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In the past decade, deep learning in biomedical imaging has exponentially increased the accuracy of disease detection and improved the health standards. This research paper introduces a novel approach for the early detection and diagnosis of cardiomegaly using the cardiothoracic ratio (CT ratio) measurement in chest X-ray scans. Cardiomegaly is a serious cardiac condition that can lead to life-threatening complications if left undiagnosed. The proposed method involves segmenting the heart from a chest CT scan using a convolutional neural network model, ResNet-18, and calculating the CT ratio, which is the ratio of the maximum width of the heart to the maximum width of the thoracic cage. Studies have shown that increasing CT ratio leads to an increasing risk of heart diseases. Hence, a need to monitor the CT ratio for every individual arises, for if the ratio changes, an alert to take precautions can be rang. The method is evaluated using a dataset of 490 chest X-ray scans, and it achieves an accuracy of 80% and a precision of 84%. The integration of CT ratio measurement in chest X-ray scan reports has the potential to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of cardiomegaly, allowing for prompt medical intervention and improving patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ancient landrace of wheat Triticum sphaerococcum Perc. has been characterized for agronomic and physiological traits under timely sown-irrigated (TS-IR), timely sown restricted irrigation (TS-RI), and irrigated late sown conditions (IR-LS) in the winter season of 2021–22. A total of 116 accessions were collected from major gene banks across the world and examined, along with 20 bread wheat cultivars. The assessed genotypes revealed a considerable degree of variance for the trait under study. Average grain yields for the T. sphaerococcum accessions were 33.29 q/ha in TS-IR, 28.95 q/ha in TS-RI, and 26.15 q/ha in LS-IR. The extent of grain yield decline is lesser than that of bread wheat. This indicates that these species can withstand conditions of limited irrigation and extreme heat. T. sphaerococcum accessions had lower yield than bread wheat, although accessions like TS 49, TS5, TS6, TS17, TS27, and TS 61 have higher yield (> 35 q/ha) under stress conditions. Under the TS-RI trial, 25 accessions of T. sphaerococcum achieved significantly greater yields when compared to one of the well-known drought-tolerant cultivars, C 306 (29.2 q/ha). Grain yield under TS-RI and LS-IR trial exhibits substantial negative association with canopy temperature at physiological maturity (− 0.63*, and − 0.74***), and strong positive correlation with TGW (0.83*** and 0.82***), GRPS (0.67***, and 0.92***). This demonstrates that the greater grain yield can be attributed to the T. sphaerococcum accessions' ability to keep their canopies cooler in the face of heat stress. Thus, the introduction of ancient wheat in wheat cross breeding programme will increase genetic diversity and diversify current cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LaNiO3 (LNO) and NdNiO3 (NNO) thin films have been prepared by nebulized spray pyrolysis on (001)-oriented LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The stoichiometric nitrate precursor in deionized water was spray pyrolyzed at ~ 300 °C. All films were given annealing treatment at different temperatures to tune the electrical transport behavior. The surface morphology of these films, in general, consists of granular and locally epitaxial regions. Films with electrical transport properties resembling those of similar films prepared by more sophisticated methods like pulsed laser deposition and sputtering are obtained at the annealing temperature range ~ 900–950 °C. High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and glancing incidence XRD bring out the single-phase nature. The films on STO show a small amount of in-plane tensile strain, while those on LAO are under small compressive strain. Annealing at a higher temperature (~ 1000 °C) enhances the tensile strain slightly while the compressive strain is lowered. Such behavior has been attributed to oxygen deficiency. The LNO films on STO and LAO show fairly good metallic behavior, and the electrical transport in the former is described in terms of a model represented by ρ T = ρ 0 - a T 0.5 + b T . In contrast, the electrical resistivity of the LNO/LAO film is described by ρ T = ρ 0 - a T 0.5 + b T + c T 2 . Annealing at high temperatures promotes the insulating state in all the LNO films. The NNO films on LAO substrates show a paramagnetic metallic state which is followed by a metal insulator transition (MIT) on lowering the temperature. The MIT shifts to higher temperatures in 1000 °C annealed films. In contrast, the NNO/STO films show insulating behavior throughout, and annealing at higher temperatures further strengthens the insulating state. The insulator state shows a small polaron hopping kind of transport represented by ρ T = A T e E A / k B T with temperature-dependent activation energies in the range of 100–55 meV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Terlipressin and noradrenaline are effective in the management of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). There are no reports on the combination of these vasoconstrictors in type-1 HRS. Aim: To evaluate terlipressin with or without noradrenaline in type-1 HRS not responding to terlipressin at 48 hours. Methods: Sixty patients were randomized to receive either terlipressin (group A; n = 30) or a combination of terlipressin and noradrenaline infusion (group B; n = 30). In group A, terlipressin infusion was started at 2 mg/day and increased by 1 mg/day (maximum 12 mg/day). In group B, terlipressin was given at a constant dose of 2 mg/day. Noradrenaline infusion was started at 0.5 mg/h at baseline and increased to 3 mg/h in a stepwise manner. The primary outcome was treatment response at 15 days. Secondary outcomes were 30-day survival, cost–benefit analysis and adverse events. Results: There was no significant difference in the response rate between the groups (50% vs. 76.7%, p = 0.06) and 30-day survival was similar (36.7% vs. 53.3%, p = 0.13). Treatment was more expensive in group A (USD 750 vs. 350, p < 0.001). Adverse events were more frequent in group A (36.7% vs. 13.3%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of noradrenaline and terlipressin infusion results in a non-significantly higher rate of HRS resolution with significantly fewer adverse effects in HRS patients who do not respond to terlipressin within 48 hours. Trial registration. Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03822091). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the finite temperature properties of a 10-D version of a hardwall model for QCD. Introducing fundamental matter via probe D7-branes and separate cutoffs rm and rg for the branes and the bulk, we present a detailed exploration of the phases for varying temperature and quark mass. Finite thermodynamic quantities are calculated using the procedure of holographic renormalization and used to characterize the phases. Finally, by fitting glueball and vector meson masses, we show how a unique phase diagram can be isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic and magnetotransport properties of a ~ 12 nm PrNiO3 (PNO) thin film deposited on (001)-oriented LaAlO3 (LAO) substrate by RF magnetron sputtering are reported. An enlargement in the out-of-plane lattice constant of the film ( a FOP = 0.389 nm) as compared to that of the target ( a c = 0.383 nm) reflects the larger in-plane compressive strain in the film. The appearance of a hump-like feature in the high-resolution ω - 2 θ scan indicates that the film may have defects like grain or twin boundaries. The film undergoes a transition from paramagnetic (PM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) at T N ≈ 150 K . The pronounced divergence between the zero-field and field-cooled magnetization-temperature curves suggests a magnetically clustered state. At T ≪ T N , the magnetic moment is appreciably larger and resembles an AFM state. At T > T N , the film shows a very weak semiconducting behavior, which is followed by a transition to an insulating state at T < T N . A magnetic field-induced metallic state is seen just below T N and is associated with large thermal hysand teresis. The film also exhibits a negative magnetoresistance which is much larger than reported earlier in nickelates. The observed anomalous behavior could be due to the magnetic field-induced destabilization of the AFM state and spin fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical for hospitals to accurately predict patient length of stay (LOS) and mortality in real-time. We evaluate temporal convolutional networks (TCNs) and data rebalancing methods to predict LOS and mortality. This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing the MIMIC-III database. The MIMIC-Extract pipeline processes 24 hour time-series clinical objective data for 23,944 unique patient records. TCN performance is compared to both baseline and state-of-the-art machine learning models including logistic regression, random forest, gated recurrent unit with decay (GRU-D). Models are evaluated for binary classification tasks (LOS > 3 days, LOS > 7 days, mortality in-hospital, and mortality in-ICU) with and without data rebalancing and analyzed for clinical runtime feasibility. Data is split temporally, and evaluations utilize tenfold cross-validation (stratified splits) followed by simulated prospective hold-out validation. In mortality tasks, TCN outperforms baselines in 6 of 8 metrics (area under receiver operating characteristic, area under precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and F-1 measure for in-hospital mortality; AUPRC, accuracy, and F-1 for in-ICU mortality). In LOS tasks, TCN performs competitively to the GRU-D (best in 6 of 8) and the random forest model (best in 2 of 8). Rebalancing improves predictive power across multiple methods and outcome ratios. The TCN offers strong performance in mortality classification and offers improved computational efficiency on GPU-enabled systems over popular RNN architectures. Dataset rebalancing can improve model predictive power in imbalanced learning. We conclude that temporal convolutional networks should be included in model searches for critical care outcome prediction systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease affecting 80–90% of teenagers worldwide. C. acnes producing lipases are the main virulence factor that catalyzes sebum lipid into free fatty acid that is used for C. acnes growth. Recently, computational biology and bioinformatics play a significant role in drug discovery programs and the identification of novel lead(s). In this study, potential inhibitors against the C. acnes lipase have been identified via cost-effective computational investigations. Molecular docking, MD simulations, and binding affinity analysis have been performed between the active site of C. acnes lipase protein and selected natural plant constituents. First, C. acnes lipase protein was downloaded from PDB and defined the catalytically active site. Next, 16 active natural plant constituents were shortlisted from the PubChem library (based on their pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antibacterial activity). Docking studies identified the best five active compounds that showed significantly strong binding affinity interacted through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and π-stacking with the active site residues of the target protein. Furthermore, a 100 ns MD simulation run showed a stable RMSD and less fluctuating RMSF graph for luteolin and neryl acetate. In silico investigation suggested that luteolin, neryl acetate, and isotretinoin were involved in stable interactions which were maintained throughout the MD run with the C. acnes lipase enzyme, virtually. The results advocated that these could potentially inhibit lipase activity and be used in the clinical management of acne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Recent studies have debated the utility of beta-blockers to prevent variceal hemorrhage (V.H.) in cirrhosis patients with ascites. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of propranolol (PPL) compared to endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) for V.H. primary prevention in patients with ascites. Methods: Cirrhosis patients with ≥ grade 2 ascites and varices needing primary prophylaxis were randomly assigned to receive either PPL (n = 80) or EVL (n = 80). Patients were followed monthly until 12 months or transplant or death. The primary endpoint was 12-month transplant-free-survival (TFS). Secondary endpoints were the incidence of V.H., acute kidney injury (AKI), and control of ascites. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. PPL-group had a lower 12-month TFS (76.0% vs. 89.7%; p = 0.02) as compared with EVL-group. Mean arterial pressure ≤ 82 mmHg and MELD-sodium were the independent predictors of mortality. Incidence of VH was comparable between PPL and EVL-groups [6 (7.5%) vs. 2 (2.5%), p = 0.13]. In PPL vs. EVL-group, more patients had worsening of ascites (15% vs. 5%; p = 0.03), developed refractory ascites (13.7% vs.3.7%; p = 0.02), relapse of ascites (37.1% vs. 16.4%, p < 0.01), and AKI (26.2% vs. 12.5%; p = 0.02). Side effects were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions: Primary VH-prophylaxis with PPL is associated with lower survival, poor control of ascites, and increased risk of AKI in cirrhosis patients with ≥ grade 2 ascites. PPL and EVL are equally effective in preventing V.H. Serial monitoring of blood pressures and renal functions is needed in cirrhosis patients with ascites on PPL (NCT02649335). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skeletal muscle index (SMI), the gold standard for sarcopenia, cannot measure muscle strength and requires specialized software and training. Hand-grip strength (HGS) measurement is cheap, requires minimal training and directly reflects muscle strength. We assessed the performance of HGS as a screening tool for sarcopenia in male patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC). Methods: Consecutive male DC patients (n=155) were enrolled. Baseline liver functions, etiologic work-up and anthropometric measurements were done. SMI was determined from computed tomography (CT) images at L3 level using ImageJ software. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using SMI cut-off <42 cm2/m2 as suggested by the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver. HGS was assessed using a hand-grip dynamometer. Diagnostic performance of HGS for discriminating sarcopenia was described using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Diagnostic performance of different HGS cut-offs was assessed. Findings were internally validated using bootstrapping. Results: Mean HGS and SMI were 25.73 ± 5.94 kg and 47.72 ± 8.71 cm2/m2, respectively. HGS showed modest correlation with SMI (tau: 0.31, p <0.001). Sarcopenia was seen in 41 (26.5%) patients. Age and HGS were independent predictors of sarcopenia on multivariate analysis. Area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of HGS for detecting sarcopenia was 0.73 (p<0.001). Optimal cut-off for using HGS as a screening tool was ≤31 kg (sensitivity: 37/41 [90.2%]; specificity: 29/114 [25.4%]; positive predictive value [PPV] : 37/122 [30.3%]; and negative predictive value [NPV]: 29/33 [87.9%]). Conclusion: Prevalence of sarcopenia in Indian male patients with DC is 26.5%. HGS is an independent predictor of sarcopenia and can be used as a screening tool to stratify the need for confirmatory CT-based assessment of sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (ISC) is a frequent occurrence. However, its diagnosis is difficult. This review summarizes the clinical features, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and management of ISC. Recent Findings: A precise diagnosis of ISC is important. Diagnosis is based on the Japanese criteria which has recently been provided. The characteristic features of plasma cell infiltration and raised IgG4 levels along with classical histopathological and imaging findings help in diagnosis. Steroid therapy is very effective in ISC. Immunomodulatory drugs have also shown promising results. Summary: Diagnostic approach of ISC mainly involves imaging modalities. Japanese diagnostic criteria is important in its diagnosis. It is also extremely important to differentiate IgG4 sclerosing cholangitis from various other cholangiopathies. Steroid therapy stays the treatment of choice. The role of other immunomodulators needs to be researched and reciprocated in clinical setting before it replaces steroid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the performance of two-way OFDMA based cooperative device-to-device communication (C-D2D) framework in a heterogeneous cellular network. In the proposed work, a heterogeneous network (HetNet) is considered where the base station (BS) of the macro cell is interested in communicating with the BS of smaller cells such as micro, pico or femto cell, nested inside the macro cell. Each macro cell also consists of the number of cellular users which when given an opportunity, would like to communicate directly via D2D link. The cellular users which communicate through D2D link is defined as D2D users. Due to infrastructure failure, if no direct communication link is available between two BSs then HetNet adopts a time-slotted two-phase C-D2D protocol. Macro cell BS selects a D2D user as an amplify-and-forward (AF) two-way relay to facilitate communication between two BSs. In Phase I, both the BSs send their data over N subcarriers to the D2D transmitter (DT). Subsequently, in Phase II, DT amplifies the received signal and forward it to the BSs over D subcarriers. The remaining N - D subcarriers are used by DT for D2D communication. Results show that the proposed analysis facilitates D2D communication in HetNet, and also improves the quality-of-service (QoS) of the BSs as compared to conventional AF protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium oxide (CeO2) thin films were deposited on Pt (111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition method at different temperatures such as, 300 K, 573 K and 873 K with 3 × 10−2 mbar oxygen partial pressure. The prepared films were systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL) and electrical measurement system. XRD analysis clearly showed improved crystallinity of CeO2 films prepared at 573 and 873 K substrate temperatures. The AFM analysis indicated the uniform distribution of the nanocrystallites and dense structure with the roughness (RMS) of ~ 2.1–3.6 nm. The PL studies of the films showed a broad peak at ~ 366–368 nm, indicating the optical bandgap of 3.37–3.38 eV. The electrical property study showed minimum leakage current density of 2.0 × 10−7 A/cm2 at 873 K, which was measured at 100 kV and this value was much lower than that of the CeO2 film deposited at 300 K. The dielectric constants are increased and dielectric loss values decreased for the films with increasing substrate temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the systematic study on the effect of film thickness on the optical and electrical properties of transparent tetragonal (α) WO3 phase, synthesized using pulsed laser deposition. The WO3 films of various thicknesses 250 ± 4 (S1), 350 ± 2 (S2), 750 ± 5 (S3) and 1150 ± 4 (S4) nm were obtained by varying the deposition time 8, 15, 30 and 60 min, respectively. The films were post-annealed at 500 °C for 1 h in the open atmosphere and extensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer and four-probe resistivity. The Rietveld analysis of XRD pattern revealed the presence of mixed orthorhombic and tetragonal crystalline phases in the S1 (250 ± 4 nm) film. A pure tetragonal crystalline phase of WO3 was observed in rest of the films. The Raman spectroscopic study also revealed the high-temperature WO3 phase formation. The grain size and surface roughness obtained from the AFM micrographs varied from 10 to 50 nm and 9.1 to 10.9 nm, respectively. The optical band gaps were found to decrease as 3.47, 3.28, 3.08 and 3.06 eV with the increase in the film thickness S1, S2, S3 and S4, respectively. The resistivity of the films was found to increase with an increase in film thickness. However, the decrease in the resistivity with an increase in the temperature revealed the semiconducting behavior of all the films. The activation energy was found to increase with the increase in the thickness of α-WO3 film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with the development of MgO coatings on ASTM 316L stainless steel using pulsed laser deposition technique employing KrF excimer laser (λ = 248 nm). Two important process variables, namely oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature, were varied to get uniform coatings. The process parameters were optimized based on the microstructure and uniformity of the coatings, which had the direct bearing on the performance of the coating. Structural, morphological and microstructural characterizations of the coatings were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. While XRD studies confirmed the phase purity and the strain associated with the coating and the substrate, SEM studies revealed the microstructural integrity and morphology of the coatings in addition to establishing the chemistry of coatings. Field testing of the coatings for their sodium compatibility, particularly in aggressive conditions of incineration, confirmed the successful performance of the coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

fluidized bed combustion boiler, pulverized fuel boiler and waste heat boilers. These boilers are used in different industries such as power plants, paper, and chemical. The present paper reports various problems (such as agglomeration, slagging, fouling, caustic embrittlement, fatigue failure and high temperature corrosion) related to boilers and their possible solutions. Some of the controlling parameters for high temperature corrosion has also been studied viz use of inhibitors, varying temperature and pressure, sol-gel coating and thermal spray coating. Thermal spraying has emerged as a main tool for improvement in surface. Problem of corrosion, wear resistance, electrical or thermal insulation can be altered using different coating techniques and materials. Deposition of ash in biomass-fired boilers also causes severe problems of agglomeration. The problem of agglomeration can be solved using kaolin or NH3 in the bed of boilers. Some important processes such as pulse detonation wave technology, intelligent soot blower, chemical treatment technology can be used to minimize the effects of fouling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Community-based direct observed treatment (DOT) providers are an important bridge for the national tuberculosis programme in India to reach the unreached. The present study has explored the knowledge, attitude, practice and barriers perceived by the community-based DOT providers. Methods Mixed–methods study design was used among 41 community-based DOT providers (Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs)) working in 67 villages from a primary health center in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The cross-sectional quantitative component assessed the knowledge and practices and three focus-group discussions explored the attitude and perceived barriers related to DOT provision. Result ‘Adequate knowledge’ and ‘satisfactory practice’ related to DOT provision was seen in 14 (34%) and 13 (32%) ASHAs respectively. Only two (5%) received any amount of honorarium for completion of DOT in last 3 years. The focus-group discussions revealed unfavourable attitude; inadequate training and supervision, non-payment of honorarium, issues related to assured services after referral and patient related factors as the barriers to satisfactory practice of DOT. Conclusion Study revealed inadequate knowledge and unsatisfactory practice related to DOT provision among ASHAs. Innovations addressing the perceived barriers to improve practice of DOT provision by ASHAs are urgently required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium coatings of different thicknesses have been deposited at 773 K on 9Cr-1Mo steel substrate using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. These coatings were heat treated in vacuum at two different temperatures (1173 and 1273 K) for one hour. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of Zr-coated samples revealed the formation of α-phase (HCP structure) of Zr. XRD analysis of heat-treated samples show the presence of ZrFe and ZrFe intermetallics. The lattice parameter of these coatings was calculated, and it matches with the bulk values when the thickness reached 2µm. In order to understand this, crystallite size and strain values of these coatings were calculated from XRD plots employing Williamson-Hall method. In order to assess the performance of the coatings, systematic corrosion tests were carried out. The corrosion current density calculated from the polarization behavior showed that the corrosion current density of the uncoated 9Cr-1Mo steel was higher than the coated sample before and after the heat treatment. Studies using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that the coated steel has higher impedance than the uncoated steel. The corrosion resistance of 9Cr1Mo steel had improved after Zr coating. However, the corrosion resistance of the coating after heat treatment decreased when compared to the as-deposited coating. The microstructure and composition of the surface oxide film influence the corrosion resistance of the Zr-coated 9Cr1Mo steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent efforts are being made to reduce operative trauma and morbidity and to improve cosmesis following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The trend is to reduce the number of incisions, and thus single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) and natural orifice endoscopic surgery (NOTES) are becoming popular. There is a paucity of studies pertaining to cosmetic outcome after SILC and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy in rural Indian population. In the present study, the cosmetic outcome of SILC versus conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) in rural Indian population was evaluated. Sixty patients with gallstone disease were randomly assigned to two groups. In group A ( n = 30), CLC was performed, while group B ( n = 30) was subjected to SILC. The cosmetic outcome was evaluated using a body image questionnaire on the 7th and 30th postoperative days. On the 7th postoperative day, the body image score for SILC was 6.23 ± 0.89 and for CLC, 8.26 ± 1.08 ( p < 0.0001), while the cosmetic score for SILC was 19.56 ± 1.07 and for CLC, 15 ± 1.20 ( p < 0.0001). On the 30th postoperative day, the body image score for SILC was 5.50 ± 0.68 and for CLC, 8 ± 1.31 ( p < 0.0001), while the cosmetic score for SILC was 21.13 ± 0.57 and for CLC, 15.63 ± 1.06 ( p < 0.0001), which favored SILC over CLC. The patient perception and acceptance of SILC was better than that of CLC in terms of cosmetic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, and household consumption of adequately iodized salt in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh in 2016.Methods: Cross-sectional study with cluster sampling method was used among schoolgoing children. 30 clusters, each with 90 children were selected to access Total Goiter rate (TGR). 540 salt samples were collected to estimate salt iodine content from their household and 270 on the spot urine samples were collected to estimate Urine Iodine Excretion level.Results: TGR was 2.08%. The prevalence of iodine deficiency, adequate iodine nutrition, and either more than adequate or toxic level of Iodine was 26%, 28% and 46 %, respectively. 72.4% people were consuming adequately iodized salt.Conclusions: Damoh district is no more an endemic area for iodine deficiency. We recommend continuous monitoring to assess IDDs as well Iodine-induced toxicity in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth characteristics of titanium films deposited on glass, silicon (100) and oxygen free high purity copper substrate using magnetron sputtering have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and scratch indentation techniques. The study of interface between the titanium film and the substrate was carried out to determine coating thickness, as well as intermixing of the elements at the interface. Studies revealed that the interface is free from voids and intermixing of the film and the substrate. Microstructural and diffraction analysis showed that the Ti coating was polycrystalline and exhibited columnar growth. The Ti crystallite size varied between 24 and 58 nm depending on the substrate. The thickness of the films were typically about 4 μm. Scratch test indicated that the films are adherent and the first critical load to failure was observed to be 4·5 N ± 2 N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockage of pores by particles is found in many processes, including filtration and oil extraction. We present filtration experiments through a linear array of ten channels with one dimension which is sub-micron, through which a dilute dispersion of Brownian polystyrene spheres flows under the action of a fixed pressure drop. The growth rate of a clog formed by particles at a pore entrance systematically increases with the number of already saturated (entirely clogged) pores, indicating that there is an interaction or “cross-talk” between the pores. This observation is interpreted based on a phenomenological model, stating that a diffusive redistribution of particles occurs along the membrane, from clogged to free pores. This one-dimensional model could be extended to two-dimensional membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In cirrhosis, activation of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system leads to sodium and water retention causing ascites. Dapagliflozin, a sodium glucose linked transporter-2 inhibitor, induces natriuresis in patients with heart failure. A similar natriuretic effect may improve ascites in patients with cirrhosis. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent ascites.Forty patients with recurrent ascites and cirrhosis were randomized to 1:1 in a double blinded fashion to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) with standard medical therapy (Group A) or placebo with standard medical therapy (Group B). The primary outcome was control of ascites at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were urine output, 24-h urinary sodium, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, survival at 6 months, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and infections.The 2 groups were comparable at baseline. Control of ascites at 6 months was significantly better in group A than that in Group B (p = 0.04). Change in urinary sodium was significantly higher in Group A (p < 0.001]. However, there was no difference in change in urine output, CTP or MELD scores and survival (65% vs 72.2%, p = 0.75) between the groups at 6 months. Incidence of AKI (50% vs 15%, p = 0.04) and infections (55% vs 20%, p = 0.04) were significantly higher in Group A.Significantly better control of ascites and higher natriuresis are observed with dapagliflozin. However, it does not improve disease severity scores or survival, and is associated with increased AKI and infections (NCT05014594).Methods: In cirrhosis, activation of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system leads to sodium and water retention causing ascites. Dapagliflozin, a sodium glucose linked transporter-2 inhibitor, induces natriuresis in patients with heart failure. A similar natriuretic effect may improve ascites in patients with cirrhosis. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent ascites.Forty patients with recurrent ascites and cirrhosis were randomized to 1:1 in a double blinded fashion to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) with standard medical therapy (Group A) or placebo with standard medical therapy (Group B). The primary outcome was control of ascites at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were urine output, 24-h urinary sodium, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, survival at 6 months, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and infections.The 2 groups were comparable at baseline. Control of ascites at 6 months was significantly better in group A than that in Group B (p = 0.04). Change in urinary sodium was significantly higher in Group A (p < 0.001]. However, there was no difference in change in urine output, CTP or MELD scores and survival (65% vs 72.2%, p = 0.75) between the groups at 6 months. Incidence of AKI (50% vs 15%, p = 0.04) and infections (55% vs 20%, p = 0.04) were significantly higher in Group A.Significantly better control of ascites and higher natriuresis are observed with dapagliflozin. However, it does not improve disease severity scores or survival, and is associated with increased AKI and infections (NCT05014594).Results: In cirrhosis, activation of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system leads to sodium and water retention causing ascites. Dapagliflozin, a sodium glucose linked transporter-2 inhibitor, induces natriuresis in patients with heart failure. A similar natriuretic effect may improve ascites in patients with cirrhosis. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent ascites.Forty patients with recurrent ascites and cirrhosis were randomized to 1:1 in a double blinded fashion to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) with standard medical therapy (Group A) or placebo with standard medical therapy (Group B). The primary outcome was control of ascites at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were urine output, 24-h urinary sodium, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, survival at 6 months, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and infections.The 2 groups were comparable at baseline. Control of ascites at 6 months was significantly better in group A than that in Group B (p = 0.04). Change in urinary sodium was significantly higher in Group A (p < 0.001]. However, there was no difference in change in urine output, CTP or MELD scores and survival (65% vs 72.2%, p = 0.75) between the groups at 6 months. Incidence of AKI (50% vs 15%, p = 0.04) and infections (55% vs 20%, p = 0.04) were significantly higher in Group A.Significantly better control of ascites and higher natriuresis are observed with dapagliflozin. However, it does not improve disease severity scores or survival, and is associated with increased AKI and infections (NCT05014594).Conclusion: In cirrhosis, activation of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system leads to sodium and water retention causing ascites. Dapagliflozin, a sodium glucose linked transporter-2 inhibitor, induces natriuresis in patients with heart failure. A similar natriuretic effect may improve ascites in patients with cirrhosis. In this pilot study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent ascites.Forty patients with recurrent ascites and cirrhosis were randomized to 1:1 in a double blinded fashion to receive either dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) with standard medical therapy (Group A) or placebo with standard medical therapy (Group B). The primary outcome was control of ascites at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were urine output, 24-h urinary sodium, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, survival at 6 months, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and infections.The 2 groups were comparable at baseline. Control of ascites at 6 months was significantly better in group A than that in Group B (p = 0.04). Change in urinary sodium was significantly higher in Group A (p < 0.001]. However, there was no difference in change in urine output, CTP or MELD scores and survival (65% vs 72.2%, p = 0.75) between the groups at 6 months. Incidence of AKI (50% vs 15%, p = 0.04) and infections (55% vs 20%, p = 0.04) were significantly higher in Group A.Significantly better control of ascites and higher natriuresis are observed with dapagliflozin. However, it does not improve disease severity scores or survival, and is associated with increased AKI and infections (NCT05014594). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]