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N,N‐Dimethylaniline.borane (DMAB) is a stable, multifaceted electrophilic boron agent that displays hydroboration of C = C as well as selective reduction of functional groups under reflux, microwave, and ultrasound conditions. Natural products contain a plethora of functional groups that govern the specific bioactivity. It will be interesting to correlate the change in a functional group with the concern for change in bioactivity. Current research emphasizes the influence of microwave irradiation on moderately reactive DMAB reagent towards the functional group modification of selected limonoid‐phytochemicals of Meliaceae family viz. cedrelone, azadirone, nimbin, and azadiradione. DMAB conveniently reduces the ketone, epoxide group into alcohol, and does a hydroboration reaction on the C = C bond. It does not show interest to reduce the ester group irrespective of 30 min of MW irradiation. Except for these reducing properties, the reagent DMAB unveils chemo‐selective nature in respect of different functional groups and utilizes in an asymmetric synthesis. The coalescence of amine.borane with microwave irradiation brings forth a commodious and prompt method for the selective reduction of functional groups. The bioactive efficacy of modified phytochemicals is further taken for the antimicrobial studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: AURORA 2 evaluated the long‐term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of voclosporin compared to placebo in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) receiving an additional two years of treatment following completion of the one‐year AURORA 1 study. Methods: Enrolled patients continued their double‐blinded treatment of voclosporin or placebo randomly assigned in AURORA 1, in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and low‐dose glucocorticoids. The primary objective was safety assessed with adverse events (AEs) and biochemical and hematological assessments. Efficacy was measured by renal response. Results: A total of 216 patients enrolled in AURORA 2. Treatment was well tolerated with 86.1% completing the study and no unexpected safety signals. AEs occurred in 86% and 80% of patients in the voclosporin and control groups, respectively, with an AE profile similar to that seen in AURORA 1, albeit with reduced frequency. Investigator reported AEs of both glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decrease and hypertension occurred more frequently in the voclosporin than the control group (10.3% vs 5.0%, and 8.6% vs 7.0%, respectively). Mean corrected estimated GFR (eGFR) was within the normal range and stable in both treatment groups. eGFR slope over the two‐year period was −0.2 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% confidence interval [CI] −3.0 to 2.7) in the voclosporin group and −5.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI −8.4 to −2.3) in the control group. Improved proteinuria persisted across three years of treatment, leading to more frequent complete renal responses in patients treated with voclosporin (50.9% vs 39.0%; odds ratio 1.74; 95% CI 1.00–3.03). Conclusion: Data demonstrate the safety and efficacy of long‐term voclosporin treatment over three years of follow‐up in patients with LN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-signal model of the MOSFET is an equivalent circuit of its electric components, which defines the electrical characteristics of a MOSFET. The non-quasi-static (NQS) model is one of the most accurate small-signal models used for designing analog/RF circuits. Electronic circuits designed for advanced high-frequency analog/RF applications like (Long-Term Evolution) LTE and (Internet-of-Things) IoT applications, the proper selection of MOSFET is essential. The MOSFETs with lower static power dissipation and high linearity are best suitable for low-power high-frequency analog/digital circuit applications. In this paper, a cylindrical silicon-on-insulator (SOI) Schottky Barrier (SB) MOSFET is investigated, and analog/RF parameters such as transconductance (gm), intrinsic-voltage gain (AV), ION/IOFF ratio, cutoff-frequency (fT), maximum oscillation frequency (fmax), transconductance-generation factor (TGF), gain-frequency product (GFP), transconductance-frequency product (TFP), gain-bandwidth product (GBWP) and gain-transconductance frequency product (GTFP) are extracted. Also, the NQS small-signal model parameters of SOI-SB MOSFET are extracted for the analog circuit application for the frequency range up to 500 GHz. The analog/RF parameters and NQS small-signal parameters of cylindrical SOI-SB MOSFET are compared with cylindrical SB-MOSFET and cylindrical dielectric-pocket (DP) SB-MOSFET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile synthesis of rGO–CuO nanocomposite was carried out using hydrothermal method. rGO–CuO nanocomposite was incorporated in aerosol forming composite (AFC) for the first time in order to develop the fast fire extinguishant materials. Synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Catalytic activity of rGO–CuO was analysed considering the parameters such as combustion temperature, activation energy, burn rate, combustion efficiency, minimum fire extinguishing concentration (MEC) and fire extinguishing time. Addition of rGO–CuO to base AFC remarkably enhanced the performance of AFC by increasing the combustion efficiency (11.36%) and decreasing the combustion temperature (16.14%) and MEC (19.78%). A tremendous increase in burn rate (47.1%) boosted the fast extinguishment of fire by reducing the fire extinguishment time 78.2%. Developed AFC found promising to meet the faster fire extinguishment requirement of futuristic fire suppression systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematite nanoparticles (α‐Fe2O3) were successfully synthesised using facile and eco‐friendly hydrothermal method. Synthesised hematite nanoparticles were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface area analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Nano/micro particles of Hematite (1, 3&5 %, w/w) were incorporated in aerosol forming composite (AFC). For the first time, catalytic effect of nano and micro size hematite on performance of AFC has been creatively investigated with respect to combustion and fire extinguishment parameters. Incorporation of nano hematite (5 %, w/w) in AFC reduced the combustion temperature (by 11 %) and tremendously boosted the burn rate & combustion efficiency by 30&7.5 % respectively. This in turn produced the aerosols in less time and put out the fire quickly (<5 s). Hematite nano counterpart was discovered to be more promising than its micro equivalent. This exploratory study is valuable in the field of development of futuristic ultra‐fast fire extinguishants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

rGO/Fe2O3 nanocomposites were synthesized using facile and inexpensive hydrothermal route. For the first time, these nanocomposites were incorporated in aerosol forming composites (AFCs), characterized and investigated for ultra-fast fire extinguishing applications. The morphological and structural characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). AFCs were also characterized for burn rate, combustion efficiency, minimum fire extinguishing concentration, fire extinguishing time, combustion temperature and activation energy. Characterization revealed successful synthesis of rGO/Fe2O3 nanocomposites having Fe2O3 nanoparticles (25–50 nm) over and in-between the graphene oxide nanosheets. Increase in combustion efficiency (9%) and burn rate (35%) and reduction in onset temperature (17.16%), combustion temperature (13.46%) and activation energy (37.71%) were observed on addition of 3% rGO/5.0Fe2O3 nanocomposite to base AFC. Increase in burn rate by 35% led to ultra-fast aerosol generation and faster (50% reduction in fire extinguishing time) fire extinguishment. AFCs found promising for incorporation in condensed aerosol-based fire extinguishing systems to comply futuristic quicker fire extinguishment requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol forming composite (AFC) is an important component of condensed aerosol-based fire extinguishing system (CAFES). As per literature no attempts have been made so far for the detailed study of AFCs. Therefore, for the insight AFCs were prepared with potassium nitrate as an oxidizer and phenol formaldehyde resin as a combustible binder. Five metal oxides, namely MnO2, Fe2O3, NiO, CuO and CeO2, (3%, w/w) were added as catalysts in AFC. The catalytic effect of these metal oxides was investigated for various parameters such as combustion efficiency, burn rate, minimum fire extinguishing concentration (MEC), decomposition temperature and activation energy. Addition of CuO, 3%, w/w increased the burn rate of AFC by 51.4% and reduced the MEC by 29.4%. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis clearly indicated the reduction in decomposition temperature from 445.65 to 396.48 °C while adding CuO. Activation energies of decomposition for base AFC and AFC-CuO calculated using model-free methods of Kissinger, Ozawa–Flynn–Wall and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose were found to be 181.12, 183.50 and 180.75 kJ/mol and 146.61, 149.98 and 163.18 kJ/mol, respectively. The functions 1−(1−α)2/3 (model F1/3: One-third order) and [1−(1−α)1/2] (model R3, F2/3: power law) were found as the most probable mechanism for the thermal decomposition of base AFC and CuO-AFC, respectively. Aerosol characterization with X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and particle counter indicated mostly 2 µm particles of potassium carbonate/bicarbonate. Total flooding and dispersion characteristics of aerosols were confirmed using pH measurements at various locations. Overall, prepared AFCs were found promising for use within CAFES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation of Montreal Protocols-1987 enforced phase wise ban on production and application of ozone depleting chemicals (Halons). Since then, condensed aerosol-based fire extinguishing technology as an alternative to Halons has been a subject for numerous investigations for its research and applications worldwide. It has come up as the most efficient halon alternative technology in comparison to other alternatives such as water mist, dry powders, inert gases, hydro fluorocarbons, and carbon dioxide. Even it is three times more efficient than that of Halon 1301 on weight to volume basis. Over other Halon alternatives, it has many advantages, e.g., zero ozone depletion potential -atmospheric lifetime -global warming potential, modular structure, low space requirements, easy & cost-effective installation & maintenance, no requirement of piping & pressurized cylinders, no oxygen depression etc. Condensed aerosol based fire extinguishing systems (CAFES) have found versatile fire safety applications worldwide in many areas such as power generation, transportation, storage rooms, public buildings, heavy industries, battery storage systems, defence etc. This review mainly focuses on applications of CAFES for extinguishment of: class A fires in libraries, archives, storage rooms etc.; class B fires in machinery spaces, gas turbine enclosures, combat vehicles, chemical storage rooms; electrical fires occurring in control rooms, UPS rooms, electrical/power substations & panels. Various reports and case studies demonstrating its testing and implementation methodologies have also been covered. The future prospects of aerosol technology and potential research/applications areas are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everything has changed after outbreak of COVID-19. Its the time to take precautions and do every possible effort to mitigate the effects of pandemic and curb the chances of any future outbreak. Recently Moradabad city was listed among one of the highest polluted city of the India. One of the major contributor to the pollution was found the use of coal furnaces in local industries for casting of Metal. As per the latest report of National Green Tribunal (NGT) and central pollution control board, Moradabad city is the highly polluted city of India and the average Air Quality Index (AQI) is 489 g/m3 during November 01, 2020 to November 16,2020 [1]1. Therefore, a systematic replacement of coal furnace with smart electric furnace is proposed in the given paper. The study suggests that replacement of coal furnace with smart electric furnace will not only result in better environment for Moradabad city but will also be beneficial in many other ways by exploiting inherent advantages of electric furnace over coal furnaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GenoVault is a cloud-based repository for handling Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data. It is developed using OpenStack-based private cloud with various services like keystone for authentication, cinder for block storage, neutron for networking and nova for managing compute instances for the Cloud. GenoVault uses object-based storage, which enables data to be stored as objects instead of files or blocks for faster retrieval from different distributed object nodes. Along with a web-based interface, a JavaFX-based desktop client has also been developed to meet the requirements of large file uploads that are usually seen in NGS datasets. Users can store files in their respective object-based storage areas and the metadata provided by the user during file uploads is used for querying the database. GenoVault repository is designed taking into account future needs and hence can scale both vertically and horizontally using OpenStack-based cloud features. Users have an option to make the data shareable to the public or restrict the access as private. Data security is ensured as every container is a separate entity in object-based storage architecture which is also supported by Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) for data upload and download. The data is uploaded by the user in individual containers that include raw read files (fastq), processed alignment files (bam, sam, bed) and the output of variation detection (vcf). GenoVault architecture allows verification of the data in terms of integrity and authentication before making it available to collaborators as per the user's permissions. GenoVault is useful for maintaining the organization-wide NGS data generated in various labs which is not yet published and submitted to public repositories like NCBI. GenoVault also provides support to share NGS data among the collaborating institutions. GenoVault can thus manage vast volumes of NGS data on any OpenStack-based private cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-linearity and static power consumption are major challenges in the designing of digital and analog circuits. To improve the performance of digital and analog circuits, a proper selection of MOSFET device architecture is essential. The MOSFET device architecture with low static power dissipation and high linearity results in improves overall performance at the circuit level. In this work, a detailed analysis of cylindrical Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Schottky Barrier (SB) MOSFET is done for analog and digital circuit applications. The analog device parameters and device non-linearity parameters for SOI SB MOSFET are extracted and compared with SB MOSFET and Dielectric Pocket (DP) SB MOSFET. The SOI SB MOSFET shows an improvement of 6.905% in output conductance (gds), 130.513% in early voltage (Vea), 240.74% in transconductance generation factor (TGF), 35.901% in transconductance frequency product (TFP), 23.529% in the gain-bandwidth product (GBWP), 25.542% in voltage gain (Av), 130.968% in gain frequency product (GFP), and 179.964% in gain transconductance frequency product (GTFP). Third-order extrapolated voltage (VIP3), third-order extrapolated power (IIP3), and extrapolated intermodulation power (IMD3) have also improved in comparison to SB MOSFET. The Atlas 3-D device simulation tool is used for numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol forming compositions (AFCs) have come up as one of the most efficient fire extinguishing Halon alternative since the implementation of Montreal protocol-1987 on ozone layer depleting substances. These aerosol based systems have gained much attention in recent years because of higher fire extinguishing efficiencies, modular nature, non pressurized container, less maintenance requirement, extended shelf-life and negligible ODP, GWP and ALT values. Aerosols are traditionally produced using pyrotechnique compositions having mostly metal salts of group IA or IIA. Potassium nitrate has been used predominantly as oxidizing agent (40–75%, w/w), whereas for electric and electronics systems, strontium nitrate (15–70%, w/w) has been recommended. Versatile reducing agent, binders, gas forming agents, burn rate modifiers and many such functional additives have been used recently for preparations of AFCs. AFCs indicated variable burn rate values, 2–7 mm/s. AFCs were found highly efficient with minimum fire extinguishing concentrations mostly ranging between 30 g/m3 and 200 g/m3. Moreover, the development of highly efficient, non-corrosive, non-toxic and environmentally benign AFC is still an elusive goal. This review mainly focuses on advances of aerosol forming chemical compositions, its future prospects and potential research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research focuses on the design, method development, characterization, and clinical assessment of novel irbesartan medication compounds. The objective of synthetic modification of a drug molecule is to achieve the desired properties such as enhancing the pharmacological properties and minimizing the side effects. It is a biphenyl tetrazole and an aza‐spiro compound, a highly selective, potent nonpeptide compound that belongs to the sartan group, an authorized type‐1 angiotensin II receptor (AT1), dilates the blood vessels and is used in curing of to treat high blood pressure, cardiac arrest, and renal disease in diabetics. To achieve the structural modification of the irbesartan drug, the researcher prepared the FeCl3/SiO2 catalyst and successfully used it for the acetylation, chloro acetylation reaction of irbesartan with acetyl chloride and chloroacetyl chloride. Further, the reaction is performed in presence of the catalyst and without a catalyst to elucidate the role of the catalyst. With the aid of TLC, FT‐IR, and UV–visible spectral methods, the structural interpretation of synthesized derivatives is completed. The present work illustrates a novel method of synthesis of irbesartan derivatives through safe and convenient procedures. The pharmacological evaluation of synthetic derivatives and green chemistry protocol of synthesis is under progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread mainly through respiratory droplets and contact routes. Long-term use of spectacles may prevent repeated touching and rubbing of the eyes. Aim: To know the association between infection with SARSCoV-2 and wearing of spectacles. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 304 patients of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) were selected. Their spectacles wearing behaviour were assessed through a questionnaire. Spectacles wearing behaviour of general population were obtained from older studies (for comparison). Risk of COVID-19 was calculated in long-term spectacles wearers as well as in persons not using spectacles. Chi-Square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: In this study, total 58 patients showed the behaviour of using spectacles continuously during day time and always on outdoor activities. The risk of COVID-19 was found 0.48 in spectacles wearing population as compared to 1.35 in population not using spectacles. The calculated Risk Ratio (RR) was 0.36. It indicates that the risk of COVID-19 was 2-3 times less in spectacles wearing population than the population not using spectacles. The protective effectiveness of the spectacles was found statistically significant (p-value=0.00113). Conclusion: The present study showed that the risk of COVID-19 was about 2-3 times less in spectacles wearing population than the population not wearing those. The nasolacrimal duct may be a route of virus transmission from conjunctival sac to the nasopharynx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) especially surfactant slug injection has received a great attention as an oil recovery technique. Surfactants are capable in reducing the interfacial tension (IFT) and altering the wettability of rock from subsurface reservoir. Here, a new anionic surfactant was synthesized from Madhuca longifolia (Mahua) oil. The surfactant was characterized using FTIR, GC–MS, FE-SEM and EDX analysis and tested rigorously using IFT, wettability and flooding experiments for its application in EOR. The surfactant showed an ultralow IFT value around 1 × 10−2 at optimal salinity. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated using surface tension as a function of temperature and the studies showed that adsorption of molecules at the interface is favorable over micellization. The surfactant was found to be thermally stable by TGA analysis for its application at high temperature reservoir conditions. It showed the ability to alter the wettability of oil-wet sandstone rock surface to water-wet. The core-flooding experiments were conducted using individual surfactant slug and surfactant-polymer slug injection, which showed an additional recovery of almost 20% over convention water flooding. The experimental results were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The results obtained after simulation study and core-flooding experiment results are very much comparable. The comprehensive evaluation of thermal, interfacial and oil recovery studies provides grounds for potential application in EOR. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Synthesis of natural surfactant from Madhuca longifolia • Ultralow IFT achieved by surfactant in presence of salt and alkali • Rock wettability is altered using surfactant from oil-wet to water-wet. • Core flooding experiments recovered up to 20% additional recoveries. • Simulation studies of experimental data using computational fluid dynamics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper aims to predict compressional and shear sonic travel time logs using conventional logs that are easier and less expensive to acquire during the development cycle. The study uses a gradient boosting algorithm and incorporates a novel method of using statistical feature engineering with wavelet transform to improve prediction accuracy across thin beds in hydrocarbon reservoirs. The approach uses a discrete wavelet transform over the neutron log, a prominent feature, to identify thin layers and enhance prediction accuracy. The detailed coefficients are analyzed using Daubechies and Haar wavelets to reconstruct newly transformed data with an enhanced thin-layer signal. The Haar wavelet with three levels is the most optimum wavelet and decomposition levels. The algorithm for the reconstructed log shows an increased thin layer resolution, with an accuracy improvement of 6.8% for the prediction. The proposed approach significantly contributes to geologists, geophysicists, and reservoir technologists for reservoir characterization and safe drilling operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Breast is an appendage of skin, breast lumps are very common complaint for women of all ages, but are particularly common during the reproductive years. Breast lumps may occur spontaneously or gradually, evaluating a breast mass can be a difficult task. Aim and Objective: To assess the distribution of various cytomorphological patters of clinically palpable breast lumps by Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology technique. Materials and Method: A retrospective study over a period of 1 year 135 breast aspirates who attended the surgery outpatient department in Saraswathi institute of medical sciences and hospital from July 2015 to June 2016 was studied with clinical correlation and cytological analysis with FNAC. Smears were stained with H &E stain, and correlation with imaging studies, including mammography was done. Results: Total of 135 cases were studied, out of these 96 (71.11%) were found benign and 25 (18.52%) were malignant. 10 (7.41%) cases given unsatisfactory results. Out of 135 cases of analysis, Fibroadenoma was the most common benign lesion found in 66 (48.89%) patients, followed by fibrocystic disease 14(10.37%) and mastitis/Breast abscess 4(2.96%) were common breast lesions on cytology. Malignant breast lesions constitute 25(18.51%) cases, among which Duct cell carcinoma 21(15.55%) cases were commonest type. Conclusion: Benign breast lesions are common than malignant lesions, fibroadenoma and fibrocystic disease are more common in benign disease. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is a rapid and effective method for the primary categorization of palpable breast lumps into benign, malignant, atypical, suspicious, and unsatisfactory categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study on clustering: exiting methods and developments made at various times. Clustering is defined as an unsupervised learning where the objects are grouped on the basis of some similarity inherent among them. There are different methods for clustering the objects such as hierarchical, partitional, grid, density based and model based. The approaches used in these methods are discussed with their respective states of art and applicability. The measures of similarity as well as the evaluation criteria, which are the central components of clustering, are also presented in the paper. The applications of clustering in some fields like image segmentation, object and character recognition and data mining are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The high frequency of iron deficiency anaemia in the developing world has substantial health and economic costs. Women in developing countries are always in a state of precarious iron balance during their reproductive years. Their iron stores are not well developed because of poor nutritional intake, recurrent infections, menstrual blood loss, and repeated pregnancies. Gender discrimination in a country like India resulting in girls lacking access to a balanced diet, adequate health care and proper education. Aim: 1) To study the coagulation profile in iron deficiency anemia in ante-natal patients. 2) To compare changes in coagulation profile of control without iron deficiency anemia with iron deficiency anemia patients. Material & Method: From February 2015 to July 2016 was carried out in the Department of Pathology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences and associated Hospital, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India, Which included 200 patients of anemia presenting in obs and gyne department. Results: Out of two hundred pregnant females mean age was 29.84+-7.87with reference range between 19-45. Fifty % of total cases had normal Hb 23.5% had mild anemia where as 11.5% had severe anemia. Mean PT was 11.80+-2.99 with a reference range of 3-21. Mean APTT was 30.35 +-5.08 with reference range of 2.9-40. Mean ferritin was 52.86 +/- 59.28 with reference range of 1-174. Conclusion: Iron plays a role in alteration of coagulation profile in iron deficiency anemic pregnancies. Changes in RBC indices are more pronounced in iron deficiency anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica nanoparticles with a surface area of 673.60 m2/g and particle size of 8-12 nm were prepared using aerogel process (AP) followed by super critical drying. Zero valent Fe, Co, Pt, and bimetallic Fe/Pt and Fe/Co were loaded using an incipient wetness impregnation technique and subsequent reduction. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (TEM-EDX) characterizations indicated fine dispersion of iron on AP-SiO2 +Fe system. Prepared nanoparticles were evaluated for the adsorptive removal of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) from water. Surface area normalized rate constant values indicated the adsorptive removal potential of prepared nanoparticles to be: AP-SiO2 + Fe/Co>AP-SiO2 + Fe>CM (commercial) SiO2 + Fe>AP-SiO2 + Co> AP-SiO2 + Fe/Pt> AP-SiO2 + Pt. Lower pH helped in accelerating the reactive removal of TNT on zero valent iron loaded silica. AP-SiO2 + Fe/Co system showed the maximum adsorption potential (74 mg/g) after five cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the infarcted myocardium, necrotic cardiomyocytes activate innate immune pathways, stimulating pro-inflammatory signaling cascades. Although inflammation plays an important role in clearance of the infarct from dead cells and matrix debris, repair of the infarcted heart requires timely activation of signals that negatively regulate the innate immune response, limiting inflammatory injury. We have previously demonstrated that Interleukin receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-M, a member of the IRAK family that suppresses toll-like receptor/interleukin-1 signaling, is upregulated in the infarcted heart in both macrophages and fibroblasts, and restrains pro-inflammatory activation attenuating adverse remodeling. Although IRAK-M is known to suppress inflammatory activation of macrophages, its role in fibroblasts remains unknown. Our current investigation examines the effects of IRAK-M on fibroblast phenotype and function. In vitro , IRAK-M null cardiac fibroblasts have impaired capacity to contract free-floating collagen pads. IRAK-M loss reduces transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-mediated α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression. IRAK-M deficient cardiac fibroblasts exhibit a modest reduction in TGF-β-stimulated Smad activation and increased expression of the α-SMA repressor, Y-box binding protein (YB)-1. In a model of non-reperfused myocardial infarction, IRAK-M absence does not affect collagen content and myofibroblast density in the infarcted and remodeling myocardium, but increases YB-1 levels and is associated with attenuated α-SMA expression in isolated infarct myofibroblasts. Our findings suggest that, in addition to its role in restraining inflammation following reperfused infarction, IRAK-M may also contribute to myofibroblast conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus (cardiac NL) include congenital heart block and cardiomyopathy. Several candidate biomarkers were evaluated in cases at risk for cardiac NL on the basis of potential roles in inflammation, fibrosis, and cardiac dysfunction: C-reactive protein (CRP); NT-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP); troponin I; matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2; urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA); urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR); plasminogen; and vitamin D. Objectives Identification of maternal and fetal biomarkers associated with development and morbidity of cardiac NL should provide clues to pathogenesis with translational implications for management. Methods Cord (139) and maternal (135) blood samples collected during pregnancies at risk for cardiac NL were available for study. Levels of cord and maternal CRP, cord NT-proBNP, and cord troponin I were evaluated using multiplex assays. Cord and maternal vitamin D were assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. MMP-2, uPA, uPAR, and plasminogen were evaluated using ELISA. Results Cord CRP, NT-proBNP, MMP-2, uPA, uPAR, and plasminogen levels were higher in cardiac NL-affected fetuses than in unaffected cases, independent of maternal rheumatic disease, season at highest risk of cardiac NL development, and medications taken during pregnancy. These biomarkers were positively associated with a disease severity score derived from known risk factors for mortality in cardiac NL. Maternal CRP and cord troponin I levels did not differ between the groups. Cord and maternal vitamin D levels were not significantly associated with cardiac NL, but average maternal vitamin D level during pregnancy was positively associated with longer time to postnatal pacemaker placement. Conclusions These data support the association of fetal reactive inflammatory and fibrotic components with development and morbidity of cardiac NL. Following CRP and NT-proBNP levels after birth can potentially monitor severity and progression of cardiac NL. MMP-2 and the uPA/uPAR/plasminogen cascade provide therapeutic targets to decrease fibrosis. Although decreased vitamin D did not confer increased risk, given the positive influence on postnatal outcomes, maternal levels should be optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underbalanced drilling fluid plays a vital role in the field of exploration of coal bed methane and tight gas reservoirs. It is used to minimize the formation damage and other drilling associated problems. Foam is considered as a popular alternative over the air in underbalanced drilling operations. Development of stable and uniform foam and prediction of its rheological behaviour under dynamic borehole conditions are real challenges in the successful drilling operations. If not designed properly, drilling fluid will fail to transport the cuttings to the surface efficiently. The present study focuses on the development of an empirical correlation for settling velocity of solid cuttings through gelled foams. A number of solids such as coal, sand and shale with variable particle sizes were selected for the present study. Foam fluids prepared with different compositions were characterized. Effects of various parameters such as foam density, composition, viscosity, gel strength, stability and quality, which control the hydrodynamic behaviour during drilling, were studied in detail. The settling velocities of cuttings were experimentally determined for foams with variable compositions. An empirical model has been developed for settling velocity of solid cuttings through gelled foams. This correlation is validated using different solid-fluid experimental data. The model is found to satisfactorily trace the experimental data. This model can be used in designing and characterizing the gelled foam better than the existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foamfluid, the new domain for drilling unconventional reservoirs,is facing challenges before being implemented in the drilling industrybecause of its complex nature under dynamic borehole conditions. Itscompressible nature makes the study of its rheology a complicatedaffair. Rheology helps in the design of an efficient drilling fluid,which depends on various other variables. In the present study, foamsof variable quality were prepared from a base fluid consisting ofsurfactant and polymer in water. The stability, quality, and rheologicalbehavior of the foams were observed to vary with the ionic characteristicsof the surfactant, quality of the foam, and concentration of chemicalsadded to the base fluid. The microscopic structure of the foams reflectedthe variations in the foam structure with changes in different variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in suppressing immune responses regulating behavior and gene expression in effector T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Tregs infiltrate the infarcted myocardium; however, their role the inflammatory and reparative response after myocardial infarction remains poorly understood. We used FoxP3EGFP reporter mice to study Treg trafficking in the infarcted heart and examined the effects of Treg depletion on postinfarction remodeling using an anti-CD25 antibody. Moreover, we investigated the in vitro effects of Tregs on cardiac fibroblast phenotype and function. Low numbers of Tregs infiltrated the infarcted myocardium after 24-72 h of reperfusion. Treg depletion had no significant effects on cardiac dysfunction and scar size after reperfused myocardial infarction but accelerated ventricular dilation and accentuated apical remodeling. Enhanced myocardial dilation in Treg-depleted animals was associated with increased expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 and accentuated macrophage infiltration. In vitro, Tregs modulated the cardiac fibroblast phenotype, reducing expression of a-smooth muscle actin, decreasing expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3, and attenuating contraction of fibroblast-populated collagen pads. Our findings suggest that endogenous Tregs have modest effects on the inflammatory and reparative response after myocardial infarction. However, the anti-inflammatory and matrix-preserving properties of Tregs may suggest a role for Treg-based cell therapy in the attenuation of adverse postinfarction remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The CXC chemokine CXCL10 is up-regulated in the infarcted myocardium and limits cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting growth factor-mediated fibroblast migration. CXCL10 signals by binding to its receptor CXCR3; however, recently CXCR3-independent CXCL10 actions have been suggested. Our study explores the role of CXCR3 signalling in myocardial infarction and investigates its involvement in mediating the anti-fibrotic effects of CXCL10. Methods and results Wild-type and CXCR3 null mice underwent reperfused infarction protocols. CXCL10 was markedly induced in the infarct; in contrast, expression of the other two CXCR3 ligands, CXCL9 and CXCL11 was extremely low. CXCR3 loss did not affect scar size, geometric ventricular remodelling, collagen deposition, and systolic dysfunction of the infarcted heart. CXCR3 null mice had increased peak neutrophil recruitment and delayed myofibroblast infiltration in the infarcted heart, but exhibited comparable myocardial expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In vitro, CXCL10 did not modulate Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β signalling, but inhibited basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced cardiac fibroblast migration in both wild-type and CXCR3 null cells. Treatment of fibroblasts with heparinase and chondroitinase to cleave glycosaminoglycan chains abrogated the inhibitory effects of CXCL10 on cell migration. Conclusion CXCR3 signalling does not critically regulate cardiac remodelling and dysfunction following myocardial infarction. The anti-fibrotic effects of CXCL10 in the healing infarct and in isolated cardiac fibroblasts are CXCR3-independent and may be mediated through proteoglycan signalling. Thus, administration of CXCR3-defective forms of CXCL10 may be an effective anti-fibrotic strategy in the remodelling myocardium without activating a potentially injurious, CXCR3-driven T cell response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films are synthesized by the chemical Spray pyrolysis method in presence of air and nitrogen as carrier gas. The study has emphasized on the impact of carrier gas on the underlying, electrical, and optical properties of the deposited thin films. XRD studies uncover that there is no variation in the crystalline structure of the film. The SnO2 thin films prepared using nitrogen as carrier gas is found more conductive as compared to the film prepared using air as a carrier gas. The change in conductivity is due to the increased oxygen deficiency in the nitrogen atmosphere. The HBM and EMA models are used to calculate particle radius by optical absorption data, showing the particle diameter is low for nitrogen as compared to air as carrier gas. The activation energy is also found to decrease in presence of nitrogen as carrier gas. This may be due to shallow donor and deep acceptor levels of semiconductors. The decrease in particle size increases the number of surface atoms, responsible for a decrease in activation energy of films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the optimal feature set is a challenging problem, especially in an unsupervised domain. To mitigate the same, this paper presents a new unsupervised feature selection method, termed as densest feature graph augmentation with disjoint feature clusters. The proposed method works in two phases. The first phase focuses on finding the maximally non-redundant feature subset and disjoint features are added to the feature set in the second phase. To experimentally validate, the efficiency of the proposed method has been compared against five existing unsupervised feature selection methods on five UCI datasets in terms of three performance criteria, namely clustering accuracy, normalized mutual information, and classification accuracy. The experimental analyses have shown that the proposed method outperforms the considered methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the infarcted myocardium, activation of the inflammatory cascade clears the wound from dead cells, whereas stimulating matrix degradation and chamber dilation, thus contributing to the development of heart failure. IL-1 is critically involved in the postinfarction inflammatory reaction and mediates adverse dilative remodeling. We hypothesized that IL-1 may regulate postinfarction repair and remodeling through cell-specific actions on leukocytes and fibroblasts. Flow cytometry demonstrated that in mouse infarcts, early recruitment of proinflammatory Ly6Chi cells expressing IL-1R1, the signaling receptor for IL-1, was followed by infiltration with cells expressing the decoy receptor, IL-1R2. Increased expression of IL-1R2 may serve to terminate IL-1-driven inflammation after infarction. Loss of IL-1 signaling in IL-1R1 null mice globally attenuated leukocyte recruitment, reducing the number of infiltrating Ly6Chi and Ly6Clo cells. Nonmyeloid CD11b- cells harvested during the inflammatory phase of cardiac repair exhibited marked upregulation of chemokines and cytokines; their inflammatory activation was IL-1R1 dependent. Moreover, IL-1β attenuated TGF-β-induced contractile activity of fibroblasts populating collagen pads, attenuated a-smooth muscle actin expression, and stimulated matrix metalloproteinase synthesis in an IL-1R1-dependent manner. The effects of IL-1 on TGF-β responses in cardiac fibroblasts were not due to direct effects on Smad activation, but were associated with endoglin suppression and accentuated expression of bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor, a negative regulator of TGF-β signaling. IL-1 may orchestrate fibroblast responses in the infarct; early stimulation of fibroblast IL-1R1 signaling during the inflammatory phase may prevent premature activation of a matrix-synthetic contractile phenotype until the wound is cleared, and the infarct microenvironment can support mesenchymal cell growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the present study are to observe the prevalence of hypothyroidism (both subclinical and overt hypothyroidism), its association with dyslipidemia and whether replacement therapy with thyroid hormone has an effect on plasma lipid profile of hypothyroid patients. This prospective study of one-year duration recruited 232 clinically suspected patients belonging to both sexes and age group between 20-70 years attending OPD of endocrinology department of MLN Medical College, Allahabad. Patients were screened for T3, T4 and TSH and those who were euthyroid (52 cases) were excluded from the study. Thus, the present study included only 180 newly diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine replacement therapy was administered and patients were assessed every 3-4 months for an effect on lipid profile and body mass index during the study period. In both subclinical and overt hypothyroidism associated with dyslipidemia, replacement therapy with levothyroxine resulted in reversal to normal in significant number of cases. Although majority of hypothyroid cases were overweight yet therapy with levothyroxine caused no significant changes in BMI in all grades of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inflammation following arterial injury mediates vascular restenosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity. Here we utilize intravital microscopy (IVM) and a dextran-coated nanosensor to spatially map inflammatory macrophages in vivo following endovascular injury of murine carotid arteries. Procedures: C57Bl/6 mice ( n = 23) underwent endovascular guidewire carotid arterial injury. At day 14 or day 28 post-injury, mice underwent fluorescence IVM, 24 h after injection with the near-infrared fluorescent macrophage nanosensor CLIO-VT680. Adventitial collagen was concomitantly imaged using second harmonic generation (SHG) IVM. Correlative fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry were performed. Results: Two-plane IVM reconstructions detected macrophage inflammation in the arterial wall that was elevated at day 14 compared to day 28 animals ( P < 0.05). SHG-based collagen imaging of the outer arterial wall facilitated analysis of the macrophage-rich, inflamed neointima. Histological analyses and fluorescence microscopy data demonstrated increased macrophage infiltration in day 14 compared to day 28 neointima. Conclusions: We demonstrate that the macrophage response to arterial injury can be imaged in vivo using IVM-based molecular imaging, and shows a higher macrophage influx at day 14 compared to day 28 post-injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metal oxide nanoparticles such as silica, alumina, magnesium oxide and calcium oxide were synthesized using sol–gel process followed by super critical drying. In order to increase reactivity, nanoparticles were loaded with zero valent iron. Nanoparticles were then characterized for their surface area, porosity, particle size, surface morphology, compositions, thermal stability, etc. Nanoparticles showed particle diameter in the range of 5–60nm, surface area 23–673m2/g and microporous–mesoporous characteristics. Adsorption of nitrobenzene on prepared nanoparticles was performed in closed glass chamber and the kinetics parameters such as equilibration constant, equilibration capacity, diffusional exponent and adsorbate–adsorbent interaction constant have been determined using linear driving force and Fickian diffusion model. Zero valent iron loaded silica nanoparticles showed maximum adsorption potential (1155mg/g) and considerable ratio for adsorption capacity to surface area (3.14mg/m2) among impregnated systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: T cells have been attributed an important role in modulating repair responses following vascular injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of different T cell subsets in this context. Methods and Results: A non-obstructive collar was introduced to inflict carotid artery injury in mice and subsequent activation of immune cells in draining lymph nodes and spleen were studied by flow cytometry. Carotid artery injury of wild type mice was associated with mobilization of both Th1 type CD4+IFNγ+ and regulatory CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells in draining lymph nodes. Studies using FoxP3-green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic C57/Bl6 mice demonstrated scattered presence of regulatory T cells in the adventitial tissue of injured arteries as well as a massive emigration of regulatory T cells from the spleen in response to carotid injury. However, deletion of antigen presentation to CD4+T cells (H20 mice), as well as deletion of regulatory T cells (through treatment with blocking anti-CD25 antibodies), did not affect neointima formation. Also deletion of antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells (Tap10 mice) was without effect on carotid collarinduced neointima formation. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that carotid artery injury is associated with mobilization of regulatory T cells. Depletion of regulatory T cells does not, however, influence the subsequent repair processes leading to the formation of a neointima. The results also demonstrate that lack of CD8+ T cells does not influence neointima formation in presence of functional CD4+ T cells and B cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon supported palladium (Pd/C) catalyst was prepared by impregnation of palladium chloride using incipient wetness technique, which was followed by liquid phase reduction with formaldehyde. Thereafter, Pd/C catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffractometery, scanning electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, thermo gravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and surface characterization techniques. Catalytic removal of carbon monoxide (CO) over Pd/C catalyst was studied under dynamic conditions. Pd/C catalyst was found to be continuously converting CO to CO2 through the catalyzed reaction, i.e., CO+1/2O2 →CO2. Pd/C catalyst provided excellent protection against CO. Effects of palladium wt%, CO concentration, humidity, space velocity and reaction environment were also studied on the breakthrough behavior of CO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An increase in IL-17-producing CD8+ T (Tcl7) cells has been reported in the peripheral blood of children with recent onset type 1 diabetes (T1D), but their contribution to disease pathogenesis is still unknown. To directly study the pathogenic potential of ß cell-specific Tcl7 cells, we used an experimental model of T1D based on the expression of the neo-self Ag hemagglutinin (HA) in the ß cells of the pancreas. When transferred alone, the IL-17-producing HA-specific CD8+ T cells homed to the pancreatic lymph nodes without causing any pancreatic infiltration or tissue destruction. When transferred together with small numbers of diabetogenic HA-specific CD4+ T cells, a strikingly different phenotype developed. Under these conditions, Tcl7 cells sustained disease progression, driving the destruction of &bgr;-islet cells, causing hyperglycemia and ultimately death. Disease progression did not correlate with functional or numerical alterations among the HA-specific CD4+ T cells. Rather, the transferred CD8+ T cells accumulated in the pancreatic islets and a considerable fraction converted, under the control of IL-12, to an IFN-&ggr;-producing phenotype. Our data indicate that Tcl7 cells are not diabetogenic but can potentiate a Thl-mediated disease. Plasticity of the Tcl7 lineage is associated with transition to overt disease in this experimental model of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Silica nanoparticles of diameter, 24–75nm and surface area, 875m2/g were synthesized using aero-gel route. Thereafter, nanoparticles were impregnated with reactive chemicals, and used as reactive adsorbent to study the removal of toxic nerve and blister chemical warfare agents and their simulants from solutions. Trichloroisocyanuric acid impregnated silica nanoparticles showed the best performance and indicated physisorption followed by chemisorption/degradation of toxicants. This indicated their suitability as universal decontaminant for nerve and blister agents. This system showed a decrease in t 1/2 from 1210 to 2.8min for the removal of king of chemical warfare agents, i.e., sulphur mustard. Hydrolysis, dehydrohalogenation and oxidation reactions were found to be the route of degradation of toxicants over impregnated silica nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective Neonatal lupus (NL) occurs in fetuses exposed to maternal anti-SSA/Ro and/or anti-SSB/La antibodies, although the mothers themselves may not manifest any clinical disease. A focus on transmission of risk factors for NL from maternal grandparents to mothers of children with NL may yield dividends toward understanding the aggregation of autoantibodies and genetic factors in affected families. This study was perforned to determine the role of maternal grandparents in the development of the autoimmune phenotype of mothers of children with NL. Methods Fifty-one mothers of children with cardiac and/or cutaneous NL, 48 maternal grandmothers, and 35 maternal grandfathers in the Research Registry for Neonatal Lupus were interrogated for clinical symptoms by questionnaire and underwent laboratory assessments, including determination of anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibody status (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and genotype at rs1800629 ( TNFα) and rs7775397 ( C6orf10) (allelic discrimination). The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was computed to test for nonrandom transmission from maternal grandparents to mothers of children with NL. Results The common phenotypic feature in mothers of children with NL was the autoantibody and not the clinical profile; 7 had lupus, 14 had Sjögren's syndrome, 7 had both, and 23 were asymptomatic. Mothers of children with NL were significantly enriched for the risk alleles at both TNFα and C6orf10. The grandparents of children with NL carried minimal burden for autoimmune disease or abnormal antibody production and were not enriched in the genetic risk factors. However, the TDT analysis showed significant excess transmission of the risk alleles at both TNFα (odds ratio [OR] 6.67, P = 3.93 × 10−4) and C6orf10 (OR 35.0, P = 3.74 × 10−5) to mothers of children with NL. Conclusion Mothers of children with NL are enriched for the TNFα and C6orf10 risk alleles, which are preferentially inherited from the asymptomatic maternal grandparents. These findings support the hypothesis that the development of NL and genetic etiology are multigenerational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to observe whether levothyroxine replacement therapy has an effect on hypertension in patients of hypothyroidism. This prospective study included all newly diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism (overt or subclinical) with hypertension, of either sex between 21-70 years of age. Levothyroxine replacement therapy was administered continuously during study period. Patients were clinically assessed for blood pressure before and every 3-4 monthly on levothyroxine therapy. Statistical analysis was carried out using a paired Student's t-test. During one year study period, out of 180 newly diagnosed hypothyroid cases enrolled, 88 had overt hypothyroidism (OH) and 92 subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). Male: female ratio was 1: 6.5. Of these, hypertension was present in 51 (28.33%) patients (33 OH and 18 SH). Only diastolic blood pressure was raised in 28(54.9%) cases, systolic in 12 (23.53%) and both systolic and diastolic in 11 (21.57%) cases. Incidence of only diastolic hypertension was comparatively more in overt hypothyroidism (57.57%) than subclinical hypothyroidism (50%). Complete reversal of hypertension was observed in 8 out of 17 SH and 18 out of 29 OH cases while partial reversal was noted in one case in each category. A statistically significant decrease in mean values of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in patients of SH as well as OH. Hypertension is fairly common in patients of hypothyroidism. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine is quite helpful in reversing hypertension, a potential cardiovascular risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to observe whether levothyroxine replacement therapy has an effect on hypertension in patients of hypothyroidism. This prospective study included all newly diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism (overt or subclinical) with hypertension, of either sex between 21-70 years of age. Levothyroxine replacement therapy was administered continuously during study period. Patients were clinically assessed for blood pressure before and every 3-4 monthly on levothyroxine therapy. Statistical analysis was carried out using a paired Student's t-test. During one year study period, out of 180 newly diagnosed hypothyroid cases enrolled, 88 had overt hypothyroidism (OH) and 92 subclinical hypothyroidism (SH). Male: female ratio was 1: 6.5. Of these, hypertension was present in 51 (28.33%) patients (33 OH and 18 SH). Only diastolic blood pressure was raised in 28(54.9%) cases, systolic in 12 (23.53%) and both systolic and diastolic in 11 (21.57%) cases. Incidence of only diastolic hypertension was comparatively more in overt hypothyroidism (57.57%) than subclinical hypothyroidism (50%). Complete reversal of hypertension was observed in 8 out of 17 SH and 18 out of 29 OH cases while partial reversal was noted in one case in each category. A statistically significant decrease in mean values of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in patients of SH as well as OH. Hypertension is fairly common in patients of hypothyroidism. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine is quite helpful in reversing hypertension, a potential cardiovascular risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background--Cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus include conduction disease and, rarely, an isolated cardiomyopathy. This study was initiated to determine the mortality and morbidity of cardiac neonatal lupus and associated risk factors in a multi-racial/ethnic US-based registry to provide insights into the pathogenesis of antibody-mediated injury and data for counseling. Methods and Results--Three hundred twenty-five offspring exposed to maternal anti-SSA/Ro antibodies with cardiac neonatal lupus met entry criteria. Maternal, fetal echocardiographic, and neonatal risk factors were assessed for association with mortality. Fifty-seven (17.5%) died, 30% in utero. The probability of in utero death was 6%. The cumulative probability of survival at 10 years for a child born alive was 86%. Fetal echocardiographic risk factors associated with increased mortality in a multivariable analysis of all cases included hydrops and endocardial fibroelastosis. Significant predictors of in utero death were hydrops and earlier diagnosis, and of postnatal death were hydrops, endocardial fibroelastosis, and lower ventricular rate. Isolated heart block was associated with a 7.8% case fatality rate, whereas the concomitant presence of dilated cardiomyopathy or endocardial fibroelastosis quadrupled the case fatality rate. There was a significantly higher case fatality rate in minorities compared with whites, who were at a lower risk of hydrops and endocardial fibroelastosis. Pacing was required in 70%; cardiac transplantation was required in 4 children. Conclusion--Nearly one fifth of fetuses who develop cardiac neonatal lupus die of complications predicted by echocardiographic abnormalities consistent with antibody-associated disease beyond the atrioventricular node. The disparity in outcomes observed between minorities and whites warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An efficient methodology employing copper nanoparticles for the preparation of 2-naphthol condensed 1,3-oxazinone derivatives employing one-pot condensation reaction in the presence of K2CO3 and copper nanoparticles in PEG-400 is described which offers several advantages, viz. high yields, clean reaction, short reaction times, recyclability of the catalyst and simple workup procedure. PEG-400 was found to be the best solvent out of a range of solvents examined for this scheme. Moreover, PEG could stabilize the nanoparticles from oxidation and thus could increase the catalyst efficiency by escalating the TON (Turn over Number) and TOF (Turn over Frequency) of the catalyst, making the protocol greener, eco-friendly and environmentally benign. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim The aim of this study was to determine whether innate immune signalling influences the vascular repair process in response to mechanical injury of arteries in mice. Methods and results A non-obstructive collar was introduced around the carotid artery of MyD88-deficient mice, and neointima formation was compared with that observed in MyD88-competent mice. MyD88-deficient mice are characterized by impaired signal transduction from interleukin (IL)-1/IL-18 receptors and most Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The vascular response to injury was severely impaired in MyD88-deficient mice as neointima formation was not different from sham-operated mice, whereas MyD88-competent mice displayed robust neointima formation. Furthermore, infiltration of CD68-positive leucocytes was dependent on MyD88. During the early response to injury, 3 days after collar placement, a transient increase in the expression of TLR4 on vascular smooth muscle cells was observed. To determine the relative importance of IL-1 receptor and TLR4 activation in the vascular response to injury, mice were injected with blocking antibodies to these receptors prior to the collar placement. Neointima formation was reduced by 80% in mice administered IL-1RI blocking antibodies compared with mice given a control antibody, whereas administration of TLR4 blocking antibodies was without effect. Conclusion These results show that inhibition of MyD88- or IL-1 receptor signalling reduces neointima formation in response to vascular injury and could offer therapeutic options for reducing clinical complications of excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation, such as that observed in in-stent restenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Moisture barrier properties of films based on xylan reinforced with several cellulosic resources including nanocrystalline cellulose, acacia bleached kraft pulp fibers and softwood kraft fibers have been evaluated. Measurements of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) were performed by a modification of the wet cup method described by ASTM E 96-95, indicating that membranes with 10% nanocrystalline cellulose, prepared using a sulfuric acid, exhibited the lowest permeability value of 174gmil/hm2 among the composite films studied. Both the acacia and the softwood kraft pulp fibers when used for xylan film formation exhibited higher water vapor transmission rates at addition levels of 50% and no improvement at lower levels of 5% and 10%, in comparison to control xylan films. Reinforcement of xylan with hydrochloric acid made nanocrystalline cellulose yielded films that showed a reduction in water transmission but the reduction was not as significant as with the reinforcement of xylan with sulfuric nanocrystalline cellulose. The results showed that xylan films reinforced with 10% sulfuric nanocrystalline cellulose exhibited reductions in water transmission rates of 362%, 62% and 61% over films prepared with 10% softwood kraft fibers, 10% acacia fiber and 10% hydrochloric acid prepared nanocrystalline cellulose, respectively. The morphology of the resulting nanocomposite films was examined by SEM and AFM which showed that control films containing xylan and sorbitol had a more open structure as compared to xylan–sorbitol films containing sulfuric nanocrystalline cellulose. The results from FT-IR suggested strong interactions occurred between the nanocrystalline cellulose and the matrix. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanoparticles of MgO, Al2O3, CaO and SiO2 were synthesized using aerogel route, and characterized by N2-BET, SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA and FT-IR techniques. Characterization indicated 2–75nm diameter nanoparticles with 135–887m2/g surface area and microporous–mesoporous characteristics. Prepared nanoparticles were tested for their adsorptive potential by conducting studies on kinetics of adsorption of diethylchlorophosphate under static conditions. The kinetic parameters such as equilibration constant, equilibration capacity, diffusional exponent and adsorbate–adsorbent interaction constant have been determined using linear driving force model and Fickian diffusion model. AP-MgO and AP-CaO showed the maximum (1011mg/g) and minimum (690mg/g) uptake of DEClP, respectively. All nanoparticles showed the values of diffusional exponent to be >0.5, indicating the diffusion mechanism to be anomalous. Hydrolysis reaction (identified using GC/MS technique) was found to be the route of degradation of DEClP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanoparticles of AP-Al2O3 (aero-gel produced alumina) have been produced by an alkoxide based synthesis involving aluminum powder, methanol, toluene and water. Thus produced alumina nanoparticles were characterized and the data indicated the formation of nanoparticles of alumina in the size range of 2–30nm with high surface area (375m2/g). Thereafter, these nanoparticles were impregnated with reactive chemicals. Adsorptive removal kinetics for DEClP (diethylchlorophosphate) and GB (isopropylmethylphosphonofluoridate, sarin) was monitored by GC–FID (gas chromatograph coupled with flame ionization detector) technique and found to be following pseudo first order reaction kinetics. Among impregnated AP-Al2O3 nanoparticles based sorbent systems AP-Al2O3 impregnated with 9-molybdo-3-vanadophosphoric acid (10%, w/w) was found to be the most reactive with least half-life values of 7 and 30min for the removal of DEClP and GB, respectively, whereas unimpregnated AP-Al2O3 nanoparticles showed the best adsorption potential among all studied systems. In addition to this, hydrolysis reaction {identified using GC/MS (gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometer) technique} was found to be the route of degradation of DEClP and GB on impregnated alumina nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bis-2-chloroethyl sulphide (sulphur mustard or HD) is an extremely toxic and persistent chemical warfare agent. For in-situ degradation of HD and its analogues (simulants), i.e., dibutyl sulphide (DBS) and ethyl 2-hydroxyethyl sulphide (HEES), different adsorbents systems loaded with (1R)-(-)-(camphorylsulphonyl) oxaziridine were prepared. Solution of sulphur mustard and its simulants was prepared in carbon tetrachloride and taken for uniform adsorption on the impregnated systems using incipient volume. Degradation kinetics monitored by GC/FID were found to be first-order. The half-life of degradation reactions for simulants was obtained in less than 30 and for HD in 120min. From the studied kinetics it was observed that reaction was very rapid with simulants and decreased rate was found for HD. The order of reactivity of MgO/Oxa system for HD and simulants was found to be DBS>HEES>HD. Reaction products of the oxidation reaction of simulants and HD on adsorbents were extracted in dichloromethane and analysed by GC–MS. The products were found to be non-toxic sulphoxide. The objective of the study is to develop a reactive adsorbent for in-situ degradation of sulphur mustard which could be used in nuclear biological and chemical (NBC) filtration systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanocellulosic-xylan films were prepared employing oat spelt xylan, cellulose whiskers and a plasticizer. The mechanical properties of the films were evaluated using tensile testing under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The tensile data showed that the addition of sulfonated cellulose whiskers lead to a substantial improvement in strength properties. Addition of 7wt% of sulfonated whiskers increased the tensile energy absorption of xylan films by 445% and the tensile strength of the film by 141%. Furthermore, films to which 7% cellulose whiskers were added showed that nanocellulose whiskers produced with sulfuric acid (sulfonated whiskers) were significantly better at increasing film strength than cellulose whiskers produced by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of cellulosic fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Alumina nanoparticles in the size range of 2–30nm and surface area 375m2/g were synthesized using aerogel route and then characterized using N2–BET, SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR and TGA techniques. Thereafter, these were impregnated with reactive chemicals and tested for their potential by conducting studies on kinetics of adsorption of 2-chloroethylethylsulphide (2-CEES) under static conditions. Kinetics was studied using linear driving force and Fickian diffusion model. The kinetics parameters such as equilibration constant, equilibration capacity, diffusional exponent and adsorbate–adsorbent interaction constant were also determined. AP-Al2O3 with 10% impregnation of MoVPA (V3) and NaOH showed the maximum (574mg/g) and minimum (88mg/g) uptake of 2-CEES among impregnated systems respectively. All impregnated systems except NaOH impregnation showed the values of diffusional exponent to be <0.5, indicated the diffusion mechanism to be Fickian, whereas AP-Al2O3 with and without NaOH impregnation showed the diffusional mechanism to be anomalous. Hydrolysis and dehydrohalogenation reactions (identified using GC/MS technique) were found to be the route of degradation of 2-CEES. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reinforcement of natural biopolymers with cellulosic whiskers has been shown to be beneficial for physical strength properties including xylan films. This study examines the water transmission properties of xylan films reinforced with cellulosic whiskers prepared from kraft pulp hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid. Measurements of water transmission rate (WVTR) were accomplished by a modification of wet cup method described by ASTM E 96-95. The results showed that films prepared by xylan reinforced by 10% sulfonated whiskers exhibited a 74% reduction in specific water transmission properties with respect to xylan film and a 362% improvement with respect to xylan films reinforced with 10% softwood kraft fibers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]