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Objectives: To evaluate Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BAER) as an objective testing of hearing assessment in icteric babies and correlate the abnormalities with serum bilirubin levels.Methods: BAER recordings were taken in 30 icteric ferm neonates at birth, at peak of serum bilirubin levels and on a follow-up visit at 2-4 months of age.Results: Mean latency of waves and interwave intervals on the BAER records were prolonged in icteric babies compared to the control group suggesting early bilirubin encephalopathy. Abnormal records were obtained in 73.3% cases and the abnormality persisted in the follow-up tracings of 23.3% of the study group.Conclusion: BAER is a sample, reliable and effective technique for determining auditory functions in the neonates especially changes of early bilirubin toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lupeol has been shown to possess antiarthritic activity through possible suppression of the immune system. As seen in the following studies, it was found to suppress various immune factors such as the phagocytic (cell-killing) activity of macrophages, T-lymphocyte activity that included CD4+T cell mediated cytokine generation. Assessment of T cells and their intracellular content of cytokines was carried out by flow cytometric analysis in Balb/c mice. Oral administration of lupeol at doses of 12.5-200 mg/kg p.o. inhibited CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell counts and cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma (Th1) and IL-4 (Th2). Cytometric bead array (CBA) technology was applied to carry out simultaneous measurement of multiple serum cytokines. The oral LD(0) in mice was more than 2 g/kg body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The medicinal plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, such as Solena heterophylla Lour. fruits, have significant ethnobotanical value and are readily accessible in North East India., Aims: We conducted a study on Solena heterophylla Lour. fruits to evaluate their anti-diabetic activity in vivo, standardize their HPTLC, and profile their metabolites using LC-QTOF-MS. We aimed to explore the molecular mechanism behind their effects on oxidative stress and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)., Methods: Firstly, the ethyl acetate fraction of Solena heterophylla Lour. fruits was standardized using Cucurbitacin B as a standard marker by conducting HPTLC evaluation. Next, we delved into analyzing metabolite profiling. In addition, the standardized fraction was utilized in an experimental study to investigate the molecular mechanism of action in an in vivo high-fat diet and a low dose of streptozotocin-induced diabetic model., Results: We have reportedly identified 52 metabolites in the ethyl acetate fraction of Solena heterophylla (EASH). In the in vitro tests, it has been observed that this extract from plants possesses notable inhibitory properties against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Solena heterophylla fruits with high levels of Cucurbitacin B (2.29% w/w) helped lower FBG levels in animals with EASH treatment. EASH treatment reduced HbA1c levels and normalized liver lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme levels. SGOT, SGPT, and SALP serum enzyme levels also returned to normal., Conclusion: Based on the current evaluation, it was found that EASH exhibited encouraging hypoglycemic effects in diabetic rats induced by a low dose of STZ and high-fat diet, which warrants further investigation., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague (Apiaceae), commonly known as "Ajwain" is distributed throughout India. Ajwain fruits contain fiber, carbohydrates, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. The fruits also yield a small amount of essential oil, with Thymol as the principal constituent. Ajwain has various pharmacological activities like anti-leishmanial, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antispasmodic, nematocidal, and anthelmintic. The fruits are of high therapeutic value; thus, it becomes quite essential to evaluate the quality of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague to authenticate and ensure its therapeutic and nutritional properties. The ethyl acetate fraction of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague fruits exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content values of 149.55 ± 1.19 mg rutin equivalent and 682.85 ± 3.68 mg gallic acid equivalent, respectively. Metabolite profiling of the ethyl acetate fraction using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry analysis resulted in identifying 19 phytomolecules. A validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography method was developed to quantify standard phytomolecules in the ethyl acetate fraction. The highest and lowest percentages of phytomarker were found to be caffeic acid (5.51% ± 0.16% w/w) and gallic acid (1.29% ± 0.09% w/w), respectively. This validated rapid, accurate, and precise method for standardization of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague will be beneficial for its quality evaluation as well as the derived products., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Noble metal nanostructures are known to confine photon energies to their dimensions with resonant oscillations of their conduction electrons, leading to the ultrahigh enhancement of electromagnetic fields in numerous spectroscopic methods. Of all the possible plasmonic nanomaterials, silver offers the most intriguing properties, such as best field enhancements and tunable resonances in visible-to-near infrared regions. This review highlights the recent developments in silver nanostructured substrates for plasmonic sensing with the main emphasis on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) over the past decade. The main focus is on the synthesis of silver nanostructured substrates via physical vapor deposition and chemical synthesis routes and their applications in each sensing regime. A comprehensive review of recent literature on various possible silver nanostructures prepared through these methodologies is discussed and critically reviewed for various planar and optical fiber-based substrates.

Here, we present a portable, selective and cost-effective fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based platform for early detection of Dengue virus. NS1 protein was targeted as the biomarker of dengue. Antibody-antigen specific binding was exploited for NS1 antigen detection. The binding of antibody was assisted by a self-assembled monolayer of alkanethiols on the surface of silver-coated unclad fiber. A wavelength interrogation mode of SPR was utilized to detect NS1 antigen in the dynamic range of 0.2-2.0 μg/ml. The 40 nm thick silver coated optical fiber exhibited resonance wavelength around 500 nm and change in resonance wavelength was monitored for each attachment step on the fiber. The sensitivity at the lowest concentration of NS1 antigen was found to be 54.7 nm/(μg/ml). The limit of detection of the sensor was found to be 0.06 μg/ml, which lies in the physiological range of NS1 protein present in the infected blood, hence the present technique may provide a very early detection advantage. Real blood serum samples were also successfully tested on the set-up, confirming compatibility with the conventional methods. The presented field-deployable platform has wide applications in mass monitoring of dengue, such as during outbreaks and epidemics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique is a remarkable tool, with applications in almost every area of science and technology. Sensing is the foremost and majorly explored application of SPR technique. The last few decades have seen a surge in SPR sensor research related to sensitivity enhancement and innovative target materials for specificity. Nanotechnological advances have augmented the SPR sensor research tremendously by employing nanomaterials in the design of SPR-based sensors, owing to their manifold properties. Carbon-based nanomaterials, like graphene and its derivatives (graphene oxide (GO)), (reduced graphene oxide (rGO)), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and their nanocomposites, have revolutionized the field of sensing due to their extraordinary properties, such as large surface area, easy synthesis, tunable optical properties, and strong compatible adsorption of biomolecules. In SPR based sensors carbon-based nanomaterials have been used to act as a plasmonic layer, as the sensitivity enhancement material, and to provide the large surface area and compatibility for immobilizing various biomolecules, such as enzymes, DNA, antibodies, and antigens, in the design of the sensing layer. In this review, we report the role of carbon-based nanomaterials in SPR-based sensors, their current developments, and challenges.

In the present study, the sensitivities of the fiber optic propagating surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based refractive index sensors have been evaluated experimentally for a tapered probe of different taper ratio. The tapering of the fiber probe has been carried out via a heating and stretching technique. The SPR probe has been fabricated by coating a thin film of silver over the core of the tapered optical fiber, while the LSPR probe has been prepared by the coating of the gold nanoparticles over the core of the tapered optical fiber. The increase in the taper ratio increases the sensitivity of both kinds of the probes. The experimentally obtained sensitivity has been compared with the sensitivity of the SPR-based fiber optic refractive index sensors fabricated using various techniques and reported in the literature.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based dopamine sensor is realized using the state-of-art technique of molecular imprinting over an optical fiber substrate. Polypyrrole (PPy) is depicted as an effective polymer for the imprinting of dopamine through a green synthesis approach. Sensitivity of the probe is enhanced by the augmenting effect of surface imprinting of dopamine in polypyrrole over multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). To ensure the permselectivity of the probe towards dopamine molecules, a cation exchange polymer, nafion, is utilized as a membrane over imprinted sites to reduce the interference from anionic analytes like ascorbic acid and uric acid at physiological pH. The probe is characterized for a wide range of dopamine concentration from 0 to 10 -5 M in artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Various probe parameters are varied to maximize the sensitivity of the sensor. The sensor possesses 18.9 pM as the limit of detection (LOD) which is lowest of those reported in the literature. The manifestation of sensing probe over an optical fiber along with the improved LOD makes the approach highly advantageous in terms of stability, repeatability, online remote monitoring, fast response, and miniaturization for its in vivo/in vitro applications in clinical sensing of dopamine., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this Letter, experimental observation of dissipative rogue waves (DRWs) due to spectral filtering induced pulse instabilities in a mode-locked ytterbium (Yb) fiber laser has been presented. A semiconductor saturable absorber mirror was used to mode-lock the linear cavity laser and a chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) was used for dispersion management, which also acted as a spectral filter and output coupler. Under stable conditions, the cavity delivered dispersion managed dissipative solitons of 447 fs duration and 0.69 nJ pulse energy at 10.19 MHz repetition rate with uniform intensity distribution over a long time span. As the spectral width increased with pump power, random intensity fluctuations were observed in the pulse train due to the filtering effect of the CFBG. Employing a dispersive Fourier transform by stretching the output pulse train in time allowed the existence of DRWs more than 4 times stronger than the significant wave height to be observed. Further increments of pump power led to a stable multi-pulsing state.

A novel surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based fiber optic arsenic [As (III)] sensor is presented using α-Fe 2 O 3 /SnO 2 core-shell nanostructure [abbreviated as (α-Fe/Sn) CS] synthesized using hydrolysis. Due to its extraordinary properties, such as very large surface area, great adsorption capabilities, and chemical reactivity, α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles offer excellent sensitivity and selectivity for As (III), while SnO 2 shows great catalytic properties. To achieve the best sensing performance, the (α-Fe/Sn) CS is synthesized at different temperatures, and its morphological study is carried out using transmission electron microscopy. The performance of the probe fabricated over the silver-coated unclad core of the fiber with optimized fabrication temperature and attachment time of (α-Fe/Sn) CS is investigated for 0-100 μg/L concentration of As (III). The sensor possesses the limit of detection of 0.47 μg/L. Further, the roles of common interferands in sensor performance are investigated. The sensor possesses the advantages of real-time detection, capability of remote sensing, and online monitoring, which uphold its industrial application.

A lossy mode resonance (LMR) based sensor for urinary p-cresol testing on optical fiber substrate is developed. The sensor probe fabrication includes dip coating of nanocomposite layer of zinc oxide and molybdenum sulphide (ZnO/MoS 2 ) over unclad core of optical fiber as the transducer layer followed by the layer of molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) as the recognition medium. The addition of molybdenum sulphide in the transducer layer increases the absorption of light in the medium which enhances the LMR properties of zinc oxide thereby increasing the conductivity and hence the sensitivity of the sensor. The sensor probe is characterized for p-cresol concentration range from 0µM (reference sample) to 1000µM in artificially prepared urine. Optimizations of various probe fabrication parameters are carried to bring out the sensor's optimal performance with a sensitivity of 11.86nm/µM and 28nM as the limit of detection (LOD). A two-order improvement in LOD is obtained as compared to the recently reported p-cresol sensor. The proposed sensor possesses a response time of 15s which is 8 times better than that reported in the literature utilizing electrochemical method. Its response time is also better than the p-cresol sensor currently available in the market for the medical field. Thus, with a fast response, significant stability and repeatability, the proposed sensor holds practical implementation possibilities in the medical field. Further, the realization of sensor probe over optical fiber substrate adds remote sensing and online monitoring feasibilities., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Malaria, despite being treatable as well as preventable, is still quite prevalent in our country and is responsible for a large number of deaths. Though Govt. of India (GOI) has launched anti-malaria program since 1953 but is yet to achieve a zero malaria status. In SE Asia, two small countries, Maldives and Sri Lanka, have been declared Malaria free by WHO. Hence, we need to think why we cannot achieve this status? For this we need to study how these two countries were successful and what are our limitations/pitfalls. The medical profession has a great role to play. Not only we have to advise GOI to formulate the correct policy but also we need to plug the rampant pitfalls in our practice. Implementation of WHO's 3 T (Test, treat and track) policy can be a table turner.

Fabrication and characterization of a surface plasmon resonance based fiber optic xanthine sensor using entrapment of xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme in several nanostructures of tantalum (v) oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) have been reported. Chemical route was adopted for synthesizing Ta 2 O 5 nanoparticles, nanorods, nanotubes and nanowires while Ta 2 O 5 nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique. The synthesized Ta 2 O 5 nanostructures were characterized by photoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Visible spectra and X-ray diffraction pattern. The probes were fabricated by coating an unclad core of the fiber with silver layer followed by the deposition of XO entrapped Ta 2 O 5 nanostructures. The crux of sensing mechanism relies on the modification of dielectric function of sensing layer upon exposure to xanthine solution of diverse concentrations, reflected in terms of shift in resonance wavelength. The sensing probe coated with XO entrapped Ta 2 O 5 nanofibers has been turned out to possess maximum sensitivity amongst the synthesized nanostructures. The probe was optimized in terms of pH of the sample and the concentration of XO entrapped in Ta 2 O 5 nanofibers. The optimized sensing probe possesses a remarkably good sensitivity of 26.2nm/µM in addition to linear range from 0 to 3µM with an invincible LOD value of 0.0127µM together with a response time of 1min. Furthermore, probe selectivity with real sample analysis ensure the usage of the sensor for practical scenario. The results reported open a novel perspective towards a sensitive, rapid, reliable and selective detection of xanthine., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of an optical fiber sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique for the simultaneous determination of lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) metal ions in aqueous samples. Two cascade channels over a single optical fiber are fabricated by removing cladding from two well-separated regions of the fiber. SPR working as a transducing mechanism for the sensor is realized by coating thin films of copper and silver over unclad cores of channel I and channel II, respectively. Ion-imprinted nanoparticles for both ions are separately synthesized and coated over the metal-coated unclad cores of the fiber as the recognition layers for sensor fabrication. A first channel having layer of Pb(II) ion-imprinted nanoparticles detects Pb(II) ions and a second channel having layer of Cu(II) ion-imprinted nanoparticles are used for the detection of Cu(II) ions. Both channels are characterized using the wavelength interrogation method. The sensor operates in the range between 0 to 1000  μg/L and 0 to 1000  mg/L for Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions, respectively. These ranges cover water resources and the human body for these ions. The sensitivities of channel I and channel II are found to be 8.19×104  nm/(μg/L) and 4.07×105  nm/(mg/L) near the lowest concentration of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions, respectively. The sensor can detect concentrations of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions as low as 4.06×10-12  g/L and 8.18×10-10  g/L, respectively, which are the least among the reported values in the literature. Further, the probe is simple, cost effective, highly selective, and applicable for online monitoring and remote sensing., ((2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).)

Keeping a child healthy is the most important priority of every parent. The child can be kept healthy by ensuring exclusive breastfeeding for first 6 mo of life, maintaining healthy weight throughout the childhood, providing adequate and balanced diet, promoting regular physical activity and adequate sleep, keeping a watch on all the parameters of development and referring the child to the specialist whenever deviation from normal is suspected. Proper and timely immunization as per the prevailing guidelines must be done to prevent serious infections. Stress should also be given on promoting oral as well as mental health besides other important general measures to improve the health of the child.

A label-free technique for the detection of triacylglycerides by a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based biosensor is demonstrated. An LSPR-based fiber-optic sensor probe is fabricated by immobilizing lipase enzyme on silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) coated on an unclad segment of a plastic clad optical fiber. The size and shape of nanoparticles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. The peak absorbance wavelength changes with concentration of triacylglycerides surrounding the sensor probe, and sensitivity is estimated from shift in the peak absorbance wavelength as a function of concentration. The fabricated sensor was characterized for the concentration of triacylglyceride solution in the range 0 to 7 mM. The sensor shows the best sensitivity at a temperature of 37°C and pH 7.4 of the triacylglycerides emulsion with a response time of 40 s. A sensitivity of 28.5  nm/mM of triacylglyceride solution is obtained with a limit of detection of 0.016 mM in the entire range of triacylglycerides. This compact biosensor shows good selectivity, stability, and reproducibility in the entire physiological range of triacylglycerides and is well-suited to real-time online monitoring and remote sensing., ((2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).)

A facile approach is presented for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA), based on fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (FOSPR) combined with molecular imprinting (MI). The probe is fabricated by exploiting the plasmonic property of silver thin film and vinyl-functionalised carbon nanotube-based MIP platform. BSA template molecules are imprinted on the MIP layer coated over multi-walled carbon nanotubes to ensure high specificity of the probe in the interfering environments. In addition, FOSPR endorses the sensor capability of real-time and remote sensing along with very high sensitivity due to the use of nanostructured MI platform. The response of the probe is considered in terms of the absorbance spectrum recorded for various concentrations of BSA. The sensor shows a wide dynamic range of 0-350 ng l -1 with a considerably linear response up to 100 ng l -1 in the peak absorbance wavelength with BSA concentration. A highest sensitivity of 0.862 nm per ng l -1 is achieved for the lowest concentration of BSA and it decreases with the increase in BSA concentration. The performance of the present sensor is compared with those reported in the literature in terms of the limit of detection. It is found that the probe possesses a lowest LOD of 0.386 ng l -1 in addition to other advantages such as real-time online monitoring, high sensitivity, high specificity, and remote sensing.

A detailed primeval study on the lossy mode resonance (LMR) behavior of zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated optical fiber as a refractive index sensor is carried out. Theoretical evaluation predicts ZnO as a good choice for the LMR-based chemical and gas sensor operating in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. To confirm, the optical fiber probe has been fabricated with an optimized film thickness of ZnO over an unclad core of fiber and characterized. Additionally, an LMR-based nanosensor platform utilizing ZnO has also been investigated to find the compatibility of a nanotechnological LMR sensor. The nanostructured LMR sensors have shown enhanced sensitivity in comparison to a bulk layered probe.

Introduction: The organ epididymis is secured the name considering it functioned as an appendix to the testis; earlier testis was called as didymi. Regarding the length of human epididymis, several values are attributed by different authors. The present study was aimed to find out the pattern, total length and inner surface area of human epididymis., Materials and Methods: The study was conducted by employing microsurgical procedures on five testes from unclaimed human dead bodies., Results: Caput was formed by few tubes interconnecting at three levels. These tubes led to corpus, which in turn was having more number of tubes interconnecting at different levels. Tubules were many looking like a mesh. United tubes of corpus form the single tube to form cauda. Epididymis length was 30.48 cm. Inner surface area was 818.16 mm2., Conclusions: Reported values of others seem to be a modified version from that of animals. Authors believe that organic revolutionary changes in man led to a reduction in the length of epididymis.

We report theoretical and experimental realization of a SPR based fiber optic nicotine sensor having coatings of silver and graphene doped ZnO nanostructure onto the unclad core of the optical fiber. The volume fraction (f) of graphene in ZnO was optimized using simulation of electric field intensity. Four types of graphene doped ZnO nanostructures viz. nanocomposites, nanoflowers, nanotubes and nanofibers were prepared using optimized value of f. The morphology, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and UV-vis spectra of these nanostructures were studied. The peak PL intensity was found to be highest for ZnO: graphene nanofibers. The optimized value of f in ZnO: graphene nanofiber was reconfirmed using UV-vis spectroscopy. The experiments were performed on the fiber optic probe fabricated with Ag/ZnO: graphene layer and optimized parameters for in-situ detection of nicotine. The interaction of nicotine with ZnO: graphene nanostructures alters the dielectric function of ZnO: graphene nanostructure which is manifested in terms of shift in resonance wavelength. From the sensing signal, the performance parameters were measured including sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), stability, repeatability and selectivity. The real sample prepared using cigarette tobacco leaves and analyzed using the fabricated sensor makes it suitable for practical applications. The achieved values of LOD and LOQ are found to be unrivalled in comparison to the reported ones. The sensor possesses additional advantages such as, immunity to electromagnetic interference, low cost, capability of online monitoring, remote sensing., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Caffeine is the most popular psychoactive drug consumed in the world for improving alertness and enhancing wakefulness. However, caffeine consumption beyond limits can result in lot of physiological complications in human beings. In this work, we report a novel detection scheme for caffeine integrating nanohybrid membranes of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in chitosan modified silica sol gel (rGO: chitosan: silica sol gel) with fiber optic surface plasmon resonance. The chemically synthesized nanohybrid membrane forming the sensing route has been dip coated over silver coated unclad central portion of an optical fiber. The sensor works on the mechanism of modification of dielectric function of sensing layer on exposure to analyte solution which is manifested in terms of red shift in resonance wavelength. The concentration of rGO in polymer network of chitosan and silica sol gel and dipping time of the silver coated probe in the solution of nanohybrid membrane have been optimized to extricate the supreme performance of the sensor. The optimized sensing probe possesses a reasonably good sensitivity and follows an exponentially declining trend within the entire investigating range of caffeine concentration. The sensor boasts of an unparalleled limit of detection value of 1.994 nM and works well in concentration range of 0-500 nM with a response time of 16 s. The impeccable sensor methodology adopted in this work combining fiber optic SPR with nanotechnology furnishes a novel perspective for caffeine determination in commercial foodstuffs and biological fluids.

An erythromycin (ERY) detection method is proposed using the fiber optic core decorated with the coatings of silver and an over layer of ERY imprinted nanoparticles. Synthesis of ERY imprinted nanoparticles is carried out using miniemulsion method. The operating range of the sensor is observed to be from 1.62×10 -3 to 100µM while the sensor possesses the linear response for ERY concentration range from 0.1 to 5µM. The sensing method shows a maximum sensitivity of 205nm/µM near ERY concentration of 0.01µM. The detection limit and the quantification limit of the sensor are found to be 1.62×10 -3 µM and 6.14×10 -3 µM, respectively. The sensor's applicability in real samples is also examined and is found to be in good agreement for the industrial application. The sensor possesses numerous advantages like fast response time (<15s), simple, low cost, highly selective along with abilities towards online monitoring and remote sensing of analyte., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) involves manually excavating the carious part of the tooth and restoring the prepared cavity with chemically adhesive restorative material [Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC)] and it may induce and/or impact the dental anxiety in children. It is well established that ART procedure is less anxiety producing when compared with other restorative procedures using dental drill., Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anxiety levels among five-year-old children undergoing ART restoration in I.T.S. Dental College, Greater Noida, India., Materials and Methods: A sample of 50, five-year-old children visiting the Outpatient Department (OPD) of ITS Dental College, Greater Noida was selected for ART treatment using Fuji IX GIC. Modified Venham Anxiety Scale based on their behaviour and heart rate of the children were measured and recorded before, during and after the ART procedure. Heart rate was measured using Radial Pulse examination method. Chi-square test was used and tests were conducted using IBM SPSS software (ver.20.0; IBM, Chicago, IL, USA)., Results: Before the ART treatment, heart rates and Modified Venham Anxiety Scores of majority of children were higher than that after the treatment. A p-value was statistically significant (0.028 and 0.048 respectively) for association of gender with heart rate and Modified Venham's score before the ART treatment. No statistically significant relation was found between the variables during and after the ART treatment., Conclusion: The level of anxiety for ART treatment in children was higher before the treatment than that during and after the treatment. There is a correlation between the gender of children and their level of anxiety for ART treatment.

In this study, we report a silver nanoparticles/chitosan doped hydrogel-based fiber optic sensor for the detection of trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The sensor is based on the combined phenomenon of localized and propagating surface plasmons. The sensing relies on the interaction of TCA with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) which results in the electron transfer between the negative group of TCA and positive amino group of AgNP stabilizer (chitosan). This alters the mechanical properties/refractive index of the AgNP embedded hydrogel matrix as well as the refractive index of the AgNP. The change in refractive index of both in turn changes the effective refractive index of the nanocomposite hydrogel layer which can be determined using the Maxwell-Garnet Theory. Four stage optimization of the probe fabrication parameters is performed to obtain the best performance of the sensing probe. The sensor operates in the TCA concentration range 0-120 μm which is harmful for the humans and environment. The shift in peak extinction wavelength observed for the same TCA concentration range is 42 nm. The sensor has the linearity range for the TCA concentration range of 40-100 μm. The sensor possesses high sensitivity, selectivity and numerous other advantages such as ease of handling, quick response, modest cost and capability of online monitoring and remote sensing.

A fiber optic salivary cortisol sensor using a contemporary approach of lossy mode resonance and molecular imprinting of nanocomposites of zinc oxide (ZnO) and polypyrrole (PPY) is structured and depicted for the concentration range of 0-10 -6 g/ml of cortisol prepared in artificial saliva. Components of polymer preparation and the nanocomposite of polymer with ZnO are optimized for realizing the molecular imprinted layer of the sensor. Nanocomposite having 20% of ZnO in PPY is found to give highest sensitivity of the sensor. The sensor reports the best limit of detection ever reported with better stability, repeatability and response time. Lossy mode resonance based salivary cortisol sensor using nanocomposite molecular imprinted layer reported first time boosts the specificity of the sensor. The implementation of sensor over optical fiber adds up other advantages such as real time and online monitoring along with remote sensing abilities which makes the sensor usable for nonintrusive clinical applications., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report an approach for the simultaneous estimation of vitamin K1 (VK1) and heparin via cascaded channel multianalyte sensing probe employing fiber optic surface plasmon resonance technique. Cladding from two well separated portions of the fiber is removed and are respectively coated with thin films of silver (channel-1) and copper (channel-2). The nanohybrid of multiwalled carbon nanotube in chitosan is fabricated over silver layer for the sensing of VK1 whereas core shell nanostructure of polybrene@ZnO is coated over copper layer for the sensing of heparin. Spectral interrogation method is used for the characterization of the sensor. Analyte selectivity of both the channels is performed by carrying out experiments using independent solutions of VK1 and heparin. Experiments performed on the solution of the mixture of VK1 and heparin show red shifts in both the channels on changing the concentration of both the analytes in the mixture. The operating range of both VK1 and heparin is from 0 to 10(-3)g/l. The limit of detection of the sensor is 2.66×10(-4)µg/l and 2.88×10(-4)µg/l for VK1 and heparin respectively which are lower than the reported ones. The additional advantages of the present sensor are low cost, possibility of online monitoring and remote sensing., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Author Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Dr. Nirupama Kothari and Dr. BD Gupta declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

In this piece of work, a fiber optic sensor has been fabricated and characterized using surface plasmon resonance for dextrose sensing. The concentration range used in this study is for diagnosing the cases of hypoglycaemia especially in suppression tests of insulinoma. Insulinoma is a medical case in which the person is recognized being hypoglycaemic with the blood dextrose level falling down to 2.2mM or less. Thus, the sensor has been characterized for the dextrose concentration range of 0 mM-10mM including the cases of normal blood dextrose range. Coatings of silver layer and zinc oxide nanorods have been carried out on the bare core fiber with a dual role of zinc oxide followed by immobilization of glucose oxidase. A three stage optimization procedure has been adopted for the best performance of the sensor. Absorbance spectra have been plotted and peak absorbance wavelengths have been extracted for each concentration chosen along with the sensitivities. The results have been made conclusive with control experiments. The probe has also been tested on sample having blood serum to check the reliability of the sensor. The sensor shows better selectivity and response time along with its real time applications, online monitoring, remote sensing and reusability., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)