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The research of energy-storage systems has been encouraged in the last ten years by the rapid development of portable electronic gadgets. Hybrid-ion capacitors are a novel kind of capacitor-battery hybrid energy storage device that has earned a lot of interest because of their high power density while maintaining energy density and a long lifecycle. Mostly, lithium-based energy storage technology is now being studied for use in electric grid storage. But the price increment and intermittent availability of lithium reserves make lithium-based commercialization unstable. Therefore, sodium-based technologies have been proposed as potential substitutes for lithium-based technologies. Sodium-ion capacitors (SICs) are acknowledged as potential innovative energy storage technologies which have lower standard electrode potentials and lower costs than lithium-ion capacitors. However, the large radius of the sodium ion also contributes to unfavorable reaction kinetics, low energy density, and brief lifespan of SICs. Recently, transition metal oxide (TMO)-based candidates have been considered potential due to the large theoretical capacity, environmental friendliness, and low cost for SICs. This brief study summarizes current advancements in research of TMOs and sodium-based TMOs as electrode candidates for SIC applications. Also, we have covered in detail the state of the exploration and upcoming prospects of TMOs for SICs.

Nowadays researchers are much interested in bioceramics for their use as biological implants. Researchers have succeeded to derive few bioceramic materials which show good biological response with living tissues. Few of the bioceramics are zirconia, hexagonal boron nitride and hydroxyapatite. Herein, the effects of zirconia nanoparticles and hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets in hydroxyapatite powder on the structural, mechanical, and biological properties were investigated. In this study, the formation of a potential composite with desired mechanical and biological properties is strongly anticipated. The present study is also proposed to provide further faces to improve osteogenic properties of the scaffolding material without altering the established mechanical and biological properties. Three different compositions in the system [(95-x)HAp-x(ZrO2)-5hBN] (x = 10, 20, 30) were prepared using a simple solid-state reaction technique. In the samples, significant phase was identified for HAp [Calcium Phosphate Hydroxide: Ca5(PO4)3(OH)]. SEM analysis of the composites revealed well-connected and uniform distribution of ZrO2 and HAp nanoparticles on h-BN sheets. The composite samples 65H30Z5B9h (65HAp-30ZrO2-5hBN sintered at 900 °C) and 65H30Z5B1T (65HAp-30ZrO2-5hBN sintered at 1000 °C) showed improved mechanical and tribological behaviors. These samples exhibited excellent mechanical properties like compressive strength, Young's modulus, toughness and density. The obtained values were 2.154 MPa, 0.0182 MPa, 553.82 MJ/m3, 2.29 g/cm3 for 65H30Z5B9h and 3.798 MPa, 0.0832 MPa, 231.59 MJ/m3, 2.31 g/cm3 for 65H30Z5B1T respectively. Cytotoxicity of the composites was studied on Drosophila fly and Mice calvarial osteoblasts cells at five different concentrations. Toxic effect of the composite 65H30Z5B1T on the fly was confirmed by phenotypic observations, trypan blue staining, pupal count, and larval crawling speed. Composite 65H30Z5B1T was found to be toxic in this study, but the composite 65H30Z5B9h was not. Further, cell viability, alkaline phosphates, and mineralization tests confirmed non-toxic property and enhanced osteogenic activities for the composite sample 65H30Z5B9h.

Introduction This study explores how the emergence of FDA-funded Tobacco Regulatory Science (TRS) research complements and perhaps influenced the direction of tobacco research supported by NIH. Aims and Methods New NIH- and FDA-funded tobacco projects awarded in fiscal years (FY) 2011–2020 were identified using internal NIH databases of awarded grants. Project abstracts and research aims were coded by the authors to characterize research domains and tobacco products studied. Results Between FY 2011 and 2020, NIH funded 1032 and FDA funded 322 new tobacco projects. For the years and grant activity codes studied, the number of new NIH tobacco projects declined while FDA’s increased; combined the number of new projects held steady. Much of NIH research included smoking combustibles (43.7%). The most common products in FDA research were cigarettes (74.8%) and e-cigarettes/ENDS (48.1%). Most NIH (58.6%) and FDA (67.7%) projects included research on the determinants of tobacco use. Another area of apparent overlap was health effects (29.5% NIH and 30.1% FDA). Projects unique to NIH included treatment interventions (33.3%), disease pathology/progression (17.8%) and neurobiology (18.9%). A minority of both NIH and FDA projects included populations particularly vulnerable to tobacco product use. Conclusions In total, support for new tobacco research supported by NIH and FDA combined remained steady for the time period covered, though there was a concomitant decline in NIH tobacco projects with the increase in FDA-funded TRS projects for the activity codes studied. Despite the apparent overlap in some areas, both NIH and FDA support research that is unique to their respective missions. Implications NIH continues to support tobacco research that falls within and outside of FDA’s regulatory authorities. This research still is needed not only to bolster the evidence base for regulatory decisions at the national and state levels, but also to advance a comprehensive scientific agenda that can inform multiple levels of influence on tobacco control, use and addiction. It will be important to continue monitoring FDA-funded TRS and NIH-funded tobacco research portfolios to ensure that the level of support for and focus of the research is sufficient to address the burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.

Post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, nitrosylation, and pupylation modulate multiple cellular processes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While protein methylation at lysine and arginine residues is widespread in eukaryotes, to date only two methylated proteins in Mtb have been identified. Here, we report the identification of methylation at lysine and/or arginine residues in nine mycobacterial proteins. Among the proteins identified, we chose MtrA, an essential response regulator of a two-component signaling system, which gets methylated on multiple lysine and arginine residues to examine the functional consequences of methylation. While methylation of K207 confers a marginal decrease in the DNA-binding ability of MtrA, methylation of R122 or K204 significantly reduces the interaction with the DNA. Overexpression of S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase (SahH), an enzyme that modulates the levels of S-adenosyl methionine in mycobacteria decreases the extent of MtrA methylation. Most importantly, we show that decreased MtrA methylation results in transcriptional activation of mtrA and sahH promoters. Collectively, we identify novel methylated proteins, expand the list of modifications in mycobacteria by adding arginine methylation, and show that methylation regulates MtrA activity. We propose that protein methylation could be a more prevalent modification in mycobacterial proteins.

This experiment was conducted to determine the fasting effects on anthropometric parameters and salivary antioxidant properties in girls and boys. Saliva samples were collected from eighteen healthy girls (control-09 & fasting-09 girls) and twelve healthy boys (control-06 & fasting-06 boys). Saliva was collected four times from all the subjects at a time interval of two hours. For anthropometric parameters, body weight, body temperature, pulse rate (PR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was measured during each saliva collection time. Antioxidant parameters of all the saliva samples were evaluated. Most of the anthropometric parameters like temperature, PR, SBP, and DBP of the fasting group was significantly (p

The global population depends on fairly a small number of crops including wheat, rice and maize for food and nutrition, leaving a wealth of genetic resources neglected. Owing to ever increasing demands of the growing world, food production must be increased but research evidences suggests that climate change has adversely affected crop yields, thereby impacting whole agriculture. Exploring the potential reservoir of underutilized crops would provide a highly diversified agricultural production system in sustaining food and nutritional security under climate change. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) is one such crop representing a broad gene pool harboring diverse genetic resources for future agriculture due to their suitability to marginalized environments. Research advancements suggest that buckwheat has immense potential of commercialization due to presence of essential nutrients and therapeutics. With a balance of bioactive components and nutraceuticals, it has the ability to withstand various environmental stresses to make it a suitable candidate crop for future nutritional security initiatives. Despite such potential, efforts pertaining to genetic improvement, including breeding and molecular techniques are not exemplary. In this review, we present a comprehensive coverage of buckwheat germplasm research done till date along with a tangible perspective of integrating breeding and omics-driven approaches to accelerate higher genetic gains. The implementation of this strategy could enhance the nutritional benefits and adaptation to changing climates for future needs.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally and in India. Papillary lesions of the breast constitute around 5% of all the breast lesions. They encompasses a morphologically heterogeneous group of lesions, all of which share a growth pattern characterised by the presence of arborescent fibrovascular stalks lined by epithelial cells with or without a layer of myoepithelial cells. Invasive papillary carcinoma is an invasive adenocarcinoma which has predominant papillary morphology >90% in the invasive component. Invasive micropapillary carcinoma is a rare type accounting for only 0.9 to 2.0% of all invasive breast tumours. Encapsulated papillary carcinoma consists of fibrous capsule surrounding a nodule composed of delicate fibrovascular stalks, covered by monomorphic population of neoplastic epithelial cells. Micropapillary carcinoma is characterized by higher incidence of lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion resulting in poor prognosis. The purpose of this study is to share the last 13 years experience regarding papillary lesions of breast in the department of pathology in our institute. Material and Methods: A 13-year (2006-2019) retrospective review of database of patients diagnosed with breast cancer was performed. The medical records of 8 patients with papillary breast cancer who underwent surgery were retrieved and their clinical data, surgical treatment and pathological findings were reviewed. Results: A total of 884 patients underwent mastectomy for invasive breast cancer during the 13 year period. Out of 884 patients, eight were diagnosed with papillary carcinoma breast (0.90%). Amongst the eight, three were diagnosed as invasive papillary carcinoma, two as encapsulated papillary carcinoma and rest three as invasive micropapillary carcinoma. The mean age of presentation was 63.3 (range 45-80) years. The tumour size ranged between 3.5 to 6cm in its greatest dimension. Two out of eight patients had lymph node metastasis with no distant metastasis. Conclusion: Papillary carcinoma of the breast is a rare entity, the reported incidence of pure micropapillary carcinomas is 0.9 to 2% of all breast cancers. It is associated commonly with lymph node metastasis at the time of presentation and have relatively poor prognosis. Much lower prevalence of papillary carcinoma breast was seen in our institutional study.

Background Little is known about factors associated with engagement with online interventions for psychosis. This review aimed to synthesise existing data from relevant literature to develop a working model of potential variables that may impact on engagement with online interventions for psychosis. Methods Online databases were searched for studies relevant to predictors of engagement with online interventions for psychosis; predictors of Internet use amongst individuals with psychosis; and predictors of engagement with traditional psychosocial treatments for psychosis. Data were synthesised into a conceptual model highlighting factors relevant to engagement with online interventions for psychosis. Results Sixty-one studies were identified. Factors relevant to engagement related directly to the impact of psychosis, response to psychosis, integration of technology into daily lives and intervention aspects. Conclusion While several candidate predictors were identified, there is minimal research specifically investigated predictors of engagement with online interventions for psychosis. Further investigation examining both individual- and intervention-related factors is required to inform effective design and dissemination of online interventions for psychosis., Highlights • Engagement may be associated with illness factors such as the impact of psychotic symptoms. • Engagement may be associated with one's exposure to technology including computer literacy. • Engagement may be associated with individuals' response to psychosis including recovery style and internalised stigma. • Intervention design factors such as adjunct support may assist to overcome challenges with engagement.

The purpose of this paper is to present comparative analysis of cyber threat intelligence platforms and their features. This work include comparative analysis of existing ontologies for cyber threat collectors/sensor, data enrichment and data analytical techniques used for raw data analysis and community models for sharing cyber threats, intelligence and countermeasures. Firstly, this work performs comparative analysis of various data sensors designed for collecting raw data from different networks: wired, wireless and mobile. Secondly, detail analysis is performed on various interfaces designed to map ontologies into schemas. Thirdly, efficient methods for data analysis are considered for comparative and detailed report. These method extracts threat information from raw data. Lastly, various cybersecurity community models are analyzed with an aim of identifying an efficient cyber threat sharing model. It is observed that ontology based data sensor mechanisms are more efficient as compared to taxonomy models. It helps in identifying various cyber threats in stipulated time period. In another observation, it is found that decision tree based data analytical techniques are more efficient for critical infrastructure based cyber threat intelligence systems as compared to other machine learning techniques. Further, open source community for cyber threat sharing is efficient if it allows everyone to share their threat information, create groups for specialized interests and keep logs of every subscriber. The proposed analysis is performed for open source and commercial cyber threat sharing platforms however various ontology models are available for intrusion detection systems in cyberspace. This work may be extended for other ontology models, deep learning threat analytical models and quality based threat sharing communities for non-IT sectors like: gas plants, water and electricity supply system etc. The proposed cybersecurity platform is useful for various practical systems where need of cybersecurity is increasing day by day. For example, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems like: energy, oil/gas, transportation, power, water and waste water management systems etc.

Six glass compositions were synthesized using a melt quenching technique reinforced with different concentrations of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from 0.1 to 0.7% in the glassy system SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-K2CO3-CaO-MgF2. Density and molar volumes were estimated by employing a liquid displacement method. In the present study, the reinforcement effect of CNTs was explained using several spectroscopic techniques i.e. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy respectively. Based on Tauc plots of the UV-Vis spectra, the energy band gap was determined and their values decreased from 4.33 to 3.9 eV. Contact angle measurements were performed to check the wettability of the glasses. 29Si-MAS-NMR spectroscopic study showed the random distribution of two dissimilar Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions within these glasses which lead to structural and topological frustration. To check the cell viability, MTT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay were also performed. Owing to outstanding stability in various fluids like saline water, distilled water, and hydrochloric acid, the synthesized glasses exhibited functional activities with an adequate proliferation of rat calverail osteoblast (ROB) cell. Consequently, based on the various characterization techniques such as mechanical, tribological, and biological activities, the fabricated bioactive glassy material can be used for biomedical and multifunctional applications.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. It is similar to influenza viruses and raises concerns through alarming levels of spread and severity resulting in an ongoing pandemic worldwide. Within eight months (by August 2020), it infected 24.0 million persons worldwide and over 824 thousand have died. Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are very helpful in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. This work investigates the drone-based systems, COVID-19 pandemic situations, and proposes an architecture for handling pandemic situations in different scenarios using real-time and simulation-based scenarios. The proposed architecture uses wearable sensors to record the observations in Body Area Networks (BANs) in a push-pull data fetching mechanism. The proposed architecture is found to be useful in remote and highly congested pandemic areas where either the wireless or Internet connectivity is a major issue or chances of COVID-19 spreading are high. It collects and stores the substantial amount of data in a stipulated period and helps to take appropriate action as and when required. In real-time drone-based healthcare system implementation for COVID-19 operations, it is observed that a large area can be covered for sanitization, thermal image collection, and patient identification within a short period (2 KMs within 10 minutes approx.) through aerial route. In the simulation, the same statistics are observed with an addition of collision-resistant strategies working successfully for indoor and outdoor healthcare operations. Further, open challenges are identified and promising research directions are highlighted., Comment: 25 pages, 29 figures

The presence of harmful contaminants in the waste stream is an important concern worldwide. The convergence of biotechnology and nanoscience offers a sustainable alternative in treating contaminated waters. Hexavalent chromium, being carcinogenic deserves effective and sustainable methods for sequestration. Here in, we report the immobilization of a prokaryote (Rhizobium) and eukaryote (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for the effective adsorption of hexavalent chromium. The carboxylic groups were introduced into the MWCNTs during oxidation using potassium permanganate and were subjected to EDC-HOBT coupling to bind with microbial cell surface. FTIR, TGA, BET, FESEM-EDAX, HRTEM, XPS and confocal microscopy were the investigative techniques used to characterize the developed biosorbents. Experimental variables such as pH, adsorbent dosage, kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics were investigated and it was observed that the system follows pseudo second order kinetics with a best fit for Langmuir isotherm. Electrostatic interactions between the functional groups in the microbial cell wall and hydrochromate anion at pH 2.0 propel the adsorption mechanism. The lab scale column studies were performed with higher volumes of the Cr(VI) contaminated water. Sodium hydroxide was used as the desorbing agent for reuse of the biosorbents. The sustainable biosorbents show prospects to treat chromium contaminated water.

We have explored the effect of Cu dopant concentration on the electrical transport properties of Cu doped CdSe thin films at two concentrations of Cu (at 1 and 5 at.%). Structural, morphological and elemental analysis has been carried out by using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). XRD analysis reveals the hexagonal (wurtzite) structure of nc-CdSe:Cu 1% and nc-CdSe:Cu 5% thin films. EDX analysis determines the atomic weight percentage of Cu in these thin films. SEM studies reveal that the grains are uniformly distributed all over the surface of the substrates for nc-CdSe:Cu 1% and nc-CdSe:Cu 5% thin films. Dark conductivity measurements are made on nc-CdSe:Cu 1% and nc-CdSe:Cu 5% thin films in the temperature range 110–370 K in order to determine the effect of Cu concentration. The obtained results reveal that dark conductivity increases as the Cu dopant concentration increases as compared to undoped nc-CdSe thin films. Dark conductivity graphs show two distinct regions at high and low temperatures with decreasing activation energies. Low temperature data is analyzed using Mott’s variable-range hopping model which indicates hopping in localized states near the Fermi level. Various Mott parameters such as the density of localized states N(EF), characteristic temperature (To), hopping distance (R) and hopping energy (W) near the Fermi level are calculated. The concentration of charge carriers and carrier mobility are calculated for nc-CdSe:Cu 1% and nc-CdSe:Cu 5% thin films by using Hall measurements. Constant photocurrent measurement is also performed on Cu 1% and Cu 5% doped CdSe thin films to determine occupied density of states, Urbach parameter and density of defect states. Obtained results show that occupied density of states increases for nc-CdSe:Cu 5% as compared to nc-CdSe:Cu 1% thin films.

Background While female involvement in voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) has been studied among adults, little is known about the influence of adolescent females on their male counterparts. This study explored adolescent females’ involvement in VMMC decision making and the postoperative wound healing process in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Methods Across 3 countries, 12 focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 90 adolescent females (aged 16–19 years). Individual in-depth interviews were conducted 6–10 weeks post-VMMC with 92 adolescent males (aged 10–19 years). Transcribed and translated qualitative data were coded into categories and subcategories by 2 independent coders. Results Adolescent female participants reported being supportive of male peers’ decisions to seek VMMC, with the caveat that some thought VMMC gives males a chance to be promiscuous. Regardless, females from all countries expressed preference for circumcised over uncircumcised sexual partners. Adolescent females believed VMMC to be beneficial for the sexual health of both partners, viewed males with a circumcised penis as more attractive than uncircumcised males, used their romantic relationships with males or the potential for sex as leveraging points to convince males to become circumcised, and demonstrated supportive attitudes in the wound-healing period. Interviews with males confirmed that encouragement from females was a motivating factor in seeking VMMC. Conclusions Adolescent female participants played a role in convincing young males to seek VMMC and remained supportive of the decision postprocedure. Programs aiming to increase uptake of VMMC and other health-related initiatives for adolescent males should consider the perspective and influence of adolescent females.

In the present work, thin films of nickel cobalt oxide and polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite (NCO-PVA) are prepared by chemical methods. The as-prepared NCO-PVA films have been structurally studied by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphology of the NCO-PVA films has been studied by Field emission scanning electron microscopy and High-resolution transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis has been used to study its crystallinity and phase. The optical properties of NCO-PVA nanocomposite films have also been studied. The surface area and pore size measurements have also been done. The UV-Vis spectrum analysis reveals that the films possess two direct band gaps (2.91 eV and 3.48 eV). The red shift of Photoluminescence emission has been observed for nanocomposite films with increasing excitation intensity. The AC electrical conductivity of NCO-PVA films has been studied as the high value of AC conductivity is essential for getting high power and high energy density in supercapacitors. Also, the high value of the dielectric constant of nanocomposite at small frequencies shows its supercapacitive nature. A short relaxation time (~6.37 ≤ 10−7 s) reveals a very small delay in molecular polarization along with changing the electric field, suggesting fewer energy losses. Electrochemical performance is checked by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and impedance spectroscopy measurements using 1 M Na2SO4neutral aqueous electrolytic solution. Also, the symmetric supercapacitor has been fabricated, using NCO-PVA films as the electrodes, which exhibits the specific capacitance value of50 F g−1and energy density of 18.9 W h kg−1. The results reveal that the prepared nanocomposite films have enough potential for supercapacitor device fabrication, especially the flexible supercapacitors.

This short paper presents a detailed empirical study of BBR's performance under different real-world and emulated testbeds across a range of network operating conditions. Our empirical results help to identify network conditions under which BBR outperforms, in terms of goodput, contemporary TCP congestion control algorithms. We find that BBR is well suited for networks with shallow buffers, despite its high retransmissions, whereas existing loss-based algorithms are better suited for deep buffers.To identify the root causes of BBR's limitations, we carefully analyze our empirical results. Our analysis reveals that, contrary to BBR's design goal, BBR often exhibits large queue sizes. Further, the regimes where BBR performs well are often the same regimes where BBR is unfair to competing flows. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of a loss rate "cliff point" beyond which BBR's goodput drops abruptly. Our empirical investigation identifies the likely culprits in each of these cases as specific design options in BBR's source code.

The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Program Standardized Format (SF) is a written summary of a comprehensive medication review (CMR) that must be provided to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Concerns have been raised regarding the number of pages of the SF, mailing costs, the static nature of the document, and the lack of integration into beneficiaries' electronic health records. To date, limited research exists on beneficiaries' perceptions of the SF.To evaluate the perspectives of beneficiaries regarding the utility of the SF to inform potential modifications for optimal use.An online survey, designed based on the standard approach to measuring patient satisfaction with health service attributes and previous qualitative research, was distributed through Medicare Part D plans to beneficiaries who had received a CMR in the past year. Survey distribution began July 1, 2018, and data collection ended on October 31, 2018. Descriptive statistics are reported for demographic information; health status; perceived value and helpfulness of the SF and its 3 components (cover letter, medication action plan [MAP], personal medication list [PML]); updates to the SF; alternate formatting; and integration of the SF into health records.A total of 9,975 surveys were sent electronically by 4 Medicare Part D plans to beneficiaries who had received a CMR in the past year. Of the 434 unduplicated survey respondents (response rate of 4.3%), 58.5% were aged 65 to 84 years; 60% identified themselves as white; and 49.1% had at least a college education. The most commonly reported comorbidities were diabetes (50.5%) and high cholesterol (43.1%), with 10.7% of respondents rating their health as "very good" or "excellent" and 27.4% choosing "poor" or "fair." Beneficiaries rated how well the SF helped improve different aspects of their medication management (e.g., solving medication-related problems, keeping track of medications, correctly using medications, and understanding why medications are being taken), with 40.8%-44.9% choosing "very good" to "excellent" for each aspect. Helpful sections included "What we talked about" and "What I need to do"for the MAP, and medication name, strength, dosage form, and "How and why I use the medication" for the PML. Less helpful were the fill-in sections of the MAP, with 48.6% reporting that they did not write in any information. In contrast, 44.7% of the participants noted that they updated their PML. A wallet card version of the PML, if available, would be used by 54.6% of participants. About one third of Medicare beneficiaries shared the SF with their doctor, and 26% of the participants gave copies of their medication summary to their relatives.Fewer than half of the respondents perceived the SF as very good or excellent in helping them to manage their medications. This national survey provides Medicare beneficiary-focused evidence that more work is needed to improve the usability and portability of the SF. This can be achieved by allowing flexibility in the design of the SF, while including essential elements.This study was funded by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), which provided a grant to the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to conduct this study. Carden and Kumbera are AMCP employees. Brandt reports a grant from IMPAQ and consulting fees from Rand, outside of this study. Pellegrin is a member of the AMCP MTM Advisory Board. The other authors have nothing to disclose.

Background To evaluate the efficacy of tulsi extract mouthrinse in reducing halitosis as compared to chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide mouthrinses using spectrophotometric analysis. Material and methods It was a parallel, single center, double blinded randomized controlled trial of 15 days duration. A total of 300 participants were screened, out of which 45 subjects those fulfilled inclusion criteria of age range 17-35 years were included in the trial. The participants were randomly provided with tulsi, hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine mouthwashes (control group) to use 10 ml twice daily for 15 days. Clinical measurements were taken at baseline and 15 days using arbitrary 0-5 scale for organoleptic odor assessments, spectrophotometric analysis for Volatile Sulphide Compounds (VSCs) from saliva samples, Loe & Silness gingival index and Silness & Loe plaque index. Results After intervention, organoleptic, VSCs, gingival and plaque scores showed statistically significant decrease in all the three study groups. The mean percentage reduction in VSC and organoleptic scores was significantly greater in chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide groups than in the tulsi group and the mean percentage reduction in plaque and gingival scores was significantly greater in chlorhexidine group than in hydrogen peroxide and tulsi group. Conclusions Tulsi may not have the efficacy of chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide mouthrinses. But, Tulsi is effective in reducing halitosis, plaque and gingivitis and with its lack of side effects & cost effectiveness, can be an effective & economic tool to deal with halitosis. The spectrophotometric technique appears to be a promising method for evaluation of oral malodor. Key words:Halitosis, tulsi mouthwash, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, spectrophotometric analysis.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers with a 5-year patient survival rate of 8.2% and limited availability of therapeutic agents to target metastatic disease. Pancreatic cancer is characterized by a dense stromal cell population with unknown contribution to the progression or suppression of tumor growth. In this study, we describe a microengineered tumor stromal assay of patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells to study the heterotypic interactions of patient pancreatic cancer cells with different types of stromal fibroblasts under basal and drug-treated conditions. The population dynamics of tumor cells in terms of migration and viability were visualized as a functional end point. Coculture with cancer-associated fibroblasts increased the migration of cancer cells when compared to dermal fibroblasts. Finally, we imaged the response of a bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitor on the viability of pancreatic cancer clusters surrounding by stroma in microengineered tumor stromal assay. We visualized a codynamic reduction in both cancer and stromal cells with bromodomain and extraterminal treatment compared to the dimethyl sulfoxide-treated group. This study demonstrates the ability to engineer tumor–stromal assays with patient-derived cells, study the role of diverse types of stromal cells on cancer progression, and precisely visualize a coculture during the screening of therapeutic compounds.

Nanocrystalline Zn doped CdSe thin films with different Zn contents are prepared by thermal evaporation using the Inert Gas Condensation technique. The prepared samples are characterized by Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), UV–Vis-IR spectrophotometer and Photoluminescence (PL) techniques, respectively. SEM investigation reveals uniform distribution of the films over the entire substrate surface. XRD results indicate that Zn doped CdSe thin films grew with the hexagonal phase. The variation of the optical band gap with change in Zn dopant concentration has been studied. PL intensity increases for Zn 5% doped nanocrystalline CdSe thin films as compared to doping with Zn 1%. Electrical investigations have also been made for nanocrystalline Zn 1% and Zn 5% doped CdSe thin films. Hall measurements indicate that Zn 1% and Zn 5% doped CdSe thin films are of n type.

Introduction: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF) is a syndromemwith limited treatment modalities. Our control over 30 day readmissions and readmission outcomes is limited. Methods: HCUP’s Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) from 2013-14 was used for HFpEF related hospitalizations using ICD-9- CM diagnostic code:428.3x in primary diagnosis field. 30-day readmissions were identified and classified into two groups: same-hospital readmissions and different-hospital readmissions. A comparative analysis was conducted focused on three metrics - mortality, length of stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization. We used hierarchical two-level modeling and propensity score matching to adjust for confounders. Results: Of the 94,988 readmitted patients (age >65 years: 79%, Females: 61.45%) - 76,665 (80.70%) to the same hospital and rest to different hospitals. After adjusting extensive list of confounders, same hospital readmission was associated with better outcomes including in hospital mortality (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.66 - 0.80, p Conclusions: Considering scale of problem and limited option to prevent worse outcomes, Simple interventions such as redirecting patient to same hospital as previous admission would be beneficial.

In late 1950s, two mathematicians discovered a network with complex topology by random graph theory. Complex networks have received great attention in past few decades. Many studies have been done on complex networks and many are still in progress. Complex Networks are the networks which can be seen in real as well as in technological systems. They have nodes and these nodes are connected by various links. They are called complex networks because of the underlying complex architecture and complex topology. In this paper, our goal is to study the complex networks and various basic terms related to complex networks like mutual behavior between real-networks and complex networks, average path length, clustering coefficient, degree distribution. Designing and analyzing the behavior and dynamics of a complex networked system are also discussed. Hence, A complex networked system can helps us in: understanding the efficiency of new security approaches for computer networks, improving the design of computer networks to make it more robust and resilience against errors and failures occurred in system, understanding how population will respond to introduction of new nodes in system, detecting subtle vulnerabilities, and also detecting catastrophic failures in power grid.

Aim: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of use and need for dental prostheses and to associate need with the life course determinants in young adults of age 18–35 years in Udupi taluk, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey conducted on a total of 580 individuals those attended dental screening camps organized at random locations. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to participants to assess their life course determinants such as socioeconomic, behavioral, and psychological circumstances followed by an oral examination to assess their prosthetic status (WHO, 1997). Bivariate analysis followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for independent variables and the outcome. Results: The need and use of dental prostheses was observed in 38% and 2.2% of young adults, respectively. Adjusted multivariable analysis revealed that life course determinants such as parental rearing style (OR = 7.66 [95% CI: 3.88–15.14]) and interaction between expenditure at 10 years of age and economic hardships at 10 years of age (OR = 9.63 [95% CI: 3.12–29.72] and OR = 6.43 [95% CI: 1.89–21.88]) were significantly associated with the need for prostheses. Conclusion: The need for dental prostheses in the young adults can be related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances during childhood, and thus the concept of life course approach has been highlighted.

Nanocrystalline thin films of CdSe:In 1% and CdSe:In 5% are prepared by thermal evaporation using the Inert Gas Condensation method. The effects of different doping concentrations of In have been investigated. X-ray diffraction, optical absorption, Photoluminescence (PL) and electrical techniques are used to characterize the films. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the nc-CdSe:In 1% and nc-CdSe:In 5% thin films possess hexagonal structure. The crystallinity of the films and the grain size decreases as the In doping concentration increases. The results of PL measurements indicate that the PL intensity decreases as the In doping concentration increases. The optical band gap values increase as the In doping concentration increases. The dc electrical conductivity increases from undoped nc-CdSe to nc-CdSe:In 1% and decreases for nc-CdSe:In 5%. The density of the states near Fermi level N ( E F ), degree of disorder ( T o ), hopping distance ( R ) and hopping energy ( W ) near the Fermi level are calculated using dc conductivity measurements at low temperatures. The effect of In doping concentration on these parameters is discussed. Hall measurements are performed on nc-CdSe, nc-CdSe:In 1% and nc-CdSe:In 5% to calculate the carrier concentration, carrier type and mobility of charge carriers.

Organisms across all three domains of life use gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to integrate varied stimuli into coherent transcriptional responses to environmental pressures. However, inferring GRN topology and regulatory causality remains a central challenge in systems biology. Previous work characterized TrmB as a global metabolic transcription factor in archaeal extremophiles. However, it remains unclear how TrmB dynamically regulates its ∼100 metabolic enzyme-coding gene targets. Using a dynamic perturbation approach, we elucidate the topology of the TrmB metabolic GRN in the model archaeon Halobacterium salinarum. Clustering of dynamic gene expression patterns reveals that TrmB functions alone to regulate central metabolic enzyme-coding genes but cooperates with various regulators to control peripheral metabolic pathways. Using a dynamical model, we predict gene expression patterns for some TrmB-dependent promoters and infer secondary regulators for others. Our data suggest feed-forward gene regulatory topology for cobalamin biosynthesis. In contrast, purine biosynthesis appears to require TrmB-independent regulators. We conclude that TrmB is an important component for mediating metabolic modularity, integrating nutrient status and regulating gene expression dynamics alone and in concert with secondary regulators.

Thin films of the undoped nanocrystalline CdSe (nc-CdSe) and doped (Zn and In) thin films have been prepared by physical vapor deposition in the presence of argon as inert gas at room temperature. The influence of the doping materials on the stoichiometry, grain size and trap parameters has been explored by means of Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements. The TEM results show that small particles of nanometer range are formed in thin films and that size increases slightly with Zn doping and decreases when In is used as the doping material. TSC measurements in the temperature range from 225 to 350 K are performed at different heating rates. Well defined TSC peaks have been observed. The peaks shift to higher temperatures as heating rate is increased. Trap parameters, such as trap depth and density of traps have been determined. The trap parameters have been evaluated by using Gaussian fit and different heating rates methods. Good agreement has been obtained between trap parameters calculated from these two methods. It is observed that the trap depth decreases and trap density increases in doped samples compared to undoped ones.

nc-CdSe:Cu 1% and nc-CdSe:Cu 5% thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by thermal vacuum evaporation using the Inert Gas Condensation (IGC) method. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis reveals that the particles are spherical in shape and average particle size increases as the Cu concentration increases. The atomic weight percentage of Cu is determined by the Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). X-ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements indicate that the films exhibit hexagonal structure. The grain size calculated from XRD increases as the Cu concentration is increased to 5%. The optical band gap E g opt has been determined from the absorption coefficient values using the Tauc’s procedure. A decrease in the band gap is observed with increase of the Cu concentration. The refractive index (n) is determined from transmittance using the Swanepoel’s method. The refractive index is found to depend on Cu concentration. The Photoluminescence (PL) spectral variation at different concentrations of Cu is studied.