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Komal Smriti,1,* Murali Venkata Rama Mohan Kodali,2 Mathangi Kumar,1,* Anoushka Saraf,1 Medhini Madi,1 Kalyana Chakravarthy Pentapati,3 Prakashini K,4 Yogesh Chhaparwal,1 Unati Sai Kodali,5 Srikanth Gadicherla6 1Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India; 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, College of Dentistry, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf, Eastern Province-Al Ahsa, 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104 India; 4Department of Radio Diagnosis, Kasturba Medical College & Hospital, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India; 5Dr Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation, Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, India; 6Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Medhini Madi; Yogesh Chhaparwal, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India, Email medhini.madi@manipal.edu; yogesh.chhaparwal@manipal.eduIntroduction: Dental age estimation using third molars is a reliable method for estimating the age of individuals. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and neck has been found to be applicable for age estimation of third molar teeth. In the present study, we aimed to apply the Modified Demirjian method of age estimation to magnetic resonance (MR) image sections for dental age estimation by determining the mineralization patterns of the maxillary third molars.Methods: MRI scans of the patients were performed using SIGNA™ 3.0Tesla MRI GE Healthcare (Chicago, USA) with a moving, multifunctional coil. Two expert radiologists with more than three years of experience independently analyzed the image sections using the open-source Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewer software. The age and sex of the patients whose images were included in the study were recorded using a specially designed proforma. The stage of development of the maxillary third molars was determined using the modified Demirjian method. Inter observer agreement was calculated using the intra class correlation coefficient. Simple linear regression analysis was used to predict the actual age at the third molar development stage.Results: There was excellent agreement between observers (ICC =0.99 (95% CI = 0.98– 0.99)). There was also a significant association between the maxillary third molar tooth development stage and chronological age of the individual (P=0.001; B=1.54; 95% CI = 0.71– 2.37).Discussion: The findings from the present study establish that the Modified Demirjian method can also be reliably applied for dental age assessment in MR sections.Keywords: third molars, forensic science, age estimation by teeth, odontogenesis

Introduction: The present inquiry seeks to investigate whether the current regimens of QSEs (Quadriceps-Strengthening Exercises) aggravate the disease while mitigating symptoms. Materials and methods: A comparative study was conducted on 32 patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of knees. While the neutral group of 16 patients was constituted of those with an anatomical-lateral-femoro-tibial-angle (aFTA) 176-180º, varus group comprised an equal number of patients with an aFTA >180º. A home-based 12-week strength-training program involving weekly visitsto hospital for supervised sessions was administered. The outcome measures were visual-analog-scale (VAS), medial patello-femoral joint tenderness (MPFJT), time-up-and-go-test (TUGT), stair-climb test, step test, WOMAC, IKDC scores, aFTA, hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle, lateral-tibio-femoral-joint-separation (LTFJS), and horizontal-distance-from-centre-of-knee-to-Mikulicz-line. Results: There was a significant increase in quadriceps strength (p

PurposeSusceptibility map weighted imaging (SMWI), based on quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), allows accurate nigrosome-1 (N1) evaluation and has been used to develop Parkinson’s disease (PD) deep learning (DL) classification algorithms. Neuromelanin-sensitive (NMS) MRI could improve automated quantitative N1 analysis by revealing neuromelanin content. This study aimed to compare classification performance of four approaches to PD diagnosis: (1) N1 quantitative “QSM-NMS” composite marker, (2) DL model for N1 morphological abnormality using SMWI (“Heuron IPD”), (3) DL model for N1 volume using SMWI (“Heuron NI”), and (4) N1 SMWI neuroradiological evaluation.MethodPD patients (n = 82; aged 65 ± 9 years; 68% male) and healthy-controls (n = 107; 66 ± 7 years; 48% male) underwent 3 T midbrain MRI with T2*-SWI multi-echo-GRE (for QSM and SMWI), and NMS-MRI. AUC was used to compare diagnostic performance. We tested for correlation of each imaging measure with clinical parameters (severity, duration and levodopa dosing) by Spearman-Rho or Kendall-Tao-Beta correlation.ResultsClassification performance was excellent for the QSM-NMS composite marker (AUC = 0.94), N1 SMWI abnormality (AUC = 0.92), N1 SMWI volume (AUC = 0.90), and neuroradiologist (AUC = 0.98). Reasons for misclassification were right–left asymmetry, through-plane re-slicing, pulsation artefacts, and thin N1. In the two DL models, all 18/189 (9.5%) cases misclassified by Heuron IPD were controls with normal N1 volumes. We found significant correlation of the SN QSM-NMS composite measure with levodopa dosing (rho = −0.303, p = 0.006).ConclusionOur data demonstrate excellent performance of a quantitative QSM-NMS marker and automated DL PD classification algorithms based on midbrain MRI, while suggesting potential further improvements. Clinical utility is supported but requires validation in earlier stage PD cohorts.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) stands as a prevalent complication in the eye resulting from diabetes mellitus, predominantly associated with high blood sugar levels and hypertension as individuals age. DR is a severe microvascular complication of both type I and type II diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of vision impairment. The critical approach to combatting and halting the advancement of DR lies in effectively managing blood glucose and blood pressure levels in diabetic patients; however, this is seldom achieved. Both human and animal studies have revealed the intricate nature of this condition involving various cell types and molecules. Aside from photocoagulation, the sole therapy targeting VEGF molecules in the retina to prevent abnormal blood vessel growth is intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy. However, a substantial portion of cases, approximately 30–40%, do not respond to this treatment. This review explores distinctive pathophysiological phenomena of DR and identifiable cell types and molecules that could be targeted to mitigate the chronic changes occurring in the retina due to diabetes mellitus. Addressing the significant research gap in this domain is imperative to broaden the treatment options available for managing DR effectively.

Tessa Fischer,1,2 Jenna Tucker,1,2 Charlie Li,3 Kyungmi Min,3 Dadong Xu,3 Laurence R Upjohn,1 Madhur Kumar1 1Food and Drug Branch, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA, USA; 2California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal EIS) Fellowship Program, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA, USA; 3Food and Drug Laboratory Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USACorrespondence: Madhur Kumar, Food and Drug Branch, California Department of Public Health, 1500 Capitol Avenue, MS 7602, Sacramento, CA, 95814, USA, Email madhur.kumar@cdph.ca.govPurpose: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against tainted products for sexual enhancement containing prescription phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors marketed as dietary supplements. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH)’s Food and Drug Branch (FDB) initiated a study to assess the presence of such adulterated products, specifically to identify the presence of PDE5 inhibitors in dietary supplements marketed for sexual enhancement, sampled at local retail locations.Methods: A convenience sample of products marketed as sexual enhancement dietary supplements was purchased from retail stores, within a 15-mile radius of downtown Sacramento, California. Samples were submitted to the Food and Drug Laboratory Branch (FDLB) and screened for 19 different PDE5 inhibitors using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Samples were collected and analyzed from 2016 to 2018.Results: One hundred and two different products were purchased from 28 different retail locations. Sixty-seven percent were found to be adulterated with at least one PDE5 inhibitor. Of the positive samples, 40% were found to contain one PDE5 inhibitor and 60% were found to contain two or more. Sildenafil was the most common PDE5 inhibitor identified (74%), followed by tadalafil (59%). Eighteen percent of the tested samples had been associated with previous FDA warnings listed in their Tainted Products Database. Of these warning-associated samples, 72% were found to contain PDE5 inhibitors and 46% of these contained at least one of the same adulterants reported by the FDA.Conclusion: FDA reports and warnings have focused on dietary supplements found online or through screenings of international mail shipments. FDB results add to FDA findings by demonstrating that such adulterated products marketed for sexual enhancement are also sold at retail locations in California. These products have the potential to cause severe adverse health effects and therefore, it is essential to raise awareness of this significant public health concern.Keywords: dietary supplements, sexual enhancement products, adulteration

Arunima Goswami, Tirthankar Koley, Madhan Vishal Rajan, Pathak Madhuri, Neelam Upadhyay, Uddipan Das, Manoj Kumar, Abdul Samath Ethayathulla, Gururao Hariprasad Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, IndiaCorrespondence: Gururao Hariprasad, Tel +91-11-26594240, Fax +91-11-26588663, Email dr.hariprasadg@gmail.comPurpose: Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness are caused by protozoa Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Trypanosoma brucei, respectively. Platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase (PAF-AH) is an inflammatory protein implicated in pathogenesis of these three infections, thereby making them attractive drug targets.Methods: PAF-AH sequences were retrieved from UniProt and aligned using Clustal Omega. Homologous models of parasitic proteins were built based on crystal structure of human PAF-AH and validated using PROCHECK server. Volumes of substrate-binding channel were calculated using the ProteinsPlus program. High throughput virtual screening using Glide program in Schrodinger was done with ZINC drug library against parasitic PAF-AH enzymes. Complexes with best hits were energy-minimized and subjected to 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation and analyzed.Results: PAF-AH enzyme sequences from protozoa Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and human have a minimum of 34% sequence similarity with each other. Corresponding structures show a globular conformation consisting of twisted β-pleated sheets, flanked by α-helices on either side. Catalytic triad of serine-histidine-aspartate is conserved. Substrate-binding channel residues are conserved to an extent, with a lower channel volume in human as compared to target enzymes. Drug screening resulted in identification of three molecules that had better affinities than the substrate to the target enzymes. These molecules fulfill Lipinski’s rules for drug likeness and also bind with less affinity to the human counterpart, thereby establishing a high selective index.Conclusion: Structures of PAF-AH from protozoan parasites and humans belong to the same family of enzymes and have a similar three-dimensional fold. However, they show subtle variations in residue composition, secondary structure composition, substrate-binding channel volume, and conformational stability. These differences result in certain specific molecules being potent inhibitors of the target enzymes while simultaneously having weaker binding to human homologue.Keywords: platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase, protozoa, drug target, potent inhibitor, leishmaniasis, Leishmania donovani, Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, sleeping sickness, Trypanosoma brucei, drug efficacy

BackgroundNeuromelanin- and iron-sensitive MRI studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) are limited by small sample sizes and lack detailed clinical correlation. In a large case–control PD cohort, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of quantitative iron–neuromelanin MRI parameters from the substantia nigra (SN), their radiological utility, and clinical association.MethodsPD patients and age-matched controls were prospectively recruited for motor assessment and midbrain neuromelanin- and iron-sensitive [quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and susceptibility map-weighted imaging (SMWI)] MRI. Quantitative neuromelanin–iron parameters from the SN were assessed for their discriminatory performance in PD classification using ROC analysis compared to those of qualitative visual classification by radiological readers of differential experience and used to predict motor severity.ResultsIn total, 191 subjects (80 PD, mean age 65.0 years; 111 controls, 65.6) were included. SN masks showed (a) higher mean susceptibility (p < 0.0001) and smaller sizes after thresholding for low susceptibility (p < 0.0001) on QSM and (b) lower contrast range (p < 0.0001) and smaller sizes after thresholding for high-signal voxels (p < 0.0001) on neuromelanin-sensitive MRI in patients than in controls. Quantitative iron and neuromelanin parameters showed a moderate correlation with motor dysfunction (87.5%: 0.4< | r |

Summary: Background: Caffeine intake reduces risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the interaction with genes is unclear. The interaction of caffeine with genetic variants in those at high PD risk has healthcare importance. We investigate interactions of caffeine intake with risk variants found in Asians, and determine PD risk estimates in caffeine-drinkers carrying these variants. Methods: PD patients and controls without neurological disorders were included. Caffeine intake was assessed using a validated evaluation tool. Leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) risk variants were genotyped. Statistical analysis was conducted with logistic regression models. Gene-caffeine interactions were quantified using attributable proportion (AP) due to interaction (positive interaction defined as AP >0). Findings: 5100 subjects were screened and 4488 subjects (1790 PD, 2698 controls) with genetic data of at least one LRRK2 variant were included. Risk-variant-carriers who were non-caffeine-drinkers had increased PD odds compared to wildtype carriers who were caffeine-drinkers for G2385R [OR 8.6 (2.6–28.1) p

There is a growing interest in the large area, lightweight, low‐power electronic skin (e‐Skin), consisting of a multitude of sensors over conformable surfaces. The use of multifunctional sensors is always challenging, especially when their energy requirements are considered. Herein, the heterogeneous integration of custom‐made flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells is demonstrated with a large area touch sensor array. The OPV can offer power density of more than 0.32 μW cm−2 at 1500 lux, which is sufficient to meet the instantaneous demand of the array of touch sensors. In addition to energy harvesting, it is shown that the OPVs can perform shadow sensing for proximity and gesture recognition, which are crucial features needed in the e‐Skin, particularly for safe interaction in the industrial domain. Along with pressure sensing (sensitivity of up to 0.26 kPa−1 in the range of 1–10 kPa) and spatial information, the touch sensors made of indium tin oxide and monolayer graphene have shown >70% transparency, which allow light to pass through them to reach the bottom OPV layer. With better resource management and space utilization, the presented stacked integration of transparent touch‐sensing layer and OPVs can evolve into a futuristic energy‐autonomous e‐Skin that can “see” and “feel.”

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) with an energy management system (EMS) were suggested in this research that consists of a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) charging station (CS) equipped with battery energy storage. The primary aim of this energy management system was to regulate the amount of energy sent to the electric vehicle (EV) while taking into account the cost and carbon dioxide emissions caused in grid connection. Consequently, our research offered a two-stage optimization process with multiple objectives to lessen the financial and ecological footprint of the charging station. An energy schedule was generated in the first optimization stage by considering factor of grid CO2 emissions on an hourly basis, the PV forecast, the power cost with the BESS initial state of charge (SoC). The maximum power that the grid was allowed to deliver the EV was the same as the output from this first stage. The second optimization step employed, model predictive control (MPC) to regulate the flow of energy among BESS, the PV, and the grid. An operational Photo Voltaic/BESS charging station used to validate the proposed EMS. The new EMS was then used to evaluate the charging station’s efficiency in this research for one month of data, taking three main aspects into consideration: environmental, economic, and energy. The optimization results suggest that the new energy profile ensures a 36% drop in emissions and a 33% drop in energy cost.

An alloy of iron and chromium is called stainless steel. The compositionratio of stainless steel will vary depending on the grade required and the intended use of the steel, although it must contain at least 0.5% chromium. Numerous applications exist for stainless steel in the industrial and consumer markets because of its superior corrosion resistance, high strength and good appearance aesthetic wise. Because of the chemical composition, martensitic steel is a kind of stainless steel that can be strengthened, hardened with heat and ageing processes. Because of these techniques, Martensitic steel is stronger than other kinds, which makes it a good option for manufacturing mechanical valves, turbine parts, medical equipment applications. AISI 410 martensitic stainless are strong and wear resistant one. The usage of this material is limited because of its hardness. For enhancing the ductility, these steels were subjected to normalizing process at 740°C, 840°C, 940°C and designated as N1, N2, N3 respectively. The samples were made cylindrical in shape with 11 mm diameter, length of 40 mm. The outcomes of the results like measurement of hardness, loss of wear were noted down and comparisons of microstructures with all the samples were carried out.

Martensitic stainless steel exhibits a lower corrosion resistance, higher hardness, wear resistance, and strength, but no ductility. As a result, tempering techniques have been used to stabilise the ductility. AISI 420 stainless were chosen and prepared in cylindrical shape for a dimension of 35 mm length, 10 mm diameter. The specimens were tempered to 245°C, 345°C, 445°C temperatures respectively and termed as T1, T2 and T3. The material which is not treated is kept on the other side for results comparison. Testing of hardness was taken up by Rockwell method. Wear tests were carried out for all the specimens using pin-on disc wear analyser. The changes in microstructure were distinguished with all the samples and were captured by electron microscopic techniques. The goal of the test is to determine, the best treated specimen suited for a particular application. It was noted that, phase change from martensite stage to residual austenite is determined.

The CO2 emissions from cement have had significant negative consequences on the environment, necessitating the substitution of cement in the production of concrete. This research tends to cover the mechanical characteristics and microstructural studies of concrete formed by replacing some of the cement with Alccofine (AL) by percentages of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% and some of fine aggregate with Glass Powder (GP) by percentages of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% in the concrete of the M40 grade. A pozzolanic substance called alccofine and high silica content material called glass powder was extensively utilized in the building industry. When the mechanical properties of concrete were tested at various time periods, the optimal partial cement and fine aggregate substitution was determined to be 20% Alccofine and 50% of Glass Powder. When compared to conventional concrete of the same ratio, the compressive strength of the concrete has been enhanced at 20 percent replacement of AL and 50 percent replacement of GP. Moreover, concrete was subjected to a microstructural examination to observe the hydration process at various time intervals, and the results clearly demonstrated how pores and C-S-H (calcium-silicate hydrate) gel are created in both early ages and later ages. According to the study's findings, cement may be replaced in part without impairing its properties and can help lessen the impact of CO2 on the environment.

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind face an insurmountable obstacle in the form of environmental change-induced discontinuity and instability. Since hydropower is quick to respond and doesn't cost much to alter, it was a common choice for electric energy system correction. A cascade hydropower (CHP) station compensates the hydro power-solar-wind energy system that we present in this study, which considers several long-term goals. Among the model's objectives is the optimization of the power system's annual total power generation while simultaneously minimizing power output variations. As a prerequisite for optimizing hydropower, this model first determines the total Photovoltaic (PV) and wind power, and then feeds those numbers into the power grid. In order to obtain a set of solutions for the model that has been proposed, we suggest an enhanced non-dominated sorting whale optimization algorithm (NSWOA). According to the findings, decision-makers have access to a plethora of options for optimal selection through the revised NSWOA, and hydropower's superior modifying capabilities more than compensate for the PV and wind power's deficiencies.

Heart disease is among the conditions that people suffer from most frequently. Millions of people worldwide pass away each year as a result of it, making it one of the main causes of mortality. Heart disease can be characterised by issues with the heart valves, heart failure, arrhythmias, and coronary artery disease. Heart disease comes in more than 30 distinct forms. By allowing for prompt intervention and the right kind of care, early and precise cardiac disease prediction can greatly improve patient outcomes. In this model, we investigate the application of machine learning techniques for anticipating cardiac disease. We investigate a large dataset made up of patient details, such as demographics, medical histories, and clinical measures. It is absolutely mind-blowing to think that machine learning algorithms could one day properly forecast when cardiac disease will start and how to diagnose it. Machine learning techniques including logistic regression, decision trees, XGBoost, gradient boosting, random forests, support vector machines (SVMs), and artificial neural networks (ANNs) are utilised to construct predictive models. A hybrid model including ANN, gradient boost, Decision Tree, SVM, random forests, & Logistic Regression makes up the forecasting model. To increase the model's accuracy. To manage missing values, normalise features and solve class imbalance. The dataset has been pre-processed. The best accurate heart disease predictions are found using feature selection approaches. Area under the receiver's operating characteristic curve, recall, accuracy, and precision are some of the performance measures used for training and evaluating the models. The major goal of this model is to put out a novel strategy for creating a model that successfully solves practical issues

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a world of interconnected things that can sense, stimulate, and collaborate with one another and with the environment. Heart attacks have become more common in recent years, putting people's lives at risk. However, it is extremely complex and difficult to maintain/monitor health conditions in physical mode all the time, especially at night and while traveling. If a senior person or patient suffers from health issues such as sudden cardiac arrest or a rise/fall in blood pressure levels in their body, it will be incredibly tough to receive immediate assistance from others as well as medical agencies. The suggested method uses a pulse sensor to automatically monitor heart rate and a MEMS pressure sensor incorporated into IoMT devices to measure blood pressure (BP). If an elderly individual has a cardiac arrest, an automatic call with the exact GPS location is sent to a nearby ambulance service and their caretakers. The benefit of this method is to prevent unexpected death or major illness due to heart disease and may also be conveniently monitored by sending text messages with their heartbeat rate as a daily report to caretakers.

The desire for a carbon-free planet has prompted a few experts to advocate for the most abundant energy known to us i.e Solar Energy. There are lots of solar powered energy systems in which the solar chimney power plant has been significant among passive methods in generating carbon free power. There are many attempts taken both experimentally as well as theoretically in developing efficient solar chimneys. This article reviews the major activities carried out in the various topographical regions covering significant research articles. In addition, the survey focuses on experimental research, understanding and recreational works, applications, and analogous work references, all of which are based on a broad range reference. Further, discussion on the research gap in each of the section is included with recommendations for future enhancement of this technology.

Now a days the research work is going on to improve the performance of electric springs (ESs) by integrating a current source inverter (CSI) and a neural network controller. A new ES configuration that includes CSIs is introduced to enhance ES functionality. This configuration is accompanied by a control strategy that involves direct current control and mitigation of harmonic distortion, like the methods used in active power filters (APFs). By transitioning from voltage source inverters (VSIs) to CSIs and integrating a neural network controller, a significant reduction in total harmonic distortion (THD) can be achieved. The paper presents two distinct control loops, each equipped with proportional-integral (PI) controllers. One loop is focused on regulating the Critical load voltage (CL voltage), while the other is specifically designed for reactive power compensation.

Monica Butnariu,1 Cristina Quispe,2 Niranjan Koirala,3,4 Sujan Khadka,5,6 Carla Marina Salgado-Castillo,7 Muhammad Akram,8 Rabia Anum,9 Balakyz Yeskaliyeva,10 Natália Cruz-Martins,11– 14 Miquel Martorell,15,16 Manoj Kumar,17 Radu Vasile Bagiu,18,19 Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis,20,21 Usman Sunusi,21,22 Ramla Muhammad Kamal,21,23 Javad Sharifi-Rad7 1Chemistry & Biochemistry Discipline, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, 300645, Calea Aradului 119, Timis, Romania; 2Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, 1110939, Chile; 3Department of Natural Products Research, Dr. Koirala Research Institute for Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Kathmandu, 44600, Nepal; 4Laboratory of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, People’s Republic of China; 5University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China; 6State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry” with “State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, People’s Republic of China; 7Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador; 8Department of Eastern Medicine, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 9SINA Health, Education and Welfare Trust, Karachi, Pakistan; 10Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan; 11Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 12Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 13Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies (CESPU), Gandra PRD, 4585-116, Portugal; 14TOXRUN-Oxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, Gandra, 4585-116, Portugal; 15Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Centre for Healthy Living, University of Concepción, Concepción, 4070386, Chile; 16Universidad de Concepción, Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico, UDT, Concepción, 4070386, Chile; 17Chemical and BioChemical Processing Division, ICAR – Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, 400019, India; 18Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara Department of Microbiology, Timisoara, Romania; 19Preventive Medicine Study Center, Timisoara, Romania; 20Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 21Natural Medicines and Products Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 22Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria; 23Department of Pharmacology, Federal University Dutse, Dutse, Jigawa State, NigeriaCorrespondence: Natália Cruz-Martins; Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis, Email ncmartins@med.up.pt; madfaizal@upm.edu.myAbstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with African countries being the worst affected by this deadly virus. Curcumin (CUR) is a Curcuma longa-derived polyphenol that has attracted the attention of researchers due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antiviral effects. CUR also demonstrates anti-HIV effects by acting as a possible inhibitor of gp120 binding, integrase, protease, and topoisomerase II activities, besides also exerting a protective action against HIV-associated diseases. However, its effectiveness is limited due to its poor water solubility, rapid metabolism, and systemic elimination. Nanoformulations have been shown to be useful to enhance curcumin’s bioavailability and its effectiveness as an anti-HIV agent. In this sense, bioactive effects of CUR in HIV infection are carefully reviewed, along with the most effective isolation techniques and type of nanoformulations available.Keywords: curcumin, bioactivities, HIV therapy, nanoparticles, nanoformulations

Tirthankar Koley, Arunima Goswami, Manoj Kumar, Neelam Upadhyay, Gururao Hariprasad Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, IndiaCorrespondence: Gururao Hariprasad, Tel +91-11-26594240, Fax +91-11-26588663, Email dr.hariprasadg@gmail.comPurpose: Spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 virus plays an integral part during infection as cell entry depends on binding of this protein to human ACE2 receptor. Understanding of infectivity by these variants necessitates a comparative structural analysis of complexes of spike protein-receptor binding domain (RBD) of these variants to receptor.Methodology: Wild type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein sequence was retrieved from the UniProt database, and mutations of five variants at receptor binding domain were manually incorporated and aligned using Clustal Omega. Crystal structure complexes of human ACE2 receptor with spike protein RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 variants of wild type, α, β, and δ were extracted from the RCSB database. Wild type SARS-CoV-2 complex with receptor was used as template to generate model complexes of receptor with spike protein RBD of γ and omicron variants through WinCoot program. These were energy minimized and validated and molecular dynamic simulation was performed using Desmond simulation program.Results: Mutations are distributed across the entire length of RBD, but the maximum number of mutations are seen at 11 positions within binding interface motifs of six variant sequences. Interface of spike protein RBDs with human ACE2-receptor shows different mix of hydrogen bonded and ionic interactions. Alpha and β variants have few interactions, while γ and δ variants have higher number of interactions compared to wild type variant. Omicron variant, with 10 polar interactions including two ionic bonds, has the highest binding energy.Conclusion: Different mutations on RBD of spike protein results in varying quantity and quality of interactions, thereby affecting potency of each variant. Variations in binding are due to interactions of mutant residues and induced conformational changes on loops of RBDs. Variants α and β have a low potency, while, γ, δ, and omicron have a higher potency. These results correlate with viral infectivity and place clinical observations in the right perspective.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, variants, omicron, mutations, spike protein, human ACE2 receptor, interactions, binding, infectivity

Abstract The subclavian artery is a significant branch of the aortic arch. We present a rare case of a bilateral variation in the branching pattern of the subclavian artery, observed in an adult male cadaver aged 70 years. On both the sides of the neck, all the branches of the subclavian artery took their origin from its first part. There was a rare occurrence of a cervicodorsoscapular trunk, which gave rise to superficial cervical, suprascapular, and dorsal scapular arteries. The same branching pattern was observed on the left side of the neck, with the presence of another cervicodorsoscapular trunk. Thyrocervical trunk and transverse cervical artery were both absent from the cervical region bilaterally. The inferior thyroid artery was a direct branch from the subclavian artery. Knowledge regarding variations of the subclavian artery is very important as lateral cervical region arteries are important for flap harvesting in plastic and reconstruction surgery. Preoperative radiologic evaluation of pedicles might help in choosing the optimal flap design, prevent ischemic complications, and help to improve overall treatment outcomes.

Background: The emergence of resistance to commonly used antibiotics by human infections occurred mostly due to their overuse, that prompted individuals to pursue novel and innovative treatments. The phytochemical characteristics, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of MCF7 cells were evaluated in two Pleurotus spp. mycelial extracts in this work. Methods: Pleurotus djamor and Pleurotus florida mycelial extracts from pure cultures were tested for antibacterial activity by a well-diffusion assay and antimicrobial activity against mold fungi was evaluated for biomass inhibition. Mycelial extracts were obtained from dichloromethane extracts and their biophysical characteristics are analyzed by UV–vis spectrum and FTIR analysis. By spraying detection reagents onto TLC plates, the chemicals in dichloromethane extraction of chosen mushroom fungus mycelia were identified. Using the MTT test, the cytotoxic effect of dichloromethane extracts of selected mushroom fungi was evaluated on MCF7 Cell lines. Results: Mycelial extracts of P. djamor and P. florida exhibited significant antimicrobial effect on the bacterial and fungal pathogens tested. Dichloromethane mycelial extracts were obtained using soxhlet extraction which response positive for various phytochemical analysis. Detection of metabolites in thin layer chromatography using spray reagents documented one of few first accounts on flavonoids, anthroquinone and terpenoid compounds in P. djamor and P. florida. P. djamor and P. florida had dose-dependent antiproliferative activity against MCF7 cells, with an inhibitory impact of 55.72% and 64.47% percent at 125 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The study has reported the identification with the potent biological activity of some of the key bioactive components present in DCM extracts from the mycelia of P. djamor and P. florida.

Background: Adolescents with higher resilience levels are reported to be less vulnerable to psychological illnesses. The study examined resilience level, its determinants and its effect on psychological well-being among school-going adolescents of Patna, Bihar, India. Methods: Adopting cross-sectional design we examined resilience levels among the study participants reading in the sixth, seventh and eighth standards of selected schools of Patna district using the Child Youth Resilience Measure-Revised questionnaire during March 2021. Psychological well-being was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Data of in total 468 enrolled participants were analysed using SPSS 22.0. Results: The mean resilience score was observed to be 62.4 ± 8.8. In multiple linear regression analysis using backward method; increasing age (unstandardised beta [β]: 0.564, standard error [SE]: 0.271, P: 0.038), male gender (β: 2.753, SE: 0.775, P < 0.001), high per capita monthly family income (≥18 USD [median]) (β: 1.829, SE: 0.743, P: 0.014), academic satisfaction (β: 2.003, SE: 0.962, P: 0.038), no history of abuse (physical or mental) in the past 30 days (β: 2.752, SE: 1.220, P: 0.025) and increasing self-esteem score (measured by Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) (β: 0.808, SE: 0.098, P: < 0.001) were found to be positive determinants of the total resilience level. Resilience was found to be positively correlated with psychological well-being (spearman rho correlation co-efficient [ρ]: 0.363, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Abuse, academic satisfaction and self-esteem were the modifiable determinates of resilience that could be elucidated in this investigation. Resilience level positively influenced psychological well-being.

Yellow mosaic disease caused by Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) causes 100 percent losses in ridge gourd under epidemic conditions, particularly in the tropics and sub-tropics of India. Plant breeding approaches led by the marker-assisted selection have gained increased momentum in virus resistance breeding to hasten the development of resistant varieties. In the present study, an effort has been made to identify molecular markers linked to yellow mosaic disease resistance loci in an F2 population derived from a cross between susceptible ‘Arka Prasan’ and resistant ‘IIHR-Sel-1’ of ridge gourd. All the molecular markers were amplified in parents, and one polymorphic marker clearly distinguished the contrasting parents. The primers LaRGAP 63 produced a polymorphic DNA fragment that co-segregated with yellow mosaic disease reaction phenotypically in the F2 population. The identified marker will be helpful to the breeders for introgression of resistance loci into the elite background.

Abstract We evaluate the association of hypertension with PD in an Asian population and performed a meta-analysis on similar studies to address the effect of hypertension on PD risk. A matched case-control study involving 1342 Chinese subjects (671 PD and 671 age and gender-matched controls (with a mean age of 63.9 ± 9.7 and 63.5 ± 9.8 years, and identical proportion of gender distribution) was conducted. Hypertension increases PD risk by 1.9 times [OR 1.86 (1.46–2.38)]. The literature search identified 618 studies initially; however, only three matched case-control studies (all in Caucasians) met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Overall analysis showed that hypertension decreases PD risk by 0.2 times [OR 0.80 (0.66–0.96)]. Hypertension increases PD risk by 1.9 times in our Asian population. However, a meta-analysis comprising of Caucasian populations showed a protective effect of hypertension suggesting that ethnic differences or other genetic or environmental factors may contribute to the divergent observation. Early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension may potentially reduce the risk of PD, at least in our population.

In this paper, the main objective is to detect changes in the geographical area of Ottawa city in Canada due to floods. Two multi-temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images have been taken to evaluate the un-supervised change detection process. In this process, two ratio operators named as Log-Ratio and Mean-Ratio are used to generate a difference image. Performing image fusion based on DWT by selecting optimum filter coefficients by satisfying the wavelet filter coefficient properties through a novel image fusion technique is named as ADWT. GA, PSO, AntLion Optimization algorithms (ALO) and Hybridized AntLion Algorithm (HALO) have been adapted to perform the ADWT based image fusion. Segmentation has been performed based on fuzzy c-Means clustering to detect changed and unchanged pixels. Finally, the performance of the proposed method will be analysed by comparing the segmented image with the ground truth image in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, precision, F1-score.

Nirav Nimavat,1 Shruti Singh,2 Nilesh Fichadiya,3 Parul Sharma,4 Nilesh Patel,1 Manoj Kumar,1 Grishma Chauhan,1 Niraj Pandit1 1Department of Community Medicine, Smt. B.K. Shah Medical Institute & Research Centre, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara, Gujarat, India; 2Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India; 3Department of Community Medicine, P. D. U. Government Medical College, Rajkot, Gujarat, India; 4GMERS Medical College, Patan, Gujarat, IndiaCorrespondence: Nirav NimavatDepartment of Community Medicine, SBKS MIRC, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Deemed to Be University, Piparia, Vadodara, 391760, Gujarat, IndiaTel +91 8866271087Email nkniraj1529@gmail.comIntroduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, most educational institutions have opted for online education rather than traditional modes of education to protect their employees and students. Online education has been gaining momentum in almost all countries around the world. This coincides with the recently introduced competency-based medical education in India which has embraced online education. This poses a new challenge for the institutions involved, the instructors or teachers, and the students since they must adapt quickly to the new mode of learning. Online education requires teachers to improve their competency in three major areas; pedagogy, technology, and content knowledge. Some of the challenges include; lack of technological skill, poor time management and lack of infrastructure. As technology rapidly advances, health care education systems must also advance in tandem. To implement the new competency-based system and online education, the institutions and the individuals must realize the importance of online education, identify the barriers and quickly work on solutions for success.Methods: This review was conducted based on various research papers on the topic of online medical education, the challenges faced by faculty members, and the opinion of students on this dilemma. Search terms included online medical education, COVID19, competency-based medical education.Conclusion: This review identified various challenges posed by online education on the current medical curriculum, faced by both faculty members and students, especially under the light of the Competency-Based Undergraduate Curriculum for Indian Graduates. Different solutions were proposed to overcome these challenges.Keywords: online medical education, COVID-19, competency-based medical education

Because of biodegradability, low weight, non-da000nger, instability, decreased condition, contamination, little effort, and simplicity of recyclability, natural fibre polymer composites are now being utilized in place of synthetic fibre reinforced polymer composites. By altering the fibre and epoxy percentages, to find the effect of sisal fibre content on mechanical characteristics of composites is the objective of research. Melt-mixing was used to make the composite, which was then laid out by hand layup method. The purpose of this research is to look at fibre oriented reinforced composite polymer nano composite materials that mix with hybrid composites such as JUTE, SISAL/EGG SHELL, and epoxy polymer in the ratio of sisal fibre 70% + jute 20% + Egg shell 10% and sisal fibre 60% + jute 20% + Egg shell 20% by volume. The mechanical characteristics were calculated by performing tests on the specimen’s tension, hardness, and flexural qualities in line with ASTM standards.

Stainless steel, an alloy comprising chromium, iron and occasionally nickel and other metals, demonstrates exceptional corrosion resistance. The transformation of metal into thin, flat components is achieved through the industrial process known as sheet metal fabrication. The utilization of metal sheets is widespread, contributing to the creation of numerous everyday items. This study aims to investigate the formability of 310 austenitic stainless steel under varying temperatures (623K, 723K, and 823K). The evaluation was executed utilizing the Nakazima test method within the context of the stretch forming procedure. Prior to delving into the assessment of formability, an exhaustive examination of the mechanical properties of the high-strength stainless steel AISI 310 was conducted. This involved subjecting the material to tensile tests at varying temperatures - specifically, 623K, 723K, and 823K - each performed at a consistent strain rate of 0.1/s. The resultant data encompassed an array of failure modes and stress-strain curves for the individual test specimens, all of which were meticulously obtained and subjected to thorough analysis.Forming limit diagrams were subsequently constructed based on the gleaned results, affording a visual representation of the material’s formability under the specific conditions studied. Moreover, these experiments were replicated through simulations employing the LS-DYNA software, with a subsequent comparative examination conducted against the tangible outcomes derived from practical experimentation.

The world is beginning to move away from its consumption of fossil fuels. Various technologies are being developed to make use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and tidal, etc. Solar energy is the best choice among these sources because of it is readily available, abundant, and capable of producing both electric energy and space heating. Solar energy can be used directly or indirectly to dry agricultural and non-agricultural products to preserve them for long a period without formation of fungi. Drying of herbal leaves is an important process in Siddha and Ayurvedic industries to produce herbal medicines in power form. However, as herbal leaves are dried in the open sun, they are susceptible to environmental factors such as rain, insects, and livestock. These disadvantages of open-air drying shall be overwhelmed by greenhouse solar dryer. Greenhouse solar dryer with natural convection, forced convection with hot air supply are the existing methods, but when supplied with hot air, the rise in temperature leads to nutrient loss in herbal leaves. In order to avoid this loss in nutrients, the current work gives a solution that the temperature of forced convection greenhouse dryer can be reduced and controlled by supplying the ambient air at inlet flow in a fully developed air region, and this method can also leads to reduction in colour loss with possibly same or higher drying rate compare to natural convection greenhouse dryer.

The majority of automobile manufacturers currently create electrical vehicles for both two- and four- wheelers. Thus battery becomes essential component and improving methods for calculating a vehicle’s charge capacity. It is required to create and develop an efficient Battery management system so that they should not be over charged or deeply discharged. Electric vehicle an accurate state of charge estimation to reduce the risk of damage, extend their longevity, and safeguard the electronics they power. This project suggests a real-time Battery Monitoring System(BMS) employing the method for State of charge(Soc) and displaying the vital parameters. The suggested BMS is implemented on a hardware platform using the Arduino environment, the proper sensing technology, a central processor, and interface devices.

It’s common knowledge that modern youth gravitate toward two-wheeled transportation. Drinking and driving and excessive speeding are also widespread problems today. Road accidents are responsible for the deaths of thousands of individuals every year. The primary cause of this is the tardiness of emergency aid that should have been given to the victims. Using the Internet of Things, smart helmets will be able to identify accidents and send alerts to nearby emergency services as well as medical facilities. In this case, an accelerometer module is used to detect accidents by constantly monitoring the deviations from the normal conditions. In the event of a collision, the exact location of the rider can be determined and forwarded to the relevant authorities. The primary function of this system is to transmit accurate information related to the accident in the form of text messages and phone calls to predetermined contacts.

Aditya K Kar,1,2 Amrita Singh,1,2 Nitesh Dhiman,1,2 Mahaveer P Purohit,1,2 Pankaj Jagdale,3 Mohan Kamthan,4 Dhirendra Singh,3 Mahadeo Kumar,3 Debabrata Ghosh,2,5 Satyakam Patnaik1,2 1Water Analysis Laboratory, Nanomaterial Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; 2Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; 3Regulatory Toxicology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; 4CITAR, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; 5Immunotoxicology Laboratory, Food Drug and Chemical Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaCorrespondence: Satyakam PatnaikWater Analysis Laboratory, Nanomaterial Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Vishvigyan Bhawan, 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaTel +91 5222627586, Ext. 205Fax +91 5222628227Email satyakampatnaik@yahoo.comIntroduction: An ideal wound dressing material needs to be predisposed with desirable attributes like anti-infective effect, skin hydration balance, adequate porosity and elasticity, high mechanical strength, low wound surface adherence, and enhanced tissue regeneration capability. In this work, we have synthesized hydrogel-based wound patches having antibacterial silver nanoparticles and antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and showed fast wound closure through their synergistic interaction without any inherent toxicity.Methods and results: Wound patches were synthesized from modified guar gum polymer and assessed to determine accelerated wound healing. The modified polymer beget chemical-free in-situ synthesis of monodispersed silver NPs (∼12 nm), an antimicrobial agent, besides lending ionic surface charges. EGCG impregnated during ionotropic gelation process amplified the efficacy of wound patches that possess apt tensile strength, porosity, and swellability for absorbing wound exudates. Further, in vitro studies endorsed them as non-cytotoxic and the post agent effect following exposure to the patch showed an unbiased response to E coli K12 and B. subtilis. In vivo study using sub-cutaneous wounds in Wistar rats validated its accelerated healing properties when compared to a commercially available wound dressing material (skin graft; Neuskin-F®) through better wound contraction, promoted collagen deposition and enhanced vascularization of wound region by modulating growth factors and inflammatory cytokines.Conclusion: Synthesized wound patches showed all the desired attributes of a clinically effective dressing material and the results were validated in various in vitro and in vivo assays.Keywords: aminated guar gum, hydrogels, silver nanoparticles, epigallocatechin gallate, wound healing

Maintaining the photovoltaic (PV) panels operating at their optimum performance is a critical objective for energy harvesting. However, dust deposition due to natural, vehicular, and construction work over a period on the panels reduces the performance of the system. The primary goal of this work is to develop an in-situ laser-assisted dust thickness measurement unit and correlate the deposited dust thickness to the PV panel performance. The performance of the PV panel for various dust samples and coating thicknesses is analyzed, and the results from this in-situ measurement were correlated to the PV module's electrical performance. In this study, the effect of dust thickness on the panel temperature and the developed modular system is calibrated with various industry-standard thickness measurement techniques. The developed system suggests that even a few microns of dust deposition are enough to drop the PV performance by 50%. To understand the holistic effect of the deposited dust on the PV panel, a modular integrated system is developed which measured not only dust thickness, but also dust-spectroscopic effect, temperature variation due to dust, and the decrease in the electrical performance of PV panel. Real-time monitoring and establishing the relationship of deposited dust thickness and PV performance helps to determine the panel cleaning frequency in large PV fields. These results lead to a reduction in human resources and resources utilized in the cleaning of PV panels. This portable, modular system could be used in site assessment of a new proposed PV field and scheduling plant maintenance in an existing PV field.

Background: Length of hospital stay (LOS) for a disease is a vital estimate for healthcare logistics planning. The study aimed to illustrate the effect of factors elicited on arrival on LOS of the COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective, record based, unmatched, case control study using hospital records of 334 COVID-19 patients admitted in an East Indian tertiary healthcare facility during May to October 2020. Discharge from the hospital (cases/survivors) was considered as an event while death (control/non-survivors) as right censoring in the case-control survival analysis using cox proportional hazard model. Results: Overall, we found the median LOS for the survivors to be 8 days [interquartile range (IQR): 7-10 days] while the same for the non-survivors was 6 days [IQR: 2-11 days]. In the multivariable cox-proportional hazard model; travel distance (>16 km) [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.69, 95% CI: (0.50-0.95)], mode of transport to the hospital (ambulance) [aHR: 0.62, 95% CI: (0.45-0.85)], breathlessness (yes) [aHR: 0.56, 95% CI: (0.40-0.77)], number of co-morbidities (1-2) [aHR: 0.66, 95% CI: (0.47-0.93)] (≥3) [aHR: 0.16, 95% CI: (0.04-0.65)], COPD/asthma (yes) [ [aHR: 0.11, 95% CI: (0.01-0.79)], DBP (

Ekta Gupta,1 Manish Chandra Choudhary,2 Nimisha Upadhyay,1 Gaurav Singh,1 Suman Lata Nayak,3 Manoj Kumar,4 Shiv Kumar Sarin4 1Department of Clinical Virology, ILBS, New Delhi, India; 2Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, ILBS, New Delhi, India; 3Department of Nephrology, ILBS, New Delhi, India; 4Department of Hepatology, ILBS, New Delhi, IndiaCorrespondence: Ekta GuptaDepartment of Clinical Virology, Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences, New Delhi 110070, IndiaEmail ektagaurisha@gmail.comPurpose: Baseline viral load and existence of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) are associated with direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) treatment failure in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.Patients and methods: This study was done on HCV-infected patients with different clinical conditions, group 1 included HCV-infected patients with only liver disease (n= 24) and group 2 had HCV-infected patients with coexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n =26). Baseline RAS in the viral genome, before treatment initiation, was examined in both the groups to understand the host disease status on their occurrence.Results: Predominant genotype (gt) differed in both the groups, in group 1 it was gt3 while it was gt1 in group 2. Overall, the occurrence of RASs at baseline was seen in 10 patients (20%); in group 1 it was seen in 8 (33.3%) as compared to only 2 (7.6%) in group 2; p < 0.001. RAS in both NS5a and NS5b regions of the virus was seen in group 1 while in group 2, RASs were seen only in the NS5a region of the virus at 30K position. In group 1, multiple RASs were also seen. The existence of RAS at baseline in both the groups did not affect the attainment of post-treatment cure for the virus in terms of sustained virological response (SVR).Conclusion: Host disease status influences the occurrence of baseline RAS in the virus.Keywords: Hepatitis C Virus infection, drug resistance, direct-acting antivirals

In recent years, the multilingual content over the internet has grown exponentially together with the evolution of the internet. The usage of multilingual content is excluded from the regional language users because of the language barrier. So, machine translation between languages is the only possible solution to make these contents available for regional language users. Machine translation is the process of translating a text from one language to another. The machine translation system has been investigated well already in English and other European languages. However, it is still a nascent stage for Indian languages. This paper presents an overview of the Machine Translation in Indian Languages shared task conducted on September 7–8, 2017, at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India. This machine translation shared task in Indian languages is mainly focused on the development of English-Tamil, English-Hindi, English-Malayalam and English-Punjabi language pairs. This shared task aims at the following objectives: (a) to examine the state-of-the-art machine translation systems when translating from English to Indian languages; (b) to investigate the challenges faced in translating between English to Indian languages; (c) to create an open-source parallel corpus for Indian languages, which is lacking. Evaluating machine translation output is another challenging task especially for Indian languages. In this shared task, we have evaluated the participant’s outputs with the help of human annotators. As far as we know, this is the first shared task which depends completely on the human evaluation.