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Because of the reasonability of economically generating large-scale metal equipment with a very large rate of deposition, important development has been conducted in the learning of the "wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM)" approach also the mechanical and microstructure features of the fabricated elements. The WAAM has emerged highly so the large range of the materials has accompanied the operation and its development fighting. It has enhanced as a very significant mechanism for the large metal equipment in various manufacturing organizations. Because of its arc-assisted deposition, high process cycle time, process stability, defect monitoring, and management are severe for the WAAM device to be employed in the organization. High improvements have been performed in the development of the process, control system, comprehensive operation monitoring, material evaluation, path slicing, and programming but still, it demands the improvement. Therefore, this article aims to give a detailed review of the WAAM systems to facilitate an easy and quick understanding of the current status and future prospects of WAAM. The stage-wise implementation of WAAM, usage of metals and alloys, process parameter effects, and methodologies used for improving the quality of WAAM components are discussed. The usage of hardware systems and technological parameters used for understanding the physical mechanism are also described in this research work. In addition, the monitoring systems such as acoustic sensing, optical inspection, thermal sensing, electrical sensing, and multi-sensor sensing are analyzed and the property characterization techniques also be evaluated in this study. On the other hand, the additive as well as the subtractive technologies and the artificial intelligence techniques utilized for improving the manufacturing level are discussed. Finally, the possible future research directions are provided for making further developments in WAAM by the researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tick-transmitted parasites as Babesia gibsoni, Babesia vogeli, Ehrlichia canis, and Hepatozoon canis are major health concern for dogs. Owing to prevalence and infection severity, there is need of sensitive, specific, and affordable test for their simultaneous detection. Methods: Prevalence of B. gibsoni, B. vogeli, E. canis, and H. canis infections was assessed on 719 blood samples by microscopy and multiplex PCR assay targeting 18S rRNA (B. gibsoni & H. canis), ITS1 & 5.8S rRNA (B. vogeli) and VirB9 gene (E. canis). An internal control (canine-actin) was also included to increase the accuracy of assay and effect of associated risk factors with disease prevalence was also studied. Results: Microscopic prevalence of B. gibsoni, B. vogeli, E. canis and H. canis was 5.0%, 0.1%, 1.4% and 1.0%, respectively, whereas with multiplex PCR assay, the corresponding values were 8.9%, 1.1%, 2.6% and 5.1% besides concurrent infections of B. gibsoni & H. canis (0.4%), B. gibsoni & E. canis (0.4%), E. canis & H. canis (0.3%) and B. gibsoni & B. vogeli (0.1%). Analytical sensitivity of developed assay was 0.1pg (B. gibsoni & H. canis), 0.01pg (B. vogeli), and 1.0pg (E. canis). A ″fair″ (B. vogeli & H. canis) to ″substantial″ (B. gibsoni & E. canis) agreement between two tests was observed with data as statistically significant. Breed, sex and location were significantly associated with B. gibsoni infection. Conclusion: The developed multiplex PCR assay offers a potential solution to detect these pathogens simultaneously, aiding in timely diagnosis and effective disease management in suspected dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While its etiology is not fully elucidated, preterm birth represents a major public health concern as it is the leading cause of child mortality and morbidity. Stress is one of the most common perinatal conditions and may increase the risk of preterm birth. In this paper we aimed to investigate the association of maternal perceived stress and anxiety with length of gestation. We used harmonized data from five birth cohorts from Canada, France, and Norway. A total of 5297 pregnancies of singletons were included in the analysis of perceived stress and gestational duration, and 55,775 pregnancies for anxiety. Federated analyses were performed through the DataSHIELD platform using Cox regression models within intervals of gestational age. The models were fit for each cohort separately, and the cohort-specific results were combined using random effects study-level meta-analysis. Moderate and high levels of perceived stress during pregnancy were associated with a shorter length of gestation in the very/moderately preterm interval [moderate: hazard ratio (HR) 1.92 (95%CI 0.83, 4.48); high: 2.04 (95%CI 0.77, 5.37)], albeit not statistically significant. No association was found for the other intervals. Anxiety was associated with gestational duration in the very/moderately preterm interval [1.66 (95%CI 1.32, 2.08)], and in the early term interval [1.15 (95%CI 1.08, 1.23)]. Our findings suggest that perceived stress and anxiety are associated with an increased risk of earlier birth, but only in the earliest gestational ages. We also found an association in the early term period for anxiety, but the result was only driven by the largest cohort, which collected information the latest in pregnancy. This raised a potential issue of reverse causality as anxiety later in pregnancy could be due to concerns about early signs of a possible preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stomatal guard cells are unique in that they have more mitochondria than chloroplasts. Several reports emphasized the importance of mitochondria as the major energy source during stomatal opening. We re-examined their role during stomatal closure. The marked sensitivity of stomata to both menadione (MD) and methyl viologen (MV) demonstrated that both mitochondria and chloroplasts helped to promote stomatal closure in Arabidopsis. As in the case of abscisic acid (ABA), a plant stress hormone, MD and MV induced stomatal closure at micromolar concentration. All three compounds generated superoxide and H2O2, as indicated by fluorescence probes, BES-So-AM and CM-H2DCFDA, respectively. Results from tiron (a superoxide scavenger) and catalase (an H2O2 scavenger) confirmed that both the superoxide and H2O2 were requisites for stomatal closure. Co-localization of the superoxide and H2O2 in mitochondria and chloroplasts using fluorescent probes revealed that exposure to MV initially triggered higher superoxide and H2O2 generation in mitochondria. In contrast, MD elevated superoxide/H2O2 levels in chloroplasts. However, with prolonged exposure, MD and MV induced ROS production in other organelles. We conclude that ROS production in mitochondria and chloroplasts leads to stomatal closure. We propose that stomatal guard cells can be good models for examining inter-organellar interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Silicon application mitigates phosphate deficiency in barley through an interplay with auxin and nitric oxide, enhancing growth, photosynthesis, and redox balance, highlighting the potential of silicon as a fertilizer for overcoming nutritional stresses. Silicon (Si) is reported to attenuate nutritional stresses in plants, but studies on the effect of Si application to plants grown under phosphate (Pi) deficiency are still very scarce, especially in barley. Therefore, the present work was undertaken to investigate the potential role of Si in mitigating the adverse impacts of Pi deficiency in barley Hordeum vulgare L. (var. BH902). Further, the involvement of two key regulatory signaling molecules––auxin and nitric oxide (NO)––in Si-induced tolerance against Pi deficiency in barley was tested. Morphological attributes, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative stress markers (O2·−, H2O2, and MDA), antioxidant system (enzymatic––APX, CAT, SOD, GR, DHAR, MDHAR as well as non-enzymatic––AsA and GSH), NO content, and proline metabolism were the key traits that were assessed under different treatments. The P deficiency distinctly declined growth of barley seedlings, which was due to enhancement in oxidative stress leading to inhibition of photosynthesis. These results were also in parallel with an enhancement in antioxidant activity, particularly SOD and CAT, and endogenous proline level and its biosynthetic enzyme (P5CS). The addition of Si exhibited beneficial effects on barley plants grown in Pi-deficient medium as reflected in increased growth, photosynthetic activity, and redox balance through the regulation of antioxidant machinery particularly ascorbate–glutathione cycle. We noticed that auxin and NO were also found to be independently participating in Si-mediated improvement of growth and other parameters in barley roots under Pi deficiency. Data of gene expression analysis for PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER1 (HvPHT1) indicate that Si helps in increasing Pi uptake as per the need of Pi-deficient barley seedlings, and also auxin and NO both appear to help Si in accomplishing this task probably by inducing lateral root formation. These results are suggestive of possible application of Si as a fertilizer to correct the negative effects of nutritional stresses in plants. Further research at genetic level to understand Si-induced mechanisms for mitigating Pi deficiency can be helpful in the development of new varieties with improved tolerance against Pi deficiency, especially for cultivation in areas with Pi-deficient soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer, a formidable health hazard, necessitates the development of innovative and accurate diagnostic instruments in light of the rising mortality rates associated with gastrointestinal disorders. The introduction of deep learning algorithms has revolutionised disease detection, but the search for cutting-edge techniques continues to be essential. Enter GIEnsemformerCADx, an innovative hybrid approach poised to revolutionise early colorectal cancer detection. This diagnostic juggernaut offers a comprehensive solution by combining the formidable capabilities of vision transformers, fusion CNNs, and bidirectional LSTM models. Vision transformers derive high-level features from transformed data representations, whereas Fusion CNNs interpret complex spatial correlations within input images. The bidirectional LSTM model complements these advantages by enhancing the understanding of temporal relationships, resulting in an accurate and timely diagnosis of colorectal cancer. The Hyper Kvasir dataset was meticulously calibrated and rebalanced for training purposes, resulting in an optimised training corpus consisting of nine classes extracted from the original 23. The ten-class mixed CKHK-22 dataset was then subjected to rigorous evaluation, confirming the reliability of this method. Using well-known CNN architectures, such as AlexNet, DarkNet-19, ResNet-50, and DenseNet-201, within the CADx system, novel CNN fusion models (ADaDR-22, ADaR-22, and DaRD-22) were created by fusing these pre-trained CNNs. In identifying colorectal cancer, the DaRD-22 model outperformed its competitors, with a remarkable accuracy rate of 93.3% for Hyper Kvasir and 91.67% for the CKHK-22 datasets. GIEnsemformerCADx represents a major advancement in computer-aided colorectal cancer detection. Utilizing hybrid innovation and propelled by the exceptional performance of the DaRD-22 model, it promises to improve patient outcomes and reduce mortality rates through early detection and prompt intervention. In the ever-present battle against colorectal cancer, this innovative system is a beacon of hope and progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postbiotics are produced by microbes and have recently gained importance in the field of oncology due to their beneficial effects to the host, effectiveness against cancer cells, and their ability to suppress inflammation. In particular, butyrate dominates over all other postbiotics both in quantity and anticancer properties. Pancreatic cancer (PC), being one of the most malignant and lethal cancers, reported a decreased 5-year survival rate in less than 10% of the patients. PC causes an increased mortality rate due to its inability to be detected at an early stage but still a promising strategy for its diagnosis has not been achieved yet. It is necessary to diagnose Pancreatic cancer before the metastatic progression stage. The available blood biomarkers lack accurate and proficient diagnostic results. Postbiotic butyrate is produced by gut microbiota such as Rhuminococcus and Faecalibacterium it is involved in cell signalling pathways, autophagy, and cell cycle regulation, and reduction in butyrate concentration is associated with the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. The postbiotic butyrate is a potential biomarker that could detect PC at an early stage, before the metastatic progression stage. Thus, this review focused on the gut microbiota butyrate’s role in pancreatic cancer and the immuno-suppressive environment, its effects on histone deacetylase and other immune cells, microbes in major butyrate synthesis pathways, current biomarkers in use for Pancreatic Cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniature multiple input multiple output (MIMO) ultrawide band (UWB) antenna with dual band notched characteristics is proposed. The proposed MIMO UWB antenna has a microstrip feed line, two slotted rectangular radiating structures, and a slotted reduced ground structure. The antenna is constructed on an FR-4 substrate with a 40 × 20 mm2 compact dimension to span the − 10dB bandwidth of 2.5–12 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 133%. The two notched bands for WiMAX (3.3–3.8 GHz) and WLAN (5–6.5 GHz), respectively, are generated using hook and E-structured stubs etched on patch and defective ground. Over the full operational frequency range, self-isolation of <-15 dB is obtained between two perpendicular radiating patch structures. 4-element MIMO antenna is also designed, studied and analysed. From the determined MIMO parameters, it can be concluded that the recommended antenna is adequate for portable wireless systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesize that children characterized by deprived factors have poorer health outcomes. We aim to identify clustering of determinants and estimate risk of early childhood diseases. This 1993–2019 longitudinal cohort study combines three Canadian pediatric cohorts and their families. Mothers and children are clustered using latent class analysis (LCA) by 16 indicators in three domains (maternal and newborn; socioeconomic status [SES] and neighbourhood; environmental exposures). Hazard ratios (HR) of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema are quantified with Cox proportional hazard (PH) regression. Rate ratios (RR) of children's health services use (HSU) are estimated with Poisson regression. Here we report the inclusion of 15,724 mother–child pairs; our LCA identifies four mother-clusters. Classes 1 and 2 mothers are older (30–40 s), non-immigrants with university education, living in high SES neighbourhoods; Class 2 mothers have poorer air quality and less greenspace. Classes 3 and 4 mothers are younger (20–30 s), likely an immigrant/refugee, with high school-to-college education, living in lower SES neighborhoods with poorer air quality and less greenspace. Children's outcomes differ by Class, in comparison to Class 1. Classes 3 and 4 children have higher risks of asthma (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11–1.37 and HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22–1.59, respectively), and similar higher risks of AR and eczema. Children with AR in Class 3 have 20% higher all-cause physician visits (RR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.10–1.30) and those with eczema have 18% higher all-cause emergency department visits (RR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.09–1.28) and 14% higher all-cause physician visits (RR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.09–1.19). Multifactorial-LCA mother-clusters may characterize associations of children's health outcomes and care, adjusting for interrelationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults worldwide. India is the diabetes capital of the world and one in five adults is said to have diabetes in India. With the increase in diabetes, there is an increasing burden of diabetic retinopathy (DR). All patients with diabetes have a risk of losing vision due to DR. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy is 12.5%; out of which, 4% are said to have vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) The early stages of DR are symptomless, necessitating a proactive screening for an early detection of DR in all people with diabetes before they develop VTDR. This is a position statement jointly developed by RSSDI (Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India) and VRSI (Vitreo Retinal Society of India) to provide guidelines for Physicians on DR screening in India. These guidelines emphasize the need for regular DR screening of all people with diabetes. It is recommended that the Physicians establish an effective DR screening model in their clinics, eg., a non-mydriatic fundus camera utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for fundus photography to identify referral or non-referral DR. This will facilitate early detection and timely referral to an ophthalmologist thereby preventing VTDR. The need to create public awareness regarding blindness due to DR and a collaboration between Physicians and ophthalmologists for the management of diabetes, opportunistic screening of DR, and timely management of DR may play a crucial role in decreasing the burden of blindness secondary to diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian Squill (Drimia indica) belonging to the family Asparagaceae is a highly medicinal herb with several therapeutic properties. The cytotaxonomic complexity of the species Drimia makes it intriguing to investigate ploidy variation in ecotype level and its significance in relation to genome size variation. Detailed karyotype analysis and 2C DNA contents were reported in twelve ecotypes of D. indica from different geographical locations of the state Odisha, India. The diploid somatic chromosome 2n = 2x = 20 was recorded in four ecotypes such as 'Kendrapada', 'Tikarpada', 'Daspalla', and 'Odagaon, while tetraploid having 2n = 4x = 40 was newly reported in ecotype from 'Nuagaon'. Aneuploid chromosome number 2n = 26 was obtained in ecotypes 'Similipal' and 'Satkosia' and 2n = 32 was newly reported in ecotypes 'Bitarkanika' and 'Narasinghpur'. The ecotypes 'Nayagarh' and 'Nilagiri' were recorded with 2n = 16 and 2n = 22 respectively. The 2C DNA content analysis showed 2.19-fold increase which correlates with ploidy variation in ecotype level. The 2C DNA values were found highest of 36.26 pg (2n = 40) in ecotype 'Nuagaon' and lowest at 16.54 pg (2n = 16) in ecotype 'Nayagarh' that corresponds with ploidy and genome size. The asymmetry in the karyotypes showed non-significant clusters among the ecotypes except ecotypes 'Odagaon' and 'Bhitarkanika' which are most asymmetric having advanced karyotypic features as compared to the ecotypes 'Simlipal', 'Karanjia' and 'Nayagarh' having symmetric karyotypes. The chromosome characteristics along with genome size analysis of D. indica can be very useful in establishing genome-specific cytotypes which can be used for breeding programme for crop improvement. Furthermore, enhancement of therapeutic phyto-constituents, and cyto-taxonomic identification from adulterant and confirmation of alloploidy or autoploidy through genomic in situ hybridization could unravel the potential of this plants in relation to secondary metabolite production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A triple band notched inveterd L-strip loaded to truncated ground flower shaped Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) antenna integrated with Ku band applications is discussed in the present work. The working region of the antenna is 3.3–14.3 GHz with notched bands 3.7–4.6 GHz, 5.1–5.95 GHz and 7.1–8.2 GHz. The proposed antenna covers the UWB region, partial Ku band applications with excudation of 3.7–4.2 GHz (C-band satelllite downlink), 5.15–5.85 GHz (WLAN) and 7.25–7.75 GHz(X-band satellite downlink) frequency regions. The triple notch characterisitcs are obtained using L-strip loaded slot and truncated ground shape. The resultant efficiency values of the antenna are above 80% except notched bands. At notched bands, the efficiency values are around 24%, 18% and 20% are achieved. The peak gain values are above 2.8 dBi in entire working region of the antenna and maximum gain of 4.7 dBi is attained. And, at nocthed bands, the gain values are − 1.8 dBi, − 1.6 dBi and − 2.0 dBi are achieved. The radiation patterns on E and H planes are simulated and checked the same with measured results. The proposed antenna working region is checked with theory of characteristic mode (TCM) analysis in order to validate the performance of the proposed antenna by studying various modal parameters like modal significance and characteristic angle. The paramteric analysis of the antenna at notched bands is performed in order to arrive at the design considerations. The suraface current distribution of proposed antenna at various frequencies and checked the same at notched band. The time response characteristics of proposed antenna is anlysed with results of group delay response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties but current evidence is limited to advocate its use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We explored whether curcumin could maintain remission in patients with RA while tapering conventional synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (csDMARD). In this patient-and investigator-blinded trial, adults with RA in sustained remission for more than six months were randomized to oral curcumin (1 g) with piperine (5 mg) twice daily or matching placebo. Patients who had received biological DMARDs or curcumin supplements in the last 6 months were excluded. csDMARD were tapered and stopped sequentially as per a fixed protocol. The primary outcome was flare-free survival at 52 weeks. The secondary outcomes were flare rate, correlation of serum curcuminoid levels with flares and safety. 200 patients (100 per arm) entered the trial with comparable baseline characteristics. Per protocol analysis included 92 and 93 participants in the curcumin and the placebo group, respectively. Flare-free survival at week 52 was similar between both groups (60% versus 64%; p = 0.76). The median time to flare was similar [Curcumin: 219 days (IQR: 123) versus placebo: 214 days (95.8); p = 0.067]. Cox proportionate regression modelling showed that the flare-free survival was independent of serum curcuminoid levels [adjusted HR = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97–1.0)]. The model showed that flare-free survival was not associated with age, gender, seropositivity, or csDMARD used at baseline. No serious adverse effects were noted. Curcumin did not impact the flare-free survival in patients with RA in remission during the tapering of csDMARDs despite achieving adequate serum levels. Trial registration: CTRI/2018/04/013279. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stuttering or stammering is considered as the most important parameter in the speech recognition algorithm. For the conversion of stuttered speech into readable text, first it is vital to detect the stuttered speech. In many existing models, the exactness of the recognition system is degraded because of the additional noise present in the speech signals. Therefore, proposed a bald eagle search algorithm based vanilla long-short term memory (BES-vanilla LSTM), a system for identifying the stuttered speech among the number of speech signals. Initially, the dataset collected from the TORGO database undergoes preprocessing phase for the elimination of unwanted noise signals present in the input speech signals using the spectral subtraction method. Further, the preprocessed signals are passed to the feature extraction phase. In this phase, the pitch frequencies are extracted from the input signals. Then the extracted pitch frequencies are passed to the input layer of the Vanilla LSTM for stuttered speech recognition. Using the fitness value of the BES algorithm, the LSTM recognizes the stuttered speech and is given at the output layer. The proposed system is implemented in the python tool. The comparison of the suggested system's performance is made with the other existing system by metrics such as f1-score, recall, accuracy and precision, and the overall efficiency of the designed system is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular (CVD) risk detection using Electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals is an emerging field of research in the area of machine learning and biomedical engineering. ECG is an electrical measurement that captures cardiac actions and is the gold standard for identifying CVD. But, ECG cannot be used for continuous cardiac monitoring because of its necessity for user participation. PPG is an optically attained signal for detecting blood volume changes in the microvascular bed of tissues. Deep learning (DL) methods have shown remarkable performance in predicting and detecting CVD disease using PPG signals. Therefore, this study designs a new Cardiovascular Risk Detection using Harris Hawks Optimization with Ensemble Learning (CRDHHO-EL) model on PPG Signals. The presented CRDHHO-EL technique examines the PPG signals to identify the risks of cardiovascular diseases. To accomplish this, the CRDHHO-EL technique uses an ensemble of three classifiers, namely deep belief network (DBN), deep auto-encoder (DAE), and extreme learning machine (ELM) models. Moreover, the HHO algorithm is used for adjusting the hyperparameter values of the classifier models, boosting overall performance. The experimental result analysis of the CRDHHO-EL on the open-access dataset showcases the significant performance of the CRDHHO-EL technique over other existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation is present everywhere in the earth, and human beings are continuously exposed to gamma radiation. The health consequences of environmental radiation exposure are a serious societal issue. The purpose of this study was to analyse outdoor radiation in four districts of Gujarat, India: Anand, Bharuch, Narmada, and Vadodara during summer and winter seasons. This study illustrated the influence of lithology of areas on gamma radiation dose values. Summer and winter seasons are the primary factors that alter the causes directly or indirectly; therefore, the influence of season fluctuation on radiation dose rate was investigated. The annual dose rate and mean gamma radiation dose rate values from four districts were found to be greater than the global population weight average value. The mean value of gamma radiation dose rate from 439 locations in the summer and winter seasons was 136.23 nSv/h and 141.58 nSv/h, respectively. According to a paired differences sample study, the significance value between outdoor gamma dose rate in summer and winter seasons was 0.05 indicating that seasons have a significant impact on gamma radiation dose rate. The impact of various types of lithology on gamma radiation dose was studied in all 439 places, and the statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant association between lithology and gamma radiation dose rate in the summer season, but a relationship between lithology and gamma dose rate was observed in the winter season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The process of transdifferentiating epithelial cells to mesenchymal-like cells (EMT) involves cells gradually taking on an invasive and migratory phenotype. Many cell adhesion molecules are crucial for the management of EMT, integrin β4 (ITGB4) being one among them. Although signaling downstream of ITGB4 has been reported to cause changes in the expression of several miRNAs, little is known about the role of such miRNAs in the process of EMT. Methods and results: The cytoplasmic domain of ITGB4 (ITGB4CD) was ectopically expressed in HeLa cells to induce ITGB4 signaling, and expression analysis of mesenchymal markers indicated the induction of EMT. β-catenin and AKT signaling pathways were found to be activated downstream of ITGB4 signaling, as evidenced by the TOPFlash assay and the levels of phosphorylated AKT, respectively. Based on in silico and qRT-PCR analysis, miR-383 was selected for functional validation studies. miR-383 and Sponge were ectopically expressed in HeLa, thereafter, western blot and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that miR-383 regulates GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) post-transcriptionally. The ectopic expression of shRNA targeting GATA6 caused the reversal of EMT and β catenin activation downstream of ITGB4 signaling. Cell migration assays revealed significantly high cell migration upon ectopic expression ITGB4CD, which was reversed upon ectopic co-expression of miR-383 or GATA6 shRNA. Besides, ITGB4CD promoted EMT in in ovo xenograft model, which was reversed by ectopic expression of miR-383 or GATA6 shRNA. Conclusion: The induction of EMT downstream of ITGB4 involves a signaling axis encompassing AKT/miR-383/GATA6/β-catenin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic diseases affect millions of people worldwide. An increase in their prevalence has been associated with alterations in the gut microbiome, i.e., the microorganisms and their genes within the gastrointestinal tract. Maturation of the infant immune system and gut microbiota occur in parallel; thus, the conformation of the microbiome may determine if tolerant immune programming arises within the infant. Here we show, using deeply phenotyped participants in the CHILD birth cohort (n = 1115), that there are early-life influences and microbiome features which are uniformly associated with four distinct allergic diagnoses at 5 years: atopic dermatitis (AD, n = 367), asthma (As, n = 165), food allergy (FA, n = 136), and allergic rhinitis (AR, n = 187). In a subset with shotgun metagenomic and metabolomic profiling (n = 589), we discover that impaired 1-year microbiota maturation may be universal to pediatric allergies (AD p = 0.000014; As p = 0.0073; FA p = 0.00083; and AR p = 0.0021). Extending this, we find a core set of functional and metabolic imbalances characterized by compromised mucous integrity, elevated oxidative activity, decreased secondary fermentation, and elevated trace amines, to be a significant mediator between microbiota maturation at age 1 year and allergic diagnoses at age 5 years (βindirect = −2.28; p = 0.0020). Microbiota maturation thus provides a focal point to identify deviations from normative development to predict and prevent allergic disease. Here, using participants in the CHILD birth cohort, the authors reveal that impaired 1-year microbiota maturation may be universal to 5-year pediatric allergies, mediated by functional and metabolic imbalances of compromised mucous integrity, elevated oxidative activity, decreased fermentation, and elevated trace amines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient one-pot three-component reaction for the synthesis of [1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:6,7]chromeno[2,3-b]pyridines 4(a–i) has been developed. Synthesis was achieved by reacting sesamol (1), aromatic aldehydes 2(a–i), and 2-aminopropene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile (3) in the presence of triethylamine at 100 °C under neat reaction condition. Simple operational procedure, broad substrate scope, column chromatography free separations, and high yield of products make it an efficient and largely acceptable synthetic strategy. Synthesized compounds 4(a–i) were further screened for preliminary anticonvulsant activity using MES and scPTZ tests. These analogs were also checked for neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Selected active compounds have been then screened quantitatively to determine ED50 and TD50 values. Analog 4h was found effective in both preclinical seizure models with significant therapeutic/toxicity profile (4h: ED50 = 34.7 mg/kg, MES test; ED50 = 37.9 mg/kg, scPTZ test; TD50 = 308.7 mg/kg). Molecular dynamic simulation for 100 ns of compound 4h-complexed with GABAA receptor revealed good thermodynamic behavior and fairly stable interactions (4h, Docking score = − 10.94). In conclusion, effective synthetic strategy, significant anticonvulsant activity with good toxicity profile and detailed molecular modeling studies led us to anticipate the emergence of these analogs as valid leads for the development of future effective neurotherapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, Internet of Things (IoT) based applications are widely used in different sectors because of their high mobility, low cost, and efficiency. However, the wide usage of these applications leads to various security issues. Several security applications exist for protecting multimedia data, but the appropriate confidential range is not met due to the multi-variant features. Hence, the novel hybrid Elman Neural-based Blowfish Blockchain Model has been developed in this article to secure IoT healthcare multimedia data. Here, the Elman network features provided continuous monitoring for predicting malicious events in the trained multimedia data. In addition, the crypto analysis was performed to enhance the confidentiality rate by hiding the raw data from third parties. The presented model was verified using python software. Furthermore, the robustness of the developed model is validated with a crypt analysis by launching attacks. Finally, the outcomes were estimated and compared with the existing techniques in terms of Encryption time, decryption time, execution time, error rate and confidential rate. Here, the evaluation database is the multimedia data, which is high in data size. Henceforth, the performance of the security model for securing multimedia data depends on time. Considering this, the time evaluation is measured in three classes: encryption, decryption and execution. The comparative analysis proves that the developed model achieved better results than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We estimated the incidence of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) following routine immunization with the live-attenuated SA 14-14-2 JE vaccine. Methods: We implemented enhanced surveillance of AES and JE hospitalizations in endemic districts in Maharashtra and Telangana States during 2015–2016 and 2018–2020. We estimated incidence and compared differences in the incidence of JE and AES between two states, and vaccinated and unvaccinated districts during two study periods. We also considered secondary data from public health services to understand long-term trends from 2007 to 2020. Results: The annual AES incidence rate of 2.25 cases per 100,000 children in Maharashtra during 2018–2020 was significantly lower than 3.36 cases per 100,000 children during 2015–2016. The six JE-vaccinated districts in Maharashtra had significantly lower incidence rates during 2018–2020 (2.03, 95% CI 1.73–2.37) than in 2015–16 (3.26, 2.86–3.70). In addition, the incidence of both JE and AES in two unvaccinated districts was higher than in the vaccinated districts in Maharashtra. Telangana had a lower incidence of both JE and AES than Maharashtra. The AES incidence rate of 0.95 (0.77–1.17) during 2018–2020 in Telangana was significantly lower than 1.67 (1.41–1.97) during 2015–2016. Conclusions: The annual incidence rate of Japanese encephalitis was < 1 case per 100,000 children. It indicated accelerated control of Japanese encephalitis after routine immunization. However, the annual incidence of acute encephalitis syndrome was still > 1 case per 100,000 children. It highlights the need for improving surveillance and evaluating the impacts of vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrWO4 (SWO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and rGo-SrWO4 (rGO-SWO) nanocomposite systems were synthesized through co-precipitation, the modified Hummers method, and sonochemical methods, respectively. Structural details were confirmed by standard x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, representing the indicative rGO and SrWO4 (SWO) features, respectively. All features were found together in the composite materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs show excellent distribution of SWO nanoparticles on rGO flakes. UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis–DRS) was implemented for band gap evaluation. The evaluated band gap energies increase with the increase in calcination temperature, and band gap energy is found to be in the range 4.00–4.33 eV for SWO and 3.06–3.32 eV for rGO-SWO nanocomposite. The rGO-SWO nanocomposite shows improved photocatalytic ability with 89% degradation of MB dye as compared to SWO. Photoluminescence (PL) studies indicate that the particle size plays a vital role in the PL excitation and emission intensities. The intensity of the spectra was observed to be decreased in the case of rGO-SWO composites, indicating the reduction in the recombination rate of e−-h+ pairs by the introduction of rGO. Electrochemical studies indicate that the rGO-SWO composite shows a twofold increase in specific capacitance as compared to the pristine SWO compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the durability of protection against the prevalent Omicron variant are scarce, especially in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs). Hence, we prospectively studied Omicron breakthrough infections in patients with AIRDs and attempted to isolate associated risk factors. Methods: Patients with AIRDs who had completed primary vaccination with either AZD1222 or BBV152 vaccines were included and prospectively followed up from January 2022 onwards for the development of breakthrough Omicron infections. The time interval from the last event [2nd dose of vaccination (V) or past COVID-19 infection (I) whichever was later] to Omicron infection was recorded. Patients were divided based on the events and their order of occurrence into V + V, V + I, I + V, V + I + V, and V + V + I groups. The incidence of breakthrough infections and their predictors were studied with a focus on the vaccine type and hybrid (H) immunity (vaccinated individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection). Results: We included 907 patients with AIRDs (53.5 ± 11.7 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:5.1), and the majority of patients had received AZD1222 (755, 83.2%). Breakthrough infections were observed in 158 of 907(17.4%) of which 97 (10.4%) were confirmed by RT-PCR. Breakthrough infections were significantly greater in the V versus the H group (15.7% and 3.5%, log-rank test, p = < 0.01). Among the hybrid group, the order of infection and vaccination had no bearing on the risk of breakthrough infections. On multivariate analysis, breakthrough infections were significantly lesser in the H versus the V group [HR: 0.2(0.1–0.4); p = 0.01]. Conclusion: The risk of breakthrough Omicron infections in fully vaccinated patients with AIRDs was 17.4% with a significantly lower risk in patients with hybrid immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous cars have achieved exceptional growth in the automotive industry in the last century in terms of reliability, safety and affordability. Due to significant advancements in computing, communication and other technologies, today we are in the era of autonomous cars. A number of prototype models of autonomous cars have been tested covering several miles of test drives. Many prominent car manufacturers have started investing huge resources in this technology to make it commercialize in the near future years. But to achieve this goal still there are a number of technical and non-technical challenges that exist in terms of real-time implementation, consumer satisfaction, security and privacy concerns, policies and regulations. In summary, this survey paper presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the latest developments in the field of autonomous cars, including cutting-edge technologies, innovative applications, and testing. It addresses the key obstacles and challenges hindering the progress of autonomous car development, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the current state of the art and future potential of autonomous cars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Givotia moluccana (L.) Sreem. is a highly valued forest tree species known for its medicinal properties and the presence of bioactive compounds. Elicitation is an effective strategy used for the biotechnological production of secondary metabolites. The study aimed at determining the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) elicitation on accumulation of total phenolics, flavonoids, and regulation of antioxidant metabolism in callus cultures of G. moluccana L. Callus cultures treated with 150 µM JA for 20 d resulted in highest contents of total phenolics (81.83 mg GAE g−1 DW) and flavonoids (60.89 mg RE g−1 DW) as compared to SA-treated and control cultures. SA-treated callus cultures showed relatively higher contents of total phenolics (31.43 GAE g−1 DW) and flavonoids (38.49 RE g−1 DW) when treated with 50 µM for 5 d and 20 d, respectively, compared to control callus cultures. Treatment of callus cultures with 150 µM JA for 20 d was found to be optimal as the maximum production of H2O2 was associated with increased enzymatic (SOD, CAT, and POD) and non-enzymatic (ascorbate, total glutathione, and GSH) antioxidants that were higher than SA-treated and control callus cultures. Real-time PCR analysis of transcript levels of antioxidant genes revealed similar pattern of expression as that of enzymatic activities in SA- and JA-treated callus cultures showing correlation between transcriptional and enzyme activity regulation. On the other hand, the transcript level of PAL gene in JA-treated callus cultures was lower than in SA-treated callus although elevated enzyme activity was observed in response to JA treatment which could be due to differential posttranscriptional modifications. Overall, the study revealed that JA is more effective than SA in achieving higher yields of total phenolics and flavonoids in callus cultures of G. moluccana as well as provided insights into antioxidant metabolism in response to the treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient one-pot three-component reaction for the synthesis of 5-[naphthalen-1(2)yl]-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives has been developed. The synthesis was achieved by reacting salicyl-aldehydes, 2-aminopropene-1,1,3-tricarbonitrile, and naphthols catalyzed by triethylamine under solvent-free conditions at 120°C. The reaction involves formation of two C–C bonds, one C–O bond, and one C–N bond in a single synthetic operation. The final products can be isolated by simple filtration after treatment of the reaction mixture with ethanol. This rapid one-pot reaction does not require chromatographic purification and provides the products in good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The world is experiencing the Coronavirus pandemic and the aftermath consequences leading to lockdown and travel restrictions. The pandemic has brought a far-reaching impact on various sectors, including the economic, and health sectors. Therefore, this study analyses the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the disruption - in accessing family planning measures i.e. contraception facilities; and in seeking help from women organizations for health services. Methods: This study has used the COVID-19 health services disruption survey-2020 and data was obtained from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. This survey was conducted in 76 countries using the smartphone-based premise data collection platform. Respondents were individual members of the general population ages 15–49 years who were identified as women. Data were collected from 12,354 respondents. Our data analysis has been done on both aggregate samples as well as region-wise samples (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America & the Caribbean) to assess the change in levels of service delivery in both pre-COVID and post-COVID periods. Results: Descriptive statistics results shows that two particular reasons - unable to access due to lockdown restrictions (5.4%), and fear of being infected with COVID-19 (9.7%) were reported as mostly impacting the access to contraception facilities due to lockdown restriction. Further, the logit regression using socio-economic and demographic variables suggests that geographical location (rural), and poor financial status turned out negative and significant, showing higher odds of facing difficulty than the reference category for the aggregate sample. The region-wise analysis suggests that Europe and Asia are the regions with the highest percentage of respondents reporting unavailability of services during COVID-19. Conclusion: The study concludes that pandemic-related emergencies affect the health care system, especially women-related health care services. The implication of our study indicates the requirement of a supply chain strategy for managing health care demand during emerging situations. So, the disruptions and bottlenecks in health care facilities should be addressed by various governments through appropriate policies and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) at risk of vision loss (referable DR) needs to be identified by retinal screening and referred to an ophthalmologist. Existing automated algorithms have mostly been developed from images acquired with high cost mydriatic retinal cameras and cannot be applied in the settings used in most low- and middle-income countries. In this prospective multicentre study, we developed a deep learning system (DLS) that detects referable DR from retinal images acquired using handheld non-mydriatic fundus camera by non-technical field workers in 20 sites across India. Macula-centred and optic-disc-centred images from 16,247 eyes (9778 participants) were used to train and cross-validate the DLS and risk factor based logistic regression models. The DLS achieved an AUROC of 0.99 (1000 times bootstrapped 95% CI 0.98–0.99) using two-field retinal images, with 93.86 (91.34–96.08) sensitivity and 96.00 (94.68–98.09) specificity at the Youden's index operational point. With single field inputs, the DLS reached AUROC of 0.98 (0.98–0.98) for the macula field and 0.96 (0.95–0.98) for the optic-disc field. Intergrader performance was 90.01 (88.95–91.01) sensitivity and 96.09 (95.72–96.42) specificity. The image based DLS outperformed all risk factor-based models. This DLS demonstrated a clinically acceptable performance for the identification of referable DR despite challenging image capture conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal lattice structures that are additively produced offer a novel solution to "lightweight components and multi-functionality". A series of optimization techniques for adapting service loadings is developing as a design tool for components on the basis of lattices. These approaches must be tested in a controlled manner for acquiring trust. The development and advancement of Additive Manufacturing System (AMS) technology has enabled the manufacturing of unimaginable complex forms. Support structures, on the other hand, are necessary to create such complex geometries. Apart from wasting unnecessary material, post processing times and valuable production are consumed by these structures. The focus of this paper is to analyze the effect of a "new hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm" for optimizing the lattice structure for AMS. The proposed optimization algorithm optimizes the lattice structure by eliminating the maximum number of vertices and filling the required "inner and outer areas", so as to ensure that the entire "areas to support are still sustained". The hybridization of two algorithms like "Chicken Swarm Optimization (CSO), and Beetle Swarm Optimization (BSO) referred as Hybrid Beetle-Chicken Swarm Optimization (HBCSO)" is adopted for pruning the structure. The proposed hybrid algorithm attempts to identify the type of "sublattice of the initial lattice structure that has the smallest cumulated vertices" and satisfies the sustainment constraint. The validation of the suggested optimization is performed on various test cases and compares it over the traditional models to prove the efficiency of the introduced model in consuming less material for manufacturing lattice structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence is intelligence revealed by software, as opposed to natural intelligence. It is the science and technology of intelligent machinery. It is also a technology that functions like people on the computer. The IoT Internet of Things is a web-based object network that can communicate and share data. AI and IoT are combined to achieve a more effective IoT process, namely AIoT, combined with the Internet and artificial intelligence. Recently, an efficient health care system was introduced with artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT research. In this paper, the usability of artificial intelligence is discussed, and the implementation of AI and IoT analytics are systematically examined as a way of enhancing the health system in the IoT model. Different AI-based and device algorithms are also explored. Edge Computing is a modern computer technology in which data are processed from the edge. Simulation result shows the accuracy, precision and specificity of decision tree approach than SVM and Naïve Bayes. It offers lower bandwidth costs, more robust privacy and data security than cloud computing. Notably, advanced computing is easily used by artificial intelligence technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To correlate optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based morphological patterns of diabetic macular edema (DME), biomarkers and grade of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to diabetes. Design: Multicentric retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at seven centers across India. Methods: Data from medical records of patients with DME and CKD were entered in a common excel sheet across all seven centers. Staging of CKD was based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: The most common morphological pattern of DME was cystoid pattern (42%) followed by the mixed pattern (31%). The proportion of different morphological patterns did not significantly vary across various CKD stages (p = 0.836). The presence of external limiting membrane-ellipsoid zone (ELM-EZ) defects (p < 0.001) and foveal sub-field thickness (p = 0.024) showed a direct correlation with the stage of CKD which was statistically significant. The presence of hyperreflective dots (HRD) and disorganization of inner retinal layers (DRIL) showed no significant correlation with the stage of CKD. Sight threatening DR was found to increase from 70% in CKD stage 3 to 82% in stages 4 and 5 of CKD, and this was statistically significant (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Cystoid morphological pattern followed by mixed type was the most common pattern of DME on OCT found in patients suffering from stage 3 to 5 of CKD. However, the morphological patterns of DME did not significantly vary across various CKD stages. ELM-EZ defects may be considered as an important OCT biomarker for advanced stage of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like many other developing countries, urban sprawl is a growing phenomenon in India, which poses socio-economic and environmental challenges that worryingly affect urban sustainability. In this study, a latent class clustering approach was used to investigate perceptions of urban sprawl among 622 urban and peri-urban dwellers in Hyderabad. The empirical results clustered the respondents into three distinct classes based on their perceptions of urban sprawl impacts: 'undecided respondents', 'negative perceivers', and 'opportunity perceivers'. The majority of respondents were undecided with no strong views towards the impacts of urban sprawl, which may increase their vulnerability and hinder effective adaptation to the adverse economic, social and environmental effects of urban sprawl. This also provokes concerns about the effectiveness of government interventions to build public awareness of urban development and its impacts on the city. With regard to the role of demographic and socio-economic characteristics in shaping the perception of the respondents, the results revealed that social caste plays a determining role in forming dwellers' perception. In particular, members of marginalised social castes were more likely to form positive perceptions of the impacts of urban sprawl as urban expansion generates better and stable income that improve their social status. In addition, individuals with higher levels of education were more likely to form negative or positive perceptions, implying that efforts to raise social capital could be a useful means for mitigating the impacts of urban sprawl. Finally, membership in community development organisations was a key factor in dictating membership of the negative perceivers' class. Overall, our findings suggest that an appropriate policy framework and specific programmes are needed for enhancing dwellers' perception towards the impacts of urban sprawl, which can enhance the design, acceptance, and implementation of a more sustainable governance of urbanisation and contribute to achieving urban sustainability in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of this manuscript is vested in the introduction of a new Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) for hybrid fractional-order neural networks (FONNs) with Lipschitz non-linearity. The primary originality of this work lies in exploring the possibility of using a new type of functionals similar to looped functional for the stability analysis of hybrid fractional-order systems (FOSs) with delays. Although some work in this direction has been attempted, the formal theory for this concept has not been developed yet. First, a new lemma on establishing asymptotic stability using an arbitrary looped-like LKF and the fractional-order Lyapunov direct method is derived. Using this result, new delay and sampling period dependent stability criteria for the considered FONNs are established in the form of LMIs. Lastly, numerical simulations validate the correctness of the theoretical results proposed in this manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many fluids used in industries will possess a uniform velocity acting along with it. Although a few researchers have analyzed the fluid flow along with a constant velocity but such modeling in nanofluids is quite new. The novelty of this work is the numerical evaluation of a nanofluid with a constant velocity through a vertical plate in a porous medium under Dufour as well as Soret impacts coupled with a higher order chemical reaction. A rotating MHD nanofluid is investigated for both heat as well as mass transfer. An incompressible, steady-state fluid is subjected to flow through a semi-infinite plate by taking into account viscous dissipation as well as a magnetic field. Flow equations are typically represented by PDEs that are nonlinear and coupled. The PDEs are changed to ODEs by similarity transformation variables. Runge-Kutta method of 4 th order accuracy along with shooting technique is employed to solve the converted system of ODEs. Cu - H 2 O is used to provide an in-depth analysis of the examined problem. In order to account for practical considerations, the maximum order of the chemical reaction is limited to 3 and a comparative analysis is provided for 1 st and 3 rd order chemical reactions. For different physical quantities, different numerical values that are obtained using MATLAB are used to analyze various properties regarding the flow. Heat transfer, and mass transfer rates are discussed using graphs and tables. Compared to low order chemical reactions, high order chemical reactions allow higher rates at which the reaction takes place, thus allowing greater rates of heat and mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of designing a T–S fuzzy passive controller for fuzzy fractional-order neural networks (FOFNNs) with additive time-varying delays is taken up in this work. The novelty of this work lies in the aspect that it addresses all the challenges faced in deriving an order and delay-dependent LMI criterion for incommensurate FONNs. Based on indirect Lyapunov approach, sufficient conditions which ensure passivity of the considered FOFNNs are found. Distinct to the works already done, the results proposed include both fractional-order of the system and delay bounds. Further, the derived results are extended to incommensurate FOFNNs, thereby giving an order and delay-dependent LMI-based passivity conditions for incommensurate FOFNNs for the first time in the literature. Also a result on existence of passive controller for the considered NNs is derived. Finally, the proposed theory is verified by three numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the clinical characteristics of comorbid retinal dystrophies and primary angle closure disease. Design: Retrospective study from January 1992 to June 2020. Methods: This descriptive study included 92 eyes of 46 patients with comorbid retinal dystrophies and primary angle closure disease (PACD) that included eyes with primary angle closure suspect, primary angle closure and primary angle closure glaucoma. Demographic profile, clinical characteristics of PACD and its association with retinal dystrophies are described. Results: The study included 46 patients (92 eyes). Males were majority, 63%. Mean (± standard deviation) age when retinal dystrophy was diagnosed was 29.6 ± 9.4 years and PACD was diagnosed at 32.23 ± 7.92 years. Mean BCVA at presentation was 1.07 ± 0.87 log MAR [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87, 1.26]. Mean Intraocular pressure at diagnosis of glaucoma was 27 ± 16 mmHg (95% CI 23.5, 31.5 mmHg). The most common retinal dystrophy associated with PACD was retinitis pigmentosa (RP) followed by RP with retinoschisis. The hospital-based prevalence of PACD among all patients with RP and retinoschisis was 0.19% and 0.15% respectively. Laser peripheral iridotomy was performed in 74 eyes (80.5%). Glaucoma was managed medically in majority of the eyes (58 eyes, 63.04%) and minority required surgical management with trabeculectomy (11, 11.9%). Conclusion: Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common retinal dystrophy associated with PACD. Comorbid PACD in eyes with retinal dystrophies was observed in second to third decade of life. This calls for screening for angle closure in eyes with retinal dystrophies from second decade onwards to identify the comorbid PACD and treat or refer them appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chondroprogenitors (CPCs) have emerged as a promising cellular therapy for cartilage-related pathologies due to their inherent primed chondrogenic potential. Studies report that the addition of growth factors such as parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) enhance the chondroinducive potential in chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells. This study evaluated if supplementation of the standard culture medium for cell expansion with 1–34 PTH and BMP-9 would enhance the chondrogenic potential of CPCs and reduce their hypertrophic tendency. Methods: Human chondrocytes were isolated from patients undergoing total knee replacement for osteoarthritis (n = 3). Following fibronectin adhesion assay, passage 1 CPCs were divided and further expanded under three culture conditions (a) control, i.e., cells continued under standard culture conditions, (b) 1–34 PTH group, additional intermittent 6 h exposure with 1–34 PTH and (c) BMP-9 group, additional BMP-9 during culture expansion. All the groups were evaluated for population-doubling, cell cycle analysis, surface marker and gene expression for chondrogenesis, hypertrophy, multilineage differentiation and GAG (glycosaminoglycan)/DNA following chondrogenic differentiation. Results: Concerning growth kinetics, the BMP-9 group exhibited a significantly lower S-phase and population-doubling when compared to the other two groups. Qualitative analysis for chondrogenic potential (Alcian blue, Safranin O staining and Toluidine blue for GAG) revealed that the BMP-9 group exhibited the highest uptake. The BMP-9 group also showed significantly higher COL2A1 expression than the control group, with no change in the hypertrophy marker expression. Conclusion: BMP-9 can potentially be used as an additive for CPCs expansion, to enhance their chondrogenic potential without affecting their low hypertrophic tendency. The mitigating effects of 1-34PTH on hypertrophy would benefit further investigation when used in combination with BMP-9 to enhance chondrogenesis whilst reducing hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystallization is an experimental phenomenon that does not always depend on predicted data for efficient processing. It, therefore, becomes important to conduct experiments in the seeded or unseeded crystallization process to gain insight into the growth kinetic parameters. The knowledge of the process and kinetic parameters is proved useful in developing strategies for the optimal design of crystallizers and in control of crystal size distribution. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to perform isothermal growth experiments for seeded crystallization, and the kinetics was evaluated using a de-supersaturation curve. In order to get the de-supersaturation curve, the DSC heat flow signal was used to measure and quantify the mass change of seeds during the crystal growth process as a function of time at a particular temperature. Experiments were performed at temperatures ranging from 10 to 40 °C in sealed DSC pans. The growth order g was calculated from the isothermal experiments at varying temperatures, and the mass growth rate coefficient Kg, linear growth rate coefficient kg, mass rate of crystal growth RG and activation energy Ea of benzoic acid in the ethanol–water binary solvent were estimated from growth order g. The kinetic parameters were compared with the data obtained using online measurement techniques and found to be in good agreement. The present work establishes the reliability of calorimetric transformation studies for estimating growth kinetics using a small amount of sample in a very short period, at higher temperatures and pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of 1,2,3-triazole-tethered xanthone derivatives have been prepared from propargyl-oxyxanthone and various aromatic azides via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction in the presence of copper(I) iodide as catalyst. The procedure proved to be easy, high yielding, and selective. The synthesized compounds were characterized by using 1H and 13C NMR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis and were screened for their antimicrobial activity. Most of these compounds showed moderate to high activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's scenario, many scientists and medical researchers have been involved in deep research for discovering the desired medicine to reduce the spread of COVID-19 disease. However, still, it is not the end. Hence, predicting the COVID possibility in an early stage is the most required matter to reduce the death risks. Therefore, many researchers have focused on designing an early prediction mechanism in the basis of deep learning (DL), machine learning (Ml), etc., on detecting the COVID virus and severity in the human body in an earlier stage. However, the complexity of X-ray images has made it difficult to attain the finest prediction accuracy. Hence, the present research work has aimed to develop a novel Vulture Based Adaboost-Feedforward Neural (VbAFN) scheme to forecast the COVID-19 severity early. Here, the chest X-ray images were employed to identify the COVID risk feature in humans. The preprocessing function is done in the initial phase; the error-free data is imported to the classification layer for the feature extraction and segmentation process. This investigation aims to track and segment the affected parts from the trained X-ray images by the vulture fitness and to segment them with a good exactness rate. Subsequently, the designed model has gained a better segmentation accuracy of 99.9% and a lower error rate of 0.0145, which is better than other compared models. Hence, this proposed model in medical applications will offer the finest results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript is concerned with analysing the passiveness of fractional-order neural networks with parameter uncertainties, delays, and periodic impulses. This work mainly focuses on the issue of the lack of suitable Lyapunov functionals for delay-dependent stability/passivity analysis of fractional-order systems (FOSs). First, a fractional-order free-matrix-based integral inequality is derived to estimate the fractional derivative of constructed Lyapunov function. Second, by introducing a fractional parameter, a refined looped functional is structured so that the resulting linear matrix inequality (LMI) includes all the information of delays in states, inter-impulse time, and impulse gain matrix. Then by fractional-order Lyapunov direct method, certain new delay-dependent passivity and stability criteria for the considered FONNs with and without delays are established in the form of LMIs. Numerical examples with simulations are given to pledge the correctness of the proposed theoretical results. Finally, a practical application of developed results is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We aimed to describe healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) patterns and costs in patients with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) and those with a progressive phenotype of fibrosing ILD in a US claims database. Methods: Data from the IBM® MarketScan® databases (1 October 2011–30 September 2015) were used. Diagnosis codes documented on medical claims on two occasions (without any claims during the 12 months prior) identified patients with incident fibrosing ILD. Patients with chronic fibrosing ILD with a progressive phenotype were identified by proxies for progression. Patients aged ≥ 18 years with 365 days of continuous coverage before the index date were eligible for inclusion. Data were analyzed for 12 months prior to identification of fibrosing ILD/progressive phenotype (baseline) and 12 months after (follow-up). Outcomes included treatment patterns, outpatient and inpatient claims, and costs. Results: We identified 23,577 patients with incident fibrosing ILD and 14,722 with the progressive phenotype. Follow-up data were available for 9986 and 5840 patients, respectively. The most frequent ILD-related medications during baseline were corticosteroids (49.4% and 56.6%). Mean (± standard deviation [SD]) annualized number of outpatient claims was 30.0 (± 26.4) and 34.1 (± 27.7) in the baseline period and 36.2 (± 28.6) and 41.9 (± 30.2) in the follow-up in fibrosing ILD and with a progressive phenotype, respectively. Mean (SD) number of all-cause hospitalizations was 0.5 (± 1.1) and 0.7 (± 1.2) during baseline and 0.6 (± 1.1) and 0.7 (± 1.2) during follow-up. Mean (SD) total costs were $40,907 (± 92,496) and $49,561 (± 98,647) during baseline and $46,157 (± 102,858) and $54,215 (± 116,833) during follow-up. Inpatient mortality during follow-up was 53.50 and 77.44 per 1000 patient-years. Conclusion: HCRU and costs were high in patients with chronic fibrosing ILD with a progressive phenotype, likely reflecting the disease severity and the need for close monitoring and acute care. Outpatient claims accounted for a substantial proportion of the total costs. Plain Language Summary: Some patients with lung diseases have inflammation or scarring of the lung tissues (interstitial lung diseases, or ILDs). In some patients with lung scarring, the scarring may become progressive (i.e., it worsens over time). In this study, we looked at these patients identified in US health insurance records. We counted how many times patients visited a doctor, were admitted to hospital, or needed medications or tests. We also looked at the total cost of all this medical care. Overall, we concluded that patients with ILDs with progressive lung scarring had a high number of visits to the doctor, and the total costs of their medical care were high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient one-pot protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 4-[(3-aryl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methylidene]-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-ones by condensation of 3-aryl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehydes, ethyl acetoacetate, and hydrazine hydrate using sodium acetate as catalyst. The synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral data (IR, 1H and 13C NMR, and mass spectra) and elemental analyses and tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against four bacterial and two fungal pathogens. The results of antimicrobial evaluation showed moderate to good inhibitory activity against all tested organisms and were further supported by the molecular docking study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This is a pilot study that describes the feasibility and clinical course of a cohort of preschool children with severe asthma undergoing a combined adenotonillectomy (TA), bronchoscopy (B), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) procedure. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of preschool patients with severe asthma who underwent a combined TA-B-BAL procedure between 2012 and 2019. Subjects were treated at a tertiary care asthma clinic and had a diagnosis of preschool asthma according to the Canadian Thoracic Society Guidelines. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, medication use, virology and microbiology from bronchoalveolar lavage, and asthma control questionnaires were collected. Variables were analyzed using paired t test. Results: Eighteen preschool subjects (mean age 3.19 ± 1.13 years) with severe asthma were identified through the asthma clinic. Patients treated with standard asthma care and a combined TA-B-BAL procedure experienced a decrease in the number of oral steroid courses (p = 0.017), emergency department visits (p = 0.03) and wheezing exacerbations (p = 0.026) following the procedure. Ten patients experienced clinically meaningful improvements in TRACK scores after the procedure (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This pilot study provides early evidence that a combined TA-B-BAL procedure is feasible in preschool children with severe asthma and that the procedure may reduce asthma medication use and hospital visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical solitons with fiber Bragg gratings and polynomial law of nonlinear refractive index are addressed in the paper. The auxiliary equation approach together with an addendum to Kudryashov's method identify soliton solutions to the model. Singular periodic solutions emerge from these integration schemes as a byproduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]