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Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have become a popular solution for expanding internet service and communication in both urban and rural areas. However, the performance of WMNs depends on generating optimized time-division multiple access (TDMA) schedules, which distribute time into a list of slots called superframes. This study proposes novel meta-heuristic algorithms to generate TDMA link schedules in WMNs using two different interference/constraint models: multi-transmit-receive (MTR) and full-duplex (FD). The objectives of this study are to optimize the TDMA frame for packet transmission, satisfy the constraints, and minimize the end-to-end delay. The significant contributions of this study are: (1) proposing effective and efficient heuristic solutions to solve the NP-complete problem of generating optimal TDMA link schedules in WMNs; (2) investigating the new FD interference model to improve the network capacity above the physical layer. To achieve these objectives and contributions, the study uses two popular meta-heuristics, the artificial bee colony (ABC) and/or genetic algorithm (GA), to solve the known NP-complete problems of joint scheduling, power control, and rate control. The results of this study show that the proposed algorithms can generate optimized TDMA link schedules for both MTR and FD models. The joint routing and scheduling approach further minimizes end-to-end delay while maintaining the schedule's minimum length and/or maximum capacity. The proposed solution outperforms the existing solutions in terms of the number of active links, end-to-end delay, and network capacity. The research aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of WMNs in most applications that require high throughput and fast response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last few years have witnessed tremendous challenges in the management of operational risks faced by banks and the emergence of newer risks. The working models for bank staff are now different; additionally, there has been a massive increase in the digitization level. All these aspects make operational risk management in banks an attractive field of study. There is a need to perform systematic bibliometric analysis in this research area, providing the various trends and highlighting areas for further research analysis. This research paper has examined the various aspects of operational risk management in Banks by performing a thorough bibliometric analysis of 676 articles extracted from two data databases, i.e., Scopus and Web of Science, from 2010 until March 2023. These were analyzed using the tools Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Various bibliometric techniques like analysis of trends, citations, contributing authors, keywords, and bibliographic coupling have been performed. This research paper has significant theoretical and practical implications which can assist future researchers. Operational risks are ever-dynamic, and five themes, i.e., climate risk, information security risks, geopolitical risks, third-party risks and compliance risks, have been identified in this research paper as key focus areas for conducting research in the future. The findings of this study and suggestions for future research will be useful to academicians, policymakers, and operational risk management professionals for identifying potential areas of collaboration in the future to strengthen the operational risk management framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is a genetic disorder with a complex pattern of inheritance. Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are identified to be associated with the risk of Hirschsprung's Disease (HSCR).Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the association between the rearranged during transfection (RET) proto-oncogene polymorphism and HD and to characterize the SNPs of RET proto-oncogene affecting HD.Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Pathology in association with the Department of Pediatric Surgery. Blood samples were collected from the patients diagnosed with confirmed HD and from age- and sex-matched controls. This case-control study consisted of 53 HSCR cases and 50 controls. Genotypes of rs1800860 and rs1800861 were analysed in by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sanger sequencing. Associations with the risk of HSCR were estimated by odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using.Results: We observed that in the case of rs1800860A > G genotype AG was not associated with the increasing risk of disease (OR with 95% CI = 0.568 [0.238-1.356]) while genotype GG was associated with increasing the risk of the disease (OR with 95% CI = 2.278 [0.967-5.366]). In the case of rs1800861G > T genotype GT was associated with lowering the risk of the disease (OR with 95% CI = 0.230 [0.0981-0.539]) while genotype TT was associated with increasing the risk of the disease (OR with 95% CI = 9.647 [3.830-24.302]). The difference in the genotypic distribution of GT and TT at rs1800861G > T between Short segment disease (SSD) cases and Long Segment Disease (LSD) and total colonic aganglionosis was made by Fisher's exact test and it was statistically significant (P = 0.0476 and 0.0054).Conclusion: The results of this study support the hypothesis that variations in RET pathway might play an important role in the development of HSCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Beta-thalassemia trait (BTT) is a common genetic disorder of hemoglobin and imposes a significant burden on global healthcare. Screening of this disorder is immensely important epidemiologically as it can reduce the future incidence of thalassemia major in newborns. The present study was carried out to evaluate the role of six discrimination indices to differentiate cases of BTT from others. Materials and Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive 10,407 participants. In addition to common diagnostic statistics association, concordance and receiver-operating characteristic curves were assessed to judge the role of discrimination indices. Results: Shine and Lal index, Mentzer index, and Srivastava index had revealed better discriminative function compared to England and Fraser index, red cell distribution width index, and Green and King index. Conclusion: Discrimination indices are rapid, reliable, and easy tools to suspect a case of BTT and send the subject for further high-performance liquid chromatography evaluation. But the cut-off value for these indices needs to be revised to achieve the best combination of sensitivity and specificity in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The precise role of iron in immune regulation especially in children vulnerable to iron deficiency is not fully known. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and its treatment with oral iron supplementation on cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and humoral immunity (HMI) in children. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 children (<15 years) with IDA and 40 age-matched healthy children after satisfying the inclusion criteria were enrolled for this case-control study. Flow cytometric evaluation of absolute and relative numbers of cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) and CD8 (cluster of differentiation 8) lymphocyte subgroups was carried out to assess the CMI and serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Immunoglobulin A (IgA), Immunoglobulin M (IgM) were measured to assess the HMI at baseline and 3 months post oral iron supplementation. Results: Significantly lower levels (P < 0.05) of CD4+ T-cells and decreased CD4:CD8 ratios were observed in the iron deficient children. Iron supplementation significantly improved the CD4+ cell counts and CD4:CD8 ratios. However, immunoglobulin levels weren't different between the two groups. Conclusions: Although IDA did not influence HMI, it significantly impaired CMI, which was improved following iron supplementation for 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determination of the pattern of HIV/AIDS in patients attending voluntary confidential counseling and testing center (VCCTC) and prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) center of a low-prevalence district of Eastern India. To find out high-risk group and interventional strategy for prevention. Method: Cross-sectional exploratory secondary data analysis from the VCCTC and PPTCT register. Result: Of the 1348 participants, 160 (11.86%) adults were HIV seropositive. Prevalence in males and females was 9.8% and 20.7%, respectively. Among 22 (1.63%) seropositive children, transmission was vertical in 18 (81.8%). Seventy-one (88.75%) positive adult males were migratory goldsmiths working in Mumbai and other big cities. They were clustered in a particular locality (Daspur). Conclusion: Goldsmiths migrated from Daspur to big cities are the bridge populations who are responsible for higher prevalence of HIV in their families and locality. Interventional strategies targeted at this high-risk group are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punctate porokeratosis is a rare variant of porokeratosis. Linear distribution of this entity has been described in very few cases. Herein, we report a case of rare coexistence of unilateral linear punctate porokeratosis and ipsilateral solitary actinic porokeratosis in an 18-year-old male. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnostic utility of fine needle aspiration cytology as initial work up of salivary gland enlargement was assessed in one hundred and eighty-five salivary gland specimens over three years period and corroborated with histopathology, whenever feasible. All smears were evaluated according to cell size, amount of cytoplasm, cytologic atypia and presence of lymphocytes. (a) Variable cytologic appearances of pleomorphic salivary adenoma were observed. (b) Cellular pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma showed basaloid cell features. (c) Tumours with intermediate size cells and bland cytology included low grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma and cystic lesions. (d) Warthin's tumour, oncocytoma, salivary duct carcinoma and high grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma revealed large cells and abundant cytoplasm with or without atypia. A major diagnostic categories were inflammatory lesions (n = 7 5), cystic lesions (n = 9), benign tumours (n = 81), malignant neoplasms (n = 1 8) and normal acinar pattern (n = 2). Malignant tumours included muco-epidermoid carcinoma (n = 5), adenoid cystic carcinoma (n = 3), acinic cell carcinoma (n = 2), adenocarcinoma (n= 2), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1), undifferentiated carcinoma (n= 4) and malignant lymphoma (n = 1). Histopathological correlation was possible in 40% of benign and 80% of malignant neoplasms. The overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were very high. So it can be concluded that fine needle aspiration cytology can play important role in early diagnosis and subsequent therapeutic planning of salivary gland lesions.