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Wireless transmission of information using water as a communication channel is one of the potential technologies for the progress of potential underwater observation systems including applications from aquaculture to the oil industry, submarine detection, instrument monitoring, and forecast of natural turbulence and study of marine life. Underwater wireless sensor networks applications are exhilarating but demanding at the same time. Some of the challenges faced by underwater networks are the movement of nodes in three-dimensional space because of which the network could not be well thought-out as a fixed topology, limited bandwidth, exceedingly low data rates, limited battery power, failures due to pollution, and corrosion, and a lot more. Additionally, as acoustic communications consume more power than terrestrial radio ones do, more sophisticated signal processing methods are needed at the receiver to make up for the channel's deficiencies. One of these difficulties is creating a routing protocol for the complexity of an underwater environment. The major aim of all these protocols is to advance data packets toward the sink to lessen the propagation delay, lessen energy expenditure, and utilize the least amount of bandwidth by restricting the broadcasting of multiple copies of the data packet. This article surveys various routing schemes and various challenges involved in the design and development of these routing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale detection of putative intrinsic transcription terminators is limited to only a few bacteria currently. We discovered a group of hairpins, called cluster hairpins, present within 15 nucleotides from each other. These are expected to work in tandem to cause intrinsic transcription termination (ITT), while the single hairpin can do the same alone. Therefore, exploring these ITT sites and the hairpins across bacterial genomes becomes highly desirable. INTERPIN is the largest archived collection of in silico inferred ITT hairpins in bacteria, covering 12745 bacterial genomes and encompassing ten bacterial phyla for ∼25 million hairpins. Users can obtain details on operons, individual cluster, and single ITT hairpins that were screened therein. Integrated Genome Viewer (IGV) software interactively visualizes hairpin secondary and tertiary structures in the genomic context. We also discuss statistics for the occurrence of cluster or single hairpins and other termination alternatives while showing the validation of predicted hairpins against in vivo detected hairpins. The database is freely available at http://pallab.cds.iisc.ac.in/INTERPIN/. INTERPIN (database and software) can make predictions for both AT and GC-rich genomes, which has not been achieved by any other program so far. It can also be used to improve genome annotation as well as to get predictions to improve the understanding of the ITT pathway by further analysis. [Display omitted] • Database archiving predicted Intrinsic Transcription Termination sites in bacteria. • Global view of terminating hairpin location and their 2D/3D structure illustrated. • A new group of intrinsic transcription terminators called cluster hairpins unveiled. • Termination sites predictions validated against experimental data (RNA-seq). • Alternate sites for intrinsic transcription termination found in bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the determinants of visitors' intentions to visit places associated with death, sufferings and violence. The relationships of dark tourism intention with each of its determinants were tested for the moderating impact of xenophobia. The study utilizes survey of 581 visitors of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, India. The findings of SmartPLS (v.3.2.8) suggested that commemoration, knowledge, curiosity and social obligation significantly influenced dark tourism intentions. The moderating impact of xenophobia was significant on commemoration and social obligation relationship with dark tourism intentions. Nevertheless, xenophobia did not play any role in affecting the relationship of either curiosity or knowledge with dark tourism intentions. The study concludes with several implications, limitations and future scope of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture prognosis and characterization efforts require knowledge of crack tip position and the Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs) acting in the vicinity of the crack. Here, we present an efficient numerical approach to infer both of these characteristics under a consistent theoretical framework from noisy, unstructured displacement data. The novel approach utilizes the separability of the asymptotic linear elastic fracture mechanics fields to expedite the search for crack tip position and is particularly useful for noisy displacement data. The manuscript begins with an assessment of the importance of accurately locating crack tip position when quantifying the SIFs from displacement data. Next, the proposed separability approach for quickly inferring crack tip position is introduced. Comparing to the widely used displacement correlation approach, the performance of the separability approach is assessed. Cases involving both noisy data and systematic deviation from the asymptotic linear elastic fracture mechanics model are considered, e.g. inelastic material behavior and finite geometries. An open source python implementation of the proposed approach is available for use by those doing field and laboratory work involving digital image correlation and simulations, e.g. finite element, discrete element, molecular dynamics and peridynamics, where the crack tip position is not explicitly defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eye, which is under constant exposure to environmental pathogens, has evolved various anatomic and immunological barriers critical to the protection of tissues lacking regenerative capacity, and the maintenance of a clear optic pathway essential to vision. By bypassing the ocular barriers, intravitreal (IVT) injection has become the mainstay for the delivery of drugs to treat conditions that affect the back of the eye. Both small molecules and biotherapeutics have been successfully administered intravitreally, and several drugs have been approved for the treatment of (wet) age‐related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. However, IVT injection is an invasive procedure, which requires sufficient technical expertise from the healthcare professional administering the drug. Potential side effects include bleeding, retinal tear, cataracts, infection, uveitis, loss of vision, and increased ocular pressure. Pharmaceutical companies often differ in their drug development plan, including drug administration techniques, collection of ocular tissues and fluids, ophthalmology monitoring, and overall conduct of nonclinical and clinical studies. The present effort, under the aegis of the Innovation & Quality Ophthalmic Working Group, aims at understanding these differences, identifying pros and cons of the various approaches, determining the gaps in knowledge, and suggesting feasible good practices for nonclinical and early clinical IVT drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral cancer is a major health concern in the Indian subcontinent, where it ranks among the top three types of cancer in the country. Tobacco and its products have been implicated as a major etiologic factor behind cancers. It is believed that tobacco is an epidemic in itself taking the death toll to 7 million globally. In India alone, mortality because of tobacco is more than 1.3 million. Dentists are the first to notice any change in the oral cavity or come across any suspicious looking oral lesion and therefore are instrumental in primary prevention and care. Methods: The present study data are of the patients enrolled in a Tobacco Cessation Center(TCC) at a Dental College in Meerut in Meerut from May 2012 (since its inception) to March 2020. The following methods of counseling were carried out: group counseling, interactive sessions, audio--visual aids, and individual counseling sessions. Self-training for oral cavity examination was also given after every group counseling session. Behavioral counseling and pharmacological intervention were given as per Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score. At the end of 1 year, patients who quit were graded into 0, 1, and 2, with 0 for those who failed to quit, 1 for those who did completely quit, and 2 for those who reduced their habit by more than 50%. Results: The quit rate achieved was 57.6% (complete responders -43.2% and partial responders 14.4%). The relapse reported was 1.8%. Conclusion: A Tobacco cessation Center set up in a Dental College could be of great help in the primary prevention of oral cancer and can bring a drastic increase in quit rates. Proper counseling skills once nurtured in young under-graduates can boost the tobacco-free India campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation (DNS) technique uses feed forward feedback to involuntarily activate the diaphragm and deep abdominal muscles prior to purposeful movement in humans. It is an efficient approach for facilitating deep core muscle activation of the underactive muscle chain consisting of the Internal Oblique (IO), transverse abdominals and diaphragm, thereby enhancing age appropriate jumping, walking and standing, in participants with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy (SDCP), whereas the primary goal of Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT) is to facilitate more normal movement patterns for performing performance skills and rectifying abnormal postural tone Need of the study: Even though studies have been done in the past, utilising DNS and NDT in children with diplegic CP, for improving core stability, balance, posture and diaphragmatic movement; however, Gross Motor Function (GMF) and trunk control are the aspects that have not been aimed with DNS. There is scarcity in the literature related to impact of DNS on GMF and trunk control in children with diplegic CP. As DNS has specific role on core strength it can be a valuable in the management of trunk control. Because no study comparing the impact of DNS and NDT on trunk control and functions of gross motor in diplegic children has been found; there is a strong need to perform a study to evaluate the same. Aim: To compare the impact of DNS to NDT on gross motor performance and trunk control in children with SDCP. Materials and Methods: It will be a Randomised Clinical Trial (RCT) with the assessor blinded, conducted in the Outpatient Department of Physiotherapy, AVBRH Sawangi, Meghe, Wardha, Maharashtra, India, from July 2022 to April 2023. Following the baseline assessments, children with SDCP (n=36) will be enlisted and randomly assigned into two groups, groups A and group B. Group A will be treated using conventional therapy along with NDT; group B will be given conventional therapy as well as DNS. Treatment will be given for four weeks, five days a week. On the first and the last day of the intervention, primary outcome measures Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) and secondary outcome measure Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) will be employed (on the first day and after the completion of four weeks). Mini-mental Scale Examination (MMSE) will be used as inclusion criteria for the children. Statistical analysis will be carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 27.0. Conclusion: The present study is expected to prove that DNS approach to be successful in enhancing the control of the trunk and gross motor abilities in children with SDCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, early detection and isolation of positive cases is one of the key strategies to restrict disease transmission. Real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR) has been the mainstay of diagnosis. Most of the qRTPCR kits were designed against the target genes of original strain of SARS-CoV-2. However, with the emergence of variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, sensitivity of the qRTPCR assays has reportedly reduced. In view of this, it is critical to continuously monitor the performance of the qRTPCR kits in the backdrop of variant strains of SARS-CoV-2. Real world monitoring of assay performance is challenging. Therefore, we developed a two-step in-silico screening process for evaluating the performance of various qRTPCR kits used in India. Results: We analysed 73 qRT-PCR kits marketed in India, against the two SARS-CoV-2 VoCs. Sequences of both Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) VoCs submitted to GISAID within a specific timeframe were downloaded, clustered to identify unique sequences and aligned with primer and probe sequences. Results were analysed following a two-step screening process. Out of 73 kits analysed, seven were unsatisfactory for detection of both Delta and Omicron VoCs, 10 were unsatisfactory for Delta VoC whereas 2 were unsatisfactory for only Omicron VoC. Conclusion: Overall, we have developed a useful screening process for evaluating the performance of qRTPCR assays against Delta and Omicron VoCs of SARS-CoV-2 which can be used for detecting SARS-CoV-2 VoCs that may emerge in future and can also be redeployed for other evolving pathogens of public health importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) is a serine proteinase inhibitor that controls the activity of proteases like chymotrypsin, cathepsin G and mast cell chymase. Familial variants of ACT results in liver and lung diseases, but it is also reported to be associated with several other disease conditions. ACT is mainly synthesized in the liver using four coding exons, namely E1, E2, E3 and E4 encoding a 423 amino acid protein that also includes a 23 amino acid signal peptide. It is found to be associated with amyloid plaques and is elevated during inflammatory response and modulates cytokine based signal transduction pathways, independent of its anti-protease activity. Therefore, the multispecificity of ACT and its non-inhibitory roles in diseased conditions warrants an assessment of possible existence of the other isoforms. Consequently, scanning of introns, 5′ and 3′ region of the ACT gene using computational tools like FGENESH and FEX did indicate the presence of coding regions. Using a combined approach of bioinformatics and molecular biology, we have found one novel exon located in the intronic region between exons E1 and E2, that splices with exon E2 and replaces N-terminal exon E1, generating an ACT isoform with a novel 151 base pair N-terminus. This isoform was found to lack the signal sequence and is smaller in size but its reactive centre loop remains intact. A truncated transcript was also confirmed with an extension of the E3 by a 12 nucleotide intronic region including a stop codon. Modelling studies show that due to removal of E4 this isoform lacks the RCL. Novel isoform ACT-N lacks E1 but has a conserved RCL. However, due to loss of strands of β-sheet A, it may also be inactive, but with ability to bind the target proteases. The novel truncated ACT-T isoform lacks the RCL and may have a non-inhibitory role. These hypothesis will need further work for functional validation. • α-1 antichymotrypsin (ACT) is a inhibitory serpin that inhibits chymotrypsin type serine proteases. • ACT role in several diseases is predicted to be non-inhibitory. • We use computational tool to identify intronic region within the ACT gene that may be alternatively spliced with the exons. • Using intron-exon junction based primers and mRNA from liver we predict expression of two novel isoforms of ACT. • ACT-N isoform has a novel sequence at the N-terminal and lacks the signal sequence. • ACT-T is the truncated form without the protease recognition RCL sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The network reconfiguration problem seeks to find a rooted tree T such that the energy of the (unique) feasible electrical flow over T is minimized. The tree requirement on the support of the flow is motivated by operational constraints in electricity distribution networks. The bulk of existing results on convex optimization over vertices of polytopes and on the structure of electrical flows do not easily give guarantees for this problem, while many heuristic methods have been developed in the power systems community as early as 1989. Our main contribution is to give the first provable approximation guarantees for the network reconfiguration problem. We provide novel lower bounds and corresponding approximation factors for various settings ranging from min { O (m - n) , O (n) } for general graphs, to O (n) over grids with uniform resistances on edges, and O (1) for grids with uniform edge resistances and demands. To obtain the result for general graphs, we propose a new method for (approximate) spectral graph sparsification, which may be of independent interest. Using insights from our theoretical results, we propose a general heuristic for the network reconfiguration problem that is orders of magnitude faster than existing methods in the literature, while obtaining comparable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) comprises various resource‐constrained sensor nodes; therefore, the routing followed in acoustic medium underwater should be energy efficient to preserve their energies. Due to large area covered in the scenarios of underwater, the multi‐hop communication leads to energy hole problem. Therefore, Energy hole mitigation through Optimized Cluster Head (CH) selection and Strategic Routing (EOCSR) in IoUT is proposed in this paper. The proposed work not only optimizes CH selection using Tunicate Swarm Algorithm but also incorporates strategic routing to address energy hole problem. The simulation results show that EOCSR improves stability and lifetime of network by 16.8% and 17.7%, as compared with recently proposed Moth Flame Optimization‐based routing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Respiratory viruses mutate and evolve rapidly to cause epidemics and pandemics. • WHO-GISRS is a global surveillance mechanism for influenza and respiratory viruses. • ILI and SARI surveillance led by WHO NICs remains weak in many parts of the world. • Surveillance through NICs must be strengthened for timely outbreak detection. • We have suggested strategies to strengthen surveillance through NICs. The global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS), coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a global framework for surveillance of influenza and other respiratory viruses, data collection, laboratory capacity building, genomic data submission and archival, standardization, and calibration of reagents and vaccine strains, production of seasonal influenza vaccines and creating a facilitatory regulatory environment for the same. WHO-designated national influenza centers (NICs) are entrusted with establishing surveillance in their respective countries. National and subnational surveillance remains weak in most parts of the world because of varying capacities of the NICs, lack of funds, poor human and veterinary surveillance mechanisms, lack of intersectoral coordination, and varying commitments of the local government. As influenza viruses have a wide variety of nonhuman hosts, it is critical to strengthen surveillance at local levels for timely detection of untypable or novel strains with potential to cause epidemics or pandemics. In this article, we have proposed possible strategies to strengthen and expand local capacities for respiratory virus surveillance through the designated NICs of the WHO. Proposed mechanism for strengthening local or subnational respiratory virus surveillance and response. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel green efficient methodology was developed for the synthesis of some regioselective 1,4‐disubstituted‐1,2,3‐triazoles through an enzyme laccase (Trametes Versicolor) catalyzed reaction. The reaction utilizes the Click chemistry approach for the formation of highly substituted and regioselective triazoles. The methodology is unprecedented in the way that it executes under mild conditions at room temperature using green buffer solvents. An array of substituted triazoles were feasibly synthesized and characterized via spectroscopic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing has revolutionized the IT landscape, providing scalable, on-demand computing resource. For efficiency in cloud environments, it is essential for modern organizations, where objectives often include cost reduction, resource consumption, operational efficiency and load balancing etc, to implement multi objective solutions. Single-objective systems can fail in handling dynamic and diverse workloads. This study introduces the Multi-Objective Whale Optimization-Based Scheduler (WOA-Scheduler) for efficient task scheduling in cloud computing environments. Leveraging the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), the scheduler optimizes multiple objectives simultaneously, including cost, time, and load balancing. A key feature of the WOA-Scheduler is its flexibility in accommodating user-defined weights for different objectives, allowing organizations to prioritize optimization goals based on their specific requirements. Comparative analysis across various cloud environments demonstrates the superiority of the WOA-Scheduler over traditional single-objective approaches. By achieving a better balance between cost, time, and resource utilization, the scheduler enhances overall performance. Moreover, its multi-objective optimization capabilities enable dynamic adjustment of task assignments in response to changing workload conditions, ensuring efficient resource utilization and workload distribution. Overall, the WOA-Scheduler offers a customizable and adaptable solution for addressing the complexities of modern cloud services, ultimately improving performance and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to prioritize the main intentions behind investment in cryptocurrency, in spite of its volatile nature and no regulatory framework. Design/methodology/approach: This research paper has worked on collective constructs of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), the technology acceptance model (TAM) and social support theory with an added construct of financial literacy. A fuzzy analytical framework has been applied to prioritize the intentions of investors. Findings: The result indicates that "Social Influence (SI)" is the most influencing factor, while "Effort Expectancy (EE)" is the least influencing factor considered by investors. The subdimensions ranked in the top priority by investors are as follows: "I want to invest in cryptocurrencies because I have a good level of financial knowledge (FL1)"; "The people who are important to me will think that I should use cryptocurrencies (SI2)"; "I have the necessary resources to use cryptocurrencies (FC2)." The least importance is given to "It will be easy for me to become an expert in the use of cryptocurrencies (EE3)." Research limitations/implications: Few of the constructs of the UTAUT, the TAM and social support theory have been considered while prioritizing intentions. Different other intentions also prevail under different theories that need to be researched further. Practical implications: Unlike previous studies, this research adds the archetype of social commerce, social support and utility theories to analyze and prioritize the behavioral perspective of using cryptocurrencies in digital transactions. Originality/value: This paper fills the gap in the research study, along with assisting the regulators and cryptocurrency practitioners to widen their knowledge base and to recognize the prioritized intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spent hen meat is considered as poor because of comparatively higher toughness and chewiness. The present study was envisaged to find out the effect of barley flour on the quality characteristics of restructured spent hen meat blocks. Methods: Barley flour (1:1 hydration, w/w) was incorporated at the levels of 4, 6 and 8% by replacing the lean meat in pre-standardized restructured spent hen meat blocks (RSHMB) formulation and evaluated for physico-chemical, sensory and textural quality. Result: Product yield was significantly higher (P<0.05) and at 6 and 8% level of barley flour as compared to control. Fat percentage and shear force value of RSHMB was significantly lower (P<0.05) at 8% level of barley flour as compared to control. There were no significant differences in the scores for general appearance, texture, binding, juiciness and overall acceptability of RSHMB of control as well as those incorporated with different levels of barley flour. Texture profile analysis revealed that the hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness of RSHMB with 8% barley flour were significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of control. Optimum incorporation level of barley flour for the preparation of restructured spent hen meat blocks was adjudged as 8%. The production cost of RSHMB with 8% barley flour reduced by Rs. 18.4/Kg than that of control. The developed restructured spent hen meat blocks with 8% barley flour can be utilized as texture-modified nutritious soft food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic transcription termination (ITT) sites are currently identified by locating single and double-adjacent RNA hairpins downstream of the stop codon. ITTs for a limited number of genes/operons in only a few bacterial genomes are currently known. This lack of coverage is a lacuna in the existing ITT inference methods. We have studied the inter-operon regions of 13 genomes covering all major phyla in bacteria, for which good quality public RNA-seq data exist. We identify ITT sites in 87% of cases by predicting hairpin(s) and validate against 81% of cases for which the RNA-seq derived sites could be calculated. We identify 72% of these sites correctly, with 98% of them located ≤ 80 bases downstream of the stop codon. The predicted hairpins form a cluster (when present < 15 bases) in two-thirds of the cases, the remaining being single hairpins. The largest number of clusters is formed by two hairpins, and the occurrence decreases exponentially with an increasing number of hairpins in the cluster. Our study reveals that hairpins form an effective ITT unit when they act in concert in a cluster. Their pervasiveness along with single hairpin terminators corroborates a wider utilization of ITT mechanisms for transcription control across bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low dielectric constant (Low- k) films are used as inter layer dielectric (ILD) in nanoelectronic devices to reduce interconnect delay, crosstalk noise and power consumption. Tailoring capability of porous low- k films attracted more attention. Present work investigates comparative study of xerogel, aerogel and porogen based porous low- k films. Deposition of SiO2 and incorporation of less polar bonds in film matrix is confirmed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR). Refractive indices (RI) of xerogel, aerogel and porogen based low- k films observed to be as low as 1.25, 1.19 and 1.14, respectively. Higher porosity percentage of 69.46% is observed for porogen-based films while for shrinked xerogel films, it is lowered to 45.47%. Porous structure of low- k films has been validated by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The pore diameters of porogen based annealed samples were in the range of 3.53–25.50 nm. The dielectric constant (k) obtained from RI for xerogel, aerogel and porogen based films are 2.58, 2.20 and 1.88, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To assess the prescription pattern of antibiotics in dermatology OPD of a teaching tertiary care hospital. Methods All the prescriptions issued to the patients attending the DVL OPD from October 2019 to January 2020 were recorded and evaluated for antibiotics used. Results Out of the total number of prescriptions (21,015) issued in dermatology OPD in the study duration, prescriptions including antibiotics were 3,010. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for steroid induced rosacea followed by acne vulgaris followed by secondary infection over primary dermatosis. Oral, topical and injectable modes were used to administer antibiotics. The most common mode of administration was combination of oral and topical antibiotics. Total of 5,768 antibiotics drugs were prescribed in 3,010 prescriptions. Oral antibiotic drugs used in 2,679 prescriptions were 3,267, most common being doxycycline followed by cefadroxil. Injectables were prescribed only in 3 patients. Topical antibiotic prescriptions were 2,437. Total number of topical antibiotics drugs used were 2498, most common being metronidazole followed by clindamycin. Conclusion A good prescribing pattern was found in our study resulting in rational use of antibiotics in dermatology OPD. It was found that alternate therapy was considered wherever possible. Such study conducted periodically helps in identifying the mistakes and correcting them. Hence, aids in preventing antibiotic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive prevalence of algorithmic decision-making in societal domains necessitates that these algorithms satisfy reasonable notions of fairness. One compelling notion is that of individual fairness (IF), which advocates that similar individuals should be treated similarly (Dwork et al. 2012). In this paper, we extend the notion of IF to online contextual decisionmaking in settings where there exists a common notion of conduciveness of decisions as perceived by the affected individuals. We introduce two definitions: (i) fairness-acrosstime (FT) and (ii) fairness-in-hindsight (FH). FT requires the treatment of individuals to be individually fair relative to the past as well as future, while FH only requires individual fairness of a decision at the time of the decision. We show that these two definitions can have drastically different implications when the principal needs to learn the utility model. Linear regret relative to optimal individually fair decisions is generally unavoidable under FT. On the other hand, we design a new algorithm: Cautious Fair Exploration (CaFE), which satisfies FH and achieves order-optimal sublinear regret guarantees for a broad range of settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum linear ordering problem (MLOP) generalizes well-known combinatorial optimization problems such as minimum linear arrangement and minimum sum set cover. MLOP seeks to minimize an aggregated cost f(·)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$f(\cdot )$$\end{document} due to an ordering σ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\sigma $$\end{document} of the items (say [n]), i.e., minσ∑i∈[n]f(Ei,σ)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\min _{\sigma } \sum _{i\in [n]} f(E_{i,\sigma })$$\end{document}, where Ei,σ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$E_{i,\sigma }$$\end{document} is the set of items mapped by σ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\sigma $$\end{document} to indices [i]. Despite an extensive literature on MLOP variants and approximations for these, it was unclear whether the graphic matroid MLOP was NP-hard. We settle this question through non-trivial reductions from mininimum latency vertex cover and minimum sum vertex cover problems. We further propose a new combinatorial algorithm for approximating monotone submodular MLOP, using the theory of principal partitions. This is in contrast to the rounding algorithm by Iwata et al. (in: APPROX, 2012), using Lovász extension of submodular functions. We show a (2-1+ℓf1+|E|)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$(2-\frac{1+\ell _{f}}{1+|E|})$$\end{document}-approximation for monotone submodular MLOP where ℓf=f(E)maxx∈Ef({x})\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\ell _{f}=\frac{f(E)}{\max _{x\in E}f(\{x\})}$$\end{document} satisfies 1≤ℓf≤|E|\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$1 \le \ell _f \le |E|$$\end{document}. Our theory provides new approximation bounds for special cases of the problem, in particular a (2-1+r(E)1+|E|)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$(2-\frac{1+r(E)}{1+|E|})$$\end{document}-approximation for the matroid MLOP, where f=r\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$f = r$$\end{document} is the rank function of a matroid. We further show that minimum latency vertex cover is 43\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\frac{4}{3}$$\end{document}-approximable, by which we also lower bound the integrality gap of its natural LP relaxation, which might be of independent interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dengue and Chikungunya fever are arboviral diseases which are spread by a common vector. Being clinically indistinguishable, it is necessary to distinguish both either by molecular or serology testing. Aim: To estimate the seroprevalence of Dengue and Chikungunya mono-infection as well as dual infection in patients with acute febrile illness. Materials and Methods: Two hundred patients with acute febrile illness were enrolled from April 2015 to October 2016. Detailed clinical history was documented. Samples were collected and subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) testing. For qualitative data, frequency percentage table was used and association was done using Chi-square test. Results: Out of 200 patients, 8.5% had Chikungunya monoinfection and 41.5% patients had Dengue mono-infection. 4.5% patients had Dengue and Chikungunya co-infection. Most affected age group was 18-60 years wherein male preponderance was seen. In Chikungunya fever, 82.4% had morning stiffness and 35.3% had joint swelling; elbow and knee were the most commonly affected joints. In Chikungunya fever, 76.5% patients had restricted joint movements and 52.9% had Visual Analog Score (VAS) of 6-10. In Dengue fever, myalgia (67.5%) and rash (20.5%) were common symptoms. A total of 61.4% patients of Dengue fever had low platelet count. All Chikungunya cases and 88.1% Dengue cases detected by PCR had fever duration of less than five days. 85% of Chikungunya and 69% of Dengue cases detected by IgM ELISA had fever duration of more than five days. Conclusion: Diagnostic algorithms of acute febrile illness cases should include testing by both molecular and serology for both the viruses, which is the absolute need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic effect of plant growth regulators on axillary bud proliferation for mass clonal multiplication of Moringa oleifera Lam. (vern. drumstick) has been assessed for the first time. Treatment of decoated seeds with 1% (w/v) Bavistin for 60 min, 0.33% (w/v) streptocycline for 30 min, and 0.1% (w/v) HgCl2 for 3.5 min resulted in complete removal of the surface contaminants. Maximum seed germination (89.13%) was obtained on quarter-strength Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium. Culture of nodal segments on MS + 6-benzyladenine (BA) at 3 mg L−1 resulted in multiple shoot proliferation with ~ 18 shoots per explant. All combinations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) + kinetin (Kn) resulted in elongated shoots, while only lower concentrations of BA (0.5 mg L−1), along with IAA (0.5 to 2 mg L−1), or Kn (0.5 to 5 mg L−1), showed significant synergy in the shoot morphogenesis. In addition, the maximum (100%) rooting efficiency was attained on half-strength MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of IAA and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The rooted plants were successfully established in the greenhouse for acclimatization. Clonality of the raised plants was assessed using 15 random primers of Operon® technologies (OPT and OPF series), and eight primers resulted in significant amplification with distinct, identical, and reproducible bands that confirmed clonality of the micropropagated plants. The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of the synergistic effect of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on in vitro shoot regeneration and proliferation for clonal mass multiplication disease-free plantlets, which can be utilized to maximize the yield of healthy and genetically identical plants of drumstick tree, which is considered to be a miracle multipurpose tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an unsupervised approach for tweet clustering from large-scale Twitter repository in this paper. The amount of acquired data from streaming media like Twitter is vast in nature. They contain readily available information regarding important events taking place during the time span. Hence, it is indeed difficult to deploy supervised learning strategies for analyzing the tweets for meaningful information extraction. On top of that, the tweets are unstructured in nature given the diversities of the end-users who put the tweets. Given that, an unsupervised tweet-processing technique can be of immense help for different inference tasks including event extraction, sentiment analysis, to name a few. Based on the aforementioned bottlenecks of the majority of the existing techniques, we propose a novel unsupervised event detection strategy from streaming tweets. In this regard, we propose a self-learning max-margin clustering which deploys the notion of SVM in an unsupervised setup. We evaluate proposed system and compare it with the popular techniques from the literature using 6.5 million streaming tweets, collected in June 2017. In our experiments, self-learning-based max-margin clustering outperforms the techniques of literature in terms of precision, Silhouette score, and Calinski–Harabasz score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has reached an alarming situation, which led to a dangerous climatic condition. The irregular rainfalls and land degradation are the significant consequences of these climatic changes causing a decrease in crop productivity. The effect of drought and its tolerance mechanism, a comparative roots proteomic analysis of chickpea seedlings grown under hydroponic conditions for three weeks, performed at different time points using 2-Dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). After PD-Quest analysis, 110 differentially expressed spots subjected to MALDI-TOF/TOF and 75 spots identified with a significant score. These identified proteins classified into eight categories based on their functional annotation. Proteins involved in carbon and energy metabolism comprised 23% of total identified proteins include mainly glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, transaldolase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase. Proteins related to stress response (heat-shock protein, CS domain protein, and chitinase 2-like) contributed 16% of total protein spots followed by 13% involved in protein metabolism (adenosine kinase 2, and protein disulfide isomerase). ROS metabolism contributed 13% (glutathione S-transferase, ascorbate peroxidase, and thioredoxin), and 9% for signal transduction (actin-101, and 14-3-3-like protein B). Five percent protein identified for secondary metabolism (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase-1 and chalcone-flavononeisomerase 2) and 7% for nitrogen (N) and amino acid metabolism (glutamine synthetase and homocysteine methyltransferase). The abundance of some proteins validated by using Western blotting and Real-Time-PCR. The detailed information for drought-responsive root protein(s) through comparative proteomics analysis can be utilized in the future for genetic improvement programs to develop drought-tolerant chickpea lines. • Comparative proteomics study revealed 75 differentially expressed proteins of chickpea root under drought stress. • Illustrate on many biochemical pathways in stress condition employing the identified proteins. • Up-regulation of the proteins involved in ROS metabolism suggested amelioration of oxidative stress. • Drought also regulated key proteins related to carbon, energy and secondary metabolism, and signalling class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phakomatoses or Neurocutaneous syndromes are a heterogeneous group of disorders and have variable inheritance pattern. Currently, more than 30 entities are included in this group. These disorders primarily affect the central nervous system; however, skin, viscera, and other connective tissues can also be involved with variable clinical presentation. We will describe and illustrate the various radiological findings of the common entities through the iconography of the cases presented to our department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaffold modules known as aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase (aaRS)‐interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), such as AIMP1/p43, AIMP2/p38 and AIMP3/p18, are important in driving the assembly of multi‐aaRS (MARS) complexes in eukaryotes. Often, AIMPs contain an N‐terminal glutathione S‐transferase (GST)‐like domain and a C‐terminal OB‐fold tRNA‐binding domain. Recently, the apicomplexan‐specific Plasmodium falciparum p43 protein (Pfp43) has been annotated as an AIMP and its tRNA binding, tRNA import and membrane association have been characterized. The crystal structures of both the N‐ and C‐terminal domains of the Plasmodium vivax p43 protein (Pvp43), which is an ortholog of Pfp43, have been resolved. Analyses reveal the overall oligomeric structure of Pvp43 and highlight several notable features that show Pvp43 to be a soluble, cytosolic protein. The dimeric assembly of the N‐terminal GST‐like domain of Pvp43 differs significantly from canonical GST dimers, and it is tied to the C‐terminal tRNA‐binding domain via a linker region. This work therefore establishes a framework for dissecting the additional roles of p43 orthologs in eukaryotic multi‐protein MARS complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynaecological malignancy. It usually occurs in women older than 50 years, and because 75% of cases are diagnosed at stage III or IV it is associated with poor diagnosis. Despite the chemosensitivity of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, the majority of patients is relapsed and eventually dies. In addition to the challenge of early detection, its treatment presents several challenges like the route of administration, resistance to therapy with recurrence and specific targeting of cancer to reduce cytotoxicity and side effects. In ovarian cancer therapy, nanocarriers help overcome problems of poor aqueous solubility of chemotherapeutic drugs and enhance their delivery to the tumour sites either by passive or active targeting, and thus reducing adverse side effects to the healthy tissues. Moreover, the bioavailability to the tumour site is increased by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) mechanism. The present review aims to describe the current conventional treatment with special reference to passively and actively targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs) towards specific receptors designed against ovarian cancer to overcome the drawbacks of conventional delivery. Conclusively, targeted nanocarriers would optimise the intra-tumour distribution, followed by drug delivery into the intracellular compartment. These features may contribute to greater therapeutic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronically discharging ear is a common cause of morbidity in developing countries, and it is also associated with intratemporal and intracranial complications. The surgeon is often able to detect the disease. However, cholesteatoma in the "hidden areas" like anterior epitympanic recess and sinus tympani can be missed. Facial nerve involvement and cholesteatomatous erosion of the bony labyrinth are dreaded complications, the extent of which cannot be assessed completely on clinical examination. Adding to the complexity are the various variations in anatomy like high riding jugular bulb and aberrant internal carotid artery which could lead to catastrophic complications during surgery if left undetected preoperatively. HRCT temporal bone is useful to detect the extent of the disease, various complications, and guide the surgeon for pre-operative planning. In this review, we go through the various HRCT imaging features of acquired cholesteatoma, a reporting template, and a few words about imaging of the post-operative ear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hexane soluble extract of Curcuma longa (Turmeric) [herbal medicament (HM)] developed by Central Drug Research Institute, India, as a new antistroke agent. It contains carbonyl as well as non‐carbonyl compounds. To see the activity of non‐carbonyl compounds, HM was reacted with semicarbazide hydrochloride to remove the carbonyl compounds. This chemically modified fraction [non‐carbonyl Curcuma longa (NCCL)] of HM was found to be active at lower dose than HM against endothelial mediated inflammation in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion induced rats. It reduced significantly the serum CK‐MB levels, inflammatory cytokine mediators (TNF‐α, IL‐6, IFN‐γ), plasma endothelial microparticle level and also found useful in improving the endothelial functionality. It was also found active in anti‐inflammatory and cytotoxic activity for sepsis and leukemia. To find out the compounds that are responsible for its enhanced activity in comparison of HM, we have isolated two major peaks present in the high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of NCCL and their structures were characterized. Based on the characterization, we found that these compounds are not the non‐carbonyl compounds present in HM but the new cyclic structures formed by the reaction of ar‐turmerone, α‐turmerone, and β‐turmerone with semicarbazide hydrochloride used in the reaction. This hypothesis was validated by isolation of ar‐turmerone, α‐turmerone, and β‐turmerone from HM and reacting them with semicarbazide hydrochloride using the same reaction conditions of NCCL formation. The same mass spectral data and same retention time (RT) value in high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis further confirms our hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though empirical testing is broadly used to evaluate heuristics, there are shortcomings with how it is often applied in practice. In a systematic review of Max-Cut and quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) heuristics papers,we found only 4% publish source code, only 14% compare heuristics with identical termination criteria, and most experiments are performed with an artificial, homogeneous set of problem instances. To address these limitations, we implement and release as open-source a code-base of 10 Max-Cut and 27 QUBO heuristics. We perform heuristic evaluation using cloud computing on a library of 3,296 instances. This large-scale evaluation provides insight into the types of problem instances for which each heuristic performs well or poorly. Because no single heuristic outperforms all others across all problem instances, we use machine learning to predict which heuristic will work best on a previously unseen problem instance, a key question facing practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andrographolide, a diterpenoid lactone obtained from plant Andrographis paniculata, is used in South Asian countries to relieve various inflammatory symptoms. To study the effects of this agent, the impact of andrographolide on production of inflammatory mediators were delineated in mouse peritoneal macrophages (PMϕ). Inflammatory mediators like nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-6 and related molecular mechanisms of andrographolide-mediated inhibition of enzymes/transcription factors were studied. In addition, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of andrographolide was evaluated in an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. The results indicated that andrographolide clearly inhibited the production of NO and TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide-activated PMϕ in a dose-related manner. Immunoblot analyses revealed that andrographolide suppressed activation of both inducible NO synthase and cyclo-oxygenase-2 by directly targeting nuclear transcription factor (NF)-κB. Complete Freund’s Adjuvant-induced paw edema in rats was also significantly inhibited by andrographolide treatment. From the data, we concluded that andrographolide imparted anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing two key inflammatory enzymes and a signaling pathway that mediates expression of variety of inflammatory cytokines/agents in situ. It is plausible that eventually, after further toxicologic characterization, andrographolide might be useful as a drug for the clinical treatment of various inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or diseases associated with joint pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the exception of multiple myelomas, osteosarcoma is the most frequently occurring primary malignant bone tumor with an overall incidence of 1:100,000/year. It has greatest predilection for the metaphyses, most frequently femur and tibia. However, osteosarcomas affecting the craniofacial bones are infrequent. Two main types: intramedullary and juxtacortical varieties are seen. Juxtacortical variety is further subdivided into periosteal and parosteal variants. Due to its rarity, only 13 cases of parosteal osteosarcoma have been reported till date. A 35-year-old male patient with affected postirradiated mandible is being reported as the 14th case of this kind with its unique benign presentation and less aggressive nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the largest cancer killer among women in most developing countries including India. Although, various drugs have been developed for cervical cancer, treatment with these drugs often results in a number of undesirable side effects, toxicity and multidrug resistance (MDR). Also, the outcomes for cervical cancer patients remain poor after surgery and chemo radiation. Methods: A literature search (for drugs and delivery systems against cervical cancer) was performed on PubMed and through Google. The present review discuss about various methods including its current conventional treatment with special reference to recent advances in delivery systems encapsulating various anticancer drugs and natural plant products for targeting towards cervical cancer. The role of photothermal therapy, gene therapy and radiation therapy against cervical cancer is also discussed. Results: Systemic/targeted drug delivery systems including liposomes, nanoparticles, hydrogels, dendrimers etc. and localized drug delivery systems like cervical patches, films, rings etc. are safer than the conventional chemotherapy which has further been proved by the several drug delivery systems undergoing clinical trials. Conclusion: Novel approaches for the aggressive treatment of cervical cancer will optimistically result in decreased side effects as well as toxicity, frequency of administration of existing drugs, to overcome MDR and to increase the survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ransembrane mp24 omain/p24 (TMED) family are essential components of the vesicular transport machinery. Members of the TMED family serve as cargo receptors implicated in selection and packaging of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal proteins into coatomer (COP) II coated vesicles for anterograde transport to the Golgi. Deletion or mutations of Tmed genes in yeast and Drosophila results in ER-stress and activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR leads to expression of genes and proteins important for expanding the folding capacity of the ER, degrading misfolded proteins, and reducing the load of new proteins entering the ER. The UPR is activated in on-lcoholic atty ver sease (NAFLD) in human and mouse and may contribute to the development and the progression of NAFLD. Tmed2, the sole member of the vertebrate Tmed β subfamily, exhibits tissue and temporal specific patterns of expression in embryos and developing placenta but is ubiquitously expressed in all adult organs. We previously identified a single point mutation, the 99J mutation, in the signal sequence of Tmed2 in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis screen. Histological and molecular analysis of livers from heterozygous mice carrying the 99J mutation, Tmed299J/+, revealed a requirement for TMED2 in liver health. We show that Tmed299J/+ mice had decreased levels of TMED2 and TMED10, dilated endoplasmic reticulum membrane, and increased phosphorylation of eIF2α, indicating ER-stress and activation of the UPR. Increased expression of Srebp1a and 2 at the newborn stage and increased incidence of NAFLD were also found in Tmed299J/+ mice. Our data establishes Tmed299J/+ mice as a novel mouse model for NAFLD and supports a role for TMED2 in liver health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the advantages of ventilation with i-gel™ and laryngeal mask airway Supreme (LMA-Supreme™) has been well documented, they are still under debate for surgeries requiring flexion and extension of neck such as thyroid surgery, tonsillectomy, and neck exploration. Hence, we conducted a study to demonstrate the effect of neck flexion and extension in spontaneously breathing anesthetized pediatric patients utilizing i-gel™ and LMA-Supreme™. Methods: A prospective, randomized comparative study was conducted on sixty children, thirty each in i-gel™ and LMA-Supreme™ group. Oropharyngeal leak pressure (OPLP), fiberoptic view of vocal cords, and exhaled tidal volume were evaluated in neutral, flexion, and extension neck positions in spontaneously breathing children. Results: OPLP for i-gel™ was found to be significantly higher in flexion (29.00 ± 1.95 cm H2O, P < 0.001) and lower in extension (21.07 ± 2.08 cm H2O, P < 0.001) as compared to neutral (24.67 ± 2.08 cm H2O). Similar results were observed for LMA-Supreme™ which showed significantly higher OPLP in flexion (24.73 ± 2.26, P < 0.001 respectively) and lower in extension (18.67 ± 1.42 cm H2O, P < 0.001) as compared to neutral (20.87 ± 1.80 cm H2O). Worsening of fiberoptic view occurs for i-gel™ and LMA-Supreme™ in flexion (10/12/5/3/0 and 11/14/2/2/1, P < 0.05) as compared to neutral position (17/10/2/1/0 and 15/12/1/1/1), respectively. Significant change did not occur in extension. Ventilation worsening occurred in flexion as compared to neutral position evidenced by significant decrease in exhaled tidal volume (92.90 ± 11.42 and 94.13 ± 7.75 ml, P < 0.05) as compared to neutral (100.23 ± 12.31 and 101.50 ± 8.26 ml) for i-gel™ and LMA-Supreme™, respectively. Conclusion: Neck flexion caused a significant increase in leak pressure in both i-gel™ and LMA-Supreme™. With deterioration of fiberoptic view and ventilation, both devices should be used cautiously in pediatric patients in extreme flexion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TNT, or 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a common explosive that can contaminate soil and groundwater in production sites, military training areas, and disposal locations. The compound is highly toxic; therefore, there is an urgent need to rehabilitate the impacted environments. Harnessing the microbial ability to biodegrade TNT into environmentally harmless compound(s) is one approach to remediating contaminated sites. In our study, we report on the genomic and metabolic ability of Stenotrophomonas strain SG1 to degrade TNT under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The bacterial strain SG1 was first isolated as a contaminant from a culture of Diaphorobacter sp. strain DS2 over minimal media supplemented with TNT. The draft genome assembly of strain SG1 is ∼4.7 Mb and is distributed among 358 contigs. The homology search against the custom database of enzymes responsible for TNT biodegradation revealed the presence of three N-ethylmaleimide reductases (NemA) with a defined KEGG ortholog and KEGG pathway of TNT degradation. The presence of respiratory nitrate reductases has also been mapped, which supports denitrification under anaerobic conditions. Experimentally, the TNT transformation rate accelerated when carbon sources, such as sodium acetate, sodium citrate, sodium succinate, sucrose, and glucose (final concentration of 5 mM), were added. Citrate promoted the highest growth and TNT transformation ratio (88.35%) in 120 h. With the addition of 5 mM ammonium chloride, TNT completely disappeared in the citrate and sucrose-containing treatments in 120 h. However, higher biomass was obtained in the sucrose and glucose-containing treatments in 120 h. During incubation, the formation of amino dinitrotoluene isomers, dinitrotoluene isomers, trinitrobenzene, azoxy isomers, diaryl hydroxylamines, and corresponding secondary amines was confirmed by GC/MS and UPLC/MS. 2-Amino-4-nitrotoluene, 4-amino-2-nitrotoluene, and 2-amino-6-nitrotoluene were also identified in the culture supernatant by GC/MS. Under anaerobic conditions, TNT completely disappeared in the citrate and citrate plus nitrate treatments. Since the strain shows the ability to remove TNT, this research should be useful in basic research and practical applications for removing TNT from wastewater. [Display omitted] • SG1 could transform TNT (100 μM) completely under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. • Enzymes that transform TNT have been found in the genome of SG1. • Citrate accelerated the transformation of TNT. • TNT is utilized as an electron acceptor anaerobically and co-metabolized aerobically. • TNT transformation was higher under anaerobic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this work was to study the effect of aerobic packaging on storage quality of functional restructured spent hen meat slices (FRSHMS) at refrigerated temperature (4 ± 1°C).Design/methodology/approach FRSHMS were prepared by replacing the lean meat with different binders and extenders in pre-standardized restructured spent hen meat slices formulation. The slices of control and FRSHMS were aerobically packaged in LDPE and analyzed for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory quality.Findings The pH of FRSHMS was significantly higher (p = 0.03) than control on 0 and 7th day. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values of both control and FRSHMS increased significantly on 21st day of storage as compared to 0 day. TBA value of FRSHMS was significantly lower (p = 0.04) as compared to that of control on 21st day. Psychrophils were detected on 14th day of storage and thereafter increased significantly (p = 0.00) in both control and FRSHMS. Coliforms were detected only on 21st day of storage in both control and FRSHMS. The sensory attributes of control, and FRSHMS were affected from 14th day onwards, but the products remained quite acceptable with sensory rating between good to very good up to 21 days during refrigerated storage.Research limitations/implications The trials can be further carried in modified atmospheric packaging to evaluate storage stability of developed restructured spent hen meat slices.Originality/value The paper has demonstrated that the FRSHMS could be stored safely in aerobic packaging for 21 days at refrigeration temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:A user-centred design was used to develop and test the feasibility of an immersive 3D virtual reality wheelchair training tool for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method:A Wheelchair Training System was designed and modelled using the Oculus Rift headset and a Dynamic Control wheelchair joystick. The system was tested by clinicians and expert wheelchair users with SCI. Data from focus groups and individual interviews were analysed using a general inductive approach to thematic analysis. Results:Four themes emerged: Realistic System, which described the advantages of a realistic virtual environment; a Wheelchair Training System, which described participants’ thoughts on the wheelchair training applications; Overcoming Resistance to Technology, the obstacles to introducing technology within the clinical setting; and Working outside the Rehabilitation Bubble which described the protective hospital environment. Conclusions:The Oculus Rift Wheelchair Training System has the potential to provide a virtual rehabilitation setting which could allow wheelchair users to learn valuable community wheelchair use in a safe environment. Nausea appears to be a side effect of the system, which will need to be resolved before this can be a viable clinical tool. Implications for RehabilitationImmersive virtual reality shows promising benefit for wheelchair training in a rehabilitation setting.Early engagement with consumers can improve product development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Andrographolide, a diterpenoid, is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It can be isolated from various plants of the genus Andrographis, commonly known as 'creat'. This purified compound has been tested for its anti-inflammatory effects in various stressful conditions, such as ischemia, pyrogenesis, arthritis, hepatic or neural toxicity, carcinoma, and oxidative stress, Apart from its anti-inflammatory effects, andrographolide also exhibits immunomodulatory effects by effectively enhancing cytotoxic T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, phagocytosis, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). All these properties of andrographolide form the foundation for the use of this miraculous compound to restrain virus replication and virus-induced pathogenesis. The present article covers antiviral properties of andrographolide in variety of viral infections, with the hope of developing of a new highly potent antiviral drug with multiple effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of PLGA-Nanoparticles therapeutics capable of controlled loading and synchronized release of multiple therapeutic agents remains a difficult challenge in drug delivery and polymer chemistry. Herein, we report the synthesis of PLGA-Nanoparticles that carry accurate weight ratios of Amphotericin B and Doxorubicin. To our knowledge, this work provides the example of macrophage targeted therapy against visceral leishmaniasis by incorporating macrophage specific ligand - Lectin which specifically targets to the localized target sites. The highly convergent synthetic approach opens the door to new Nanoparticles based combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with mental illness often cannot perform day to day activities due to a psychiatric or emotional disorder. Schizophrenia is one such psychiatric disorder characterized by worsening self-care ability with progressing mental illness. This disease may potentially deteriorate oral health by affecting the subject's ability to perform oral hygiene measures. Literature on oral disease manifestations in schizophrenia is limited. Lack of desire for oral health care as well as generally poor awareness of oral health issues in these patients, compounded further by side effects of medications, may complicate dental management in schizophrenic patients. The present review explores clinical features and possible factors associated with oral health status among those with Schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on research examining potential risk factors for recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) and a test of monoclonal antibodies to Clostridium difficile toxins A and B to prevent CDI recurrence (rCDI). It states that univariate and multivariate logistic regression was utilized in examining associations between rCDI and possible risk factors. It examines clinical and immunological risk factors in rCDI and the protective effects of toxin B antibodies to prevent rCDI.

Purpose – This study aims to evaluate the effect of oat meal on the quality characteristics of restructured spent hen meat blocks. Spent hen meat is considered as poor because of comparatively higher toughness and less juiciness. Design/methodology/approach – Oat meal (1:1 hydration, w/w) was incorporated at the levels of 4, 6 and 8 per cent by replacing the lean meat in prestandardized restructured spent hen meat blocks formulation and assessed for physico-chemical and sensory quality. Findings – The product yield and pH of restructured spent hen meat blocks (RSHMB) were significantly higher at 8 per cent oat meal as compared to control. Shear force values of RSHMB with various levels of oat meal incorporation were significantly lower than control. There were no significant differences in the general appearance, texture, binding, juiciness and overall acceptability scores of RSHMB with different levels of oat meal and control. However, there was a marginal increase in binding and juiciness of RSHMB with increase in the level of oat meal. The optimum incorporation level of oat meal in RSHMB was adjudged as 8 per cent, which also resulted in reduction of production cost by Rs. 14.4/kg as compared to control. Research limitations/implications – The trials can be further carried to evaluate the storage stability of developed RSHMB. Originality/value – The paper has demonstrated potential of oat meal as an extender in the development of RSHMB, which also reduced the cost of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]