity under mixed gas components. The crystalline phase, morphology, and chemical composition of the prepared Pd and Pt-loaded In2O3 samples were analyzed using characterization techniques. The gas-sensing results showed that the In2O3 gas-sensing sensor with a Pd and Pt ratio loading of 1–2 had stronger H2 sensing performance at the optimum operating temperature (350°C). The response time and recovery time of In2O3 loaded with the opinion ratio at 350℃ and 400 ppb were 1 s and 15 s. The low detection limit was 400 ppb, with good repeatability and long-term stability. Finally, the enhanced gas sensitization mechanism of the In2O3 gas sensor loaded with Pd and Pt for H2 was discussed.

Effects of low-tube voltage coronary CT angiography on plaque and pericoronary fat assessment: intraindividual comparison.

To investigate the effects of low tube voltage on coronary plaques and pericoronary fat assessment, and to compare their extent among various levels of low voltage. Patients were recommended for high-pitch low-tube voltage coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), and they were included if they had poor image quality and were referred to a conventional CCTA. The patients were classified into a low-voltage group (with 70-kV, 80-kV, and 90-kV subgroups) and a conventional group (100/120 kV). Their total plaque and subcomponent volumes and pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI) were measured. A total of 1002 image slices (from 65 patients and 74 plaques) were included, including 21, 31, 13, 4, and 61 patients in the 70-kV, 80-kV, 90-kV, 100-kV, and 120-kV groups respectively. The CT values of noncalcified plaques in the conventional and low-voltage groups were 54.6 ± 21.3 HU and 31.5 ± 22.6 HU, respectively (p < 0.05). Compared with the conventional group, the necrotic core and calcification volume were increased, and the fibrolipid volume, periplaque, and right coronary artery FAI were decreased in the low-voltage group and its subgroups (p < 0.001). The magnitude of changes in fibrous and calcification volumes increased in the 70-kV subgroup compared with that in the 90-kV subgroup (p < 0.05). Low tube voltages, particularly of 70 kV, have a significant effect on coronary plaque and FAI. The effect of low voltage on plaque composition is characterized by a polarization pattern, i.e., a decrease in fibrolipid (medium density) and an increase in necrotic core (low density) and calcification (high density). Our results highlight the comparability and repeatability of plaque and pericoronary fat assessments facilitated by the same or a similar tube voltage. It is necessary to carry out studies on the specificity threshold of low tube voltage at each level. • Low tube voltage had a significant effect on coronary plaque and pericoronary fat, particularly 70 kV. • The effect of low tube voltage on plaque composition shows the shift from medium-density mixed components to low- and high-density components. • It is necessary to correct the specificity threshold or attenuation difference for low tube voltage at each level.

An efficient shear and bending‐locking‐free quadrilateral plate element using a modified Hellinger‐Reissner functional and the Bergan free formulation

AbstractThis paper presents a general variational principle as theoretical support for creating a simple and efficient quadrilateral plate finite element called BKWA, having only a single displacement and two rotations at corner nodes according to the Reissner‐Mindlin plate theory. The functional is a modified Hellinger‐Reissner in terms of the kinematic variables and independent transverse shear strains. Hence, we consider quadratic rotations, as in DKQ, and linear independent shear strains with constant tangential components on sides, as in MITC4. The quadratic rotation contributions and the mixed shear strain components are wiped out by static condensation. To adequately satisfy the constant curvature patch tests, we also consider the orthogonality conditions between the linear and quadratic bending modes, as in the Bergan free formulation, to avoid ‘spurious bending energy’ for thick plates (also called bending locking). The paper contains comprehensive patch tests and convergence tests with regular and irregular meshes (displacements, internal forces, and strain energy) of circular and square plates. The element is compared with other existing elements (MITC4, DKMQ). It is concluded that BKWA is an efficient element regarding several criteria.

Impact of engineered water in modulating the wettability of oil–brine–rock system for improved oil recovery

AbstractLow salinity water injection stands as a progressive method for enhanced oil recovery, representing a current focus of extensive research. Understanding wettability alteration in crude oil is hindered by its intricate nature, posing a challenge for researchers. In order to better understand wettability alteration and underlying phenomena in an oil–brine–rock system, a fundamental study was carried out using pure hydrocarbon (aliphatic: n‐heptane; aromatic: toluene) and crude oil on quartz surface against engineered water consist of monovalent (NaCl) and divalent (MgSO4) salts in various compositions (NaCl:MgSO4: 100:0; NaCl:MgSO4: 0:100; NaCl:MgSO4: 75:25; NaCl:MgSO4: 50:50; NaCl:MgSO4: 25:75). The variables under investigation include temperature (25 to 65°C), pure hydrocarbons (toluene, n‐heptane), crude oil (Indian offshore), and brine (B1 to B5) with concentration (0 to 20,000 ppm). The findings show that when brine solution contains solely NaCl salt at a concentration of 2000 ppm, n‐heptane exhibits a minimum contact angle on quartz plate. Contrarily, toluene exhibits a low contact angle with a brine solution that only contains MgSO4 salt at a concentration of 2000 ppm. The intriguing finding is that when monovalent and divalent salts are equal (NaCl:MgSO4: 50:50) in the brine, crude oil exhibits the smallest contact angle on quartz. Additionally, temperature and contact angle are directly related for all oil types. The optimal brine for achieving the minimum contact angle on quartz surface is (B1)2000 for n‐heptane, (B2)2000 for toluene, and (B4)2000 for crude oil for the current study. The study findings indicate that the alteration in wettability due to brine composition and salinity varies among different oil samples, characterized by purely aliphatic, aromatic, and mixed components, and it depends on the type of salt compositions. Higher salts concentration minimally affects n‐heptane but influences toluene and crude oil contact angles.

Experimental investigation on a non-flammable mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson refrigerator for a 100 K cooling temperature

A non-flammable mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson refrigerator is developed for a cooling temperature of 100 K without freezing of the working fluid itself. A mixture of nitrogen, argon, tetrafluoromethane (R14, CF4), and octafluoropropane (R218, C3F8) is selected as the working fluid of the cascade type Joule-Thomson refrigerator. The optimized composition of the mixed refrigerant components is determined as N2:Ar:R14:R218 = 0.2:0.3:0.3:0.2 which has the freezing temperature of lower than 77 K according to our previous research. The coefficient of performance was obtained as 0.162 with 60 % isentropic efficiency based on the numerical simulation with aforementioned composition in the cascade configuration. As a result, the lowest temperature of 98.5 K is realized, and the maximum cooling capacity is 15 J/g at 103 K, which is the normalized value with respect to the mass flow rate of the working fluid. Additionally, the inefficiency of the experimental apparatus is analyzed and the possibility of further improving the coefficient of performance is proposed. Additionally, the inefficiency of the experimental apparatus is analyzed and the possibility of further improving the COP is proposed. This paper demonstrates that the non-flammable mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson refrigerator can achieve cooling temperature of 100 K, below the freezing point of its pure components. It confirms the potential of using non-flammable mixed refrigerant Joule-Thomson refrigerators in large-scale industries, such as high-temperature superconducting transmission cable industries, semiconductor manufacturing, or bio-preservation fields.

Mixed Metal Components in PM2.5 Contribute to Chemokine Receptor CCR5-Mediated Neuroinflammation and Neuropathological Changes in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb.

Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, can invade the central nervous system (CNS) via the olfactory pathway to induce neurotoxicity. The olfactory bulb (OB) is the key component integrating immunoprotection and olfaction processing and is necessarily involved in the relevant CNS health outcomes. Here we show that a microglial chemokine receptor, CCR5, is the target of environmentally relevant PM2.5 in the OB to trigger neuroinflammation and then neuropathological injuries. Mechanistically, PM2.5-induced CCR5 upregulation results in the pro-inflammatory paradigm of microglial activation, which subsequently activates TLR4-NF-κB neuroinflammation signaling and induces neuropathological changes that are closely related to neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Aβ deposition and disruption of the blood-brain barrier). We specifically highlight that manganese and lead in PM2.5 are the main contributors to CCR5-mediated microglial activation and neuroinflammation in synergy with aluminum. Our results uncover a possible pathway of PM2.5-induced neuroinflammation and identify the principal neurotoxic components, which can provide new insight into efficiently diminishing the adverse health effects of PM2.5.

MEDICINAL USES, PRESERVATION, PROMOTION AND CRITICAL STUDY OF DASHMOOLA: AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT DESCRIBED IN AYURVEDA SCRIPTURE

Ayurveda is a scientific method of ancient medicine, in which single and mixed medicines are used multiple times for medicine, in which Dashmoola has its special place. Ashtavarga, Pañcamūla, Trinapanchamoola and Dashmoola are widely used as mixed medicinal components. Dashmoola is made up of two words Dash and Moola, which means "root of ten medicines", i.e., roots of ten medicinal plants are taken in equal proportion. Generally, it is considered to be a combination of the Brihit and Laghu Pañcamūla. Of these ten roots, five roots are of trees known as Bṛhat Pañcamūla and five roots are of bushes known as Laghu Pañcamūla. Bṛhat Pañcamūla includes Bilva [Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa], Gambhari (Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm.), Agnimantha (Clerodendrum phlomidis L.f.), Patla [Stereospermum chelonoides (L.f.) DC.], Shyonak [Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz] while Laghu Pañcamūla includes Brihati (Solanum indicum L.), Gokharu (Tribulus terrestris L.), Kantakari (Solanum virginianum L.), Prshniparni [Uraria picta (Jacq.) Desv. Ex DC.], Shalaparni [Pleurolobus gangeticus (L.) J.St.-Hil. ex H.Ohashi &amp; K.Ohashi]. Dashmoola is used for the treatment of various diseases, sach as arthritis, asthma, headache, prenatal problems, Parkinson's disease, muscle cramps, lower back pain, etc. In the present review article, habitat, distribution, ecological note, common and vedic nomenclature, flowering and fruiting period, conservation status and medicinal properties of each plant in Dashmoola, have been discussed in detail and Herbarium sheet with field numbers of all plants are available in the Patanjali Research Foundation Herbarium

(234) How Age and Obesity Influence Erectile Dysfunction: Evaluation Based Upon Penile Color Duplex Doppler Ultrasound

Abstract Introduction Color duplex Doppler ultrasound (CDDU) is an objective and reliable diagnostic tool for documenting penile hemodynamics. Objective vascular testing provides a physiologic diagnosis of erectile dysfunction (ED) and helps direct appropriate therapy even in this age of ED management including oral drugs. Although age and diabetes are known to be the major etiological factors in development of ED, it is not clear whether obesity as such also plays any role or not. Objective The main objective of this study is to retrospectively assess the penile CDDU hemodynamic parameters of obese men with ED in comparison to non-obese ED men in relation to age. Methods A total of 271 men including obese and non-obese who were diagnosed with ED visiting our Andrology clinic were included in this study. Initial ED was determined by using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score. Penile CDDU data was retrospectively collected from these ED patients, and parameters mainly peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) were used for analysis. RI (=PSV-EDV/PSV) was calculated, and different types of penile vascular status were established based on our previously published SOP guidelines for standardization of penile CDDU parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc statistical software version 22.009 (MedCalc Software bv, Ostend, Belgium). Results Our study results revealed that with advancement of age the occurrence of vascular changes in obese men were higher in comparison to non-obese men with ED. Table 1 summarizes the influence of obesity on the prevalence of penile vascular status in different age groups of obese and non-obese men with ED. Surprisingly, higher number of obese men showed non-vascular, venous and mixed vascular components compared to non-obese ED patients. Among these obese groups of all ages, the venous leakage was prevalent than arterial or mixed components. Conclusions Our current analysis indicates that besides age, obesity is also one of the major risk factors in altering the penile hemodynamics with increased incidence of veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD) in ED patients. In addition, this demonstrates the utility of performing CDDU and diagnosing the presence of VOD in further understanding the pathophysiology of obesity associated ED, and an important determining factor in such patient care. Disclosure No.

Maximizing Electrostatic Interaction in Ultramicroporous Metal-Organic Frameworks for the One-Step Purification of Acetylene from Ternary Mixture.

Developing efficient adsorbents for acetylene purification from multicomponent mixtures is of critical significance in the chemical industry, but the trade-off between regenerability and selectivity significantly restricts practical industrial applications. Here, we report ultramicroporous metal-organic frameworks with acetylene-affinity channels to enhance electrostatic interaction between C2H2 and frameworks for the efficient one-step purification of C2H2 from C2H2/CO2/C2H4 mixtures, in which the electrostatic interaction led to high regenerability. The obtained SNNU-277 exhibits significantly higher adsorption capacity for C2H2 than that for both C2H4 and CO2 at 298 K and 0.1 bar, while an ultrahigh selectivity of C2H2/C2H4 (100.6 at 298 K) and C2H2/CO2 (32.8 at 298 K) were achieved at 1 bar. Breakthrough experiments validated that SNNU-277 can efficiently separate C2H2 from C2H2/C2H4/CO2 mixtures. CO2 and C2H4 broke through the adsorption column at 4 and 14.8 min g-1, whereas C2H2 was detected until 177.6 min g-1 at 298 K. Theoretical calculations suggest that the framework is electrostatically compatible with C2H2 and electrostatically repels C2H4 and CO2 in the mixed components. This work highlights the importance of rational pore engineering for maximizing the electrostatic effect with the preferentially absorbed guest molecule for efficient multicomponent separation.