Search

Background: Deranged thyroid hormones and TSH induces the release of inflammatory biomarkers and recent evidence has demonstrated an association between low vitamin D status and autoimmune thyroid diseases, but there is little documented evidence available about the association of vitamin D and inflammatory biomarkers. So, this study was planned to investigate the relationship between vitamin D and inflammatory biomarkers. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was carried out among 60 study participants (30 cases and 30 controls) in the Department of Biochemistry, F.H Medical College, its associated Hospital from January 2023 to June 2023 The samples were divided in to two groups, cases (hypothyroid patients) and healthy control group. Serum was separated by centrifuging blood at 3000 rpm for 10 mi. Estimation of CRP was done turbidimetric immune assay method. Statistical analysis was done by using the (SPSS) version 20.0. Pearson correlation and Student’s t-test was applied, p-value

IntroductionIn India, regulatory trials, which require the drug regulator’s permission, must be registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) as of 19 March 2019. In this study, for about 300 trials, we aimed to identify the CTRI record that matched the trial for which the regulator had given permission. After identifying ‘true pairs’, our goal was to determine whether the sites and Principal Investigators mentioned in the permission letter were the same as those mentioned in the CTRI record.MethodsWe developed a methodology to compare the regulator’s permission letters with CTRI records. We manually validated 151 true pairs by comparing the titles, the drug interventions, and the indications. We then examined discrepancies in their trial sites and Principal Investigators.ResultsOur findings revealed substantial variations in the number and identity of sites and Principal Investigators between the permission letters and the CTRI records.DiscussionThese discrepancies raise concerns about the accuracy and transparency of regulatory trials in India. We recommend easier data extraction from regulatory documents, cross-referencing regulatory documents and CTRI records, making public the changes to approval letters, and enforcing oversight by Institutional Ethics Committees for site additions or deletions. These steps will increase transparency around regulatory trials running in India.

The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia built a web-based integrated system called the Agency Level Financial Application (SAKTI) to provide benefits: increased integration, efficiency, planning, implementation and accountability of the state budget. This study aims to determine and explain user satisfaction as a mediating variable for the causal relationship between overall quality and self-efficacy towards conative use of information systems. SAKTI users were a primary data that collected directly by distributing questionnaires. The questionnaire includes overall quality, self-efficacy, user satisfaction and conative use. This research focuses on the central work unit of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. The population in this study were 552 people. The sampling technique used in this study was stratified random sampling consisting of 3 levels of users: operators, validators and approvers with a total of 247 respondents. Most respondents were male with a total of 125 people or 50.6%, while female were 49, 4%. In addition, most of the respondents have a bachelor's degree (131 people or 53%). Data analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) - Partial Least Square (PLS). The findings show that overall quality and self-efficacy have a direct and independent effect on conative use of SAKTI. The results of this study also examine the relationship between overall quality, self-efficacy and conative use through user satisfaction.

Raisa Epistola,1 Rubens Sperandio,2 Zev Wainberg,3 Syma Iqbal,4 Joseph Chao5 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA; 2Centro de Oncologia e Hematologia Einstein Família Dayan-Daycoval, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 4Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 5Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USACorrespondence: Raisa Epistola; Joseph Chao, Tel +1-310-501-9393 ; +1-626-218-2123, Fax +1 424-306-6646 ; +1 626-301-8233, Email repistola@dhs.lacounty.gov; jchao@coh.orgAbstract: Esophagogastric cancers are aggressive malignancies, with poor prognosis despite current standard-of-care therapies. PD-1 inhibitors are a newer class of antitumor agents with the potential to improve outcomes among appropriately selected patients. This review provides an overview of the key trials that have guided the use of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in the refractory and first-line settings. We highlight recent studies investigating the role of genomic classification in predicting therapeutic activity of PD-1 inhibitors. In addition, there is a discussion of the use of different scoring systems and criteria to determine PD-L1 positivity, the impact on the therapeutic use of immune checkpoint inhibition with anti-PD-1 agents, and the controversies in current methods of PD-L1 testing and their implications in patient selection for anti-PD-1 therapy.Keywords: immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibition, PD-L1, gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer

Today financial literacy can also help improve a person’s well-being in financial behavior. Purpose of this study is to identify the moderation role of financial literacy influencing financial behavior on insurance investment. The data used are primary data and as a measure he collects directly by distributing questionnaires containing three Likert parts. The questionnaire includes financial literacy, financial behavior, and decisions on insurance investment. This research focuses on unit-linked insurance customers in East Java, Indonesia. The samples were obtained from individuals living in East Java with unit-linked insurance. The total number of respondents is 102 respondents aged from 25 to 40 years old. Most of the respondents are female with 52 people or 53.6%, while male 46.4%. Also, most of the respondents who work as employees or entrepreneurs have a college degree (45 people or 46.4%). The majority of respondents had unit-linked funds placement on a fixed income (39 people or 58.2%). Data analysis technique consists of testing the validity and reliability, simple linear regression, hypothesis testing, and moderated regression analysis. The findings show that financial behavior positively and significantly affects insurance investment decisions, moderated by financial literacy.

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the Banyumas area, Central Java, aims to provide inter-regional connectivity in Purwokerto City and Purbalingga Regency. This is one of the six BRT corridors in Central Java launched in 2018. Therefore, this study aims to examine the development of BRT corridors based on transit-integrated land use along the corridor, after five years of operation. The primary survey was conducted on land use along the corridor at a radius of 200 m and 400 m from the BRT bus stop, which was analyzed using a qualitative descriptive method. As a result, BRT Corridor 1 in Central Java can be identified for bus-based transit development. First, BRT services have connected high to very high populations. Second, BRT shelters have good access to shopping centers, culinary centers, and artificial tourism within a 200 m and 400 m radius. Third, BRT shelters are also connected to other modes of public transportation. However, the results of our study found that the BRT shelters had not been connected to pedestrian facilities. Based on these three criteria, BRT Corridor 1 in Central Java is feasible to be developed as a sustainable public transport service. However, further studies are needed to link BRT shelters with pedestrian facilities, in order to create clean and sustainable mobility.

Aims: To assess left ventricular (LV) function before and after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using conventional echocardiographic parameters and global longitudinal LV strain (GLS) and compare outcomes between Edwards S3 and Evolut R valves. Methods and results: Data were collected for consecutive patients undergoing TAVI at Hammersmith hospital between 2015 and 2018. Of the 303 patients, those with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation were excluded leading to a total of 85 patients, which constituted our study group. The mean follow-up was 49 ± 39 days. In total, 60% of patients were treated with Edwards S3 and 40% Evolut R. TAVI resulted in an early improvement of GLS (−13.96 to −15.25%, P = 0.01) but not ejection fraction (EF) (47.6 to 50.1%, P = 0.09). LV mass also improved, especially in patients with marked baseline LV hypertrophy (P < 0.001). There were no appreciable differences of LV function improvement and overall LV remodelling after TAVI between the two types of valves used (P = 0.14). Conclusions: TAVI results in reverse remodelling and improvement of GLS, especially in patients with impaired baseline LV function. There were no differences in the extent of LV function improvement between Edwards S3 and Evolut R valves but there was a greater incidence of aortic regurgitation with Evolut R.

Abstract Background We investigated the surgical feasibility, safety and effectiveness of 50 W (low power) Holmium Laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) in patients who have undergone previous template biopsy of the prostate (TPB). Methods Data encompassing pre-operative baseline characteristics, intra-operative measures and post-operative outcomes was collected for 109 patients undergoing HoLEP across two UK centres. Patients were stratified into two groups; group 1 (n = 24) had undergone previous TPB were compared with ‘controls’ (no previous TPB) in group 2 (n = 85). The primary outcome was successful HoLEP. Results There were no statistically significant differences in either key baseline characteristics or mass of prostate enucleated between groups 1 and 2. There was no statistically significant difference in enucleation or morcellation times parameters between the two groups other than enucleation efficiency in favour of group 1 (p = 0.024). Functional outcomes improved, without any statistically significant difference, in both groups. Conclusions In patients with a previous TPB, HoLEP is surgically feasible, safe and effective. TPB should not be considered a contraindication to HoLEP. Our work provides a strong foundation for further research in this area.

Background: Trends in mortality from aortic stenosis across European countries are not well-understood, especially given the significant growth in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the last 10 years.Methods: Age-standardised death rates were extracted from the World Health Organisation Mortality Database, using the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition code for non-rheumatic aortic stenosis for those aged > 45 years between 2000 and 2017. The UK and countries from the European Union with at least 1,000,000 inhabitants and at least 50% available datapoints over the study period were included: a total of 23 countries. Trends were described using Joinpoint regression analysis.Results: No reductions in mortality were demonstrated across all countries 2000–2017. Large increases in mortality were found for Croatia, Poland and Slovakia for both sexes (>300% change). Mortality plateaued in Germany from 2008 in females and 2012 in males, whilst mortality in the Netherlands declined for both sexes from 2007. Mortality differences between the sexes were observed, with greater mortality for males than females across most countries.Conclusions: Mortality from aortic stenosis has increased across Europe from 2000 to 2017. There are, however, sizable differences in mortality trends between Eastern and Western European countries. The need for health resource planning strategies to specifically target AS, particularly given the expected increase with ageing populations, is highlighted.

Sadaf Iqbal,1 Tahir Farid,1 Jianhong Ma,1 Qaiser Mehmood2 1Department of Applied Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China; 2Department of Management, Hamdard University, Islamabad, Pakistan Background: Leaders play vital role in organization to accomplish organizational goals and establish healthy working environment. This study addresses the effect of authentic leadership on employees’ communal relationship and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In addition, this research also examines how procedural justice augments the effect of authentic leadership on both aforementioned employees’ behavioral outcomes.Materials and methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 425 employees working in banking sector of Pakistan. It was hypothesized that authentic leadership would positively predict employees’ communal relationship and OCB. Furthermore, we also assumed that procedural justice will strengthen the relationship between authentic leadership, both behavioral outcomes, that is, employees’ communal relationship and OCB. Results: Analyses reveal that authentic leadership positively predicts employees’ communal relationship and OCB. In addition, procedural justice was found to positively moderate the effect of authentic leadership on employees’ communal relationship and OCB. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relationships among authentic leadership, procedural justice, communal relationship, and OCBs in the South Asian context. This is the first study to report the moderating role of procedural justice in the relationship between authentic leadership and communal relationship and OCB. The practical implications of study findings and direction for future research are discussed. Keywords: authentic leadership, communal relationship, organizational citizenship behaviors, procedural justice

Background In stable coronary artery disease, medications are used for 2 purposes: cardiovascular risk reduction and symptom improvement. In clinical trials and clinical practice, medication use is often not optimal. The ORBITA (Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation With Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina) trial was the first placebo‐controlled trial of percutaneous coronary intervention. A key component of the ORBITA trial design was the inclusion of a medical optimization phase, aimed at ensuring that all patients were treated with guideline‐directed truly optimal medical therapy. In this study, we report the medical therapy that was achieved. Methods and Results After enrollment into the ORBITA trial, all 200 patients entered a 6‐week period of intensive medical therapy optimization, with initiation and uptitration of risk reduction and antianginal therapy. At the prerandomization stage, the median number of antianginals established was 3 (interquartile range, 2–4). A total of 195 patients (97.5%) reached the prespecified target of ≥2 antianginals; 136 (68.0%) did not stop any antianginals because of adverse effects, and the median number of antianginals stopped for adverse effects per patient was 0 (interquartile range, 0–1). Amlodipine and bisoprolol were well tolerated (stopped for adverse effects in 4/175 [2.3%] and 9/167 [5.4%], respectively). Ranolazine and ivabradine were also well tolerated (stopped for adverse effects in 1/20 [5.0%] and 1/18 [5.6%], respectively). Isosorbide mononitrate and nicorandil were stopped for adverse effects in 36 of 172 (20.9%) and 32 of 141 (22.7%) of patients, respectively. Statins were well tolerated and taken by 191 of 200 (95.5%) patients. Conclusions In the 12‐week ORBITA trial period, medical therapy was successfully optimized and well tolerated, with few drug adverse effects leading to therapy cessation. Truly optimal medical therapy can be achieved in clinical trials, and translating this into longer‐term clinical practice should be a focus of future study. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02062593.

Background. Infective endocarditis (IE) is challenging to manage in the COVID-19 lockdown period, in part given its reliance on echocardiography for diagnosis and management and the associated virus transmission risks to patients and healthcare workers. This study assesses utilisation of the endocarditis team (ET) in limiting routine echocardiography, especially transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE), in patients with suspected IE, and explores the effect on clinical outcomes. Methods. All patients discussed at the ET meeting at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust during the first lockdown in the UK (23 March to 8 July 2020) were prospectively included and analysed in this observational study. Results. In total, 38 patients were referred for ET review (71% male, median age 54 [interquartile range 48, 65.5] years). At the time of ET discussion, 21% had no echo imaging, 16% had point-of-care ultrasound only, and 63% had formal TTE. In total, only 16% underwent TOE. The ability of echocardiography, in those where it was performed, to affect IE diagnosis according to the Modified Duke Criteria was significant (p=0.0099); however, sensitivity was not affected. All-cause mortality was 17% at 30 days and 25% at 12 months from ET discussion in those with confirmed IE. Conclusion. Limiting echocardiography in patients with a low pretest probability (not probable or definite IE according to the Modified Duke Criteria) did not affect the diagnostic ability of the Modified Duke Criteria to rule out IE in this small study. Moreover, restricting nonessential echocardiography, and importantly TOE, in patients with suspected IE through use of the ET did not impact all-cause mortality.

Background: Extracellular microRNAs enter kidney cells and modify gene expression. We used a Dicer-hepatocyte-specific microRNA conditional-knock-out (Dicer-CKO) mouse to investigate microRNA transfer from liver to kidney. Methods: Dicerflox/flox mice were treated with a Cre recombinase-expressing adenovirus (AAV8) to selectively inhibit hepatocyte microRNA production (Dicer-CKO). Organ microRNA expression was measured in health and following paracetamol toxicity. The functional consequence of hepatic microRNA transfer was determined by measuring the expression and activity of cytochrome P450 2E1 (target of the hepatocellular miR-122), and by measuring the effect of serum extracellular vesicles (ECVs) on proximal tubular cell injury. In humans with liver injury we measured microRNA expression in urinary ECVs. A murine model of myocardial infarction was used as a non-hepatic model of microRNA release. Findings: Dicer-CKO mice demonstrated a decrease in kidney miR-122 in the absence of other microRNA changes. During hepatotoxicity, miR-122 increased in kidney tubular cells; this was abolished in Dicer-CKO mice. Depletion of hepatocyte microRNA increased kidney cytochrome P450 2E1 expression and activity. Serum ECVs from mice with hepatotoxicity increased proximal tubular cell miR-122 and prevented cisplatin toxicity. miR-122 increased in urinary ECVs during human hepatotoxicity. Transfer of microRNA was not restricted to liver injury –miR-499 was released following cardiac injury and correlated with an increase in the kidney. Interpretation: Physiological transfer of functional microRNA to the kidney is increased by liver injury and this signalling represents a new paradigm for understanding the relationship between liver injury and renal function. Funding: Kidney Research UK, Medical Research Scotland, Medical Research Council.

The powders of lead-free material namely (nonhazardous) barium strontium titanate (BST) with different stoichiometric compositions have been synthesized by the sol–gel method. Ba1−xSrxTiO3 (BST) materials possess the properties of both ferroelectric and dielectric materials. These materials have spontaneous polarization that can be reversed by an applied electric field and they remain polarized even when the applied external electric field is removed. Synthesized samples have been subjected to structural, morphological, and dielectric characterizations. In this study, BST nanopowders with different substitutions of x (where x= 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) were prepared by the sol–gel method, which is an easy method with low power consumption and low temperature requirement and produces higher yield. Nanopowders had average particle sizes of 12–24 nm and particles sizes after sintering at 1000∘C for 3 h were 197, 267, 79.80, 63.09, and 63 nm. All resulting pellets had a polycrystalline structure. Crystal structure, space group, morphological characterization, and particle size were determined from the structural analysis using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dielectric measurements were made for BST pellets under different frequencies (1–200 kHz) from room temperature to 250∘C. The dielectric constants for the bulk were 743, 1566, 1091, 766, and 626 for x= 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6, respectively. From dielectric measurements, samples with x= 0.2 and 0.3 had the Curie temperatures of 70∘C and 28.5∘C, respectively, and remained intact below 0∘C. The sample with x= 0.3 had a good dielectric measurement and moderate dissipation factor; it may be used in capacitance application as energy stores.

Background Limited information exists regarding procedural success and clinical outcomes in patients with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to compare outcomes in patients undergoing PCI with or without CABG. Methods and Results This was an observational cohort study of 123 780 consecutive PCI procedures from the Pan‐London (UK) PCI registry from 2005 to 2015. The primary end point was all‐cause mortality at a median follow‐up of 3.0 years (interquartile range, 1.2–4.6 years). A total of 12 641(10.2%) patients had a history of previous CABG, of whom 29.3% (n=3703) underwent PCI to native vessels and 70.7% (n=8938) to bypass grafts. There were significant differences in the demographic, clinical, and procedural characteristics of these groups. The risk of mortality during follow‐up was significantly higher in patients with prior CABG (23.2%; P=0.0005) compared with patients with no prior CABG (12.1%) and was seen for patients who underwent either native vessel (20.1%) or bypass graft PCI (24.2%; P

Background. The rise in an ageing population has resulted in an increase in the prevalence of aortic stenosis. With the advent and rapid expansion in the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs), patients with severe aortic stenosis, traditionally thought too high risk for surgical intervention, are now being treated with generally favourable results. Frailty is an important factor in determining outcome after a TAVR, and an assessment of frailty is fundamental in the identification of appropriate patients to treat. Objective. The objective of the study was to identify if the psoas muscle area is associated with frailty in TAVR patients and outcome after intervention. Method. In this prospective study, we measured outcomes of 62 patients who underwent TAVR procedures against the psoas muscle area and the Reported Edmonton Frail Scale (REFS). Our aim was to assess if psoas muscle assessment can be used as a simple method to predict frailty in our population group. Results. A total of 60 patients met the study criteria. Mean psoas-lumbar vertebral index was 0.61, with a lower value in the frail group. There was not a statistically significant correlation between the psoas measures, REFS score (indicative of frailty), and mortality. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between the psoas size and REFS score (p=0.043). Conclusion. Psoas assessment can be useful in providing additional information when planning for patients to undergo a TAVR and can be used as a screening tool to help identify frail patients within this high-risk group.

It has been recognised for nearly 200 years that the human pressure waveform changes in shape with ageing and disease. The shape of the pressure waveform has been explained in terms of two fundamental models: the Windkessel (reservoir) and wave theory. In its simplest form the Windkessel model satisfactorily explains the pressure waveform in diastole but cannot model pressure changes in systole. Wave theory satisfactorily models the pressure waveform but predicts the existence of ‘self-cancelling’ forward and backward waves in diastole which are difficult to explain in biological terms. We propose that a hybrid reservoir–wave model better describes the pressure waveform and may enable assessment of aortic function from pressure measurements made at any large systemic artery.

Ayesha Sohail,1 Lubna Sherin,2 Saad I Butt,1 Sana Javed,1 Zhiwu Li,3,4 Sohail Iqbal,5 O Anwar Be’g6 1Department of Mathematics, Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Lahore, Pakistan; 2Department of Chemistry, Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Lahore Pakistan; 3Institute of Systems Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau; 4School of Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Xidian University, Xi’an, China; 5Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan; 6Fluid Mechanics, Spray Research Group, Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering, School of Computing, Science and Engineering, University of Salford, Manchester, UK Abstract: The decreased bone mineral density and compromised bone strength predispose individuals to skeletal osteoporosis. Both prostate cancer and bone metastasis caused by cancer invasion have remained a great challenge to researchers. With the advancement in the fields of biochemistry and biomechanics, the molecular mechanisms that make prostate cancer metastasize to bone have recently been identified, and they provide new molecular targets for drug development. Many biochemical by-products have been identified to help in understanding the interaction between the bone and the tumor. Enhanced clinical management of patients with bone metastases was reported during the past decade; however, the anticipated risk and the response to the therapy are still challenging to assess. In this review, the key players that play a dominant role in secondary osteoporosis are addressed. An attempt is made to provide the readers with a clear understanding of the communication pathways between each of the cell types involved in this vicious cycle. Furthermore, the role of Wnts, sclerostin, RANKL, PTHrP, and their respective clinical studies are addressed in this study. Keywords: prostate cancer metastatic bone disease (PCa MBD), vicious cycle, macrophages, Wnts signaling

Abstract Aims and background Distributed Simulation is the concept of portable, high-fidelity immersive simulation. Here, it is used for the development of a simulation-based training programme for cardiovascular specialities. We present an evidence base for how accessible, portable and self-contained simulated environments can be effectively utilised for the modelling, development and testing of a complex training framework and assessment methodology. Iterative user feedback through mixed-methods evaluation techniques resulted in the implementation of the training programme. Approach Four phases were involved in the development of our immersive simulation-based training programme: (1) initial conceptual stage for mapping structural criteria and parameters of the simulation training framework and scenario development (n = 16), (2) training facility design using Distributed Simulation, (3) test cases with clinicians (n = 8) and collaborative design, where evaluation and user feedback involved a mixed-methods approach featuring (a) quantitative surveys to evaluate the realism and perceived educational relevance of the simulation format and framework for training and (b) qualitative semi-structured interviews to capture detailed feedback including changes and scope for development. Refinements were made iteratively to the simulation framework based on user feedback, resulting in (4) transition towards implementation of the simulation training framework, involving consistent quantitative evaluation techniques for clinicians (n = 62). For comparative purposes, clinicians’ initial quantitative mean evaluation scores for realism of the simulation training framework, realism of the training facility and relevance for training (n = 8) are presented longitudinally, alongside feedback throughout the development stages from concept to delivery, including the implementation stage (n = 62). Findings Initially, mean evaluation scores fluctuated from low to average, rising incrementally. This corresponded with the qualitative component, which augmented the quantitative findings; trainees’ user feedback was used to perform iterative refinements to the simulation design and components (collaborative design), resulting in higher mean evaluation scores leading up to the implementation phase. Conclusions Through application of innovative Distributed Simulation techniques, collaborative design, and consistent evaluation techniques from conceptual, development, and implementation stages, fully immersive simulation techniques for cardiovascular specialities are achievable and have the potential to be implemented more broadly.

Copper tin sulfide (Cu2SnS3) thin films have been grown on glass substrate with different thicknesses (500, 750 and 1000) nm by flash thermal evaporation method after prepare its alloy from their elements with high purity. The as-deposited films were annealed at 473 K for 1h. Compositional analysis was done using Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The microstructure of CTS powder examined by SEM and found that the large crystal grains are shown clearly in images. XRD investigation revealed that the alloy was polycrystalline nature and has cubic structure with preferred orientation along (111) plane, while as deposited films of different thickness have amorphous structure and converted to polycrystalline with annealing temperature for high thickness. AFM measurements showed that the grain size of the films was increasing by annealing. The ultraviolet- visible absorption spectrum measurement indicated that the films have a direct energy band gap. Eg decrease with thickness and increase with annealing.

The influence of sintering and annealing temperatures on the structural, surface morphology, and optical properties of Ag2Cu2O4 thin films which deposited on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition method have been studied. Ag2Cu2O4 powders have polycrystalline structure, and the Ag2Cu2O4 phase was appear as low intensity peak at 35.57o which correspond the reflection from (110) plane. Scan electron microscopy images of Ag2Cu2O4 powder has been showed agglomerate of oxide particles with platelets shape. The structure of thin films has been improved with annealing temperature. Atomic Force micrographs of Ag2Cu2O4 films showed uniform, homogenous films and the shape of grains was almost spherical and larger grain size of 97.85 nm has obtained for film sintered at 600 °C. The optical band gap was increase from 1.6 eV to 1.65 eV when sintering temperature increased to 300 °C and decrease to 1.45 eV at 600 °C for the films deposited at room temperature. Heat treatment of films has been increased the energy band with increasing sintering temperature. Hall coefficient of Ag2Cu2O4 films have a positive sign which means the charge carrier is a p-type. The electrical conductivity decreases with increasing of the sintering temperature for as deposited and annealed films.

The Cu2SiO3 composite has been prepared from the binary compounds (Cu2O, and SiO2) with high purity by solid state reaction. The Cu2SiO3 thin films were deposited at room temperature on glass and Si substrates with thickness 400 nm by pulsed laser deposition method. X-ray analysis showed that the powder of Cu2SiO3 has a polycrystalline structure with monoclinic phase and preferred orientation along (111) direction at 2θ around 38.670o which related to CuO phase. While as deposited and annealed Cu2SiO3 films have amorphous structure. The morphological study revealed that the grains have granular and elliptical shape, with average diameter of 163.63 nm. The electrical properties which represent Hall effect were investigated. Hall coefficient is negative which means that the films are n-type, and the electrical conductivity decreases with heat treatment. The sensing properties of the Cu2SiO3 sensors for NO2 gas have been studied, and the result revealed that the Cu2SiO3 films have low sensitivity at room temperature, and it's improve with increasing the operation temperature. The response time increase while the recovery time decrease with increasing operation temperature.

Several inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease have been associated with dysfunctional and/or reduced numbers of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg). While numerous mechanisms of action have been discovered by which Treg can exert their function, disease-specific Treg requirements remain largely unknown. We found that the integrin αv, which can pair with several β subunits including β8, is highly upregulated in Treg at sites of inflammation. Using mice that lacked αv expression or β8 expression specifically in Treg, we demonstrate that there was no deficit in Treg accumulation in the central nervous system during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and no difference in the resolution of disease compared to control mice. In contrast, during a curative T cell transfer model of colitis, Treg lacking all αv integrins were found at reduced proportions and numbers in the inflamed gut. This led to a quantitative impairment in the ability of αv-deficient Treg to reverse disease when Treg numbers in the inflamed colon were below a threshold. Increase of the number of curative Treg injected was able to rescue this phenotype, indicating that αv integrins were not required for the immunosuppressive function of Treg per se. In accordance with this, αv deficiency did not impact on the capacity of Treg to suppress proliferation of naive conventional T cells in vitro as well as in vivo. These observations demonstrate that despite the general upregulation of αv integrins in Treg at sites of inflammation, they are relevant for adequate Treg accumulation only in specific disease settings. The understanding of disease-specific mechanisms of action by Treg has clear implications for Treg-targeted therapies.

BackgroundIn contrast to systemic hypertension, the significance of arterial waves in pulmonary hypertension (PH) is not well understood. We hypothesized that arterial wave energy and wave reflection are augmented in PH and that wave behavior differs between patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Methods and ResultsRight heart catheterization was performed using a pressure and Doppler flow sensor–tipped catheter to obtain simultaneous pressure and flow velocity measurements in the pulmonary artery. Wave intensity analysis was subsequently applied to the acquired data. Ten control participants, 11 patients with PAH, and 10 patients with CTEPH were studied. Wave speed and wave power were significantly greater in PH patients compared with controls, indicating increased arterial stiffness and right ventricular work, respectively. The ratio of wave power to mean right ventricular power was lower in PAH patients than CTEPH patients and controls. Wave reflection index in PH patients (PAH: ≈25%; CTEPH: ≈30%) was significantly greater compared with controls (≈4%), indicating downstream vascular impedance mismatch. Although wave speed was significantly correlated to disease severity, wave reflection indexes of patients with mildly and severely elevated pulmonary pressures were similar. ConclusionsWave reflection in the pulmonary artery increased in PH and was unrelated to severity, suggesting that vascular impedance mismatch occurs early in the development of pulmonary vascular disease. The lower wave power fraction in PAH compared with CTEPH indicates differences in the intrinsic and/or extrinsic ventricular load between the 2 diseases.

Plant protection represents one of the strategies to fill the yield gap and to achieve food security, a key topic for India development. Analysis of climate risks for crops indicates that South Asia is one of the regions most exposed to the adverse impact on many plants that are relevant to inhabitants exposed to food safety risks. Furthermore, accumulation of pesticide residues in the aquatic and other ecosystems is becoming a significant threat in India. These perspectives require to develop programs of crop protection that can be feasible according to Indian rural development and pollution policy. Here we review the research works done on soil solarization in India. Soil solarization (also called plasticulture) is an eco-friendly soil disinfestations method for managing soil-borne plant pathogens. This is the process of trapping solar energy by moist soil covered with transparent polyethylene films and chemistry, biology and physical properties of soil are involved in pest control. So far, this technique is applied in more than 50 countries, mostly in hot and humid regions. India has 29 states and these states fall under five climatic zones, from humid to arid ones. We report pest management application in different climatic zones and their effects on production, weeds, nematodes, and pathogenic microorganisms. The analysis of soil temperatures and crop protection results indicate as environmental requirement for soil solarization fits in most of Indian rural areas. Soil solarization is compatible with future Indian scenarios and may support Indian national food security programs.

NaCl, KCl, or PEG (polyethylene glycol)-amended potato dextrose broth (PDB), and potato dextrose agar (PDA) are essential for pure culture studies of water stress on fungi. Direct information on the actual water potential (WP) of this salt-amended PDB and PDA is lacking. Much fungal research in the past calculated WP of these salt-amended growth media by adding the WP of their constituents taken from individual salt dilution studies. But the WP of any complex solution will be modified by the level of synergism between its solutes. This study presents evidence of change in NaCl concentration due to synergism for attaining the same level of WP in NaCl solution, and NaCl amended PDB and PDA. The relation between WP and temperature and WP and salt concentration is also modified depending on the number of solutes in a growth medium. The WP of PEG-amended PDB increases with rising temperature, while that of NaCl/KCl amended PDB and PDA decreases with the increase of temperature. These results can be useful for doing pure culture studies on the biology and modeling the growth of air, water, and soil-borne fungi important in the food and agriculture industry and in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Some of structural ,and electrical properties of pure and zinc (Zn) doped cadmium telluride thin films with impurity percentages (0.5, 1, 1.5)%, deposited on hot glass substrate (temperature equals to 423K) of thickness of 300nm and rate deposition of 0.5 nm.s-1 by thermal co-evaporation technique under vacuum of (2×10-5)Torr have been investigates. The structural properties for the prepared films were studied before and after. doping process by analysis of the X-ray diffraction, and it appeared that pure and dopant CdTe thin films are polycrystalline and have the cubic structure with preferential orientation in the [111] direction, and the crystal structure of the films were improved due to doping process. From d.c.electrical conductivity in range of (291-495)K, we noticed that there are two activation energies Ea1 and Ea2, and their values decrease with the..increase.of.Zn.percentages,so..(σd.c.)..of..those..thin.films.increase . From Hall.effect. measurements we showed that the..(σd.c.).. for CdTe thin film is of n-type and converted to p-type when they adopted with Zn, and charge carrier concentration increases with the increase of Zn percentages, so Hall mobility (μH) decreases

BackgroundST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction is increasingly common in octogenarians, and optimal management in this cohort is uncertain. This study aimed to describe the outcomes of octogenarians with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and ResultsWe analyzed 10 249 consecutive patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention between 2005 and 2011 at 8 tertiary cardiac centers across London, United Kingdom. The primary end point was all‐cause mortality at a median follow‐up of 3 years. In total, 1051 patients (10.3%) were octogenarians, with an average age of 84.2 years, and the proportion increased over the study period (P=0.04). In‐hospital mortality (7.7% vs 2.4%, P

This study aims to develop a geographic information system software that has the ability to develop hazard area zoning of building damage due to earthquake, especially in Banda Aceh and the surrounding areas using peak ground acceleration (PGA) value approach. Analysis and design methods are implemented in this study. The analytical method consists of two stages, namely seismic data collection period 1973 - 2011 by magnitude more than 5 on the Richter scale and the calculation of earthquake acceleration on bedrock using the attenuation function of Crouse. The design method comprises several structured stages, which are designing: data flow diagram (DFD), entity relationship diagram (ERD), menus, screens, and state transition diagrams (STD). The main conclusions of this study is that a GIS -based local zoning of earthquake hazard risk can be built and developed with calculation and classification approach of the peak ground acceleration (PGA). In addition, there is a relationship significant spatial found by comparing the results with the zoning patterns of building damage in the earthquake of 2004.

The strong interaction is not well understood at low energies or for interactions with low momentum transfer. Chiral perturbation theory gives testable predictions for the nucleonic generalized polarizabilities, which are fundamental quantities describing the nucleon’s response to an external field. We report a measurement of the proton’s generalized spin polarizabilities extracted with a polarized electron beam and a polarized solid ammonia target in the region where chiral perturbation theory is expected to be valid. The investigated structure function g2 characterizes the internal spin structure of the proton. From its moments, we extract the longitudinal–transverse spin polarizability δLT and twist-3 matrix element and polarizability d2¯. Our results provide discriminating power between existing chiral perturbation theory calculations and will help provide a better understanding of this strong quantum chromodynamics regime.

Antepartum anxiety and/or depression is a major public health problem globally. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of antepartum anxiety and/or depression among pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital among pregnant women. A total of 165 pregnant women were interviewed by a clinical psychologist using HADS for assessing anxiety and/or depression and also collected information regarding sociodemographic, obstetric, family relationships, and home environment. Out of the total of 165 pregnant women about 70 percent of them were either anxious and/or depressed. The increasing age of women (P-value=0.073), not having any live birth (P-value=0.036), adverse pregnancy outcome in past including death of a child, stillbirth or abortion (P-value=0.013), participant’s role in household decision making (P-value=0.013), and domestic violence (verbal or physical abuse towards mother or children by any family member) (P-value=0.123). Our study highlights that anxiety and/or depression is quite common among pregnant women. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate screening for anxiety and depression in the existing antenatal programs and development of strategies to provide practical support to those identified.

Experimental cross sections for the He4(e,e′p)X reactions in the missing energy range from 0.017 to 0.022 GeV and up to a missing momentum of 0.632 GeV/c at xB=1.24 and Q2=2 (GeV/c)2 are reported. The data are compared to relativistic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations for the He4(e,e′p)H3 channel. Significantly more events are observed for pm≥0.45 GeV/c than are predicted by the theoretical model, and striking fluctuations in the ratio of data to the theoretical model around pm=0.3GeV/c are possible signals of initial-state multinucleon correlations.