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Ecological niche partitioning is fundamental for the coexistence of sympatric species. However, the relationship between herbivore body size and forage availability on resource segregation and selection remains debatable. This study quantifies the niche differentiation and selectivity of forage species consumed by six Asian large herbivores (SLH), including mega-herbivores like Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and Asiatic wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee), and meso-herbivores like swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii), hog deer (Axis porcinus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor) in tropical wet-grasslands of the Brahmaputra floodplains. We hypothesized that body size influences dietary niche breadth and interspecific dietary similarities or dissimilarities, while forage availability influences forage selectivity among Asian herbivores. We used micro-histological technique, harvest method and Jacobs Index to quantify SLH foraging patterns, forage availability and preference, respectively. Results of the study revealed high niche breadth for elephant (0.56>Bs≤0.74) among mega-herbivores and for sambar (0.49>Bs≤0.64) among meso-herbivores. SLH showed a significant positive correlation between body size and niche breadth in wet season. High dietary overlap was recorded between buffalo and hog deer (0.79–0.86) and swamp deer and hog deer (0.75–0.86) among SLH, rhino and buffalo (0.80–0.83) among mega-herbivores, and swamp deer and hog deer (0.75–0.86) among meso-herbivores. High dietary dissimilarity was recorded between elephant and swamp deer (36–37 %), elephant and buffalo (27–33 %), and swamp deer and sambar (27–29 %). Compared to dry season (1354.54 ±641.30 g m˗2), significantly higher biomass was recorded in wet season (3026.93 ±1632.65 g m˗2; p

Abstract The Beas River is one of the important rivers of the Indus River system located in Himachal Pradesh, India, that harbors a diverse range of freshwater fish species. The present study employed COI gene to investigate the ichthyofaunal diversity of river Beas. Through the sequencing of 203 specimens from Beas River, we identified 43 species, belonging to 31 genera, 16 families, and 10 orders. To analyze the genetic divergence and phylogeny of identified species, 485 sequences of Indian origin were retrieved from BOLD, resulting in a dataset of 688 sequences. Our findings consistently revealed a hierarchical increase in the mean K2P genetic divergence within species (0.80%), genus (9.06%), and families (15.35%). Automated Barcode Gap discovery, Neighbour Joining, and Bayesian inference consensus tree methodologies were employed to determine the putative species and their phylogeny, successfully delimiting most of the species with only a few exceptions. The results unveiled six species exhibiting high intra-species divergence (> 2%), suggesting the presence of sibling species and falsely identified sequences on online databases. The present study established the first DNA barcoding-based inventory of freshwater fish species in the Beas River providing comprehensive insights into economically exploited endangered and vulnerable species. In order to ensure the sustainable use of aquatic resources in the Beas River, we recommend the implementation of species measures to protect biodiversity and genetic resources.

Background: Overweight and obesity are a major public health problem and are now considered to be a global epidemic. The skin is one of the main organs to be affected due to metabolic abnormalities in obesity. The various cutaneous manifestations of obesity are directly related to the age of onset, duration, and severity of the underlying disease. Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency and pattern of cutaneous manifestations in overweight and obese children. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted among 150 overweight and obese children (according to the World Health Organization definition), of age group 5–19 years (school-going children) attending the dermatology and pediatrics outpatient department. The study utilized a prestructured pro forma to record demographic profile, weight, height, and body mass index; the different cutaneous manifestations were noted in overweight and obese children. Relevant investigations such as pus culture, potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation, and skin biopsy were done wherever indicated. Results: Most of the patients were overweight (82%). Males (61.33%) outnumbered females (38.67%) in our study. Majority of the patients had acanthosis nigricans (74.67%), followed by striae distensae (32.67%), acne vulgaris (20%), and dermatophytosis (17.33%). Hidradenitis suppurativa was found in two children, and cellulite in one child. Conclusion: As obesity and its effects on the skin in school-going children are understudied by dermatologists and pediatricians, a proper examination and diagnosis of different cutaneous manifestations of obesity in children will further help in preventing multiple comorbidities in future.

Introduction: Prehypertension is the precursor to high Blood Pressure (BP), which can lead to severe consequences such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and cerebrovascular complications, ultimately resulting in mortality. Vagal stimulation is frequently employed by therapists, along with various therapeutic exercises, to treat or manage Heart Rate (HR) and BP in prehypertensive individuals. The vagus nerve plays a vital role in maintaining internal physiological balance, known as homeostasis, which includes reflex pathways that regulate cardiac function. Auricular neuromodulation of the vagus nerve can be achieved through stimulation of the ear lobule, cymba concha, or tragus in the outer ear. Aim: To compare and determine the optimal anatomical site for vagal stimulation, specifically the ear lobule, cymba concha, or tragus, to improve HR, BP, and skin hydration in prehypertensive individuals. Materials and Methods: The present pilot study conducted a pre-post comparative analysis in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of Physiotherapy at the Institute of Applied Medicines and Research Centre, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study duration was nine months, from January 2022 to September 2022. A total of 30 subjects aged 30-55 years were divided into three groups (10 participants in each group: A, B, and C) using sealed envelopes. Group A received vagal stimulation on the ear lobule, Group B received vagal stimulation on the cymba concha, and Group C received vagal stimulation on the tragus. Baseline measurements were taken prior to treatment, including HR, BP, and skin hydration. Vagal stimulation was administered using a low-frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) machine at 25 Hertz and a pulse width of 120 ms. The stimulus was continuously applied for 30 minutes, five days a week, for four weeks. After a 10-minute relaxation period, HR, BP, and skin hydration were measured both pre and post-intervention. The data was statistically analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0, employing paired t-tests to compare means within groups and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to compare between the three groups. Results: There were no statistical differences in the baseline among all three groups. Group C, which received vagal stimulation on the tragus, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in BP and skin hydration. The t-value and p-value for Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) were 11.513 and p

Abstract Background Sedation is an integral part in the management of critical patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Optimum sedation is when the child is asleep but easily arousable. The patient should be able to breathe synergistically with the ventilator and should tolerate or be compliant with other therapeutic procedures. Undersedation can make the children hypertensive, tachycardic, and agitated. Conversely, oversedation can cause increased tolerance and prolonged ventilation. Both undersedation and oversedation have negative impacts on patient outcomes such as prolonged mechanical ventilation and ICU stay and increased risk of contracting ventilator-associated pneumonia, thus contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. This study aims to assess sedation levels in ventilated children using RASS in the first 48hrs of ventilation and study their correlation with patient outcomes. Results Of the 111 children enrolled in the study, 2 were excluded because the sedation was discontinued before 48 h, and 9 were excluded because they were ventilated for more than 7 days. Majority of the children receiving ventilation in PICU were oversedated (40%). Adequately sedated children were observed to have significantly lesser duration of mechanical ventilation (p-value: 0.022) and PICU stay (p-value: 0.01). Undersedated children were noted to have significantly higher incidence of self extubation (p-value:

Lymphangiomas are rare benign tumors that mainly involve the head and neck region in pediatric patients. Lymphangiomas of the small bowel mesentery in adults are rarer. We present two cases of mesenteric lymphangioma with acute abdominal pain on presentation. Case 1: A 38-year-old female presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and difficult evacuation. On abdominal examination, she had an ill-defined, tender lump, and radiological findings raised a possibility of perforation peritonitis. Thus, exploratory laparotomy was planned. Per-operatively, a mesenteric mass was found, which, on histopathological evaluation, was found to be a mesenteric lymphangioma involving the bowel. Case 2: A 27-year-old male presented with abdominal pain and difficult evacuation. Radiological evaluation revealed a multilobulated lesion involving the mesentery and with differential diagnoses of mesenteric fibromatoses and inflammatory pseudotumor. Histopathological assessment of the resected mass revealed a lymphangioma that was limited to the mesentery. Owing to their rarity and non-specific presentation, mesenteric lymphangiomas are often misdiagnosed on clinical examination and imaging. Thus, histopathological examination is the gold standard to reach a definitive diagnosis.

BackgroundLow back pain stands as a prevalent contributor to pain-related disability on a global scale. In addressing chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is a growing emphasis on incorporating psychological strategies into the management process. Among these, pain education interventions strive to reshape pain beliefs and mitigate the perceived threat of pain. This randomized controlled trial sought to assess the effects of pain education on various aspects, including pain levels, disability, quality of life, self-efficacy, and prognostic characteristics in individuals grappling with CLBP.MethodsThe clinical trial, retrospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2021/08/035963), employed a two-arm parallel randomized design. Ninety-two participants with CLBP were randomly assigned to either the standard physiotherapy care with a pain education program or the control group. Both groups underwent a 6-week intervention. Assessment of pain intensity (using NPRS), disability (using RMDQ), self-efficacy (using the general self-efficacy scale), and well-being (using WHO 5I) occurred both before and after the 6-week study intervention.FindingsPost-intervention score comparisons between the groups revealed that the pain education intervention led to a significant reduction in disability compared to the usual standard care at 6 weeks (mean difference 8.2, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.75), a decrease in pain intensity (mean difference 3.5, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.82), and an improvement in the well-being index (mean difference 13.7, p < 0.001, effect size Cohen d = 0.58).ConclusionThe findings suggest that integrating a pain education program enhances the therapeutic benefits of standard physiotherapy care for individuals dealing with chronic LBP. In conclusion, the clinical benefits of pain education become apparent when delivered in conjunction with standard care physiotherapy during the management of chronic low back pain.

In telecommunications technology, transmitting and receiving signals is not possible without an integrated antenna. Recently, novel approaches of transmitting and receiving signals using advancement in quantum technology as “information coherent transfer” have been emphasized which overcomes the limitations of superconducting qubits. In the present investigation, a compact-sized circular-ring antenna was designed for a 12 GHz centre frequency. The antenna was topped with Gd(x)-doped YIG (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) thin disks to investigate its tunable operation over the tri-band (C to Ku) frequencies due to the photon–magnon coupling, which enables coherent qubit information transmission from an electromagnetic (EM) carrier to the magnons. The proposed prototype of the antenna is validated using HFSS simulation. To characterize the frequency tunability of the designed antenna, we measured the return loss (S11) via a vector network analyzer as a function of dc magnetic field. Different concentrations of Gd-doped YIG ferrites (Gdx-YIG) have been loaded on ring antennas to observe strong anti-crossing phenomena with the application of an external magnetic field. The designed antenna has a tunability of around 300% for a small applied magnetic field up to 3.7 kOe. The maximum gain of dual resonance antenna is 1.4 for higher magnetic field of 3.7 kOe. The highest efficiency and lowest bandwidth of 30% and 14% respectively, for Gd0.1-YIG disk are observed. The measured normal mode splitting spectrum as a function of bias magnetic field that gives the maximum coupling strength is 153 MHz for a Gd concentration of 0.1. For practical applications, such antennas are suitable for use in tunable tri-band or multi-band applications (C to Ku).

Background In 2020, 203 million people experienced neck pain, with a higher prevalence in women. By 2050, it is predicted that neck pain will affect 269 million people, representing a 32.5% increase. Physical rehabilitation is often employed for the treatment of chronic non-specific neck pain (CNSNP) and the associated functional loss. Taping is frequently used as an adjunct treatment alongside primary physical rehabilitation. Unlike kinesio tape (KT), the therapeutic benefits of dynamic tape (DT) have not been thoroughly explored and documented in non-athletic conditions. Therefore, the aim of this trial was to determine the effects of DT on pain, disability, and overall well-being in individuals experiencing CNSNP. Methods A prospective parallel-group active controlled trial was conducted at a single center, involving 136 patients with CNSNP, randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio. The sham taping group (STC) received standard physiotherapy care (n = 67) alongside DT without tension, while the dynamic taping group (DTC) (n = 69) underwent standard cervical offloading technique with appropriate tension in addition to standard physiotherapy care. Demographic information and three patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), namely the Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the World Health Organization—Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), were collected for each participant at three time points (baseline, four weeks post-taping, and four weeks follow-up). Results At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the STC and DTC for any outcome measure. Notably, all three PROMs exhibited a significant improvement from baseline to four weeks post-intervention, with moderate to small effect sizes (NDI ηp2 = 0.21, VAS ηp2 = 0.23, and WHO-55 ηp2 = 0.05). The WHO-5 scores for both groups demonstrated improvement from baseline through follow-up (p

Therapeutic resistance remains a major obstacle to preventing progression of H3K27M-altered Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG). Resistance is driven in part by ALDH-positive cancer stem cells (CSC), with high ALDH1A3 expression observed in H3K27M-mutant DMG biopsies. We hypothesized that ALDH-mediated stemness and resistance may in part be driven by the oncohistone itself. Upon deletion of H3K27M, ALDH1A3 expression decreased dramatically and was accompanied by a gain in astrocytic marker expression and a loss of neurosphere forming potential, indicative of differentiation. Here we show that the oncohistone regulates histone acetylation through ALDH1A3 in a Wnt-dependent manner and that loss of H3K27M expression results in sensitization of DMGs to radiotherapy. The observed elevated Wnt signaling in H3K27M-altered DMG likely stems from a dramatic suppression of mRNA and protein expression of the Wnt inhibitor EYA4 driven by the oncohistone. Thus, our findings identify EYA4 as a bona fide tumor suppressor in DMG that upon suppression, results in aberrant Wnt signaling to orchestrate stemness and differentiation. Future studies will explore whether overexpression of EYA4 in DMG can impede growth and invasion. In summary, we have gained mechanistic insight into H3K27M-mediated regulation of cancer stemness and differentiation, which provides rationale for exploring new therapeutic targets for DMG.

BACKGROUND: The use of drain in primary total knee replacement (TKR) started with the belief that it prevents hematoma formation and infection. The fear of infection made this practice an essential step that enjoyed a long journey. However, in recent years, majority of evidence-based studies have not only been failed to provide substantial benefits of the drain but also have proven this a counterproductive step. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to assess the outcome of performing primary TKR without the use of a drain. METHODOLOGY: After meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, a prospective observational study was conducted on 186 patients (191 knees) who underwent primary cemented total knee arthroplasty without the use of drain from September 2018 to March 2020 and were followed up for one year. Surgery was performed under tourniquet, bleeders were electro cauterized, and injection tranexamic acid was used to control bleeding. A good preoperative screening for foci of infection, tight glycemic control for diabetics, part preparation, prophylactic antibiotics, and gentle handling of soft tissue was ensured to control infection. Deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis was instituted after risk stratification. Ambulation and physiotherapy were started as per protocol. The clinical parameters such as pain score and range of motion (ROM) were measured by a physiotherapist. Postoperative hemoglobin (Post Op Hb) and requirement of dressing change/reinforcement were monitored by the ward nurse. Aspiration of the knee if required was done by the treating surgeon. RESULTS: Post Op Hb drop was insignificant and none of the patients required blood transfusion. Tense arthrocoele, requiring rescue analgesia, were found in 5(2.6%) patients which responded well with knee aspiration. There was significant improvement (P < 00001) in pain score and the targeted ROM were achieved in 3 weeks' postoperative. Although ecchymosis was a common finding (20.4%), it did not require special attention. Blisters developed in six patients which were managed by antibiotic-impregnated paraffin dressing. Wound healing was not delayed in any patient. None of the patients acquired infection. CONCLUSION: Performing primary TKR without drain is a safe practice to exercise as it neither increases the risk of infection nor poses a significant threat of blood loss and blood transfusion. The presence of arthrocoele in postoperative period does not compromise short term clinical and functional outcomes. The incidence of developing tense hemarthrosis is very less and if aspirated, relieves patient's discomfort and aborts the surgeon's fear of infection. Moreover, not only the cost of drain and utilization of workforce is saved but the question of caring for the drain and its complications also ends.

Introduction: The use of the jump as a plyometric exercise is a way to improve jump performance. Additionally, as it requires abrupt stopping, starting, and changing directions, it might enhance agility. Thus, this study aims to find out the relationship between drop jump variables and agility in contact sports. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 national-level male athletes (age=20.06±1.94 years; height=1.67±0.06 m; body weight: 58.02±8.40 kg) participated in this study. A drop jump test was performed on the Kistler force plate and agility was assessed by using the Illinois agility test along with the agility t-test. The Pearson correlation test was used to find the significant relationship between agility tests completion time and jump height from flight time, reactive strength index, average power, average force, and contact time for drop jumps. Results: The results indicate a significant moderate negative correlation between jump height from flight time and agility test time (r=-0.501 with Illinois agility test, P=0.005, and r=-0.601 with agility t-test, P=0.001). A significant weak negative correlation was observed between average power and Illinois agility test time (r=-0.477, P=0.008). Conclusion: These findings indicate that improved drop jumps will interpret better agility movements or vice versa; therefore, individuals who perform sports that require agile movement benefit from agility assessment and drop jump training.

Globally, the conservation value of tropical grasslands, unlike tropical forests, is underappreciated, and their degradation is widespread. Conservation of this vulnerable ecosystem requires scientifically validated management strategies. The present study examines the impact of flooding, herbivory, and other management practices on the riverine grasslands of Brahmaputra floodplains of Assam, India, for devising effective conservation strategies. Inundation period-based unsupervised classification was used to derive the types and extent of grasslands viz., short (SG) and tall (TG). Subsequently, the data on vegetation composition and nutrient status viz., soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), was collected from inside and outside of 15 exclosures that were subjected to different management regimes, including grazing (freely accessed by mega- and meso-herbivores), ungrazed (not accessed by mega- and meso-herbivores), ungrazed with controlled burning and ungrazed with invasive removal. A total of 1152 plots were monitored for two-year, from January 2014 to December 2015. The results of the study revealed that the areas inundated for a longer duration were dominated by SG and had higher species diversity, while areas inundated for the shorter duration were dominated by TG and had low species diversity. We further observed that grazing exclusion promoted heterogeneity, woody and invasive growth, and soil nutrient content. Burning and invasive removal reduced woody and invasive growth and enhanced soil nutrient conditions. Grazing and burning decreased heterogeneity, while invasive removal increased heterogeneity. Alteration of the flooding regime due to reduced water availability may affect the ratio of SG and TG extent in the long run, which may alter the vegetation composition and the productivity of these grasslands. We recommend short-term rotational grazing for SG and long-term for TG to promote heterogeneity and soil quality. Controlled burning can be carried out in dry and invaded areas post uprooting of invasives to mitigate the effect of succession.

Abstract To address the global energy and environmental crisis, advanced energy storage systems with their superior electrochemical performances have been growing exponentially. The electrochemical properties of the selected electrode materials have a direct impact on the performance of these energy storage technologies. 2D structures are considered promising materials for energy storage systems because of their unique and outstanding electrochemical characteristics. Therefore, hybridization of 2D nanosheets with other low‐dimensional materials can improve storage capacity by modulating and exploiting the synergy between the same. This comprehensive review highlights energy storage devices, their mechanisms, and key problems, with a focus on electrodes made of new generation 2D hybrids. Following that, the strategies that enable face‐to‐point, face‐to‐line, and face‐to‐face heterointerfaces are discussed in details. In addition, a design approach is provided for synergistically coupling 2D with other quantum materials for designing efficient and long‐lasting storage systems. It is anticipated that this review article will serve as helpful motivation for developing excellent energy storage devices with improved electrochemical capability.

Pyloric stenosis is characterised by a thicker, lengthened, and larger pylorus as well as hypertrophy of the circular and, to a lesser extent, the longitudinal smooth muscles.The classical presenting features are non-bilious, projectile vomiting, visible peristalsis and hypochloremichypokalaemic metabolic alkalosis. Definitive treatment is often performed by a relatively quick surgical procedure shortly after diagnosis. Surgery for pyloromyotomy is usually performed when fluid, acid/base, and electrolyte imbalances have been properly and completely corrected, which in turn results in speedy recovery of patient. The complications linked to these diseases call for caution when administering anaesthesia for even ostensibly straightforward surgical procedures. The case report is about a 1-month old male neonate who presented with features of pyloric stenosis.Weighing the increase risk of complications and mortality, the neonate was managed using rapid sequence induction approach in combination with caudal block for an adequate analgesia.

Summary: Background: India has seen more than 43 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 2022, with a recovery rate of 98.8%, resulting in a large section of the population including the healthcare workers (HCWs), susceptible to develop post COVID sequelae. This study was carried out to assess the nature and prevalence of medical sequelae following COVID-19 infection, and risk factors, if any. Methods: This was an observational, multicenter cross-sectional study conducted at eight tertiary care centers. The consenting participants were HCWs between 12 and 52 weeks post discharge after COVID-19 infection. Data on demographics, medical history, clinical features of COVID-19 and various symptoms of COVID sequelae was collected through specific questionnaire. Finding: Mean age of the 679 eligible participants was 31.49 ± 9.54 years. The overall prevalence of COVID sequelae was 30.34%, with fatigue (11.5%) being the most common followed by insomnia (8.5%), difficulty in breathing during activity (6%) and pain in joints (5%). The odds of having any sequelae were significantly higher among participants who had moderate to severe COVID-19 (OR 6.51; 95% CI 3.46–12.23) and lower among males (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.39–0.76). Besides these, other predictors for having sequelae were age (≥45 years), presence of any comorbidity (especially hypertension and asthma), category of HCW (non-doctors vs doctors) and hospitalisation due to COVID-19. Interpretation: Approximately one-third of the participants experienced COVID sequelae. Severity of COVID illness, female gender, advanced age, co-morbidity were significant risk factors for COVID sequelae. Funding: This work is a part of Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)- Rational Use of Medicines network. No additional financial support was received from ICMR to carry out the work, for study materials, medical writing, and APC.

Abstract Power electronics load is considered to be a strengthening factor that leads the system operators more concerned about power quality issues. Poor power quality can lead to distinctive operation of electrical components and devices, which may cause heavy economic loss to the customers and power network operators. An application of fractional order PIλDμ (FOPIλDμ) controller for power quality improvement in smart power distribution systems is presented here. Analytical design steps are presented for the FOPIλDμ controller. A genetic algorithm is used for tuning the control parameters of the FOPIλDμ controller optimally. The FOPIλDμ controller is employed and evaluated for shunt active power filter (APF) to filter out harmonics and improve reactive power compensation for non‐stationary, non‐linear load conditions for a smart power distribution system. Effectiveness of FOPIλDμ controller for instantaneous reactive power theory based PQ control algorithm applied to shunt APF is validated using a small‐scale laboratory experimental setup. The experimental results confirm the excellent performance of the FOPIλDμ controller in terms of its superior transient response, significant reduction in harmonic distortion, and improved reactive power compensation in a smart grid environment.

Abstract Background Bacterial bioagents, Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. putida, Bacillus amyloliquifaciens, and B. megaterium, have management potential against root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, in bottle gourd. Results Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of bacterial bioagents Bacillus megaterium 1% WP (2 × 106 CFU/g), B. amyloliquifaciens 1% WP (2 × 108 CFU/g), Pseudomonas putida 1% WP (2 × 108 CFU/g), P. fluorescens 1% WP (2 × 109 CFU/g) on egg hatching and juvenile mortality of root-knot nematode, M. incognita. All the bacterial species inhibited the egg hatching in M. incognita and caused juvenile mortality. The lowest mean egg hatching in 120 h. after treatment was observed in P. putida (20.9% mean egg hatching), followed by P. fluorescens (21.1%), B. amyloliquifaciens (23.7%), and B. megaterium (24.7%) at 4% concentration of the formulated product against (47%) egg hatching in control. The juvenile mortality was found highest (57.1% mean mortality) in P. fluorescens in 120 h. of exposure, followed by P. putida (56.13%), B. megaterium (54.46%), and B. amyloliquifaciens (53.13%) at 4% concentration against 0.46 mean juvenile mortality in control, where distilled water was used. Under field conditions, the bottle gourd seeds that were treated either with B. amyloliquefaciens, B. megaterium, P. fluorescens, or P. putida at 10 g/kg seed along with the application of neem cake (1t/ha) significantly resulted in reduced root gall index and the number of nematode juveniles in soil and roots than the non-treated control. Conclusion This study revealed that the tested bacterial bioagents, namely B. amyloquefaciens, B. megaterium, P. fluorescens, and P. putida, showed the potential for controlling of root knot nematode (RKN) in the laboratory as well as in field conditions in bottle gourd.

Abstract Jarman–Bell (1974) hypothesized that in the dry savanna of Africa, small-bodied herbivores tend to browse more on forage with high protein and low fibre content. This implies browsing on high nutritive forage by meso-herbivores, and grazing and mixed feeding on coarse forage by mega-herbivores. We tested this hypothesis in the riverine alluvial grasslands of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP), where seasonal flood and fire play an important role in shaping the vegetation structure. We analyzed the feeding habits and quality of major forage species consumed by three mega-herbivores, viz. greater one-horned rhino, Asian elephant, and Asiatic wild buffalo, and three meso-herbivores, viz. swamp deer, hog deer, and sambar. We found that both mega and meso-herbivores were grazers and mixed feeders. Overall, 25 forage plants constituted more than 70% of their diet. Among monocots, family Poaceae with Saccharum spp. (contributing > 9% of the diet), and, among dicots, family Rhamnaceae with Ziziphus jujuba (contributing > 4% of the diet) fulfilled the dietary needs. In the dry season, the concentration of crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, calcium, sodium, and phosphorous varied significantly between monocots and dicots, whereas only calcium and sodium concentrations varied significantly in the wet season. Dicots were found to be more nutritious throughout the year. Compared to the dry season, the monocots, viz. Alpinia nigra, Carex vesicaria, Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa crus-galli, Hemarthria compressa, Imperata cylindrica, and Saccharum spp., with their significantly high crude protein, were more nutritious during the wet season. Possibly due to the availability of higher quality monocots in the wet season, both mega and meso-herbivores consume it in high proportion. We concluded that the Jarman–Bell principle does not apply to riverine alluvial grasslands as body size did not explain the interspecific dietary patterns of the mega and meso-herbivores. This can be attributed to seasonal floods, habitat and forage availability, predation risk, and management practices such as controlled burning of the grasslands. The ongoing succession and invasion processes, anthropogenic pressures, and lack of grassland conservation policy are expected to affect the availability of the principal forage and suitable habitat of large herbivores in the Brahmaputra floodplains, which necessitates wet grassland-based management interventions for the continued co-existence of large herbivores in such habitats.

The purpose of this study was to compare efficacy of kinesio taping (K-taping) and joint mobilization as immediate interventions for treating athletes with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD). Thirty-two asymptomatic players were recruited from basketball, volleyball and handball who had a loss of shoulder internal rotation range of motion (IR ROM) of 10 degrees or more on their dominant compared to non-dominant side. They were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: K-taping (n = 16) or joint mobilization (n = 16). Participants in taping group were treated with K-tape for inhibition of external rotators of shoulder and participants in joint mobilization group were treated with grade four Maitland’s mobilization technique for increasing glenohumeral internal rotation. Shoulder internal and external ROM were measured before and after the intervention with a universal goniometer. Both the methods produced significant improvement in IR ROM. The unpaired t-test showed significant change in IR ROM within both the groups (p = 0.003). No significant change was found on comparing both the groups (p = 0.373). There were no significant differences between results of the three sports (p = 0.592). K-taping and joint mobilization both are equally effective in improving the IR ROM in over-head players with GIRD.

In this paper, we reviewed the various advanced technologies and methods that could help patients for measuring adherence of patients. There exist intelligent technologies that are available for measuring medication adherence, including medication event monitoring system (MEMS®), smart blister packs, radio frequency identification (RFID) embedded smart drawers, and wisely aware RFID dosage (WARD) system. Utilization of these advanced technologies and systems have aided in enhancing the adherence to a greater extent. For example, MEMS® refers to the electronic cap that counts the number of bottles opened, but it can be employed only with bottles. Smart blisters are pharmaceutical packagings that possess the capability of monitoring when a pill or tablet is taken out of its packing. All those intelligent technologies can help in active monitoring of patients regarding adherence and capable of eradicating various medication errors due to which adherence is affected.

Opioids analgesics have been used commonly among several patients in labour in various studies but side effects associated with use of opioids during painless delivery are the main factors that affect rapid postpartum recovery. Opioid use can result in risk of respiratory depression in the patient and can also disrupt the baby’s breathing and heart rate. So, the non opioid analgesic dexmedetomidine, a new alpha-2-adrenergic agonist came into existence, was evaluated and used intrathecally among parturients as an alternative adjuvant. The aim of the present review article was to establish the effect of non opioid analgesic dexmedetomidine, to assess the potency and the safety of dexmedetomidine when given intrathecally as an adjuvant to neuraxial block among patients in labour. Studies report that addition of dexmedetomidine improves the quality of the block, causes an early onset and better length of the sensory block, enhances the onset and duration of the motor block, as well as the onset of analgesia. Additionally, this lengthens the time needed to restore analgesia. Use of dexmedetomidine in combination with bupivacaine significantly prolonges the sensory block time in pregnant women.

MnxZn1−xO thin films (x = 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5%) were grown on corning glass substrates using sol–gel technique. Single-phase hexagonal wurtzite structure was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. Raman analysis revealed the presence of Mn content with an additional vibrational mode at 570 cm−1. The surface morphology of the samples was observed by scanning electron microscopy which suggested that the grain size increases with an increase in Mn concentration. The optical bandgap increases with increasing Mn concentration due to a significant blueshift in UV–visible absorption spectra. The alteration of the bandgap was verified by the I–V measurements on ZnO and Mn-ZnO films. The various functional groups in the thin films were recorded using FTIR analysis. Magnetic measurements showed that MnxZn1−xO films are ferromagnetic, as Mn induces a fully polarised state. The effect of Mn2+ ions doping on MnxZn1−xO thin films was investigated by extracting various parameters such as lattice parameters, energy bandgap, resistivity, and magnetisation. The observed coercivity is about one-fifth of the earlier published work data which indicates the structure is soft in nature, having less dielectric/magnetic loss, and hence can be used as ultra-fast switching in spintronic devices.

Efficacy and safety data on quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIVs) for immunization of Indian children are scarce. This phase 3, registration study evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of a QIV in Indian children aged 6–35 months (Group 1) and 3–17 y (Group 2). Subjects received one or two doses (0.5 mL each) of the study vaccine based on their priming status. Immunogenicity (post-vaccination geometric mean fold increase in hemagglutination inhibition [HI] titers and proportion of patients with seroprotection and seroconversion against the four influenza strains), unsolicited adverse events (AEs), and tolerability were analyzed. Among 118 subjects enrolled in each group, the geometric mean(standard deviation) fold increase in HI titers against A(H3N2), A(H1N1), B(Victoria), and B(Yamagata) strains were 31.7(5.33), 10.5(6.06), 4.1(5.70), and 8.6(5.34) in Group 1 and 14.0(4.37), 9.2(4.26), 14.3(6.73), and 14.4(5.41) in Group 2, respectively. Seroprotection was achieved by 91.2%, 83.3%, 41.2%, and 68.4% subjects in Group 1 and 100%, 95.8%, 73.7%, and 89.8% subjects in Group 2, respectively. Seroconversion was achieved by 87.7%, 66.7%, 41.2%, and 64.9% subjects in Group 1 and 89.0%, 78.8%, 69.5%, and 75.4% subjects in Group 2, respectively. Vaccination site pain and fever were the most common local and systemic reactions, respectively. Systemic reactions were more frequent in Group 1 (16.9% vs 7.6%). Most subjects (>90%) did not experience inconvenience within 7 d of vaccination;

Abstract The unique Himalayan ecosystems are repositories to the wild populations of diverse flora and fauna. The high value medicinal and aromatic plant species (MAPs) are an example of the same. Since time immemorial, these MAPs have been traditionally used by the local inhabitants and have eventually developed a high market value all over the world. Increasing market demand engenders over-extraction of species, unsustainable collection further catalyses decline in wild populations. The current communication raises high conservation concern on the rapid population decline of Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don in the Western Himalaya. Harvested and traded with a new trade name i.e., ‘Jangli lehsun’ probably to disguise common Allium species, the species is facing tremendous decline in wild populations due to its illegal harvesting and trade in Himachal Pradesh. Further, F. cirrhosa faces threat due to unorganized, over-extraction, unsustainable and premature harvesting of the bulbs, coupled with illegal hidden markets functioning parallelly. Considering that this valuable species is under multiple threats being a medicinally important plant, priority should be given for its conservation through in-situ such as identification of medicinal plant conservation areas and ex-situ methods for its propagation and multiplication. Further, to ensure the long-term conservation of Fritillaria cirrhosa, prioritized conservation strategies such as strengthening of the Biodiversity Management Committees, capacity building through awareness programs for the key stakeholders and sustainable harvesting would be the practical solution.

Concurrent infection of malaria and dengue may be difficult to diagnose because of overlapping signs and symptoms. An 11-year-old boy presenting in the causality with blanching rash, respiratory distress, and hypotension was initially managed as dengue shock syndrome. Due to high-grade fever and hepatosplenomegaly, peripheral blood film for malarial parasite was sent, which came out to be positive for vivax malaria. This case report emphasizes the need to consider about the possibility of dengue–malaria coinfection in the endemic areas and highlights the challenges related to management among these patients.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM), is an uncommon form of heart failure that occurs during the last month of pregnancy or upto five months after delivery. In this condition, the heart chamber enlarges and the muscle weakens. This case report is about a 30-year-old primigravida, with oligohydramnios, at 32.3 weeks of gestation. She visited for a caesarean section, and was diagnosed with PPCM on the basis of clinical findings of growing fatigability, troubled breathing and severe dyspnoea and on echocardiography ejection fraction of 64% with mild mitral regurgitation, moderate dilated left ventricle, tricuspid regurgitation was found. These patients require vigilant anaesthetic intervention for management of painless labour and/or either vaginal or operative delivery. The basic haemodynamic goals should always be kept in mind for favorable maternal as well as foetal outcome while selecting the drug dose and mode of anaesthesia. Various studies showed that both general and regional anaesthesia can be used with comparable outcomes in PPCM patients undergoing caesarean section. The index patient, who needed a caesarean section, was managed with Combined Spinal-Epidural (CSE) anaesthesia, weighing the risk of increase mortality due to general anaesthesia.

Background Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It encompasses a large family of diseases exhibiting abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other part of the body. Natural extracts have been used as an efficient anticancer agent that show promising results. In this, study the cytotoxicity and anticancer effect of Ayurvedic herbal extract code name V2S2 was studied and compared with control drug Adriamycin that is an established chemotherapeutic drug. Materials and Methods Ayurvedic coded drug V2S2 is a hydroalcoholic extract of herbs. The in vitro anticancer study was performed with sulforhodamine B assay in TATA Memorial, ACTREC Mumbai as per National Cancer Institute guidelines. Result GI50 of V2S2 study drug and Adriamycin on COLO-205, HOP-62, K-562, ISHIKAWA, HeLa, MCF-7, SCC-40, Hep-G2 and MIA-PA-CA-2 is less than 10 that means both drugs have equal anticancer activity. Conclusion The study group has more and less equal potential of anticancer activity in compared with a transient's standard anticancer drug. Moreover, in vitro monkey kidney normal cell line study drug V2S2 shows same cytotoxicity as shown by control drug Adriamycin.

Background: Host genetic background plays an important role in susceptibility to intracellular infectious pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Cellular immune response activation is vital for protection to these pathogens. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) plays a crucial role in this activation and preventing the intracellular growth of Mtb. A mutation in the IFN-γ gene, therefore, may lead to increased susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) that may vary in different ethnic groups and its consequence also varies in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Several IFN-γ gene polymorphisms are investigated for susceptibility to TB, but their associations are not always consistent as its impact may vary from one ethnicity to the other as well as with the type of TB. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to overcome this problem. The present study involves comprehensive meta-analysis of + 874T/A polymorphism in the IFN-γ gene based on type of TB within five different ethnic groups to show its association with increased susceptibility to TB. Methods: Using PubMed and Google Scholar databases, a total of 50 case-control studies were retrieved having 8152 cases and 9755 controls in this meta-analysis. Thirty-eight studies of + 874T/A polymorphism of IFN-γ gene were correlated for Pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The polymorphism was analyzed for six genetic models for five major ethnic groups accounting for heterogeneity among studies. Moreover, the sub-group analysis was based on the type of TB within each ethnic group. Trial sequential analysis was also performed for all the sub-groups to estimate the statistical consistency. Results: IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism analysis clearly confirmed the increased association of + 874AA genotype with increased TB risk. This polymorphism also showed significant association in East Asian, European, American, and African ethnic groups whereas no such association was found in Asians. Patients with pulmonary TB (PTB) confirmed the association in East Asians, Africans, and Americans, whereas patients with EPTB showed association in Asian and East Asian populations only. Conclusions: This study reaffirms the association of IFN-γ+874 T/A polymorphism with TB risk. It specifically confirms that IFN-γ+874 T/A polymorphism increases the susceptibility of pulmonary infection in Africans and Americans, while the East Asian population is more susceptible to both, pulmonary and EPTB.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) involving tropomyosin kinase B and low affinity p75 neurotropin receptors is the most abundant and researched neurotropins in mammal’s brain. It is one of the potential targets for therapeutics in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) owing to its key role in synaptic plasticity. Low levels of BDNF are implicated in the pathophysiology of neurological diseases including AD. However, a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and dietary modifications are shown to positively influence insulin regulation in the brain, reduce inflammation, and up-regulate the levels of BDNF, and are thus expected to have roles in AD. In this review, the relationship between BDNF, mental health, and AD is discussed. Insights into the interrelationships between nutrition, lifestyle, and environment with BDNF and possible roles in AD are also provided in the review. The review sheds light on the possible new therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine. It originated in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. The term “Ayurveda” combines then Sanskrit words ayur (life) andVeda (science or knowledge). Ayurveda means “the science of life. Medicinal plants and herbal drugs have played a key role in world health. According to world health organization (WHO), about 80% of the world population currently utilizes the herbal drugs. People are using herbal medicines from centuries for safety, efficacy, cultural acceptability, non-toxic, lesser side effects and easily available at affordable prices. In recent times, there has been a move in universal trend from synthetic to herbal medicine due to side effects of synthetic products. Herbal products may contain a single herb or combinations of several different herbs believed to have complementary and /synergistic effects. Some herbal products, including many traditional medicine formulations, also include animal products and minerals. Herbal products are sold as either raw plants or extracts of portions of the plant or in the form formulation i.e. tablet, capsule, syrup, cream and ointment etc. The different parts of plants with analgesic were taken up for the present study and investigated for the phytochemical screening and used for the formulation of analgesic ointment. Present study deals with formulation, Standardization, evaluation of ointment made from alcoholic extract and essential oil of different plants.

This paper proposes a mathematical fractional order modelling of Voltage Source Converters (VSC). Fractional behaviour helps to model and describe a real object more accurately than the integer order model. State-space equations of VSC is obtained using fractional calculus in d-q domain. The Caputo derivative method is employed to eliminate complex definitions of fractional calculus and to get approximate solution with optimal design of parameters. A detailed analysis is performed on developed mathematical fractional order model of VSC including small-signal analysis and DC analysis. The stability and time-domain transient analysis is carried out to validate the fractional order VSC for its application as Distribution STATtic COMpensator (DSTATCOM) in power distribution system, using real-time simulator. Fractional-order capacitor and inductor are designed and modelled for verification of fractional order VSC through simulations. The real-time simulation results verify the effectiveness of proposed model. It shows that fractional order model can describe the operating characteristics of VSC more accurately. The comparative performance analysis demonstrates superior transient response in case of fractional order devices as compared to integer order.

Self-directed learning (SDL) is one of the teaching-learning methods that can be used in medical education at all levels. The use of SDL in undergraduate (UG) teaching is becoming common due to the implementation of competency-based education in many countries. The new competency-based UG medical curriculum in India includes lifelong learning skills as one of the major components. The SDL method is reported to increase the lifelong learning skills of students. The concept of SDL is based on experiential learning and its conduct needs proper understanding of the concept. The conduct can include two contact sessions and an intersession or gap period of few days. The contact sessions focus on introduction, facilitation, and debriefing. The intersession period is the real learning period for the students. SDL also includes the use of various assessment methods. All SDL sessions are followed by an evaluation of various stakeholders. Advancements in information technology (IT) and the advent of many innovations in teaching can be aptly used in SDL conduct and evaluation. The present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has further provided opportunity to use IT in the new normal post-COVID-19 times. Curriculum placement must be done in alignment with other teaching-learning methods. Training of facilitators, availability of resources, and preplanning help in successful SDL conduct. If implemented appropriately, SDL can be a great method to help students in their postinstitute lives.

The cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 infection are evolving rapidly as new data continue to be published in the literature. Considering that majority of these manifestations resemble other viral exanthemas, a high degree of suspicion and clinical acumen is needed for early identification of COVID-19 infections and its prompt management. The most common manifestations in adults include maculopapular rash, purpura, vesicular rash, urticarial rash, and pseudo-chilblains, while in children, the manifestations include Kawasaki disease-like inflammatory syndrome (pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome) and erythema multiforme. This review presents a comprehensive guide to the cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 infections in adults and children. Also included are the dermatological manifestations observed due to prolonged use of personal protective equipment in healthcare workers.

Introduction: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is designed to evaluate various learners’ skills. Formative feedback reinforces appropriate learning and contributes to correction of learner’s deficiencies. It was observed that the students in Clinical Physiology labs did not have direct observation and feedback on performance of clinical examination to address the gaps in knowledge and clinical skills. Aim: To evaluate the perception of students and faculty on the effectiveness of structured feedback integrated with OSCE module for teaching clinical skills in Physiology Department. Materials and Methods: A non randomised, intervention study was conducted on 100 phase I Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students. Students were sensitised to OSCE topics. After taking written informed consent, initial OSCE sessions integrated with 1:1 feedback was conducted followed by OSCE sessions after 20 days in the same topics of clinical examination. OSCE scores were recorded. Feedback survey questionnaire to assess the perceptions of phase I MBBS students and retrospective pre-post assessment questionnaire was designed and administered. Student’s t-test, Likert scale analysis and Thematic analysis of the responses were done. Results: Of the total 100 phase I MBBS students, males were 46 and females were 54 with a mean age of 20 and 19 years, respectively. Significant percentage of students got the opportunity to have constructive discussions of their strengths and weaknesses of learning clinical skills with the faculty (p-value=0.0246) and also felt satisfied with the structured points of the feedback given by the faculty (p-value=0.03181). There was significant increase in the OSCE scores of the students after the OSCE session integrated with feedback. Majority of the faculty felt satisfied with self assessment of student’s learning gaps and with the performance of clinical system examination by the students. Faculty confidence to give structured feedback to the students had improved. Conclusion: It can be concluded that 1:1 structured feedback integrated with OSCE has significant educational impact and is an effective method for teaching clinical skills in physiology labs. It is one of the efficient ways to use OSCE checklists as an effective teaching resource.

Antifungal chemotherapy depends on bio-chemical alterations between fungi and mammals. Unlike bacteria, which are prokaryotes, both fungi and mammals are eukaryotes and the biochemical differences between them are not significant. However, there are some differences (in structure & metabolism) and focus is on these differences that act as targets for development of antifungal agents. The current recommendation of standard TB chemotherapy, called Directly observed treatment (DOTS) is a therapy of six month in which consists an first two-month phase of cure with four first-line drugs i.e. isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol. In this study large number of compounds is manufactured in which Most of the tested molecules showed maximum bacteriological growth inhibition at tested concentration. The combinations (7e, 7g, 7h, 7i and 7u) exhibited bacteriological growth inhibition at concentration of less than 40.0μg/ml against both microorganisms. Compounds (7o) showed growth of inhibition at 2.5μg/ml against both microorganisms. Additional challenging for all compounds at lower concentrations is mandatory to compare their activity through standard Streptomycin at its MIC to get exact MIC the manufactured combinations. Thus it can be concluded that designed 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives (7a-v) were manufactured successfully using planned synthetic outline. After manufactured the molecules were characterized using spectroscopy analysis and tested for the biological activity. All combinations showed anti-bacterial action at tested concentration against both gram positive and gram negative organisms and one of the compound 7o showed activity at concentration

Increasing globalization in the last two decades has transformed the environment; hence, the demand for sustainable remediation approaches has also recorded an increasing trend. The varied sources of soil pollution include the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, industrial discharge, and transformed products of these accumulated chemical residues. These processes may hamper the composition and soil ecosystem. Different types of methodologies ranging from physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been exploited to tackle of this challenge. The last decade has observed a significant application of nanotechnology for the treatment and removal of contaminants. Nanomaterial (NMs) research has contributed to a new dimension for the remediation of polluted soils. The use of engineered NMs has not only carried out the remediation of contaminated sites but also has proven useful in combatting the release of soil pollutants. They have paved the way for eco-friendly approaches for the detection of pollutants along with the restoration of polluted sites to their nascent stages, which will also help in increasing soil fertility. Nano-enabled remediation mechanisms require extensive field and target-specific research to deliver the required output. This review focused on recent trends, emphasized the areas for further improvement, and intended to understand the requirement of an interdisciplinary approach to utilize nanotechnology for multitasking remediation approaches comprising different contaminants.

Introduction: Improved survival of preterm babies has also increased the incidence of neurodevelopmental problems. The first year of life is the most sensitive period for early intervention and hence targeting early detection principles to this age will be most useful. Aim: To study the neurodevelopmental profile of preterm babies (

Antero-medial temporo-sphenoidal encephaloceles are rarest type of basal encephaloceles with bony defects in lateral sphenoid, and are termed as spontaneous when they occur in the absence of predisposing factors . They most commonly present as CSF rhinorrhea, headache or with signs of meningitis. Imaging play an important role in establishing diagnosis and for preoperative evaluation. Surgery through transnasal /transcranial route is the definite management.

Renewable energy production has attracted great attention due to public concerns about the depletion of fossil fuels and the growing emphasis on zero carbon emissions. Two main drivers have pushed renewable energy production to the top of the global agenda: climate change and energy security. Biomass is considered to be the only sustainable source of organic carbon on earth and the perfect equivalent to petroleum for the production of bioenergy, biofuels and fine chemicals with net zero carbon emission in a biorefinery. This review focuses on the potential of producing energy from different biomasses and describes technologies such as direct combustion, microwave technology, hydrothermal liquefaction, and fast pyrolysis to convert biomass into bioenergy. Herein, innovative scalable concepts are provided to perform microwave pyrolysis on a larger scale. Current research is mainly focused on the use of catalysts to enhance the process. Various parameters affect the biomass pyrolysis process, properties, and yields of products. These generally include the biomass source, biomass pretreatment (physical, chemical, and biological), the catalyst, the reaction atmosphere, temperature, the heating rate, and the pressure and vapor residence time. The study also shows how various types of reactors affect the bio-oil yield in the presence of a catalyst.

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) is an overgrowth anomaly of congenital origin that has low prevalence. However, among the congenital anomalies of overgrowth, it has high prevalence. Typical features are macroglossia, macrosomia, omphalocele and anterior abdominal wall defects. Though Genetic, but it’s mechanism of occurrence is not clear. Many researchers have found correlation between methodology of Assisted Reproductive Techniques and BWS. Future research for the improvement of the prenatal diagnostic techniques would help the multidisciplinary team to treat these congenital diseases. In the present case, the diagnosis of BWS was made by ultrasound conducted in Radiology Department after filling Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) form in the institute at gestation of 29+6 weeks and after two days of diagnosis, unfortunately patient reported to our hospital emergency with intrauterine foetal demise.

The emergence of a new coronavirus (CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for severe respiratory disease in humans termed coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), became a new global threat for health and the economy. The SARS-CoV-2 genome is about a 29,800-nucleotide-long plus-strand RNA that can form functionally important secondary and higher-order structures called cis-acting RNA elements. These elements can interact with viral proteins, host proteins, or other RNAs and be involved in regulating translation and replication processes of the viral genome and encapsidation of the virus. However, the cis-acting RNA elements and their biological roles in SARS-CoV-2 as well as their comparative analysis in the closely related viral genome have not been well explored, which is very important to understand the molecular mechanism of viral infection and pathogenies. In this study, we used a bioinformatics approach to identify the cis-acting RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Initially, we aligned the full genomic sequence of six different CoVs, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed to understand their evolutionary relationship. Next, we predicted the cis-acting RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome using the structRNAfinder tool. Then, we annotated the location of these cis-acting RNA elements in different genomic regions of SARS-CoV-2. After that, we analyzed the sequence conservation patterns of each cis-acting RNA element among the six CoVs. Finally, the presence of cis-acting RNA elements across different CoV genomes and their comparative analysis was performed. Our study identified 12 important cis-acting RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome; among them, Corona_FSE, Corona_pk3, and s2m are highly conserved across most of the studied CoVs, and Thr_leader, MAT2A_D, and MS2 are uniquely present in SARS-CoV-2. These RNA structure elements can be involved in viral translation, replication, and encapsidation and, therefore, can be potential targets for better treatment of COVID-19. It is imperative to further characterize these cis-acting RNA elements experimentally for a better mechanistic understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapeutic intervention.

The precise relationship between epigenetic alterations and telomere dysfunction is still an extant question. Previously, we showed that eroded telomeres lead to differentiation instability in murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) via DNA hypomethylation at pluripotency-factor promoters. Here, we uncovered that telomerase reverse transcriptase null (Tert-/-) mESCs exhibit genome-wide alterations in chromatin accessibility and gene expression during differentiation. These changes were accompanied by an increase of H3K27me3 globally, an altered chromatin landscape at the Pou5f1/Oct4 promoter, and a refractory response to differentiation cues. Inhibition of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), an H3K27 tri-methyltransferase, exacerbated the impairment in differentiation and pluripotency gene repression in Tert-/- mESCs but not wild-type mESCs, whereas inhibition of H3K27me3 demethylation led to a partial rescue of the Tert-/- phenotype. These data reveal a new interdependent relationship between H3K27me3 and telomere integrity in stem cell lineage commitment that may have implications in aging and cancer.

Oxide semiconductors are promising candidates for next generation electronics. In this work, magnetic bipolar transistor was fabricated by growing thin films of p-NiO and n-ZnO on n-type silicon wafer by pulsed laser deposition technique with an in-situ annealing at 670° C in the presence of oxygen. The structural characterization of these films was done by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and magnetic properties were studied by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). I-V characteristic of fabricated transistor was tested in common emitter configuration with DC biasing. Junction parameters such as ideality factor, series resistance, and transistor parameters like q-point were determined by using conventional transistor output characteristics. The diode and transistor showed an increase in current with the externally applied magnetic field due to the presence of Nickel or Oxygen vacancies in NiO attributing to spin polarized bipolar transport. Therefore the current amplification in these devices can be controlled by spin; making it attractive for spintronic applications.

In this work, a successful fabrication of Co2MnAl heusler alloy nanowires in anodic alumina templates has been demonstrated using simple and low-cost electro-deposition technique at room temperature. The role of deposition parameters, such as pH of the electrolyte solution were investigated on the structural and magnetic properties of Co2MnAl nanowires. It is observed that the crystallinity improves with the increase of pH of the solution till around pH=3.0 where the best crystallinity is achieved. The X-Ray diffraction pattern confirms the formation of B2 crystal type in the Co2MnAl heusler alloys which is further verified by high-resolution transmission electron microscope images. The static magnetic properties were explored by the VSM analysis which revealed that the saturation magnetization, squareness, coercivity and uniaxial anisotropy of the nanowires increase with the increase in pH value. The highest remanent squareness of 76% is observed for pH=2.9. The dynamic measurements of heusler alloy nanowires have been studied by ferromagnetic resonance technique using the flip-chip method in the field-sweep mode at different applied frequencies ranging from 20-40 GHz. It is observed that the resonance field increases linearly with the increase in frequency for all samples. Further, the resonance field decreases up to 35% with the increase of pH value of electrolyte, resulting in an increase in the effective field.

Introduction: Parents' attitudes toward children with epilepsy may be influenced by their knowledge of the condition. Parental knowledge regarding epilepsy, its long-term management, likely events, and outcomes is essential in appropriate care of their children. This study was undertaken to identify the level of and possible gaps in knowledge of parents. Methodology: This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary care center, in which 50 caregivers of children with epilepsy took part, after due consent. Data were on a predesigned questionnaire which included questions addressing the type of epilepsy, parents' knowledge of etiology, treatment, untoward events, drug side effects, and emergency care. Observations and Results: Of 50 caregivers, only half of the parents were able to mention the cause of seizures in their child. Half of the parents thought that epilepsy affects intelligence of the child. Most of the parents, i.e., 96% were okay with talking about their child's condition with the family. Most parents (55.93%) brought their children to hospital for emergency care, while 10.16% knew some first aid for acute seizure. Parents of children on polytherapy (41.67%) were more aware of side effects of medicines as compared to parents of children on monotherapy (10.53%) (P = 0.014). Conclusion: Even though a sizable proportion of parents know about the cause of epilepsy in children, very few were equipped with knowledge of first aid care during a seizure. Lack of awareness of drug side effects is another major gap that doctors dealing with epileptic children must address, while talking to parents.