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Abstract Illegal file sharing of copyrighted contents through popular file sharing networks poses an enormous threat to providers of digital contents, such as, games, softwares, music and movies. Though empirical studies of network effects on piracy is a well-studied domain, the dynamics of peer effect in the context of evolving social contagion has not been enough explored using dynamical models. In this research, we methodically study the trends of online piracy with a continuous ODE approach and differential equations on graphs to have a clear comparative view. We first formulate a compartmental model to study bifurcations and thresholds mathematically. We later move on with a network-based analysis to illustrate the proliferation of online piracy dynamics with an epidemiological approach over a social network. We figure out a solution for this online piracy problem by developing awareness among individuals and introducing media campaigns, which could be a valuable factor in eradicating and controlling online piracy. Next, using degree-block approximation, network analysis has been performed to investigate the phenomena from a heterogeneous approach and to derive the threshold condition for the persistence of piracy in the population in a steady state. Considering the dual control of positive peer influence and media-driven awareness, we examine the system through realistic parameter selection to better understand the complexity of the dynamics and suggest policy implications.

Abstract Heart failure poses a global health challenge affecting millions of individuals, and access to guideline-directed medical therapy is often limited. This limitation is frequently attributed to factors such as drug availability, slow adoption, clinical inertia, and delayed diagnosis. Despite international recommendations promoting the use of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure management, personalized approaches are essential in settings with resource constraints. In India, crucial treatments like angiotensin II receptor blocker neprilysin inhibitors and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors are not fully utilized despite their established safety and efficacy. To address this issue, an expert consensus involving 150 specialists, including cardiologists, nephrologists, and endocrinologists, was convened. They deliberated on patient profiles, monitoring, and adverse side effects and provided tailored recommendations for guideline-directed medical therapy in heart failure management. Stressing the significance of early initiation of guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with heart failure, especially with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, the consensus also explored innovative therapies like vericiguat. To improve heart failure outcomes in resource-limited settings, the experts proposed several measures, including enhanced patient education, cardiac rehabilitation, improved drug access, and reforms in healthcare policies.

This research investigated the effects of mosambi peel extract (MPE) on the stability of protein and textural characteristics of silver carp surimi during frozen storage at −20 °C. The findings revealed that surimi fortified with 0.75 % MPE displayed upgraded protein solubility (PS), water holding capacity (WHC), Ca2+-ATPase activity, and sulfhydryl (SH) content. It also exhibited reduced levels of total carbonyls and surface hydrophobicity, along with higher overall acceptability compared to surimi treated with synthetic cryoprotectants (control) throughout storage. Additionally, MPE slowed down the increase in total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and protein degradation index (PI), as evidenced by SDS-PAGE showing higher intensities of myosin heavy chain (MHC) and actin over the storage period. Moreover, the incorporation of MPE effectively mitigated lipid oxidation as peroxide value (PV), and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) were lesser than control. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) peaks specified that the relative content of α-helix and β-sheet structures remained more stable in the MPE-treated group compared to the control, along with the improved gel and textural properties of surimi. Hence, this study suggests that 0.75 % MPE could serve as a natural alternative to synthetic cryoprotectants, ensuring the oxidative stability of silver carp surimi during frozen storage while enriching it with beneficial bioactive compounds.

Background India has recently witnessed unprecedented economic growth. However, this rise in income has not resulted in the concurrent economic development in the country. The urban poor have been at the most disadvantage and have shown poor performance indicators in health outcomes. This paper is based on baseline assessment of knowledge and practices of selected health issue in selected slums of Ahmedabad. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted to analyse and explore the level of awareness of hygiene and sanitation issues of slum dwellers. The data was compiled using household survey among 600 slum dwellers in two slums. From each slum, 100 households with a woman who is either pregnant at the time of the survey or who has recently delivered and 200 neighbouring households were interviewed. The non probability snowball sampling technique was used. The data was collected with the help of structured questionnaire. Analysis There was less awareness of precursors to poor health. While hand washing came out as a common practice, use of soap was not universal. Frequency and method of hand washing was also found to be sub-optimal. While there was some information about house fly and mosquitoes, misconceptions around illnesses spread by them were observed. Health awareness campaign remained the least observed source of information about health and hygiene related issues. Discussion The key areas of improvement that have emerged from the survey are a) awareness of proper hygiene including techniques of hand washing, b) awareness of vector borne diseases, with focus on low-cost, self initiated control of intra-home mosquito breeding sites, and c) importance of sanitation and safe disposal of human waste. It is suggested that these issues needs to be focused and reiterated in the performances.

Aim and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the impact or effect of nicotine dependence on self-efficacy and readiness to quit. Materials and Method: The current study was performed using a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire design among tobacco users visiting primary health care facilities in the rural Jaipur district. Jaipur district is divided into four directions: east, west, north, and south. From each direction, two PHCs were selected randomly based on suitable accessibility to patients. Sample size of study is 465. Out of 465 tobacco consumers, 238 were consuming a smoked form of tobacco, and 227 study participants were consuming a smokeless form of tobacco. Results: It was observed that the majority of study participants (145 (31%)) need smoke/smokeless tobacco within 5 minutes of waking up. With regards to internal stimuli, the majority of study participants (179 (38%)) and (203 (44%)) were not very sure that they would refrain from smoking when they were nervous and depressed. It was determined that quitting tobacco products was not at all important for 159 (34%) study participants. In regards to confidence in tobacco product quitting, only 79 (16%) of tobacco consumers were extremely confident. Conclusion: It was concluded that nicotine dependence impacts both self-efficacy and readiness to quit. It was determined that the higher the nicotine dependence, the less self-efficacy and the less would be the readiness to quit.

Background: Tobacco use among health professionals implies failure on the part of both the beneficiaries and health-care delivery system. This research aimed to assess the knowledge, behavior, and attitude among health professional students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out among health-care students (medical, dental, nursing, physiotherapy, and pharmacy) of NIMS University. The final version of the questionnaire had 43 questions divided into six sections: tobacco use prevalence, secondhand smoke exposure, opinions toward tobacco product prohibition, behavioral/cessation, curriculum/training, and demographics. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. The Chi-square test was applied to find any significant association between smoking and qualitative variables among different health professional students. Results: Five hundred and twenty-five students submitted the response to the online survey. One hundred and five (20%) health-care students were smokers. Pharmacy students had the highest percentage of smokers (50%) and also secondhand smoking exposure (46.87%) was highest among them. Nonsmokers had more favorable attitudes toward banning tobacco products. Medical and dental students were highly trained in tobacco cessation compared to other courses (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In the present study, the prevalence of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoking was high among pharmacy students, whereas knowledge toward tobacco cessation and training for the same was high among medical and dental students. The study concluded that comprehensive tobacco preventive and cessation training among all health professionals should be mandatory to improve their effectiveness in tobacco cessation and as role models also.

Abstract Background Coexisting hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and dyslipidemia (triple disease) can lead to greater risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The present study sought to comprehend the prevalence, demographic traits, clinical traits, and treatment patterns in Indian patients with these coexisting conditions. Methods An electronic medical record (EMR)-based, retrospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected for patients who were diagnosed with coexistent hypertension, T2DM, and dyslipidemia. Baseline patient variables evaluated were the percentage of patients with triple comorbidity, demographic characteristics, diagnostic laboratory parameters, and treatment pattern details. Results Data from 4793 centers (clinics) were included, with a total of 6,722,173 patients. Of these, 427,835 (6.36%) patients were found to have coexistent hypertension, T2DM, and dyslipidemia. Most of the patients belonged to the 40–64 year age group (62.10%) and were males (57.00%), while 27.40% patients had a body mass index (BMI) within normal limits, 43.30% patients were pre-obese, and 20.90% patients were class 1 obese. Further, 3402 patients (0.80%) had a recorded history of smoking. Mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for the patients included in the study was 8.35 ± 1.96 g%. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 138.81 ± 19.59 mm Hg, while mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 82.17 ± 10.35 mm Hg; 27.60% cases had SBP

Abstract Background Real-world Indian studies evaluating effectiveness of dapagliflozin as an add-on to other oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are scarce. Methods An electronic medical record (EMR)-based, retrospective, multicentre study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dapagliflozin as add-on therapy in adult patients with inadequately controlled DM on metformin with or without other OAD. Baseline characteristics (visit 1: metformin or metformin plus OAD treatment for at least 30 days) and treatment-related outcomes (visit 2: follow-up) considered between 60 and 140 days after adding/switching dapagliflozin [glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)] were analysed. Results A total of 3616 patients were screened from 478 centres. Most patients had received dapagliflozin (D) + metformin (M) + at least one other OAD [D + M + OAD, n = 2907 (80.4%), 408 followed-up with HbA1c reported], while 709 patients (19.6%, 138 followed-up with HbA1c reported) received dapagliflozin + metformin (D + M). Treatment with dapagliflozin as an add-on therapy resulted in significant change in HbA1c (−1.1 ± 1.44%; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 7.5%; −1.6 ± 1.41%; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 8%) at visit 2 compared with visit 1. Significant change in body weight (−1.4 ± 3.31 kg; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 7.5%; − 1.5 ± 3.22 kg; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 8%) was observed at visit 2. Similarly, a significant change in BMI was noted for the HbA1c subgroup ≥ 7.5% (−1.0 ± 8.38 kg/m2). However, the change in BMI in the HbA1c subgroup ≥ 8% was noted to be −1.4 ± 10.4 kg/m2, which was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). In the overall study population, significant change in the SBP (−4.5 ± 14.9 mmHg; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 7.5%; −4.5 ± 15.1 mmHg; p < 0.0001 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 8%) was observed at visit 2 compared with visit 1. On identical lines, significant change in DBP (−1.5 ± 8.94 mmHg; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 7.5%; −1.4 ± 8.91 mmHg; p < 0.05 for HbA1c subgroup ≥ 8%) was noted. Conclusions Dapagliflozin showed significant improvement in glycemic parameter, BMI and BP when added to metformin, with or without other OADs in a real-world scenario.

Objective: Out of all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases globally, 20% of the patients present with metastasis, and 25% develop metastasis later. The 5-year survival rate after diagnosis for mCRC patients is

The rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and rising greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions have necessitated research into low-cost renewable energy sources, with a focus on algal-derived biofuels. Biodiesel, a sustainable alternative fuel, can be derived from a variety of biological sources Microalgae-based biodiesel production offers an innovative method of generating renewable and sustainable energy. By utilizing advanced cultivation techniques, such as photobioreactors and open pond systems, microalgae can be grown efficiently and in large quantities. Furthermore, various methods, such as lipid extraction and transesterification, are employed to convert the lipid-rich microalgae biomass into biodiesel. However, to make microalgae-based biodiesel production more cost-effective and sustainable, several challenges need to be addressed, such as higher production costs, reduced productivity rates, and potential environmental impacts. Future opportunities lie in creating cost-effective and sustainable methods for cultivating and harvesting microalgae, improving lipid yields, and creating effective conversion methods. Overall, microalgae-based biodiesel production shows promise as a renewable and sustainable energy source. However, further research and development must take place to realize its full potential and reap its rewards.

The rise of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in urban areas, driven by traffic, construction, and combustion emissions, has prompted urgent air quality concerns. Understanding source-specific PM2.5 chemical characteristics and developing associated source markers is essential for knowing their accurate contribution to atmospheric PM2.5. This study focuses on developing PM2.5 chemical source profiles from nine different emissions, primarily categorized under traffic and combustion sources. The chemical characterization included the carbonaceous thermal fractions, inorganic ions, and elemental composition. Heterogeneity in chemical composition across emission sources was examined using the coefficient of divergence and diagnostic ratio, and finally, source-specific chemical fingerprints were developed using the ratio normalization approach. The finding revealed significant inter and intra-variation in the chemical composition among traffic and combustion emission sources. Organic matter is observed significantly higher in combustion sources (84%–92%) than in traffic sources (22%–45%). Both OC/EC and char-EC/soot-EC values showed much higher values for combustion sources than traffic emissions, with cow dung cake burning emissions displaying the largest values. Also, char-EC/soot-EC values showed a similar trend with OC/EC values and thus can be used as an additional marker for deciphering emission sources. The ion-balance ratio revealed particle emissions from coal, cow dung, and garbage burning to be highly acidic, while traffic and construction sources were alkaline. Source marker results provide new insights into differences in the chemical fingerprint of specific emission sources. A new set of source markers was seen for garbage burning while coal-burning emissions showed varying chemical fingerprints and were found to be dependent on coal processing. Among elements, bromine and chlorine are found to be the unique markers for cow dung cake-burning emissions. Receptor models can use the database developed from the current work to demarcate the emission sources accurately and benefit the regulatory bodies in developing efficient control measures.

Introduction: The anatomy side and front of the neck, the pharynx, the laryngeal structures, and any anatomical variations in the persistent nerve must be understood before performing thyroid surgery. Both the surgeon and the patient find thyroid surgery challenging due to the architecture of the lower laryngeal nerve. Due to the consequent diversity of anatomical changes, identification and dissection are challenging and delicate. These changes are causes of the persistent nerve’s susceptibility. The various anatomical differences that have been described in the literature are related to the nerve itself and the path that it takes around nearby organs. Method: During thyroid surgeries, RLN was encountered patients attending the OPD in RIMS, Ranchi during the period of Aug 2022 - July 2023 duration. All patients underwent standard electrocardiography, lung ventilation function testing, clinical biochemistry, hematologic, and coagulation function assessments. All of the included patients' clinically significant vocal cord impairments were ruled out by preoperative laryngoscopy. Results: In total, 100 individuals who had thyroid surgery on time were comprised of the research. The median age of the 55 women and 45 men who participated in this prospective study was 45.0 years (range, 13-81 years). 120 RLNs, including 65 left- and 55 right-side nerves, were dissected; 65 individuals underwent unilateral exposure, and 39 underwent bilateral exposure. Conclusion: The recurrent nerve has several different anatomical variations, and the discovery is frequently made intraoperatively. During thyroid surgery, the operator should always be aware of anatomical variance. Regardless of the initial strategy, the surgeon's vigilance and skill prevent recurrence injury even when the recurrent nerve has unexpected anatomical changes.

Abstract We propose a new architecture based on a fully connected feed-forward Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to estimate surface soil moisture from satellite images on a large alluvial fan of the Kosi River in the Himalayan Foreland. We have extracted nine different features from Sentinel-1 (dual-polarised radar backscatter), Sentinel-2 (red and near-infrared bands), and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (digital elevation model) satellite products by leveraging the linear data fusion and graphical indicators. We performed a feature importance analysis by using the regression ensemble tree approach and also feature sensitivity to evaluate the impact of each feature on the response variable. For training and assessing the model performance, we conducted two field campaigns on the Kosi Fan in December 11–19, 2019 and March 01–06, 2022. We used a calibrated TDR probe to measure surface soil moisture at 224 different locations distributed throughout the fan surface. We used input features to train, validate, and test the performance of the feed-forward ANN model in a 60:10:30 ratio, respectively. We compared the performance of ANN model with ten different machine learning algorithms [i.e., Generalised Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Radial Basis Network (RBN), Exact RBN (ERBN), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF), Boosting Ensemble Learning (Boosting EL), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Binary Decision Tree (BDT), and Automated Machine Learning (AutoML)]. We observed that the ANN model accurately predicts the soil moisture and outperforms all the benchmark algorithms with correlation coefficient (R = 0.80), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 0.040 $$\mathrm {m^3/m^3}$$ m 3 / m 3 ), and bias = 0.004 $$\mathrm {m^3/m^3}$$ m 3 / m 3 . Finally, for an unbiased and robust conclusion, we performed spatial distribution analysis by creating thirty different sets of training-validation-testing datasets. We observed that the performance remains consistent in all thirty scenarios. The outcomes of this study will foster new and existing applications of soil moisture.

Background and Aims: Aerosol protection equipment aim at protecting the anaesthesiologist, from aerosol-borne infections, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2. Methods: We improvised the first-generation intubation box (IB) by increasing its dimensions, including heat and moisture exchanger with filter, suction catheter, and attaching arm sleeves to make a modified intubation box (MIB). The impact of IB, MIB and transparent sheets (TS) on the patient outcomes during airway management was evaluated. Results: A significant difference in median (interquartile range in minutes) was observed in time to intubate between IB (4 [4–5]); TS (0.5 [0.3–0.5]) and MIB (0.3 [0.3–1.5]): P = 0.004); and airway devices; McCoy (0.5 [0.3–2]), CMac (0.5 [0.3–1.5]): P = 0.004. First-pass success was 100% with the TS, whereas more than three attempts were required with IB 66.7% and 5.2% with MIB. Video laryngoscope was associated with less airway-related adverse events (ARAEs). The need for mask ventilation (and hence possible aerosolisation) was maximum with IB. All the ARAEs resolved uneventfully. No breach of personal protective equipment was observed; none of the health-care professionals involved in patient care developed any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. Conclusion: Video laryngoscope is favourable for managing airway in COVID-19 times. In view of the ongoing pandemic and added protection that it offers, it is worthwhile to include the MIB in the armamentarium for managing the airway of patients with COVID-19.

This review provides a detailed synthesis of various in-situ, remote sensing, and machine learning approaches to estimate soil moisture. Bibliometric analysis of the published literature on soil moisture shows that Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is the most widely used in-situ instrument, while remote sensing is the most preferred application, and random forest is the widely applied algorithm to simulate surface soil moisture. We have applied ten most widely used machine learning models on a publicly available dataset (in-situ soil moisture measurement and satellite images) to predict soil moisture and compared their results. We have briefly discussed the potential of using the upcoming NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission images to estimate soil moisture. Finally, this review discusses the capabilities of physics-informed and automated machine learning (AutoML) models to predict the surface soil moisture at higher spatial and temporal resolutions. This review will assist researchers in investigating the applications of soil moisture in the broad domain of earth sciences.

We evaluate the penetration depth of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signals into the ground surface at different frequencies. We applied dielectric models (Dobson empirical, Hallikainen, and Dobson semi-empirical) on the ground surface composed of different soil types (sandy, loamy, and clayey). These models result in different penetration depths for the same set of sensors and soil properties. The Dobson semi-empirical model is more sensitive to the soil properties, followed by the Hallikainen and Dobson empirical models. We used the Dobson semi-empirical model to study the penetration depth of the upcoming NASA-ISRO synthetic aperture radar (NISAR) mission operated at the L-band (1.25 GHz) and the S-band (3.22 GHz) into the ground. We observed that depending upon the soil types, the penetration depth of the SAR signals ranges between 0 to 10 cm for the S-band and 0 to 25 cm for the L-band.

This paper has been formally retracted from publication by the Publisher due to the fact that the scientific relevance of this work is questionable. Request approved by the Publisher on October 9, 2024.

This paper has been formally retracted from publication by the Publisher due to the fact that the scientific relevance of this work is questionable. Request approved by the Publisher on October 9, 2024.

The investigation on “Shrewd Nanomaterials for Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutic Interventions in Present day Healthcare” explores the blend, characterization, and applications of temperatureresponsive, pH-responsive, and light-responsive nanomaterials. Results uncover the fruitful amalgamation of well-defined nanomaterials with cruel molecule sizes of 50 nm, 80 nm, and 60 nm, separately. Characterization illustrates their homogeneity with moo polydispersity records (PDIs) of 0.15, 0.20, and 0.18. In vitro studies exhibit the responsiveness of these nanomaterials to shifting physiological conditions, demonstrating their potential for temperature-sensitive diagnostics and controlled medicate discharge. In vivo thinks about illustrates a remarkable focus on productivity, with tall collection in particular target tissues, approving their potential for precise medicate conveyance. Computational modelling provides insights into the dynamic interaction between nanomaterials and biomolecules, thus improving our knowledge on how these materials behave under complex physiological conditions. This work adds to the general scene of nano medicine scope with focus on the competence of keen nanomaterials for customized and targeted therapeutic confessants. Their findings underscore their critical role in the achievement of improved clinical accuracy, targeted effective responses, and reduced side effects. The union parameters, characterization information, and in vitro/in vivo outcomes collectively emphasize the innovative future of these nanomaterials in developing the future of precision pharmaceuticals.

Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing.Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation.Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services.

The use of salivary biomarkers in diagnosis, treatment, and overall prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been developed recently. Salivary biomarkers are extremely promising as they are fast to obtain and involve noninvasive collection of specimens. Monitoring patients in real time is necessary in this pandemic. Saliva is another biofluid with major advantages at the molecular level. Methods that detect viral presence in the host secretions measure the current infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the detection of human antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 evaluates the past exposure to the virus. There is an urgent need to increase the active research for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva because diagnostics may provide a reliable and cost-effective method and is suitable for the fast and early detection of COVID-19 infection. Salivary biomarkers have a potential to be a vital guide in determining coronavirus disease. Many people still do not get results of COVID-19 tests due to imbalance between supply and demand at large testing centers. The use of saliva has various advantages compared to collection of nasopharyngeal swabs. New techniques should be developed for detecting salivary biomarkers that help in diagnosis of COVID-19.

Background: Tobacco cessation motivation majorly depends on self-efficacy and sense of coherence. Hence the aim and objective of the present study was to explore how self-efficacy (SE) in addition to sense of coherence (SOC) affected tobacco cessation motivation and readiness among slum dwellers during the COVID-19 health emergency. Materials and Methods: The ongoing research was a cross-sectional, descriptive questionnaire study. The research started in November and ended in December 2020. The research took place in primary health centres located in Ajmer's urban slums. In this analysis, east, west, north and south directions of Ajmer were chosen at random from each direction, and each slum had an associated primary health centre (PHC). From these 16 PHCs, people coming from slum areas were interviewed. The questionnaire consisted of demographic details, tobacco motivation and readiness, SOC and SE. Results: The majority of study participants (178, 56.7%) were not seriously considering reducing their tobacco intake. The majority of study subjects had poor sense of coherence {137 (43.6%)}, self-efficacy {141 (44.9%)} and tobacco cessation motivation and readiness {156 (49.7%)}. Using the logistic regression model, it was discovered that study participants with high SE and a high SOC had a substantial impact on successful tobacco cessation motivation and readiness (P = 0.01*), (P = 0.00*). Conclusion: It was concluded that the study participants with high self-efficacy and high sense of coherence had a significant impact on good tobacco cessation motivation and readiness.

We propose a hybrid machine learning algorithm (i.e., P2CA−PSO−ANN) to model malaria outbreak in three districts (Barmer, Bikaner, and Jodhpur) of Rajasthan in the Western India. We have used different meteorological variables (i.e., relative humidity, temperature, and rainfall) as input features to predict malaria. We have also considered the combined impact of these variables through a linear data fusion. We then extract the uncorrelated information from the feature set by applying Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis (P2CA). We trained the fully connected feed-forward Artificial Neural Network (ANN) by optimising its hyperparameters iteratively through a bio-inspired optimisation algorithm (Particle Swarm Optimisation). We train and evaluate the performance of this algorithm using monthly meteorological variables from 2009 - 2012. This accurately predicts the malaria cases with the coefficient of correlation (R = 0.99), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 1.76). Finally, we compare our model with different benchmark algorithms (Generalised Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest, and Radial Basis Neural Networks (RBNN)) in terms of accuracy. We observed the performance of hybrid machine learning model relatively high. This study can be used as an early warning intelligent system to predict the malaria outbreaks solely from meteorological data.

A multicentric cross-sectional observational survey was conducted to understand the patient, physician, nurse, caregiver, and diabetes counselor/educator-related factors that define the “glycemic happiness” of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Five sets of questionnaires based on a five-point Likert scale were used. A total of 167 persons with T2DM, 167 caregivers, and 34 each of physicians, nurses, and diabetes counselors/educators participated. For persons with T2DM, an adequate understanding of diabetes (mean score ± standard deviation: 4.2 ± 0.9), happiness and satisfaction with life (4.1 ± 0.8), flexibility (4.2 ± 0.8) and convenience (4.2 ± 0.7) of treatment, and confidence to handle hypo/hyperglycemic episodes (4.0 ± 0.9) were the factors positively associated with glycemic happiness. Caregivers’ factors included information from physicians on patient care (4.5 ± 0.6), constructive conversations with persons with T2DM (4.2 ± 0.8), helping them with regular glucose monitoring (4.2 ± 0.9), and caregivers’ life satisfaction (4.2 ± 0.8). Factors for physicians, nurses, and diabetes counselors/educators were belief in their ability to make a difference in the life of persons with T2DM (4.8 ± 0.4, 4.4 ± 0.5, and 4.5 ± 0.5), satisfaction from being able to help them (4.9 ± 0.3, 4.6 ± 0.5, and 4.6 ± 0.5), and professional satisfaction (4.9 ± 0.4, 4.4 ± 0.6, and 4.7 ± 0.4). Our survey identified the key factors pertaining to different stakeholders in diabetes care, which cumulatively define the glycemic happiness of persons with T2DM.

Introduction: To facilitate good oral health, plaque control by toothbrushing is of utmost importance. The poor oral hygiene leads to accumulation of plaque and calculus. It is the primary aetiological factor for gingival diseases. Aim: To compare the plaque removal efficacy of toothbrush bristles containing neem and charcoal to assess the effect on oral hygiene. Materials And Methods: This was a double-blind, randomised clinical trial conducted among 30 participants of age group between 33 to 44 years, who reported to the Outpatient Department of Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Maharashtra, India, for 21 days, in June 2021. Neem and charcoal toothbrushes were given to allotted participants and plaque index was measured at baseline, 7th day, and 15th day. For intergroup and intragroup comparison Independent t-test and repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests were used. Results: The mean plaque index score of neem toothbrush and charcoal toothbrush at baseline was 2.13 and 2.18 and, on day 7th was 1.79 and 1.48, respectively. No significant difference was found between the plaque scores of both the groups at baseline and seven days. However, a statistically significant difference was observed in the plaque index at 15th day between neem (1.21) and charcoal (0.61) groups with p-value=0.004. Conclusion: It is concluded that when compared to neem toothbrushes, charcoal toothbrushes had greater plaque control efficacy for maintaining good oral hygiene.

Carbon-based materials are the promising candidates for the design of multifunctional spintronic devices, owing to their fascinating inherent attributes such as the ballistic transport nature, long spin coherence time, etc. Here, we report the spin-dependent electron transport properties of a trans-polyacetylene channel sandwiched between two semi-infinite hydrogen-passivated zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) electrodes within the framework of spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) and non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalisms. The proposed device exhibits an excellent spin-dependent transport behavior within the bias window of [-0.5 V, 0.5 V]. In parallel configuration (PC), the device offers an ideal spin filtration efficiency of almost 100% within the bias range of [-0.4 V, 0.4 V], and in antiparallel configuration (APC), it exhibits negative differential resistance (NDR), dual-spin rectification, and dual-spin filtration effects. Also, a high tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) of 1.2× 105% is achieved. To validate the aforementioned effects, the transmission spectra along with the area enclosed by the curve, eigenvalues, eigenstates, and quantum conductance have also been analyzed. In addition, the impact of hybridization and torsion defects on the spin-dependent transport phenomenon through trans-polyacetylene has been investigated. Furthermore, the modelled device is observed to exhibit the spin Seebeck effect in PC under the influence of temperature gradient. The proposed device may stand as a good contender for various spintronic and spin caloritronic applications.

The importance of the psychological impact of diabetes is globally well-documented. Evidence suggests that there is a high level of psychosocial burden of diabetes in India. Moreover, there is a lack of relevant knowledge among the patients and caregivers regarding the psychological impact of diabetes and how to cope with it, as compared to the majority of other countries. “Happiness of the patient” is an essential component of diabetes management, which potentially affects the treatment outcome, treatment adherence, self-care, and lifelong management of diabetes. Although several validated tools and scales exist for measuring psychological outcomes both in patients and physicians, tools to assess “happiness in diabetes care” are still lacking. With this background, an expert group meeting was held in India in September 2019, involving nine expert diabetologists and endocrinologists across the country to discuss the concept of “glycemic happiness”. This article summarizes the expert opinion on the factors affecting psychological outcomes in diabetes, introduces the concept of glycemic happiness, describes available scales and tools to measure general happiness, and delineates the five sets of questionnaires developed with questions that may help correlate with “glycemic happiness”. The questionnaires are based on a five-point Likert method. The experts also discussed and decided upon the study design for a proposed observational survey to assess glycemic happiness of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on the developed five sets of questionnaires. Given the huge burden of diabetes in India, the introduction of the concept of glycemic happiness will help in the optimization of diabetes care in the country.

Microorganisms adopt a unique mechanism for sequestration and transport of bound iron by producing iron-chelating molecules called siderophores. Siderophores play an important role in colonization of microbes in iron-deficient sites of the host, hence acting as an important virulence factor and promising carriers of antimicrobials to target sites inside the microbial cells. The research was conducted to identify and characterize the siderophores of pathogenic Escherichia coli isolates obtained from different parts of India. A total of 534 confirmed E. coli isolates were tested for the expression of siderophores using chrome azurol S agar method and its type were determined by Csaky and Arnow assays for hydroxamate and catecholate-type siderophores, respectively. The obtained results revealed a difference in siderophore-type expression by intestinal and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. On chrome azurol S agar 45.1% of pathogenic E. coli. were found to produce siderophores, 12.5% isolates were found to produce catechol-type siderophore and 35.4% isolates produced hydroxamate-type siderophore; and isolates could be classified into five sidero-types (1) only hydroxamate producing (2) only catechol producing (3) both catechol and hydroxamate producing (4) producing siderophores other than hydroxamate and catechol types and (5) siderophore non-producers. Siderophore production was detected in isolates from all geographical regions and in all seasons of the year. The findings conclude that siderophore production is one of the important virulence and epidemiological markers of intestinal as well as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.

Drug resistance is one of the problems affecting the world where drug-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae have been shown to be ubiquitous, frequently isolated from foods and commonly associated with surgical site infection in hospitals worldwide. The aims of this work were to analyze the antibacterial activity of root extracts of the plant obtained by serial extraction (using petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, and water) and by in vitro techniques and preliminary screen phytochemicals present in the extract by qualitative means. Fresh roots of Plumbago indica were collected, oven-dried, and extracted using Soxhlet apparatus; antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the active extract were evaluated by standard methods against clinically isolated drug-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae; preliminary phytochemical screening was taken to detect the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, reducing sugars, phenolics, protein, and oil and fat; and bioactive compounds were detected by GCMS analysis of the active extracts. Determination of antibacterial activity showed that the test organisms were susceptible to methanol and aqueous extracts only. MIC of methanolic extract was found to be 20 µg/mL on both E. coli and K. pneumoniae, while aqueous extract had MIC of 10 and 20 µg/mL on E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of all the above-mentioned phytochemicals except oil and fat. The significance of this work is to find a lasting solution to the current problem of emerging drug-resistant bacteria (E. coli and K. pneumoniae) through the use of extracts obtained from P. indica which have long history of use as traditional medicine. The methanolic and aqueous extract can be recommended as an alternative and candidates for drug development against drug-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae.

We use surface soil moisture content as a proxy to assess the effect of drainage congestion due to structural barriers on the alluvial Fan of the Kosi River on the Himalayan Foreland. We used Sentinel-1 satellite images to evaluate the spatial distribution of soil moisture in the proximity of structural barriers (i.e., road network). We applied modified Dubois and a fully connected feed-forward artificial neural network (FC-FF-ANN) models to estimate soil moisture. We observed that the FC-FF-ANN predicts soil moisture more accurately (R = 0.85, RMSE = 0.05 m3/m3, and bias = 0) as compared to the modified Dubois model. Therefore, we have used the soil moisture from the FC-FF-ANN model for further analysis.We identified the road network that traverses on the Kosi Fan horizontally, vertically, and with inclination. We create a buffer of 1 km along either side of the road. Within this, we assessed the spatial distribution of soil moisture. We observed a high concentration of soil moisture near the structural barrier, and decreases gradually as we move farther in either direction across the orientation of the road. The impact of structural barriers on the spatial distribution of soil moisture is prominent in a range between 300 to 750 m within the road buffer. This study is a step towards assessing the effect of structural interventions on drainage congestion and flood inundation.

Algae are promising sources of biofuel. Microalgae’s ability to grow quickly with photosynthesis, carbon dioxide, and nutrients makes them ideal biofuel sources that do not compete for resources with food crops like corn. Algae cultivation on non-arable land allows it to produce biofuel while not competing with them for resources. Algae biofuel has many advantages over fossil fuels, including reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon emissions. There are various methods for turning algal feedstock or biomass into advanced biofuels. Algae biofuels have become widely used as fossil fuel replacements; however, several challenges must still be overcome, such as high production costs, the need for extensive growing systems, harvesting techniques that enable efficient harvesting/extraction techniques, as well as efficient harvesting/extraction technologies.

Background: Relationship between children's media habit with their anxiety and behavior management problems (BMPs) is clinically relevant in establishing the link of usage of social media with dental fear and problems in behavior management during dental chairside treatment. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between media habits with BMPs along with dental anxiety (DA) during dental procedures in children. Materials and Methods: Overall, fifty patients of 3–10 years old were selected. DA and BMP were recorded by application of Clinical Anxiety Rating Scale and Frankel's Rating Scale in dental procedure. Parents reported their own DA on a Likert scale and also the time spend on using media and its type by children as well as parents was noted. Analysis of data was done with Mann–Whitney U and Chi-square test at “P < 0.05” significant level. Results: In children with BMP, TV watching and overall usage of electronic media were found more compared to those without BMP, this was significant. There was no significant correlation of total hours of TV watching and overall media time in children with DA. While in children with BMP, TV watching and overall usage of electronic media were found more compared to those without BMP, this was significant. There was a significant correlation of total hours of TV watching and overall media time in children with DA and BMP. Conclusions: There was a significant relation between BMPs with media usage in children while the same was insignificant with DA.

Background: Rotating shift work refers to a way of organizing daily working hours in which different persons or teams work in succession to cover more than the usual 8 h per day, up to and including the whole 24 h. Studies have been conducted for examining the effects of rotating shifts on an employee's performance and well-being. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of rotating shift work, sleep, and accidents related to sleepiness in doctors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on doctors of a Tertiary Care Hospital. A close-ended questionnaire containing 25 questions was distributed to doctors (residents and interns) who worked rotating shifts. Questions presented were regarding sleep disturbances, sleeping aids or countermeasures to get to sleep; and accidents or errors in the past year including automobile accidents and medical and procedural errors that the doctors had reported to have occurred because of sleepiness due to rotating shifts. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS version 21 (SPSS statistics IBM Corporation). Results: Doctors reporting to night shifts suffered from decreased and disturbed sleep, irritability, fatigue, and poor reflexes. According to our study, almost all the subjects suffered from poor work and sleep quality due to their changing work shifts. Conclusion: Rotating work shifts have a direct effect on workability and quality and amount of sleep in doctors.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is assigned as a menace by the WHO (World Health Organization) where diseases resulting from multidrug-resistant bacteria are refractory to treatment as a result of a scarcity of new antibiotics in the queue. Antibiotic stewardship program is one of the worldwide strategies to advertise responsible use of antibiotics to halt AMR. The world has started facing a postantibiotic era without immediate and integrated action. Common infections which were treatable for decades can once again kill. The dentistry contributions towards antibiotic resistance are substantial. Approximately 10% of all common antibiotics are prescribed by dentists. Antimicrobial stewardship is a policy that can assist us in addressing the problems of antibiotic resistance. It is a framework that promotes the truly sustainable use of antimicrobials in dentistry. It refers to the approach which is multifaceted and incorporates policies, and guidelines along with surveillance, reports of prevalence and education, and audit of practice for reducing prescribing, adopted by health care organizations. The prime strategy is to improve clinical results while mitigating unintended consequences such as toxicity, pathogenic organism selection, and resistance emergence. Such issues should be centralized and the ongoing need to identify and convert “responsible usage” into context-specific and time-specific behavior. The importance of the antibiotic stewardship program, its team, and their action has become a challenge for the dental hospital but along with it, there are numerous opportunities to achieve the goal.

Background: Nicotine dependency would have increased during the times of COVID-19 among the primary health professionals, which would can be attributed to perceived stress and can also be influenced by self-efficacy; hence, the aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between nicotine dependence with perceived stress, self-efficacy among primary health care professionals during the times of covid-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire study. The study was conducted among primary health workers of Ajmer district; stratified random sampling technique was used to collect data. A questionnaire was prepared that consists of demographic details, questions on perceived stress, self-efficacy, and nicotine dependence. Results: Perceived stress and nicotine dependence was high among study participants. Self-efficacy was low. There was significant (P ≤ 0.05) association between high nicotine dependence and high perceived stress. It was also reported that majority of study participants {58 (30.4%)} with high self-efficacy significantly (P ≤ 0.05) was associated with low nicotine dependence. Conclusion: High nicotine dependence was significantly associated with high perceived stress, while low nicotine dependence was significantly lower among primary health care workers' low perceived stress. Low nicotine dependence was significantly associated among study participants with high self-efficacy.

Fragrance finishing of textiles is an area with untapped potential which has been growing at an enormous rate. The use of scents to change moods, evoke emotions and stimulate certain senses has been there for ages. Building up from that, textiles have started being infused with scents and used in domestic and industrial application. The purpose of this research is to cover all aspects of fragrance finishing. The literature review covers extensive topics like the basic concept of aromatherapy, needs of fragrance finishing, application methods and our current market scenario. The latter part of this study deals with a survey that sheds light on the research gap identified as lack of market awareness and acceptance. Chi-square was the statistical tool used for relating factors like gender, age group and income group to buying behaviour of people when it comes to fragrance finished textile products.

Objective: PTBD is an important lifesaving alternative for biliary tract decompression to endoscopic drainage in the treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of PTBD in terms of the relief of symptoms and laboratory data, survival after PTBD, and the relationship between patient characteristics and survival during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: During this study, in total thirteen patients’ procedures of percutaneous drainage were applied during a three-month period. The average age of men was 59 years and women was 55 years. The causes of obstructive jaundice were investigated using both abdominal computed tomography and abdominal ultrasonography. Results: In examined group percutaneous drainage was successful in 92.3% (12 patients) and drainage procedure application was ineffective in 7.7% (1 patient). After PTBD, almost all the symptoms of obstructive jaundice were relieved, except in one patient. Transient haemobilia was the only complication seen in one patient. Conclusion: In present scenario of COVID-19 pandemic, PTBD emerges as an effective method of biliary tract decompression and an important alternative to endoscopic drainage. It decreased the jaundice and relieved the symptoms caused by biliary tract obstruction. Thus, our study shows a positive impact in quality of life of patients after PTBD.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and senses of coherence (SoC) can be affected by the use of tobacco. Hence, the aim of the present study was to explore the association between HRQOL and SoC among health professionals working in primary health centers (PHCs) consuming Tobacco. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study where sampling technique used was systematic stratified random sampling. Jaipur District has 37 PHCs retrieved from site of NRHM Rajasthan. A close-ended questionnaire was prepared to conduct the interview. Results: Majority of study participants (57; 37.01%) were of 36–40 years of age. Males respondents (86; 55.85%) consuming tobacco were more in number than female respondents. Majority of study subjects (91; 59.09%) consumed smoked kind of tobacco, in which most contributed were nurses (49; 62.82%). On applying a linear regression model, it was determined that all subscale of SF-36 was significantly (P ≤ 0.000) associated with SoC. Conclusion: From above, it was concluded that there was a strong association between HRQOL and SoC among health professionals working in primary health centers consuming tobacco.

The outbreak of COVID- 19 disease has taken the world by surprise. The disease mainly affects the respiratory system and is caused by a strain of coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. Due to its high recombination rates the virus has an immense potential to spread rapidly. Within months of the first case being reported in Wuhan China, the disease has turned rapidly into a pandemic. The world health experts are already actively looking for a definite cure or vaccine for the disease, but till that many of the countries across the globe are looking up onto mass quarantine measures as a method to control its spread. This article is an attempt to review the effectiveness of these measures and the possible adverse effects of the same. Other possible modes of prevention and controlling the spread of the disease have also been reviewed in the article.

Introduction. Calcium channel blockers have pedal edema as one of the confining factors of treatment. A real-world study may help evident reality of the situation in regular Indian clinical practice. The aim of the study is to assess effectiveness and incidence of pedal edema in essential hypertensive patients treated with amlodipine or cilnidipine monotherapy. Methods. Retrospective EMR data of adult essential hypertensive patients, prescribed amlodipine (n = 800) or cilnidipine (n = 800) as monotherapy, were analyzed. Incidence of pedal edema from baseline visit was analyzed in terms of dose and duration of treatment. The changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline and proportion of patients achieving target BP goals were assessed. Results. In amlodipine and cilnidipine groups, mean changes in SBP and DBP from baseline to end of the study period were 28.4 and 15.1 mmHg and 24.3 and 13.5 mmHg, respectively (p value

The Betwa River basin, a semi-arid catchment that has been classified as a major hotspot of groundwater depletion in Central India. The rainfall and streamflow intermittency have affected agricultural practices due to the variability of groundwater availability for irrigation. This study evaluates the spatial and temporal variations of groundwater level (GWL) in the last 25 years (1993–2018) in the catchment. We applied a nonparametric Seasonal Trend decomposition based on the Loess (STL) method to decompose the GWL time series into the seasonal, trend, and remainder components. We observed that the GWL in the northeastern regions of the basin has depleted about 3–5 mbgl in the last two decades. During the same period, the basin has experienced a reduction in the rainfall magnitude (2.07 mm/yr). We observed that the overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation and rainfall variability have greatly impacted the GWL condition in the study area. Further, if the groundwater extraction continues at present rates, the Betwa River basin may experience severe depletion in the future.

Navigating safely towards euglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a real challenge in the current clinical practice despite availability of a number of glucose-lowering drugs; major barriers are hypoglycemia and weight gain. Sulfonylureas (SUs) have been recommended as one of the most common choice of add-on therapy to metformin (used as first line therapy). They are used extensively in Southeast Asia due to their high efficacy and low cost. However, there have been concerns regarding hypoglycemia, weight gain and cardiovascular safety with SUs. There is a need for an oral molecule that does not cause weight gain, has low risk of causing hypoglycemia, which can be used to navigate safely towards euglycemia with minimal constraints. Literature has shown that gliclazide provides consistent glycemic control with fewer hypoglycemic episodes and has long-term micro- and macrovascular benefits. This expert opinion was developed to highlight the role of SUs, and gliclazide in particular, in navigating effectively and safely towards the desired glycemic control in T2DM.

We estimate the combined effect of climate and landuse-landcover (LU-LC) change on the streamflow of the Betwa River; a semi-arid catchment in Central India. We have used the observed and future bias-corrected climatic datasets from 1980–2100. To assess the LU-LC change in the catchment, we have processed and classified the Landsat satellite images from 1990–2020. We have used Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based Cellular Automata (CA) model to simulate the future LU-LC. Further, we coupled the observed and projected LU-LC and climatic variables in the SWAT (Soil and water assessment tool) model to simulate the streamflow of the Betwa River. In doing so, we have setup this model for the observed (1980–2000 and 2001–2020) and projected (2023–2060 and 2061–2100) time periods by using the LU-LC of the years 1990, 2018, and 2040, 2070, respectively. We observed that the combined effect of climate and LU-LC change resulted in the reduction in the mean monsoon stream flow of the Betwa River by 16% during 2001–2020 as compared to 1982–2000. In all four CMIP6 climatic scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585), the mean monsoon stream flow is expected to decrease by 39–47% and 31–47% during 2023–2060 and 2061–2100, respectively as compared to the observed time period 1982–2020. Furthermore, average monsoon rainfall in the catchment will decrease by 30–35% during 2023–2060 and 23–30% during 2061–2100 with respect to 1982–2020.

Background—TC, LA and MCM plants(family: Cucurbitaceae) are widely used in traditional medicine and are important sources of vegetables in the world [...]