Search

Building expertise in climate and planetary health among healthcare professionals cannot come with greater urgency as the threats from climate change become increasingly apparent. Current and future healthcare professionals—particularly internists—will increasingly need to understand the interconnectedness of natural systems and human health to better serve their patients longitudinally. Despite this, few national medical societies and accreditation bodies espouse frameworks for climate change and planetary health–related education at the undergraduate (UME), graduate (GME), and continuing (CME) medical education level. As a community of medical educators with an enduring interest in climate change and planetary health, the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) recognizes the need to explicitly define structured educational opportunities and core competencies in both UME and GME as well as pathways for faculty development. In this position statement, we build from the related SGIM Climate and Health position statement, and review and synthesize existing position statements made by US-based medical societies and accreditation bodies that focus on climate change and planetary health–related medical education, identify gaps using Bloom's Hierarchy, and provide recommendations on behalf of SGIM regarding the development of climate and planetary health curricula development. Identified gaps include (1) limited systematic approach to climate and planetary health medical education at all levels; (2) minimal emphasis on learner-driven approaches; (3) limited focus on physician and learner well-being; and (4) limited role for health equity and climate justice. Recommendations include a call to relevant accreditation bodies to explicitly include climate change and planetary health as a competency, extend the structural competency framework to climate change and planetary health to build climate justice, proactively include learners in curricular development and teaching, and ensure resources and support to design and implement climate and planetary health–focused education that includes well-being and resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate-based materials have received significant attention for various applications. In supercapacitors, metal phosphates exhibit high capacitance and superior rate performance. In this work, a wet chemical route was applied for the fabrication of aniline stabilized monoclinic bismuth phosphate (BPO) particles within the size range of 4–10 nm. The synthesized material was utilized as an active component for the application of a supercapacitor. The performances of the material were examined on a nickel foam for a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The material showed the maximum specific capacitance ( C SP ) value of 255 F.g−1 at the current density (CD) of 2 A.g−1. Further, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was fabricated with BPO and single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) as negative and positive electrodes, respectively, which delivered a specific capacity (Q s) value of 1462 mAh.g−1 under the CD of 0.4 A.g−1 with the energy density (ED) and power density (PD) values of 2.2 Wh.kg−1 and 0.68 kW.kg−1, respectively. The device exhibited capacity retention and coulombic efficiency (CE) values of 84 and 95% at 0.9 A.g−1 for 10,000 galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) cycles. The ASC device generated a low-frequency waveform and has the potential to function as an oscillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to continued continental convergence of Indian–Eurasian plates, the Himalayan region witnessed several high-magnitude earthquakes and is prone to major seismic events in future as well. Most of the countries with seismically active faults examine paleo seismic data in site specific as well as regional seismic hazard analyses. Hence, it is of great concern to find evidence for prehistoric earthquakes following the morphotectonic route and establish the recurrence intervals of potential earthquakes by characterising and dating large prehistoric events. The present study discusses the paleo seismicity and induced deformational features in the Trans-Yamuna region of the outer Northwest Himalaya by interpreting soft sediment deformation and paleo-liquefaction features. We targeted two sites along the Trans-Yamuna active fault system, which are located in the Sirmurital and Bharli villages; both of these locations are close to Doon Valley along the Main Boundary Thrust. Temporal distribution of paleo-liquefaction features evident major seismic events likely to occur during 16th and 19th centuries, which clearly indicates reactivation of faults in this hinterland region that could experience major rupture during the recurrence of large magnitude earthquake and therefore, constructional activities are a matter of great concern to design structures accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgal biomass for biofuel production, integration into functional food, and feed supplementation has generated substantial interest worldwide due to its high growth rate, non-competitiveness for agronomic land, ease of cultivation in containments, and presence of several bioactive molecules. In this study, genetic engineering tools were employed to develop transgenic lines of freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris with a higher starch content, by up-regulating ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), which is a rate-limiting enzyme in starch biosynthesis. Expression of the Escherichia coli glgC (AGPase homolog) gene in C. vulgaris led to an increase in total carbohydrate content up to 45.1% (dry cell weight, DCW) in the transgenic line as compared to 34.2% (DCW) in the untransformed control. The starch content improved up to 16% (DCW) in the transgenic alga compared to 10% (DCW) in the control. However, the content of total lipid, carotenoid, and chlorophyll decreased differentially in the transgenic lines. The carbohydrate-rich biomass from the transgenic algal line was used to produce bioethanol via yeast fermentation, which resulted in a higher ethanol yield of 82.82 mg/L as compared to 54.41 mg/L from the untransformed control. The in vitro digestibility of the transgenic algal starch revealed a resistant starch content of up to 7% of total starch. Faster growth of four probiotic bacterial species along with a lowering of the pH of the growth medium indicated transgenic alga to exert a positive prebiotic effect. Taken together, the study documents the utilization of genetically engineered C. vulgaris with enriched carbohydrates as bioethanol feedstock and functional food ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure, electronic, magnetic, and transport properties of the hole substituted (Ca2+) and partially B-site disordered double perovskite Y2-xCaxCoMnO6 system are studied. At room temperature, the samples demonstrated a monoclinic perovskite structure with a space group P21/n which was confirmed by Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data. Ultra-violet visible analysis of these samples shows a direct band gap including gap energy near about 1.50 eV. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurement shows that component Co and Mn ions exist in a mixed state (Co3+, Co2+, Mn3+, and Mn4+). All samples exhibit semiconducting/insulating, and electrical conduction can be explained by Mott’s 3-D variable range hopping and small polaron hopping fitting. The magnetization numerical value decreases observed with increases in Ca concentration appears to be caused by increases in antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases. The double perovskite Y1.9Ca0.1CoMnO6 and Y1.8Ca0.2CoMnO6 show ferromagnetic transition at transition temperatures Tc ~ 70 K and Tc ~ 68 K, respectively. The analysis of the samples’ zero fields cooled DC magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature reveals Griffiths-like singularity features that arise as the concentration of Ca increases in the parent system. The Griffith-like phase exists in the sample Y-site with Ca-substitution is independent of the structural disorder caused by the John–Teller active Mn3+ions in sample Y 1.5 Ca 0.5 CoMnO6. Field-dependent magnetization shows meta-magnetic behavior at low-temperature regions in Y1.9Ca0.1CoMnO6 and Y1.8Ca0.2CoMnO6. As the concentration of Ca increased from Y1.8Ca0.2CoMnO6 to Y1.5Ca0.5CoMnO6 meta-magnetic behavior disappeared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) even in early-stage, untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients can be a significant morbidity issue with occasional transformation into metastatic skin lesions. Methods: CLL cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) from CLL patients' blood/plasma were purified and used. Expression/activation of AXL and its functions in normal keratinocytes (HEKa) were assessed in vitro co-culture system and in SCC tissues. Results: We detected aberrant activation of AXL, AKT and ERK-1/2 in SCC cell lines compared to HEKa. We also detected increased expression of AXL in primary SCC tissues obtained from CLL patients. Increased activation of AXL, AKT, ERK-1/2 and Src was discernible in HEKa upon co-culturing with CLL cells. Further analysis suggests that Gas6, a ligand of AXL, regulates AXL activation in co-cultured HEKa. Interestingly, exposure of HEKa cells to CLL plasma-derived EVs induced expression of AXL, P-AKT, and EMT-associated markers leading to migration of the cells. Finally, pharmacologic inhibition of AXL induced cell death in SCC lines in a dose dependent manner. Conclusions: Our findings that CLL cells likely are involved in driving SCC progression, at least in part, via activation of the AXL signaling axis, indicating that AXL inhibition may be beneficial for our CLL patients with SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, high-carbon Nb microalloyed hot rolled steel plates are subjected to quenching and partitioning (Q&P) treatment at different temperatures and time durations. Dilatometry results show that increasing cooling rate (CR) leads to suppression of transformation start and finish temperatures of high-temperature transformation products like pearlite (P) or bainite (B), whereas martensite (M) transformation triggers with increasing cooling rate from 5 to 50 °C/s. The observations made by optical (OM), scanning (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal mixed-phase microstructures consisting of preformed/tempered martensite (PTM), retained austenite (RA), twin martensite (TM), and lower bainite (LB) for the isothermally heat-treated (IHT) samples subjected to Q&P at 200 °C and 180 °C for 30 minutes. The maximum volume percentage of RA ( V γ ) and C content in RA ( C γ ) is witnessed in the IHT samples subjected to Q&P for 30 minutes at 200 °C and 180 °C, respectively, followed by the hot rolled air-cooled (HRAC) sample. The formation of very fine NbC precipitates (~17 to 33 nm) is also evident in HRAC and Q&P at 160 °C for 30 minutes samples, which are expected to contribute significantly to precipitation strengthening. Hardness shows an increasing trend from 36 HRC to 65 HRC with increasing CR from 0.5 to 50 °C/s. The best combinations of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and total elongation (TEL) in Q&P 200 samples (36043 MPa pct) followed by Q&P 180 samples (32759 MPa pct) can be correlated with their higher values of V γ and C γ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cd(II) is a potentially toxic heavy metal having carcinogenic activity. It is becoming widespread in the soil and groundwater by various natural and anthropological activities. This is inviting its immediate removal. The present study is aimed at developing a Cd(II) resistant strain isolated from contaminated water body and testing its potency in biological remediation of Cd(II) from aqueous environment. The developed resistant strain was characterized by SEM, FESEM, TEM, EDAX, FT-IR, Raman Spectral, XRD and XPS analysis. The results depict considerable morphological changes had taken place on the cell surface and interaction of Cd(II) with the surface exposed functional groups along with intracellular accumulation. Molecular contribution of critical cell wall component has been evaluated. The developed resistant strain had undergone Cd(II) biosorption study by employing adsorption isotherms and kinetic modeling. Langmuir model best fitted the Cd(II) biosorption data compared to the Freundlich one. Cd(II) biosorption by the strain followed a pseudo second order kinetics. The physical parameters affecting biosorption were also optimized by employing response surface methodology using central composite design. The results depict remarkable removal capacity 75.682 ± 0.002% of Cd(II) by the developed resistant strain from contaminated aqueous medium using 500 ppm of Cd(II). Quantitatively, biosorption for Cd(II) by the newly developed resistant strain has been increased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 4.36 ppm (non-resistant strain) to 378.41 ppm (resistant strain). It has also shown quite effective desorption capacity 87.527 ± 0.023% at the first desorption cycle and can be reused effectively as a successful Cd(II) desorbent up to five cycles. The results suggest that the strain has considerable withstanding capacity of Cd(II) stress and can be employed effectively in the Cd(II) bioremediation from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of processing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast duplex stainless steel 2507 is studied. It is established that the structure of hot-rolled steel contains δ-ferrite and austenite (γ) bands that change due to 50% cold rolling to form microstructural constituents of a more refined and fragmented nature of a duplex (γ +δ) phase. Austenite grains are most effectively refined (up to 5 μm) because of the recrystallization occurring during aging treatment. The cold-rolled steel has maximum strength and minimum elongation. The best combination of strength and ductility is achieved after hot deformation + solution treatment at 1040°C with water cooling and after hot deformation + solution treatment at 1300°C with water cooling followed by isothermal aging at 1000°C. Such processing ensures a good formability of the steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the macroscopic behavior of cellulose acetate (CA) in three different solvents, namely Dimethyl Formamide (DMF), N-methyl 2-Pyrrolidinone (NMP), and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO). The combination of experimental studies with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate molecular interactions and conformational changes governing CA-solvent systems. Practical dimensions are added through investigations into pore formation mechanisms, thermodynamics of phase diagrams, and the synthesis of hollow fiber membranes. The observed de-mixing phenomena varies across solvent systems, with CA-DMSO system undergoing the quickest de-mixing, while CA-NMP demonstrates the slowest. This discrepancy suggests different levels of miscibility and phase separation in distinct solvent environments. Shifts in phase diagrams, along with surface morphology and porosity of synthesized membranes, offer valuable insights into the macroscopic properties of these polymer–solvent systems. MD simulations reveal detailed molecular interactions between CA and each solvent. Structural evolutions, including distortions in bond angles and lengths, showcase unique solvent-specific behaviors. Notably, DMSO induces the highest distortions, while NMP exhibits the least. Studies on radius of gyrations further support these observations, indicating significant structural shrinkage in NMP, sudden shrinkage in DMF, and structural instability with immiscibility in DMSO. These molecular-level findings serve as a bridge to interpret macroscopic properties observed experimentally. The integration of experimental and computational approaches in this study provides a holistic understanding of CA-solvent systems. These insights hold implications for designing and optimizing polymer–solvent systems, particularly in the field of membrane science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The siliciclastics make the major part of the Proterozoic Kumaun Lesser Himalaya region. These share similar appearance, sedimentology, and petrography. In the absence of fossils and any other age constraint, these are named differently in literature, i.e., Nagthat, Bhowali, Lariakantha, and Berinag quartzites, based on their locality, sedimentological and petrographical characteristics. Their stratal disposition and their regional correlation are always debatable. The present work addresses the stratal disposition of these Proterozoic siliciclastics using the detrital zircon (DZ) U–Pb geochronology. The study suggests that the siliciclastics of Bhowali, Lariakantha, Nagthat and Berinag in the Kumaun region are equivalent and show the maximum depositional age (MDA) of ~1850 Ma. However, the Nagthat Formation in Garhwal Lesser Himalaya has a Neoproterozoic DZ depositional age (~850 Ma) and is a different identity. This study suggests that in the Kumaun Lesser region (inner and outer), only Palaeoproterozoic siliciclastic is present. Also, they can be grouped under Berinag with its implications about the inner and outer Lesser Himalayan division and the relationship with younger strata of Blaini Formation. Research highlights: U-Pb Detrital zircon geochronology from siliciclastics, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya (inner and outer) region Only Palaeoproterozoic detrital zircon ages for Kumaun Lesser region (both inner (ILH) and outer (OLH)) Continuous Paleoproterozoic sedimentation in a single basin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida tropicalis is a human pathogen and one of the most prevalent non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species causing invasive infections. Azole antifungal resistance in C. tropicalis is also gradually increasing with the increasing incidence of infections. The pathogenic success of C. tropicalis depends on its effective response in the host microenvironment. To become a successful pathogen, cellular metabolism, and physiological status determine the ability of the pathogen to counter diverse stresses inside the host. However, to date, limited knowledge is available on the impact of carbon substrate metabolism on stress adaptation and azole resistance in C. tropicalis. In this study, we determined the impact of glucose, fructose, and sucrose as the sole carbon source on the fluconazole resistance and osmotic (NaCl), oxidative (H2O2) stress adaptation in C. tropicalis clinical isolates. We confirmed that the abundance of carbon substrates influences or increases drug resistance and osmotic and oxidative stress tolerance in C. tropicalis. Additionally, both azole-resistant and susceptible isolates showed similar stress adaptation phenotypes, confirming the equal efficiency of becoming successful pathogens irrespective of drug susceptibility profile. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first on C. tropicalis to demonstrate the direct relation between carbon substrate metabolism and stress tolerance or drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic molecule stabilized face-centered cubic structured bismuth fluoride (BiF3) nanoparticles (NPs), space group: Fm-3 m, were prepared using a wet chemical synthesis route for symmetric supercapacitor application. For freestanding three electrode system, at current density (Cd) 3.3 A.g−1, the material displayed a maximum specific capacitance (SCp) value 717.3 F.g−1. The symmetric device based on BiF3 attained a maximum specific capacity (SC) value of 228.4 mAh.g−1 at 0.06 A.g−1. At the current density of 0.30 A.g−1, the device displayed the energy density (Ed) and power density (Pd) values of 0.17 Wh.kg−1 and 343.7 W.kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, the fabricated symmetric supercapacitor displayed 90% of capacity retention and 95% of coulombic efficiency at 0.12 A.g−1 for 1000 galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) cycles. The symmetric supercapacitor based on BiF3 NPs exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, which could be an appropriate choice for application in different integrated energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study aimed to evaluate comparability in terms of efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of Sun's ranibizumab biosimilar with reference ranibizumab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: This prospective, randomised, double-blind, two-group, parallel-arm, multicentre, phase 3 comparative study included patients with nAMD ≥ 50 years, randomised (in a 2:1 ratio) in a double-blind manner to receive 0.5 mg (0.05 mL) intravitreal injection of either Sun's ranibizumab or reference ranibizumab in the study eye every 4 weeks until week 16 (total of four doses). Results: Primary endpoint results demonstrated equivalence in the proportion of patients who lost fewer than 15 letters from baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) to the end of week 16 (99% of patients in Sun's ranibizumab and 100% in reference ranibizumab; p > 0.9999), with the proportional difference (90% confidence interval) at −1% (−2.51, +0.61) lying within a pre-specified equivalence margin. Visual acuity improved by 15 or more letters in 43% of Sun's ranibizumab group and 37% of the reference ranibizumab group (p = 0.4267). The mean increase in BCVA was 15.7 letters in Sun's ranibizumab group and 14.6 letters in the reference ranibizumab group (p < 0.001 within both groups and p = 0.5275 between groups). The mean change in central macular thickness was comparable between groups (p = 0.7946). Anti-ranibizumab antibodies were found in one patient of the reference ranibizumab group, while neutralising antibodies were not found in any patients. Both products were well tolerated. Conclusion: Sun's ranibizumab biosimilar is found to be therapeutically equivalent to reference ranibizumab in patients with nAMD. There were no additional safety or immunogenicity concerns. Trial Registration: CTRI/2020/09/027629, registered on 07 September 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen defect engineering is a reliable and efficient approach to modulate the electronic structure of metal oxides for the improvement of catalytic efficiency. In this work, carbon nitride supported titanium dioxide nanoparticle, with the space group of I41/amd, was prepared using a high temperature synthesis route. Transmission electron microscope study revealed that titanium dioxide particle were dispersed uniformly on the carbon nitride network. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis predicted the formation of oxygen defects in the matrix of titanium oxide, and it also indicated the presence of titanium ions with mixed valence states. The synthesized hybrid system was evaluated as an electrocatalyst for the electrochemical detection of epinephrine using cyclic voltammetric and square wave voltammetric techniques. A custom-made device was also fabricated using synthesized hybrid material for the purpose of evaluating the electrochemical sensing of epinephrine in a pharmaceutical sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While developing a child health index is of interest, it is particularly important in the Indian context, because of a high burden of poor child health, the disparities in child health between different social, economic, and geographical regions and the absence of such a comprehensive index. This paper focuses on the development and validation of a Child Health Index (CHI) for India. Using publicly available data at the district level and principal component analysis, this index is composed of 16 variables representing six domains namely socio-cultural, child health status, determinants of child health (both risk and protective factors), household environment and health system and policy. Several statistical tests were conducted to provide internal and external validation. The application to predict child mortality confirmed its validation. This study thus provides a new tool for characterising child health and detecting child health inequalities at a district level in India. Consequently, it can be used by policymakers, health service providers and other stakeholders involved in child welfare to monitor and improve child health over time and space. Highlights: • The existing Indian health indices need a social determinant framework and inclusion of different stages of life. • Proposed Child Health Index (CHI) is based on 16 indicators measuring parameters impacting birth, infancy, and childhood. • CHI has a strong theory-base, uses reliable indicators representing various complexity of child health, at small geographical level, it is computed using a robust statistical methodology. • CHI provides ranking for all districts of India. Based on the ranking policy makers can prioritize geographical areas for action and focus on indicators that falter in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In 2019, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommended genetic testing for all patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To evaluate the status of implementation of these guidelines in a loco-regional setting, we performed a retrospective, observational study among patients with newly diagnosed PDAC who received oncologic care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Georgia. Methods: Chart abstraction of patients with newly diagnosed PDAC from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021 was performed to include information on genetic testing recommendation and completion, and time from diagnosis to testing. The deidentified dataset was then analyzed using appropriate descriptive and associative statistical testing. Results: Of the cohort of 109 patients, 32 (29.4%) completed genetic screening; 16 (14.7%) were screened within 10 days of diagnosis. Among the 77 (70.6%) patients who did not receive genetic screening, 45 (41.3%) were not recommended genetic screening despite treatment intent with standard of care therapy. However, 32 (29.4%) were not recommended genetic screening in conjunction with a desire to pursue palliative care/hospice/or due to terminal illness. Conclusions: The study highlighted the gap in implementation of NCCN guideline-directed genetic testing in PDAC patients as only a third underwent testing suggesting the need for systematic processes to facilitate testing. The test was more likely to be completed if done early in the course, especially soon after the diagnosis. Research is needed to explore discussing genetic testing for the large proportion of patients who are terminally ill at diagnosis where genetic screening would potentially benefit the family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a high temperature in-situ route is reported for the synthesis of one dimensional carbon nitride supported bismuth sulfide nanoparticles. The x-ray diffraction study confirmed the formation of orthorhombic crystal structure of bismuth sulfide with the space group of Pnma (62). The synthesized product was used as an electrode material for supercapacitor application. Electrochemical performance of the three-electrode configuration demonstrated the specific capacitance value of 190 F.g−1 at the current density 1.5 A.g−1. A symmetric supercapacitor device, fabricated using identical synthesized material, resulted a specific capacity of 101.7 mAh.g−1 at 0.02 A.g−1, with energy and power density values of 24.35 mWh.kg−1 and 186.57 W.kg−1, respectively. The symmetric device also exhibited excellent cycling stability that retained 99% of its initial capacity after 500 cycles at 0.12 A.g−1. The coin cell based symmetric supercapacitor can generate the low frequency waveform and functioned as an oscillator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the importance of sustainable nuclear energy, effective management of radioactive nuclear waste, such as sequestration of radioiodine has inflicted a significant research attention in recent years. Despite the fact that materials have been reported for the adsorption of iodine, development of effective adsorbent with significantly improved segregation properties for widespread practical applications still remain exceedingly difficult due to lack of proper design strategies. Herein, utilizing unique hybridization synthetic strategy, a composite crystalline aerogel material has been fabricated by covalent stepping of an amino-functionalized stable cationic discrete metal-organic polyhedra with dual-pore containing imine-functionalized covalent organic framework. The ultralight hybrid composite exhibits large surface area with hierarchical macro-micro porosity and multifunctional binding sites, which collectively interact with iodine. The developed nano-adsorbent demonstrate ultrahigh vapor and aqueous-phase iodine adsorption capacities of 9.98 g.g−1 and 4.74 g.g−1, respectively, in static conditions with fast adsorption kinetics, high retention efficiency, reusability and recovery. The development of effective adsorbents of radioiodine nuclear waste remains difficult due to the lack of proper material design strategies. Here the authors report an ultralight hierarchically porous crystalline multifunctional hybrid nanocomposite for ultrafast entrapment of iodine and polyiodide species under both static and dynamic condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quadcopters are used in various forms in the civil arena, from crop insurance to agricultural drones, as loudspeakers for announcing government guidelines, resilience tools in infrastructure monitoring, real-time vehicle detection, etc. However, the usage of quadcopters and hexacopters in supplying medical aid to inhospitable and far-flung terrains is being studied and researched in less detail throughout the globe. Aim: This paper focuses on the basics of quadcopter technology in supplying medicines and its advantages to the affected patients who get life-saving medicines from earlier inaccessible roads. The efficacy of quadcopters in terms of time, economy, and manpower in supplying essential and inescapable medical supplies is exponentially high, especially in the Pithoragarh Region of Uttarakhand State, where the villages are not connected to the roads. Methods: The road structure of the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand, India, was studied in detail to know the state of people who do not get access to life-saving drugs due to the non-availability of roads near them. Results: The result informs us that the quad/hexacopter if used in abundance can provide a glimmer of hope to people in remote places. Conclusion: The quadcopter can provide hope to the residents of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India, located in far-flung places devoid of basic medical facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration in forests has increasingly captured the attention of scientists as a strategy for climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability. In this era of huge carbon emissions, being a low-carbon and cost-effective technology, the economic analysis of forest carbon sequestration holds higher importance for the successful implementation and intended outcomes. This study elucidates a scientometric view of the research structure and thematic evolution of economic studies on forest carbon sequestration based on 1439 articles over the time slice of 2001–2021. The bibliographic data have been retrieved from the Dimensions database, which accommodates a large coverage of research publications and also provides easy access to essential scholarly data and information. Vosviewer and Biblioshiny software tools have opted for visualisation and evaluation purposes of bibliometric data. This study employs various measures of bibliometric analysis like co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, citation and keyword analysis to find out the principal articles, authors, journals, most frequent keywords and highest publishing countries and institutions in this field, and the results show that the number of publications has escalated substantially in the last five years, the most cited article and most productive author are Popp A, 2017 (305 citations) and André P C Faaij (11 documents), respectively, Bradford's law calculates 21 core journals out of total 503 journals, among which Forest Policy and Economics is at the top, and the most productive country and institution are the USA and University of Florida, respectively. The study also investigates key publishing subject categories, and the number of publications covered under each of the Sustainable Development Goals. The overall outcome of this bibliometric study confers an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of economic analysis on forest carbon sequestration and its development pattern in the last 21 years and also provides emerging themes for future reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye pollution is a significant environmental catastrophe, and it has so far proven to be challenging to purify dye-contaminated water effectively. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have potential of removing dyes from wastewater but effectively addressing the simultaneous removal of multiple dyes remains a challenging task. In-MOF, synthesized in the round-bottom flask, sealed glass tubes, and under microwave conditions, exhibits excellent adsorption for cationic dyes. The identification and characterization of In-MOF were accomplished using several analytical techniques, including Powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning electron microscope, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Elemental analysis, and Density functional theory for structure elucidation. In-MOF exhibits outstanding dye removal efficiency for Methylene Blue (MB: 98%; 18.6 mg/g), Azure A (AZA: 99%; 22.4 mg/g), Azure B (AZB: 98%; 17.2 mg/g), Toluidine Blue O (TOLO: 99%; 20.6 mg/g), Rhodamine B (RHB: 82%; 8.8 mg/g), and Congo red (CR: 93%; 14.2 mg/g) individually. Moreover, In-MOF demonstrates remarkable selectivity towards MB removal even in the presence of RHB. The kinetics of adsorption and reusability tests for MB indicate consistent removal capacity for the initial three cycles, but a significant decline of up to 52% is observed by the sixth cycle. These findings establish In-MOF as a promising candidate for industrial applications due to its high removal efficiency and practical synthetic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the demand of the day, the multivalued logic (MVL) is gaining its momentum to meet up the demand of the latest technology dealing with huge volume of data. In multivalued logic (MVL) system, the trinary- and quadruple-valued logics are the very alternatives in recent scenario. Further, the reversible computing not only reflects a fundamental law of physics but also offers potential to achieve zero dissipation by preventing entropy loss during computation. In this paper, a new gate called optical quadruple reversible hybrid new gate (OQRHNG) is introduced to explore the benefits of multivalued logic (MVL) in association with reversible logic computation. The potential application areas of HNG are also implemented accordingly in this paper. Moreover, the ultra-fast optical signal processing may be achieved by using SLM and Savart plate. Finally, the performance of the optical quadruple reversible hybrid new gate (OQRHNG) is evaluated using Python simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of new sensor technologies, Internet of Things (IoT)-based healthcare applications have gained momentum in recent years. However, IoT devices have limited resources, making them incapable of executing large computational operations. To solve this problem, the serverless paradigm, with its advantages such as dynamic scalability and infrastructure management, can be used to support the requirements of IoT-based applications. However, due to the heterogeneous structure of IoT, user trust must also be taken into account when providing this integration. This problem can be overcome by using a Blockchain that guarantees data immutability and ensures that any data generated by the IoT device is not modified. This paper proposes a BlockFaaS framework that supports dynamic scalability and guarantees security and privacy by integrating a serverless platform and Blockchain architecture into latency-sensitive Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based healthcare applications. To do this, we deployed the AIBLOCK framework, which guarantees data immutability in smart healthcare applications, into HealthFaaS, a serverless-based framework for heart disease risk detection. To expand this framework, we used high-performance AI models and a more efficient Blockchain module. We use the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol in all communication channels to ensure privacy within the framework. To validate the proposed framework, we compare its performance with the HealthFaaS and AIBLOCK frameworks. The results show that BlockFaaS outperforms HealthFaaS with an AUC of 4.79% and consumes 162.82 millijoules less energy on the Blockchain module than AIBLOCK. Additionally, the cold start latency value occurring in Google Cloud Platform, the serverless platform into which BlockFaaS is integrated, and the factors affecting this value are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus is one of the major horticultural crops with high economic and nutraceutical value. Despite the fact that conventional research has developed numerous improved varieties, citriculture is still susceptible to various stresses and requires innovative solutions such as genetic engineering. Among all the currently available modern approaches, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the most efficient method for introducing desired traits in citrus. However, being a non-host for Agrobacterium, various citrus species, including Citrus aurantifolia and Citrus sinensis, are recalcitrant to this method. The available reports on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of commercial citrus cultivars show very low transformation efficiency with poor recovery rates of whole transgenic plantlets. Here, we provide an efficient and reliable procedure of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation for both C. aurantifolia and C. sinensis. This protocol depends on providing callus-inducing treatment to explants before and during Agrobacterium co-cultivation, using optimum conditions for shoot regeneration and modifying in-vitro micrografting protocol to combat the loss of transgenic lines. As transgenic citrus shoots are difficult to root, we also developed the ideal conditions for their rooting. Using this protocol, the whole transgenic plantlets of C. aurantifolia and C. sinensis can be developed in about ~ 4 months, with transformation efficiency of 30% and 22% for the respective species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical discharge coating (EDC) is a non-conventional coating process adopted from electrical discharge machining (EDM). In this paper, the aluminum surface is modified using WC–Si–Cu green compacted electrode. A high hard ceramic layer has been deposited onto the aluminum substrate using reverse polarity settings in EDM with powder metallurgy (P/M) electrode. A Taguchi L9 orthogonal array is implemented to study the response of various parameters like tool compaction pressure and peak current on the EDC process. Studies are made to justify the effect of parameters like compaction pressure and peak current on material deposition rate (MDR), tool wear rate (TWR), and surface roughness (SR). Here analysis of variance (ANOVA), signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and fuzzy interface system (FIS) are applied to examine the effect of significant process parameters. Characterization of the coated surface is performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that the (P/M) tool material has uniformly deposited on the aluminum workpiece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of manufacturing flexible composite has been developed by using cellulose-protein fibre blended needle punched non-woven structure and suitable chemical formulation of natural rubber, sulphur dispersion, accelerator, activator, stabilizer, natural filler antioxidant. Scoured proteinous wool fibre was used in different blend proportion with bleached cellulosic ramie fibre (ramie: wool = 80:10 and 80:20) for making non-woven structure having grammage of around 250 g/m2. One side of the developed fibre reinforced flexible composite was spray coated with optimised formulation of pigment and polyurethane in two phases (base coating and top coating), followed by hot-pressing and wax polishing. Physical properties like abrasion resistance, tensile strength, tear strength, puncture resistance, permeability and porosity of the developed product have been examined and compared with a marketed artificial leather and wet blue goat leather having same thickness and weight. The developed leather alternative presented tensile strength values 30% smaller than the natural goat leather, and both presented similar values of tear strength. Extensibility of the developed composites was within 23–27% whereas natural leather showed 70% extensibility. Ramie-wool reinforced rubberised flexible composites have shown 20–25% more thickness recovery as compared to the only ramie based flexible composites in dynamic loading test. Developed composite products were scientifically characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and compared with marketed synthetic leather. Biodegradability and antimicrobial property of the developed product were also examined as per standard test methods. Besides, commercialization prospect of the product with cost analysis also has been represented in the current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical gravity coupled to a CFT4 (matter) is considered. The effect of the quantum dynamics of matter on gravity is studied around maximally symmetric spaces (flat, de Sitter and Anti de Sitter). The structure of the graviton propagator is modified and non-trivial poles appear due to matter quantum effects. The position and residues of such poles are mapped as a function of the relevant parameters, the central charge of the CFT4, the two R2 couplings of gravity as well as the curvature of the background space-time. The instabilities induced are determined. Such instabilities can be important in cosmology as they trigger the departure from de Sitter space and in some regions of parameters are more important than the well-known scalar instabilities. It is also determined when the presence of such instabilities is unreliable if the associated scales are larger than the "species" cutoff of the gravitational theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mission-critical applications refer to the real-time applications, which require fast and secure service provisioning, such as defense sector and disaster management. This paper proposes a delay-aware and secure service provisioning model for such types of applications. As a use-case, we have considered the defense sector, which is a vital sector for a country's all-round well-being including security, safety, society, and economy. In the conventional sensor-cloud model, the sensor data is stored and processed in the cloud. However, the sensor nodes have small coverage and the use of the long distant cloud servers increases the delay. Therefore, the conventional sensor-cloud model may not be efficient for defense application. Moreover, data hiding for security purposes is another important aspect of this field. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a mobility-aware sensor-fog paradigm for mission-critical applications based on network coding and steganography, referred to as Mobi-Sense. In Mobi-Sense, steganography is used for hiding the data during transmission. The theoretical results demonstrate that Mobi-Sense outperforms the existing frameworks with respect to delay and power consumption by ∼ (40 - 80) %. The simulation results present that Mobi-Sense reduces the delay by ∼ (18 - 40) % than the conventional sensor-cloud framework for mission-critical applications. An optimal path finding algorithm based on deep learning has been deployed in the context of disaster scenario. The experimental analysis shows that the proposed optimal path finding method achieves precision and accuracy above 90%. This is observed that our proposed modules have outperformed existing baselines in terms of accuracy, delay, and power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a key concept of the sixth generation (6G) mobile network. In the 6G paradigm, NOMA is a significant energy and spectral efficiency technique, especially in the indoor region, to maintain the quality of service. multiple input multiple outputs (MIMO) base station serves as the main base station due to massive connectivity. In MIMO, spatial modulation (SM) gives a huge data rate and reduces inter-antenna interference. Beamforming permits a proficient intercell interference organization for short-distance data transmission. The prime concept in NOMA is to provide various end users with the same resource block based on a time frame, spreading code, or subcarrier successive interference cancellation. In this article, we propose a power-efficient 6G NOMA-beamforming-based spectrum allocation scheme for the Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the indoor region. MIMO with SM transmits the signal to indoor next-generation node B (gNB). It is a 3GPP-complaint implementation of 5G/beyond 5G base stations. Various IoT devices are connected with those gNBs and share the communication resources. In this paper, we propose an IoT device-interoperability scheme based on the requirements of the IoT devices aiming at improving the network performance. The simulation results show that the proposed model diminishes power consumption and improves signal-to-interferences-plus-noise ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) acquires excellent properties while possessing poor processability. Blending low molecular weight polyethylene disentangles the molecular chain of UHMWPE and improves its processability, improving fiber productivity. In the present study, UHMWPE and its HDPE-blended fibers were produced by a high-temperature electrospinning process, and the effect of HDPE content on fiber properties was investigated in depth. Analysis of fiber surface morphology revealed the formation of uniformly distributed nano- to microscopic pores/pits, wrinkles, and grooves on the surface of blended fibers, unlike neat UHMWPE fibers containing irregular surface bulges and pits. It suggested that the blending of HDPE affected the surface topography and the thermal and mechanical properties of electrospun fibers. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of UHMWPE fiber improved by 142 and 102% at a 67:33 mass ratio of UHMWPE and HDPE and by 84 and 132% in the case of a 50:50 composition ratio, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese stannate perovskite nanoparticles were synthesized by applying a complexation mediated approach. Rietveld refinement of the XRD data exhibited orthorhombic structure with space group of Pnma. The structure included eightfold coordinated Mn2+ cation, surrounded by eight O2− anions and formed MnO8 polyhedra unit. Each polyhedra unit interconnected through the corner-sharing SnO6 octahedra with the formation of a cage-like network. The temperature and frequency dependent dielectric performances of manganese stannate were measured in the form of a device, which exhibited maximum dielectric constant value ~ 3445. The high dielectric constant value was originated due to the contribution of space charge polarization and orientation polarization of dipoles within the measured frequency ranges. Temperature and frequency dependent AC-conduction mechanism of the manganese stannate-based device involved both overlapping large polarons and non-overlapping small polarons. Electric field-dependent of polarization hysteresis loop of the device exhibited the maximum polarization value 1.5 µC/cm2 under the electric field of 3 kV/mm. Under the applied field of 2 kV/mm, the device exhibited a fatigue-free polarization with a maximum value of 0.92 µC/cm2, sustained for 103 cycles under ambient temperature condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty of climatic or weather variations makes human adaptation a challenging task. Though lots of techno developments have taken place addressing the need of predictions and forecasting of climatic behavior, the uncertainty of atmospheric and geoprocesses poses a severe challenge to the effectivity of efforts in dealing with disasters. It has become very crucial to understand the future atmospheric uncertainty process and further predict and forecast for analysis of different activities based on geographical locations. Climate parameters are mandatorily required to improve system activities and output analysis of acquired data. For a sustainable adaptation, this is very important on how the uncertainty of variations in climatic parameters is dealt and the decisions based upon appropriate forecasting model are taken. The work has primarily focused on the development of an appropriate model, training the model with massive monthly rainfall and temperature data which can be used to analyze any climatic predictions and provide support to deal with adverse future situations. This model determines the appropriate amount of rainfall and temperature varied during the dry season and helps set a relationship with other input variables like humidity and maximum and minimum temperature. The model has been trained and tested using the obtained data and performed well with better accuracy. The model developed using long short-term memory algorithm of deep learning for predicting rainfall and temperature climatic variables is supported with the study of the main factors affecting monthly climatic change analysis. Monthly precipitation, rainfall intensity, and temperature have been used in the multipurpose prediction model to analyze the monthly and yearly climatic change prediction. The model has also been optimized for precision, accuracy, and computational speed, which are affected by number of iterations, neurons of a hidden layers, epochs, and batch size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serverless computing emerges as a new standard to build cloud applications, where developers write compact functions that respond to events in the cloud infrastructure. Several cloud service industries started adopting serverless for deploying their applications. But one key limitation in serverless computing is that it disregards the significance of data. In the age of big data, when applications run around a huge volume, to transfer data from the data side to the computation side to co-allocate the data and code, leads to high latency. All existing serverless architectures are based on the data shipping architecture. In this paper, we present an inter-region code shipping architecture for serverless, that enables the code to flow from computation side to the data side where the size of the code is negligible compared to the data size. We tested our proposed architecture over a real-time cloud platform Amazon Web Services with the integration of the Fission serverless tool. The evaluation of the proposed code shipping architecture shows for a data file size of 64 MB, the latency in the proposed code shipping architecture is 8.36 ms and in existing data shipped architecture is found to be 16.8 ms. Hence, the proposed architecture achieves a speedup of 2x on the round latency for high data sizes in a serverless environment. We define round latency to be the duration to read and write back the data in the storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, generates multiple protein-coding, subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) from a longer genomic RNA, all bearing identical termini with poorly understood roles in regulating viral gene expression. Insulin and interferon-gamma, two host-derived, stress-related agents, and virus spike protein, induce binding of glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS1), within an unconventional, tetra-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase complex, to the sgRNA 3′-end thereby enhancing sgRNA expression. We identify an EPRS1-binding sarbecoviral pan-end activating RNA (SPEAR) element in the 3′-end of viral RNAs driving agonist-induction. Translation of another co-terminal 3′-end feature, ORF10, is necessary for SPEAR-mediated induction, independent of Orf10 protein expression. The SPEAR element enhances viral programmed ribosomal frameshifting, thereby expanding its functionality. By co-opting noncanonical activities of a family of essential host proteins, the virus establishes a post-transcriptional regulon stimulating global viral RNA translation. A SPEAR-targeting strategy markedly reduces SARS-CoV-2 titer, suggesting a pan-sarbecoviral therapeutic modality. Here, Khan et al. identify a pan-genome-end sarbecoviral RNA element in SARS-CoV-2 that recruits an unconventional host multiprotein-complex to enhance viral translation and assigns a new function to ORF10. Antisense targeting of the element points to a potential novel therapeutic modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we develop an alternative approach for solution of Quantum Trajectories using the Path Integral method. The state-of-the-art technique in the field is to solve a set of nonlinear, coupled partial differential equations simultaneously. We opt for a fundamentally different route. We first derive a general closed form expression for the Path Integral propagator valid for any general potential as a functional of the corresponding classical path. The method is exact and is applicable in many dimensions as well as multi-particle cases. This, then, is used to compute the Quantum Potential, which, in turn, can generate the Quantum Trajectories. As a model application to illustrate the method, we solve for the double-well potential, both analytically (using a perturbative approach) and numerically (exact solution). Using this we delve into seeking insight into Quantum Tunnelling. The work formally bridges the Path Integral approach with Quantum Fluid Dynamics, an issue of fundamental importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cis and trans-interactions among cadherins secure multicellularity. While the molecular structure of trans-interactions of cadherins is well understood, work to identify the molecular cues that spread the cis-interactions two-dimensionally is still ongoing. Here, we report that transient, weak, yet multivalent, and spatially distributed hydrophobic interactions that are involved in liquid-liquid phase separations of biomolecules in solution, alone can drive the lateral-clustering of cadherin-23 on a membrane. No specific cis-dimer interactions are required for the lateral clustering. In cells, the cis-clustering accelerates cell-cell adhesion and, thus, contributes to cell-adhesion kinetics along with strengthening the junction. Although the physiological connection of cis-clustering with rapid adhesion is yet to be explored, we speculate that the over-expression of cadherin-23 in M2-macrophages may facilitate faster attachments to circulatory tumor cells during metastasis. The long non-classical cadherin-23 forms cis-clusters on a membrane via transient, weak, but multivalent and spatially distributed hydrophobic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO and CdS nanoparticle (NP) doped with first row transition metal ions showed significant antibacterial activity towards Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive bacteria. While, the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs was found to be significant in Gram-negative bacteria, the effect was comparatively less pronounced towards Gram-positive bacteria. The activity was found to increase with increasing concentration of the NPs. Doping of ZnO NP with Fe atom resulted in significant reduction in the efficacy its antimicrobial activity. In comparison, CdS quantum dot showed antibacterial activity both in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. While Co doped CdS particles did not show any modulated antibacterial activity; doping by Fe atom augments it with increasing the dopant concentration. The interaction of anti-diabetic drug chlorpropamide is significantly stronger with bovine serum albumin adsorbed on Fe-doped CdS in comparison with undoped NPs without significant alteration in the protein secondary structure. Present study reveals that the drug binding ability of proteins can be significantly modulated on judicious choice of NP system and also the dopant. The modulation in antimicrobial activity and the drug binding ability of the adsorbed protein was explained on the basis of structural parameters and different physicochemical properties of the doped NP systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider three related topics: (a) Holographic quantum field theories on AdS spaces. (b) Holographic interfaces of flat space QFTs. (c) Wormholes connecting generically different QFTs. We investigate in a concrete example how the related classical solutions explore the space of QFTs and we construct the general solutions that interpolate between the same or different CFTs with arbitrary couplings. The solution space contains many exotic flow solutions that realize unusual asymptotics, as boundaries of different regions in the space of solutions. We find phenomena like "walking" flows and the generation of extra boundaries via flow fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to explain how the addition of metallic (Ag) nanoparticles to an aqueous nanofluid increased the thermal conductivity with temperature. Through the Green–Kubo framework, equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been used to determine the thermal conductivity in the presence of metallic spherical nanoparticles of Ag. Furthermore, as system temperature rises, thermal conductivity rises as well. It has been calculated how likely it is to find a particle at a certain distance using the radial distribution function. Atom movements are amplified, according to mean square displacement investigations for the liquid and solid phases in base fluids. The rectified heat current correlation function makes a prediction regarding the thermal conductivity. For stability analysis, total kinetic energy, average running kinetic energy, potential energy, and total energy have all been investigated. a Geometric structure of a water molecule in SPC/E model and an Ag nanoparticle, b Initial and intermediate snapshots of the model of a Spherical Ag nanoparticle in water with periodic boundary conditions in 3 dimensions. The red, yellow, and blue dots correspond to hydrogen, oxygen, and Ag atoms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute biennial workshop, originally scheduled for April 2020 but postponed for 2 years due to the Covid pandemic, was organised to debate and discuss the future of Remote Ischaemic Conditioning (RIC). This evolved from the large multicentre CONDI-2–ERIC–PPCI outcome study which demonstrated no additional benefit when using RIC in the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The workshop discussed how conditioning has led to a significant and fundamental understanding of the mechanisms preventing cell death following ischaemia and reperfusion, and the key target cyto-protective pathways recruited by protective interventions, such as RIC. However, the obvious need to translate this protection to the clinical setting has not materialised largely due to the disconnect between preclinical and clinical studies. Discussion points included how to adapt preclinical animal studies to mirror the patient presenting with an acute myocardial infarction, as well as how to refine patient selection in clinical studies to account for co-morbidities and ongoing therapy. These latter scenarios can modify cytoprotective signalling and need to be taken into account to allow for a more robust outcome when powered appropriately. The workshop also discussed the potential for RIC in other disease settings including ischaemic stroke, cardio-oncology and COVID-19. The workshop, therefore, put forward specific classifications which could help identify so-called responders vs. non-responders in both the preclinical and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has a significant and expanding role to play in contemporary cardio-oncology. This review seeks to explore the current and future roles of this imaging modality in the cardio-oncology setting. Recent Findings: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is required in diagnosing, monitoring and treating all types of cardiotoxicities (acute coronary syndromes, arrhythmias, myocarditis, pericardial disease, heart failure) and in all types of cancers (breast, gastrointestinal, renal, prostate, haematological etc.). Newer imaging sequences and techniques can help provide additional information and shorten imaging times. Summary: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is an integral part of the holistic management of cardio-oncology patients, with increasingly expanding applications in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wet chemical route is reported for synthesising organic molecule stabilized lead sulfide nanoparticles. The dielectric capacitance, energy storage performances and field-driven polarization of the organic–inorganic hybrid system are investigated in the form of a device under varying temperature and frequency conditions. The structural analysis confirmed the formation of the monoclinic phase of lead sulfide within the organic network. The band structure of lead sulfide was obtained by density functional theory calculation that supported the semiconductor nature of the material with a direct band gap of 2.27 eV. The dielectric performance of the lead sulfide originated due to the dipolar and the space charge polarization. The energy storage ability of the material was investigated under DC-bias conditions, and the device exhibited the power density values 30 W/g and 340 W/g at 100 Hz and 10 kHz, respectively. The electric field-induced polarization study exhibited a fatigue-free behaviour of the device for 103 cycles with a stable dielectric strength. The study revealed that the lead sulfide-based system has potential in energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which plasticization of ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMWPE) can modify the micro- as well as macro-structural properties of HDPE/UHMWPE blends as well as their foam characteristics are investigated in the present study by preparing blends using melt mixing and further foaming of the developed blends using supercritical CO2 (scCO2). Fischer–Tropsch (H5) olefin wax is added to prepare plasticized UHMWPE (p-UHMWPE) and incorporation of plasticized UHMWPE reduces the processing time for melt blending. The reduction in the percentage crystallinity with neat UHMWPE loading without affecting thermal transition temperatures indicates immiscibility of components. The tensile strength of ~ 3–14%, Young's modulus of ~ 33–36% and impact strength of ~ 77–175% of blends improve with plasticized UHMWPE content. Interestingly, the slit capillary rheology data on application of the power-law model establish the rheological percolation threshold to be at 20 wt.% of plasticized UHMWPE content. In addition, blends containing plasticized UHMWPE reveal immiscibility by improving shear-thinning behaviour as well as melt elasticity during the small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) based frequency sweep tests. Further, blends of plasticized UHMWPE reflect a reduction in microcracks and fibrillated microstructures with a switch over to corrugated and island in-the-sea morphology from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. After batch foaming of the plasticized UHMWPE containing blends, optimum cell size and density, volume expansion ratio (VER), compressive strength, and improved crystalline characteristics are observed for the blend containing 20 wt.% plasticized UHMWPE. The above results suggest that the plasticized UHMWPE improves interfacial chains diffusion and acts as a nucleating agent to enhance the foamability of HDPE/p-UHMWPE blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite imagesare usedto extract and calculate surface water area and water resource features accurately. Water index and optimum threshold methods are essential for the extraction of surface water area. Various water indices have been developed during the past two decades, such as Normalized difference water index (NDWI), Modified normalized difference water index, Automated Water Extraction Index for shadow and non-shadow, Water Ration Index (WRI) and Normalized difference vegetation index. With application of each of these indices, the surface water area can be extracted by applying the respective threshold values for the indices and computed areas. The present study focuses on the comparing the accuracy of surface water area extraction for respective water indices and obtaining an optimal threshold value to separate water and other features from output images of indices using a Semi-automatic double-window flexible pace search (DFPS) method. The surface water areas of the Kaylana Lake (at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India)have been extracted for different years with above stated indices and further compared with the extracted values by applying the polygon method on historical images received from Google Earth. The extracted surface water areas with polygon method on historical Google Earth images are 0.88 km2, 0.74 km2, 1.22 km2, 0.67 km2and 1.00 km2for the years 2002, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2019 respectively. The comparison of extracted output results using different indices clearly indicates that the Semi-Automatic DFPS method is the best method to obtain optimum threshold value and to classified water indices output. The final comparison of outputs of indices also shows that overall NDWI provided much better surface water area output results. This study method identifies water bodies using Landsat TM, Lansat ETM + , Landsat OLI, and Sentinel-2A imagery with high accuracy by using NDWI water index and DFPS optimum threshold calculation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The convergence of different major tectonic plates, namely the Eurasian, Indian and Sunda plates, may be the cause of the Assam Syntaxis due to the tectonic interaction between the Himalayan and the Indo-Burman ranges. The study covers the area between latitude 23°–28° N and longitude 88°–96° E and has experienced various types of earthquakes in the recent past. Seismic activity occurs in and around the Shillong Plateau, Mikir Hills, Arakan-Yoma Fold Belt, Naga Hills, parts of the Bengal Basin, lower and upper Brahmaputra valley, and the Mishmi Hills of the Himalayan foothills. Still, part of the study area is extremely unreachable and a limited number of thrust-faults have been identified from field geological studies and GIS maps received from the various sources. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the delineation of thrust-fault locations using available ground gravity data of northeastern India with the help of a three-dimensional Euler deconvolution technique using the least squares method. Gravity data suggest an undulating nature throughout the area; however, high gravity values are observed at the Bengal Basin and Shillong Plateau, whereas lower gravity values are observed at Brahmaputra and Assam valley, Indo-Burman Range and Molasse Basin. The Shillong Plateau has high gravity with high elevation, whereas the Bengal Basin has high gravity with low elevation. This means that certain tectonic resettlement takes place in the Shillong Plateau, which causes the higher gravity anomaly. The use of Euler deconvolution with the help of a structural index plays a major role in gaining a better understanding of thrust-fault delineation and provides a mappable solution in this area. In this study, source depth estimation using 3- dimensional Euler deconvolution has been carried out by applying a range of structural index and window sizes. The different combinations of structural index and window size during the Euler deconvolution process generates several solutions including some unwanted spurious noise. To remove this noise, unrealistic solutions are discarded by applying filtering criteria to obtain the desired acceptable depth. The results derived using 3-dimensional Euler deconvolution correlate well with the previous finding of thrust-fault delineation. The present study validates the thrust-fault boundaries as well as providing additional thrust-fault settings in the complex tectonic area. The gravity data interpretation appears to offer a reasonable approach for source depth estimation and structural boundary identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]