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Transition metal oxide–based pseudocapacitors with various valence states are of particular interest in the field of energy storage due to their increased specific capacitance values. In particular, Copper cobaltite nanomaterials have attracted more research focus due to their multiple oxidation states in comparison to other transition metals. Spinel structures of metal oxides are of tremendous interest for energy storage applications. Mixed valence metal cations in spinel cobaltites (MCo2O4) offer more electronic conductivity and electrochemical activity than single–component oxides. Natural abundance, good electrical and thermal stability, environment–friendly nature, and low cost motivates researchers for carrying out an extensive study of such materials. In this study, binary composite CuCo2O4@Co3O4 was synthesized by facile hydrothermal method. FT–IR, XRD, FEG–SEM and XPS studies have established the successful formation of all the nanocomposites were used to primarily characterize the sample. XRD showed the existence of all the synthesized materials in crystalline form. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic Charge–Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance (EIS) measurements were recorded to examine the electrochemical characteristics. The comparative specific capacitance of the synthesized CuCo2O4@Co3O4 nanocomposite displayed 542.77 Fg−1 using Glassy Carbon (GCE) as the working electrode whereas it exhibited 683.72 Fg−1 at the same current density of 1 Ag−1 using Nickel foam as the electrode substrate. The composite electrode exhibited an excellent pseudocapacitive behaviour using 1 M Na2SO4 and 1 M KOH as electrolytes respectively for electrochemical measurements. Impedance analysis reveals capacitive nature of the synthesized materials. Furthermore, cyclic stability for CuCo2O4@Co3O4 nanocomposite was found to be 76% (GCE) upto 1000 cycles at 5 Ag−1 and 78% (Nickel foam) upto 3000 cycles at 5 Ag−1. Based on the study of the electrochemical performance, the synthesized transition metal oxide nanocomposite holds potency as an efficient electrode material for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has revolutionized the approach to surgical interventions in neonates with congenital malformations, offering distinct advantages over traditional open surgeries. Neonates born with congenital malformations often require surgical interventions early in life to correct or alleviate associated issues. Historically, these surgeries have predominantly been performed through open approaches, which pose significant challenges and risks in the delicate neonatal population. However, with advancements in medical technology and surgical techniques, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as a promising alternative. Material and Methods A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary-care level neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Pediatric Hospital. The following data were recorded: gestational age, birth weight, sex, diagnosis, associated malformations, age and weight at surgery, surgery duration, conversion to open surgery, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative complications, pre- and post-operative arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (paCO2), postoperative morbidity surgery-related, type and duration of postoperative analgesia, postoperative mechanical ventilation duration, fasting time, postoperative hospitalization, and mortality surgery-related. Conclusion MIS represents a paradigm shift in the surgical management of neonates with congenital malformations, offering significant benefits in terms of reduced morbidity, faster recovery, and improved cosmetic outcomes. Continued advancements in technology and surgical techniques are likely to further enhance the applicability and effectiveness of MIS in this vulnerable patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Left atrium is not a simple passive transport chamber which transfers blood from the pulmonary circulation to the left ventricle. Left atrium has conduit, reservoir and pump functions and multiple variables have been developed to evaluate those functions. Aim of the study: It is comparison of LAFI to traditional echo parameters of Left atrium function in atrial fibrillation and diastolic dysfunction. Methods: This Prospective cross sectional study was conducted among the patients attending the Cardiology OPD with Atrial fibrillation and Diastolic dysfunction in Tertiary care centre, Chennai .The study was done for a period from Jan 2022 to Jan 2023.The study participants fulfilling the inclusion and the exclusion criteria were included in the study throughout the study period. The final attained sample is 75. After obtaining the Institutional Ethical Committee clearance, the study was started after obtaining patients informed consent. Baseline details of study participants like name, age, sex, residence. Anthropometric measurement like height and weight will be taken.Body mass index will be calculated. Echocardiography investigation will be done. After collecting the data it was entered in MS Excel Windows 10.Statistical analysis was done in SPSS 23..P value of <0.005 is considered to be statistically significant. Results: Age, sex, height, weight,Body mass index and Body surface are was found to be not statistically significant between the groups. There is a very weak correlation between LAVI & LAFI in atrial fibrillation group (r= 0.2). There is a strong correlation between A cm/s and LAFI, There is a strong correlation between AVTI and LAFI (r= 0.89). when LAFI <24.5 is set as cut off value, LAFI as a parameter to diagnose left atrial dysfunction has 100% sensitivity, 56%specificity, 53% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value. Conclusion: LAFI is low in chronic AF and Diastolic Dysfunction patients in our study. LAFI has high sensitivity and negative predictive value. LAFI is a rhythm independent Left atrium function marker. Thereby we conclude that LAFI is a comprehensive marker of left atrial structural and functional assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the world of virtual and connected networks, the study of network's computing capabilities through graph embedding has grown in prominence. In order to implement algorithms created for the guest graph in the host graph, embedding involves simulating one architecture, called the guest, into another, called the host. In this paper, we have obtained the optimal wirelength of embedding (K 9 - C 9) n into Mesh M (3 n , 3 n) , generalized book graph GB [ 9 , 3 n - 1 , 3 n - 1 ] and extended firecracker tree EF 9 n . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a life maintaining treatment in patients with end‐stage renal disease. Its chronic application leads to peritoneal mesothelial layer denudation and fibrotic transformation along with vascular activation of inflammatory pathways. The impact of different PD fluids (PDF) on mesothelial and endothelial cell function and repair mechanisms are not comprehensively described. Materials and Methods: Mesothelial (MeT‐5A) and endothelial cells (EA.hy926) were cultured in 1:1 ratio with cell medium and different PDF (icodextrin‐based, amino acid‐based, and glucose‐based). Cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell proliferation in 2D and spheroid formation and collagen gel contraction assays in 3D cell cultures were performed. Results: Cell proliferation and cell‐mediated gel contraction were both significantly decreased in all conditions. 3D spheroid formation was significantly reduced with icodextrin and amino acid PDF, but unchanged with glucose PDF. Adhesion was significantly increased by amino acid PDF in mesothelial cells and decreased by icodextrin and amino acid PDF in endothelial cells. Migration capacity was significantly decreased in mesothelial cells by all three PDF, while endothelial cells remained unaffected. Conclusions: In 3D phenotypes the effects of PDF are more uniform in both mesothelial and endothelial cells, mitigating spheroid formation and gel contraction. On the contrary, effects on 2D phenotypes are more uniform in the icodextrin and amino acid PDF as opposed to glucose ones and affect mesothelial cells more variably. 2D and 3D comparative assessments of PDF effects on the main peritoneal membrane cell barriers, the mesothelial and endothelial, could provide useful translational information for PD studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical and optical properties of sol–gel deposited nickel oxide (NiO) films are studied as a function of the annealing temperature. NiOX films are successfully obtained by spin coating process on glass and silicon substrates, and their transparency and conductivity have been improved using sol–gel technology. Further, the vibrational, optical, and electrical properties of NiOX film are investigated concerning annealing temperatures between 150 and 450 °C. From the investigation, annealing at 350 °C results in the formation of NiO, and through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), it evidences the existence of Ni3 + which is confirmed along with Ni2+ state. Furthermore, when the NiOX samples are treated at 150 °C, their optical transparency in the visible region reaches 90%, and when the temperature is increased to 450 °C, the optical transparency drops to 75–78%. Through investigation, it is also identified that the optical band gaps get reduced to the region of 3.93–3.67 eV through thermal treatments. From the investigation, it is identified that thin films are excellent p-type electrical conductors having a specific resistivity of around 4.8 × 103 Ω/cm. Hence, they can be used in the manufacturing of transparent solar cells such as Hole Transport Layers (HTLs) and wideband semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the differences among three species of palm white grubs at morphological, ethological, ecological and molecular levels to develop a tool to aid in distinguishing the three species. A comprehensive survey was conducted in palm gardens in southern India. Third-instar larvae and adults of Leucopholis spp. were collected and brought into the laboratory for species-level identification using morphological traits. DNA was extracted and PCR-based amplification of cytochrome oxidase I (CO1) gene of the three Leucopholis spp. was undertaken, and the amplicons were sequenced. High-resolution melt (HRM) curve analysis was then attempted to differentiate the three Leucopholis spp. The survey indicated the predominance of Leucopholis lepidophora Blanchard in high ranges of Karnataka and Kerala States, Leucopholis burmeisteri Brenske in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka State and Leucopholis coneophora Burmeister along the West coast of Kerala State in India. The three species exhibited morphological differences in respect of chaetotaxy in the rastor of third instar larva and ethological differences with respect to flight behavior and congregation patterns. Multiple sequence alignment of the CO1 sequences revealed the presence of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) between the three species. High-resolution melt (HRM) curve analysis was used to differentiate the three Leucopholis spp. utilizing primers designed based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in the CO1 sequences between the three species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung sounds contribute essential information about a patient's health. Here, for detecting adventitious sounds of lungs, two sets of eight features each (total 16 features), based on wavelet bi-spectrum (WBS) and power spectrum (WPS), respectively, are proposed. The feature sets are analyzed using five classifiers with one to seven sub-classifier types. A matrix (17X14) of seven evaluation parameters compares the feature sets. Results show that Random Forest, Random Tree, Random committee with WPS and WBS features, LMT with WPS, and Randomizable filter classifier with WBS have shown the best results updating the accuracy obtained in previous researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedding deals with simulating one architecture called guest into another called host, as it helps in modifying algorithms designed for the guest graph to be implemented in the host graph. In this paper, we have obtained the optimal wirelength of embedding (K 9 - C 9) n into P 9 n and certain trees, where (K 9 - C 9) n is the Cartesian product of complete graph on 9 vertices with a deletion of a cycle on 9 vertices and P 9 n is a path on 9 n vertices. Furthermore, we have also obtained the wirelength of embedding the Cartesian product graph (K 9 - C 9) n into Banana trees and Firecracker trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients diagnosed with lung cancer (LC) exhibit increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rodilla et al. monitor the levels of plasma anti-nucleocapsid antibodies within a cohort of fully vaccinated LC patients and reveal that the actual infection rate is nearly twice the documented rate, indicating a significant prevalence of unreported cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cilium (PC) is a single non-motile antenna-like organelle composed of a microtubule core axon originating from the mother centriole of the centrosome. The PC is universal in all mammalian cells and protrudes to the extracellular environment receiving mechanochemical cues that it transmits in the cell. Aim: To investigate the role of PC in mesothelial malignancy in the context of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) phenotypes. The effect of pharmacological deciliation [using ammonium sulphate (AS) or chloral hydrate (CH)] and PC elongation [using lithium chloride (LC)] on cell viability, adhesion, and migration (2D cultures) as well as in mesothelial sphere formation, spheroid invasion and collagen gel contraction (3D cultures) was investigated in benign mesothelial MeT-5A cells and in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) cell lines, M14K (epithelioid) and MSTO (biphasic), and primary malignant pleural mesothelioma cells (pMPM). Pharmacological deciliation or elongation of the PC significantly affected cell viability, adhesion, migration, spheroid formation, spheroid invasion and collagen gel contraction in MeT-5A, M14K, MSTO cell lines and in pMPM cells compared to controls (no drug treatment). Our findings indicate a pivotal role of the PC in functional phenotypes of benign mesothelial cells and MPM cells. • Primary Cilium (PC) drug induced perturbation affects benign and mesothelioma cells. • PC modifying drugs reduce cell viability and migration and variably cell adhesion. • Tumor spheroid formation and collagen matrix invasion is reduced by PC modulators. • PC modulation decreases the mesenchymal potential of malignant mesothelioma cell. • PC modifying drugs could be considered therapeutically in malignant mesothelioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, synthesis and assessment of the mechanical and wear possessions of Al7049-nano B4C composites are determined by experiments. Using the liquid metallurgy route, a stir casting technique was used to create composites with increasing concentrations of nano B4C from 3 to 9 weight %. Each composite's reinforcement particles were heated to 400 degrees Celsius before being added to the molten Al7049 alloy in two separate steps, i.e., two-stage stir casting to optimise wettability and distribution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilised to examine the microstructure, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was utilised to determine the elemental make-up. Mechanical characteristics of composites were determined by subjecting them to tensile, compression, and hardness tests. Wear tests were conducted as per ASTM G99 standards with varying loads and speeds. Nanosized B4C particles were found to be dispersed throughout the sample space in a microstructural analysis. Hardness, ultimate strength, yield strength, and compression strength of Al7049 alloy composites were found to increase significantly as the weight percentage of nano B4C was increased. Additionally, compared to the unreinforced form, the ductility of the Al7049 alloy composites was slightly reduced. SEM micrographs of tensile-fractured specimens were used for research into the field of tensile fractography. Nano B4C reinforced composites exhibited superior wear resistance as compared to Al7049 alloy. These prepared composites can be used for wing root fitting of an aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of a graph embedding problem when simulating one interconnection network in another interconnection network is characterized by the influential parameter of wirelength. Obtaining the minimum wirelength in an embedding problem determines the quality of that embedding. In this paper, we obtained the convex edge partition of 3-Ary n-Cubes and the minimized wirelength of the embeddings of both 3-Ary n-Cubes and circulant networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensorless speed control technique for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drive using flux observer Adaptive Current Control Prediction (ACCP) method is presented in this paper. The conventional Predictive Current Control (PCC) method depends on the stator resistance of PMSM, which will be created a problem in that it varies with temperature. A discrete stator resistance estimation method is proposed in this paper to enhance the performance of the drive. The major advantages of the proposed method are reduced fluctuations in the flux, smooth starting, and robust operation against a load of a PMSM drive. The superiority of the proposed sensorless method cannot only perform in MATLAB/Simulink but experimentally validated under various operating conditions at steady-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Snake bite-induced elevation of serum LDH and CRP-1 is considered as useful biomarkers of hemotoxic. The snake venom contains proteins and may result in various envenomation such as bleeding, inflammation, and pain, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic, or neurotoxic effects. This in silico study was aimed to screen the snake venom proteins and to find out the most interactive hemotoxic venom protein against LDH and CRP-1 proteins as biomarkers. Materials and Methods: To validate the hypothesis of the prospective interaction of snake venom proteins, molecular docking analysis was used in the current work by deploying a cutting-edge docking program. Snake venom peptides were screened from literature and both peptide as well as target protein were obtained from PDB. HDOCK online server was used for the molecular docking analysis of target proteins with hemotoxic snake venom peptides. Further, the toxicity properties of each docked complex of target proteins were subjected for ADME/T analysis. Results: The selected snake venom peptides were subjected to molecular docking study and the results generated from computational-based approach reveals that all the hematotoxin snake venom proteins are interactive with LDH and CRP-1 peptide. Further, this study indicates that snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMPS) peptide may be considered as the best interactive protein with both LDH and CRP-1 proteins; also, ADME/T screening revealed that all docked complex are safe and follow toxicity properties. Conclusion: This in silico study clearly shows that the greatest interaction of SVMPS peptide with LDH and CRP-1 may be due to strong binding in the active site of the target proteins LDH and CRP-1 with SVMPS. Results, further, confirmed LDH and CRP-1 as potential biomarkers against hemotoxic snake venoms. This study should be validated by in vitro and in vivo analysis as well as specific species snake venom should be assessed. For further studies, SVMPS can be consider as therapeutic point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Significant proportion of congenital heart surgery (CHS) children exhibit sepsis, but have negative blood culture and defined "culture negative sepsis (CNS)." Aims and Objectives : Retrospective analysis of CNS patients undergoing CHS. Material and Methods : 437 consecutive CHS children grouped as controls (antibiotic prophylaxis), CNS, and culture positive sepsis (CPS). Results : Incidences of CNS and CPS were 16% and 7%. Median mechanical ventilation (MV) in hours among CPS, CNS, and control was 116 (45--271), 63 (23--112), and 18 (6--28) (P < 0.001), respectively. Multivariable linear regression identified CPS (median ratio: 3.1 [2.3--4.1], P < 0.001), CNS (median ratio: 5.6 [3.7--8.4], P < 0.001), and weight (kg) (median ratio: 0.98 [0.96--0.99], P = 0.009) as associations of MV. Intensive care unit (ICU) stay (hours) was 192 (120--288) in CNS, 288 (156--444) in CPS, and 72 (48--120) in controls (P < 0.0001). Multivariable linear regression showed CNS (median ratio: 2.4 [2.0--2.9], P< 0.001) CPS (median ratio: 3.3 [2.5--4.4], P < 0.001), and weight (median ratio: 0.98 [0.97--0.99], P ≤ 0.001) prolonging ICU stay. Mortality was 10.7%, 2.9% and 1.2% in CPS, CNS, and control (P = 0.03). Multivariable regression identified CPS an independent predictor of mortality with odds ratio 8.6 (1.7--44.9; P = 0.010). 11.26% patients in CNS and 79.3% in CPS received antibiotics for more than 10 days. Conclusion : Incidence of CNS was 16%; duration of MV and ICU stay and mortality was significantly less in CNS than CPS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical machines are extensively used in many applications, like in transportation sector, manufacturing industries, medical instruments and many more or everywhere. On the other hand the universe is associated with different kind of energy fields and their effects and interaction between these fields and machine parameters is quite evident. In electrical machines variations in the gravitation field may result in the changes in voltage, current and speed of electrical motor. This paper presents an improved mathematical model of an electrical machine considering the effects of gravitational field on the magnetic and electric susceptibility of electromagnetic field of the induction machine. A simulation study in MATLAB software is also presented considering the effects of gravitational field on the torque, speed and currents of an induction machine. Hence, the aim of this manuscript is to bring the latest developments in the mathematical modeling and design of electrical machines considering the effects of gravitational field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia and India are both multi-ethnic countries and have fostered many ethnic groups and cultures through the long course of history. Some of these borderland cultures have also developed contacts with neighbouring and far off regions. In contemporary borderland studies discourse, the borderlands are represented as the other of the core regions, and their relations with other borderland communities are seen as natural and against the hegemonic national spaces. However, the contacts between the Buddhist regions of Russia, namely, Kalmykia, Tuva and Buryatia with Lhasa and later Dharamsala (Little Lhasa), do not reveal any antagonism with the majority nationalities in both countries. This article is a historical narrative of the important contacts between the Buddhist borderlands of Russia and India that have impacted the relations between the Buddhist borderlands of the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change on the oxygen saturation content of the world's surface waters is a significant topic for future water quality in a warming environment. While increasing river water temperatures (RWTs) with climate change signals have been the subject of several recent research, how climate change affects Dissolved Oxygen (DO) saturation levels have not been intensively studied. This study examined the direct effect of rising RWTs on saturated DO concentrations. For this, a hybrid deep learning model using Long Short-Term Memory integrated with k-nearest neighbor bootstrap resampling algorithm is developed for RWT prediction addressing sparse spatiotemporal RWT data for seven major polluted river catchments of India at a monthly scale. The summer RWT increase for Tunga-Bhadra, Sabarmati, Musi, Ganga, and Narmada basins are predicted as 3.1, 3.8, 5.8, 7.3, 7.8 °C, respectively, for 2071–2100 with ensemble of NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections of air temperature with Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. The RWT increases up to7 °C for summer, reaching close to 35 °C, and decreases DO saturation capacity by 2–12% for 2071–2100. Overall, for every 1 °C RWT increase, there will be about 2.3% decrease in DO saturation level concentrations over Indian catchments under climate signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency with mobility support plays an important role in Wireless Sensor Networks. Duty cycling mechanism is used to reduce energy consumption of idle listening and coordinates sleep and wake-up period of nodes to prolong the network life time. The delay sensitive applications require the duty cycle adjustment with network traffic conditions to accomplish energy efficiency and low latency. The proposed Energy Efficient and Mobility Aware Hybrid MAC (EMH-MAC) protocol with adaptive duty cycle reduce the delay for prioritized services. In this approach, the duty cycle is dynamically adjusted with mobility and queue length of priority packets. The proposed protocol offers better data transmission rates in high traffic load conditions and also saves energy in low traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graph embeddings play a significant role in the design and analysis of parallel algorithms. It is a mapping of the topological structure of a guest graph G into a host graph H, which is represented as a one-to-one mapping from the vertex set of the guest graph to the vertex set of the host graph. In multiprocessing systems, the interconnection networks enhance the efficient communication between the components in the system. Obtaining minimum wirelength in embedding problems is significant in the designing of networks and simulating one architecture by another. In this paper, we determine the wirelength of embedding 3-ary n-cubes into cylinders and certain trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI technologies have the potential to help deaf individuals communicate. Due to the complexity of sign fragmentation and the inadequacy of capturing hand gestures, the authors present a sign language recognition (SLR) system and wearable surface electromyography (sEMG) biosensing device based on a Deep SLR that converts sign language into printed message or speech, allowing people to better understand sign language and hand motions. On the forearms, two armbands containing a biosensor and multi-channel sEMG sensors are mounted to capture quite well arm and finger actions. Deep SLR was tested on an Android and iOS smartphone, and its usefulness was determined by comprehensive testing. Sign Speaker has a considerable limitation in terms of recognising two-handed signs with smartphone and smartwatch. To solve these issues, this research proposes a new real-time end-to-end SLR method. The average word error rate of continuous sentence recognition is 9.6%, and detecting signals and recognising a sentence with six sign words takes less than 0.9 s, demonstrating Deep SLR's recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic field inside a machine is responsible for the mechanical excitation of the stator structure, generating vibrations and thus, audible noise. In this article, the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) is driven by using sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation technique and then an investigation (cause and effect) of Acoustic Noise and Vibration (ANV) is presented. An equivalent lumped parametric modeling of end-to-end coaxially coupled shafts between PMSM and DC generator along with effective modal mass and modal participation factor accuracy enhancement technique is presented to predict the torsional vibration. The modal analysis approach is used to analyze the torsional vibration response, which is used to estimate the source of acoustic noise, and a mathematical approach is presented at the end to calculate ANV of electric drives. Theoretical and experimental investigations are carried out on a 1.07- kW, 4-poles, 36-slots, 3-phase PMSM drive. Analytical and numerical results are validated by experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The KIT-6/Zr (Zr: 10.20, and 30%) catalyst was successfully synthesised to be a powerful multifunctional catalyst. • High ethanol conversion and butadiene selectivity have been attained at a lower temperature. • The ideal values for the reaction temperature, pressure, WHSV, and H 2 flow rate are 110 °C, 20 bar, 1.0 h−1, and 20 ml/min. • The KIT-6/Zr(20%) catalyst performed excellently, quickly, effectively, and inexpensively. Investigating heterogeneous organocatalysts such as mesoporous KIT-6, which contains varying amounts of zirconium, and its ability to synthesize buta-1,3-diene by ingesting commercial ethanol despite being supported on mesoporous substrates The metal precursor and KIT-6 were combined and pulverized solidly. The generated catalysts were investigated after being analysed with the use of BET, HR-TEM, FT-IR, XRD, and NH 3 -TPD methods. The better accessibility of the acid sites on the catalyst was achievable by the implementation of solid-state pulverising techniques, and the incorporation of organic components to KIT-6 intensified the spatial distribution of zirconium. A selectivity of up to 85% for buta-1,3-diene was achieved for the first time whenever the efficacy of the catalysis was investigated using a fixed-bed stainless steel continuous reactor. The coupling activity of Zr species the porous structure of KIT-6 is responsible for this because the KIT-6 catalyst facilitates ethanol dehydrogenation and Zr stimulates Claisen-Schmidt condensation. Additionally, The solvent-free strategy also had an impact on the innovative catalyst production technique for the ethanol-based 1,3-butadiene formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many developing and developed countries, presence of arsenite [As(III)] more than 10 ppb in groundwater is reported. Many people use the arsenic contaminated groundwater for drinking purposes, which is hazardous to human health. Hence need to be removed below the permissible level before use for drinking purpose. In this batch study, IBOA was used as an adsorbent to remove As(III) from water. From experimental data, optimal values for the dose of IBOA, time of contact and pH were found to be 1.0g/L, 24 hrs and 7.0, respectively. In this paper, ANN was applied to the various parameters and found that the results are satisfied in time study. Best fitting was found in dose study and initial concentration study where as in pH study, the ANN results and experimental results are in good agreement. In effect of coexisting ions study, ANN could not map in all cases and not shown the satisfactory results. From experimental data, it is proved that IBOA having good potential for removal of As(III) from groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given the current lack of an approved and effective treatment or vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), repositioning old drugs for use as an antiviral treatment is an interesting strategy because knowledge about these drugs' safety profile, posology, and drug interactions is already known. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, widely used as antimalarial and autoimmune disease drugs, have recently been reported as a potential broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Background: The in vitro antiviral activity of chloroquine has been identified since the late 1960s. However, antiviral mechanisms of chloroquine remain speculative. Several clinical trials have been conducted to test the efficacy and safety of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19-associated pneumonia. The quality of the studies and the outcomes are evaluated in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Review results: Literature review revealed 23 clinical studies. Only 9 of 23 studies were randomized controlled trials. Of nine randomized controlled trials, only study by Skipper et al. was deemed to be at low risk of bias. All studies evaluated varied with different outcomes. Mechanical ventilation and virological clearance were the only common outcomes evaluated in more than two studies. Virological clearance odds ratio (OR) was 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] of 0.57-2.73; Chi² = 0.83; I² = 0%). GRADE quality of evidence was downgraded by three levels to very low due to concerns about the risk of bias, inconsistency, and imprecision. For mechanical ventilation, OR was 1.09 (95% CI 0.80-1.50; Chi² = 0; I² = 0). GRADE quality of evidence was downgraded by two levels to low due to concerns about the risk of bias and imprecision. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for these two outcomes. Conclusion: As per the available evidence, based on our review, we conclude that hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine has not shown to be beneficial when used for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumour that grows in the pleural cavity. MPM spheroids released in the pleural fluid can form new tumour foci. Cell–cell, cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in 2D and 3D impact malignant cell behaviour during cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, epithelioid, biphasic and sarcomatoid MPM cell types as well as benign mesothelial cells were tested with regards to the above phenotypes. Fibronectin (FN) and homologous cell‐derived extracellular matrix (hcd‐ECM) treated substratum differentially affected the above phenotypes. 3D MPM spheroid invasion was higher in FN‐collagen matrices in the epithelioid and biphasic cells, while 3D cell cultures of epithelioid and sarcomatoid MPM cells in FN‐collagen showed a higher contractility compared to hcd‐ECM‐collagen. Cell aggregates demonstrated invasive behaviour in hcd‐ECM matrices alone. Our results suggest that ECM and the dimensionality affect malignant cell behaviour during cell culture studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) and prolonged exposure to PD fluids (PDF) induce peritoneal membrane (PM) fibrosis and hypervascularity, leading to functional PM degeneration. 2-deoxy-glucose (2-DG) has shown potential as PM antifibrotic by inhibiting hyper-glycolysis induced mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT). We investigated whether administration of 2-DG with several PDF affects the permeability of mesothelial and endothelial barrier of the PM. The antifibrotic effect of 2-DG was confirmed by the gel contraction assay with embedded mesothelial (MeT-5A) or endothelial (EA.hy926) cells cultured in Dianeal® 2.5 % (CPDF), BicaVera® 2.3 % (BPDF), Balance® 2.3 % (LPDF) with/without 2-DG addition (0.2 mM), and qPCR for αSMA , CDH2 genes. Moreover, 2-DG effect was tested on the permeability of monolayers of mesothelial and endothelial cells by monitoring the transmembrane resistance (R TM), FITC-dextran (10, 70 kDa) diffusion and mRNA expression levels of CLDN-1 to -5 , ZO1 , SGLT1 , and SGLT2 genes. Contractility of MeT-5A cells in CPDF/2-DG was decreased, accompanied by αSMA (0.17 ± 0.03) and CDH2 (2.92 ± 0.29) gene expression fold changes. Changes in αSMA , CDH2 were found in EA.hy926 cells, though αSMA also decreased under LPDF/2-DG incubation (0.42 ± 0.02). Overall, 2-DG mitigated the PDF-induced alterations in mesothelial and endothelial barrier function as shown by R TM , dextran transport and expression levels of the CLDN-1 to -5 , ZO1 , and SGLT2. Thus, supplementation of PDF with 2-DG not only reduces MMT but also improves functional permeability characteristics of the PM mesothelial and endothelial barrier. [Display omitted] • 2-DG mitigates mesenchymal transition of mesothelial and endothelial cells. • 2-DG functionally improves the peritoneal membrane permeability characteristics. • 2-DG administration restores gene expression changes of Tight Junction components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an experimental and theoretical investigation of acoustic noise and vibration (ANV) produced by permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-based electric drive. The principal sources of ANV in PMSM are the natural frequency of oscillations for a structure, magnetostrictive push–pull forces, aero-dynamical and aero-mechanical forces, and the interaction of time and space harmonics in airgap flux density and armature flux density. Initially, a structural mathematical model of PMSM has been developed to determine the structural natural frequency component in the ANV pattern emitted from the PMSM. Later an analytical electrical model has been designed to assess the torque performance of the machine. Interaction of the torque ripple with the natural frequency oscillation has been demonstrated to establish the net acoustic pressure levels. Power electronic converter injects the time harmonics into the PMSM drives, which can be addressed by employing suitable control algorithms. To investigate the ANV of PMSM drive, a mathematical model of PMSM is developed and analyzed. The physical phenomenon responsible for ANV induced by Maxwell forces in the machine has been discussed extensively. Time-domain and frequency domain analysis is used to show the effects of changing the operating parameters of the power electronic converters on the ANV. The main focus of this work is to build a better understanding and to draw an operational concept of ANV produced by PMSM drive from deduced theoretical and experimental investigations. The experimental investigations are performed on a low-cost laboratory setup of PMSM drive and acoustic chamber to validate the theoretical deductions. Furthermore, a numerical techniques-based design approach for a reduction in ANV for PMSM drive is presented in this article. This approach reduces the space harmonics in the airgap flux density wave by altering the number of slots in PMSM. Hence, the effective torque pulsation reduction has also been reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a novel application of Pseudorandom Triangular Pulsewidth Modulation (PTPWM) technique on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive to reduce acoustic noise and vibration (ANV). The proposed PTPWM method brings a significant reduction in torque ripples, acoustic noise, and vibrations in the motor, thereby enhancing the performance of the complete drive system under operation. The relationship between the stator current harmonics feed by drive and nonsinusoidal magnetic field flux distribution, with torque ripples is developed and analysed in this article. Furthermore, in-depth theoretical background and analysis about how PTPWM improves torque ripples, vibration, and acoustic noise of PMSM drives is presented. An extensive simulation and experimental investigations have been carried out for the validation of proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Critically ill patients may present with prothrombotic manifestations. Carcinoma cervix with prothrombotic manifestations are not common. Arterial thrombosis in such cases is very rare. We present a case of carcinoma cervix which posed a diagnostic dilemma and difficulty in localizing primary. This patient also had recurrent strokes and cardiac metastasis with metastatic arterial thrombosis. Case description: A 34-year-old lady presented with a history of acute lower limb ischemia and recurrent strokes. Transthoracic echocardiography showed valvular vegetations. Prothrombotic and infective endocarditis workup were negative. Histopathological examination (HPE) of clot showed metastatic squamous cells. Contrast CT of chest and abdomen only showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) with mediastinal lymph node biopsy showed metastatic squamous cells. As the patient gave a history of hysterectomy, Pap smear from the vault was sent, which was suggestive of high grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia. Palliative chemotherapy was started. The patient made a good recovery and was discharged home in a stable condition. Conclusion: Arterial thrombosis is an uncommon manifestation of occult malignancy. Carcinoma cervix usually does not metastasize to heart, brain, and arteries, which was the case in our patient. A high index of suspicion and systematic evaluation can clinch the diagnosis even when rare complications of malignancy are presented by critically ill patients. Clinical significance: Any unprovoked thrombotic episodes should be extensively worked up for occult malignancies. We present a case demonstrating challenges faced by critical care physicians and benefits of methodical evaluation when confronted with unusual presentation of a malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin 33 (IL-33) is an alarmin with multiple roles in immunity and cell homeostasis, highly expressed in barrier sites, acting via the suppression of tumorigenicity 2 receptor (ST2). Production of IL-33 and soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor for IL-33, has been implicated in several pulmonary diseases, but both have been scarcely investigated in pleural diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of IL-33 and sST2 in transudative (TrPEs), malignant (MPEs), and parapneumonic (PPEs) pleural effusions (PEs) and investigate the effect of PE fluids from each group with low and high IL-33/sST2 levels on MeT-5A cell adhesion and migration. IL-33 and sST2 pleural fluid levels were similar among TrPEs, MPEs, and PPEs. However, a significant correlation was found between IL-33 and LDH and in sST2 levels with lymphocyte counts in TrPEs. Additionally, in MPEs the levels of IL-33 correlated with the levels of sST2 and with the red blood cell counts. Furthermore, incubation of MeT-5A cells with MPEs and PPEs bearing low or high levels of IL-33/sST2 yielded significant differential effects on MeT-5A cell adhesion and migration. In MPEs, high IL-33/sST2 levels led to increased adhesion and migration of MeT-5A cells, while in PPEs the effect was the opposite, while no effect in both cell phenotypes was determined for TrPEs. These results reveal a clinical context dependent effect of the IL-33/sST2 axis in PEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately identifying all objects of interest inside the specified frame of reference is crucial for object identification techniques to allow machine vision to interpret images successfully. Theoretical frameworks from computer vision and deep learning have informed many potential solutions to this problem. However, current approaches frequently fail when faced with objects going through random geometric changes and continually show shortcomings when identifying small, dense objects. This research looks at state-of-the-art object detection methods, compares them, and then suggests a convolutional object detection network that has been tweaked to fix the problems with the existing methods. Comparing our research to existing approaches, we find that they perform better. We accomplish this by training deep convolutional networks to detect geometric transformations and adjusting the networks to handle multi-scaled features. The results achieved after the optimization of the You only look once (YOLO) V5 & V7 are stated in this paper. The experiments demonstrated that YOLO v8 achieved higher accuracy than the hyper-tuned YOLO V5 and V7, with an average Precision (mAP) score of 52.8% on the customized military dataset running at 60 Frames Per Second (FPS). Object detection using deep neural networks (DNNs) poses a significant challenge due to the high computational and power requirements, mainly when deployed on general-purpose platforms such as CPUs and GPUs. However, addressing these limitations becomes crucial for efficient edge computing tasks like object detection, where faster, smaller, and energy-efficient solutions are essential. To overcome these challenges, system-on-chip (SoC) designs emerge as a promising solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keyword spotting in a continuous speech is a challenging problem and has relevance in applications like audio indexing and music retrieval. In this work, the problem of keyword spotting is addressed by utilizing the complementary information present in spectral and prosodic features of the speech signal. A thorough analysis of the complementary information is performed on a large Hindi language database developed for this purpose. Phonetic and prosodic distribution analysis is performed toward this end, using canonical correlation and Student T-distance function. Motivated by these analyses, novel methods for spectral and prosodic information fusion that optimize a combined error function is proposed. The fusion methods are developed both at the feature and the model level. Improved syllable sequence prediction and keyword spotting performance are obtained using these methods when compared to conventional methods of keyword spotting. Additionally, in order to enable comparison with the state-of-the-art deep learning-based methods, a novel method for improved syllable sequence prediction using deep denoising autoencoders is proposed. The performance of the methods proposed in this work is evaluated for keyword spotting using a syllable sliding protocol over a large Hindi database. Reasonable performance improvements are noted from the experimental results on syllable sequence prediction, keyword spotting, and audio retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Allogenic blood transfusion is a double edged sword with a delicate balance between benefits and risks. There is heavy use of blood products in the perioperative setting mostly initiated by anesthesiologists. Limited research has been done in evaluating the transfusion practices of anesthesiologists especially in Indian setting. We conducted a survey among the anesthesiologists in our city to assess their blood transfusion practices, to evaluate the level of adherence to principles of Patient Blood Management and to look for innovative strategies to improve the perioperative transfusions. Methods: A validated questionnaire with four sets of questions was distributed among the practitioners in the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists city branch and the responses were collected and analysed. The first and second parts were structured to assess the current blood transfusion practices. The third part evaluated the keenness of participants in further updating their practices as per the recommended protocols of patient blood management. The last part assessed how the participants would act in a given clinical scenario. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Results are expressed in numbers and percentages. Results: Moderate preoperative anemia was acceptable to majority of the responders. There was a high demand for continuing medical education in transfusion medicine and for formulating Indian guidelines for perioperative transfusion. The clinical scenarios demonstrated the restrictive transfusion strategy of the majority of our anesthesiologists. The lack of institutional protocols and blood transfusion committees was also seen. Conclusion: The restrictive strategy of our practitioners was an encouraging finding. There is lack of uniformity in patient blood management services. Regular educational interventions are needed to update the clinicians. Formulation and implementation of institutional protocols for perioperative blood transfusion is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented here a collection of conference papers is a Special Volume on Recent Trends in Computing that was compiled by the editors for the Mathematical and Computational Forestry & Natural-Resource Sciences (MCFNS) journal. The creation of this Special Issue and the Special Section, which contains it, was requested by the organizers of the International Conference on Recent Trends in Computing (ICRTC-2017), held on Dec. 14-15, 2017, at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (formerly SRM University) on the NCR Campus, Tamil Nadu, India. The purpose of the Special Section hosting this volume is to contain publications originated from this and other similar scientific endeavors involving research on developments of computing technology as relevant to various Computational Sciences associated with natural resources or related to their research and management. In the current issue, dedicated in its entirety to this conference, we present a set of the papers in this category, which includes 29 selected examples of research that have been reviewed externally by the conference organizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and the practice (KAP) of the medical interns working in a tertiary care center toward pharmacovigilance and the adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting. Materials and Methods: Medical interns working in Meenakshi Medical College were selected randomly and KAP questionnaire was used to collect the data before and after an educational intervention. Results: A total of 53 medical interns were involved in pre-KAP and post-KAP survey questionnaire. The overall scores observed between pre-test and post-test were found to be statistically significant proving the effectiveness of educational intervention and improving the knowledge of pharmacovigilance among medical interns. Conclusion: This study proves that KAP of pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting in routine practice can be improved by proper orientation and medical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was undertaken to explore the possibilities of inducing maturity and spawning of T. putitora under captivity through manipulation of environmental cues i.e. photoperiod and temperature. In experiment I, adult T. putitora were subjected to three photoperiod (8L:16D, 12L:12D and 16L:12D) regimes for 100 days. In females, darker photoperiod (8L:16D) significantly decreased the plasma estradiol levels compared to 12L:12D and 16L:8D photoperiods. Plasma 17α, 20β-diOH-P was significantly ( p  < .05) changed both in females as well as males due to different photoperiods. Highest level was observed at 12L:12D in females and 16L:8D in males whereas the lowest level was found in 8L:16D. There was no significant effect of photoperiod on plasma 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels and gonado-somatic index (GSI) of both males and females. In experiment II, effect of temperature (ambient, 21.2 ± 1.4 °C and elevated, 23.7 ± 1.3 °C; Mean ± SD) on inducing maturity under captive conditions was explored. The level of 17β-estradiol and 17α, 20β-diOH-P was significantly increased in females kept at elevated temperature compared to its ambient counterpart. Correspondingly, GSI of females increased 6-fold at elevated temperature. In fact in the ovary of females reared at elevated temperature, oocytes were in vitellogenic and maturing stage, whereas it was only in cortical alveolar stages in the fishes kept at ambient temperature. On the other hand, there was no marked change found in testicular histology. However, there was presence of some macrophage aggregations on the efferent duct region of testes at elevated temperature. No significant ( p  > .05) effect of temperature was observed on plasma levels of 11-KT of both sexes. Experiment III was meant to explore the possibility of achieving captive spawning by simulating natural spawning ground using a gravel bed bio-filter. Natural spawning occurred after four months of rearing in the simulated facility. Subsequently, fishes further spawned seven times in a period of 4 months on an interval of 15–20 days. Overall, our results suggested that captive maturity and spawning of golden mahseer can be achieved by manipulating the environmental cues. The results solved the prevailing decadal issue of captive maturation of golden mahseer which otherwise has been a major bottleneck for its wide spread rehabilitation and conservation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy balancing and faster data transfer over a wireless sensor network (WSN) is an important problem in applications like cyber-physical systems, Internet of things, and context-aware pervasive systems. Addressing this problem leads to increased network lifetime and improved network feasibility for real time applications. In WSNs, sensor nodes transfer the data using multihop data transmission model. The large number of hops required for data transmission leads to poor energy balancing and large data latency across the network. In this paper, we utilize a recent development in social networks called small world characteristics for proposing a novel method of low-latency and energy-balanced data transmission over WSN. Small world WSN (SW-WSN) exhibits low average path length and high average clustering coefficient. A cognitive SW-WSN is developed by adding new links between a selected fraction of nodes and the sink. A new data routing method is also proposed by optimizing energy cost of the links. This method yields uniform energy consumption and faster data transfer. Experiments are conducted using simulations and real node deployments over a WSN testbed. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting exhaustive analysis of network lifetime, residual energy, and data latency over the WSN. Experimental results obtained indicate that the proposed cognitive small world model achieves energy balancing, increases network lifetime, improves energy efficiency, and reduces data latency when compared to results obtained using various state-of-the-art approaches. The results are motivating enough for the proposed method to be used in large and medium scale network applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic mechanical and experimental modal analysis has been performed on braided yarn woven fabric reinforced polyester composites and results are compared with those of conventional twisted yarn woven fabric and knitted woven fabric composites. The results revealed that storage modulus shows an increasing trend across conventional woven, knitted and braided woven fabric reinforcement, in that order. It is also observed that intra‐ply hybridization enhances storage modulus and material loss factor of the conventional woven fabric and knitted woven fabric composites. It is also observed that knitted fabric composites have higher loss factors compared with conventional and braided fabric composites. Experimental modal analysis results reveal that the braided yarn fabric enhances the stiffness of the composite structure and hence results in higher natural frequencies while knitted fabric reinforcement enhances modal loss factor of the composite structure due the spiral orientation of yarns and large gaps associated with between the yarns in kitted fabric. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2479–2489, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of surface treatment (alkali, potassium permanganate, benzoyl chloride and silane) on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical and free vibration properties of intra-ply hybrid banana/jute woven fabric composite has been analyzed. Intra-ply woven fabrics are fabricated by keeping banana yarn in weft direction and jute yarn in warp direction of a basket-type woven fabric. Results reveal that the enhancement of tensile and flexural strengths of the composite due to the chemical treatment is marginal, except for the benzoyl chloride treatment. However, the chemical treatment results in better impact strength compared to the untreated composite. Tensile, flexural and impact strengths of the benzoyl chloride treatment increase by 10%, 30% and 50%, respectively, compared to untreated composite. It is evident from Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectra that benzoyl chloride treatment effectively removes the hemicellulose and lignin content. It is observed that benzoyl chloride and alkali treatment improves the dynamic mechanical characteristics. Experimental modal analysis carried out on intra-ply fabric composites reveals that benzoyl chloride treatment increases the natural frequency significantly compared to the untreated composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF-8) is critical for Th1 cell differentiation and negatively regulates myeloid cell development including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). MDSC expand during infection with various pathogens including the gastrointestinal (GI) nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb). We investigated if IRF-8 contributes to Th2 immunity to Hpb infection. Irf8 expression was down-regulated in MDSC from Hpb-infected C57BL/6 (B6) mice. IRF-8 deficient Irf8-/- and BXH-2 mice had significantly higher adult worm burdens than B6 mice after primary or challenge Hpb infection. During primary infection, MDSC expanded to a significantly greater extent in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and spleens of Irf8-/- and BXH-2 than B6 mice. CD4+GATA3+ T cells numbers were comparable in MLN of infected B6 and IRF-8 deficient mice, but MLN cells from infected IRF-8 deficient mice secreted significantly less parasite-specific IL-4 ex vivo. The numbers of alternatively activated macrophages in MLN and serum levels of Hpb-specific IgG1 and IgE were also significantly less in infected Irf8-/- than B6 mice. The frequencies of antigen-experienced CD4+CD11ahiCD49dhi cells that were CD44hiCD62L- were similar in MLN of infected Irf8-/- and B6 mice, but the proportions of CD4+GATA3+ and CD4+IL-4+ T cells were lower in infected Irf8-/- mice. CD11b+Gr1+ cells from naïve or infected Irf8-/- mice suppressed CD4+ T cell proliferation and parasite-specific IL-4 secretion in vitro albeit less efficiently than B6 mice. Surprisingly, there were significantly more CD4+ T cells in infected Irf8-/- mice, with a higher frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T (Tregs) cells and significantly higher numbers of Tregs than B6 mice. In vivo depletion of MDSC and/or Tregs in Irf8-/- mice did not affect adult worm burdens, but Treg depletion resulted in higher egg production and enhanced parasite-specific IL-5, IL-13, and IL-6 secretion ex vivo. Our data thus provide a previously unrecognized role for IRF-8 in Th2 immunity to a GI nematode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background No human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) failure has been documented in the United States using modern cell culture–based vaccines. In January 2021, an 84-year-old male died from rabies 6 months after being bitten by a rabid bat despite receiving timely rabies PEP. We investigated the cause of breakthrough infection. Methods We reviewed medical records, laboratory results, and autopsy findings and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to compare patient and bat virus sequences. Storage, administration, and integrity of PEP biologics administered to the patient were assessed; samples from leftover rabies immunoglobulin were evaluated for potency. We conducted risk assessments for persons potentially exposed to the bat and for close patient contacts. Results Rabies virus antibodies present in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were nonneutralizing. Antemortem blood testing revealed that the patient had unrecognized monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance. Autopsy findings showed rabies meningoencephalitis and metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma. Rabies virus sequences from the patient and the offending bat were identical by WGS. No deviations were identified in potency, quality control, administration, or storage of administered PEP. Of 332 persons assessed for potential rabies exposure to the case patient, 3 (0.9%) warranted PEP. Conclusions This is the first reported failure of rabies PEP in the Western Hemisphere using a cell culture–based vaccine. Host-mediated primary vaccine failure attributed to previously unrecognized impaired immunity is the most likely explanation for this breakthrough infection. Clinicians should consider measuring rabies neutralizing antibody titers after completion of PEP if there is any suspicion for immunocompromise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]