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Worldwide, glaucoma is a type of eye disease, which causes loss of vision by damaging optic nerves within the eye. Available glaucoma detection techniques are less accurate. This paper proposed a computer-based glaucoma detection using second-stage quasi-bivariate variational mode decomposition (SS-QB-VMD)-based fine sub-band images (SBIs) from fundus images. The preprocessed images are decomposed into five SBIs at the first stage using QB-VMD. The high-frequency fifth SBI obtained using the first stage is further decomposed into five SBIs using QB-VMD at the second stage. At the second stage, the decomposed SBIs are more discriminating than obtained at the first stage. These decomposed SBIs at second stages are fine with no mode mixing problems. These are finer and help to mine more useful detailed information to detect glaucoma more accurately. Texture features are extracted from decomposed SBIs. Extracted texture features are normalized using the z-score method and classified using the support vector machine classifier. The obtained accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, dice value, and Jaccard index value are 92.67%, 91.43%, 93.75%, 94.03%, 91.98%, and 86.1%, for tenfold cross-validation, respectively. The results demonstrated that the proposed method is better compared to the existing methods for same images. It can be used to detect glaucoma more accurately.

Oxy Fluoro Borate (OFB) Glasses mixed with Sesquioxide ions (Al3+/Y3+/Sb3+) were synthesized using the traditional melt quenching technique. The properties of the structure of the glasses prepared are investigated by SEM, EDS and XRD methods. Variations in properties like density in glasses allow Nickel/Aluminium/Antimony/Yttrium ions to go through the borate glass matrix with an increase in respective dopant mole fraction. The decrease in the values of different elastic constants with B-O-Ni/Al/Sb/Y bonds and alsoby the function of NiO/Al2O3/Sb2O3/Y2O3as a modifier and converting a portion of BO3tetrahedral units into BO4octahedral units indicates the depolymerization in the glass matrix. The I.R. spectra and FTIR spectra show an increment in the occupation of cations Ni2+, Y3+, Sb3+and Al3+ions in the octahedral positions of the glass matrix with an enhancement in their molefraction. Creation of NBOs owing to the transformation of BO3to BO4units is greater in Al3+and the smallest in Y3+with an increment in the sesquioxide concentration at a 1.00 mol% NiO concentration. The dominance of the nickel ions octahedral occupancy in the glasses prepared is revealed by the optical absorption spectra, which may be because of the ligand fields produced by various ions of sesquioxides present within the glass matrix creating NBO and many trapped electrons at the donor centers. Photoluminescence spectra of the prepared glasses show the octahedral occupation of the Ni2+ions that is indicated by the transitions 3A2g(F) ↔ 3T1g(P) and 3T1g(P) → 3T2g(F). The synthesized glasses exhibit effective luminescence by Nickel ions, and the AlNi and NiAl glass series exhibit superior luminescence properties owing to their highest emission cross-sections compared with the other series of prepared glasses.

Right atrial volume/Left atrial volume (RAV/LAV) ratio is a good hemodynamic parameter in acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), whose prognostic ability by 2D echocardiography is not studied to date. We conducted a 27 month, prospective observational study on 55 eligible acute PTE thrombolysed (29: Tenecteplase; 26: Streptokinase) patients. The primary endpoint was a composite of in-hospital death and poor right ventricular reverse remodelling at the time of discharge. The incidence of primary end-point and death were 40% and 7.2% respectively. On regression analysis, RAV/LAV ratio was the only predictor of the primary endpoint, with an optimal cut-off of 3.8 (accuracy 75%).

Iron oxide nanoparticles have been used in diverse fields due to their significant applications. The synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using plant material extract is a simple, inexpensive and eco-friendly approach. The present study demonstrates the effective bio-synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using grains extract of Echinochloa frumentacea. GC-MS analysis report revealed the information about the phytochemicals in aqueous grains extract. The formation of iron oxide nanoparticles was confirmed using UV–visible, XRD, FTIR, HRTEM, EDX, and mapping analyses. The UV–visible spectrum of iron oxide nanoparticles showed the SPR band at 289 nm. The XRD studies confirmed the formation of high crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles. HRTEM analysis showed that the formed nanoparticles were rectangular and triangular in shape and the size ranged between 20 and 40 nm. The iron oxide nanoparticles revealed significant antibacterial activity against the microbes such as Staphylococcus aureusand Salmonella typhiat 150 μg/mL and morphological changes were observed. The high concentration of nanoparticles exhibited 24 and 27 mm zone of inhibition on S. typhiand S. aureus, respectively. We observed the role of biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties of nanoparticles, and they showed excellent bioactive properties even at a low IC50value. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic analyses showed high activity at 95.10, 92.10 and 91.68% for 80 μg/mL concentration, respectively. Moreover, the iron oxide nanoparticles exhibited high cytotoxicity (94.36%) against A549 cancer cells and no toxicity against HEK293 normal cells which showed the biocompatibility of nanoparticles. The larvicidal and insecticidal activities of nanoparticles showed the maximum mortality at 48 h in 100 ppm and 72 h in 75, 100 μg/kg, respectively. The morphological and structural changes in larvae and insects validated the effective biological activities of iron oxide nanoparticles. The plant growth study results recommended that the lower concentration of nanoparticles at 60 ppm was helpful for the germination of seeds and growth of root and stem in the Vigna unguiculataplant. Finally, the study results suggested that the synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles can potentially be useful in pharmaceutical, agricultural, targeted drug delivery and biomedical applications.

Co and Mn doped ZnO nanocrystals have been synthesized by two different routes, viz., a wet chemical method and a microwave-assisted nonaqueous method and it has been found that the samples prepared by the former method are ferromagnetic while those prepared through the later route are paramagnetic. Systematic investigation of these doped ZnO nanocrystals has been carried out by extended X-ray absorption fine structure technique to determine the changes in the local structure at the Zn and dopant sites. Co doped samples prepared by either of the techniques show almost similar behavior, with Co substituting Zn up to a 10% doping concentration, beyond which there is a signature of Co clustering. However, in the case of Mn doped samples, Mn clustering commences at lower values of doping (∼7%) for samples prepared by microwave-assisted method, while for nanocrystals prepared by the wet chemical method, Mn–K edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy measurement reveals the presence of a Mn2O3phase at lower concentration and clustering at higher concentration (>10%). These findings were supported by the results of optical and magnetic measurements on the samples. The experimental results have been further corroborated by first principle calculations. The findings suggest that the origin of ferromagnetic properties in Co doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared by the wet chemical method may be a consequence of surface modification related to the preparation process and not related to bulk properties. The ferromagnetism in Mn doped samples prepared by the wet chemical method can be explained by the presence of a secondary Mn2O3phase. The Mn doped samples prepared by the microwave-assisted method, on the other hand, manifest paramagnetism with a signature of antiferromagnetic interaction due to Mn clustering at relatively lower Mn concentration.

Controlled pyrolysis of Al(OBus)3 , Zr(OPrn)4 and their mixtures in ethyl acetate induced using microwaves of 2.45 GHz frequency has been carried out. Microwave irradiation yields second-stage precursors for the preparation of respective oxides and their composites. It is observed that the microwave irradiation has a directive influence on the morphology of the ultimate oxide products. Al2O3 , ZrO2 and the two composites 90% Al2O3–10% ZrO2 and 90% ZrO2–10% Al2O3 are also found to be sintered to very high densities within 35 min of microwave irradiation by the use of beta;-SiC as a secondary susceptor.

This paper presents four major approaches for diagnosing machine faults. Given the description of a system to be diagnosed and the observations on the system when it works, the need for diagnosis arises when the observations are different from those expected. The objective of diagnosis is to identify the malfunctioning components in a systematic and efficient way. The four approaches discussed are based on fault-tree, rule, model, and qualitative model. Early diagnosis systems used fault-tree and rule-based approaches. These are efficient in situations where an expert is able to provide the knowledge in the form of associations between symptoms and faults. Model-based and qualitative model-based approaches overcome many of the deficiencies of the earlier approaches. Model-based approaches can take care of situations (faults) not envisageda priori. Also, one can cater to minor variations in design using the same set of components and their interconnections. This paper discusses in each case, how the knowledge is represented and what diagnosis technique is to be adopted, and their relative advantages and disadvantages. Implementation of each method is also discussed.

We have measured the transport critical current densityJcof sintered YBa2Cu3O7, in various applied fields up to 185 Oe at 77 K. We find a sharp decay ofJcwith magnetic field. We show that this sharp decay is consistent with the low field hysteresis results of Groveret al.We argue that the observed field dependence is not caused by intragranular weak links.

We present DC and low frequency AC magnetization measurements on various RBa2Cu3O7superconductors. We identify features intrinsic to these compounds, and establish the features originating from intergranular links in sintered pellets. The isothermal magnetization curves, and the temperature dependence of magnetization in field-cooled and zero field-cooled states are shown to be consistent with the calculations done following a recent extension of Bean’s model. Low field anomalies predicted within this model are observed, and yieldHc1values of a few Oe. These values are shown to be consistent with the temperature variation of magnetization. A comparison is made with the other existing data and it is demonstrated that earlier quoted values ofHc1are gross overestimates.

We have studied the hysteresis loops of RBa2Cu3O7(R=Gd, Ho and Y) and detected anomalies in some of them. The observed anomalies support a recent prediction by Ravi Kumar and Chaddah based on an extension of Bean’s model. The anomalies indicate lowHc1values and we have confirmed this by studying the onset of low-field hysteresis in less than 10 Oe at 77 K for these highTcsuperconductors.

Agent of choice for thrombolytic therapy (TT) in prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is unknown. 84 mitral obstructive-PVT episodes treated with TT (43: Tenecteplase; 41: Streptokinase) were included in this prospective study. The incidence of primary end-point (CCS: complete clinical success, defined as complete or partial hemodynamic success with no complications or surgery) was 84.5% with recurrent PVT as a sole predictor. Bleeding and embolic manifestations were noted in 8.3% and 4.7% of episodes respectively. Tenecteplase use was associated with lower complication rate and a mitral EOA of <0.74 cm2at presentation predicts the need for extended thrombolysis (accuracy, 78.6%).

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, but there is a paucity of prospective data on outcomes and prognostic markers in patients receiving contemporary evidence-based therapy, particularly in developing countries.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.