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Lepidagathis Willd., a genus belonging to the Acanthaceae family, is primarily distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, encompassing approximately 153 species. While considerable morphological research has been conducted on Lepidagathis, it has not completely dispelled taxonomic ambiguities and conflicting interpretations. Molecular analysis emerges as a valuable tool for resolving these taxonomic uncertainties, but the availability of nucleotide sequence data for Lepidagathis has been limited thus far. This study delivers a phylogenetic analysis of Lepidagathis species, utilizing both chloroplast and nuclear regions. The results of Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses consistently segregate the studied Lepidagathis species into two principal clades, denoted as Clade A and Clade B. Notably, this analysis firmly positions the Indian endemic Lepidagathis within Clade A, supported by robust statistical evidence. Furthermore, our biogeographical analysis strongly suggests that the origin of Lepidagathis might be traced back to Eurasia. This research establishes a foundational molecular phylogeny of Lepidagathis, offering valuable insights for future taxonomic investigations. Additionally, it sheds light on the evolutionary history and biogeographical origins of the Lepidagathis genus.

Abstract Background The characteristics of a tumor are largely determined by its interaction with the surrounding micro-environment (TME). TME consists of both cellular and non-cellular components. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the TME. They are a source of many secreted factors that influence the survival and progression of tumors as well as their response to drugs. Identification of markers either overexpressed in CAFs or unique to CAFs would pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies that in combination with conventional chemotherapy are likely to have better patient outcome. Methods Fibroblasts have been derived from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. RNA from these has been used to perform a transcriptome analysis in order to get a comparative profile of normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Results The study has identified 818 differentially expressed mRNAs and 17 lincRNAs between normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Also, 15 potential lincRNA-miRNA-mRNA combinations have been identified which may be potential biomarkers. Conclusions This study identified differentially expressed markers between normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts that would help in targeted therapy against CAFs/derived factors, in combination with conventional therapy. However, this would in future need more experimental validation.

Arabis stelleri DC. and A. takesimana Nakai belong to the family Brassicaceae. Arabis stelleri is widely distributed in East Asia, and A. takesimana is a Korean endemic plant. In this study, we report the complete chloroplast genomes of both species, measuring 153,577 bp for A. stelleri and 153,557 bp for A. takesimana. The plastome of A. stelleri comprises two inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,421 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region measuring 82,705 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,030 bp. Whereas A. takesimana has IR regions of 26,426 bp, an LSC of 82,694 bp, and an SSC of 18,011 bp. Both the plastomes contain 131 total genes, 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 36.4% GC content. The organization and gene content of both plastomes were found to be similar to previously reported Arabis plastomes. In addition, we have tested the phylogenetic position of both the Arabis species and the relationship of the genus Arabis with other Brassicaceae members in comprehensive family-level plastome-based phylogeny. Arabis stelleri and A. takesimana are phylogenetically placed within the Arabis clade and show a close relationship to A. flagellosa, A. nipponica, A. paniculata, and A. hirsuta.

Context: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are one of the leading and most common causes of ocular injuries, especially in developing countries like India. AIMS: The aim of the study was to study the incidence and clinical presentation of ophthalmic injuries in RTAs. Settings and Design: This was a prospective hospital-based study observational study. Subjects and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 patients in the department of ophthalmology of a tertiary hospital in Western India from October 2021 to October 2023. Detailed ocular examination and investigations were done. Various parameters, including demographics, type of vehicle, type and severity of the injury, and visual acuity at presentation, were studied. The data obtained from the results were expressed in frequency and percentages. Statistical Analysis Used: Not applicable. Results: A total of 300 patients were included in the study. The right eye was affected in 177 out of 320 cases. Male preponderance was noted. The most common ocular finding was ecchymosis 168 (56%) followed by lid lacerations 81 (27%). Majority of the cases were in the age group of 31–40 years (31.67%). The incidence of injuries in two-wheeler riders was 283 (94.33%), of which people who were driving without a helmet were 256 (90.5%). Conclusion: We concluded from our study that the most common age group, 31–40 years, was involved in ocular injuries due to RTAs with male preponderance. Most of those who sustained injuries were riding two-wheeler vehicles without helmets. The involvement of the right eye was more common in unilateral cases. The most common injury found was blunt trauma presenting as preorbital edema and ecchymosis.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) leads to progressive memory decline, and alterations in hippocampal function are among the earliest pathological features observed in human and animal studies. GABAergic interneurons (INs) within the hippocampus coordinate network activity, among which type 3 interneuron-specific (I-S3) cells expressing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and calretinin play a crucial role. These cells provide primarily disinhibition to principal excitatory cells (PCs) in the hippocampal CA1 region, regulating incoming inputs and memory formation. However, it remains unclear whether AD pathology induces changes in the activity of I-S3 cells, impacting the hippocampal network motifs. Here, using young adult 3xTg-AD mice, we found that while the density and morphology of I-S3 cells remain unaffected, there were significant changes in their firing output. Specifically, I-S3 cells displayed elongated action potentials and decreased firing rates, which was associated with a reduced inhibition of CA1 INs and their higher recruitment during spatial decision-making and object exploration tasks. Furthermore, the activation of CA1 PCs was also impacted, signifying early disruptions in CA1 network functionality. These findings suggest that altered firing patterns of I-S3 cells might initiate early-stage dysfunction in hippocampal CA1 circuits, potentially influencing the progression of AD pathology.

Background and objectives: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are considered important causative agents of hospital acquired infection. These organisms are found in various clinical specimens from hospitalized patients. Present study was carried out to determine the species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of CoNS isolated from clinical specimens at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and methods: CoNS isolated from various clinical samples were included in this study. The isolates were identified by colony morphology, Gram’s staining, catalase and coagulase tests. Further differentiation of species was performed by susceptibility to novobiocin, urease activity and ornithine decarboxylase test. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Total 108 isolates of CoNS were included and analysed. Out of 108 CoNS, S. epidermidis was the most common species (36.1%) followed by S. saprophyticus (23.1%), S. hemolyticus (17.6%), S. hominis (13%) and S. lugdunensis (10.2%). Most of the isolates showed resistance to penicillin, oxacillin, amoxycillin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. All the isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. Conclusions: CoNS emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen and should not be neglected as contaminant. High rate of antimicrobial resistance warrants susceptibility testing prior to the treatment of CoNS. IMC J Med Sci. 2024; 18(1):010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.18.010 *Correspondence: Sabiha S Tamboli, Department of Microbiology, Parbhani Medical College and RP Hospital Research Institute, Pathri Road, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India. Email: sabihatamboli77@gmail.com

In December 2019 an outbreak of emerging COVID-19 due to the SARS CoV-2 infection started in Wuhan, China and rapidly spread throughout the world. WHO declared COVID-19 as PANDEMIC on 12th March 2020. Various drugs were introduced to treat and prevent this pandemic. Hydroxychloroquine gained widespread attention due to its antiviral action and inhibitory effect. HCQ was preferred which has antiviral effect similar to that of Chloroquine. ICMR and FDA has advocated their use in severe COVID-19 disease. There are uncertain and limited data to support the beneficial effect of this drug. Our study was aimed to investigate the adverse drug reaction of HCQ given prophylactically for COVID-19 to the health care professional. After taking ethical committee approval, a study was conducted among the health care professional from 1st April 2020 to 31st May 2020. The participants were given an online pretested, validated questionnaire to ascertain the adverse effects while taking HCQ. Due to the nature of COVID-19 and restrictions on personal interview and examination, only online symptom questionnaire for adverse effects was given. 183 participants were involved in the study who were working as a health care professional in COVID-19. Out of these 9 participants were excluded based on the exclusion criteria. 73 adverse drug reaction were found in 56 participants. Most common and frequent side effects were headache, nausea, loose stools and dizziness. Almost 22 participants required some painkillers to treat the adverse effects. Data was entered in MS Excel and presented in the form of frequencies and percentages. Almost 32.18% reported adverse effects. So utmost care should be taken before using HCQ prophylactically in health care professionals working in COVID-19. Keywords Adverse Drug Reaction, Preexposure Prophylaxis, COVID 19, Hydroxychloroquine, Health Care Professionals

Photoelectrochemical fuel generation is a promising route to sustainable liquid fuels produced from water and captured carbon dioxide with sunlight as the energy input. Development of these technologies requires photoelectrode materials that are both photocatalytically active and operationally stable in harsh oxidative and/or reductive electrochemical environments. Such photocatalysts can be discovered based on co-design principles, wherein design for stability is based on the propensity for the photocatalyst to self-passivate under operating conditions and design for photoactivity is based on the ability to integrate the photocatalyst with established semiconductor substrates. Here, we report on the synthesis and characterization of zinc titanium nitride (ZnTiN2) that follows these design rules by having a wurtzite-derived crystal structure and showing self-passivating surface oxides created by electrochemical polarization. The sputtered ZnTiN2 thin films have optical absorption onsets below 2 eV and n-type electrical conduction of 3 S/cm. The band gap of this material is reduced from the 3.36 eV theoretical value by cation-site disorder, and the impact of cation antisites on the band structure of ZnTiN2 is explored using density functional theory. Under electrochemical polarization, the ZnTiN2 surfaces have TiO2- or ZnO-like character, consistent with Materials Project Pourbaix calculations predicting the formation of stable solid phases under near-neutral pH. These results show that ZnTiN2 is a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical liquid fuel generation and demonstrate a new materials design approach to other photoelectrodes with self-passivating native operational surface chemistry.

Summary: In the CA1 hippocampus, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons (VIP-INs) play a prominent role in disinhibitory circuit motifs. However, the specific behavioral conditions that lead to circuit disinhibition remain uncertain. To investigate the behavioral relevance of VIP-IN activity, we employed wireless technologies allowing us to monitor and manipulate their function in freely behaving mice. Our findings reveal that, during spatial exploration in new environments, VIP-INs in the CA1 hippocampal region become highly active, facilitating the rapid encoding of novel spatial information. Remarkably, both VIP-INs and pyramidal neurons (PNs) exhibit increased activity when encountering novel changes in the environment, including context- and object-related alterations. Concurrently, somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory populations show an inverse relationship with VIP-IN and PN activity, revealing circuit disinhibition that occurs on a timescale of seconds. Thus, VIP-IN-mediated disinhibition may constitute a crucial element in the rapid encoding of novelty and the acquisition of recognition memory.

PurposeThis study aimed to identify determinants influencing the utilization of early intervention services among young children with sickle cell disease (SCD) based on perspectives from medical and early intervention providers.Design and methodsEarly intervention and medical providers from the catchment area surrounding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Washington University were recruited (20 total providers). Interviews were completed over the phone and audio recorded. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThree overarching themes were identified from both groups: Awareness (e.g., lack of awareness about the EI system and SCD), Access (e.g., difficulties accessing services), and Communication (e.g., limited communication between medical and early intervention providers, and between providers and families). Although these three themes were shared by medical and early intervention providers, the differing perspectives of each produced subthemes unique to the two professional fields.ConclusionsEarly intervention services can limit the neurodevelopmental deficits experienced by young children with SCD; however, most children with SCD do not receive these services. The perspectives of early intervention and medical providers highlight several potential solutions to increase early intervention utilization among young children with SCD.

Due to the enormous potential of modelling, graph-based approaches have been used for various applications in the process industries. In this study, we propose a fault detection framework through graphs by utilising its attributes in the form of node embeddings. Shallow embedding methods are deployed to generate node embedding vectors. Shallow embedding methods are broadly classified into matrix factorisation and skip-gram-based methods. Node2vec and Deepwalk fall under skip-gram models, while GraphRep and HOPE constitute the Matrix factorisation methods. Node embedding values generated from these methods are then fed to the variational auto-encoder, which ranks the nodes in reconstruction loss value. The node embedding reconstruction loss values exceeding a particular threshold are considered outliers. The proposed work has been validated on NPCIL power-flux data and the benchmark Tennessee Eastman data. The results indicate that skip-gram models, especially Node2vec-VAE, outperformed the matrix factorisation methods for both the above-mentioned datasets.

AIM: To study the patient characteristics and keratorefractive surgery(KRS)practice in central India.METHOD: The retrospective study was conducted on 410 patients who underwent KRS from June 2017 to April 2022 at a tertiary eye care center in central India. Demographic data of the patients presenting for the spectacle free vision like age, sex, residence in the form of urban or rural area, refractive error, cause for spectacle-free vision, best-corrected visual acuity, types of procedure, postoperative follow-up and complications were recorded.RESULTS: Among the 410 patients who presented for spectacle-free vision, 324 patients were considered for KRS(79.0%), and 200 patients(61.7%)underwent the laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)procedure, whereas 124 patients(38.3%)underwent the photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)procedure. The final study group comprised 179 female and 145 male. The mean age of the patients was(25±3.5)years. A majority of patients were from urban areas(n=250, 77.2%). The mean preoperative manifest refraction in the right and left eyes was -4.5±2.1 and -4.9±2.0, respectively. The mean surgical time in the LASIK patient was(15±2)min and(17±3)min for both eyes in PRK. None of the patients exhibited epithelial ingrowth, flap healing complications, or infection, and none of them required enhancement. Suboptimal corneal thickness(n=28, 32.6%)was the most common reason for rejection. At the end of the 1-year follow up, 3 patients who underwent the LASIK procedure exhibited regression(-0.5 D±1 D), with a refractive error correction of -6.75 D, -8.5 D, and -7.0 D, respectively.CONCLUSION: LASIK is the predominant procedure for the correction of refractive error in the central Indian population. Although the number of PRK procedures was small, both LASIK and PRK exhibited excellent visual outcome. Myopic regression should be considered when choosing LASIK for high myopia.

Cascade photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) is a possible method to improve the selectivity of solar-driven CO2 reduction (CO2R). This concept can be realized by coupling different CO2R catalysts to different subcells in a multijunction photovoltaic (PV) stack. Efficient implementation will require careful tuning of the photocurrents and design of the photovoltages provided by the subcells to the CO2R catalysts in such a way as to facilitate the target reaction. Here, we outline the design principles of the tandem PEC approach using two-step conversion of CO2 to ethylene in aqueous electrolyte, via a CO intermediate, as a model system. To perform this reaction, the first coupled PV-catalyst component should provide 4 electrons to reduce 2 molecules of CO2 to CO; the second component should provide 8 electrons to reduce 2 CO molecules to C2H4. Based on known CO2R catalysts, the overpotential required to produce CO can be less than that required to reduce it to ethylene, creating the opportunity for improved efficiency. Cascade PEC can be realized in a three-terminal tandem (3TT) configuration using III-V-semiconductor based subcells coupled to Au (produces CO intermediate) and Cu (converts CO to ethylene). The current to each catalyst can be controlled by the area of the subcell exposed to the electrolyte, and the photovoltage is determined by the materials selected and device configuration. Operating conditions are found by simulating the coupled system using the open-source circuit simulator SPICE (Simulation Program with Integrated Circuits Emphasis). We identify conditions under which a 3TT configuration can have a higher solar to chemical conversion efficiency compared to a two-terminal two-junction tandem (2T 2J) with the same absorbers and a Cu catalyst only. We also show that 3TT PEC devices can be less sensitive to variations in catalyst activity compared to 2T devices. Finally, we discuss the applications of cascade PEC to CO2 reduction, using different intermediates, and to other chemical networks.

This research focuses on the relationship between the tensile strength of PLA material and several 3D printing parameters, such as infill density, layer height, print speed, and extrusion temperature, utilizing the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) method of Additive Manufacturing (AM). Tensile strength of the samples was determined in compliance with ASTM D638 standard, and the experiments were carried out according to a planned arrangement. Six distinct methods were used to optimize the tensile strength: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Teaching Learning Based Optimization (TLBO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Simulated Annealing (SA), and Cohort Intelligence (CI). Several runs of the optimization methods demonstrated their consistency in producing the same values of tensile strength, indicating their reliability. The optimization results showed that JAYA performed better than the other algorithms, resulting in a material with the maximum tensile strength of 55.475 N/mm2. Validation experiments were carried out to confirm the efficacy of these algorithms. The results showed that the ideal input parameters produced tensile strength values that closely matched the anticipated values with a low percentage error. The benefits of applying these algorithms to improve the tensile strength of PLA materials for 3D printing are demonstrated by this study, which also offers insightful information about how to optimize FDM procedures.

Net Zero Energy/Emission Buildings is one of the most popular study goals to make systems that are very good for society. In parabolic through collector (PTC) devices, the absorber is a key part of the solar collector that takes in the concentrated sun rays from the mirrors. PTC systems are used to make steam, which is used to heat homes, run restaurants, and do work in factories, among other things. In this work, the PTC absorber was used as a test subject. Phase Change Material (PCM) was used to store heat energy so that it could be used later to heat buildings. This study concentrates on developing a more efficient and effective PTC absorber configuration that can play a pivotal role in achieving Net Zero Energy/Emission Buildings by optimizing the use of solar energy for heating purposes while minimizing energy waste and environmental impact. Hence this investigation aims to maximize the energy efficiency and minimize the exergy efficiency by optimizing the number of Fins and their positions in the PCM-embedded PTC for building heating. In this regard, this investigation considered a different number of fins (2, 4, 8, and 12) and they were placed at angles of 180°, 90°, 45°, and 30° to recover the heat back from the PCM to heat transfer fluid in the absorber. With 8 fins on the absorber, the highest average exit temperature of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) is about 94°. The PTC system's highest average energy and exergy were found to be about 72.3 % and 7.05 %, respectively, at the absorber with 12 fins. The PCM moves heat into the air for building heating uses. This keeps the building warm during the winter. Because of this, the absorber with 12 fins works better than absorbers with less fins. This type of absorber, which is made up of 12 fins, does a good job of meeting the standards of Net Zero Energy/Emission Buildings for heating buildings. When the black material was put on the top of the absorber, it cut down on the amount of heat that was lost to the surroundings.