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The regulation of secondary cell wall formation in Arabidopsis thaliana has been extensively studied with NST1, NST2, and NST3 playing key roles in secondary cell wall development in stem, anther, and silique. However, their broader impact on plant growth and development is less understood. This study investigates the phenotypes of T-DNA insertional mutants of NST1 (nst1-1), NST2, NST3 (nst3-1), and the double mutant nst1-1nst3-1 revealing their previously unknown functions in traits crucial for plant fitness. Phylogenetic analysis of the NAC gene family, based on chromosome locations, suggests that local and segmental duplication has expanded the family. NST1, NST2, and NST3 are phylogenetically close, within the same sub-clade, yet located on separate chromosomes, indicating a complex evolutionary history with functional redundancy and diversification. Loss-of-function mutants of NST1, NST2, and NST3 (i.e., nst1-1, nst2, nst3-1, and nst1-1nst3-1) displayed changes in root and hypocotyl length, rosette leaf size and area, stem diameter, vascular bundle structure, stamen characteristics, and silique. The nst3-1 single mutant exhibits the most pronounced defective phenotypes, emphasizing the pivotal role of NST3 in governing various developmental processes. Furthermore, the compounded effects observed in the nst1-1nst3-1 double mutant underscore the intricate interplay between these genes and their collective impact on Arabidopsis growth. Our findings indicate that the function of NST1, NST2, and NST3 genes extends beyond their well-established roles in secondary wall regulation to significantly influence multiple aspects of plant growth and development, enhancing our understanding of their regulatory network in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles, developed for use in high‐temperature gas‐cooled nuclear reactors, can be subjected to oxidizing environments in off‐normal accident scenarios. In this study, surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized at 1000–1350°C for 4 h in 20 kPa water vapor atmosphere balanced with ultrahigh‐purity helium gas. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy. The oxide thickness increased as the oxidation temperature was increased. Although the oxide scale at 1000°C was completely amorphous, pockets of crystalline oxide were observed on particles oxidized at 1200 and 1300°C. Kinetic analysis was performed to deduce the oxidation mechanism by determining the apparent activation energy using linear regression analysis. The oxidation mechanism was consistent for temperatures from 1000 to 1200°C with an activation energy of 412.4 ± 8.8 kJ/mol. The activation energy then dropped to approximately 201 ± 7.1 kJ/mol for temperatures 1200–1350°C. Therefore, there is a change in oxidation mechanism at ∼1200°C. This change is attributed to the existence of a network of significant bubbles in the oxide layer at higher temperatures, which serve as rapid diffusion pathways for the transport of oxidants from the surface to the SiC/SiO2 interface, instead of relying on the bulk diffusion through the SiO2 layer at lower temperatures where only small bubbles are present along the SiC/SiO2 interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Finite-size systems of a Kuramoto model display intricate dynamics, especially in the presence of multi-stability where both coherent and incoherent states coexist. We investigate such a scenario in globally coupled populations of Kuramoto phase oscillators with higher-order interactions and observe that fluctuations inherent to finite-size systems drive the transition to the synchronized state before the critical point in the thermodynamic limit. Using numerical methods, we plot the first exit-time distribution of the magnitude of a complex order parameter and obtain numerical transition probabilities across various system sizes. Furthermore, we extend this study to a two-population oscillator system, and, using the velocity field of the associated order parameters, show the emergence of a new fixed point corresponding to a partially synchronized state arising due to the finite-size effect, which is absent in the thermodynamics limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A profound understanding of the binding dynamics of drugs with plasma proteins is highly important as it determines its therapeutical potential. Herein, we have investigated the molecular interaction of Tucatinib (TUC), a novel, primitive and highly selective drug for treatment of HER2+ advanced unresectable breast cancer, with bovine serum albumin (BSA) using multi‐pronged spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking. TUC considerably quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via static quenching mechanism, and it binds to the hydrophobic cleft of subdomain IIA of BSA with a moderate binding affinity. The thermodynamic analysis revealed the major interplay of van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding interactions in stabilising the binding. The Förster distance 'r' signifies feasible energy transfer between BSA and TUC. The conformational analyses indicate some alterations in the protein secondary structure as a consequence of some changes in the protein polar environment due to complex formation. The experimental results are supported by docking analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We establish the generalized second law (GSL) within the framework of higher curvature gravity theories, considering non-minimal couplings in the matter sector. Our proof pertains to the regime of linearized fluctuations around equilibrium black holes, aligning with previous works by Wall and Sarkar. Notably, while prior proofs addressed various gravity theories such as Lovelock theory and higher curvature gravity, they uniformly assumed minimally coupled matter sectors. In this work, we extend the proof of the linearized semi-classical GSL to encompass scenarios involving non-minimal couplings in the matter sector. Our approach involves a proposal for evaluation of the matter path integral in the expectation value of the stress tensor, adopting an effective field theory treatment for the higher derivative couplings. We leverage the recently established outcome regarding the linearized second law in such theories to substantiate our argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The binding of drugs to plasma proteins determines its fate within the physiological system, hence profound understanding of its interaction within the bloodstream is important to understand its pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and thereby its therapeutic potential. In this regard, our work delineates the mechanism of interaction of Selumetinib (SEL), a potent anti‐cancer drug showing excellent effect against multiple solid tumors, with plasma protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), using methods such as absorption, steady‐state fluorescence, time‐resolved, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), synchronous and 3D‐fluorescence, salt fluorescence, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations. The BSA fluorescence intensity was quenched with increasing concentration of SEL which indicates interactions of SEL with BSA. Stern–Volmer quenching analysis and lifetime studies indicate the involvement of dynamic quenching. However, some contributions from the static quenching mechanism could not be ruled out unambiguously. The association constant was found to be 5.34 × 105 M−1 and it has a single binding site. The Förster distance (r) indicated probable energy transmission between the BSA and SEL. The positive entropy changes and enthalpy change indicate that the main interacting forces are hydrophobic forces, also evidenced by the results of molecular modeling studies. Conformation change in protein framework was revealed from FTIR, synchronous and 3D fluorescence and CD studies. Competitive binding experiments as well as docking studies suggest that SEL attaches itself to site I (subdomain IIA) of BSA where warfarin binds. Molecular dynamic simulations indicate the stability of the SEL–BSA complex. The association energy between BSA and SEL is affected in the presence of different metals differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study compared borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar 2 disorder (BP 2 disorder) with respect to reported childhood trauma and Five-Factor personality traits using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Participants were 50 men and women, aged 18-45, with DSM-5-diagnosed BPD and 50 men and women in the same age group with DSM-5-diagnosed BP 2 disorder. Participants could not meet criteria for both BPD and BP 2 disorder. Borderline participants had significantly higher scores on the neuroticism subscale and significantly lower scores on the agreeableness subscale of the NEO-FFI. After correction for multiple comparisons, there were no between-group differences on CTQ scores. Study results suggest that BPD and BP 2 disorder differ primarily with respect to underlying temperament/genetic architecture and that environmental factors have only a limited role in the differential etiologies of the two disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The present article attempts to interpret the modulation of photophysical properties of isophthalic acid (IPA) through its amino [5‐amino isophthalic acid (5‐amino IPA)] and azido [5‐azido isophthalic acid (5‐azido IPA)] substituted derivatives which are chemically potent organic ligands. The ground state structure–reactivity correlation of 5‐amino IPA and 5‐azido IPA has been deciphered through computational studies. The computed energetics show significant interaction feasibility of the substituted ligand systems with the biomimetic systems which is further validated experimentally. The binding interaction of the probes with oppositely polarized functionalization is studied to be significant with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with the amino functionalized derivative having a comparatively stronger binding constant value. The steady‐state absorption and fluorescence study establish significant modification of polarity of the heteronuclear probes. The micro polarity study in water–dioxane mixtures enables determination of polarity of 5‐amino IPA in CTAB and BSA unlike 5‐azido IPA. Presence of an overlapping region between the emission spectrum of BSA and the absorption spectrum of the probes as probable donor–acceptor pair are also scrutinized via the steady‐state fluorescence studies. The photophysical behavior of 5‐amino IPA is observed to be somewhat dissimilar to that of 5‐azido IPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this work, an optimal phase locked loop (PLL) is employed to estimate the fundamental grid frequency and phase angle under grid disturbances, which largely reduces the frequency and phase error. Conventional synchronous reference frame (SRF) offers considerable results for balanced grid conditions but has poor performance under grid disturbances with improper phase detection. In this regard, gravitational search algorithm (GSA)‐based optimization is utilized to optimally tune the proportional and integral (PI) gain values of conventional SRF PLL, which ensures the proper tracking of fundamental phase angle and frequency even during abnormal grid conditions, that is, voltage unbalance, frequency variations, high‐frequency harmonics, and phase variations. Further, integral square error (ISE) criteria, settling time, and overshoot are considered as objective functions to obtain the optimal value of current gain, present in the control loop of a grid‐tied solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The supremacy of the proposed work, compared to SRF and optimal SRF PLL, is tested with MATLAB®/Simulink studies and verified by dSPACE‐1104‐based hardware‐in‐loop (HIL) results for real‐time validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Summary: Background: Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinically and pathophysiologically distinct condition from acutely decompensated cirrhosis and is characterised by systemic inflammation, extrahepatic organ failure, and high short‐term mortality. Aims: To provide a narrative review of the diagnostic criteria, prognosis, epidemiology, and general management principles of ACLF. Four specific interventions that are explored in detail are intravenous albumin, extracorporeal liver assist devices, granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor, and liver transplantation. Methods: We searched PubMed and Cochrane databases for articles published up to July 2023. Results: Approximately 35% of hospital inpatients with decompensated cirrhosis have ACLF. There is significant heterogeneity in the criteria used to diagnose ACLF; different definitions identify different phenotypes with varying mortality. Criteria established by the European Association for the Study of the Liver were developed in prospective patient cohorts and are, to‐date, the most well validated internationally. Systemic haemodynamic instability, renal dysfunction, coagulopathy, neurological dysfunction, and respiratory failure are key considerations when managing ACLF in the intensive care unit. Apart from liver transplantation, there are no accepted evidence‐based treatments for ACLF, but several different approaches are under investigation. Conclusion: The recognition of ACLF as a distinct entity from acutely decompensated cirrhosis has allowed for better patient stratification in clinical settings, facilitating earlier engagement with the intensive care unit and liver transplantation teams. Research priorities over the next decade should focus on exploring novel treatment strategies with a particular focus on which, when, and how patients with ACLF should be treated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

When replication forks encounter DNA lesions that cause polymerase stalling, a checkpoint pathway is activated. The ATR-dependent intra-S checkpoint pathway mediates detection and processing of sites of replication fork stalling to maintain genomic integrity. Several factors involved in the global checkpoint pathway have been identified, but the response to a single replication fork barrier (RFB) is poorly understood. We utilized the Escherichia coli-based Tus-Ter system in human MCF7 cells and showed that the Tus protein binding to TerB sequences creates an efficient sitespecific RFB. The single fork RFB was sufficient to activate a local, but not global, ATR-dependent checkpoint response that leads to phosphorylation and accumulation of DNA damage sensor protein γH2AX, confined locally to within a kilobase of the site of stalling. These data support a model of local management of fork stalling, which allows global replication at sites other than the RFB to continue to progress without delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Surrogate tristructural‐isotropic (TRISO)‐coated fuel particles were oxidized in 0.2 kPa O2 at 1200–1600°C to examine the behavior of the SiC layer and understand the mechanisms. The thickness and microstructure of the resultant SiO2 layers were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy. The majority of the surface comprised smooth, amorphous SiO2 with a constant thickness indicative of passive oxidation. The apparent activation energy for oxide growth was 188 ± 8 kJ/mol and consistent across all temperatures in 0.2 kPa O2. The relationship between activation energy and oxidation mechanism is discussed. Raised nodules of porous, crystalline SiO2 were dispersed across the surface, suggesting that active oxidation and redeposition occurred in those locations. These nodules were correlated with clusters of nanocrystalline SiC grains, which may facilitate active oxidation. These findings suggest that microstructural inhomogeneities such as irregular grain size influence the oxidation response of the SiC layer of TRISO particles and may influence their accident tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

I Conclusion: i The rarity of talus tumors and anatomical complexity of the talus itself poses diagnostic challenges and management. I Purpose or Learning Objective: i (1) To describe the radiologic features of the primary bone tumors of the talus; and (2) to demonstrate a multimodality approach for the diagnosis of primary bone tumors of the talus. I Methods or Background: i Primary bone tumors of the talus are extremely uncommon, and only a few case series and case reports are available in the literature. [Extracted from the article] more...

Measurement of black hole mass for low- z (z ≤ 0.8) Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) is difficult due to the strong contribution from host galaxy stellar light necessitating detailed spectral decomposition to estimate the AGN luminosity. Here, we present an empirical relation to estimate host galaxy stellar luminosity from the optical spectra of AGNs at z ≤ 0.8. The spectral data were selected from the fourteenth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR14) quasar catalogue having a signal-to-noise ratio at 5100 Å (SNR5100) >10 containing 11 415 quasars. The median total luminosity (log (L total/[erg s−1])), stellar luminosity (log (L star/[erg s−1])), and AGN continuum luminosity ((log L cont/[erg s−1])) in our sample are 44.52, 44.06, and 44.30, respectively. We fit the AGN power-law continuum, host galaxy, and iron blend contribution, simultaneously over the entire available spectrum. We found the host galaxy fraction to anticorrelate with continuum luminosity and can be well-represented by a polynomial function, which can be used to correct the stellar light contribution from AGN spectra. We also found anticorrelation between host galaxy fraction and iron strength, Eddington ratio, and redshift. The empirical relation gives comparable results of host-fraction with the image decomposition method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Foreign body (FB) ingestion in children is very common, and most events occur in children between 6 months and 3 years of age. The present study was conducted to assess cases of oesophageal foreign body with arare case of oesophageal foreign body impaction in previously operated type III oesophageal atresia with TEF. Materials & Methods: 20 Pediatric patients of oesophageal foreign body ingestion attending Pediatric Surgery OPD, ELMCH of both genders underwent complete history and examination. Radiological investigation such as chest x-ray PA and lateral view was done. Patient were then planned for foreign body removal. Results: A total of 20 pediatric patients (12 boys, 8 girls) were recruited with the history or suspicion of foreign body ingestion during the study period of 6 months. The majority of patients belonged to 1-2 years of age ie 9 patients(45%).The youngest one was 9 months and the oldest was 6 years of age. The most common oesophageal foreign body removed were coin in 12 patients (60%) other foreign bodies were ring in 2 patients, button battery in 1 patient, organic food particle in 2 patients, safety pin in 1 patient and collapsable hollow plastic ball was found impacted in Previously Operated Type III Oesophageal Atresia With TEF. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). The most common presentation was asymptomatic in 11 patients (55%) followed by dysphagia in 4 patients(20%), sore throat and pain in 2 patients each (10%), nausea in 1 patient(5%).The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Site of impaction was upper oesophagus in 17, mid-oesophagus in 2 and lower oesophagus sphincter in 1 case. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Children with oesophageal foreign body ingestion can be effectively treated, it is necessary to carefully consider the type of ingested, the children's age, expected complications, and emergency situations. Usual site of oesophageal foreign body is at upper end of oesophagus. One should be careful to remove a foreign body lodged at previous oesophageal anastomosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Tristructural isotropic (TRISO)-coated fuel particles are designed for use in high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors, featuring a structural SiC layer that may be exposed to oxygen-rich environments over 1000 °C. Surrogate TRISO particles were tested in 0.2–20 kPa O 2 atmospheres to observe the differences in oxidation behavior. Oxide growth mechanisms remained consistent from 1200–1600 °C for each P O 2 , with activation energies of 228 ± 7 kJ/mol for 2 0 kPa O 2 and 188 ± 8 kJ/mol for 0.2 kPa O 2. At 1600 °C, kinetic analysis revealed a change in oxide growth mechanisms between 0.2 and 6 kPa O 2. In 0.2 kPa O 2 , oxidation produced raised oxide nodules on pockets with nanocrystalline SiC. Oxidation mechanisms were determined using Atom probe tomography. Active SiC oxidation occurred in C-rich grain boundaries with low P O 2 , leading to SiO 2 buildup in porous nodules. This phenomenon was not observed at any temperature in 20 kPa O 2 environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The best time to reverse an ileostomy is still largely unclear, however, there is growing evidence that delaying ileostomy closure may raise the risk of complications after the operation. The study's goal was to compare the outcomes of early ileostomy closure with late ileostomy closure after surgery. A prospective study was done to evaluate the results of patients who went through early ileostomy closure ( within 6 weeks) to those who had late ileostomy closure (>6 weeks). All patients above 18 years old who had stoma subsequent surgery of bowel both in emergency and elective settings. In this prospective observational study, 60 patients were randomly assigned into two groups by the SNOSE method for closure of ileostomy at different intervals of time: early ileostomy closure (<6 weeks), n=30, and late ileostomy closure (>6 weeks), n=30. During three months, all patients were monitored for surgical complications. Early closure was performed on 30 of the 60 trial participants, with the mean time for closure in the early group being 4 weeks and 7.2 weeks in the late group. The postoperative problems and hospital stay did not vary considerably. In conclusion, based on our experience in both ileostomy closure groups at varied time intervals, the early group within 6 weeks did not increase post-operative problems and morbidity. The systematic assignment of patients with temporary loop stomas to early closure may improve patient well-being. Individualization of the usual approach of reserving patients for long-term stoma care is required, and further study is needed to compare disease-specific closure success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, news and social media outlets have played a major role in dissemination of information. This analysis aimed to study the association between trust in social and traditional media and experiences of mental distress among a representative sample of US adults. Data for this study came from National Pandemic Pulse, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey that sampled participants on the Dynata platform. Participants included 6435 adults surveyed between 15–23 December 2020. Ordinal logistic regression analyses examined the associations of trust in (i) social media, (ii) print media, (iii) broadcast TV and (iv) cable TV, for COVID-19-related information with self-reported mental distress (4-item Patient Health Questionnaire), controlling for sociodemographics and census region. Compared with those who distrusted social media, those who trusted social media had 2.09 times (95% CI = 1.84–2.37) greater adjusted odds of being in a more severe category of mental distress. In contrast, compared with those who distrusted print media, those who trusted print media had 0.80 times (95% CI = 0.69–0.93) lower adjusted odds of being in a more severe category of mental distress. No significant associations were found between mental distress and trust in broadcast or cable TV for accessing news about COVID-19. Trust in different news outlets may be associated with mental distress during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies should explore mechanisms behind these associations, including adherence to best practices for crisis reporting among different media sources and exposure of individuals to misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In condition monitoring, accurate fault identification is an essential task for designing a proper maintenance strategy. Misalignment is one of the main faults in rotary machinery, because 70% of the failure occurs due to misalignment. Conventionally, the diagnosis of misalignment is carried out through vibration measurements. Especially, the presence of strong 2x vibration peak is generally accepted. Both angular and parallel misalignment shows peak at 2x, therefore, distinguishing misalignment type by using vibration signals alone is a difficult activity. This paper discusses classification of misalignment i.e., angular and parallel by using a diagnostic medium such as the acoustic emission and the rotor vibration signal. Vibro-acoustic sensors are used to collect data from the misaligned rotor system at two different loading, three different speed and three defect severity conditions. Time domain features are extracted and graded according to their significance using t test (One-way ANOVA) technique. Extracted features are used to train different algorithms. The outcome obtained using support vector machine (SVM) is 100% accurate. Vibro-acoustic sensor data fusion technique is employed to classify various forms of misalignment under different operating conditions. This work also intended to explore using a small amount of training data using different algorithms. The proposed method outperforms fault classification using vibration signal and acoustic signal separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is the prevailing subtype of autoimmune encephalitis, commonly misdiagnosed initially as infectious encephalitis due to its symptomatology resembling that of viral encephalitis and meningitis. The condition exhibits a higher incidence in females, with a gender ratio of 4:1 compared to males. While electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aid in the diagnostic process, the presence of antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) serves as the definitive confirmation. Autoimmune encephalitis typically presents with a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare variety of soft 10-tissue sarcoma of ectomesenchymal origin. It represents approximately 10% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Though these tumors due to their Schwann cell origin may occur anywhere near a nerve trunk, breast is a rare site of its occurrence. This is a rare case of MPNST arising in the breast and not associated with neurofibromatosis type 1. Case Presentation: A 22-year-old female presented with a large painless breast lump for 5 months, which was clinically suspected to be a Carcinoma. No confirmatory results were 18 obtained with fine needle aspiration biopsy, core biopsy, and magnetic resonance imaging. Wide local excision was done. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed MPNST. Furthermore, she underwent adjuvant radiation to her breast. Conclusion: The unusual location and size of the tumor make our study noteworthy. Owing to the infrequent occurrence of the tumor, there are no definite guidelines for its management. We recommend wide local excision with postop radiotherapy as the optimum treatment for this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

• The molecular mechanism of interaction between Pexidartinib and mammalian serum albumins is governed by static quenching. • The binding locus is site II' in the interface between subdomain IIA and IIB of the serum albumins. • The interaction involves an interplay of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions in stabilising the binding. • PEX binds more effectively with human serum albumin. Binding of biologically important molecules with plasma proteins highly influence its availability, distribution, and metabolism, and thus has great significance in determining its therapeutic efficiency. Hence, studying its interaction with plasma proteins is prime and inevitable. Herein, we have investigated the molecular interaction of Pexidartinib, a novel, primitive and highly selective therapeutical agent against CSF-1R overexpression, with human serum albumin (HSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) using various spectroscopic methods, docking and simulations. The intrinsic fluorescence of the proteins considerably quenched on PEX addition accompanied by a slight blue shift. The complex formation between PEX and BSA/HSA induced some alterations in the molecular milieu of the tryptophan residues. The active binding locus was found to be within the hydrophobic cavity of Sudlow site I of both BSA and HSA. The binding dynamics suggest the interplay of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions in complex stabilisation. MD simulations provides valuable insights into the dynamic facets of the molecular recognition processes involved and governs the stability factor of protein post ligand complexation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Clinical progress in the development of new diagnostic modalities and therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with hepatic encephalopathy has lagged behind the vast knowledge that has been generated from basic studies. In this article, we critically assess matters that should be revisited, such as definition, classification, diagnosis and grading of hepatic encephalopathy, which are difficult to apply reproducibly using the current criteria. Many lines of investigation have confirmed that hepatic encephalopathy is irreversible in many patients and suggest the need for further studies focussing on mechanisms of neuronal injury and death, to guide future drug development for these patients. The clinical evidence behind using lactulose for all severities of hepatic encephalopathy, which is currently considered the standard of care, is poor and placebo-controlled trials for hepatic encephalopathy should be considered ethically sound. This expert opinion identifies current challenges in hepatic encephalopathy and highlights areas which require further debate and investigation in order to help advance the field both scientifically and clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key players in innate immunity and modulation of TLR signaling has been demonstrated to profoundly affect proliferation and growth in different types of cancer. However, the role of TLRs in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) pathogenesis remains largely unexplored. Aims: We set out to determine if TLRs play any role in ICCs which could potentially make them useful treatment targets. Methods: Tissue microarrays containing samples from 9 human ICCs and normal livers were examined immunohistochemically for TLR4, TLR7, and TLR9 expression. Proliferation of human ICC cell line HuCCT1 was measured by MTS assay following treatment with CpG-ODN (TLR9 agonist), imiquimod (TLR7 agonist), chloroquine (TLR7 and TLR9 inhibitor) and IRS-954 (TLR7 and TLR9 antagonist). The in vivo effects of CQ and IRS-954 on tumor development were also examined in a NOD-SCID mouse xenograft model of human ICC. Results: TLR4 was expressed in all normal human bile duct epithelium but absent in the majority (60%) of ICCs. TLR7 and TLR9 were expressed in 80% of human ICCs. However, TLR7 was absent in all cases of normal human bile duct epithelium and only one was TLR9 positive. HuCCT1 cell proliferation in vitro significantly increased following IMQ or CpG-ODN treatment (P < 0.03 and P < 0.002, respectively) but decreased with CQ (P < 0.02). In the mouse xenograft model there was significant reduction in size of tumors from CQ and IRS-954 treated mice compared to untreated controls. Conclusion: TLR7 and TLR9 should be further explored for their potential as actionable targets in the treatment of ICC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: Computed Tomography (CT) chest plays an important role in triaging and managing patients of suspected COVID-19, especially in those where Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) report is pending but CT chest has constraints of availability and cost. Chest X-ray (CXR) is a readily available investigation and is cheaper than a CT chest. Hence, any scoring on CXR which proves to be helpful in triaging and managing suspected COVID-19 patients will alleviate the dependency on CT chest. Modified Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema Score (mRALES) and Brixia scores have been used to assess severity of disease and prognosis in COVID-19 confirmed cases. However, these two scores have never been used as a method to predict the confirmed COVID-19 pateints among the the suspected COVID-19 cases. Aim: To evaluate the role of mRALES and Brixia score along with clinical and laboratory parameters in predicting confirmed positive cases among suspected COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in Department of Medicine at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India, from 1st to 15th December 2020. Case records of patients admitted with severe acute respiratory illness (suspected COVID-19) were accessed and used to fill up a proforma where clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded. Chest radiographs (posteroanterior and anteroposterior) of the patients were evaluated to calculate mRALES and Brixia scores. Sensitivity, specificity, positive preditive value and negative predictive value were calculated. The p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of the 113 patients, 62 were males and 51 females. The COVID-19 positivity rate was 15.04% (n=17). Mean age of patients was 52.64±15.63 years. Overall, the mean mRALES and Brixia scores were not statistically different between suspected (mRALES=3.94±2.51, Brixia=7.29±4.642), and confirmed COVID-19 (mRALES=4.25±2.56, Brixia=7.73±4.84) patients. However, in the subgroup of patients with history of obstructive airway disease, Brixia score was significantly higher among COVID-19 positive patients (7.09±4.70) as compared to COVID-19 suspected patients (0.53±4.31). Presence of low TLC {<9550/mm3 with sensitivity of 70.62%, specificity of 67.3%, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 26.7% and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 92.4%} and low ANC {< 7580/mm3 with sensitivity of 64.7%, specificity of 63.2%, PPV of 22.9% and NPV of 90.5%} significantly predicted the COVID-19 positivity among the suspected COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: mRALES and Brixia scores on CXR are not significantly different between suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients and hence, cannot be used to judge who among suspected COVID-19 patients will turn out to be COVID-19 positive later. However, a TLC of less than 9550/mm3 and an ANC of less than 7580/mm3 can predict COVID-19 positivity among suspected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Loss of RAD52 is synthetically lethal in BRCA-deficient cells, owing to its role in backup homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). In HR in mammalian cells, DSBs are processed to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhangs, which are then bound by replication protein A (RPA). RPA is exchanged for RAD51 by mediator proteins: in mammals, BRCA2 is the primary mediator; however, RAD52 provides an alternative mediator pathway in BRCA-deficient cells. RAD51 stimulates strand exchange between homologous DNA duplexes, a critical step in HR. RPA phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are important for HR, but its effect on RAD52 mediator function is unknown. Here, we show that RPA phosphorylation is required for RAD52 to salvage HR in BRCA-deficient cells. In BRCA2-depleted human cells, in which the only available mediator pathway is RAD52 dependent, the expression of a phosphorylation-deficient RPA mutant reduced HR. Furthermore, RPA-phosphomutant cells showed reduced association of RAD52 with RAD51. Interestingly, there was no effect of RPA phosphorylation on RAD52 recruitment to repair foci. Finally, we show that RPA phosphorylation does not affect RAD52-dependent ssDNA annealing. Thus, although RAD52 can be recruited independently of RPA's phosphorylation status, RPA phosphorylation is required for RAD52's association with RAD51 and its subsequent promotion of RAD52-mediated HR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This article presents the experimental and statistical methodology for localized fault analysis in the rotor-bearing system. These defects on outer race, on inner race, and on a combination of ball and outer race are considered. In this study speed, load and defects were considered as the essential process variables to understand their significance and effects on vibration response for the rotor-bearing system. Three factors at three levels were considered for experimentation, and the experiment was designed for L27 based on design of experiments (DOE) methodology. From the experiments, the vibration response results are recorded in terms of root mean square value for the analysis. Response surface methodology (RSM) is used for identifying the interaction effect of varying process parameters upon the response of vibrations by response surface plot. The rotor-bearing test setup is used for experimentation and is analyzed by using DOE. This study establishes the prediction of fault in the rotor-bearing system in combined parametric effect analysis and its influence with DOE and RSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) occurs in hospitalised patients with cirrhosis and is characterised by multiorgan failures and high rates of short-term mortality. Without liver transplantation (LT), the 28-day mortality rate of patients with ACLF ranges from 18–25% in those with ACLF grade 1 to 68–89% in those with ACLF grade 3. It has become clear that patients with ACLF do not have equitable access to LT because of current allocation policies, which are based on prognostic scores that underestimate their risk of death and a lack of appreciation of the clear evidence of transplant benefit in carefully selected patients (who can have excellent post-LT outcomes). In this expert opinion, we provide evidence supporting the argument that patients with ACLF should be given priority for LT based on prognostic models that define the risk of death for these patients. We also pinpoint risk factors for poor post-LT outcomes, identify unanswered questions and describe the design of a global study, the CHANCE study, which will provide answers to the outstanding issues. We also propose the worldwide adoption of new organ allocation policies for patients with ACLF, as have been initiated in the UK and recommended in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We present a detailed study of the longitudinal proximity effect using a sample of 85 quasars spanning an emission redshift range of 3.5 ≤ z em ≤ 4.5 and Lyman continuum luminosity (L 912) ranging from 1.06 × 1031 to 2.24 × 1032 erg s−1 Hz−1. We use the high-quality spectra of these quasars obtained at a spectral resolution of R ∼ 5100 and S/N ∼ 30 using X-SHOOTER spectrograph mounted on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). In our analysis, we compared the transmitted flux and pixel optical depth of the Ly α absorption originating from the vicinity of quasars to those from the general intergalactic medium (IGM) by using a redshift-matched control sample. The longitudinal proximity effect is found up to r ≤ 12 Mpc (proper) from quasars. By appropriately scaling up the pixel optical depth in the vicinity of quasars to account for the excess ionization by quasars, we constrain the ratio of median H  i  optical depth in the vicinity of the quasar to that of the IGM (R τ(r)). The R τ(r) is found to be significantly higher than unity up to 6 Mpc from the quasar with a typical radial profile of the form R τ(r) = 1 + A × exp(− r / r 0) with A  = 9.16 ± 0.68 and r 0 = 1.27 ± 0.08 Mpc. The integrated value of the scaled pixel optical depth over the radial bin of 0–6 Mpc is found to be higher by a factor of 2.55 ± 0.17 than the corresponding integrated value of the median pixel optical depth of the IGM. We also found R τ(r) to be luminosity dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Traditionally, the complications of cirrhosis, namely variceal bleeding, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, were thought to result predominantly from circulatory dysfunction and altered organ perfusion arising as a result of portal hypertension. Over the past 20 years, large, international prospective studies have indicated the importance of systemic inflammation and organ immunopathology as additional determinants of organ dysfunction in cirrhosis, which not only manifests in the liver, brain, circulation and the kidneys, but also the immune system, gut, muscles, adrenal glands, reproductive organs, heart and lungs. This review provides an overview of the traditional and emerging concepts around the initiation and maintenance of organ dysfunction in cirrhosis and proposes a new paradigm based upon a better understanding of acute decompensation of cirrhosis. The interaction between the traditional concepts and the emerging perspectives remains a matter of great interest and the basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Different methods have been proposed in the past few years to incite explosive synchronization (ES) in Kuramoto phase oscillators. In this work, we show that the introduction of a phase shift α in interlayer coupling terms of a two-layer multiplex network of Kuramoto oscillators can also instigate ES in the layers. As α → π / 2 , ES emerges along with hysteresis. The width of hysteresis depends on the phase shift α , interlayer coupling strength, and natural frequency mismatch between mirror nodes. A mean-field analysis is performed to justify the numerical results. Similar to earlier works, the suppression of synchronization is accountable for the occurrence of ES. The robustness of ES against changes in network topology and natural frequency distribution is tested. Finally, taking a suggestion from the synchronized state of the multiplex networks, we extend the results to classical single networks where some specific links are assigned phase-shifted interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Summary: This paper presents an active current detection method (ACDM) for three‐phase grid‐tied solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The proposed control utilizes the character triangular function (CTF) for fundamental component extraction and minimizes the computational burden. This shows the effectiveness of proposed ACDM under variety of operating conditions. Moreover, the design of control algorithm allows superior voltage regulation in outer voltage control loop, which reduces the peak overshoot during transients. This will also help in regulating grid current quickly, and it accurately follows the reference current. Further, the proposed control algorithm effectively deals with several power quality (PQ) issues and maintains the continuous power flow to satisfy the load demand. Finally, the withstand capability of the proposed ACDM controller is verified by simulation studies under MATLAB®/Simulink environment and experimentally validated by dSPACE‐1104 based downscaled laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome and death. To limit the infection spread, non-urgent surgical procedures, day procedures, including interventional pain management, and patient visits, have been postponed or interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pain management is defined as a fundamental human right, but the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak requires revisions in clinical practice for chronic pain. This article describes the role of home healthcare services in managing cancer pain based on clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the triple triage concept and the use of telemedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We report the design and testing of a custom-built experimental setup for dip-coating from volatile solutions under microgravity conditions onboard an aircraft. Function and safety considerations for the equipment are described. The equipment proved to work well, both concerning the safety and the preparation of thin films. No leakage of the solvents, nor the solvent vapors, was detected, not even in a situation with a fluctuating gravitational field due to bad weather conditions. We have shown that the equipment can be used to prepare thin films of polymer blends, relevant for organic solar cells, from solution in a feasible procedure under microgravity conditions. The prepared films are similar to the corresponding films prepared under 1 g conditions, but with differences that can be related to the absence of a gravitational field during drying of the applied liquid coating. We report on some introductory results from the characterization of the thin films that show differences in film morphology and structure sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

While several studies have highlighted the global shortages of oncologists and their workload, few have studied the characteristics of current oncology training. In this study, an online survey was distributed through a snowball method for cancer care providing physicians in 57 countries. Countries were classified into low- or lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) based on World Bank criteria. A total of 273 physicians who were trained in 57 different countries responded to the survey: 33% (90/273), 32% (87/273) and 35% (96/273) in LMICs, UMICs and HICs, respectively. About 60% of respondents were practising physicians and 40% were in training. The proportion of responding trainees was higher in LMICs (51%; 45/89) and UMICs (42%; 37/84), than HICs (19%; 28/96; p = 0.013). A higher proportion of respondents from LMICs (37%; 27/73) self-fund their core oncology training compared to UMICs (13%; 10/77) and HICs (11%; 10/89; p < 0.001). Respondents from HICs were more likely to complete an accepted abstract, poster and publication from their research activities compared to respondents from UMICs and LMICs. Respondents identified several barriers to effective training, including skewed service to education ratio and burnout. With regard to preparedness for practice, mean scores on a 5-point Likert scale were low for professional tasks like supervision and mentoring of trainees, leadership and effective management of an oncology practice and understanding of healthcare systems irrespective of country grouping. In conclusion, the investment in training by the public sector is vital to decreasing the prevalence of self-funding in LMICs. Gaps in research training and enhancement of competencies in research dissemination in LMICs require attention. The instruction on cancer care systems and leadership needs to be incorporated in training curricula in all countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Low body temperature can cause the heart, nervous system and other organs to enter a state of shock. It also includes shivering, slurred speech, slow breathing. It affects our haemoglobin level white blood cell count and platelets count too.It affects our brain mainly our hypothalamus part of the brain. The study aims to analyze the effect of cold temperature on haematological parameters. A questionnaire was distributed through an online google forms link to about 100 people. The study population were asked to fill out the online form after reading each question thoroughly. The results were collected and the data was analysed using SPSS version 20. From the study population, the whole of 100% of the participants gave a positive response when asked if they were aware about the effect of cold temperature on haematological parameters . And from the results cold temperature affects our blood flow rate and rbc cells and other haematological parameters.This study evaluated the effect of cold temperature on haematological parameters. Majority of the study population are aware that cold temperature affects the haematological parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Through first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we investigate the crystal and electronic structures of twisted bilayer BaTiO3. Our findings reveal that large stacking fault energy leads to a chiral in-plane vortex pattern that was recently observed in experiments. We also found nonzero out-of-plane local dipole moments, indicating that the strong interlayer interaction might offer a promising strategy to stabilize ferroelectric order in the two-dimensional limit. The vortex pattern in the twisted BaTiO3 bilayer supports localized electronic states with quasi-flat bands, associated with the interlayer hybridization of oxygen pz orbitals. We found that the associated bandwidth reaches a minimum at ~19° twisting, configuring the largest magic angle in moiré systems reported so far. Further, the moiré vortex pattern bears a notable resemblance to two interpenetrating Lieb lattices and the corresponding tight-binding model provides a comprehensive description of the evolution the moiré bands with twist angle and reveals the topological nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This paper presents the novel technique for fault diagnosis of bearing by fusion of two different sensors: Vibration based and acoustic emission-based sensor. The diagnosis process involves the following steps: Data Acquisition and signal processing, Feature extraction, Classification of features, High-level data fusion and Decision making. Experiments are carried out upon test bearings with a fusion of sensors to obtain signals in time domain. Then, signal indicators for each signal have been calculated. Classifier called K-nearest neighbor (KNN) has been used for classification of fault conditions. Then, high-level sensor fusion was carried out to gain useful data for fault classification. The decision-making step allows understanding that vibration-based sensors are helpful in detecting inner race and outer race defect whereas the acoustic-based sensor is more useful for ball defects detection. These studies based on fusion helps to detect all the faults of rolling bearing at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Motivated by the recent multiplex framework of complex networks, in this work, we investigate if explosive synchronization can be induced in the multiplex network of two layers. Using nonidentical Kuramoto oscillators, we show that a sufficient frequency mismatch between two layers of a multiplex network can lead to explosive inter- and intralayer synchronization due to mutual frustration in the completion of the synchronization processes of the layers, generating a hybrid transition without imposing any specific structure-dynamics correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Sacral agenesis is a rare developmental disorder, in which there is absence of part or all of two or more sacral vertebral bodies. It is mostly associated with dysfunction of bowel, bladder and neuromuscular system of lower limbs. Voiding impairment (neurogenic bladder), Vescico-Ureteric Reflux (VUR) together with urinary tract infection contribute to renal injury. Here authors are reporting an 11-year-old female, who was diagnosed to have sacral agenesis with anorectal malformation at the age of six month, leading to anal trans-positioning done at that age, she presented to the Urology Department with acute kidney injury. On evaluation, she was found to have overactive bladder with increased bladder capacity and bilateral grade 5 VUR. After recovery from acute kidney injury with conservative management and catherization, she was discharged with the advice of clean intermittent catheterization and anticholinergic drug. On follow-up, she was doing well. Early diagnosis and long term follow-up is required in the patients having sacral agenesis with multidisciplinary team including urologist, as these patients may develop lower urinary tract symptoms, VUR and kidney injury at any time in their growth period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Coupled oscillators models help us in understanding the origin of synchronization phenomenon prevalent in both natural and artificial systems. Here, we study the coupled Kuramoto oscillator model having phase lag and adaptation in higher-order interactions. We find that the type of transition to synchronization changes from the first-order to second-order through tiered synchronization depending on the adaptation parameters. Phase lag enables this transition at a lower exponent of the adaptation parameters. Moreover, an interplay between the adaptation and phase lag parameters eliminates tiered synchronization, facilitating a direct transition from the first to second-order. In the thermodynamic limit, the Ott–Antonsen approach accurately describes all stationary and (un)stable states, with analytical results matching those obtained from numerical simulations for finite system sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Summary The spectrum of alcohol-related liver diseases (ALD) includes steatosis, steatohepatitis, progressive liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a recently defined entity that occurs in patients with chronic liver diseases and is characterised by acute decompensation, organ failures and a high risk of short-term mortality. Active alcohol consumption, alcoholic hepatitis and bacterial infections are the most frequent events precipitating the development of ACLF in the context of ALD (ALD-ACLF). The specific management of this entity remains unknown and the place of salvage liver transplantation controversial. This overview details the current knowledge on specific aspects of epidemiology, pathophysiology, prognosis and management of ALD-ACLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This paper proposes the expert system for accurate fault detection of bearing. The study is based upon advanced signal processing method as wavelet transform and artificial intelligence technique as artificial neural network (ANN) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN), for fault classification of bearing. An adaptive algorithm based on wavelet transform is used to extract the fault classifying features of the bearing from time domain signal. These features have been used as inputs to proposed ANN models and the same features have also been used for KNN. Dedicated experimental setup was used to perform the test upon the bearing. Single data set for four fault conditions of bearing is collected to train ANN and KNN. The processed and normalized data was trained by using backpropagation multilayer perceptron neural network. The results obtained from ANN are compared with KNN, ANN results proved to be highly effective for classification of multiple faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Homologous recombination helps ensure the timely completion of genome duplication by restarting collapsed replication forks. However, this beneficial function is not without risk as replication restarted by homologous recombination is prone to template switching (TS) that can generate deleterious genome rearrangements associated with diseases such as cancer. Previously we established an assay for studying TS in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Nguyen et al., 2015). Here, we show that TS is detected up to 75 kb downstream of a collapsed replication fork and can be triggered by head-on collision between the restarted fork and RNA Polymerase III transcription. The Pif1 DNA helicase, Pfh1, promotes efficient restart and also suppresses TS. A further three conserved helicases (Fbh1, Rqh1 and Srs2) strongly suppress TS, but there is no change in TS frequency in cells lacking Fml1 or Mus81. We discuss how these factors likely influence TS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This review presents an account of the major works done on spectra of adjacency matrices drawn on networks and the basic understanding attained so far. We have divided the review under three sections: (a) extremal eigenvalues, (b) bulk part of the spectrum, and (c) degenerate eigenvalues, based on the intrinsic properties of eigenvalues and the phenomena they capture. We have reviewed the works done for spectra of various popular model networks, such as the Erdős-Rényi random networks, scale-free networks, 1-d lattice, small-world networks, and various different real-world networks. Additionally, potential applications of spectral properties for natural processes have been reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...