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A green and holistic approach is proposed for inhibitive performance of methanolic extract of microalgae Chlorococcum sp. (MEC), effectively contributed by levoglucosenone and hexadecanoic acid for corrosion resistance on mild steel under acidic environment. Inhibition properties of these bioactive compounds are demonstrated by gravimetric (weight loss), electrochemical (Tafel polarization, impedance spectroscopy) and surface morphological analysis (scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy) that support excellent adsorption potential. The maximum inhibition efficiency is obtained ~96% at 11.7 ppm MEC in 1 M HCl at 303 K. The theoretical calculation is investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) to understand the intra molecular charge transfer in aqueous environment as well as the electrostatic interaction between inhibitor molecules and metallic surface. Microstructural analysis is carried out to corroborate the consequence of surface corrosion at different time interval up to three days consecutively. The inexpensive inhibitor extracted from Chlorococcum sp., exhibited an enormous strength for large scale utilization in metal corrosion inhibition under acidic medium.

Cost effective prevention of steel corrosion utilizing eco-friendly materials is a high priority subject for the industries, these days. In this regard, we have explored ethyl acetate extract of Musa paradisica peels (EAEMPP) for mild steel protection in acidic media (hydrochloric and sulfuric acids). The electrostatic interaction of EAEMPP molecules with mild steel has been verified using UV–vis spectroscopy that clearly indicates extract molecules being adsorbed on the surface. The corrosion behavior of mild steel substrate in the presence of the fruit peel extract was investigated by Tafel polarization curves, linear polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The results of electrochemical study strongly validate that EAEMPP limits the oxidation as well as reduction reactions at the active centers of the metal surface and thus retards mild steel corrosion in both acidic media. Variations in surface morphology of the mild steel with and without inhibitor have been studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which has directly verified the reductions of corrosion loss. The adsorption behavior of the extract in both acid media is also studied, which is described suitably with Langmuir isotherm. Quantum chemical parameters, calculated by DFT calculations, have also aided in better understanding of the corrosion inhibition mechanism. We believe that employing green inhibitors from food waste may be useful in corrosion protection of mild steel with economical and ecological approach.

Summary We identify an intronic deletion in VANGL1 that predisposes to renal injury in high risk populations through a kidney-intrinsic process. Half of all SLE patients develop nephritis, yet the predisposing mechanisms to kidney damage remain poorly understood. There is limited evidence of genetic contribution to specific organ involvement in SLE.1,2 We identify a large deletion in intron 7 of Van Gogh Like 1 (VANGL1), which associates with nephritis in SLE patients. The same deletion occurs at increased frequency in an indigenous population (Tiwi Islanders) with 10-fold higher rates of kidney disease compared with non-indigenous populations. Vangl1 hemizygosity in mice results in spontaneous IgA and IgG deposition within the glomerular mesangium in the absence of autoimmune nephritis. Serum transfer into B cell-deficient Vangl1+/− mice results in mesangial IgG deposition indicating that Ig deposits occur in a kidney-intrinsic fashion in the absence of Vangl1. These results suggest that Vangl1 acts in the kidney to prevent Ig deposits and its deficiency may trigger nephritis in individuals with SLE., Graphical abstract, Highlights • Intronic deletions in VANGL1 are associated with risks of glomerulonephritis in SLE • Vangl1+/− mice develop spontaneous deposition of immunoglobulin in glomeruli • Vangl1+/− mice do not develop glomerulonephritis despite antibody deposition • Immunoglobulin deposition in Vangl1+/− occurs in a kidney-intrinsic manner, The organ specificity risks of lupus nephritis are unclear. Jiang et al. identify a common intronic deletion in VANGL1 that increases risks of nephritis in SLE patients. Vangl1+/− mice develop spontaneous deposition of immunoglobulin in the kidney without glomerulonephritis in a kidney intrinsic manner.

The present work reports a highly efficient Ca doped Eu: Y2O3 i.e Ca0.05Eu0.01Y1.94O3 (CEY.) nanophosphor material synthesized through a facile combustion method, as a simple and selective turn-off fluorescence probe for the quantitative analysis of iron ions (Fe3+). The proposed sensor allows the quantification of iron in the range of 10 µM–90 µM with a limit of detection (LOD) ∼ 63.2 nM under the natural pH range. Moreover, CEY nanophosphor shows an excellent fluorescence phenomenon with a gradual increase in the Fe3+ ion concentration. It has been observed that the corresponding PL intensity gets completely quenched with 500 µM Fe3+ ion concentration. Furthermore, the applicability of the sensor as an efficient probe has been investigated with real water samples, iron tablets, and human blood serum (HBS). The selectivity of the probe has also been analyzed with various metal ions and biomolecules. Thus, in turn, the as-obtained sensing probe illustrates an excellent accuracy, sensitivity, and selectivity, and offers potential application in clinical diagnosis, biological and real water sample studies, with the detection of Fe3+ ion. Furthermore, it does not require any acidic medium for a level-free, and non-enzymic detection of a real sample with almost not affecting the sample quality and henceforth provides more reliable results.

The pristine graphene (G) and copper decorated boron/nitrogen doped graphene (Cu-B/NG) nanosheets have been computationally analyzed and demonstrated for their detection ability towards Arsenic, presence in the aqueous environment. The sheet’s detection ability has been analyzed in terms of it’s interaction stability and the observed variations in electronic and transport properties. The results reveal that the interaction stability of As has improved significantly for the Cu-BG/NG sheets in comparison to the pristine graphene. The computed electronic properties deduce the adsorption of As, transforms the semiconducting behavior of the Cu-BG/NG sheets into metallic, leading to the variation in its conductance. The observed variation in conductance found to be 25% and 55% for Cu-BG and Cu-NG sheets, respectively, which are relatively higher than the one computed for its pristine (19%) counterpart. Thus, the above results confirm that the functionalization of graphene sheet via doping and decoration with nitrogen and copper, respectively (Cu-NG), enhances the sheet's response by 189%, compared to the pristine sheet. Therefore, Cu-NG nanosheet can be implemented as a potential candidate as Arsenic detector in the aqueous environment.

In the last few decades, the heavy metal contamination in water has affected the human health in a big way and hence an area of great scientific concern. Among these heavy metals, lead (Pb) is highly toxic and leads to the adverse effect on human body, causing severe health problems like anemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity, toxicity to the reproductive organs, cancer etc. here, the Boron and Nitrogen functionalized graphene sheets (B-Graphene and N-Graphene), have been analysed for its suitability to detect the lead, by computing the band structure, density of state, charge transfer and Current-Voltage characteristics, using the Density Functional Theory based ab-initio approach. The computed results demonstrate that the N-doped Graphene is relatively better sensor for lead in aqueous environment, with a sensitivity of ~ 67% at lower bias voltage, high detection range and short recovery time. However, the Pb sensitivity of the N-Graphene sheet at low bias is very high 329% in absence of water environment.

In this work, a novel sensing scaffold consisting highly dispersed Eu:Y 2 O 3 fluorescent flexible film of poly vinyl alcohol (EYCP) was synthesized by simple mixing method and applied to facilitate non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by turn off probe of fluorescence. The fluorescence spectra of EYCP consisting number of emission sharp transitions from excited, 5 D 0 → 7 F j ( j = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) energy levels of doped Eu 3+ ion in Y 2 O 3 host. In the presence of H 2 O 2 , the fluorescence intensity of the EYCP film was quenched due to the reduction of electron–hole pair recombination in Eu centers by electron transfer from Eu–O excited state to H 2 O 2 energy level rather than 5 D 0 state of Eu 3+ , which reduces the number of electron in 5 D 0 state. The EYCP film shows excellent fluorescence quenching in presence of H 2 O 2 by significantly increasing concentration of H 2 O 2 and completely quenched at ∼150 μM. A linear relationship is observed between 0.0 and 60 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.989. H 2 O 2 sensing is also compared with the EYC nanoparticles. This study is expected to have a significant impact on further study of the Eu:Y 2 O 3 fluorescent flexible film for wide range applications.

Inhibition effects of Irbesartan drug on mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solutions have been investigated by open circuit potential (OCP) curves, Tafel polarization curves, linear polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) along with cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV–visible, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy techniques. Maximum corrosion inhibition of 94% and 83% have been achieved at 300 mg L − 1 Irbesartan concentration in 1 M HCl and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , respectively. Adsorption of Irbesartan on mild steel surface is studied by SEM and various isotherm models, which follows Langmuir isotherm. The effects of rise in temperature and acid concentration on the corrosion behavior of mild steel in both acid solutions are also studied by weight loss method. Corrosion inhibition by Irbesartan is explained on the basis of experimental results as well as frontier molecular orbitals estimated by CV and UV–visible spectroscopic measurements.

Background: Medical professionals are prone to different forms of stress. These stresses start right from the beginning of medical professions. Most of the time such stresses have a negative impact on the psychological and physiological health. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of stress among medical students. To identify the possible stressors in medical students. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional one carried out for a period of one month in Nov 2017 among medical students of 6th & 7th semesters. Assessment of stress was done using Medical Student Stress Questionnaire (MSSQ).The test of association was applied between the level of stress and sociodemographic profile of the participants. Result: A total of 122 students participated in the study. The prevalence of moderate to severe stress was 55.7%. It was more in female students compared with their male counterparts. There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of stress between male and female students among different stressors. Statistically significant association was noted between Academic Related Stressor and sex of the participants and fathers’ occupation. Significant association was also noted between Teaching and Learning Related Stressor and fathers’ occupation. Reliability analysis showed that overall Cronbach’s alpha for MSSQ for Indian students was 0.907. Conclusion: Moderate to severe stress is common among medical students and more common in female students. Most common source of these stresses is academic related issues. Fathers’ occupation is also a potential source of stress. Keywords: PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, DEMOGRAPHIC FACTOR, MEDICAL STUDENTS

A voltammetric method is described for the determination of chloroquine (CQ) and validated simultaneously by two techniques and in three different conditions. The WS

Chitosan is one of the important natural bio-polymers. Besides its good green value, it is rarely used to protect metals in aggressive media in direct form due to rapid degradation of its molecules in acid. Hence, it is necessary to use some means to increase protection efficiency of chitosan. In present work, cobalt and tin sulfide nanoparticles are used to synthesize chitosan-cobalt and chitosan-SnS2 nanocomposites, and used for corrosion protection of mild steel (MS) in 1 M HCl at room temperature. The prepared composites are investigated by UV–visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, HRSEM, HRTEM and EDAX techniques, which have shown successful formation of nanocomposites. Corrosion behavior of the composites have been examined by Tafel polarization curves (TPC), single sine electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (SSEIS) and surface analyzing techniques. The results have declared that chitosan-cobalt nanocomposite is more effective in corrosion inhibition of mild steel than chitosan-SnS2 nanocomposite. Alone chitosan provide only 77% inhibition to mild steel, while it increases for chitosan‑cobalt (>95%) and chitosan-SnS2 (>80%) composites. Isotherm study suggests that adsorption of chitosan/composites over MS is main reason of inhibition and can be best defined with Frumkin isotherm. Adsorption of chitosan and chitosan-nanocomposites over MS is also evident by SEM and AFM.

This article addresses a high sensitivity, non-invasive, and use-throw in nature type biocompatible Eu: Y2O3 dispersed PVA film with gold nanorod (AEYCP film) fluorescent sensing probe for non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glucose (C6H12O6). The fluorescence spectra of the as-synthesized AEYCP fluorescent film consist of some sharp emission (most intense peak at ∼611 nm, owing to the 5D0-7F2 transition) which corresponds to electrical and magnetic dipole transitions. In the presence of H2O2 and glucose, the fluorescence intensity of the AEYCP film gets quenched due to the reduction of electron-hole pair, at the Eu center. The AEYCP film shows excellent fluorescence quenching in the presence of H2O2 at ∼500 nM (with a low detection limit of 1.80 × 10−9 M) and glucose (with a low detection limit 1.60 × 10-6 M). Herein, we envision that our result provides an insight for the synthesis of rare earth metal-doped oxide flexible,non-enzyme mimicking fluorescent probe for different biomedical applications.

India is highly dependent on fossil fuels mainly coal, oil, and gasoline so as to fulfill its energy demands. But, excessive exploitation of fossil fuels, natural resource scarcity, day-by-day enhancement in oil prices, and emission of green house gases, all these conditions leads to the search for a renewable, sustainable source of energy. Bioethanol is a reliable, economical, and readily available resource of renewable energy, which can be used as a fuel for power generation. Rice is the main staple food of India, and rice crops generate a huge amount of rice straw as crop residue in the fields. Unsustainable use of rice straw and open burning of crop in the field produce threat to the environment by producing large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and also make farmer’s loose a very viable by-product. Rice straw can be used in bioethanol production and bring additional income and sustainable utilization. India is showing great interests toward the use of ethanol for supplementing its energy requirements. Conversion of rice straw into bioethanol not only overcome the nation’s dependency on foreign countries and saves lot of money spent on importing crude oil but also solves global warming issues.

Objective: To investigate the morphological structure and variation of thyroid gland in fetuses. Formalin fixed 40 aborted fetuses from 16weeks -36 weeks of gestational age were dissected to study the morphology of fetal thyroid glands. Crown -Rump length, and weight of the fetus along with fetal thyroid morphological and morphometric parameters were recorded. We observed the broader right lobes, broader left lobes of the thyroid glands, pyramidal lobe, levator glandulae thyroidae and isthmus agenesis which may consider under multiple morphological anomalies of the thyroid gland. The morphological parameters of the both broader right and left lobes of the thyroid glands of the fetuses were recorded. This study highlights various developmental anomalies of the thyroid gland, thereby forming a corner stone to safe and effective surgery. rd ring of trachea. There may be variations in its size and situation. (3) An anastomosis of superior thyroid artery is present along the upper border and inferior thyroid veins along lower border. The thyroid gland is covered by a thin fibrous sheath, the capsule of the thyroid. The anterior layer is continuous with pretracheal fascia and postero-laterally continous with the carotid sheath. The gland is covered anteriorly with infrahyoid muscles and laterally with the sternocleidomastoid muscle. On the posterior side, the gland is fixed to cricoids and tracheal ring cartilages and cricopharyngeus muscle by a thickening of the fascia to form the posterior suspensory ligament of thyroid gland also known as ligament of berry. Two parathyroid glands usually lies on each side between the two layers of the capsule, at the back of thyroid lobes.(4) Over the next few weeks, it migrates to the base of the neck, passing in front of the hyoid bone. During migration, the thyroid remains connected to the tongue by a narrow canal, the thyroglossal duct. At the end of the fifth week the thyroglossal duct degenerates and the detached thyroid continues on to its final position over the following two week. Persistence of pyramidal lobe, thyroglossal cysts, agenesis of the thyroid gland and aberrant thyroid are the major developmental anomalies of the thyroid gland (5). Accessory nodules or ectopic thyroid tissue of the thyroid are usually found at the embryonic origin of thyroid gland, at the foramen caecum, or on the lingual duct and thyroglossal tract within the tongue. (2,7) anomalies of the development of the thyroid gland distort the morphology of the gland may cause clinical functional disorders and various thyroid illnesses (6).

Rice is the main staple food in most of the Asian countries and rice crops generate a huge amount of rice straw as crop residue in the fields. Unsustainable use of rice straw and open burning of crop in the field not only produces threat to environment by producing large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, but also make farmer׳s loose a very viable by-product. Rice straw can be used in bio-ethanol production and bring additional income and sustainable utilization. It will also provide clean energy solution to ever increasing energy demand in India. However, it becomes more important to study the sustainability of bio-ethanol production from rice straw and how it can make sense in today׳s Indian agricultural scenario. Although, the bioethanol obtained from rice straw is a carbon neutral in nature, but the concerns of environmental impacts have been raised for the whole process i.e. from rice cultivation, rice logistics, pretreatment techniques, bioethanol generation and transportation. The present review focuses on the environmental sustainability issues arising from use of rice straw for bioethanol production. The environmental impacts are assessed by studying the emission of greenhouse gases from each stage of life cycle. The paper presents an outlook on current status and future prospects of ethanol blending in the country.

The present article discusses the sensing ability of graphene monolayer for the possible detection of carcinogenic heavy metals like Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb)) present in water as pollutants and responsible for various health diseases. Density functional theory based first principle approach has been used to understand the sensing behavior of graphene monolayer by analyzing it’s electronic and transport properties both in vacuum and aqueous environment. The investigations have revealed that the pure graphene has no sensitivity towards water molecule, however interacts well with the carcinogenic heavy metal Cr with significant charge transfer, calculated through Bader Analysis. The significant variations in the band structure, density of states (DOS) profile and current–voltage characteristics of graphene monolayer due to presence of Cr, confirms that the graphene monolayer is relatively better candidate for the detection of Cr at small applied voltage of 400 mV in water, with a response of 82%, in comparison to the other heavy metals, reported in the present work.

In the present communication, a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor with Kretschmann configuration having alternate layers, prism/zinc oxide/silver/gold/graphene/biomolecules (ss-DNA) is presented. The optimization of the proposed configuration has been accomplished by keeping the constant thickness of zinc oxide (32 nm), silver (32 nm), graphene (0.34 nm) layer and biomolecules (100 nm) for different values of gold layer thickness (1, 3 and 5 nm). The sensitivity of the proposed SPR biosensor has been demonstrated for a number of design parameters such as gold layer thickness, number of graphene layer, refractive index of biomolecules and the thickness of biomolecules layer. SPR biosensor with optimized geometry has greater sensitivity (66 deg/RIU) than the conventional (52 deg/RIU) as well as other graphene-based (53.2 deg/RIU) SPR biosensor. The effect of zinc oxide layer thickness on the sensitivity of SPR biosensor has also been analysed. From the analysis, it is found that the sensitivity increases significantly by increasing the thickness of zinc oxide layer. It means zinc oxide intermediate layer plays an important role to improve the sensitivity of the biosensor. The sensitivity of SPR biosensor also increases by increasing the number of graphene layer (upto nine layer).

Label-free and sensitive detection of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is still a big challenge in the arena of prostate cancer diagnosis in males. We present a comparative study for label-free PSA aptasensor and PSA immunosensor for the PSA-specific monoclonal antibody, based on graphene quantum dots-gold nanorods (GQDs-AuNRs) modified screen-printed electrodes. GQDs-AuNRs composite has been synthesized and used as an electro-active material, which shows fast electron transfer and catalytic property. Aptamer or anti-PSA has immobilized onto the surface of modified screen printed electrodes. Three techniques are used simultaneously, viz. cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedence spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate the analytical performance of both PSA aptasensor and PSA immunosensor with its corresponding PSA antigen. Under optimum conditions, both sensors show comparable results with an almost same limit of detection (LOD) of 0.14 ng mL−1. The results developed with aptasensor and anti-PSA is also checked through the detection of PSA in real samples with acceptable results. Our study suggests some advantages of aptasensor in terms of better stability, simplicity and cost effectiveness. Further our present work shows enormous potential of our developed sensors for real application using voltammetric and EIS techniques simultaneous to get reliable detection of the disease.

Realizing the unavailability of fast and reliable diagnostic techniques, especially for cholesterol measurement, the present work reports the development of cost effective bioelectrodes based on a reduced graphene oxide–functionalized gold nanoparticle (∼25 nm) hybrid system (RGO–Fn Au NPs). The electrodes fabricated by the electrophoretic deposition technique attest a synergistically enhanced electrochemical sensing ability of 193.4 μA mM−1 cm−2 for free cholesterol detection, which is much higher than that of the traditional RGO system. The electrochemical impedance studies (EIS) show low charge transfer resistance, RCT, for the hybrid system which is 57% and 60% lower than those of RGO and Au NPs respectively. Also higher loading capacity and enhanced kinetics have been realized for the hybrid system, owing to lower Km value (0.005 mM) and enhanced rate constant (3.8 × 10−4 cm s−1) in comparison with RGO and Au NPs. Moreover, the RGO–Fn Au NP platform promises a wider range of cholesterol detection (0.65–12.93 mM), while simultaneously being capable of detecting as low as 0.34 mM of free cholesterol. Apart from better sensitivity, loading capacity, kinetics and detection range, the system also has appreciable selectivity and stability. This supports its potential to be brought on field in the near future for cost effective and reliable detection from the complex system of human serum.

Occipital spurs are quite common; however, they are also the source of frequent discomfort to the patients. Their role has been implicated in causation of pain at the base of skull, which may extend to shoulder limiting the movement of the shoulder and neck. The present was carried out to find out the prevalence of occipital spur in human skull and to find out the anatomic morphological characteristics of occipital spur. A total of 30 cadaveric skulls were examined in the Department of Anatomy, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, for the presence of occipital spur. These skulls were the part of boneset obtained as a part of undergraduate training in the department. All the measurements were taken using a digital Vernier Caliper after taking all necessary precaution to avoid any damage to these spurs. The prevalence of occipital spur in the present study was 10%. The mean width recorded in the present study was 13.40 mm (±6.7) and the mean length recorded was 13.45 mm (±1.05). Similarly, mean thickness noted was 2.43 mm (±0.43). Thus, the present study concludes that occipital spurs are the frequent source of discomfort to patients. The knowledge of this tubercle is of paramount importance to neurosurgeons, sports physicians, and radiologists for the diagnosis of such discomfort.

Microstrip circular patch antenna play a vital role in the mobile communication area. In round shape patch antenna, radius of round patch is important for generating the required resonant frequency. So proper functioning and high accuracy is required for design specifications of microstrip antenna. This paper discusses the design of round shape microstrip patch antenna using ANN. The mathematically calculated results using ANN model are compared with the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) to verify the results. The calculated resonant frequency is retained at S-band (2–4 GHz). S-band is used for RF power and high data rate application.

Co-doping effect of Sm 3+ and Ca 2+ ions in ceria has been studied using the microwave assisted synthesis (MAS) technique. Thermal response of the prepared compositions was studied using differential thermal and thermo-gravimetric techniques (DTA/TG). Structural studies were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The impedance analyses were performed over a wide range of temperatures (200–500 °C) and frequency (100 Hz to 1 MHz). The conductivity data show that 10% doping of both Sm 3+ and Ca 2+ in ceria provides a significant rise in the conductivity value of pure ceria.

In the recent past, significant research has been made by thermal, mechanical, chemical and microbial pretreatments in the process of delignification. Production of ethanol from the lignocellulosic material has been done in three major steps: (i) delignification; (ii) depolymerization and (iii) fermentation. Pretreatment has been one of the most expensive processing steps in cellulosic biomass to fermentable sugar conversion. Present review article presents recent advances in the field of delignification. Research article also comprehensively discusses the different pretreatment methods along with effect of delignification on ethanol production and the uses of lignin in different industries. It has been found out that; pretreatment methods have significant impact on production efficiency of ethanol from biomass. This further signifies that, the pretreatment results must be balanced against their impact on cost of the processing steps and the trade-off between operating costs, capital costs and biomass cost.

A polyaniline–gold (PAni–Au) nanocomposite is chemically synthesized and impregnated in a chitosan matrix for immobilization of cholesterol oxidase on an indium tin oxide-coated glass plate for development of cholesterol biosensors. The PAni–Au nanocomposite is characterized for structural and thermal properties. Further the PAni–Au nanocomposite is used for cholesterol oxidase immobilization and linkage is examined by FTIR. The nanocomposite is used to form a modified bioelectrode by immobilizing cholesterol oxidase in the chitosan matrix and examined under an optical microscope for uniformity and morphological studies. A modified bioelectrode (ChOx/PAni–Au–CH/ITO) is used to detect cholesterol by using a voltammetric technique with a redox mediator. The sensor exhibits linearity in a wide range of 50–500 mg dL−1 with a detection limit of 37.89 mg dL−1, a sensitivity of 0.86 μA mg dL−1 and a shelf life of more than 3 weeks when stored at 4 °C. Voltammetric studies have also been carried out with common possible interferents. Responses are recorded to get enzyme–substrate kinetics for the biosensor and found as Km = 10.84 mg dL−1. The low value of Km indicates that the prepared nanocomposite facilitates the enzymatic reaction and enzymatic activity. Excellent immobilization and enzyme–substrate reactions show a distinct advantage of this matrix over other matrixes used for cholesterol biosensors. The novelty of the prepared electrode lies in its reusability, higher sensitivity, better shelf life, and accuracy.

A few compositions co-doped with Gd3+ and La3+, Ce0·80Gd0·20−xLaxO1·90 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0·2) have been prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis (MAS). Thermal response of the as-prepared samples has been studied using simultaneous differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Samples have been characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and AC impedance spectroscopy. All the samples, calcined at 400°C for 2 h, show formation of single-phase solid solution having fluorite structure similar to ceria. FT-IR spectroscopy shows that there is no noticeable change in the bonding. MAS technique lowers the sintering temperature to 1300°C and gives more than 95% of the theoretical density. Impedance measurements have been performed on the sintered pellets coated with silver paint, in the temperature and frequency ranges 200–500°C and 1 Hz–1 MHz, respectively. Total conductivity and activation energy of conduction show that co-doped compositions have higher conductivity than the undoped and singly doped samples.

Article history: . Results of CCN closure improved significantly (overprediction improved by 37.5% and 34.6% for Pantnagar and Gaya, respectively) with the assumption of internally mixed aerosols composed of ammonium sulfate and insoluble organics. Hygroscop- icity parameter calculated for these two sorties (κ = 0.51 and 0.5) indicates the presence of moderately hygroscopic organic species along with some inorganic content. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

During routine dissection of a middle aged male cadaver, it was found that the middle trunk of brachial plexus was missing on left side. The Upper trunk was formed from union of C5, C6 and C7 while the lower trunk was normal having union of C8 and T1. Rest of the plexus below cord and on right side was normal. Erb’s point was present there having fibres of C5, 6&7. Knowledge of Variation in brachial plexus is very important for orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeon and anesthesiologists.

Repair of below-the-knee lower extremity defects after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) that are not amenable to primary closure can be challenging given the high propensity for complications. No criterion standard exists for management of these wounds, but secondary-intention healing, partial- and full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs), and various flaps are possible options to manage these wounds. Few data exist on the efficacy of FTSG repairs for lower extremity wounds.Assess the efficacy and complications rates of FTSG repairs for lower extremity wounds after MMS.This was a retrospective review of 80 FTSG repairs performed after MMS. Data were derived from 45 cases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and 35 cases at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center.Seventy-two of 80 cases (90%) had full graft survival, six (7.5%) had partial failure, and two (2.5%) had complete failure. In the cases where grafts had failed, wounds healed by secondary intention without further complications. Other complications included infections in nine (11%) cases and hematoma formation in two (2.5%).FTSG is a consistent and safe reconstructive option for the management of lower extremity wounds after MMS.

In this paper, the effect of heat and mass transfer of an electrically conducting incompressible fluid which moves in presence of magnetic field between two parallel plates and under constant pressure gradient has been studied .after forming the governing equation of motion and choosing the suitable boundary conditions, the solution has been derived for the velocity of fluid and it has been studied analytically and velocity profile has been represented with respect to magnetic field.. it has been found that the magnetic field is very effective in controlling the velocity of fluid and graphically justifying the result of the fluid motion.

In this paper analysis of Digital audio broadcasting on its four different modes have been performed. All the possible four modes have been executed and simulated on SIMULINK platform under different types of modulation schemes and channels. This paper is trying to develop a novel scheme of low cost, complexity wise reduced communication model for open air performance analysis. Thus the paper implements a novel method for the purpose of quality improvement in the communication equipment improvement using DAB. The results that have been performed on different types of channels are additive white Gaussian noise, Rayleigh and Rician fading channels. Similarly different modulation schemes in the model for example BPSK, QPSK, 16 QAM on different channels has been done. Of all the different types of channels in MATLAB & SIMULINK software for which a complete detailed table analysis has been done has found that of all the possible four modes the fourth mode has outperformed with good level of BER performance ranging between 20% to 22%. This paper has shown that with QPSK and AWGN Rayleigh channel mode 4 has proved to be the best working mode.

Follicular helper (T(FH)) cells provide crucial signals to germinal center B cells undergoing somatic hypermutation and selection that results in affinity maturation. Tight control of T(FH) numbers maintains self tolerance. We describe a population of Foxp3(+)Blimp-1(+)CD4(+) T cells constituting 10-25% of the CXCR5(high)PD-1(high)CD4(+) T cells found in the germinal center after immunization with protein antigens. These follicular regulatory T (T(FR)) cells share phenotypic characteristics with T(FH) and conventional Foxp3(+) regulatory T (T(reg)) cells yet are distinct from both. Similar to T(FH) cells, T(FR) cell development depends on Bcl-6, SLAM-associated protein (SAP), CD28 and B cells; however, T(FR) cells originate from thymic-derived Foxp3(+) precursors, not naive or T(FH) cells. T(FR) cells are suppressive in vitro and limit T(FH) cell and germinal center B cell numbers in vivo. In the absence of T(FR) cells, an outgrowth of non-antigen-specific B cells in germinal centers leads to fewer antigen-specific cells. Thus, the T(FH) differentiation pathway is co-opted by T(reg) cells to control the germinal center response.

Roquin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase with a poorly understood but essential role in preventing T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease and in microRNA-mediated repression of inducible costimulator (Icos) mRNA. Roquin and its mammalian paralogue membrane-associated nucleic acid binding protein (MNAB) define a protein family distinguished by an similar to 200 amino acid domain of unknown function, ROQ, that is highly conserved from mammals to invertebrates and is flanked by a RING-1 zinc finger and a CCCH zinc finger. Here we show that human, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans Roquin and human MNAB localize to the cytoplasm and upon stress are concentrated in stress granules, where stalled mRNA translation complexes are stored. The ROQ domain is necessary and sufficient for localization to arsenite-induced stress granules and to induce these structures upon overexpression, and is required to trigger Icos mRNA decay. Gel-shift, SPR and footprinting studies show that an N-terminal fragment centred on the ROQ domain binds RNA from the Icos 3'-untranslated region comprising the minimal sequence for Roquin-mediated repression, adjacent to the miR-101 sequence complementarity. These findings identify Roquin as an RNA-binding protein and establish a specific function for the ROQ protein domain in mRNA homeostasis.

A study of scavenging effects of iso-propanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and acetone on H• radicals, precursors for nonfaradaic products of anodic contact glow discharge electrolysis (CGDE) in aqueous media, has been carried out. A kinetic analysis of the competing reactions of H• with different species in the system leads to a primary yield of 9.8 mol (mol electron)−1 each of H• and OH• radicals in the liquid-phase reaction zone of anodic CGDE. The method is considerably more convenient to apply than those reported earlier based on the use of OH• scavengers.

Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis typically manifests as erythematous plaques on the face, trunk, or extremities. This eruption has been associated with numerous factors, but most commonly is seen with chemotherapy, particularly cytarabine. We report a 73-year-old woman with acute myelogenous leukemia who developed rapidly expansive neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis mimicking facial cellulitis only after a course of cytarabine was followed by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Prompt diagnosis is imperative to prevent prolonged antimicrobial therapy.

X-ray image is one of the prominent modality of medical imaging used in medical diagnosis. This may be corrupted with Gaussian noise due to thermal fluctuations during its acquisition. For reducing these noises a method is applied which combines the Anisotropic Diffusion filter with an edge preserved Wavelet Packet Transformation. Here the edges are detected in each sub-band using Sobel edge detection operator and preserved by excluding these edge coefficients during hard thresholding. This method has proposed a new technique to calculate a threshold value for each sub-band of Wavelet Packet. The quality metrics SNR, RMSE, SSIM, Precision, Accuracy and etc. are used to measure the performance of this method and shows that this approach is better as compared to other noise reduction methods like Adaptive Median Filter, simple Anisotropic Diffusion and simple Wavelet Packet Transformation.

Mutations in the homeobox transcription factor MNX1 are the major cause of dominantly inherited sacral agenesis. Studies in model organisms revealed conserved mnx gene requirements in neuronal and pancreatic development while Mnx activities that could explain the caudal mesoderm specific agenesis phenotype remain elusive. Here we use the zebrafish pronephros as a simple yet genetically conserved model for kidney formation to uncover a novel role of Mnx factors in nephron morphogenesis. Pronephros formation can formally be divided in four stages, the specification of nephric mesoderm from the intermediate mesoderm (IM), growth and epithelialisation, segmentation and formation of the glomerular capillary tuft. Two of the three mnx genes in zebrafish are dynamically transcribed in caudal IM in a time window that proceeds segmentation. We show that expression of one mnx gene, mnx2b, is restricted to the pronephric lineage and that mnx2b knock-down causes proximal pronephric tubule dilation and impaired pronephric excretion. Using expression profiling of embryos transgenic for conditional activation and repression of Mnx regulated genes, we further identified irx1b as a direct target of Mnx factors. Consistent with a repression of irx1b by Mnx factors, the transcripts of irx1b and mnx genes are found in mutual exclusive regions in the IM, and blocking of Mnx functions results in a caudal expansion of the IM-specific irx1b expression. Finally, we find that knock-down of irx1b is sufficient to rescue proximal pronephric tubule dilation and impaired nephron function in mnx-morpholino injected embryos. Our data revealed a first caudal mesoderm specific requirement of Mnx factors in a non-human system and they demonstrate that Mnx-dependent restriction of IM-specific irx1b activation is required for the morphogenesis and function of the zebrafish pronephros.

The present work proposes partially reduced graphene oxide-gold nanorods supported by chitosan (CH-prGO-AuNRs) as a potential bioelectrode material for enhanced glucose sensing. Developed on ITO substrate by immobilizing glucose oxidase on CH-prGO-AuNRs composite, these CH-prGO-AuNRs/ITO bioelectrodes demonstrate high sensitivity of 3.2 µA/(mg/dL)/cm(2) and linear range of 25-200 mg/dL with an ability to detect as low as 14.5 mg/dL. Further, these CH-prGO-AuNRs/ITO based electrodes attest synergistiacally enhanced sensing properties when compared to simple graphene oxide based CH-GO/ITO electrode. This is evident from one order higher electron transfer rate constant (Ks) value in case of CH-prGO-AuNRs modified electrode (12.4×10(-2) cm/s), in contrast to CH-GO/ITO electrode (6×10(-3) cm/s). Additionally, very low Km value [15.4 mg/dL(0.85 mM)] ensures better binding affinity of enzyme to substrate which is desirable for good biosensor stability and resistance to environmental interferences. Hence, with better loading capacity, kinetics and stability, the proposed CH-prGO-AuNRs composite shows tremendous potential to detect several bio-analytes in the coming future.

Tight control of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells is required for optimal maturation of the germinal centre (GC) response. The molecular mechanisms controlling Tfh-cell differentiation remain incompletely understood. Here we show that microRNA-146a (miR-146a) is highly expressed in Tfh cells and peak miR-146a expression marks the decline of the Tfh response after immunization. Loss of miR-146a causes cell-intrinsic accumulation of Tfh and GC B cells. MiR-146a represses several Tfh-cell-expressed messenger RNAs, and of these, ICOS is the most strongly cell autonomously upregulated target in miR-146a-deficient T cells. In addition, miR-146a deficiency leads to increased ICOSL expression on GC B cells and antigen-presenting cells. Partial blockade of ICOS signalling, either by injections of low dose of ICOSL blocking antibody or by halving the gene dose of Icos in miR-146a-deficient T cells, prevents the Tfh and GC B-cell accumulation. Collectively, miR-146a emerges as a post-transcriptional brake to limit Tfh cells and GC responses., Maturation of antibody-producing B cells in germinal centers is orchestrated by T follicular helper cells. Here Pratama et al. show that miR-146a negatively regulates T follicular helper cells by targeting ICOS-ICOS ligand signaling in germinal centers.

Biofuels are produced from living organisms or from metabolic by-products (organic or food waste products). Fuel must contain over 80 % of renewable materials in order to be considered as biofuels. Biomass is carbon dioxide neutral, and its sustainable use minimizes the seasonal variation and pollutants emission into the air, rivers, and oceans. This energy plays an important role in the replacement of renewable energy resources for fossil fuels over next several decades. Enormous range of biomass is processed to produce bioenergy biologically, thermochemically, and biochemically. In developing countries such as India, biomass is the primary source of bioenergy. Global climate change policies would overcome many barriers to secure the future of biomass and indirectly biofuels. Due to social and economic benefits, biomass is considered as a deserving alternative for sustainable development.

For observers of international relations, the collapse of Berlin Wall, which led to the disintegration of Soviet Union and consequently the end of the cold war, heralded the ‘nirvana’ for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). With the world turning unipolar (at least in the military sphere), the very name, they contend, is a contradiction in terms. Moreover, the three principles on which NAM was founded, viz. disarmament, development and autonomy in decision making, seem to have virtually collapsed. This camp also feels that in the present age of liberalisation globalisation and privatisation (LPG), the state of world is akin to a melting pot. Hence simplistic alliances, based on outdated concepts are redundant. Last but not the least, they allege that NAM members have displayed a lack of unity many a time. They have broken ranks in order to curry favours with the West. In sum, it has almost become a ‘fossil without fuel’. Hence, it should be consigned to the dustbin of history. However, the writer feels that, NAM as a movement as well as a foreign policy goal is alive and kicking. In this age of geo-economics, NAM continues to have its raison d'etre. It could play a pivotal role in pursuing the economic agenda of third world countries for a more equitable economic world order. Furthermore, in this Hobbesian world characterised by anarchy, it could act as a lynchpin to address issues of contemporary relevance like US' attempt to create a unipolar world, ‘global commons’, micro-security issues like ‘FUNTERNARSA’ factor, ‘neo-interventionism’, cultural imperialism, restructuring the UN, etc. NAM as a foreign policy goal of pursuing enlightened national interest, especially ‘freedom of thought and autonomy of action’ could not have been more relevant in a world order, bedevilled by US unilateralism today.