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The surge of antimicrobial resistance threatens efficacy of current antibiotics, particularly against Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a highly resistant gram-negative pathogen. The asymmetric outer membrane (OM) of P. aeruginosa combined with its array of efflux pumps provide a barrier to xenobiotic accumulation, thus making antibiotic discovery challenging. We adapted PROSPECT, a target-based, whole-cell screening strategy, to discover small molecule probes that kill P. aeruginosa mutants depleted for essential proteins localized at the OM. We identified BRD1401, a small molecule that has specific activity against a P. aeruginosa mutant depleted for the essential lipoprotein, OprL. Genetic and chemical biological studies identified that BRD1401 acts by targeting the OM β-barrel protein OprH to disrupt its interaction with LPS and increase membrane fluidity. Studies with BRD1401 also revealed an interaction between OprL and OprH, directly linking the OM with peptidoglycan. Thus, a whole-cell, multiplexed screen can identify species-specific chemical probes to reveal pathogen biology. [Display omitted] • Target-focused, phenotypic, multiplexed screen with P. aeruginosa yields BRD1401 • BRD1401 is a species-specific inhibitor targeting LPS-OprH interaction at the OM • BRD1401 reveals novel link between P. aeruginosa OM/PG through OprH/OprL proteins Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to efficacious treatment of infectious diseases, prompting the WHO to prioritize therapeutic intervention against drug-resistant pathogens, one of which is Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a gram-negative, opportunistic bacterium. A key challenge in anti-pseudomonal drug discovery is low uptake of xenobiotics due to the impermeable, double-membraned cell envelope with a vast array of efflux pumps. To overcome this, we chose to target P. aeruginosa essential outer membrane proteins (OMPs) or OM-associated proteins (OMAPs), thus avoiding a cell permeation requirement. First, we describe a high-throughput multiplexed, whole-cell screening pipeline with a pool of genetic mutants depleted for essential OMPs/OMAPs, enabling the identification of small molecule probes or inhibitors with non-traditional MOA. Second, we show how such probes can be used to uncover biological interactions with the discovery of BRD1401, a P. aeruginosa -specific inhibitor with efficacy in an epithelial cell infection model. BRD1401 targets P. aeruginosa 's OMP OprH to disrupt its interaction with LPS and reveals a direct interaction between OprH and the essential OM lipoprotein, OprL, to link LPS and peptidoglycan in the cell wall. This is a comprehensive report of a whole-cell, multiplexed screen focused on specific OMP/OMAP targets that are essential in most gram-negative pathogens. We demonstrate how using this approach can be used to reveal biological interactions, in this case, about specific OMP/OMAPs and their role in cell envelope biology. Poulsen et al. describe a multiplexed, phenotypic chemical screening strategy focused on essential outer membrane (OM)-embedded or associated proteins in P. aeruginosa. They discover a species-specific inhibitor, BRD1401, with an MOA targeting OprH-LPS interaction at the OM. BRD1401 reveals biology linking the OM and PG in P. aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs) are currently widely engaged in industrial sectors. No other monolithic material can match the characteristics of AMMCs. AMMCs are stronger than traditional materials and have a wide range of industrial uses. This research work aims to study the tribological properties of AA8079/Zirconium boride (ZrB2) composite manufactured via the stir casting (SC) process. The different combinations of composites are AA8079/0wt.% ZrB2, AA8079/5wt.% ZrB2, AA8079/10wt.% ZrB2, and AA8079/15wt.% ZrB2. The parameters are reinforcement wt.% [A], load [B], sliding velocity [C], and sliding distance [D]. When designing experiments using the Taguchi method, an L16 orthogonal array was used. In order to determine which process parameter had the biggest influence on the output variables, wear rate (WR), coefficient of friction (COF), and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied. Successful fabrication of different weight fractions of ZrB2 was synthesized with AA8079 matrix through the SC process. The microstructural investigations revealed the dispersion of ZrB2 particles over the surface of the base AA8079. The response table clearly depicts that the combinations of A and C are the more dominant factor for WR, while the combinations of B and C are the more interacting parameters for COF. From the ANOVA results, it is clear that A with a 55.26% contribution, is the most predominant parameter in attaining the least WR, and for COF, B with a 31.39% contribution, is the major influencing parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) serves a vital role in sustaining environmental quality and supporting agroecosystems. The study evaluated the effects of long-term manuring and fertilization on SOC pools in rice-rice cropping system in the lateritic soils of Central Plain, Kerala, India. Soil samples from the long term fertilizer plots were used to determine the SOC pools. Treatments were: 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) (50% NPK), 100% NPK, 150% NPK, 100% NPK + lime, 100% NP, 100% N, 100% NPK + farm yard manure (FYM) (100% NPK + FYM), 50% NPK + FYM, 100% NPK + Sesbania aculeata (SA), 50% NPK + SA and no fertilizers or manures (control). Integrated nutrient management (INM) treatments improved the Walkley and Black carbon (WBC) content. Water-soluble carbon (WSC) ranged from 0.009 to 0.012%, with the highest value found in INM. KMnO4-oxidizable carbon ranged from 0.092 to 0.158%. The management practices were found to greatly influence microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in the soil with values 195.55 to 298.19 µg g−1 soils. The treatments had a significant effect on fractions of SOC that are strongly connected to aggregate stability namely, total polysaccharides, and glomalin. Application of NPK from 50% to 150% improved WBC, WSC and MBC by 7.69%, 22.22% and 27.90%, respectively. The INM practices also improved the SOC stocks. The carbon management index (CMI) found to be superior in one receiving INM practices than one receiving prescribed levels of nutrition using only mineral fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) provides coherent information to promote the well-being of individuals irrespective of age, gender, and qualification. It provides complete knowledge to understand the reproductive system, sexuality, gender, different life skills, sexually transmitted diseases, and contraceptives. This study aims to understand the different modes of delivery, study design, essential topics covered, and implications of different studies in the CSE intervention. The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were used for a systematic literature review. Studies between 2008 and 2023, indexed and cited in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Sage Journal, and Google Scholar were incorporated. It is inferred that the studies in the literature promote age-appropriate CSE intervention to implement in different populations. This systematic literature review on CSE intervention provides a strong foundation for understanding the different implications of sexuality education, the different modes, topics, theoretical framework, and study designs. However, the modules proposed earlier in the literature have not focused on the aforementioned components in CSE. Finally, this review suggests to researchers the necessity and development of an appropriate module to deliver and spread more awareness among the study population in society. LAY SUMMARY: The current review is beneficial in understanding the different topics and methodologies under CSE used in the literature to provide innovative intervention plans for the betterment of society which have not been explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Morphology is routinely used for detecting malignant cells in body fluids, but it has limitations. Recently, flow cytometry (FCM) is used as an effective tool for studying non‐haematological malignancies. The main objective of this study is to standardize a simple and rapid FCM test for the detection of malignant epithelial cells in body fluids. Materials and Methods: Body fluids that had been processed for cytology/cytology and FCM were enrolled in this prospective study. We developed a fluorescent‐labelled, monoclonal antibody panel composed of cell surface markers for this FCM assay. We compared the results of cytology/cell block and FCM. Results: A total of 121 fluid samples were studied. Comparing the diagnostic performance of cytology/cell block and FCM, 52 (43%) cases were positive and 60 (49.5%) cases were negative for carcinoma cells by both techniques. Nine cases showed discordant results between the two techniques. Six cases were cytology+ but FCM‐ and three cases were FCM+ cytology‐. Clustered Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM)‐positive events with high scatter properties were definitive for positive diagnosis by FCM. We studied PD‐L1 expression in 13 cases by FCM. Six cases were reported as false negative by this FCM assay due to hypocellularity and lack of EpCAM expression in malignant cells. Conclusions: This FCM assay is simple, easier and cost‐effective yielding sensitive results with no inter‐observer variability. FCM would become a valuable tool to complement routine diagnostic cytology and reduces misdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrillation (Fib) is the most well-known sort of sporadic heartbeat. The sporadic termination of electrical impulses causes the atria (the top chambers in the heart) to tremble (or fibrillate). Cardiovascular arrhythmias happen in older people with coronary disease. Now and again, individuals with Fib have no manifestations, and their condition is just recognizable upon actual assessment. The issues include inconsistent heartbeats when the heart is reliably in a sporadic mood, as anticipated through the patient well-being observation framework (PHMS). The PHMS proposed calculation is ready to anticipate the inconsistent pulses by the location of the R top in electrocardiogram signals (ECG) and the unpredictable beat anticipated by utilizing the P wave along with the QRS complex with the T wave for one heart cycle. Hence, this paper proposes a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), termed hybrid C-RNN, to proceed with the characterization and determination of the arrhythmic beats. This work also analyzes the QRS peak variations, followed by classification. The practicability of the heartbeat characterization utilizing hybrid C-RNN is completed by metrics like accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The proposed model achieved an accuracy of 98.57%, sensitivity of 1%, and specificity of 9.565217e-01%. This is compared best with some existing approaches in the result section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is one of the most hazardous assaults in cloud computing or networking. By depleting resources, this attack renders the services unavailable to end users and leads to significant financial and reputational damage. Hence, identifying such threats is crucial to minimize revenue loss, market share, and productivity loss and enhance the brand reputation. In this study, we implemented an effective intrusion detection system using deep learning approach. The suggested framework includes three phases: Data pre-processing, Data balancing, and Classification. First, we prepare the valid data, which is helpful for further processing. Then, we balance the given pre-processed data by Conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN), and as a result, we can minimize the bias towards the majority classes. Finally, we distinguish whether the traffic is attack or benign using a stacked sparse denoising autoencoder (SSDAE) with a firefly-black widow (FA-BW) hybrid optimization algorithm. All these experiments are validated through the CICDDoS2019 dataset and compared with well-received techniques. From these findings, we observed that the proposed strategy detects DDoS attacks significantly more accurately than other approaches. Based on our findings, this study highlights the crucial role played by advanced deep learning techniques and hybrid optimization algorithms in strengthening cybersecurity against DDoS attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaemia is a blood-related disorder that is sometimes a harbinger of a much more severe condition like cancer. WHO recommends context-specific diagnosing methods for anaemia in the case of in-feasibility of traditional diagnosing methods, including a haemoglobin colour scale method that is based on the colour of the blood. In this paper, we take it one step further and diagnose anaemia using images of lower palpebral conjunctiva captured in consumer-grade cameras. Data that include lower palpebral conjunctiva images, basic details, and haemoglobin values are collected from participants. Pixel parameters of collected conjunctiva images are extracted in various colour spaces and used as input features. An ensemble learning model was developed with K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Random Forest and Decision Tree algorithms which showed better classification performance in classifying anaemic and non-anaemic samples. This Ensemble Model-Based Anaemia Classifier (EMBAC) performed well with both training and test sets and produced 90.91% sensitivity, 89.06% specificity, 89.69% accuracy, and area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics(ROC) curve of 0.90 for the unseen test data. EMBAC also outperformed the conventional ensemble algorithms in terms of sensitivity and accuracy. EMBAC will classify the samples more correctly irrespective of the image acquisition device under any lighting conditions without any additional hardware. This research work attempts to lay the foundation for a smartphone application to detect anaemia in real-life conditions which will enable access to a mobile healthcare instrument to diagnose anaemia for the proletariat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a five-level inverter-fed Model Predictive Current Control (MPCC) of Five-Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) Drive is proposed to enhance the performance of the drive by reducing the torque ripples. The MPCC method provides a good steady-state performance and also this method does not require a weighting factor. Among the various torque ripple minimization techniques, the multilevel inverters attracted more attention in electric drives due to rapid development in semiconductor technology. The performance analysis of a five-level (5L) inverter-fed five-phase PMSM drive is compared with two-level (2L) and three-level (3L) inverter drives under various operational conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed method is analyzed using MATLAB/SIMULINK software and also implemented using a real-time simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Plant immune regulation is complex. In addition to proteins, lipid molecules play critical roles in modulating immune responses. The mutant pi4kβ1,2 is mutated in two phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinases PI4Kβ1 and β2 involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate (PI4P). The mutant displays autoimmunity, short roots, aberrant root hairs, and a heightened sensitivity to ER stress. In a forward genetic screen designed to dissect pi4kβ1,2 autoimmunity, we found that Orosomucoid‐like 1 (ORM1) is required for the phenotypes of pi4kβ1,2, including short root and ER stress sensitivity. The orm1 mutations lead to increased long‐chain base and ceramide levels in the suppressors. We also found that the basic region/leucine Zipper motif (bZIP) 28 and 60 transcription factors, central regulators of ER stress response, are required for its autoimmunity and root defect. In comparison, the defense‐related phytohormones salicylic acid (SA) and N‐hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) are required for its autoimmunity but plays a minor role in its root phenotypes. Further, we found that wild‐type plants overexpressing ORM1 are autoimmune, displaying short roots and increased ceramide levels. The autoimmunity of the ORM1 overexpression lines is dependent on SA, NHP, and bZIP60. As ORM1 is a known negative regulator of sphingolipid biosynthesis, our study uncovers a balancing role between PIs and sphingolipids in regulating immunity and ER stress responses in pi4kβ1,2. Significance Statement: By studying the ER stress response and immunity defects of lipid mutants, a potential balancing role between phosphatidylinositols and sphingolipids in regulating immunity and ER stress responses was uncovered. This will provide opportunity to alter lipid homeostasis to optimize plants' ability to be more resilient against biotic and abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonclinical safety studies are typically conducted to establish a toxicity profile of a new pharmaceutical in clinical development. Such a profile may encompass multiple differing types of animal studies, or not! Some types of animal studies may not be warranted for a specific program or may only require a limited evaluation if scientifically justified. The goal of this course was to provide a practical perspective on regulatory writing of a dossier(s) using the weight of evidence (WOE) approach for carcinogenicity, drug abuse liability and pediatric safety assessments. These assessments are typically done after some clinical data are available and are highly bespoke to the pharmaceutical being developed. This manuscript will discuss key data elements to consider and strategy options with some case studies and examples. Additionally, US FDA experience with dossier(s) including WOE arguments is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-appropriate sexuality education is considered a vital factor in promoting sexual and reproductive health. This study aimed to provide sexuality education through mindfulness activities based on assessing prior knowledge and attitudes and measuring post-intervention effectiveness. A pilot study using a one-group pretest-posttest design was carried out on 33 Indian destitute female adolescents in the age group of 13 to 16 in an institutional home, a residential care facility for a larger population in India. The program incorporated mindfulness activities and traditional teaching methods, with eight sessions each lasting one hour per week. The data was collected using a validated questionnaire to measure knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality education and were analyzed using the paired t-test to measure the effectiveness of the intervention. The results showed a significant difference in the overall knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality education post-intervention. In conclusion, sexuality education using mindfulness activities can facilitate a non-judgmental and present-moment awareness when learning about sexual and reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of health conditions ranging from general well-being to critical health issues. In the realm of health diagnostics, an often overlooked but critical aspect is the consideration of cost-sensitive learning, a facet that this study prioritizes over the non-invasive nature of the diagnostic process whereas the other standard metrics such as accuracy and sensitivity reflect weakness in error profile. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to investigate the total cost of misclassification (Total Cost) by decision rule Machine Learning (ML) algorithms implemented in Java platforms such as DecisionTable, JRip, OneR, and PART. An augmented dataset with conjunctiva images along candidates' demographic and anthropometric features under supervised learning is considered with a specific emphasis on cost-sensitive classification. METHODS: The opted decision rule classifiers use the text features, additionally the image feature 'a* value of CIELAB color space' extracted from the conjunctiva digital images as input attributes. The pre-processing consists of amalgamating text and image features on a uniform scale, normalizing. Then the 10-fold cross-validation enables the classification of samples into two categories: the presence or absence of the anemia. This study utilizes the Cost Ratio (ρ) extracted from the cost matrix to meticulously monitor the Total Cost in four different cost ratio methodologies namely Uniform (U), Uniform Inverted (UI), Non-Uniform (NU), and Non-Uniform Inverted (NUI). RESULTS: It has been established that the PART classifier stands out as the top performer in this binary classification task, yielding the lowest mean total cost of 629.9 compared to other selected classifiers. Moreover, it demonstrates a comparatively lower standard deviation 335.9, and lower total cost across all four different cost ratio methodologies. The ranking of algorithm performance goes as follows: PART, JRIP, DecisionTable, and OneR. CONCLUSION: The significance of adopting a cost-sensitive learning approach is emphasized showing the PART classifier's consistent performance within the proposed framework for learning the anemia dataset. This emphasis on cost-sensitive learning not only enhances the recommendations in diagnosis but also holds the potential for substantial cost savings and makes it a noteworthy focal point in the advancement of AI-driven health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the clinical, immunological, and molecular aspects of MHC class I deficiency, a rare immunodeficiency disorder characterized by the absence or reduced expression of MHC class I molecules. These molecules play a crucial role in presenting peptides from intracellular pathogens to CD8+ T cells, which eliminate infected cells. The article presents two cases of children with MHC class I deficiency who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and discusses their outcomes after the transplant. MHC class I deficiency can lead to susceptibility to infections and malignancies, and its symptoms can vary from mild to severe. The role of transplantation in treating this condition is not well understood, as immune reconstitution is limited due to poor thymic function. Further research is necessary to gain a better understanding of MHC class I deficiency and its treatment options. [Extracted from the article]

The power requirement of Smart Building-Wireless Sensor Network (SB-WSN) is achieved using the piezoelectric energy harvester. This article proposes a novel high-performance bimorph W-shaped Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (W-PEH) using different ceramic piezoelectric materials and proof mass material combinations [PZT-5A & Copper, PZT-5H & Copper, PZT-5J & Copper, PZT-5A & Platinum, PZT-5H & Platinum and PZT-5J & Platinum]. Three cases of W-PEH without proof mass, with single proof mass and with split proof mass are developed to improve the output performance. The electrical performance results under open and short circuit conditions are examined. The simulation is performed using COMSOL Multiphysics software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the recent developments in raw materials, manufacturing processes, and applications of natural fiber composites (NFCs) were reviewed. Natural fibers can represent a substitute for man-made fibers (including glass, aramid, and carbon) in a variety of biocomposite applications. Physical and chemical properties of the natural fibers are given and compared with the synthetic fibers. Advantages and disadvantages of NFCs in comparison with synthetic fibers such as glass and carbon fibers have been proposed. Criteria are described for the selection and processing of natural fibers for polymer composites used in different sectors such as automotive and building industries. The nanocellulose production methods, unique properties, and its recent industrial application in various sectors are given. This short review on NFCs considers their chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics, as well as their various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a submodule N of an R-module M, a unique product of prime ideals in R is assigned, which is called the generalized prime ideal factorization of N in M, and denoted as PM(N). But for a product of prime ideals p1...pn in R and an R-module M, there may not exist a submodule N in M with PM(N)=p1...pn. In this article, for an arbitrary product of prime ideals p1...pn and a module M, we find conditions for the existence of submodules in M having p1...pn as their generalized prime ideal factorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In wireless communication standard 4G and 5G, the body centric network plays an important role for the wireless communication between various devices. OBJECTIVE: This research relates to a wide-band conformal co-planar waveguide (CPW) antenna for wearable applications. METHODS: The proposed CPW antenna is printed on 0.1 mm thick bio-compatible polymide substrate whose dielectric constant and permittivity are 3.5 and 0.02 respectively. The total area of the antenna is around 17.5 × 15 mm 2 which is significantly smaller than the wearable antennas proposed in literature. The proposed antenna is designed to operate in new ISM band 5.8 GHz with the bandwidth of 5.3–6.3 GHz with 2:1 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR). The antenna is printed on the flexible substrate and hence robustness of device is evaluated by bending analysis. It reveals the superior performance of the designed CPW antenna over the desired spectrum of operation. RESULTS: Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is calculated after placing the antenna at various places of human phantom model and showed that SAR values are below 1.6 W/Kg which is the maximum margin recommended by Federal Communication Commission (FCC), i.e when tested with 1 g and 10 g of human tissue of phantom model, for the test frequency range of 5.5–6.1 GHz, SAR value falls between 0.9987 and 0.921 W/Kg respectively. The antenna also shows the radiation efficiency around 92% with overall realized gain 5.2 dBi which are substantial values for wearable applications. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this research revealed the feasibility of the recommended antenna becoming a major contender of future Internet of Things (IoT) applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation enables random transfer‐DNA (T‐DNA) insertion into plant genomes. T‐DNA insertion into a gene's exons, introns or untranscribed regions close to the start or stop codon can disrupt gene function. Such T‐DNA mutants have been useful for reverse genetics analysis, especially in Arabidopsis thaliana. As T‐DNAs are inserted into genomic DNA, they are generally believed to be stably inherited. Here, we report a phenomenon of reversion of intronic T‐DNA mutant phenotypes. From a suppressor screen using intronic T‐DNA pi4kβ1,2 double mutant, we recovered intragenic mutants of pi4kβ1, which suppressed the autoimmunity of the double mutant. These mutants carried deletions in the intronic T‐DNAs, resulting in elevated transcription of normal PI4Kβ1. Such reversion of T‐DNA insertional mutant phenotype stresses the need for caution when using intronic T‐DNA mutants and reiterates the importance of using irreversible null mutant alleles in genetic analyses. Significance Statement: Here, we report the phenomenon of reversion of intronic T‐DNA mutant phenotypes by intra‐T‐DNA deletions. Future caution should be taken when using such intronic T‐DNA mutant alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycelium from fungi can serve as the matrix or as a self-grown binder in a biocomposite. The reinforcing component may consist of various combinations of agro-based waste in short fiber or powder form. The complexity of their development is linked not only to the selection of the substrate, but also to the growth conditions of the mycelial material and its consolidation in a final form by the temperature increase that takes place. These materials have initially been proposed as a replacement for polystyrene foams, and the characterization is concentrated on compression performance and acoustic and thermal insulation properties. The present review concentrates on substrates that originated from the large productive system based on hemp (shives or hurds, waste fibers, and mats). Attention is paid to the performance obtained and to the amount of waste that is possibly employed to serve as the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The Tubby domain, named after the TUBBY protein in mice, binds to phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate. Arabidopsis has 11 Tubby domain‐containing proteins referred to as Tubby‐Like Proteins (TLPs). Of the 11 TLPs, 10 possess the N‐terminal F‐box domain, which can interact with SKP‐like proteins and form SKP1‐Cullin‐F‐box E3 ligase complexes. Although mice TUBBY has been extensively studied, plant TLPs' functions are scarcely detailed.In this study, we show that the Arabidopsis Tubby‐like protein 6 (TLP6) and its redundant homologs, TLP1, TLP2, TLP5, and TLP10, positively regulate Arabidopsis immune responses. Furthermore, in an immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry analysis to search for ubiquitination substrates of the TLPs, we identified two redundant phosphoinositide biosynthesis enzymes, phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase β proteins (PI4Kβs), PI4Kβ1 and PI4Kβ2, as TLP interactors.Importantly, TLP6 overexpression lines fully phenocopy the phenotypes of the pi4kβ1,2 mutant, while TLP6 overexpression also leads to increased PI4Kβ2 ubiquitination and reduction in its protein level in a proteasome‐dependent manner. Most significantly, TLP6 overexpression does not further enhance the autoimmunity of the pi4kβ1,2 double mutant, supporting the hypothesis that TLP6 targets the PI4Kβs for ubiquitination and degradation.Thus, our study reveals a novel mechanism where TLPs promote plant immune responses by modulating the PI4Kβs protein levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability analysis remains a fundamental step in developing a successful imaging biomarker to personalize oncological strategies. This study proposes an in silico contour generation method for simulating segmentation variations to identify stable radiomic features. Ground-truth annotation provided for the whole prostate gland on the multi-parametric MRI sequences (T2w, ADC, and SUB-DCE) were perturbed to mimic segmentation differences observed among human annotators. In total, we generated 15 synthetic contours for a given image-segmentation pair. One thousand two hundred twenty-four unfiltered/filtered radiomic features were extracted applying Pyradiomics, followed by stability assessment using ICC(1,1). Stable features identified in the internal population were then compared with an external population to discover and report robust features. Finally, we also investigated the impact of a wide range of filtering strategies on the stability of features. The percentage of unfiltered (filtered) features that remained robust subjected to segmentation variations were T2w—36% (81%), ADC—36% (94%), and SUB—43% (93%). Our findings suggest that segmentation variations can significantly impact radiomic feature stability but can be mitigated by including pre-filtering strategies as part of the feature extraction pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deterioration in the command of English language among Malaysian students has been discussed far and wide. English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers strive to adopt and adapt various strategies to customize lessons, particularly the writing lessons to enable students to write in English. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the writing instructions practised by the teacher trainees in selected ESL primary classrooms in Malaysia. The study scrutinized the details of the two writing approaches used with regard to the product approach and process approach. Ten teacher trainees were selected using the purposive sampling method. A mixed-method design was employed. The participants were observed using an observation checklist and interviewed. The data were analyzed using Rasch Measurement Model and thematic analysis. It was found that the Product Approach was preferred to the Process Approach due to its practicality in the application. The strategies of the Process Approach were found to be useful but the participants were unable to apply them rampantly due to time, institutional and pedagogical factors. Thus, this study recommends that educational intuitions and policymakers focus on more sophisticated writing strategies and approaches to enhance the writing abilities among students to cultivate independent writing skills and habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enhanced voltage output with CuFe 2 O 4 added P(VDF-TrFE) composite material. • Composite piezoelectric film fabricated using the doctor blade coating method. • Improved energy conversion from finger bending test, achieving up to 20 mW. • Composite material shows higher output frequency compared to pure polymer. • CPEH can power medical implants, health monitoring and wearable devices. Promoting the harnessing of biomechanical energy enables sustained energy production through continuous human activity. This paper proposes a composite Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (CPEH) to scavenge energy from human motion, insisting on biomechanical applications that benefit from self-powered technology. The flexible copolymer material Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) is chosen as the piezoelectric material, with its harvesting efficiency enhanced by nanoparticle additives. Ferrite-based nanoparticles, such as nickel ferrite (NiFe 2 O 4) and copper ferrite (CuFe 2 O 4), are synthesized and incorporated into bare P(VDF-TrFE). The resulting Composite Piezoelectric Film (CPF) is fabricated using the doctor-blade coating method. Among these, the CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticle additives with P(VDF-TrFE) demonstrated superior performance, enhancing the harvested voltage to 7.7 V and achieving an output power of 20.4 mW. This indicates its potential for efficient energy harvesting from human motion. This improvement emerges the potential for advancements in wearable and self-sustainable electrical devices that are associated with the human body by highlighting the potential of CuFe 2 O 4 integrated piezoelectric films in biomechanical energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear Quadratic differential games and their Open-Loop Nash Equilibrium (OL-NE) strategies are studied with a threefold objective. First, it is shown that the state/costate lifted system (arising from the application of Pontryagin's Minimum Principle) is such that its behaviour restricted to the equilibrium subspace can be interpreted as the (non-power-preserving) interconnection of two cyclo-passive Port-Controlled Hamiltonian systems. Such PCH systems constitute the best response generators for each player, thus mimicking and extending the corresponding interpretation of (single-player) optimal control problems. Second, by realizing that the behaviour of the lifted dynamics off the equilibrium subspace is "irrelevant" for generating the equilibrium strategies, it is shown that such an invariant subspace can be rendered, via a suitably constructed virtual input, externally asymptotically stable while preserving the OL-NE. Finally, based on these premises we provide a closed-form gradient-descent method to solve the asymmetric coupled Riccati equations characterizing the OL-NE strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the microbiome is crucial as it contributes to the metabolic health of the host and, upon dysbiosis, may influence disease development. With the recent surge in high-throughput sequencing technology, the availability of microbial genomic data has increased dramatically. Amplicon sequence-based analyses majorly profile microbial abundance and determine taxonomic markers. Furthermore, the availability of genome sequences for various microbial organisms has prompted the integration of genome-scale metabolic modelling that provides insights into the metabolic interactions influencing host health. However, the analysis from a single study may not be consistent, necessitating a meta-analysis. Results: We conducted a meta-analysis and integrated with constraint-based metabolic modelling approach, focusing on the microbiome of pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, an extensively cultured marine candidate species. Meta-analysis revealed that Acinetobacter and Alteromonas are significant indicators of "health" and "disease" specific taxonomic biomarkers, respectively. Further, we enumerated metabolic interactions among the taxonomic biomarkers by applying a constraint-based approach to the community metabolic models (4416 pairs). Under different nutrient environments, a constraint-based flux simulation identified five beneficial species: Acinetobacter spWCHA55, Acinetobacter tandoii SE63, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum 49 D6, Brevundimonas pondensis LVF1, and Lutibacter profundi LP1 mediating parasitic interactions majorly under sucrose environment in the pairwise community. The study also reports the healthy biomarkers that can co-exist and have functionally dependent relationships to maintain a healthy state in the host. Conclusions: Toward this, we collected and re-analysed the amplicon sequence data of P. vannamei (encompassing 117 healthy and 142 disease datasets). By capturing the taxonomic biomarkers and modelling the metabolic interaction between them, our study provides a valuable resource, a first-of-its-kind analysis in aquaculture scenario toward a sustainable shrimp farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have meticulously tuned the carcinogenic Congo red dye to environmentally benign fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) by adopting a typical hydrothermal method without any additives. The as-synthesized CDs were extremely water soluble, exhibited an excitation wavelength independent emission with a high fluorescence quantum yield (46%) and were biocompatible. The microscopy results revealed that the CDs were quasi-spherical with a particle diameter of ∼5 nm. The structure and functional groups of the CDs were comprehensively investigated using Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy analyses. These studies show that the CDs were intrinsically functionalized with –OH, N–H and C＝O groups. In the sensing experiments, the CDs selectively responded to Fe3+ ions over other analytes with a detection limit of 12 nM. The time-resolved fluorescence quenching measurements were used to decipher the sensing mechanism. For the onsite 'equipment-free' detection of iron, we have developed a CD adsorbed paper-based analytical tool. Furthermore, the selective nature of CDs was highly beneficial for detecting Fe3+ in non-heme metalloprotein (ferritin) and real water samples. Thus, the CDs produced from the Congo red dye could be a prospective asset to the bio-imaging and biosensing research fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality of the parts of Palakkad district coming under Agro Ecological Unit (AEU) 13 located within Agro Ecological Zone 5 was assessed after the flood, 2018. Hundred and one soil samples were collected from the flood/landslide affected locations after detailed survey of the study area. A total of 22 soil parameters (physical, chemical and biological parameters) were analyzed for each sample. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the test results provided a minimum data set (MDS) using which the soil quality index (SQI) was elucidated for different panchayats belonging to AEU 13 in the study area. The test results were compared with the pre flood data for a better understanding of the changes occurred after flood. There was a significant increase of organic C, available P and S and a decrease of available Ca, Mg, B, soil pH and EC after flood. Overall relative soil quality index (RSQI) after the floods was poor in the area. So this study expounds the complete information regarding soil quality of the preferred area after flood which reiterates the need for adopting appropriate soil health management strategies to boost up the agricultural production of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here in, synthesis of Fe2(MoO4)3/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite was prepared by simple hydrothermal approach and used as high efficient dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The decoration of RGO into the Fe2(MoO4)3 was proved by various physic-chemical studies such as XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman, UV, PL and BET analysis. The individual spherical shaped nanoparticles of Fe2(MoO4)3 with sizes in the range of 25–35 nm was uniformly decorated on the surface of RGO nanosheets. Due to the synergic effect between the Fe2(MoO4)3 and RGO the light absorption property is significantly improved as well the high surface area (112.5 m2/g) and pore size (38.7 nm) was achieved than compared with bare Fe2(MoO4)3 (88.5 m2/g and 17.8 nm). The Fe2(MoO4)3/RGO hybrid photoanode establish to display an outstanding catalytic activity toward the reduction of triiodide to iodide in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and can provide a solar cell efficiency of 9.6 ± 0.001%, which is superior to a Pt-based DSSC (6.1 ± 0.002%). The better electro-catalytic ability of Fe2(MoO4)3/RGO electrode is obtained by a synergistic effect that resulted in the high specific surface area and intrinsic reactivity of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Antennas for the microwave imaging system are large which results in higher radiation, manufacturing cost, poor radiation characteristics and it will be difficult to locate on breast tissues. OBJECTIVE: We propose a wearable ultra-wide band antenna for use in the diagnosis of breast cancer bio-medical applications. METHODS: The antenna has been fabricated on 1.6 mm FR4 substrate with a dimension of 28 × 14.4 mm 2 and can operate between 2 GHz–12 GHz with S 11 < - 10 dB with best radiation characteristics. The prototype of the proposed antenna was fabricated and practically tested and the results were found to be consistent with the simulated results. The proposed UWB antenna is intended to radiate and receive information covering the entire spectrum from 3 GHz to 13 GHz. For good impendence matching throughout the larger spectrum, the defected ground structure (diamond shape) was exploited. All the dimensions of the proposed design are confirmed by parametric study and optimization. RESULTS: The maximum simulated efficiency was ranging from 80 to 84% in the desired operating frequency. The maximum Specific Absorption Rate of the proposed antenna was 0.98 W/Kg. Therefore, the proposed UWB antenna could be the right structure for breast cancer diagnosis in terms of SAR. The antenna was found to have a substantial radiation efficiency of around 78%–84% in the desired operating bandwidth. The overall realized gain of the proposed UWB antenna was seen ranging from 1.8–4.2 dB which is sufficient for bio-medical applications. CONCLUSION: The breast phantom was modeled for the validation of the performance of the antenna and SAR was analyzed. The value of SAR of the designed antenna was observed at about 0.98 W/Kg, which is suitable for medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response to a letter written by Jurado et al. discusses the use of high acquisition flow cytometry (FCM) in assessing marrow involvement in patients with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B NHL). The response agrees with Jurado et al.'s findings that FCM is a sensitive technique for detecting marrow involvement. It also acknowledges the limitations of bone marrow biopsy (BMB) and positron emission tomography (PET) in assessing marrow involvement, and suggests that FCM, along with PET, should be used for staging the marrow. However, the impact of detecting smaller disease burdens in the marrow by FCM on disease outcome and prognosis is still uncertain, and further large randomized trials are needed to study this. [Extracted from the article]

Detection of marrow infiltration is crucial in extramedullary B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). We studied the efficiency of high acquisition flow cytometry (FCM) in detecting marrow involvement in B-NHL patients and compared its performance with marrow aspiration (BMA) cytology, marrow biopsy (BMB), and positron emission tomography (PET). No case with marrow infiltration was found to be BMB positive and FCM negative. BMA cytology showed poor sensitivity and specificity. Only 50% of FCM positive cases showed evidence of marrow involvement by PET. Neither the nature of lymphoma nor the burden of the marrow disease showed a correlation with PET positivity. Four cases that were positive only by PET had findings in areas other than the iliac region. We found more cogent and convincing results with high event acquisition in FCM. This study shows that a combination of PET and FCM with high event acquisition is the best way for assessing marrow involvement in B-NHL cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug administration via the skin is one of the most conventionally used methods where the flux through the skin is the rate-limiting step. Safe carriers are used to provide the anticipated therapeutic effects, which play a vital role in drug delivery. A nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) is a binary mixture of solid and liquid lipids and surfactants. The lipid nature and nano size of these carriers contribute to the skin penetration of therapeutic agents. These carriers have a wide variety of advantages, such as good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, high drug quality and increased stability. This paper deliberates the suitability of NLCs in transdermal drug delivery, their properties, the methods of preparation and their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive theories of depression propose that impaired cognitive control of emotional material may be involved in the onset, maintenance, and/or recurrence of depression. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on cognitive control biases in depression. Seventy-three articles describing 77 independent studies (N = 4,134 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. Depression-vulnerable individuals, including individuals with diagnosed major depressive disorder (MDD), remitted MDD (rMDD), and dysphoria, showed significantly impaired cognitive control of negative stimuli relative to both neutral and positive stimuli. Control samples did not exhibit the aforementioned biases, and instead showed significantly worse cognitive control of positive stimuli relative to negative stimuli and similar cognitive control of neutral stimuli relative to both negative and positive stimuli. Evidence for sample or methodological moderators of effect sizes was limited and inconsistent. Based on our review, we recommend that researchers assess and examine directional and causal relationships between multiple cognitive control biases (especially in updating and set shifting), investigate the causal relationships between general deficits and biases in cognitive control, select tasks that control for nontarget influences on performance (e.g., processing speed), use sample sizes adequately powered to detect small effects, provide psychometric information on task indices, consistently report within-groups biases and between-groups comparisons of biases, and examine potential moderators of cognitive control biases at the individual level. Public Significance Statement: This meta-analysis indicates that depression-vulnerable individuals, including individuals with current major depressive disorder, remitted MDD, and dysphoria, have impaired cognitive control of negative stimuli relative to neutral and positive stimuli. In contrast, healthy control individuals have worse cognitive control of positive stimuli relative to negative stimuli and similar cognitive control of neutral stimuli relative to both negative and positive stimuli. These biases in cognitive control are small but may lead to a preponderance of negative information in working memory for depression-vulnerable individuals and have implications for how negative moods are maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study with aim of development and validation of a yoga program for patients with T2DM was carried in view of emerging evidence of yoga as an alternative and/or complementary treatment. Classical and contemporary yoga texts were reviewed for identification of yoga practices. After reviewing research papers and yoga texts a THREE-step yoga program, in order of increasing difficulty level for T2DM was prepared. For validation of yoga program, mixed methods approach integrating qualitative and quantitative inputs was considered. Eighteen experts over three rounds of iteration contributed toward validation of yoga program. A final set of three-step yoga program was obtained which further needs to be tested in standardized randomized controlled trials. Trial Registration With Indian Council of Medical Research: Clinical Trial Registry of India; ICMR-CTRI: Development and Validation study: CTRI/2013/11/004163. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper enquires into the scope of protection against private discrimination under the Indian Constitution. I study three arguments on how to interpret Article 15(2). I consider the plain linguistic argument and reject it, since it has been abandoned by the Supreme Court to interpret provisions on discrimination. I then apply the "public actor" principle to Article 15(2) and argue that it is vulnerable to objections. Thirdly, I consider the "economic goods" principle by Gautam Bhatia and argue that it too is unsuitable. I then develop my positive proposal of "public service" introduced by the Supreme Court in the IMA case and discuss its components. For a service to qualify as public service, it must both be vital to social life and capable of securing dignity to the individual. I argue that this is the best interpretation of Article 15(2) and deserves to be treated as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study experimentally investigates the hydrothermal performance of a variable header solar water heating system inserted with helix twists (HT) and helix twist with square-cut perforated (HTSCP). Experiments have been conducted between variable header inserted with simple helix and HTSCP with the Reynolds number range from 190 to 1245. From the experimentation, the Nusselt number, friction factor, and thermal performance factor for the twist ratios Y = 3and Y = 6 have been calculated. In general, the overall thermal performance of a solar water heater has been augmented by increasing the mass flow rate, this is achieved from commencing to end providing a uniform flow in all riser tubes by introducing variable header. The experiments have been performed for the ratio of Y = 3 and Y = 6 with square cut of depth ratio (DR) and width ratio (WR) of 0.27. The performance comparison between the HTSCP with the simple helix twists (HT) and plain tube collector proved that the HTSCP-3 significantly performs superior. The HTSCP-3 attained 2.46% higher Nusselt number than the other twists HT-3, HT-6, and HTSCP-6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunophenotyping plays a major role and is essential for establishing the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Though CLL has a characteristic phenotype, diagnosis may be challenging due to immunophenotypic overlap with other B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (B-NHL). Markers like CD200, CD43, CD20 and CD45 were found valuable in CLL and we investigated their diagnostic efficiency and accuracy in 174 patients with leukemic B-NHL. On the integration of four markers by a scoring system, 96% (49/51) of CLL cases showed a score of 3 or 4 and 90% (36/40) of non-CLL cases had a score of 0 or 1. This scoring system for CLL diagnosis showed a sensitivity of 98.2% and 96% in the analytical cohort and validation cohort respectively, which was significantly higher than the classical Matutes score. Hence we strongly suggest considering the expression of CD200, CD20, CD43 and CD45 in the diagnosis of B-NHL cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Content: Accessory cavitated uterine malformations (ACUMs) are isolated cavitated lesions within the lateral aspect of the myometrium, inferior to the attachment of the round ligament.They are a rare Müllerian anomaly and are increasingly recognised as a cause for severe dysmenorrhoea and pelvic pain.ACUMs can be diagnosed with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, where they appear as well‐defined lesions with a central cavity containing haemorrhagic content, surrounded by a myometrial mantle. On histological examination, the cavity is lined by functional endometrial glands and stroma.Recognised treatments include hormonal suppression, destruction of the endometrial lining by alcohol sclerotherapy, or complete surgical excision, which has demonstrated curative results. Learning Objectives: To know what ACUMs are and recognise them as a cause of dysmenorrhoea and pelvic pain.To be able to diagnose an ACUM with the use of ultrasound, MRI and histological findings if surgically excised.To be able to counsel patients with ACUMs on the different management options, including conservative, medical and surgery. Ethical issues: All women with ACUMs are currently offered surgical excision, but is it appropriate to offer this, to patients as young as 13 years old, with no long‐term data on the effect of surgery on future fertility? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discomfort and dysfunction in the jaw joint and its surrounding tissues are hallmarks of a complex set of disorders known as temporomandibular disorders (TMD). A newer method for treating TMD is prolotherapy, which is a kind of regenerative injectable treatment. A proliferant fluid, often dextrose, is injected into the joint area to induce a localised inflammatory response. This reduces temporomandibular joint discomfort while also encouraging tissue healing. When alternative treatment options for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) have failed, prolotherapy may be a lifesaver. The regenerative nature of prolotherapy aligns with the need for interventions that address the underlying causes of TMD, such as joint laxity and ligamentous instability. For a successful outcome of prolotherapy, there must be a proper selection of patients and identification of specific subtypes of TMD. This article provides an overview of the different temporomandibular disorders and the application of prolotherapy in these disorders, summarizes existing evidence and highlights the key findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mycotic keratitis is a major cause of monocular blindness in Tropical and Subtropical climates. The difficulty to differentiate mycotic keratitis (fungal keratitis) from other causes, limited availability of antifungal agents, their poor ocular penetration and indolent course of the disease lead to significant ocular complications and vision loss. Aim: To analyse the typical presenting clinical characteristics which predict the final visual outcome in microbiologically proven mycotic keratitis over two years in a tertiary eye care centre of South Kerala, India. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective study was conducted on 165 eyes of 165 patients treated for culture proven mycotic keratitis in the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, South Kerala, India, from August 2018 to July 2020. Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), detailed history including history of injury and systemic diseases were noted. Treatment outcome was measured as BCVA at the end of three months. The association between age, sex, presenting features like size, depth, margins and colour of the keratitis and the final BCVA were assessed by Linear regression analysis. Results: Among 165 eyes, 90 (54.6%) had a history of injury in the affected eye. The majority of the keratitis had a size of 2-6 mm in 150 (90.9%), peripheral in location in 107 (64.8%) and involvement up to anterior 2/3rd of the stroma in 93 (56.4%). Of 165, 112 (67.9%) of the ulcers had a greyish white or pigmented colour, 118 (71.5%) had dry texture and 115 (69.7%) had feathery margins. Raised exudates were present in 99 (60%) patients, satellite lesions in 29 (17.6%), immune ring in 6 (3.6%), endothelial plaque in 20 (12.1%) and hypopyon in 40 (24.2%) at the time of diagnosis. The important predictors of final BCVA at three months were the larger size of the ulcer, increase in depth, central location, presence of hypopyon and poor vision at presentation. Conclusion: Small superficial keratitis with good vision at presentation had a better final BCVA. Dry texture and feathery edges were seen more frequently in fungal keratitis. Large, deep, central keratitis and poor vision at presentation are associated with worse final visual outcome after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The skin barrier function resides primarily in the stratum corneum (SC). Defect in SC hydration and skin surface pH leads to barrier impairment causing atopic dermatitis (AD). We have noticed a clinical improvement in infants with AD after a bath. We aimed to assess barrier functions in infants with AD before and after a single bath. There are no large controlled studies that clarify the optimal parameters of bathing. However, there are few studies recommending bath in AD. We proposed a "twenty minutes immersion bath." Materials and Methods: We conducted an interventional analytic study without comparison group. The main instruments used were the corneometer and skin pH meter. Results: The measured values of SC hydration were significantly higher on the lesional skin immediately after a bath (P < 0.001). The mean SC hydration dropped dramatically within one hour and gradually reduced further over the next three hours. However, healthy looking skin had short climb and slow drop of SC hydration. The measured values of skin pH were lower on the lesional skin after bathing (P = 0.026). Discussion: An immersion bath improves SC hydration and helps to maintain skin pH and warrants further evaluation in the context of atopic dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]