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The three-dimensional organization of chromatin is influenced by chromatin-binding proteins through both specific and non-specific interactions. However, the roles of chromatin sequence and the interactions between binding proteins in shaping chromatin structure remain elusive. By employing a simple polymer-based model of chromatin that explicitly considers sequence-dependent protein binding and protein–protein interactions, we elucidate a mechanism for chromatin organization. We find that tuning protein–protein interactions and protein concentration is sufficient to either promote or inhibit chromatin compartmentalization. Moreover, chromatin sequence and protein–protein attraction strongly affect the structural and dynamic exponents that describe the spatiotemporal organization of chromatin. Strikingly, our model's predictions for the exponents governing chromatin structure and dynamics successfully capture experimental observations, in sharp contrast to previous chromatin models. Overall, our findings have the potential to reinterpret data obtained from various chromosome conformation capture technologies, laying the groundwork for advancing our understanding of chromatin organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Induction heating as an energy source is a novel, recent method in extrusion-based metal additive manufacturing. The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimized coil for extrusion-based metal wire additive manufacturing. The optimized coil is so designed that uniform temperature distribution can be achieved in the extruder, achieving uniform material deposition in a semi-solid state, which is required for additive manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach: Coil shape optimization is achieved by using arrangement of coil turns as a control variable in the form optimization process, and the objective function is to minimize the gradient in the distribution of the magnetic field to achieve uniform heating in the extruder for maintaining consistent solid and liquid fraction during material deposition. A combination of numerical solutions and geometrical optimization has been used for this study. Findings: Experimental and simulation results reveal that the optimized induction coil produced a more uniform axial temperature distribution in the extruder, which is suitable for maintaining a uniform solid-to-liquid fraction ratio during material deposition. Originality/value: The author has investigated the use of optimized-shaped induction coils in extrusion-based additive manufacturing. The optimized coil can achieve a more uniform temperature distribution in the extruder in comparison to the standard helical coil used in the existing process, which means optimized coil achieves a more uniform solid-to-liquid ratio during printing in comparison to existing standard coil shapes used for heating extruders and fulfils the requirement of additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a pathophysiological condition in which the patients cannot achieve an erection during sexual activity, and it is often overlooked yet prevalent among diabetic men, globally affecting approximately 35–75% of diabetic individuals. The precise mechanisms through which diabetes contributes to ED remain elusive, but the existing literature suggests the potential involvement of nerve and vascular damage that affects the penile supply. In the present review, we reanalyze the existing human single-cell transcriptomic data from patients having diabetes mellitus-associated ED with normal erections. The analysis validates the expression of genes associated with antioxidative pathways, growth factors, adipokines, angiogenesis, vascular functions, penile erection, sexual function, and inflammation in diverse cell types from healthy individuals and those with ED. Our transcriptomic analysis reveals alterations in the expression of adiponectin receptors in the pathogenesis of ED compared to their counterparts in healthy subjects. This comprehensive review sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of ED in the context of diabetes, providing an in-depth understanding of the biological and cellular alterations involved and paving the way for possible targeted therapeutic discoveries in the field of diabetes-associated male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Tactile kinesthetic stimulation (TKS) has been the subject of clinical research since the 1960 s, when it was proposed as a way to promote preterm growth and development. OBJECTIVE: To find out the effect of TKS on weight gain in preterm neonates and the factors affecting TKS in relation to outcome. METHODS: TKS was demonstrated to mothers in department of paediatrics. 124 Preterm neonates fulfilling inclusion criteria were enrolled. The time for which they are doing TKS was noted. Their weight was monitored daily by digital weighing scale till discharge and at one month of age and then average weight gain was calculated and correlated with various factors. RESULTS: There is a significant increase in weight of neonates at discharge (1.73 kg; p < 0.001) and at one month (1.96 kg; p < 0.001) when compared to enrollment (1.686 kg). There was a significant positive correlation between TKS session duration and mean weight change at 1 month follow up (r = 0.269; P = 0.003) and per day weight gain (r = 0.889; p < 0.001), as well as a positive correlation between average TKS session and weight gain when pearson correlation was performed. TKS sessions of 15 minutes or three sessions per day were effective in increasing the weight of preterm neonates. It was noticed that those who received three sessions per day had a shorter hospital stay (7.68 days) than two sessions per day (10.23 days). The education level of the mother, care giver, type of feed, and gender of the preterm have no significant effect on weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A PID controller design using an internal model control (IMC) approach is a well-established method for controller tuning in a DC-DC boost converter. This study introduces an innovative implementation of a novel indirect Internal Model Control (IMC) strategy for PID controller design, tailored specifically for a DC-DC boost converter. While the indirect IMC approach has been documented in prior research, its application to boost converters signifies a substantial contribution to the field. The proposed method simplifies the tuning process by focusing exclusively on the plant shifting parameter ψ, thereby eliminating the need for an IMC filter. Optimal tuning is achieved through the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) method, which enhances the controller's stability, robustness, and transient response in the presence of disturbances commonly encountered in boost converter operation. Extensive simulations are performed in a MATLAB Simulink environment to compare the performance of the GWO-based indirect IMC-PID controller with traditional PID and IMC-PID designs. Performance is assessed based on transient response parameters and performance indices, such as IAE, ISE, ITAE, and ITSE. Results reveal that the GWO-optimized indirect IMC-PID controller significantly outperforms conventional controllers, demonstrating enhanced servo and regulatory behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient combustion schemes are increasingly vital as scramjet expansion into higher Mach numbers emerges as a leading trend. Thus, in the current work, an LES investigation on mixing improvement caused by a two-strut injector has been carried out for a Mach 2.5 model H 2 fueled scramjet combustor. The research focuses on understanding the flow field, flame lift-off characteristics and combustion stabilization in the two-strut combustor. The simulation results indicate that the two-strut configuration exhibits a broader pattern of temperature fluctuation, implying a more efficient spread of combustion downstream compared to the single-strut configuration. Analysis of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) pressure data reveals inherent instability in the combustion processes for two-strut under supersonic air inflow conditions. The findings also demonstrate the significant improvement in mixing performance achieved by the two-strut design compared to conventional struts. The primary mechanism is a two-strut's ability to create significant streamwise vorticity, which can improve the mixing of H 2 fuel with supersonic air. According to the mixing and total pressure loss plots, a two-strut produces a rapid complete mixing at 0.182 m at the expense of a minute rise in total pressure loss. Finally, the entropy change plot reveals that the two-strut configuration exhibits a reduced entropy change compared to the single-strut configuration. This is mainly due to enhanced air-fuel mixing, efficient shock wave management, and enhanced flame stabilization in the two-strut setup. These factors collectively contribute to reduced irreversibilities and disorder in the flow, leading to lower entropy within the system. [Display omitted] • LES investigation has been carried out for a Mach 2.5 model H 2 fueled scramjet combustor. • For two-strut, the shock train is unstable and affected by the recirculation zone. • Two-strut arrangement illustrates a more extensive pattern of temperature variation. • The two-strut-induced mixing improvement is more apparent. • The two-strut configuration shows lower entropy change compared to single-strut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicle (EV) charging management combines forecasting, pricing, and scheduling, with pricing and forecasts significantly influencing scheduling models. AI-based forecasting frequently uses LSTM and GRU to handle complex dependencies, but attention-based mechanisms excel at capturing long-term dependencies. Managing EV charging is difficult due to limited battery capacity and unpredictable variables such as traffic, user behaviour, and electricity prices. Researchers prefer model-free approaches incorporating deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to address these challenges. This paper describes a DRL-based solution for optimizing in-home EV charging, presented as a Markov decision process (MDP). We present the novel modified GRU (MGRU) model, which builds on GRU, and an advanced model, the multi-head attention-based bi-directional MGRU ("MHA-BiMGRU"). This innovative model optimizes EV charging by utilizing historical energy prices and automatically scheduling actions based on real-time electricity pricing to meet user needs and reduce charging costs. The extensive simulations with several other variants of the proposed model and related RNN-based models conclusively confirm the effectiveness of the proposed model "MHA-BiMGRU"compared to conventional RNN-based models (LSTM and JANET) in increasing user satisfaction and significantly lowering EV owners' charging expenses. Additionally, the proposed model reduces charging costs by 13% and 26% when using DQN and 15% and 36% when using DDPG, compared to the related LSTM and JANET-based models, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a non-minimal gauged U 1 L μ − L τ model, where we add two complex singlet scalars, three right-handed Majorana neutrinos (RHN), and a vector-like dark fermion to the Standard Model (SM), all non-trivially charged under the extra gauge symmetry. The model offers an easy resolution to the muon (g – 2) anomaly, which fixes the scale of spontaneous symmetry breaking. Furthermore, the two-zero minor structure in the RHN mass matrix provides successful predictions for neutrino oscillation parameters, including the Dirac phase. The extended scalar sector can easily induce first-order phase transitions. We identify all possible phase transition patterns in the three-dimensional field space. We quantify the associated gravitational waves from the sound wave source and demonstrate that the signatures can be observed in future space-based experiments. We find that strong first-order phase transitions require large values of scalar quartic couplings which constrain the scalar dark matter (DM) relic density to a maximum of 10−2 and 10−5 when we consider the DM direct detection bound. Nonetheless, the model successfully explains the DM relic density via contribution from the vector-like dark fermion. We show the allowed range of the model parameters that can address all the beyond SM issues targeted in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel, iterative algorithm that achieves fourth-order convergence for solving nonlinear equations. Satisfying the Kung–Traub conjecture, the proposed technique achieves an optimal order of four with an efficiency index (I) of 1.587 , requiring three function evaluations. An analysis of convergence is presented to show the optimal fourth-order convergence. To verify the theoretical results, in-depth numerical comparisons are presented for both real and complex domains. The proposed algorithm is specifically examined on a variety of polynomial functions, and it is shown by the efficient and accurate results that it outperforms many existing algorithms in terms of speed and accuracy. The study not only explores the proposed method's convergence properties, computational efficiency, and stability but also introduces a novel perspective by considering the count of black points as an indicator of a method's divergence. By analyzing the mean number of iterations necessary for methods to converge within a cycle and measuring CPU time in seconds, this research provides a holistic assessment of both the efficiency and speed of iterative methods. Notably, the analysis of basins of attraction illustrates that our proposed method has larger sets of initial points that yield convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the need for multiple health indicators is critical to improving prediction accuracy and reducing the limitation of reliance on a single health indicator. This paper presents an AutoML model for accurately forecasting the life span of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles. Unlike previous studies focusing solely on constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) charging, our AutoML approach includes ICA and direct analysis to generate eight novel multi-dimensional health indicators. These novel comprehensive indicators characterizing battery aging, including the position values of CC charging (IC_CC_P), the peak of CV charging (IC_CV_ H), and the peak/position of CC discharging (IC_D_H, IC_D_ P), are chosen based on correlation analysis and combined with four health indicators from direct analysis, i.e., capacity, cycle, cluster, and checkpoint, to improve prediction accuracy. K-means clustering is employed to group similar data points. At the same time, the ruptures library facilitates the implementation of a novel algorithm for change point detection, allowing for the identification of checkpoints within each battery dataset. Experimental validation using NASA's AMES LIB cycle life datasets demonstrates a significant performance improvement from existing recent methods, with 58.93 % lower mean absolute error (MAE) and 52.66 % lower root-mean-square error (RMSE) compared to recent AutoML-based methods. This shows a significant improvement in forecasting the RUL of electric vehicle LIBs using the proposed AutoML-based approach with novel multi-dimensional health indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Background: Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable diseases, including oral cancer and periodontal disease. Dental settings offer a unique opportunity for tobacco cessation interventions due to the frequent patient–dentist interactions. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted across 20 dental clinics. Participants included 400 adult tobacco users who were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 200) or a control group (n = 200). The intervention group received a comprehensive tobacco cessation program consisting of behavioral counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and follow-up sessions over 6 months. The control group received standard care, which included general advice on quitting tobacco. Data on tobacco use, quit rates, and oral health status were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0, and significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: At 6 months, the intervention group showed a significantly higher quit rate (45%) compared to the control group (20%) (P < 0.001). Additionally, participants in the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in oral health parameters, including reductions in periodontal pocket depths (a mean reduction of 2.5 mm) and improvements in gingival health scores. Satisfaction with the program was high among participants in the intervention group, with 85% reporting they would recommend the program to others. Conclusion: The tobacco cessation program implemented in dental settings significantly increased quit rates and improved oral health outcomes compared to standard care. These findings suggest that integrating tobacco cessation programs into routine dental practice can effectively reduce tobacco use and enhance oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated reading of license plate and its detection is a crucial component of the competent transportation system. Toll payment and parking management e-payment systems may benefit from this software's features. License plate detection and identification algorithms abound, and each has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Computer vision has advanced rapidly in terms of new breakthroughs and techniques thanks to the emergence and proliferation of deep learning principles across several branches of AI. The practice of automating the monitoring process in traffic management, parking management, and police surveillance has become much more effective thanks to the development of Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR). Even though license plate recognition (LPR) is a technology that is extensively utilized and has been developed, there is still a significant amount of work to be done before it can achieve its full potential. In the last several years, there have been substantial advancements in both the scientific community's methodology and its level of efficiency. In this era of deep learning, there have been numerous developments and techniques established for LPR, and the purpose of this research is to review and examine those developments and approaches. In light of this, the authors of this study suggest a four-stage technique to automated license plate detection and identification (ALPDR), which includes, image pre-processing, license plate extraction, character segmentation, and character recognition. And the first three phases are known as "extraction," "pre-processing," and "segmentation," and each of these processes has been shown to benefit from its own unique technique. In light of the fact that character recognition is an essential component of license plate identification and detection, the Convolution Neural Network (CNN), MobileNet, Inception V3, and ResNet 50 have all been put through their paces in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Increased Pulse Pressure (PP) and arterial stiffness are both associated with an elevated risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Raised PP is an independent prognostic marker for CVD not only in adults but also in young normotensive subjects. Normotensive Offspring of Hypertensive Parents (OHP) are more likely to develop future hypertension. Visceral obesity, closely tied to endocrine activity, magnifies susceptibility to hypertension and CVD development in young adults. Thus, understanding the association between visceral fat and PP assumes paramount importance in young adults. Aim: To study the correlation between visceral fat and PP in young offspring of hypertensive and normotensive parents. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India for eight months from June 2023 to January 2024 among 140 healthy young participants aged 18-25 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: Group-1 {Offspring of Normotensive Parents (ONP)} and Group-2 offsprings of Hypertensive Parents (OHPs). Body composition parameters and visceral fat levels were measured using a calibrated Karada scan. Detailed information regarding the history of hypertension in the family, alcohol intake, etc., was collected in a pre-defined proforma. Blood pressure measurements of subjects were taken using a standard electronic sphygmomanometer. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28.0 software. For correlational analysis, Pearson correlation test was used and a p-value <0.05 considered significant. Results: The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between visceral fat levels and PP levels (p<0.05, r=0.58 and 0.57) in the two groups. Visceral fat levels were significantly higher in OHPs than in ONPs. Conclusion: Visceral fat and PP showed a correlation within the young population, irrespective of hypertensive or normotensive parents. However, visceral fat and PP levels were higher in the OHPs. This study suggests that maintaining a healthy body fat composition rather than just body weight might be pivotal for long-term hypertension prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted from October to December, 2021 in the Department of Livestock Products Technology, College of Veterinary Science, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India to prepare spent hen meat snack sticks (SHSS) by partially replacing rice flour (RF) from the product formulation with healthy, dietary fiber rich oat, finger millet and amaranth flours (OF, FMF and AF) at different levels. Four batches of SHSS were prepared by substituting RF with different levels of OF, FMF and AF each at 0%, 5%, 10% and 15%. The optimum level of incorporation of dietary fiber from each set of products was standardized based on sensory evaluation of SHSS for various attributes. A combination of steaming, drying and frying (170°C for 45 sec) was found to be the most suitable cooking method for SHSS. Substitution of RF with 15% OF resulted in a significant decrease in flavour, crispness, and overall acceptability of the snacks while lower levels did not affect the sensorial attributes. FMF at 5% level did not alter the sensory attributes while at higher levels of replacement a significant decrease in color, flavor, crispness, and overall acceptability scores were noted. Higher levels of AF (15%) significantly improved flavour and overall acceptability of SHSS. The study clearly revealed that OF (10%), FMF (5%) and AF (15%) can be used efficiently for substitution of RF in the formulation of healthier and sensorially acceptable products. Snacks crafted with spent hen meat and dietary fiber will enhance the nutritional value especially with respect to amino acids, flavour, taste and technological functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of wireless communication systems has experienced significant advancements in recent years, leading to the emergence of two promising technologies: non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and deep learning (DL)-based autoencoders (AE). Through power allocation, NOMA enables multiple users to share a single frequency band, while AE can compress and decompress data with high precision. Integrating NOMA and AE enables end-to-end (E2E) transmission with a superior signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. To further enhance the wireless network's block error rate (BLER) performance, the multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technique is also incorporated into the newly proposed system. With the incorporation of the MIMO signal, the system is abbreviated as the MIMO-NOMA-AE system. The suggested technique for detecting MIMO-NOMA-AE signals has demonstrated a remarkable performance gain in SNR surpassing the traditional successive interference cancellation (SIC)-based NOMA system. The proposed system also performs better than previously utilized deep neural network (DNN)-based SISO-NOMA-AE communication systems. While this method shows potential for future wireless communication systems, further research and testing are necessary to evaluate its practical feasibility and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the importance of empathy in orthopaedic surgery. Topics discussed include the range of orthopaedic procedures, the history of medicine and empathy, the rise and decline in empathy in medicine, and recommendations to bridge the divide between surgical skills and patient experiences.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most promising future transportation system, and most of the public and private combustion vehicles used are already being replaced by them. In any urban road network, the number of EVs requesting to be charged will increase exponentially in the coming years beyond the capabilities of charging stations alone. The provision for bi-directional plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is already a well-established phenomenon in the literature with energy exchange in a to-and-fro manner, as it can facilitate vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)-based charging under an energy trading network (ETN). In this work, we propose a V2V-based energy trading framework for dense urban areas. The network is partitioned based on PEV trip data, battery health, and charge availability. Charging/discharging is modeled using a bipartite graph, with a rational matching variant maximizing PEV and hotspot utility. To execute V2V energy trading safely, blockchain technology is proposed, featuring a consensus protocol addressing scalability. A new consensus algorithm, SaPPoA, considers Sharded A-PBFT and delegated proof-of-authority, providing high scalability through a Chord-DHT-enabled IPFS overlay. This blockchain-based ETN ensures effectiveness and security in a dedicated V2I communication infrastructure. Experiments are used to demonstrate the efficiency and security of SaPPoA and our blockchain-based V2V energy trading platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aims to develop an advanced model for the classification of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) using deep learning techniques. Specifically, the objective is to introduce a novel architecture, SSCSAC-Net, that leverages self-supervised learning and category-selective attention mechanisms to improve the precision of DME classification. Methods: The proposed SSCSAC-Net integrates self-supervised learning to effectively utilize unlabeled data for learning robust features related to DME. Additionally, it incorporates a category-specific attention mechanism and a domain-specific layer into the ResNet-152 base architecture. The model is trained using an ensemble of unsupervised and supervised learning techniques. Benchmark datasets are utilized for testing the model's performance, ensuring its robustness and generalizability across different data distributions. Results: Evaluation of the SSCSAC-Net on multiple datasets demonstrates its superior performance compared to existing techniques. The model achieves high accuracy, precision, and recall rates, with an accuracy of 98.7%, precision of 98.6%, and recall of 98.8%. Furthermore, the incorporation of self-supervised learning reduces the dependency on extensive labeled data, making the solution more scalable and cost-effective. Conclusions: The proposed SSCSAC-Net represents a significant advancement in automated DME classification. By effectively using self-supervised learning and attention mechanisms, the model offers improved accuracy in identifying DME-related features within retinal images. Its robustness and generalizability across different datasets highlight its potential for clinical applications, providing a valuable tool for clinicians in diagnosing DME effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

316LSS is used in various industrial applications, including heat exchangers, dyeing equipment, pulp and paper equipment, and marine equipment for chemicals, dyes, paper, oxalic acid, fertilizer, etc. Corrosion has always been the most serious problem across these applications. For this reason, this research specifies the features of 316LSS, the use of inhibitors for control, austenitic 316LSS research with inhibitor efficiency, the environment employed, its concentration, experimental analysis, and an emphasis on organic inhibitors for a sustainable industry. Applying thermally stable HVOF WC-10Co-4Cr powder coatings over the 316LSS can reduce this impact. The current study examines the effects of HVOF cermets powder coatings on the assessment of the 316L SS microstructure, oxidation, and corrosion behavior in a hostile situation of Na2SO4-88%Fe2 (SO4)3 at 800 °C for up to 50 times. Every cycle lasted one hour at 800 °C for heating and twenty minutes at ambient temperature for cooling. The thermogravimetric method was used to study the hot corrosion kinetics, and it was discovered that these abide by the parabolic rate rule. The analysis of the results identified that the HVOF 86WC-10Co-4Cr sprayed coating on 316LSS has shown excellent oxidation and resistance to corrosion as compared to uncoated base metal and good coating adherence to the substrate under the tested environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to produce a healthier, convenient and traditional ready-to-eat (RTE) snack option with increased nutritional value, using spent hen meat, dietary fibre (DF) and simple technological methods. The product was designed to be stable without refrigeration and be easily adoptable by local self-help groups, rural women and youth and entrepreneurs in urban and semi-urban areas. Design/methodology/approach: Conventional binder used for making snacks, i.e. rice flour was partially replaced by different sources of antioxidant DFs, i.e. oat flour (T1 – 10%), finger millet flour (T2 – 5%) and amaranth flour (T3 –15%) to prepare spent hen snack sticks (SHSS). The snacks were then packaged in low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches and evaluated for their storage stability at ambient temperature for a period of 35 days. Their physico-chemical, sensory and microbiological quality was evaluated at a regular interval of 7 days. The proximate composition of developed SHSS was compared to commercially available snack products (chakli/murukku – snacks without meat). Findings: The fibre-enriched SHSS showed significant improvement in nutritive value, as they contained more fibre (p = 0.001) and protein (p = 0.029) than control SHSS. When compared to commercially available snack product SHSS showed three-fold significant increase in protein (p = 0.000) and ash content (p = 0.001) and only 11%–12% total fat as compared to 31% fat in the market-available product. The most acceptable treatment in terms of overall sensory quality and nutritional aspects was T3; however, T2 was more shelf-stable during the storage period. The study showed that fibre-enriched snacks can be stored at ambient temperature for up to 35 days without substantial loss in physico-chemical, sensory and microbial quality. Hence, substituting rice flour with DFs can lead to the development of products with better sensory attributes and improved functionality. Social implications: The simplicity of the product in terms of composition, machinery and low production costs makes it an easily adoptable one by small-scale entrepreneurs, especially those belonging to semi-urban areas. Originality/value: Incorporation of spent hen meat, a relatively cheap but abundant source of protein, in RTE products can serve as an effective way to alleviate protein malnutrition, whereas addition of fibre further improves the functionality of the product. The methodology can be easily taken up by small-scale entrepreneurs and create a market for snack-based functional meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared (NIR) luminescence in Bi3ScMo2O12 is reported for the first time. Lanthanides Nd3+ and Yb3+ are used to obtain near-infrared emission. Characteristic NIR emission from Nd3+ was observed in the form of lines around 897 and 1068 nm. Yb3+ by itself did not show any PL. However, by virtue of Nd3+ → Yb3+ energy transfer, characteristic emission of Yb3+ could be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective postoperative pain management in children is a pivotal aspect of pediatric surgery, with caudal blocks being a commonly employed technique. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of two adjuvant drugs, Fentanyl and Midazolam, when combined with Ropivacaine for pediatric single-shot caudal blocks. Methods: A total of 80 pediatric patients scheduled for infraumbilical surgeries were randomized into two groups to receive either Ropivacaine with Fentanyl or Ropivacaine with Midazolam. The primary outcomes measured were postoperative pain scores using the CHIPPS scale and the duration of analgesia. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of side effects and the requirement for additional postoperative analgesics. Results: The Ropivacaine + Fentanyl group exhibited significantly lower pain scores at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-surgery (p-values 0.03, 0.04, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.02, respectively) compared to the Ropivacaine + Midazolam group. The duration of analgesia was significantly longer in the Ropivacaine + Fentanyl group (8 ± 1.5 hours) than in the Ropivacaine + Midazolam group (6 ± 1.7 hours, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of side effects or the need for additional postoperative analgesics between the two groups. Conclusion: The combination of Ropivacaine and Fentanyl for pediatric caudal blocks significantly improves the quality and duration of postoperative analgesia without increasing adverse effects, making it a superior choice over Ropivacaine with Midazolam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostics of plant diseases are essential to predicting yield loss, detecting infections, studying host–pathogen interactions, and detecting host resistance. Early detection of plant leaf disease can increase yields. This is possible if there are automated systems to help farmers diagnose rice diseases from the pictures of plant leaves. Therefore, automatic leaf detection using machine learning is proposed in this study. The proposed approach has three stages, namely, pre-processing, feature extraction, and classification. Initially, the input image is converted into red, green and blue and the noise in the green band is removed using a median filter. Initially, the input image is converted into red, green and blue and the noise in the green band is removed using a median filter. Then, important features of the green band are extracted. An Optimized Support Vector Machine (OSVM) classifier uses the extracted features to classify an image as normal or pathological. To improve SVM performance, the SVM parameters are chosen optimally using the Adaptive Sunflower Optimization (ASFO) algorithm. Then, the infected region is separated using a level-set segmentation algorithm. The efficiency of our work is analyzed based on accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, the proposed method reached the maximum accuracy of 97.54% for plant disease prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a complex congenital heart defect (CHD) characterized by a spectrum of underdeveloped left-sided cardiac structures. It is a serious defect and warrants either 3-staged surgical palliation or a heart transplant. Despite numerous surgical advancements, long-term outcomes remain challenging and still have significant morbidity and mortality. There have been notable advancements in stem cell therapy for HLHS, including developments in diverse stem cell origins and methods of administration. Clinical trials have shown safety and potential benefits, including improved ventricular function, reduced heart failure, and fewer adverse events. Younger myocardium seems particularly receptive to stem cell signals, suggesting the importance of early intervention. This review explores the potential of emerging stem cell-based therapies as an adjunctive approach to improve the outcomes for HLHS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous publications have assessed the diversity among medical students, residents, faculty, and department leaders in surgery and medicine overall. We aim to evaluate the diversity among medical school deans in the United States. We quantify and compare the representation of women and underrepresented minority surgeon and non-surgeons. Methods: 151 allopathic medical schools were included. Data regarding demographics, education, training, and previous leadership position were collected from institutional websites, online resources, and July 2021 Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Deans. Demographics for surgeon and non-surgeon were compared using chi square and logistic regression with 5% significance interval. Results: 21.9% (n = 33) of all medical school deans were surgeons. 21.2% (n = 7) were women, which was not significantly different from non-surgeons (22%, P =.92). All the women surgeons were non-Hispanic white, similar to all deans (P =.83). 78.8% (n = 26) of all surgeon deans were non-Hispanic White compared to 84.7% (n = 100) overall (P =.28). There were 13 Black deans, four of whom were surgeons, and only one Hispanic dean, who was not a surgeon. Surgeons were more likely to be fellows of their professional society (P =.012). Conclusion: The demographic diversity of surgeon and non-surgeon US medical school deans is not significantly different. The deficiencies in leadership diversity in medicine persists among medical school deans. There remains substantial room to improve the representation of women and underrepresented minorities as deans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various spraying techniques have been used to apply engineered coatings on different industrial parts and components. Enhancing the properties of coated components for particular uses requires a surface treatment of thermally assisted as-sprayed coatings. In this study, we provide a study of various coating techniques and a thorough overview of the complexes in different AISI steels' corrosion, erosion, and wear behaviour. In-depth analysis and discussion are provided on the impact of processing techniques, microstructure, and alloying components on the behaviour of surface deterioration. We emphasize the underlying processes and synergy between the various degradation paths and point out significant information gaps in individual publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several cytotoxic chemotherapies have demonstrated efficacy in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) following resection of Stage II–IV colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the temporal dynamics of response to such adjuvant therapy have not been systematically quantified. Methods: The Cochrane Central Register of Trials, Medline (PubMed) and Web of Science were queried from database inception to February 23, 2023 for Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where there was a significant difference in RFS between adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery only arms. Summary data were extracted from published Kaplan–Meier curves using DigitizeIT. Absolute differences in RFS event rates were compared at matched intervals using multiple paired t-tests. Results: The initial search yielded 1469 manuscripts. After screening, 18 RCTs were eligible (14 Stage II/III; 4 Stage IV), inclusive of 16,682 patients. In the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy, the greatest rate of recurrence was observed in the first year (mean RFS event rate; 0–0.5years: 0.22±0.21; 0.5–1years: 0.20±0.09). Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with significant decreases in the RFS event rates for the intervals 0–0.5years (0.09±0.09 vs. 0.22±0.21, p<0.001) and 0.5–1years (0.14±0.11 vs. 0.20±0.09, p=0.001) after randomization, but not at later intervals (1–5years). In Stage IV trials, RFS event rates significantly differed for the interval 0–0.5years (p=0.012), corresponding with adjuvant treatment durations of 6months. In Stage II/III trials, which included therapies of 6–24months duration, there were marked differences in the RFS event rates between surgery and chemotherapy arms for the intervals 0–0.5years (p<0.001) and 0.5–1years (p<0.001) with smaller differences in the RFS event rates for the intervals 1–2years (p=0.012) and 2–3years (p=0.010).Conclusions: In a systematic review of positive RCTs comparing adjuvant chemotherapy to surgery alone for Stage II–IV CRC, observed RFS improvements were driven by early divergences that occurred primarily during active cytotoxic chemotherapy. Late recurrence dynamics were not influenced by adjuvant therapy use. Such observations may have implications for the use of chemotherapy for micrometastatic clones detectable by cell-free DNA-based methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple guidelines on the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) have been published over the past decade. However, practice data are lacking. This study aims to determine whether pancreatectomy procedures, IPMN pathology, or outcomes have changed. ACS-NSQIP Procedure Targeted Pancreatectomy database was queried for patients with IPMN from 2014 to 2019. Cases were stratified by pathology, tumor stage/cyst size and procedure. Pancreatectomies for IPMN by year, 30-day morbidity, and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) were quantified. Mann-Kendall trend tests were performed to assess surgical trends and associated outcomes over time. 3912 patients underwent pancreatectomy for IPMN. 21% demonstrated malignancy and 79% were benign. Morbidity and mortality occurred in 29.7% and 1.5% of cases, respectively. Over time, no change was observed in use of pancreatectomy for IPMN (10%) or in benign/malignant pathology, or cyst size. Robotic approach increased from 9.1% to 16.5% with decreases in laparoscopic (19.5%–15.0%) and open interventions (71.5%–68.1%, p = 0.016). No change was observed over time in morbidity or mortality; however, rates of CR-POPF decreased (18.8%–13.8%, p < 0.001). Practice patterns in treatment of IPMN have not changed significantly in North America. More patients are undergoing robotic pancreatectomy, and postoperative pancreatic fistula rates are improving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age related macular degeneration (AMD) becomes widespread microvascular illness among diabetic patients. Traditional retinal fundus image classification requires visual inspection by the professionals, which is time consuming and requires expert's knowledge. Earlier identification of retinal diseases is essential to delay or avoid vision deterioration and vision loss. The recently developed artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) models can be employed for accurate retinal image classification. With this motivation, this study designs a new artificial intelligence with optimal deep convolutional neural network (AI‐ODCNN) technique for retinal fundus image classification. Primarily, the proposed model uses the Gaussian Blur based noise removal and contrast enhancement technique (CLAHE) based contrast enhancement technique to pre‐process the retinal fundus image. In addition, morphology and contour based image segmentation is performed. Moreover, the deep CNN with RMSProp Optimizer is employed for retinal fundus image classification. A wide range of simulations was performed on the automated retinal image analysis and structured analysis of the retina and the outcomes are examined with respect to various measures. The simulation outcomes ensured the better performance of the proposed approach related to other recent algorithms with maximum accuracy of 96.47%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, presents a formidable global health challenge with its associated complications. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, has emerged as a significant player in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Beyond its metabolic effects, adiponectin exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and vasoprotective properties, making it an appealing therapeutic target for mitigating diabetic complications. The molecular mechanisms by which adiponectin impacts critical pathways implicated in diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular problems are thoroughly examined in this study. In addition, we explore possible treatment options for increasing adiponectin levels or improving its downstream signaling. The multifaceted protective roles of adiponectin in diabetic complications suggest its potential as a novel therapeutic avenue. However, further translational studies and clinical trials are warranted to fully harness the therapeutic potential of adiponectin in the management of diabetic complications. This review highlights adiponectin as a promising target for the treatment of diverse diabetic complications and encourages continued research in this pivotal area of diabetes therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocimum americanum L. is a highly valued aromatic plant whose leaves are used not only in traditional cuisine but also in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. This study aimed to identify the chemical profile of essential oil extracted from the leaves of Ocimum americanum by GC-FID and GC/MS grown in acidic soil conditions in the NE region of India. Furthermore, the biological activities like antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antityrosinase activity were analyzed, as per standard methods. GC and GC/MS analysis identified 16 compounds in which citral-a (48.25%) was found as a major compound, followed by carveol (41.64%). The antioxidant activity was performed using DPPH and ABTS methods; and IC50 value obtained was 8.85 μL/mL and 28.82 μL/mL, respectively. The leaf essential oil of O. americanum exhibited strong anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activities, whereas moderate anti-tyrosinase activities with IC50 values of 40.84, 12.81, and 182.74 μL/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ant-microbial activity was evaluated for four bacterial and four fungal strains, revealing that O. americanum essential oil expresses antifungal activity against S. cereviaceae only with a MIC value of 5±0.47 μg/mL. These evidences clearly indicates that essential oil obtained from the leaf of O. americanum showed potential anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activity that can be used as an alternative in pharmaceuticals and food industries as a natural source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a dreaded condition with a difficult diagnosis and high mortality. Due to different baseline situations, the frequently performed comparison between endovascular and open surgical treatment is interfered with selection bias. The purpose of this study was to review outcomes in AMI treatment with an open or endovascular approach in association with laparotomy and to evaluate the endovascular-first strategy in similar clinical situations. Methods: The clinical data of 74 patients treated for AMI from 2007 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed and compared. In-hospital mortality was appointed as the primary study endpoint. Risk factors for mortality were identified by using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: In total, 61 patients (82%) were treated open surgically (OT) and, 13 patients (18%) with an endovascular approach (ET) in combination with laparatomy. The etiology of AMI was 49% arteriosclerotic and 51% thromboembolic occlusions. The total in-hospital mortality manifested at 43% (n =32) (OT 41% vs. ET 53.8%; P=0.54). As independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality, pneumatosis intestinalis (P=0.01), increased lactate concentration (P=0.04), and ischemic intestinal sections (P=0.01) were identified. Additionally, on univariate analysis patient age, congestive heart failure (> NYHA II) and atrial fibrillation were related with higher mortality. Conclusions: Morbidity and mortality of AMI remains at a high level. Conventional open or intraoperative endovascular therapy achieved similar results in patients with indication for laparotomy. Advanced disease stage with ischemic intestinal sections at presentation and cardiovascular comorbidities were associated with adverse outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver transplantation has inherent disparities but data is scarce in liver transplant (LT) candidates with acute alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH). We aimed to investigate demographic inequities and its impact on survival outcomes among AAH LT candidates. A retrospective analysis using the United Network of Organ Sharing database was conducted between 2000 and 2021. 25 981 LT recipients with alcohol-associated liver cirrhosis and 662 recipients with AAH were included. Waitlisted candidates were also evaluated. In comparison with alcohol-associated liver cirrhosis, AAH LT recipients were more likely Asian or "other" race and younger. Hispanics demonstrated better graft and patient survival (p < 0.05) but were less likely to be waitlisted and transplanted for AAH than for liver cirrhosis. Women with AAH were more likely to be waitlisted and transplanted. Pre-existing diabetes and male sex were associated with higher graft failure (25% and 8% respectively). Increasing recipient age were 2% more likely to experience negative outcomes. Chronicity of liver disease did not impact graft (p = 0.137) or patient survival (p = 0.145). Our results revealed demographic factors have a significant impact on transplant listing, organ allocation and survival outcomes. Further investigations are imperative to minimize disparities in LT evaluation and provide equity in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the mathematical modeling and optimal trajectory tracking control of a 3-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator, commonly known as Maryland manipulator. Three unlike sequential trajectories are considered, and the trajectory-tracking control of a manipulator is performed by the LQR-PID controller. The tuning of LQR-PID is done by using the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), a meta-heuristic method. The two other traditional benchmarking algorithms are Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The main goal of this work is to calculate the optimum values of LQR gain parameters i.e. Q and R matrices and PID controller's gains i.e. Kp, Ki and Kd using three different optimization algorithms, and their performance comparisons are highlighted in simulation results and discussion section. According to the obtained simulation results, the proposed GWO methodology is more efficient and more accurate in trajectory tracking control and generates optimal torques to the input links of the manipulator when compared with other evolutionary optimization algorithms such as PSO and GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature oxidation is the major degradation mechanism of boiler and gas turbine components. Superalloys are used in these applications because of their superior mechanical properties and creep resistance, but they lack resistance to oxidation under aggressive environment. In the present investigation, Al2O3–40%TiO2 coating was deposited on Superni718 and Superni600 superalloys by a detonation gun spray process. The as-sprayed coating was characterized by SEM analysis. The high-temperature oxidation behavior of Superni718 and Superni600 and Al2O3–40%TiO2 coating on these superalloys was evaluated in air under cyclic conditions at 800 °C and 900 °C for a total duration of 50 cycles. Each cycle consisted of keeping the samples for one hour at the elevated temperature followed by 20 min cooling in ambient air. Oxidation kinetics were studied using a thermo-gravimetric technique and found to follow the parabolic rate law. The coating was successfully formulated using a detonation gun spray process. The coating was found to be adherent to the substrate superalloys. It was found that among the two alloys, uncoated and coated Superni600 superalloys have much better oxidation resistance as compared to uncoated Superni718 superalloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible blindness in adults, may result in poor central vision, making it difficult to see, read, and drive. AMD is generally classified in either dry or wet types. Milder cases of dry AMD may progress to geographic atrophy (GA), leading to significant visual disability; wet, or neovascular AMD, which involves choroidal neovascularization (CNV), can lead to complete loss of central vision. Adiponectin (APN) discovery in the mid-1990's and, subsequently, its two cognate receptors (AdipoRs) in the early 2000s have led to a remarkable progress in better understanding metabolic disorders, as well as metabolism-associated ocular pathology. APN/AdipoRs signaling plays a central role in a variety of molecular and cellular physiological events, including glucose and lipid metabolism, whole-body energy regulation, immune and inflammation responses, insulin sensitivity and retinal cell biological functions. This review is an amalgamation of recent information related to APN/AdipoRs in the pathophysiology of retinal diseases and furthers its association with AMD and diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, we present our original research, where we designed control peptide and CNV inhibitory peptide from the globular region of APN to see the effect of these peptides on the mouse model of laser-induced CNV. The inhibitory peptide (APN1) inhibited CNV by more than 75% while the control peptide did not inhibit CNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an implementation of inductorless and resistorless Chua's chaotic oscillator using voltage-differencing gain amplifier (VDGA). The chaotic oscillator circuit is implemented by designing a resistorless Chua's diode using a single VDGA and a VDGA-based tank oscillator with coupled network circuit. The proposed chaotic oscillator uses two VDGAs and three grounded capacitors only. Although resistors and inductors may also be fabricated, the use of no resistor and inductor makes the circuit suitable for fabrication in terms of cost and area. It offers the advantages of an increased frequency spectrum having a dominant operating frequency of 21.1 MHz. The Chua's circuit is simulated in Pspice using both macro models of IC MAX435 and 0.18 µm CMOS TSMC Technology parameters. As a result, chaotic waveforms (V1 and V2) and the various attractors (V1 versus V2) are found in the simulation. These results confirm the theoretical predictions of Chua's chaotic oscillator. Various aspects of the proposed implementation of Chua's oscillator are compared with the earlier implementations. Finally, the paper concludes with simple remarks on the proposed circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the iron oxide incorporated gelatin nanoparticles (IOIGNPS) were prepared following an emulsion crosslinking method employing genipin as a non-toxic crosslinking agent. The drug loaded nanoparticles were characterised by analytical techniques. Whereas the FTIR spectra confirmed the crosslinking of gelatin by genipin and encapsulation of the drug, the TEM analysis revealed the nanosize (up to 100 nm) of the nanoparticles. The magnetisation study suggested for the superparamagnetic nature of nanoparticles. It was found that the amount of released drug increases with increasing percent loading of 5-FU in the range 21.1% to 44.4%. The release profiles of drug were affected by various experimental factors such as the amount and type of gelatin in the feed mixture, pH of the release media, nature of the release medium, and strength of the applied magnetic field. The swelling results indicated that the extent of swelling regulated the extent of drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a very compact simple double square shaped design of a Metamaterial Absorber (MA). The dimension of the square is 1.41 × 1.41 mm 2 , and the overall dimension of the unit cell structure is 5 × 5 mm 2. A wideband of absorption is achieved from 14.44 GHz to 27.87 GHz having a bandwidth of 13.43 GHz at − 10 dB, which covers the Ku (12 GHz–18 GHz) and K (18 GHz–27 GHz) bands approximately. The proposed structure finds application in the field of radar and satellite communications. The full width half maxima bandwidth achieved is 16.39 GHz (from 13.61 GHz to 30.00 GHz). Three absorption peaks are obtained at 16.54, 20.54, and 25.81 GHz with absorptivity of 99.89%, 99.95%, and 99.96%, respectively. The simulation of the proposed MA is carried out using ANSYS HFSSv19.1, and it is fabricated on FR 4 (Flame Retardant) using a printed circuit board. Analysis is done under both normal incident and oblique incident for different angles. The measured and simulated results for absorption are almost very close to each other with little variation due to fabrication tolerances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background-Vast majority of fractures of distal radius are articular injuries that result in disruption of both radiocarpal and radioulnar joints. This article presents a percutaneous pinning technique. The purpose of this study is Prospective study on outcome of distal radial fractures treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. Material and method - after ethical approval from IEC, 34 patients with AO type C radius fractures were treated by percutaneous pinning (K-wire) between 27th Aug 2021 to 31st October 2022. The follow up studies include clinical and radiographic examinations. Results- All 34 patients were assessed by follow ups using modified mayo score. The majority of study participants, or 55.90% (n=19), received good scores, while 29.40% (n=10) received exceptional scores. Only 2.90% (n=1) of respondents received a low score. Conclusion- Primary treatment of distal radius fractures is necessary to improve function and prevent complications from immobility. Closed reduction and percutaneous fixation with Kirschner wires alone are effective for distal radius complete intra-articular fractures. Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning patients with distal radius fractures had good range of motion, normal Mayo wrist scores, and no radiographic changes between fracture fixation and fracture healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity among general surgery residency, HPB and other fellowship program directors has been previously analyzed. However, the diversity in abdominal transplant surgery fellowship program directors remains unknown. Abdominal transplant fellowship programs and the corresponding program directors were identified from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons website. Demographic and training information for the members was compiled through internet searches and analyzed. 72 program directors were included. 83.33% were male. 63.9% were non-Hispanic White, 25% were Asian, along with 5.56% Hispanic and Black each. Male program directors were more likely to be Associate Professor (p = 0.041), while females were more likely to be Assistant Professor (p = 0.021). 66% of female program directors were non-Hispanic White. Transplant surgery fellowship programs are primarily led by male and non-Hispanic White surgeons. Female representation as leaders is on par with their membership in the transplant surgery workforce. There is a deficiency of both male and female underrepresented minorities in program director positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian groups arrive in large numbers in crowd gatherings, especially of a spiritual nature. Various studies have been done on crowd control in public spaces by analysing the behaviour of pedestrian groups. Understanding group dynamics can help better plan pedestrian facilities and large events. Many existing group sensing models primarily determine social bonding between pedestrians using spatiotemporal parameters, such as distance, directional movement, and overlapping time. However, social bonding determined based on these parameters assumes the bonding to be symmetric, spatially and temporally static and is unaffected by neighbourhood. Our study addresses the issue by relaxing such assumptions and developing an unsupervised group detection model based on potential candidates. The proposed model can handle temporal and spatial variations more effectively than those based on simple spatiotemporal parameters. The model developed is assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. New metrics are introduced for quantitative evaluation, comparing predicted groups and ground truth instead of pedestrian pairs with ground truth. A visualisation method is developed for the qualitative assessment. Group splits and group merges are calculated to assist in understanding crowd movement patterns. Overall, this study helps in further exploring and assessing groups, which can improve understanding of crowd dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most frequent, although neglected, complication of long-term diabetes. Nearly 30% of hospitalized and 20% of community-dwelling patients with diabetes suffer from DPN; the incidence rate is approximately 2% annually. To date, there has been no curable therapy for DPN. Under these circumstances, cell therapy may be a vital candidate for the treatment of DPN. The epidemiology, classification, and treatment options for DPN are disclosed in the current review. Cell-based therapies using bone marrow-derived cells, embryonic stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells, or dental pulp stem cells are our primary concern, which may be a useful treatment option to ease or to stop the progression of DPN. The importance of cryotherapies for treating DPN has been observed in several studies. These findings may help for the future researchers to establish more focused, accurate, effective, alternative, and safe therapy to reduce DPN. Cell-based therapy might be a permanent solution in the treatment and management of diabetes-induced neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemodynamics of anomalous origin of the pulmonary artery (PA) from the aorta is challenging. Different sources of blood supply to the lungs lead to a unique state of differential flow, pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance in each lung. The decision for surgical reimplantation of the anomalous PA during infancy is easy. The assessment of operability beyond infancy, however, is perplexing. In this report, we describe stepwise multimodal hemodynamic evaluation and successful surgical management in a 15-year-old boy with an isolated anomalous origin of the right PA from the aorta. We also report 5-year hemodynamic data confirming sustained benefit over the long term, thus providing much-needed clinical validation of often cited Poiseuille's and Ohm's laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major issue in improving the efficiency of the scramjet engine is ensuring adequate hydrogen fuel distribution within the supersonic chamber. Recently cavity floor injection strategy is a promising approach to keeping the flame stable under an extensive range of operational conditions. Thus the present investigation involves the simulation of a scramjet combustor with cavity floor H 2 injection technique under different free-stream Mach numbers using a computational approach. Our results indicate that as the free-stream Mach number rises; the circulations inside the cavity become more intense, resulting in the formation of a stable igniting zone inside the cavity. Next, the effect of different cavity floor length injection on the performance of the combustor has also been explored. The results obtained indicate an optimum cavity floor injection which can control the propagation of the shockwave in the downstream direction; or else, boundary layer separation may occur, resulting in even engine unstarts. For the present case, the optimum cavity floor length is found to be 45 mm. • Effect of different free-stream Mach number on the performance of scramjet has been explored. • Hydrogen distribution is found to be more uniform at Mach number 2.5. • Comparative evaluation of combustor is discussed by varying the cavity floor length. • Fuel injection from the cavity floor may effectively spread the H 2 within the cavity. • The optimum cavity floor length is found to be 45 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems; it is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Physiotherapy exercise is a method that enables health care professionals to pass on their knowledge and experience to patients so that they can participate consciously and actively in their recovery. Aim: The present study aims to examine the effect of physiotherapy on LBP. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the Department of Physiotherapy in a tertiary care hospital, India. A total of 50 patients of age range 18 to 60 years with chronic low back pain were enrolled in the present study. Pre and post physiotherapy effect on low back pain and trunk flexion was evaluated and compared. Results: The majority of the patients 44% were 46-60 years age group, mean age ± SD was 48.6 ± 9.17 years. Slight male predominance (52%) was found. The mean ± SD, BMI was 29.4 ± 5.0 and was mean ± SD duration of LBP (months) was 17.4 ± 2.2 was patients. Significant improvement of VAS score (pain) and trunk flexion movement was seen in post treatment group. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary approaches including physical therapy should be implemented to provide long-term improvement in pain and functional status in the treatment of chronic LBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]