Search

Leather is a product that has been used for millennia. While it is a natural material, its production raises serious environmental and ethical concerns. To mitigate those, the engineering of sustainable biobased leather substitutes has become a trend over the past few years. Among the biobased materials, mycelium, the fungal "root" of a mushroom, is one of the promising alternatives to animal leather, as a material with tunable physicomechanical properties. Understanding the effect of humidity on mycelium-based leather material properties is essential to the production of durable, competitive, and sustainable leather products. To this end, we measured the water sorption isotherms on several samples of mycelium-based leather materials and investigated the effects of water sorption on their elastic properties. The ultrasonic pulse transmission method was used to measure the wave speed through the materials while measuring their sorption isotherms at different humidity levels. Additionally, the material's properties were mechanically tested by performing uniaxial tensile tests under ambient and immersed conditions. An overall reduction in elastic moduli was observed during both absorption and immersion. The changes in the measured longitudinal modulus during water sorption reveal changes in the elasticity of the test materials. The observed irreversible variation of the longitudinal modulus during the initial water sorption can be related to the material production process and the presence of various additives that affect the mechanical properties of the leather materials. Our results presented here should be of interest to material science experts developing a new generation of sustainable leather products.

Background and Objectives: Candidaemia is a potentially life-threatening emergency in the intensive care units (ICUs). Surveillance using common protocols in a large network of hospitals would give meaningful estimates of the burden of candidaemia and central line associated candidaemia in low resource settings. We undertook this study to understand the burden and epidemiology of candidaemia in multiple ICUs of India, leveraging the previously established healthcare-associated infections (HAI) surveillance network. Our aim was also to assess the impact that the pandemic of COVID-19 had on the rates and associated mortality of candidaemia., Methods: This study included adult patients from 67 Indian ICUs in the AIIMS-HAI surveillance network that conducted BSI surveillance in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 ICUs during and before the COVID-19 pandemic periods. Hospitals identified healthcare-associated candidaemia and central line associated candidaemia and reported clinical and microbiological data to the network as per established and previously published protocols., Results: A total of 401,601 patient days and 126,051 central line days were reported during the study period. A total of 377 events of candidaemia were recorded. The overall rate of candidaemia in our network was 0.93/1000 patient days. The rate of candidaemia in COVID-19 ICUs (2.52/1000 patient days) was significantly higher than in non-COVID-19 ICUs (1.05/patient days) during the pandemic period. The rate of central line associated candidaemia in COVID-19 ICUs (4.53/1000 central line days) was also significantly higher than in non-COVID-19 ICUs (1.73/1000 central line days) during the pandemic period. Mortality in COVID-19 ICUs associated with candidaemia (61%) was higher than that in non-COVID-19 ICUs (41%). A total of 435 Candida spp. were isolated. C. tropicalis (26.7%) was the most common species. C. auris accounted for 17.5% of all isolates and had a high mortality., Conclusion: Patients in ICUs with COVID-19 infections have a much higher risk of candidaemia, CLAC and its associated mortality. Network level data helps in understanding the true burden of candidaemia and will help in framing infection control policies for the country., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Despite scarcity of data, in recent years, human parvovirus B19 (PVB19) has been emerging as an important pathogen in acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). But, PVB19 virus is mostly looked for only after the exclusion of other common pathogens implicated in AES. Hence, this study was conducted to correlate clinical, radiological, and sequencing data to establish the crucial role of PVB19 in AES. Cerebrospinal fluid and/or serum samples were collected from AES patients as per WHO criteria and tested by ELISA, real-time PCR and bacterial culture sensitivity for various pathogens. PVB19 positive samples were subjected to sequencing. PVB19 attributed to 5% of total AES cases in the present study with fatalities in two of eight cases. Two isolates of PVB19 belonged to Genotype 1 A whereas one belonged to Genotype 3B. On multivariate analysis of predictive symptoms of PVB19 AES cases, blurring of vision (odds ratio [OR] 20.67; p = 0.001) was found to be significant independent predictor of PVB19 AES. Six of eight patients (two encephalitis specific and four nonspecific) had abnormal radiological findings. Hence, being an emerging viral pathogen, PVB19 should be included in the diagnostic algorithm of AES for prompt diagnosis and definitive management to prevent undesired neurological sequelae., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Leptospirosis and melioidosis are common in tropical and temperate climates and can be acquired by exposure to contaminated water and soil. However, concomitant leptospirosis and melioidosis infection is rarely described in the literature. We report a case of leptospirosis-melioidosis coinfection and systematically review the literature., Case Presentation: A 42-year-old male presented with fever associated with chills and rigor, dull aching pain in the right thigh, myalgia, progressive breathlessness, and dry cough for 10 days. At presentation, he was tachypneic and had tachycardia, and oxygen saturation was 46% in room air. Chest radiography and computed tomography scan showed interstitial involvement. Magnetic resonance imaging for thigh pain revealed right femur osteomyelitis. Leptospira serology was positive, and blood culture grew Burkholderia pseudomallei, confirming the diagnosis of melioidosis. Thus, a diagnosis of presumptive leptospirosis based on modified Faine's criteria and systemic melioidosis was made. He received doxycycline and intravenous meropenem and improved., Results: We performed a systematic review to understand the spectrum of leptospirosis-melioidosis coinfection. We identified only nine cases of coinfection described in literature. Only one patient had septic arthritis, and our case is the only one presenting with osteomyelitis. Serology diagnosed leptospirosis, whereas melioidosis was confirmed by blood culture in most patients. The majority of coinfected patients developed some complications, and six died., Conclusions: Leptospirosis-melioidosis coinfection is rarely reported in the literature. Physicians should maintain a high index suspicion of leptospirosis-melioidosis coinfection in patients presenting with acute febrile illness following exposure to soil or freshwater, particularly in tropical and endemic regions., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2024 Manoj Kumar Panigrahi, Shakti Kumar Bal, Tara Prasad Tripathy, Akshaya Moorthy, Swadesh Kumar Mohanty, Ashoka Mahapatra, Sourin Bhuniya.)

The emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) poses a significant threat to both public health and aquatic ecosystems. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as potential hotspots for disseminating AR in the environment. However, only a limited number of studies have been conducted on AR dissemination through WWTPs in Sri Lanka. To address this knowledge gap in AR dissemination through WWTP operations in Sri Lanka, we critically examined the global situation of WWTPs as hotspots for transmitting antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) by evaluating more than a hundred peer-reviewed international publications and available national publications. Our findings discuss the current state of operating WWTPs in the country and highlight the research needed in controlling AR dissemination. The results revealed that the impact of different wastewater types, such as clinical, veterinary, domestic, and industrial, on the dissemination of AR has not been extensively studied in Sri Lanka; furthermore, the effectiveness of various wastewater treatment techniques in removing ARGs requires further investigation to improve the technologies. Furthermore, existing studies have not explored deeply enough the potential public health and ecological risks posed by AR dissemination through WWTPs.

Introduction: The Kayakalp guidelines for public healthcare facilities under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) focus on improving sanitation, cleanliness, and infection control at public hospitals in India. This study was conducted in a 960-bed tertiary-level teaching hospital in eastern India. Housekeeping has been a challenge in public institutions, with factors like overcrowding and resource constraints. Tobacco and betel nut chewing, spitting, poor sanitation practices, and open urination are major challenges in ensuring sanitation at the hospital. The research objective was to study the implementation of the Kayakalp guidelines for quality improvement in housekeeping services at the institution., Methods: A pre- and post-interventional study was conducted using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) quality tool. Plan phases included the gap assessment using the Kayakalp checklist with numerical scoring. Necessary interventions were done under three headings: structure, processes, and outcomes in the "Do" phase. The "Check" phase included monitoring of the activities followed by the "Act" phase, which included a review of the action plan. External experts nominated by the government conducted the final assessments and recommended it as one of the cleanest hospitals., Results: A 360-degree improvement was observed in hospital services, with assessment score improvement from 73.68% to 95.0%. The institution received the first prize in 2020 and 2021 and runners-up Kayakalp National Award under category "B" (Institute of National Importance) Hospitals in 2019., Conclusion: The implementation of Kayakalp guidelines of the Government of India proved to be efficient in the improvement of housekeeping and infection control practices in the institution., Competing Interests: Source of Support: None. Conflict of Interest: None.

Bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) are important heterocycle-containing molecular scaffolds that show remarkable biological and pharmacological activities. This work reports the synthesis of novel BIMs using carbohydrate-derived 5-substituted-2-furaldehydes as renewable reactants. Structural diversity was introduced in the BIMs as substituents in the indole and furaldehyde moieties. Various commonly encountered biorenewable carboxylic acids were screened as catalysts for the acid-catalyzed transformation under organic solvent-free conditions. All the novel BIMs were characterized by spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR) and elemental analysis. The reaction was optimized on the reaction temperature, duration, catalyst type, and catalyst loading. The gluconic acid aqueous solution (GAAS) showed the best catalytic activity for the transformation, affording satisfactory isolated yields (68-96%) of the targeted BIMs under optimized conditions. The GAAS catalyst was conveniently recovered from the reaction mixture and reused for four consecutive cycles without catastrophic loss in either mass or activity. Moreover, the antibacterial activities of the novel BIMs were studied on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, such as Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas syringae ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Introduction: Many studies have demonstrated significant antibiotic resistance by commonly isolated organisms. This is an eye-opener for the clinicians, who prescribe antibiotics day in and out. This situation shifts our attention towards the usage of antiseptic measures, which can at times play an important role in preventing and treating various infections., Method: This is a double-blinded randomized controlled study that compares the bundle approach to the conventional approach for the prevention of surgical site infections in patients of peritonitis undergoing midline laparotomy in emergency. The bundle approach includes three measures, namely, painting of surgical site with chlorhexidine, dabbing the wound with povidone-iodine after the closure of the rectus sheath, and application of chlorhexidine-impregnated gauze piece over the skin wound., Results: The total sample size was 64 (32 in each arm). The rate of surgical site infection was significantly lower in the test arm (21.8%) as compared to the conventional arm (46.8%). The mean length of hospital stay was shorter by one day in the test arm, although, not significant. The isolates from the peritoneal fluid culture and wound culture were mostly gram-negative organisms. Most of the organisms exhibited resistance toward third generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides., Conclusion: Antibiotic resistance is a burning concern in today's world. Alternative methods of preventing infection in the form of using antiseptics should be sought. Although our study was limited to emergency cases, this bundle approach can be implemented in elective cases as well., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), the environmental sensitivity of the strong Coulomb interaction offers promising approaches to create spatially varying potential landscapes in the same continuous material by tuning its dielectric environment. Thus, allowing for control of transport. However, a scalable and CMOS-compatible method for achieving this is required to harness these effects in practical applications. In addition, because of their ultrashort lifetime, observing the spatiotemporal dynamics of carriers in monolayer TMDCs, on the relevant time scale, is challenging. Here, we pattern and deposit a thin film of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on top of a monolayer of WSe 2 . This allows for the engineering of the dielectric environment of the monolayer and design of heterostructures with nanoscale spatial resolution via a highly scalable postsynthesis methodology. We then directly image the transport of photoexcitations in the monolayer with 50 fs time resolution and few-nanometer spatial precision, using a pump probe microscopy technique. We observe the unidirectional funneling of charge carriers, from the unpatterned to the patterned areas, over more than 50 nm in the first 20 ps with velocities of over 2 × 10 3 m/s at room temperature. These results demonstrate the possibilities offered by dielectric engineering via ALD patterning, allowing for arbitrary spatial patterns that define the potential landscape and allow for control of the transport of excitations in atomically thin materials. This work also shows the power of the transient absorption methodology to image the motion of photoexcited states in complex potential landscapes on ultrafast time scales.

Background: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is an emerging nosocomial pathogen implicated in neonatal sepsis with high mortality and morbidities. However, there is very limited data regarding the characteristics as well as outcomes following this infection, particularly in developing countries., Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of all infants with culture-positive Elizabethkingia sepsis as part of an outbreak, to study their clinical and epidemiological characteristics, as well as their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, using a structured proforma from the neonatal intensive care unit database. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and predictors of mortality and hydrocephalus were also identified., Results: Of the 21 neonates enrolled, 9 (42.9%) were male, with a mean gestational age and birth weight of 31.7 ± 3.4 weeks and 1320 ± 364 g, respectively. The median (interquartile range) age of onset of illness was 7 (5-12) days. The overall mortality rate was 23.8%, and among survivors, 50% had neurologic complications requiring intervention. Vancomycin and ciprofloxacin were the most used antibiotics for treatment in our series, with a median duration of 26 (17-38) days. On univariate analysis, shock at presentation was significantly associated with increased mortality (P = 0.04) while, seizures (P = 0.04) and elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein levels (P = 0 .01) at onset of illness predicted progressive hydrocephalus in surviving neonates., Conclusion: E. meningoseptica sepsis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of appropriate antibiotics are critical for improving survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Though isolation of the organism by environmental surveillance is always not possible, with proper infection control measures, the infection can be controlled., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Marine environments wherein long-term microbial oxygen consumption exceeds oxygen replenishment can be associated with oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). The Bay of Bengal OMZ (BOB-OMZ) is one of the most intense OMZs globally. To assess the contribution of bacterial oxygen consumption to oxygen loss in BOB-OMZ, we measured bacterial production (BP), temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) in the whole water column. We then compared the estimated bacterial oxygen demand (BOD) with diapycnal oxygen supply (DOS) at depths of 50-200 m in the southern BOB in January 2020. The average BP was 3.53 ± 3.15 μmol C m -3 h -1 in the upper 200 m of four stations, which was lower than those reported in other tropical waters. The vertical distribution of BP differed between the open ocean and nearshore areas. In the open ocean, temperature and DO were the most important predictors for BP in the whole water column. In the nearshore areas, when DO increased sharply from the suboxic state, extremely high BP occurred at 200 m. The average estimated BOD/DOS could reach up to 153% at depths of 50-200 m, indicating advection and anticyclonic eddies probably are important DO replenishment pathways in the BOB., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ye, Ma, Liu, Ye, Priyadarshani, Jayathilake, Weerakoon, Wimalasiri, Dissanayake, Pathirana, Iroshanie, Zhu, Li, Wang, Shou, Ran, Zhou, Chen and Du.)

Quasi-1D nanoribbons provide a unique route to diversifying the properties of their parent 2D nanomaterial, introducing lateral quantum confinement and an abundance of edge sites. Here, a new family of nanomaterials is opened with the creation of arsenic-phosphorus alloy nanoribbons (AsPNRs). By ionically etching the layered crystal black arsenic-phosphorus using lithium electride followed by dissolution in amidic solvents, solutions of AsPNRs are formed. The ribbons are typically few-layered, several micrometers long with widths tens of nanometers across, and both highly flexible and crystalline. The AsPNRs are highly electrically conducting above 130 K due to their small band gap (ca. 0.035 eV), paramagnetic in nature, and have high hole mobilities, as measured with the first generation of AsP devices, directly highlighting their properties and utility in electronic devices such as near-infrared detectors, quantum computing, and charge carrier layers in solar cells.

Aversive geofencing devices (AGDs) or animal-borne satellite-linked shock collars might become a useful tool to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC). AGDs have the potential to condition problem elephants to avoid human-dominated landscapes by associating mild electric shocks with preceding audio warnings given as they approach virtual boundaries. We assessed the opinions of different stakeholders (experts, farmers, and others who have and have not experienced HEC; n = 611) on the potential use of AGDs on Asian elephants. Most respondents expressed positive opinions on the potential effectiveness of AGDs in managing elephant movement (62.2%). About 62.8% respondents also provided positive responses for the acceptability of AGDs if pilot studies with captive elephants have been successful in managing their movements. Some respondents perceived AGDs to be unacceptable because they are unethical or harmful and would be unsuccessful given wild elephants may respond differently to AGDs than captive elephants. Respondents identified acceptability, support and awareness of stakeholders, safety and wellbeing of elephants, logistical difficulties, durability and reliable functionality of AGDs, and uncertainties in elephants' responses to AGDs as potential challenges for implementing AGDs. These issues need attention when developing AGDs to increase support from stakeholders and to effectively reduce HEC incidents in the future.

Thermodynamic properties of fluids confined in nanopores differ from those observed in the bulk. To investigate the effect of nanoconfinement on water compressibility, we perform water sorption experiments on two nanoporous glass samples while concomitantly measuring the speed of longitudinal and shear ultrasonic waves in these samples. These measurements yield the longitudinal and shear moduli of the water-laden nanoporous glass as a function of relative humidity that we utilize in the Gassmann theory to infer the bulk modulus of the confined water. This analysis shows that the bulk modulus (inverse of compressibility) of confined water is noticeably higher than that of the bulk water at the same temperature. Moreover, the modulus exhibits a linear dependence on the Laplace pressure. The results for water, which is a polar fluid, agree with previous experimental and numerical data reported for nonpolar fluids. This similarity suggests that irrespective of intermolecular forces, confined fluids are stiffer than bulk fluids. Accounting for fluid stiffening in nanopores may be important for accurate interpretation of wave propagation measurements in fluid-filled nanoporous media, including in petrophysics, catalysis, and other applications, such as in porous materials characterization.

Photoinduced spin-charge interconversion in semiconductors with spin-orbit coupling could provide a route to optically addressable spintronics without the use of external magnetic fields. However, in structurally disordered polycrystalline semiconductors, which are being widely explored for device applications, the presence and role of spin-associated charge currents remains unclear. Here, using femtosecond circular-polarization-resolved pump-probe microscopy on polycrystalline halide perovskite thin films, we observe the photoinduced ultrafast formation of spin domains on the micrometre scale formed through lateral spin currents. Micrometre-scale variations in the intensity of optical second-harmonic generation and vertical piezoresponse suggest that the spin-domain formation is driven by the presence of strong local inversion symmetry breaking via structural disorder. We propose that this leads to spatially varying Rashba-like spin textures that drive spin-momentum-locked currents, leading to local spin accumulation. Ultrafast spin-domain formation in polycrystalline halide perovskite films provides an optically addressable platform for nanoscale spin-device physics., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Immature rice has potential to be used as healthy food. The relation between molecular structure and rheological properties was investigated. The lamellar repeating distance (8.42-8.63 nm) and crystalline thickness (4.60-4.72 nm) were not different among stages indicating a complete lamellar structure even at early stage. The relative crystallinity was higher in dough (39.62 %) than milky (36.69 %) and mature starch (35.22 %) caused by molecular structure, amylose, and amylose-lipid complex. The short amylopectin branched chains (A and B1) in dough starch were easily entangled resulted in higher Payne effect and elastic dominant. Dough starch paste exhibited higher G' Max (738 Pa) than milky (685 Pa) and mature (645 Pa) starch. In a non-linear viscoelastic regime, small strain hardening was found in milky and dough starch. Mature starch showed the highest plasticity and shear thinning at high-shear strains as the long-branched chains (B3) microstructure was disrupted, disentangled, followed by chain orientation along shear., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: Coccidioidomycosis is endemic to the Southwest United States and Mexico. In this case series we describe 3 cases, occurring in the Southwest United States, of patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis infection in cirrhosis, all with a miliary pattern present on chest imaging., Methods: This case series was performed conducting a review of patients' electronic health records and thorough review of the literature for coccidioidomycosis infection in patients with liver disease., Results: Three patients with different etiology of liver disease with Model for End-stage Liver Disease - Sodium (MELD-Na) scores >20 had chest imaging findings indicative of a miliary pattern on presentation. Each patient subsequently had extensive infectious disease workup that showed evidence of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. All 3 patients clinically worsened and eventually died., Conclusions: This case series highlights the severity of disseminated coccidioidomycosis in patients with cirrhosis in an endemic area, as well as potential early clues such as miliary patterns on chest imaging. A review of the literature found a significant connection among potential mechanisms describing why patients with cirrhosis have such adverse outcomes in the setting of disseminated coccidioidomycosis, including cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction and genetic defects in immune functioning., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives  The availability of a limited arsenal of antibacterial agents effective against Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, together with sporadic reports of emergence of resistance necessitates an evaluation of in vitro activity of new antimicrobials against clinical B. pseudomallei isolates. Cefiderocol (CFDC), a novel siderophore cephalosporin, and ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), a new β lactam combination agent, have shown promising results for the treatment of difficult-to-treat Gram-negative bacilli infections with limited treatment options. This study was conducted to determine the in vitro activity of CFDC and CZA against a contemporary collection of 60 B. pseudomallei clinical isolates. Materials and Methods  Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of CFDC and CZA were determined by broth microdilution and E-test, respectively. The performance of disk diffusion was also evaluated for CFDC. Results  All B. pseudomallei isolates were susceptible to CFDC and CZA with MIC range of 0.125 to 2 mg/L and 0.19 to 1 mg/L, respectively. Zone diameters for CFDC ranged from 31 to 40 mm. Conclusion  CFDC and CZA exhibited excellent in vitro activity against 60 B. pseudomallei isolates. Further pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamics studies and clinical trials are needed to prove the clinical efficacy of CFDC and CZA in the treatment of melioidosis., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (The Indian Association of Laboratory Physicians. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Purpose: Elizabethkingia is an emerging non-fermenting Gram-negative bacillus (NFGNB) causing bloodstream infections (BSI) associated with high mortality. It demonstrates a unique antimicrobial profile in showing susceptibility to antimicrobials effective against Gram-positive bacteria. This study was undertaken to determine the overall frequency of Elizabethkingia BSI, associated risk factors, microbiological susceptibility, and clonal relationship of Elizabethkingia isolates using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR)., Patients and Methods: Elizabethkingia isolates obtained from the blood culture of admitted patients (August 2020-December 2021) were identified by the VITEK 2 system and subjected to an antimicrobial susceptibility test by standard procedures. Demographics, co-morbidities, risk factors for survival, and outcome were summarized and analyzed by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier curve, and Cox regression. Clonal relatedness between Elizabethkingia isolates was analyzed using ERIC‑PCR fingerprinting with the "PAST: Paleontological statistics software package"., Results: Of 13,747 blood samples received during the study period, 13.59% were culture positive, and 14.60% were NFGNBs. The frequency of Elizabethkingia spp. among all NFGNBs in BSI was 29.30%, and the overall prevalence in BSI was 4.21%. In patients with Elizabethkingia BSI, Foley's catheter was present in 81.25% of the cases. 100% susceptibility was observed to linezolid, followed by vancomycin (98.75%) and chloramphenicol (89.5%). The 30-day mortality rate in the patients of Elizabethkingia BSI was 26.25%. The Presence of COVID-19, pneumonia, diabetes mellitus (DM), mechanical ventilation (MV), and prior antibiotics were significantly different (p<0.05) between the survival and death groups. ERIC-PCR profile dendrogram of Elizabethkingia isolates showed ten major clusters indicating high genetic diversity., Conclusion: Elizabethkingia was responsible for one-third of NFGNB BSI in a single-center study, with approximately 26% of 30-day all-cause mortality. Most isolates were susceptible to linezolid, vancomycin, and chloramphenicol. COVID-19 was the most significant risk factor associated with mortality. ERIC-PCR of Elizabethkingia isolates exhibited high genetic diversity., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Sarathi et al.)

Heavy metals, known for their toxic nature and ability to accumulate and magnify in the food chain, are a major environmental concern. The use of environmentally friendly adsorbents, such as chitosan (CS)-a biodegradable cationic polysaccharide, has gained attention for removing heavy metals from water. This review discusses the physicochemical properties of CS and its composites and nanocomposites and their potential application in wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Short shelf life limits the commercial value of mustard microgreens. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different storage temperatures on postharvest quality and sensory attributes of mustard microgreens to identify the optimum storage temperature. Mustard microgreens were stored at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C in 150 µm polyethylene bags. Samples were drawn at 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days and tested for changes in total chlorophyll content, tissue electrolyte leakage, weight loss, antioxidant activity, and sensory attributes. Storage temperature significantly ( p < 0.05) affected the product quality, shelf life, and sensory quality. When stored at 5 °C, mustard microgreens showed no significant changes in antioxidant activity or tissue electrolyte leakage and minimal change in other parameters and maintained good overall sensory quality for 14 days. Samples stored at 10 and 15 °C retained good overall sensory quality for 4 and 2 days, respectively. When stored at 20 and 25 °C, microgreens deteriorated beyond consumption within one day. A storage temperature of 5 °C in 150 µm polythene bags can preserve high postharvest quality and sensory attributes for 14 days.

The receptor tyrosine kinase Ret plays a critical role in regulating enteric nervous system (ENS) development. Ret is important for proliferation, migration, and survival of enteric progenitor cells (EPCs). Ret also promotes neuronal fate, but its role during neuronal differentiation and in the adult ENS is less well understood. Inactivating RET mutations are associated with ENS diseases, e.g., Hirschsprung Disease, in which distal bowel lacks ENS cells. Zebrafish is an established model system for studying ENS development and modeling human ENS diseases. One advantage of the zebrafish model system is that their embryos are transparent, allowing visualization of developmental phenotypes in live animals. However, we lack tools to monitor Ret expression in live zebrafish. Here, we developed a new BAC transgenic line that expresses GFP under the ret promoter. We find that EPCs and the majority of ENS neurons express ret:GFP during ENS development. In the adult ENS, GFP + neurons are equally present in females and males. In homozygous mutants of ret and sox10 -another important ENS developmental regulator gene-GFP + ENS cells are absent. In summary, we characterize a ret:GFP transgenic line as a new tool to visualize and study the Ret signaling pathway from early development through adulthood.

In recent years, the demand for environmental sustainability has caused a great interest in finding novel polymer materials from natural resources that are both biodegradable and eco-friendly. Natural biodegradable polymers can displace the usage of petroleum-based synthetic polymers due to their renewability, low toxicity, low costs, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The development of novel starch-based bionanocomposites with improved properties has drawn specific attention recently in many applications, including food, agriculture, packaging, environmental remediation, textile, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomedical fields. This paper discusses starch-based nanocomposites, mainly with nanocellulose, chitin nanoparticles, nanoclay, and carbon-based materials, and their applications in the agriculture, packaging, biomedical, and environment fields. This paper also focused on the lifecycle analysis and degradation of various starch-based nanocomposites.

Asian elephants are a principal cause of human-wildlife conflict. This results in the death/injury of elephants and humans and large-scale crop and property damage. Most current human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation tools lack the flexibility to accommodate the ecological needs of elephants and are ineffective at reducing HEC in the long-term. Here we review common HEC mitigation tools used in Asia and the potential of Aversive Geofencing Devices (AGDs) to manage problem elephants. AGDs can be configured to monitor animal movements in real-time and deliver auditory warnings followed by electric stimuli whenever animals attempt to move across user-specified virtual boundaries. Thus, AGDs are expected to condition elephants to avoid receiving shocks and keep them away from virtually fenced areas, while providing alternative routes that can be modified if required. Studies conducted using AGDs with other species provide an overview of their potential in conditioning wild animals. We recommend that the efficacy and welfare impact of AGDs be evaluated using captive elephants along with public perception of using AGDs on elephants as a means of addressing the inherent deficiencies of common HEC mitigation tools. If elephants could be successfully conditioned to avoid virtual fences, then AGDs could resolve many HEC incidents throughout Asia.

We present quantitative ultrafast interferometric pump-probe microscopy capable of tracking of photoexcitations with sub-10 nm spatial precision in three dimensions with 15 fs temporal resolution, through retrieval of the full transient photoinduced complex refractive index. We use this methodology to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of the quantum coherent photophysical process of ultrafast singlet exciton fission. Measurements on microcrystalline pentacene films grown on glass (SiO 2 ) and boron nitride (hBN) reveal a 25 nm, 70 fs expansion of the joint-density-of-states along the crystal a,c-axes accompanied by a 6 nm, 115 fs change in the exciton density along the crystal b-axis. We propose that photogenerated singlet excitons expand along the direction of maximal orbital π-overlap in the crystal a,c-plane to form correlated triplet pairs, which subsequently electronically decouples into free triplets along the crystal b-axis due to molecular sliding motion of neighbouring pentacene molecules. Our methodology lays the foundation for the study of three dimensional transport on ultrafast timescales., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii ( A. baumannii ) is a very well-known emerging pathogen and has become a major burden on healthcare system especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Tigecycline is the last resort drug for treatment of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii infections. However, non-susceptibility to this drug is a rising problem. Resistance to tigecycline is mediated by Resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) efflux pumps., Objective: This study was done to detect efflux pump genes (adeABC) and regulator genes (adeS,adeR) responsible for tigecycline resistance among the clinical isolates of A. baumannii ., Materials and Methods: A total of 150 OXA-51 confirmed clinical isolates were subjected for tigecycline susceptibility test by broth microdilution (BMD) method. All isolates irrespective of their MIC were subjected to conventional PCR for detection of efflux genes (adeABC) and regulator genes (adeRS)., Results: Prevalence of tigecycline resistance was found to be 14 (9.33%) by the reference broth microdilution method (BMD). Overall prevalence of efflux genes was highest for adeB (69%) and lowest for adeR (29%). Combination of genes especially three, four or five were found more prevalent among resistant isolates with higher minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)., Conclusion: Combination of efflux genes confer higher MIC and can be a major contributor for resistance to tigecycline., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research.)

Over the last decade fluorescence-guided surgery has been primarily focused on the NIR-I window. However, the NIR-I window has constraints, such as limited penetration and scattering. Consequently, exploring the performance of NIR-I dyes at longer wavelengths (i.e., the NIR-II window) is crucial to expanding its application. Two fluorophores were used in three pigs to identify the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) using two commercially available NIR-I and NIR-II cameras. The near-infrared coating of equipment (NICE) was used to identify endoluminal surgical catheters and indocyanine green (ICG) for common bile duct (CBD) characterization. The NIR-II window evaluation showed an MFI of 0.4 arbitrary units (a.u.) ± 0.106 a.u. in small bowel NICE-coated catheters and an MFI of 0.09 a.u. ± 0.039 a.u. in gastric ones. In CBD characterization, the ICG MFI was 0.12 a.u. ± 0.027 a.u., 0.18 a.u. ± 0.100 a.u., and 0.22 a.u. ± 0.041 a.u. at 5, 35, and 65 min, respectively. This in vivo imaging evaluation of NIR-I dyes confirms its application in the NIR-II domain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the MIF of NICE in the NIR-II window using a commercially available system. Further comparative trials are necessary to determine the superiority of NIR-II imaging systems.

Objective  An observational study was conducted to evaluate (1) the incidence rates of infection-related ventilator-associated complication (IVAC) and possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (PVAP) among mechanically ventilated patients of adult medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) and (2) the pathogen distribution in patients with PVAP. Materials and Methods  The IVAC and PVAP rates of medical and surgical ICUs, between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2021, per 1,000 mechanical ventilator (MV) days were calculated. The significance of difference in IVAC and PVAP rates between medical and surgical ICUs was calculated. The level of significance was set at less than 0.05. Results  MV utilization ratios of adult medical and surgical ICUs were 0.32 and 0.26, respectively ( p  < 0.001). About 8 and 7 episodes of IVAC and 14 and 6 episodes of PVAP were reported from adult medical and surgical ICUs, accounting for IVAC rates of 3.17 and 1.8 per 1,000 MV ( p  > 0.05) and PVAP rates of 2.46 and 1.59 per 1,000 MV days in medical and surgical ICUs, respectively ( p  > 0.05). Acinetobacter baumannii complex either singly or in combination was isolated in 11/20 PVAP cases. Conclusion  IVAC and PVAP were more in medical compared with surgical ICUs. The most common pathogen in patients with PVAP was A. baumannii complex. More studies are warranted to monitor the significance of ventilator-associated event on patient outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (The Indian Association of Laboratory Physicians. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

While there have been numerous reports of long-range polariton transport at room-temperature in organic cavities, the spatiotemporal evolution of the propagation is scarcely reported, particularly in the initial coherent sub-ps regime, where photon and exciton wavefunctions are inextricably mixed. Hence the detailed process of coherent organic exciton-polariton transport and, in particular, the role of dark states has remained poorly understood. Here, femtosecond transient absorption microscopy is used to directly image coherent polariton motion in microcavities of varying quality factor. The transport is found to be well-described by a model of band-like propagation of an initially Gaussian distribution of exciton-polaritons in real space. The velocity of the polaritons reaches values of ≈ 0.65 × 10 6 m s -1 , substantially lower than expected from the polariton dispersion. Further, it is found that the velocity is proportional to the quality factor of the microcavity. This unexpected link between the quality-factor and polariton velocity is suggested to be a result of varying admixing between delocalized dark and polariton states., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Factor XII (FXII) is the zymogen of a plasma protease (FXIIa) that contributes to bradykinin generation by converting prekallikrein to the protease plasma kallikrein (PKa). FXII conversion to FXIIa by autocatalysis or PKa-mediated cleavage is enhanced when the protein binds to negatively charged surfaces such as polymeric orthophosphate. FXII is composed of noncatalytic (heavy chain) and catalytic (light chain) regions. The heavy chain promotes FXII surface-binding and surface-dependent activation but restricts activation when FXII is not surface bound. From the N terminus, the heavy chain contains fibronectin type 2 (FN2), epidermal growth factor-1 (EGF1), fibronectin type 1 (FN1), EGF2, and kringle (KNG) domains and a proline-rich region. It shares this organization with its homolog, pro-hepatocyte growth factor activator (Pro-HGFA). To study the importance of heavy chain domains in FXII function, we prepared FXII with replacements of each domain with corresponding Pro-HGFA domains and tested them in activation and activity assays. EGF1 is required for surface-dependent FXII autoactivation and surface-dependent prekallikrein activation by FXIIa. KNG and FN2 are important for limiting FXII activation in the absence of a surface by a process that may require interactions between a lysine/arginine binding site on KNG and basic residues elsewhere on FXII. This interaction is disrupted by the lysine analog ε-aminocaproic acid. A model is proposed in which an ε-aminocaproic acid-sensitive interaction between the KNG and FN2 domains maintains FXII in a conformation that restricts activation. Upon binding to a surface through EGF1, the KNG/FN2-dependent mechanism is inactivated, exposing the FXII activation cleavage site., (© 2022 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Human envenoming from the bite of the abundant hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale spp.) (HNPV) is a frequent occurrence with victims experiencing unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening consequences. Further, clinico-pathology, treatment and management measures in HNPV envenomed dogs are under recognized. Prospective investigations were performed to assess the clinico-pathology and management options for HNPV envenomed dogs brought to the University of Peradeniya's Veterinary Teaching Hospital from January, 2012 to March 2018. We recorded the local and systemic manifestations, hematological and urinary abnormalities of 78 dogs in which HNPV bite had been witnessed by the owner. Mild swelling, extensive swelling, hemorrhagic blistering and hemorrhagic bullae at the site of bite were observed in 59%, 31%, 6% and 4% of the dogs, respectively. Some dogs were subjected to surgical excision of necrotized tissue including limb amputation. We observed the following systemic clinical effects in envenomed dogs: neurotoxicity (13%), acute kidney injury (AKI) (14%) and coagulopathy (16%). All dogs showed leukocytosis with mean white blood cell count of 25.25 × 10 3 /µL. Mild anemia and thrombocytopenia were detected in 29% of the dogs. There was a significant correlation between extent of local tissue injuries with length of hospitalization (LH). The mean time of coagulopathy observed was 21.3 h (IQR: 8-48 h). In coagulopathic dogs, there was a strong correlation between LH and extent of local tissue injury (r s  = 0.7751, P < 0.0001); LH and whole blood clotting time(CT) (rs = 1.0, P < 0.0001); PT and aPTT (r s  = 0.4712, P < 0.001). LH was significantly correlated with the development of AKI (p = 0.0013). Lack of specific antivenom (AVS) for HNPV envenoming provided an opportunity to study the remaining treatment options. Therefore, the study allowed the identification of local and systemic effects, hematological abnormalities, possible supportive treatments and drawbacks of management measures for envenomed dogs., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become pandemic. For effective disease control, quarantine of the infected and exposed cases for an optimal period is critical. Currently, infected individuals are quarantined for 14 days. We tried to check if the quarantine period practiced is optimal in the Indian context. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Odisha, India. We compiled and analyzed the information of 152 laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive cases. Descriptive analysis was conducted. Results Out of the 152 cases, 80% were males, 9.8% were symptomatic, 66.4% had travel history, and 53.9% had contact with COVID-19 cases. The incubation period ranged from 1-50 days with a median of 19.5 days (IQR: 17-27 days). The median periods were similar according to gender, history of contact, and presence of symptoms. Interestingly, 84.7% of the cases had an incubation period of more than 14 days. To cover 95% and 90% of the individuals, the quarantine period may have to be extended to 38 days and 35 days, respectively. Conclusion A longer observed incubation period (minimum 28 days) suggests the extension of the quarantine period for adults beyond the presently practiced 14 days. Considering the fast-spreading outbreak, an extended quarantine period for 28 days or active periodic follow-up could be more effective., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Das et al.)

Optical pump-probe spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the study of non-equilibrium electronic dynamics and finds wide applications across a range of fields, from physics and chemistry to material science and biology. However, a shortcoming of conventional pump-probe spectroscopy is that photoinduced changes in transmission, reflection and scattering can simultaneously contribute to the measured differential spectra, leading to ambiguities in assigning the origin of spectral signatures and ruling out quantitative interpretation of the spectra. Ideally, these methods would measure the underlying dielectric function (or the complex refractive index) which would then directly provide quantitative information on the transient excited state dynamics free of these ambiguities. Here we present and test a model independent route to transform differential transmission or reflection spectra, measured via conventional optical pump-probe spectroscopy, to changes in the quantitative transient dielectric function. We benchmark this method against changes in the real refractive index measured using time-resolved Frequency Domain Interferometry in prototypical inorganic and organic semiconductor films. Our methodology can be applied to existing and future pump-probe data sets, allowing for an unambiguous and quantitative characterisation of the transient photoexcited spectra of materials. This in turn will accelerate the adoption of pump-probe spectroscopy as a facile and robust materials characterisation and screening tool., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study intends to compare the clinical characteristics and the prevalence and spectrum of bacterial pathogens in COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU during the first and second waves at a tertiary care, teaching and referral hospital of eastern India., Method: This is a hospital-based retrospective study which analysed demographic details, clinical profile and bacterial culture results of severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted in intensive care units (ICU) during April -Oct 2020 (1st wave) and April -July 2021 (2nd wave)., Result: The patients admitted during the 2nd wave were comparatively older and had multiple comorbidities compared to the 1st wave. (23.8%) (45/189) and 50% (173/346) of the COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU developed bacterial infection during the 1st and 2nd wave respectively. Overall, there was predominance of multidrug resistant Gram negative bacilli in both the waves. There was increased isolation of intrinsic colistin resistant microorganisms., Conclusion: Multidrug resistant Gram negative bacterial infections, remain a dreaded complication in severe and critically ill hospitalised COVID-19 patients requiring ICU care and high usage of colistin spirals the emergence and spread of pathogens intrinsically resistant to colistin., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Background: Expanded-spectrum quinolones (ciprofloxacin) are highly effective against gram-negative bacteria, but significant resistance to quinolones has been increasingly reported. We sought to evaluate the prevalence of gram-negative ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates (CRIs) from our hospital and their mechanism of action., Methods: Gram-negative CRIs were identified as per standard procedures and confirmed using the Ezy MICTM Strip (HiMedia). DNA from 67 CRIs was amplified for the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes. Thirty isolates positive for QRDR DNA were sequenced by Sanger's method to detect mutation., Results: Of the isolates, 42.5% were found to be CRIs, the majority (74.42%) from inpatient departments, and E scherichia coli A (35.4%) while 4.61% were amplified for the plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance region of the qnrB gene. Further sequencing of QRDR-positive genes showed point mutations with amino acid changes at codons Ser83 and Asp87 in the gyr A gene and Ser80, Glu84, and Leu88 positions in the gyr A gene and Ser80, Glu84, and Leu88 positions in the par C gene., Conclusion: Ciprofloxacin resistance observed in our study was mostly due to point mutations. Hence, strategies for rational use of ciprofloxacin and adherence to the dose and duration of treatment could be helpful to prevent selection and spread of mutant CRIs/strains., Competing Interests: The authors have none to declare., (© 2020 Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services. Published by Elsevier, a division of RELX India Pvt. Ltd.)

A study was conducted to establish levels of awareness of oral cancer and its causes among an Indian population.A pre-tested structured questionnaire on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice [KAP] (open and closed ended questionnaire) was used to estimate the KAP score, followed by clinical examination of the oral mucosal lesions. The subjects were counselled immediately after completion of KAP scoring using a structured protocol of regarding tobacco cession, and given advice about intake of natural sources of anti-oxidants in the diet, of tomato, carrot and green leafy vegetables (GLV).Subjects who had a KAP score 50% or less were counselled using a structured protocol. Subjects who had a KAP score greater than 50% were also counselled and given the correct information to their incorrect answers.In the group of people with a KAP score 50% or less, continual behavioural therapy was given to remain tobacco free for life. The subjects were monitored weekly for between 30 and 40 days. Clinically suspect lesions of hyperplasic candidiasis, lichen planus, and all varieties of Leucoplakia were confirmed histopathologically and routine treatment (conservative or surgical) was started without delay for the group. Those cases with dysplastic changes (of all different grades) were also counselled. Regular follow-up was maintained over several months and re-assessment carried out at intervals and any improvement noted., Conclusion: This is a cost-effective and simple method for estimation of the score on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP), and determinants of the ill-effect of tobacco habit(s) and engaging the popolation-in-need for their appropriate understanding about oral cancer screening and education for prevention and control., (Crown Copyright © 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Craniofacial Research Foundation. All rights reserved.)

Fibrin (Fbn) deposits are a hallmark of staphylocoagulase (SC)-positive endocarditis. Binding of the N terminus of Staphylococcus aureus SC to host prothrombin triggers formation of an active SC·prothrombin∗ complex that cleaves host fibrinogen to Fbn. In addition, the C-terminal domain of the prototypical SC contains one pseudorepeat (PR) and seven repeats (R1 → R7) that bind fibrinogen/Fbn fragment D (frag D) by a mechanism that is unclear. Here, we define affinities and stoichiometries of frag D binding to C-terminal SC constructs, using fluorescence equilibrium binding, NMR titration, alanine scanning, and native PAGE. We found that constructs containing the PR and single repeats bound frag D with K D ∼50 to 130 nM and a 1:1 stoichiometry, indicating a conserved binding site bridging the PR and each repeat. NMR titration of PR-R7 with frag D revealed that residues 22 to 49, bridging PR and R7, constituted the minimal peptide (MP) for binding, corroborated by alanine scanning, and binding of labeled MP to frag D. MP alignment with the PR-R and inter-repeat junctions identified critical conserved residues. Full-length PR-(R1 → R7) bound frag D with K D ∼20 nM and a stoichiometry of 1:5, whereas constructs containing the PR and various three repeats competed with PR-(R1 → R7) for frag D binding, with a 1:3 stoichiometry. These findings are consistent with binding at PR-R and R-R junctions with modest inter-repeat sequence variability. CD of PR-R7 and PR-(R1 → R7) suggested a disordered flexible structure, allowing binding of multiple fibrin(ogen) molecules. Taken together, these results provide insights into pathogen localization on host fibrin networks., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs) have been widely predicted to exhibit a range of superlative functional properties; however, because they have only recently been isolated, these properties are yet to be shown to translate to improved performance in any application. PNRs show particular promise for optoelectronics, given their predicted high exciton binding energies, tunable bandgaps, and ultrahigh hole mobilities. Here, we verify the theorized enhanced hole mobility in both solar cells and space-charge-limited-current devices, demonstrating the potential for PNRs improving hole extraction in universal optoelectronic applications. Specifically, PNRs are demonstrated to act as an effective charge-selective interlayer by enhancing hole extraction from polycrystalline methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ) perovskite to the poly(triarylamine) semiconductor. Introducing PNRs at the hole-transport/MAPbI 3 interface achieves fill factors above 0.83 and efficiencies exceeding 21% for planar p-i-n (inverted) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Such efficiencies are typically only reported for single-crystalline MAPbI 3 -based inverted PSCs. Methylammonium-free PSCs also benefit from a PNR interlayer, verifying applicability to architectures incorporating mixed perovskite absorber layers. Device photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy are used to demonstrate that the presence of the PNRs drives more effective carrier extraction. Isolation of the PNRs in space-charge-limited-current hole-only devices improves both hole mobility and conductivity, demonstrating applicability beyond PSCs. This work provides primary experimental evidence that the predicted superlative functional properties of PNRs indeed translate to improved optoelectronic performance.

Fertilizer application in rice farming is an essential requirement. Most of the high-yielding varieties which are extensively grown throughout the country require recommended levels of fertilizers to obtain their potential yields. However, effective, and efficient ways of fertilizer application are of utmost importance. Coated fertilizers are used to reduce leaching nutrients and improve the efficiency of fertilizer. However, conventional coated fertilizers such as Sulphur coated urea and urea super granules are not popular among rice farmers in Sri Lanka owing to the high cost. Mixing urea-coated rice husk biochar causes a slow release of nitrogen fertilizer. This coated fertilizer and rice straw compost reduction the cost of importations of nitrogen-based fertilizers per unit area of cultivation. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of rice husk biochar coated urea and anaerobically digested rice straw compost on the soil fertility, and the cyclic effect of phosphorus. Concerning the pot experiment, rice grain yield was significantly higher in Rice husk biochar coated urea, triple super phosphate (TSP), and muriate of potash (MOP) with anaerobically digested rice straw compost. The lowest yield was observed in the control. The release of phosphate shows a cycle effect which is an important finding. Rice husk biochar coated urea can potentially be used as a slow-releasing nitrogen fertilizer. In addition, the urea coated with biochar is less costly and contributes to mitigating pollution of water bodies by inorganic fertilizers (NPK).

Classically described in renal allografts, BK virus nephropathy is increasingly recognized in native kidneys of other non-renal solid organ transplants. We discuss a 68-year-old woman with a history of bilateral lung transplant referred for worsening renal function, confirmed to have BK virus nephropathy by biopsy with a serum BK virus polymerase chain reaction of over 59 million copies/mL. She was managed with a reduction in immunosuppression and intravenous cidofovir with no improvement in her clinical parameters. The seven prior reported cases of polyoma virus nephropathy in lung transplant recipients are reviewed, and the challenges of screening and management are discussed., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the ERA.)

Background: Decreased pulmonary function and poor deglutition are a major risk factor for poststroke aspiration pneumonia. We analyzed the benefits of pulmonary training on pulmonary function, deglutition, and quality of life (QOL) in community-dwelling, frail elderly people with chronic stroke., Method: This study was designed as an open, randomized, controlled pilot trial. The participants, who were frail older adults with a history of stroke, were randomized to 2 rehabilitation groups: intervention group ( n  = 15) and control ( n  = 15). All participants (65-94 years) attended twelve 20-min sessions twice a week for 6 weeks of either standard rehabilitation (control group) or standard rehabilitation with pulmonary training including home pulmonary exercise (intervention group). The main outcome measures were pulmonary function (%MIP), deglutition (DRACE), and QOL (SF8･PCS), while secondary outcomes were muscle strength (grip and abdominal), thorax flexibility, 6-min walk distance, and activities in daily living. All outcomes were measured both prior to training and after the 12 sessions., Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in %MIP (95% CI, 2.9-31.6; p  < 0.01), DRACE (95% CI, -4.1-0.1; p  < 0.01), and SF8･PCS (95% CI, 2.5-7.2; p  < 0.01) compared with controls. There were no cognitive function decline and higher brain dysfunction., Conclusions: These results suggest that the addition of pulmonary training including home pulmonary exercise to a standard rehabilitation program could improve pulmonary function, deglutition, and QOL in frail elderly people with chronic stroke., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article. All authors have read and approved submission of the original manuscript, and the manuscript has not been published and is not being considered for publication elsewhere in whole or in part in any language., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of General and Family Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Primary Care Association.)

Strong-coupling between excitons and confined photonic modes can lead to the formation of new quasi-particles termed exciton-polaritons which can display a range of interesting properties such as super-fluidity, ultrafast transport and Bose-Einstein condensation. Strong-coupling typically occurs when an excitonic material is confided in a dielectric or plasmonic microcavity. Here, we show polaritons can form at room temperature in a range of chemically diverse, organic semiconductor thin films, despite the absence of an external cavity. We find evidence of strong light-matter coupling via angle-dependent peak splittings in the reflectivity spectra of the materials and emission from collective polariton states. We additionally show exciton-polaritons are the primary photoexcitation in these organic materials by directly imaging their ultrafast (5 × 10 6  m s -1 ), ultralong (~270 nm) transport. These results open-up new fundamental physics and could enable a new generation of organic optoelectronic and light harvesting devices based on cavity-free exciton-polaritons., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective Challenges in susceptibility testing of colistin along with increase in the prevalence of colistin-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) pathogens needs addressal. Evaluation of user-friendly methods is necessary as an alternative to broth microdilution (BMD), the reference susceptibility testing method, for routine implementation in diagnostic clinical microbiology laboratories. Genotypic detection of the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance is also needed for infection control purposes. Materials and Methods Colistin susceptibility of 200 nonduplicate clinical CRE isolates from December 2017 to June 2019 was determined by BMD, agar dilution (AD), E test, and rapid polymyxin NP test and interpreted as per the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. The results of AD, E test, and NP test were compared with that of BMD, considering minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≤ 2 µg/mL as susceptible and > 2 µg/mL as resistant. Presence of any plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (mcr-1 and 2) was evaluated in 27 colistin-resistant CRE isolates by polymerase chain reaction. Statistical Analysis Performance of different phenotypic methods was analyzed by comparing MIC results of AD and E test with that of reference BMD method. Agreement between BMD and the other two methods was expressed in terms of categorical agreement and essential agreement. Errors were expressed as very major error (VME: false-susceptible) and major error (ME: false-resistance) by AD/E test. VME and ME of 3% disagreement were considered unacceptable. Results Colistin resistance was found in 27 (13.5%) isolates by BMD method. The VME rates of both AD (11%) and E test (37%) could not meet the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendation (< 3% VME rate is acceptable) as alternative tests to the reference BMD. Colistin NP test showed sensitivity and specificity of 85% and 98%, respectively. The percentage discordant result in NP test was highest in Enterobacter spp. (17%). None of the 27 colistin resistant isolates showed presence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes. Conclusion High VME rate in AD and E tests precludes their use as alternatives to BMD for colistin susceptibility testing. NP test with moderate sensitivity but excellent specificity can be a good alternative for testing colistin susceptibility in CRE isolates, except in Enterobacter spp. Absence of mcr-1 and mcr-2 gene necessitates the exploration of other mechanisms of colistin resistance., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (The Indian Association of Laboratory Physicians. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)