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•Electricity use in 500 households was compared before and during COVID lockdown.•Post-COVID peaks are 15–20% higher than pre-COVID.•60% of the Post-COVID electricity use increase was ...due to warmer temperatures.•Profile pattern of 36.3% of customers changed from pre- to post-COVID-19 in spring.•Usage pattern post-COVID slightly shifted from off-peak to mid-, and on-peak hours.
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a tremendous impact on our societies, including changes in household energy consumption. Using measured electricity use data from 500 homes in Ottawa, Canada, this study applies changepoint analysis, descriptive statistics, k-means clustering, and the corresponding change of electricity utility bills before and after COVID-19. Our analysis indicates that the average household daily electricity consumption increased by about 12% in 2020 relative to 2019, about one-third was due to warmer temperatures, with much of the rest due to the temperature-independent loads (e.g., lighting and appliances). Additionally, the highest five peak loads corresponding to post-COVID are significantly higher (15–20%) than peaks that occurred pre-COVID. The lockdown’s impact on household electricity use is not consistent, and there are noticeable differences among different months, seasons, and day types. Two clusters of household electricity use patterns emerged, with about one-third showing significant increases during the pandemic and the remainder showing only minor changes. On the other hand, in the summer, all customers’ electricity use profile patterns after the pandemic resemble the pattern before the pandemic. Yet, there is a significant increase (from 16.3 to 29.1%) in daily demand after COVID-19. Finally, the average increase in the utility bill post-COVID would be 9.71% if TOU rates were used instead of the flat rate that was implemented as a subsidy to consumers.
Abstract Generative AI tools exemplified by ChatGPT are becoming a new reality. This study is motivated by the premise that “AI generated content may exhibit a distinctive behavior that can be ...separated from scientific articles”. In this study, we show how articles can be generated using means of prompt engineering for various diseases and conditions. We then show how we tested this premise in two phases and prove its validity. Subsequently, we introduce xFakeSci, a novel learning algorithm, that is capable of distinguishing ChatGPT-generated articles from publications produced by scientists. The algorithm is trained using network models driven from both sources. To mitigate overfitting issues, we incorporated a calibration step that is built upon data-driven heuristics, including proximity and ratios. Specifically, from a total of a 3952 fake articles for three different medical conditions, the algorithm was trained using only 100 articles, but calibrated using folds of 100 articles. As for the classification step, it was performed using 300 articles per condition. The actual label steps took place against an equal mix of 50 generated articles and 50 authentic PubMed abstracts. The testing also spanned publication periods from 2010 to 2024 and encompassed research on three distinct diseases: cancer, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Further, we evaluated the accuracy of the xFakeSci algorithm against some of the classical data mining algorithms (e.g., Support Vector Machines, Regression, and Naive Bayes). The xFakeSci algorithm achieved F1 scores ranging from 80 to 94%, outperforming common data mining algorithms, which scored F1 values between 38 and 52%. We attribute the noticeable difference to the introduction of calibration and a proximity distance heuristic, which underscores this promising performance. Indeed, the prediction of fake science generated by ChatGPT presents a considerable challenge. Nonetheless, the introduction of the xFakeSci algorithm is a significant step on the way to combating fake science.
Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the dire need to discover an antiviral drug, we explored the landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 biomedical publications to identify potential treatments.
The aims of this ...study are to identify off-label drugs that may have benefits for the coronavirus disease pandemic, present a novel ranking algorithm called CovidX to recommend existing drugs for potential repurposing, and validate the literature-based outcome with drug knowledge available in clinical trials.
To achieve such objectives, we applied natural language processing techniques to identify drugs and linked entities (eg, disease, gene, protein, chemical compounds). When such entities are linked, they form a map that can be further explored using network science tools. The CovidX algorithm was based upon a notion that we called "diversity." A diversity score for a given drug was calculated by measuring how "diverse" a drug is calculated using various biological entities (regardless of the cardinality of actual instances in each category). The algorithm validates the ranking and awards those drugs that are currently being investigated in open clinical trials. The rationale behind the open clinical trial is to provide a validating mechanism of the PubMed results. This ensures providing up to date evidence of the fast development of this disease.
From the analyzed biomedical literature, the algorithm identified 30 possible drug candidates for repurposing, ranked them accordingly, and validated the ranking outcomes against evidence from clinical trials. The top 10 candidates according to our algorithm are hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, chloroquine, ritonavir, losartan, remdesivir, favipiravir, methylprednisolone, rapamycin, and tilorone dihydrochloride.
The ranking shows both consistency and promise in identifying drugs that can be repurposed. We believe, however, the full treatment to be a multifaceted, adjuvant approach where multiple drugs may need to be taken at the same time.
Depression is one of the most prevalent forms of mental disorders and is the most common cause of disability in the Western world. Besides, the harmful effects of stress-related mood disorders on the ...patients themselves, they challenge the health care system with enormous social and economic impacts. Due to the high proportion of patients not responding to existing drugs, finding new treatment strategies has become an important topic in neurobiology, and there is much evidence that neuropeptides are not only involved in the physiology of stress but may also be clinically important. Based on preclinical trial data, new neuropharmaceutical candidates may target neuropeptides and their receptors and are expected to be essential and valuable tools in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In the current article, we have summarized data obtained from animal models of depressive disorder and transgenic mouse models. We also focus on previously published research data of clinical studies on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), galanin (GAL), neuropeptide Y (NPY), neuropeptide S (NPS), Oxytocin (OXT), vasopressin (VP), cholecystokinin (CCK), and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) stress research fields.
•Overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis in depression•Increased cerebrospinal fluid level of Corticotropin-releasing hormone in depression•Increased hypothalamic Vasopressin activity in depression sustains HPA-axis overactivity.•Modulation of serotonin and noradrenergic systems by Galanin and Substance P•Neuropeptide Y modulates monoaminergic neurotransmitters involved in depression.
Few data are available about the role of herbal extract loaded nanoparticles as an alternative safe medicine for the management of a gastric ulcer.
This work is targeted at exploring the ...physiological effects of pomegranate loaded nanoparticles (PLN) against an indomethacin IND-induced gastric ulcer and comparing the results with traditional pomegranate peel extract (PPE).
Twenty-four rats were equally distributed into four groups: control, IND-treated, PLN-treated, and PPE-treated groups. Gross examination of gastric mucosa, and the calculation of ulcer and inhibition indices were done. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-10, gastric homogenate prostaglandin E
(PGE
), and nitric oxide (NO) were estimated. Mucosal endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS mRNA) expression was identified by qPCR. Histological and immuno-histochemical staining of Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and eNOS of stomach mucosa were performed.
In comparison with the control group, IND-treated rats showed visible multiple ulcers with ulcer index, serum MDA, IL-2 and IL-6 were elevated while IL-10, PGE
, NO, and eNOS mRNA expression were significantly reduced. Damaged surface epithelium with disrupted glandular architecture and heavy leucocyte infiltration of lamina propria was noticed. Immunohistochemical staining of stomach mucosa revealed marked increased TNF-α and reduced eNOS. Oral administration of PLN and PPE succeeded in improving the gross mucosal picture, and all biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical alterations.
Both PLN and PPE potently alleviated IND-induced gastric ulceration
increasing TAC, PGE
, NO, eNOS mRNA, and protein expression. However, the healing effect of PLN was obviously greater than PPE-treated rats.
Abstract
Background
Body image is mainly determined by biological, social, psychological and cultural factors thus it is a multifaceted vigorous construct. Body image is an essential aspect of girls' ...self-definition and individual identity. Excessive concern about body image and body image misconceptions leads to dissatisfaction, disturbed eating patterns, affecting the nutritional status and also leading to depression and anxiety disorder.
Methods
This is a descriptive cross-sectional university-based study aiming to investigate body image dissatisfaction and its relation to BMI among female medical students at the University of Khartoum, faculty of medicine. The study was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021. Simple random sampling was applied and a two-sectioned questionnaire was used. The first part consisted of socio-demographic data and the second part contained questions to assess body image the data was. A total of 277 participants were enrolled in the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Results
We enrolled 277 female medical students the majority of participants (53%) were considered of normal weight according to BMI, 7% considered obese, and 18% underweight. Large number of participants thought that they are not in the ideal weight according to their height (62%). (21% to 17%) of participants always feel pressure from people or society to get to a certain weight. With respect to attitude towards weight, (29%) of participants always wear clothes that don't reveal their body shape, (35%) of them always tend to wear clothes that hide their excess weight.
Conclusions
The study concluded that participants who were overweight, obese or underweight have significant increase risk for poor body image perception with odd ratio of 39, 11, and 59 respectively. Thus early and proper interventions are necessary to circumvent the impact and future repercussion of body image distortion.
This study aims to examine the literature related to environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for buildings and buildings' refurbishment from 1994 to 2022 by implementing a statistical analysis ...based on 'Web of Science' databases. LCA is viewed as a consolidated process that measures the environmental performance of buildings and their services, aiming to address the potential environmental impacts over the life cycle of buildings. A total of 1336 retrieved journal publications for LCA for buildings and 169 journal publications for LCA in building refurbishment. The articles' patterns were investigated in terms of subject categories, journals, countries, and the most highly cited articles. The findings reveal that LCA publications for buildings and building refurbishment have increased over the period 1994–2022, with China being the leading country contributing to the largest number of articles and possessing the most significant influence, followed by the USA for LCA in buildings. While Portugal is the leading country, followed by Italy, for LCA Buildings' Refurbishments. 97.08% of the publications were written in English, 2.04% in German, and 0.68% in Spanish. French and Japanese were the remaining languages, each with one publication, accounting for 0.2% of the 1336 building LCA publications. In contrast to refurbishment, LCA publications were written in only two languages, English (98.7%) and German (1.3%). Results show that the subject area differs depending on the type of LCA publication, with building LCA focusing on construction engineering while refurbishment focused on environmental topics. According to the IF, the most influential journal was renewable & sustainable energy for buildings and refurbishment LCA. However, journal distribution within LCA is still limited, and assessment methods and theme analysis still need to catch up with a clear gap in LCA in environmental impact mitigation and analysis methodologies, which will be a prominent direction of future building LCA research.
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•Piroxicam-induced gastric ulceration is mediated by lipid peroxidation.•Piroxicam-induced hepatorenal toxicity is mediated by lipid peroxidation.•Rosuvastatin alleviates ...piroxicam-inflicted gastropathy.•Rosuvastatin alleviates piroxicam-inflicted hepatorenal toxicity.•Rosuvastatin may have therapeutic potential against inflammatory diseases.
Piroxicam (Px) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is widely prescribed in various inflammatory disorders. However, Px is known to induce gastric ulceration and hepato-renal toxicity. Rosuvastatin (ROSV), a member of the statin family, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions independent of its anti-hyperlipidemic action. Therefore, we investigated the protective effects of ROSV against Px-induced gastric, liver, and kidney injury. Five groups of seven rats each were used; control group, ROSV group (20 mg/kg, given orally), Px group (7 mg/kg, given intraperitoneally), Px+ROSV L (7 and 10 mg/kg, respectively), and Px+ROSV H (7 and 20 mg/kg, respectively) group. The results revealed that Px induced severe gastric mucosal damage expressed by high ulcer index along with significant increases in liver and kidney function parameters including AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea. Disrupted lipid metabolism also was observed in Px-treated animals. Moreover, marked an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreases in glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) levels along with enhanced activated caspase-3 expression in the gastric, hepatic, and renal tissues following Px-insult suggested a possible involvement of lipid peroxidation in Px-induced gastropathy and hepatorenal toxicity. However, in a dose-dependent manner, ROSV was able to mitigate Px-induced lipid peroxidation and apoptosis in gastric, liver, and kidney tissues.
Abstract
Urbanization in Egypt detracts from green spaces, reduces the per capita green ratio, and increases adverse effects such as heat islands, air pollution, and energy consumption. In addition, ...it affects social human comfort issues. In this context, building rooftops is a potential solution that could reduce the impact of green space scarcity. Such a solution has multiple evidence-based environmental, economic, and social benefits. Consequently, numerous governmental and private initiatives have spread the rooftop greening concept in Egypt. These initiatives have adopted several planting systems, such as soil-based, deep-water culture, and nutrient film technique systems. This manuscript examines these prevalent systems through environmental, economic and social lenses. This paper pioneers a user-centric tool to facilitate the system selection that aligns with individual needs. An analysis was conducted to ascertain the value of various factors influencing system choice, encompassing a literature review, expert opinion solicitation, market survey, and energy simulation. The Analytical Hierarchy Processes methodology was proposed to appraise the factors, aiding in arriving at an informed decision. The paper presents a novel contribution by studying many factors spanning diverse scientific domains. Furthermore, creating an accessible decision-support tool encapsulates a substantial addition to the body of knowledge.
Acetaminophen, APAP, is a common over-the-counter drug with antipyretic-analgesic action. When APAP is used in large doses, it causes hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity but safe at therapeutic doses. ...Cinnamon (
Cinnamomum zeylanicum
) is extensively used in folk medicine due to its high content of natural antioxidants. The current investigation was planned to study the possible ameliorative effect of cinnamon toward induced APAP-apoptosis and cellular damage in renal cells. Four groups (nine rats each) were used; negative control group administrated distilled water for 15 days; positive control APAP group administrated a single dose of APAP (1 g/kg) orally on the last day; APAP+Cin L (200 mg/kg) and APAP+Cin H (400 mg/kg) aqueous extract of cinnamon orally once a day for 15 days. An hour after the last dose of cinnamon, all rats in the third and fourth group were administrated a single dose of APAP (1 g/kg) orally. GC/MS analysis was performed to identify the plant used in the study. APAP markedly increased serum levels of creatinine, BUN, and glucose and decreased levels of albumin and total protein. In addition, APAP could also exert severe alteration in the kidney histopathology along with upregulation of caspase-3 and PCNA. However, pre-treatment with cinnamon ameliorated the APAP-induced cellular alterations and apoptosis, possibly through its high content of antioxidants.
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