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Poultry egg and meat is an important source of high-quality proteins, minerals and vitamins required to balance the human diet, specially developed varieties of chicken are now available with the trait of quick growth and high feed conversion efficiency. A majority of the poultry products available for consumption in Tamil Nadu come from rural poultry production in spite of the dearth of knowledge on their statistics, production, management practices, disease control methods and level of government intervention in the business. The need to obtain baseline information on the availability of rural poultry under the village conditions in Namakkal area formed the basis of the study. The study investigated production systems and reproductive performance of village chicken in rural areas surrounding Namakkal town, Tamil Nadu state. Data used were collected from rural poultry farmers in the Namakkal district using structured questionnaires and were analysed by means of simple average and percentages. The study revealed that men dominated (93.3 per cent) rural poultry production. Middle-age persons dominated the study area compared to other age groups (45.9 vs 25.8 and 28.3 per cent). Married people were engaged in rural poultry production (87.8 per cent). Majority of the poultry farmers in rural areas had school-level education (51.3 per cent). Likewise, farm ownership of the rural areas was by sole proprietors (78.6 per cent) and partnership (21.4 per cent). Relevant solutions centring on dedicated support from government are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent advancement in audio transcoding, the multimedia telecommunication services are predictable to use pre-encoded audio for storage and transmission. The major concern related to transcoding B-picture to P-picture from MPEG-2 to H.263 are that the incoming discrete consine transform (DCT) coefficients of B-picture are predicted from the forward and backward predictions whereas the prediction error in the DCT domain occurring from the previous frame are not available. This requires the new prediction errors to be re-estimated resulting in high complexity not only during the heterogeneous compressed domain process but also while re-estimatng the new errors. To provide an elegant solution to the predicted errors and to perform heterogeneous compessed domain, an innovative approach called as the Covered Coding Technique based on Ascendable Sub-band Coding (CCASC) for encoding and decoding audio frames for real time transmission is presented. The objective of the research is to support heterogeneous domain with a single bit-stream, from which a number of sub-streams of varying bit-rates are extracted. A muticast transmission is introduced, where the dissimilar receivers are capable of receiving different bit rate streams from the same source in an efficient and scalable way. The multi rate property of CC-ASC also allows us to provide elegant solution to the predicted errors in the frequency domain when used over networks which support multiple priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is empirical in nature and was carried out to assess the impact of group-based microfinance on income, assets position, savings, employment, literacy and migration of the household. A quasi-experimental design was made where the target and control groups were randomly sampled from the population. The target group was compared with the control group across various variables and the mean difference was found. The results were validated by statistical test for significance and econometric models. The test of significance between the mean for target and control groups was tested through a paired t-test. Models like Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), logistic regression and probit regression were employed to measure the impact of group-based microfinance intervention. Household was taken as the unit of analysis. The study concluded that the group-based microfinance impacted the client household positively in the increase of income, assets position, savings and literacy, and in the reduction of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous Nb-MCM-41 molecular sieves (Si/Nb = 50 and 75) were synthesized hydrothermally. As-synthesized and calcined catalysts were characterized by low angle X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2-adsorption isotherm, thermogravimetric and FT-IR techniques. The niobium impregnated MCM-41 catalysts were also prepared by wet method and their structure was elucidated XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy. Electron spinning resonance (ESR) studies conformed the co-ordination environment of niobium in both type of catalysts. The catalytic activity of the above catalysts was studied for the vapor phase oxidation ofm-toluidine with CO2-free air at 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 °C. The major products werem-aminobenzoic acid andm-aminobenzaldehyde. Them-toluidine conversion was found to be higher in niobium impregnated catalysts than incorporated catalysts. The selectivity tom-aminobenzoic acid, which was the principally aimed product in this study, was found to be higher than that of them-aminobenzaldehyde. The activities of catalysts follow the order Nb-MCM-41 (1%)>Nb-MCM-41 (2%)>Nb-MCM-41 (3%)>Nb-MCM-41 (50)>Nb-MCM-41 (75). The effect of weight hourly space velocity and time on stream was also studied on conversion and products selectivity and the results are discussed. Conditions were optimized for betterm-toluidine conversion and products selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, synthesis of pure cobalt oxide and Ni-doped cobalt oxide nano particles by microwave irradiation method and their characterization was analyzed and reported. These nano particles were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The powder X-ray diffraction pattern showed the cubic phase structure with crystalline size of 36 nm, 25 nm, 17 nm, 26 nm. It is also confirmed by TEM morphological analysis. UV–vis NIR spectral analysis shows optical band gap decreases and shifted from E g = 5.57 eV–3.71 eV due to doping of Ni. Fluorescence spectrum shows emission wavelength at 625 nm that indicates a strong red shift. The antibacterial activity of the samples infers that among all the samples the 20% nickel doped cobalt oxide nano particles possess better activity. Image 1010 • XRD revealed the crystallite sizes of pure and Ni -Co 3 O 4 nanostructure. • FT-IR revealed the functional groups and formation of Ni-Co 3 O 4 nano particles. • TEM morphology Ni-Co 3 O 4 conformed spherical and cubic shape particles. • UV-vis NIR spectral analysis shows optical band gap value decreases E g = 5.57 eV to 3.71 eV due to doping of Ni. • Antibacterial activities shows better activity of 20 wt% Nickel doped cobalt oxide nano particles inhibit growth suitable for nano antibiotic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The LACe crystal was grown by slow evaporation method. • The lower cut off wavelength is at 226 nm and Eg is 5.36 eV • The crystal has a high laser damage threshold at 42.78 J/cm2. • The SHG efficiency was found to be 8 times that of KDP. • The LACe crystal was suitable for photonic and non-linear optical (NLO) devices. In this work, L-asparagine cerium (III) sulfate bulk single crystal was successfully grown by conventional slow evaporation technique. The crystallographic data of LACe was analyzed by single crystal XRD technique and it belongs to orthorhombic system. The crystalline nature also studied. The grown crystal optical transmittance and absorption were determined by UV–vis-NIR study and various optical parameters were analyzed based on the obtained data. Fluorescence spectrum exhibits green and red emission occurred at 546 nm and 616 nm. The second harmonic generation efficiency was studied and it was found to be approximately 8 times higher than that of KDP. Light dependent photoconductivity study exhibits positive photoconductive nature. The dielectric constant (ℇ') and dielectric loss (tanδ) were measured as function of frequency. The thermal behavior and decomposition mechanism was determined by means of TG-DTA and mechanical stability was analyzed by using Vickers microhardness tester. The above characteristics studies reveal that the grown crystal is suitable for photonic and non-linear optical (NLO) device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A third order nonlinear optical (NLO) good quality Piperazinium based cupric sulfate (PCS) single crystals has been grown successfully from homogeneous solution by slow evaporation technique using double distilled water at room temperature. The average dimensions of the as grown crystals are up to 36 × 30 × 15 m m 3 within a period of 35 days. The grown single crystals were subjected to powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the crystalline quality. Single crystals X-ray diffraction represents, the PCS crystal belongs to the monoclinic system (P), with unit cell parameters a = 6.87 Å , b = 10.20 Å , c = 11.92 Å and V = 834 A ° 3. Existence of major functional groups in PCS single crystal has been identified by FTIR analysis. The thermal properties of PCS single crystals were analyzed from TG − DTA curves and the compound is thermally stable up to 134 °C. The UV–vis absorption studies indicate the PCS single crystals are optically transparent up to 60.88 % at 496 n m with the cut-off wavelength 258 n m. From the Tauc's plot optical band gap is estimated to be (E g) 5.30 e V.The extinction coefficient (k) vs. wavelength relation for PCS single crystals have minimum absorption of light around 493 n m. The refractive index (n 0) of PCS single crystals has least value for blue and green light; it is gradually increased till red light. It is supported by reflectance vs. wavelength calculation with high reflectance at same wavelength range. The photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra for as grown crystals represent prominent emission around 440 − 470 n m depicting blue emission with 244 n m excitation wavelength. The electric field response of PCS single crystals has been studies in terms of dielectric constant and dielectric loss as a function of frequency and temperature, the results were discussed. The mechanical stability of the grown crystals at room temperature has investigated with Vicker's micro hardness test and evaluated various mechanical parameters such as H v , K c , σ v and C 11.Hardness number increased with load.PCS single crystals exhibits RISE behavior and belong to soft category. The third order nonlinear optical nature of PCS single crystals was studied using Z − scan technique. The negative nonlinear refractive index (n 2) of the crystals indicates self-defocusing effect. The nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) and third order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ (3)) were also calculated and discussed from the above technique. • The average dimensions of the PCS crystals are up to 36 × 30 × 15 m m 3 and thermally stable up to 134°C. • The transparency is about 60.88 % with cut-off wavelength 258 n m. • PCS single crystals are wide band gap materials (E g) 5.30 e V , with blue emission arround 440- 470 nm. • PCS single crystals exhibits RISE behavior and belong to soft category. • Negative nonlinear refractive index shows self-defocusing effect of PCS crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Endogenous hypercortisolism presents with variable phenotypes. Etiological factors accounting for the level of hypercortisolism or varying severity of associated comorbidities are lacking. Recently, the adrenal ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) gene was identified as a modulator of glucocorticoid secretion., Objective: To evaluate the effect of ABCB1 polymorphism rs2032582 on steroid metabolome and clinical phenotypes in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism., Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study, 137 patients prospectively enrolled in the German Cushing's registry were included (41 with ACTH-producing pituitary adenoma, 21 with cortisol-producing adrenal adenoma, and 75 with excluded hypercortisolism). In all patients, ABCB1 polymorphism was analyzed using a TaqMan genotyping assay, glucocorticoid metabolite excretion in 24-hour urine samples was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the clinical phenotype was assessed systematically., Results: In patients with cortisol-producing adrenal adenomas, but not in patients with ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas, homozygous major allele GG of ABCB1 polymorphism rs2032582 was associated with higher overall cortisol metabolite secretion (median 13515 [IQR 10347; 25669] µg/24h vs. 9645 [6146; 10732] µg/24h in minor homo- and heterozygotes, p=0.036) and elevated major cortisol metabolites αTHF, THF and THE (9339 [6929; 17789] µg/24h vs. 6288 [4184; 7455] µg/24h, p=0.045). Moreover, these patients showed higher mean arterial pressure (116 [111; 131] mmHg in major homozygotes vs. 105 [96; 112] mmHg in minor homo- and heterozygotes, p=0.036)., Conclusion: The genotype of drug transporter gene ABCB1 rs2032582 polymorphism is associated with the degree of cortisol metabolite secretion in cortisol-producing adrenal adenomas and could, therefore, represent a modifier of disease severity in this context., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: We performed a transcriptomic analysis of adrenal signaling pathways in various forms of endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) to define areas of dysregulated and druggable targets., Methodology: Next-generation sequencing was performed on adrenal samples of patients with primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH, n=10) and control adrenal samples (n=8). The validation groups included cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA, n=9) and samples from patients undergoing bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease (BADX-CD, n=8). In vivo findings were further characterized using three adrenocortical cell-lines (NCI-H295R, CU-ACC2, MUC1)., Results: Pathway mapping based on significant expression patterns identified PPARG (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) pathway as the top hit. Quantitative PCR (QPCR) confirmed that PPARG (l2fc<-1.5) and related genes - FABP4 (l2fc<-5.5), PLIN1 (l2fc<-4.1) and ADIPOQ (l2fc<-3.3) - were significantly downregulated (p<0.005) in PBMAH. Significant downregulation of PPARG was also found in BADX-CD (l2fc<-1.9, p<0.0001) and CPA (l2fc<-1.4, p<0.0001). In vitro studies demonstrated that the PPARG activator rosiglitazone resulted in decreased cell viability in MUC1 and NCI-H295R (p<0.0001). There was also a significant reduction in the production of aldosterone, cortisol, and cortisone in NCI-H295R and in Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in MUC1 (p<0.05), respectively., Outcome: This therapeutic effect was independent of the actions of ACTH, postulating a promising application of PPARG activation in endogenous hypercortisolism., 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. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Vetrivel, Tamburello, Oßwald, Zhang, Khan, Jung, Baker, Rainey, Nowak, Altieri, Detomas, Watts, Williams, Wielockx, Beuschlein, Reincke, Sbiera and Riester.)

The posttranscriptional modifications (PTM) of the Histone H3 family play an important role in ocular system differentiation. However, there has been no study on the nature of specific Histone H3 subtype carrying these modifications. Fortuitously, we had previously identified a dominant small-eye mutant Aey69 mouse with a mutation in the H3.2 encoding Hist2h3c1 gene (Vetrivel et al., 2019). In continuation, in the present study, the role of Histone H3.2 with relation to the microphtalmic Aey69 has been elaborated. Foremost, a transgenic mouse line expressing the fusion protein H3.2-GFP was generated using Crispr/Cas9. The approach was intended to confer a unique tag to the Hist2h3c1 gene which is similar in sequence and encoded protein structure to other histones. The GFP tag was then used for ChIP Seq analysis of the genes regulated by H3.2. The approach revealed ocular specific H3.2 targets including Ephrin family genes. Altered enrichment of H3.2 was found in the mutant Aey69 mouse, specifically around the ligand Efna5 and the receptor Ephb2. The effect of this altered enrichment on Ephrin signaling was further analysed by QPCR and immunohistochemistry. This study identifies Hist2h3c1 encoded H3.2 as an important epigenetic player in ocular development. By binding to specific regions of ocular developmental factors Histone H3.2 facilitates the function of these genes for successful early ocular development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is not a routine procedure in patients with primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PBMAH), but has been used to determine lateralization of cortisol secretion in order to guide decision of unilateral adrenalectomy. Our aim was to characterize the steroid fingerprints in AVS samples of patients with PBMAH and hypercortisolism and to identify a reference hormone for AVS interpretation., Method: Retrospectively, we included 17 patients with PBMAH from the German Cushing's registry who underwent AVS. 15 steroids were quantified in AVS and peripheral blood samples using LC-MS/MS. We calculated lateralization indices and conversion ratios indicative of steroidogenic enzyme activity to elucidate differences between individual adrenal steroidomes and in steroidogenic pathways., Results: Adrenal volume was negatively correlated with peripheral cortisone (r=0.62, p <0.05). 24-hour urinary free cortisol correlated positively with peripheral androgens (rDHEA=0.57, rDHEAS=0.82, rA=0.73, rT=0.54, p <0.05). DHEA was found to be a powerful reference hormone with high selectivity index, which did not correlate with serume cortisol and has a short half-life. All investigated steroids showed lateralization in single patients indicating the heterogenous steroid secretion pattern in patients with PBMAH. The ratios of corticosterone/aldosterone (catalyzed by CYP11B2), androstenedione/dehydroepiandrosterone (catalyzed by HSD3B2) and cortisone/cortisol (catalyzed by HSD11B2) in adrenal vein samples were higher in smaller adrenals ( p <0.05). ARMC5 mutation carriers (n=6) showed lower androstenedione/17-hydroxyprogesterone and higher testosterone/androstenedione ( p <0.05) ratios in peripheral blood, in line with lower peripheral androstenedione concentrations ( p <0.05)., Conclusion: Steroid profiling by LC-MS/MS led us to select DHEA as a candidate reference hormone for cortisol secretion. Lateralization and different steroid ratios showed that each steroid and all three steroidogenic pathways may be affected in PBMAH patients. In patients with germline ARMC5 mutations, the androgen pathway was particularly dysregulated., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhang, Rubinstein, Vetrivel, Kunz, Vogel, Bouys, Bertherat, Kroiss, Deniz, Osswald, Knösel, Bidlingmaier, Sbiera, Reincke and Riester.)

MiRNAs are important epigenetic players with tissue- and disease-specific effects. In this study, our aim was to investigate the putative differential expression of miRNAs in adrenal tissues from different forms of Cushing’s syndrome (CS). For this, miRNA-based next-generation sequencing was performed in adrenal tissues taken from patients with ACTH-independent cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas (CPA), from patients with ACTH-dependent pituitary Cushing’s disease (CD) after bilateral adrenalectomy, and from control subjects. A confirmatory QPCR was also performed in adrenals from patients with other CS subtypes, such as primary bilateral macronodular hyperplasia and ectopic CS. Sequencing revealed significant differences in the miRNA profiles of CD and CPA. QPCR revealed the upregulated expression of miR-1247-5p in CPA and PBMAH (log2 fold change > 2.5, p < 0.05). MiR-379-5p was found to be upregulated in PBMAH and CD (log2 fold change > 1.8, p < 0.05). Analyses of miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p expression in the adrenals of mice which had been exposed to short-term ACTH stimulation showed no influence on the adrenal miRNA expression profiles. For miRNA-specific target prediction, RNA-seq data from the adrenals of CPA, PBMAH, and control samples were analyzed with different bioinformatic platforms. The analyses revealed that both miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p target specific genes in the WNT signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study identified distinct adrenal miRNAs as being associated with CS subtypes.

Context: Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a rare disease of endogenous hypercortisolism associated with high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis and classification of CS is still challenging., Objective: Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are minimally invasive diagnostic markers. Our aim was to characterize the circulating miRNA profiles of CS patients and to identify distinct profiles between the two major CS subtypes., Methods: We included three groups of patients from the German Cushing's registry: ACTH-independent CS (Cortisol-Producing-Adenoma; CPA), ACTH-dependent pituitary CS (Cushing's Disease; CD), and patients in whom CS had been ruled out (controls). Profiling of miRNAs was performed by next-generation-sequencing (NGS) in serum samples of 15 CS patients (each before and after curative surgery) and 10 controls. Significant miRNAs were first validated by qPCR in the discovery cohort and then in an independent validation cohort of 20 CS patients and 11 controls., Results: NGS identified 411 circulating miRNAs. Differential expression of 14 miRNAs were found in the pre- and postoperative groups. qPCR in the discovery cohort validated 5 of the significant miRNAs from the preoperative group analyses. Only, miR-182-5p was found to be significantly upregulated in the CD group of the validation cohort. Comparing all CS samples as a group with the controls did not reveal any significant differences in expression., Outcome: In conclusion, our study identified miR-182-5p as a possible biomarker for CD, which has to be validated in a prospective cohort. Furthermore, our results suggest that presence or absence of ACTH might be at least as relevant for miRNA expression as hypercortisolism itself., 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 Vetrivel, Zhang, Engel, Altieri, Braun, Osswald, Bidlingmaier, Fassnacht, Beuschlein, Reincke, Chen, Sbiera and Riester.)

During an ENU (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea) mutagenesis screen, we observed a dominant small-eye mutant mouse with viable homozygotes. A corresponding mutant line was established and referred to as Aey69 (abnormality of the eye #69). Comprehensive phenotyping of the homozygous Aey69 mutants in the German Mouse Clinic revealed only a subset of statistically significant alterations between wild types and homozygous mutants. The mutation causes microphthalmia without a lens but with retinal hyperproliferation. Linkage was demonstrated to mouse chromosome 3 between the markers D3Mit188 and D3Mit11. Sequencing revealed a 358 A-> C mutation (Ile120Leu) in the Hist2h3c1 gene and a 71 T-> C (Val24Ala) mutation in the Gja8 gene. Detailed analysis of eye development in the homozygous mutant mice documented a perturbed lens development starting from the lens vesicle stage including decreasing expression of crystallins as well as of lens-specific transcription factors like PITX3 and FOXE3. In contrast, we observed an early expression of retinal progenitor cells characterized by several markers including BRN3 (retinal ganglion cells) and OTX2 (cone photoreceptors). The changes in the retina at the early embryonic stages of E11.5-E15.5 happen in parallel with apoptotic processes in the lens at the respective stages. The excessive retinal hyperproliferation is characterized by an increased level of Ki67. The hyperproliferation, however, does not disrupt the differentiation and appearance of the principal retinal cell types at postnatal stages, even if the overgrowing retina covers finally the entire bulbus of the eye. Morpholino-mediated knock-down of the hist2h3ca1 gene in zebrafish leads to a specific perturbation of lens development. When injected into zebrafish zygotes, only the mutant mouse mRNA leads to severe malformations, ranging from cyclopia to severe microphthalmia. The wild-type Hist2h3c1 mRNA can rescue the morpholino-induced defects corroborating its specific function in lens development. Based upon these data, it is concluded that the ocular function of the Hist2h3c1 gene (encoding a canonical H3.2 variant) is conserved throughout evolution. Moreover, the data highlight also the importance of Hist2h3c1 in the coordinated formation of lens and retina during eye development., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The asymmetric unit of the organic-inorganic title salt, (C10H28N4)[Cr2O7]2, comprises one half of an 1,4-bis-(3-ammonio-prop-yl)piperazinediium cation (the other half being generated by the application of inversion symmetry) and a dichromate anion. The piperazine ring of the cation adopts a chair conformation, and the two CrO4 tetra-hedra of the anion are in an almost eclipsed conformation. In the crystal, the cations and anions form a layered arrangement parallel to (001). N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the cations and anions and additional C-H⋯O inter-actions lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network structure.

Various cell wall degrading enzymes and the protoplasting media were evaluated for the production of protoplast in Fusarium verticillioides. Among the various enzymes tested, driselase at 12.5 mg/ml in 1 M KCl protoplasting medium produced the maximum number of protoplast. Next to driselase, lysing enzyme at 10 mg/ml in 1.2 M MgSO4 protoplasting medium was found to be the second best enzyme for the production of protoplast. More interestingly, the combined use of driselase @ 12.5 mg/ml and lysing enzyme @ 10 mg/ml in 1 M KCl exhibited the additive effect on protoplast formation. Germinated conidia of F. verticillioides are the most susceptible fungal material for protoplast production. The use of sucrose at 1.2 M in the regeneration medium supported the maximum regeneration of protoplast. From the present study, we recommend driselase (12.5 mg/ml) and lysing enzyme (10 mg/ml) in 1 M KCl protoplasting medium and germinated conidia of F. verticillioides for the maximum production of protoplasts and 1.2 M sucrose is the best osmoticum for the regeneration of protoplasts., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Benzene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) with the MCM-41 were synthesized by a rapid sonochemical process via co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl) benzene (BTEB) under basic conditions within a few minutes using cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTMABr) as a structure-directing agent. The molar ratio of the silicon precursors and the synthesis time were varied in order to investigate their influence on the structural ordering of the materials. The characteristics of the materials were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2-sorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The resultant materials exhibited well-ordered hexagonal mesostructures with surface areas in the range of 602-1237 m(2)/g, pore volumes of 0.37-0.68 cm(3)/g, and pore diameters in the range of 2.5-3.5 nm. Two dimensional (29)Si{(1)H} heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR spectra confirmed the formation of a single mesophase with various Q (from TEOS) and T (from BTEB) silicon species located randomly within the pore walls due to the co-condensation of BTEB and TEOS, which excluded the possibility of formation of island or two separate phases within such a short synthesis time. The prime advantage of the present synthesis route is that it can effectively reduce the total synthesis time from days to a few minutes, much shorter than the conventional benzene-bridged PMOs synthesis methods., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ordered SBA-15 functionalized with a high loading of pendant carboxylate groups has been synthesized via co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and carboxyethylsilanetriol sodium salt (CES) templated by Pluronic P123 under acidic conditions.

Intravenous (IV) drug abuse is a common problem in our society. One complication of this practice is venous stenosis, endovascular management of which can be technically challenging especially in patients with a hostile groin. We describe an ipsilateral retrograde popliteal approach in a 26-year-old IV drug user presenting with swelling of the left leg secondary to common femoral vein stenosis. This approach represents the next best method following failed contralateral/cross-bifurcation access and is a safe, convenient alternative offering a "straight run" at the lesion.

Toxic megacolon is a well known complication in inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. The development of toxic megacolon as a complication of infectious colitis is rare. However it is recognised as a complication of enteric infections caused by Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, Salmonella species, Cytomegalovirus and amoebae. We describe a case of necrotising haemorrhagic ileo-colitis in a previously fit and healthy young adult female caused by Escherichia coli O157 where toxic megacolon developed as a complication along with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).