Research Update Research Articles

171 Enrollment and participant satisfaction in online horse courses for adult learners

The University of Minnesota Equine Extension Program offers 7 online courses to help equip horse owners and professionals with practical knowledge, research updates, and resources to improve horse care and management on their farms. The courses include Basic Nutrition, Carcass Composting, Growing and Feeding Hay, Horse Biosecurity, Managing Overweight Horses, Manure Management, and Pasture Establishment and Management. Each course is offered annually in January and runs for 6 weeks. An online platform is used to facilitate a semi-self-paced format. Learners meet course objectives by viewing weekly asynchronous lectures, exploring additional resources, and completing weekly assignments (e.g., quizzes). Participating in assignments and scoring at least 70% on quizzes is needed to earn a certificate of course completion. Since 2016, 1,256 learners have taken the courses. The objective of this presentation is to evaluate enrollment and assess participant satisfaction in recent years. The data were analyzed using ANOVA models (α = 0.05) followed by Tukey HSD tests with enrollment and certificate completion as response variables and year and course as fixed effects. From 2021 to 2023, the courses had a total of 697 registrations generating an income of $52,050. Registrants were from 10 countries and 39 states, with many from Minnesota (39%). While enrollment numbers did not vary by year (P = 0.06), they didvary among courses (P < 0.001). On average, Basic Nutrition had the highest annual enrollment (81 enrolled) followed by Pasture Establishment and Management (49 enrolled). For 2021 and 2022, course (P = 0.09) and year (P = 0.06) did not affect the proportion of learners that earned a certificate (59 to 85%). Feedback evaluations that asked Likert questions were used to assess participant (n = 12) satisfaction of the newly added Carcass Composting course. All agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the course and the information taught was useful for their farm. Perceived learner knowledge increased 41% during the course. Most learners agreed or strongly agreed (58%) they planned to make at least one management change on their farm based on content knowledge. Overall, consistent enrollment numbers from 2021 to 2023 indicate that the courses continue to be valuable resources for horse owners and professionals. Learners were particularly interested in areas of nutrition and pasture management, which suggests efforts to implement similar programs regionally could be worthwhile. Positive feedback from newly added courses highlights the success of a variety of topics that can be taught online to improve outreach efforts.

Analysis of inpatient complications in HIV/AIDS patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty – A propensity matched cohort study

Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at higher risk for orthopedic related diseases due to dysregulation in bone metabolism and metabolic effects related to their medication regimen. Furthermore, the rate of hip arthroplasty in HIV patients is increasing. With the recent changes in THA methodologies and improvements in HIV treatment, there is a need for updated research analyzing hip arthroplasty outcomes in this high-risk patient population. In this study, we used a national database to evaluate postoperative outcomes in HIV patients undergoing THA compared to THA patients without HIV. We use a propensity algorithm to create a cohort of 493 HIV negative patients for matched analysis. Among the 367,894 THA patients included in this study, 367,390 patients were HIV negative and 504 were HIV positive. The HIV cohort had a lower mean age (53.34 vs 65.88, p < 0.001), lower proportion of females (44% vs 76.4%, p < 0.001), lower incidence of diabetes without complications (5% vs 11.1%, p < 0.001) and a lower incidence of obesity (0.544 vs 0.875, p = 0.002). In the unmatched analysis, the incidence of acute kidney injury (4.8% vs 2.5%, p = 0.004), pneumonia (1.2% vs 0.2%, p = 0.002), periprosthetic infection (3.6% vs 1%, p < 0.001), and wound dehiscence (0.6% vs 0.1%, p = 0.009) were higher in HIV cohort, most likely due to inherent demographic variances present in the HIV population. In the matched analysis, the rates of blood transfusion (5.0% vs 8.3%, p = 0.041) were lower in the HIV cohort. Other post-operative variables, such as rates of pneumonia, wound dehiscence, and surgical site infections were not statistically significant between the HIV positive population and HIV negative matched cohort. Our study found similar rates of postoperative complications in HIV positive and HIV negative patients. The rate of blood transfusions in HIV positive patients was also noted to be lower. Our data suggests that THA is a safe procedure in patients infected with HIV.

Paget's disease: a review of the epidemiology, etiology, genetics, and treatment.

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is the second most prevalent metabolic bone disorder worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 1.5%-8.3%. It is characterized by localized areas of accelerated, disorganized, and excessive bone production and turnover. Typically, PDB develops in the later stages of life, particularly in the late 50s, and affects men more frequently than women. PDB is a complex disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. PDB has a complex genetic basis involving multiple genes, with SQSTM1 being the gene most frequently associated with its development. Mutations affecting the UBA domain of SQSTM1 have been detected in both familial and sporadic PDB cases, and these mutations are often associated with severe clinical expression. Germline mutations in other genes such as TNFRSF11A, ZNF687 and PFN1, have also been associated with the development of the disease. Genetic association studies have also uncovered several PDB predisposing risk genes contributing to the disease pathology and severity. Epigenetic modifications of genes involved in bone remodelling and regulation, including RANKL, OPG, HDAC2, DNMT1, and SQSTM1, have been implicated in the development and progression of Paget's disease of bone, providing insight into the molecular basis of the disease and potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Although PDB has a tendency to cluster within families, the variable severity of the disease across family members, coupled with decreasing incidence rates, indicates that environmental factors may also play a role in the pathophysiology of PDB. The precise nature of these environmental triggers and how they interact with genetic determinants remain poorly understood. Fortunately, majority of PDB patients can achieve long-term remission with an intravenous infusion of aminobisphosphonates, such as zoledronic acid. In this review, we discuss aspects like clinical characteristics, genetic foundation, and latest updates in PDB research.

Research Progress and Trend of Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution from Non-Irrigated Farming Based on Bibliometrics

The agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution caused by non-irrigated farming, such as heavy metals, nitrogen and phosphorus, has posed an extreme threat to the security of agricultural product quality and watershed ecology. Thus, it is urgent to sort out the latest research progress and future development trend to effectively guide future scientific research and technological updates in this field. This study integrates the relevant literature of the Web of Science from 1976 to 2021 and analyzes the research hotspots and development trends in the field of agricultural NPS pollution from non-irrigated farming in combination with CiteSpace. The results showed that the proportion of publications from the United States and China accounted for 58.4%. Science of the Total Environment, Water Science and Technology and Journal of the American Water Resources Association were the most published journals. The research topics and hotspots mainly involve agricultural NPS pollution prevention technology, pollution source identification, pollution load and management and landscape pattern evolution. In the future, agricultural NPS pollution research in non-irrigated farming should combine agricultural big data platforms, spectroscopic methods, artificial intelligence technology, etc. and focus on strengthening soil testing formula fertilization management, the efficient use of livestock and poultry breeding manure, climate change and risk early warning.

Clinical Research Updates.

Child and Adolescent Mental HealthVolume 28, Issue 2 p. 347-349 Clinical Research Update Clinical Research Updates Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Corresponding Author Marinos Kyriakopoulos [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0002-4594-2646 King's College London, London, UK National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK Correspondence Marinos Kyriakopoulos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorTharaney Puvanachandran, Tharaney Puvanachandran South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorEvdokia Lagakou, Evdokia Lagakou National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceSearch for more papers by this authorMara Ktena, Mara Ktena National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceSearch for more papers by this author Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Corresponding Author Marinos Kyriakopoulos [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0002-4594-2646 King's College London, London, UK National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK Correspondence Marinos Kyriakopoulos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorTharaney Puvanachandran, Tharaney Puvanachandran South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorEvdokia Lagakou, Evdokia Lagakou National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceSearch for more papers by this authorMara Ktena, Mara Ktena National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceSearch for more papers by this author First published: 14 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12646Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume28, Issue2May 2023Pages 347-349 RelatedInformation

Recent advances in silicon-based nanostructures for thermoelectric applications

In this work, implementations of silicon-based thermoelectric nanomaterials are reviewed. Approaches ranging from nanostructured bulk—i.e., macroscopic materials presenting nanoscale features—to more complex low-dimensional materials are covered. These implementations take advantage of different phonon scattering mechanisms and eventual modifications of the electronic band-structure for the enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. This work is focused on the recent advances in silicon and silicon-based thermoelectric nanomaterials of the last decade—at both the theoretical and experimental level—with the spotlight on the most recent works. Different nanostructures and their fabrication methods are detailed, while the thermoelectric performances and the feasibility of their integration into functional micro-harvester generators are compared and discussed. This Research Update first covers the advances in nanostructured bulk, such as nanometric-sized polycrystals or defect-induced materials. Subsequently, it reviews low-dimensional materials, namely, thin films and nanowires. Later, other complex structures based on nanoporosity, superlattices, or core–shell schemes are detailed. Finally, it is devoted to present examples of the successful implementation of nanostructured silicon into functional thermoelectric devices.

Recent updates in autonomic research: advances in the understanding of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury

Recent updates in autonomic research: advances in the understanding of autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury

Campus activities leaders as stewards of hope and liberation: Reflections with Drs. Mamta Accapadi and Jan Arminio

NACA has recently released an updated Research Agenda to support the work of campus activities professionals that includes a more specific focus on and integration of values related to equity, diversity, and inclusion and student belonging. With this update in mind, JCAPS has dedicated this special issue to these topics.

Interview: Juan Gómez Rivas

Why did you decide to pursue a career in urology, and what continues to motivate you today? Urology is one of the medical specialties with the highest involvement in new technologies. From endoscopic surgery to laparoscopic robot-assisted surgery, we are one of the leaders in disruptive technologies in the medical field. Also, urology combines surgical with clinical-medical activity, covering many subtopics from benign diseases to oncology. My field of interest is genitourinary tumours. Lately there has been a big change in the management of genitourinary tumours, with novel drugs, targeting agents, and tailored medicine. Nowadays, motivation in the clinical aspect comes from patient satisfaction, and for the academic part, in leading a team of young and enthusiastic people and pushing forward to increase the academic level in Europe. This team is the Young Academics Urologists (YAU) of the European Association of Urology (EAU).1 What experience did you gain from your role as Chairman of the European Society of Residents in Urology (ESRU), and are there any notable achievements that come to mind from your time in this position? I was part of the ESRU for 5 years, and I learned multiple soft skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. In these 5 years, we published many papers about the actual status of urology training in Europe, raising awareness of the lack of confidence, lack of training in major surgery, and amount of surgical simulators, among others. Also, we found that although the residents present their work at congresses, this does not translate into scientific publications, so there is a lack of academic-scientific motivation, and it mainly depends on going abroad or getting into a PhD programme. Nowadays, the EAU is working hard to make urological education reachable at all levels in Europe. Having participated in multiple international congresses and collaborated on more than 250 published scientific papers, what will you be focusing on next as an educator? The natural pathway of doctors should be to achieve proficiency in their field of interest, and deliver this knowledge to the next generations. In the YAU, we are working on building an open academic curriculum for everyone. This curriculum should be Pan-European, unbiased, and high-level, covering the latest updates in research, and led by experts. Drawing upon your experience as a clinical observer, are there any innovations on the horizon in the fields of laparoscopy and focal therapy techniques for prostate cancer? Prostate cancer is living a revolution in terms of diagnosis and treatment. There are novel imaging techniques such as MRI, prostate-specific membrane antigen, and micro-ultrasound, among others, which allow us to see, diagnose, and control a tumour that we were not able to see a few decades ago. Focal therapy and robotic surgery allow us to deliver tailored treatments with good oncological results, without harbouring the quality of life. New energies to deploy inside the prostate are coming, and new robots are in the field, so the future is promising. How is the EAU, with whom you have several positions of involvement, educating healthcare professionals and trainees in the field of urology? The EAU offers numerous resources and programmes for optimal learning in urology for doctors at any stage of their urological careers. The educational arm of the EAU is the European School of Urology (ESU). The ESU aims to stimulate, coordinate, and organise all postgraduate teaching and education activities of the EAU at the highest level possible. Therefore, all teaching activities organised by the ESU are open to constant evaluation. No matter what stage you are in your career, the EAU-ESU can offer you valuable learning resources, designed to prepare the frontrunners in urology, including masterclasses, courses, hands-on training, webinars, on-demand activities, e-courses, and podcasts, among others. There are educational platforms with the latest findings on clinical trials, insights from meeting reports, and interviews with key opinion leaders called UROONCO2 and UROLUTS.3 Furthermore, urologists can be part of scholarships and exchange programmes at reputable European institutions from an early stage, and team up with experts in clinical and experimental research via the European Urological Scholarship Programme (EUSP). You recently co-authored the study, ‘Augmented reality’ applications in urology: a systematic review’. What were the key findings from this investigation? Augmented reality applied to surgical procedures refers to the superimposition of pre-operative or intraoperative images into the operative field. Augmented reality has been increasingly used in a myriad of surgical specialties, including urology, and its advances have led to increasing registration accuracy, as well as increased ability to identify anatomic landmarks, and improve outcomes during urologic procedures, such as robot assisted radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy.

Roles of TGF-β1 in Viral Infection during Pregnancy: Research Update and Perspectives

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) is a pleiotropic growth factor playing various roles in the human body including cell growth and development. More functions of TGF-β1 have been discovered, especially its roles in viral infection. TGF-β1 is abundant at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy and plays an important function in immune tolerance, an essential key factor for pregnancy success. It plays some critical roles in viral infection in pregnancy, such as its effects on the infection and replication of human cytomegalovirus in syncytiotrophoblasts. Interestingly, its role in the enhancement of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and replication in first-trimester trophoblasts has recently been reported. The above up-to-date findings have opened one of the promising approaches to studying the mechanisms of viral infection during pregnancy with links to corresponding congenital syndromes. In this article, we review our current and recent advances in understanding the roles of TGF-β1 in viral infection. Our discussion focuses on viral infection during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. We highlight the mutual roles of viral infection and TGF-β1 in specific contexts and possible functions of the Smad pathway in viral infection, with a special note on ZIKV infection. In addition, we discuss promising approaches to performing further studies on this topic.

Review On Targeted Drug Delivery System And Its Carriers As Drug Targeted To A Specific Organ

Targeted delivery combined with controlled drug release has a pivotal function in the future of personalized medicine. Target drug delivery system is one of the most considerable novel approach towards drug delivery system. Targated drug delivery seeks to concentrate the medication in the tissues of interest while reducing the relative concentration of the medication in the ultimate tissues thus enhancing therapeutic index and bioavailability at site specific-delivery .Now a days various carrier systems which includes liposomes, niosomes, aquasomes,pharmacosomes, dendrimers, nanoparticles, microspheres, solid lipid nanoparticles, resealed erythrocytes etc. are utilized in target drug delivery system which provide site specific drug delivery. Drug targeting is the principle by which the distribution of drug in organism is maneuverer in manner such that its major fraction interacts exclusively with the target tissue at the cellular and subcellular. The present review deals with the Targeted drug delivery system its advantages, disadvantages, need of Targeted drug delivery system, Types, drug targeted to a specific organ such as Brain, kidney, heart, colon and respiratory tract and research update on Targeted drug delivery system. Various drug carriers which can be used in this advance delivery system are Niosomes, Liposomes, Nanoparticles, Monoclonal Antibodies.

Mechanistic modeling of ophthalmic, nasal, injectable, and implant generic drug products: A workshop summary report.

For approval, a proposed generic drug product must demonstrate it is bioequivalent (BE) to the reference listed drug product. For locally acting drug products, conventional BE approaches may not be feasible because measurements in local tissues at the sites of action are often impractical, unethical, or cost-prohibitive. Mechanistic modeling approaches, such as physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, may integrate information from drug product properties and human physiology to predict drug concentrations in these local tissues. This may allow clinical relevance determination of critical drug product attributes for BE assessment during the development of generic drug products. In this regard, the Office of Generic Drugs of the US Food and Drug Administration has recently established scientific research programs to accelerate the development and assessment of generic products by utilizing model-integrated alternative BE approaches. This report summarizes the presentations and panel discussion from a public workshop that provided research updates and information on the current state of the use of PBPK modeling approaches to support generic product development for ophthalmic, injectable, nasal, and implant drug products.

Strategic Research Agenda of SUSCHEM CZ

The paper informs about the updated Strategic Research Agenda of the Czech Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry, mainly in context of the recent and upcoming chemical legislation and expected restrictions. Selected investments in the chemical industry are mentioned.

Endangered Scholars Worldwide

Endangered Scholars Worldwide Dolunay Bulut Attacks on higher education communities are occurring at an alarming rate worldwide, threatening the safety and well-being of scholars, students, and academic staff, as well as the autonomy of higher education institutions. In response to a global increase in threats to academic freedom, Endangered Scholars Worldwide has expanded its presence as an online publication, sharing frequent updates on new and developing cases. While we continue to publish regular updates in Social Research: An International Quarterly, our primary activity now takes place under the auspices of the New University in Exile Consortium, www.newuniversityinexileconsortium.org. The Consortium was launched in the fall of 2018 at the New School to create a supportive intellectual community for threatened, exiled scholars. It works to help them identify possible path toward new futures and find placements at Consortium schools, of which there are now over 65 worldwide. For the most current information and ways in which you can be involved in our efforts to defend academic freedom and free expression, we invite you to visit our website www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net or follow us at https://twitter.com/ESWNEWSCHOOL. If you are aware of a scholar or student whose case you believe we should investigate, please get in touch with us at esw@newschool.edu. Thank you for your unwavering support. [End Page v] SPECIAL DELIVERY The year 2022 was another bad year for academic freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. The global escalation of violent, antidemocratic political tendencies has continued to target and harm scholars, researchers, and students. Among the most dangerous places for scholars and students are Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran, and Myanmar, which have been facing military conflict, foreign intervention, and extreme physical violence. The end of February 2023 marked the one-year anniversary of Russia's illegitimate and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the sixth month of the anti-government protests in Iran that followed the murder of Mahsa Amini by the country's notorious Guidance Patrol. Authoritarian governments worldwide continue to provoke new military conflicts, refugee crises, and attacks on academic freedom and scientific knowledge production. In 2022, academic freedom improved only in five small countries that encompass less than 1 percent of the world's population. According to the 2023 Academic Freedom Index (AFI) global dataset, more than half of the world's population currently lives in countries where academic freedom, freedom of speech, and exchange of scholarly knowledge have been restricted. As of March 2023, the People's Republic of China is among the lowest-ranking and most dangerous countries for academic freedom. Institutional autonomy, freedom to research and teach, academic exchange and dissemination, campus integrity, and academic and cultural expression have scored the lowest since the 1950s. Since 2021, under government pressure, administrations of public universities have been increasingly hostile toward student unions, while unilaterally terminating the contracts of many academics because of their anti-government opinions, research on implicitly or explicitly censored topics, or their ethnic or religious identity. Under the Xi Jinping government, the number of imprisoned, disappeared, and otherwise persecuted journalists, scholars, and students has also skyrocketed. Among the imprisoned are Uyghur scholars Rahile Dawut and Ilham Tohti, prominent academics at Xinjiang University in the Uyghur autonomous [End Page vi] region. There are also reports of Uyghurs dying in detention or so-called education camps, including biotech researcher Mihriay Erkin and poet and publisher Haji Mirzahid Kerimi. Besides legal and institutional pressures primarily targeting minority communities, the Xi Jinping government has also placed restrictions on academic mobility and international collaboration of Chinese scholars. Since 2016, China's Ministry of Education requires Chinese academics to seek preapproval from their institution for participating in international scholarly collaborations, both in-person and remotely. In March 2022, at least five Chinese scholars were denied permission to travel abroad to participate in academic events. The mobility of scholars and researchers is an important pillar of academic freedom and a crucial necessity for democratic and participatory production and exchange of knowledge. In addition to restricting mobility of scholars and increasing the state surveillance in the name of national security, the Xi Jinping government has introduced mandatory national security courses at public universities. As a part...

An Updated Research Vision of the Next Generation Network After Several Years on the 6G Journey

An Updated Research Vision of the Next Generation Network After Several Years on the 6G Journey

Research update on the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis and progress of atrial fibrillation

心房颤动（房颤）是最常见的持续性心律失常，心房电与结构重构是促进房颤发生和发展的重要机制。自噬是真核细胞内广泛存在的一种溶酶体依赖性细胞内组分降解过程，对维持细胞生存及功能有重要作用。研究表明，自噬与房颤的进展密切相关，通过调节心肌细胞内L型钙离子通道CaV1.2蛋白、缝隙连接蛋白Cx43及兰尼丁受体2的功能参与心肌细胞内钙稳态及电重构；通过与转化生长因子-β1及血管紧张素Ⅱ相关信号通路交互作用参与心房纤维化、心肌肥厚等结构重构。对自噬过程的调控能改善心房电与结构重构，为房颤的预防和治疗提供新视角。.

A systematic comparison of deep learning methods for EEG time series analysis.

Analyzing time series data like EEG or MEG is challenging due to noisy, high-dimensional, and patient-specific signals. Deep learning methods have been demonstrated to be superior in analyzing time series data compared to shallow learning methods which utilize handcrafted and often subjective features. Especially, recurrent deep neural networks (RNN) are considered suitable to analyze such continuous data. However, previous studies show that they are computationally expensive and difficult to train. In contrast, feed-forward networks (FFN) have previously mostly been considered in combination with hand-crafted and problem-specific feature extractions, such as short time Fourier and discrete wavelet transform. A sought-after are easily applicable methods that efficiently analyze raw data to remove the need for problem-specific adaptations. In this work, we systematically compare RNN and FFN topologies as well as advanced architectural concepts on multiple datasets with the same data preprocessing pipeline. We examine the behavior of those approaches to provide an update and guideline for researchers who deal with automated analysis of EEG time series data. To ensure that the results are meaningful, it is important to compare the presented approaches while keeping the same experimental setup, which to our knowledge was never done before. This paper is a first step toward a fairer comparison of different methodologies with EEG time series data. Our results indicate that a recurrent LSTM architecture with attention performs best on less complex tasks, while the temporal convolutional network (TCN) outperforms all the recurrent architectures on the most complex dataset yielding a 8.61% accuracy improvement. In general, we found the attention mechanism to substantially improve classification results of RNNs. Toward a light-weight and online learning-ready approach, we found extreme learning machines (ELM) to yield comparable results for the less complex tasks.

Antioxidant Activity of Panax ginseng to Regulate ROS in Various Chronic Diseases

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-the byproduct of regular cell activity formed by various cellular components—play a significant role in pathological and physiological conditions. Alternatively, antioxidants are compounds that reduce or scavenge reactive species in cells. An asymmetry between the antioxidant defense system and ROS from intracellular and extracellular sources cause chronic diseases such as cancer, inflammation, tumorigenesis, cardiovascular and neurogenerative diseases. However, Panax ginseng and its secondary metabolites (known as ginsenosides, phenolic compounds, peptides, acid polysaccharides, polyacetylene, and alkaloids) are well-recognized as antioxidants in many in vitro and in vivo experiments which show beneficial activity in regulating ROS in these diseases. There are extensive evidences that P. ginseng can destroy cancer cells specifically by increasing oxidative stress through ROS generation without significantly harming normal cells. Additionally, numerous studies have examined the antioxidant activity of ginseng and its derivatives on ROS-mediated signaling pathways which are discussed herein. This review summarizes the potential antioxidant activity of P. ginseng in several chronic diseases, and gives updated research evidence with related mechanisms and the future possibilities of nano-formulated compounds of P. ginseng and other polyphenols.

Factors Influencing Foreign Direct Investment Inflow in Somalia

Purposes: The last four decades, the value of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow in Somalia has fluctuated between $339,000,000 in 2016 and $43,390,000 in 1970. Thus, this research investigated the factors influencing foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Somalia. Over the period from 1980-2017 and data are obtained from the World Bank. Design/ Methodology/ approach: this study used The Vector Auto regression (VAR) model. The econometric methodology to be utilized includes the unit root test for used Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF), co-integration test, Johansen integration test and diagnostic test includes serial correlation, normality, heteroskedasticity and AR root test. Furthermore, they are also utilized for VAR Granger causality tests. Findings: The findings of this paper indicated unit root test showed that all variables except external debt are not stationary at the level but become stationary after first differencing at the 10% level of significant. The co-integration test indicates the relationships between variables are integrated. The Granger-causality test shows only one-way Granger-causality relationships from FDI to GDP, import and export variables or so-called unidirectional Granger causality. Moreover, impulse response function indicates results all variables are positive related in the short run and long run except for imports which is negative related with FDI. Although, GDP, imports and inflation are significant to FDI, but export and external debt are insignificant to FDI. Therefore, this research concludes that FDI influences economic growth in Somalia. Research limitations/ implications: Although this research has expended and evolved prior studied various respects, a comprehensive and systematic time-series study on FDI and its determinants in Somalia would involve more capitals than had been made available for this study. There are still a number of specific constrains to be noted on the investigating FDI and its determinants in this paper, some factors such as political and macroeconomic instability, human capital, infrastructure and corruptions are not considered owing to data availability. Moreover, it’s recommended that future studies could improvement widely and update research in FDI.

The central role of natural killer cells in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease that is unique to pregnancy and affects multiple systems. It can lead to maternal and perinatal mortality. The precise etiology of PE is unclear. Patients with PE may have systemic or local immune abnormalities. A group of researchers has proposed that the immune communication between the fetus and mother is primarily moderated by natural killer (NK) cells as opposed to T cells, since NK cells are the most abundant immune cells in the uterus. This review examines the immunological roles of NK cells in the pathogenesis of PE. Our aim is to provide obstetricians with a comprehensive and updated research progress report on NK cells in PE patients. It has been reported that decidual NK (dNK) cells contribute to the process of uterine spiral artery remodeling and can modulate trophoblast invasion. Additionally, dNK cells can stimulate fetal growth and regulate delivery. It appears that the count or proportion of circulating NK cells is elevated in patients with or at risk for PE. Changes in the number or function of dNK cells may be the cause of PE. The Th1/Th2 equilibrium in PE has gradually shifted to an NK1/NK2 equilibrium based on cytokine production. An improper combination of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-C may lead to insufficient activation of dNK cells, thereby causing PE. In the etiology of PE, NK cells appear to exert a central effect in both peripheral blood and the maternal-fetal interface. To maintain immune equilibrium both locally and systemically, it is necessary to take therapeutic measures directed at NK cells.