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Swine influenza A viruses pose a public health concern as novel and circulating strains occasionally spill over into human hosts, with the potential to cause disease. Crucial to preempting these events is the use of a threat assessment framework for human populations. However, established guidelines do not specify which animal models or in vitro substrates should be used. We completed an assessment of a contemporary swine influenza isolate, A/swine/GA/A27480/2019 (H1N2), using animal models and human cell substrates. Infection studies in vivo revealed high replicative ability and a pathogenic phenotype in the swine host, with replication corresponding to a complementary study performed in swine primary respiratory epithelial cells. However, replication was limited in human primary cell substrates. This contrasted with our findings in the Calu-3 cell line, which demonstrated a replication profile on par with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus. These data suggest that the selection of models is important for meaningful risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an in-situ surface modification method, nano-silica (NS) underwent treatment with bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]tetrasulfide, often referred to as TESPT, a commercially available SCA (silane coupling agent). This produced surface-functionalized NS, also known as modified nanosilica (mNS). The influence of using this mNS as a filler in styrene-butadiene rubber/acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (SBR/NBR) composites was examined in this study. The results show that the silanol groups in TESPT form chemical connections with the surface of the NS, which significantly increases the rubber-matrix nanocomposite's curing efficiency and improves its mechanical properties. The reason for this enhancement is the in-situ surface modification of the NS by the SCA, which significantly raises the filler's miscibility and compatibility with the rubber matrix. The SBR/NBR nanocomposites filled with NS and mNS exhibited notable enhancements in tensile and tear strength, demonstrating improvements of 161% and 70%, respectively, in comparison to SBR/NBR vulcanizates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An image processing-based Firebug Swarm Optimization (FSO) algorithm is developed in this article to detect maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under shadowing conditions on PV arrays. After capturing an image and applying image processing techniques, the proposed method can detect the shading portion of photovoltaic array (PV). The image processing results can then be used to modify the current rating in power equations. The Firebug swarm optimization (FSO) algorithm is metaheuristic algorithm that identifies and controls switching configurations under partial shading patterns by detecting the maximum global peak point (GPP) of output power generated by multiple configurations. This research is proposed with an image processing edge detection algorithm called the Otsu-Canny algorithm for detecting the partial shade on PV array. The FSO algorithm is used to rearrange the shaded photovoltaic array to significantly reduce the power and efficiency losses. MATLAB simulations were carried out using a 280 W PV panel to verify the efficiency of the proposed FSO MPPT technique with an image processing-based algorithm. The proposed FSO MPPT scheme's performance is compared to current cutting-edge MPPT methods. Under partial shading conditions, the proposed algorithm successfully detected the maximum peak point of a photovoltaic array, increasing power output and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the rational approximation of stable/unstable single-input, single-output (SISO)/multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) fractional-order systems is proposed. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to obtain an integer-order approximant of an SISO/MIMO fractional-order system. The developed method utilizes the concept of matching of an appropriate number of approximate generalized time moments and approximate generalized Markov parameters of squared magnitude function of fractional-order system to those of approximant. The proposed method preserves the stability/instability property and minimum phase/non-minimum phase characteristics of fractional-order system in the approximant. The method also incorporates a provision for matching the steady-state response of the approximant to that of fractional-order system. Numerical examples consider three cases of approximation, while fractional-order system has the characteristics of (a) stable non-minimum phase SISO, (b) stable non-minimum phase MIMO, and (c) unstable SISO which are presented to validate the efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acyliminium ions and related species are potent electrophiles that can be quite valuable in the synthesis of nitrogen‐containing molecules. This manuscript describes a protocol to form these intermediates through hydride abstractions of easily accessible allylic carbamates, amides, and sulfonamides that avoids the reversibility that is possible in classical condensation‐based routes. These intermediates are used in the preparation of a range of nitrogen‐containing heterocycles, and in many cases high levels of stereocontrol are observed. Specifically areas of investigation include the impact of chemical structure on oxidation efficiency, the geometry of the intermediate iminium ions, the impact of a substrate stereocenter on stereocontrol, and an examination of transition state geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired ESR1 mutations in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) drive treatment resistance and tumor progression; new treatment strategies are needed. Lasofoxifene, a next-generation, oral, endocrine therapy and tissue-specific ER antagonist, provided preclinical antitumor activity, alone or combined with a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) in ESR1 -mutated mBC. In the open-label, phase II, ELAINE 2 trial (NCT04432454), women with ESR1 -mutated, ER+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) mBC who progressed on prior therapies (including CDK4/6i) received lasofoxifene 5 mg/day and abemaciclib 150 mg b.i.d until disease progression/toxicity. The primary endpoint was safety/tolerability. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), and objective response rate (ORR). Twenty-nine women (median age 60 years) participated; all but one were previously treated with a CDK4/6i (median duration 2 years). The lasofoxifene–abemaciclib combination was well tolerated with primarily grade 1/2 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), most commonly diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. One patient (with no prior CDK4/6i) discontinued treatment due to grade 2 diarrhea. No deaths occurred during the study. Median PFS was 56.0 weeks [95% confidence interval (CI) 31.9 weeks-not estimable; ∼13 months]; PFS rates at 6, 12, and 18 months were 76.1%, 56.1%, and 38.8%, respectively. CBR at 24 weeks was 65.5% (95% CI 47.3% to 80.1%). In 18 patients with measurable lesions, ORR was 55.6% (95% CI 33.7% to 75.4%). ESR1 -mutant circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) allele fraction decreased from baseline to week 4 in 21/26 (80.8%) patients. Lasofoxifene plus abemaciclib had an acceptable safety profile, was well tolerated, and exhibited meaningful antitumor activity in women with ESR1 -mutated, ER+/HER2− mBC after disease progression on prior CDK4/6i. Observed decreases in ESR1 -mutant ctDNA with lasofoxifene concordant with clinical response suggest target engagement. If the ELAINE 2 findings are confirmed in the initiated, phase III, ELAINE 3 trial, these data could be practice-changing and help address a critical unmet need. • Lasofoxifene–abemaciclib led to meaningful PFS (∼13 months), ORR (56%), and CBR (66%) in ESR1 -mutant mBC. • Lasofoxifene–abemaciclib was active for ESR1 -mutated breast tumors that progressed with endocrine therapy and CDK4/6is. • Lasofoxifene–abemaciclib was well tolerated with a manageable safety profile. • ESR1 mutant allele fractions were reduced/undetected with lasofoxifene–abemaciclib, consistent with target engagement. • Lasofoxifene–abemaciclib may become a promising therapy for ESR1 -mutant mBC after CDK4/6i treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammation is integral to the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), although the latter has not been associated with reflux esophagitis. The L2-IL-1β transgenic mice, expressing human interleukin (IL)-1β in the oral, esophageal and forestomach squamous epithelia feature chronic inflammation and a stepwise development of Barrett's esophagus-like metaplasia, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma at the squamo-columnar junction. However, the functional consequences of IL-1β-mediated chronic inflammation in the oral and esophageal squamous epithelia remain elusive. We report for the first time that in addition to the previously described Barrett's esophagus-like metaplasia, the L2-IL-1β mice also develop squamous epithelial dysplasia with progression to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the esophagus and the tongue. L2-IL-1β showed age-dependent progression of squamous dysplasia to SCC with approximately 40% (n = 49) and 23.5% (n = 17) incidence rates for esophageal and tongue invasive SCC respectively, by 12–15 months of age. Interestingly, SCC development and progression in L2-IL-1β was similar in both Germ Free (GF) and Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) conditions. Immunohistochemistry revealed a T cell predominant inflammatory profile with enhanced expression of Ki67, Sox2 and the DNA double-strand break marker, γ-H2AX, in the dysplastic squamous epithelia of L2-IL-1β mice. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunomodulatory players, chemoattractants for inflammatory cells (T cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages) and oxidative damage marker, iNOS, were significantly increased in the esophageal and tongue tissues of L2-IL-1β mice. Our recent findings have expanded the translational utility of the IL-1β mouse model to aid in further characterization of the key pathways of inflammation driven BE and EAC as well as ESCC and Oral SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a major health burden among women in Asia. Key issues in IDA management in Asia are under‐diagnosis and under‐treatment. The lack of Asia‐specific guidelines, and suboptimal utilization of treatment compounds the management of IDA. To address these gaps, a panel of 12 experts in obstetrics, gynecology, and hematology from six regions in Asia convened to review current practices and clinical evidence and provide practical guidance on IDA diagnosis and management in Asian women. The Delphi approach was used to obtain objective opinions and attain consensus on statements pertaining to awareness, diagnosis, and management of IDA. In total, 79 statements attained consensus and are summarized to provide guidance on raising awareness of IDA and approaches for improved diagnosis and treatment of IDA among women in various settings: pregnancy, postpartum, heavy menstrual bleeding, gynecologic cancers, and perioperative care. This clinician‐led consensus integrates appropriate recommendations based on clinical evidence and best practices and is intended to guide decision making in the management of iron deficiency/IDA in women. The expert panel raises a call for timely diagnosis and utilization of appropriate treatment, including use of high‐dose intravenous iron, stringent blood management, and interdisciplinary collaboration, for optimization of IDA management among women in Asia. Synopsis: Asia‐specific expert‐consensus recommendations on diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia, including use of high‐dose intravenous iron and stringent blood management strategies are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz about the possibilities of marine microflora as a source of new therapeutic drugs. The strong anti‐tumor potency of compounds found in marine resources reflects the ocean's enormous potential as a source of anticancer therapeutics. In this present investigation, an ambuic acid derivative anticancer compound was isolated from Talaromyces flavus, and its cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction potential were analyzed. T. flavus was identified through morphological and molecular analysis. The various organic solvent extracts of T. flavus grown on different growth mediums were evaluated for cytotoxicity on different cancer cell lines. The potent cytotoxicity was shown in the ethyl acetate extract of a fungal culture grown in the M1‐D medium for 21 days. Furthermore, the anticancer compound was identified using preparative thin layer chromatography, followed by its purification in significant proportions using column chromatography. The spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis revealed that the structure of the purified molecules was an ambuic acid derivative. The ambuic acid derivative compound showed potent cytotoxicity on MDA‐MB‐231 (breast cancer cells) with an IC50 value of 26 μM and induced apoptosis in the MDA‐MB‐231 cells in a time‐dependent and reactive oxygen species‐independent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Migraine is a neurological condition characterised by recurrent episodes of headaches. The role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic tool in evaluating migraines is yet to be fully understood. Changes that occur in the blood vessels during a migraine attack lead to hypoperfusion in the brain, causing neurovascular dysfunction and cortical spreading depression. These events are manifested as White Matter Hyperintensities (WMHs) in brain MRI. Aim: To determine the association between migraine patterns and WMHs in the MRI brain scans. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Department of Neurology, Mar Baselios Medical Mission Hospital, a tertiary care centre for Neurology and Movement disorders in South India, from June 2021 to June 2022. The study included 100 patients aged between 18 and 50 years who had been diagnosed with migraine. A questionnaire was prepared, which included various parameters such as the presence or absence of aura, duration, frequency, tolerability, disability, intensity of pain, nausea, and resistance to treatment. The severity of migraine in the patients was evaluated using the Migraine Intensity and Severity Evaluation (MIGSEV) scale, which considers parameters such as pain intensity, attack duration, nausea, disability, tolerability, treatment resistance, and attack frequency. Based on this assessment, patients were classified into Grade I, II, or III. After obtaining informed consent, MRI brain scans were performed on all patients. Patients exhibiting WMHs underwent Gadolinium IV contrast, and those with contrast-enhancing lesions underwent whole spine screening and CSF analysis testing. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used for data analysis. The statistical tests employed included the Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman coefficient. Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.60±7.0 years. WMHs were present in 47 out of 100 patients (47%). A significant association was observed between WMHs and aura (U=487.50) (p-value<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that migraine severity grade, pain intensity during the attack, nausea, disability, tolerability, migraine duration, and resistance to treatment were statistically significant with a p-value of <0.001. Conclusion: WMHs in MRI were more significant in patients with Grade III MIGSEV scores. There was a statistically significant association between the number of WMHs, high intensity of pain, vomiting, severe disability, and tolerability during a migraine attack. Therefore, these parameters can be considered as risk factors for developing WMHs in the brain MRI of migraine patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammation is integral to the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), although the latter has not been associated with reflux esophagitis. The L2-IL-1β transgenic mice, expressing human interleukin (IL)-1β in the oral, esophageal and forestomach squamous epithelia feature chronic inflammation and a stepwise development of Barrett's esophagus-like metaplasia, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma at the squamo-columnar junction. However, the functional consequences of IL-1β-mediated chronic inflammation in the oral and esophageal squamous epithelia remain elusive. We report for the first time that in addition to the previously described Barrett's esophagus-like metaplasia, the L2-IL-1β mice also develop squamous epithelial dysplasia with progression to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the esophagus and the tongue. L2-IL-1β showed age-dependent progression of squamous dysplasia to SCC with approximately 40% (n = 49) and 23.5% (n = 17) incidence rates for esophageal and tongue invasive SCC respectively, by 12–15 months of age. Interestingly, SCC development and progression in L2-IL-1β was similar in both Germ Free (GF) and Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) conditions. Immunohistochemistry revealed a T cell predominant inflammatory profile with enhanced expression of Ki67, Sox2 and the DNA double-strand break marker, γ-H2AX, in the dysplastic squamous epithelia of L2-IL-1β mice. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, immunomodulatory players, chemoattractants for inflammatory cells (T cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages) and oxidative damage marker, iNOS, were significantly increased in the esophageal and tongue tissues of L2-IL-1β mice. Our recent findings have expanded the translational utility of the IL-1β mouse model to aid in further characterization of the key pathways of inflammation driven BE and EAC as well as ESCC and Oral SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

His writings have always contained musical metaphors, his poetry is full of the rhythms, voicings and percussivity of the various musics that he has encountered, and he has been deeply interested in the atonal and the microtonal, in his own words, "rhymeless and rhythmskewed". Keywords: Music; politics; sociology; poetry EN Music politics sociology poetry 325 330 6 10/04/23 20230701 NES 230701 Imagine me sitting in my room. Music, politics, sociology, poetry In other words, the cello is a fabulous metaphor for the many ways in which Ari engages with music, through his academic work, his poetry and fiction and also as poetry-music collaborations with several people over the years. [Extracted from the article]

An acute coronary syndrome due to mast-cell activation in the presence of an allergen is known as Kounis Syndrome (KS). This relatively new entity of KS is being increasingly recognized among allergists, cardiologists, and emergency physicians; however, it is not well-known among anesthesiologists. We report here, a case of type 2 KS due to antibiotic administration causing sudden perioperative cardiac arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastrointestinal system, also referred to as the gut, is a universe that colonizes trillions of microbes. In addition to its digestive functions, the gut represents a biosystem that determines all the health vectors. It is now recognized as one of the body's defense systems, and good gut health regulates the body's immune responses. Disturbance of this barrier can trigger many diseases, including respiratory tract infections, as there is a close correlation between the gut microbiome and the chances of triggering illness. This review investigates the various factors affecting the gut microbiome, the diseases that can result from the dysregulation of the same, and their molecular mechanisms. The most basic solution to tackle this problem is to maintain the gut microbiome at the desired level. Timely diagnosis and interventions are needed for the proper management of the ensuing conditions. It is important to address the effects of factors on the gut microbiome and thereby regulate this level. The study also found that dysregulation in the system can lead to various diseases such as asthma, COPD, lung cancer following their respective pathways. In short, this paper reinforces the importance of the gut microbiome, the need to maintain its average level, and the need for proper interventions to treat the consequences. The manuscript posit that medications, diet as well and good physiological conditions of the human body can alter the microbiome and can ward off respiratory infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most prevalent reason for IGBT failure in voltage-source inverter (VSI) is thermal stress, which is influenced by the topology and modulation technique adopted. Hence, it is crucial to understand the impact of common sinusoidal pulse width modulation (PWM) strategies on the thermal behavior of VSI and develop improved PWM techniques. This paper presents an alternate hybrid PWM (AHPWM) switching sequence for a single-phase VSI to decrease its thermal stress and prolong its lifetime. To evaluate the number of cycles to failure of VSI, power loss and thermal analysis were conducted for VSI with AHPWM and compared with conventional PWMs. The thermal cycles experienced by IGBTs with different modulation techniques were experimentally validated using a laboratory prototype of VSI. These findings suggest that by employing AHPWM, the likelihood of VSI failure is reduced by at least one-and-a-half times, resulting in lower VSI maintenance costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants and their therapeutically promising chemical compounds belonging to the valued category of 'traditional medicine' are potential remedies for various health problems. Due to their complex structure and enormous health benefits, the high-value plant-derived metabolites collectively termed as 'phytochemicals' have emerged as a crucial source for novel drug discovery and development. Indeed, several medicinal plants from diverse habitats are still in the 'underexplored' category in terms of their bioactive principles and therapeutic potential. COVID-19, infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2, first reported in November 2019, resulted in the alarming number of deaths (6.61 million), was further declared 'pandemic', and spread of the disease has continued till today. Even though the well-established scientific world has successfully implemented vaccines against COVID-19 within the short period of time, the focus on alternative remedies for long-term symptom management and immunity boosting have been increased. At this point, interventions based on traditional medicine, which include medicinal plants, their bioactive metabolites, extracts and formulations, attracted a lot of attention as alternative solutions for COVID-19 management. Here, we reviewed the recent research findings related to the effectiveness of phytochemicals in treatment or prevention of COVID-19. Furthermore, the literature regarding the mechanisms behind the preventive or therapeutic effects of these natural phytochemicals were also discussed. In conclusion, we suggest that the active plant-derived components could be used alone or in combination as an alternative solution for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, the structure of these natural productomes may lead to the emergence of new prophylactic strategies for SARS-CoV-2-caused infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this narrative review, we present the evidence on nucleotide-binding and oligomerization (NOD) domain-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain (PYD)-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation for its putative roles in the elusive pathomechanism of aging-related cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Although NLRP3 inflammasome-interleukin (IL)-1β has been implicated in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, its roles in cerebral arteriothrombotic micro-circulation disease such as CSVD remains unexplored. Here, we elaborate on the current manifestations of CSVD and its' complex pathogenesis and relate the array of activators and aberrant activation involving NLRP3 inflammasome with this condition. These neuroinflammatory insights would expand on our current understanding of CSVD clinical (and subclinical) heterogenous manifestations whilst highlighting plausible NLRP3-linked therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore the modification of nanofiller lignite fly ash (LFA) on mechanical, wear, friction, and moisture intake behavior of Sansevieria Roxburghiana fiber (SRF)-reinforced epoxy composites. The matrix epoxy was modified with a filler LFA of size 20 nm with different weight proportions of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5. The composite samples with different compositions were manufactured with a hand layup method followed by a compression molding technique. The prepared samples were investigated for tensile, flexural, impact, wear, and friction properties as per ASTM standards. The optimal results on tensile, impact, flexural, wear, and friction properties were obtained with the addition of 2 wt. % filler LFA. The percentage increase in the mechanical properties was perceived as 38.33% for tensile, 41.34% for flexural, and 33.56% for impact strength respectively. Minimum moisture intake is observed for the composite samples with nanofiller LFA, the water diffusion coefficient was reduced by 55% with the incorporation of nanoparticles LFA. The rupture surface of tensile-tested specimens was inspected using a scanning electron microscope. The SRF epoxy composites possess excellent tribological and mechanical features that can be exploited as low-cost construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of catalytically active metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with copper(II) paddle-wheel clusters and urea–carboxylate linkers was achieved at room temperature in the presence of sulphate anions. The role of various anions in determining the MOF structure was analysed using X-ray diffraction. Structural analysis of the MOFs indicated that a two-fold interpenetrated rhombus grid (HI-101) was formed in the presence of sulphate anions, but a three-fold interpenetrated square grid network (HI-102) was obtained with nitrate and perchlorate anions. The experiment performed with various anions in the presence of sulphate anions also resulted in the formation of HI-101, indicating the selectivity of sulphate anions in the formation of the HI-101 framework. HI-101 proved to be an efficient catalyst for the cycloaddition of CO2 at room temperature, the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes and the methanolysis of epoxides, but the other MOFs were not catalytically active. Thus, the size, charge and affinity of sulphate anions play an important role in generating a two-fold interpenetrated rhombus grid, which is crucial for catalytic reactions. This study shows that anion-templated synthesis could generate a versatile urea-based MOF catalyst for CO2 fixation and other reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the ways that explainable AI can be used to help secure human-interactive robots. To do so, we acknowledge that robots interact with a variety of people. For example, some people may operate robots that perform tasks in their homes or offices, while other people may be tasked with defending robots from potential attackers. We describe how explainable AI can be used to help the human operators of robots appropriately calibrate the trust they have in their systems, and we demonstrate this through an implementation. We also describe a novel generalizable human-in-the-loop framework based on control loops to characterize and explain attacks on robots to a robot defender. We explore the utility of such a framework through an analysis of its application in the incident management process, applied to robots. This framework allows formal definition of explainability, and the necessary condition for explainability in robots. The overarching goal of this article is to introduce the application of explainability for security of robotics as a novel area of research, therefore, we also discuss several open research problems we uncovered while applying explainable AI to security of robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noisy labels often occur in vision datasets, especially when they are obtained from crowdsourcing or Web scraping. We propose a new regularization method, which enables learning robust classifiers in presence of noisy data. To achieve this goal, we propose a new adversarial regularization scheme based on the Wasserstein distance. Using this distance allows taking into account specific relations between classes by leveraging the geometric properties of the labels space. Our Wasserstein Adversarial Regularization (WAR) encodes a selective regularization, which promotes smoothness of the classifier between some classes, while preserving sufficient complexity of the decision boundary between others. We first discuss how and why adversarial regularization can be used in the context of noise and then show the effectiveness of our method on five datasets corrupted with noisy labels: in both benchmarks and real datasets, WAR outperforms the state-of-the-art competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Serum Cystatin C (Cys C) facilitates to detect mild renal dysfunction and overall risk of death in older patients with chronic renal diseases. The requirement for creating a particular reference interval is mandatory for such renal diseases in South Asian population since the value of serum creatinine varies largely with age, gender and population/ethnicity and data of same is short for South Asian population. Aim: To determine the reference interval of serum Cystatin C amongst the Dravidian population subset of South Asian ethnic groups. Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry and Transfusion Medicine at Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, India, from July 2020 to January 2021 among on 235 healthy adults (20-60 years). A 4 mL of blood was drawn by aseptic precautions and serum was separated within three hours of blood collection. Serum Cys C was assayed by latex enhanced immunoturbidimetric cystatin C assay using a calibrator traceable to international standard European Specific Protein Reference Material (ERM DA-471) developed by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) and Laboratory Medicine. Serum creatinine (sCr) by Jaffe method in a fully automatic clinical chemistry analyser. Categorical variables are presented using frequency (percentage) while continuous variables are summarized with an inter-percentile range. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of the distribution of continuous variables. Results: Total of 235 subjects (20-60 years of age, 17 males and 218 females) were included in the study. The non parametric reference intervals for Cys C were found to be from 0.39 to 0.79 mg% and that of sCr ranged from 0.79 to 1.2 mg%. The relationship between Cystatin C with age showed an increase in Cystatin C levels as age advances; Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho=0.197). The weak correlation between Cystatin C and sCr was also observed (rho=0.37; p-value <0.0001). Conclusion: The level of serum cystatin C (0.39 to 0.79 mg%) can be used as a diagnostic concentration reference interval of the protein that helps to recognise, standardise and establish it as a potential biomarker to detect renal disorders in South Asian ethnic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 6 December 1959, the image of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurating the Damodar Valley Corporation dam project in Bihar with a 15-year-old Adivasi girl called Budhini Manjhiyan was flashed across the national newspapers. This was an iconic moment in the national debate around development and change which was to dominate modern India on whether lands, predominately rural and tribal, were to be flooded to benefit the nation. Years later, in 2016, when the newspapers caught up with Budhini, she had returned to Jharkhand and was struggling to make ends meet for herself and her children. Her story resonates with the ways in which, in recent times, Adivasis are becoming increasingly visible as subjects in debates around indigeneity, identity, conversion, development, and climate change. The post-colonial Indian state and its allies, with a developmentalist agenda uppermost in their minds, have made loss of land, displacement, migration, and forced resettlement a part of Adivasi experiences. Forces of globalization, often in tandem with the policies of the Indian state, are engulfing marginal spaces. The increasingly powerful majoritarian narrative of the state subsumes alternate voices with easy nonchalance. The foregrounding of planetary narratives on the fate of humanity in the era of the Anthropocene erases the importance of particular locales and specific communities that could offer an alternative to declensionist narratives. But amid this marginalization, there also lies a story of the assertion of Adivasi agency. Voices of Adivasis—although multiple and fractured—can be heard as they assert their identity, express their politics, and creatively negotiate with the state and its institutions. Scattered across India in geographically differentiated terrains, pursuing different occupations, and speaking different languages, the experiences of Adivasis are varied, as they inhabit many worlds. Their stories point to the multiplicity of cultures and myriad ways of thinking that must be accommodated within the ambit of the nation, and yet offer the possibilities of different ways of living and being on this earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Genomic alterations in key genes such as tumour suppressor genes have been reported to contribute to human cancers like breast cancer. Loss of E-cadherin (CDH1) mediated adhesion characterises the transition from benign lesions to invasive, metastatic cancer. Genetic changes occurring in the CDH1 gene has not yet been completely studied despite the remarkable biological function of the signal peptide of CDH1. Many of these genomic alterations have altered messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression that play a role in the pathophysiology of cancers and warrant further studies. Aim: To identify mutations in CDH1 gene (Exon 1) in Invasive Breast Carcinoma and evaluate CDH1 expression by real time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective cross-sectional study in which tissue samples were collected from Madras Medical College and VS Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India between March 2010 to August 2011 and molecular biology work and analysis was carried out at the SRM-DBT (Sri Ramasamy Memorial Institute of Science and Technology -- Department of Biotechnology) Platform for Advanced Life technologies, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) between June 2017 to September 2017. The Exon 1 region of the human E-cadherin gene of normal and breast cancer (Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma) patients were sequenced by Sanger method. The sequences were compared using the National Centre for Biotechnology Information-Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (NCBI-BLAST) utility. The change in the sequence were identified between the normal and tumour samples. The fold change of E-cadherin gene expression in tumour was calculated by comparing with control non neoplastic breast tissue. The fold change in the relative expression level between tumour and normal sample was determined using real time RT -PCR. Results: In the present study upon comparing the exon 1 sequences of normal gene with that of tumour, two deletion mutation and one C→T transition was observed. In present investigation also a 0.08-fold down regulation of CDH1 mRNA was observed in the tumour tissue when compared with the normal tissue. Conclusion: The present study has attempted to study the alterations at genome level (CDH1 gene, exon 1, encoding for the biologically active signal peptide region), transcriptional and translational level with respect to CDH1. The effect of the mutations detected including two loci with deletion mutations and one single nucleotide change could affect the structural conformation of the protein and functional impact including aberrant expression. Molecular docking studies and in-vitro studies with cell lines and animal studies could be done to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mariculture, a relatively low-carbon aquaculture sub-sector than other protein producing livestock systems is an important food-producing industry, continues to significantly expand its production at the global scale. Nevertheless, the sector's growth is vulnerable to climate change, typically driven by the temperature in the existing environment. The long-term sustained growth is contingent on the effective mitigations and adaptation to predicted temperature change and its consequences on production. In such perturbations, one of the adaptive strategies is finding a new potential candidate marine fish and documenting its thermal tolerance for adapting it as a climate-resilient species in mariculture systems. Furthermore, understanding the upper and lower thermal tolerance limits of species is of compelling necessity in the process of recommending species' suitability to diversify the mariculture sector other than their natural niche. In this context, an investigation into the thermal adaptability of Indian pompano, Trachinotus mookalee , was tested at six different acclimation temperatures (T acc), which revealed that the CT max of the species ranged from 37.02 °C to 43.22 °C and CT min from 12.66 °C to 19.22 °C. The study derived the Acclimation Response Ratio (ARR) of this species for the first time, and the response was found to be resilient demonstrating the species' adaptability to varying thermal conditions. in the tested temperature range. Hence, we concluded that the species could be a promising candidate for tropical biomes for mariculture development in context of climate change. This could assist the sector to opt for an adaptation (species becoming adjusted to specific conditions) and mitigation strategy against predicted climate change impacts, especially in those regions where climate extremes prevent conventional species farming practices. Also, this study points out the need and pressing priority for estimating the thermal tolerance of cultured aquatic organisms so as to assess their potential to integrate with the projected climate change scenarios in sustainable production systems. [Display omitted] • Study discovered promising climate-resilient candidate for adaption in mariculture systems. • Determined the thermal regime of indigenously bred marine finfish species T.mookalee. • The species exhibited high thermal tolerance up to CT max 43.22 °C and CT min 12.66 °C. • Study derived the Acclimation Response Ratio (ARR) of this species for the first time. • Species could support mariculture diversification in climate change environments in both tropical and temperate biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 20-year-old woman presented with sudden vision loss in her left eye following a coughing episode. She was diagnosed with Valsalva retinopathy and underwent a YAG hyaloidotomy, but the hemorrhage only drained minimally. The next step was to perform pneumatic displacement, which involved injecting sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and maintaining a prone position. After 14 days, the hemorrhage was completely absorbed and the patient's vision improved to 6/6. This case study highlights the successful use of pneumatic displacement in treating Valsalva retinopathy. [Extracted from the article]

Dear Editor, Skin of color (SOC), defined as skin of racial groups with skin darker than that of Caucasian individuals, is under represented in medical training for dermatology. We present two patients with SOC and pregnancy dermatoses, one of whom has PG and one of whom has PEP, to illustrate some differences in the clinical presentation of these pregnancy dermatoses in patients with SOC. However, the dermatologic manifestations of both of these pregnancy dermatoses in SOC differ from those in Caucasians of European or Arab ancestry in that erythema can be more subtle and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation more prominent. [Extracted from the article]

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard surgical treatment of gallstone disease and a commonly performed procedure in general surgery. Retained gallstones from intraoperative spillage remain largely asymptomatic and complications are rare. Peak incidence of presentation occurs within a year; however, it is important to recognize retained gallstones as a differential for acute presentations even many years postoperatively. We present the case of a 74-year-old female who presented with a retained-gallstone-associated abdominal wall abscess 30 years after spillage during the original surgery, which was successfully treated with a stepwise extraperitoneal approach with local drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a very useful tool to quickly assess cardiorespiratory function in coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 patients. The objective of this study was to test the agreement between manual and automated B-lines counting, left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI) and inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVC-CI) in suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients using AI integrated POCUS. In addition, we investigated the inter-observer, intra-observer variability and reliability of assessment of echocardiographic parameters using AI by a novice. Methods: Two experienced sonographers in POCUS and one novice learner independently and consecutively performed ultrasound assessment of B-lines counting, LVOT-VTI and IVC-CI in 83 suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases which included both manual and AI methods. Results: Agreement between automated and manual assessment of LVOT-VTI, and IVC-CI were excellent [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.98, P < 0.001]. Intra-observer reliability and inter-observer reliability of these parameters were excellent [ICC 0.96-0.99, P < 0.001]. Moreover, agreement between novice and experts using AI for LVOT-VTI and IVC-CI assessment was also excellent [ICC 0.95-0.97, P < 0.001]. However, correlation and intra-observer reliability between automated and manual B-lines counting was moderate [(ICC) 0.52-0.53, P < 0.001] and [ICC 0.56-0.69, P < 0.001], respectively. Inter-observer reliability was good [ICC 0.79-0.87, P < 0.001]. Agreement of B-lines counting between novice and experts using AI was weak [ICC 0.18, P < 0.001]. Conclusion: AI-guided assessment of LVOT-VTI, IVC-CI and B-lines counting is reliable and consistent with manual assessment in COVID-19 patients. Novices can reliably estimate LVOT-VTI and IVC-CI using AI software in COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the aeroelastic response that could arise from a periodic vertical gust of different frequencies encountering an airfoil which consists of a trailing-edge control surface (typically used for transonic aileron-buzz studies) and an airfoil undergoing pitching and plunging aeroelastic motion in transonic flow. The flutter phenomena and limit cycle oscillation correspond to two different types of self-induced instabilities, which happen at a Mach number, freestream velocity, and angle of attack combination for which the airfoil or control surface attains a stable oscillation. Gust acts as an external force to an aerostructural system. The airfoil shows a beating pattern under a periodic gust when the gust frequency coincides with the flutter frequency. However, this pattern evident at flutter velocity is absent when the periodic gust encounters an aeroelastic system at limit cycle oscillation velocity. The present work also shows the impact of periodic gust front on the shock/boundary-layer interaction modifying the coefficient of pressure and coefficient of skin friction distribution and leading to a multiple-frequency and multiple-amplitude aeroelastic motion. Fast Fourier transform is applied to the structural response to explore the frequency content corresponding to the structural response and dominant fluid modes for different flow Mach number regimes under the influence of the periodic gust. These frequency characteristics of the structural responses and flowfield in inviscid and viscous flowfield are distinct for different test cases and reveal the underlying physics of several multiple-frequency and multiple-amplitude aeroelastic motions, frequency coalescence, generation of a new frequency, and so on, as shown in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater image processing is a vast area of research to identify blurred objects in the ocean or sea environments. The light absorbed and scattered by the underwater medium create artifacts in the acquired images due to low‐light effects, poor visibility, darkness, illumination variation, and color contrast degradation. In this research work, a novel optical image preprocessing framework was proposed to restore the color contrast of images obtained from various water‐colored environments. Domain transform‐based multiscale image decomposition method was used to extract the base, residual, and detail layers. Then, the smoothed image was reconstructed from the base layer by applying the adaptive iterative backward‐projection algorithm. To obtain dehazed images, a multiscale fusion‐based algorithm was developed, which fused the detail layers and reconstructed the images. The outcome of the proposed framework revealed that the contrast degradation and low‐light‐related artifacts present in the acquired images from various water‐colored environments were found to be considerably reduced. The experimental results of the proposed method exhibit scalable improvements over the other methods in terms of visual perception and estimated performance metrics (underwater image quality measure = 6.1186; peak signal‐to‐noise ratio = 26.68; feature points matching = 96 points; semantic image segmentation accuracy = 0.8465 and processing time of 0.11 seconds on a single image). The novelty of this method relies on the fusion of well‐established techniques, which outperformed the advanced techniques like deep learning method in terms of simplicity, speed, performance, datasets, image resolution, and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index (PCI) is used to assess the extent of peritoneal cancer by dividing the peritoneal cavity into 13 well-defined regions and assessing the size of the largest tumour nodule in each region. Aim: To evaluate the imaging features of peritoneal carcinomatosis using Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and correlate it with diagnostic laparotomy. Also to To determine the prognostic significance of peritoneal carcinomatosis index calculated radiologically in predicting the outcome of advanced ovarian malignancies. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from July 2019 to December 2020. Total of 50 females between 18-80 years of age with advanced ovarian malignancies with peritoneal deposits underwent CT and MRI to calculate initial PCI. Then these patients underwent cytoreductive debulking after which final response was assessed. Followedup for a period of 1 year to assess the treatment response and to look for any complications. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis was carried out using mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables. Results: Fifty women were included with a mean age of 53.4 years. PCI calculated using CT and MRI showed strong correlation with laparoscopic PCI with correlation coefficient (r) of 0.984 and 0.988 respectively with a statistically significant p-value <0.001. Initial radiological PCI and cytoreduction showed strong correlation when analysed using ROC curve (Receiver Operating Characteristic curve) with an AUC (Area under the ROC Curve) of 0.933. With Youden index a cut-off value of 11 was derived under which patients had optimal cytoreduction and a better outcome. Radiological PCI showed good sensitivity (82.35%) and specificity (88.78) for predicting complications and it was found that patients with PCI >15 were at a higher risk for developing various complications. Conclusion: Radiological PCI strongly correlate with laparoscopic PCI and is a very strong predictor of disease outcome in advanced ovarian malignancies. It was found that patients with high PCI values had poor response to cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy. So, high initial PCI values above 11 was indicative of poor patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive exotic plant species (IEPS) is recognized as threat to the native biodiversity and leads to the loss of habitat for the indigenous species on the earth. Invasions not only tear down the native plant species but have adverse impacts on economy and human health. Many documented records from Western countries connected with alien species revealed altered ecosystem services and socio-economic conditions via diverse mode of actions. Even though, the ecological impacts of alien species were documented, there is a dearth of analysis regarding their economic quantification, livelihood considerations, biotechnological aspects and human health risk assessments are the need of the hour. The noxious exotic invasive plants in India were Ageratum conyzoides, Eupatorium adenophorum, Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara, Mikania micrantha, Argemone mexicana and Eichhornia crassipes. In this context, an attempt was made to enlist the alien species of Kerala and a review to account the impacts of invasive exotic plant species on various aspects of the environment globally. Results regarding the alien species search revealed the following species such as Chromolaena odorata, Senna spectabilis, Hypoestes sanguinolenta, Maesopsis eminii, Eupatorium cannabinum, Mikania micrantha, Sphagneticola trilobata and Acacia mearnsii were intruded in to various ecosystems of Kerala after the repeated floods. They directly affect the germination and survival of local species, damage the quality of soil and affect ground water availability. Nearly 80 species were noted as alien species in Kerala by many state level surveys. Research in the direction of impact of alien species on socio-economic cultural aspects of life and derailment of ecosystem is not yet seriously carried from Kerala. Further, there is a paucity of the ecological models/indicators to establish interrelationship among global environmental changes, biodiversity and health, warranting future researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A collection of solid-state emitters based on oxazolone–coumarin triazoles with the potential to induce apoptosis in the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa is reported. These new classes of fluorescent inhibitors were synthesized by the sequential use of multicomponent reactions (MCR) and click chemistry with oxazolone alkynes and coumarin azides and the origin of their solid state emission properties were related to an unconventional AIE process. The significantly high first-order hyperpolarizability values (36–118 times higher than the standard molecule urea) obtained from the DFT calculations showed that the emission from these molecules follows nonlinear optical characteristics. The molecules also showed excellent binding affinity towards CDK2 with high docking scores and the binding sites obtained from docking studies are in good agreement with the reactivity sites determined from the DFT-based molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis. Cytotoxicity studies of the selected molecules showed the potential of these molecules as inhibitors of human cervical cancer cells (HeLa). Overall, the optical and biological properties of these new solid-state emitters are promising for a broad spectrum of applications in medicinal and materials chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of procuring several units of red blood cells for red cell exchange can sometimes take several hours to days, especially for patients with multiple clinically significant red cell alloantibodies. This can introduce delays, inconveniences, and even health challenges for the patient. For most planned exchanges, these delays are preventable with some foresight and process modifications that are relatively minor yet high leverage. We report a case study of process improvement whereby the apheresis nurse sends an e-mail to the blood bank when the nurse makes the patient's next red cell exchange appointment as the signal to order blood about 6–8 weeks before the exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single server Retrial Queueing model with system repair and breakdown under non-preemptive priority is considered in this paper. The study of the model so far is mostly explored only for steady state solutions with few exceptions to Transient solutions. Though some researchers have attempted transient solution to the model analytically, the solution thus obtained is more complicated that it cannot be solved. In this context, we have found the transient numerical solution to the model using eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Time dependent system performance measures and probability distributions are evaluated and validated with steady state solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cage-based mariculture ventures in India are expanding, particularly emerging with the most sought-after candidate Asian seabass Lates calcarifer in territorial waters. However, comprehensive techno-economics have not been attempted, and thus hindering the sector's growth potential. To address this, a spatiotemporally validated decision-support model was developed to optimize investment decisions and forecast economic performance. Peer-reviewed contextual data was used to establish scientifically valid assumptions, and robust scenario simulations were conducted to benchmark production systems and species performance. Unit standards were defined and benchmarked for metric deployment for the first time. Capacity Utilization (CU) was found to be critical for success, achieving break-even at 31% CU with set model specifications derived from an inverse linkage with market price dynamics. The enterprise model demonstrated significant economic potential over a ten-year horizon, with low risk due to current policy initiatives by the Indian government. Furthermore, the model architecture and benchmarked specifications derived are adaptable to other candidates with its species-specific biological parameter application. The study can aid stakeholders in planning the enterprise budget. Most importantly, the study highlights the advantages of integrating technological, biological, and financial approaches to mitigate risks and promote the mariculture sector in India. The adaptability of the Asian seabass to farming systems, technical feasibility, and the availability of seeds and suitable sites along the Indian coast have been influential factors and these attributes in specific underpins the profitability. This research provides a way forward for the future of the sector in India, particularly with regard to farming of the Asian seabass, and emphasizes the importance of techno-economic models (TEM) in promoting strategic development of the mariculture sector through open sea cage farming. • A Techno-economic decision-support model developed for Asian seabass mariculture. • The TEM enables to optimize investments and predicts calculated risks. • It forecasts insightful spatiotemporally validated techno-economic possibilities. • The model enables farmers, next-generation entrepreneurs, and policymakers establish strategies. • Our study helps to attain comprehensive enterprises plan to maximise returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osmotic swelling and residual stress are increasingly recognized as important factors in soft tissue biomechanics. Little attention has been given to residual stress in periodontal ligament (PDL) biomechanics despite its rapid growth and remodeling potential. Those tissues that bear compressive loads, e.g., articular cartilage, intervertebral disk, have received much attention related to their capacities for osmotic swelling. To understand residual stress and osmotic swelling in the PDL, it must be asked (1) to what extent, if any, does the PDL exhibit residual stress and osmotic swelling, and (2) if so, whether residual stress and osmotic swelling are mechanically significant to the PDL's stress/strain behavior under external loading. Here, we incrementally built a series of computer models that were fit to uniaxial loading, osmotic swelling and residual stretch data. The models were validated with in vitro shear tests and in vivo tooth-tipping data. Residual stress and osmotic swelling models were used to analyze tension and compression stress (principal stress) effects in PDL specimens under external loads. Shear-to-failure experiments under osmotic conditions were performed and modeled to determine differences in mechanics and failure of swollen periodontal ligament. Significantly higher failure shear stresses in swollen PDL suggested that osmotic swelling reduced tension and thus had a strengthening effect. The in vivo model's first and third principal stresses were both higher with residual stress and osmotic swelling, but smooth stress gradients prevailed throughout the three-dimensional PDL anatomy. The addition of PDL stresses from residual stress and osmotic swelling represents a unique concept in dental biomechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning opportunities in teaching hospitals are gated by clinical teachers. One way to unpack their decision-making is to employ a 'trust and risk' model. This study aimed to uncover clinical teachers' experience of trust, risk and vulnerability as they participate in medical education. Hospital-based clinical teachers were interviewed about trust, risk and vulnerability in medical education. Data analysis was undertaken using a constructivist, qualitative framework. Twenty demographically diverse clinical teachers participated. Trust and risk were regarded as fundamental workplace and teaching concepts. Their concerns fell into three domains of risk: clinical, teaching and personal. Being trusted unlocked clinical learning opportunities, whereas trust failure limited future participation. Feeling trusted or not affected wellbeing and self-efficacy. Trust and risk pitfalls in education included bias, asymmetry and sidelining. This study adds to the literature by voicing clinical teachers' personal risks and vulnerabilities. Attention was drawn to the benefits of being perceived as trustworthy, and to the clinical, teaching and personal vulnerabilities of trust failure. If expert judgement of trustworthiness is to be legitimised as meaningful assessment, clinical teachers must be aware not only of how trust is built, but also the pitfalls of trust failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nanohybrid comprised of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanocluster‐decorated reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets and its dispersions (nanofluids) were developed for heat transfer applications. The RGO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid was synthesized by a facile and cost‐effective one‐pot solvothermal route. The morphological, structural, chemical, and magnetic features of RGO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid was characterized by using various analysis techniques. To evaluate the efficacy of as‐synthesized nanohybrid for thermal engineering applications, stable water ‐based RGO/Fe3O4 nanofluids were synthesized and their thermal conductivity (k) was measured as a function of volume fraction (ϕ). Maximum 18 % enhancement in k value was attained for RGO/Fe3O4 nanofluids even at a low nanohybrid concentration of ϕ=0.026. The synergistic effects of RGO (large surface area, high inherent k, hydrophilic nature, and relatively low density) and Fe3O4 (efficient conduction paths through zero‐field dipolar structures) components provided excellent stability and enhanced thermal conductivity to RGO/Fe3O4 nanofluids in the present study. The results demonstrate that RGO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid is a promising nanoadditive in designing efficient nanofluids for heat transport applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the multicomponent system of nutrients in grains, germinated grains such as cereals and legumes led to increased health assurance of population consuming them. The process of sprouting has many advantages on this nutrient composition of these grains such as sugars, vitamin B groups fat, protein, reduction in dry matter, starch, essential amino acids, and anti-nutrients get enhanced. Moreover, germinated grains improved the activities of hydrolytic enzymes like amylases, lipases, and proteases. This review focuses on the utilization of germinated grains, the impact on the biochemical activity on grains due to germination, and value-added products from the sprouted grains, like bakery products, multigrain beverages, and biodegradable packaging, fulfill the demand of the growing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testicular rupture is a rare but serious condition which requires immediate and emergent surgical intervention in order to preserve fertility and maintain gonadal hormone function. We present here a case of a 16-year-old male who suffered a shattered right testicle following gunshot wound. Additionally, the left cord structures were also hit with possible compromise of the left testicle. He underwent scrotal exploration with reconstruction of the right tunica albuginea with a tunica vaginalis graft. The right testicle was found to be viable within 2 months postoperatively with normal arterial and venous flow seen on Doppler scrotal ultrasound. We propose that tunica vaginalis can be used successfully as a graft to manage testicular rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a series of chromene–pyrimidine triad molecules for the selective detection of Fe3+ is described. The new chemosensors were synthesized through the sequential use of multicomponent reactions (MCRs) and click chemistry marking its ease and cost effectiveness. The sensor molecules showed turn-off fluorescence towards Fe3+ with an extremely low limit of detection (LOI) and a strong affinity to cancer causing CDK2 proteins with binding energy closer to −9.8 kcal mol−1 as indicated by the molecular docking studies. The free hydrophilic handles present on the sensors are advantageous for binding with cellular Fe3+ demonstrating the potential of these molecules as therapeutics for iron overloading diseases. The therapeutic potential is further illustrated via cytotoxicity studies against the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa, which showed a very low IC50 value of 15 μg mL−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a greater influence on all of us and has changed many of our everyday routines. Adjusting to a new routine is stressful for everyone, but especially for children with Autism who have difficulty with change, it is more stressful. As, insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, and ritualistic patterns are the core features of autism, environmental changes, home confinement, disrupted daily routines, restricted access to schools, therapy centers during this pandemic will have a unique impact on children with Autism and their families. Objectives: The objective of this study was to systematically assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities of daily living (ADL), play, and sensory behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Study Design: Cross-sectional survey study was conducted. Methods: Convenient sampling method was used. The study sample consisted of 100 parents/primary caregivers of children with Autism. A structured ADL, play, sensory behavior questionnaire (45 items) was designed, validated, and administered through face to face and telephonic interviews. The duration of the study was 1 month. Results: Substantial proportion of the parents (69%) reported inconsistent daily routines and inconsistent sleep routines (67%) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty-three percent of ASD children spend more time on mobile phones and televisions than interactive play. Home confinement during this pandemic resulted in lower physical activity was mentioned by 69% of ASD parents and 70% mentioned the increased social withdrawal of ASD. Many parents reported increased intensity of vestibular-proprioceptive seeking (75%), other sensory behaviors during this COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The study analysis suggests that COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on children with ASD on their ADL, play, and sensory behaviors. Ninety nine percent of our study respondents were not able to access therapy centers, and other intervention facilities during this pandemic. Lack of access to these structured environments during this pandemic could have contributed to the worsening of ASD children's behaviors. So, this study stress, access to the health care services that serve ASD children, especially occupational therapy, needs to be considered essential and remain available during these kinds of pandemics with universal precautions and/or via alternative modes of delivery, i.e. tele-consultation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major challenge in the development of affordable medicines from natural sources is the unavailability of logical protocols to explain their mechanism of action in biological targets. FimH (Type 1 fimbrin with D-mannose specific adhesion property), a lectin on E. coli cell surface is a promising target to combat the urinary tract infection (UTI). The present study aimed at predicting the inhibitory capacity of saccharides on FimH. As mannosides are considered FimH inhibitors, the readily accessible saccharides from the PubChem collection were utilized. The artificial neural networks (ANN)-based machine learning algorithm Self-organizing map (SOM) has been successfully employed in predicting active molecules as they could discover relationships through self-organization for the ligand-based virtual screening. Docking was used for the structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamic simulation for validation. The result revealed that the predicted molecules malonyl hexose and mannosyl glucosyl glycerate exhibit exactly similar binding interactions and better docking scores as that of the reference bioassay active, heptyl mannose. The pharmacokinetic profile matches that of the selected bioflavonoids (quercetin malonyl hexose, kaempferol malonyl hexose) and has better values than the control drug bioflavonoid, monoxerutin. Thus, these two molecules can effectively inhibit type 1 fimbrial adhesin, as antibiotics against E. coli and can be explored as a prophylactic against UTIs. Moreover, this investigation can pave the way to the exploration of the potential benefits of plant-based treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We modified C3-symmetric benzene-1,3,5-tris-amide (BTA) by introducing flexible linkers in order to generate an N-centered BTA (N-BTA) molecule. The N-BTA compound formed gels in alcohols and aqueous mixtures of high-polar solvents. Rheological studies showed that the DMSO/water (1:1, v/v) gels were mechanically stronger compared to other gels, and a similar trend was observed for thermal stability. Powder X-ray analysis of the xerogel obtained from various aqueous gels revealed that the packing modes of the gelators in these systems were similar. The stimuli-responsive properties of the N-BTA towards sodium/potassium salts indicated that the gel network collapsed in the presence of more nucleophilic anions such as cyanide, fluoride, and chloride salts at the MGC, but the gel network was intact when in contact with nitrate, sulphate, acetate, bromide, and iodide salts, indicating the anion-responsive properties of N-BTA gels. Anion-induced gel formation was observed for less nucleophilic anions below the MGC of N-BTA. The ability of N-BTA gels to act as an adsorbent for hazardous anionic and cationic dyes in water was evaluated. The results indicated that the ethanolic gels of N-BTA successfully absorbed methylene blue and methyl orange dyes from water. This work demonstrates the potential of the N-BTA gelator to act as a stimuli-responsive material and a promising candidate for water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]