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Due to yearly uneven rainfall distribution, exsiccation of water availability, specifically during the summer in the agricultural field in Saurashtra, is a usual scenario. Saurashtra region's land formation contains Basalt rock. The area is categorized under the semi-arid region. Hence, the Groundwater condition was observed to be poor as the self-characteristic of land for water-storage capacity for the Basalt is negligible within its strata. Mining Engineering and Groundwater Improvement Techniques were incorporated to find a way out of water stress conditions. An experimental study was carried out for mass blasting with the permission of the Government body and an expert team of mining explosions at the study area within the catchment of check dams and river beds. A group containing five borewells was blasted at a 27, 18, and 9 m depth, respectively. In each borehole, 15 blasts of 2.76 unit explosion were exploded together by sealing a cover of sand over it. The impact assessment of 30 wells was monitored Post-blast within the range of 400m of the Bore Blasting Technique (BBT) performed. As a result, a rise in water level up to 19m has been recorded near the streamline of BBT performed. In addition, the movement of the water was diverted from its parental aquifer to the observed dug wells. Hence, it is concluded that channelizing the groundwater can be possible by incorporating BBT in the basalt region, and identical improvement can also possible interms of fractured basalt rock and availability of water in the basalt region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to yearly uneven rainfall distribution, exsiccation of water availability, specifically during the summer in the agricultural field in Saurashtra, is a usual scenario. Saurashtra region's land formation contains Basalt rock. The area is categorized under the semi-arid region. Hence, the Groundwater condition was observed to be poor as the self-characteristic of land for water-storage capacity for the Basalt is negligible within its strata. Mining Engineering and Groundwater Improvement Techniques were incorporated to find a way out of water stress conditions. An experimental study was carried out for mass blasting with the permission of the Government body and an expert team of mining explosions at the study area within the catchment of check dams and river beds. A group containing five borewells was blasted at a 27, 18, and 9 m depth, respectively. In each borehole, 15 blasts of 2.76 unit explosion were exploded together by sealing a cover of sand over it. The impact assessment of 30 wells was monitored Post-blast within the range of 400m of the Bore Blasting Technique (BBT) performed. As a result, a rise in water level up to 19m has been recorded near the streamline of BBT performed. In addition, the movement of the water was diverted from its parental aquifer to the observed dug wells. Hence, it is concluded that channelizing the groundwater can be possible by incorporating BBT in the basalt region, and identical improvement can also possible interms of fractured basalt rock and availability of water in the basalt region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents here a novel electrical sensor for detecting alcohol concentration in the exhale of an individual. We highlight fabrication of the sensor followed by subsequent assemblage into a handheld unit. The prototype yields a remarkable sensitivity along with a linear range of ~ 250–800 ppm. Additionally, we demonstrate the implementation of it in the helmet of a biker—which is further validated by in situ results related to monitoring exhale activity of few subjects. Through proper tuning with the ignition control system, the prototype can act as a protective gear for drunken drivers. Once the concentration of alcohol is sensed above a permissible level, the ignition system can be momentarily stopped; thereby averting plausible accidents. We believe that this sensor can be upgraded to more advanced protocol via a little tweaking with Internet of Things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute pancreatitis is a commonly encountered emergency in children. It has always been tough to predict accurately among the patients who will become systemically unwell. Simple prognostic markers, such as red cell distribution width (RDW) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), could identify such patients. This study was done to assess the usefulness of those markers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2018 to June2020at department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, BSMMU, Dhaka. Thirty-one children with abdominal pain diagnosed as acute pancreatitis were included by purposive sampling in the study. Results: The mean age of the pediatric patients was 11.19 (±3.45) years. The mean red cell distribution width was 14.99 (±2.96) and mean neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was 4.49 (±3.99). Total thirty patients (97%) were recovered and one patient (3%) died in hospital stay. Thirteen patients (41.9%) developed complications among which ascites was more common (12, 38.7%). NLR> 5 was observed in higher proportion in the study subjects with complications (46.2%) than without complications (16.7%) without any statistically significant difference. RDW e" 14 was found in 53.8% study subjects with complications and 50% without complications. However, no statistically significant difference was found. Length of hospital stay was longer in patients with NLR >5 than with NLR d"5. RDW <14 was associated with longer hospital stay than RDW e"14. There was no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: It was found that elevated RDW and NLR on admission had unfavorable clinical outcomes for pediatric patients with acute pancreatitis although statistical significance could not be established. Further multicenter studies with larger sample size are required for making some clinically applicable inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining a preheating source with conventional arc welding is a promising method to study the weld quality and improvement of strength for high-strength super-alloy materials. The present research used an induction preheating source with plasma arc welding (PAW) to weld Inconel 625 thick plates. The investigation was performed at a constant induction current of 600 A, welding speed of 100 mm/min and a plasma welding current of 135 A. The induction-assisted plasma arc welding (IAPAW) demonstrated that a weld joint was possible with static induction preheating and a high plasma welding current at low welding speed. The microstructural observation showed various dendritic structures in the fusion zone (FZ). The FESEM and EDX analysis confirmed the formation of Laves phase in the interdendritic structure of the FZ. The ultimate tensile strength of the IAPAW joint reached to 658 MPa. The tensile fracture surface of the welded sample revealed a lower number of dimples, indicating the reduction of ductility. The XRD analysis was carried out at various zones and it confirmed the peak shifting towards the higher 2-theta value of the FZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diagnosis of IIH (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) in children is challenging. The pathogenesis of IIH is still largely unknown. The aim of this study to evaluate the clinico-demographic profile and short-term outcome of IIH among Bangladeshi children. Methodology: This observational cohort study was done in pediatric Neurology Department, National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital Bangladesh from January 2018 to July 2019. Total 19 cases were enrolled who were clinically suspected and/or had normal CSF with opening pressure (OP) above 250 mmH2O. They were further categorized as "definite IIH", definite IIH without papilledema, and "probable IIH". Clinical, radiological profile and shortterm outcome were analyzed by SPSS version 22. Result: Among them most were probable IIH (74%). Episodic (57.9%), moderate, diffuse headache was the predominant symptom along with vomiting, double vision, unilateral VI nerve palsy and papilledema. Obesity was found in 21% cases. Mean CSF pressure was 21.84+7.62cm H2O and found high in definite IIH. All the cases were treated with acetazolamide and serial LP was done in 4(15.8%) cases. Definite IIH requires longer hospital stay (6.42 ± 2.87days). Recurrence was observed in 10.5% cases and visual impairment was found in 15.8% cases. Conclusion: This study found wide range of diversity between clinical feature and CSF opening pressure in Pediatric IIH and diagnostic confirmation was challenging. Initial treatment response was satisfactory with a low recurrence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herbal age-old traditional method is practiced even today to treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) by the ethnic inhabitants of tea gardens of Darjeeling Himalaya, India. The aim of this study was to explore and document the traditional ways of healing UTIs. The information was collected from selected tea gardens and data was quantitatively analyzed with the help of ethnobotanical indices viz., use value, plant part value, family use value, fidelity level (%), and informant consensus factor. Antibiogram of four UTI-causing bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Staphylococcus aureus) was also established by Kirbye Bauer's disc diffusion method. Antibacterial activity of twelve mostly used plants like Cheliocostus speciosus, Equisetum diffusum, Saccharum officinarum, Elettaria cardamomum, Coriandrum sativum, Plantago asiatica ssp. erosa, Centella asiatica, Achyranthes bidentata, Carex cruciata, Drymaria cordata ssp. diandra, Nephrolepis cordifolia, Malvaviscus arboreus were assessed against the aforementioned bacterial strains. Drymaria cordata and Centella asiatica on comparative MIC and MBC study showed the lowest MIC and MBC value of 0.29 mg/mL each against Staphylococcus, representing their effectivity. Nephrolepis cordifolia with 100% FL showed the lowest MIC and MBC value 0.67 mg/mL each against E. coli K12. The uses of these plants known from the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the healers could be promoted as complementary medicine to treat UTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-treatment of biomass is a necessary step for delignification as well as an unavoidable step in the journey of biomass to biofuel. Apart from delignification, defragmentation and partial depolymerization of biomass are two other additional useful steps in the overall process of pre-treatment. Ultimately these three steps together make the downstream enzymatic hydrolysis process more effective in producing optimum total reducing sugar. Several different pre-treatment technologies are available to delignify various types of biomasses with each of them being unique concerning specific advantages and disadvantages, characteristics of its own. However, different pre-treatment methods, in combination, have been found beneficial with higher delignification efficiency in comparison to a single pre-treatment method, implemented on its own. Apart from physical pre-treatment procedures like milling, grinding, steam explosion, etc., pre-treatment methods can be divided, roughly, into three groups: biological pre-treatment, physical pre-treatment and chemical pre-treatment. Chemical pre-treatments always arrest significantly higher attention due to their effectiveness and minimum treatment time required. In this review, a thorough discussion of various chemical and biological pre-treatment technologies, along with their efficacy and effective outcomes, have been discussed in order to understand their impacts on bioenergy industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electro-optic effect becomes prominent when an electric field is applied across the optic axis of a dielectric material inducing the changes in refractive indices of the medium. Kerr and Pockels cells are massively used as optical switches because of their nonlinear electro-optic character. Potassium di-hydrogen Phosphate (KDP) crystal is a very good electro-optic Pockels material as well as has a good switching behavior in optical and opto-electronic domain. The principle of this electro optic effect can be successfully used to develop optical switch based information processing devices. Transmission co-efficient of the polarized light beam have been modulated in a new way by introducing a multi passing scheme across a electro-optic material. Here transmission co-efficient plays a vital role to examine how much output intensity changes for developing feedback one by one in ascending order. In this paper a novel study for the sizable increase of transmission co-efficient of a KDP crystal for a fixed biasing voltage is reported adopting proper feedback mechanism of light. This paper we also observe an theoretical basis for achieving unit transmission coefficient which minimum amount of voltage require for adopting comparatively many large number of feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to prepare a copper-coated rubber surface using cold spray technology with improved virucidal and antimicrobial properties to fight against highly transmissible viruses and bacteria. A successful cold spray coating was produced using irregular-shaped pure Cu powder on an escalator handrail rubber. The powder particles and the deposited coatings (single and double pass) were characterized in terms of particle morphology and size distribution, coating surface and coat/substrate cross-section properties. The bonding between powder and rubber surfaces was purely mechanical interlocking. The Cu powder penetration depth within the rubber surface increases with a number of depositions pass. The virucidal properties of the coated surface were tested utilizing surrogates for SARS-CoV-2: HCoV-229E, a seasonal human coronavirus, and baculovirus, a high-titer enveloped insect cell virus. A double-pass coated surface showed significant baculovirus inactivation relative to a bare rubber control surface after 2-h (approximately 1.7-log) and 4-h (approximately 6.2-log), while a 4-h exposure reduced HCoV-229E titer to below the limit of detection. A similar microbial test was performed using E. coli, showing a 4-log microbial reduction after 2-h exposure relative to the bare rubber. These promising results open a new application for cold spray in the health sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the outstanding mechanical properties of graphene nanoplates (GNP), it has been considered an ideal reinforcing agent for the production of a metal-matrix composite (MMC). In this study, 1.0 wt.% graphene-reinforced Aluminum 6061 MMC particles have been synthesized using the high-energy mechanical alloying (HE-MA) method to be deployed as feedstock in cold spray additive manufacturing. The synthesized MMC particles were spray coated on AZ80 magnesium substrate. The coating microstructure, coating-substrate interface evolution, and particle-particle bonding mechanism were studied. The novel HE-MA composite particles deposited coating exhibits greater deformability, thanks to crystal-level grain refinement, thereby improving interface mechanical interlocking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates the low temperature thin-film deposition of silicon nitride ( SiN x) for III-nitride-based high electron mobility transistors using inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition. It is observed that the nonlinear dependency of the deposition temperature and gas flow rates have a profound impact on the film quality. The process parameter space is scanned and the optimum film quality is achieved, which is verified with physical and electrical characterizations. The best quality film is achieved at a deposition temperature of 380 ° C demonstrating near ideal stoichiometry with negligible hydrogen (< 5%) and oxygen (< 3%) concentrations. In addition, the optimized film is found to have zero pinholes even at a thickness of 10 nm and is uniform over a large area with an rms roughness of 0.58 nm. The deposited films are characterized by atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The dielectric strength and dielectric constant of these films are determined from current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of the metal-insulator-metal structure, respectively. For the best quality film, the values of dielectric strength and dielectric constant are measured to be ∼ 8 MV/cm and ∼ 7.5 , respectively. A metal-insulator-semiconductor-heterostructure (metal/SiN x /AlGaN/GaN) capacitor is fabricated with the optimized recipe for interface characterization. The density of slow traps is determined from the hysteresis in the C-V curve and found to be 7.38 × 10 10 cm − 2 . The frequency dependent conductance method is also used to investigate the trap density. The trap state density is found to be 1.67 × 10 12 cm − 2 eV − 1 at 0.29 eV below conduction band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh possesses a rich flora of medicinal plants. Continious use of these plants as items of traditional medicine in the treatment and management of various health problems generation after generation has made the system an integral part of the culture of the people in this country. Both the unani and ayurvedic systems of traditional medicine have firm roots in Bangladesh and are widely practiced all over the country. The communication highlights the overview, diagnosis, treatment, contribution, official status, production, practice of traditional medicine in Bangladesh. The modern medicine, it was proved that volatile oils helps digestion by promoting salivation, stimulating secretion of gastric fluids. The several advantages are due to lower prices and easy availability, the plants of Bangladesh were less toxic and little or no side effects than modern medicine. Extract of senna leaves and aloe juice of leaves are used for reduced constipation. although, the chemical components of the plants are helpful in modern medicine and used as luxative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic CuI thin films were grown using e-beam evaporation to substitute expensive organic hole transporting layer (HTL) material used in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). CuI powder was e-beam evaporated at 25 W for 5 and 10 min to yield 100 nm film on glass substrate and 200 nm film on perovskite layer, respectively. X-ray diffraction pattern of CuI thin film showed a single peak at 26.04°, corresponding to (111) plane of crystalline gamma (γ) phase. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed the nanostructured thin film. A bandgap of 3.1 eV was calculated by absorption curves of CuI thin film. The deposited CuI thin film on glass substrate showed a transmittance of 75% in the visible region. X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy data revealed that the films were slightly Cu deficient and p-type nature, respectively. PSC with a device architecture of glass/ITO/c-TiO2/m-TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/CuI/Au was fabricated. CuI thin film is a promising alternative HTL for organic material in the improvement of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the limiting factors for developing metrologically useful arrays from epitaxial graphene on SiC are lifted with a combination of centimeter-scale, high-quality material growth and the implementation of superconducting contacts. Standard devices for metrology have been restricted to having a single quantized value output based on the ν = 2 Landau level. With the demonstrations herein of devices having multiple outputs of quantized values available simultaneously, these versatile devices can be used to disseminate the ohm globally. Such devices are designed to give access to quantized resistance values over the range of three orders of magnitude, starting as low as the standard value of ∼12.9 k Ω and reaching as high as 1.29 M Ω. Several experimental methods are used to assess the quality and versatility of the devices, including standard lock-in techniques and Raman spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilize pump/probe spectroscopy to determine the interband and intraband relaxation dynamics in InSb based quantum wells. Using non-degenerate pump/probe techniques, we observed several time scales for relaxation. One time scale τ3 ranging from 2 ps to 5 ps is due to the intraband relaxation dynamics. Here, both the emission of LO phonons (within the Γ valley) and carrier scattering between the X, L, and Γ valleys contribute to the relaxation. An observed longer relaxation time, τ2≈20 ps, is attributed to electron-hole recombination across the gap (the interband relaxation time). Finally, using a mid-infrared (MIR) degenerate pump/probe scheme, we observed a very fast relaxation time of ~1 ps, which is due to the saturation of the band-to-band absorption. Our results are important for developing concepts for InSb devices operating in the THz or MIR optical ranges with the endless need for faster response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deterioration of metallic and non-metallic structures and monuments is largely controlled by their surrounding environment. The Taj Mahal, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world heritage situated in Agra of India built in seventeenth century using white marbles, is famous for its aesthetic look. Gradual yellowing and blackening of the monument are matter of great concern, and if not controlled, the heritage structure may lose its glaze and beauty. Extensive studies available on deteriorating effect of the monument miss a vital point related to the pollutants coming from severely polluted River Yamuna which flows very close to the Taj Mahal. To ascertain the possible effects of the pollutants carbon steel, copper and zinc samples were exposed for four years at the premise of Taj Mahal. The surface characterization of the exposed metals with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction reveals the formation of respective sulphides of the studied metals. The findings suggest that the hydrogen sulphide from the polluted Yamuna River had damaging effect. The wind rose diagram developed at site of exposure further supports the above findings. The corrosion rate of copper was found to be 2.46 µm/year. This observation as well as identification of corrosion products formed on the metal surface (strong peaks of copper sulphide) provided strong evidences that the hydrogen sulphide evolved from the polluted river accelerated the deterioration of the metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enormous growth in the consumption of plastic grocery bags and their non-biodegradability nature has become a serious cause of waste generation. In the context of the disposal of plastic, pyrolysis is a promising technique that addresses the energy crisis issue too. Therefore, in this work, pyrolysis kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of plastic grocery bags were investigated using different iso-conversional methods (Starink, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Ozawa–Wall–Flynn, and Friedman methods) based on thermogravimetric analysis data at multiple heating rates (10, 20, 30, and 40 K/min). The pyrolysis of plastic grocery bags followed a single-step degradation process. The average activation energy values were found to be 133.21, 133.80, 139.12, and 192.08 kJ/mol from Starink, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Ozawa–Wall–Flynn, and Friedman methods, respectively. The average values of the pre-exponential factor (using Kissinger's equation) varied in between 7.14 × 108 and 1.47 × 1013 min−1. From the generalized master plot, it has been observed that the one-dimensional diffusion model is the most suitable one to describe the pyrolysis process. The trends of the thermodynamic parameters reveal the ease of reaction of the plastic grocery bag, as well as it is approaching the thermodynamic equilibrium state during the pyrolysis process. This investigation on the pyrolysis kinetics and thermodynamic parameters would be a reference in designing and scaling the reactor for the treatment of plastic grocery bags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, atomic layer deposition has been used to grow a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1-7) of ZnO/TiOx layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effects of defect states mediated chemisorption of O2 and/OH groups on the electrical properties of these films have been investigated by illuminating the samples under UV light inside a high vacuum optical cryostat. The ultra-thin film having one stacked layer (n = 1) did not show any change in its electrical resistance upon UV light exposure. On the contrary, marginal drop in the electrical resistivity was measured for the samples with n ≥ 3. Most surprisingly, the sample with n = 2 (thickness ~ 12 nm) showed an insulator to metal transition upon UV light exposure. The temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement on the as grown film (n = 2) showed insulating behaviour, i.e., diverging resistivity on extrapolation to T→ 0 K. However, upon UV light exposure, it transformed to a metallic state, i.e., finite resistivity at T → 0 K. Such an insulator-metal transition plausibly arises due to the de-trapping of conduction electrons from the surface defect sites which resulted in an upward shift of the Fermi level above the mobility edge. The low-temperature electron transport properties on the insulating film (n = 2) were investigated by a combined study of zero field electrical resistivity ρ(T) and magneto-resistance (MR) measurements. The observed negative MR was found to be in good agreement with the magnetic field induced suppression of quantum interference between forward-going paths of tunnelling electrons. Both ρ(T) and MR measurements provided strong evidence for the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction in the low-temperature (≤40 K) regime. Such studies on electron transport in ultra-thin n-type doped ZnO films are crucial to achieve optimum functionality with long term reliability of ZnO based transparent conducting oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measure the magneto-optical absorption due to intersubband optical transitions between conduction and valence subband Landau levels in InSb square and parabolic quantum wells. InSb has the narrowest band gap (0.24 eV at low temperature) of the III-V semiconductors leading to a small effective mass (0.014 m0) and a large g-factor (-51). As a result, the Landau level spacing is large at relatively small magnetic fields (<8 T), and one can observe spin-splitting of the Landau levels. We examine two structures: (i) a multiple-square-well structure and (ii) a structure containing multiple parabolic wells. The energies and intensities of the strongest features are well explained by a modified Pidgeon-Brown model based on an 8-band k•p model that explicitly incorporates pseudomorphic strain. The strain is essential for obtaining agreement between theory and experiment. While modeling the square well is relatively straight-forward, the parabolic well consists of 43 different layers of various thickness to approximate a parabolic potential. Agreement between theory and experiment for the parabolic well validates the applicability of the model to complicated structures, which demonstrates the robustness of our model and confirms its relevance for developing electronic and spintronic devices that seek to exploit the properties of the InSb band structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Onion is an economically important bulbous vegetable crop widely cultivated in India. Onion produced in West Bengal can only partially meet up its domestic need and thus extremely depends upon supply from other Indian States during lean period. Bringing more area under cultivation with improved varieties can boost the production and productivity of onion in West Bengal. The present situation leads to explore the scope of onion cultivation in non-traditional area. The objective of the study was to know the production and storage performance of onion varieties under Coastal Saline Zone of West Bengal, with the greater aim to explore this non-traditional onion growing area in future. Methods: Sixteen short day onion varieties were evaluated in Rabi 2014-15 and 2015-16 in Ramkrishna Ashram KVK, Nimpith following Randomized Block Design with three replications. Eight field parameters, three laboratory parameters and four storage parameters were studied. Result: Enough variation was noticed for different growth, yield, quality and storage attributes among the onion cultivars. The bulb yield, bulb weight, bulb equatorial and polar diameter was ranged from 62.8 to 124.5q/ha, 38.9 to 78.5 g, 32.5 to 47.6 cm and 34.7 to 47.3 cm respectively. The average TSS and pyruvic acid content was noted 12.7 °Brix and 11.2 µmol/g respectively. After six month of storage in ambient condition, average PLW, rotting, sprouting and total losses was found 33.6%, 24.8%, 1.3% and 59.7% respectively. Among the varieties, Sukhsagar followed by Arka Niketan registered minimum storage losses of 20% and 35.1% at the end of storage period. Onion variety, Sukhsagar, Agrifound Light Red, Bhima Shakti, NHRDF Red-2, Pusa white Flat and NHRDF Red-3 were identified as top performers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) toxicity is a major abiotic stress which severely reduces rice yield in many countries of the world. Genetic variation for this stress tolerance exists in rice germplasms. Mapping of gene(s)/QTL controlling the stress tolerance and transfer of the traits into high yielding rice varieties are essential for improvement against the stress. A panel population of 119 genotypes from 352 germplasm lines was constituted for detecting the candidate gene(s)/QTL through association mapping. STRUCTURE, GenAlEx and Darwin softwares were used to classify the population. The marker-trait association was detected by considering both the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Mixed Linear Model (MLM) analyses. Wide genetic variation was observed among the genotypes present in the panel population for the stress tolerance. Linkage disequilibrium was detected in the population for iron toxicity tolerance. The population was categorized into three genetic structure groups. Marker-trait association study considering both the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Mixed Linear Model (MLM) showed significant association of leaf browning index (LBI) with markers RM471, RM3, RM590 and RM243. Three novel QTL controlling Fe-toxicity tolerance were detected and designated as qFeTox4.3, qFeTox6.1 and qFeTox10.1. A QTL reported earlier in the marker interval of C955-C885 on chromosome 1 is validated using this panel population. The present study showed that QTL controlling Fe-toxicity tolerance to be co-localized with the QTL for Fe-biofortification of rice grain indicating involvement of common pathway for Fe toxicity tolerance and Fe content in rice grain. Fe-toxicity tolerance QTL qFeTox6.1 was co-localized with grain Fe-biofortification QTLs qFe6.1 and qFe6.2 on chromosome 6, whereas qFeTox10.1 was co-localized with qFe10.1 on chromosome 10. The Fe-toxicity tolerance QTL detected from this mapping study will be useful in marker-assisted breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To use Internet search data to compare duration of compliance for various diets.Design: Using a passive surveillance digital epidemiological approach, we estimated the average duration of diet compliance by examining monthly Internet searches for recipes related to popular diets. We fit a mathematical model to these data to estimate the time spent on a diet by new January dieters (NJD) and to estimate the percentage of dieters dropping out during the American winter holiday season between Thanksgiving and the end of December.Setting: Internet searches in the USA for recipes related to popular diets over a 15-year period from 2004 to 2019.Participants: Individuals in the USA performing Internet searches for recipes related to popular diets.Results: All diets exhibited significant seasonality in recipe-related Internet searches, with sharp spikes every January followed by a decline in the number of searches and a further decline in the winter holiday season. The Paleo diet had the longest average compliance times among NJD (5.32 ± 0.68 weeks) and the lowest dropout during the winter holiday season (only 14 ± 3 % dropping out in December). The South Beach diet had the shortest compliance time among NJD (3.12 ± 0.64 weeks) and the highest dropout during the holiday season (33 ± 7 % dropping out in December).Conclusions: The current study is the first of its kind to use passive surveillance data to compare the duration of adherence with different diets and underscores the potential usefulness of digital epidemiological approaches to understanding health behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding the semantically accurate answer is one of the key challenges in advanced searching. In contrast to keyword-based searching, the meaning of a question or query is important here and answers are ranked according to relevance. It is very natural that there is almost no common word between the question sentence and the answer sentence. In this paper, an approach is described to find out the semantically relevant answers in the Bengali dataset. In the first part of the algorithm, a set of statistical parameters like frequency, index, part-of-speech (POS) is matched between a question and the probable answers. In the second phase, entropy and similarity are calculated in different modules. Finally, a sense score is generated to rank the answers. The algorithm is tested on a repository containing a total of 275,000 sentences. This Bengali repository is a product of Technology Development for Indian Languages (TDIL) project sponsored by Govt. of India and provided by the Language Research Unit of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. The shallow parser, developed by the LTRC group of IIIT Hyderabad is used for POS tagging. The actual answer is ranked as 1st in 82.3% cases. The actual answer is ranked within 1st to 5th in 90.0% cases. The accuracy of the system is coming as 97.32% and precision of the system is coming as 98.14% using confusion matrix. The challenges and pitfalls of the work are reported at last in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the progression of martensite tempering as a function of tempering parameter has been investigated using instrumented nanoindentation. Three distinct stages of tempering related to the carbon segregation, carbide nucleation, and Ostwald ripening were identified. During the second tempering stage, the nanohardness achieves a plateau which is attributed to the change of carbide morphology, dissolution of intra-lath carbides, and growth of inter-lath and block boundary carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is entirely devoted to the application of the measure of noncompactness defined in the Holder space. Here the emphasis is on the study of the nonlinear functional integral equation with changed arguments. Precisely, the existence of a solution is obtained by employing the Darbo fixed point theorem under certain hypotheses. Finally, we provide a tangible example which supports our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a volatile liquid detector by engaging metal oxide sensor, which is further assisted by an Arduino kit to develop a prototype of alcohol detection. We have used ethanol as the main volatile liquid to design the prototype. To verify the most selective nature of the metal oxide sensor towards alcohol, we have compared with Methanol, Isopropyl alcohol, Acetone and Ammonia along with Ethanol. The proposed sensing device has been found to be highly sensitive towards ethanol with an excellent linearity closing to unity. With a working domain of ~ 230–800 ppm, the probe renders good degree of reproducibility. Through a little up scaling, the proposed device can be used as a transducer to reduce the speed of a running car when the exhale of driver exceeds dangerous concentration of alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelflife study of spray‐dried groundnut milk powder was conducted in metal tin can and aluminum foil package. The observations were recorded at 0th, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th week of storage. There was an increasing trend in the values of moisture content (3.69–7.56% w.b. and 3.69–7.08% w.b.), water activity (0.44–0.68 and 0.44–0.64), and free fatty acid (0.48–2.02% and 0.48–1.87%) in aluminum foil package and metal tins can, respectively. Dispersibility of powder varied between 96.10–90.22% and 96.10–91.78% while insolubility index varied between 0.75–3.88 ml and 0.75–3.56 ml in aluminum foil package and metal tin can, respectively. Results indicated that groundnut milk powder can be safely stored in both the packaging materials for 3 months and metal tin can packaging is better than aluminum foil packaging. A significant difference in the values of the above parameters was observed in commercially available milk powder during the same storage period. Practical Applications: Groundnut is widely used for oil extraction or consumed as roasted nuts. Considering its wide acceptability and nutritional value, groundnut processing needs more diversification in order to utilize its potential. Groundnut can be used for the preparation of imitation milk for lactose intolerant population of the country. However, groundnut milk has a very limited shelf life (5–7 days under refrigerated condition) and adds to the increased transportation cost of carrying liquid milk from one place to another. The conversion of groundnut milk into powder using spray drying will reduce product perishability as well as storage and transportation costs. Further, the shelf life study of the groundnut milk powder in different packaging material will be useful in determining the safe storage period as well as the type of packaging material to be used for storing the powder considering the quality as well as sensory attributes of the powder during the duration of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive continental margins are tectonically inactive, but a few of them including the East India Passive Margin (EIPM) show evidences for post-breakup deformations. This unusual process prompted us to investigate the post-rift deformations on EIPM and adjacent deep-water region for understanding the possible mechanisms. Seismic reflection images of the Bay of Bengal reveal a post-rift deformation with a manifestation of extensional faults in Krishna–Godavari (K–G) basin and on flanks of the 85°E Ridge. In K–G basin, one of the rift-related faults reactivated during the Early Miocene time (~16 Ma), while on flanks of the 85°E Ridge new normal faults originated at about 6.8 Ma. From detailed analysis of fault throws, it is observed that the fault in K–G basin recorded a cumulative throw of about 900 m between the basement and Early Miocene horizon (~16 Ma), later the fault was reactivated at 6.8 Ma and continued the activity progressively until 0.3 Ma before cessation. The fault system on the margin spatially extends for about 300 km between offshore extensions of the Pranahita–Godavari graben and Nagavali–Vamshadhara shear zone. The faults on 85°E Ridge, initiated at 6.8 Ma and continued until 0.8 Ma, have cumulative throws of about 60 and 110 m on western and eastern flanks of the ridge, respectively. Back-stripping analysis of the fault from the K–G basin discloses two distinct phases of subsidence history: (i) during the first phase (120–23 Ma) the basement subsided at a rate of 46–18 m/Myr due to thermal cooling of the lithosphere, (ii) during the second phase (23 Ma–Present) rapid subsidence rate (69.56 m/Myr) of basement is noticed as a consequence of deposition of copious amounts of Bengal Fan sediments. The thick sedimentary strata exerted vertical load on underlying heterogeneous crust that led to build excessive internal stress and release through weak zones (lying at intersecting planes of heterogeneous crustal blocks). The stress, thus released through fault planes has caused the deformation of crust as well as overlying sedimentary strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Enhanced Interchange Safety Analysis Tool (ISATe) automates the safety evaluation procedures of freeway facilities that are discussed in the Highway Safety Manual. ISATe provides simple worksheets for data entry and facilitates the calculation of expected and/or predicted average crash frequencies for different components of a freeway facility. The ISATe models are designed to evaluate the safety performance of an existing freeway facility, or proposed design alternatives for a new interchange construction and prior to reconstruction of an existing interchange. However, these models are based on national data that may not accurately represent the local conditions. This paper describes a study to evaluate the applicability of ISATe for safety performance evaluation of interchanges in the State of Florida, United States. A before-and-after safety analysis was conducted using ISATe for five interchanges in Florida. The sites were selected based on two criteria: (i) whether crash data were available, and (ii) whether the site characteristics conform to the ISATe analysis criteria. The required roadway characteristics data were collected from different sources, including roadway characteristics inventory, aerial images, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) maps. Based on the collected roadway and traffic features data, the observed, predicted, and expected crash frequencies by severity (i.e., total, fatal and injury (FI), and property damage only (PDO)) for both before and after periods were calculated and compared for each study interchange. The study results show that the variations between the observed and predicted FI crashes were lower compared to the variations between the observed and predicted PDO crashes. In particular, the ISATe models were found to overpredict the PDO crashes on the study interchanges. Crashes on crossroad ramp terminals were found to be highly overpredicted compared to crashes on freeways and ramps. The paper concludes by providing specific recommendations related to ISATe application in Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC., an invasive alien plant species, is known as a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services world over. It has heavily invaded community grazing lands (CGLs) in the Indian Thar Desert. The present study reports effects of four canopy sizes, (i.e. small, medium, large and no-canopy/open plot), of P. julflora shrub on native vegetation and soil fertility (0–20 cm depth) in the CGLs distributed in Jodhpur, Pali, and Sirohi districts in the Desert. In addition, economic profitability of P. juliflora based three enterprises, (i.e. charcoal making, pod-flour making, and sheep rearing in the grasslands if developed in the CGLs), was evaluated to find out invasion control measures of the shrub through utilization. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, available P and K, and mineral N (NO3−–N, NH4+–N) and soil-moisture contents were higher under the shrub canopy than in open plot; and they were the highest under the large and lowest under the small canopy sizes. But, light intensity (Lux) declined under the canopy. The decline, however, was the highest under the large and lowest under the small canopy sizes. Composition of native plant species changed and their richness and diversity declined under the canopy, but was higher under the larger canopy size. Economic analyses revealed that investment was the highest (5476US$ ha−1) in the charcoal and lowest (486US$ ha−1) in pod-flour enterprise, but gross profit and net present value (NPV) were the highest (10740US$ ha−1 and 5264US$ ha−1, respectively) in the charcoal and lowest (895US$ ha−1 and 409US$ ha−1, respectively) in pod-flour enterprise. Other economic parameters, like the annuity and internal rate of return (IRR), were also the highest in the charcoal and lowest in pod-flour enterprise suggesting that the charcoal enterprise is economically the most profitable enterprise; and it may control the invasion of the P. juliflora in the Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change is a prominent feature of the Anthropocene. Transitions between natural and human-managed ecosystems affect biogeochemical cycles in many ways, but soil processes are among the least understood. We used a global meta-analysis (62 studies, 1670 paired comparisons) to examine effects of land conversion on soil–atmosphere fluxes of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from upland soils, and determine soil and environmental factors driving these effects. Conversion from a natural ecosystem to any anthropogenic land use increased soil CH4 and N2O fluxes by 234 kg CO2-equivalents ha−1 y−1, on average. Reversion of managed ecosystems to that resembling natural ecosystems did not fully reverse those effects, even after 80 years. In general, neither the type of ecosystem converted, nor the type of subsequent anthropogenic land use, affected the magnitude of increase in soil emissions. Land-use changes in wetter ecosystems resulted in greater increases in CH4 fluxes, but reduced N2O fluxes. An interacting suite of soil variables influenced CH4 and N2O fluxes, with availability of inorganic nitrogen (that is, extractable ammonium and nitrate), pH, total carbon, and microclimate being strong mediators of effects of land-use change. In addition, time after a change in land use emerged as a critical factor explaining the effects of land-use change—with increased emissions of both greenhouse gases diminishing rapidly after conversion. Further research is needed to elucidate complex biotic and abiotic mechanisms that drive land-use change effects on soil greenhouse gas emissions, but particularly during this initial disturbance when emissions are greatest relative to native vegetation. Efforts to mitigate emissions will be severely hampered by this gap in knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we report the impact of epitaxial Gd2O3 on the electrical properties of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) grown on a 150 mm diameter Si (111) substrate. Incorporation of epitaxial Gd2O3 grown by the molecular beam epitaxy technique under a metal gate (metal/Gd2O3/AlGaN/GaN) causes six orders of magnitude reduction in gate leakage current compared to metal/AlGaN/GaN HEMT. We observe that epi-Gd2O3 undergoes complete structural changes from hexagonal to monoclinic as the thickness of the layer is increased from 2.8 nm to 15 nm. Such structural transformation is found to have a strong impact on electrical properties whereby the gate leakage current reaches its minimum value when the oxide thickness is 2.8 nm. We find a similar trend in the density of interface traps (Dit) having a minimum value of 2.98 × 1012 cm−2 eV−1 for the epioxide layer of thickness 2.8 nm. Our measurements also confirm a significant increase in the two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density (∼40%) at AlGaN/GaN interface with epioxide grown on AlGaN, thus confirming the contribution of epitaxial lattice strain on 2DEG modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we have investigated size dependent electron mobility in an electrostatically evolved AlGaN/GaN one-dimensional channel from a two-dimensional heterostructure. An architecture with lateral gates, which allows partial depletion of channel widths, has been used. The low field mobility is found to manifest multiple peaks and valleys for progressively changing quantum confinement. The number of sub-bands increases with the increasing dimension. However, electron and phonon confinement decrease, which leads to less wave-function overlap. Although an increase in the number of sub-bands decreases the mobility due to the larger number of density of states, the overlap decreases monotonically which increases the mobility. The two competing effects lead to a unique signature on the mobility. The depletion region voltage exponent is found to differ from the traditional value of 0.5 in this case. The exponent is found to be close to unity for a one-dimensional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Sone River megafan in the Marginal Alluvial Plain (MAP) in the southern parts of the Ganga Basin (India) holds potential aquifer systems within a hydrogeologically poor region with limited groundwater potential. The work investigates the hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeological characteristics, including the yield potential and hydraulic parameters of the aquifer systems in the megafan, by analyzing borehole lithologs (n = 78), drill-cut sediment (n = 5), depth to water level (n = 112) and pumping test data (n = 19). The aquifer materials comprise oxidized and brownish-yellow fine to very coarse sand and gravels (mean size range 0.21-1.34 mm), constituting ~10-90% of the sedimentary column within the depth of 250 m below ground level (bgl). Two aquifer systems are delineated within the depth, marked by a middle clay layer lying at 87-139 m bgl. The phreatic aquifer within the top aquitard depicts shallow water levels, which varied between 0.6 and 12.0 m bgl. The discharge in the tube wells tapping the second aquifer system varies between ~46 and 250 m3/h. The transmissivity values were estimated up to 23,696 m2/d (generally 5,000-10,000 m2/d). The storativity values (range 2.6 × 10−9 to 5.0 × 10−3) indicate a confined state of groundwater in the aquifer system. The hydraulic conductivity values of 21-369 and 31-196 m/d, as estimated by a grain-size based empirical method, suggest high groundwater potential of both the first and second aquifer systems, respectively. The groundwater source availability in the megafan is supported by copious supply of source water where the palaeochannels act as conduits of recharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a neoplasm of B cell lineage characterized by excessive proliferation of abnormal plasma cells, secreting abnormal immunoglobulin causing monoclonal gammopathy which can be detected by the presence of M protein in serum and urine electrophoresis. Aim: Present study is aimed to detect and quantify monoclonal gamma globulins by SPEP and IFE in suspected case of MM and other plasma cell dyscrasias and also to find out the discrepant findings between SPEP and IFE. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out on clinically highly suspected cases of Multiple Myeloma (MM) presenting with backache, asthenia and generalized weakness at Armed forces Institute of Pathology(AFIP), Dhaka cantonment from January 2015 to July 2016. A total of 140 blood samples were collected and subjected to serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and Immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE). IFE identifies the type of heavy (IgG, IgM or IgA) and light chain (either kappa or lambda in suspected cases of MM. Results: Out of 140 cases, SPEP identified monoclonal band in 62 cases and either non-specific findings or polyclonal band in 78 cases. At the same time immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) which was done on all samples detected another 14 cases of M-band in addition to earlier 62 cases of monoclonal gammopathy by SPEP. Among 140 cases, SPEP detected M-band in 62 cases, whereas IFE identified monoclonal band in 76 cases. So in the remaining 14 cases (10%) small sharp spikes of monoclonal band was found only by IFE whereas SPEP failed to detect those 14 cases. Conclusion: SPEP is an easy to perform laboratory test which can be used for detection and quantification of monoclonal gammopathy but there is some limitation in detecting monoclonal band by SPEP. IFE is more sensitive to detect the monoclonal band than SPEP. So both SPEP and IFE should be done simultaneously for precise diagnosis of MM and related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in the Central Himalayan Region depends on the availability of suitable germplasm as well as natural conditions. Due to extreme weather conditions, food and nutrition security is a major issue for communities inhabiting these remote and inaccessible areas. Millets are common crops grown in these areas. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv) is an important crop and forms a considerable part of the diet in this region. The aim of the present study was to explore, collect, conserve and evaluate the untapped genetic diversity of foxtail millet at the molecular level and discover variability in their nutritional traits. A total of 30 accessions having unique traits of agronomic importance were collected and molecular profiling was performed. A total of 63 alleles were generated with an average of 2.52 alleles per locus and average expected heterozygosity of 0.37 ± 0.231. Significant genetic variability was revealed through the genetic differentiation (Fst) and gene flow (Nm) values. Structure-based analysis divided whole germplasm into three sub-groups. Rich variability was found in nutritional traits such as dietary fibre in husked grains, carbohydrate, protein, lysine and thiamine content. The collected germplasm may be useful for developing nutritionally rich and agronomically beneficial varieties of foxtail millet and also designing strategies for utilization of unexploited genetic diversity for food and nutrition security in this and other similar agro-ecological regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronization between two Lorenz systems is analyzed through various forms of coupling between them. We have used direct, conjugate, delayed direct and delayed conjugate coupling mechanism. In each case Lyapunov exponent is computed for ascertaining the synchronized situation, which is then used to encrypt a signal and then retrieve the same by the second system. The situation is demonstrated with the help of electronic circuit. It is observed that both the numerical simulation and experimental results corroborates each other. Lastly the chaotic data from the circuit is also used to encrypt an image and retrieve by the second set. In both the cases the system security is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objective: Perinatal asphyxia affects all organs of the body and brain is the most affected organ. The study was undertaken to find out the status of serum magnesium and calcium level and their significant association among asphyxiated term newborns with moderate to severe HIE. Material & methods: The Cross sectional study was done in the Department of Neonatology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital during January 2012 to July 2012. A total of 102 asphyxiated term neonates were enrolled, who has H/O perinatal asphyxia and had Apgar score of 6 or <6 at 5 minutes. Clinical grading of HIE into moderate and severe was done according to modified Sarnat and Sarnat scoring system .Under aseptic precautions with standard protocol, estimation of serum magnesium and calcium level in venous blood was done at 48 hours and 7th day of birth . Among the study population, 17 patients had died during follow up and 4 patients were absconded. Finally 81 patients were evaluated by both blood samples though initial 102 cases were evaluated by their first sample. 50 normal healthy infants were also evaluated for serum magnesium and calcium at their 48 hours of birth. Chi-square test was used to assess statistical significance, Pearson correlation coefficient test was done to find out correlation between serum magnesium and calcium status and APGAR score & t test was done to assess the comparison between the values of serum magnesium and calcium found on two occasions. Results: Of 102 cases majority (58%) were male. Most of the cases (65.68%) were moderate HIE. Mean serum magnesium was 1.36(0.9-2.8) mg/dl and 1.16(.88-2.6) mg/dl among HIE II and HIE III respectively (p<0.05). Mean serum calcium of HIE II and HIE III were 7.14(5.1-9.6) mg/dl and 6.58(5.3-9.0) mg/dl respectively (p<0.05). There is positive correlation with individual APGAR score with serum magnesium (r=0.229, p=0.02) and serum calcium (r=0.231, p=0.019) level. Hypocalcaemia was found 35.82% and 57.14% among HIE II And HIE III cases respectively (p<0.01). Hypomagnesaemia was found 28.36% and 45.71% among HIE II and HIE III (p<0.05). Conclusion: Hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia are significantly associated with the degree of severity of HIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Kidney is the 2nd commonest affected organ as a consequence of asphyxia1. Most attention is given to prevent CNS damage and neurological sequel but hypoxic renal insult not only influences neonatal morbidity & mortality but may give rise to CKD. to assess the renal functional status of asphyxiated babies. Material & Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Neonatology & Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Dhaka Medical College Hospital during January 2012 to January 2013. A total of 150 inborn, term asphyxiated neonates with e" 2.5 kg who had history of delayed or no cry with Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes were enrolled. Then, the cases were grouped into mild (AS: 6-7), moderate (AS: 4-5) and severe asphyxia (AS: 0-3) based on Apgar score. Forty eight neonates were excluded according to exclusion criteria. Finally, the renal functions were assessed among 102 neonates by measuring urine output 8 hourly and estimated creatinine clearance (eCCL) on the 3rd day of life using Schwartz formula (eCCl=Height (cm) x.37/S.creatinine). Neonates with impaired renal function were further classified as stage-I (risk), II (injury), III (failure) using pRIFLE criteria. Data were analyzed by Chi-square & Pearson correlation coefficient test to find out correlation between Apgar scores and renal functional status. Results: Of the 102 cases studied, majority 48% were in moderate, 30.4% in mild and 21.6% in severely asphyxiated group. In the mild asphyxiated group 58.06% had normal renal function. However, the remaining cases 29.03% & 12.90% had stage I, stage II renal injury respectively and had no renal failure. In Moderately asphyxiated group, 26.53% had normal renal function & the remaining 32.65%, 34.69%, 6.1% had stage I, II, III renal injury respectively. None of the severely asphyxiated babies had normal renal function. However they had impaired renal function ranging from Stage I (27.27%), stage II (27.27%) & stage III (40.90%). Variable proportion of kidney injuries were noted among the asphyxiated neonates. The lower the Apgar score, the more severe the injuries and association between stages of kidney injuries and Apgar score was observed statistically significant (p<0.001). The renal functional status (eCCL) was also found positively correlated with low Apgar score (r=0.6, p<0.002). Conclusion: Variable functional impairment of kidneys was found among the asphyxiated neonates and the severity of impairment significantly correlated with low Apgar score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]