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Background Vitiligo, affecting 0.25% in India (>1% in Jharkhand), stigmatises and devastates self-esteem/relationships causing depression. Apart from medical treatment, surgical procedures like applying 5-fluorouracil after microneedling are to be confirmed in unstudied populations and across time periods. An interventional study was conducted among out-patients of a tertiary hospital in a high-prevalence population wherein earlier attempts were not conducted. Aims/Objectives To assess the effect of microneedling and applying 5% 5-fluorouracil on stable vitiligo patches. Methods and Materials Microneedling and topical application of 5-fluorouracil was planned on 30 subjects of 10–50 age-groups with stable vitiligo, from September 2019 to September 2021 every 15 days for 12 visits. Age, gender, site, size/stability of vitiligo patches, leukotrichia and vitiligo family history were studied. Repigmentation (overall and variable-wise) was measured at each visit using 76–100% (excellent), 51–75% (very good), 25 to 50% (good) and

Background: Substance abuse is more prevalent in young adults, putting them at risk for chronic use and early onset of dependence on substances. A well-documented relationship exists between substance use and poor family functioning. Traditional family intervention approaches are time-consuming. Aim: To develop a brief family intervention for parents of young adults with substance use disorder. Methods: A qualitative research design was used. Extensive literature searches and key informant interviews (face to face) with young adults (n = 5), their parents (n = 5), and mental health professionals (n = 5) were conducted. The interviews were audio recorded. A thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach, and intervention strategies were identified by examining the themes. In addition, experts were consulted to ensure the content validity of the BFI. Results: The BFI program combines psychoeducation and behavioral techniques for parents. BFI involves seven sessions with parents, 45–60 min each, over one week. The BFI sessions consisted of (1) Engagement and Assessment, (2) Healthy Family Functioning, (3) Psychoeducation, (4) Relapse Prevention, (5) Communication Skill Training, (6) Problem-Solving Skill Training, and (7) Parental Monitoring and Supervision. Conclusion: Considering all stakeholders' perspectives, the BFI manual for young adults with substance use disorder has been developed. However, additional research is required to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness.

Background: The surgical site infections are the third most common nosocomial infection. The most common organism is Staphylococcus aureus. Nepal has a 4-7% overall prevalence rate for surgical site infection. The study objective was to find out the aerobic bacteria from surgical site infection and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center with effect from September 2022 to September 2023 approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Pus samples were taken from the postoperative wound infection site and submitted to the microbiological laboratory for culture and sensitivity. Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and gram-negative aerobic bacteria were isolated and identified by standard microbiological procedures. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was done on Muller-Hinton agar using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. The result was interpreted according to clinical and laboratory standard institute guidelines. Results: The rate of surgical site infection was 22.24% and the most common organisms isolated were Staphylococcus aureus followed by Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the gram-positive cocci were sensitive to linezolid, teicoplanin, and vancomycin and gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone/sulbactam and cefepime. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the most common aerobic bacteria isolated from surgical site infection in our setting was found to be Staphylococcus aureus. This study also showed that the gram-positive aerobic bacteria were most susceptible tolinezolid, and teicoplanin, and gram-negative aerobic bacteria were sensitive to meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, and cefoperazone/sulbactam.

Abstract Background Studies attempted to estimate MASLD-related advanced fibrosis (AF) and cirrhosis (MC) prevalence utilized tests with low positive predictive value (PPV) which overestimates prevalence. AGILE3 + and 4 scores were developed to increase the PPV of both; respectively. In this study, we used these scores to assess the prevalence of AF and MC. Methods Participants aged ≥ 18 years with VCTE exam in the NHANES 2017–2018 cycle were included. We excluded pregnant women, patients with excessive alcohol intake, hepatitis B/C, and ALT or AST > 500 IU/L. MASLD was defined with CAP score > 248 dB/m. MASLD subjects with AGILE 3 + score of ≥ 0.68 and AGILE 4 score of ≥ 0.57 were considered to have advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis; respectively. AGILE 3 + of 0.45–0.67 and AGILE 4 of 0.25–0.57 were grey zone, whereas AGILE 3 +

Abstract Background Pituitary adenomas comprise clinical and pathological characteristics of functional and non-functional subtypes. To enhance our understanding of diagnostic presentations, our study aimed to know the clinicopathological characteristics of pituitary adenomas of both functional and non-functional subtypes. The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of pituitary adenomas, including demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, hormone secretion patterns, invasiveness, and cellular characteristics. Methods A total of 41 cases of pituitary adenomas were analyzed, with 63.4% classified as non-functional adenomas (NFPA) and 36.6% as functional adenomas (FPA). Clinical presentations vary, with vision loss and headaches commonly occurring in both NFPA and FPA. In FPAs, serum hormone levels varied and were categorized into growth hormone-secreting (53.3%), ACTH-secreting (26.7%), PRL-secreting (13.3%), and FSH-secreting (6.7%) subtypes. Moreover, clinical presentations in FPA included diplopia, giddiness, vomiting, ptosis, and limb weakness. Clinical features varied across subtypes, with acromegaly in growth hormone-secreting adenomas, moon facies and weight gain in ACTH-secreting adenomas, poor facial growth in PRL-secreting adenomas, and vision loss in FSH-secreting adenomas. Meanwhile, NFPA were predominantly macroadenomas (88.5%) and exhibited various morphological patterns. Results The proliferation index is higher in functional adenomas (mean 1.32) as compared to non-functional (mean 0.91). Clinical presentations varied across functional and non-functional adenomas. Growth hormone-secreting adenomas were the most common functional subtype, while LH and null cell adenomas were common non-functional subtypes. Two cases were invasive adenomas with a low Ki67 index. Sheets were the most common morphological pattern. PCA analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups, with PC 1 explaining 92.111% of the variance. Conclusions Our study elucidates the clinicopathological characteristics of pituitary adenomas, highlighting significant differences between functional and non-functional subtypes. These findings underscore the importance of tailored diagnostic and management strategies to optimize outcomes for patients with pituitary adenomas.

IntroductionCoconut testa, a by-product of the coconut processing industry, is currently underutilised. This study aimed to extract a coconut testa-based food colourant using various organic solvents and physical methods, and to utilise this colourant in food product preparation.MethodsDifferent organic solvents, along with various time and temperature combinations, were employed for colourant extraction using both a laboratory-scale water bath and ultrasonication. The colour coordinate values (CIELab) of the testa-derived colourants were measured, and the colourants were screened for various phytochemicals. The in vitro antioxidant potential of the testa colourant was assessed by quantifying total phenolics, and the phytochemical composition, including monomeric anthocyanins, was evaluated.ResultsThe study determined the optimal combinations of organic solvents, temperature and time to obtain extracts with maximum antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (TPC). Acidified ethanol-based extracts of testa colourants yielded highest polyphenol content (154.39 ± 2.63 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids content (53.65 ± 0.62 mg QE/g). Similarly, ethanol-based extractants of coconut testa produced high anthocyanin content [823.02 ± 1.81 mg Cy-3-glc equivalents (C3GE)/100 g]. Acidified (0.3 M HCl) solvents at relatively high temperature and time combinations exhibited high antioxidant potential of testa colourant, as measured by CUPRAC, FRAP, and DPPH assays. Following the foam mat drying process of the colourant, a mature coconut water-based jelly was prepared by incorporating the testa colourant extracted with acidified ethanol.DiscussionThis study highlights the biochemical and antioxidant potential of the food colorant derived from coconut testa and explores its suitability for functional food applications. Therefore, coconut testa extract serves a dual purpose: it enhances the aesthetic appeal of food as a colourant and provides significant health-promoting properties due to its high anthocyanin content. Insights from this study could help in promoting the valorization of one of the beneficial by products of coconut industry.

Abstract HfO2– and ZrO2–based ferroelectric thin films have emerged as promising candidates for the gate oxides of next‐generation electronic devices. Recent work has experimentally demonstrated that a tetragonal/orthorhombic (t/o‐) phase mixture with partially in‐plane polarization can lead to negative capacitance (NC) stabilization. However, there is a discrepancy between experiments and the theoretical understanding of domain formation and domain wall motion in these multi‐phase, polycrystalline materials. Furthermore, the effect of anisotropic domain wall coupling on NC has not been studied so far. Here, 3D phase field simulations of HfO2– and ZrO2–based mixed‐phase ultra‐thin films on silicon are applied to understand the necessary and beneficial conditions for NC stabilization. It is found that smaller ferroelectric grains and a larger angle of the polar axis with respect to the out‐of‐plane direction enhances the NC effect. Furthermore, it is shown that theoretically predicted negative domain wall coupling even along only one axis prevents NC stabilization. Therefore, it is concluded that topological domain walls play a critical role in experimentally observed NC phenomena in HfO2– and ZrO2–based ferroelectrics.

Abiotic stress, which includes salinity, drought, heat, and cold, as well as their many combinations, severely reduces crop productivity across the globe each year. Considering the intensified worldwide climatic changes, the effects of these conditions on plant productivity become increasingly more concerning. Sulfur is essential for several metabolic processes, including the organization and control of electron transport. Reductive assimilation and integration into cysteine and methionine, sulfate absorption, and reductive assimilation and integration are the key methods that oxidized and reduced forms of organically bound sulfur get to their different roles. Protective compounds with sulfur, such as glutathione, phytochelatins, S-rich proteins, and several secondary metabolites, are essential for plants to survive abiotic stress, such as dihydroasparagusic acid, hydrogen sulfide, etc. This thorough review covered the regulation of sulfur at the protein and gene transcription levels in response to abiotic stress.

Abstract The increasing utilization of terahertz (THz) bandwidth in both industrial and private sectors highlights the significance of efficient terahertz shielding and absorption devices. These devices play a crucial role in safeguarding electronic components from disruptive effects and rendering objects less detectable by radar systems. However, the limited availability of materials and devices hinders progress in this field. In this study, a strain engineering route is presented for the active control of terahertz shielding and absorption properties in 3D graphene through the application of mechanical strain. A straintronic modulator based on 3D graphene is demonstrated, capable of modulating absorption and reflection of THz radiation in real‐time over a wide range of 0.1–3 THz. The modulator can be tuned to exhibit either shielding capability with a specific shielding effectiveness of 0.3 × 105 dB cm2 g−1 or stealth characteristics with an average reflection loss of 25 dB and 99.4% absorption. These findings open new avenues for leveraging 2D materials in their 3D porous form, where strain‐induced changes in interlayer interactions enable control over the properties of these materials. This discovery unveils vast unexplored physical phenomena with immense potential for advanced THz imaging, radar, and electromagnetic applications.

Pulp therapy has been emerged as a one of the efficient therapies in the field of endodontics. Among different types of new endodontic materials, pulpotec has been materialized as a recognized material for vital pulp therapy. However, its efficacy has been challenged due to lack of information about its cellular biocompatibility. This study evaluates the mechanistic biocompatibility of pulpotec cement with macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) at cellular and molecular level. The biocompatibility was evaluated using experimental and computational techniques like MTT assay, oxidative stress analysis and apoptosis analysis through flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. The results showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of pulpotec cement extract to RAW 264.7 cells with an LC 50 of X/10-X/20. The computational analysis depicted the molecular interaction of pulpotec cement extract components with metabolic proteins like Sod1 and p53. The study revealed the effects of Pulpotec cement's extract, showing a concentration-dependent induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis. These effects were due to influential structural and functional abnormalities in the Sod1 and p53 proteins, caused by their molecular interaction with internalized components of Pulpotec cement. The study provided a detailed view on the utility of Pulpotec in endodontic applications, highlighting its biomedical aspects.

Sustainable energy harvesting is the need of the hour, and piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) offer tremendous opportunities in this field. We have investigated the mechanical energy harvesting applications of a nanocomposite comprising a low-dimensional halide perovskite (HP) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Cs4PbBr6 HP was prepared using mechanochemical synthesis, and a composite film of PVDF with Cs4PbBr6 was utilized as the PENG to scavenge energy from day-to-day human biomechanical activities. The properties and output results of the fabricated devices with changing weight percentages (wt.%) of HP used as nanofillers in the PVDF matrix are compared to those of a pure PVDF. A 6 wt.% concentration of Cs4PbBr6 induces the composite's electroactive β-phase to around 87%. The polarization hysteresis (P-E) loop measurement reveals a remanent polarization of 0.31 µC/cm2. The measured piezoelectric coefficient (d33) is about ⁓12 pm/V, and the piezoelectric amplitude is ∼500 pm for the optimized PENG at the maximum applied bias of ±30 V. The device shows an instantaneous output voltage of ⁓90 V, a current of ⁓3.8 μA, and power of ⁓80 µW across a 5 MΩ resistor. Simple daily human activities like finger tapping, leg-toe pressing, finger bending, heel pressing, and walking are used to generate output voltages using PENG with prospective usage in powering portable electronic devices. The output AC voltage of the device is employed to charge a 10 µF capacitor up to ∼3.5 V and shows exceptional stability over long cycles. The output power generated is adequate for lighting commercial LEDs without any external input. The Cs4PbBr6/PVDF composite films thus demonstrate significant potential to be deployed as high-performance, portable, and wearable mechanical energy harvesting devices.

In the rapidly evolving domain of intelligent vehicular systems, reliable and instantaneous communication is paramount. This paper delves into the robustness of an ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC)-enabled full-duplex cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (FD-CFm-MIMO) system, considering the unique challenges presented by mobile vehicular networks. Recognizing the constraints of real-world fronthaul links, we focus on a uniform fronthaul quantization strategy. Our primary contribution is deriving the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at each receiver. We utilize the Welch-Satterthwaite approximation, taking into account the effects of imperfect channel state information (CSI) and the inherent mobility of vehicle communication units (VCUs). Building upon this, we present closed-form expressions of outage probability for both infinite and finite block-length transmission models. A comparative study using Monte Carlo simulations validates our analytical derivations. We consider the half-duplex CFm-MIMO system as a benchmark scheme. Our results underscore the significant influence of several system parameters, such as transmit power, VCU mobility, CSI accuracy, fronthaul link quality, residual interference (RI), and quantization nuances, Doppler power spectra models, pilot contamination on overall system performance.

Sodium cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) are built with several engineered safety features and hence a severe accident such as a core melt accident is hypothetical with a probability of

The present study was conducted to assess the nutritional and mineral composition of wild edible mushrooms from Mizoram, India. Mushrooms are primarily gathered as a significant food source in Mizoram, with certain species holding special value in Mizo traditional cuisine. However, their nutritional properties have not been thoroughly investigated and documented. Therefore, ten wild edible mushrooms collected from Mamit and Champhai Districts of Mizoram were analysed for their nutritional composition and mineral contents. The study revealed that mushrooms exhibit high levels of protein (16.04-32.08%) and carbohydrates (35.92-56.63%), while maintaining relatively low fat content (2.11 - 3.87%). The minimum and maximum mineral contents of mushrooms were determined as mg/g for K (11.6 - 22.4), mg/100g for Na (14.7 - 38.6), Fe (3.5 - 26.8), Zn (4.7 - 31.5), and Ca (1.5 - 14.1). Based on their nutritional composition, the selected wild edible mushrooms were found to be an excellent source of food, offering a balanced and high nutritional value. They possess the potential to significantly contribute to the nutritional needs of people, particularly in rural areas.

Marigold (Tagetes spp.) belongs to family Asteraceae, native to Mexico, is one of the most important flower crop grown commercially in different parts of India. The application of haploid techniques as anther culture can considerably accelerate marigold breeding programmes by providing homozygous doubled haploid (DH) lines for F1 hybrid seed production. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation was to study the effect of growth regulators for in vitro regeneration in both African marigold and French marigold genotypes viz., Pusa Basanti Gainda and Pusa Arpita, respectively for haploid induction. Among the different treatments tested for callus induction, anthers cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l BAP + 1.0 mg/l 2,4-D + 45 g/l sucrose significantly induced highest (38.74%) callus in the shortest period of time (16 days). Among two genotypes tested, embryogenic callus induction (27.70%) was significantly higher in Pusa Arpita over Pusa Basanti Gainda (23.37%). Among the different regeneration treatments, the highest adventitious shoot bud induction (13.32%), maximum (1.09) number of buds/callus in shortest duration (19.47 days) was observed in anther derived callus cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP + 0.5mg/l NAA + 30 g/l sucrose. Among two genotypes evaluated for shoot bud induction, maximum (3.81%) regeneration was recorded in Pusa Arpita over Pusa Basanti Gainda (2.90%). In French genotype, the whole regeneration process was completed in 30 days whereas in African genotype it took nearly 40 days. This rapid regeneration system from anthers is highly useful in inducing haploids and di-haploids in African and French marigold lines, respectively.

Cinnamomum tamala, commonly known as “Indian bay leaf” or “Tejpat”, is an economically important plant widely used in medicine, food and cosmetic industries. Growing demand for its leaf and bark in the herbal trade and non-availability of quality materials lead to large-scale species admixture and adulteration in the global market. The present study aims at developing a validated HPLC-DAD (High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection) method and multiple markers-based chemical fingerprints for quality evaluation of C. tamala leaf extracts. Five bioactive compounds, viz., coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate, were identified and quantified in 28 samples collected from the western Himalayan region of India. The chromatographic separation was achieved on Shimadzu Shimpak C18 column (dimension 250 × 4.6 mm, pore size 5 μm) with a gradient elution of mobile phase using acetonitrile and 0.1 percent phosphate buffer and the chromatograms were obtained at a wavelength of 265 nm. The method validation was done by analyzing the linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, stability, repeatability and recovery rates of standard compounds for quantitative analysis. The values of coefficient of correlation (R2) were found to be close to 1 for linearity and similarity analysis; and standard deviation was less than 3 percent in case of precision, stability, repeatability and recovery rates. The content of target compounds such as coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamyl acetate varied in the range of 0–1.09, 0–0.05, 0.07–0.51, 0.39–1.27 and 0–0.27 percent, respectively. In the chemical fingerprint of C. tamala leaves, a total of 13 peaks were assigned as common peaks. The results of the study indicated that the HPLC method now developed combining chemical fingerprint with quantification of analytes could serve as a useful tool for quality evaluation of herbal raw materials of C. tamala and a valuable reference for further study.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield in Indo-Gangetic plain of eastern India is much less than its actual potential. Apart from several yield deterministic factors, late sowing of wheat is one of the major reasons for sub-optimal wheat yield. The persistent yield gap poses a threat to future food security of this region with a vast population that is growing rapidly. In the present research, an attempt was made to quantify and classify the yield losses in wheat due to late sowing which is prevalent in this part of India. On-farm participatory agronomic trial was conducted at 1073 plots in 3 districts of eastern India, 2 from Uttar Pradesh and 1 from the state of Bihar. The trial was conducted during four consecutive winter season from 2016–17 to 2019–20. Following a split-plot design, main plots were categorized based on wheat sowing time and sub-plots were classified depending on the wheat varietal class. A sample survey of randomly selected 629 wheat farmers was conducted in 2017–18 wheat season in these 3 districts. Results from the agronomic trial showed that wheat yield decreased by 58 kg/ha for every one-day delay in sowing. Moreover, the yield of long-duration improved wheat variety (HD-2967) was statistically same (P=0.479) compared to the most preferred short-duration variety (PBW-373) in a very late-sown scenario (late December). Farmers’ survey data reconfirmed that the wheat yield has a very strong negative correlation with the sowing dates, but the yield decline was statistically insignificant until mid-November. Wheat yield in this part of India can be adequately boosted if sowing time of wheat advances and adoption of long-duration improved wheat varieties improves.

Soft grippers are ideal for grasping delicate, deformable objects with complex geometries. Universal soft grippers have proven effective for grasping common objects, however complex objects or environments require bespoke gripper designs. Multi‐material printing presents a vast design‐space which, when coupled with an expressive computational design algorithm, can produce numerous, novel, high‐performance soft grippers. Finding high‐performing designs in challenging design spaces requires tools that combine rapid iteration, simulation accuracy, and fine‐grained optimization across a range of gripper designs to maximize performance, no current tools meet all these criteria. Herein, a diversity‐based soft gripper design framework combining generative design and topology optimization (TO) are presented. Compositional pattern‐producing networks (CPPNs) seed a diverse set of initial material distributions for the fine‐grained TO. Focusing on vacuum‐driven multi‐material soft grippers, several grasping modes (e.g. pinching, scooping) emerging without explicit prompting are demonstrated. Extensive automated experimentation with printed multi‐material grippers confirms optimized candidates exceed the grasp strength of comparable commercial designs. Grip strength, durability, and robustness is evaluated across 15,170 grasps. The combination of fine‐grained generative design, diversity‐based design processes, high‐fidelity simulation, and automated experimental evaluation represents a new paradigm for bespoke soft gripper design which is generalizable across numerous design domains, tasks, and environments.

Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) T.Nees & Eberm., or Indian Bay Leaf, is a well-known traditional ayurvedic medicine used to treat various ailments. However, the molecular mechanism of action of Cinnamomum tamala essential oil (CTEO) against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains elusive. The present study aims to decipher the molecular targets and mechanism of CTEO in treating NSCLC. GC-MS analysis detected 49 constituents; 44 successfully passed the drug-likeness screening and were identified as active compounds. A total of 3961 CTEO targets and 4588 anti-NSCLC-related targets were acquired. JUN, P53, IL6, MAPK3, HIF1A, and CASP3 were determined as hub genes, while cinnamaldehyde, ethyl cinnamate and acetophenone were identified as core compounds. Enrichment analysis revealed that targets were mainly involved in apoptosis, TNF, IL17, pathways in cancer and MAPK signalling pathways. mRNA expression, pathological stage, survival analysis, immune infiltrate correlation and genetic alteration analysis of the core hub genes were carried out. Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) curve revealed that HIF1A and CASP3 are linked to worse overall survival in Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cancer patients compared to normal patients. Ethyl cinnamate and cinnamaldehyde showed high binding energy with the MAPK3 and formed stable interactions with MAPK3 during the molecular dynamic simulations for 100 ns. The MM/PBSA analysis revealed that van der Waals (VdW) contributions predominantly account for a significant portion of the compound interactions within the binding pocket of MAPK3. Density functional theory analysis showed cinnamaldehyde as the most reactive and least stable compound. CTEO exhibited selective cytotoxicity by inhibiting the proliferation of A549 cells while sparing normal HEK293 cells. CTEO triggered apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle, increasing ROS accumulation, causing mitochondrial depolarisation, and elevating caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 levels in A549 cells. The above study provides insights into the pharmacological mechanisms of action of Cinnamomum tamala essential oil against non-small cell lung cancer treatment, suggesting its potential as an adjuvant therapy.

Senescence is a complicated, multi-factorial, irreversible cell cycle halt that has a tumor-suppressing effect in addition to being a significant factor in aging and neurological diseases. Damaged DNA, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and disrupted proteostasis are a few of the factors that cause senescence. Senescence is triggered by DNA damage which initiates DNA damage response. The DNA damage response, which includes the formation of DNA damage foci containing activated H2AX, which is a key factor in cellular senescence, is provoked by a double strand DNA break. Oxidative stress impairs cognition, inhibits neurogenesis, and has an accelerated aging effect. Senescent cells generate pro-inflammatory mediators known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines have an impact on neuroinflammation, neuronal death, and cell proliferation. While it is tempting to think of neurodegenerative diseases as manifestations of accelerated aging and senescence, this review will present information on brain ageing and neurodegeneration as a result of senescence and DNA damage response.

Oral cancer (OC) presents a significant global health burden with rising incidence rates. Despite advancements in diagnosis and treatments, the survival rate for OC patients, particularly those with advanced or recurrent disease, remains low at approximately 20%. This poor prognosis is often due to a small population of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are capable of self-renewal and immune evasion, playing pivotal roles in proliferation, tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Exosomes, which are nano-sized extracellular vesicles (EVs), have emerged as crucial mediators of cell-to-cell communication within the tumor microenvironment (TME). These vesicles carry diverse molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and metabolites, influencing various cellular processes. Emerging evidence suggests that CSC-derived EVs significantly promote tumor progression and metastasis and maintain the balance between CSCs and non-CSCs, which is vital for intracellular communication within the TME of oral cancer. Recent reports indicate that oral cancer stem cell-derived EVs (OCSC-EVs) influence stemness, immune evasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor reoccurrence, and drug resistance. Understanding OCSC-EVs could significantly improve oral cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. In this mini-review, we explore OCSC-derived exosomes in oral cancer, examining their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that reflect CSC characteristics, and delve into their therapeutic implications, emphasizing their roles in tumor progression and therapy resistance. However, despite their promising potential, several challenges remain, including the need to standardize isolation and characterization methods and to elucidate exosome-mediated mechanisms. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of OCSC-EVs could pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies that have the potential to improve clinical outcomes for OC patients.

The direct-shift gearbox is widely used in many applications, such as automotive and aerospace, due to its large transmission ratio and high transmission efficiency. Rough and heavy-duty working conditions induce various faults, such as scratches, fatigue cracks, pitting, and missing teeth due to breakage. These defects may lead to the failure of one or more components attached to an automatic transmission system. A fault identification scheme for the direct-shift gearbox has been developed, making use of variational mode decomposition (VMD) and convolutional neural network (CNN). The acquired raw signal from the gearbox under different health conditions (healthy, pitting, and chipping) is decomposed into different modes using VMD. The prominent mode is selected based on kurtosis, which is utilized to obtain scalograms. An image matrix is formed utilizing scalograms. Such matrices from different scalograms are divided into training and testing matrices. The training matrices train the CNN model, whereas the testing matrices validate the efficacy of the built CNN model. The proposed scheme identifies faults with 100% accuracy. The proposed scheme has also been compared with other neural networks. These results suggest that the proposed scheme outperforms other networks.

Multi-Terminal-High Voltage Direct Current (MT-HVDC) transmission lines are used to transmit electricity over long distances with lower losses compared to traditional Alternating Current (AC) transmission lines. However, HVDC transmission lines have limitations in terms of their ability to handle AC system faults and the need for expensive AC/DC converters at each end of the line. To address these limitations, a hybrid AC/MT-HVDC transmission line can be used. This type of transmission line combines the benefits of both AC and DC transmission, allowing for more efficient and reliable operation. In this article, an Enhanced-Fish Swarm Optimizer (E-FSO) is presented for the efficient maintenance of hybrid AC/MT-HVDC transmission lines. An external repository is included in the proposed E-FSO to preserve that is not dominant. Additionally, fuzzy decision-making is used to choose the hybrid AC/HVDC transmission lines' optimal compromise operating point. In these systems, in addition to the complete control of AC line through parameters for the dedicated generators and transformers connections, and Volt-Ampere Reactive (VAR) compensations, the Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) action and response controllable voltage is engaged. The outcomes of the experiment show the efficacy and dominance of the suggested algorithm, which has high stability indices compared to several competitive algorithms. Nevertheless, the suggested E-FSO is effective in producing a compromise operating point that satisfies the operator's needs while also obtaining well-diversified solutions.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as growth of micro-organisms >105 CFU/ml in mid-stream urine samples. [1] Globally, urinary tract infection is considered a major public health concern with the second most common bacterial infection affecting individuals of different ages. It is estimated that worldwide 150 million cases of UTI occur per year and bacteria are responsible for about 95% of all the cases with each year. [3, 4] This study was designed to describe the pattern of microorganisms causing UTI and their antibiotic sensitivity. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital based cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Microbiology from January 2022 to June 2022 after taking ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee, Nobel Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal. The patient profiles or records visiting a tertiary care hospital of both sex and every age group who were having symptoms and clinical diagnosis of urinary tract infection were included. Results: A total of 2247 urine samples were collected, 501(22.29%) of the urine sample yielded significant growth of uropathogenes. The most common bacteria was found to be Escherichia coli (E. coli) that accounts for 73.05% followed by Enterococcus species 11.57%, Klebsiella pneumoniae 8.98% and amikacin and nitrofurantoin was found to be the most sensitive antibiotic to gram negative uropathogens. Conclusion: The prevalence of uropathogenes was found to be higher in our study. Significant bacteriuria was seen in the female than male. The total number of patient with culture positivity was higher in younger age groups with high frequency of antibiotic resistance

The present study aims to investigate the use of response surface methodology (RSM) modelling and experimental investigation for the optimization of lead(II) adsorption onto spent tea grains (STG). Independent process variables were optimized and found to be in the range of 38.75 mg/l (initial concentration), 5.20655 (pH), 119.32 rpm (stirring speed), and 3.25 g/l (STG dose) for a contact time of 135.05 min. The optimum adsorption capacity was found to be 8.9087 mg/g through RSM modelling with a maximum of 18.146 mg/g. The batch study was performed by varying different parameters: pH (2.0–7.0), initial concentration (5–50 mg/l), dose (0.1–1 g/100 ml), contact time (15–180 min), and stirring speed (30–200 rpm). The characterization STG was done by proximate and ultimate analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and SEM-EDX. By fitting equilibrium data onto Langmuir isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 24.272 mg/g. The optimum pH found for lead(II) adsorption onto STG was 5. At optimum conditions, the maximum removal efficiency of STG for lead(II) ions’ adsorption is 94.33%. Based on the findings it is safe to conclude that the STG could be used as a potential adsorbent. HIGHLIGHTS Agricultural waste converted into low-cost adsorbent.; Removal efficiency and uptake capacity of lead(II) ions onto prepared adsorbent STG shows great potential.; A detailed study was done using RSM modelling and various batch experimentation to find optimum values of parameters influencing adsorption.; The present study can be used for developing sustainable treatment technology using STG as an alternative to activated carbon currently used.;

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are the most devastating diseases in India and southeast Asia. It is a preventable and curable disease if detected early. Tobacco and alcohol consumption are the two major risk-factors but infection of high-risk HPVs are also associated with development of predominantly oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas. Interestingly, unlike cervical cancer, HPV-induced HNSCCs show good prognosis and better survival in contrast, majority of tobacco-associated HPV−ve HNSCCs are highly aggressive with poor clinical outcome. Biomarker analysis in circulatory body-fluids for early cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring are becoming important in clinical practice. Early diagnosis using non-invasive saliva for oral or other diseases plays an important role in successful treatment and better prognosis. Saliva mirrors the body's state of health as it comes into direct contact with oral lesions and needs no trained manpower to collect, making it a suitable bio-fluid of choice for screening. Saliva can be used to detect not only virus, bacteria and other biomarkers but variety of molecular and genetic markers for an early detection, treatment and monitoring cancer and other diseases. The performance of saliva-based diagnostics are reported to be highly (≥95 %) sensitive and specific indicating the test's ability to correctly identify true positive or negative cases. This review focuses on the potentials of saliva in the early detection of not only HPV or other pathogens but also identification of highly reliable gene mutations, oral-microbiomes, metabolites, salivary cytokines, non-coding RNAs and exosomal miRNAs. It also discusses the importance of saliva as a reliable, cost-effective and an easy alternative to invasive procedures.

Objective. The red rhizome of Angiopteris helferiana has been used widely to treat muscle fatigue, bone pain, and skin infection in Nepal. However, scientific evidence for its bioactive compounds and their bioactivities was lacking till January, 2024. Therefore, we investigated to validate and advance the further use and development. Methods. Column chromatography, including MCI gel CHP20P, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, and Silica gel, was used for the isolation of compounds from 70% methanol extract of A. helferiana rhizomes. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their TLC-based antioxidant and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by adopting the agar well diffusion protocol. Furthermore, in silico molecular docking against the penicillin binding protein of E. coli (PBP1b, PBP2, and PBP3 TPd) and ADME toxicity of the isolated compounds was predicted. Results and Discussion. Angiopteroside (1) and osmundalactone (2) were isolated for the first time from the red rhizomes of A. helferiana. The structure of the isolated compounds was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic (1H-, 13C-, and 13C/DEPT-NMR) and spectrometric (LC MS/ESI and IR) analyses and comparison with reported literature. Both compounds were inactive towards DPPH scavenging activity. Compound 1 showed poor inhibitory activity against E. coli, with inhibition zone range of 2–7 mm. However, both isolated compounds were found to be resistant against S. aureus, K. pneumonia, and P. aeruginosa. Based on in silico molecular docking forecasting, compound 1 revealed the good binding affinity with PBP1b (−6.5 kcal/mol), PBP2 (−5.8 kcal/mol) and PBP3 TPd (−6.1 kcal/mol) compared to positive control meropenem with PBP1b (−6.6 kcal/mol), PBP2 (−6.9 kcal/mol), and PBP3 TPd (−6.6 kcal/mol). Similarly, compound 2 showed weak preference for PBP1b (−4.3 kcal/mol), PBP2 (−4.4 kcal/mol), and PBP TPd (−4.5 kcal/mol). Compounds 1 and 2 were predicted to be safe in terms of hepatotoxicity, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity, with a potential to induce nephrotoxicity similar to that of meropenem. Conclusion. This study successfully isolates two lactones with antibacterial properties and inspires the researcher to further research, development, and formulation.

Agriculture is significantly impacted by the variability in weather patterns, imposing substantial constraints on farmers’ ability to make informed tactical and strategic decisions regarding their crops. Seasonal climate projections have shown potential for informing agricultural decisions, but the actual adoption of climate information by farmers has been relatively slow and limited. The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the characteristics of adopters, the communication network, and the level of farmer’s satisfaction concerning the adoption and continued use of Agromet Advisories Services (AAS). Two semi-arid districts, namely Kurnool and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, were purposively selected, wherein 280 farmers constituted the sampling frame. In this study, social network analysis (SNA) was conducted to examine the peer-to-peer communication patterns, while importance-performance analysis (IPA) was employed to evaluate farmer’s satisfaction, contributing to the continued adoption of AAS. The findings revealed that with regard to personality and communication characteristics, farmers were in the low category for their ability to cope with uncertainties and risk and even for their information-seeking behavior. Furthermore, the results showed farmers to be highly satisfied with the overall adoption of AAS. However, the IPA matrix revealed that among the nine attributes, the credibility of the forecasts needed refinement to promote sustained adoption. Excessive emphasis was placed on attributes such as the frequency of forecasts, which could be channeled into other initiatives. Peer-to-peer communication emerged as a crucial strategy in the adoption of AAS. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and extension functionaries should make a concerted effort to enhance the continued adoption of AAS by involving local stakeholders in sharing and participating in climate information production, forming farmer’s groups, and focusing on farmers’ literacy toward AAS.

Ethnomedicinally, more than 2000 plants were found to be used in Nepal. Among them, the red colored rhizome of Angiopteris helferiana and the bark of Saurauia fasciculata have been used widely to treat muscle fatigue, bone pain, fever, postpartum hemorrhage, and thirst by healers in Kaski and Tanahun districts, Nepal. However, scientific evidence towards their traditional uses is lacking till December, 2023. Therefore, we report the phytochemicals, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total carbohydrate content (TCC), antioxidant and antibacterial activities of A. helferiana and S. fasciculata extracts. Phytochemical analysis indicated that A. helferiana and S. fasciculata extracts were potential sources of chemicals such as phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, and carbohydrates. The TPC, TFC, and TCC of extracts were determined by using an ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer. Among the extracts tested, A. helferiana extracts showed the highest phenolic and carbohydrate contents of 208.33 ± 12.96 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g and 564.16 ± 2.92 mg of D-glucose equivalent/g of dry extract, respectively. Similarly, S. fasciculata revealed the highest flavonoid content of 30.35 ± 0.1 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract. The extract of A. helferiana and S. fasciculata exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with an IC50 of 25.9 µg/ml and 31.07 µg/ml, respectively. The antibacterial activity of the A. helferiana and S. fasciculata extract against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli was determined using an agar-well diffusion protocol that revealed the potential antibacterial activity of A. helferiana against E. coli. The present study will help validate the traditional uses of A. helferiana rhizomes and S. fasciculata barks as a healing medicine and inspire the researcher towards further research, development, and formulation.

A diarylethene-based probe (Z)-N'-((2-amino-5-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methylene)-2-hydroxy benzohydrazide (KBH) has been proficiently developed and its structure has been confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. It displays a selective and sensitive colorimetric sensing of Cu2+ ions in aqueous medium with a naked eye colour change from colourless to yellow. It exhibits a significantly low limit of detection as 1.5 nM. A plausible binding mechanism has been proposed using Job's plot, FT-IR, 1H NMR titration, HRMS and DFT studies. The chemosensor is effectively reversible and reusable with EDTA. Test strip kit and real water sample analysis have been shown to establish its practical applicability. Further, the potential of KBH for the early diagnosis of Cu2+ ion-induced amyloid toxicity has been investigated in eye imaginal disc of Alzheimer's disease model of Drosophila 3rd instar larvae. The in-vivo interaction of KBH with Cu2+ in gut tissues of Drosophila larvae establishes its sensing capability in biological system. Interestingly, the in-vivo detection of Cu2+ has been done using bright field imaging which eliminates the necessity of a fluorescent label, hence making the method highly economical.

Rice followed by wheat is the dominant cropping system in the middle Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP). Lower productivity (4.8 t ha−1) of this cropping system in Bihar, compared to the national average (6.8 t ha−1) due to several climate- and production-related issues, is a matter of concern for the farmers and the policymakers. Keeping all these in view, an experiment with rice–wheat cropping system was carried out during 2020–21 and 2021–22 in 17 adopted villages of 13 districts of Bihar under the Project “Climate Resilient Agriculture Program (CRAP)” to evaluate the feasibility of early transplanting of rice in the month of June with the aim of achieving higher system productivity by early harvesting of rice and subsequent timely sowing of wheat before 15 November with the provision of assured irrigation. In this study, the concept of an innovative community irrigation approach and single-phase 3-hp submersible pump was employed. Long-duration rice variety (150 days) Rajendra Mahsuri-1 was sown during 20–25 May in the nursery and transplanted through puddling operation during 15–20 June in 17 locations. Under delayed conditions, the nursery sowing and transplanting window were 10–15 June and 10–15 July, respectively. Timely sown rice grown with the provision of a community irrigation system achieved a grain yield of 5.2 t ha−1 and 85.8% higher water productivity, compared to late-sown crops. Following the harvest of rice, the HD-2967 variety of wheat was planted in the first fortnight of November and harvested in the first week of April, yielding 4.9 t ha−1 with the application of 2–3 irrigations based on soil type and evaporative demand. Timely harvesting of wheat facilitated farmers of the region to take an additional crop of summer green gram. With an assured irrigation system and shifting planting dates and thereby managing climatic risks, the overall productivity of the rice–wheat cropping system was achieved to the tune of 10.1 t ha−1 with a cropping intensity of 300% for better adaptation and sustainable production.

Bionutrients play a vital role in enhancing soil productivity and sustainable agricultural production. In vegetable crops, limited information is available on the relevance of bionutrients in solanaceous crops under protected conditions. Therefore, an experiment was planned to study the response of bionutrients under the modified naturally ventilated polyhouse in mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh for two consecutive years. Various bell pepper varieties, viz., Mekong, Orobelle, Indra and DPCY1, were subjected to a set of bionutrient sources (beejamrit, ghanjeevamrit, jeevamrit and mulching). The results showed that there was a substantial increase in yield parameters in the treatment module, i.e., Mekong + beejamrit@ 200 ml/kg + ghanjeevamrit@5q/ha + jeevamrit @ 500 lt/ha at 21-day intervals + mulching @ 10 t/ha. This treatment exhibited a minimum number of days to 50% flowering (24.16), maximum number of marketable fruits per plant (28.40), fruit length (7.68 cm), fruit breadth (7.70 cm), pericarp thickness (9.15 mm), average fruit weight (109.53 g), plant height (84.06 cm) and marketable yield per plant (3.11 kg). However, Mekong + beejamrit @ 200 ml/kg + ghanjeevamrit @5q/ha + jeevamrit@ 500 lt/ha at 28-day intervals + mulching @ 10 t/hattreatment proved best for total soluble solids (4.58 °Brix), ascorbic acid (166.50 mg/100 g), capsaicin content (6.64%) and carotenoid content (2.43 mg/100 g). Horticultural and biochemical traits were appreciably enhanced after bionutrient application in bell pepper. Therefore, outcomes from the study point out that it is a feasible and economical approach for farmers.

ABSTRACT Introduction: With the abundant use of the internet, patients undergoing or interested in orthodontic treatment try to use it to obtain information on pain during treatment. However, YouTube™ is unregulated and may potentially contain inaccurate information. Objectives: Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the scientific quality of the videos on YouTube™ related to orthodontic pain management. Methods: A total of 62 videos related to orthodontic pain management were included in the study. All videos were evaluated by two experienced orthodontists. The video uploader, content, length, upload date, time since upload, number of views, comments, likes, dislikes, Interaction index, and Viewing rate of the videos were recorded and evaluated. The videos were scored using the Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN), Global Quality Scale (GQS), and Audio-Visual Quality (AVQ), and divided into two groups: Doctors and Non-doctors. Results: The mean DISCERN score was 2.56 ± 0.91, the GQS score was 2.56 ± 1.06, and AVQ was 2.48 ± 0.68. A statistically significant difference was found in DISCERN score of videos uploaded by Doctors compared to Non-doctors, but no statistically significant difference was found in GQS and AVQ scores between both groups (p> 0.05). Conclusions: The videos uploaded by Doctors were better in terms of quality and reliability, as compared to Non-doctors; and the AVQ of the videos uploaded by both groups was adequate. Despite that, both groups did not serve as a good source of information. YouTube™ cannot be considered a reliable source of information in terms of quality and reliability on videos related to orthodontic pain management.

BackgroundOver time, COVID-19 testing has significantly declined across the world. However, it is critical to monitor the virus through surveillance. In late 2020, WHO released interim guidance advising the use of the existing Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) for the integrated surveillance of influenza and SARS-CoV-2.MethodsIn July 2021, we initiated a pan-India integrated surveillance for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 through the geographically representative network of Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) across 26 hospital and laboratory sites and 70 community sites. A total of 34,260 cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and Severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) were enrolled from 4 July 2021 to 31 October 2022.FindingsInfluenza A(H3) and B/Victoria dominated during 2021 monsoon season while A(H1N1)pdm09 dominated during 2022 monsoon season. The SARS-CoV-2 “variants of concern” (VoC) Delta and Omicron predominated in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Increased proportion of SARI was seen in extremes of age: 90% cases in < 1 year; 68% in 1 to 5 years and 61% in ≥ 8 years age group. Approximately 40.7% of enrolled cases only partially fulfilled WHO ILI and SARI case definitions. Influenza- and SARS-CoV-2-infected comorbid patients had higher risks of hospitalization, ICU admission, and oxygen requirement.InterpretationThe results depicted the varying strains and transmission dynamics of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses over time, thus emphasizing the need to continue and expand surveillance across countries for improved decision making. The study also describes important information related to clinical outcomes of ILI and SARI patients and highlights the need to review existing WHO ILI and SARI case definitions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010952.].

The demand for water, energy, and food resources increased in tandem with the world's population, industrialization, and urbanization. Anthropogenic sources of environmental pollutants degrade the water resources while population expansion contributes to rising demand for non-renewable energy resources which further enhances the greenhouse gas emissions. Also, maintaining the food security/-safety is another challenge which needs to be addressed for securing ‘planetary public health’. The sustainability programs, pragmatic studies, and strategies from regulatory/scientific institutions attempt to reduce the depletion of these resources and mitigate environmental challenges however, the individualistic approaches proves to be inadequate. Therefore, the present review emphasizes the use of Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus as a tool to combat environmental degradation, address climate action, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this article, we investigate methodological paradigm and application of WEF Nexus in an inter-related framework through case studies on water resources, energy efficiency, urban food production, food waste reduction, cross-sectoral perspectives, and the circular economy. It has been widely observed that excessive exploitation of these resources influences the global food supply and demand, water availability, resilience in energy and socio-economic sector. Also, such perturbations in water, energy, and food sectors were found to be inextricably linked with climate change. The results further revealed that WEF nexus approach stimulates multilevel and inter-sectoral governance, thereby aiding to address the complexities and inefficiencies in achieving the SDGs. The prioritization of WEF Nexus strategy, especially under the event of COVID-19 can be a holistic approach to sustainably utilise natural resources to help achieve the environmental sustainability.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem, with India alone accounting for one-fifth of the global disease burden. Lymph node TB (LNTB) refers to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection of the lymph nodes and may occur as the sole manifestation of TB infection or alongside pulmonary or miliary TB. LNTB is the most common form of extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in India, accounting for around 35% of EPTB cases, with cervical lymphadenopathy being the most common site, followed by mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Tubercular mediastinal lymphadenopathy, however, in the absence of a parenchymal lesion, is a rare presentation and is seen in only 0.25 to 5.8% cases. Often associated with mild or no symptoms, these cases are often diagnosed incidentally. This case report summarizes an unusual occurrence of massive tubercular mediastinal lymphadenopathy simultaneously in two members of a family.

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common public health problem in developing countries. Children with severe decay can also have altered eating habits and preferences. Therefore, ECC can influence nutritional health. Aim: The aim is to find the prevalence of ECC and nutritional status and to evaluate its association among preschool children in Northeast India. Study Design and Data Collection Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 preschool children aged 2–6 years. The sampling unit comprised the children attending the pediatric dentistry department of one dental college. Information regarding sociodemographic factors, child feeding habits, and child oral hygiene practices was obtained from the parents using a pretested questionnaire. Weight and height were evaluated to assess the nutritional status. The decay, missing, filled teeth index for primary teeth was used to determine the dental caries status. Results: The mean value of carious teeth for 384 children aged 2–6 years was 5.6 ± 2.43. Most kids who had caries (74.7%) belonged to the moderate category (dmft >7), followed by the low sort, which was 16.7%, and then by those in the higher class (8.6%). The body mass index (BMI) for age revealed that 5.2% were overweight, 15.1% were thin, and 8.3% were obese. Most of those with high caries (i.e., dmft >7) were underweight or in the normal weight category. Pearson correlation showed no significant correlation between ECC with BMI-for-age (r = 0.04, P > 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries among children below the age of 5 years in Imphal was high. The risk factors for ECC included age, low maternal education, improper feeding, and oral hygiene habits. However, the results revealed no significant relationship between ECC and BMI.

Pediatric critical care is highly sophisticated and precise and is possible only in specialized areas such as pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) or high dependency units equipped with round-the-clock monitoring facilities, skilled and trained staff, and treatment equipment. The need for critical care beds was sharply felt during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government of India launched the COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package: phase II (ECRP-II) with a hub and spoke model to strengthen pediatric critical care delivery at district level under the skilled supervision of state-level PICUs of the identified center of excellence (CoE). The CoEs will have well-equipped PICUs providing tele-ICU service, mentoring, and technical hand-holding to the district pediatric unit. This model was envisioned to be extended to critically ill children with nonCOVID illnesses after the pandemic abates. For achieving the proposed objectives under the ECRP-II scheme, this guideline aims to provide a practical framework for setting up comprehensive pediatric care units at district hospitals and medical colleges (spoke) well connected with a CoE (hub) for teleconsultation, knowledge exchange, referral, and back referral between hub and spokes.

The droop-based control schemes are widely used for power-sharing and control of the isolated microgrids. The conventional droop control scheme with inner current and voltage controllers can work effectively under ideal voltage. However, the existence of unbalance tends its performance to worsen. This paper aims to propose an enhanced droop control method to improve the power-sharing, and maintain the distributed generators’ (DGs) terminal voltages and the system frequency under the balanced as well as unbalanced loads. The enhancements of the proposed control scheme include the droop controller, inner current and voltage controller, and virtual impedance loop. The proposed virtual impedance deals with the accurate sharing of powers in the case of unequal line impedance and the control of zero sequence current. Moreover, to enable the proposed control to compensate for the unbalance, three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) inverters are used to form a three-phase four-wire microgrid. With this control scheme, the voltage unbalance factors (VUFs) of the DGs’ terminal voltages are reduced from 4% to less than 1%, negative sequence reactive powers, which are also an indication of unbalance, have been reduced significantly, and the system frequency is maintained within the standard permissible limit of 2.5%. Furthermore, a local load controller is also proposed to control the reactive loading of the DGs when they have local loads supplied from their terminals. The investigations have been carried out under simulation as well as lab-based environments to validate the efficacy of the proposed control method.

Abstract The water quality of various resources is changing everywhere, including the high-altitude region, which may have adverse health effects on animals and the human population. So far, not much study has been conducted on high-mountain region water resources. Therefore, this study was conducted at Leh-Ladakh, a high-altitude region, to know the water quality of different sources. For this, water samples were collected from irrigation, stagnant (pond), and Indus river water resources and analyzed different physicochemical parameters as per standard methods and heavy metals using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (Optima 7000 DV, Perkin Elmer) at the laboratory. The results revealed that the total mean values of pH (7.58 ± 0.04), electrical conductivity (EC-243.78 ± 18.05 µS/cm), salinity (0.12 ± 0.01%), total dissolved solids (TDS-121.519.75 mg/L), turbidity (1.17 ± 0.22 NTU) and chemical oxygen demand (COD-31.45 ± 0.73 mg/L) of Indus river water, pH (7.43 ± 0.05), EC (231.86 ± 11.00 µS/cm), salinity (0.11 ± 0.01%), TDS (113.31 ± 5.48 mg/L), turbidity (0.85 ± 0.11 NTU) and COD (29.74 ± 0.49 mg/L) of irrigation water, and pH (7.46 ± 0.03), EC (233.14 ± 11.41 µS/cm), salinity (0.12 ± 0.01%), TDS (115.03 ± 5.78 mg/L), turbidity (0.67 ± 0.13 NTU) and COD (29.65 ± 0.57 mg/L) of pond water were within the prescribed limit by World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. However, variances in the range of heavy metals were observed in Indus river water, irrigation water, and in stagnant water at different sites. Our results revealed that the As, Cd, and Pb were above the permissible limit of WHO for drinking water. At the same time, the Ni and Cr levels were observed below the maximum permissible limit. Therefore, these water resources, if used for more extended periods, may pose health-related issues to humans and animals from these elements. So, this study finding will help develop specific mitigation strategies for water management for drinking and other purposes.

Introduction: Lateral closing wedge osteotomy is an accepted correction method for cubitus varus deformity. The techniques used to fix the osteotomy mostly lead to either angulation or loss of correction during the final tightening of the Stainless Steel (SS) wire at the osteotomy site. The records for patients undergoing two modifications in a conventional modified French Osteotomy were analysed. Four wires, two proximal and two distal to the osteotomy site for precision and guided compression over the other additional Kirschner wire (K-wire) at the osteotomy site, were the two modifications in these patients. Aim: To analyse the functional outcome of cubitus varus deformity in children treated with technical modifications of modified French osteotomy. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study done at the Department of Orthopaedics, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study duration was three years (from April 2019 to April 2022). A total of 34 cubitus varus deformity patients were included in this study who were operated with lateral closing wedge-modified French osteotomy with technical modification by K-wires. The patients were followed-up for a minimum of six months. The results were analysed using Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Flynn’s criteria. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used and p-value

Objectives – The issue/return of books and other reading materials available on shelves in academic libraries has declined. Round-the-clock availability of information resources, high-speed internet, cheaper cost of data download, laptops, and smartphones are some of the reasons behind decreased usage of print reading materials. Users are spending more time studying, accessing e-resources, socializing with friends, and discussing with peer groups in the library building. Libraries in developed countries have already recognized the need of the hour and redesigned their spaces to create a variety of reading spaces, creative spaces, quiet spaces, and so forth in the existing building. But the libraries of the higher education institutions in India have not considered the users' needs concerning the library space. No such study has been conducted at large universities in India. This study was conducted with library users of the central library of two large universities located in New Delhi to find users' opinions and views to re-purpose the library space to meet users' needs. Methods – The survey method has been used to understand the use of the existing format of knowledge resources and the need of library users. The central point of the research questionnaire is to optimize the library space of the central libraries of the universities under study. Printed questionnaires were distributed to the users present in the reading halls of the libraries at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, and Delhi University (DU), New Delhi, and online questionnaires were distributed to faculty members. The collected data were analyzed with Microsoft Excel, and various hypotheses were tested using non-parametric tests such as the sign test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results – Students and research scholars visit daily and spend more than four hours in the library building. They use their time in study, accessing e-resources in the reading halls of the library more than any other place. The users opined the reading halls should have wi-fi facilities, a power source to charge laptops and mobile phones, washrooms near every reading hall, a quiet reading space, and a clean ambient environment for long hours of study in the library building. Conclusion – Library users in the 21st century want more physical space to study, concentrate, socialize, and learn in the informal learning environment. They need library space with the latest infrastructure to connect to the digital world to retrieve study materials and print copies of study materials. Educational institutions should create more varied reading spaces for serious reading, pleasure reading, in-depth reading, and interactive learning spaces in new library buildings.

The discipline of nanoscience has made enormous strides in the recent two decades. The researchers in the field of nanomedicine have been looking into using natural biodegradable polymeric nano-colloids for targeted drug delivery, due to their high levels of bioavailability, biocompatibility, enhanced permeability, better retention time, safety, and less toxicity. The nasal cavity has been considered as an efficient route with great potential for the management of local and systemic diseases like asthma, pneumonia, Alzheimer's disease, etc. Chitosan (CS), a natural polymer, along with its greater efficacy and less toxicity, makes it an attractive candidate for nasal administration. This review has focused on the limitations that might arise when using the nasal route and how CS can play a mechanistic role in helping with these complications when using the nasal drug delivery system. The major revelation from this article is to summarize the various formulations and innovation of CS-loaded nano colloids, such as nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, in situ gel, etc. The preclinical study and various patents published also concluded that the intranasal delivery of CS-loaded nanocolloids have wide potential to manage various neurodegenerative, respiratory, cardiovascular, etc. disorders.

Abstract Background The prevalence of fatty liver disease is potentially increasing in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) due to the obesity and alcohol pandemics. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol-associated fatty liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a representative U.S. cohort utilizing transient elastography to directly measure hepatic steatosis and suspected fibrosis. Methods AYAs (age 15–39 years) with valid FibroScan® measurements in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2017–2018) were included in the analyses. Those with viral hepatitis, pregnancy, or ALT/AST > 500 U/L were excluded. The population was divided into those with excessive alcohol consumption (ALQ130) and those without. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score ≥ 248 dB/m was used to identify suspected ALD and NAFLD. In those with evidence of ALD, the following cutoffs of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were used for suspected fibrosis: F ≥ F2 at LSM ≥ 7.5 kPa and F ≥ F3 at ≥ 9.5 kPa, respectively. In those with suspected NAFLD, the following LSM cutoffs were used: F ≥ F2 at 6.1 and F ≥ F3 at ≥ 7.1, respectively. Cutoffs were chosen based on published literature to maximize sensitivity. Results Comparing to those without, subjects with excessive alcohol consumption tended to be older (29.8 vs 28.5 years), have a higher BMI (29.3 vs 28.9 kg/m2), and be from a White ethnicity (65.3% vs. 55.4%). In subjects with excessive alcohol consumption, suspected ALD was present in 56.59% (95% CI 41.57–70.49). In those with suspected ALD, suspected significant fibrosis (F ≥ F2) was present in 12.3% (95% CI 4.74–28.34) and advanced fibrosis (F ≥ F3) was present in 6.31% (95% CI 0.69–39.55). Similarly, in subjects without excessive alcohol consumption, suspected NAFLD was present in 40.04% (36.64–43.54). In those with suspected NAFLD, suspected significant fibrosis (F ≥ F2) was present in 31.07% (27.25–35.16) and suspected advanced fibrosis (F ≥ F3) was present in 20.15% (16.05–24.99). Conclusion A significant percentage of AYAs are at risk for ALD and NAFLD and a subset of these subjects is at risk for significant fibrosis. Efforts should focus on increasing awareness of the prevalence of ALD and NAFLD in this population and to mitigate modifiable risk factors.

The soil–plant-animal continuum is an emerging domain in biological research and hence, to ascertain this aspect, the present study was conducted in three agro-ecologically different areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. The goal of this work was to explore the impact of feed type and geographical conditions on the growth dynamics of sheep feed with three different diets – sorghum stover (Vizag district), groundnut halums (Krishna district) and red gram chunni (Ranga Reddy district). Animals were fed these diets at night daily for 90 days after their routine daytime grazing. The study regions varied in altitude, annual rainfall and mean temperature. Soil analysis was performed in these regions to check for pH, mineral content, organic carbon and bacterial composition. Growth dynamics (average daily gain of 41.56–77.11 g per day) and feed conversion ratios (6.26–10.93) differed markedly (p

Thiol-modified aptamer oligonucleotides containing gold nanoparticles (G@NPs) bound to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with high affinity in whole blood samples. Aptamer thiol groups enhanced the stability of aptamers adsorbed on the surface of G@NPs. A detection strategy was used to visually confirm the presence of HbA1c and the absorbance of the colored compounds at selected wavelengths. Modified G@NPs are used in many colorimetric detection strategies due to their high extinction coefficient and strongly distance-dependent optical properties. In the present study, as the target analyte reports a method to prepare gold nanoparticle-bound purple aptamer aggregates that rapidly collapse into bluish red dispersed nanoparticles upon binding of HbA1c. HbA1c was detected in unpretreated whole blood after dilution at pH 7.4 and with UV-VIS double beam spectrophotometer with a lower limit of detection (LOD) (0.1 μM) and a much broader linear detection range (0.1 μM–100 μM). This current colorimetric method provides a rapid (7 min), accurate and high determination of whole blood HbA1c with minimal interference from uric acid, bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin, and glucose. The lower detection limit and broader linearity of aptamer-bound G@NPs hybrids improve the accuracy and precision of HbA1c measurements.

Introduction: Giant Cell Tumour (GCT) around the knee joint is the most common site for this locally malignant bone tumour and, in advanced stages, requires excision of the tumour mass. Current recommendations promote joint salvage procedures in allograft or mega prosthetic replacement. Patients undergoing this surgery need massive changes in their lifestyle to cope with their activities of daily living. The psychological and social impact following these procedures has not been extensively studied. Aim: To observe the long term functional results as well as the impact on quality of life in patients undergoing endoprosthetic replacements in GCT around the knee with emphasis on any difference in results among the cases operated for distal femoral and proximal tibial GCT. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow from June 2015 to June 2019 with a total sample size of 21 cases. The two groups formed were; one having GCT of distal end femur and the other group with GCT of proximal end tibia. The evaluation was done for outcome measures by Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Musculo Skeletal Tumour Society score (MSTS) for their functional outcome and Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) for their quality of life effect at two years postoperatively. Students unpaired t-test was performed for intergroup analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was done for within the group analysis for subsequent follow-up visits. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: The mean age of study population was 33.67±8.674 years. The male-female distribution was insignificant (p=0.673), providing us with a homogenous study group. Recurrent GCT was found significantly more commonly in the proximal tibia group than in the distal femur group (p=0.031). Comparison of OKS and MSTS preoperatively, at six months, at one year, and two years showed statistically significant improvement in successive follow-ups in both the distal femur and proximal tibia groups (p