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While recent work suggests democracy does cause growth, the channels through which this effect occurs remain unclear. Exploiting quasi-random variation in the timing of district-level political regime changes induced by the collapse of President Suharto's government, we study the microlevel drivers of the democracy-growth relationship. Using Indonesian firm-level data, we find that democratization leads to an increase in firm productivity, a critical determinant of economic growth. Furthermore we find evidence of an improvement in the quality of local business regulations and the business environment for firms.

Background: Antibacterial agents have always been the part and parcel in the treatment of periodontal infection. One such known agent is Active Leptospermum Honey (ALH) which has been the most studied species of medical grade honey used for the treatment of wounds and burns. Therefore, this study revolves around evaluating the efficacy of active leptospermum honey as a local drug delivery (LDD) agent on probing pocket depth (PPD), relative attachment level (RAL), and periodontal pocket pH. Materials and Methods: Based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 100 sites with probing pocket depth of ≥ 5mm in posterior region will be selected. The sites will be grouped as: Test Group: 50 sites, Control Group: 50 sites, following the assessment of baseline clinical and biochemical parameters. At the baseline appointment, each patient received full mouth scaling and root planning (SRP). They were called back after 48 hours. Following the assessment of biochemical parameters by using pH test paper strips, MEDIHONEY® was placed as a local drug delivery (LDD) agent in test sites. In control sites only SRP was done. Patients were recalled after 30 days following LDD to reassess only gingival index, plaque index and biochemical parameters. Patients were recalled at 90 days following LDD for the reassessment of all clinical and biochemical parameters. Results: Plaque and gingival inflammation reduced in both groups but test group showed more reduction. Pocket depths were reduced significantly in test site. There was significant pH reduction in test sites. Clinical attachment level was also seen to be improved in the sites which were tested. Conclusion: When administered locally, Active Leptospermum Honey demonstrated lessening of PPD, gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI), as well as higher levels of clinical attachment (CA).

Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) is the self-configured wireless network which consists of a huge measure of resource-restrained Sensor Nodes (SN). In WSN, the key parameters are effectual energy utilization and security. The adversary could send false information because of the Malicious Nodes' (MNs') presence. Thus, to shun security threats, it is vital to find and isolate those MN. Consequently, this work proffered a solution for detecting MN in WSN utilizing SN's parameters. This work not only regards the security but also rendered energy-efficient data transmission by means of choosing the Cluster Head (CH) centered on the sensor's residual energy. The Improved Deep Convolutional Neural Network (IDCNN) identifies the MN and then isolates them into the malicious list box in the Malicious Nodes Detection (MND) phase. In the energy-efficient DT phase, the EKM algorithm clusters the Trusted Nodes (TN), and, the t-DSBO algorithm selects an individual CH for each cluster centered on those nodes' residual energy. The t-Distribution based Satin Bowerbird Optimization (t-DSBO) selects an alternate CH if the current CH loses its energy. The proposed techniques effectively detect the MN and render energy-efficient DT, which is experimentally proved by comparing it with existing techniques.

Introduction: Deliberate self-harm, including suicide attempt, is a potentially self- injurious behaviour, for which there is proof, that the individual, either implicitly or explicitly, has intention of self-killing. Aims: To assess the lethality of the deliberate self-harm attempts; also, to assess the risk of death and likelihood of rescue, of the attempts and to nd out if there is an association between such morbidities, and the lethality of attempt and likelihood of rescue. Material And Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical, quantitative, hospital-based study was conducted at KPC Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. 182 patients of deliberate self-harm, who fullled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were randomly selected by computer using a predetermined random number generated from computer. Result: The method of DSH attempt in male & female sexes. It is seen that in the 'cutting' method, 54.4% are males; in ingestion of oral agents, majority (62.2%) are females; in the hanging/ asphyxiation' method, 51.4% are males. Conclusion: The study found that, majority of the DSH attempters were females, young (median age being in the early 30s), Hindu, educated up to class 10, housewives followed by employed subjects, and married. Majority of the patients did not have a past history, or a family history of DSH attempt. The method of DSH attempt used by majority was ingestion of oral agents, followed by cutting, followed by hanging

The sudden outburst of the pandemic COVID-19, in 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), had caught all by surprise, affected the entire world, and took the lives of many. This led to a desperate need for vaccines and India was one of the 11 countries that went ahead for the discovery of vaccines with manufacturing and export of the same. The first phase of vaccination was directed towards the frontline workers, including dentists, as they were at high risk. As vaccines have faced challenges in acceptability, there is a need to create awareness. The objectives are 1. Assess post-vaccination side-effects among dental professionals after both doses. 2. Assess any particular oral manifestations that can occur post-vaccination. The COVID vaccine was administered to all the healthcare workers of a private Dental College, Mysuru. The first dose was given in January, 28 days later the second dose was given. A questionnaire was developed and sent by email to be filled by those who were vaccinated to record and assess their experiences post-vaccination. A total of 141 responses were acquired and subjected to statistical analysis to evaluate their experiences and challenges. SPSS 22 was used for statistical analysis. The frequency, mean and mode were calculated of the acquired responses. We can conclude that in the absence of any co-morbidity and good immunity, the effects post-vaccination is mild, which can be subsided by taking appropriate symptomatic medications.

Nano technology is the science and engineering related to particles sized 10-9 of a meter. Albeit, the small size, they have opened up a huge array of possibilities for this world. By the inclusion of nanoparticles in various materials not only, the field of engineering but also, medical and dentistry have been benefitted largely. Researchers have manipulated the particles at a molecular and atomic level, which have opened up huge possibilities for the same material. The recent advances have helped to achieve accurate and fast diagnosis, helped to prolong the longevity of dental materials and hence helped to create a healthy oral environment. However, with all these developments, it is important that we focus on the shortcoming or the hazards too and carefully comply with the same before its long-term application. Therefore, this article focuses on the basis, all the present applications of Nano dentistry and the potential it holds for the field of dentistry in future.

Aim: To assess the knowledge and attitude of students of dental schools in Southern India towards Basic Life Support (BLS), as well as to study the retention of BLS knowledge over time. Subjects and methods: A prevalidated questionnaire was employed, which contains 12 knowledge Questions and five questions designed to assess the students perspective towards BLS. It was hosted on Google Forms, and the URL was distributed to the Students. Results: A total of 267 responses were received, of which 66 were males and 201 were female students. Out of a maximum possible score of 12, the mean knowledge score of the group was 4.54. It was found that those who attended a BLS workshop within the last 2 years scored significantly better than those who either took it more than 2 years ago or had never undergone BLS training. Almost all participants (96%) agreed that there is a need for BLS to be learned by all dental students and hence BLS training should be part of the dental curriculum. 76.8% of respondents expressed reluctance to perform CPR on strangers. Conclusion: The findings show that the dental students who participated in the study had inadequate knowledge in BLS, but had a positive attitude towards the adoption of BLS into the dental curriculum.

3-D highly conductive polyvinyl formaldehyde sponges functionalized with acrylamide are fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol with varying concentrations of graphite nanopowder. The properties of the fabricated anodes are analyzed and its application in microbial fuel cells is evaluated. A comparative study with Graphite felt is also performed to evaluate its commercial viability. The presence of Hydroxyl and Amine functional groups enhanced the hydrophilic and biocompatible nature of the synthesized anodes. The phylogenetic analysis substantiated the biocompatible nature and mercury porosimetry showed macroporous nature of the fabricated anode. The highest power density of ~8 W/m2 is recorded for C10 establishing solid biofilm formation. A ~94% COD removal revealed the versatility of the anode for MFC based wastewater treatment. The MFC performance was twice than that of control and was also highest among the most reported modified 3-D anodes. The durability study displayed the commercial opportunity of the anode for real-time MFC operation.

Importance: The novel coronavirus 2019 (SARS-CoV-2) has been well described in adults. Further, the impact on older children and during the perinatal time is becoming better studied. As community spread increases, it is important to recognize that neonates are vulnerable to community spread as well. The impact that community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 has in the neonatal time period is unclear, as this population has unique immunity considerations. Objective: To report on a case series of SARS-CoV-2 in neonates through community acquisition in the USA. Design: This is an early retrospective study of patients admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) identified as having SAR-CoV-2 through positive real-time polymerase chain reaction assay of nasopharyngeal swabs. Findings: Three patients who required admission to the NICU between the ages of 17 and 33 days old were identified. All 3 had ill contacts in the home or had been to the pediatrician and presented with mild to moderate symptoms including fever, rhinorrhea, and hypoxia, requiring supplemental oxygen during their hospital stay. One patient was admitted with neutropenia, and the other 2 patients became neutropenic during hospitalization. None of the patients had meningitis or multiorgan failure. Conclusions and Relevance: Infants with community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 may require hospitalization due to rule-out sepsis guidelines if found to have fever and/or hypoxia. Caregivers of neonates should exercise recommended guidelines before contact with neonates to limit community spread of SARS-CoV-2 to this potentially vulnerable population, including isolation, particularly as asymptomatic cases become prevalent.

Background: Several studies have shown a relationship between depression and low levels of Vitamin D in the body. At the same time, somatisation is found to be a significant complaint in many patients of depression. Whether somatisation has any relationship with the low levels of Vitamin D, needs further research. Aims: To compare the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency between depressed and non depressed subjects, and see if somatic presentation of depression has any correlate with Vitamin D deficiency. Design: Observational, cross-sectional, hospital- based study. Materials & Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Psychiatry, in a Private Hospital. Diagnosed MDD patients consenting to participate in the study, & sex matched controls, comprising of close family members of patients were selected. Detailed assessment of depression symptomatology was done. Assessment of somatization was done using Bradford Somatic Inventory. Blood samples were collected for routine tests and Vitamin D (total) estimation. Results: In the group of MDD patients, the mean age of females is 52 years, & mean age of males is 50 years. In the MDD group, the mean Vitamin D level is 17.12; in the control group, the mean Vitamin D level is 22.19. The difference is statistically significant. Among MDD patients, 70% had deficiency of Vitamin D. In the Severe somatic symptom category, 68.3% had deficiency of Vitamin D; in the Mild somatic symptom category, 66.7% had deficiency of Vitamin D. The difference is not statistically significant. Conclusion: Depression patients have significantly higher proportion of Vitamin D deficiency cases. Depressed patients with higher number of somatic symptoms have lower vitamin D level, but the difference is not significant.

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) have been foreseen as a sustainable renewable energy resource to meet future energy demand. In the past, several studies have been executed in both benchtop and pilot scale to produce electrical energy from wastewater. The key role players in this technology that leads to the operation are microbes, mainly bacteria. The dominant among them is termed as “exoelectrogens” that have the capability to produce and transport electron by utilizing waste source. The current review focuses on such electrogenic bacteria’s involvement for enhanced power generation of MFC. The pathway of electron transfer in their cell along and its conduction to the extracellular environment of the MFC system are critically discussed. The interaction of the microbes in various MFC operational conditions, including the role of substrate and solid electron acceptors, i.e., anode, external resistance, temperature, and pH, was also discussed in depth along with biotechnological advancement and future research perspective.

We analyze the electoral consequences of India’s 2016 ‘demonetization’: a unique policy that unexpectedly made 86% of the currency-in-circulation redundant overnight, and led to severe cash shortages in the subsequent months. We leverage a discontinuity in the number of bank branches arising from a nationwide district-level bank expansion policy, instituted by the previous government in 2005. We first document that the impacts of the branch-expansion policy around the cut-off were meaningful: areas just above the cut-off had fewer bank branches, less outstanding credit, and households were less likely to report having bank accounts. Importantly, these effects strongly persisted in 2016, when the demonetization policy was instituted. As districts with fewer banks had greater cash shortages, we identify the impacts of demonetization at the bank-expansion cut-off. Regression discontinuity estimates show that following demonetization, places with fewer banks had lower economic activity, as measured by nighttime lights, and voters reported having less favorable views on demonetization. Using electoral data and a difference-in-discontinuity design, we find that in elections following demonetization, the ruling party did relatively worse in regions with discontinuously fewer banks, receiving a 4.7 percentage point lower fraction of votes. We finally show that voters that were historically strongly aligned with the ruling party, are nearly unresponsive in voting behavior, despite having a less favorable view of the policy itself.

The nanostructured materials offer various advantages as they provide more flexible space for ease reconstruction, as their nanosize expands the limits and results in confinement effect, enhanced mechanical stability, and large surface area, and make them suitable for photocatalytic activities. The advancement in synthesis techniques provides the freedom to alter its physical properties as per the demand. This article provides a 360° view point on the nanomaterials which are used for solar energy harnessing with respect to environmental and energy application. The discussion emphasizes on various synthesis methods of nanostructured materials, their mechanistic features, usage in demanding applications such as photosplitting of water for hydrogen production, artificial photosynthesis, and water and wastewater treatment with an endnote highlighting the future scope of nanomaterials for real-world applications. Graphical abstract

Democracies widely differ in the extent to which powerful elites and interest groups retain influence over politics. While a large literature argues that elite capture is rooted in a country's history, our understanding of the determinants of elite persistence is limited. In this paper, we show that the way in which democratic transitions unfold is a key determinant of the extent of elite capture. We exploit quasi-random variation that originated during the Indonesian transition: Soeharto-regime mayors were allowed to finish their terms before being replaced by new leaders. Since mayors' political cycles were not synchronized, this event generated exogenous variation in how long old-regime mayors remained in their position during the democratic transition. Districts with longer exposure to old-regime mayors experience worse governance outcomes, higher elite persistence, and lower political competition in the medium-run. The results suggest that slower transitions towards democracy allow the old-regime elites to capture democracy.

The microbial fuel cell MFC a classification of fuel cell has attracted wide research attention for resolving the emerging energy and environmental crisis of present and future generation Owing to its strong compliances towards sustainable development goal and safety it is seen as a promising substitution for the polluting technologies Though this technology has seen tremendous growth in their own technological competence their commercialisation is unrealistic on instantaneous adaptation The opinion covers the protagonist role of MFC in providing solution to the energy and environmental problems along with its limitations and its competence for future real time application

Corruption scandals are increasingly becoming rampant, especially in developing countries. The recent corruption scandals in India, in particular, have led to calls for legislation to establish an independent Public Ombudsman, who will be able to initiate investigations into allegations of corruption. In this paper we consider a typical problem that such an Ombudsman might face — that of initiating an enquiry into an allegation of corruption involving a large body of public officials. Recognizing that such investigations may be costly, we draw from the literature on statistical sampling to get estimates of the possible costs of an initial investigation, and report numerical results comparing the classical approach with the sequential sampling approach of Wald (1947).

Within the testis, each Sertoli cell can support a finite number of developing germ cells. During development, the cessation of Sertoli cell proliferation and the onset of differentiation establish the final number of Sertoli cells and, thus, the total number of sperm that can be produced. The upstream stimulatory factors 1 and 2 (USF1 and USF2, respectively) differentially regulate numerous Sertoli cell genes during differentiation. To identify genes that are activated by USF proteins during differentiation, studies were conducted in Sertoli cells isolated from 5- and 11-day-old rats, representing proliferating and differentiating cells, respectively. Usf1 mRNA and USF1 protein levels were increased between 5 and 11 days after birth. In vitro studies revealed that USF1 and USF2 DNA-binding activity also increased at 11 days for the promoters of four potential target genes, Fshr, Gata4, Nr5a1, and Shbg. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that USF recruitment increased in vivo between 5 and 11 days after birth at the Fshr, Gata4, and Nr5a1 promoters. Expression of Nr5a1 and Shbg, but not of Fshr or Gata4, mRNAs was elevated in 11-day-old Sertoli cells compared with 5-day-old Sertoli cells. Transient transfection of USF1 and USF2 expression vectors up-regulated Nr5a1 and Shbg promoter activity. RNA interference assays demonstrated that USF1 and USF2 contribute to Nr5a1 and Shbg expression in differentiating cells. Together, these data indicate that increased USF levels induce the expression of Nr5a1 and Shbg during the differentiation of Sertoli cells, whereas Fshr and Gata4 expression is not altered by USF proteins during differentiation.