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More effective use of solar energy in hot water systems is made possible by optimising heat transfer and flow resistance. In light of this, Research has been conducted to enhance convective heat transfer while analysing flow friction characteristics for best performance, resulting in the design of novel inserts known as customised twists, which increase the efficiency of the solar hot water system. A conventional, plain tube heater is used as a baseline for the study on thermal characteristics, heat transportation and flow friction attributes. A thorough analysis and comparison of the thermal behaviour of the system with customised twist inserts that have been modified using rods and spacers of different lengths is performed. As a result of the induced disturbance in the fluid particle flow pattern throughout the length of risers, a significant improvement in the coefficient of convective heat transfer is observed. The study validated the correlations for the convective heat transfer coefficient and the resistance coefficient against previous research findings. The findings indicated that the thermal efficiency of the full-length twist-inserted system is almost three times greater than that of a plain collector while doubling its pressure drop. The findings of this research could be useful in designing low-cost, compact solar water heaters.

BackgroundThe ‘two-week wait’(2WW) referral pathway was introduced in the United Kingdom to reduce waiting times for treatment of cancer. There has been a debate regarding the efficacy of 2WW pathway since its implementation.MethodsA singleinstitutional analysis of upper gastrointestinal(UGI) and lower gastrointestinal(LGI) malignancies treated between 1April 2015 and 31March 2017 was undertaken to analyse the impact of 2WWreferral pathway on the diagnosis, treatment and survival.Results2WW referral does not achieve an earlier diagnosis compared with non-2WW routes of referral in UGI (χ2(3)=2.6, p=0.458) and LGI (χ2(3)=0.884, p=0.829) malignancies. 2WW referral does not lead to an improvement in curative treatment in UGI (OR1.48, 95%CI0.68to3.21, p=0.321) and LGI (OR1.59, 95%CI0.97to2.62, p=0.067) malignancies. No improvement in survival is seen in UGI (HR0.99, 95%CI0.56to1.75, p=0.963) and LGI (HR1.10, 95%CI0.60to1.99, p=0.764) malignancies by virtue of 2WW referral. Emergency presentation is the most common presenting route in UGI malignancy(40%) and is associated with poor survival (HR0.55, 95%CI0.30to0.97, p=0.045).Non-emergency route of presentation is associated with higher rates of curative treatment in UGI malignancies (OR3.49, 95%CI1.57to7.76, p=0.002). Lower rate of curative treatment (OR 0.27, 95%CI0.16to0.43, p<0.001) and poor survival (HR0.44, 95%CI0.26to0.76, p=0.003) is also observed in emergency presentation of LGI malignancy(29%) which is the secondmost common route of presentation in this group.Conclusion2WW referral does not achieve early diagnosis nor does it lead to an improvement in the rate of curative treatment in UGI and LGI malignancies. No improvement in short-term survival is seen in UGI malignancies nor in LGI malignancies on multivariate analysis by virtue of 2WW referral.

To identify the risk factors associated with endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

Voltage gated sodium channels (VGSC) of mosquito vectors are the primary targets of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and other synthetic pyrethroids used in public health programmes. The knockdown resistant (kdr) mutations in VGSC are associated with the insecticide resistance especially in Anophelines. The present study is aimed to emphasize and demarcate the impact of three kdr-mutations such as L1014S, L1014F and L1014H on insecticide resistance. The membrane model of sodium transport domain of VGSC (STD-VGSC) was constructed using de novoapproach based on domain and trans-membrane predictions. The comparative molecular modelling studies of wild type and mutant models of STD-VGSC revealed that L1014F mutant was observed to be near native to the wild type model in all the respects, but, L1014S and L1014H mutations showed drastic variations in the energy levels, root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) that resulted in conformational variations. The predicted binding sites also showed variable cavity volumes and RMSF in L1014S and L1014H mutants. Further, DDT also found be bound in near native manner to wild type in L1014F mutant and with variable orientation and affinities in L1014S and L1014H mutants. The variations and fluctuations observed in mutant structures explained that each mutation has its specific impact on the conformation of VGSC and its binding with DDT. The study provides new insights into the structure–function-correlations of mutant STD-VGSC structures and demonstrates the role and effects of kdrmutations on insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of behavioural intention and use behaviour towards social networking apps. Exogenous latent constructs, namely, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence are the key antecedents proposed based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to predict the usage intention and behaviour of social networking apps (i.e. endogenous latent constructs). Experience as a moderator is the extended construct to explain social networking apps user’s behavioural intention. Design/methodology/approach: To target young generation (Millennial), a cross-sectional data collection approach was conducted to collect data from the social networking apps users (i.e. Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and others) whereby a total of 384 valid questionnaires were obtained from six universities in Malaysia. Statistical analysis using partial least squares path modelling approach and a variance-based structural equation modelling (VB-SEM) techniques is performed to analyse the measurement and structural relationship. Findings: The findings indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence determine behavioural intention, and behavioural intention impacts social networking apps use behaviour. Moreover, the moderation analysis reveals that the relationship between effort expectancy and behavioural intention is moderated by experience, whereas the relationship between social influence and behavioural intention is not moderated by experience. Originality/value: While the surge of social networking apps has gained tremendous popularity among Millennial as an attractive market segment, previous studies mainly have focussed on intention and behaviour of online users in general. Despite apps and related technologies which have opened a new era of effective communications in marketing, social networking apps usage intention and behaviour focussing on Millennial is not well understood in the current literature. This study contributes and sheds lights on the current issue of social networking apps usage intention and behaviour and looks into a key rising market segment, the Millennial users.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa)is a menacing opportunistic, nosocomial pathogen; become a growing concern as conventional antimicrobial therapy is now futile against it. Multi‐drug resistant P. aeruginosa(MDRPA) has distinctive resistance mechanisms such as production of β‐lactamases, repression of porin genes and over‐expression of efflux pumps. The focus of this study is to standardize and application of multiplex PCR (mPCR) to detect the presence of betalactamase genes encoding blaTem, blaOXA, blaCTX‐M‐15, blaVim, blaGes, blaVeb, blaDIM, AmpC and Efflux pump genes encoding Mex A,B‐oprM, Mex C,D‐oprJ, Mex X,Y‐oprN, oprD, nfxB, MexR. A total of 200 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosawere tested for the presence of the above mentioned genes genotypically through mPCR and characterized by phenotypic methods for ESBL and MBL production. Out of 200 isolates, 163 (81.5%) nfxB regulator gene, 102 (51%) MexA, 96 (48%) MexC, 93 (46.5%) MexB, 86 (43%) MexD, 81 (40.5%) OprM, 74 (37%) OprJ, 72 (36%) OprD and MexR, 53 (26.5%) Mex X and OprN, 49 (24.5%) MexY gene. Betalactamase genes 145 (72.5%) blaTem, 67 (33.5%) blaOXA,35 (17.5%) blaVim, 25(12.50%), 23 (11.50%) blaVeb, 21 (11.5%) blaGes, 14 (7%) Ctx‐m and 10 (5%) AmpC and 5 (2.5%) blaDim‐1 gene were tested positive by mPCR. Phenotypically 38 (19%) and 29 (14.5%) out of 200 tested positive for ESBL and MBL production. Application of this mPCR on clinical specimens is fast, accurate, specific and low‐cost reliable tool for the screening, where culture negative Eubacterial PCR positive cases for an early molecular detection of drug resistance mechanism assisting the clinician to treat the disease with appropriate antibiotic selection.

The southern districts of Odisha State in east-central India have been highly endemic for falciparummalaria for many decades. However, there is no adequate information on the abundance of the vector species or their bionomics in relation to space and time in these districts. Therefore, a study was carried out on the entomological aspects of malaria transmission to generate such information. Collections of mosquitoes were made once during each of the three seasons in 128 villages selected from eight districts. Villages within the foot-hill ecotype had a significantly greater abundance of Anopheles fluviatilisJames s. l., whereas the abundance of Anopheles culicifaciesGiles s. l. was significantly greater in the plain ecotype. The abundance of An. fluviatiliswas maximum during the cold season, whereas An. culicifaciesabundance was highest during summer and rainy seasons. The maximum likelihood estimation of the malaria infection rate in An. fluviatiliswas 1.78%, 6.05%, and 2.6% in Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Rayagada districts, respectively. The infection rate of An. culicifacieswas 1.39% only in Kandhamal district; infected females were not detected elsewhere. Concurrently, the annual malaria parasite incidence (MPI) was significantly higher in hill-top (17.6) and foot-hill (14.4) villages compared to plain villages (4.1). The districts with more villages in hill-top and foot-hill ecotypes also had a greater abundance of An. fluviatilis, the major malaria vector, and exhibited a higher incidence of malaria than villages within the plain ecotype, where An. culicifacieswas the most abundant vector.

AbstractIn the present analytical study a rapid, robust and specific UPLC method has been developed and validated for Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorothiazide in bulk and in combined tablet dosage form and it was applied to the dissolution study of Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorthiazide. The separation was carried out on acquality UPLC HSS T3 100 mm×2.1, 1.8 μ column, using the mobile phase containing 0.1% Trifluoro acetic acid in water : Acetonitrile in the ratio of (75:25% v/ v) and at a flow rate of 0.4 ml / min and column temperature of 30°C. The UV detection was performed at 275 nm. The method developed for Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorthiazide was found to be linear in the concentration range of 80 - 480 μg/ ml and 6 - 40 μg/ ml and correlation coefficient was found to be 0.9999 for both drugs. In accuracy the % recovery for Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorthiazide was found to be 98.39 - 100.86% and 98.40 - 99.67%, respectively. The method was validated as per ICH guidelines. All the validation parameters were within the acceptance range. The development method can be successfully employed for the routine analysis of Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorthiazide. Also the method was applied for the simultaneous estimation of Aliskiren hemifumarate and Hydrochlorthiazide in the sample collected from dissolution studies.