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Raman scattering is strongly influenced by the presence of vibrational modes that are normal to the metal surface attributed to an exceptionally large electromagnetic field. Slotwaveguides, on the other hand, tightly confine light in a low refractive index region of subwavelength scale. In this work, we report an efficient and easy method to further enhance the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with silver nanoparticles in a slot waveguide. The action of SERS with silver nanoparticles is theoretically investigated. The tremendous potential for practical applications of this structure in biochemical sensing with an outstanding sensitivity has been demonstrated by a notable enhancement of field $(EF\approx 10^{10})$.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started to spread globally since December 2019 from Wuhan, China. Headache has been observed as one of the clinical manifestations in COVID-19 patients. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall pooled prevalence of headache in COVID-19 patients.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify studies published between December 2019 and March 2020. Adult (≥18 years) COVID-19 patients were considered eligible. We used random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Quality assessment was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020182529).Results: We identified 2,055 studies, of which 86 studies (n = 14,275, 49.4% female) were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the pooled prevalence of headache in COVID-19 patients was 10.1% [95% CI: 8.76–11.49]. There was no significant difference of headache prevalence in severe or critical vs. non-severe (RR: 1.05, p = 0.78), survived (recovered or discharged) vs. non-survived (RR: 1.36, p = 0.23), and ICU vs. non-ICU (RR: 1.06, p = 0.87) COVID-19 patients. We detected 64.0, 34.9, and 1.1% of the included studies as high, moderate, and low quality, respectively.Conclusions: From the first 4-month data of the outbreak, headache was detected in 10.1% of the adult COVID-19 patients.

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field of Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali from June to December, 2013 to find out the effect of variety and planting density on the yield and yield attributing characters of local aromatic rice. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications, which consisted of three local aromatic rice varieties (Chinigura, Shakhorkhora and Kalizira) and four planting densities were viz. S 1 (25 cm × 20 cm), S 2 (20 cm × 20 cm), S 3 (20 cm × 15 cm) and S 4 (20 cm × 10 cm). The results revealed that the local aromatic rice var. Shakhorkhora variety produced the highest number of grains per panicle (131) and 1000-grain weight (13.8 g), consequently higher grain (2.63 t ha -1 ), followed by Kalizira (2.56 t ha -1 ) and straw yield (4.21 t ha -1 ). One the other hand, higher number of tillers per hill (14.8), number of grains per panicle (140 nos.) were found in 20 cm × 20 cm spacing with higher grain yield. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 43(3): 489-497, September 2018

Autoimmunity is believed to play an important causative role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. There are evidences for the presence of autoantibodies in patients with epilepsy. To date, many studies have assessed the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) in epilepsy patients, though the relationship has been inconclusive.The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the presence of aPLs in epileptic patients as compared to healthy controls.Five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched systematically. Study-specific odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random-effects model. Quality assessment was carried out by using the modified 9-star Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). L'Abbé plots were generated to visually inspect heterogeneity while publication bias was evaluated via visualization of contour- enhanced funnel plots, and Begg's and Egger's tests.Based on the inclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected involving 1248 epilepsy patients and 800 healthy controls. The majority of epilepsy was categorised as generalised or partial and none had comorbidity with autoimmune diseases. Significant presence of both anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies (OR: 5.16, 95% CI: 3.21-8.28, p 0.00001) and anti-β2- glycoprotein I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies (OR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.07-8.11, p = 0.04) exhibited comorbid association with epilepsy patients as compared to healthy controls. Subgroup analyses revealed that presence of aCL antibodies was more specifically observed in paediatrics (OR: 4.57, 95% CI: 2.57-8.15, p 0.00001) than adults (OR: 4.24, 95% CI: 1.80-10.01, p = 0.001). The odds of aCL antibody presence was higher in partial epilepsy patients (OR: 7.88, 95% CI: 3.23-19.24, p 0.00001) than that of generalised (OR: 3.76, 95% CI: 2.15-6.59, p 0.00001) and in Asian epileptic patients (OR: 9.56, 95% CI: 2.69-33.95, p = 0.0005) than Europeans (OR: 4.35, 95% CI: 2.74-6.92, p 0.00001). The presence of anti-β2-GPI antibodies was significant in paediatric (OR: 6.44, 95% CI: 1.39-29.89, p = 0.02) and African population with epilepsies (OR: 10.59, 95% CI: 1.22-92.25, p = 0.03). NOS of the majority of the studies (11/14) indicated a high methodological quality. No substantial heterogeneity was observed either from the quantitative analysis or from the L'Abbé plots while no significant publication bias was detected from funnel plots; Begg's and Egger's tests.Since none of the epilepsy subjects exhibited any comorbid autoimmune disorders, significant presence of aCL and anti-β2-GPI antibodies indicate towards their contribution in immune-mediated general pathogenesis of epilepsy.

In this work, we have designed two simple photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with the highly nonlinear chalcogenide material of Ge11.5As24Se64.5 for broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. The hexagonal lattice of air holes in a star type arrangement has been considered in the designs, where only two different air hole sizes and a constant pitch are employed. The study shows that the diameter of the air hole has significant influence on both the dispersion and the nonlinearity parameters of the PCFs. The numerical solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation (GNLSE) for a secant hyperbolic input pulse at different pumping wavelengths at mid-infrared region are investigated by varying input pulse power and fiber lengths. About 3000 nm wide supercontinuum can be generated at pumping wavelength of 2400 nm and input pulse power of 3000 W with the designs. Thus, the designs of the PCF can be employed for generating supercontinuum to be useful for medical imaging, bio-sensing, spectroscopy, wave division multiplexing (WDM) systems, and optical communication systems.

Nonsense mutations contribute to approximately 10-30% of the total human inherited diseases via disruption of protein translation. If any of the three termination codons (UGA, UAG and UAA) emerges prematurely [known as premature termination codon (PTC)] before the natural canonical stop codon, truncated nonfunctional proteins or proteins with deleterious loss or gain-of-function activities are synthesized, followed by the development of nonsense mutation-mediated diseases. In the past decade, PTC-associated diseases captured much attention in biomedical research, especially as molecular therapeutic targets via nonsense suppression (i.e. translational readthrough) regimens. In this review, we highlighted different treatment strategies of PTC targeting readthrough therapeutics including the use of aminoglycosides, ataluren (formerly known as PTC124), suppressor tRNAs, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, pseudouridylation and CRISPR/Cas9 system to treat PTC-mediated diseases. In addition, as thrombotic disorders are a group of disease with major burdens worldwide, 19 potential genes containing a total of 705 PTCs that cause 21 thrombotic disorders have been listed based on the data reanalysis from the 'GeneCards® - Human Gene Database' and 'Human Gene Mutation Database' (HGMD®). These PTC-containing genes can be potential targets amenable for different readthrough therapeutic strategies in the future.

Background Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) namely anticardiolipin (aCL) antibody, anti-β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) antibody and lupus anticoagulant (LA) are autoantibodies produced against anionic phospholipids and proteins on plasma membranes. Migraine is a primary headache disorder which has growing evidences of autoimmune-mediated pathogenesis and previous studies suggested the presence of aPLs in migraine patients. Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the comorbid association between aPLs (aCL, anti-β2GPI and LA) and migraine compared to healthy controls. Methods Studies were searched through PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar databases without restricting the languages and year (up to October 2016) and were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted data from the included studies. All analyses were conducted by using random effects model to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Quality assessment was carried out by using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Publication bias was evaluated via visualization of funnel plots, Begg's and Egger's tests. Results The database searches produced 1995 articles, 13 of which were selected (912 migraineurs and 822 healthy controls). 8.59%, 15.21% and 4.11% of the migraineurs exhibited aCL, anti-β2GPI and LA which was 4.83, 1.63 and 3.03 times higher, respectively, than healthy controls. A significant presence of aCL (OR: 3.55, 95% CI: 1.59–7.95; p = 0.002) or anti-β2GPI antibodies (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.20–3.42; p = 0.008) was observed in migraine patients, however, LA was not significantly associated (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 0.50–8.37; p = 0.320). Majority of the studies (n = 10 of 13) demonstrated NOS score of 7 or above and no significant publication bias was observed. Conclusion Migraine might be an autoimmune-associated neurologic disorder. The presence of aCL or anti-β2GPI antibodies was significant in migraine patients compared to healthy controls, suggesting an involvement of these autoantibodies in migraine attack.

The objective of this paper is to design and analyze the performance of elliptical microstrip patch antennas with and without slot operating at 3.5 GHz frequency for 5G applications. Three different designs of compact size, cost-efficient, wide-band microstrip patch antennas using FR-4 substrate with suitable dimensions have been analyzed for the 3.5 GHz wireless 5G band. The proposed antennas have return losses of -41.31 dB, -43.95 dB and -20.44 dB, with bandwidths of 1.13363 GHz, 1.0265 GHz, and 2.1562 GHz at -10 dB return loss. The obtained directivity is 4.577 dBi, 4.906 dBi, and 5 dBi and the obtained gain is 4.45 dBi, 4.36 dBi, and 4.42 dBi.

A multifunctional hexagonal lattice dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) with elliptical air-hole around the cores is designed for optical communications. Numerical analysis of the proposed structure suggests that the DC- PCF is highly birefringent and single-moded in the standard operating wavelengths of optical communications. It can be used as a polarization splitter for the two orthogonal modes at a length of 39.8 mm at 1550 nm wavelength, and as a WDM MUX-DeMUX for both horizontal and vertical polarization fundamental modes at the lengths of 9.9 mm and 16.65 mm, respectively, to separate the 1300 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths. Hence, the proposed DC-PCF, with a low splice loss of around 3 dB at 1300 nm and 1550 nm wavelength windows, is suitable for applications in integrated and compact optical communications systems where multifunctional and short optical and photonic devices are required.

In this paper, different algorithms used in conventional electrical capacitance tomography, such as, Landweber method, Tikhonov regularization method and Linear Back Projection method have been explored in regard to water-dominated vertical flows. Imaging of multiphase flows holding water as continuous phase (i.e. water-dominated flows) is a very challenging task because of the high permittivity of water. However, as opposed to existing literature, it is shown that it is still possible to image water-dominated flows with conventional electrical capacitance tomography. A comparison among the effectiveness of different methods for successful image reconstruction of different types of vertical flows has been presented as well. This work shows a potential direction towards imaging water-dominated multiphase flow using electrical capacitance tomography.

Optical capacitance effect and metal-insulator-metal mode coupling have been exploited in this work to enhance the light-graphene interaction. Hence, large extinction ratio and high modulation bandwidth are achieved simultaneously.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease where chronic inflammation and tissue or organ damage is observed. Due to various suspected causes, inadequate levels of vitamin D (a steroid hormone with immunomodulatory effects) has been reported in patients with SLE, however, contradictory.The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the serum levels of vitamin D in patients with SLE in compared to healthy controls.PubMed, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched systematically without restricting the languages and year (up to March 2, 2019) and studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Mean difference (MD) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used and the analyses were carried out by using a random-effects model. Different subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Study quality was assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and publication bias was evaluated by a contour-enhanced funnel plot, Begg's and Egger's tests.We included 34 case-control studies (2265 SLE patients and 1846 healthy controls) based on the inclusion criteria. Serum levels of vitamin D was detected significantly lower in the SLE patients than that in the healthy controls (MD: -10.44, 95% CI: -13.85 to -7.03; p .00001). SLE patients from Asia (MD: -13.75, 95% CI: -21.45 to -6.05; p = .0005), South America (MD: -3.16, 95% CI: -4.62 to -1.70; p .0001) and Africa (MD: -16.15, 95% CI: -23.73 to -8.56; p .0001); patients residing below 37° latitude (MD: -11.75, 95% CI: -15.79 to -7.70; p .00001); serum vitamin D during summer season (MD: -7.89, 95% CI: -11.70 to -4.09; p .0001), patients without vitamin D supplementation (MD: -15.57, 95% CI: -19.99 to -11.14; p .00001) or on medications like hydroxychloroquine, corticosteroids or immunosuppressants without vitamin D supplementation (MD: -16.46, 95% CI: -23.86 to -9.05; p .0001) are in higher risk in presenting inadequate serum levels of vitamin D. The results remained statistically significant from different sensitivity analyses which represented the robustness of this meta-analysis. According to the NOS, 91.2% of the studies were considered as of high methodological quality (low risk of bias). No significant publication bias was detected from contour-enhanced and trim and fill funnel plots or Begg's test.Inadequate levels of serum vitamin D is significantly high in patients with SLE compared to healthy subjects, therefore, vitamin D supplementation with regular monitoring should be considered as part of their health management plans.

The modal properties and modulation characteristics of the fundamental gap mode supported by nanowire based symmetrical IMI graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguide are investigated employing the finite element method. The proposed modulator even with its remarkably small footprint offers both high extinction ratio (as high as 40 dB) and large modulation bandwidth (as large as 237 GHz) simultaneously with only 2.4 µm long active region at the telecommunication wavelength. The optical capacitance effect along with IMI like mode coupling are reported here for this improved modulation performance. Furthermore, a deep subwavelength mode size (~λ2/400) with low energy consumption per bit (as small as 0.9 fJ/bit) suggests its highly dense integration in photonic integrated circuits. Also, the performance variation of this waveguide is explored with respect to the alteration of operating wavelength and cross-sectional geometry.

Pioglitazone, the only thiazolidinedione drug in clinical practice is under scrutiny due to reported adverse effects, it’s unique insulin sensitising action provides rationale to remain as a therapeutic option for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing pioglitazone monotherapy with monotherapies of other oral antidiabetic drugs for assessing its efficacy and safety in T2DM patients. Mean changes in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and mean changes in fasting blood sugar (FBS) level, body weight (BW) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. Safety outcomes were changes in lipid parameters, blood pressure and incidences of adverse events. Metafor package of R software and RevMan software based on random-effects model were used for analyses. We included 16 randomised controlled trials. Pioglitazone monotherapy showed equivalent efficacy as comparators in reducing HbA1c by 0.05% (95% CI: −0.21 to 0.11) and greater efficacy in reducing FBS level by 0.24 mmol/l (95% CI: −0.48 to −0.01). Pioglitazone showed similar efficacy as comparators in reducing HOMA-IR (WMD: 0.05, 95% CI: −0.49 to 0.59) and increasing high-density lipoprotein level (WMD: 0.02 mmol/l, 95% CI: −0.06 to 0.10). Improved blood pressure (WMD: −1.05 mmHg, 95% CI: −4.29 to 2.19) and triglycerides level (WMD: −0.71 mmol/l, 95% CI: −1.70 to 0.28) were also observed with pioglitazone monotherapy. There was a significant association of pioglitazone with increased BW (WMD: 2.06 kg, 95% CI: 1.11 to 3.01) and risk of oedema (RR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.48 to 3.31), though the risk of hypoglycaemia was absolutely lower (RR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.80). Meta-analysis supported pioglitazone as an effective treatment option for T2DM patients to ameliorate hyperglycaemia, adverse lipid metabolism and blood pressure. Pioglitazone is suggested to prescribe following individual patient’s needs. It can be a choice of drug for insulin resistant T2DM patients having dyslipidaemia, hypertension or history of cardiovascular disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by neurodegeneration and a progressive functional impairment of the midbrain nigral dopaminergic neurons. The cause remains unknown; however, several pathological processes and central factors, such as protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, iron accumulation, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, have been reported. The current treatment method primarily targets symptoms by using anti-Parkinson drugs such as levodopa, carbidopa, dopamine (DA) agonists, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors and anticholinergics to replace DA. When drug therapy is not satisfactory, surgical treatments are recommended. Unfortunately, the existing conventional strategies that target PD are associated with numerous side effects and possess an economic burden. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches that regulate the pathways leading to neuronal death and dysfunction are necessary. For many years, nature has provided the primary resource for the discovery of potential therapeutic agents. Remarkably, many natural products from medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables have been demonstrated to be efficacious anti-Parkinson agents. These products possess neuroprotective properties as a result of not only their wellrecognized anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities but also their inhibitory roles regarding iron accumulation, protein misfolding and the maintenance of proteasomal degradation, as well as mitochondrial homeostasis. The aim of this review is to report the available anti-Parkinson agents based on natural products and delineate their therapeutic actions, which act on various pathways. Overall, this review emphasizes the types of natural products that are potential future resources in the treatment of PD as novel regimens or supplementary agents.

Although type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two independent diseases, evidences from epidemiological, pathophysiological and animal studies have indicated a close pathophysiological relationship between these diseases. Due to the pathophysiological similarity of T2DM and AD, which includes insulin resistance and deficiency, protein aggregation, oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagocytosis and advanced glycation end products; AD is often referred to as "type 3 diabetes". In addition to the targeted regimens usually used for treating T2DM and AD individually, currently, anti-diabetic drugs are successfully used to reduce the cognitive decline in AD patients. Therefore, if a common pathophysiology of T2DM and AD could be clearly determined, both diseases could be managed more efficiently, possibly by shared pharmacotherapy in addition to understanding the broader spectrum of preventive strategies. The aim of this review is to discuss the pathophysiological bridge between T2DM and AD to lay the foundation for the future treatment strategies in the management of both diseases.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most common form of diabetes, is characterized by insulin resistance in the hepatic and peripheral tissues. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a major role in the pathophysiology of T2DM. Its defective expression or translocation to the peripheral cell plasma membrane in T2DM patients hinders the entrance of glucose into the cell for energy production. In addition to suitable drugs, an appropriate diet and/or exercise can be implemented to target the increase in GLUT4 expression, GLUT4 concentrations and GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface when managing the glucose metabolism of T2DM patients. In this review, we discussed successful intervention strategies that were individually administered or coupled with diet and/or exercise and affected the expression and translocation of GLUT4 in T2DM while reducing the excess glucose load from the blood. Additionally, some potentially good synthetic and natural compounds, which can activate the insulin-independent GLUT4 signaling pathways for the efficient management of T2DM, are highlighted as possible targets or emerging alternative sources for future anti-diabetic drug development.

In this work, a graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguide has been studied employing the finite element method. The graphene layers have been exploited here as optical absorber layers to extinguish the undesired plasmon modes in our system. Also, the silicon nanowires in our design, have been utilized to form a hybrid plasmon waveguide in order to achieve a high figure of merit of the desired plasmon mode. The multiwavelength operability and performance variation with respect to the alteration of waveguide cross-section are investigated here to demonstrate its high promise in broadband single mode operation, design of mode division multiplexing nanoplasmonic systems, and highly compact photonic integration. Furthermore, the effect of graphene’s optical anisotropy on waveguiding is explored here to predict the device performance more realistically.

In this work, nanowire-based symmetrical graphene hybrid plasmonic waveguides for possible broadband optical modulation have been proposed. The full-vectorial finite element method has been employed to analyze the modal properties and modulation characteristics of the proposed structures. The fundamental supermode supported by these geometries is evolved from a near-field coupling between metallic and dielectric nanowires. Here, the strong optical capacitance effect in the low-index dielectric gap region has been exploited to enhance light–graphene interaction in the subwavelength device size. Thus, the optical absorption of graphene significantly increases. Therefore, the structures even with their small footprints offer a very high extinction ratio and small energy consumption per bit (as low as 0.9 fJ/bit), simultaneously with appreciably high modulation bandwidth at the telecommunication wavelength. A substantially small variation of modulation performance for a broad range of operation wavelength and gap widths suggest their broadband operability. Furthermore, the modulation performance has been studied incorporating the optical anisotropy of graphene. Thus, the proposed waveguides show a good promise in high-speed broadband optical modulation.

A dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) of hexagonal lattice is designed with a tailored dispersion profile possessing a large air-filling fraction. Numerical investigation of the PCF reveals a great potential for supercontinuum (SC) generation extending 0.4 μm to 2.0 μm, when excited by a 50 fs input pulse of 800 nm pumping wavelength, 79 MHz repetition rate and a coupled average power of 135 mW corresponding to pulse energy of 1.71 nJ in a 10 cm DC-PCF. The PCF and the SC spectra thus showed desirable properties for applications in biological sensors, optical fiber communication, frequency metrology and optical coherence tomography.

In this work, a hybrid plasmonic waveguide containing the elliptical nanowires of gold and ZnO with a low index dielectric cladding has been analyzed using the finite element method. The fundamental mode obtained here has been reported to offer a remarkably small effective area $(\sim\lambda^{2}/80)$ with a very high electromagnetic energy confinement in the dielectric region at the telecommunication wavelength. The potentialities of this hybrid plasmon mode in different nanophotonic applications have been examined here by considering the effects of the operating wavelength and cross-sectional geometry on its modal properties.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common endocrine metabolic disorders. In addition to exercise and diet, oral anti-diabetic drugs have been used as a part of the management strategy worldwide. Unfortunately, none of the conventional anti-diabetic drugs are without side effects, and these drugs pose an economic burden. Therefore, the investigation of novel anti-diabetic regimens is a major challenge for researchers, in which nature has been the primary resource for the discovery of potential therapeutics. Many plants have been shown to act as anti-diabetic agents, in which the main active constituents are believed to be polyphenols. Natural products containing high polyphenol levels can control carbohydrate metabolism by various mechanisms, such as protecting and restoring beta-cell integrity, enhancing insulin releasing activity, and increasing cellular glucose uptake. Blackberries, red grapes, apricots, eggplant and popular drinks such as coffee, cocoa and green tea are all rich in polyphenols, which may dampen insulin resistance and be natural alternatives in the treatment of diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this review is to report on the available anti-diabetic polyphenols (medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables), their mechanisms in the various pathways of DM and their correlations with DM. Additionally, this review emphasizes the types of polyphenols that could be potential future resources in the treatment of DM via either novel regimens or as supplementary agents.

Honey is a popular natural food product with a very complex composition mainly consisting of both organic and inorganic constituents. The composition of honey is strongly influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors, which vary based on its botanical and geographical origins. Although minerals and heavy metals are minor constituents of honey, they play vital role in determining its quality. There are several different analytical methods used to determine the chemical elements in honey. These methods are typically based on spectroscopy or spectrometry techniques (including atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). This review compiles available scientific information on minerals and heavy metals in honey reported from all over the world. To date, 54 chemical elements in various types of honey have been identified and can be divided into 3 groups: major or macroelements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, S, Cl), minor or trace elements (Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, Tl, Co, Ni, Rb, Ba, Be, Bi, U, V, Fe, Pt, Pd, Te, Hf, Mo, Sn, Sb, La, I, Sm, Tb, Dy, Sd, Th, Pr, Nd, Tm, Yb, Lu, Gd, Ho, Er, Ce, Cr, As, B, Br, Cd, Hg, Se, Sr), and heavy metals (trace elements that have a specific gravity at least 5 times higher than that of water and inorganic sources). Chemical elements in honey samples throughout the world vary in terms of concentrations and are also influenced by environmental pollution.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different honey processing parameters (temperature, light, gamma irradiation, evaporation and sachet packaging) on the physical, biochemical and antioxidant characteristics of Tualang honey samples that have been stored for 1 year. The protein and proline contents doubled following radiation and evaporation. Radiation and evaporation also developed the honey quality by decreasing the moisture content and improving the antioxidant parameters (ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP] and color intensity), and maintaining the total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity of the honey within the recommended levels. Cold temperature storage maintained the moisture contents and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural levels within safe levels. However, in case of sachet honey, cold temperature storage is not recommendable as room temperature improved the protein, proline and FRAP content. Irradiation and evaporation of honey samples are recommended as these processes tend to improve the physical, biochemical and antioxidant properties and increase the protein and proline contents of honey. Practical Applications As the physicochemical, biochemical and antioxidant potentials of honey have seen to be improved significantly after irradiation and evaporation, these can be potential techniques to improve the quality of honey prior to consumption.

Here we present a case report of three familial primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients from Malaysia. The three familial patients comprised two females and one male with a mean age of 26.3 years. The first diagnosis was made between 2005 and 2009, and all patients demonstrated deep vein thrombosis, high levels of IgM and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies, and received warfarin treatment international normalized ratio (INR) 2.0–3.0. The patients ceased to show clinical symptoms after treatment. Recently (August 2014), we investigated whether the levels of antiphospholipid antibodies remained elevated, and we found that seronegativity occurred in the patients. We suspect that prolonged anticoagulant treatment might be one of the causes of reduced levels of antiphospholipid antibodies in these familial PAPS patients.

BAU Kul (Ziziphus mauritiana) is a new and improved variety of plum fruit from Bangladesh. This study aims to investigate the antioxidant potency and antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of BAU Kul using Soxhlet extraction followed by complete evaporation of residual methanol. BAU Kul is a very good source of phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid and tannins. The reducing sugar and protein content of BAU Kul were 1.68 and 0.81% by weight, respectively. BAU Kul was very active in 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (527.289.2 [M Fe (II)]/100g), thus confirming its high antioxidant potential. Antibacterial activities were measured using the agar well-diffusion method. BAU Kul was most toxic to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, followed (in order) by Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli and Chromobacterium violaceum. In conclusion, BAU Kul is a nutritious fruit that provides good antioxidant and antibacterial activities (in particular toward P.aeruginosa) and a cheap source of vitamins.Practical ApplicationsBAU Kul is a new and sweet seasonal fruit which is very popular to the consumers of Bangladesh. This fruit can be a good source of nutrients as well as the antioxidants applicable in different types of diseases caused by oxidative stresses. BAU Kul can also be used as traditional medicine for different types for infectious diseases.

YouTube is the most popular video contents sharing platform around the world. As a consequence, YouTube has become one of the most preferred choices to the movie producers and studios for connecting/communicating with their potential viewers through sharing trailers and teasers. Data regarding the trailers of a movie from YouTube can provide useful insights for predicting the gross income of movies. In this paper, we have prepared a dataset of 7988 movie trailers from YouTube. The dataset contains different attributes like opening income, number of views, number of likes, number of dislikes, number of comments. We prepared two prediction models and applied four regression techniques to find out the most suitable technique for predicting the gross income of a movie. The comparative analysis has depicted that linear regression is the most suitable method regarding the prediction of movies gross income using these attributes. Furthermore, we have provided future research issues from where our work has ended.

Background Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune multifactorial disorder. Genetics is believed to play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of APS, especially in thrombosis development and pregnancy morbidity. In the last 20 years, extensive research on genetic contribution on APS indicates that APS is a polygenic disorder, where a number of genes are involved in the development of its clinical manifestations. Aims The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the genetic risk factors in thrombotic primary APS. Additionally, to assess the common molecular functions, biological processes, pathways, interrelations with the gene encoded proteins and RNA-Seq-derived expression patterns over different organs of the associated genes via bioinformatic analyses. Methods Without restricting the year, a systematic search of English articles was conducted (up to 4th September 2017) using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases. Eligible studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Two researchers independently extracted the data from the included studies. Quality assessment of the included studies was carried out using a modified New-Castle Ottawa scale (NOS). Results From an initial search result of 2673 articles, 22 studies were included (1268 primary APS patients and 1649 healthy controls). Twenty-two genes were identified in which 16 were significantly associated with thrombosis in primary APS whereas six genes showed no significant association with thrombosis. Based on the NOS, 14 studies were of high quality while 6 were low quality studies. From the bioinformatic analyses, thrombin-activated receptor activity (q = 6.77 × 10−7), blood coagulation (q = 2.63 × 10−15), formation of fibrin clot (q = 9.76 × 10−10) were the top hit for molecular function, biological process and pathway categories, respectively. With the highest confidence interaction score of 0.900, all of the thrombosis-associated gene encoded proteins of APS were found to be interconnected except for two. Based on the pathway analysis, cumulatively all the genes affect haemostasis [false discovery rate (FDR) = 1.01 × 10−8] and the immune system [FDR = 9.93 × 10−2]. Gene expression analysis from RNA-Seq data revealed that almost all the genes were expressed in 32 different tissues in the human body. Conclusion According to our systematic review, 16 genes contribute significantly in patients with thrombotic primary APS when compared with controls. Bioinformatic analyses of these genes revealed their molecular interconnectivity in protein levels largely by affecting blood coagulation and immune system. These genes are expressed in 32 different organs and may pose higher risk of developing thrombosis anywhere in the body of primary APS patients.

BackgroundThe occurrence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and headache comorbidity in the presence or absence of underlying autoimmune diseases remains unclear.AimThe aim of this review was to summarize the relationship between headache and aPLs based on evidences from cohort studies and case reports, in addition to examining the treatment strategies that resolved headache in aPLs-positive individuals.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted through PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar. A total of 559 articles were screened and the appropriate articles were selected based on quality and level of evidence.ResultsCohort studies (n = 27) from Europe, North America and Asia demonstrated comorbidity of aPLs and headache in antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuropsychiatric SLE patients. Significantly higher association between migraine and aPLs was observed (n = 170/779; p ConclusionHigher frequency of comorbidity between aPLs and headache was observed in healthy individuals and patient cases. Therefore, experimental studies are warranted to evaluate the aPLs-induced pathogenic mechanism of headache.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of a methanolic extract of Apple kul (Zizyphus mauritiana) as it has not been studied extensively. Apple kul was found to be a rich source of polyphenols (52.192.38mg gallic acid equivalents/100g), flavonoids (13.19 +/- 1.31mg catechin equivalents/100g), ascorbic acid (48.17 +/- 2.04mg ascorbate equivalent/100g) and tannins (50.20 +/- 3.61mg tannic acid equivalents/100g). The estimated protein and reducing sugar contents in Apple kul were 1.21 +/- 0.04g/100g and 1.96 +/- 0.15g/100g, respectively. The high ferric-reducing antioxidant power value (6336.71 +/- 554.88mol Fe [II]/g) also indicated a high antioxidant potency for Apple kul. Apple kul showed highest activity towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.Practical ApplicationsApple kul is full of vital potential antioxidants and can act as an antimicrobial agent, which is beneficial to fight against oxidative stress associated diseases as well as against harmful bacteria to maintain a healthy human life.

A highly birefringent polarization-maintaining dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) structure with elliptical air holes around the cores has been designed for possible supercontinuum generation over two octaves spanning a spectral bandwidth in the 400- to 1800-nm wavelength range. The supercontinuum (SC) spectrum covers the near-UV, visual, and near-infrared regions of electromagnetic spectra when a hyperbolic secant pulse of 50 fs duration, 322 mW average power, and 80 MHz repetition rate corresponding to 4.03 nJ energy is launched into the DC-PCF around a 1060-nm pumping wavelength. The generated SC spectrum satisfies the necessary requirements for applications in biophotonics, telecommunications, and frequency metrology.

There is a wealth of information about the nutritional and medicinal properties of honey. However, honey may contain compounds that may lead to toxicity. A compound not naturally present in honey, named 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), may be formed during the heating or preservation processes of honey. HMF has gained much interest, as it is commonly detected in honey samples, especially samples that have been stored for a long time. HMF is a compound that may be mutagenic, carcinogenic and cytotoxic. It has also been reported that honey can be contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Honey produced from the nectar of Rhododendron ponticum contains alkaloids that can be poisonous to humans, while honey collected from Andromeda flowers contains grayanotoxins, which can cause paralysis of limbs in humans and eventually leads to death. In addition, Melicope ternata and Coriaria arborea from New Zealand produce toxic honey that can be fatal. There are reports that honey is not safe to be consumed when it is collected from Datura plants (from Mexico and Hungary), belladonna flowers and Hyoscamus niger plants (from Hungary), Serjania lethalis (from Brazil), Gelsemium sempervirens (from the American Southwest), Kalmia latifolia, Tripetalia paniculata and Ledum palustre. Although the symptoms of poisoning due to honey consumption may differ depending on the source of toxins, most common symptoms generally include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, headache, palpitations or even death. It has been suggested that honey should not be considered a completely safe food.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which largely affects the elderly, has become a global burden. Patients with AD have both short- and long-term memory impairments. The neuronal loss in AD occurs due to abnormally folded amyloid beta proteins and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in the brain. Eventually, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are formed, which subsequently disintegrate the neuronal transport system. There are several factors which are involved in AD pathogenesis, including oxidative stress, inflammation and the presence of metal ions. The modern therapies utilized for AD treatment have many adverse effects, driving the quest for more safe and effective medications. Many dietary components, including different types of fruits, vegetables, spices, and marine products as well as a Mediterranean diet, are a good source of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties, with many showing substantial potential against AD pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the potential of these foods for treating AD and opportunities for developing disease-targeted drugs from active compounds extracted from natural dietary products.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity with persistent levels of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). The development of thrombosis in APS is mediated by aPLs and contributes to the high mortality rate in APS patients. However, although APS has been reported for more than 30 years, there has been no optimal regimen for its prevention or for the management of thrombosis, mainly because the mainstay treatment strategies for managing APS are not targeted towards aPL-mediated thrombotic pathophysiology. Instead, the treatments commonly used are aimed at general thrombotic disorders. Warfarin is the most commonly used vitamin K antagonist (VKA), in addition to anti-platelet medications, such as aspirin and clopidogrel. Over the last decade, novel non-VKA oral anticoagulants, including rivaroxaban, apixaban and dabigatran, as well as immunomodulatory agents, such as rituximab, eculizumab, hydroxychloroquine, statins and sirolimus, have also been used. In this review, we discuss the current treatment strategies and future treatment outlook for thrombotic APS.

Neurological manifestations or disorders associated with the central nervous system are among the most common and important clinical characteristics of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Although in the most recently updated (2006) APS classification criteria, the neurological manifestations encompass only transient ischemic attack and stroke, diverse 'non-criteria' neurological disorders or manifestations (i.e., headache, migraine, bipolar disorder, transverse myelitis, dementia, chorea, epileptic seizures, multiple sclerosis, psychosis, cognitive impairment, Tourette's syndrome, parkinsonism, dystonia, transient global amnesia, obsessive compulsive disorder and leukoencephalopathy) have been observed in APS patients. To date, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these abnormal neurological manifestations in APS remain unclear. In vivo experiments and human observational studies indicate the involvement of thrombotic events and/or high titers of antiphospholipid antibodies in the neuro-pathogenic cascade of APS. Although different types of neurologic manifestations in APS patients have successfully been treated with therapies involving anti-thrombotic regimens (i.e., anticoagulants and/or platelet antiaggregants), antineuralgic drugs (i.e., antidepressants, antipsychotics and antiepileptics) and immunosuppressive drugs alone or in combination, evidence-based guidelines for the management of the neurologic manifestations of APS remain unavailable. Therefore, further experimental, clinical and retrospective studies with larger patient cohorts are warranted to elucidate the pathogenic linkage between APS and the central nervous system in addition to randomized controlled trials to facilitate the discovery of appropriate medications for the 'non-criteria' neurologic manifestations of APS.

Over the years, natural products have shown success as antidiabetics in in vitro, in vivo studies and clinical trials. Because natural product-derived drugs are more affordable and effective with fewer side-effects compared to conventional therapies, pharmaceutical research is increasingly leaning towards the discovery of new antidiabetic drugs from natural products targeting pathways or components associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathophysiology. However, the drug discovery process is very lengthy and costly with significant challenges. Therefore, various techniques are currently being developed for the preclinical research phase of drug discovery with the aim of drug development with less time and efforts from natural products. In this review, we have provided an update on natural products including fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, beverages and mushrooms with potential antidiabetic activities from in vivo, in vitro and clinical studies. Synergistic interactions between natural products and antidiabetic drugs, and potential antidiabetic active compounds from natural products are also documented to pave the way for combination treatment and new drug discovery, respectively. Additionally, a brief idea of the drug discovery process along with the challenges that arise during drug development from natural products and the methods to conquer those challenges are discussed to create a more convenient future drug discovery process.

DNA methylation, a major regulator of epigenetic modifications has been shown to alter the expression of genes that are involved in aspects of glucose metabolism such as glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, β-cell dysfunction and other conditions, and it ultimately leads to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Current evidences indicate an association of DNA methylation with T2DM. This review provides an overview of how various factors play crucial roles in T2DM pathogenesis and how DNA methylation interacts with these factors. Additionally, an update on current techniques of DNA methylation analysis with their pros and cons is provided as a basis for the adoption of suitable techniques in future DNA methylation research towards better management of T2DM. To elucidate the mechanistic relationship between vital environmental factors and the development of T2DM, a better understanding of the changes in gene expression associated with DNA methylation at the molecular level is still needed.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by a persistently high titer of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). In addition to pregnancy morbidity, arterial and/or venous thrombosis is another clinical feature of APS. Regardless of the type of APS, the thrombi formed by the induction of aPLs can lead to deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, stroke and gangrene. Although the concept of APS was introduced approximately 32 years ago, its thrombogenic pathophysiology is still unclear. Therefore, patients are treated with anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet regimens just as in other thrombotic disorders even though the thrombotic pathophysiology is mainly aPLs-mediated. In this review, we provided an update of the cellular, auto-immune and genetic factors known to play important roles in the generation of thrombi. Current successful regimens are also outlined along with potential emerging treatment strategies that may lead to the optimum management of thrombotic APS patients.

Globally, thrombosis-associated disorders are one of the main contributors to fatalities. Besides genetic influences, there are some acquired and environmental risk factors dominating thrombotic diseases. Although standard regimens have been used for a long time, many side effects still occur which can be life threatening. Therefore, natural products are good alternatives. Although the quest for antithrombotic natural products came to light only since the end of last century, in the last two decades, a considerable number of natural products showing antithrombotic activities (antiplatelet, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic) with no or minimal side effects have been reported. In this review, several natural products used as antithrombotic agents including medicinal plants, vegetables, fruits, spices and edible mushrooms which have been discovered in the last 15 years and their target sites (thrombogenic components, factors and thrombotic pathways) are described. In addition, the side effects, limitations and interactions of standard regimens with natural products are also discussed. The active compounds could serve as potential sources for future research on antithrombotic drug development. As a future direction, more advanced researches (in quest of the target cofactor or component involved in antithrombotic pathways) are warranted for the development of potential natural antithrombotic medications (alone or combined with standard regimens) to ensure maximum safety and efficacy.

Honey is a popular natural food product with a very complex composition mainly consisting of both organic and inorganic constituents. The composition of honey is strongly influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors, which vary based on its botanical and geographical origins. Although minerals and heavy metals are minor constituents of honey, they play vital role in determining its quality. There are several different analytical methods used to determine the chemical elements in honey. These methods are typically based on spectroscopy or spectrometry techniques (including atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). This review compiles available scientific information on minerals and heavy metals in honey reported from all over the world. To date, 54 chemical elements in various types of honey have been identified and can be divided into 3 groups: major or macroelements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, S, Cl), minor or trace elements (Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, Tl, Co, Ni, Rb, Ba, Be, Bi, U, V, Fe, Pt, Pd, Te, Hf, Mo, Sn, Sb, La, I, Sm, Tb, Dy, Sd, Th, Pr, Nd, Tm, Yb, Lu, Gd, Ho, Er, Ce, Cr, As, B, Br, Cd, Hg, Se, Sr), and heavy metals (trace elements that have a specific gravity at least 5 times higher than that of water and inorganic sources). Chemical elements in honey samples throughout the world vary in terms of concentrations and are also influenced by environmental pollution.

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor design based on four-core square lattice photonic crystal fiber (SL-PCF) has been proposed in this work. The fundamental coupling properties between the core guided light and surface plasmon polaritons are investigated here by using the finite element method (FEM). It is found that the phase matching phenomenon plays an important role in mode coupling. Through optimization of the design and numerical investigations, it is found that the use of SL-PCF with four cores yields high average sensitivity of 7432 nm/RIU in the sensing range of 1.43 to 1.50. Our study suggests that the use of SL-PCF with four cores is a promising possibility for surface plasmon resonance sensor design.

Diabetic wounds are unlike typical wounds in that they are slower to heal, making treatment with conventional topical medications an uphill process. Among several different alternative therapies, honey is an effective choice because it provides comparatively rapid wound healing. Although honey has been used as an alternative medicine for wound healing since ancient times, the application of honey to diabetic wounds has only recently been revived. Because honey has some unique natural features as a wound healer, it works even more effectively on diabetic wounds than on normal wounds. In addition, honey is known as an “all in one” remedy for diabetic wound healing because it can combat many microorganisms that are involved in the wound process and because it possesses antioxidant activity and controls inflammation. In this review, the potential role of honey’s antibacterial activity on diabetic wound-related microorganisms and honey’s clinical effectiveness in treating diabetic wounds based on the most recent studies is described. Additionally, ways in which honey can be used as a safer, faster, and effective healing agent for diabetic wounds in comparison with other synthetic medications in terms of microbial resistance and treatment costs are also described to support its traditional claims.

This paper presents an improved model of solar photovoltaic (PV) array along with the implementation of fuzzy logic as maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The proposed PV array behavioral model is more accurate and with reduced complexity though considered discrete components. The PV array model was well verified by considering the effect of change of environmental conditions, mainly intensity of solar irradiation (insolation) and temperature. The model was tested by feed a single phase inverter. MPPT control the operating voltage of PV arrays in order to maximize their power output as a result maximize the array efficiency and minimize the overall system cost. Using a Fuzzy logic based algorithm, the duty cycle of the converter inserted between source and load is adjusted continuously to track the MPP and compared with the conventional perturb and observed (P&O) method for changing environmental conditions. It was found that the Fuzzy logic based method can track the MPP more precisely and rapidly than the conventional one. In P&O method, if step size of input variable is very small, the accuracy in tracking MPP is sufficient but tracking speed becomes too slow. On the other hand if the step size is increased to imitate the rapidly changing weather conditions, accuracy deteriorates and unexpected results occur due to oscillation around a mean point although tracking speed increased. But in the case of proposed FLC whatever the step size of input variable it best suited to track MPP continuously and accurately. The obtained simulation results validate the competent of the solar PV array model as well as the fuzzy controller. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v2i6.1328 Full Text: PDF

Photovoltaic energy has become the most prospective source of renewable energy at this moment of energy crisis in the world. To utilize this energy efficiently a photovoltaic array should be used at its maximum power point (MPP) all the time. Therefore, introducing an effective technique of tracking MPP is of immense importance. There are various techniques to track MPP reported in several literatures. Among them artificial neural network based MPP tracking is of less concern. In this paper a novel technique of tracking MPP using backpropagation neural network is proposed. The proposed model is designed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. The design considers the change in solar irradiance and ambient temperature successfully tracks the maximum power point more accurately and quicker than conventional perturb and observe based controller and even better than fuzzy logic based controller in these situations. The overall test results validate the efficiency of the model as well as the backpropagation neural network method which can be used in related research works.

A generalized photovoltaic array simulation model in Matlab/Simulink environment is developed and presented in this paper. The model includes PV module and array for easy use on simulation platform. The proposed model is designed with a user-friendly icon and a dialog box like Simulink block libraries. Considering the effect of solar irradiance and temperature changes, the output current and voltage of PV modules are simulated and optimized using this model. A fuzzy logic based maximum power point tracker is also developed using the presented model in Matlab/Simulink. The maximum power point tracker is tested in changing environment of irradiance and/or temperature. It can successfully track the maximum power point more accurately and quicker than conventional perturb and observe based controller in these situations. The overall test results validate the efficiency of the model as well as the fuzzy controller which can be used in related research works.

The concept of employing a central air hole in the core is exploited to obtain an ultralarge negative dispersion photonic crystal fiber (PCF) over the wavelength range of 1350 to 1650 nm. The results show that the fiber may exhibit an average dispersion well over −500 ps/nm-km with a flattened dispersion profile. It is also found that the fiber shows a high birefringence in the order of 10−2 over the entire wavelength bands of interest. The endlessly single-mode behavior of PCFs is utilized to ensure the single modedness of the proposed fiber. Also, the technique of liquid crystal infiltration is exploited to suppress one of the two orthogonal modes of the fundamental mode. Along with the single-polarization behavior, the fiber shows an even more negative dispersion profile with less dispersion variation.

The leakage losses of a bent equiangular spiral photonic crystal fiber (ES-PCF) have been analyzed in this paper by employing a full-vectorial finite element method. The analysis shows that the confinement and bending losses of ES-PCF are several orders of magnitude less than that of the conventional hexagonal lattice PCF (H-PCF) with similar dimensions. Also, the bending loss increases less rapidly in ES-PCF than in H-PCF for similar bending radii. It has also been found that no mode degeneration between fundamental core mode and first cladding mode occurs in ES-PCF. The reason of higher field confinement in ES-PCF than its hexagonal counterpart is also discussed.