Digital Twins Approaches and Methods Review

© 2023 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. This is the accepted manuscript version of a conference paper which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1109/ITC-Egypt58155.2023.10206196This paper investigates the recent advances in Digital Twin technologies. The aim is to compare the approaches, available open source and proprietary technologies and methods, their features, and their integration capabilities. The motivation is to enable better design decisions based on the available literature and case studies. Various tools for 3D reconstruction and visualisation, IoT and sensor integration, Physical simulations and other complete platforms provide complete solutions. A conclusion of current challenges and future work identified that the lack of standardisation and interoperability makes the lifetime of a digital twin short, with a high cost and time to build and rebuild if required

Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Studies on Tetracycline Hydrochloride in Rabbits

Tetracycline is one of the most important groups of antibiotics that have harmful effects on the consumers, therefore the public health safety against its residues represents a significant issue. This study aimed to estimate the effect of tetracycline hydrochloride on some hematological parameters, kidneys function tests as well as liver and breast muscle enzymes with special reference to the supposed withdrawal time of this drug in different rabbits’ tissues (kidney, liver and muscles), following oral dose of tetracycline using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Tetracycline was administrated to eighteen rabbits directly into the stomach at a dose of 35 mg/kg BW once daily for five successive days. Samples were collected on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days after the last oral dose. The results revealed that, tetracycline caused a significant increase in the uric acid, urea, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities with no significant changes in the hematological parameters when compared with the control group. The residues remained in the liver and kidney for 7 days, while in muscles for 3 days only after the last oral dose of the drug. In conclusion, the disturbances in the biological parameters occurred by tetracycline administration in rabbits was transient and returned to normal after 7 days of last treatment. The withdrawal time of tetracycline was 14 days from the rabbit's tissues

DESIGN, SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME NEW SUCCINIMIDE, 2-IMINOTHIAZOLINE AND OXAZINE DERIVATIVES BASED BENZOPYRONE AS ANTICONVULSANT AGENTS

Objective: The objective of the present study was to synthesize novel benzopyrone derivatives with potential and safer anticonvulsant activity.Methods: New benzopyrone derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by spectral and elemental analysis. These compounds tested for anticonvulsant activity using the maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) screens (phase 1), which are the most widely employed seizure models for early identification of new anticonvulsant agents. Phase 2 including, neurotoxicity screening and quantitative determination of the median effective dose (ED50), median lethal dose (LD50) and protective index (PI) for the active compounds from phase 1.Results: Compound 12b possessed potent anticonvulsant activity with ED50 values of 94.75 and 70.7 mg/kg in the MES and scPTZ screens respectively, and had LD50 value of 2546 mg/kg after intraperitoneal injection to mice, which provide compound 12b with a wide protective index of 26.87 and 36.01 for MES and scPTZ screens respectively compared to the reference drug Phenobarbital with PI of 12.16 and 20.08, respectively. In addition, compound 12b exhibited mild neurotoxicity at the maximum administrated dose (200 mg/kg).Conclusion: Compound 12b possessed broad spectrum activity for the treatment of all types of seizures, with a wide protective index compared to Phenobarbital. Consequently, compound 12b can be selected as a new bio candidate lead for further study.Keywords: Benzopyrone, Succinimide, 2-Iminothiazoline, Oxazine; Anticonvulsant

Research Output on Strategy Formulation and Implementation: Global Picture, Development and Key Bibliometric Indicators

Effective strategic management serves as the bedrock for an organization's vision, goal attainment, and stakeholder expectations. Consequently, the research focus on strategy formulation and implementation has garnered substantial attention in recent decades. This study aims to evaluate bibliometric indicators of research productivity related to strategy formulation and implementation through meticulous bibliometric analysis. The analysis leverages the R Bibliometrix library on scientific publications indexed in the Web of Science database. The dataset comprises 672 publications on strategy formulation and implementation, spanning the years 1971 to 2022. Authored by 1,280 contributors from 69 countries, these publications are dispersed across 374 diverse sources, including journals and books. Impressively, this body of work has garnered a cumulative total of 24,635 citations, averaging 36.66 citations per document. The top-ranking article, "The Resource-Based Theory of Competitive Advantage: Implications for Strategy Formulation" by Robert M. Grant, stands out with 3,649 citations. Examining global scientific production, the United States emerges as the primary contributor with 154 publications (22.91%), followed by China with 56 (8.33%) and the United Kingdom with 54 (8.03%). The study's findings offer valuable insights for researchers and organizations alike, shedding light on significant research contributions. This comprehensive assessment enables a nuanced understanding of the historical progression and growth within this domain. Additionally, it identifies current focal points of research and highlights areas that warrant attention in future studies

Flavonoid-coated gold nanoparticles as efficient antibiotics against gram-negative bacteria—evidence from in silico-supported in vitro studies

Flavonoids are a class of bioactive plant-derived natural products that exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including antibacterial ones. Their inhibitory activity toward Gram-positive bacterial was found to be superior to that against Gram-negative ones. In the present study, a number of flavonoid-coated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were designed to enhance the antibacterial effects of chrysin, kaempferol, and quercetin against a number of Gram-negative bacteria. The prepared GNPs were able to conjugate to these three flavonoids with conjugation efficiency ranging from 41% to 80%. Additionally, they were able to exert an enhanced antibacterial activity in comparison with the free flavonoids and the unconjugated GNPs. Quercetin-coated GNPs were the most active nano-conjugates and were able to penetrate the cell wall of E. coli. A number of in silico experiments were carried out to explain the conjugation efficiency and the antibacterial mechanisms of these flavonoids as follows: (i) these flavonoids can efficiently bind to the glutathione linker on the surface of GNPs via H-bonding; (ii) these flavonoids, particularly quercetin, were able to increase the bacterial membrane rigidity, and hence decrease its functionality; (iii) these flavonoids can inhibit E. coli’s DNA gyrase (Gyr-B) with IC(50) values ranging from 0.9 to 3.9 µM. In conclusion, these bioactive flavonoid-based GNPs are considered to be very promising antibiotic candidates for further development and evaluation

Induction of antibacterial metabolites by co-cultivation of two Red-Sea-sponge-associated actinomycetes <i>Micromonospora</i> sp. UR56 and <i>Actinokinespora</i> sp. EG49

Liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRESMS)-assisted metabolomic profiling of two sponge-associated actinomycetes, Micromonospora sp. UR56 and Actinokineospora sp. EG49, revealed that the co-culture of these two actinomycetes induced the accumulation of metabolites that were not traced in their axenic cultures. Dereplication suggested that phenazine-derived compounds were the main induced metabolites. Hence, following large-scale co-fermentation, the major induced metabolites were isolated and structurally characterized as the already known dimethyl phenazine-1,6-dicarboxylate (1), phenazine-1,6-dicarboxylic acid mono methyl ester (phencomycin; 2), phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (tubermycin; 3), N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-acetamide (9), and p-anisamide (10). Subsequently, the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and cytotoxic properties of these metabolites (1&ndash;3, 9, and 10) were determined in vitro. All the tested compounds except 9 showed high to moderate antibacterial and antibiofilm activities, whereas their cytotoxic effects were modest. Testing against Staphylococcus DNA gyrase-B and pyruvate kinase as possible molecular targets together with binding mode studies showed that compounds 1&ndash;3 could exert their bacterial inhibitory activities through the inhibition of both enzymes. Moreover, their structural differences, particularly the substitution at C-1 and C-6, played a crucial role in the determination of their inhibitory spectra and potency. In conclusion, the present study highlighted that microbial co-cultivation is an efficient tool for the discovery of new antimicrobial candidates and indicated phenazines as potential lead compounds for further development as antibiotic scaffold

ROLE OF THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF CARDIAC MEASURES AND DECLINING OF COMORBIDITIES.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) can prevent many non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study aimed to assess the health benefits of physical activities including blood pressure and comorbid conditions. Methodology: This is a prospective cohort case-control study that recruited 300 Saudi volunteers living in the city ofHail, Northern Saudi Arabia. Results: Out of 300 participants 155(51.7%) were males and 145 (48.3%) were females. There were 111(37%) participants committed to regular physical activity and the remaining 189(63%) without a defined commitment to physical activity (Uncommitted). Among 111 persons who claimed a commitment to regular physical activity (committed), 61(55%) were males and 50(45%) were females. The majority of committed individuals were at the age group 21-25 years followed by age group 26-30 and 31-35 years representing 32, 30, and 20 persons, respectively. The physical activity was highly practiced at the age range 21-30 years and this was found to be statistically significant P < 0.001. Conclusion: There is a low prevalence of physical activity in Hail region, particularly among females, which necessitates the suggestion of appropriate awareness programs. Younger and elder populations are in much need to be targeted with PA awareness programs

Bio-fabricated zinc oxide nanoparticles mediated by endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. SA17 with antimicrobial and anticancer activities: in vitro supported by in silico studies

IntroductionIn recent years, the world’s attention has been drawn to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) because to the frightening prospect of growing death rates. Nanomaterials are being investigated due to their potential in a wide range of technical and biological applications.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to biosynthesis zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using Aspergillus sp. SA17 fungal extract, followed by characterization of the produced nanoparticles (NP) using electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), UV-analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).Results and DiscussionThe HR-TEM revealed spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 7.2 nm, and XRD validated the crystalline nature and crystal structure features of the generated ZnONPs, while the zeta potential was 18.16 mV, indicating that the particles’ surfaces are positively charged. The FT-IR was also used to identify the biomolecules involved in the synthesis of ZnONPs. The antibacterial and anticancer properties of both the crude fungal extract and its nano-form against several microbial strains and cancer cell lines were also investigated. Inhibition zone diameters against pathogenic bacteria ranged from 3 to 13 mm, while IC50 values against cancer cell lines ranged from 17.65 to 84.55 M. Additionally, 33 compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, organic acids, anthraquinones, and lignans, were discovered through chemical profiling of the extract using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Some molecules, such pomiferin and glabrol, may be useful for antibacterial purposes, according to in silico study, while daidzein 4’-sulfate showed promise as an anti-cancer metabolite

Studies of di-jet survival and surface emission bias in Au+Au collisions via angular correlations with respect to back-to-back leading hadrons

We report first results from an analysis based on a new multi-hadron correlation technique, exploring jet-medium interactions and di-jet surface emission bias at RHIC. Pairs of back-to-back high transverse momentum hadrons are used for triggers to study associated hadron distributions. In contrast with two- and three-particle correlations with a single trigger with similar kinematic selections, the associated hadron distribution of both trigger sides reveals no modification in either relative pseudo-rapidity or relative azimuthal angle from d+Au to central Au+Au collisions. We determine associated hadron yields and spectra as well as production rates for such correlated back-to-back triggers to gain additional insights on medium properties.Comment: By the STAR Collaboration. 6 pages, 2 figure

System size and energy dependence of near-side di-hadron correlations

Two-particle azimuthal ($\Delta\phi$) and pseudorapidity ($\Delta\eta$) correlations using a trigger particle with large transverse momentum ($p_T$) in $d$+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ =\xspace 62.4 GeV and 200~GeV from the STAR experiment at RHIC are presented. The \ns correlation is separated into a jet-like component, narrow in both $\Delta\phi$ and $\Delta\eta$, and the ridge, narrow in $\Delta\phi$ but broad in $\Delta\eta$. Both components are studied as a function of collision centrality, and the jet-like correlation is studied as a function of the trigger and associated $p_T$. The behavior of the jet-like component is remarkably consistent for different collision systems, suggesting it is produced by fragmentation. The width of the jet-like correlation is found to increase with the system size. The ridge, previously observed in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV, is also found in Cu+Cu collisions and in collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ =\xspace 62.4 GeV, but is found to be substantially smaller at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ =\xspace 62.4 GeV than at $\sqrt{s_{{NN}}}$ = 200 GeV for the same average number of participants ($\langle N_{\mathrm{part}}\rangle$). Measurements of the ridge are compared to models.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.