Database Development for Pavement Performance Modeling

Pavement Management System (PMS) is defined as set of tools or methods that can support decision makers in finding the optimum strategies for providing, evaluating, and maintaining pavement condition in acceptable level. The Iowa Pavement Management Program (IPMP) provides information about Iowa highways such as distress data and maintenance activates. One of the most factors that affect pavement performance is weather factors (temperature, freeze-thaw cycles, and rainfall). The historical climate data was obtained from Iowa Environmental Mesonet (IEM) for counties in the state of Iowa. The pavement condition and climate data can be integrated for pavement performance modeling. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is identified as an effective tool for data integration. The primary goal of this paper is to utilize the GIS tools to integrate pavement conditions and climate data for improving Iowa PMS

ANN Models to Correlate Structural and Functional Conditions in AC Pavements at Network Level

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed to estimate the correlation between structural capacity and functional conditions in Asphalt Cement (AC) pavements at the network level. To achieve this objective, the relevant data were obtained and integrated from the Iowa Pavement Management Program (IPMP) including construction parameters, traffic loading and subgrade stiffness, and Iowa Environmental Mesonet (IEM) for climate data. The ANN model proves its ability to learn and generalize from the input data. Overall, rutting data were found to be appropriate indicator of the structural capacity. Since the deflection tests are expensive and require experience and knowledge to deal with such data, this approach might be feasible for small transportation agencies (cities and counties) that do not have these capabilities

Use of antihypertensive agents and the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A case control study

Background: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a complex multifactorial condition and is commonly caused by ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF). Some antihypertensive agents such as thiazides are associated with increased risk of SCA. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between different antihypertensive agents and the occurrence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), taking into account their potential impact on serum potassium levels. Methods: Cases were drawn from the Amsterdam Resuscitation Studies (ARREST) registry and controls from the PHARMO database. This study was performed using 1948 cases who had OHCA with electrocardiogram (ECG)-documented VT/VF for the first time. These cases were matched by age, sex, and OHCA date (index date) to 8347 controls. From this dataset, we included only patients who were current users of antihypertensive agents (the index date fell between start date and end date of prescription + 10%). Antihypertensive therapies were classified according to their potential impact on serum potassium levels to therapies with neutral effect, therapies inducing hypokalemia, therapies inducing hyperkalemia, and therapies with unknown effect. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between use of antihypertensive agents and occurrence of OHCA and to control for confounding. Results: We included 1192 cases and 3303 controls who were current users of antihypertensive agents in our analysis. The risk of OHCA was significantly increased with users of antihypertensive therapies inducing hypokalemia (adjusted OR 1.48, 95%CI (1.12- 1.94)) and with users of antihypertensive therapies with unknown effect (adjusted OR 1.42, 95%CI (1.13-1.77)) versus users of antihypertensive therapies with neutral effect. There was no difference in OHCA risk between users of antihypertensive therapies inducing hyperkalemia versus users of antihypertensive therapies with neutral effect (adjusted OR 1.13, 95%CI (0.89-1.43)). Conclusions: The risk of OHCA is significantly increased in patients who were current users of antihypertensive therapies inducing hypokalemia and antihypertensive therapies with unknown effect on serum potassium levels

Theoretical Modeling of B₁₂N₁₂ Nanocage for the Effective Removal of Paracetamol from Drinking Water

In our current investigation, we employed a B12N12 nanocage to extract paracetamol from water utilizing a DFT approach. We explored three distinct positions of paracetamol concerning its interaction with the B12N12 nanocage, designated as complex-1 (BNP-1), complex-2 (BNP-2), and complex-3 (BNP-3), under both aqueous and gaseous conditions. The optimized bond distances exhibited strong interactions between the nanocage and the paracetamol drug in BNP-1 and BNP-3. Notably, BNP-1 and BNP-3 displayed substantial chemisorption energies, measuring at −27.94 and −15.31 kcal/mol in the gas phase and −30.69 and −15.60 kcal/mol in the aqueous medium, respectively. In contrast, BNP-2 displayed a physiosorbed nature, indicating weaker interactions with values of −6.97 kcal/mol in the gas phase and −4.98 kcal/mol in the aqueous medium. Our analysis of charge transfer revealed significant charge transfer between the B12N12 nanocage and paracetamol. Additionally, a Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) analysis confirmed that the O─B bond within BNP-1 and BNP-3 exhibited a strong covalent and partial bond, encompassing both covalent and electrostatic interactions. In contrast, the H─N bond within BNP-2 displayed a weaker hydrogen bond. Further investigation through Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) and Reduced Density Gradient (RDG) analyses reinforced the presence of strong interactions in BNP-1 and BNP-3, while indicating weaker interactions in BNP-2. The decrease in the electronic band gap (Eg) demonstrated the potential of B12N12 as a promising adsorbent for paracetamol. Examining thermodynamics, the negative values of ∆H (enthalpy change) and ∆G (Gibbs free energy change) pointed out the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. Overall, our study underscores the potential of B12N12 as an effective adsorbent for eliminating paracetamol from wastewater

A novel approach to study the impact of ethnicity on reporting of cough/angioedema with RAS inhibitors in VigiBase

Background: Cough and angioedema are adverse events associated with especially angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors but also reported with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor (DRI). Susceptibility of developing cough/angioedema with ACE inhibitors depends on ethnicity, which is not documented in spontaneous reporting systems of drug safety. Objectives: To assess the impact of ethnicity on the occurrence of cough/angioedema with renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors using information reported to the the World Health Organization database (VigiBase). Methods: A case/non-case study was performed in VigiBase. Cases were defined as reports of cough/angioedema and non-cases were all reports of other adverse events. The reporting countries were divided into three categories: black African countries, East Asian countries and other countries. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between reporting of cough/angioedema with each class of RAS inhibitors stratified by country group and to control for confounding. Results: The reporting of cough with ACE inhibitors was significantly higher in East Asian countries than black African countries and other countries (adjusted reporting odds ratios (RORs): 256, 95%CI (236-278), 48.9, 95%CI (42.7-56.1) and 35.4, 95%CI (34.8- 35.9), respectively. The reporting of angioedema with ACE inhibitors was significantly higher in black African countries than East Asian countries and other countries (adjusted RORs: 55.3, 95%CI (45.5-67.2), 5.29, 95%CI(3.89-7.21) and 16.5, 95%CI (16.1- 16.8), respectively. There was no difference in reporting of cough/angioedema with ARBs and DRI between black African countries, East Asian countries and other countries. Conclusions: Our results by grouping countries according to ethnicity in VigiBase are consistent with previous results in the literature suggesting that the occurrence of cough with ACE inhibitors is higher in East Asian patients and the occurrence of angioedema with ACE inhibitors is higher in black patients. These findings indicate that ethnicity should be included as scientific parameter in pharmacovigilance

The impact of age and gender on reporting of cough and angioedema with RAS inhibitors: A case/non-case in VigiBase

Background: Little is known about the effect of age and gender on reporting of cough/ angioedema with renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors (angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor (DRI). Objectives: To assess the impact of age and sex on the occurrence of cough/angioedema with RAS inhibitors using information reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) global individual case safety report database (VigiBase). Methods: A case/non-case study was performed in VigiBase. Cases were defined as reports of cough/angioedema and non-cases were all reports of other adverse events. Age was divided into 6 categories: infant and childhood (0-11 years), adolescence (12- 19 years), young adulthood (20-39 years), middle adulthood (40-59 years), elderly (60-79 years) and late elderly (≥80 years). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between reporting of cough/ angioedema with each class of RAS inhibitors stratified by age/ sex and to control for confounding. Results: The reporting of cough with ACE inhibitors was significantly higher in women than in men (adjusted reporting odds ratio (ROR): 29.2, 95%CI (28.5-29.9) for men versus 44, 95%CI (43.2-44.8) for women). There was no difference in reporting of cough with ARBs and DRI between men and women. In contrast, the reporting of angioedema with ACE inhibitors and ARBs was significantly higher in men than women but for DRI (aliskiren), women had significantly higher ROR than men. For the effect of age, the reporting of cough with ACE inhibitors was significantly increased with age until reaching a plateau at 60 years and the reporting of angioedema with ACE inhibitors was significantly increased with age until 80 years. Age had only a slight effect on reporting of cough/angioedema with ARBs and DRI. Conclusions: Age and sex have substantial effects on reporting of cough/angioedema with RAS inhibitors especially with ACE inhibitors. Further studies are needed to study both factors on occurrence of cough/ angioedema with RAS inhibitors and to elucidate the underlying mechanism involved

The risk of acute myocardial infarction after discontinuation of antihypertensive agents

Background: Sudden discontinuation of some antihypertensive agents such as beta-blockers and centrally acting antihypertensive agents are associated with increased risk of acute coronary events. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between discontinuation of different antihypertensive agents and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: A nested case control study was performed in a cohort of antihypertensive drug users from the Utrecht Cardiovascular Pharmacogenetics (UCP) database. Within this cohort, patients who were hospitalized for first AMI were considered cases. Cases were matched (1 up to 4) to controls at the same AMI date (index date). Antihypertensive users were defined as current users if the index date fell within prescribed duration or as stoppers if this date fell outside the prescribed duration. According to recency of stopping, stoppers were divided into recent stoppers (≤90 days), intermediate-term stoppers (91-180 days), and longterm stoppers (>180 days). The study included only antihypertensive users who were specifically current users or stoppers of one antihypertensive agent. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the discontinuation of antihypertensive agents and the risk of AMI and to control for confounding. Results: We included 1245 cases and 4994 controls in our analysis. The risk of AMI was significantly increased with all stoppers of beta-blockers (adjusted OR: 1.54, 95%CI (1.25-1.90)), calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (adjusted OR: 2.25, 95%CI (1.53- 3.30)), and diuretics (adjusted OR: 1.76, 95%CI (1.24-2.48)) compared with current users. Moreover, the risk of AMI was significantly increased for longterm stoppers (beta-blockers, CCBs, angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors, and diuretics) and intermediate- term stoppers (beta-blockers and CCBs) versus current users. There was no difference in AMI risk between recent stoppers of antihypertensive agents versus current users. Conclusions: Discontinuation of antihypertensive agents increases the risk of AMI after more than 90 days of stopping. Adherence to antihypertensive agents plays an important role in reducing the risk of AMI in patients with hypertension

The impact of age and sex on the reporting of cough and angioedema with renin–angiotensin system inhibitors : a case/noncase study in VigiBase

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of age and sex on the reporting of cough and angioedema related to renin–angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors. A case/noncase study was performed in VigiBase. Two case groups were identified, reports of cough and reports of angioedema, and noncases were all reports of all other adverse events. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between reporting of cough and angioedema with each class of RAS inhibitors stratified by age/sex and to control for confounding. The reporting of cough with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors was significantly higher in women than in men [adjusted reporting odds ratio (ROR): 44.0, 95% CI (43.2–44.8) for women vs. 29.2, 95% CI (28.5–29.9) for men]. There was no difference in reporting of cough linked to angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and aliskiren between men and women. In contrast, the reporting of angioedema with ACE inhibitors and ARBs was significantly higher in men than in women, but for aliskiren, women had a significantly higher ROR than men [adjusted ROR: 5.20, 95% CI (4.18–6.46) for women vs. 3.04, 95% CI (2.30–4.02) for men]. The reporting of cough with ACE inhibitors was increased with age until reaching a plateau at middle adulthood (40–59 years) and the reporting of angioedema with ACE inhibitors was increased with age until elderly (60–79 years). Age had only a slight effect on the reporting of cough and angioedema with ARBs and aliskiren. Both age and sex have substantial effects on the reporting of cough and angioedema with RAS inhibitors and in particular ACE inhibitors. Further study is needed to determine whether these differences mainly express different adverse drug reaction risks in subgroups or also can be explained by factors influencing reporting

The impact of serum potassium-influencing antihypertensive drugs on the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A case-control study

AimsSudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a complex multifactorial event and most commonly caused by ventricular tachycardia/ fibrillation (VT/ VF). Some antihypertensive drugs could induce hypokalaemia or hyperkalaemia, which may increase susceptibility to VT/VF and SCA. ObjectiveTo assess the association between different classes of antihypertensive drugs classified according to their potential impact on serum potassium levels and the occurrence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) based on VT/VF. MethodsA case-control study was performed among current users of antihypertensive drugs. Cases were OHCA victims with electrocardiogram documented VT/VF drawn from the AmsteRdam REsuscitation STudies (ARREST) registry, and controls were non-OHCA individuals from the PHARMO database. Antihypertensive drugs were classified into: (i) antihypertensives with neutral effect on serum potassium levels; (ii) hypokalaemia-inducing antihypertensives; (iii) hyperkalaemia-inducing antihypertensives; (iv) combination of antihypertensives with hypo- and hyperkalaemic effects. ResultsWe included 1345 cases and 4145 controls. The risk of OHCA was significantly increased among users of hypokalaemia-inducing antihypertensives [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.76] and among users of a combination of antihypertensives with hypo- and hyperkalaemic effects (adjusted OR 1.42; 95%CI 1.17-1.72) vs. users of antihypertensives with neutral effect. There was no difference in OHCA risk between users of hyperkalaemia-inducing antihypertensives vs. users of antihypertensive drugs with neutral effect (adjusted OR 1.15; 95%CI 0.95-1.40). ConclusionThe risk of OHCA is significantly increased in patients who were current users of hypokalaemia-inducing antihypertensives and patients using a combination of antihypertensives with hypo- and hyperkalaemic effect

Synthesis, Hirshfeld surface analysis, thermal, and selective α-glucosidase inhibitory studies of Schiff base transition metal complexes

A synthesized Schiff base ligand 4-{(Z)-[(2-hydroxy-1-naphthyl)methylene]amino}-4-antipyrene (H-NAPP) was confirmed by single crystal diffraction analysis. The H-NAPP was crystalized in the P 21 21 21 space group and orthorhombic crystal system. The Schiff base ligand H-NAPP bears potential donor sites and therefore it was reacted with transition metal ions Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ to yield respective metal complexes. All reaction products were investigated by elemental analyses and IR spectroscopic techniques. The combined spectroscopic characterizations revealed the distorted square planar geometries for all the synthesized metal complexes. The metal complexes were further studied for their thermal stabilities using TG techniques and proved to be thermally cleaved in the temperature range of 30–1,000°C in air. Pseudo-mirrored 2D fingerprint plots were used for the short interatomic interactions in the crystal structure. The major short interatomic interactions involve the hydrogen bonding which covers the Hirshfeld surfaces {H···H, O···H and C···H}. The ligand and complexes were investigated for a potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. While relatively inactive throughout, some notable differences were observed and, surprisingly, the ligand was found to be more active than its complexes