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It is of interest to study how contextual quantum mechanics is, in terms of the violation of Kochen Specker state-independent and state-dependent non-contextuality inequalities. We present state-independent non-contextuality inequalities with large violations, in particular, we exploit a connection between Kochen–Specker proofs and pseudo-telepathy games to show KS proofs in Hilbert spaces of dimension d ⩾ 2 ^17 with the ratio of quantum value to classical bias being $O(\sqrt{d}/\mathrm{log}\,d)$ . We study the properties of this KS set and show applications of the large violation. It has been recently shown that Kochen–Specker proofs always consist of substructures of state-dependent contextuality proofs called 01-gadgets. We show a one-to-one connection between 01-gadgets in ${\mathbb{C}}^{d}$ and Hardy paradoxes for the maximally entangled state in ${\mathbb{C}}^{d}\otimes {\mathbb{C}}^{d}$ . We use this connection to construct large violation 01-gadgets between arbitrary vectors in ${\mathbb{C}}^{d}$ , as well as novel Hardy paradoxes for the maximally entangled state in ${\mathbb{C}}^{d}\otimes {\mathbb{C}}^{d}$ , and give applications of these constructions. As a technical result, we show that the minimum dimension of the faithful orthogonal representation of a graph in ${\mathbb{R}}^{d}$ is not a graph monotone, a result that may be of independent interest.

BACKGROUND: Capturing the baseline information on awareness, practices, and prevailing myths related to the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in rural India will help in planning interventions to improve the health literacy on COVID-19. The aim of the study was to assess the level of awareness, practices, and myths regarding COVID-19 among rural population of Kolar district in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A concurrent mixed-methods study with a quantitative community-based cross-sectional analytical design and a qualitative phenomenological design was conducted in five randomly selected villages during June 2020. A prevalidated and pretested semi-structured questionnaire was administered to one adult in the households selected using systematic random sampling to capture the sociodemographic details and their awareness, practices, and myths related to COVID-19. The supervisors additionally and concurrently used a nonparticipant observation technique to record the real-time behaviors and preventive practices adopted by the villagers. Quantitative analysis was done using STATA and included multivariable regression analysis, and the association was reported using prevalence rates along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Qualitative analysis was done manually as per discussion and concordance among supervisors and reported as categories along with supporting statements. RESULTS: Among the 298 respondents, “poor awareness” was seen in 128 (43.0%, 95% CI: 37.5%–48.6%). Among the responders, 89 (29.9%) believed in the myth that “Corona disease is due to God's wrath or curse.” The field observations were categorized under three categories – “avoidance of masks,” “nonexistent social distancing,” and “rampant spitting.” CONCLUSION: About two in five villagers were found to have “poor awareness” to COVID, and practices related to COVID were found to be largely unsatisfactory. Lower level of education and belonging to nuclear family were associated with “poor awareness.” Various myths were identified that has to be debunked on priority basis by the government, especially targeting the people having low level of education in rural India.

15O(α,γ)19Ne is regarded as one of the most important thermonuclear reactions in type I X-ray bursts. For studying the properties of the key resonance in this reaction using β decay, the existing Proton Detector component of the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) assembly is being upgraded to operate as a time projection chamber (TPC) at FRIB. This upgrade includes the associated hardware as well as software and this paper mainly focusses on the software upgrade. The full detector set up is simulated using the ATTPCROOTv 2 data analysis framework for 20Mg and 241Am.

Sensitivity studies have shown that the 15O(α, γ)19Ne reaction is the most important reaction rate uncertainty affecting the shape of light curves from Type I X-ray bursts. This reaction is dominated by the 4.03 MeV resonance in 19Ne. Previous measurements by our group have shown that this state is populated in the decay sequence of 20Mg. A single 20Mg(βp α)15O event through the key 15O(α, γ)19Ne resonance yields a characteristic signature: the emission of a proton and alpha particle. To achieve the granularity necessary for the identification of this signature, we have upgraded the Proton Detector of the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) into a time projection chamber to form the GADGET II detection system. GADGET II has been fully constructed, and is entering the testing phase.

Abstract Background With applications in cancer, drug metabolism, and disease etiology, understanding structural variation in the human genome is critical in advancing the thrusts of individualized medicine. However, structural variants (SVs) remain challenging to detect with high sensitivity using short read sequencing technologies. This problem is exacerbated when considering complex SVs comprised of multiple overlapping or nested rearrangements. Longer reads, such as those from Pacific Biosciences platforms, often span multiple breakpoints of such events, and thus provide a way to unravel small-scale complexities in SVs with higher confidence. Results We present CORGi (COmplex Rearrangement detection with Graph-search), a method for the detection and visualization of complex local genomic rearrangements. This method leverages the ability of long reads to span multiple breakpoints to untangle SVs that appear very complicated with respect to a reference genome. We validated our approach against both simulated long reads, and real data from two long read sequencing technologies. We demonstrate the ability of our method to identify breakpoints inserted in synthetic data with high accuracy, and the ability to detect and plot SVs from NA12878 germline, achieving 88.4% concordance between the two sets of sequence data. The patterns of complexity we find in many NA12878 SVs match known mechanisms associated with DNA replication and structural variant formation, and highlight the ability of our method to automatically label complex SVs with an intuitive combination of adjacent or overlapping reference transformations. Conclusions CORGi is a method for interrogating genomic regions suspected to contain local rearrangements using long reads. Using pairwise alignments and graph search CORGi produces labels and visualizations for local SVs of arbitrary complexity.

Research scientists have been developing mathematical tools to detect objects, recognize objects and actions, and discover behaviours and events to human abilities. In all these efforts, the understanding of human actions is of a special interest for both application and research purposes. In this study, crowd flow parameters are analysed by considering linear and non linear relationships between stream flow parameters using conventional and soft computing approach. Deterministics models like Greenshield and Underwood were applied in the study to describe flow characteristics. A non-linear model based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach is also used to build a relationship between different crowd flow parameters and compared with the other deterministic models. ANN model gave good results based on accuracy measurement to deterministic models because of their self-processing and intelligent behaviour. Mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) values for the best fitted ANN model are less than those for the other models. ANN model gives better performance in fitness of model and future prediction of flow parameters.

Quantum nonlocality is known to be reducible to quantum uncertainty and steering, but it is unclear whether steering is actually as essential as uncertainty. Here, the authors show that both steering and uncertainty play a role in determining optimal strategies in nonlocal games.

The search for alternate and sustainable fuel for internal combustion engines which fulfils around 25% of energy needs has lead the researchers towards biodiesel which can be easily extracted from vegetable oils. Biodiesels can also be extracted from waxes, oligenius species of algae and pyrolysis oils. In the above mentioned materials waxes can be used predominantly because, they are entirely composed of esters of higher chain aliphatic alcohols. In the current study biodiesel from beeswax has been studied for its characteristics with the aid of analytical techniques such as GC-MS and FTIR spectrum. And also the properties of fuel and combustion chemistry of biodiesels have been discussed. The spectrum results have clearly shown the presence of five methyl esters of palmitic acid and oleic acid. Further the biodiesel is found to have density of 880 kg/m3 and calorific value of 38.5 MJ/kg with the Cetane number of 48. The analysis of the combustion of the fuel gives compromising results proving biodiesels from wax esters will be an excellent alternative to mineral diesel and will find a valuable position in list of materials that can be used for biodiesel formulation. Keywords: Beeswax biodiesel, Standardization, Spectrometric studies, Combustion chemistry

Understanding the role of plasmon excitation is crucial for the realization of hot carrier devices. Here, the authors report internal quantum efficiency measurements in photoexcited gold gallium nitride Schottky diodes and elucidate the roles of surface plasmon excitation, hot carrier transport, and carrier injection in device performance.

Abstract Background Overactive bladder (OAB) affects millions of women. It is important to assess knowledge and attitude in affected patients. The study objective was to develop surveys to assess OAB knowledge and OAB related attitude, and its association with OAB treatment status. Methods Systematic literature review and qualitative analysis of patient and provider focus groups helped identify OAB knowledge and attitude survey items. We determined psychometric properties of the two surveys in a cross-sectional sample of 104 women, 27% of whom had received OAB treatment. Results The OAB-knowledge survey consisted of 16 items and 3 condition-related concepts: perception of OAB; cause and information; and signs of OAB. The OAB-attitude survey consisted of 16 items and its concepts were treatment seeking; decision-making and effects. Both surveys demonstrated good construct validity and test-retest reliability ((≥ 0.60). In the cross-sectional validation sample, OAB-knowledge and attitude discriminated between those with different levels of ICIQ-UI scores. We observed some difference in the OAB knowledge, OAB attitude, and severity of symptoms between those treated for OAB vs. treatment naive. Conclusions OAB knowledge and attitude surveys provide a novel tool to assess OAB domains in women. Though we did not find statistical significance in OAB knowledge and attitude scores across treatment status, they may be potentially modifiable factors that affect OAB treatment uptake and treatment compliance. Refinement of these surveys in diverse sub-populations is necessary. Our study provides effect sizes for OAB knowledge and attitude. These effect sizes can help development of fully powered trials to study the association between OAB knowledge and attitude, type and length of treatment, treatment compliance, and quality of life, leading to interventions for enhancing OAB care.

Background: The aim of this study is to compare and correlate the clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and arthroscopy findings in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal injuries of the knee. Methods: This was a prospective study of 30 cases of ACL and meniscal injuries of the knee admitted between September 2014 and May 2016, who underwent clinical examination, MRI, and arthroscopy of the knee. Results: In our study of 30 cases, there were 26 male and four female patients with age ranging from 18 years to 60 years, with most patients in between 21 years and 30 years. Clinical examination had sensitivity of 90.91%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 93.33% for ACL, sensitivity of 83.33%, specificity of 77.78%, and accuracy of 80% for medial meniscus, and sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 77.27%, and accuracy of 76.67% for lateral meniscus. MRI had sensitivity of 95.45%, specificity of 87.5%, and accuracy of 93.33% for ACL, sensitivity of 91.67%, specificity of 55.56%, and accuracy of 70% for medial meniscus, and sensitivity of 62.5%, specificity of 72.73%, and accuracy of 70% for lateral meniscus. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study supports that clinical diagnosis is of primary necessity, as the positive predictive value is high for all the lesions. MRI is an additional diagnosing tool for ligament and meniscal injuries of the knee. Routine use of MRI to confirm the diagnosis is not indicated, as the positive predictive value is low, but can be used to exclude pathology, as the negative predictive value is high for all the lesions. 中 文 摘 要: 背景: 研究的目的是比較和相關膝關節前交叉韌帶和半月板損傷的臨床、磁共振成像和關節鏡檢查結果。 方法: 從2014年9月至2016年5月入院，對30例膝關節前交叉韌帶和半月板損傷患者接受臨床檢查、膝關節MRI和關節鏡檢查，進行前瞻性研究。 結果: 本研究中30例，26例男性，4例女性，年齡18至60歲，絕大多數患者為21至30歲。臨床檢查對前交叉韌帶的靈敏性為90.91%，特異性為100%，準確率為93.33% ; 內側半月板的靈敏度為83.33%，特異性為77.78%，準確率為80% ; 外側半月板的靈敏性為75%，特異性為77.27%，準確率為76.67%。而磁共振成像對前交叉韌帶的靈敏性為95.45%，特異性為87.5%，準確率為93.33% ; 內側半月板的靈敏性為91.67%，特異性為55.56%，準確率為70% ;外側半月板的靈敏性為62.5%，特異性為72.73%，準確率為70％。 結論: 本研究支持臨床診斷是首要必需的，因為所有病變的陽性預測值都很高。磁共振成像是膝蓋韌帶和半月板損傷的附加診斷工具。因為陽性預測值低，常規使用磁共振成像來確認診斷沒有必要。但因為所有病變的陰性預測值都很高，可以用於排除病變。 Keywords: ACL, arthroscopy, ligament injury, meniscus, MRI

Background: Information about antimicrobial use is scarce and poorly understood among neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in India. In this study, we describe antimicrobial use in eight NICUs using four point prevalence surveys (PPSs). Methods: As part of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Prescribing, and Efficacy in Neonates and Children (GARPEC) study, one-day, cross-sectional, hospital-based PPSs were conducted four times between 1 February 2016 and 28 February 2017 in eight NICUs. Using a standardized web-based electronic data entry form, detailed data were collected for babies on antimicrobials. Results: A total of 403 babies were admitted to NICUs across all survey days, and 208 (51.6%) were prescribed one or more antimicrobials. Among 208 babies, 155 (74.5%) were prescribed antimicrobials for treatment of an active infection. Among 155 babies with an active infection, treatment was empiric in 109 (70.3%). Sepsis (108, 49.1%) was the most common reason for prescribing antimicrobials. Amikacin (17%) followed by meropenem (12%) were the two most commonly prescribed antimicrobials. For community-acquired sepsis, piperacillin-tazobactam (17.5%) was the most commonly prescribed drug. A combination of ampicillin and gentamicin was prescribed in only two babies (5%). Conclusions: The recommended first-line antimicrobial agents, ampicillin and gentamicin, were rarely prescribed in Indian NICUs for community acquired neonatal sepsis.

Abstract Bronchiectasis is a disease associated with chronic progressive and irreversible dilatation of the bronchi and is characterised by chronic infection and associated inflammation. The prevalence of bronchiectasis is age-related and there is some geographical variation in incidence, prevalence and clinical features. Most bronchiectasis is reported to be idiopathic however post-infectious aetiologies dominate across Asia especially secondary to tuberculosis. Most focus to date has been on the study of airway bacteria, both as colonisers and causes of exacerbations. Modern molecular technologies including next generation sequencing (NGS) have become invaluable tools to identify microorganisms directly from sputum and which are difficult to culture using traditional agar based methods. These have provided important insight into our understanding of emerging pathogens in the airways of people with bronchiectasis and the geographical differences that occur. The contribution of the lung microbiome, its ethnic variation, and subsequent roles in disease progression and response to therapy across geographic regions warrant further investigation. This review summarises the known geographical differences in the aetiology, epidemiology and microbiology of bronchiectasis. Further, we highlight the opportunities offered by emerging molecular technologies such as -omics to further dissect out important ethnic differences in the prognosis and management of bronchiectasis.

Abstract Bronchiectasis is a common feature of severe inherited and acquired pulmonary disease conditions. Among inherited diseases, cystic fibrosis (CF) is the major disorder associated with bronchiectasis, while acquired conditions frequently featuring bronchiectasis include post-infective bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mechanistically, bronchiectasis is driven by a complex interplay of inflammation and infection with neutrophilic inflammation playing a predominant role. The clinical characterization and management of bronchiectasis should involve a precise diagnostic workup, tailored therapeutic strategies and pulmonary imaging that has become an essential tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of bronchiectasis. Prospective future studies are required to optimize the diagnostic and therapeutic management of bronchiectasis, particularly in heterogeneous non-CF bronchiectasis populations.

Abstract Background Recruitment and retention strategies for patient-centered outcomes research are evolving and research on the subject is limited. In this work, we present a conceptual model of patient-centered recruitment and retention, and describe the recruitment and retention activities and related challenges in a patient-centered comparative effectiveness trial. Methods This is a multicenter, longitudinal randomized controlled trial in localized prostate cancer patients. Results We recruited 743 participants from three sites over 15 months period (January 2014 to March 2015), and followed them for 24 months. At site 1, of the 773 eligible participants, 551 (72%) were enrolled. At site 2, 34 participants were eligible and 23 (68%) enrolled. Of the 434 eligible participants at site 3, 169 (39%) enrolled. We observed that strategies related to the concepts of trust (e.g., physician involvement, ensuring protection of information), communication (e.g., brochures and pamphlets in physicians’ offices, continued contact during regular clinic visits and calling/emailing assessment), attitude (e.g., emphasizing the altruistic value of research, positive attitude of providers and research staff), and expectations (e.g., full disclosure of study requirements and time commitment, update letters) facilitated successful patient recruitment and retention. A stakeholders’ advisory board provided important input for the recruitment and retention activities. Active engagement, reminders at the offices, and personalized update letters helped retention during follow-up. Usefulness of telephone recruitment was site specific and, at one site, the time requirement for telephone recruitment was a challenge. Conclusions We have presented multilevel strategies for successful recruitment and retention in a clinical trial using a patient-centered approach. Our strategies were flexible to accommodate site-level requirements. These strategies as well as the challenges can aid recruitment and retention efforts of future large-scale, patient-centered research studies. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, ID: NCT02032550. Registered on 22 November 2013.

5G networks will provide opportunities for the creation of new services, for new business models, and for new players to enter the mobile market. The networks will support efficient and cost-effective launch of a multitude of services, tailored for different vertical markets having varying service and security requirements, and involving a large number of actors. Key technology concepts are network slicing and network softwarization, including network function virtualization and software-defined networking. The presented security architecture builds upon concepts from the 3G and 4G security architectures but extends and enhances them to cover the new 5G environment. It comprises a toolbox for security relevant modeling of the systems, a set of security design principles, and a set of security functions and mechanisms to implement the security controls needed to achieve stated security objectives. In a smart city use case setting, we illustrate its utility; we examine the high-level security aspects stemming from the deployment of a large number of IoT devices and network softwarization.

Background: Police personnel form an important occupational group who constantly work under stressful situations. Preventive programs in the government organizations and studies investigating the occupational stress among police officers in India, particularly in the state of Andhra Pradesh, are still limited. Materials and Methods: Demographic details such as age, educational qualification, years of service, and number of children etc of Demographic details such as age, educational qualification, years of service, and number of children etc of Male police constables (n = 123) working in the Bellampalli subdivision of Adilabad district of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh were captured. Details of height, weight, body mass index (BMI, kg/m2), blood pressure (BP), pulse, the status of addiction, and type of illness were extracted from the records. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and Chi-square test to find an association between categorical variables was performed using SPSS version 16. Results: About 72.4% of the constables were addicted to at least one habit such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and chewing smokeless tobacco and pan. Nearly 20.3% were addicted to chewing tobacco/pan followed by addition to alcohol consumption 14.6%. With the increase in age, the prevalence of hypertension also increased showing a significant association (systolic BP [SBP]: P = 0.001; diastolic BP [DBP]: P = 0.001). Similarly, higher BMI (SBP: P = 0.008; DBP: P = 0.001) and increased number of service years (SBP: P = 0.001; DBP: P = 0.001) were associated with higher prevalence of hypertension. Conclusion: Developing an adequate evaluation of the association between chronic diseases and mortality in addition to a hazard surveillance system for tracking the risks for occupational injury and illness among police officers should be considered.

Background: Pranayama, a branch of yoga practice is extremely beneficial to mankind in maintaining sound physical and mental health and this article aims to attain an insight on the studies conducted on the effectiveness of Bhramari Pranayama (Bhr.P) on health. The studies done until May 2016 were found using Medline, Embase, Google scholar and manual search. Studies conducted on the health effectiveness of Bhr.P specifically were included on the basis of prisma guidelines. The data were defined by their objectives, methodology, study setting, findings, interventions done and implications suggested in the study. Methodological Quality Rating Scale (MQRS) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used in reviewing and reporting results of the included studies. 6 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria; 2 studies were done on the cold pressor test, one on heart rate and BP, one on EEG changes, one each on the inhibitory response and tinnitus condition. In the included studies, the Bhr.P practices have shown para-sympathetic dominance. There are some encouraging effects of Bhr.P on various physiological systems. Methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated to be very low and none of them were RCTs. Yet the available studies are heterogeneous, dealing in different grounds and this heterogeneity serves as a resource for the limited scope of studies on Bhr.P. Therefore, further large-scale, properly designed, randomized trials of Bhr.P on various systems have to be done to justify these effects efficiently.

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare normochromic, normocytic anemia with a near-to-complete absence of erythroblasts in the bone marrow. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents have been used widely to improve anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease. We present a case of a 38-year-old woman who was detected to have anemia (hemoglobin: 10 g/dl) and renal dysfunction (creatinine: 3 mg/dl) on a routine health check in December 2016. Her kidney biopsy showed chronic interstitial nephritis. She received intravenous (IV) iron and was started on darbepoetin-alpha. Her hemoglobin after 3 months of treatment was 12 mg/dl. She underwent preemptive one haplomatch renal transplantation on June 2017. She was discharged with serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dl and hemoglobin of 8 g/dl. She was not on any Erthropoietin stimulating agents (ESA) at discharge. In the 4th week after transplant, her hemoglobin dropped to 7 g/dl, and she was restarted on darbepoetin-alpha 40 μg subcutaneously once a week. In the 6th week posttransplant, her hemoglobin dropped to 6 g/dl. Her peripheral smear showed normocytic normochromic anemia with no evidence of hemolysis. Transferrin saturation was 81%, serum ferritin levels were 1812 ng/ml, and reticulocyte count was 0.1%. Bone marrow biopsy showed suppression of erythroid precursors with myeloid-to-erythroid ratio of 8:1, adequate iron stores, and normal white blood cell and platelet precursors with no dysplastic cells. Paroxysmal Nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) workup; antinuclear antibody; and screening for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, CMV, and human parvovirus B19 were negative. Anti-erythropoietin (EPO) antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive. She was diagnosed to have PRCA secondary to anti-EPO antibodies. She was managed with pulse doses of methylprednisolone, adequate dose of tacrolimus, IV immunoglobulin of 125 g (2 g/kg) over 5 days, and two packed red cell transfusions. Darbepoetin-alpha was stopped. At present, her hemoglobin is 12.5 g/dl with serum creatinine of 1 mg/dl on triple immunosuppression with no requirement of ESA.

INTRODUCTION: Our simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) curriculum, delivered in person, has been shown to successfully train novices in structured esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). SBML with virtual coaching (VC) has the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of endoscopy training and expand access to trainees from around the world. We share our observations conducting an EGD training course using SBML with VC. METHODS: We conducted a 1-week virtual SBML course for novice trainees across seven academic centers in the USA and Asia. The cognitive component was delivered using an online learning platform. For technical skills, a virtual coach supervised hands-on training and local coaches provided assistance when needed. At the end of training, an independent rater assessed simulation-based performance using a validated assessment tool. We assessed the clinical performance of 30 EGDs using the ASGE Assessment of Competency in Endoscopy tool. We compared the trainees scores to our cohort trained using in-person SBML training using non-inferiority t-tests. RESULTS: We enrolled 21 novice trainees (mean age: 30.8 ± 3.6 years; female: 52%). For tip deflection, the trainees reached the minimum passing standard after 31 ± 29 runs and mastery after 52 ± 37 runs. For structured EGD, the average score for the overall exam was 4.6 ± 0.6, similar to the in-person cohort (4.7 ± 0.5, p = 0.49). The knowledge-based assessment was also comparable (virtual coaching: 81.9 ± 0.1; direct coaching: 78.3 ± 0.1; p = 0.385). Over time, our novice trainees reached clinical competence at a similar rate to our historical in-person control. CONCLUSIONS: VC appears feasible and effective for training novice gastroenterology trainees. VC allowed us to scale our SBML course, expand access to experts, and administer SBML simultaneously across different sites at the highest standards.

The characterization of the set of quantum correlations is a problem of fundamental importance in quantum information. The question whether every proper (tight) Bell inequality is violated in quantum theory is an intriguing one in this regard. Here we make significant progress in answering this question, by showing that every tight Bell inequality is violated by “almost-quantum” correlations, a semidefinite programming relaxation of the set of quantum correlations. As a consequence, we show that many (classes of) Bell inequalities including two-party correlation Bell inequalities and multioutcome nonlocal computation games, which do not admit quantum violations, are not facets of the classical Bell polytope. To do this, we make use of the intriguing connections between Bell correlations and the graph-theoretic Lovász-theta set, discovered by Cabello-Severini-Winter (CSW). We also exploit connections between the cut polytope of graph theory and the classical correlation Bell polytope, to show that correlation Bell inequalities that define facets of the lower dimensional correlation polytope are violated in quantum theory.

Regular consumption of adequate quantities of lipids rich in omega-3 fatty acids is claimed to provide a broad spectrum of health benefits, such as inhibiting inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Lipids isolated from many marine sources are a rich source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the omega-3 form which are claimed to have particularly high biological activities. Functional food products designed to enhance human health and wellbeing are increasingly being fortified with these omega-3 PUFAs because of their potential nutritional and health benefits. However, food fortification with PUFAs is challenging because of their low water-solubility, their tendency to rapidly oxidize, and their variable bioavailability. These challenges can be addressed using advanced encapsulation technologies, which typically involve incorporating the omega-3 oils into well-designed colloidal particles fabricated from food-grade ingredients, such as liposomes, emulsion droplets, nanostructured lipid carriers, or microgels. These omega-3-enriched colloidal dispersions can be used in a fluid form or they can be converted into a powdered form using spray-drying, which facilitates their handling and storage, as well as prolonging their shelf life. In this review, we provide an overview of marine-based omega-3 fatty acid sources, discuss their health benefits, highlight the challenges involved with their utilization in functional foods, and present the different encapsulation technologies that can be used to improve their performance.

Effects of utilizing nanomaterial on the solar still productivity investigated experimentally. Cuprous oxides (CuO) chosen as a nanoparticles material. The nanoparticles added to the black paint of the solar still walls to enhance the solar still performance. Experiments conducted with cuprous oxide nanoparticles weight concentrations ranged from 10% to 40%. It is found that adding nanoparticles to paint increase heat transfer rate and saline water temperature. Solar still productivity of the proposed system is higher than that for the conventional still. Results acquired that utilizing CuO nanoparticles boosted the distillate by 16% and 25% as compared to the conventional solar still (CSS) at weight fraction concentration of 10% and 40%, respectively. Payback period of the distillation system for the modified still using CuO nanomaterials is about 96 days, at weight fraction 10%, which is considerable as compared by 89 days for CSS. Keywords: Nanomaterial, Solar still, Distillation, Nanoparticle

In the present paper, the effects of the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle on the performance of the hybrid air conditioning system are numerically investigated. The hybrid air conditioning system contains two indirect evaporative coolers with internal baffle, one is utilized to pre-cool the air inlet to the desiccant wheel and the other is utilized to pre-cool the supply air inlet to the room. The effects of the inlet conditions of the process and reactivation air and working air ratio on the thermal performance of the hybrid air conditioning system have been analyzed. The results of this study show that in the hybrid air conditioning system for using the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle as a pre-cooling unit, the supply air temperature reduced by 21% and the coefficient of performance improved by 71% as compared to previous designs of the hybrid air conditioning system at the same inlet conditions. For increasing process air inlet temperature from 25 °C to 45 °C, supply air temperature increases from 12.7 °C to 14.2 °C, thermal COP increases from 1.87 to 2.84, and supply air relative humidity increases from 76.7% to 77.4%. Also, for increasing the reactivation air inlet temperature from 70 °C to 110 °C, supply air temperature dropped from 15.9 °C to 10.9 °C, supply air relative humidity dropped from 82.7% to 71.8%, and thermal COP dropped from 4.5 to 1.7. The recommended optimal air working ratio in the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle should be 0.15. Keywords: Desiccant material, Solar air collector, Evaporative cooler, Internal baffles, Air conditioning

Nei2 (Rv3297) is a DNA Base Excision Repair (BER) glycosylase that is essential for survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in primates. We show that MtbNei2 is a bifunctional glycosylase that specifically acts on oxidized pyrimidine-containing single-stranded, double-stranded, 5’/3’ fork and bubble DNA substrates. MtbNei2 possesses Uracil DNA glycosylase activity unlike E. coli Nei. Mutational studies demonstrate that Pro2 and Glu3 located in the active site are essential for glycosylase activity of MtbNei2. Mutational analysis demonstrated that an unstructured C-terminal zinc finger domain that was important for activity in E. coli Nei and Fpg, was not required for the glycosylase activity of MtbNei2. Lastly, we screened the NCI natural product compound database and identified three natural product inhibitors with IC50 values ranging between 41.8 μM-92.7 μM against MtbNei2 in in vitro inhibition assays. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments showed that the binding affinity of the best inhibitor, NSC31867, was 74 nM. The present results set the stage for exploiting this important target in developing new therapeutic strategies that target Mycobacterial BER.

Objective: To investigate L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-dopa, anti-Parkinson drug), anti-inflammatory activity, proximate nutritional composition and antioxidant potential of Mucuna macrocarpa (M. macrocarpa) beans. Methods: l-dopa content was determined and quantified by high performance thin layer chromatography and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods. Anti-inflammatory activity was performed by in vitro protein denaturation inhibition and human red blood cell membrane stabilisation activity. Proximate composition and elemental analysis were also investigated. The antioxidant potential (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, N-N-dimethyl-phenylenediamine and ferric-reducing antioxidant power) of M. macrocarpa beans were evaluated by using different extraction solvents. The RP-HPLC analysis also quantified significant phenolics such as gallic acid, tannic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid. Results: RP-HPLC quantification revealed that M. macrocarpa beans contain a high level of l-dopa [(115.41 ± 0.985) mg/g] which was the highest among the Mucuna species from Indian sub-continent. Water extract of seed powder showed strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. Proximate composition of M. macrocarpa beans revealed numerous nutritional and anti-nutritional components. RP-HPLC analysis of major phenolics such as tannic acid (43.795 mg/g), gallic acid (0.864 mg/g), p-coumaric acid (0.364 mg/g) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (0.036 mg/g) quantified successfully from M. macrocarpa beans respectively. Conclusions: This study suggests that M. macrocarpa is a potential source of l-dopa with promising anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and nutritional benefits. Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidants, l-dopa, Mucuna macrocarpa, Oxidative stress, Parkinson's disease

Knowledge of the electron-gas dynamics in nanometric hot spots is of importance for hot-carrier technologies. Here Lozan et al. present a theoretical and experimental analysis of the spatio-temporal dynamics of hot electrons in a nano-focusing surface-plasmon polariton taper.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.) is the world leading cultivated pulse crop as a source of protein, oil and nutraceuticals. Recently, alternative approaches for the synthesis of new products gain bigger interest. Biotransformation based on in vitro cultures is well-established technology for such alternative production. In this respect initiation of callus and long-term cultures were established from four Bulgarian soybean varieties. The potential for callus development of cotyledons and cotyledonary nodes plated on media containing various combinations of kinetin (0.1 – 1.0 mg/l) and 2,4-D (0.5 – 1.0 mg/l) was tested. The optimal concentrations for initiation and maintaining of nondifferentiated growth for most of the varieties were twice higher levels of the cytokinin to the auxin. Two of the Bulgarian genotypes (Rossa and Srebrina) revealed better potentials for callogenesis and long-term growth. These are promising for the development of suitable procedures for biotransformation.

Plasmons in sub-nm cavities can enable chemical processes within plasmonic hotspots. Here the authors use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to track hot-electron-induced chemical reduction processes in aromatic molecules, thus enabling observation of redox processes at the single-molecule level.

In isolated and arid areas, especially in the almost Maghreb regions, the abundant solar radiation intensity along the year and the available brackish water resources are the two favorable conditions for using solar desalination technology to produce fresh water. The present study is based on the use of three groups of correlation, for evaluating mass transfer. Theoretical results are compared with those obtained experimentally for a Simple Solar Distiller (SSD) and a Simple Solar Distiller Hybrid with a Heat Pump (SSDHP) stills. Experimental results and those calculated by Lewis number correlation show good agreements. Results obtained by Dunkle, Kumar and Tiwari correlations are not satisfactory with the experimental ones. Theoretical results, as well as statistical analysis, are presented. The model with heat pump ( for two configurations (111) and (001) give more output compared with the model without heat pump ((000) and (110)). This results where agree for the use of the statistic results, the error it less with Lewis number as compared with the different correlation.

Quantitative understanding of the spatial localization of hot carriers has been elusive. Here Corteset al. spatially map hot-electron-driven reduction chemistry with 15 nm resolution as a function of time and electromagnetic field polarization for different plasmonic nanostructures.

Aim: To study and compare the dermatoglyphic and palmar prints of subjects without tobacco chewing/smoking habit, with tobacco chewing/smoking habits without lesions, with potentially malignant diseases, and with oral cancer. Material and Methods: A comparative preliminary study was conducted in 60 subjects who visited Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Navodaya Dental College and Hospital, Raichur, Karnataka, India. The subjects were divided into four groups; 15 healthy controls (Group A), 15 subjects with tobacco habits and without associated lesions (Group B), 15 subjects with potentially malignant diseases (Group C), and 15 subjects with oral cancer (Group D). Dermatoglyphic and palmar prints were obtained by standard India ink method. Prints were analyzed by single observer twice at an interval of 15 days. The data obtained was subjected to statistical test using SPSS software 19 version. Chi-square test was applied to compare the different patterns among groups, and weighted kappa test for intraobserver variability. Results: Among dermatoglyphic patterns, whorl pattern was increased by 60.66% in Group C and 46% in Group D. Oral cancer subjects showed significant decrease in mean accessory tri-radii digital angle (37.13°). Conclusion: Dermatoglyphics can aid as a screening tool for early detection of high-risk individuals with potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer.

Background: Anemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiency disorders affecting the pregnant women in the developing countries. Anemia during pregnancy is commonly associated with poor pregnancy outcome and can result in complications that threaten the life of both mother and fetus. Objective: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women and to determine its association with maternal and fetal outcomes. Settings and Design: This study design was a prospective, observational, community-based study. Subjects and Methods: Four hundred and forty-six pregnant women were included in the study from three primary health centers in Kolar district by multistage sampling technique and were followed up till 1 week after delivery. Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22; correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were used. Results: There was a significant overall improvement in the hemoglobin levels of pregnant during the follow-up (10.3–10.72 gm%). About 35.6% of the women had maternal or fetal morbidity. Anemia was one of the main pregnancy-related complications (62.3%), other complications include difficult labor (3%), postpartum hemorrhage, and preeclampsia 1.6% each abortions/stillbirths (3.5%). The fetal complications include low birth weight (25.5%) followed by premature delivery (0.2%) and birth asphyxia (0.5%). Conclusions: A high prevalence of anemia in pregnant women apparently increases the maternal and fetal risks. To improve maternal and fetal outcome, it is recommended that the primary health care has to be strengthened, prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of anemia in pregnancy to be given priority.

Density-functional theory (DFT) has revolutionized computational prediction of atomic-scale properties from first principles in physics, chemistry and materials science. Continuing development of new methods is necessary for accurate predictions of new classes of materials and properties, and for connecting to nano- and mesoscale properties using coarse-grained theories. JDFTx is a fully-featured open-source electronic DFT software designed specifically to facilitate rapid development of new theories, models and algorithms. Using an algebraic formulation as an abstraction layer, compact C++11 code automatically performs well on diverse hardware including GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). This code hosts the development of joint density-functional theory (JDFT) that combines electronic DFT with classical DFT and continuum models of liquids for first-principles calculations of solvated and electrochemical systems. In addition, the modular nature of the code makes it easy to extend and interface with, facilitating the development of multi-scale toolkits that connect to ab initio calculations, e.g. photo-excited carrier dynamics combining electron and phonon calculations with electromagnetic simulations. Keywords: Density functional theory, Electronic structure, Solvation, Electrochemistry, Light-matter interactions