Damascus University

BACKGROUND: For more than three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has provided a framework to quantify health loss due to diseases, injuries, and associated risk factors. This paper presents GBD 2023 findings on disease and injury burden and risk-attributable health loss, offering a global audit of the state of world health to inform public health priorities. This work captures the evolving landscape of health metrics across age groups, sexes, and locations, while reflecting on the remaining post-COVID-19 challenges to achieving our collective global health ambitions. METHODS: The GBD 2023 combined analysis estimated years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 375 diseases and injuries, and risk-attributable burden associated with 88 modifiable risk factors. Of the more than 310 000 total data sources used for all GBD 2023 (about 30% of which were new to this estimation round), more than 120 000 sources were used for estimation of disease and injury burden and 59 000 for risk factor estimation, and included vital registration systems, surveys, disease registries, and published scientific literature. Data were analysed using previously established modelling approaches, such as disease modelling meta-regression version 2.1 (DisMod-MR 2.1) and comparative risk assessment methods. Diseases and injuries were categorised into four levels on the basis of the established GBD cause hierarchy, as were risk factors using the GBD risk hierarchy. Estimates stratified by age, sex, location, and year from 1990 to 2023 were focused on disease-specific time trends over the 2010-23 period and presented as counts (to three significant figures) and age-standardised rates per 100 000 person-years (to one decimal place). For each measure, 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs] were calculated with the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile ordered values from a 250-draw distribution. FINDINGS: Total numbers of global DALYs grew 6·1% (95% UI 4·0-8·1), from 2·64 billion (2·46-2·86) in 2010 to 2·80 billion (2·57-3·08) in 2023, but age-standardised DALY rates, which account for population growth and ageing, decreased by 12·6% (11·0-14·1), revealing large long-term health improvements. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contributed 1·45 billion (1·31-1·61) global DALYs in 2010, increasing to 1·80 billion (1·63-2·03) in 2023, alongside a concurrent 4·1% (1·9-6·3) reduction in age-standardised rates. Based on DALY counts, the leading level 3 NCDs in 2023 were ischaemic heart disease (193 million [176-209] DALYs), stroke (157 million [141-172]), and diabetes (90·2 million [75·2-107]), with the largest increases in age-standardised rates since 2010 occurring for anxiety disorders (62·8% [34·0-107·5]), depressive disorders (26·3% [11·6-42·9]), and diabetes (14·9% [7·5-25·6]). Remarkable health gains were made for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases, with DALYs falling from 874 million (837-917) in 2010 to 681 million (642-736) in 2023, and a 25·8% (22·6-28·7) reduction in age-standardised DALY rates. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DALYs due to CMNN diseases rose but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2023. From 2010 to 2023, decreases in age-standardised rates for CMNN diseases were led by rate decreases of 49·1% (32·7-61·0) for diarrhoeal diseases, 42·9% (38·0-48·0) for HIV/AIDS, and 42·2% (23·6-56·6) for tuberculosis. Neonatal disorders and lower respiratory infections remained the leading level 3 CMNN causes globally in 2023, although both showed notable rate decreases from 2010, declining by 16·5% (10·6-22·0) and 24·8% (7·4-36·7), respectively. Injury-related age-standardised DALY rates decreased by 15·6% (10·7-19·8) over the same period. Differences in burden due to NCDs, CMNN diseases, and injuries persisted across age, sex, time, and location. Based on our risk analysis, nearly 50% (1·27 billion [1·18-1·38]) of the roughly 2·80 billion total global DALYs in 2023 were attributable to the 88 risk factors analysed in GBD. Globally, the five level 3 risk factors contributing the highest proportion of risk-attributable DALYs were high systolic blood pressure (SBP), particulate matter pollution, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), smoking, and low birthweight and short gestation-with high SBP accounting for 8·4% (6·9-10·0) of total DALYs. Of the three overarching level 1 GBD risk factor categories-behavioural, metabolic, and environmental and occupational-risk-attributable DALYs rose between 2010 and 2023 only for metabolic risks, increasing by 30·7% (24·8-37·3); however, age-standardised DALY rates attributable to metabolic risks decreased by 6·7% (2·0-11·0) over the same period. For all but three of the 25 leading level 3 risk factors, age-standardised rates dropped between 2010 and 2023-eg, declining by 54·4% (38·7-65·3) for unsafe sanitation, 50·5% (33·3-63·1) for unsafe water source, and 45·2% (25·6-72·0) for no access to handwashing facility, and by 44·9% (37·3-53·5) for child growth failure. The three leading level 3 risk factors for which age-standardised attributable DALY rates rose were high BMI (10·5% [0·1 to 20·9]), drug use (8·4% [2·6 to 15·3]), and high FPG (6·2% [-2·7 to 15·6]; non-significant). INTERPRETATION: Our findings underscore the complex and dynamic nature of global health challenges. Since 2010, there have been large decreases in burden due to CMNN diseases and many environmental and behavioural risk factors, juxtaposed with sizeable increases in DALYs attributable to metabolic risk factors and NCDs in growing and ageing populations. This long-observed consequence of the global epidemiological transition was only temporarily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The substantially decreasing CMNN disease burden, despite the 2008 global financial crisis and pandemic-related disruptions, is one of the greatest collective public health successes known. However, these achievements are at risk of being reversed due to major cuts to development assistance for health globally, the effects of which will hit low-income countries with high burden the hardest. Without sustained investment in evidence-based interventions and policies, progress could stall or reverse, leading to widespread human costs and geopolitical instability. Moreover, the rising NCD burden necessitates intensified efforts to mitigate exposure to leading risk factors-eg, air pollution, smoking, and metabolic risks, such as high SBP, BMI, and FPG-including policies that promote food security, healthier diets, physical activity, and equitable and expanded access to potential treatments, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Decisive, coordinated action is needed to address long-standing yet growing health challenges, including depressive and anxiety disorders. Yet this can be only part of the solution. Our response to the NCD syndemic-the complex interaction of multiple health risks, social determinants, and systemic challenges-will define the future landscape of global health. To ensure human wellbeing, economic stability, and social equity, global action to sustain and advance health gains must prioritise reducing disparities by addressing socioeconomic and demographic determinants, ensuring equitable health-care access, tackling malnutrition, strengthening health systems, and improving vaccination coverage. We live in times of great opportunity. FUNDING: Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Polylactic acid (PLA), one of the well-known biodegradable polyesters, has been studied extensively for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems, and it was also used widely in human medicine.A new method to synthesize PLA (ring-opening polymerization), which allowed the economical production of a high molecular weight PLA polymer, broadened its applications, and this processing would be a potential substitute for petroleum-based products.This review described the principles of the polymerization reactions of PLA and, then, outlined the various materials properties affecting the performance of PLA polymer, such as rheological, mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties as well as the processing technologies which were used to fabricate products based on PLA.In addition, the biodegradation processes of products which were shaped from PLA were discussed and reviewed.The potential applications of PLA in the medical fields, such as tissue engineering, wound management, drugs delivery, and orthopedic devices, were also highlighted.

Education research has acknowledged the value of transformation, which offers an opportunity for researching and rethinking how appropriate and successful educational practices may be. However, despite the role of transformation in higher education and particularly in sustainability learning, there is a paucity of studies which examine the extent to which transformation and learning on matters related to sustainable development may be integrated. Based on this perceived research need, the purpose of this article is to present how transformation in learning in education for sustainability requires the commitment of Faculty and the engament of students. To do this, a set of qualitative case studies were used in higher education institutions across seven countries (Brazil, Serbia, Latvia, South Africa, Spain, Syria, UK). The findings revealed that the concept of education for sustainable development has not been sufficiently integrated into the concept of transformation in higher education institutions. It also found that to enhance sustainability in the curricula, academics should develop collaborative approaches, and discuss how to redesign their own disciplines, and how to appreciate the epistemology and multicultural vision of sustainability, both as a topic, and as a field of education research. It was further found that reflections of the academics on their own values are crucial for developing the transformative potential of students as agents of a sustainable future. It is necessary that universities should transform to serve as models of social justice and environmental stewardship, and to foster sustainability learning.

MOTIVATION: While deep-learning algorithms have demonstrated outstanding performance in semantic image segmentation tasks, large annotation datasets are needed to create accurate models. Annotation of histology images is challenging due to the effort and experience required to carefully delineate tissue structures, and difficulties related to sharing and markup of whole-slide images. RESULTS: We recruited 25 participants, ranging in experience from senior pathologists to medical students, to delineate tissue regions in 151 breast cancer slides using the Digital Slide Archive. Inter-participant discordance was systematically evaluated, revealing low discordance for tumor and stroma, and higher discordance for more subjectively defined or rare tissue classes. Feedback provided by senior participants enabled the generation and curation of 20 000+ annotated tissue regions. Fully convolutional networks trained using these annotations were highly accurate (mean AUC=0.945), and the scale of annotation data provided notable improvements in image classification accuracy. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Dataset is freely available at: https://goo.gl/cNM4EL. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

BACKGROUND: Long-term drug treatment of schizophrenia with typical antipsychotics has limitations: 25 to 33% of patients have illnesses that are treatment-resistant. Clozapine is an antipsychotic drug, which is claimed to have superior efficacy and to cause fewer motor adverse effects than typical drugs for people with treatment-resistant illnesses. Clozapine carries a significant risk of serious blood disorders, which necessitates mandatory weekly blood monitoring at least during the first months of treatment. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of clozapine compared with typical antipsychotic drugs in people with schizophrenia. SEARCH STRATEGY: For the current update of this review (March 2006) we searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register. SELECTION CRITERIA: All relevant randomised clinical trials (RCTs). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis, based on a fixed-effect model. We calculated numbers needed to treat/harm (NNT/NNH) where appropriate. For continuous data, we calculated weighted mean differences (WMD) again based on a fixed-effect model. MAIN RESULTS: We have included 42 trials (3950 participants) in this review. Twenty-eight of the included studies are less than 13 weeks in duration, and, overall, trials were at significant risk of bias. We found no significant difference in the effects of clozapine and typical neuroleptic drugs for broad outcomes such as mortality, ability to work or suitability for discharge at the end of the study. Clinical improvements were seen more frequently in those taking clozapine (n=1119, 14 RCTs, RR 0.72 CI 0.7 to 0.8, NNT 6 CI 5 to 8). Also, participants given clozapine had fewer relapses than those on typical antipsychotic drugs (n=1303, RR 0.62 CI 0.5 to 0.8, NNT 21 CI 15 to 49). BPRS scores showed a greater reduction of symptoms in clozapine-treated patients, (n=1145, 16 RCTs, WMD -4.22 CI -5.4 to -3.1), although the data were heterogeneous (Chi(2) 0.0001, I(2) 66%). Short-term data from the SANS negative symptom scores favoured clozapine (n=196, 5 RCTs, WMD -5.92 CI -7.8 to -4.1). We found clozapine to be more acceptable in long-term treatment than conventional antipsychotic drugs (n=982, 16 RCTs, RR 0.60 CI 0.5 to 0.7, NNT 15 CI 12 to 20). Blood problems occurred more frequently in participants receiving clozapine (3.2%) compared with those given typical antipsychotics (0%) (n=1031, 13 RCTs, RR 7.09 CI 2.0 to 25.6). Clozapine participants experienced more drowsiness, hypersalivation, or temperature increase, than those given conventional neuroleptics. However, clozapine patients experienced fewer motor adverse effects (n=1433, 18 RCTs, RR 0.58 CI 0.5 to 0.7, NNT 5 CI 4 to 6).The clinical effects of clozapine were more pronounced in participants resistant to typical neuroleptics in terms of clinical improvement (n=370, 4 RCTs, RR 0.71 CI 0.6 to 0.8, NNT 4 CI 3 to 6) and symptom reduction. Thirty-four per cent of treatment-resistant participants had a clinical improvement with clozapine treatment. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Clozapine may be more effective in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia, producing clinically meaningful improvements and postponing relapse, than typical antipsychotic drugs - but data are weak and prone to bias. Participants were more satisfied with clozapine treatment than with typical neuroleptic treatment. The clinical effect of clozapine, however, is, at least in the short term, not reflected in measures of global functioning such as ability to leave the hospital and maintain an occupation. The short-term benefits of clozapine have to be weighed against the risk of adverse effects. Within the context of trials, the potentially dangerous white blood cell decline seems to be more frequent in children and adolescents and in the elderly than in young adults or people of middle-age.The existing trials have largely neglected to assess the views of participants and their families on clozapine. More community-based long-term randomised trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of clozapine on global and social functioning as trials in special groups such as people with learning disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The silent nature of the disease and its poor prognosis, the need for further research, along with the need to assess the outcomes of current approaches necessitate an ongoing evaluation of the epidemiology and mortality-trends of this malignancy. Continuous monitoring of disease-patterns, on population-levels, may help scientists assess the quality of healthcare delivery, boost their understanding of diseases' characteristics and risk factors, and detect gaps whereby further research is needed. None of the previous reports shed light on pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PAC), the most common type of Pancreatic Cancer, as the primary outcome. In this study we aim to investigate PAC's incidence and mortality trends over the last four decades in the United States. METHODS: We used SEER 9 database to study PAC cases during 1974-2014. Incidence and mortality rates were calculated by sex, age, race, state and stage of PAC. Annual percent change (APC) was calculated using joinpoint regression software. RESULTS: We reviewed 67,878 PAC cases; most of these cases were in the head of pancreas. Overall PAC incidence rates increased 1.03% (95% CI, 0.86-1.21, p <.001) per year over the study period. Rates of adenocarcinoma of the head of pancreas increased 0.87% (95% CI, 0.68-1.07, p <.001), and rates of adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of pancreas increased 3.42% (95% CI, 3.06-3.79, p <.001) per year during 1973-2014. PAC incidence-based mortality increased 2.22% (95% CI, 1.93-2.51, p <.001) per year. However, during 2012-2014 there was a statistically significant decrease in PAC incidence-based mortality; APC, -24.70% (95% CI, -31.78 - -16.88, p <.001). CONCLUSION: PAC's incidence and mortality rates have been increasing for decades. However, the last few years have shown a promising decrease in mortality. We believe that further advances in healthcare delivery and research can lead to a further mortality decrease. Future studies can use this paper as a baseline to keep monitoring the outcomes of PAC's therapy.

This cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess epidemiological data concerning dental injuries to the permanent incisors of Syrian children. It included 1087 children aged 9 to 12 years, of both sexes, randomly selected from public and private primary schools in Damascus. The response rate was 100%. The prevalence of traumatic injuries to the permanent incisors rose from 5.2% at the age of 9 years to 11.7% at the age of 12 years (P = 0.007). The difference in prevalence between boys and girls was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The majority (59.8%) of children who had experienced injuries to the permanent incisors reported that they were not taken to the dentist for evaluation or treatment of the damage. Among those children who had experienced traumatic injuries to the teeth 93.1% presented with untreated damage. Because some injuries were minor, such as small enamel fractures, the proportion of children who needed treatment was 63.2%. There was a tendency for children with an incisal overjet greater than 5 mm to have experienced dental injuries (P = 0.06). Children with inadequate lip coverage were more likely to have experienced dental injuries than those with adequate lip coverage (P = 0.000). The most common reported cause of injuries to the permanent incisors was violence (42.5%), followed by traffic accidents (24.1%), collisions with people or inanimate objects (16.0%) and falls (9.1%). In conclusion, traumatic dental injury may pose a serious dental public health problem.

Part I of this paper describes the background, general concepts, available techniques and the clinical applications of recording external craniofacial morphology in three dimensions. Part II explores the different 3D techniques of imaging the dental arches, and their possible uses in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment.

Clayey soils in Syria cover a total area of more than 20,000 km 2 of the country, most of which are located in the southwestern region. In many places of the country, the clayey soils caused severe damage to infrastructures. Extensive studies have been carried out on the stabilization of clayey soils using lime. Syria is rich in both lime and natural pozzolana. However, few works have been conducted to investigate the influence of adding natural pozzolana on the geotechnical properties of lime-treated clayey soils. The aim of this paper is to understand the effect of adding natural pozzolana on some geotechnical properties of lime-stabilized clayey soils. Natural pozzolana and lime are added to soil within the range of 0%–20% and 0%–8%, respectively. Consistency, compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR) and linear shrinkage properties are particularly investigated. The test results show that the investigated properties of lime-treated clayey soils can be considerably enhanced when the natural pozzolana is added as a stabilizing agent. Analysis results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) show significant changes in the microstructure of the treated clayey soil. A better flocculation of clayey particles and further formation of cementing materials in the natural pozzolana-lime-treated clayey soil are clearly observed.

This study proposed an ECG (Electrocardiogram) classification approach using machine learning based on several ECG features. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a signal that measures the electric activity of the heart. The proposed approach is implemented using ML-libs and Scala language on Apache Spark framework; MLlib is Apache Spark’s scalable machine learning library. The key challenge in ECG classification is to handle the irregularities in the ECG signals which is very important to detect the patient status. Therefore, we have proposed an efficient approach to classify ECG signals with high accuracy Each heartbeat is a combination of action impulse waveforms produced by different specialized cardiac heart tissues. Heartbeats classification faces some difficulties because these waveforms differ from person to another, they are described by some features. These features are the inputs of machine learning algorithm. In general, using Spark–Scala tools simplifies the usage of many algorithms such as machine-learning (ML) algorithms. On other hand, Spark–Scala is preferred to be used more than other tools when size of processing data is too large. In our case, we have used a dataset with 205,146 records to evaluate the performance of our approach. Machine learning libraries in Spark–Scala provide easy ways to implement many classification algorithms (Decision Tree, Random Forests, Gradient-Boosted Trees (GDB), etc.). The proposed method is evaluated and validated on baseline MIT-BIH Arrhythmia and MIT-BIH Supraventricular Arrhythmia database. The results show that our approach achieved an overall accuracy of 96.75% using GDB Tree algorithm and 97.98% using random Forest for binary classification. For multi class classification, it achieved to 98.03% accuracy using Random Forest, Gradient Boosting tree supports only binary classification.

Schiff bases are the most widely used organic compounds. They have been shown to exhibit a broad range of biological activities, including antifungal, antibacterial, antimalarial, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antipyretic properties. This review summarizes the synthesis and biological activities of Schiff bases and their complexes.

Qualitative and quantitative testing of circulating cell free DNA (CCFDNA) can be applied for the management of malignant and benign neoplasms. Detecting circulating DNA in cancer patients may help develop a DNA profile for early stage diagnosis in malignancies. The technical issues of obtaining, using, and analyzing CCFDNA from blood will be discussed.

The self-discharge of an electrochemical capacitor, also referred to as a supercapacitor, is an important factor in determining the duration of maintaining stored energy, especially in low-duty-cycle applications. The study of self-discharge is conducted as follows: first, the self-discharge is characterized by measuring the decline of open-circuit voltage of the electrochemical capacitor. Second, the mechanisms of self-discharge, leakage current, and diffusion of ions at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces are modeled by an electrical equivalent circuit. The equivalent circuit elements are experimentally determined according to the self-discharge time behavior. In addition, the dependence of the self-discharge parameters on both temperature and initial voltage across the electrochemical capacitor is described in detail.

ABSTRACT Using extensive surface and subsurface data, we have synthesized the Phanerozoic tectonic and geologic evolution of Syria that has important implications for eastern Mediterranean tectonic studies and the strategies for hydrocarbon exploration. Syrian tectonic deformation is focused in four major zones that have been repeatedly reactivated throughout the Phanerozoic in response to movement on nearby plate boundaries. They are the Palmyride Mountains, the Euphrates Fault System, the Abd el Aziz-Sinjar uplifts, and the Dead Sea Fault System. The Palmyrides include the SW Palmyride fold and thrust belt and two inverted sub-basins that are now the Bilas and Bishri blocks. The Euphrates Fault System and Abd el Aziz-Sinjar grabens in eastern Syria are large extensional features with a more recent history of Neogene compression and partial inversion. The Dead Sea transform plate boundary cuts through western Syria and has associated pull-apart basins. The geological history of Syria has been reconstructed by combining the interpreted geologic history of these zones with tectonic and lithostratigraphic analyses from the remainder of the country. Specific deformation episodes were penecontemporaneous with regional-scale plate-tectonic events. Following a relatively quiescent early Paleozoic shelf environment, the NE-trending Palmyride/Sinjar Trough formed across central Syria in response to regional compression followed by Permian-Triassic opening of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and the eastern Mediterranean. This continued with carbonate deposition in the Mesozoic. Late Cretaceous tectonism was dominated by extension in the Euphrates Fault System and Abd el Aziz-Sinjar Graben in eastern Syria associated with the closing of the Neo-Tethys. Repeated collisions along the northern Arabian margin from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Miocene caused platform-wide compression. This led to the structural inversion and horizontal shortening of the Palmyride Trough and Abd el Aziz-Sinjar Graben.

On May 6, 2022 an outbreak of monkeypox (MPX) was confirmed in the United Kingdom, originating from a British resident who had travelled to Nigeria. As of May 21, 2022, 92 cases have been confirmed worldwide, from 13 countries where monkeypox virus (MPXV) is not endemic. Reported cases thus far have mainly but not exclusively been identified among gay and bisexual men aged 20-50. MPXV is a viral zoonosis transmitted to humans via contacting or eating an infected animal, and direct connect with natural host's blood and body fluids. In addition to contacting with a patient's respiratory droplets, lesions, body fluids and polluted personal objects. Symptoms including shivers, headaches, fainting, backaches, and myodynia do not have any specific characteristics making it difficult to establish a proper diagnosis. Nevertheless, lymphatic hyperplasia, one of the most common symptoms of monkeypox, can be useful for diagnosing the disease. Clinical symptoms help establish the suspicion of monkeypox. However, in the absence of confirmed diagnostic tests it is very difficult to verify the disease and determine its cause based on clinical symptoms alone. There are numerous methods for detecting MPX, involving genetic, phenotypic, immunological methods, and electron microscopy. These tests require modern equipment and expert hands, which may not be available in developing countries where this disease is prevalent. Currently, there is no definite treatment for MPX. CDC recommends administering the smallpox vaccine within 4 days of exposure which may prevent the disease from happening, and within 2 weeks to reduce symptoms severity. To promptly identify patients and prevent further spreading, physicians should be aware of the travel or contact history of the patient with compatible symptoms.

Abstract Future tools for supporting collaborations between technology and sustainable development include artificial intelligence (AI) applications in sustainable Urbanization roles. This article highlights the various applications of AI in advancing sustainable urbanization. From urban planning to disaster management, AI technology is revolutionizing the way cities are designed and managed. By leveraging data analytics, machine learning, and predictive modeling, AI is helping city officials make informed decisions, optimize resource usage, and improve quality of life for urban residents. Despite the immense potential of AI in sustainable urban development, there are still challenges and limitations to overcome. We show some of the most significant problems related to these issues. These include issues related to data privacy, algorithm bias, and ethical considerations. Continued research and innovation are needed to address these challenges and ensure that AI technology is used responsibly and effectively in shaping sustainable cities. As a result, AI has the power to transform urban environments and create more sustainable, resilient communities. By harnessing the capabilities of AI, cities can become more efficient, environmentally‐friendly, and prepared for the challenges of the future. It is essential for policymakers, urban planners, and technology developers to work together to harness the full potential of AI in sustainable urbanization and create a better future for all. Proactively addressing these challenges can unlock the full potential of AI in combating sustainable cities and building a sustainable future for all.

BACKGROUND: Marine algae consumption is linked to law cancer incidences in countries that traditionally consume marine products. Hence, Phytochemicals are considered as potential chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic agents against cancer. We investigated the effects of the algal sulfated polysaccharide extract (ASPE) from the red marine alga L. papillosa on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line. METHODS: Flow cytometry analysis was performed to study the cell viability, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Changes in the expression of certain genes associated with cell cycle regulation was conducted by PCR real time analyses. Further investigations on apoptotic molecules was performed by ROS measurement and protein profiling. RESULTS: ASPE at low doses (10 µg/ml), inhibited cell proliferation, and arrested proliferating MDA-MB-231 cells at G1-phase. However, higher doses (50 µg/ml), triggered apoptosis in those cells. The low dose of ASPE also caused up-regulation of Cip1/p21 and Kip1/p27 and down-regulation of cyclins D1, D2, and E1 transcripts and their related cyclin dependent kinases: Cdk2, Cdk4, and Cdk6. The higher doses of ASPE initiated a dose-dependent apoptotic death in MDA-MB-231 by induction of Bax transcripts, inhibition of Bcl-2 and cleavage of Caspase-3 protein. Over-generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also observed in MDA-MB-231 treated cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that ASPE induces G1-phase arrest and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. ASPE may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for breast cancer.

Artificial intelligence has been prevalent recently as its use in the medical field is noticed to be increased. However, middle east countries like Syria are deficient in multiple AI implementation methods in the field of medicine. So, holding these AI implementation methods in the medical field is necessary, which may be incredibly beneficial for making diagnosis more accessible and help in the treatment. This paper intends to determine AI's knowledge, attitude, and practice among doctors and medical students in Syria. A questionnaire conducted an online cross-sectional study on the google form website consisting of demographic data, knowledge, and perception of AI. There were 1,494 responses from both doctors and medical students. We included Syrian medical students and doctors who are currently residing in Syria. Of the 1,494 participants, 255 (16.9%) are doctors, while the other 1,252 (83.1%) are undergraduate medical students. About 1,055 (70%) participants have previous knowledge about AI. However, only 357 (23.7%) participants know about its application in the medical field. Most have shown positive attitudes toward its necessity in the medical field; 689 (45.7%) individuals strongly agree, and 628 (41.7%) agree. The undergraduate students had 3.327 times more adequate knowledge of AI than students in the first year. In contrast, the undergraduate 6th-year students had 2.868 times the attitude toward AI higher than students in the first year. The residents and assistant professors had 2.371 and 4.422 times the practice of AI higher than students, respectively. Although most physicians and medical students do not sufficiently understand AI and its significance in the medical field, they have favorable views regarding using AI in the medical field. Syrian medical authorities and international organizations should suggest including artificial intelligence in the medical field, particularly when training residents and fellowship physicians.

Abiotic stress is one of the main causes of crop reduction globally. Among the different abiotic stresses, cold is an essential factor that limits crop productivity worldwide. Low temperature affects the growth, development and distribution of agronomic species throughout the world. Cold stress is a serious threat to the sustainability of crop yields. Indeed, cold stress can cause major crop losses. A significant number of researches have been reviewed and discussed in this study in order to improve the understanding of the physiological and genetic nature and function of plant cold tolerance. Recent developments in determining the mechanism of genes with roles in freezing tolerance and the systems involved in low-temperature gene regulation and signal transduction are described. The roles of a family of Arabidopsis transcription factors, the CBF/DREB1 proteins, have been described and its role in controlling the expression of a regulon of cold-induced genes (COR) that increase plant freezing tolerance has been explained. Moreover, this study has reviewed the recent application applied to improve the cold tolerance of plants such as molybdenum. The use of infrared camera to study the process of plant injuries caused by low temperature has also been reviewed.

The rising interest in carbon dots (c-dots) is driven by their remarkable potential in the field of biomedical applications. This is due to their distinctive and adjustable photoluminescence characteristics, outstanding physicochemical properties, excellent photostability, and biocompatibility. Herein, carbon dots were successfully produced via the heat synthesis method and characterization for physical and chemical properties using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and quantum yield. The resulting carbon dots exhibited a distinct blue fluorescence upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation with a 366 nm wavelength. The photoluminescence spectrum of carbon dots displayed a fluorescence peak around 470 nm when excited with a 325 nm wavelength. The synthesized carbon dots demonstrated thermal stability and maintained photoluminescence intensity under different pH conditions, including neutral and alkaline mediums, and good salt resistance ability. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of structural defects within the carbon dots, which are associated with the presence of hybrid groups on their surface. Fourier-transform infrared analysis detected various carbon-bonded, nitrogen-bonded, and oxygen-bonded units. The quantum yield was around 8.9%. These findings from our experiments indicate that the manufactured carbon dots possess substantial promise for a wide range of applications within the biotechnology field.