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Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics, trends in hospitalization, and healthcare resource utilization of pediatric patients with fecal impaction. Methods: We utilized the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases, including the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) and the Kids Inpatient Database (KID) datasets from 2011 to 2019, to include all hospitalizations of patients up to 18 years of age with a primary diagnosis of (1) fecal impaction or (2) a primary diagnosis of abdominal pain or constipation with a secondary diagnosis of fecal impaction. The study analyzed various comorbid factors and clinical characteristics of these patients. For healthcare resource utilization, we analyzed the length of hospital stays and total hospital charges, adjusted for inflation. Results: A total of 23,570 admissions due to fecal impactions in children between the years 2011 and 2019 were analyzed, contributing to 0.18% of the total pediatric admissions. Hospitalization rates nearly doubled from 2011 (0.15%) to 2019 (0.29%). The mean hospitalization charges also trended upwards from 15,234 USD in 2011 to 22,487 USD in 2019. The inflation-adjusted annual rate of increase in hospital charges during this period was 5.9% per year. Aggressive fecal disimpaction procedures (either manual or surgical) were performed in approximately 3% of these admissions. Multivariate regression showed that older children (13–18 years of age) were more likely to require aggressive disimpaction. Female children, those with Hispanic ethnicity, and those with obesity were less likely to be associated with the need for disimpaction. Conclusions: Hospitalizations for fecal impaction have increased significantly over the past decade, creating a substantial burden on healthcare resources. Our study highlights the importance of aggressive outpatient management strategies with close follow-up for fecal impactions, which will potentially minimize these hospitalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years the poultry production industry has adopted automation with the help of different kinds of technological advancements like verities of monitoring and sensing tools, IoT devices, sensors, monitoring devices, and more. These advanced techniques will offer numerous advantages in poultry product production. Only with human resources based large-scale poultry production is not an easy task because the public health threads from ingesting foods with high antibiotic remains will residues a problem. Sometimes, zoonotic diseases and foodborne diseases present a crucial task to poultry producers. These repeated tasks concern massive and hazardous work accomplished within a suffering work domain, leading to high human health safety, labor cost, and sustainable risk of cross-infection through manufacturing facilities. In recent years, Artificial Intelligence technology has played a vital role in all sectors including poultry production has utilized advanced Machine Learning and Deep Learning technologies which is a subfield of AI, this technology has an acceptable potential to manage numerous challenges in the establishment of information-based farming and various task-handling systems in the poultry production sector. This article comprehensively reviews some recently established machine learning and deep learning algorithms for poultry management tasks like chicken activity monitoring, farm weather monitoring and control, weight prediction, earlier identification of diseased chickens, and more. It is divine that this proposed review work will compose a piece of helpful information for all who are interested in enhancing recognition of the future scope of utilizing the ML and DL techniques in the poultry production sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers directly support the development of a region/country; however, globally, these aquatic regions are impacted by recent human activity. During a rainfall event, we monitored the baseline information on the spatial variability of microplastics (MPs) in the Cauvery River in South India. Forty surface water samples from two selected sites were collected between 27 September and 16 October 2022 during the commencement of monsoon which indicates 69 and 43 pieces L−1 of MPs, respectively. SEM and FTIR analysis on the surface morphotypes (cracks, grooves, pits) and elemental (Si, Ti, Mg, Cu, Ta) presence/adsorption of these elements' (in particle) surface indicates surface deformation of fibers, which is mainly due to external input/forces. Fragments of polymers establish a high degree of deterioration indicating its longer trajectory in the aquatic environment. The origin of extended fiber ranges between 631.65 and 5639.9 µm, which is being associated with laundry activities for textiles, household items, and fishing gear. Toxicity and ecological risk assessment suggest significant degree of weathered MPs due to photo-oxidation process and aging owing to exposition of intense UV light. This research serves as a strong illustration of the multiple pressures from urban development and cultural practices that have a bigger influence on the river ecosystem like Cauvery River and regular monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cyclical vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a recurrent debilitating illness characterized by intense episodes of nausea and emesis with widely varied pharmacological management across the country. Aprepitant is now increasingly used in patients with CVS. The impact of aprepitant as an abortive therapy in the readmission of pediatric patients with CVS is currently unknown. Methodology: We analyzed all pediatric patients with a primary diagnosis of CVS using the ICD-10 code in the Pediatric Health Information System database of the Children's Hospital Association. We evaluated the demographic data, comorbid conditions, and management details during the inpatient stay. CVS patients who received aprepitant during their inpatient hospitalization were compared with patients without aprepitant use. Seven-day readmission rate for CVS was used as the outcome variable to assess the effectiveness of the aprepitant in aborting an episode. Propensity score matching was used to match the two cohorts. Results: We analyzed 1775 patients of which 96 received aprepitant during the inpatient hospitalization. The aprepitant group had a more severe hospitalization course as evidenced by an increased duration of hospital stay (5 vs. 3 days) and total hospitalization costs ($11,790 vs. $6380). There were no significant differences in the 7-day (17% vs. 16%, p = 0.91) readmission rate and results were not altered by propensity score matching. Conclusions: Aprepitant use as an abortive therapy did not affect the 7-day CVS-related readmission rate. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the role of aprepitant as an abortive agent in the management of CVS in the pediatric population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal pretreatments are commonly employed prior to the biotechnological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) into value-added products, such as fuels and chemicals. However, the by-products of this pretreatment, including furaldehydes, lignin-derived phenolics, and carboxylic acids, can inhibit the enzymes and microbes used in the biotechnological process. In this study, LCB degrading enzymes of endophytic and litter fungi were screened for their tolerance to potential pretreatment-derived inhibitors. Several fungi produced endo- and exoglucanases that remained functional in the presence of lignocellulose-derived phenolics. Some were also active in the presence of tannic acid. Additionally, thermostable endoglucanase activity was observed in some fungi. The ability of some of these fungi to utilize furaldehyde inhibitors as a sole carbon source was also noted. The culture supernatants of the fungal strains were tested in hydrolysis experiments using microcrystalline cellulose as a substrate, in the presence of lignocellulose phenolics and tannic acid. With some strains, higher sugar yields were obtained in the hydrolysis of cellulose when phenolics were added. Our results highlight the need for more intensive exploration of endophytic and plant litter fungi for novel inhibitor-resistant cellulases for biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal performance of a rectangular minichannel has been estimated for various heat fluxes (1 kW/m2 to 2 kW/m2) and fluid mass flux rates (20 g/s to 40 g/s). The mixture model is used to determine two-phase flow characteristics in the mini-macro channel. The focus of the present work is to establish prime factors for the enhancement of vapor fractions inside the minichannel (<3 mm) and macrochannel (>3 mm). The fluid flow characteristics are explained with help of temperature difference (the wall side and water film side), friction factor, Nusselt number, evaporative thin film thickness, heat transfer coefficient and vapor fraction. Validation of current simulation with earlier research article shows good agreement. The friction factor value for the minichannel and macrochannel are 0.0004 and 0.0011, respectively. It is found that heat transfer is significantly more in macrochannel pipes compared with minichannels. By using the dimensional analysis, empirical correlation is developed for vapor fraction with dependent parameters such as channel diameter, fluid mass flow rate and heat flux the first time. The predicted correlation of vapor fraction and film thickness help to understand the pronounced effect of channel diameter on heat transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic synthesis of papain-conjugated copper metallic Nanoparticles and their antibacterial and antifungal activities Papain metallic conjugated nanoparticles (Papain-CuNPs) were synthesised using Papain and CuSO4.5H2O. Papain-CuNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR (Fourier-Transform Infrared), HR-TEM (High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), FE-SEM (Field-emission scanning electron microscopy), zeta potential, and a zeta sizer. The antibacterial activity of papain-CuNPs against human infectious microorganisms (Citrobacter spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans) was investigated. The mechanism of action of papain-CuNPs was evaluated using FE-SEM and HRTM. UV spectroscopy confirmed the plasma resonance (SPR) at 679 nm, which indicated the formation of papain-CuNPs. The FT-IR spectrum absorbance peaks at 3927, 3865, 3842, 3363, 2978, and 2900 cm-1 indicate the presence of O-H and N-H of the secondary amine, and peaks at 1643 and 1572 cm-1 represent C=O functional groups in Papain-CuNPs. EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of copper in the papain-CuNPs. The zeta potential (-42.6 mV) and zeta size (99.66 d. nm) confirmed the stability and size of the nanoparticles. XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of the papain-CuNPs. FE-SEM and HRTM showed an oval structure and the nano particles' 16.71244-34.84793 nm. The synthesized papain-NPs showed significant antibacterial activity against clinical P. aeruginosa (15 mm). MIC 125 µg/ml) showed bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa and the mechanism of action of Papain-NPs was confirmed using an electron microscope by observing cell damage and cell shrinking. Papain-CuNPs have significant antibacterial activity and are thus used in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of environmentally benign, solvent‐processed, efficient, organic photovoltaic sub‐modules remains challenging due to the rapid aggregation of the current high performance non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs). In this regard, design of new NFAs capable of achieving optimal aggregation in large‐area organic photovoltaic modules has not been realized. Here, an NFA named BTA‐HD‐Rh is synthesized with longer (hexyl‐decyl) side chains that exhibit good solubility and optimal aggregation. Interestingly, integrating a minute amount of new NFA (BTA‐HD‐Rh) into the PM6:L8‐BO system enables the improved solubility in halogen‐free solvents (o‐xylene:carbon disulfide (O‐XY:CS2)) with controlled aggregation is found. Then solar sub‐modules are fabricated at ambient condition (temperature at 25 ± 3 °C and humidity: 30–45%). Ultimately, the champion 55 cm2 sub‐modules achieve exciting efficiency of >16% in O‐XY:CS2 solvents, which is the highest PCE reported for sub‐modules. Notably, the highest efficiency of BTA‐HD‐Rh doped PM6:L8‐BO is very well correlated with high miscibility with low Flory‐Huggins parameter (0.372), well‐defined nanoscale morphology, and high charge transport. This study demonstrates that a careful choice of side chain engineering for an NFA offers fascinating features that control the overall aggregation of active layer, which results in superior sub‐module performance with environmental‐friendly solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown a bidirectional relationship between asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, there is a paucity of national-level data evaluating the impact of OSA on hospital outcomes in pediatric hospitalizations for asthma. Methods: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample and Kids Inpatient Database to include all pediatric hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of asthma between 2003–2016. Using ICD codes, the pediatric asthma cohort was divided into two groups: those with and those without a concomitant diagnosis of OSA. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation. The secondary outcomes were the lengths of each hospital stay and total hospitalization charges. Results: We analyzed 1,606,248 hospitalizations during the 14-year study period. The overall prevalence rate of OSA was 0.7%. Patients with asthma and OSA were significantly older (8.2 versus 5.9 years) and were more often male, p < 0.001. The OSA group had several increased comorbidities. The overall mortality rate was 0.03%, and multivariate regression analysis showed that OSA was associated with 4.3 times higher odds of in-hospital mortality (95% CI: 2.4 to 7.6, p < 0.001). Furthermore, OSA was associated with a 5.2 times greater need for mechanical ventilation (95% CI: 4.8 to 5.5, p < 0.001). Linear regression analyses demonstrated that OSA independently contributed an additional 0.82 days to the hospital stay length (95% CI: 0.79 to 0.86, p < 0.001) and an extra 10,479 USD (95% CI: 10,110 to 10,848, p < 0.001) in hospitalization charges. Conclusion: OSA in children admitted with asthma is associated with poor hospital outcomes such as increased mortality risk, the need for mechanical ventilation, and increased healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary focus of this study is to assess the stripping resistance of bitumen when partially replaced with rice-straw biomass-based lignin from bio-ethanol industry residue. Moreover, the study examines the relationship between the chemical and physicochemical (surface free energy or SFE) properties of lignin-substituted bitumen blends and their stripping potential. Two distinct lignin materials were examined: fermentation residue (FRL), a by-product directly obtained from the bio-ethanol industry, and Isolated Lignin (IL), which was extracted from FRL through an alkali-acid precipitation process. These materials were partially substituted at dosages of 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight of bitumen. Test results indicated that the addition of lignin to bitumen led to a change in SFE, with an increase in the polar component and a reduction in the dispersive component. The rolling bottle test revealed that bitumen blends containing IL and FRL displayed superior stripping resistance compared to the base bitumen, retaining more coating after testing. This enhancement in performance was attributed to the increased heteroatom content [sum of nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and sulfur (S)] and higher IS═O and IC═O indices upon adding the lignin materials. While the energy ratio obtained from the SFE alone did not entirely explain the stripping resistance of lignin-substituted bitumen, the presence of heteroatoms like N, O, and S, and the presence of silicon (Si) and associated functional groups played a substantial role in the chemical adhesion of these bitumen blends to aggregates. In conclusion, the incorporation of IL and FRL lignin materials holds promise for enhancing the stripping resistance of base bitumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile effluent discharge can negatively impact the environment and living organisms due to its potential toxicity, higher percentages of total organic carbon (TOC) contents, and so on. The study investigates the extraordinary performance of the electrocoagulation process (ECP) combined with powdered activated carbon (PAC) as a highly effective and environmental friendly method of treating textile effluents. This scientific work mainly includes the focus on removing toxic components in textile effluents, such as high concentrations of colour and TOC using synthesized PAC derived from coconut shells coupled with the ECP (ECP–PAC). Initially, PAC was characterized by using XRD, Raman, BET, FTIR, and TGA studies. Subsequently, the pilot-scale ECP–PAC batch reactor was constructed with iron (Fe) as an anode and copper (Cu) as a cathode. The pilot-scale ECP–PAC batch reactor has achieved higher treatment efficiency in a shorter reaction time with low energy consumption compared to a stand-alone ECP. Further, the optimum conditions for effective ECP–PAC have been optimized, such as pH 7.5, applied current density (0–50 mA/cm2), reaction time (0–30 min), electrode combinations (Fe-Cu) with electrode distances of 5 cm apart, and an optimum dose of 5 g/L of PAC. Specifically, 98% of the colour and 96% of the TOC contents present in the industrial textile effluent were treated in 15 and 30 min, respectively. In quantitative perspectives, the developed batch reactor has sharply decreased TOC (324.1 mg/L), IC (1410 mg/L) and TC (1019 mg/L) to 13.55 mg/L (96%), 31.49 mg/L (97%), and 48.05 mg/L (95%), respectively, in 30 min demonstrating its sensitivity and selectivity with the utmost care. Moreover, the physicochemical properties of the treated water were convincingly assessed. That is, it remains suitable for the seed germination of mung bean and chlorophyll content study. Thus, the developed methodology could effectively reduce freshwater consumption in the agricultural sector, increase freshwater availability in water-scarce regions, and facilitate the increase of the recharging capacity of groundwater tables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced oncoproteins degradation provides an attractive anti-cancer modality. Activation of anaphase-promoting complex (APC/CCDH1) prevents cell-cycle entry by targeting crucial mitotic proteins for degradation. Phosphorylation of its co-activator CDH1 modulates the E3 ligase activity, but little is known about its regulation after phosphorylation and how to effectively harness APC/CCDH1 activity to treat cancer. Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1)-catalyzed phosphorylation-dependent cis-trans prolyl isomerization drives tumor malignancy. However, the mechanisms controlling its protein turnover remain elusive. Through proteomic screens and structural characterizations, we identify a reciprocal antagonism of PIN1-APC/CCDH1 mediated by domain-oriented phosphorylation-dependent dual interactions as a fundamental mechanism governing mitotic protein stability and cell-cycle entry. Remarkably, combined PIN1 and cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) inhibition creates a positive feedback loop of PIN1 inhibition and APC/CCDH1 activation to irreversibly degrade PIN1 and other crucial mitotic proteins, which force permanent cell-cycle exit and trigger anti-tumor immunity, translating into synergistic efficacy against triple-negative breast cancer. Unveiling the regulation of mitotic protein degradation is crucial for cancer therapy. Here, the authors reveal that a reciprocal inhibition of PIN1-APC/CCDH1 controls the cell cycle and mitotic protein degradation, offering a synergistic anti-tumor strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Microorganisms originating from the marine environment, such as bacteria, fungi, and algae, are deliberately employed in the production of nanoparticles on account of the wide array of bioactive compounds they produce. Methods: Cell-free aqueous extracts of marine Bacillus subtilis (CBPPR1) were used to synthesise AuNPs (CBPPR1AuNPs) and AgNPs (CBPPR1AgNPs). Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments) zeta size and zeta potential, field emission and transmission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM and HR-TEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and EDAX were used to characterize biogenically synthesized nanoparticles (NPs). Their antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. The anticancer efficacy of CBPPR1Au and AgNPs was investigated in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines (HT-29, HT-116). CBPPR1AgNPs formulation was studied in vitro and invivo rat models. The assessment focused on its efficacy in wound healing and antibacterial capabilities, comparing them against a commercial product. To determine the effectiveness of CBPPR1AgNPs in wound healing, a cutaneous wound model was employed, which included infection with S. aureus. Results and discusion: CBPPR1Au and AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of S aureus at MIC of 125 µg (CBPPR1AuNPs) and 62.5 µg (CBPPR1AgNPs) respectively. FE-SEM and HR-TEM observations confirmed that NPs caused bacterial cell leakage, damage, and shrinkage. Cancer cell viability was reduced upon treatment with increasing concentrations of CBPPR1Au and AgNPs, and apoptosis was increased in cells treated with CBPPR1Au and AgNPs relative to untreated cells (p < 0.001). CBPPR1Au and AgNPs showed significant cytotoxic activity against HT-29 (15.5 M) and HT-116 (62.5 M) cells. In-vivo experiments on rats showed minimal pus formation in groups CBPPR1AgNPs (62.5 µg/ml) G2, CBPPR1AgNPs (125 µg/ml) G3, and silver sulfadiazine G4, indicating the effective control of infections. CBPPR1AgNPs-treated wounds showed complete closure, whereas untreated G1 wounds remained unhealed. Histopathological analysis showed no adverse effects of CBPPR1AgNPs on kidneys and livers of rats. These findings suggest that CBPPR1AgNPs play a pivotal role in wound healing because of their potent antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a PDE-ODE model of a flexible satellite that is composed of two identical flexible solar panels and a center rigid body. We prove that the satellite model is exponentially stable in the sense that the energy of the solutions decays to zero exponentially. In addition, we construct two internal model based controllers, a passive controller and an observer based controller, such that the linear and angular velocities of the center rigid body converge to the given sinusoidal signals asymptotically. A numerical simulation is presented to compare the performances of the two controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post technological advancements and industrialisation, the recovery of resources by treating wastewater is gaining momentum. As the global population continues to grow, the need for water is becoming increasingly urgent. Therefore, the re‐utilisation of water is becoming an increasingly important factor in the preservation of life on this planet. Wastewater is classified according to its source of origin. When left untreated, the effluent causes several environmental hazards and poses health issues as they have higher concentrations of nutrients and toxic heavy metals. Currently, several conventional methods exist to treat and handle wastewater, but they generate secondary waste post‐treatment and are not sustainable. Microalgae‐based treatment of wastewater is highly sustainable, cost‐efficient and aligns with the concept of circular bioeconomy. The biological treatment of effluents using microalgae has several advantages. Approximately 1.83 kg of CO2 is sequestered per kg of the dry biomass during microalgae cultivation. Among all the sustainable alternatives, microalgae offer better biomass productivity by utilising a higher concentration of nutrients in wastewater. The wastewater‐grown microalgae have higher efficiency in producing commercially important secondary metabolites. This systematic review highlights the competence of microalgae in different wastewater sources and their industrial perspectives. This also gives an overview of the biproducts produced from microalgae‐based wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bibliometric study on blood cancers, considering publications distributed from 2012 to 2021. The study focuses on the literature available in the MEDLINE database, concealed within PubMed. A total of 32,750 documents on ‘Blood cancers’ were identified in the MEDLINE data covered by PubMed, with the highest number of 4,429 documents distributed in 2020. The document types were categorised, revealing that 39.11% were journal articles, 26.32% were Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov’t and 19.72% were Reviews. In Zone-1, 61 journals scattered 4,384 documents, accounting for one-third of the overall output. Zone-2 comprised 424 journals scattering 4,805 documents, and Zone-3 included 1,906 journals scattering 3,620 documents as journal articles. This study identified a total of 485 significant journals within the field of blood cancers. The analysis revealed that 60.98% of documents had more than five authors, while only 0.29% had no authors. The average degree of collaboration reached 0.96. A period-wise examination of the degree of collaboration showed an increasing trend from 2012 (0.94) to 2020 (0.97). The study suggests a high level of collaborative research in the field of blood cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) sub‐modules shall be feasible for production using halogen‐free solvents in air,high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), and long‐term stability, which are challenging requirements. To achieve this goal, air‐processed OPVs are fabricated by employing a synthesized set of π‐conjugated polymers, NAP‐T‐SiBTZ (P1) and NAP‐TT‐SiBTZ (P2), with thiophene and thienothiophene π‐spacers, respectively. P1 and P2 incorporated ternary OPVs show excellent PCEs and are used to produce small‐area, sub‐module air‐processed devices using o‐xylene as the solvent. Interestingly, P2‐added ternary devices has remarkable PCEs of 17.62% (PM6:P2:Y7) and 17.96% (PM6:P2:L8‐BO), which is the highest reported for air‐processed OPVs.. Notably, P2‐associated ternary blends exhibit a nano‐morphology, increased charge carrier mobilities, exciton dissociation, and decreased non‐geminate recombination, which are deemed responsible for the enhanced PCEs observed. In addition, P2 demonstrates high efficiency for a thick‐film device (>300 nm), with a PCE of >16.50%. Notably, a 55 cm2 sub‐module produced by bar coating using o‐xylene in open air has a PCE of 13.88%. Additionally, P2‐containing devices demonstrate impressive thermal and photo‐stabilities. This study shows the potential of an OPV that may be used to produce low‐cost solar cell sub‐module at low cost with exceptional commercial value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the medicinal attributes of the ethanolic extract obtained from Azadirachta indica (A. indica) leaves collected from the Jamia Salafiya Pharmacy College campus in Malappuram District, Kerala, South India. The plant was meticulously identified by Dr. Samuel Thavamni B, a plant pharmacognosy specialist. The ethanolic extraction process was performed using the Soxhlet method. Phytochemical analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-LC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass and Mass spectroscopy). The in vitro antioxidant, MTT ((3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay, Apoptosis, and Immunomodulatory activity of ethanolic A. indica were evaluated. The extraction resulted in a semi-solid, dark-coloured extract with a yield of 8.67%. Phytochemical analysis using LC-MS identified key constituents such as octadecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, caryophyllene, 1,4-Eicosadiene, and triacontanoic acid, methyl ester, known for antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. In vitro antioxidant assays revealed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect, with the A. indica ethanolic extract demonstrating substantial antioxidant capacity (77.81% at 100 µg), comparable to that of ascorbic acid (97.22%). However, the MTT assay indicated a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability, emphasizing the need for caution owing to potential cytotoxic effects. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining provided insights into the induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, highlighting the beneficial effects of the extract on cellular morphology. The scratch wound healing assay suggested the potential of the extract to promote fibroblast migration, implicating its role in enhancing wound healing. Immunomodulatory activity assessment revealed concentration-dependent modulation of immune responses, with the extract demonstrating a notable immunomodulatory effect of 77.81% at 100 µg. These findings shed light on the medicinal potential of A. indica, emphasizing the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The diverse chemical composition and multifaceted effects of the extract, from antioxidant and cytotoxic activities to immunomodulation and wound healing promotion, underscore its significance in pharmaceuticals and herbal remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This metagenomic study delves into the microbial diversity and functional potential of sediment samples from the Pichavaram and Parangipettai mangrove ecosystems. The dataset, initially comprising millions of base pairs and sequences, undergoes meticulous quality control, revealing refined characteristics post-artificial duplicate read identification. Taxonomic analyses unveil a rich microbial landscape, dominated by bacteria, with intriguing presence of Eukaryota, Archaea, and unclassified sequences. The intricate community structures, highlighted through phylogenetic distributions, showcase the diversity and unexpected taxa, providing a nuanced understanding of microbial dynamics. Functional gene exploration uncovers key enzymes driving biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways, shedding light on the microbial community's ecological roles and biotechnological potential. This comprehensive metagenomic analysis serves as a foundation for further ecological assessments, taxonomic refinements, and investigations into the adaptive strategies of these microbial communities in mangrove sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiome changes upon exposure to systemic antibiotics. There is a paucity of literature regarding impact on the gut microbiome by long-term usage of erythromycin ethyl succinate (EES) when utilized as a prokinetic. Methods: Stool samples from pediatric patients with feeding intolerance who received EES (N = 8) as a prokinetic were analyzed for both bacteriome and mycobiome. Age-matched children with similar clinical characteristics but without EES therapy were included as controls (N = 20). Results: In both groups, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant bacterial phyla. Ascomycota was the most abundant fungal phyla, followed by Basidiomycota. There were no significant differences in richness between the groups for both bacterial and fungal microbiome. Alpha diversity (at genus and species levels) and beta diversity (at the genus level) were not significantly different between the groups for both bacterial and fungal microbiome. At the species level, there was a significant difference between the groups for fungal microbiota, with a p-value of 0.029. We also noted that many fungal microorganisms had significantly higher p-values in the EES group than controls at both genera and species levels. Conclusions: In this observational case-control study, the prokinetic use of EES was associated with changes in beta diversity between the groups for mycobiome at the species level. Many fungal microorganisms were significantly higher in the EES group when compared to the controls. Confirmation of these results in larger trials will provide further evidence regarding the impact of EES on gut microbiota when utilized as a prokinetic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global effects of MP (MP) pollution on the environment are concerning, and they are exacerbated by the multiple sources of pollution in aquatic environments such as urban runoff, waste mismanagement, industrial pollution, and so on. South pacific islands host a large diversity of aquatic flora and fauna and given its ecological significance it is necessary to identify the sources of MP pollution in the region. To date, very little attention has been given to identify whether effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are acting as a significant source of MP in the South Pacific region and its countries. Therefore, the present study analyzed and compared the treatment methods and fate of MPs in the country's two main WWTPs: 1) the Kinoya WWTP (simple secondary clarifier and trickling filter) and 2) Natabua WWTP (secondary pond treatment system). Sampling locations were based on the different treatment stages, and samples were collected from each stage of treatment before effluents were released into the ocean. Kinoya WWTP had an average of 3.45 ± 0.3 particles/L in the inlet stage and released an average of 0.3 ± 0.26 particles/L of MP through the outlet with 91% removal efficiency (RE) with an output equivalent of 4500 particles per day. The initial stage of treatment from the anaerobic pond outlet at Natabua had an average of 2.9 ± 1.05 particles/L, and the maturation outlet had an average of 0.53 ± 0.42 particles/L, a removal efficiency of 81% and thus an output equivalent of 4558 particles/L of MP. Polymer analysis under FTIR confirmed that cellophane or semi-synthetic cellulose and polypropylene were common polymers in the final effluent in Kinoya WWTP, and Natabua plant has cellophane or semi-synthetic cellulose, polypropylene and polyethylene were observed as common polymers. Although there are numerous study that have compared wastewater treatment processes, this is the first study in Fiji that investigates the efficiency of the two methods of water treatment process in the context of microplastic pollution and emphasizes the effectiveness of the treatment stages in determining the concentration of MP released into the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate how properties of lignin derived from the bio-ethanol industry, affect the chemical and high-temperature characteristics of bitumen–lignin blends. Two types of lignin, fermentation residue lignin (FRL) and isolated lignin (IL) obtained from bio-ethanol residue were analyzed for morphology, thermal stability, elemental composition, and chemical structure. These lignin materials were used to partially replace base bitumen at weight percentages of 5, 10, and 15%. Subsequently, the resulting blends were evaluated for their elemental composition, physical properties (such as softening point, viscosity, and Superpave rutting parameter), and thermal stability. The study revealed that both FRL and IL materials were characterized by spherical particles with rough surfaces. Although the addition of FRL and IL did not notably alter the Hydrogen-to-Carbon ratio of the bitumen, it did elevate the overall content of heteroatoms, including Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulphur. This partial replacement of bitumen with FRL and IL led to increased softening point, viscosity, and Superpave rutting parameter of the base bitumen. Crucially, thermal analysis demonstrated that there were no adverse effects on thermal stability within the temperature range pertinent to pavement construction. The observed stiffening of the FRL and IL partially replaced bitumen blends across various tests can be attributed to several factors. These factors encompass aging during blending, Van der Waal's interactions between bitumen and lignin materials due to the rough surface, polar interactions arising from the higher heteroatoms content, and the presence of phenolic functional group, which serve as antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researcher aim to assess the Effectiveness of Deep Breathing Exercise to Reduce Anxiety among Chronic Renal Failure patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Multiple databases were searched focusing of the Effectiveness of Deep Breathing Exercise to Reduce Anxiety among Chronic Renal Failure patients. It was concluded that reduce anxiety of patients deep breathing exercise should be follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) often have a debilitating clinical course characterized by high disease burden, and poor quality of life and these factors adversely affect mental health. However, there is paucity of literature on the prevalence and impact of psychiatric disorders on hospitalized pediatric patients with CP. ology: We analyzed the Kids Inpatient Database, and National Inpatient Sample, between 2003 and 2019 and included patients up to 21 years of age. Pediatric CP patients with psychiatric disorders were compared with patients without any of the psychiatric disorders using the ICD diagnostic codes. Various demographic and clinical factors were compared between the groups. Length of hospitalization and total hospital charges were used as surrogates to compare the hospital resource utilization between the groups. We analyzed a total of 9,808 hospitalizations with CP and the overall prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders was 19.8%. The prevalence rate increased from 19.1% in 2003 to 23.4% in 2019, p = 0.006. The peak prevalence rate of 37.2% was noted at 20 years of age. Depression was noted at 7.6% of the total hospitalizations followed by substance abuse (6.5%), and anxiety (4.4%). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that among CP patients, psychiatric disorders were independently associated with 1.3 additional days of stay and incurred $15,965 higher charges. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is increasing in pediatric CP. The concomitant presence of psychiatric disorders was found to be associated with prolonged hospital stay and incurred higher healthcare charges than those CP patients without psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a series of π-conjugated polymers (P1-F, P2-Cl, and P3-OMe) with three different functional groups (fluorine, chlorine, and methoxy) on their conjugated side chains. Although all three polymers showed identical photophysical properties by varying the functional group, they showed a notable difference in their dipole moment difference between the ground and excited state (Δµge) values. Furthermore, photovoltaic properties of fullerene organic solar cells (FOSCs)/non-fullerene organic solar cells (NFOSCs) were significantly affected concerning the functional group in the π-conjugated polymer. Interestingly, halogen-substituted polymers (P1-F and P2-Cl) showed an enhanced PCE than methoxy-substituted polymer (P3-OMe) in both NFOSCs and FOSCs. Also, the FOSCs were much affected upon functional group modulation than did in NFOSCs. The difference in the photovoltaic properties of P1-F, P2-Cl and P3-OMe based OSCs was further analyzed by atomic force microscopy, space charge limited current method, water contact angle and transient photoluminescence measurements. Overall, our work sheds light on the importance of side chain functional group modulation of donor polymers for efficient F and NFOSCs. We report a series of π-conjugated polymers (P1-F, P2-Cl, and P3-OMe) with three different functional groups (fluorine, chlorine, and methoxy) on their conjugated side chains. Although all three polymers showed identical photophysical properties by varying the functional group, they showed a notable difference in their dipole moment difference between the ground and excited state (Δµge) values and photovoltaic properties (fullerene and non-fullerene organic solar cells). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric severe sepsis (PSS) is associated with increased mortality, and acute kidney injury (AKI) is an independent risk factor of mortality in PSS. However, there is little data on impact of AKI on hospital outcomes in PSS. Methods: We analyzed non-overlapping years of the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) and National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2003 and 2019 of all pediatric patients with severe sepsis between 1 and 18 years of age. Using ICD diagnosis codes, patients were divided into two groups based on AKI status and compared for outcomes measures including in-hospital mortality and healthcare resource utilization using length of stay and inflation-adjusted hospitalization charges. Results: We analyzed 192,712 hospitalizations due to PSS during the 17-year period. Prevalence of AKI was 23.6% with overall increasing trend, P<0.001. Prevalence of AKI was significantly increased in patients with diabetes mellitus, organ transplantation, HIV, urinary tract anomalies, and malnutrition, P<0.001. Mortality rate was significantly higher among patients with AKI (19.8% vs. 8.1%, P<0.001). PSS with AKI had significantly higher median length of stay (14 vs. 11 days) and total hospitalization charges ($168,106 vs. 100,906), P<0.001. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that AKI without kidney replacement therapy (KRT) was associated with 3.02 times increased odds of mortality (95% CI 2.99–3.17, P<0.001) and those requiring KRT had 6.4 times increased odds of mortality (95%CI 6.1–6.7, P<0.001). AKI without KRT was associated with 7.7 (95% CI 7.3–8.05) additional days of hospitalization and 154,536 (95% CI 149,500–159,572) additional US dollars in hospitalization charges. Conclusion: Almost 1 in 4 hospitalizations with PSS had AKI and was associated with >3 times increased risk of mortality and need for KRT further adversely impacts mortality and healthcare utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-layer band-stop frequency selective surface (FSS) with miniaturized periodic element is proposed in this paper. The unit cell size of the proposed FSS is 0.047λ0 where λ0 stands for free space wavelength. The proposed unit cell consists of hexagonal concentric rings connected as a single loop by altering it by flexuous segment. Increased electrical length and effective space utilization achieve a unit cell dimension of 7.29 mm × 12.63 mm. In addition, the proposed FSS exhibits a stable response for TE and TM modes of polarization and oblique incidences. Therefore, the proposed design ensures angular and polarization independence. The full wave EM simulation of the proposed hexagonal unit cell FSS is carried out and then fabricated using the PCB method. Simulated results are validated using different measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronously achieving high power conversion efficiency (PCE) at low cost is a great challenge for the star hole transport material (HTM) spiro-OMeTAD-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) because of their expense. Three side-chain modified HTMs, spiro-mF-V, -A, and -P, are designed and synthesized. The incorporation of side chains, such as vinyloxy, allyloxy, and propargyloxy, effectively improves the hole mobility and matches the energy levels with the perovskite layer. All three HTMs show a high PCE of 23.7, 23.80, and 24.85% for spiro-mF-V, -A, and -P using a non-halogenated solvent, such as toluene for eco-friendly PSC fabrication. Furthermore, spiro-mF-V, -A, and -P exhibit good solubility and homogeneous film with smooth surface morphologies in a non-halogenated solvent system. In particular, the obtained PCE values exceed 23.7% at a low concentration in a non-halogenated system, which is one-third that of the spiro-OMeTAD-based PSCs. To the best of the authors' knowledge, it is the highest reported PCE for HTMs using non-halogenated solvents in PSCs. These findings show that the side chain engineering technique can produce novel HTMs for low-cost, environmentally friendly solvent processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new polymer, poly[1-(5-(4,8-bis(4-chloro-5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)-6-methylbenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophen-2-yl)-4-fluorothiophen-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3-(4-fluoro-5-methylthiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c′]dithiophene-4,8-dione] comprising PFBDB–TCl–(EH) was designed and synthesized for fabrication of non-fullerene organic solar cells application. The PFBDB–TCl–(EH) was synthesized by Stille polymerization. PFBDB–TCl–(EH) blended with IT-4F and Y7 exhibited an efficiency of 5.03% and 9.10%. By contrast, PFBDB–TCl–(EH):SiCl–BDT:Y7-based ternary device exhibited best efficiency of 15.10%, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.83 V, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 27.68 mA/cm2, and fill factor (FF) of 65.25%, respectively. This results indicated the PFBDB–TCl–(EH) exhibited excellent compatibility with the host blend SiCl–BDT:Y7 and tended to enhance miscibility and formed cascade energy levels. Newly synthesized π conjugated polymer PFBDB-TCl-(EH) used as ternary device in non-fullerene organic solar cells. Due to presence of halogen atoms, PFBDB-TCl-(EH), deeper HOMO energy levels were observed in − 5.58 eV. The power conversion efficiency also improved from binary device with 9.10% to ternary device with 15.10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation has been done for the performance enhancement of double-slope solar still (DSSS) by incorporating channels of different shapes. There are five solar stills including one conventional solar still, and four others modified with square (Sq), rectangular (Rect), triangular (Tri), and trapezoidal (Trap) channel are used. The temperature difference between the channel inlet and outlet, basin, and glass cover was measured at an optimum basin water depth of 2 cm. It is found that incorporating the channels inside the still enhances the basin water surface temperature. Results demonstrate that the best yield rate was achieved from the trapezoidal shape channel inserted in double-slope solar still (DSSS + Trap). DSSS + Sq, DSSS + Rect, DSSS + Tri, and DSSS + Trap channels increased the yield rate by 4.35%, 13.04%, 20.28%, and 30.43% compared to conventional double-slope solar still. Energy and exergy analysis was calculated for different days in the modified solar still. The cost per liter of distillate water was least ($0.034) for DSSS + Trap system with a payback period of 6.5 months. Moreover, it is observed that the modified double-slope solar still with trapezoidal channel attachment has reduced 5.33 tons CO2 for its life cycle. Furthermore, water samples collected during experimental have a drinking quality as per requirements of the World Health Organization standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable optical and electronic properties of the fluorescent carbon dots have drawn significant research interests over the years mainly owing to their sensing and photocatalytic applications. In this work, highly fluorescent nitrogen doped carbon dots [N−CDs] have been synthesised from Quercus infectoria via hydrothermal treatment. The structural, optical properties and the surface functionalities of the synthesised N−CDs are analysed with the help of various analytical techniques. The spherical shaped N−CDs exhibit an average particle size of 5 nm. Dual turn‐on‐off fluorescent sensors have been developed to sense Fe(III) and cysteine with detection limit of 1.88×10−8 M and 7.8×10−5 M respectively. The synthesised N−CDs exhibited excellent sensitivity in the in vitro detection of Fe(III) in ferric citrate supplements with a detection limit of 1.43×10−7 M. Interaction between ct‐DNA and N−CDs with a binding constant of 1.32 (mg/mL)−1 indicates its potency in designing drugs. The fluorescent nature of the N−CDs envisions its application to image SKMEL cells and L6 cells. This work may be extended for the use of N−CDs for diverse applications including in vivo sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole transport materials (HTMs) play essential roles in achieving high photovoltaic performance and long‐term stability in the n–i–p structure of perovskite solar cell (PSC) devices. Recently, dopant‐free polymeric materials as HTMs in PSCs have attracted considerable attention owing to high carrier mobility and excellent hydrophobicity. However, achieving similar efficiencies to those of doped small molecule HTMs such as Spiro‐OMeTAD is a big challenge. Herein, a thienothiophene π‐bridge is selected as a stabilizer and energy level regulator incorporated into a donor–acceptor‐type HTM to synthesize a new polymer, Nap‐SiBTA. The incorporation of the thienothiophene group improves the thermal stability and favors the high planarity and face‐on orientation, promoting high charge carrier mobility and tunable optical band gap. Finally, the dopant‐free polymer Nap‐SiBTA‐based PSC achieves an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.07% with a high fill factor of 80.85%. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the best efficiencies in dopant‐free HTM PSCs. Moreover, the unencapsulated device retains 93% of its initial PCE after 1000 h owing to the excellent hydrophobicity of Nap‐SiBTA. This work provides a general and practical method to design dopant‐free HTMs for the high efficiency and long‐term stability of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are increasing along with an increasing number of patients with comorbid conditions like psychiatric and behavioral disorders, which are independent predictors of quality of life. Methods: Non-overlapping years (2003-2016) of National Inpatient Sample and Kids Inpatient Database were analyzed to include all IBD-related hospitalizations of patients less than 21 years of age. Patients were analyzed for a concomitant diagnosis of psychiatric/ behavioral disorders and were compared with IBD patients without psychiatric/behavioral disorder diagnoses for outcome variables: IBD severity, length of stay and inflation-adjusted hospitalization charges. Results: Total of 161,294 IBD-related hospitalizations were analyzed and the overall prevalence rate of any psychiatric and behavioral disorders was 15.7%. Prevalence rate increased from 11.3% (2003) to 20.6% (2016), p<0.001. Depression, substance use, and anxiety were the predominant psychiatric disorders. Regression analysis showed patients with severe IBD (odds ratio [OR], 1.57; confidence interval [CI], 1.47–1.67; p<0.001) and intermediate IBD (OR, 1.14; CI, 1.10–1.28, p<0.001) had increased risk of associated psychiatric and behavioral disorders than patients with a low severity IBD. Multivariate analysis showed that psychiatric and behavioral disorders had 1.17 (CI, 1.07–1.28; p<0.001) mean additional days of hospitalization and incurred additional $8473 (CI, 7,520–9,425; p<0.001) of mean hospitalization charges, independent of IBD severity. Conclusion: Prevalence of psychiatric and behavioral disorders in hospitalized pediatric IBD patients has been significantly increasing over the last two decades, and these disorders were independently associated with prolonged hospital stay, and higher total hospitalization charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic fungi in plant tissues produce a wide range of secondary metabolites and enzymes, which exhibit a variety of biological activities. In the present study, litter endophytic fungi were isolated from a fire-prone forest and screened for thermostable cellulases. Among nine endophytic fungi tested, two isolates, Bartalinia pondoensis and Phoma sp., showed the maximum cellulase activity. Bartalinia pondoensis was further selected for its cellulase production and characterization. Among the carbon and nitrogen sources tested, maximum cellulase production was observed with maltose and yeast extract, and the eucalyptus leaves and rice bran served as the best natural substrates. The cellulase activity increased with increasing temperature, with maximum activity recorded at 100 °C. The maximum CMCase activity was observed between pH 6.0 and 7.0 and retained 80% of its activity in the pH range of 8–10. Partially purified cellulase of B. pondoensis retained 50% of its activity after 2 h of incubation at 60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C. These results suggest that litter endophytic fungus B. pondoensis is a potential source for the production of thermostable and alkali-tolerant cellulase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the small molecule hole-transporting materials (HTMs) pop up with an efficiency of over 25%, long-term stability still needs to be improved for the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. In the current work, we designed two fluorine-dithiophene (FDT)-based small molecule HTMs (F2DT and FDT-DMP), and comparative studies of HTMs were performed for stable donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) perovskite solar cells. Notably, the introduction of fluorene-terminated groups on FDT resulted in fine-tuned energy levels and better thermal stability with a high glass transition temperature (Tg∼157 °C), which follow-on enhanced perovskite device performance of F2DT. The hydrophobic nature of the F2DT compound truly favored the formation of uniform and dense perovskite films that further improved the stability of the devices. The comparison studies revealed that F2DT displayed higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18% than FDT-DMP (PCE of 12.3%). The resultant F2DT device displays better stability than the device with FDT-DMP, maintaining almost 80% of its initial performance for more than 300 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type II Diabetes Mellitus (Type II DM) is a chronic condition that has detrimental effect on vital organs if left untreated, necessitating early diagnosis and treatment. Iridology, a subset of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), has the potential to serve as a tool for noninvasive early diagnosis of Type II DM. Iridology involves analyzing the characteristics of iris such as color and pattern for detection of organ and system defects. Deep learning algorithm is one of the promising methods in diagnosing various health-related issues. In this study, we have demonstrated the efficiency of iridology in diagnosing Type II DM using deep learning algorithms. Near Infra-Red images of iris were captured using iris scanner from 178 voluntary subjects belonging to two categories namely, Type II DM (95 subjects) and nondiabetic or healthy category (83 subjects). We have developed an algorithm using Fully Convolutional Neural network for effective iris segmentation. Normalized iris images were used to crop out our region of interest, pancreas, based on the iridology chart. Classification networks such as AlexNet, VGG-16, and ResNet-50 were used to classify Type II DM versus healthy category. Our proposed model for iris segmentation achieved an accuracy and sensitivity of 0.99, specificity and F-Score of 0.98, and a precision of 0.97. Results obtained using AlexNet classifier exhibits better classification accuracy of 95.85% for Zero-padding based resized image. The classifier yielded a sensitivity, specificity, and precision of 95.80%, 95.85%, and 96.11%, respectively. Our study results establish the efficacy and emphasize the importance of the proposed algorithm for diagnosing Type II DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Side chain engineering is widely explored to improve polymer solubility, morphology and film aggregation of organic solar cells (OSCs). A chlorine-contained polymer (PBDT-Al5) consists of BDT with short alkyl side chain (pentyl) in combination with BDD moiety was synthesized and photovoltaic behaviors were investigated. PBDT-Al5 displayed good stability and solubility in various solvents. Non-halogenated solvent processed OSCs are fabricated with PBDT-Al5:IT-4F, which exhibited PCE of 7.32% in presence of DPE additive with improved charge carrier mobility. As results, the rational design and synthesis of chlorinated donor polymer is effective strategy to improve the photovoltaic efficiencies of non-fullerene OSCs(NFOSCs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new benzotriazole based π-conjugated polymer (Nap-UD-SiBTA) with siloxane-functionalized side chains is designed and synthesized for fabrication of non-fullerene organic solar cells (NFOSCs). The application of Nap-UD-SiBTA enhanced charge carrier mobility, good solubility and better surface morphology. The Nap-UD-SiBTA was synthesized by Stille polymerization and showed good compatibility with ITIC as non-fullerene acceptor. Therefore, Nap-UD-SiBTA blended with ITIC exhibited an efficiency of 4.76%, open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.77 V, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 11.60 mA/cm2, and fill factor (FF) of 53.18%, respectively. The study results provide a pacesetting strategy to design and fabricate the highly efficient NFOSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bibliometric evaluation of the literature within the area of Pediatric urology in MEDLINE data which has been covered in PubMed. The study period has been chosen from the year 1981 to 2020. It is seen that 14711 records are accessible in the field of Pediatric urology. It has been observed that a sum of 9079 Journal Article records found and followed by; Review (1800 records), Research Support, and Non-U.S. Gov't (1513 records), Case Reports (309 records), Multicenter Study (286 records), Editorial (263 records), and so on The United States is the significant distributor in the field of Pediatric urology followed by; England, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Australia, France, and Japan. Relative Growth Rate (RGR) has been diminished and Doubling Time (DT) has been increased from the year 1982 to 2020 however it was in a conflicting way. It has been seen that 03 journals were assembled in zone-1 and distributed 3564 journal articles representing 33% of the complete result. Moreover, the subsequent second zone contains 69 journals that have distributed 3028 journal articles. An aggregate of 72 journals in zone-1 and zone-2 have been recognized as core journals in the field of Pediatric urology. It has been shown that the United States distributed an aggregate of 17 core journals and it was in the principal position followed by; England, Germany, Switzerland, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Side-chain properties of π-conjugated wide bandgap (WBG) polymers have been widely studied for application in all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs), but the siloxane functionalized side-chains based polymers has been rarely reported. In this regard, we systematically explored a π-conjugated WBG polymer with a distinct side-chain of siloxane functionality for high performance all-PSCs. We found that the π-conjugated WBG polymer (Si-BDT) has good absorption spectra with polymer acceptor (P(NDI2OD-T2)), high charge carrier mobility and enhanced bulk-heterojunction morphology. When the polymer with siloxane functionalized side-chain had power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.54% with significantly enhanced photocurrent and fill factor. Notably, the additive-free Si-BDT:P(NDI2OD-T2) exhibits stable characteristics. These results demonstrate that siloxane functionalized side chains are a promising strategy to design new π-conjugated polymers toward the stable all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of flow boiling, the prediction of vapour fraction in the horizontal microchannel is a severe issue using the numerical technique. Two-dimensional numerical simulation was carried out for the flow boiling in microchannels with different boiling models (VOF, MM and EM). This study is one of the first studies that report a numerical assessment of these three models. Numerical simulations have done with water as a working fluid. The different mass flow rates (1.586 × 10−6 kg−1, 2.541 × 10−6 kg s−1, 3.112 × 10−6 kg s−1) and different heat fluxes (300 kW m−2, 400 kW m−2, 500 kW m−2) with different flow boiling models are used. The vapour fraction estimation was done by image processing in MATLAB program and compared with various mass flow rate and heat flux. It well validated with the published literature. An onset of nucleate boiling point position is estimated with same time step, and uncertainties of the numerical simulation were less than 2.5% at the lowest mass flow rate. The result shows that the vapour fraction in the microchannel increases with an increase in mass flow rate and heat flux. Similarly, the model's heat transfer rate compared with the same mass flow rate and heat flux. The mixture model is best to estimate of vapour fraction compared to other models. The estimated vapour fraction values are 0.2950, 0.1848 and 0.1726 for MM, VOF and EM respectively. The heat transfer coefficient value for the mixture model is 20.381 kW m−2. Its value was very higher compared to other models because of the increase in fluid temperature difference at constant heat flux. This comparison can be used to provide design guidelines by selecting proper model for simulation work and minimize the complexity and wastage time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Studies in adults have shown an increasing incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in patients hospitalized with acute pancreatitis (AP). There is lack of epidemiological data on CDI and its impact on hospitalized pediatric patients with AP. Methods: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample and Kids' Inpatient Database between the years 2003 and 2016 and included all patients (age <21 years) with a primary diagnosis of AP using specific International Classification of Diseases codes. We compared clinical outcomes between children with CDI and those without CDI. Our primary outcome was severe AP and secondary outcomes included length of stay and hospital charges. Results: A total of 123,240 hospitalizations related to AP were analyzed and CDI was noted in 0.6% of the hospital. The prevalence rate of CDI doubled from 0.4% (2003) to 0.8% (2016), p=0.03. AP patients with CDI had increased comorbidities, and also underwent more invasive surgical procedures, p<0.05. AP patients with CDI had a higher in-hospital mortality rate and increased prevalence of severe AP, p<0.001. Multivariate regression models showed that CDI was associated with 2.4 times (confidence interval [CI]: 1.91 to 3.01, p<0.001) increased odds of severe AP. CDI patients had 7.24 (CI: 6.81 to 7.67, p<0.001) additional hospital days while incurring $59,032 (CI: 54,050 to 64,014, p<0.001) additional hospitalization charges. Conclusion: CDI in pediatric patients with AP is associated with adverse clinical outcomes and increased healthcare resource utilization. Further studies are needed to elucidate this association to prevent the development of CDI and to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a bibliometric analysis of the literature in the discipline of Polio as listed the MEDLINE data which covered in the PubMed for the length 1990-2019.It is found that a total of 18956 records are within the MEDLINE database which covered by PubMed on 'Polio '. Maximum number of 1683 records was published during the year 2019, followed by 1672 records in the year 2017 and 1587 records in the year 2018. It became discovered that 76.54% of records are journal articles, followed by Review 12.49%, Editorial 2.60%, Letter 2.44%, Case Report 2.38%, News 2.22%,Comment 1.21%, Published Erratum 0.11%, and Published Retraction 0.01% are included in this look at. Relative Growth Rate (RGR) has been reducing from the year 1991 to 2019 but in a fluctuation trend. On the other hand, the Doubling Time (Dt) has shown an increasing trend, but it is also in a fluctuation of records throughout the examine period. A total of 240 journals were identified as core journals in the subject of Polio literature. The ratio of single and multiple authors publications is 1:6 found within the discipline of Polio literature. The meager percent i.e. 2.02% of records represent nameless authorship. The average Degree of Collaboration arrived at 0.86. It shows that multi-authored papers dominated within the field of Polio literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the data in the field of Prosthodontics and used the bibliometric technique i.e. Bradford's Law of Scattering to identify the core journals. The literatures in the field of Prosthodontics in the MEDLINE data which is covered in the PubMed are considered. This study is framed to identify the core journals and its subject-wise coverage of journals and country of publication in the discipline of Prosthodontics. A total of 41524 records covered in the field of Prosthodontics in the study period i.e. from the year 2010 to 2019. It is found that a total of 62.03% of records are journal articles. Sixty-Three journals in the Zone-1 and Zone-2 were identified as core journals in the field of Prosthodontics. It is also found that the United States published 20 core journals out of 63 core journals in the field of Prosthodontics. The United States is dominated in the first position in the study of core journal analysis and followed by the countries i.e. England, Germany, China, India, Brazil, etc. The most frequently cited journal articles are published in the Dentistry subject journals; followed by Prosthodontics subject journals, Oral & Maxillofacial Implants subject journals, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]