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The present investigation aims to develop hydrogels with higher mechanical stability for triboelectric applications by adopting a simple method to fabricate a graphene oxide (GO) incorporated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite hydrogel.

Galls induced by Daphnephila gall midges on Machilus bombycina King ex Hook.f. (= Percea bombycina (King ex Hook.f.) Kosterm.) and Machilus gamblei King (Lauraceae) were respectively surveyed in Assam and West Bengal, India. On each plant, one leaf and one stem gall were found. The leaf and stem gall inducers on M. gamblei have been known as Daphnephil a haasi Kieffer and D. glandifex Kieffer, respectively. However, b ecause shapes of both leaf and stem galls were different between M. bombycina and M. gamblei, gall inducers associated with M. bombycina are probably different species from D. haasi and D. g landifex. Although the leaf galler on M. bombycina was identified as a species of Asphondylia in some previous studies, gall midge features as well as gall morphology clearly indicate that the inducer is a member of the genus Daphnephila.

We present a novel Hall magnetohydrodynamics (HMHD) numerical simulation of a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic flux rope (MFR) -- generated by magnetic reconnections from an initial 3D bipolar sheared field. Magnetic reconnections during the HMHD evolution are compared with the MHD. In both simulations, the MFRs generate as a consequence of the magnetic reconnection at null points which has not been realized in contemporary simulations. Interestingly, the evolution is faster and more intricate in the HMHD simulation. Repetitive development of the twisted magnetic field lines (MFL) in the vicinity of 3D nulls (reconnection site) is unique to the HMHD evolution of the MFR. The dynamical evolution of magnetic field lines around the reconnection site being affected by the Hall forcing, correspondingly affects the large-scale structures., Accepted for publication in Physica Scripta

Background: Antepartum haemorrhage (APH) is haemorrhage in or inside the genital tract after 28th weeks of pregnancy but before the delivery of baby. There are two main types of APH i.e. ‘placenta praevia’, ‘abruptio placentae’ and others are unexplained or extra-placental and local causes. Objective: Aim of our study was to know the different causes of APH along with foeto-maternal outcome. Materials and Methods: This observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital during the period of January, 2019 to December, 2019 i.e. the period of one year. Women with more than 28th weeks of gestation and presenting with bleeding per vagina were our study subject. Demographic data, cause of bleeding, mode of delivery and foetomaternal outcomes were tabulated. From the descriptive data, percentages, proportions and significance were calculated by using SPSS software of 24th version. Results: 112 women were studied, which was actually 1.2% of total delivered women in the study period. Study showed placenta praevia and abruptio placentae were 54.5% and 35.7% respectively as a cause of APH. It was seen that incidence of APH increased with age and parity and associated past history of uterine operations. Study showed adverse foetomaternal outcome was more prevalent in APH in the form of postpartum haemorrhage, retained placenta, puerperal infection, coagulation failure and preterm birth, neonatal jaundice, foetal asphyxia, sepsis and increased perinatal and maternal mortality. Conclusion: Women with past history of uterine operation have an increased risk of developing APH. Women with APH has to be considered as high risk pregnancy and needs institutional supervision. Keywords: Antepartum haemorrhage, Placenta praevia, Abruptio placentae, Past uterine operation, Foetomaternal outcome.

Background: An accurate diagnosis of tubal occlusion is a crucial part of infertility management of women for which Hysterosalpingography is an integral part for this purpose. Objective: The study is designed to find out tubal occlusion by hysterosalpingography (HSG) and comparing the findings with diagnostic laparoscopy with chromopertubation (laparoscopy) by determining validity and agreement of findings in the study group. Materials and Methods: In this observational study, one hundred and ninety-seven women with infertility were recruited from an infertility clinic of a tertiary care hospital ofWest Bengal, in between April 2018 and March 2020, i.e. 24 months’ period. Women, who were exposed to both of the investigations i.e. HSG and laparoscopy tests, were our study subjects. HSG findings were compared with the findings of laparoscopy to detect tubal occlusion by analyzing sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and kappa. Results: We found mean age of women with primary infertility (66%) was 27.23 years and with secondary infertility (34%) was 32.02 years. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of HSG in comparison to laparoscopy to detect tubal occlusion were 80.85%, 74%, 49.35%, 92.5% and 75.63% respectively. Findings showed statistically significant (p

Carpenter waste has been used as a raw material for synthesizing microcrystalline cellulose through various chemical pre-treatment process sequences. Carpenter waste treated with 10% (w/v) sodium h...

In this communication, we report on the synthesis of vertically aligned aluminium (Al)-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) nanowire (NW) thin films on FTO-coated glass substrates and their use as photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Very thin Al layers (∼3 nm, ∼6 nm and ∼10 nm) were deposited onto chemically synthesized ZnO nanowire film by electron-beam evaporation. The films were then subjected to rapid thermal annealing to incorporate different amounts of Al (∼0.98 at.%, 1.94 at.% and ∼2.89 at.%) into the ZnO nanowires. Optical, microstructural and compositional study of the films confirmed the growth of highly transparent and well-aligned ZnO:Al nanowires with a hexagonal crystal structure. The basic DSSC structure was fabricated using both undoped ZnO nanowire and ZnO:Al nanowire thin films as photoanode. In both cases, commercially available N3 dye was used as a photosensitizer, iodide/tri-iodide solution as electrolyte and FTO-coated glass as counter electrode. A significant increase in short-circuit current was observed, from 1.3 mA cm−2 for the pristine ZnO nanowire film-based DSSC to 4.4 mA cm−2 for the ZnO:Al (2.89 at.%) nanowire film-based DSSC. The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) was also found to increase from 0.13% (for pristine ZnO nanowire thin film) to 0.49% for the ZnO:Al thin film-based DSSC.

Appendiceal diverticula present as rare clinical finding and are most confused with acute appendicitis. A 65-year-old female was presented to our surgical service after 1 day of right lower quadrant abdominal pain and a computed tomography evaluation, read as a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Due to the location and quality of pain and intraoperative findings acute appendicitis was our preliminary diagnosis. Follow up with histopathology confirmed acute inflammation of an appendiceal diverticulum. With discordance in original diagnosis from final pathological evaluation, we suggest appendiceal diverticula as an important differential to consider in patients of similar clinical presentation. Surgical treatment with appendectomy and final histological diagnosis are essential in the proper treatment of this rare clinical finding.

Introduction There is some evidence that homeopathic treatment has been used successfully in previous epidemics, and currently some countries are testing homeoprophylaxis for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. There is a strong tradition of homeopathic treatment in India: therefore, we decided to compare three different homeopathic medicines against placebo in prevention of COVID-19 infections. Methods In this double-blind, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, four parallel arms, community-based, clinical trial, a 20,000-person sample of the population residing in Ward Number 57 of the Tangra area, Kolkata, was randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio of clusters to receive one of three homeopathic medicines (Bryonia alba 30cH, Gelsemium sempervirens 30cH, Phosphorus 30cH) or identical-looking placebo, for 3 (children) or 6 (adults) days. All the participants, who were aged 5 to 75 years, received ascorbic acid (vitamin C) tablets of 500 mg, once per day for 6 days. In addition, instructions on healthy diet and general hygienic measures, including hand washing, social distancing and proper use of mask and gloves, were given to all the participants. Results No new confirmed COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in the target population during the follow-up timeframe of 1 month—December 20, 2020 to January 19, 2021—thus making the trial inconclusive. The Phosphorus group had the least exposure to COVID-19 compared with the other groups. In comparison with placebo, the occurrence of unconfirmed COVID-19 cases was significantly less in the Phosphorus group (week 1: odds ratio [OR], 0.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06 to 0.16; week 2: OR, 0.004; 95% CI, 0.0002 to 0.06; week 3: OR, 0.007; 95% CI, 0.0004 to 0.11; week 4: OR, 0.009; 95% CI, 0.0006 to 0.14), but not in the Bryonia or Gelsemium groups. Conclusion Overall, the trial was inconclusive. The possible effect exerted by Phosphorus necessitates further investigation. Trial registration: CTRI/2020/11/029265.

Rice husk was used as a raw material for synthesizing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) through mechanical and chemical pre-treatment process. Sodium hydroxide treatment (10%) followed by varying concentration of sodium chlorite (0.5%, 0.7%, 1%) treatment has resulted in substantial weight loss. The synthesized MCC was characterized through different instrumental analyses. ATR-IR spectroscopic analysis showed the successful removal of hemicellulose and lignin. Crystallinity index and crystal size were measured through powder XRD technique and was found to be 64.74% and 6.86 nm, respectively. SEM images indicated the average particle size, shape and porosity of MCC. Higher concentration of sodium chlorite treatment has led to minimum particle size, which is confirmed via DLS technique. The onset of thermal degradation of MCC from rice husk was around 340 °C.

Depleting nature of nonrenewable energy sources and continuous environmental tribulations make the mankind to think differently regarding alternative renewable energy sources. In this regard, present research investigation contributes biodiesel from canola oil deodorizer distillate (CODD) using Lipase AY Amano 30 (Candida rugosa) and Novozyme 40013 (Candida antarctica) in the presence of methanol. Initially the neutral glycerides present in CODD were hydrolysed using lipase Amano AY 30 in the presence of water. The hydrolysed CODD was then esterified with methanol using non-specific immobilized enzyme NS 40013 for the production of biodiesel. The characteristics of final product were compared with diesel fuel and it showed good results. This bioprocess technology using biohydrolysis and bioesterification is a novel technology for biodiesel production from cheap raw materials like CODD.

Background: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease characterized by alveolar accumulation of surfactant material with reduced lung function and resulting hypoxemia. It is characterized by a variable clinical course, and whole lung lavage (WLL) is the standard treatment. Herein, we report our multicentric experience of management of primary PAP. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients with PAP managed at various armed forces respiratory centers from 2009 to 2019. The diagnosis of primary PAP was based on histopathologic confirmation on transbronchial lung biopsy or open lung biopsy and absence of causes of secondary PAP. We analyzed the response to WLL in these patients as well as the safety of the procedure. Results: During the above-specified period, ten patients with a diagnosis of PAP were admitted to various armed forces respiratory centers. The median age of the patients was 34.5 years (range 23–59); there were nine males (90%). The mean duration (± standard deviation) of symptoms was 10.8 (±2.70) months. For management, WLL was done for eight patients with a median volume of 23.5 L (range 18–45) per patient. All the patients showed significant symptomatic response as well as improvement in physiological parameters with no major complications. The median follow-up of all patients was 18 (range 5–44) months. Conclusions: WLL is a safe, effective therapy in an experienced setting in patients with PAP and provides long-lasting benefits.

Cultivated, forest, tea garden and fallow land use in Terai ecosystems of West Bengal were evaluated for the labile, mineralizable, particulate, inorganic and total organic carbon contents. The carbon fractions were dominant in soils of forest and tea gardens compared to the cultivated and fallow land, while differences across the depth of soil were recorded in the forest land only. The total organic carbon was maximum (22.5 g kg-1) in the forest and minimum (12.3 g kg-1) in the cultivated land at 0-40 cm depth. The incubation study for a period of 24 days revealed that the carbon mineralization rate was influenced by incubation period up to 10 days irrespective of the land use types and decreased thereafter with the time of incubation and also decreased with soil depth.

Soluble proteins that bind membranes function in numerous cellular pathways yet facile, sensitive and quantitative methods that complement and improve sensitivity of widely used liposomes-based assays remain unavailable. Here, we describe the utility of a photoactivable fluorescent lipid as a generic reporter of protein-membrane interactions. When incorporated into liposomes and exposed to ultraviolet (UV), proteins bound to liposomes become crosslinked with the fluorescent lipid and can be readily detected and quantitated by in-gel fluorescence analysis. This modification obviates the requirement for high-speed centrifugation spins common to most liposome-binding assays. We refer to this assay as Proximity-based Labeling of Membrane-Associated Proteins (PLiMAP).

Highly concentrated water-in-oil emulsions incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are prepared. Homogeneous and selective dispersions of MWCNTs throughout the oil phase of the emulsions are investigated. The practical insolubility of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous and organic media necessitates the disentanglement of CNT “agglomerates” through the utilization of functionalized CNTs. The design and synthesis of two tetra-alkylated pyrene derivatives, namely, 1,3,6,8-tetra(oct-1-yn-1-yl)pyrene (TOPy) and 1,3,6,8-tetra(dodec-1-yn-1-yl)pyrene (TDPy), for the noncovalent organic modification of MWCNTs are reported. The modifier molecules are designed in such a manner that they facilitate an improved dispersion of individualized MWCNTs in the continuous-oil phase of the highly concentrated emulsion (HCE). Transmission electron microscopic analyses suggest that the alkylated pyrene molecules are adsorbed on the MWCNT surface, and their adsorption eventually results in the debundling of MWCNT agglomerates. Fourier transform infrared, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopic analyses confirm the π–π interaction between the alkylated pyrene molecules and MWCNTs. The noncovalent modification significantly improves the effective debundling and selective dispersion of MWCNTs in HCEs.

Background Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in the Northeastern part of India despite the implementation of vector control measures and changes in drug policies. To develop successful vaccines against malaria, it is important to assess the diversity of vaccine candidate antigens in field isolates. This study was done to assess the diversity of Plasmodium falciparum AMA-1 vaccine candidate antigen in a malaria-endemic region of Tripura in Northeast India and compare it with previously reported global isolates with a view to assess the feasibility of developing a universal vaccine based on this antigen. Methods Patients with fever and malaria-like illness were screened for malaria and P. falciparum positive cases were recruited for the current study. The diversity of PfAMA-1 vaccine candidate antigen was evaluated by nested PCR and RFLP. A selected number of samples were sequenced using the Sanger technique. Results Among 56 P. falciparum positive isolates, Pfama-1 was successfully amplified in 75% (n = 42) isolates. Allele frequencies of PfAMA-1 antigen were 16.6% (n = 7) for 3D7 allele and 33.3% (n = 14) in both K1 and HB3 alleles. DNA sequencing revealed 13 haplotypes in the Pfama-1 gene including three unique haplotypes not reported earlier. No unique amino-acid substitutions were found. Global analysis with 2761 sequences revealed 435 haplotypes with a very complex network composition and few clusters. Nucleotide diversity for Tripura (0.02582 ± 0.00160) showed concordance with South-East Asian isolates while recombination parameter (Rm = 8) was lower than previous reports from India. Population genetic structure showed moderate differentiation. Conclusions Besides documenting all previously reported allelic forms of the vaccine candidate PfAMA-1 antigen of P. falciparum, new haplotypes not reported earlier, were found in Tripura. Neutrality tests indicate that the Pfama-1 population in Tripura is under balancing selection. This is consistent with global patterns. However, the high haplotype diversity observed in the global Pfama-1 network analysis indicates that designing a universal vaccine based on this antigen may be difficult. This information adds to the existing database of genetic diversity of field isolates of P. falciparum and may be helpful in the development of more effective vaccines against the parasite.

We present a multi-wavelength investigation of a C-class flaring activity that occurred in the active region NOAA 12734 on 8 March 2019. The investigation utilises data from AIA and HMI on board the SDO and the Udaipur-CALLISTO solar radio spectrograph of the Physical Research Laboratory. This low intensity C1.3 event is characterised by typical features of a long duration event (LDE), viz. extended flare arcade, large-scale two-ribbon structures and twin coronal dimmings. The eruptive event occurred in a coronal sigmoid and displayed two distinct stages of energy release, manifested in terms of temporal and spatial evolution. The formation of twin dimming regions are consistent with the eruption of a large flux rope with footpoints lying in the western and eastern edges of the coronal sigmoid. The metric radio observations obtained from Udaipur-CALLISTO reveals a broad-band ($\approx$50-180 MHz), stationary plasma emission for $\approx$7 min during the second stage of the flaring activity that resemble a type IV radio burst. A type III decametre-hectometre radio bursts with starting frequency of $\approx$2.5 MHz precedes the stationary type IV burst observed by Udaipur-CALLISTO by $\approx$5 min. The synthesis of multi-wavelength observations and Non-Linear Force Free Field (NLFFF) coronal modelling together with magnetic decay index analysis suggests that the sigmoid flux rope underwent a zipping-like uprooting from its western to eastern footpoints in response to the overlying asymmetric magnetic field confinement. The asymmetrical eruption of the flux rope also accounts for the observed large-scale structures viz. apparent eastward shift of flare ribbons and post flare loops along the polarity inversion line (PIL), and provides an evidence for lateral progression of magnetic reconnection site as the eruption proceeds., 30 pages, 14 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in Solar Physics

Background In wake of the global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) during 2016, on the outbreak of ZIKA pandemic, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) carried out countrywide vector surveillance for ZIKA and DENGUE viruses (ZIKV & DENV) in India, as a preparedness measure. Methods The study incorporated high-risk zones distributed to 49 Districts in 14 states/ Union Territories (UT) of India during 2016-2019. Seven ICMR Institutions undertook the study, following a uniform Standard Operating Protocol. Aedes specimens sampled on weekly intervals were processed by multiplex Reverse transcriptase PCR for ZIKV/DENV and Real time RT-PCR of ZIKV, among few samples distributed to all the Districts. Results Altogether, 79492 specimens of Aedes mosquitoes in 6492 pools were processed for both ZIKV and DENV infections. Among these, three and 63 pools respectively were found positive for ZIKV and DENV. ZIKV infections were recorded from Aedes aegypti sampled during 2018 sporadic ZIKA outbreak in Jaipur, Rajasthan, which belonged to the Asian lineage, already circulating in the Country. Both Ae. aegypti and Aedes albopictus were found infected with DENV and were distributed to ten states/ UTs. Both male and female specimens of Ae. albopictus recorded DENV infections indicating trans-ovarial transmission of DENV in the species. Conclusion This national vector surveillance study evinced no active transmission of the “American lineage - pandemic ZIKA virus” in India during 2016-2019, although Asian lineage of the virus already circulating in the Country was detected from Ae. aegypti from Jaipur, Rajasthan.