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Biomedical signal processing is crucial in many sectors that save lives. Artificial intelligence improvement in signal collection and conditioning boosted this application's adaptability to varied bodily circumstances. In this study, a novel method is put forth for predicting the type of stroke in the human brain based on the observation of the Electroencephalography (EEG) signal. The signal is the first condition for removing undesirable frequencies by passing through a lowpass filter. To accurately extract the signal features, the signal is first transformed into a 1-second frame format and then normalised. Certain statistical and frequency domain aspects are highlighted to increase taxonomic accuracy. Under the wavelet packet transform, the empirical mode decomposition approach is utilised to recover the most information feasible from the signal. After training on extracted characteristics, the extreme learning machine is regarded to conduct classification. These work achieves 94.95 of Sensitivity, 84.95 of Specificity, 93.74 of Precision, 96.96 of Accuracy, 96.12 of F1 Score. Compared to the standard procedures, the proposed techniques have a greater accuracy rate of about 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appropriate exploitation of biosorbents for the adsorptive removal of toxic heavy metal ions has gained huge interest among the researchers due to concerns on adverse impact by chemical methods and its generation of harmful sludge as byproduct. In the present study, the efficacy of a grafted biosorbent prepared using Tamarindus indica seed gum was ascertained for removing Cr(VI) from both synthetic solution and real tannery effluent. The adsorptive performance of Cr(VI) was optimized for microwave power, exposure time, methylmethacrylate concentration, and adsorbent dosage. Further, a sample of the adsorbent was subjected to characterization using TGA, FTIR, SEM, and XRD investigations. The acquired grafter polymeric material having the highest grafting ratio and grafting efficiency was employed to optimize Cr(VI) adsorption. The results showed that the highest adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) occurred at an initial pH of the solution, 1.0, which showed the pH dependent of the process. The findings explicated that the Cr(VI) sorption by grafted copolymer biosorbent followed both the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms, suggesting that the absorbing active sites on the biosorbent's surface were heterogeneous and that several mechanisms at work were adopted. Kinetic analysis indicated that the second-order mechanism was found to be the best fit. In addition, actual industrial effluent from tanneries was investigated for the removal of Cr(VI) using the acquired adsorbent. Furthermore, the adsorbed chromium was removed by desorption using NaOH and the reusability of the binding capacity was assessed with different cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and early detection is crucial in reducing mortality rates. To aid in this effort, researchers have been exploring various deep-learning techniques to enhance computer-aided systems that utilize computed tomography in lung cancer screening. One such technique is transfer learning, which allows for the use of pre-trained models to reduce the need for extensive training data. However, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs), which are commonly used in deep learning, can be challenging to train due to over-fitting, and effective training requires substantial amounts of data. To address these limitations, the authors propose a dual-state transfer learning method using a deep CNN-based approach. This method aims to develop an efficient training model that reduces variance and avoids over-fitting, while accurately classifying and detecting lung cancer types such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma, using CT-scanned chest images. In order to achieve effective results, the authors utilized pre-trained models such as the DCNN, VGG16, Inceptionv3, and RestNet50. Metrics like the f1-score, recall, precision, and accuracy were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. During training, the ResNet50 model achieved an accuracy of 94% using dual-state transfer learning, while during validation and testing it achieved 92.57% and 96.12% accuracy, respectively. In classification tasks, the DSTL model based on Deep CNNs also surpassed state-of-the-art models. To summarize, the precision and effectiveness of screening and detecting lung cancer can be improved by utilizing dual-state transfer learning methods and deep CNN-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexavalent chromium oxyanions, known as potentially toxic micropollutants, exist in the effluents and discharges of metallurgical, electroplating, refractory, chemical, and tanning industries. The exposure of chromium-contaminated water causes severe health hazards. The present work outlines a facile approach to grow polyaniline (PANI) on fruit-waste-derived cellulose (CEL) via oxidative polymerization of aniline; followed by chemical processing with NH4OH to obtain CEL-PANI-EB composites for adsorptive separation-coupled reduction of highly toxic hexavalent chromium oxyanions. The spectroscopic analyses of the CEL-PANI-EB composite before and after adsorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions revealed hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and complexation as major interactive pathways. The adsorbed hexavalent chromium oxyanions are reduced into Cr(III) species by oxidation of PANI-based benzenoid amine into quinoid imine in the CEL-PANI-EB composite. The adsorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions by the CEL-PANI-EB composite showed negligible effects of other anionic co-pollutants, like NO3− and SO42−. The CEL-PANI-EB composite adsorbed Cr(VI) oxyanions with a removal capacity of 469 mg g−1, based on the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The hydroxyl functionalities in cellulose and amine/imine functionalities in PANI facilitate the electrostatic attraction between the CEL-PANI-EB and Cr(VI) oxyanions in an acidic environment beside the hydrogen linkages. The adsorbed Cr(VI) oxyanions are reduced to Cr(III)-based species by the benzenoid amines of PANI, as revealed from the XPS analyses. The CEL-PANI-EB composite showed excellent recyclability and maintained 83.4% adsorption efficiency after seven runs of chromium adsorption–desorption. The current findings reveal the potential of CEL-PANI-EB composites for the adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) oxyanions and their conversion into a lesser toxic form, making them promising materials for wastewater treatment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bengal Fan, the largest submarine fan in the world, spanning the whole Bay of Bengal resulted from the India-Asia collision event and subsequent Himalayan orogeny. It is a significant depositional feature formed by the major river systems: the Ganges and Brahmaputra. Previous studies revealed the occurrence of an extensive channel-levee system in the Bengal Fan through various marine geoscientific investigations. In the present study, we have successfully mapped a submarine channel-levee segment in the lower Bengal Fan using hull-mounted multibeam bathymetry data collected for the first time. In addition, we conducted a pioneering study of a submarine channel segment using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) within the identified channel. The identified channel, characterized by moderate sinuosity, maintains a smooth morphology throughout its course, with the channel incision increasing towards the lower course. The microbathymetric observations revealed fine-scale features such as mass wasting, sediment waves and scour/depressions indicating the direct interaction between turbidity currents and the channel floor. The newly identified channel is proposed to result from the channel bifurcation of the previously identified channel W6 described by Curray et al. (2003). This study showcases the importance of near-bottom observations in complex submarine channel-levee systems for a better understanding of the formation processes involved in such systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose is to study analytically about the Diffusion-thermo impact on mixed convective flow of Casson fluid in a vertical channel in occurrence of porous media, uniform magnetic field and amplification. Similarity transformation is implemented to transform nonlinear coupled PDEs into ODEs. Further, obtained equations were solved using perturbation technique and studied the characters of heat, velocity and concentration of the corporeal system. The influence of nondimensional factors such as Darcy number Da, buoyancy parameter of concentration N, M2 Hartmann number, dufour number df, rate of chemical reaction γ, Schmidt number Sc, thermal buoyancy parameter λ, Prandtl number Pr, Casson parameter β, and Reynolds number R on concentration, temperature and velocity deliberated explicitly. Few important computational work reveals that the Dufour effect Df enhances the concentration, temperature and fluid flow whereas Casson fluid parameter β diminishes the profiles. The earlier work and present work have been compared for a particular case in the nonexistence of Dufour effect and porous media and were found to be coinciding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, several studies were published on the possible prevention and treatment of the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARSCoV-2), and its complications. However, one aspect that was overlooked is the impact on the mental health of the caregivers of COVID-19 patients. The current study endeavors to investigate sleep quality disturbances in the caregivers of COVID-19 patients in different countries. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional multi-center study was performed between August 1, 2021, and August 30, 2022, across 11 countries. A total of 2411 responses meeting the inclusion criteria (being a family member or caregiver involved in patient care) were collected. The sleep quality was assessed using the self-reported Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 12. Total scores ranged from 0 to 21. A ≥5 indicated poor sleep quality with 89.6% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity. Results: A total of 2411 responses meeting the inclusion criteria showed that mean PSQI scores (P = 0.3604) were higher in caregivers of hospitalized patients than in patients isolated at home. Approximately 62.4% of caregivers reported sleep quality problems while caring for their patients. Conclusion: The results showed that the majority of caregivers of patients with COVID-19 reported disturbances in sleep quality and impaired sleep was more common among caregivers of hospitalized patients, perhaps because hospitalization is associated with a more severe course of the disease. There is a pressing need to take measures to improve the mental health of these caregivers. There should be treatment programs set up to reverse sleep disturbances in this population sufficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot and semi-arid region is prone to meteorological droughts; the lack of rain is frequently accompanied by hot temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity, which has the impact of limiting nutrient uptake and agricultural yields. To overcome this problem a field study conducted during June, 2020 kharif season at farmers field, Chinna Dudyala village, Muddanur, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh aimed to determine the effect of organic mulches and foliar spray of kaolin on NPK uptake in enhancing yield and economics of dry land maize (Zea mays). One of the most important techniques for preserving soil moisture was mulching, which also reduces evapotranspiration when anti-transpirants are used. The experiment comprised nine treatments (T1 to T9) with four types of organic mulches viz., Paddy straw, Ground-nut haulm, Coir-pith, and Sugarcane trash, with foliar spray of kaolin intervals on 40 DAS, 20 & 40 DAS and farmers practice to minimize water stress and improve the nutrient uptake by plant. Among the application of the treatments, coir-pith mulch + foliar spray of kaolin @ 3.0% (T6) on 20 DAS & 40 DAS had significant effect on NPK uptake with N (187.15 kg ha-1), P (69.60 kg ha-1) and K (156.22 kg ha-1) and enhanced grain yield (6976 kg ha-1) and stover yield (10980 kg ha-1), highest gross returns (138034 ₹. ha-1) and BCR (2.63) and was superior to all the other treatments. The present study would help to effectively utilise the available resources, enhance growth and productivity in maize crop and to make economically viable to the farmers of semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study area is warm, semi-arid and is highly variable with droughts and irregular occurrences of above average rainfall resulting in water scarcity thus leading to ground water stress and less soil organic matter which is a major constraint for agriculture. To mitigate this, a field experiment was carried out during kharif June 2020 at farmers' field of Chinna Dudyala village, Muddanur, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the effect of organic mulches and kaolin clay foliar spray in dry land maize. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design consisting of nine treatments and three replications, viz. T1-Paddy straw mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 40 DAS, T2-Paddy straw mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS, T3- Groundnut haulm mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 40 DAS, T4-Groundnut haulm mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS, T5-Coir-pith mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 40 DAS, T6-Coir-pith mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS, T7-Sugarcane trash mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 40 DAS, T8- Sugar cane trash mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS and T9- Farmer's practice (No mulch). Among the different treatments, the growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were favourably influenced with the application of Coir-pith mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS. These results proved that application of Coir-pith mulch+Kaolin clay foliar spray @ 3.0% on 20 and 40 DAS enhanced the soil physical condition and provided sustainable crop growth and productivity of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of heavy metals (HMs) in water and soil sediments represents a serious environmental concern. This study revealed the presence and distribution of HMs in water and soil sediments of various places in Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India. Twenty-one sites were selected along the study area, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to analyze the concentration of the heavy metals. The dominance of various HMs in the soil sediment sample follows the order strontium (Sr) > Manganese (Mn) > Barium (Ba) > Zinc (Zn) > Nickel (Ni) and Sr > Mn > Zn > Boron (B) > , respectively. It was found that the concentration of HMs in water and soil sediments in Ambur market and Mottukollai area was significantly higher than the recommended limits. Thus, the results showed that the presence of HMs in water and soil sediments could be threatened pollution factors unsafe for irrigation, drinking, and other human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:A surgically created or unintentionally formed opening of the intestinal or urinary system onto the abdominal wall is known as intestinal stoma. The connection between the colon and the skin of the abdominal wall is known as a colostomy and when ileum is externalized on the abdomen skin is known as ileostomy. OBJECTIVES: 1) To study different types of intestinal stomas, their indications. 2) To study various complications that occurred after the construction of intestinal stomas. 3) To study the ways how these complications can be minimized and managed in a better way Material & Methods: Study Design: A prospective observational study. Study area: The study was done at surgery department, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga. Study Period: Sep. 2021 - March 2022. Study population: Patients who underwent intestinal stomas either ileostomy or colostomy either in elective or emergency setting with postoperative complications of intestinal stomas. Sample size: 30 cases were included in our study. Sampling method: Simple Random sampling method. Study tools and Data collection procedure: Patients who underwent intestinal stomas either ileostomy or colostomy either in elective or emergency setting with postoperative complications of intestinal stomas were included in the study. The indications for the stoma, temporary, permanent, end or loop or double barrel, ileostomy or colostomy and their complications were recorded. Patients were followed up in the postoperative period for about 6 months or till the revision of stoma for early and late postoperative complications and their complications were recorded and analyzed. Results: Ileostomy was the most common type of stoma (23 out of 30) 76.66% and then colostomy (7 out of 30) 23.33%. Among ileostomy, loop ileostomy was done 10 patients followed by end ileostomy done in 7 patients then double barrel was done in 6 patients. Among colostomy, end colostomy was most commonly done in 6 patients followed by descending loop colostomy done in 1 patient. CONCLUSION: Preoperative stoma site marking for optimal stoma location and proper preoperative education by WOC nurses will increase the patient's independence in stoma care and resumption of normal activities, estimate pouching system wear times, and prevent postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now unquestionably the "gold standard" for the surgical treatment of gallbladder diseases. Even some conditions that were once considered absolute contraindications to laparoscopic cholecystectomy, such as Mirizzi's syndrome and situs visceruminversus1-3, can now be treated with laparoscopy, limiting open surgery to a small number of cases, with mini laparotomic techniques used in some cases4. AIM:To assess the efficacy of French and American methods of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to find the better option in terms of surgeon's ergonomics and their satisfaction among French and American methods of laparoscopic cholecystectomy Material & Methods: Study Design: A prospective comparative study. Study area: The study was done at surgery department, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga. Study Period: June 2021 - Dec.2021. Study population: Patients attending outpatient and inpatient department of General surgery with gallbladder stones during the study period were included in the study. Sample size: 50 cases were included in our study. Study tools and Data collection procedure: Patients attending the outpatient and inpatient department of general surgery with gall bladder stones were included in the study. The individual participants were explained about the study and they were also assured that, their identity would be kept strictly confidential and they have the option to refuse participation in the study at any time. Data analysis: The data was entered in excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS (Version 20). Descriptive statistics with mean, standard deviation and proportions (%) were calculated for quantitative variables. To test the hypothesis Chi Square test and independent sample t tests were used. p value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: In this current study the mean operative time for surgical procedure was recorded as 69.5±19.5 mins in American approach and 60.1±8.6mins in French approach, the difference between both the approaches was statistically significant for mean operative time (p value 0.0323). CONCLUSION: Thus from this study, we infer that French approach is comparatively better than American approach both in terms of efficacy of the procedure and on ergonomic grounds of the surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy consumption is a systematic study used to review the design of facilities, services, and equipment in an organization against specifications of solar panel. The solar panel energy consumption analysis is a work that should be done at the beginning of a solar energy. This way, potential changes can be highlighted before they affect the solar energy budget and schedule. The proposed model provides the IOT-based smart solar energy consumption analysis and control model by using solar photovoltaic micro grid. The proposed IOT design must meet product and process requirements. The solar panel energy should properly address important aspects of production processes. This should include risks related to product quality and safety. Finally, unacceptable risks must be minimized by design. In the solar energy consumption analysis process, the deliverables should be evaluated; customers should precheck the proposed design and identify problematic areas, if any. Solar energy consumption analysis reveals whether user requirements and features are sufficient to achieve the desired outcome. Likewise, there should be corrective actions for discrepancies found in design reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increase of environment pollution and global warming, we are being adopted to electrical vehicles. In recent years, the proliferation of renewable energy sources (RES) like solar, wind, fuel cells, etc. has positively impacted the existing electrical power system network. Also, the usage of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is increasing due to its efficiency and pollution free aspects. By 2040, the estimated count of the electrical vehicles will be more than 350 million all over the world. In India, two wheelers and three wheelers are constituting about 83% of total vehicles. 13% are economy cars. As there are many components in the electrical vehicles, the converter plays a main key role in the electrical vehicles. Converters are mainly used to supply the different voltage levels for different equipment in EVs. In this paper, we are analyzing different types of converters, their switching losses and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Co1−xZnxFe2O4 (Co–Zn) ferrite nanoparticles with x varying from 0.0 to 0.4 have been manufactured by facile chemical co-precipitation method and characterized using structural, morphological, compositional, magnetic and optical properties. XRD pattern revealed that the as-prepared samples have a single-phase spinel structure and good crystallinity which indicate that zinc substitution leads to an increase in both lattice constant and interplanar spacing. FTIR spectra indicate that organic phase annihilation and the spinel phase formation were observed for the prepared sample. The morphological study by SEM shows that the particles have almost spherical grains with narrow size distribution which are appropriate to attain colloidal stability in ferrofluid. The magnetic characterization was studied by VSM which shows that the high cobalt content samples with x < 0.3 show hysteresis, while samples with lower cobalt content show superparamagnetic nature. The saturation magnetization of Zn-substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles decreases appreciably with an increase in Zn concentration shown under the hysteresis curve. Low magnetic field ac susceptibility measurement shows a decrease in Curie temperature from 466 to 237 °C with an increase in zinc content of cobalt ferrite. Thus, by adjusting the zinc and cobalt content in an appropriate proportion, sample with superparamagnetic behaviour with required saturation magnetization and desired Curie temperature can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notable unbiased of this research work was to evaluate the well-being and effectiveness of metaxalone by administering the newly developed test and reference drug. A two-period, two-categorization, crossover bioavailability study in fed conditions. Eleven participants were dosed and completed the trial successfully. The drugs were administered by way of a schedule. Samples collected in both periods for pharmacokinetic evaluation. Plasma samples analyzed using a validated method. Pharmacokinetic parameters for investigational and reference products were calculated using the metaxalone drug concentration and safety of the participants monitored by measurement of vital sign. Relative estimation factors calculated for Cmax, Tmax, area under the curve (AUC) t, AUC inf, K el, half-life, and 90% confidence intervals applied for to check for whether reference and test products are equivalent. The experimental part of the study was completed with no major adversarial event. No losses or stern adverse events transpired throughout the course of the experiment. The assessment product is analogous to reference product in relation to degree and extent of absorption. The outcome of this study indicates the newly developed drug is equivalent to the innovator drug and medication was well tolerated by all participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the structural and magnetic properties of Co0.9Zn0.1Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles are prepared by using chemical co‐precipitation method and characterized with X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The structural results show that the particles have a formation of single‐phase cubic spinel structure and that the particles have a nano scale, with a clear agglomeration between the particles. The crystallite size of the sample is found 6.21 nm by using Scherer's formula, while the lattice parameters is 8.38 Å. The VSM study shows the saturation magnetization (Ms) 30.18 emu g‐1 and coercivity (Hc) 500 Oe along with hysteresis and to calculate the Ms values the Law of approach to saturation is used. The dried sample of ferrite is characterized with an FTIR‐spectrophotometer in wave number range of 4200–800 cm−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypyrrole (PPy)–molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) is a polymer‐metal oxide composite (99.9% pure) obtained when two are mixed mechanically with different wt% in acetone medium to obtain different PPy–MoO3 composite materials. The thick films of pure PPy and PPy–MoO3 polymer‐metal oxide composite are prepared by screen printing technique. The prepared mixed composite polymer‐metal oxide materials are calcinated at 800°C for 8 h in air. The thick films are investigated for structural, electrical, and morphological properties. The surface morphology of the thick films is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) which shows that the films are granular and porous in nature. The gas responses of pure PPy and PPy–MoO3 polymer‐metal oxide composite thick films are studied for different gases such as ammonia gas (NH3) and ethanol gas at room temperature. The pure PPy thick film shows the poor response to ammonia and ethanol gas, while the thick film 40PPy–60MoO3 gave good responses to ethanol gas (50 ppm) at room temperature. The gas selectivity, sensitivity, stability, gas response, and recovery time of the sensor are measured and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the study of structural and dielectric properties of PVDF blended with organically modified clay. The PVDF/clay nanocomposites are prepared by simple melt mixing method. The prepared nanocomposites are characterized for structural and dielectric properties. The structural characterization done using X‐ray diffraction and infra‐red spectroscopy techniques indicates the crystallization of ferroelectric β phase in nanocomposites. The dielectric study shows the composition‐dependent significant enhancement in the dielectric permittivity, particularly in the low‐frequency region. The enhancement in the dielectric permittivity is explained on the basis of increase in the conductivity and formation of minicapacitor‐like network in the nanocomposites. The dielectric loss spectra of PVDF shows two relaxations corresponding to the glass transition temperature and crystalline relaxation. In case of PVDF/Clay nanocomposites, the dielectric relaxation corresponding to the crystalline relaxation completely disappears, which is attributed to the dielectric manifestation of ferroelectric β phase in nanocomposites. The observed dielectric permittivity data can be very well fitted using Vo‐Shi model, which takes contribution of interphase to the dielectric permittivity. The enhancement in the dielectric permittivity along with ferroelectric β phase in PVDF/clay nanocomposites brings the potential application in energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tm3+‐doped La2O3 phosphors with different doping concentration are prepared by co‐precipitation method. The prepared phosphor is characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), SEM, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The XRD analysis confirms the formation of La2O3. PL measurement shows that the phosphor exhibit characteristic Tm3+ bright blue emission attributed to transition from 1D2 → 3F4 of Tm3+ ions, at 363 nm excitation. The Commission International de I'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity color coordinates of prepared phosphor is calculated and presented. The excitation peak located at 363 nm matches with the emission wavelength of near UV‐LED chip, this indicates that the prepared phosphor is a promising blue light‐emitting candidate for eco‐friendly solid state lighting (W‐LED) application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Communication is cornerstone of patients' care for all health professionals. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fetched unique challenges to the art of communication. Objectives: The aim of the study was to understand the challenges of communication and to find effective ways of communication with patients and others while having worn personal protective equipment (PPE) by the healthcare workers during COVID-19 duties. Study Design: A cross-sectional, online-survey study design was chosen for the research. Methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to understand challenges in communicating with patients and significant others while wearing a PPE. The questionnaire was shared as a Google Form link to 150 postgraduate (PG) students under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Results: Responses were received from 50 PG students. The difficulty in communication while having worn PPE was experienced by PG students (n = 49, 98%) in older adult age group as compared to other age groups. PG had physical concerns in the form of perceived difficulty in breathing (n = 40, 80%), shortness of breath (n = 26, 52%), and fatigue (n = 40, 80%) that interfered with their communication while working in COVID care wards. Understanding facial expression, verbal expression, gestures, comprehension, history taking, performing assessments (cognitive), recognizing staff, and building rapport were the most challenging aspects of communication for front-liners while having worn PPE. Proxy communication strategies such as sign language (n = 21, 42%), speaking loudly (n = 44, 88%), and demonstrations (n = 4, 8%) were used to overcome challenges in communication while working in COVID-19 wards. Conclusion: We found that wearing PPE as a part of a physical (nonhuman) environment hindered effective communication with patients and significant others. Perceiving facial expression, verbal expression, gestures, comprehension, history taking, performing assessments (cognitive), recognizing staff, and building rapport are the most challenging aspects of communication for front-liners while having worn PPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fear is an adaptive emotion that serves to mobilize energy to deal with potential threat. A threat stimulus, such as site of a predator, triggers a fear response in the amygdala, which activates areas involved in preparation for motor function in fight or flight. Considering the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), fighting against this specific infectious disease was a serious challenge to the residents who were at a risk of themselves contacting the disease. This leads to exhaustion, isolation, and persistent emotional trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the level of perceived fear of residents doctors as front-liners and to find coping strategies used by resident doctors as front-liners to overcome fear. Study Design: An online survey was conducted. Methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to understand fear level in resident doctors as front-liners and various strategies used by them to overcome fear. The survey questionnaire consisted 21 items. This questionnaire was validated by three faculties. The final questionnaire consisted of 20 questions pertaining to the level of fear. Out of 150 e-mails sent to resident doctors in March 2020, received responses were from 86 resident doctors. Google Form link with the same questionnaire was resent to these 86 resident doctors, in November 2020. Out of these 86 e-mails, responses from 50 resident doctors of only COVID tertiary hospital were quantitatively analyzed. Results: The initial total minimum score was 134 and the maximum score was 200, and the average score was 156.16. Out of 50 residents, 28 (56%) were in the range less than or equal to average and 22 (44%) residents were in range greater than average. The total minimum score after 8 months was 69 and the maximum score was 179, and the average score was 128. Out of 50 residents, 20 (40%) were in the range less than or equal to average and 30 (60%) residents were in range greater than average. Out of 50 residents, 44 (88%) residents had severe fear and 6 (12%) had moderate fear at the initial stage of pandemic, whereas after 8 months of pandemic, only 11 (22%) residents had severe fear and 37 (74%) residents had moderate fear with 2 (4%) residents having only mild fear. Conclusion: Resident doctors who worked for more than 6 h per day in the COVID wards experienced moderate-to-severe levels of fear, which decreased with continued exposure to similar situation. The coping strategies used by residents also helped them to overcome this fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosocial behavior is a voluntary one with utmost intention to do for the benefit of others with set of actions in terms of helping others, sharing what ones have, donating to the needy one, co-operating and volunteering in all activities without personal gain. It is well known that teacher is not only pivotal center for the transformer of knowledge, character, value, but its play a vital role and model for the educand for developing all necessary qualities. The prosociality concept teaches us the nature of being kindness with others and the nature of existence of pros-sociality among the school teachers is need for shaping the educand in the present and fastest scenario. This concept and it values would be promoted among the students without compramisation at any cost. As a teacher, the investigator is very much anxious to know about how the present level of pro-social behaviour and its influencing factor which is enough to handle the students with techno atmosphere at the high school level. So a study is designed to conduct on prosocial behaviour to a sample of 250 participants as high school teachers who are randomly selected from Government high schools in Namakkal and Salem Districts of Tamilnadu, India through simple survey method. RameshChelvans' Pro-Social Behaviour Scale (2018) was five point scale, developed and validated by the investigator was employed to measure the pro-social behaviour with respect to educational qualification as demographic variable. The descriptive analysis revealed that the majority of the school teachers (55.20 %) have average pro-social behaviour. The differential analysis has shown that different levels of pro-social behaviour were found as determinant factor and educational qualification has no significant influence on the pro-social behaviour in total and it dimensions including behaviour towards students, colleagues, and family whereas significant influence on the behaviour towards work, parents, and towards society of high school teachers. It is very high time to promote and nourish this more valuable pro-social behaviour among the teachers through pre-service, inservice and internship programmes without delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brinjal is one of the most popular, nutritional and vegetable crops in the world. It plays a vital role in the national economy as a cash crop. Tissue culture techniques used for in-vitro plant regeneration through cotyledon explants of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) with different combinations of plant growth hormones BAP (4.44, 6.66, 8.88, 11.10 and 13.32μM) and IAA (0.57, 1.14 and 1.71μM) used for in-vitro regeneration of brinjal. The cotyledon explants used in this study, the highest callus induction found on BAP 8.88 μM and IAA 1.14 μM. The callus induction occurred after 15days from initiation, shoot induction occurred after 30 days from initiation and shoot elongation was carried out on the same medium, shoot elongation occurred after 45 days from initiation. MS hormone-free medium found best for root regeneration, the elongated shoots were selected and transferred to a test tube containing MS hormonefree rooting medium and the elongated shoots produce roots after 15 days. Then the rooted plantlets were transferred to poly-cup with a pre-sterilized mixture of coco peat for primary hardening under poly-tunnel for 10days. Subsequently, there generated plantlets acclimatized under the greenhouse. Then, hardened plants transferred to the open field for further development. This plant regeneration method can be useful for the production of the disease-free plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses encompasses a vast spectrum ranging from benign tumors to notorious malignancies. Mediastinal lipoma is a very rarely encountered mediastinal mass. It is usually an incidentally unearthed finding. It has a classical radiographic countenance. Knowledge of its existence and presentation aids early diagnosis and can avert unnecessary invasive investigations for alternative diagnosis. The radiographic picture of cardiophrenic obliteration may be seen in a number of heterogeneous conditions such as loculated pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, diaphragmatic hernias, or in certain mediastinal masses. However, mediastinal masses are rarely kept as a differential of this radiological presentation due to a lack of awareness. This leads to performance of invasive tests like thoracocentesis. We herein report an interesting case of mediastinal lipoma incidentally picked up during a chest radiograph done as a part of preoperative evaluation for an unrelated diagnosis. The chest radiograph exhibited a lesion with an obliteration of the right cardiophrenic angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate crop disease prediction and continuous monitoring is essential in agriculture to improve the crop yield. Internet of Things(IoT) are being used in developing decision support systems for traditional farming methods to optimize disease estimation and yield estimation. Traditionally, a large numbers of statistical and scientific models have been implemented to monitor and predict the crop yield estimation in the agriculture fields. However, most of these models are limited to small and fixed number of agriculture characteristics. Image processing and machine learning approaches are used to predict the disease on agricultural crops using IoT devices. As the size of the training images and features increases, these approaches are incorporate to find and analyze the crop yield in agriculture field. In this paper, we have studied and analyzed various agricultural crop monitoring approaches using IoT based image and machine learning techniques. IoT based image processing and machine learning approaches are necessary for the process of agricultural crop monitoring. Furthermore, we have also studied the advantages and limitations of these approaches on complex crop data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field investigation was conducted at Annamalai University Experimental farm, Annamalainagar to formulate an integrated nutrient management system involving granular form of organic manure granules viz., pressmud, seaweed extract granules and Azophos in combination with graded levels of inorganic fertilizers for increasing the growth attributes of hybrid maize during July-November, 2017. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments. All the treatments significantly influenced the crop yield components and yield of hybrid maize. Among the treatments, 75 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 + Pressmud based organic manure granules @ 150 kg ha-1 + Seaweed extract granules @ 20 kg ha-1 (T5) resulted in enhanced values of various growth components viz., plant height (99.15, 234.32 and 277.51 cm), leaf area index (3.96 and 8.28) and dry matter production (3958, 7857 and 11,426 kg ha-1). This was closely followed by application of 75 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 + Pressmud based organic manure granules @ 150 kg ha-1 (T3) and Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) alone (250:75:75) kg NPK ha-1 (T1) and they were on par with each other. Application of 50 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 (T6) resulted in least values of the growth components of hybrid maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), predominantly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is a frequent phenomenon in interstitial lung disease (ILD) and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Methodology: A prospective, observational, hospital-based study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital after ethics committee permission. The study group consisted of 100 consecutive ILD patients diagnosed by a multidisciplinary diagnosis. They were evaluated for the prevalence of SDB with a polysomnography after a comprehensive history, detailed clinical examination, calculation of various pretest probability scores, and relevant prerequisite workup. Results: Out of the total 100 ILD patients, 44 were male (44%) and 56 were female (56%). SDB was present in 57 (57%) patients. Of these, 29 (29%) were found to have only nocturnal oxygen desaturation (NOD), while 28 (28%) had OSA. The 28 cases of OSA were distributed as 15 mild OSA (53.57%), 10 moderate OSA (35.71%), and 3 severe OSA (10.71%). The patients were divided into the following four groups: total study Group (A), patients with OSA (Group B), patients with NOD without OSA (Group C), and no SDB (Group D). The mean forced vital capacity values predicted in the four groups were 53.67%, 50%, 45.56%, and 57.87%, respectively. The mean body mass index in the four groups was 24.56, 27, 26.98, and 24.89 kg/m2, respectively. The mean 6-min walk distance in the four groups was 280.7, 250, 256.65, and 311.4 m, respectively. The mean partial pressure of oxygen in the four groups was 65.65, 60, 62.10, and 75.66 mmHg, respectively. The mean apnea-hypopnea index in the study group was 2.98/h, 8.6/h with mild OSA, 21.69/h with moderate OSA, 48.78/h with severe OSA, 3.89/h in patients having NOD without OSA, and 2.54/h in patients with no SDB. Conclusion: SDB in ILD is associated with a significant impact on the cardinal determinants of functional capacity, lung function, and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports show that the millions of people killed each year in the road accidents are due to high density vehicles and traffic environment. The road traffic safety has been an unsolvable problem in recent population. Generally, nodes in vehicle ad hoc networks have a relatively high speed, while there is a major issue to provide the accurate data transmission between two nodes. Many research works have been undertaken to solve these issues by trust based techniques. In this paper, a highly secured QoS aware routing algorithm (HSQ-RA) using optimal trust management scheme is proposed. In HSQ-RA, the multi-hop clustering is performed by improved whale optimization algorithm and the inter-cluster routing is done using the trust values. The multiple constraints are used to calculate the trust of each node and optimized by the trust search algorithm. The simulation result exhibits that the proposed HSQ-RA algorithm provides better quality of service (QoS), delivery rate, faster way to discover routing and reduce loss rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is a critical factor for Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANET). Even though VANET belongs to the class of Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET), none of the MANET routing protocol applies to VANET. VANET network is dynamic, due to increased vehicle speed and mobility. Vehicle mobility of VANET affects conventional routing algorithm performance, which deals with the dynamicity of the network node. The evaluation of the existing research stated that Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) is an effective MANET protocol to adopt network changes for significant resource utilization and also provides effective adaptation in the network change. Due to the effective performance of the AODV protocol, it is considered as an effective routing protocol for VANET. This paper proposed an ad hoc TROPHY (TAD-HOC) routing protocol for the VANET network for increasing efficiency and effective resource utilization of the network. To improve the overall performance, ad hoc network is combined with Trustworthy VANET ROuting with grouP autHentication keYs (TROPHY) protocol. The proposed TAD-HOC protocol transmits data based on time demand in the VANET network with the desired authentication. Results of the proposed approach show the increased performance of the VANET network with packet delay, transmission range, and end-to-end delay. The comparative analysis of the proposed approach with I-AODV, AODV-R, and AODV-L shows that the proposed TAD-HOC exhibited effective performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field investigation was conducted at Annamalai University Experimental farm, Annamalainagar to formulate an integrated nutrient management system involving granular form of organic manure granules viz., pressmud, seaweed extract granules and Azophos in combination with graded levels of inorganic fertilizers for increasing the growth attributes of hybrid maize during July-November, 2017. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments. All the treatments significantly influenced the crop yield components and yield of hybrid maize. Among the treatments, 75 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 + Pressmud based organic manure granules @ 150 kg ha-1 + Seaweed extract granules @ 20 kg ha-1 (T5) resulted in enhanced values of various growth components viz., plant height (99.15, 234.32 and 277.51 cm), leaf area index (3.96 and 8.28) and dry matter production (3958, 7857 and 11,426 kg ha-1). This was closely followed by application of 75 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 + Pressmud based organic manure granules @ 150 kg ha-1 (T3) and Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) alone (250:75:75) kg NPK ha-1 (T1) and they were on par with each other. Application of 50 percent RDF + Azophos @ 4 kg ha-1 (T6) resulted in least values of the growth components of hybrid maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation standardized the protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L), cultivar 'Arka Neelkanth'. Initially the regeneration system was standardized with regeneration medium (MS basal medium supplemented with 8.88 µM BAP + 1.14 µM IAA) by using 10-12 days old cotyledon explants. Transformation of the hevein, a gene responsible for fungal resistance. into cotyledon explants was carried out with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harbouring binary plasmid pGPTV/hevein (Plasmid Gus Plant Transformation Vector) with marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase (npt-II). Transformation efficiency showed a higher percentage in one day pre-cultured explants, infected with bacterial suspension of optical density 0.4 at OD600 nm with 1:1 dilution for 10min and 48hrs co-cultivation on regeneration medium in the dark. Transformed explants were cultured on selection medium. The PCR molecular confirmation of amplified npt-II gene from the genomic DNA of the transformed plant indicates the integration of the hevein gene in the brinjal plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work an attempt has been made to reduce the waste materials in the environment and reuse it in our research effectively and efficiently, so we adopted to make a comparative study of bricks made with various waste materials to conventional clay brick. We have done a study on brick made with each and every waste material available in the environment and selected waste materials to be partially replaced to clay brick. From that analysis, we adopted steel slag, saw dust and construction and demolition waste for the partial replacement to clay. Before replacement of waste materials, we analyzed the chemical and physical properties of clay as well as the waste materials. We replaced our waste materials to clay by 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% of steel slag, construction and demolition waste and saw dust. The bricks have been casted in a chamber with reference to IS 1077:1992. Casted bricks are dried up by using oven and then dispatched for testing. The tests such as compression test, water absorption test and efflorescence test are done with reference to IS 3495:1994 Part I to IV. These test results are compared with conventional clay bricks to find out optimal replacement of particular waste material that produce the maximal strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiment was carried out at the Experimental farm, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar to study the quality characters of traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.). varieties as influenced by of EM compost during August 2017 to January 2018 (samba season). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three main treatments (traditional rice varieties) viz., Mapillai samba, Illupai poo samba and Seeraga samba, and six sub treatments includes control, recommended dose of nitrogen, graded dose of nitrogen along with different sources of organic manures viz., EM (effective microorganisms) compost, FYM, green manure pressmud. The treatments were replicated thrice. The effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) practices on grain yield and quality character of traditional rice viz., kernel length and breadth ratio before and after cooking, hulling percentage, milling percentage and head rice recovery percentage was critically studied. Among the main plot treatments (traditional rice varieties), Mapillai samba significantly recorded higher values of grain yield, kernel length and breadth ratio before and after cooking, hulling percentage, milling percentage and head rice recovery percentage. In respect of sub plot treatments (Integrated nutrient management), plots received with 75% RDN along with EM compost @ 5 t ha-1 significantly recorded maximum grain yield and higher values of aforesaid quality parameters of traditional rice. The least values were recorded under control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted in the farmer's field, Semmangudi village, Sirgali taluk, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu during summer, 2018 to study the productivity and profitability enhancement of hybrid pearl millet (Pennisetumglaucum L. R. Br.) through weed management. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The treatments of unweeded control (T1), hand weeding twice at 15 and 30 DAS (T2), pre-emergence application of atrazine (750g ha-1) on 3 DAS (T3), pre-emergence application of pretilachlor (450g ha-1) on 3 DAS (T4), early post-emergence application of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (56.25 g ha-1) on 10 DAS (T5), early post emergence application of metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethyl (4 g ha-1) on 10 DAS (T6), pre-emergence application of atrazine (750gha-1) on 3DAS + one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T7), pre-emergence application of pretilachlor (450 g ha-1) on 3DAS + one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T8), early post-emergence application of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (56.25g ha-1) on 10 DAS + one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T9), early postemergence application of metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethyl (4g ha-1) on 10DAS + one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T10). Among the different weed management practices in hybrid pearl millet, pre-emergence application of pretilachlor (450g ha-1) on 3DAS + one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T8) significantly recorded the highest nutrient uptake by crop and growth and yield parameters such as plant height, LAI, DMP, number of tillers plant-1, ear head length, ear head girth, number of grains ear head-1 and lowest nutrient removal by weeds. Hence from the results, it is revealed that pre-emergence application of pretilachlor (450g ha-1) on 3DAS followed by one hand weeding on 30 DAS (T8) was an efficient and economically feasible practice to manage the weeds in hybrid pearl millet with better returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric materials exhibiting high dielectric constants play critical roles in a wide range of applications from microchip energy storage embedded capacitors for implantable biomedical devices to energy storage capacitors for a new generation of renewable energy generation/storage systems. Instead of searching for new materials, we demonstrate that giant dielectric constants can be achieved by integrating two simple oxides with low dielectric constants into nanolaminate structures. In addition, the obtained dielectric constant values are highly tunable by manipulating the sub-layer thicknesses of the component oxides to control the number of interfaces and oxygen redistribution. The work reported here opens a new pathway for the design and development of high dielectric constant materials based on the nanolaminate concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polypropylene (PP), a versatile commodity thermoplastic, and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), an amorphous engineering thermoplastic, were blended over full composition range by melt-mixing technique using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. PP is likely to be compatible with COC due to its olefinic behaviour, and PP/COC blends provide significant promising properties. FTIR spectra, Raman spectra and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) patterns of polypropylene, cyclic olefin copolymer and its blends were recorded in solid phases and carried out qualitative and quantitative analysis in detail. The characteristic absorption peaks of PP, COC and PP/COC blends were determined and compared. PP/COC blends did not generate new chemical reactions, while the intensity of fundamental vibration peaks in the spectra tends to vary with respect to the component contents in the blends. The ratio of the integral intensities of polypropylene and cyclic olefin copolymer fundamental vibrations in the Raman spectra were used for the quantitative analysis of PP/COC blends, and the obtained results showed very good agreement with the experimental values. IR spectra, Raman spectra and WAXS patterns of PP/COC blends are useful to track the uniformity of blending and determine the blend composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) has become the most common cause of mortality in the entire world. Homocysteine is implicated as an early atherosclerotic promoter. Homocysteine (Hcy) is an essential amino acid in humans. It has been known as a novel and independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia varies between 5% and 30% in the general population. Aim of the study: To assess whether hyperhomocysteinemia is one of the independent risk factors for coronary artery disease. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine, Government K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College, Trichy from 2017-2018. Totally 100 Patients who were presented to our hospital with coronary artery disease of age group 30 to 70 years were included in the study. Diagnosis of coronary artery disease was made based on a history of angina pain, electrocardiography (ECG) changes and cardiac enzyme levels. Diagnosis of acute MI was made according to WHO criteria. Results: Among the 100 patients, 66 had acute Myocardial Infarction and 34 had angina. Among the 52 patients who had hyperhomocysteinemia, 34 patients (65%) were young with age = 45 years and 18 patients (35%) were with age> 45 years. In our study, 66 patients with MI were included. Among the 28 patients (42.4%) were young with age <45 years. In this group of young patients with MI, 21 patients (65.4%) had hyperhomocysteinemia and 7 patients (34.6%) had normal homocysteine level. Conclusion: Finally, during the last decade, the utility of homocysteine in predicting risk for atherothrombotic vascular disease has been evaluated in several observational studies in a large number of patients. These studies show that the overall risk for vascular disease is small, with prospective, longitudinal studies reporting a weaker association between homocysteine and atherothrombotic vascular disease compared to retrospective case-control and cross-sectional studies. Furthermore, randomized controlled trials of homocysteine-lowering therapy have failed to prove a causal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hyperlipidemia, one of the important risk factor of atherosclerosis, is an abnormality commonly encountered in patients with chronic kidney disease. There are several other important risk factors, such as smoking, proteinuria, oxidative stress, inflammation and dyslipidemia that independently or in combination with elevated blood pressure, can cause deterioration in renal function. Aim of the study: To analyze lipid alterations that can occur in chronic kidney disease patients. Materials and methods: This study was conducted among 50 patients with chronic kidney disease. All the patients with established chronic kidney disease ensured with radiological evidence and on conservative treatment were included in the study. Lipid profile parameters are estimated under standard techniques. Results: Total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TGL), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), and Low- Density Lipoprotein (LDL) of all the patients were investigated for the lipid profile study. It was found that the majority (80%) of the study participants were found to have low HDL, 62% of the participants were found to have a high triglyceride level. Overall, seven patients (14%) showed abnormal lipid profile with respect to all the four parameters. Conclusion: HDL-C levels were lower and triglycerides, total cholesterol, and TGL levels were higher in the study group. There is a statistically significant increase in serum triglycerides level in patients with CKD stage 3, 4 and 5. Predominant lipid abnormalities were reduced HDL-C levels and elevated TGL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Ru(ii)–arene-2-pyridinylbenzoxazole complexes [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-5-bromo-2-(pyridine-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazole)] (4) and [(η6-benzene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-5-bromo-2-(pyridine-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazole)] (5) and Ru(ii)–arene-2-quinolylbenzoxazole complexes [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-5-bromo-2-(quinoline-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazole)] (4′) and [(η6-benzene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-5-bromo-2-(quinoline-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazole)] (5′) were synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. Structural analysis indicates that the Ru(ii) centres are in a distinct mononuclear, one-sided octahedral [RuN6] coordination geometry with two neutral bidentate nitrogen donors in the bromobenzoxazole ligands. All four complexes exhibit three different electronic bands: a sharp band at 300–330 nm due to ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT); a band around 400 nm due to metal-to-ligand charge transfer; and a small broad peak at around 600 nm due to ligand-to-metal charge transfer. The fluorescence abilities of the four complexes were studied using the LLCT absorption peak as the excitation energy in dimethylsulfoxide: water (1 : 1, v/v), and the quantum yield was found to decrease in the order of 5′ ＞ 4′ ＞ 4 ＞ 5. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the highest-occupied molecular orbital is primarily located on the benzoxazole ring system, while the lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital is mainly located on the Ru atom, which implies possible charge transfer from ligand to metal. The binding strengths of the Ru(ii) complexes with DNA (5′ ＞ 4′ ＞ 4 ＞ 5) and bovine serum albumin (4′ ＞ 5′ ＞ 5 ＞ 4) were on the order of 105–106 and 103–105 M−1, respectively. The conductometric data reveal that all four complexes are non-electrolytic in nature, and viscosity decreases in the order of 5′ ＞ 4′ ＞ 4 ＞ 5. This might be due to the effective intercalation of 5′ compared to the other complexes. DNA and protein docking studies suggest that all the complexes interact with DNA through the minor groove and favourably occupy the active sites of proteins based on dipole–dipole interactions. Gel electrophoresis studies show that all complexes degrade plasmid DNA (1 kb) completely within 1 h of exposure time. MTT assay results indicate that all complexes exhibit highly selective cytotoxicity for two cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and HeLa) with respect to normal HEK-293 cells. Among the complexes, 4′ and 5 show the highest cytoselectivities for the Caco-2 and HeLa cell lines, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of medical negligence is not new in India. It is there for a long time but since the last 2 decades, medical negligence and legal aspects of medicine have acquired great significance. Today the number of cases of medical litigation is increasing and already it has become a great problem especially for surgeons, anesthetists, obstetricians and gynecologists. The threat of litigation has increased to a great extent after the inclusion of medical services under the preview of Consumer Protection Act 1986 and 2002. The present study is an attempt to discover the ground realisms and basic drawbacks in the service of the healthcare which gives a boost to allegations against the medical practitioners. In this study we have taken into consideration the cases of alleged medical negligence that are referred for expert opinion to the Government medical college, Aurangabad in the period of 2011 to 2015. In the present study Large no. of allegations cases were related to the age group 21-30 years (35.94 %). Females in the reproductive age-group (21-40) years had the most frequent no. of cases (54.71%) of allegations. Large no. of cases (78.13%) were related to urban population as against rural population (21.88%). Cases related to allegations against the private hospitals scored more (71.88%) than against government hospitals. 47 % of cases were related to surgical specialties which was more than the medicinal aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Markov modulated Poisson process (MMPP) models are developed to describe winter season rainfall with parsimonious parameter use. We propose a methodology for determining the best form of seasonal model for fine-scale rainfall within a MMPP framework. Of those proposed here, a model with a fixed transition rate is shown to be superior over the other MMPP models considered. The model is expanded to include covariate data for sea-level air pressure, relative humidity, and temperature using reanalysis data over 14 years from the coordinates covering the Bracknell rainfall collection site in England. Results are compared using the likelihood ratio test and the second-order properties of aggregated rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]