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A caterpillar graph is a tree which on removal of all its pendant vertices leaves a chordless path. The chordless path is called the backbone of the graph. The edges from the backbone to the pendant vertices are called the hairs of the caterpillar graph. Ortiz and Villanueva (Discret Appl Math 160(3): 259-266, 2012) describe an algorithm, linear in the size of the output, for finding the family of maximal independent sets in a caterpillar graph. In this paper, we propose an algorithm, again linear in the output size, for a generalised version of caterpillar graph, where at each vertex of the backbone, there can be any number of hairs of length one and at most one hair of length two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objectives: With advent of globalizations and openness of the Indian economy after liberalization policies, Indian firms in lines with global competitors are becoming market & service driven. Recent marketing literature has acknowledged the role of a firm's service orientation in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Given this backdrop, this study has used improved version of the widely accepted scale SERV*OR (Lytle et al., 1998), named as i-SERV*OR, for measuring service orientation of the organization. i-SERV*OR is validated for its application to different types of organizations (Service, Manufacturing & hybrid). The items of the scale have been factor analyzed and verified for internal consistency. Variations of service orientation scores across sets of organizations have been studied using one way ANOVA. The study is first of its kind, as far as using a common scale for measurement of Organizational Service Orientation for all types of firms. Future research may be carried out across countries of both developed and developing economies for wider acceptance of (i-SERV*OR) scale. Design and Methodology: The questionnaire based on modified version of SERV*OR scale, covered wide variety of service and manufacturing firms from both the private and public sector across India. The response rate of 522 responses was around 85%. The Statistical Package for Social Sector (SPSS) version 22 and MS excel has been used to analyze the given data. A reliability analysis was performed to investigate the internal consistency of the survey instruments used in this study. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to examine the reliability of the scales. Variations of service orientation scores across organization have been studied using one way ANOVA. Findings: This study has improvised SERV*OR scale to a modified scale called i-SERV*OR to reflect 11 Dimensions, applicable to all sets of organizations (Service, Manufacturing & hybrid) for measuring service orientation of Indian firms. 11 dimensions include: Customer Treatment, Employee Empowerment, Service Technology, Service Failure Prevention, Service Vision, Service Standard Communication, Service Failure Recovery, Service Rewards, Service Leadership, Service Training & Real time Management Information System. The extent of organizational service orientation varies across the three sets of industries i.e. service, manufacturing and hybrid organizations. The result reveals that a significant share of variation is associated with "within group variation", with a minor variation existing "between groups". The ANOVA results show that service orientation scores are statistically different for the three sectors. Originality/Value: The study is first of its kind, as far as using a common i-SERV*OR scale for measurement of Organizational Service Orientation for all sets of firms i.e. service, manufacturing and hybrid organizations in Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fiberoptic intubation is the gold standard technique for difficult airway management in patients of temporomandibular joint. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine as premedication with propofol infusion for fiberoptic intubation. Methods: Consent was obtained from 46 adult patients of temporomandibular joint ankylosis, scheduled for gap arthroplasty. They were enrolled for thisdouble-blind, randomized, prospective clinical trial with two treatment groups - Group D and Group P, of 23 patients each. Group D patients had received premedication of dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg infused over 10 min followed by sedative propofol infusion and the control Group P patients were given only propofol infusion to achieve sedation. Condition achieved at endoscopy, intubating conditions, hemodynamic changes and postoperative events were evaluated as primary outcome. Results: The fiberoptic intubation was successful with satisfactory endoscopic and intubating condition in all patients. Dexmedetomidine premedication has provided satisfactory conditions for fiberoptic intubation and attenuated the hemodynamic response of fiberoptic intubation than the propofol group. Conclusion: Fiberoptic intubation was found to be easier with dexmedetomidine premedication along with sedative infusion of propofol with complete amnesia of the procedure, hemodynamic stability and preservation of patent airway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is given to suggest that minimally vertex colouring an interval graph may not be in NC[SUP1]. This is done by showing that 3-colouring a linked list is NC[SUP1]-reducible to minimally colouring an interval graph. However, it is shown that an interval graph with a known interval representation and an O(1) chromatic number can be minimally coloured in NC[SUP1]. For the CRCW PRAM model, an o(logn) time, polynomial processors algorithm is obtained for minimally colouring an interval graph with o(logn) chromatic number and a known interval representation. In particular, when the chromatic number is O((logn)[SUP1-∊]), 0 < ∊ < 1, the algorithm runs in O(logn/log logn) time. Also, an O(log n) time, O(n) cost, EREW PRAM algorithm is found for interval graphs of arbitrary chromatic numbers. The following lower bound result is also obtained: even when the left and right endpoints of the intervals are separately sorted, minimally colouring an interval graph needs Ω(log n/log log n) time, on a CRCW PRAM, with a polynomial number of processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A solution to accurately predict compressive deformation behavior of metallic foam material up-to densification region. • Proposed to choose the correct constitutive relation while defining crushable foam model parameters for metallic foam material while designing composite structure. • Quantify the effect of crushable foam model input parameters in terms of predicting accurately the experimental load- displacement behavior of metallic foam. Closed cell metallic foam material has immense potential to use it as core material in composite structures. In the design of such structures and to understand numerically its deformation behaviour there is a difficulty of choosing the correct constitutive behaviour of metallic foam due to its porous structure. A solution has been proposed to accurately predict the experimental behavior of a closed-cell metallic foam up-to densification region by the use of a crushable foam model under compressive loading condition. The effect of using different stress-strain material curves and other input parameters of the crushable foam model is quantified in terms of predicting experimentally determined compressive load-displacement behavior of the metallic foam. It has been found that for predicting accurate compressive behavior of metallic foam using a crushable foam model, the hardening behavior of metallic foam may be defined by engineering stress vs. true strain values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal Power Plant generates FGD gypsum as by-product during coal combustion. This study evaluates the characterization (spectroscopic and elemental), potentially toxic elements (PTEs) distribution, and environmental risk assessment of FGD gypsum for safe and sustainable use in agriculture. The XRD and SEM analysis confirmed the dominance of crystalline CaSO4·2H2O in FGD gypsum. The order of concentrations of PTEs in FGD gypsum was Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > Ni > Co. The residual fraction was the dominant pool, sharing 80–90% of the total PTEs. The heavy metals (HMs) were below the toxic range in the leachates. The Co, Ni, Al, Fe Mn, Zn had low (< 10%) risk assessment code and the ecotoxicity was in the range of 0.0–7.46%. The contamination factor was also low (0.0–0.16) at the normal recommended doses of FGD gypsum application for sodicity reclamation. The enrichment factor was in the order of Al < Mn < Co < Zn < Ni. Mn [enrichment factor (Ef) 1.2–2.0] and Co (Ef 1.7–2.8) showed negligible enrichment of metals, whereas Ni (Ef 4.3–5.2) and Zn (Ef 4.5–5.6) reported moderate accumulation in soil. The application of FGD gypsum @ 10 t ha−1 for sodicity reclamation will develop a geo-accumulation index below the critical values indicating its safe and sustainable use to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) and UN's Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consanguinity has been considered as one of the risk factors predisposing to the development of congenital hearing loss. Effect of consanguinity on cochlear morphology has been subject of speculation, though many studies have provided insight into functional aspect of cochlea. This study was conducted to know the effect of consanguinity on cochlear morphology, if any. A prospective, observational study, including prelingually deaf children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss who are registered as candidates for cochlear implantation at a tertiary care centre, was conducted. Seven children born out of consanguineous marriages and having bilateral congenital sensorineural hearing loss were imaged for their inner ears by MRI and various cochlear measurements were compared with that of seven control children born out of non-consanguineous marriages and who had congenital bilateral sensorineural hearing deafness. No statistically significant differences were noticed in the measurements of mean cochlear length, cross sectional diameter of cochlea at apex, middle turn and at basal turns; between children born of consanguineous and non-consanguineous marriages. Study revealed normal cochlear morphology in all the children born out of consanguineous marriages. Consanguinity, as a risk factor for development of sensorineural hearing loss, may not result in gross structural anomaly of cochlea. The genetic testing of these patients need not be extensive and can be limited to selective screening of genes responsible for functioning of cochlea rather than its anatomical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report the synthesis, PDE-4B and TNF-α inhibitory activities of a few dibenzo[ b , d ]furan-1-yl-thiazole derivatives. The hydroxycyclohexanol amide derivatives 14 , 18 , 24 , 29 , 31 and 33 exhibited promising in vitro PDE-4B and TNF-α inhibitory activities. Compound 24 showed good systemic availability in preclinical animal models and was also found to be non-toxic (exploratory mutagenicity test). Further it exhibited promising results in in vivo asthma/COPD and Uveitis models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the potential role of subjective visual vertical (SVV) as a prognostic marker for canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM) in patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV) for the Indian population., Methods: SVV was examined in 30 patients with PC-BPPV before and after canalith repositioning maneuver and after complete resolution of PC-BPPV. Study parameters included the mean of 10 angular tilt readings and direction of deviation, which were compared before and after CRM and following complete resolution of PC-BPPV., Results: The angle of SVV tilt was greater and deviated towards the affected ear before CRM in all patients, which decreased significantly shortly after CRM and continued to decrease after complete resolution of PC-BPPV (p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: SVV can be used to test utricular dysfunction in PC-BPPV. The angle of tilt improves in response to CRM, which may be used as a prognostic marker in patients with PC-BPPV receiving CRM., Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest., (© 2022 PLA General Hospital Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Production and hosting by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.)

Back Ground: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of focal reactive hyperplastic lesions of the oral cavity as reported in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Subharti Dental College, Meerut and to compare these data with those of previously reported studies from other regions and countries., Material and Method: Patient records of the Department of Oral Pathology were retrieved during a 10 year period from 2001 to 2010. Data of all reactive hyperplasias namely focal fibrous hyperplasia (FFH), pyogenic granuloma (PG), peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF) and peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) were reviewed and analyzed for age, gender, and site of location., Results: There were 209 focal reactive hyperplastic lesions that comprised 12.8% of the 1634 accessed biopsies. FFH was the most common lesion constituting 57.4% of the cases, followed by PG (18.7%), POF (17.7%) and PGCG (6.22%). The mean age of patients at presentation was 31.56 years. The female to male ratio was 1.5:1. The most frequently involved site was the gingiva (81.8%); other sites were the buccal mucosa, lips, tongue, alveolar mucosa and palate., Conclusion: Oral lesions are often detected by Dental professionals and surgeons. Knowledge of the frequency and presentation of the most common oral lesions is beneficial in developing a clinical impression of such lesions encountered in practice and to minimize potential dentoalveolar complications. Key words:Focal reactive hyperplastic lesions, fibrous hyperplasia, pyogenic granuloma, peripheral ossifying fibroma, peripheral giant cell granuloma.