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A newly emerged human Covid-19 virus from Wuhan, China caused by SARS-Cov2 having 96.1% similar genomic sequence as that of a bat has resulted in global pandemic and adversely affected the healthcare sector in terms of management, manpower, planning. The findings can be used to help the healthcare sector with better pandemic management and identify the root causes and the factors affecting the transmission rate of covid-19 cases. The study focuses on: i) Forecasting covid-19 cases, ii) to study relationship of temperature, density, lockdown, and seasonal factor on the covid-19 transmission rate, iii) how forecasting will help in terms of managerial aspects. The method used to forecast covid-19 cases was data visualization of secondary data accessed and gathered from Kaggle by using Tableau as a tool. It was done by establishing multiple connections; comparing temperature, density, lockdown and seasonal factor individually with covid-19 cases and its effect on the viral transmission rate. Density is found to be independent of transmission rate, which is affected by temperature, seasonal factor & lockdown. The rate was less at higher temperatures and under a complete lockdown imposed on the State. Healthcare workers will have a better hold in the management henceforth with creative patient consideration approaches like customized medical coverage, clinical choice supportive networks and better resource planning with the forecasted data of Covid-19 cases.

The medicine and vaccine require to store in the refrigerator the continuous provision of electrical energy is required so that their efficacy is not affected. This represents an important problem for rural areas where there is no continuous electrical energy. In this work, we design a solar energy system for refrigeration of cold storage medicines to be used in rural towns without giving continuous electrical. The system uses a thermoelectric refrigerator based on the Peltier effect, which produces a temperature difference when electrical power is provided to it. It will be shown that for a typical application for vaccine refrigeration, the required solar panel is about 100W peak connected to batteries with a storage capacity of 20Ah. The designed refrigeration system has a 14-liter volume capacity of vaccines at temperatures in the range of 14° to 15°C using a Peltier cell (TEC) that consumes 28 W at 12V. Keywords: Refrigeration, Thermoelectric, Solar energy, Peltier.

The electrochemical water splitting by transition metal complexes is emerging very rapidly. The nickel complexes also play a very vital role in various biological activities. Here, three new ligands {H2mbhce = N′-(4-methyl-benzoyl), H2pchce = N′-(pyridine-carbonyl) and H2hbhce = N′-(2-hydroxy-benzoyl) hydrazine carbodithioic acid ethyl ester} and their corresponding Ni(II) complexes [Ni(Hmbhce)2(py)2] (1), [Ni(pchce)(o-phen)2]·CH3OH·H2O (2) and [Ni(hbhce)(o-phen)2]·1.75CHCl3·H2O (3) have been synthesized and fully characterized by various physicochemical and X-ray crystallography techniques. The photoluminescence study and thermal degradations were also examined. The treatment of K562 cells with the increasing concentrations of the nickel salts, ligands, and complexes 1, 2, and 3 showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic activity of ligands reveals that ligand H2mbhce is more potent in inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in comparison to other ligands H2pbhce and H2hbhce. Cytotoxicity assay results indicate that all complexes have remarkable cytotoxic potential in comparison to either nickel salts or the free ligands. Among these complexes, complex 1 has significantly better anti-tumor activity as compared to complexes 2 and 3. The electrochemical study of complexes 1, 2, and 3 for water oxidation reveals that all the complexes possess admirable electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and have lower overpotential (328, 338, and 370 mV, respectively) than many previously reported complexes and RuO2 (390 mV). Among complexes 1, 2, and 3, complex-2 shows a better water oxidation response. Consequently, these complexes have great potential to be utilized in fuel cells. The more reliable electrochemical parameter TOF is also calculated for all three complexes.

This work reports a sustainable route for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of α-keto amide into β-aminol via an efficient heterogeneous catalyst wherein ruthenium is incorporated on an active graphite sheet of a carbon nitride support (Ru–g-C3N4). Other different metals like Ni or Pd were also screened with the same support but none of them showed efficient activity. Although, partial hydrogenation of ketone to alcohol has also been observed based on the optimization of the reaction parameters using all of the above catalysts. The catalyst has been characterized using field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infra-red (IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, the catalyst has been recycled and further characterized and does not show any significant changes in its reactivity for the CTH process. Ru–g-C3N4 as a recyclable heterogenous catalyst has been used for the first time for the CTH of α-keto amide into β-aminol, making the process sustainable because economical and environmentally benign isopropyl alcohol is used as a solvent system. The proposed catalytic system shows a wide scope of substrates for α-hydroxyamide and β-aminol derivatives, which were confirmed from 1H and 13C-NMR.

The electrochemical water splitting by transition metal complexes is emerging very rapidly. The nickel complexes also play a very vital role in various biological activities. Here, three new ligands {H

The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of haemoprotozoan diseases in dogs at Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex of the College of Veterinary Science, Mhow (M.P.) during July 2018 to March 2019. Blood sample of 3500 suspected cases of haemoprotozoans affected dogs on the basis of clinical history were microscopically examined after Giemsa stain. The overall prevalence of haemoprotozoan disease was 2.48%. The highest prevalence of Ehrlichiosis (1.342%) was observed followed by Babesia (1.028%), Anaplasmosis (0.057%) and mixed infection (0.057%). The highest prevalence (4.03%) was found in the month of March followed by 3.52% in the month of August. Age wise study showed that the highest prevalence (3.57%) was found in above 18 months age, followed by (2.85%) 7 to 18 months. Sex wise prevalence revealed that males were more susceptible as compared to females.

Purpose/objective(s) The American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) Resident Committee offers a mentorship program to medical students, residents, and new practitioners. This program provides a unique opportunity to develop formal mentorship on a national level to bridge existing mentorship gaps. This abstract examined the perceived benefits of a formal mentorship program. Materials/methods All applicants provided demographic information and specific mentorship need requests. Pairings occurred periodically based on a personalized pairing process. This year, due to COVID-19, all sessions were held virtually. A questionnaire was designed in Google Forms based on the Society for Women in Radiation Oncology (SWRO) annual survey to evaluate the mentorship program. Data were collected and analysis was conducted using JMP version 15(SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). Results Since June 2020, 78 individuals enrolled: 28 to become a mentor, 38 to become a mentee; 12 were interested in both. The mentor group consisted of radiation oncology residents (47.5%), academic faculty (40%) and private practice physicians (12.5%). 57.5% of the mentors were males and 4% associated with the LGBTQI+ community. Geographic distribution of mentors: 40% Midwest, 27.5% South/Southeast, 15% Northeast, 12.5% West Coast and 5% international. Among resident mentors, 58% were Junior (PGY1-3) and 42% were senior (PGY4-5) residents. Among mentees, 50% were residents, followed by medical students (46%) and new practitioners (4%). There were equal number of males and females. The geographic distribution was: 32% Midwest, 22% South/Southeast, 36% Northeast, 2% West Coast, and 8% international. The distribution across residency training years was: 57% Junior (PGY1-3) and 43% Senior (PGY4-5). The survey was sent out in January 2021 and we currently have 29/78, 37% response rate. This survey showed the most common method of communication was email (59%), followed by video call (52%) and phone (48%). 62% had at least 2 interactions since being paired. Both parties set up the interactions in 59% of pairs, followed by mentees being responsible in 24%. Mentors reported experiencing mutual respect (94%), a personal connection (67%), clear expectations (44%), and shared values (44%). Mentees similarly reported mutual respect (94%), shared values (76%), a personal connection (59%) and clear expectations (47%). 96% had mentor/mentee relationship outside ACRO program; however, 62% felt that a formal program is more beneficial than informal opportunities. Conclusion The results of our mentorship program highlight the continued interest and need for formal radiation oncology mentorship programs. The major strength of the program has been the high rates of interaction which is based on mutual respect, shared values and personal connection. Areas of future focus includes recruiting more new practitioners and private practice radiation oncologists to help enrich and diversify the mentorship program.

Introduction Lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a first-line treatment for early-stage lung cancer in non-surgical candidates or those who refuse surgery. We compared our institutional outcomes from a unique patient population with decreased barriers to care with a recently published prospective series. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients who received definitive lung SBRT at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from 2015 to 2020. All patients underwent a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and all were presented at a multidisciplinary tumor board. Patients were treated on a Trubeam linear accelerator (LINAC)-based system with daily cone-beam CT. The results were qualitatively compared to outcomes from prospective studies including RTOG 0236 and RTOG 0618. Results A total of 105 patients with 114 lesions were included. Median age was 77 years and 54.7% had ≥ 40-pack year smoking history. 36.8% did not have pathologic confirmation. With a median follow-up of 24 months, three-year local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 92.4%, 81.0%, and 80.0%, respectively. Rates of Grade 1 and 2 toxicity were 21.9% and 6.7% and no patients experienced Grade ≥ 3 toxicity. Conclusions In our military setting with universal coverage and routine multidisciplinary care, lung SBRT provides outcomes comparable to prospective studies conducted at high-volume academic centers. More than one-third of patients were treated empirically without pathologic confirmation of disease, demonstrating a difference between clinical trials and community practice. Further investigation is warranted to integrate multidisciplinary management and achieve equal access to care to bridge existing health disparities in the community setting.

oronavirus (COVID-19) has caused marked impact on graduate medical education for all medical specialties. Radiation Oncology and the American Board of Radiology have also had to rapidly adapt to converting education and examinations to virtual platforms. We describe our small pilot experience in transitioning our in-person mock oral examinations to a virtual platform. Survey-based assessment revealed excellent feedback regarding ease of use and educational usefulness. Our mock oral examinations pilot experience adds to evidence that virtual mock oral examinations are an important considerationfor Radiation Oncology education and a feasible alternative to an in-person oral examination.

Protein aggregation, their mechanisms and trends in the field of neurodegenerative diseases is still far from completely being decoded. It is mainly attributed to the complexity surrounding the interaction between proteins which includes various regulatory mechanisms involved with the presentation of abnormal conditions. Although most proteins are functional in their soluble form, they have also been reported to convert themselves into insoluble aggregates under certain conditions naturally. Misfolded protein forms aggregates which are mostly unwanted by the cellular system and are mostly involved in various pathophysiologies including Alzheimer’s, Type II Diabetes mellitus, Kurus’s etc. Challenges lie in understanding the complex mechanism of protein misfolding and its correlation with clinical evidence. It is often understood that due to the slowness of the process and its association with ageing, timely intervention with drugs or preventive measures will play an essential role in lowering the rate of dementia causing diseases and associated ailments in the future. Today approximately more than 35 proteins have been identified capable of forming amyloids under defined conditions, and nearly all of them have been associated with disease outcomes. This review incorporates a major understanding from the history of diseases associated with protein misfolding, to the current state of neurodegenerative diseases globally, highlighting challenges in drug development and current state of research in a comprehensive manner in the field of protein misfolding diseases. There is increasing clinical association of protein misfolding with regards to amyloids compelling us to thread questions solved and further helping us design possible solutions by generating a pathway-based research on which future work in this field could be driven.

Patients with lymph-node positive prostate cancer are often treated with external beam radiotherapy with androgen deprivation therapy 1 , but are expected to have a high rate of biochemical failure. Recently, MRI and molecular imaging have afforded the opportunity to elucidate otherwise occult sites of recurrence after conventional imaging. We present an unusual case of local failure within the prostate after definitive radiation treatment of lymph-node positive prostate cancer, in which advanced imaging allowed for a potentially curative salvage treatment option.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to quantify and describe the feasibility, clinical outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes of reduced planning target volume (PTV) margins for prostate cancer treatment using real-time, continuous, intrafraction monitoring with implanted radiation frequency transponder beacons. Methods and materials: For this prospective, nonrandomized trial, the Calypso localization system was used for intrafraction target localization in 31 patients with a PTV margin reduced to 2 mm in all directions. A total of 1333 fractions were analyzed with respect to movement of the prostate, pauses and interruptions, and dosimetric data. Pre- and posttreatment quality-of-life scores were tracked at baseline, during treatment, and up to 24 months after treatment. Results: The mean time of daily treatment was 10 minutes, with 96.1% of all treatments falling within a 20-minute treatment window standard. On average, beacon motion exceeded 3 mm during active treatment only 1.76% of the time. The average length of treatment interruption was 34.2 seconds, with an average of 1 interruption every 3.39 fractions. The displacement or excursion of the prostate was the greatest in the superior or inferior dimension (0.11 mm and 0.09 mm, respectively) and anterior or posterior dimension (0.07 mm and 0.13 mm, respectively), followed by the left or right dimension (0.05 mm and 0.06 mm, respectively). At 6 months, patients demonstrated a smaller change in Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite scores than the ProtecT comparator group (decreased short-term morbidity). However, in the Bowel and Urinary domains at 12 and 24 months, there was no significant difference. Conclusions: Our data confirm and support that the use of Calypso tracking with intensity modulated radiation therapy reliably provides minimal disruption to daily treatments and overall time of treatment, with the PTV only moving outside of a 3-mm margin < 2% of the time. The use of a 3-mm PTV margin provides adequate dosimetric coverage while minimizing genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity.

This work reports, reductive-hydroformylation of 1-octene to nonanol in the presence of fine fibrous cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nano-catalyst prepared via urea reduction method under phosphine-free and additive free condition. Co3O4 nano-catalyst was prepared by the wet chemical method and was characterized using various instrumental techniques like FEG-SEM, EDS, XRD, TPR and FTIR. The effects of various reaction parameters such as temperature, synthesis gas (CO/H2) pressure/ratio, catalyst loading, solvent and time were studied. The reaction was successfully achieved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent medium. This reaction believed to takes place through the generation of HCox(CO)y active catalyst species. The Co3O4 nano-catalyst could be recycled up to three consecutive cycles.

Leptospirosis and dengue are two commonly seen infectious diseases of the tropics. Differential diagnosis of leptospirosis from dengue fever is often difficult due to overlapping clinical symptoms and lack of economically viable and easy-to-perform laboratory tests. The gold standard for diagnosis is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). In this study, the diagnostic potential of screening for pathogen-specific leptospiral antigens in urine samples is presented as a non-invasive method of disease diagnosis. In a study group of 40 patients, the serum was tested for anti-leptospiral antibodies by MAT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Urine of these patients was screened for leptospiral antigens by ELISA using specific antibodies against LipL32, LipL41, Fla1, HbpA and sphingomyelinase. Group I patients (n = 23) were classified as leptospirosis-positive based on MAT and high titres of circulating IgM-specific anti-leptospiral antibodies. All of these patients excreted all five leptospiral antigens in the urine. The 17 MAT-negative cases included six patients with pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO; Group II) and 11 confirmed dengue patients (Group III). The latter tested negative for both serum anti-leptospiral antibodies and urinary leptospiral antigens. A salient outcome of this study was highlighting the usefulness of screening for urinary leptospiral antigens in disease diagnosis, as their presence confirmed leptospiral aetiology in two PUO patients. Immunoblots of urinary antigens identified well-defined bands corresponding to LipL32, HbpA and sphingomyelinase; the significance of the 42- and 58-kDa sphingomyelinase bands is discussed.

International audience; The present protocol reports the ultrasound assisted synthesis of NiO nanoparticles(NPs) using benzylamine as a base and different types of cyclodextrins (CDs) as capping agents. The use of α-CD, β-CD or γ-CD leads to different morphologies of NiO NPs. In particular, NiO nanosheets obtained using β-CD as the capping agent. The synthesized NPs were characterized by FEG-SEM, TEM, XRD and EDS analysis. They showed high catalytic activity towards synthesis of different trisubstituted imidazoles under solvent free conditions. In addition, NiO NPs could be recycled and reused consecutively up to four recycle runs without much loss of their catalytic activity.

Three Cd(II) complexes, [Cd(5-thot)2(en)2] (1), [Cd(thd)2(µ-Br)]n (2) and [Cd(ttfa)2(en)] (3) have been synthesized from 5-(thiophen-2-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione, 2-thiohydantoin and 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone by the reaction of cadmium(II) salt. The complexes have been characterized by various physicochemical methods. Complexes 1, 2 and 3 crystallize in monoclinic system with space group P21/n, P21/c and P21/c, respectively. The Cd(II) center in complex 1 adopts a distorted octahedral geometry with two oxadiazole nitrogen and four nitrogen atoms of two en ligands. In the polymeric structure of complex 2, the Cd(II) center is bonded through two thione sulphur and four bridged bromide ions having distorted octahedral geometry. The Cd(II) ion is bonded through two ethylenediamine nitrogens and four thenoyl oxygen atoms in complex 3. The course of the thermal degradations of complexes 1–3 have been investigated by TGA which indicate that metal oxide is formed as the final residue. The complexes are stabilized by various types of intermolecular extended hydrogen bonding providing supramolecular framework.

Canine babesiosis is a worldwide tick borne disease. Dogs with fever, in appetence and enlarged lymph nodes were screened for the presence of haemoprotozoan parasites during the one year period of study at T.V.C.C., C.V.Sc., Mhow (M.P. , India ). Based on the stained peripheral blood smears examination, dogs were found to be affected with babesiosis. Clinical examination of the dogs revealed ticks over the body, highest frequency (75.00%) of petechial/epistaxis followed by ticks (72.22%) on the body, recumbency (69.44%), dullness (66.66%), dehydration (63.88%), pale mucous membrane (50.00%) . Sonographic changes in dogs infected with babesiosis revealed hepatomegaly with architectural changes, hypo-echoic changes in the liver parenchyma in 7 dogs, splenomegaly with disturbed architecture and multiple lesions was observed in 9 dogs, cystitis in 5 dogs , distended gall bladder in 3 dogs and in 4 dogs Kidneys structures were not clear in image and no demarcation noticed between cortex and medulla.

Introduction Combined radiotherapy and hormonal treatment are recommended for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer (CaP). This study compared the long-term effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of intermediate- and high-risk CaP patients managed with radiation therapy (RT) with vs. without hormone therapy (HT). Methods Patients with intermediate- and high-risk CaP enrolled in the Center for Prostate Disease Research diagnosed from 2007 to 2017 were included. EPIC and SF-36 questionnaires were completed and HRQoL scores were compared for patients receiving RT vs. RT + HT at baseline (pretreatment), 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after CaP diagnosis. Longitudinal patterns of change in HRQoL were modeled using linear regression models, adjusting for baseline HRQoL, age at CaP diagnosis, race, comorbidities, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk stratum, time to treatment, and follow-up time. Results Of 164 patients, 93 (56.7%) received RT alone and 71 (43.3%) received RT + HT. Both groups reported comparable baseline HRQoL. Patients receiving RT+HT were more likely to be NCCN high risk as compared to those receiving only RT. The RT + HT patients experienced worse sexual function, hormonal function, and hormonal bother than those who only received RT; however, HRQoL recovered over time for the RT + HT group. No significant differences were observed between groups in urinary and bowel domains or SF-36 mental and physical scores. Conclusion Combined RT + HT treatment was associated with temporary lower scores in sexual and hormonal HRQoL compared with RT only. Intermediate- and high-risk CaP patients should be counseled about the possible declines in HRQoL associated with HT.

We report structural, magnetic, magneto-transport and the effect of ferroelectric poling on electrical properties of La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 thin films deposited on 0.67Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) substrate with SrRuO3 buffer layer. The films were grown by pulsed layer deposition technique. XRD pattern indicates that the films are single crystalline. We find that ferroelectric poling reduces the in-plane tensile strain in the LCMO/SRO bilayer, which gives rise to a decrease in electrical resistance over the whole temperature range. In essence, we report control of electrical resistance of a ferromagnetic material through interface stain coupling.

Fagonia arabica (FA) possesses a thrombolytic property which has been earlier reported in our laboratory. Current study was undertaken to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of FA on thrombin-induced tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) release from cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUVE) for studying its clot lytic activity. For this, establishment of cell line model has been done by isolating the cells from human umbilical cord. Cell toxicity was evaluated using XTT assay. Estimation of t-PA and PAI-1 t-PA complex were done using ELISA technique. Thrombin treatment induces the t-PA and PAI-1 release from HUVE cell line, and FA treatment was found to antagonize the thrombin induced t-PA and PAI-1 release. Our preliminary results suggest that FA may be used as an alternative to thrombolytic drug. However, study demands further experiments using animal model of thrombosis to establish the role of FA as a novel thrombolytic drug., Graphical abstract

In the present research Bi2MoO6(BMO) QDs (0D) and reduce graphene oxide nanosheet (2D) (BMO/rGO)(0D/2D) heterojunction with different weight ratio of GO nanosheet were synthesized using facile method. XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, XPS, FTIR, BET, PL, TRPL, TEM/HRTEM, ESR and photoelectrochemical (PEC) measurements were used for the characterization and understanding the enhancement effect on photoactivity of the synthesis photocatalyst. The BMO (0D) QDs provide more active sites and short diffusion length of photogenerated charges. Whereas, 2D rGO nanosheet presents complementary surface area to allow the formation of distinct heterojunction with majority of the 0D QDs by preventing agglomeration of particles and excellent conductivity. TEM images explicitly showed the uniform distribution of 0D BMO particles of size 8−10 nm over 2D rGO which lead to formation of distinct Schottky junction. These exclusive properties of 0D/2D heterojunction result in effective degradation of organic pollutants such as Rhodamine-B dye, p-nitrophenol a phenol group and acetaminophen a pharmaceuticals compound with 100 %, 94 % and 87 % in 180 min; and degradation rate achieved was 9.35, 8.60 and 7.53 as compared to 0D BMO QDs under simulated solar light irradiation. The scavenging experiments revealed that h+ and O 2 • - radicals are main reactive species involved in the photodegradation along with contribution from photogenerated e−. The increased photocatalytic efficiency is ascribed to enlarge solar light absorption, increased adsorption, increased surface area, conductivity with substantial contribution of photo-induced charge separation and transfer in BMO/rGO (0D/2D) heterojunction.

This work reports the selective one-pot synthesis of symmetrical and asymmetrical amines from guanidines as ammonia surrogate. The use of guanidine as ammonia source will eliminate the need of handling liquid ammonia. The reaction was performed using Cu/Cu2O nanocatalyst under ligand-free condition. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by a various technique like XRD, FEG-SEM, HRTEM and XPS. The different diphenylamines are produced in good to very good yields. Recyclability study of catalyst shows that up to five cycles there is no significant loss in its activity.

This work reports a simple, metal free and cost-effective protocol for the preparation of tri substituted 1,3,5 triazine using graphene oxide as a carbo-catalyst. Substituted triazine can be synthesized in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the use of graphene oxide as a catalyst results in a product free from metal traces. Recyclability study shows that it can be recycled up to six cycles without significant loss in catalytic activity. To show the scalability of the developed methodology, gram scale synthesis was also carried out.

Partitioning of trivalent americium from fast-reactor (FR) simulated high-level liquid waste (SHLLW) has been demonstrated, for the first time, using a modifier-free organic phase containing an unsymmetrical diglycolamide, N,N,-didodecyl-N′,N′-dioctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (D3DODGA), in n-dodecane (n-DD). The extraction behavior of various metal ions present in the FR-SHLLW that contained about 3.2 g/L of trivalent metal ions (Am(III) and Ln(III)) was studied using a solution of 0.1 M D3DODGA/n-DD, by batch equilibration mode. The extraction of Am(III) was accompanied by the co-extraction of all lanthanides and unwanted metal ions such as Zr(IV), Y(III), and Pd(II) from FR-SHLLW. The co-extraction of unwanted metal ions was minimized by adding a suitable aqueous soluble complexing agents to FR-SHLLW, prior to extraction. As a result, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′N′-tetraacetic acid (CyDTA) was identified as an appropriate reagent for preventing the extraction of zirconium and palladium, that posed problems during recovery of trivalent metal ions from the loaded organic phase. The stripping of behavior of Am(III) and Ln(III) from the loaded organic phase was studied using dilute nitric acid in batch equilibration mode. Based on those results, a counter-current mixer-settler run was performed in a 20-stage mixer-settler. About 99.9% of Am(III), Ln(III) and Y(III) from FR-SHLLW in 0.1 M D3DODGA/n-DD was achieved in 20 contacts and the recovery of Am(III) and other trivalents from the loaded organic phase was achieved in 5 contacts using 0.01 M nitric acid. The study demonstrated the possibility of using the modifier-free reagent, D3DODGA, for the separation of trivalent actinides from FR-SHLLW.

The extraction and stripping behavior of various metal ions present in the fast reactor simulated high-level liquid waste (FR-SHLLW) was studied using a solvent phase composed of a neutral extractant, N,N,-didodecyl-N′,N′-dioctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (D3DODGA) and an acidic extractant, di-2-ethylhexyl diglycolamic acid (HDEHDGA) in n-dodecane (n-DD). The third phase formation behavior of the solvent formulation D3DODGA + HDEHDGA/n-DD, was studied when it was contacted with FR-SHLLW, and the concentration of neutral and acidic extractant needed to avoid the third phase formation was optimized. The distribution ratio of various metal ions present in FR-SHLLW was measured in a solution of 0.1 M D3DODGA + 0.2 M HDEHDGA/n-DD. The extraction of Am(III) was accompanied by the co-extraction of lanthanides and unwanted metal ions such as Zr(IV), Y(III), and Pd(II). A procedure was developed to minimize the extraction of unwanted metal ions by using aqueous soluble complexing agents in FR-SHLLW. Based on those results, the counter-current mixer-settler run was performed in a 20-stage mixer-settler. Quantitative extraction of Am(III), Ln(III), Y(III), and Sr(II) in 0.1 M D3DODGA + 0.2 M HDEHDGA/n-DD was observed. The recovery of Am(III) from the loaded organic phase was carried out by the optimized aqueous formulation composed of 0.01 M diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) + 0.5 M citric acid (CA) at pH 1.5. The stripping of Am(III) was accompanied by co-stripping of some early lanthanides. However the later lanthanides (Eu(III) and beyond) were not back extracted to Am(III) product. Therefore, the studies foresee the possibility of intra-lanthanides as well as lanthanide-actinide separation in a single-processing cycle.

The organic solvent phase composed of N,N,N’,N’-tetra-2-ethylhexyl diglycolamide (TEHDGA) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in n-dodecane (n-DD) is regarded as a promising candidate for single-cycle separation of americium (III) from high-level liquid waste. The radiochemical degradation of a solution of TEHDGA + HDEHP/n-DD was investigated by irradiating the solvent to various absorbed dose levels of γ-radiation. The neat extractants or a solution of extractants in n-dodecane were irradiated in the presence and absence of nitric acid. The degree of degradation was assessed by measuring the variation in the extraction behavior of Am(III), Eu(III) and other metal ions in irradiated solvent systems. The distribution ratio of americium and europium decreased with increase of absorbed dose. The presence of n-dodecane enhanced the radiolytic degradation of the solvent; however, the role of nitric acid during degradation was insignificant. The recovery of Am(III) and Eu(III) from the irradiated solve...

HupB is an iron-regulated protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that functions as a positive regulator of mycobactin biosynthesis. It is essential for the growth and survival of the pathogen inside macrophages. Previously, using the full-length rHupB of M. tuberculosis, we demonstrated high levels of anti-HupB antibodies in the serum of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and, interestingly, extrapulmonary TB patients with negligible levels in household contacts and healthy controls. Here, we used three antigenic fragments of HupB, namely the recombinant HupB-F1 (aa 1-71), HupB-F2 (aa 63-161) and HupB-F3 (aa 164-214), as antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen serum from TB patients. HupB-F2 showed enhanced immunoreactivity with serum from patients with pulmonary TB (three groups consisting of new cases, defaulters and recurrent cases) and extrapulmonary TB, with negligible levels in normal healthy controls. The negative correlation of the anti-(HupB-F2) antibodies with serum iron was maximal, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient value of -0.415. The study, in addition to strengthening the diagnostic potential of HupB, reflected the superior performance of HupB-F2 as an antigen in screening pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB.

This study examines the role of the rural labor market in reducing poverty and improving the well-being of smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia. Propensity score matching technique is used to estimate the effect of labor market participation on poverty, consumption expenditure and income of smallholder farmers. The overall result indicates that the rural labor market contributes significantly to income growth, consumption expenditure and poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. Particularly, participation in off-farm wage activity has a positive and significant effect on household consumption expenditure and income but a negative and significant effect on the likelihood of a household being poor. Key words: Poverty, rural, labor market, household, smallholder, propensity score.

Two new complexes [Ni(Hmfchce)2(py)2] (1) and [Mn(Hmfchce)2(o-phen)] (2) with [N′-(2-methylfuran-3-carbonyl)hydrazine]-carbodithioic acid ethyl ester (H2mfchce) have been synthesized which contain o-phenanthroline (o-phen)/pyridine (py) as coligand. The ligand and its metal complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, magnetic susceptibility and single crystal X-ray diffraction data. Complexes 1 and 2 crystallize in orthorhombhic system with space group ‘Pbca’ and ‘Pbcn’, respectively. In complex 1, nickel centre is coordinated through one hydrazine nitrogen atom, one carbonyl oxygen of two units of ligand and two pyridine nitrogen atoms. The manganese center in complex 2 is coordinated in a N4O2 core by two uininegative bidentate ligands using hydrazine nitrogen (after loss of proton) and carbonyl oxygen and two nitrogen atoms of o-phen. In both complexes, the metal ion adopts a distorted octahedral geometry. Complexes 1 and 2 are fluorescent materials which exhibit an emission at 291 and 285 nm, respectively upon excitation at 263 and 251 nm. The course of the thermal degradations of complexes 1 and 2 have been investigated by TGA which indicate that metal oxide is formed as the final residue in both complexes. The metal complexes, [Ni(Hmfchce)2(py)2] (1) and [Mn(Hmfchce)2(o-phen)] (2) were immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes using Nafion® (Nf). The modified electrodes have been characterized by cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M KOH. Complexes 1 and 2 have efficient activity towards electrochemical water oxidation in the 0.1 M KOH. The simulated spectra of the two complexes 1 and 2 are characterized by excited states with ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer (LLCT) and ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) character.

Two new complexes, [Mn(ppt)2(o-phen)] (1) and [Mn(aptt)(Cl)(o-phen)2]·2Haptt·H2O (2) with 4-phenyl (phenyl-acetyl)-3-thiosemicarbazide (Hppt) and 4-amino-5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiolate (Haptt) have been synthesized containing o-phenanthroline (o-phen) as a coligand. These complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR and UV–Vis spectroscopic techniques, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), magnetic susceptibility and single crystal X-ray diffraction data. The complexes are paramagnetic and have a distorted octahedral geometry. In complex 2, two molecules of Haptt and one water molecule are cocrystalized outside the coordination sphere. Complexes 1 and 2 are fluorescent and upon their excitation at 38 167 cm−1, exhibit emissions at 27 173 and 32 894 cm−1, respectively. TGA of complexes 1 and 2 indicate that the metal is converted into metal oxide at very high temperature. In the solid state, the crystal structure of both complexes are stabilized by various inter and intramolecular interactions. To explore the possible electrochemical applications of the complexes 1 and 2, they are immobilized on glassy carbon electrode using Nafion®. Cyclic voltammetry technique is used to characterize the metal complex immobilized electrodes in basic medium. Both complexes demonstrate excellent electrocatalytic activity towards electrochemical oxygen reduction. Since the electrocatalytic materials for oxygen reduction can dramatically increase the efficiency of the fuel cells and metal-air batteries, these metal complexes can be used as cathodic catalyst material in fuel cells and in metal-air batteries.

This work reports the preparation of nano CuNiFeO and its application in the synthesis of quinolines. The prepared nanocatalyst was characterized using various characterization techniques such as XRD, FEG-SEM, EDX, HR-TEM and XPS. Nano CuNiFeO as a heterogeneous catalyst shows a very high efficiency towards double dehydrogenation tandem cyclization reaction of 2-amionbenzyl alcohol with alcohols resulting into a simple, sustainable and environment friendly synthesis of quinolines. Due to the magnetic property associated with nanocatalyst, it was easily separated from the reaction mixture using external magnet and could be reused up to five cycles. To the best of our knowledge, this is for the first time a heterogenous magnetic CuNiFeO nanocatalyst is being reported for this reaction.

Dielectric Resonator Antenna covers up the most essential characteristics like high efficiency, large bandwidth, compactness, high gain which are the essential criteria for antenna in today's world. The objective of proposed work is to compare two shapes of DRA, called Rectangular DRA and Hemispherical DRA. The change in result in both the shape of DRA are observed, which justifies the hemispherical DRA gives large BW compare to the rectangular DRA. Both antennas are designed for 2.4GHz and 5.4GHz frequency application.

In the title compound, C13H18N2O3S2, the amide group is in the plane of the benzoyl ring with a C—N—N—C torsion angle of 177.63 (12)°. The two dithioate groups are in ananticonformation [torsion angles = 173.68 (8) and −9.98 (10)°]. An intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond is observed. In the crystal, an O—H...O hydrogen bond and a weak C—H...O contact involving the same acceptor atom generate anS(6) ring motif and give rise to chains along [010].

Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been employed to study sputter-deposited Al(Cu)/SiO2 films with as low as 0.2 at.% concentration of copper at the wafer target. It is shown that (1) copper concentration is not uniform throughout the film and (2) copper is depleted near the Al/SiO2 interface. The nonuniformity of copper at the interface has been discussed in terms of grain boundaries, their dynamics under film-growth conditions, and the nonuniformity’s consequences in microelectronic device fabrications.

A process for preparation of ketchups from ripe mango and guava fruits was developed, comprised extraction of pulp by conventional methods, homogenization and addition of sugar, salt, spices, acetic acid etc. The contents were heated to reduce the volume to one third, added with class II preservatives and bottled. Changes in TSS, acidity, non enzymatic browning, ascorbic acid, antioxidants along with microbial and sensory qualities were recorded at one month interval for a period of nine months under ambient storage conditions. The ascorbic acid content decreased from 98.3 to 81.8 and 60.0 to 49.9 mg/100 g in guava and mango ketchups, respectively, while the NEB increased from 0.089 to 0.174 and 0.373 to 0.577 after nine month storage. Slight increase in TSS and acidity were observed. The anti-oxidant value decreased from 32.8 to 18.8 mM/ml in guava ketchup and 26.9 to 16.2 mM/ml in mango ketchup after 9 month storage. No microbial population could be detected during the period of study. The overall acceptability score ranged from 7.0 to 7.8 and 7.2 to 8.5 in guava and mango, respectively.

The main aim of this paper is to review the recent advancement in the field of RF and Microwave power measurements that have taken place in recent times. The paper also includes the prominent techniques and instruments employed for RF and Microwave power measurements and discuss error correction mechanisms. It includes metrology-oriented crises, such as the basic national power standards, and traceability processes. The paper will be helpful to design engineers to establish an unbroken chain of calibration actions from national standards organizations, and final measurement of RF and Microwave power to set the production or to design an microwave power measurement equipment or to establish a communication tower at mountaintop or at some specific area.[3,4]

The land use information collected for Dehlon block of Ludhiana district, Punjab from the analysis of the IRS-1B LISS-II data for the year 1993 and IRS PAN data for the year 1997 and SOI topographical maps for 1964 revealed a large change in the area of different land use categories during the period from 1964 to 1997. The agricultural land covering an area of about 94.14 per cent in 1964 reduced to 90.26 per cent in 1997. while the area under rural settlements increased from 312 ha in 1964 to 1162 ha in 1997. An extra area of about 169 ha under waste land was added during the period under study making total waste land area to about 400 ha in 1997. However, the block lacks the forest cover of the required limit. Considerable change in living environment was observed in the block. Number of persons per unit settlement area (ha) being 213.3 in 1964 reduced to 97.1 in 1991; it indicate that the living standard of the people of the block has improved with the changed cropping pattern and increased agricultural production during the period from 1964 to 1991.