08:45-09:00

                   Opening Ceremoney

Elisabeth Karsten

Title- Utilising a hybrid blood collection regime of remote dried blood spot sampling and in-clinic venipuncture to maximize data output in clinical trials

Speaker Abstract

Whilst liquid blood sampling enables the most comprehensive analysis of biomarkers and their source in different blood components, this approach is logistically more challenging in the context of clinical trials and can become difficult and expensive to manage in large studies. Alternatively, dried blood spot (DBS)sampling can be performed by the participants themselves and can be done remotely. This enables both increased numbers of participants and more frequent sampling, which, for longitudinal studies, should increase the chance of detecting biomarker changes as they are occurring. Studies requiring large sample quantities, such as proteomics, has traditionally been limited by the small volumes of blood captured. However, modern advances in the sensitivity of multiplexed analytical techniques have made DBS a compelling sampling platform. This makes DBS a hugely valuable addition to traditional bio specimen collection in trials. Our laboratory is employing a hybrid blood collection regime for longitudinal studies that includes both liquid blood collected in clinic and DBS collected at home between clinic visits. To maximise the data points collected from a single sample, we have also developed a series of methods to sequentially extract and fractionate proteins from DBS. Using these methods, we have demonstrated thedetection and robust quantitation of up to 1,600 proteins from mass spectrometry analysisof dried whole blood, a significant increase compared with analysis of undepleted plasma. In fact, some proteins not previously reported in blood have been detected with this approach. In a pilot study of lung cancer, liquid blood analysis revealed 12 significantly differentproteins compared to the control group and DBS analysis revealedan additional 19 differentially expressed markers. This sampling regime is an excellent research tool that, in our trials, has reduced the logistical burden of frequent venepuncture sampling and has increased the quality and breadth of data that can easily be collected from a single participant.

Speaker Biography

Elisabeth is a Co-founder and Principal Scientist of Sangui Bio. She has 8 years of research and technology experience with a focus on biomarker research. This work has covered hands-on laboratory work to clinical trial management. She completed her PhD with the University of Sydney in 2017 and is an author on 12 peer-reviewed papers with a total of 381 citations. She is an inventor on three of Sangui Bio’s patent applications and has developed numerous novel blood cell analysis techniques.

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Roy G Bera

Title- Use of a walking stick to aid mobility, decrease freezing of gait and enhance postural stability in Parkinson’s disease

Speaker Abstract

Aim: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with stiffness/rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia and postural instability. This presentation provides a simple explanation and means to overcome these difficulties. Methods: There has been an appreciation of the problems accompanying gait disturbance, in PD, which result from stiffness/rigidity which impedes righting reflexes, superimposed on the bradykinesia, gait instability and tremor, the diagnostic hallmarks of PD. This has evolved into a method of using a walking stick, to overcome many of these issues, which counteracts them once the technique has been adopted and perfected. Results: This presentation demonstrates and explains the appropriate use of a walking stick in PD, via a pre-recorded, professionally produced video, to allow others to adopt the technique and use it in the management of patients who are experiencing gait problems,as a consequence of their PD. Discussion: The appropriate use of a walking stick in PD depends on an understanding that the main problem with gait relates to moving around the centre of gravity which, when stable, standing in one position with the feet somewhat apart, rests between the feet thereby providing stability in that position. With stiffness and rigidity, it is difficult to correct for balance disturbance following a shifting of the centre of gravity and the patient has often learnt to recognise this difficulty with subsequent falls. Using a walking stick, as an additional leg substitute, allows the patient to maintain stability which shifting the centre of gravity forwards following which the patient can then move around that newly created centre of gravity with a feeling of safety and comfort. This has the capacity to enhance mobility, improve quality of life and is a simple approach to facilitate the ability to avoid falls and subsequent injuries that are so common in this population due to their gait instability

Speaker Biography

Prof. Beran is a neurologist and sleep physician. He is Conjoint Professor of Medicine, University of NSW; Professor,School of Medicine, Griffith University, Queensland; and Professor Sechenov Moscow 1st State University, Russia. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Legal Medicine, the Australian Governor and Vice President of the World Association for Medical Law andHonorary Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine [Royal College of Physicians (London)]. He is a: Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh; Corresponding Fellow of the American Academy of Neurologists; and Member of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists andAustralasian Sleep Association. He published >360 papers, book chapters and letters to the editor, presented >400 papers at national and international meetings and written/edited 17 books, including being the editor in chief of the international journal, Medicine and Law.

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Kylie O Brien

Title- Medicinal cannabis in integrative cancer management

Speaker Abstract

Surveys indicate that those with cancer often use medicinal cannabis. There is much preclinical research to indicate that key constituents of cannabis including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have anti-cancer activity, targeting many of the hallmarks of cancer and associated signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cancer. However, research in humans is less strong in terms of altering hard endpoints such as mortality. Notwithstanding this, there is preclinical research evidence and in many cases, also human research that suggests medicinal cannabis may have an important role to play in the management of signs and symptoms associated with cancer and its orthodox treatment. Such signs and symptoms include anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-related pain, cachexia, and oral mucositis. Medicinal cannabis may also have an important role to play in palliative care. In this presentation, we will explore some of the scientific evidence that medicinal cannabis may have a role to play in the integrative management of cancer.

Speaker Biography

Kylie has had a strong academic career in Chinese medicine, integrative medicine and since 2018, medicinal cannabis after career changing from optometry. She has held senior leadership positions in the Australian university and private education sector and is one of the leaders in cannabis education in Australia. She works as the Chief Scientific Officer at Releaf Group Ltd and Academic Director of the International College of Cannabinoid Medicine. She is currently conducting a two-year observational study in medicinal cannabis users. Her first book O’Brien and Sali, A Clinician’s Guide to Integrative Oncology: What You Should Be Talking About With Cancer Patients and Why, was published in 2017 (Cham: Springer) and her latest book, O’Brien & Blair, Medicinal Cannabis and CBD in Mental Healthcare (Cham: Springer) was released in 2021.

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Hualei Bu

Title- Effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients with different germline BRCA1/2 mutational status

Speaker Abstract

Background: Whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) against primary debulking surgery (PDS) has a differential effect on prognosis due to Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes (BRCA)1/2 mutations has not been confirmed by current studies. Methods: All patients included in this retrospective study were admitted to Qilu Hospital of Shandong University between January 2009 and June 2020, and germline BRCA1/2 mutation was tested. Patients in stage IIIB, IIIC, and IV, re-staged by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2014, were selected for the analysis. All patients with NAC received 1-5 cycles of platinum-containing (carboplatin, cisplatin, or nedaplatin) chemotherapy. Patients who received maintenance therapy after chemotherapy were not eligible for this study. All relevant medical records were collected. Results: A total of 322 patients were enrolled, including 112 patients with BRCA1/2 mutations (BRCAmut), and 210 patients with BRCA1/2 wild-type (BRCAwt). In the two groups, 40 BRCAmut patients (35.7%) and 69 BRCAwt patients (32.9%) received NAC. Regardless of the BRCA1/2 mutational status,there were no statistical differences in NAC-IDS and PDS groups for progression-free survival (PFS)

Speaker Biography

Hualei Bu,MD;Attending physician of Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, China; Member of Chemotherapy and Clinical Trial Research Committee, Gynecological Oncology Branch, Shandong Anti-cancer Association, China. Bu has participated in more than ten international and domestic clinical trials of gynecological malignant tumors as a key Sub-I, including FZOCUS-1/2/3 studies of Fluzoparib for recurrent ovarian cancer and maintenance therapy, SOLO-1/SOLO-2/L-MOCA studies of Olaparib, NORA/PRIMA studies of Niraparib, and studies on the treatment of recurrent endometrial carcinoma and cervical cancer of PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. As a clinician, Dr. Buhas rich clinical experience in surgical treatment, chemotherapy and targeted therapy of gynecological malignant tumors.

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Jing Qi Fan

Title- Acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease: From theory to practice

Speaker Abstract

Advances in molecular biology and biochemistry have improved the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). There has been extensive evidence on the benefit of standard treatment (e.g., deep brain stimulation, levodopa, and dopamine agonists) and acupuncture for PD. Objectives:This presentation aims to distill the similarities and differences in the treatment concepts between Chinese and Western medicine from the perspective of reinforcing the deficiency and purging the excess, summarize the latest evidence on the benefits of acupuncture for PD from theory to practice, and propose prospective treatment options for PD. Scope: Application of alternative medicine in Parkinson's disease Conclusion: Although the methods of Western medicine treatment and acupuncture treatment differ, the main treatment ideas overlap. DA receptor agonists and supplements are consistent with the reinforcing effect of acupuncture, and relevant inhibitors are consistent with the purging effect of acupuncture. However, the theory of deficiency and excess is not completely equivalent to the pathological study of PD. The pathogenesis of PD is heterogeneous, involving many pathways and pathological products, and the crosstalk between them is not clear. Therefore, summarizing the pathogenesis of PD from deficiency and excess and the mechanism of acupuncture from reinforcing deficiency and purging excess will help to understand the heterogeneous pathogenesis and treatment principles of PD more vividly. It will also provide more ideas for the study of the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of PD. 1

Speaker Biography

Jingqi Fan is a doctoral student of Guangzhou University of traditional Chinese medicine. Main research direction is the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and the clinical efficacy of acupuncture.

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Syed Saif Imam

Title- A pragmatic approach to treat lung cancer through loading theaflavin -3,3’-digallate and epigallocatechingallate in spanlastic

Speaker Abstract

When compared to other cancers, lung cancer has the highest fatality rate. If given effectively, the anti-proliferative and antioxidant properties of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and Theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF3) can play a crucial role in treatment. To improve the chemical stability and therapeutic potential of EGCG and TF3 in the respiratory tract, a spanlastic made up of Tween-80, Span-60, and cholesterol was produced. It encapsulates EGCG and TF3 inside its vesicular structure and delivers it to cancer cells precisely. The cholesterol layer will allow for more efficient penetration, while tween-80 and span-60 will aid in deformability and lower interfacial tension, resulting in a small Z-average diameter, allowing for effective penetration between cell layers. The APIs' stability at alkaline pH (7.6) is ensured by the nano-vesicular structure, which also boosts cellular antioxidant activity and APIs' Ferric lowering antioxidant capabilities. Spanlastic has several advantages, including improved encapsulation efficiency and safe consideration by MTT testing. The lung cancer cell loses the ability of apoptosis, which can be restored using a nano-vesicular system containing EGCG and TF3, as well as the activation of several other properties such as cell arrest, activation of miR-210, suppression of cyclin D1, and inhibition of MAPK, ERK, and JAK-STAT at their maximum potential. In addition, a new type of spacer and pMDI canister has been designed to improve drug stability and delivery efficiency.

Speaker Biography

Syed Saif Imam was born in Allahabad, India, in the year 2000 and reared in New Delhi. He was interested in science and technology as a child growing up in a military school. His intense interest in medical research is most likely fueled by his family's job and the studious milieu in which he grew up. Later in his eighteens, he decided to pursue a profession in pharmacy, which he did successfully. He worked hard under the supervision of his family and college lecturers, being laser-focused on his objectives.He was praised for successfully publishing his first research study on cancer treatment using nano technology. He put in even more effort and published another study on lung cancer treatment. As if quitting was never an option in his life, he is currently working on a paper that will help women with menstrual pain. He'd always wanted to live a life where he could help and serve others. His whole purpose in life is to be there for someone.

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Christina Vasiliki Karakousi

Title- Biological studies with phytochemical analysis of Cornus mas unripe fruits

Speaker Abstract

Cornus fruits are widely known for possessing anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial and hypoglycemic effects. The aim of the study was the detection and isolation of biosynthetic precursors of compounds found in the unripe fruits and the assessment of the antioxidant activity and the ALR2/ALR1 inhibitory activity of their extracts. The LC-DAD-MS (ESI+) analysis revealed the presence of 3-ferulic-3′-ellagic-difuranoside, scandoside methyl ester, and swertiamarin in the Et2O fraction, and cornuside II in the EtOAc fraction. All compounds were found for the first time in C. mas L. Our investigation of the Et2O and EtOAc fractions resulted in the isolation of trans-ferulic acid, gallic acid, methyl gallate, protocatechuic acid, methyl caffeate, trans-p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucuronide-6′′-methyl ester, 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, dimethyl malate, quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucuronide, 1,2,3-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose, and 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose. EtOAc extract exhibited the highest scavenging activity determined as EC50 = 0.35 ± 0.01 with the DPPH• assay due to presence of gallotannins while the Et2O had strong antioxidant activity with an IC50 = 0.13 ± 0.01 with the chemiluminescence assay.

Speaker Biography

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Mate Hidvegi

Title- A proprietary fermented wheat germ extract in cancer and autoimmune clinicalstudies-A newparadigm

Speaker Abstract

Avemar is a proprietary fermented wheat germ extract with anticancer properties — a complex mixture of thousands of molecules. Most of them are chemically unidentified, yet present in constant ratios and quantities from batch to batch; standardized to methoxy-substituted benzoquinone markers, i.e. 2,6-Dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone and 2-Methoxy-benzoquinone, which are the oxidation products of the corresponding hydroquinones. The benzoquinones are locked in raw wheat germ as glycosides and, during fermentation, the fermenting organism, Saccharomycescerevisiaeunlocks them as aglycones by the action of glycosidases. In animal experiments and in vitro cell lines, Avemar has shown significant anticancer, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, its active compounds impair the functional manifestation of the malignant metabolic phenotype, such as the Warburg effect, the pentose-phosphate-pathway, ribonucleotidereductase, and poly-(ADP)-ribose-polymerase, and repair the operation of the transformed mitochondria in neoplastic tissues. The proprietary wheat germ extract has a firmly established safety profile and has gained a self-affirmed Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status. Manufactured in a GMP pharmaceutical plant in Kunfeherto, Hungary, and distributed as a nonprescription dietary supplement worldwide; in some countries of the European Union, Avemar is a dietary FSMP—Food for Special Medical Purposes—for cancer patients. Eleven open-label clinical studies have verified Avemar’s benefits on cancer, mostly in combination with standard oncology treatments. The clinical oncology studies include colorectal, lung, breast cancers, cancers of the oral cavity, hematology-oncological cancers, advanced melanoma, head-and-neck cancer, refractory prostate cancer, and a matched-pair study in children with solid tumors. Two clinical studies verified Avemar’s benefits in treating autoimmune diseases, a non-randomized study in refractory rheumatoid arthritis and a double-blind, randomized study in lupus (SLE) patients. This lecture presents the results of the clinical trials with Avemar.

Speaker Biography

Mate Hidvegi, PhD (b. 1955) is a visionaryHungarianbiochemist, and food scientist. Inventor of over twenty herbal supplements and patented compounds, he is best known as the originator of Avemar, the original fermented wheat germ extract. Awarded the President's Gold Medal in Hungary, his mission is to help the lives of those touched by cancer. He lives in Budapest.

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Hazha Jamal Hidayat

Title- Genome sequence analysis of SARS COV 2 isolated from a covid 19 patient in Erbil, Iraq

Speaker Abstract

In the city of Wuhan, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was frst recognized among humans at the end of December 2019, and has since spread to every country around the world. The emergence of this new coronavirus has attracted global attention to work towards funding a treatment and developing an effective vaccine against the virus. In this study, we sequence a full genome of SARS-COV-2 isolated from a male patient in the city of Erbil, Iraq. The virus was sequenced using Sanger sequencer and 21 distinct mutations were found in our isolate compared to the full genome sequence of the SARS-COV-2 isolated from the city of Wuhan/China (Accession number: NC_045512.2). Sequence analysis showed that four of the mutations were located at the spike glycoprotein (S), and ten of them were in non-structural proteins (nsp1, nsp3, nsp12, and orf3a), which had been shown to be related to structural changes at various sites. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis and transmission supported the conclusion that the cases in Iraq were of independent origins of infections and had a close relation to the isolates from Iran. This is the first report on the DNA sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome isolated from the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Speaker Biography

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Irina Tiganova

Title- Prospects of photodynamyc inactivation of tracheobronchial tree pathogenic microbiota using methylene blue

Speaker Abstract

The treatment of patients after mechanical ventilation of lungs, suffering from a multi-species infection of the tracheobronchial tree became complicated rapidly in recent years. The situation is aggravated in patients with post intubation tracheal stenosis, where infection plays a leading pathogenetic role in damage to the tracheal wall resulting in infected tracheal stenosis (ITS). The aim of this work was to study in vitro the possibility of photodynamic inactivation of pathogenic microbiota, typical for patients with ITS, using methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer (PS). Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium propinquum, Corynebacterium striatum, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Stenotrophomonas maltofila) bacteria, multi- and pan-resistant to antibacterial drugs, in combinations of up to 4 microorganisms in one patient, were found. Minimal bactericidal concentration of MB was evaluated for 13 isolates of 8 species of bacteria from 9 patients. Incubation of bacteria with 30 μM MB for 15 min and irradiation with LED at a dose of 25 J/cm2 allow to completely inactivate bacteria found in the tracheobronchial secretions of patients with ITS, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most resistant to photodynamic inactivation. Analysis of absorption and fluorescence spectra revealed, that in these ranges, aggregation and photo-bleaching of methylene blue is neglizible and PS retains its optic-physical properties and provides effective inactivation of isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multi- and pan-resistant to antibacterial drugs. MB can be delivered via nebulizing and medical lasers with fiber-optic means for delivering light radiation, with specially shaped diffusers, can provide the irradiation, required for photodynamic therapy inside the tracheobronchial area for treatment and disinfection.

Speaker Biography

I.G. Tiganova was graduated from Biology, she is faculty, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and till now works at Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia. The field of interests was repair, mutagenesis and SOS- response. PhD from 1992, from 2018 leading researcher. From 2012 the subject of the studies is antimicrobial photodynamics.

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 13:10-13:40 Intermission & Lunch Break

Zhao Hua Zhou

Title- Anti-PEG IgE in anaphylaxis associated with polyethylene glycol

Speaker Abstract

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) with its unique properties, including solubility in water and non-polar solvents, has been used in many medical and pharmaceutical products including LNP/mRNA COVID vaccines as an active ingredient or excipient. Despite the success of these products, acute drug allergic reactions associated with PEG have been observed in both clinical trials and practice, with many cases occurring without a known prior PEG exposure. Many cases of PEG associated anaphylaxis may not be recognized, especially for products where PEG is not identified as an active ingredient. Although skin testing suggested a potential IgE-mediated type 1 hypersensitivity reaction in some cases, a reliable lab assay to sensitively detect specific anti-PEG IgE was not available to evaluate these events. Studies with ELISA-based anti-PEG assays have reported high background and lack of specificity and thus, could only detect higher levels of IgG and IgM. To fill this important gap in assessing the increasing risks associated with the use of PEG and PEGylated drugs, we developed a dual cytometric beads assay (DCBA, with built-in specificity control) for the detection of anti-PEG antibodies, with a 100-fold greater sensitivity than conventional assays. This increased assay sensitivity allows for reliable detection of anti-PEG IgE. This assay was used to test samples from patients who had developed clinical anaphylaxis upon PEG exposure (cases) and those who did not (controls). The DCBA method and results enabled us to first confirm the long-considered hypothesis that PEG-associated acute allergy can be due to IgE-mediated type 1 hypersensitivity. We also demonstrated pre-existing antibodies to PEG in normal sera that can explain allergic responses on apparently initial exposures.

Speaker Biography

Zhaohua (Joe) Zhou, Ph.D., is a Research/Reviewer Scientist at the Office of Biotechnology Products, CDER, US Food & Drug Administration. Dr. Zhou’s research interest is in the development of lab models to pinpoint and predict drug-induced acute allergic reactions. These methods are based upon and covering current understanding to the mechanisms of a clinical anaphylaxis, including: 1) Drug-specific IgE screening and in vitro Type 1 sensitization model (drug-binding antibodies and mast cell degranulation); 2) Drug-specific IgG/IgM screening followed by complement- activation through classical and non-classical pathway-generated anaphylatoxins assay (C3a, C4a and C5a); 3) mast cell directly degranulation; 4) cytokine storm assay (activated T cells and macrophages using PBMC or whole blood culture); and 5) contact system (kinin/kallikrein) activation assay. These models, when using comprehensively, can quickly rule in and rule out drug quality related causes as well as predict patient sensitivity to particular therapeutics.

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Fredric Schiffer

Title- A novel, safe, effective treatment for opioid use disorder

Speaker Abstract

Schiffer has proposed and tested and published his novel hypothesis about the relation between the cerebral hemispheres and psychopathology. His ideas come out of his clinical observations and the split-brain studies and are combined in what he has termed dual-brain psychology (DBP), which posits that one brain hemisphere, left or right, as a trait in an individual is more affected by early complex traumas and he has found in his clinical practice and in two published randomized control trials that activating the healthier hemisphere with unilateral transcranialphotobiomodulation (UtPBM), near infrared mode has been highly successful in treating a range of psychiatric disorders including opioid use disorder. Here we will focus on the latest NIH funded trial in which we sought to treat 39 participants mostly from CraigsList.com who reported significant opioid cravings. 19 participants were treated with an active LED and 20 with a sham, which used the identical device with foil over the LED. The study was conducted and 2 sites, both of which reported similar results. The participants were treated twice a week for 4 weeks with 3 weekly follow-ups. The results as shown in Figure 1. showed that from baseline to the 3rd follow up there was a highly significant better improvement in the active group versus the sham and at the end of treatment and at the 3rd follow-up with an effect size was 1.5. At the McLean site there was also a very significant decrease in opioid use in the active group but not sham. In Schiffer's private practice he combines this UtPBM treatment with psychotherapy based on DBP, but in this control study, participants received only a twice weekly UtPBM treatment or sham. We feel the study show that UtPBM can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with buprenorphine. From private practice, we feel it is greatly augmented when combined with dual-brain psychotherapy and we feel that this randomized control trial supports the novel hypotheses of DBP from which the UtPBM evolved. There were no adverse reactions observed or reported.

Speaker Biography

Fredric Schiffer, MD, is a research associate at McLean and an assistant professor of psychiatry, part-time, at Harvard Medical School. He has been studying the relationship between past traumas, cerebral laterality, and depression, anxiety, and addiction and has developed a hypothesis on the physical nature of conscious experience and its relation to the brain and to psychological function. Dr. Schiffer also studies the role that near infrared light directed through the forehead to the brain may play as a treatment for psychological problems, including opioid use disorders. He maintains a private practice of adult psychiatry in Newton, Massachusetts and is the Founder and CEO of MindLight, LLC and the Dual-Brain Psychology Institute.

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Yanding Zhao

Title- Computational modelling of chromatin accessibility identified important epigenomic regulators

Speaker Abstract

Chromatin accessibility is essential for transcriptional activation of genomic regions. It is well established that transcription factors (TFs) and histone modifications (HMs) play critical roles in chromatin accessibility regulation. However, there is a lack of studies that quantify these relationships. Here we constructed a two-layer model to predict chromatin accessibility by integrating DNA sequence, TF binding, and HM signals. By applying the model to two human cell lines (GM12878 and HepG2), we found that DNA sequences had limited power for accessibility prediction, while both TF binding and HM signals predicted chromatin accessibility with high accuracy. According to the HM model, HM features determined chromatin accessibility in a cell line shared manner, with the prediction power attributing to five core HM types. Results from the TF model indicated that chromatin accessibility was determined by a subset of informative TFs including both cell line-specific and generic TFs. The combined model of both TF and HM signals did not further improve the prediction accuracy, indicating that they provide redundant information in terms of chromatin accessibility prediction. The TFs and HM models can also distinguish the chromatin accessibility of proximal versus distal transcription start sites with high accuracy.

Speaker Biography

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Gayathri Swaminath

Title- Soluble GuanylateCyclase (sGC) as a therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy

Speaker Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and is characterized by a progressive decline in renal function accompanied by mesangial expansion, glomerular basement membrane thickening, and tubulointerstitial damage. Current treatments include glycemic and blood pressure control to delay the progression. Novel drugs including SGLT2i inhibitors,GLP-agonists, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are reported to be effective in treating the disease. Furthermore, endothelial dysfunction is the leading cause for the progression of DN. The nitric oxide-soluble guanylatecyclase-cyclic guanosinemonophosphate (NO-sGC-cGMP) signaling cascade pathway plays a critical role in regulating renal function. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) vasodilates renal vasculature and directly influences renal blood flow, renin secretion, glomerular function, and tubular exchange.We hypothesized that the sGC stimulator Compound 1 is protective against DN at stages in whichNO bioavailability is low or diminished. The effects of renal function were investigated with ansGC stimulator under acute & chronic treatment in a preclinical DN model. The chronic treatment of sGC stimulator alone reduced kidney hypertrophy, significantly slowed the progression ofproteinuria, and reduced urinary albumin and creatinine ratio. In combination with Enalapril, the sGC stimulator significantly decreased the incidence of glomerulosclerosislesions, as observed by the reduction in interstitial fibrosis and in the tubules,interstitial, and glomeruli nephropathy score. Our data strongly suggests that sGC stimulator improves renal function as a monotherapy& exhibits greater benefit in attenuating the progression of the disease with standard of care drug Enalapril, underpinning the importance of the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway in the pathogenesis of DN.

Speaker Biography

Gayathri has over 17 years of drug discovery and drug development experiencefrom early hit to late stage in areas of diabetes, oncology, cardiovascular, fibrosis, inflammation, pulmonary hypertension, and renal diseases. Progressed molecules to FIH includingVerquvo for chronic heart failure.Gayathrihas heldseveralleadership roles in discovery, preclinical, and clinical development programs at Amgen & Merck. Currently she is working as a Vice President for research and business development at Greenfire Bio. She has co-authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals and holds several patents. Gayathri completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Hyderabad, India, postdoctoral training with Dr. Brian Kobilka (Nobel Laureate)atStanford University andhasan MBA from Cornell University.

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Shi Jiang John Lu

Title- One platform endless pipelines:CAR-NK cells from engineered pluripotent stem cells using 3-D platform technology

Speaker Abstract

Clinical success of adoptive cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for treating hematological malignancies has revolutionized the field of cellular immunotherapy. However, critical to the success of CAR-engineered immune effector cell therapies will be the industrialization----converting the technologies into universal and cost-effective therapies for a large number of patients. Autologous CAR-T cell therapy faces two major obstacles: cell availability and high manufacturing cost, which makes it difficult for most patients. Donor-based CAR-T cells circumvent some of the above challenges, but still face the problem of graft versus host disease caused by allogenic T cells. Natural killer (NK) cell is a specialized immune effector cell type that recognizes and kills targets without human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction and prior sensitization. CAR-NK cells do not cause graft versus host disease (GvHD) and can be obtained from unrelated donors as well as pluripotent stem cells (PSC), representing an ideal off-the-shelf therapeutics for all patients. HebeCell has developed a robust proprietary scalable 3D-platform technology for PSC expansion and feeder-free NK cell differentiation with superior scalability and consistency compared to traditional approaches. As gene editing and CAR-engineering can be performed in PSCs, the establishment of master PSC-CAR cell bank targeting indication-specific antigens will provide inexhaustible cell sources for the manufacture of truly off-the-shelf and cost-effective CAR-NK cells for all patients of cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases.The establishment of our proprietary 3D PSC-CAR-NK platform allows scalable, reproducible and efficient production of homogenous functional CAR-NK cells, which can be rapidly deployed worldwide for all patients.

Speaker Biography

Shi-Jiang (John) Lu, PhD, MPH, is currently the President and CEO of HebeCell Corporation, focusing on the development and clinical translation of regenerative medicine and cell therapy technologies, especially iPS-CAR-NK cells for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and viral infectious diseases. Before establishing HebeCell, he was the Senior Director of Research at Advanced Cell Technology/Ocata Therapeutics, which was acquired by Astellas Pharma in 2016. John is an expert in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine with 20 years of experiences. He has been conducting translational research and discovery of novel therapeutic strategies utilizing human pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and their derivatives. The goal of his research is to generate human PSC-derived products for the treatment of human diseases. He also has extensive experience in process development and large-scale production of human PSC derivatives under defined conditions for clinical trials. John is the inventor of more than 20 patents in stem cell field: in an analysis of global stem cell patent landscape by Nature Biotechnology in 2014, John’s patent application and citation ranked No. 7 and No. 5, respectively. In addition to stem cell research, Dr. Lu also has more than 10 years of experiences in cancer research. John received his BS degree in Biochemistry from Wuhan University, MSc degree in Oncology/Pathophysiology from Peking Union Medical College, MPH degree in Molecular Toxicology/Environmental Sciences from Columbia University and PhD degree in Molecular Cancer Biology from University of Toronto.

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Daniela Laranja Gomes Rodrigues

Title- Impact of teleconsultation on patients with type 2 diabetes in the Brazilian public health system: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Speaker Abstract

Background: Although the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) offers universal health coverage, access to quality care is often limited by social inequality and location. Although telemedicine has been shown to be an important tool in the efforts to overcome this problem, because it can provide access to specialist care and break the geographical barriers to health care, there are no national studies demonstrating its use in public health. Objective: This study aims to test the hypothesis that remote consultation can be as effective as standard face-to-face consultation for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Brazilian public health system and to assess the associated costs related to teleconsultation in public health scenarios, for patients referred from Primary Health Care units of the SUS for specialist care. Methods: This is a pragmatic, phase 2, unicentric, open-label, noninferiority, blinded allocation, data-blinded, centrally randomized clinical trial. The inclusion criteria will be adults, both sexes, ≥18 years old, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥8%. Outcomes will be evaluated by assessing symptoms, laboratory exams, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, adverse events, and satisfaction level for 6 months. The costs of the teleconsultation will be assessed using the time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method to compare the costs with the face-to-face consultations. The noninferiority margin was set at 0.5%. Assuming an SD of 1.3% for both groups, true difference between the means of zero, and a type I error level of 5% (one-sided), it was estimated that 117 individuals per group would be necessary to achieve 90% power. Statistical analysis of the efficacy will be done using intention-to-treat and per-protocol approaches. Results: The results from this trial will be reported according to the CONSORT guidelines. The trial was approved by the institutional review board on October 5, 2019. Data collection started in January 2019 and is expected to finish in 2022. At the time of manuscript submission, 18 participants were recruited. Conclusions: Our expectations are that providing remote access to health care will result in improvements in the health and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes and reduce costs and that both patients and clinicians will benefit from and be satisfied with this technology.

Speaker Biography

Daniela Laranja Gomes Rodrigues, graduated in Medicine at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (2000), residency in Neurology at the State University Júlio de MesquitaFilho - UNESP (2005) and post-graduated in Vascular Neurology and Neurosonology at the Federal University of São Paulo (2007). as preceptor of the Neurology Residency at Hospital Santa Marcelina - Itaquera and as on duty at the HAOC Telemedicine Project until 2015, when the project ended. She is currently a volunteer doctor in the Vascular Neurology and Neurosonology sector at the Federal University of São Paulo and works in Social Responsibility at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, as neurologist, research coordinator and involved in projects aimed at the SUS and telehealth. Has experience in Neurology, acting on the following subjects: cerebrovascular diseases, telemedicine and Transcranial Doppler.

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 16:10-16:25 Intermission & Tea Break

F Mara Lúcia Gonçalves Diogo

Title- Effect of blue and red led on inflammatory acne: Controlled and randomized clinical trial

Speaker Abstract

Inflammatory acne is the leading cause of visits to dermatologists'offices. Topical products such as retinoids are used to treat acne, but they havecutaneous side effects. Acne usually improves after exposure to sunlight or artificially produced sunlight. The purpose of this research is to compare the effect of combined blue/violet, red and blue and red LED lights on grade II and III inflammatory acne. We will recruit 144 participants, aged between 12 and 25 years, with a Fitzpatrick rating scale from I to IV, with mild to moderate inflammatory acne and will be randomized into4 groups: G1: mask with blue LED 415 nm (± 20); G2 : mask with red LED 660 nm (±20); G3: mask with combined red and blue LEDs (415 nm and 660 nm) and G4 -Control - Peeling with 20% salicylic acid once every 15 days. The evaluations will be carried out on the first, fifteenth and thirtieth day of treatment, verifying the reduction of erythema and skin appearance and the degree of oiliness through clinical evaluation. Descriptive analysis will be performed for all variables and data, presented as absolute number, mean and standard deviation (SD). The p-values after the Wilcoxon classification test will also be calculated for statistical significance.

Speaker Biography

Mara Lúcia Gonçalves Diogo is Graduated in Nursing from the Nursing School Wenceslau Braz (1986). Postgraduate in Occupational Nursing from the Catholic University of Santos (1989), title of Specialist in Dermatology by the Brazilian Association of Nursing in Dermatology - SOBENDE (2007). He is currently a freelance professional, working in a private practice. Experience in Nursing, with emphasis on Nursing in Dermatology and aesthetics. Invited professor in specialization courses in Dermatology throughout Brazil, done in person or through online classes. Master's and PhD student in Biophotonics at Universidad eNove de Julho,São Paulo.

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 16:10-16:25 Intermission & Tea Break

Claudia RM Alcantara De Torre

Title- Bobath in Brazil: What is the best study design for intervention for children with cerebral palsy

Speaker Abstract

Brazil is a very heterogeneous country in terms of health services, not only in its remote regions but also in the larger cities. We have physiotherapy centres throughout Brazil that offer specialized assistance for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), but there are not nearly enough. Particularly in rural areas, there are good quality services staffed with professionals dedicated to improving their skills but perhaps with not as much up-to-date equipment. Of course there are universities throughout Brazil offering courses in physiotherapy. As a physiotherapist and Bobath instructor teaching in several of these institutions, I always emphasize the importance of evidence and good research practice (e.g., using measurable functional tasks before and after intervention, including videos recording and standardized tests), not only for publishing papers but also to ensure that such specialized treatment works. It is important that studies published in English are also published in the native language from where they take place. This enables greater dissemination of crucial knowledge within these particular communities. A good example is the paper by Furtado et al. (and this commentary) also written in Portuguese.1 This review made us aware of the current state of research in Brazil and also points the way for new studies. According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), participation is as important as body functions and structure. The ICF clearly shows the reciprocal nature of all these components. Most of the good therapeutic work done in Brazil is by Bobathtrained therapists, but such practice has also been criticized based on published research, in part due to problems with definitions and study designs.2 Conducting a clinical randomized controlled trial for children and adolescents with CP can be very difficult. This is because of the many differences in locality and time of lesion, motor disorders, associated impairments, previous treatment, and family-related issues. These and other factors can make a homogeneous group almost impossible. So, which is the best study design for CP? Each child with CP is unique, with different desires and environments. How is best to respect the goals of the child and the family?3 Even though the studies in Furtado et al.’s scoping review did not include the goal-directed practice of real-life tasks, child self-active movements, participation, and family engagement in therapeutic planning are all used today in neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) in Brazil.4 But it is difficult to affirm that all physiotherapists trained in Bobath/ NDT have incorporated these changes into their practice. An update of the NDT/Bobath includes individualized therapeutic handling based on movement analysis and the therapist uses the ICF model in a problem-solving approach to assess activity and participation. The principles of the Contemporary Bobath Concept5 have also recently been updated and clarified. They highlight the practice and transference of daily life skills and include measurable goals. Online therapies (telerehabilitation) may provide many benefits, but the presence of the child or individual with CP and the physiotherapist is still necessary for proper assessment and intervention. This interaction can never be replaced by a remote procedure, while we also must remember that parents cannot be called on to act as therapists. It is not only experimental evidence which should be considered, but also the scientific knowledge that forms the basis for any intervention. We hope in the future physiotherapists in Brazil and all over the world will produce such evidence with study designs that truly move CP research forward.

Speaker Biography

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 16:10-16:25 Intermission & Tea Break

Kamila Shelry de Freitas Goncalves

Title- Device and non-device-guided slow breathing to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Speaker Abstract

Objectives: What is the impact of prolonged use of device or non-device guided slow breathing compared to usual care, on the BP values of hypertensive patients? Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Participants: Hypertensive patients, with or without comorbidity, over 18 years old, of both sexes, with or without hypertensive medication. Intervention: The selected studies showed comparisons between groups that performed device-guided and/or non-device-guided slow breathing with control conditions. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was the value of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the interventions. The secondary outcome was the reduction in the quantity/dosage of drugs administered to control hypertension. Results: Twenty-two studies involving 17,214 participants were included in the quantitative analysis. Considerable heterogeneity was revealed between studies. Using random effect model, it was found that device-guided slow breathing did not significantly reduce SBP and DBP compared to usual care, both in terms BP values and in relation to their variations (SBP, MD -2.13 mmHg, [95% CI -12.71 to 8.44], 288 individuals; I2 = 93%, high heterogenity : DBP, MD -0.90, 95% CI -3.97 to 2.11, 288 individuals; I2 = 63%,substantial heterogenity . SBP variations MD - 2.42, 95% CI -7.24 to 2.40, 443 individuals; I2 = 85% high heterogenity / DBP variations MD -1.67, 95% CI -4.57 to 1.24, 443 individuals; I2 = 80%, high heterogenity ). Conclusion: Based on these results it appears that device-guided slow breathing did not reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020147554

Speaker Biography

Kamila Shelry de Freitas Gonçalves, Postdoctoral fellow at the University of São Paulo (USP- RibeirãoPreto). PhD in Health Sciences from UNICAMP (2015), she carries out her research activity at UNICAMP in the Blood Pressure Study and Research Group (GEPPA) and at USP in the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Hypertension (GIPHA). Master in Health Sciences from UNICAMP (2009) she is specialist in Physiotherapy applied to Orthopedics and Traumatology by UNICAMP (2005). She was graduated in Physiotherapy from UniversidadePaulista (2004) and has experience in Hospital Physiotherapy (Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Traumatology, Pediatrics, Neonatal ICU and Adult ICU). Professor of the Physiotherapy course at UniversidadePaulista (since 2015) and Coordinator of the LatoSensu Postgraduate course in Neurofunctional Rehabilitation at UniversidadePaulista (since 2017).

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08:45-09:00

                   Opening Ceremoney

Workshop 1

Hall name - Virtual

Qin Zhang

Title- DUCG-aided general clinical diagnosis enabling primary clinicians to diagnose diseases like experts and know why: Real applications

Speaker Abstract

DUCG(Dynamic Uncertain Causality Graph) is a new AI model to graphically represent domain uncertain causal knowledge and make probabilistic reasoning with natural interpretabilities. This presentation will show online how DUCG works to guide primary clinicians to make clinical diagnoses under 43 chief complaints covering more than 1000 diseases, including how to collect clinical information and make what medical checks, step by step according to the condition of a primary hospital or clinics. The 43 chief complaints include: dizzy, headache, nasal congestion, epistaxis, sore throat, jaundice, dysphagia, cyanosis, cough and expectoration, dyspnea, neck waist and back pain, hemoptysis, lymphadenopathy, chest pain, palpitation, hematemesis, arthralgia, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, numbness of limbs, edema, bloody stool, constipation, rash, fever, anemia, obesity, emaciation, child fever, diarrhea, syncope, abdominal distention, related disease of department of gynecology (four chief complaints), lower urinary tract symptoms(including frequent urination, urgency, pain, dysuria, polyuria, gross hematuria and urinary leakage).In total, the differential diagnostic precision verified by third-parties for every chief complaint is more than 95%, in which the precision for every disease is no less than 80%. More than 200,000 real application cases were performed in Jiaozhou city and Zhongxian county, China. In which, only 8 diagnoses were incorrect due to the imperfectness in DUCG knowledge bases. After correcting DUCG knowledge bases, incorrect diagnoses were no long found. Statistics in the real world shows that DUCG can increase the ability of primary clinicians to diagnose diseases several times overthat without DUCG.

Speaker Biography

Qin Zhang graduated from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, with BS., MS. and Ph.D. Degrees in nuclear engineering in 1982, 1984 and 1989 respectively. He was a visiting scholar with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA, and University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, from 1987 to1989, working on system reliability engineering and intelligent fault diagnoses. He is now a professor of Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology and Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, emeritus member of China Association for Science and Technology, member of International Nuclear Energy Academy, fellow of China Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI) and director of the specialized committee for uncertainty in AI of CAAI, consultant of the specialized committee for wise medical care of CAAI. He originally developed a new AI model called Dynamic Uncertain Causality Graph for fault diagnoses and disease diagnoses.

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Workshop 2

Hall name - Virtual

Alberto Maringhini

Title- Breastfeeding in prevention of postpartum acute pancreatitis (AP). A Sicilian population-based case-control study

Speaker Abstract

Background: Gallstones acute pancreatitis has increased incidence in young women in the 2 years postpartum. Middle aged women with longer period of breastfeeding have less hospitalization for gallbladder disease. Methods: We identified all sicilian women who delivered (2013-2016) and had acute pancreatitis within 2 years postpartum, reviewed their medical records and for each case we matched 4 women of the same age (+ 5 years), date (+ 30 days) and hospital of delivery without acute pancreatitis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) to assess associations between acute pancreatitis and clinical variables. Results: In the 74 women with AP and 298 controls at univariate analysis: > 6 months oral contraception history (p<0.01 - OR 3.30 - 95% CI 1.33-8.16); previous biliary disease (p < 0.001 - OR 5.90 - 95% CI 1.98-17.57) and smoking (p = 0.035 - OR 2.04 - 95% CI 1.04-4.0) were predictors of acute pancreatitis; amenorrhea > 3 months (p < 0.001 - OR 0.34 - 95% CI 0.19-0.59) and breastfeeding > 3 months (p < 0.001 - OR 0.07 - 95% CI 0.03-0.14) were protective. At multivariate previous biliary disease (p = 0.011 - OR 5.49 - 95% CI 1.48-20.38) was predictor and breastfeeding >3 months (p < 0.001- OR 0.06 CI 95% 0.03-0.14) was protective for acute pancreatitis. Conclusions: Women without a history of biliary disorders and who breastfeed for at least 3 months have reduced risk to develop AP in the 2 years after delivery.

Speaker Biography

The long-standing research Interest Of Alberto Maringhini, M.D. is in biliary and pancreatic diseases. He started with a peculiar interest on portal hypertension and bleeding in cirrhotics and then in diagnosis of portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma. Then he started his interest on gallbladder and pregnancy, acute pancreatitis diagnosis and prognosis, pancreatic cancer clinics and epidemiology. Cronic pancreatitis laboratoruy diagnosis and clinical presentation. Finally, acute pancreatitis and pregnancy and breast feeding in prevention of post partum acute pancreatitis. His clinical work in internal medicine and mainly in gastroeneterology started in 1977 and nowadays he is directore of interbal medicine in the largest hospital in Sicily and in southern Italy after “Cldarelli Hospital” in Naples

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Sulagna Chatterjee

Title- Band-engineered laterally-oriented quasi-AlGaN barrier /GaN well, High-Electron-Mobility-Avalanche-Transit-Time (HEMATT) oscillator: Medical applications

Speaker Abstract

An Avalanche-Transit-Time (ATT) diode with lateral orientation has been designed. The proposed diode has a High-Electron-Mobility (HEM) active region that constitutes of 2-Dimensional-Electron-Gas (2DEG). For the first time ever, quasi-AlGaN barrier has been deployed to induce desired degree ofband-engineering in the device. Such barrier consists of successive AlN/GaNthin epitaxiallayers. So that the entire barrier behaves like a sustained quasi-AlGaN material. Within such quasi-material, polarization electric field and band mismatch create periodic perturbation. Again, band offset for such perturbed quasi-material barrier and the GaN active region results in the formation of high electron mobility 2DEG. Such 2DEG formation is further supported by the positively charged Cathode-Field-Plate (CFP) under reverse biased ATT operation condition. At the same time,the laterallyoriented device results in such 2DEG to exist precisely along the active region. Subsequently, the first ever two-terminal high-electron mobility ATT diodehaving 2DEG based active region comes into play. This design has rendered a third terminal or gate, as is necessary for high-electron-mobility-transistors, i.e. HEMTs, to be redundant. Electron mobility in such 2DEG transport region ~ (1600–2000)cm2/V-sec.Such mobility is twice that of standard alloy AlGaN material barrier and GaN well, where the mobility ~ 800cm2/V-sec. This in turn leads to high RF output power and exceptionally high DC to RF conversion efficiency. Optoelectronic performance of such device has been studied byan ingenious, experimentally-supported Strain-corrected-Mixed-Quantum-Tunneling-Drift–Diffusion (Sc-MQTDD) simulation model. Both single and array configurations of these ATT diodes have greatest documented efficiency of DC to RF conversion, i.e. 23% & 27%, and also RF output power, i.e. 980×109W/m2& 1163×109W/m2, respectively. Also, the interaction between photons in the UV region and carrier electrons has been studied.Responsivity in UV domain and quantum efficiency have been respectively predicted to be 0.7A/W and 80%, for 3 × 3 array. Subsequently, the scope of application of such cutting-edge device in bio-medical domain has been explored.

Speaker Biography

Chatterjee did her Ph.D. in Nano Science and Nano Technology, from University of Calcutta. She won many prestigious fellowships from Government Of India: CSIR-SRF, DST-INSPIRE, Indian Institute of Technology Fellowship ECE (I.I.T. Kharagpur). She did her M.Tech. in Radio Physics and Electronics from University of Calcutta, where she stood FIRST CLASS FIRST and was AWARDED THE GOLD MEDAL. She was awarded OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD. Shedid her M.Sc. with excellence in Electronic Science from University of Calcutta. She received NATIONAL MERIT scholarship from Government of India for her B.Sc. from University of Calcutta. She is Reviewerfor many esteemed international SCI journals. She has bagged various prestigious awards,Young-Achiever, Research-Excellence, Academic-Excellence, Global-Teaching-Excellence, Excellence-in-Review, etc.She has been invited and visited several times to UK, Italy, USA, Japan, Belgium etc. as an EXPERT and INVITED SPEAKER, both offline and online. She has 12 international SCI Journal papers: among them 10 high impact SCI Journals as First author, including severalIEEE Transactions. She has received several BEST PAPER AWARDS including Science-Congress (Govt.). She has 3international book chapters.

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N Soleimanpour Moghadam

Title- Comparative study of response surface methodology and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system for removal of 6-APA in aqueous media

Speaker Abstract

Antibiotic contaminated waters treatment is an important step for pollutant reduction and the promotion of water environment quality. Uncertainty in wastewater treatment technology, fluctuations in effluent water quality and operation costs cause an emerging issue to develop materials effective for removal of antibiotics. The environment-friendly clay such as vermiculite, could be potentially promising candidates for removing 6-APA (6- Aminopenicillanic) from pharmaceutical effluent. Antibiotic removal was achieved by using eco-friendly, time-saving, powerful and easy-applying synthesis method via tetraethoxysilane (Si). Expert systems are widely powerful tools for minimizing the complexities and complications in wastewater treatment. Response surface methodology (RSM) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models were used to develop systematically predicting interactions of synthesis conditions on 6-APA adsorption capacity and optimize the best amount of compound. The effect of process variables investigated by RSM through central composite design (CCD) matrix and the results compared with ANFIS model.

Speaker Biography

N. Soleimanpour Moghadam Ph.D. graduated from the Amirkabir University of Technology, Medicinal Mineral Chemistry branch as First-class with the highest distinction.She was awarded the 'Top student' in Ph.D. degree. She is also patented the invention of drug formulation in her own name in Iran. A major focus of her work was the study and development of polymers to deliver drugs, particularly antibiotics at controlled rates and for prolonged periods of time. Her research has been focused on the experimental design, synthesis, polymers, hydrogels, controlled release, characterization, XRD, XRF, SEM, FTIR, TEM, UV, BET analysis evaluation of novel biomaterials compounds, in Vitro assays, and in Vivo testing, and developing target-specific drug candidates as antibiotics.She also investigated the mechanism of release by using RSM, ANFIS techniques. She has published several authored articles and attended several conferences.

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Marilena Theodorou

Title- CNS tumors:Newtechniques in radiationoncology

Speaker Abstract

New techniques in radiation oncology such as VMAT (volumetric modulated arc therapy) occur high dose to target and more safety for the organs at risk. Most of the brain tumors need high dose radiation therapy but due to the anatomical location of the tumor the delivery of the dose is limited in order to avoid radiation to the organs at risk. Most of the pediatric tumor are brain tumor that need also high dose therapy. Using VMAT technique we can deliver high dose radiation with safety for the organs at risk. Every healthy organ has a tolerance dose that means a dose that can tolerate but any dose above the tolerance dose can cause damage for the future. The risk of radio necrosis can be decreased using modern technique in radiation oncology.

Speaker Biography

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Roanne Keeton

Title- SARS-CoV-2 spike T cell responses induced upon vaccination or infection remain robust against Omicron

Speaker Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has multiple Spike (S) protein mutations that contribute toescape from antibody neutralization and reduce vaccine protection from infection. The extent to which other components of the adaptive response such as T cells may still target Omicron and contribute to protection from severe outcomes is unknown. We assessed the ability of T cells to react with Omicron spike in participants who were vaccinated with Ad26.CoV2.S, BNT162b2, or unvaccinated convalescent COVID-19 patients (n=70). We found that 70-80% of the CD4 and CD8 T cell response to spike was maintained across study groups. Moreover, the magnitude of Omicron cross-reactive T cells was similar to Beta and Delta variants, despite Omicron harbouring considerably more mutations. In Omicron-infected hospitalized patients (n=19), there were comparable T cell responses to ancestral spike, nucleocapsid and membrane proteins to those patients hospitalized in previous waves dominated by the ancestral, Beta or Delta variants (n=49). Thus, despite Omicron’s extensive mutations and reduced susceptibility to neutralizing antibodies, the majority of T cell responses, induced by vaccination or infection, cross-recognise the variant. Well-preserved T cell immunity to Omicron is likely to contribute to protection from severe COVID-19, supporting early clinical observations from South Africa and elsewhere.

Speaker Biography

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 13:10-13:40 Intermission & Lunch Break

Ibrahim El Bayoumy

Title- Effect of sleeve gastrectomy on metabolic status in type 2 obese diabetics

Speaker Abstract

Background: Limited data are available about evaluation of the effects of sleeve gastrectomy on the glycaemic control on diabetes mellitus. The objectiveof this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy in improving the control of glycemic status in obese diabetic patients. Patients and methods: This is retrospective cross sectional study to review the maintained data base collected between May 2018 to April 2021 in department of laparoscopic surgery in Farwaniyah hospital-Kuwait. A total 120 patients with diabetes mellitus who had undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were studied.at 3 months and 6 months of follow up visits,collected data about variation in Body Mass Index (BMI). And glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c),and fasting blood glucose were analyzed. Results: Of the 120 diabetic patients with≥ 6 months post-operative follow up 72 diabetic patients (60%) are still taking medications for diabetes mellitus and 48 diabetic patients (40%) are resolved at 3 months and 6 months of follow up. HbA1c has decreased from 9.22±1.36 (n=18) preoperatively to 6.02±0.22 after 3 months of surgery and 30 diabetic patients, HbA1c become 5.88±0.22 after 6 months. Body Mass Index (BMI) has decreased from 47.43±11.33 in the sample of the study (120 diabetic patients) preoperatively to 37.82±6.80 at 3 months and to 33.25±3.12 Kg/mafter 6 months of surgery. Patients with short duration of diabetes less than 5 years have had better weight loss after surgery and achieved greater resolution rates (euglycemic state). Conclusion: Sleeve gastrectomy has improved the glycemic control in obese diabetic patients in the form of improvement and resolution and also succeeded in reduction of the body weight in the sample of the study.

Speaker Biography

Ibrahim El- Bayoumy holds bachelor of medicine and surgery (Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt,1989),then he earned his master degree in public health, preventive and social medicine (Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt1996),and MD,PhD in public health ,preventive and social medicine 2003 from Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt and McGill faculty of medicine –Montreal -Canada in division of clinical epidemiology in Royal Victoria hospital through double channel system as scholarship from ministry of education-Egypt. He is Full professor of public health and community medicine in Tanta faculty of medicine-Egypt since November 2016 . Now he is working in ministry of health in Kuwait as consultant of public health and preventive medicine.

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Motais Benjamin

Title- Selection, expansion, and unique pretreatment of allogeneic human natural killer cells with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody for efficient multiple myeloma treatment

Speaker Abstract

Following promising results in various clinical trials with chimeric antigen receptor T cells, cellular immunotherapy is emerging as a new pillar in cancer treatment. However, there are some drawbacks to this novel therapy, including off-tumor toxicity, cost, and tumor recurrence in heterogeneous tumors. To overcome these constraints, we take advantage of the unique anti-tumor properties of natural killer (NK) cells. Our study’s goal was to obtain a clinically relevant number of allogeneic NK cells derived from peripheral blood (median of 14,050 million cells from a single donor) to target a wide range of solid and liquid tumor types. Allogeneic NK cells were combined with the approved anti-cluster of differentiation 38 (CD-38) monoclonal antibody Daratumumab to achieve a synergistic therapeutic effect against incurable multiple myeloma. To avoid unwanted fratricide, the combination treatment was refined with CD16 polymorphism donor selection and uncomplicated novel in vitro pretreatment, increasing the in vitro specific lysis by more than 20% against the CD-38 positive multiple myeloma cell line. After time-lapse imaging of mice with subcutaneous human multiple myeloma xenografts, we discovered that combining selected and pretreated NK cells with Daratumumab resulted in tumor volumes that were 43-fold smaller than controls.

Speaker Biography

Benjamin Motais is a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Ostrava. He graduated a Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Orléans, France. He is currently working in the field of NK cell therapy in the Blood Cancer Research Group at the University Hospital of Ostrava.

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