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In the present scenario discharge of heavy-metal ions into water bodies is a global threat that is causing serious health hazards even in low concentrations. Thus, in order to remediate the heavy-metal [Hg(II) and Pb(II)] toxicity, an organic-inorganic hybrid functional porous metallo-polymeric network i. e, poly(Zirconyl methacrylate-co-1-vinyl imidazole) (pZrVIm) was fabricated via one-pot facile synthesis approach. The pZrVIm architecture has shown high removal efficiency for Hg(II) and Pb(II) aqueous medium even in extremely low quantities. Advanced instrumental techniques were used to characterize the structural and morphological characteristics of pZrVIm. Different experimental variables i.e., reaction time, pH, initial feed concentration, co-ion effects etc. were explored to examine adsorption behaviour. The maximum adsorption capacities (q max ) of pZrVIm5 were calculated as 168.06 and 162.34 mg g -1 for Hg(II) and Pb(II) respectively by the Langmuir isotherm model. Data from isotherms showed that monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface is the rate-limiting stage and followed pseudo-second-order kinetic process. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modelling was used to validate kinetics and isotherm data which revealed high accuracy of the model with correlation coefficient values (R = 0.99). Various types of isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, Temkin, Redlich-Peterson, Toth and Koble-Corigen have been studied to determine the adsorption phenomena. The pore diffusion model revealed breakthrough time of 91 h and 84 h, Hg(II) and Pb(II) with the feed concentration of 15 mg L -1 respectively. The study revealed that pZrVIm5 has great potential for heavy metal ions remediation for water treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Motion Sickness increases risk of performance deficits and safety of flight concerns. The etiology of motion sickness is poorly understood. Here, we attempted to quantify the physiological effects of motion sickness on static balance and determine the genetic predictors associated with these effects., Methods: 16 subjects underwent a disorientation stimulus to induce motion sickness. Motion sickness susceptibility was identified using the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire. Postural balance outcomes were measured using two tasks, and small ribonucleic acid profiles were assessed with blood draws before motion sickness stimulus. Differences in postural sway before and after the stimulus as well as effect modification of susceptibility were assessed. A random forest followed by regression tree analysis was constructed for each postural sway variable to determine top genetic and covariate predictors., Findings: Significant differences existed in mean postural balance responses between before and after stimulus. Individuals with longer stimulus survival experienced a greater (but insignificant) perception of sway, even if not displaying increased sway for all conditions. Circulation small ribonucleic acids were differentially expressed between individuals with long and short stimulus survival, many of these microRNA have purported targets in genes related to vestibular disorders., Interpretation: We found motion sickness produces transient motor dysfunction in a healthy military population. Small ribonucleic acids were differentially expressed between subjects with long and short stimulus survival times., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-coated membranes on polysulfone (Ps) (Memb-Pv) were cross-linked using the dibasic maleic acid. The tailoring of membrane properties (viz. hydrophilicity, permeability) develops through the ester linkage due to cross-linking of PVA and maleic acid (MA). Series of Ps asymmetric membranes were prepared using the successive stages of phase inversion of Ps materials. The recyclability approaches of polysulfone (Ps) pertained. The characteristics and transport properties of all the membranes are evaluated. FTIR-ATR, scanning electron (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used for the structural characterization of the membranes. The salient features of Memb-Pv composite membranes support promising results in desalination. The work aimed to highlight the trade-off between the flux and selectivity of composite membranes' salts (bi-/monovalent) through the recycled Ps matrix. The number of recycling stages influences the salt separation performance. The sulfate rejection differs from Memb-IPv (93.26%) to Memb-IVPv (86.70%) for water-I matrix using 2500 mg/L. The defluoridation potential of the membranes is also convincing. The defluoridation performance of Memb-IPv is 87% for 10 mg/L. A significant dimension is added regarding salt separation performance's dependence on the water matrices' nature. The decrease in fluoride separation is ~ 1-3% for the water-2 matrix as the TDS increases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Chalcogenides are an important class of materials that exhibit tailorable optoelectronic properties accessible through chemical modification. For example, the minerals kesterite, stannite, and velikite (Cu 2 M SnS 4 , where M = Zn, Cd, or Hg, respectively) are a series of Group 12 transition metal tin sulfides that readily exhibit optical bandgaps spanning the Shockley-Queisser limit; however, achieving consensus on their structure (space group I 4̄ vs. I 4̄2 m ) has been difficult. This study explores the average long-range and local structure of Cu 2 HgSnS 4 and evaluates the parallels of M = Zn and Cd sister compounds using complementary X-ray diffraction and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The 63/65 Cu NMR spectra were acquired at multiple magnetic field strengths ( B 0 = 7.05, 11.75, and 21.1 T) to assess the unique chemical shift anisotropy and quadrupolar coupling contributions. They reveal two inequivalent sets of Cu sites in Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 , in contrast to only one set of sites in Cu 2 CdSnS 4 and Cu 2 HgSnS 4 , clarifying structural assignments previously proposed through X-ray diffraction methods. The presence of these Cu sites was further supported by DFT calculations. The 119 Sn and 199 Hg NMR spectra suggest that an ordering phenomenon takes place in Cu 2 HgSnS 4 when it undergoes annealing treatments. The trend in measured optical band gaps (1.5 eV for Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 , 1.2 eV for Cu 2 CdSnS 4 , and 0.9 eV for Cu 2 HgSnS 4 ) was confirmed by electronic structure calculations, which show that the band gap narrows as the difference in electronegativity is diminished and that Hg-S bonds in Cu 2 HgSnS 4 have greater covalent character.

Background and Research Question: Walking impairment remains a major limitation to functional independence after stroke. Yet, comprehensive and effective strategies to improve walking function after stroke are presently limited. Backward Locomotor Treadmill Training (BLTT) is a promising training approach for improving walking function; however, little is known about its mechanism of effect or the relationship between backward walking training and resulting overground forward walking performance. This study aims to determine the effects of serial BLTT on spatial aspects of backward and forward walking in chronic post-stroke individuals with residual walking impairment., Methods: Thirty-nine adults (>6 months post-stroke) underwent 6 days of BLTT (3 × /week) over 2 weeks. Outcome measures included PRE-POST changes in backward and forward walking speeds, paretic and non-paretic step lengths, and single-support center of pressure distances. To determine the association between BLTT and overground walking, correlation analyses comparing training-related changes in these variables were performed., Results: We report an overall improvement in BLTT and overground walking speeds, bilateral step lengths, and single-support center of pressure distances over six training sessions. Further, there were weak positive associations between PRE-POST changes in BLTT speed, BLTT paretic step length, and overground forward walking speed., Conclusion and Significance: Our findings suggest that individuals with chronic post-stroke walking impairment experience improvements in spatial walking measures during BLTT and overground. Therefore, BLTT may be a potential adjunctive training approach for post-stroke walking rehabilitation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Awosika, Chan, Rizik, Sucharew, Boyne, Bhattacharya, Dunning and Kissela.)

The sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 virus) is posing a significant threat by affecting millions of people across the globe showing mild to severe symptoms of pneumonia and acute respiratory distress. The absence of precise information on primary transmission, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics for patients with COVID-19 makes prevention and control tough. In the current scenario, only supportive treatment is available, which in turn possess a biggest challenge for scientists to develop specific drugs and vaccines for COVID-19. Further, India, with the second largest populated country and fluctuating climatic conditions quarterly, has high vulnerability towards COVID-19 infection. Thus, this highlights the importance of a better understanding of the COVID-19 infection, pathology, diagnosis and its treatment. The present review article has been intended to discuss the COVID-19 biology, mechanism of infection in humans with primary effects on pregnancy, the nervous system, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The article will also discuss the drug repurposing strategy as an alternative line of treatment and clinical practices recommended by the World Health Organization and other government agencies and represent the COVID-19 scenario with the Indian context., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestSKM, AB, PS, and RM declare no conflict of interest., (© The National Academy of Sciences, India 2022.)

Firefighters' protective clothing (FPC) can limit human thermoregulation due to limited water vapor permeability and insulation. This study investigated the effect of cooling on the physiological responses and probability of hyperthermia in subjects wearing FPC during exercise in a hot environment. Twelve males participated in this study. A maximal graded treadmill exercise test was performed to measure maximal oxygen uptake ( V ̇ O 2max ) and to assess subjects' capacity to perform the assigned exercise. Exercise included treadmill walking at 40% V ̇ O 2max in warm (30 °C) and humid (70% RH) conditions for 40 min while wearing FPC. Subjects participated in two randomly counterbalanced assigned experimental protocols: control (no cooling) and intervention (cooling). The experimental intervention consisted of a cooling garment infused with cooled water (18 °C) through silastic tubing sewn into the fabric and worn underneath FPC. Each subject served as their own control and, therefore, completed both the control and intervention of the protocol. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the interaction effect of cooling on the probability of progression to hyperthermia (T c ≥ 38 °C). Subjects' physiological responses increased during exercise in a warm and humid environment. Active cooling decreased (p < 0.05) the thermal stress thereby reducing the probability of hyperthermia while exercising in hot and humid conditions. The results indicate that when cooling was used each subject, on average, was 91% less likely to reach the lower threshold limit of hyperthermia. Exercise in hot environments while wearing FPC results in significant physiological strain, which may lead to hyperthermia. Utilization of a cooling garment reduced physiological strain and the probability of hyperthermia.

Background: Prescribing patient care providers regularly experience insufficient sleep, putting them at increased risk of committing occupational injuries, accidents, and errors and developing chronic health conditions., Objective: Identify antecedents to short sleep (≤6-hours sleep in 24-hour period) in the understudied population of hospital-based Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)., Methods: Using an ethnographic research design, data included APP and key stakeholder interviews, hospital observations, and relevant documents. Interview data were analyzed using modified constant comparative method., Results: Nine APPs were interviewed, revealing four themes: Social/Family Obligations and Value of Connectivity, Community Value of Sleep, Organizational Value of Sleep, and Individual Biology and How the Body Values Sleep. APP decisions to prioritize sleep are based on an interplay of societal, professional, organizational, and personal values. Triangulated data verified results, except regarding how APP sleep deficit can lead to mood disturbances and the lack sleep consideration in patient care error reporting., Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the importance of consistency in messaging, action, and policy when promoting occupational sleep health among healthcare workers. Implications include instituting worker sleep education, leadership modeling healthy sleep habits, and inclusion of sleep in root cause analyses. Additional consideration includes evaluating the influence of nursing culture on nurse practitioners' sleep habits.

Accurate density functional theory calculations of the interrelated properties of thermoelectric materials entail high computational cost, especially as crystal structures increase in complexity and size. New methods involving ab initio scattering and transport (AMSET) and compressive sensing lattice dynamics are used to compute the transport properties of quaternary CaAl 2 Si 2 -type rare-earth phosphides RECuZnP 2 (RE = Pr, Nd, Er), which were identified to be promising thermoelectrics from high-throughput screening of 20 000 disordered compounds. Experimental measurements of the transport properties agree well with the computed values. Compounds with stiff bulk moduli (>80 GPa) and high speeds of sound (>3500 m s -1 ) such as RECuZnP 2 are typically dismissed as thermoelectric materials because they are expected to exhibit high lattice thermal conductivity. However, RECuZnP 2 exhibits not only low electrical resistivity, but also low lattice thermal conductivity (∼1 W m -1 K -1 ). Contrary to prior assumptions, polar-optical phonon scattering was revealed by AMSET to be the primary mechanism limiting the electronic mobility of these compounds, raising questions about existing assumptions of scattering mechanisms in this class of thermoelectric materials. The resulting thermoelectric performance (zT of 0.5 for ErCuZnP 2 at 800 K) is among the best observed in phosphides and can likely be improved with further optimization.

Tin halide perovskites are promising candidates for lead-free photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials, but not all of them have been well characterized. It is essential to determine how the bulk photophysical properties are correlated with their structures at both short and long ranges. Although CsSnCl 3 is normally stable in the cubic perovskite structure only above 379 K, it was prepared as a metastable phase at room temperature. The transition from the cubic to the monoclinic phase, which is the stable form at room temperature, was tracked by solid-state 133 Cs NMR spectroscopy and shown to take place through a first-order kinetics process. The complete solid solution CsSn(Cl 1- x Br x ) 3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) was successfully prepared, exhibiting cubic perovskite structures extending between the metastable CsSnCl 3 and stable CsSnBr 3 end-members. The NMR spectra of CsSnBr 3 samples obtained by three routes (high-temperature, mechanochemical, and solvent-assisted reactions) show distinct chemical shift ranges, spin-lattice relaxation parameters and peak widths, indicative of differences in local structure, defects and degree of crystallinity within these samples. Variable-temperature 119 Sn spin-lattice relaxation measurements reveal spontaneous mobility of Br atoms in CsSnBr 3 . The degradation of CsSnBr 3 , exposed to an ambient atmosphere for nearly a year, was monitored by NMR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, as well as by optical absorption spectroscopy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Walking impairment impacts nearly 66% of stroke survivors and is a rising cause of morbidity worldwide. Despite conventional post-stroke rehabilitative care, the majority of stroke survivors experience continued limitations in their walking speed, temporospatial dynamics and walking capacity. Hence, novel and comprehensive approaches are needed to improve the trajectory of walking recovery in stroke survivors. Herein, we test the safety, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of two approaches for post-stroke walking recovery: backward locomotor treadmill training and transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation. In this double-blinded study, 30 chronic stroke survivors (>6 months post-stroke) with mild-severe residual walking impairment underwent six 30-min sessions (three sessions/week) of backward locomotor treadmill training, with concurrent anodal ( N  = 19) or sham transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation ( N  = 11) over the thoracolumbar spine, in a 2:1 stratified randomized fashion. The primary outcomes were: per cent participant completion, safety and tolerability of these two approaches. In addition, we collected data on training-related changes in overground walking speed, cadence, stride length (baseline, daily, 24-h post-intervention, 2 weeks post-intervention) and walking capacity (baseline, 24-h post-intervention, 2 weeks post-intervention), as secondary exploratory aims testing the preliminary efficacy of these interventions. Eighty-seven per cent ( N  = 26) of randomized participants completed the study protocol. The majority of the study attrition involved participants with severe baseline walking impairment. There were no serious adverse events in either the backward locomotor treadmill training or transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation approaches. Also, both groups experienced a clinically meaningful improvement in walking speed immediately post-intervention that persisted at the 2-week follow-up. However, in contrast to our working hypothesis, anodal-transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation did not enhance the degree of improvement in walking speed and capacity, relative to backward locomotor treadmill training + sham, in our sample. Backward locomotor treadmill training and transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation are safe and feasible approaches for walking recovery in chronic stroke survivors. Definitive efficacy studies are needed to validate our findings on backward locomotor treadmill training-related changes in walking performance. The results raise interesting questions about mechanisms of locomotor learning in stroke, and well-powered transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation dosing studies are needed to understand better its potential role as a neuromodulatory adjunct for walking rehabilitation., (© The Author(s) (2020). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.)

Introduction: Palatal rugae are irregular and nonidentical mucosal elevations seen on the anterior third of palate. They are arranged in transverse direction on either side of the median palatine raphe (MPR) and are protected from high temperature and trauma because of their rational position in the oral cavity. Their number and patterns are not uniform in all the individuals, and they appear to vary in different population subsets. The study of palatal rugae is termed as "Rugoscopy" or "Palatoscopy", and it finds its application in various fields such as anthropology, orthodontics, forensic sciences; including forensic odonto-stomatology., Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative parameters of palatal rugae using pre-orthodontic study models of Gujarati samples., Objectives: (1) To identify the predominant palatal arch forms in the study samples. (2) To evaluate and correlate the rugae count in both male and female samples with the different palatal arch forms. (3) To assess the symmetry and/or asymmetry in rugae count between the right and left side. (4) To analyze and correlate the qualitative characters such as size, shape, direction, and unification in male and female study samples., Materials and Methods: One hundred pre-orthodontic maxillary dental stone casts of patients with an age range of 17-25 years were selected. The outlines of the rugae were traced using microtip graphite pencil and examined using magnifying glass for different patterns. The quantity and quality of rugae patterns were recorded according to Thomas et al . classification and the data were statistically analyzed by the statistician using SPSS program., Results: Overall, 962 rugae were observed in the study sample. The mean rugae count was 9.86 in males and 9.38 in females. The left side rugae count was more than the right side in both the sexes and it was not statistically significant. Fifty-six percent of the samples showed asymmetry in rugae count between the right and left. Class B palatal arch form was the most common type in the study samples. The number of primary rugae count was more in both the sexes. The distribution of straight (40.2%) and curved (40.4%) types of rugae were almost equal in males but in females, the straight rugae pattern (42.2%) was more than the curved (36.9%), followed by wavy and circular. Of 962 rugae, 36.4% were of horizontal type followed by forward (33.4%) and backward (29.2%). About 1 % of rugae showed perpendicular pattern and only 9.25% showed unification pattern and the divergent type of unification was more common than the convergent type., Conclusion: There is no gender discrimination in relation to any of the metric or non-metric parameters of the palatal rugae in this study samples. No two samples showed similarity in the distribution of palatal rugae patterns. The straight and horizontal rugae distributions were predominant in our Gujarati Study samples., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

We evaluated functional measures of neuromuscular integrity and bone's resistance to fracture as a combined tool in discriminating osteoporosis patients with and without fractures. Functional aspects of neuromuscular integrity were quantified with a noninvasive measure of static and dynamic functional postural stability (FPS), and fracture resistance was obtained with bone shock absorption in patients with osteoporosis aged 65-85 and compared our measures with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX [World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Sheffield, UK]) in women with osteoporosis, some with and some without vertebral fractures. Patients with vertebral fracture showed larger static FPS (postural sway excursion) in the mediolateral and anterior-posterior directions, suggesting poorer balance. Most of the variables of dynamic FPS showed significant differences between fracture and no-fracture groups (e.g., the fracture group took significantly longer during turning, implying poorer dynamic balance control). Also, compared with healthy control subjects, all 4 dynamic FPS responses for osteoporosis patients with and without fracture were significantly poorer, suggesting potential risk for falls. In summary, patients with osteoporosis who have vertebral fractures (compared with patients with similarly low bone mineral density and other nonfracture risk fractures) have not only lower bone shock absorption damping (ζ) but also increased postural imbalance., (Copyright © 2016 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the role played by the cranial base flexure in influencing the sagittal and vertical position of the jaws in Indian population., Materials and Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 108 subjects were divided into three categories (Group A: NSAr > 125°, Group B: NSAr-120°-125°, Group C: NSAr < 120°) according to value of NSAr. Measurement of eight angular (SNA, SNB, NPg-FH, ANB, NAPg, SN-GoGn, Y-Axis, ArGo-SN) and seven linear (N-S, S-Ar, Ar-N, Ar-Pt A, Ar-Gn, Wits appraisal, N- Pt A) variables were taken., Results: Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to individually correlate angular and linear variables with NSAr for the whole sample as well as in individual group. Unpaired t-test was used to analyze the difference in the means of all the variables between the three groups. Significance was determined only when the confidence level was P < 0.05. Several parameters (SNB, NAPg, ANB, Y-Axis, GoGn-SN) showed significant positive correlation while others showed negative correlation (SNA, NPg-FH, N-S) with NSAr., Conclusions: This study show cranial base angle has a determinant role in influencing the mandibular position and it also affects both the mandibular plane angle and y-axis. Flattening of the cranial base angle caused a clockwise rotation of the mandible. The jaw relation tends to change from class III to class II, with progressive flattening of the cranial base and vice-versa.