Urban residential building stock synthetic datasets for building energy performance analysis.

The urban building stock dataset consists of synthetic input and output data for the energy simulation of one million buildings. The dataset consists of four different residential types, namely: terraced, detached, semi-detached, and bungalow. Constructing this buildings dataset requires conversion, categorization, extraction, and analytical processes. The dataset (in .csv) format comprises 19 input parameters, including advanced features such as HVAC system parameters, building fabric (walls, roofs, floors, door, and windows) U-values, and renewable system parameters. The primary output parameter in the dataset is Energy Use Intensity (EUI in kWh/(m2*year)), along with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) labels categorized on an A to G rating scale. Additionally, the dataset contains end-use demand output parameters for heating and lighting, which are crucial output parameters. jEPlus, a parametric tool, is coupled with EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder templates to facilitate physics-based parametric simulations for generating the dataset. The dataset can be a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to enhance sustainability and efficiency in urban building environments. Furthermore, dataset holds immense potential for future research in the field of building energy analysis and modeling.

Comparison of care and outcomes for myocardial infarction by heart failure status between United Kingdom and Japan.

AIMS: Prognosis for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is worse when heart failure is present on admission. Understanding clinical practice in different health systems can identify areas for quality improvement initiatives to improve outcomes. In the absence of international comparison studies, we aimed to compare treatments and in-hospital outcomes of patients admitted with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by heart failure status in two healthcare-wide cohorts. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used two nationwide databases to capture admissions with STEMI in the United Kingdom (Myocardial ischemia National Audit Project, MINAP) and Japan (Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases-Diagnostic Procedure Combination, JROAD-DPC) between 2012 and 2017. Participants were stratified using the HF Killip classification into three groups; Killip 1: no congestive heart failure, Killip 2-3: congestive heart failure, Killip 4: cardiogenic shock. We calculated crude rate and case mix standardized risk ratios (CSRR) for use of treatments and in-hospital death. Patients were younger in the United Kingdom (65.4 [13.6] vs. 69.1 [13.0] years) and more likely to have co-morbidities in the United Kingdom except for diabetes and hypertension. Japan had a higher percentage of heart failure and cardiogenic shock patients among STEMI during admission than that in the United Kingdom. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) rates were lower in the United Kingdom compared with Japan, especially for patients presenting with Killip 2-3 class heart failure (pPCI use in patients with Killip 1, 2-3, 4: Japan, 86.2%, 81.7%, 78.7%; United Kingdom, 79.6%, 58.2% and 79.9%). In contrast, beta-blocker use was consistently lower in Japan than in the United Kingdom (61.4% vs. 90.2%) across Killip classifications and length of hospital stay longer (17.0 [9.7] vs. 5.0 [7.4] days). The crude rate of in-hospital mortality increased with increasing Killip class group. Both the crude rate and CSRR was higher in the United Kingdom compared with Japan for Killip 2-3 (15.8% vs. 6.4%, CSRR 1.80 95% CI 1.73-1.87, P < 0.001), and similar for Killip 4 (36.9% vs. 36.3%, CSRR 1.11 95% CI 1.08-1.13, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Important differences in the care and outcomes for STEMI with heart failure exist between the United Kingdom and Japan. Specifically, in the United Kingdom, there was a lower rate of pPCI, and in Japan, fewer patients were prescribed beta blockers and hospital length of stay was longer. This international comparison can inform targeted quality improvement programmes to narrow the outcome gap between health systems.

Degradation product of curcumin restrain Salmonella typhimurium virulent protein L-asparaginase.

OBJECTIVES: Salmonella typhimurium is a pathogen responsible for causing a wide range of infectious diseases. The emergence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) in this microbe is a big challenge. L-asparaginase (less explored drug target) is selected as a drug target because it is actively involved in the virulence mechanism. To block this virulent enzyme, curcumin that is traditionally renowned for its medicinal properties was examined. However, its pharmacological behavior and targeting property is less understood because of its poor bioavailability. Therefore, the present work explores the antimicrobial effect of both curcumin and its degradation product against the MDR pathogen. METHODS: Molecular docking studies were carried out to evaluate the inhibitory effect of curcumin and its degradation product against the L-asparaginase enzyme using Schrodinger Maestro interface tools. The Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) profile of all the test ligands was also performed. RESULTS: The docking score of curcumin was -5.465 kcal/mol while its degradation product curcumin glucuronide has the lowest i.e., -6.240 kcal/mol. All the test ligands showed better or comparable docking scores with respect to control (Ciprofloxacin). Arg 142 and Asn 84 amino acid residues of L-asparaginase were found to be interacting with test ligands inside the binding pocket of the target protein. ADME/toxicology study also indicated the potency of curcumin/curcumin degradation products as a potent inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that both curcumin and its degradation products have the potential to inhibit Salmonella. This information could be valuable for futuristic drug candidate development against this pathogen and could be a potential lead for mitigation of MDR.

Inpatient assessment of the neurological outcome of acute stroke patients based on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

Objective: Identify the association between stroke severity and the neurological outcome of an acute stroke using the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS). Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.Place and duration of study: Northwest hospital Hayatabad Peshawar. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was done in the general plus stroke unit of the northwest hospital in Peshawar, KPK during Jan 2022 to July 2022.400 admitted patients diagnosed with acute stroke in the past three months were included for NIHSS assessment and were classified as mild, moderate, or severe stroke. After entering all of the data from the collection into SPSS version 16, the information was transferred to an Excel spreadsheet. To further assess the results, the researcher and statistician evaluated all of the cases, radiological findings, and laboratory test data. Results: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 400 individuals ranging from 30 to 90 years of age were divided into two groups: males and females. The survey was conducted by 49% of men and 51% of women. The stroke severity was assessed to be mild in 22% of cases, moderate in 49%, and severe in 29% of patients. As evaluated by the NIHSS, Patients with acute ischemic stroke were divided into four groups depending on their neurological outcomes: those who improved were 160 (40%), those who remained stable were 124 (31%), and those who deteriorated were 52 (13%), and those who died were 64 (16%). Patients with greater triglyceride levels were 88, while those with lower levels were 312. Acute stroke was also detected in 34% of patients with a covid history, 28% of patients who were covid positive, and 38% of patients who were covid free in this investigation. Conclusion: According to our findings, the NIHSS is a reliable scale for evaluating patients' neurological outcomes and determining the association between acute stroke severity and cognitive functioning (NIHSS).

Prevalence of Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers Among Dentistry Students' in Kabul, Afghanistan: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Introduction: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the mouth's most common and painful inflammatory ulcerative condition, also called aphthae or canker sores. Its prevalence is about 20% and predisposition factors involve genetics, environmental factors, and immune dysfunctions. Objective: Reviewing the literature and no study was found to show the prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration in the context of Afghanistan. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration among dentistry students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Afghanistan. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 223 dentistry students. A descriptive and inferential analysis was performed to find the association. Results: The prevalence of (RAS) in our sample group was 30%. (68.7%) of participants had one or more family members who experienced aphthous ulcers and the association was found to be significant (X 2 = 134.940; p < 0, 05). (81%) of participants experienced the condition to eating certain types of food (X 2 = 165.906; p < 0, 05) and (53.7%) of them reported the same about trauma (X 2 = 99.958; p < 0, 05). Regarding stress the difference was also statistically significant (X 2 = 56.830; p < 0, 05). Conclusion: We found that a considerable proportion of the study sample had experienced recurrent aphthous ulceration. Family history, stress, trauma, and dietary factors have an impact on the occurrence of RAS with no association with gender and smoking.

Tap Water Consumption Is Associated with Schoolchildren's Cognitive Deficits in Afghanistan.

Environmental influence on intelligence quotient (IQ) is poorly understood in developing countries. We conducted the first cross-sectional investigation to assess the role of socio-economic and environmental factors on schoolchildren's IQ in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A representative sample of 245 schoolchildren aged 7-15 was randomly selected in five schools. Children's records included: non-verbal IQ TONI-1 scale, body mass index, socio-economic status, and further environmental indicators (water supply, proximity to a heavy-traffic road, use of surma traditional cosmetics). The mean age of the children was 11.7 years old (±2.0 years), and 70.2% and 29.8% were male and female, respectively. The children's mean IQ was 83.8 (±12.6). In total, 37 (14.9%) of the children were overweight, 78 (31.5%) were living below the USD 1.25 poverty line, 133 (53.6%) used tap water supply, 76 (30.6%) used surma, and 166 (66.9%) were exposed to heavy road traffic. The children's IQ was significantly and independently lowered by tap water use (-3.9; 95% CI [-7.1; -0.6]) and by aging (-1.4; 95% CI [-2.2; -0.6]), as revealed in multivariate analysis, independently of gender, socio-economic status, exposure to heavy road traffic, overweight status, and surma use. Lower IQ among older children is possibly attributed to chronic stress experienced by adolescents due to living conditions in Afghanistan. While using tap water prevents fecal peril, it may expose children to toxic elements such as lead which is known to lower their intellectual development.

Pleiotropic Benefits of Statins in Cardiovascular Diseases.

In 1976, Japanese microbiologist Akira Endo discovered the first statin as a product of the fungus Penicillium citrinum that inhibited the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. Their primary mode of action is to lower the blood cholesterol by decreasing hepatic cholesterol production, which upregulates hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors and increases LDL-cholesterol clearance. In addition to cholesterol lowering, statins inhibit other downstream products of the mevalonate pathway, causing the so-called pleiotropic effects. As a result of their pleiotropic effects statins modulate virtually all known processes of atherosclerosis and have beneficial effects outside the cardiovascular system Statins inhibit the post-translational prenylation of small GTP-binding proteins such as Rho, Rac, as well as their downstream effectors such as Rho kinase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases since they suppress the synthesis of isoprenoid intermediates in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway altering the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, production of proinflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, platelet reactivity, development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in cell culture and animal experiments. Inhibition of Rho and Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK), has emerged as the principle mechanisms underlying the pleiotropic effects of statins. However, the relative contributions of statin pleiotropy to clinical outcomes are debatable and difficult to measure because the amount of isoprenoid inhibition by statins corresponds to some extent with the amount of LDL-cholesterol decrease. This article examines some of the existing molecular explanations underlying statin pleiotropy and discusses if they have clinical relevance in cardiovascular diseases.

Studies on Regulation of Global Protein Profile and Cellular Bioenergetics of Differentiating SH-SY5Y Cells.

The SH-SY5Y cells differentiated by sequential exposure of retinoic acid (RA) and brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) are a well-employed cellular model for studying the mechanistic aspects of neural development and neurodegeneration. Earlier studies from our lab have identified dramatic upregulation (77 miRNAs) and downregulation (17 miRNAs) of miRNAs in SH-SY5Y cells differentiated with successive exposure of RA + BDNF and demonstrated the essential role of increased levels of P53 proteins in coping with the differentiation-induced changes in protein levels. In continuation to our earlier studies, we have performed unbiased LC-MS/MS global protein profiling of naïve and differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and analyzed the identified proteins in reference to miRNAs identified in our earlier studies to identify the cellular events regulated by both identified miRNAs and proteins. Analysis of LC-MS/MS data has shown a significant increase and decrease in levels of 215 and 163 proteins, respectively, in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Integrative analysis of miRNA identified in our previous studies and protein identified in the present study is carried out to discover novel miRNA-protein regulatory modules to elucidate miRNA-protein regulatory relationships of differentiating neurons. In silico network analysis of miRNAs and proteins deregulated upon SH-SY5Y differentiation identified cell cycle, synapse formation, axonogenesis, differentiation, neuron projection, and neurotransmission, as the topmost involved pathways. Further, measuring mitochondrial dynamics and cellular bioenergetics using qPCR and Seahorse XFp Flux Analyzer, respectively, showed that differentiated cells possess increased mitochondrial dynamics and OCR relative to undifferentiated cells. In summary, our studies have identified a novel set of proteins deregulated during neuronal differentiation and establish the role of miRNAs identified in earlier studies in the regulation of proteins identified by LC-MS/MS-based global profiling of differentiating neurons, which will help in future studies related to neural development and neurodegeneration.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Family Functioning of Primary Caregivers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Malaysia.

Caregiving for children with cerebral palsy (CP) has proved to negatively impact on the physical and psychological well-being of their primary caregivers. The aim of the current study was to examine the overall impact of caregiving for children with CP on the primary caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and family functioning, and to identify potential factors associated with primary caregivers' HRQOL and family functioning. The cross-sectional study involved a total of 159 primary caregivers of children with CP with a mean age of 42.8 ± 8.4 years. Demographic data and information on the physical and leisure activities of the primary caregivers were collected, and their quality of life (QOL) was measured based on the self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM). Primary caregivers in the current study have shown good HRQOL and family functioning, with scores of 82.4 and 85.3 out of 100, respectively. Through multiple linear regression analyses, the mother's level of education, family monthly income, sleeping problems in children with CP, and the existence of children with other types of disability have been identified as factors contributing to HRQOL and family functioning. The findings help set out the course for stakeholders to establish action to enhance the QOL of primary caregivers.

Detection of circulating tumour cells in colorectal cancer: Emerging techniques and clinical implications.

Despite several advances in oncological management of colorectal cancer, morbidity and mortality are still high and devastating. The diagnostic evaluation by endoscopy is cumbersome, which is uncomfortable to many. Because of the intra- and inter-tumour heterogeneity and changing tumour dynamics, which is continuous in nature, the diagnostic biopsy and assessment of the pathological sample are difficult and also not adequate. Late manifestation of the disease and delayed diagnosis may lead to relapse or metastases. One of the keys to improving the outcome is early detection of cancer, ease of technology to detect with uniformity, and its therapeutic implications, which are yet to come. "Liquid biopsy" is currently the most recent area of interest in oncology, which may provide important tools regarding the characterization of the primary tumour and its metastasis as cancer cells shed into the bloodstream even at the early stages of the disease. By using this approach, clinicians may be able to find out information about the tumour at a given time. Any of the following three types of sampling of biological material can be used in the "liquid biopsy". These are circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA, and exosomes. The most commonly studied amongst the three is CTCs. CTCs with their different applications and prognostic value has been found useful in colorectal cancer detection and therapeutics. In this review, we will discuss various markers for CTCs, the core tools/techniques for detection, and also important findings of clinical studies in colorectal cancer and its clinical implications.