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Introduction: The incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in the young population has begun to rise. There is not enough data regarding the characteristics of young patients with ACS. Aim: To evaluate risk factors, clinical and angiographic profile of young patients with ACS. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to December 2020 at SSWH, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, Kolkata, India among 100 patients. Patients with ACS and aged ≤45 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with and without obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Clinical parameters and coronary angiography data were collected and analysed. The p-value

Objectives: The presentation and outcomes of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) during COVID times (June 2020 to Dec 2020) were compared with the historical control during the same period in 2019. Methods: Data of 4806 consecutive patients of acute HF admitted in 22 centres in the country were collected during this period. The admission patterns, aetiology, outcomes, prescription of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) and interventions were analysed in this retrospective study. Results: Admissions for acute heart failure during the pandemic period in 2020 decreased by 20% compared to the corresponding six-month period in 2019, with numbers dropping from 2675 to 2131. However, no difference in the epidemiology was seen. The mean age of presentation in 2019 was 61.75 (±13.7) years, and 59.97 (±14.6) years in 2020. There was a significant decrease in the mean age of presentation (p = 0.001). Also. the proportion of male patients decreased significantly from 68.67% to 65.84% (p = 0.037). The in-hospital mortality for acute heart failure did not differ significantly between 2019 and 2020 (4.19% and 4.,97%) respectively (p = 0.19). The proportion of patients with HFrEF did not change in 2020 compared to 2019 (76.82% vs 75.74%, respectively). The average duration of hospital stay was 6.5 days. Conclusion: The outcomes of ADHF patients admitted during the Covid pandemic did not differ significantly. The length of hospital stay remained the same. The study highlighted the sub-optimal use of GDMT, though slightly improving over the last few years.

Objective: To find out differences in the presentation, management and outcomes of COVID-19 infected STEMI patients compared to age and sex-matched non-infected STEMI patients treated during the same period. Methods: This was a retrospective multicentre observational registry in which we collected data of COVID-19 positive STEMI patients from selected tertiary care hospitals across India. For every COVID-19 positive STEMI patient, two age and sex-matched COVID-19 negative STEMI patients were enrolled as control. The primary endpoint was a composite of in-hospital mortality, re-infarction, heart failure, and stroke. Results: 410 COVID-19 positive STEMI cases were compared with 799 COVID-19 negative STEMI cases. The composite of death/reinfarction/stroke/heart failure was significantly higher among the COVID-19 positive STEMI patients compared with COVID-19 negative STEMI cases (27.1% vs 20.7% p value = 0.01); though mortality rate did not differ significantly (8.0% vs 5.8% p value = 0.13). Significantly lower proportion of COVID-19 positive STEMI patients received reperfusion treatment and primary PCI (60.7% vs 71.1% p value=< 0.001 and 15.4% vs 23.4% p value = 0.001 respectively). Rate of systematic early PCI (pharmaco-invasive treatment) was significantly lower in the COVID-19 positive group compared with COVID-19 negative group. There was no difference in the prevalence of high thrombus burden (14.5% and 12.0% p value = 0.55 among COVID-19 positive and negative patients respectively) Conclusions: In this large registry of STEMI patients, we did not find significant excess in in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 co-infected patients compared with non-infected patients despite lower rate of primary PCI and reperfusion treatment, though composite of in-hospital mortality, re-infarction, stroke and heart failure was higher.

Effluents containing dyes from different industrial sectors pose a serious threat to the environment. Different physicochemical strategies are being carried out in industry to reduce the toxicity of dye-containing waste so that dye-mixed wastewater can be further utilized in agriculture or irrigation purposes in water-scarce areas. But those techniques are economically not feasible. There is an alternative mechanism present in biological systems that are biocatalysts which is eco-friendly, low cost, and sustainable. Lignin peroxidase, Laccase, Manganese peroxidase are oxidoreductase classes of enzymes with the ligninolytic ability and are potential biocatalysts for the degradation of environmental toxicants like dyes. Besides ligninolytic enzymes, cellulase, pectinase are also powerful candidates for dye decolourization. Most interestingly these biocatalysts are found in a variety of microbial monoculture as well as in mixed microbial consortia. The consortia are able to reduce the organic load of dye-containing industrial effluent at a higher rate rather than the monoculture. This article critically reviews the efficacy of lignocellulolytic enzymes in dye decolourization by both monoculture and consortia approaches. In addition, this review discusses the genetically and metabolically engineered microbial systems that contribute to dye decolourization as well as put forward some future approaches for the enhancement of dye removal efficacy.

The current scientific studies have shown that extensive quantities of synthetic pigments are used worldwide in diverse industries. Synthetic pigments have shown enormous toxicity issues compared to natural colorants and dyes in current industrial usage. Diverse microbial communities, including fungi, bacteria, archaea, and yeast are current biopigment producers. However, the aforementioned biopigments are expensive, least efficient, and less eco-friendly to attain industrial sustainability. Thus, algae-based bio pigments are one of the best natural resources to meet today’s challenges. Algal pigments increase the product’s marketability and carry multiple therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective actions. These multidimensional qualities of algal pigments have piqued the interest of the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries resulting in most potential implementation. Thus, a paradigm shift requires identifying potential algal communities having a higher biopigment-producing ability for future manufacturing and commercialization as a sustainable way forward. Hence, the current study has been designed for effective isolation and screening of algal isolates (i.e. DS1, DS2, DS3, DS4, DS5) from a different region of sundarban water resources concerning the investigation of algal pigments (i.e. chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b and carotenoid). In a nutshell, the current study shows that DS2 isolate produces a significant quantity of carotenoid (9.729 mg/g DCW), chlorophyll a (7.872 mg/g DCW), and chlorophyll b (7.176 mg/g DCW) amongst all isolates. Hence, the present study reveals that DS2 algal isolates might be a potential predecessor of biopigment production, having pivotal applications in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries in the near future.

The present research work was carried out on isolating lignocellulolytic enzyme-producing natural bacterial isolates of the Sundarban Mangrove ecosystem in West Bengal, India. Multiple bacterial isolations and qualitative as well as quantitative screening of the isolates was conducted by selective media plates and dye decolorization assay. Growth characterization of the top three isolates, namely GD1, GD2, and GD3, was determined in both nutrient broth and selective media. GD1 showed laccase activity in ABTS plate and decolorized congo red, malachite green, and methylene blue by 64.82%, 47.69%, and 33.33%, respectively, which is the inherent property of laccase. Along with the maximum laccase activity (9.72U/L), it also showed a little amount of cellulase (5.8U/ml) and pectinase (0.55U/ml) activity in the enzyme assay. GD2 showed maximum cellulase activity (6.56U/ml) with only 3.3% degradation of congo red and 39.43% degradation of malachite green. Like GD1, GD2 also bears 5.6U/L laccase and 0.12U/ml pectinase enzyme activity. The last isolate, GD3 specialized in pectinase production and having 4.4U/ml enzyme activity, degraded congo red by 66.75% and malachite green by 54.26%.All isolates showed activity between 30° and 37°C, and pH ranges from 4.5 to 7. The outcomes of this research will be useful in the fiber industry like jute or banana, dye industry, pulp-paper industry, and textile industry for waste remediation, recycling, and fiber modification.

Abstract Supramolecular assembly can be used to fabricate complex functional materials by organizing simple building blocks. However, it is difficult to control the hierarchical assembly across multiple length scales. The correlation of a supramolecular gel network and a pre‐gelling aggregate will help to understand how a molecular‐level assembly is translated into a higher order. Here, a functional dipeptide 2NapFF is used that can assemble in different micellar structures at high pH by varying the counterion. Replacing the counterions with a divalent calcium salt results in a cross‐linked gel network, or an interesting analog “gel noodles.” The physical properties of the gel noodles can be varied by choosing specific micellar assemblies as the pre‐gel. The mechanical rigidity of the gel networks is compared by nanoindentation and tensile testing, and the pattern to the structures of the micelles observed by small‐angle X‐ray scattering is correlated. The supramolecular assembly can be fine‐tuned by using different micelles as the pre‐gel without affecting the inherent gel‐state properties.

Right ventricular (RV) pacing is associated with a reduction in left ventricular (LV) systolic function, thought to be mediated by pacing-induced ventricular dyssynchrony. The prevalence of heart failure after RV pacing is reported to range from 31±3%. We studied 60 subjects with high-grade atrioventricular block and Complete Heart Block (CHB) scheduled to undergo right ventricular apical pacing. 2D echocardiography was done at baseline, 1 month and 12 months. Pacing-induced cardiomyopathy was defined as a reduction in LVEF to

Introduction: Cardiovascular disorders have long been considered as one of the leading causes of mortality in India, which when presented with concurrent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) infection becomes even more fatal. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 affects the cardiovascular system by causing exuberant cytokinaemia, which results in endothelial inflammation and microvascular thrombosis, leading to multiorgan failure. Aim: To analyse the outcome of the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients presenting with cardiac angina during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients hospitalised with angina was conducted between April 2021 to June 2021 at Bardhhaman Medical College and Hospital located at Bardhdhaman district of West Bengal, India. A total of 1235 patients underwent all regular biochemical, haematological and cardiac investigations after undergoing test for COVID-19 test. Data was retrospectively collected. The outcome of these patients was analysed. Estimation of mean, standard deviation, percentage, p-value (from Pearson’s correlation) was performed to establish the aim of the study. Results: Seventy six out of 1235 patients tested positive for asymptomatic COVID-19. The mean age of this study population was 55.075±10.95 years, of which were 55 male and 21 female. Hypertension was the most prevalent co-morbidity followed by diabetes, 73 (96%) presented with chest pain. A total of 47(62%) of these 76 patients had ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Eleven (14.4%) underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) whereas 36 (47.3%) underwent fibrinolytic therapy with tenecteplase, followed by secondary PCI in 27 (75%) of them. Rest 29 (38%) were medically managed for unstable angina. Mortality rate was as low as 6.5%. Age and comorbidity were the contributing factors for STEMI among asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The results indicate that age and comorbidity are the factors, which lead to death or increases the life risk among patients with asymptomatic COVID-19. In this study, we have established that for the current patient population STEMI and age are negatively corelated. Medical management with thrombolytic agent became a lot more accepted in this scenario. PCI still remains the gold standard to treat myocardial infarction. It is recommended that there should be an ICMR guided protocol for the management of such cases with the concurrent COVID-19.

The nature of functional groups and their relative position and orientation play an important role in tuning the gelation properties of stimuli-responsive supramolecular gels. In this work, we synthesized and characterized mono-/bis-pyridyl-N-oxide compounds of N-(4-pyridyl)nicotinamide (L1–L3). The gelation properties of these N-oxide compounds were compared with the reported isomeric counterpart mono-/bis-pyridyl-N-oxide compounds of N-(4-pyridyl)isonicotinamide. Hydrogels obtained with L1 and L3 were thermally and mechanically more stable than the corresponding isomeric counterparts. The surface morphology of the xerogels of di-N-oxides (L3 and diNO) obtained from the water was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed that the relative position of N-oxide moieties did not have a prominent effect on the gel morphology. The solid-state structural analysis was performed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction to understand the key mechanism in gel formation. The versatile nature of N-oxide moieties makes these gels highly responsive toward an external stimulus, and the stimuli-responsive behavior of the gels in water and aqueous mixtures was studied in the presence of various salts. We studied the effect of various salts on the gelation behavior of the hydrogels, and the results indicated that the salts could induce gelation in L1 and L3 below the minimum gelator concentration of the gelators. The mechanical properties were evaluated by rheological experiments, indicating that the modified compounds displayed enhanced gel strength in most cases. Interestingly, cadmium chloride formed supergelator at a very low concentration (0.7 wt% of L3), and robust hydrogels were obtained at higher concentrations of L3. These results show that the relative position of N-oxide moieties is crucial for the effective interaction of the gelator with salts/ions resulting in LMWGs with tunable properties.

In this paper, we consider a mathematical model to explain, understanding, and to forecast the outbreaks of COVID-19 in India. The model has four components leading to a system of fractional order differential equations incorporating the refuge concept to study the lockdown effect in controlling COVID-19 spread in India. We investigate the model using the concept of Caputo fractional-order derivative. The goal of this model is to estimate the number of total infected, active cases, deaths, as well as recoveries from COVID-19 to control or minimize the above issues in India. The existence, uniqueness, non-negativity, and boundedness of the solutions are established. In addition, the local and global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium points of the fractional-order system and the basic reproduction number are studied for understanding and prediction of the transmission of COVID-19 in India. The next step is to carry out sensitivity analysis to find out which parameter is the most dominant to affect the disease’s endemicity. The results reveal that the parameters η,μ and ρ are the most dominant sensitivity indices towards the basic reproductive number. A numerical illustration is presented via computer simulations using MATLAB to show a realistic point of view.

The present study demonstrates a synergistic effect with the addition of low loading levels of boron nitride filler in silicone rubber that resulted in significant improvement in both ac breakdown strength and thermal conductivity of silicone rubber composites. Our results show that addition of 2.5 vol% and 7 vol% of h-BN platelets improved thermal conductivity of silicone rubber composites by 25% and 65% respectively. The ac breakdown strength of silicone rubber composites was investigated by varying surface area and particle size of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) platelets. The breakdown strength of composites with only 2.5 vol% of low surface area boron nitride (0075) was enhanced by 20% and with high surface area boron nitride (7HS) was improved by 30%. The improvement in ac breakdown strength was primarily attributed to effective heat dissipation in the composite as well as low dielectric loss performance of the composite and was dependent upon the textural properties of boron nitride fillers.

Background and Objectives: Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt (VPS) and Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) are both gold standard procedures to reduce intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus, which often results in papilledema. This comparative study was carried out at the Department of Neurosurgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital to compare the efficacy of VPS and ETV in the resolution of papilledema in 18 patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. Materials and Methods: The success of CSF diversion was evaluated by a decrease in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and modified Frisen grading of papilledema at the same time. The statistical analyses were carried out by using paired sample t test and the Spearman’s correlation coefficient test. The level of significance (p value) was set at Results: After 7 days, both VPS and ETV were able to reduce RNFL thickness of both eyes with a p value = 0.016 (right eye) and 0.003 (left eye) in group A (VPS) and with a p value p value > 0.05. Further, the inter-group comparison between VPS and ETV showed no difference in decreasing RNFL thickness and modified Frisen grading (p value = 0.56). Conclusion: VPS and ETV procedures both appear very efficient in treating obstructive hydrocephalus, which in turn reduces papilledema in these patients. This paper is preliminary and requires further work.

The structural modification of existing supramolecular architecture is an efficient strategy to design and synthesize supramolecular gels with tunable and predictable properties. In this work, we have modified bis(pyridyl urea) compounds with different linkers, namely hexylene and butylene, to their corresponding bis(pyridyl-N-oxide urea). The gelation properties of both the parent and the modified compounds were studied, and the results indicated that modification of the 3-pyridyl moieties to the corresponding 3-pyridyl-N-oxides induced hydrogelation. The stability of the parent and modified compounds were evaluated by sol-gel transition temperature (Tgel) and rheological measurements, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the solid-state interactions of the gelators. The morphologies of the dried gels were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed that the structural modification did not induce any prominent effect on the gel morphology. The stimuli-responsive behavior of these gels in the presence of salts in DMSO/water was evaluated by rheological experiments, which indicated that the modified compounds displayed enhanced gel strength in most cases. However, the gel network collapsed in the presence of the chloride salts of aluminum(III), zinc(II), copper(II), and cadmium(II). The mechanical strength of the parent gels decreased in the presence of salts, indicating that the structural modification resulted in robust gels in most cases. The modified compounds formed gels below minimum gel concentration in the presence of various salts, indicating salt-induced gelation. These results show the making and breaking ability of the gel network in the presence of external stimuli (salts), which explains the potential of using LMWGs based on N-oxide moieties as stimuli-responsive materials.

This paper evaluates the efficiency of a macroinvertebrate-based Pollution Tolerance Index (PTI) in detecting aquatic pollution in the Chhariganga oxbow lake in India. In this lake, calculated PTIs were compared with results from an array of physicochemical water and sediment parameters and to a macroinvertebrate diversity assessment conducted in parallel for the same lake. The obtained PTI values fell in a range (between 20 and 31) that are indicative of an absence of organic pollution according to the literature, and are normally reported for systems devoid of anthropogenic activity (for instance no monsoonal polluting jute retting activities). However, in the light of the results for the assessed water and sediment physicochemical parameters, and the support of diversity indexes of macroinvertebrates, using data from the same lake, it was possible to conclude that the obtained PTI values do not reflect the true pollution status of this oxbow lake. As PTI values and diversity indexes contradict each other in detecting pollution, it is advised to take both parameters into consideration when using macroinvertebrates to assess aquatic health.

Background: Oxbow lakes are abundant in indigenous fishes, but they are subject to unsustainable fishing practices, potential overexploitation, and indiscriminate use of fine-meshed fishing gear. To quantify the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and impact of fishing gears on fish abundance, a survey was carried out in an oxbow lake in eastern India. Methods: The gear-wise CPUE for fish caught in per unit hour of operation was calculated by dividing the total sampling gear catch in biomass, which is the observed value of fish caught by a particular gear, by the total sampling effort hours. A value of P < 0.05 was accepted as statistical significance. Results: Average annual values of the CPUE of triangular push nets, gill nets, long lines, seine nets, drag nets, stationary dip nets, cone-framed cast nets, and line and hook were calculated as 328.34, 4.12, 36.71, 572.92, 3928.57, 237.78, 235.80, and 0.44 grams of fish per hour of operation, respectively. All the 8 different gears exhibited lower CPUE during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons than in the premonsoon season. The line and hook was dominant (>71%). Cone-framed cast net hauled the maximum catch in biomass (31.51%), and gill nets contributed the maximum number of fish (64.92%). The lower CPUE values of line and hook, gill net, cone-framed cast net and long lines identified them as the most harmful among all gears. Conclusion: Indiscriminate use of gear, particularly line and hook, gill nets, cone-framed cast nets, and long lines, demands regulations and preventions concerning such gear to obtain higher fish abundance.

The combination of strong coordination bonds and hydrogen bonding interactions were used to generate a series of supramolecular coordination materials (SCMs), which was achieved by reacting a bis-pyridyl amide ligand, namely N-(4-pyridyl)nicotinamide (4PNA) with copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) benzoates. The SCMs were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction and the key intermolecular interactions were identified via Hirshfeld surface analysis. The role of solvent molecules on the supramolecular architecture was analyzed by synthesizing the SCMs in different solvents/solvent mixtures. A solvent-mediated solid-state structural transformation was observed in copper(II) SCMs and we were able to isolate the intermediate form of the crystal-to-crystal transformation process. The luminescence experiments revealed that complexation enhanced the fluorescence properties of 4PNA in the zinc(II) and cadmium(II) SCMs, but a reverse phenomenon was observed in the copper(II) SCMs. This work demonstrated the tuning of supramolecular assembly in coordination compounds as a function of solvents for generating SCMs with diverse properties.

The role of specific interactions in the self-assembly process of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) was studied by altering the nonbonding interactions responsible for gel formation via structural modification of the gelator/nongelator. This was achieved by modifying pyridyl moieties of bis(pyridyl) urea-based hydrogelator (4–BPU) and the isomer (3–BPU) to pyridyl N–oxide compounds (L1 and L2, respectively). The modification of the functional groups resulted in the tuning of the gelation properties of the parent gelator, which induced/enhanced the gelation properties. The modified compounds displayed better mechanical and thermal stabilities and the introduction of the N–oxide moieties had a prominent effect on the morphologies of the gel network, which was evident from the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The effect of various interactions due to the introduction of N–oxide moieties in the gel network formation was analyzed by comparing the solid-state interactions of the compounds using single crystal X-ray diffraction and computational studies, which were correlated with the enhanced gelation properties. This study shows the importance of specific nonbonding interactions and the spatial arrangement of the functional groups in the supramolecular gel network formation.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates, which play a significant role in the food chain of an ecosystem, are used in fresh water quality assessment to identify the environmental stress resulting from a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Seasonal surveys of macroinvertebrate communities were conducted from April 2013 to March 2014 in Chhariganga oxbow lake of Nadia District of West Bengal, an eastern state of India. In order to bioassess water quality and aquatic health analysis using diversity indices, viz. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson’s diversity index, species richness and evenness, and total abundance with composition trends were carried out. Taxon richness values of 14, 14, and 18, evenness values of 0.80, 0.71, and 0.73, Shannon-Wiener Index values of 2.10, 1.88, and 2.12, and Simpson’s index values of 0.15, 0.22, and 0.20 were determined for macroinvertebrates found during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon period, respectively. In the present study, low diversity indices, like the Shannon-Wiener Index, demonstrated clearly that the selected lake is polluted and has high anthropogenic activity which has rendered the lake bad to poor health status especially during monsoon season. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate and prevent the jute retting process, and its intensity and density during the monsoon to enhance biodiversity in order to ensure sustainable management and conservation of aquatic environment of the oxbow lake.

The factors affecting the self-assembly process in low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) were investigated by tuning the gelation properties of a well-known gelator N-(4-pyridyl)isonicotinamide (4PINA). The N―H∙∙∙N interactions responsible for gel formation in 4PINA were disrupted by altering the functional groups of 4PINA, which was achieved by modifying pyridyl moieties of the gelator to pyridyl N-oxides. We synthesized two mono-N-oxides (INO and PNO) and a di-N-oxide (diNO) and the gelation studies revealed selective gelation of diNO in water, but the two mono-N-oxides formed crystals. The mechanical strength and thermal stabilities of the gelators were evaluated by rheology and transition temperature (Tgel) experiments, respectively, and the analysis of the gel strength indicated that diNO formed weak gels compared to 4PINA. The SEM image of diNO xerogels showed fibrous microcrystalline networks compared to the efficient fibrous morphology in 4PINA. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of diNO gelator revealed that a hydrogen-bonded dimer interacts with adjacent dimers via C―H∙∙∙O interactions. The non-gelator with similar dimers interacted via C―H∙∙∙N interaction, which indicates the importance of specific non-bonding interactions in the formation of the gel network. The solvated forms of mono-N-oxides support the fact that these compounds prefer crystalline state rather than gelation due to the increased hydrophilic interactions. The reduced gelation ability (minimum gel concentration (MGC)) and thermal strength of diNO may be attributed to the weak intermolecular C―H∙∙∙O interaction compared to the strong and unidirectional N―H∙∙∙N interactions in 4PINA.

The present study was carried out to understand the adaptive strategies developed by S. maltophilia for chronic colonization of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. For this purpose, 12 temporally isolated strains from a single CF patient chronically infected over a 10-year period were systematically characterized for growth rate, biofilm formation, motility, mutation frequencies, antibiotic resistance, and pathogenicity. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed over time the presence of 2 distinct groups, each consisting of 2 different pulsotypes. The pattern of evolution followed by S. maltophilia was dependent on pulsotype considered, with strains belonging to pulsotype 1.1 resulting to be the most adapted, being significantly changed in all traits considered. Generally, S. maltophilia adaptation to CF lung leads to increased growth rate and antibiotic resistance, whereas both in vivo and in vitro pathogenicity as well as biofilm formation were decreased. Our results show for the first time that S. maltophilia can successfully adapt to a highly stressful environment such as CF lung by paying a biological cost, as suggested by the presence of relevant genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity within bacterial population. This indicates that S. maltophilia populations are significantly more complex and dynamic than can be described by the analysis of any single isolate and can fluctuate rapidly to changing selective pressures.

Introduction: The incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in the young population has begun to rise. There is not enough data regarding the characteristics of young patients with ACS. Aim: To evaluate risk factors, clinical and angiographic profile of young patients with ACS. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to December 2020 at SSWH, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, Kolkata, India among 100 patients. Patients with ACS and aged =45 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with and without obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Clinical parameters and coronary angiography data were collected and analysed. The p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 37.42±5.18 years, and 82 (82%) participants were male. Smoking was the most common risk factor observed in 71 (71%) of the study population, and the majority of these patients had obstructive CAD. The young population suffered more with a high incidence of ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), with 37 (56.06%) had Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction (AWMI). When analysed angiographically, Obstructive CAD was most commonly found 82 (82%); among those with obstructive CAD, Single-vessel diseases were predominant in 47 (47%) individuals. The percentage of stable angina was significantly higher among patients with obstructive CAD (53.6%) compared to non obstructive CAD (11.1%), (p=0.001). Conclusion: Two leading risk factors, smoking, and tobacco, were significantly associated with the onset of young ACS. The prevalence of single-vessel disease was higher in young patients with ACS compared to double and triple-vessel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the deficiency of vitamin B12 in the patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy and its correlation. Methods: The participants for the present study were recruited from patients with T2DM seen in the South Eastern Railway Central Hospital, Kolkata. The study was conducted for two years. Results: Patients with diabetic neuropathy were older as majority had age between 61-70 years (55.40%) compared to those without neuropathy (majority had age between 51-60 years; 39.80%). The sex distribution between group was significantly different as revealed by the highly significant p value of <0.001. 9.60% of the patients with diabetes neuropathy had vitamin B 12 deficiency compared to control group (1.20%). Diabetes neuropathy patients had mean Vitamin B12 (471.33±168.992), diabetes with no neuropathy patients (479.11±208.121). Subjects in control group had higher Vitamin B12 level compared to remaining two groups. Conclusion: Vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent, especially in patients with diabetic neuropathy. In this study an inverse correlation was found between diabetic neuropathy and the plasma level of vitamin B12. The association between diabetic neuropathy and Vitamin B12 deficiency is of great importance, since diabetic or prediabetic patients diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy may have neuropathy due to vitamin B12 deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiovascular disorders have long been considered as one of the leading causes of mortality in India, which when presented with concurrent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) infection becomes even more fatal. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 affects the cardiovascular system by causing exuberant cytokinaemia, which results in endothelial inflammation and microvascular thrombosis, leading to multiorgan failure. Aim: To analyse the outcome of the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients presenting with cardiac angina during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients hospitalised with angina was conducted between April 2021 to June 2021 at Bardhhaman Medical College and Hospital located at Bardhdhaman district of West Bengal, India. A total of 1235 patients underwent all regular biochemical, haematological and cardiac investigations after undergoing test for COVID-19 test. Data was retrospectively collected. The outcome of these patients was analysed. Estimation of mean, standard deviation, percentage, p-value (from Pearson's correlation) was performed to establish the aim of the study. Results: Seventy six out of 1235 patients tested positive for asymptomatic COVID-19. The mean age of this study population was 55.075±10.95 years, of which were 55 male and 21 female. Hypertension was the most prevalent co-morbidity followed by diabetes, 73 (96%) presented with chest pain. A total of 47(62%) of these 76 patients had ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Eleven (14.4%) underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) whereas 36 (47.3%) underwent fibrinolytic therapy with tenecteplase, followed by secondary PCI in 27 (75%) of them. Rest 29 (38%) were medically managed for unstable angina. Mortality rate was as low as 6.5%. Age and comorbidity were the contributing factors for STEMI among asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The results indicate that age and comorbidity are the factors, which lead to death or increases the life risk among patients with asymptomatic COVID-19. In this study, we have established that for the current patient population STEMI and age are negatively corelated. Medical management with thrombolytic agent became a lot more accepted in this scenario. PCI still remains the gold standard to treat myocardial infarction. It is recommended that there should be an ICMR guided protocol for the management of such cases with the concurrent COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We assessed whether women were more affected by the dramatic drop in hospital admissions for ACS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: This evaluation is an Institutional Review Board (IRB) exempt retrospective, observational study performed inBurdwan Medical College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India. We performed chart review of 1000 patients who presented to Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India Catheterization lab for elective and emergency catheterization for non ACS and ACS [NSTEMI, Unstable angina (UA), STEMI] during a 4-week period from February 26 to March 10 and from March 25 to April 8 and compared with the equivalent weeks in the last year. Results: Out of 1000, only 450 patients underwent cardiac catheterization for acute coronary syndrome. Remaining patients underwent cardiac catheterization for causes other than acute coronary syndrome, such as atrial septal defect closure, pulmonary arterial hypertension to assess hemodynamics in the heart chambers, cardiac myxoma, treatment of valvular heart disease (e.g., transcatheter mitral valve repair), assessment of the congenital heart diseases like cor triatriatum. Conclusion: In conclusion, the pandemic period reduced the gap between men and women in ACS: the extraordinary reduction in admission rates observed during the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have strongly affected women as men, with similar rates of reduction of hospitalized STEMI and NSTEMI and a trend toward greater reduction in UA admission among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate ST elevation myocardial infarction of inferior wall and right ventricle in rheumatic mitral stenosis due to thrombus at right coronary sinus. Methods: The present study was conducted in the Department of cardiology, Burdwan medical college and hospital, West Bengal, India. Acute MI was diagnosed by the presence of at least 2 of the following criteria: electrocardiographic changes, significant rises in myocardial bound creatine kinase fraction, and typical chest pain. Inferior wall MI was diagnosed by electrocardiography, echocardiography and coronary angiography. In patients with non-ST elevation MI, echocardiography and coronary angiographic findings were used for determination of the diagnosis of inferior wall MI. There was total 100 patients included in the present study. Results: Echocardiography was performed within 1.7±1.4 days (range 0-5) after acute MI. There were no differences in age, sex and other frequencies of underlying diseases among the 3 groups. There were no differences in the modality of intervention, severity of coronary artery disease. Fifty-five (73.34%) patients had the culprit lesion in the right coronary artery and 20 (26.6%) patients had the culprit lesion in the left circumflex artery. Patients whose culprit lesion in the left circumflex artery had an increased frequency of more severe MR than those with the culprit lesion in the right coronary artery, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.420). Conclusion: In the acute phase of inferior wall MI, MR was associated with LV systolic dysfunction with tethering. Therefore, it can be suggested that reduced closing force as a consequence of LV systolic dysfunction in the presence of leaflet tethering would play a more pivotal role in the development of MR in the acute phase of inferior MI, whereas increased tethering forces through a combination of annular dilation and geometric remodeling of the LV would be more important contributor in the chronic phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to first examine whether intellectual capital (IC) information is considered in firm valuation. Next, to examine two issues: financial analysts'' investment recommendations when faced with different combinations of performance levels (i.e. above or below industry average) of financial and IC measures, and the role of financial and IC measures with different performance levels and holding periods (i.e. short-term vs long-term) for the investment on analysts'' recommendations. Design/methodology/approach - The first part of the paper used secondary (both archival and survey) data. The second part was an experiment. Findings - The findings in the first part show that, after controlling for the effect of financial performances on firm value, measures of IC are still significant explanatory variables (of firm value). The second part shows that the financial and IC measures affect financial analysts'' investment recommendations differently depending on the measures'' levels of performance and the time horizon for holding the investments. Research limitations/implications - The limitations of the paper are as follows: the use of secondary data from a single country limits its generalizability; and the results of the experiment are parameterized by the research design such as the amount of information provided to the financial analysts. Extending the analyses to other settings and using time-series data represent future research opportunities. Originality/value - The research makes three contributions to the IC literature. First, it extends the studies on the relevance of IC in capital market research by broadening its scope to include measures of IC other than R&D intensity. Next, it provides evidence of the informativeness of IC measures in market valuation of firms and analysts'' recommendations, thus lending credence to the arguments of reports and researchers for more external communication of IC information. Finally, this study is one of the first to examine a broader scope of IC in the capital market context and the use of IC by sophisticated market participants. With policy-makers and standard-setting bodies considering proposals to enhance information on IC in financial reports, it is important to broaden the scope of IC metrics and understand their role in enhancing firm value to develop a framework for reporting IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rugged and specific method based on tandem solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of anti-infectives in raw sewage and wastewater plant effluents was developed. Analyte recoveries from spiked effluents ranged from 68 to 104%. Two specific selected reaction monitoring transitions and their peak area ratios were used to avoid false positives and confirm the presence of the targeted substances. Detection limits allowed low nanogram per litre detection (0.3–22 ng L−1). The method was successfully applied to real samples from the Montréal wastewater treatment plant. All the studied anti-infectives were found in the wastewater samples in concentrations ranging from 39 to 276 ng L−1. Mean flows of anti-infectives were estimated from effluent concentrations and it was found that large amounts (>118 g day−1 up to 830 g day−1) are discharged in the receiving waters of the St Lawrence River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of the phytoecdysteroids family is rapidly growing. Recent data shows over 250 ecdysteroid analogs have been identified so far in plants. It is theorized that there are over 1000 possible structures, which might occur in nature, but it is a fact that ecdysteroids usually occur in plants as a complex cocktail of structurally different compounds. Among these compounds, the major component is usually the common ecdysteroid-like 20-hydroxyecdysone. Ecdysteroids are polar steroids, almost sugar-like in their solubility properties. Extraction and purification of ecdysteroids (polyhydroxy steroids) is complicated by their polar nature and poor crystallizing properties. These properties make them difficult to separate from other polar plant constituents. Besides, this plant extract is very often processed by multistep procedures to isolate the major and minor ecdysteroids from the new or existing sources. A simplified scheme consisting of a few extraction steps for the purification of ecdysteroid from plants is in great demand. A quantitative approach through high-performance liquid chromatography has been initiated for developing an easy method for the extraction of ecdysteroids from Ipomoea hederacea (kaladana) seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent research has identified attitudes towards ambiguity and risk to be important determinants of choice behavior, no prior work jointly assessed the roles of both attitudes. We conducted a laboratory experiment using a real decision scenario and conducted exploratory analyses of the relationship between attitudes towards risk and ambiguity and the decision taken by the subjects. The results support the prediction that attitudes towards both risk and ambiguity affect choice behavior. Our exploratory analyses indicate interesting avenues for future research, including an examination of the decision process itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of nonlinearity-induced virtual gain in parabolic pulse (PP) formation by dispersion varying fibers and utilizing this gain over that of dispersion. As chalcogenides show high values of nonlinear coefficient, a dispersion decreasing fiber, named as nonlinearly tapered chalcogenide fiber (NLTCF), is designed here by optimizing different combinations of chalcogenide materials and core radius profiles such that efficient PP can be generated at considerably shorter optimum lengths with respect to the corresponding constant dispersion fiber. With suitable manoeuvring of the nonlinearity-induced virtual gain, a fiber combination consisting of a dispersion increasing fiber and the NLTCF shows enough efficiency to reduce the optimum length significantly. Although the virtual gain due to dispersion dominates over that due to nonlinearity in silica fibers, the situation is completely reversed in the case of specially designed highly nonlinear fibers. When compared to silica-based fibers, these types of fibers perform remarkably better in PP formation at shorter values of optimum fiber length with a higher amount percentage reduction of length making the higher order dispersive terms ineffective as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal dispersion decreasing fibers (NDDFs) employed for parabolic pulse (PP) generation are limited by the presence of inherent third-order dispersion (TOD), which leads to distortion in pulse shape from its parabolic nature. This necessitates a compensation method for TOD for such fibers. Dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF) amplifiers with relatively smaller values of dispersion can also be largely affected by this harmful effect of TOD when used for the same purpose. As a solution, a time-reversal system (TRS) based on a time-conjugating technique is employed with the aim of minimizing the deleterious effects of TOD. A detailed study on the estimation of the critical length where the time lens system needs to be implemented within the fiber link is crucial for reshaping the pulse into parabolic form. An NDDF is designed and optimized to possess a relatively higher value of TOD and a cascaded fiber optic system comprising the first stage of the proposed NDDF, the TRS and the second stage of the NDDF is suggested here to obtain linearly chirped PP at the output end even in the presence of a high value of TOD. The proposed scheme has also proved to be efficient for better pulse reshaping through DCFs possessing a high amount of TOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes experimental data on a polycrystalline nickel subjected to compressive loads induced in a split Hopkinson pressure bar test. A perpendicular bias magnetic field with respect to the loading direction is used to orient the domains and a pick-up coil measures the magnetic response of the sample during loading. Utilizing this experimental configuration, this study investigated the coupled effects of the magnetic and mechanical fields on domain wall motion in a polycrystalline magnetostrictive material (Ni) during the high-rate elastic loading. The experimental measurements reveal that the magnitude of the stress-induced magnetization change is dependent upon bias magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports on the significance of reducing channel doping and optimizing the spacer width to enhance analog/RF metrics of junctionless (JL) MOSFETs for operation at low current levels (∼30 μA μm−1). It is shown that optimally designed junctionless devices achieve 40–50% higher cut-off frequency (fT) and maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX), along with a 15% enhancement in intrinsic voltage gain (AVO) as compared to conventional junctionless (JL) transistors designed with a channel doping (Nd) of 1019 cm−3. The parasitic fringing capacitances are significantly reduced in optimized JL devices. The gain-bandwidth trade-off can be considerably improved around the analog ‘sweet spot’ as performance metrics are enhanced by 70–90%. Apart from the above benefits, the optimal JL design results in reduced sensitivity to variation in device parameters. Results will be useful for design and optimization of low power junctionless MOSFETs for analog/RF applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring provides a more reliable assessment of actual BP than office BP and is a more sensitive risk predictor of clinical cardiovascular outcomes. Recent international guidelines for hypertension have emphasised the usefulness of ambulatory BP for diagnosis and management of hypertension. We used ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to monitor the effect of the pharmacological treatment in patients with stage 1 or 2 hypertension. This was a multicentric randomised controlled trial having 360 subjects with 180 in each treatment arm. The duration of study was 6 months. The patients were randomly selected to receive atenolol or losartan as initial therapy. The dose of atenolol or losartan was 50 mg once daily at 8 am in the morning. Ambulatory BP assessment was done in a subgroup of subjects using Schiller BR-102 plus machine. One hundred and thirty patients were recruited for the study using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. There were 66 patients in atenolol arm and 64 patients in the losartan arm. A significant white coat hypertension was noticed in both the arms. Out of 130 subjects in the ambulatory group, 41.53% had a white coat hypertension. Statistically significant reduction of office BP was observed with both atenolol and losartan; however, no significant difference in efficacy of the two drugs was found in reducing office BP. However, when using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the reduction with either drug was not significant. The dipper status was better in the atenolol group than the losartan group. Neither of the drugs prevent morning surge of BP when administered once daily in the morning. There was high prevalence of white coat hypertension in patients with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension. There was similar reduction of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure by the 2 study drugs. Atenolol scores over losartan in converting non-dipper to dipper but its' impact on clinical outcome is not known. Morning surge of BP was unaffected by either of the study drugs.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive heterogeneous group of conditions with variable clinical findings like recurrent respiratory tract infections, bronchiectasis, situs inversus, singly or in various combinations. Development of Pulmonary arterial hypertension can be a late complication of this disease. Here we present a case of PCD with recurrent respiratory tract infections, bronchiectasis and severe PAH, who responded to treatment with Oxygen, IV broad spectrum antibiotics and oral sildenafil.

Hypertension is a common clinical problem with great implications for public health. It is a silent killer and often remains asymptomatic. So regular BP check-up is a must. Complications of untreated hypertension include ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure and accelerated atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease and stroke, renal failure and retinopathy. Primary care physicians have immense duty to perform in this regard because they are the first to encounter them in various stages of the disease. Hypertension can present per se or in emergencies (as in crisis) or in disguise of a complication (like anaemia and renal failure). Control of hypertension and delaying the development of complications should be their first goal. Lastly, some hypertensives with complications may require referral to advanced centres.