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This paper introduces a new dimension to the existing page replacement algorithms. Combining the LEAST FREQUENTLY USED (LFU) and LEAST RECENTLY USED (LRU) paging algorithms we hereby present a hybridized algorithm that effectively reduces the number of page faults incurred in the former two algorithms. Basically the idea is to compare the counter values and replace the page with a lower counter count and in cases of similar counts the page that has the lesser recent reference is evicted. As we demonstrate with simulation experiments, the "LFNRU-Least Frequently Not Recently Used" algorithm surpasses the performance and efficiency of LFU, LRU, LRU-K AND RLRU page replacement algorithms. Furthermore, the LFNRU algorithm adapts in real time to changing patterns of access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Checkpoints are cellular surveillance and signaling pathways that coordinate the response to DNA damage and replicative stress. Consequently, failure of cellular checkpoints increases susceptibility to DNA damage and can lead to profound genome instability. This study examines the role of a human RECQ helicase, WRN, in checkpoint activation in response to DNA damage. Mutations in WRN lead to genomic instability and the premature aging condition Werner syndrome. Here, the role of WRN in a DNA-damage-induced checkpoint was analyzed in U-2 OS (WRN wild type) and isogenic cells stably expressing WRN-targeted shRNA (WRN knockdown). The results of our studies suggest that WRN has a crucial role in inducing an S-phase checkpoint in cells exposed to the topoisomerase I inhibitor campthothecin (CPT), but not in cells exposed to hydroxyurea. Intriguingly, WRN decreases the rate of replication fork elongation, increases the accumulation of ssDNA and stimulates phosphorylation of CHK1, which releases CHK1 from chromatin in CPT-treated cells. Importantly, knockdown of WRN expression abolished or delayed all these processes in response to CPT. Together, our results strongly suggest an essential regulatory role for WRN in controlling the ATR-CHK1-mediated S-phase checkpoint in CPT-treated cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological properties of engineering and biological materials have been investigated at microscale levels through the calculation of the surface roughness and frictional coefficient using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Although a number of previous studies have reported the frictional coefficients of diverse bearing materials in total hip arthroplasty (THA), the relationship between the surface roughness and frictional coefficient of bearing materials of THA have not been reported, and furthermore, the tribological properties for different wear regions of a cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) femoral head have not been well identified. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between the surface roughness, frictional coefficient, and hardness for both the main-wear and the least-wear regions of a Co-Cr femoral head 10 years after THA. The average Vickers hardness of the Co-Cr femoral head was 380.7 +/- 11.3 HV. With the scanned area of 25 microm x 25 microm through AFM, the frictional coefficients of the main-wear and the least-wear regions were 0.229 +/- 0.054 and 0.243 +/- 0.059, respectively, and showed no statistical differences between these two regions (p = 0.449). However, differences in the surface roughness (Rq) between the main-wear region (Rq = 96.5 +/- 26.2 nm) and the least-wear region (Rq = 17.7 +/- 4.2 nm) were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The results of the current study suggest that the frictional property of the Co-Cr femoral head is not significantly correlated with its surface roughness, and also provide guidelines for improving the surface characteristics of metallic implant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which described the creation of a selection index to improve the production performance of goats. Indigenous goats of Ganjam, Ghumusar and Bengal types obtained from the Bhanjanagar subdivision and its nearby areas from 2002 to 2006 were used in the study. Data for the genetic studies on growth, production and reproduction performance were obtained from farmers. A selection index was developed for Ganjam goats with the goal of improving production traits such as lactational yield, lactation length and body weight.

The article discusses the genetic analysis of Ganjam, black Bengal and Ghumusara goats. Efforts to yield a diagnostic marker for the unambiguous identification of the goat populations from the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) primers of goats have failed. Ganjam, Ghumusara and Bengal type yielded mean percentage of polymorphic loci at 54.55%, 62.50% and 70.45%, respectively. Also noted are the rates of genetic similarities and distances between the goat species.

Discusses the treatment of sphericity and roundness data of quartz grains of clastic sediments. Non-normal distribution of sphericity and roundness data of quartz grains of sieve fractions; Results of laboratory experiments on sampling quartz grains; Frequency of sphericity and roundness data.

Introduction: To ensure that the evidence generated by health technology assessment (HTA) is translated to policy, it is important to generate a threshold value against which the outcomes of HTA studies can be compared. In this context, the present study delineates the methods that will be deployed to estimate such a value for India., Methods and Analysis: The proposed study will deploy a multistage sampling approach considering economic and health status for selection of states, followed by selection of districts based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and identification of primary sampling units (PSUs) using the 30-cluster approach. Further, households within PSU will be identified using systematic random sampling and block randomisation based on gender will be done to select respondent from the household. A total of 5410 respondents will be interviewed for the study. The interview schedule will comprise of three sections including background questionnaire to elicit socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, followed by assessment of health gains, and willingness to pay (WTP). To assess the health gains and corresponding WTP, the respondent will be presented with hypothetical health states. Using time trade off method, the respondent will indicate the amount of time he/she is willing to give up at the end of life to avoid morbidities in the hypothetical health condition. Further, respondents will be interviewed about their WTP for treatment of respective hypothetical conditions using contingent valuation technique. These estimates of health gains and corresponding WTP will then be combined to ascertain the value of WTP per quality-adjusted life year., Ethics and Dissemination: The ethical approval has been obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. The study outcomes will be made available for general use and interpretation of HTA studies commissioned by India's central HTA Agency., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The efficacy of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) is largely limited to the homologous recombination (HR) deficient cancers. Therefore, there is a necessity to explore novel drug combinations with PARPi to enhance its anti-cancer activity in HR-proficient cancers. By analysing the patient data in cBioPortal, we found copy number amplification of PARP1 in ∼ 22.8% of breast cancers. PARP1 upregulation has been correlated with unfavourable outcome with PARPi treatment. To overcome this adversity, we explored the effect of resveratrol, a natural molecule chemosensitizer, in enhancing the effects of the third generation PARPi, talazoparib (BMN673), against breast adenocarcinoma. Our results show that resveratrol effectively sensitized talazoparib induced cell death in HR proficient and BRCA wild-type breast cancer cells in vitro. Mechanistically, resveratrol caused dysregulation of cell cycle and enhanced talazoparib-induced double strand breaks (DSBs), leading to abnormal mitotic progression culminating in mitotic catastrophe. Intriguingly, our results showed potential of resveratrol in dual-inhibition of AKT-signalling and autophagy flux to impair HR-mediated DSB-repair in breast cancer cells. By using EGFP-LC3 and tf-LC3 (mRFP-EGFP-LC3) expressing breast cancer cells, we found that resveratrol attenuates fusion of autophagosome and lysosome though induction of lysosomal-membrane-permeabilization (LMP). The combination of resveratrol and talazoparib effectively reduced cell proliferation in the high-density cell proliferation assay and also led to tumour volume reduction in vivo pre-clinical SCID-mice model. The combination caused no or minimal cytotoxicity in three different normal cell lines in vitro. Taken together, our work proposes the usage of resveratrol as a chemosensitizer along with talazoparib for targeting HR-proficient breast cancers in clinical settings., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Wet ball milling was used for the synthesis of Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 (CZTSe) nanoparticles with a kesterite structure. The prepared nanoparticles were used for ink formulation. Surfactants and binders were added to improve the ink stability, prevent agglomeration, and enhance ink adhesion. The films deposited via spin coating were annealed at different temperatures using a rapid thermal processing system in the presence of selenium powder in an inert environment. Analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, were used to confirm the formation of CZTSe nanoparticles with a single-phase, crystalline kesterite structure. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to study the surface morphology and chemical composition of the thin films before and after annealing, with and without the sodium solution. The optoelectrical properties were investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Hall measurements. All the prepared CZTSe thin films exhibited a p-type nature with an optical bandgap in the range of 0.82-1.02 eV. The open-circuit voltage and fill factor of the CZTSe-based devices increased from 266 to 335 mV and from 37.79% to 44.19%, respectively, indicating a decrease in the number of recombination centers after Na incorporation.

In the present study, we adopt an easy and cost-effective route for preparing Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS)-absorber nanoparticles by a mechanochemical method using non-toxic and environmentally benign solvents (butanol, methyl ethyl ketone, and ethanol). The gram-scale synthesis of absorber nanoparticles was achieved in a non-hazardous, zero-waste process without using high-vacuum equipment. The effects of annealing and Na incorporation on the properties of spin-coated CZTS thin films were scrutinized. The deposited samples showed kesterite crystal structure and single phase. The morphological results revealed an improvement in the surface morphology after annealing. The optical bandgaps of the thin films lied in the range of 1.50-1.57 eV with p-type nature. Finally, photovoltaic devices were fabricated, and their cell performance parameters were studied. An efficiency of 0.16% was observed. The present study provides a potential route for the cost-effective fabrication of CZTS-based photovoltaic devices.

Background: Students act as messengers in delivering effective messages for better uptake of health-promoting behavior. Understanding their knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), intentions to use the COVID-19 vaccine, and its associated factors will help develop promising strategies in vaccine promotion concerning the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among students in the healthcare and non-healthcare sectors to assess their intentions to get vaccinated against the COVID-19. A non-probability snowball sampling technique was used to recruit study participants ( N = 655) through social media platforms and emails. Study participants were recruited across the country, including six major geographical regions (Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, North-east, and Central) in India between November 2020 and January 2021 before the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. Descriptive statistics were used to present the sociodemographic, and vaccine-related behaviors of the study participants. Key determinants that likely predict vaccine acceptance among students were modeled using logistic regression analysis. For each analysis, p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 655 students were recruited, 323 from healthcare and 332 from non-healthcare sectors, to assess their intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Of the 655 students, 63.8% expressed intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The acceptance was higher among non-healthcare students (54.07 vs. 45.93%). At the time of the study, 27.8% of the students indicated that they had been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 patient. A vast majority (93.4%) of the students knew about the COVID-19 virus, and most (89.3%) of them were aware of the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The history of vaccine hesitancy was found to be low (17.1%). Only one-third (33.4%) of the students showed concern about contracting COVID-19. Trust in the healthcare system [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 4.13; (95% CI: 2.83-6.04), p < 0.00] and trust in domestic vaccines [aOR: 1.46; (95% CI: 1.02-2.08), p < 0.05] emerged as the significant predictors of student's intention to get vaccinated. Higher acceptance for vaccine was observed among students in the non-healthcare [aOR: 1.982; 95% CI: 1.334-2.946, p < 0.00]. Conclusion: This study shows that the Indian college students had relatively high levels of positive intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccines, although about one-third were not sure or unwilling to receive the vaccine, highlighting possible vaccine hesitancy. Informational campaigns and other strategies to address vaccine hesitancy are needed to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Jain, Vij, Satapathy, Chakrapani, Patro, Kar, Singh, Pala, Sankhe, Modi, Bali, Rustagi, Rajagopal, Kiran, Goel, Aggarwal, Gupta and Padhi.)

Background: Our objective was to analyze reports of COVID-19 related suicides (CRS) to identify associated factors with a broader goal to inform management and prevention strategies., Methods: We searched scientific literature, government websites and online newspaper reports in English and nine regional languages to identify relevant CRS reports., Results: A total of 151 CRS reports were retrieved. CRS was more frequently reported among males (80.8%), those whose COVID status was unknown (48.0%), and those in quarantine/isolation (49.0%)., Conclusion: The above findings may assist identification of at-risk individuals for COVID-19 related suicidal behavior., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There is ample evidence stating that any taxation policy that effectively increases the real price of tobacco products reduces its use. In the past, several countries have documented instances; wherein the intended effects of tobacco taxation were undermined by aggressive pricing strategies of the industry. However, there is a dearth of such evidence in Indian context. Hence, the current study was conducted to ascertain the changes in the retail price of locally available tobacco products during pre and post GST period in India. This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among all available tobacco products in the states of Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry and Telangana. The information on maximum retail price (MRP) pre and post GST implementation on tobacco products was gathered from the owners of Point of Sale (PoS), vendors and retailers of various tobacco products. The results showed that of the total 154 brands observed pre and post GST implementation, 33.12% [95%CI 25.75-41.15] did not exhibit any increase in their price. The proportion of tobacco product brands with decrease/no change in price was a higher in Meghalaya (PR = 44; 95%CI: 6.32-306.3), Odisha (PR = 23; 95%CI: 3.25-162.7) and Puducherry (PR = 1.48; 95%CI: 0.1-22.84) as compared to Telangana. As compared to cigarettes, smokeless tobacco (PR = 1.84; 95%CI 1.16-2.89) and bidi (PR = 1.74; 95%CI: 0.78-3.9) had more number of brands with a decrease/no change in price post GST implementation. Moreover, four new brands of smokeless tobacco were introduced into the market following GST implementation. The study clearly suggests a departure from the outcomes envisaged by taxation policy on tobacco products in the country. Given the importance of price as a determinant in tobacco use especially among youth, there is an urgent need for strengthening our tax regime for tobacco products., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has established that sale of loose cigarettes increases the affordability and accessibility of tobacco for minors. Acknowledging this threat to public health, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India amended the Legal Metrology Act to prohibit sale of loose cigarettes. Regardless, over 70% of the total cigarette sale in the country is in the form of loose cigarettes majority of which is being sold at unrecognized, unrecorded and unregulated informal sector of economy. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the factors associated with sale of loose cigarettes and further research is warranted in the country to know the dynamics of this issue., Objective: To determine the prevalence and the factors associated with the sale of loose cigarettes at Point of Sale (PoS) in the selected four Indian states., Methods: A community based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among a total of 2044 PoS in the project states of Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry and Telangana using purposive sampling technique. The characteristics of tobacco vendors and the status of loose cigarettes sale were collected using a structured and pre-tested checklist. Proportion for prevalence estimate, bivariate and multivariable log binomial regression analysis were done., Results: The prevalence of loose cigarette sale was 93.05% [95% CI: 91.89-94.1]. Sale of loose cigarette showed a significant association with area (aPR 1.03; 95% CI: 1-1.06; p = 0.025), sale of tobacco products to minors (aPR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.04-1.11; p < 0.001), sale of smoking aids to customers (aPR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.09; p = 0.02), sale of flavored chewable tobacco (aPR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.03-1.12; p = 0.001) and presence of pack warning (aPR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.11-1.25; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our findings infer an open disregard for the laws specific to sale of loose cigarettes at PoS. The factors associated with the sale of loose cigarette needs to be addressed through prompt implementation of the tobacco control laws and suitable policy formulation., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Owing to the role of tobacco packaging as a strong medium of communication, display of health warnings on tobacco packs effectively impart health risks of tobacco consumption to those currently using or contemplating the use of tobacco., Methods: This community based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 2044 tobacco product packs, each collected from a different PoS, to estimate the non-compliance of section 7, 8 & 9 of COTPA among various tobacco products and its association with the PoS characteristics. Data were collected by observation of PoS by field investigators and then purchase of a unique product from each vendor followed by a brief interview of the tobacco vendor., Results: The study documented an absence of health warning label on 15.51% [95% CI: 13.99-17.13] of the total 2044 tobacco products collected. The non-compliance to 'quality of health warning picture' was lowest 5.96% [95% CI: 4.91-7.16] among the tobacco products with a health warning label. The multivariate regression model revealed that absence of health warning on tobacco product packs were higher among the PoS in rural area (aPR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.16-1.65; p < 0.001) and among street/mobile vendors (aPR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.22-2.24; p = 0.001). The PoS not displaying tobacco products (aPR 1.36; 95% CI: 1.08-1.72; p = 0.01), selling flavored chewable tobacco (aPR 1.67; 95% CI: 1.24-2.27; p = 0.001), not selling loose cigarettes (aPR 2.93; 95% CI: 1.94-4.43; p < 0.001) and with vendors not enquiring age proof (aPR 10.69; 95% CI: 1.59-72.09; p < 0.001) had higher proportion of tobacco products without health warning labels. A greater proportion of smokeless/local variety tobacco products (aPR 18.06; 95% CI: 12.31-26.51; p < 0.001) had absence of health warning label., Conclusion: The data provided by us have clear policy implications. We recommend regular enforcement activities to monitor the presence of health warning labels on tobacco product packs along and accurate printing of the same with adherence to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare templates., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have none to declare., (Copyright © 2021 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) has been recommended by the government as preferred outcome measure for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in India. As country-specific health-related quality of life tariff values are essential for accurate measurement of QALYs, the government of India has commissioned the present study. The aim of this paper is to describe the methods for the Development of an EQ-5D Value set for India using an Extended design (DEVINE) Study. Additionally, this study aspires to establish if the design of 10-time trade-off (TTO) blocks is enough to generate valid value sets., Methods and Analysis: A cross-sectional survey using the EuroQol Group's Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) will be undertaken in a sample of 2700 respondents selected from six different states of India using a multistage stratified random sampling technique. The participants will be interviewed using computer-assisted personal interviewing technique. The TTO valuation will be done using 10 composite TTO (c-TTO) tasks and 7 discrete choice experiment (DCE) tasks. Hybrid modelling approach using both c-TTO and DCE data to estimate the potential value set will be applied. Values of all 3125 health states will be predicted using both the conventional EQ-VT design of 10 blocks of 10 TTO tasks, and an extended design of 18 blocks of 10 TTO tasks. The potential added value of the eight additional blocks in overall validity will be tested. The study will deliver value set for India and assess the adequacy of existing 10-blocks design to be able to correctly predict the values of all 3125 health states., Ethics and Dissemination: The ethical approval has been obtained from Institutional Ethics Committee of PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. The anonymised EQ-5D-5L value set will be available for general use and in the HTAs commissioned by India's central HTA Agency., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Parents of children with autism experience high levels of stigma. They often internalize stigma which results in high psychological distress and has negative impact on seeking and providing care. Qualitative methodology has been used to study stigma in Indian population while quantitative studies have not been reported. The authors report affiliate stigma perception among parents of children with autism in a tertiary care medical centre using Affiliate Stigma Scale. Thirty-eight parents participated in this cross- sectional study. We discuss predictors of stigma in terms of caregiver characteristics and symptom profile. Identification of predictors of stigma perception can help in identifying populations at risk., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polyphenols can exert both, antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties, depending on cell types as well as their concentrations. Hence, it was of interest to examine if the naturally occurring resveratrol analog, trans-4,4'-dihydroxystilbene (DHS) also exert both these activities in a biphasic or cell-specific manner. In this study, we established the cytoprotective action of DHS against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptotic death of the PC12 cells. DHS reduced mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and deactivated reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated caspase-3 activation in the H2O2-treated PC12 cells. However, it induced apoptosis in the human neuroblastoma SHSY-5Y cell line by destabilizing mitochondrial membrane, augmenting ROS and activating caspapse-3. DHS showed better activity than resveratrol in both the chosen models.

Noise pollution in hospitals is recognized as a serious health hazard. Considering this, the current study aimed to map the noise pollution levels and to explore the self reported non-auditory effects of noise in a tertiary medical institute. The study was conducted in an 1800-bedded tertiary hospital where 27 sites (outdoor, indoor, road side and residential areas) were monitored for exposure to noise using Sound Level Meter for 24h. A detailed noise survey was also conducted around the sampling sites using a structured questionnaire to understand the opinion of the public regarding the impact of noise on their daily lives. The equivalent sound pressure level (Leq) was found higher than the permissible limits at all the sites both during daytime and night. The maximum equivalent sound pressure level (Lmax) during the day was observed higher (>80dB) at the emergency and around the main entrance of the hospital campus. Almost all the respondents (97%) regarded traffic as the major source of noise. About three-fourths (74%) reported irritation with loud noise whereas 40% of respondents reported headache due to noise. Less than one-third of respondents (29%) reported loss of sleep due to noise and 8% reported hypertension, which could be related to the disturbance caused due to noise. Noise levels in and around the hospital was well above the permissible standards. The recent Global Burden of Disease highlights the increasing risk of non communicable diseases. The non-auditory effects studied in the current work add to the risk factors associated with non communicable diseases. Hence, there is need to address the issue of noise pollution and associated health risks specially for vulnerable population., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cutaneous tuberculosis forms a subset of extra pulmonary tuberculosis. It accounts for about 1.5% of all the cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Lichen Scrofulosorum is a rare form of cutaneous tuberculosis. It is usually seen in children or young adults and an important marker of occult tuberculosis. Usually, the eruption appears in children and adolescents with strong immune sensitivity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and consists of tiny follicular papules. Underlying systemic involvement is more common in children, compared with adults. We report a case of 3 years old boy who was investigated for pyrexia of unknown origin and finally diagnosed as Lichen Scrofulosorum associated with tuberculous lymphadenitis of mediastinal lymph nodes. A skin biopsy showed extensive tuberculoid granulomas surrounding hair follicles which were consistent with the diagnosis of Lichen Scrofulosorum. The child was treated with antitubercular drugs and it showed improvement within 2 weeks of starting treatment with resolution of skin lesions.