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Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) are composed of distortion and reflection components. Much is known about the influence of the stimulus frequency ratio (f 2 /f 1 ) on the overall/composite DPOAE level. However, the influence of f 2 /f 1 on individual DPOAE components is not as well examined. The goals of this pilot study were to systematically evaluate the effects of f 2 /f 1 on DPOAE components in clinically normal-hearing young adult ears. To extend the limited reports in the literature, this examination was carried out over an extended frequency range using two stimulus-level combinations.DPOAEs were recorded from seven normal-hearing, young adult ears for f 2 frequencies between 0.75 and 16 kHz over a range of f 2 /f 1 using two stimulus-level combinations. The distortion (DPOAE D ) and reflection (DPOAE R ) components were separated using an inverse fast Fourier transform algorithm. Optimal ratios for the composite DPOAE and DPOAE components were determined from smoothed versions of level versus ratio functions in each case.The optimal ratio for the composite DPOAE level increased with stimulus level and decreased as a function of frequency above 1 kHz. The optimal ratios for the DPOAE components followed a similar trend, decreasing with increasing frequency. The optimal ratio for DPOAE D was generally higher than that for DPOAE R . The overall level for DPOAE D was greater than that of DPOAE R , both decreasing with increasing frequency. DPOAE R , but not DPOAE D , became unrecordable above the noise floor at the higher frequencies.DPOAE components behave similarly but not identically as a function of f 2 /f 1 . The ear canal DPOAE is generally dominated by DPOAE D . The behavior of DPOAE D as a function of f 2 /f 1 is entirely consistent with known properties of cochlear mechanics. The behavior of DPOAE R is more variable across ears, perhaps reflective of the increased number of parameters that influence its final form. Attempting to use an f 2 /f 1 that would allow a greater bias of the ear canal DPOAE toward one component or the other does not appear to be practical.

This research paper is an attempt to understand rising Islamophobia in India in relation to Hindutva as a political ideology. It is argued that Islamophobia is inherent in Savarkar’s construction of ‘self’ and the ‘other’ that was reinforced by his followers Hedgewar and Golwalkar. These constructs are based on dominant Brahmanic traditions mainly used for political purposes to acquire and sustain power. The lower Hindu castes and minorities are primary victims in this homogenising project of Hindutva. Hindutva ideology emerged as a response to British colonisation based on politics of resistance. But in the post-partition era it evolved into politics of domination by a particular construct of ‘Hindu Nationalism’ comprising of Brahmanic, Aryan and Vedic components. Hindutva zealots equate an Indian with Hindu identity and Muslims are constructed as an internal threat to Hindutva ideology as they resist this homogenisation and continue to assert a separate identity for themselves.

Rodents are considered to be one of the most important pests in the agricultural system of Pakistan. The present study was conducted to assess the pre-harvest damage to maize and sugarcane crops. Also, a survey of farmers was conducted to assess their knowledge and understanding about rodent pest species. For estimation of crop damages, we selected 40 maize fields in two villages and 30 sugarcane fields in three villages of district Swabi. In maize fields, the average damage was found to be higher in village Guloo Deri as compared to village Baikot. In the case of sugarcane fields, the average damage was higher in the village Menai as compared to villages Ghoati and Jandaboka. However, these differences were statistically non-significant (p > 0.05) in both crops. In maize crops, two rodent species, including Rattus rattus (7) and Mus musculus (4) and one insectivorous species house shrew (Suncus murinus) (6) was captured. In sugarcane crops, there were three rodent species including R. rattus (2) and M. musculus, (2) Bandicota bengalensis (2) and a single insectivorous species house shrew (S. murinus) (5) caught. The results of the farmers’ survey shows that farmers consider insects to be the major pest in both crop fields and storage structures. Among the crops affected by rodents, wheat was reported to be the major crop followed by maize. Most of the farmers believed that rodent control is required and that crop losses can be minimized through pest control. In conclusion, for the effective management of rodent pests in the area, further investigation into rodent ecology and their damage to different growth stages of crops is necessary.

Major ions and nutrient chemistry of surface water from the Devi river estuary, eastern India has been studied in order to understand the governing biogeochemical processes. Concentration of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, SO4 and PO4 increases towards higher salinity; however, NO3 and dissolved silica (DSi) decreases from upper to lower estuary. All major ions, except NO3 and DSi, show the highest and lowest concentration in summer and monsoon season respectively. Increased surface runoff has resulted in the highest concentration of NO3 and DSi in the monsoon period. The Na, Cl, SO4, NO3 and PO4 ions show conservative mixing behavior in the estuary throughout the year. Non-conservative behavior of DSi is attributed to the combined process of mineral weathering and biological removal by diatoms. Enrichment and depletion of Ca and Mg in the estuary is owed to carbonate mineral precipitation and dissolution processes. Decreasing carbonate saturation indices (SI) with reducing pH accompanied by lowering of DO% suggests the influence of organic matter degradation on the carbonate precipitation and/or dissolution potential. Nutrient stoichiometric ratios – NO3:PO4, DSi:PO4 and DSi:NO3 – are found to vary spatially and seasonally as a result of differences in geochemical processes prevailing in the fresh- and marine-water environment. A prominent PO4 limitation is observed in the upper estuary during summer and winter. However, this limitation reduces towards the lower estuary owing to precipitation of Fe-sulphide under the influence of higher salinity. In contrast, the influx of PO4-limited freshwater into the estuary controls the nutrient limitation in the monsoon season. The spatial variation of chlorophyll concentration in the estuary is in accordance to the nutrient stoichiometric ratios. Thus, this study emphasizes on the role of unique biogeochemical processes in controlling the spatial and seasonal distribution of major ions and nutrient stoichiometry in a tropical estuarine system.

This research paper is an attempt to understand rising Islamophobia in India in relation to Hindutva as a political ideology. It is argued that Islamophobia is inherent in Savarkar’s construction of ‘self’ and the ‘other’ that was reinforced by his followers Hedgewar and Golwalkar. These constructs are based on dominant Brahmanic traditions mainly used for political purposes to acquire and sustain power. The lower Hindu castes and minorities are primary victims in this homogenising project of Hindutva. Hindutva ideology emerged as a response to British colonisation based on politics of resistance. But in the post-partition era it evolved into politics of domination by a particular construct of ‘Hindu Nationalism’ comprising of Brahmanic, Aryan and Vedic components. Hindutva zealots equate an Indian with Hindu identity and Muslims are constructed as an internal threat to Hindutva ideology as they resist this homogenisation and continue to assert a separate identity for themselves.

Pakistan is highly exposed to increasing threats of climate crisis. Despite growing climatic pressures nationwide, the climate coping mechanisms of the country are extremely weak. This study analyses the process of climate change mainstreaming into Pakistan’s national policy processes by deploying the Action on Climate Today (ACT) Framework consisting three pillars: the entry points, enabling environment and political economy drivers. This is blended with the theoretical assumptions of New-Institutionalism that helps in examining key institutional and policy responses to climate change at all governmental levels of Pakistan. It argues that the mainstreaming of climate change into Pakistan’s national, provincial, and sectoral socio-economic development policies, planning and implementation processes will enhance the country’s resilience against growing climatic challenges. There is meager literature on mainstreaming climate change on Pakistan and this study attempts to fill this gap. The study maps vulnerabilities, challenges and options of mainstreaming climate in planning and policy making of the country. It concludes that despite setting national and international goals regarding climate resilience, there remains an extensive gap between legislative aims and implementation of national policies in Pakistan that needs to be addressed.

The investigation of film dosimeters made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films dyed with methyl orange (MO) to enable their use in high dose radiation processing applications was studied. The dosimetric change in these films at pre and post irradiation was studied spectrophotometrically. Radiolytic bleaching was observed in PVA aided films exposed with Cs137 γ-source in dose range of 100-200kGy. The effects of pH, dye concentration and film thickness on the radiation response of the film dosimeters were discussed. The stability of MO-PVA films before and after exposure of radiation was also examined at ambient temperature and was found to be higher for long times at pre and post irradiation stages.

The gamma dosimetric response of the Methylene Blue (MB) in Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) films was investigated. The spectrophotometric analysis was done to observe the changes in these films at pre and post irradiation. The PVA based films were irradiated using Cs137 γ-source within dose range (100-200) kGy. The effect of concentration of dyes, pH of the dyed solutions and thickness of dyed films were employed as the dosimetric parameters in this study. The stability of MB-PVA films before and after irradiation was examined at ambient temperature. MB-PVA films were found to be light sensitive. Owing to simple preparation and absence of any toxic solvents during preparation, PVA based films were found to be docile for large-scale production and application for routine irradiation processes of medical equipments.

Highlights • Next generation sequencing is a scalable solution to genotyping mutant mice. • Ratios of wild type and mutant sequence counts are used to call the genotype. • Hundreds of samples can be multiplexed into one sequencing experiment. • Amplification of high-homology genes can be easily filtered out during analysis., Genotyping of knockout alleles in mice is commonly performed by end-point PCR or gene-specific/universal cassette qPCR. Both have advantages and limitations in terms of assay design and interpretation of results. As an alternative method for high-throughput genotyping, we investigated next generation sequencing (NGS) of PCR amplicons, with a focus on CRISPR-mediated exon deletions where antibiotic selection markers are not present. By multiplexing the wild type and mutant-specific PCR reactions, the genotype can be called by the relative sequence counts of each product. The system is highly scalable and can be applied to a variety of different allele types, including those produced by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium and associated projects. One potential challenge with any assay design is locating unique areas of the genome, especially when working with gene families or regions of high homology. These can result in misleading or ambiguous genotypes for either qPCR or end-point assays. Here, we show that genotyping by NGS can negate these issues by simple, automated filtering of undesired sequences. Analysis and genotype calls can also be fully automated, using FASTQ or FASTA input files and an in-house Perl script and SQL database.

Damaging factors such as airborne microorganisms, relative humidity, ventilation, temperature and air pollutants are the major concerns of the tropical climate of Kolkata, India where our study site, 172-year-old St. Paul’s Cathedral is located. In this context, the aim was to develop an equation to assess the management priority and which factors would be more responsible for potentially damaging the heritage building. The temperature varied from 28°C to 31°C, relative humidity was recorded 72% over a period of 14 days in the prayer hall whereas almost constant temperature (27°C) and relative humidity (55%) were recorded in crypt. Air movement was recorded 0.5–3 m s−1 in both crypt and prayer hall. Sulphur dioxide and oxide of nitrogen concentration were lower than the standard mentioned by the Central Pollution Control Board, India. The fungal load was lower inside the crypt (237 CFU m−3) than in the prayer hall (793 CFU m−3). Calculated potential damage for prayer hall and crypt was found to be 48.75% and 37.08%, respectively. Results revealed that microbial load and relative humidity were the potent factors for damage to the building. Continuous air movement, that is, ventilation and building design here played significant roles. The Heritage Conservation Committee can use the data for better management.

To combat health challenges associated with mosquito-borne diseases, the larvicidal activity of metallic nanoparticles, food-grade polymeric nano-capsules and insecticides was investigated against larvae of Aedes albopictus as an effective alternate control approach. The Ae. albopictus was identified using sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of COXI, CYTB and ITS2 genes. The characterization of synthesized nanostructures was performed through Zetasizer, UV-VIS spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The mosquito larvae were exposed to varying concentration of nanostructures and insecticides, and their percentage mortality was evaluated at different time intervals of 24 h and 48 h exposure. The highest efficacy was observed in zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and polymeric nanocapsules FG-Cur E-III (LC50 = 0.24 mg/L, LC90 = 0.6 mg/L) and (LC50 = 3.8 mg/L, LC90 = 9.33 mg/L), respectively, after 24 h; while (LC50 = 0.18 mg/L, LC90 = 0.43 mg/L) and (LC50 = 1.95 mg/L, LC90 = 6.46 mg/L), respectively, after 48 h against fourth instar larvae of Ae. albopictus. Ag, CuO, NiTiO3 and CoTiO3 nanoparticles evaluated in this study also showed promising larvicidal activity. Although ZnO-NPs proved to be effective larvicides, their possible toxicity (producing ROS species) can limit their use. The curcumin nanostructures (FG-Cur E-III) stabilized by food-grade materials are thought to exert their larvicidal activity by binding to sterol carrier protein-2, and depriving the larvae from the essential dietary cholesterol, and bears effective larvicidal potential as safe alternative for chemical larvicides, due to their environment friendly, food-grade and easy biodegradability.

India is rapidly modernising its naval capabilities and expanding its maritime interests in Asia-Pacific region. The recent surge in its maritime domain is associated with two factors: Firstly, the rise of China as an ‘Asian power’ with growing influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR); secondly, India’s aspirations to become a leading player in the IOR while expanding its sway in the Pacific ocean. This paper argues that India’s increased regional engagements and its strategic partnership with the US will strengthen Indian footprints in the Indo-Pacific region which will increase security concerns for China. This paper explores the evolution of Indian strategic thinking over the years on ‘sea power,’ examines the emerging contours of India’s ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy as well as fulfilling its aspirations of becoming a global power, and discusses the implications of ‘India’s Extended Neighbourhood’ policy for China’s economic and strategic interests in East Asia and the South China Sea.

Multi-element composition including rare earth elements (REE) of surface sediment from the Devi river estuary, eastern coast of India, have been analysed in order to study the weathering characteristics and provenance of sediment along with their behaviour under different physicochemical conditions. These sediments with dominantly felsic provenance have undergone low to moderate chemical alterations. Bulk chemical composition is mainly represented by SiO

Moringa is an expeditious-growing evergreen perennial plant and has wide adaptability to grow in different environmental conditions. The nutritive value and medicinal benefits of its leaves, flowers, pods, roots, and stem barks are established by philanthropic research. Edible parts are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other chemical compounds with medicinal properties. The pods and leaves are mainly used as vegetables and ingredients in soups and curries. It is used to boost the nutritional value of food, as well as to boost the immune system and antioxidant levels, lower blood sugar levels and maintain inflammation. Moreover, Moringa leaves flavonoid amelioration of total antioxidant capacity in the lens. Its leaves, pods, and leaf powder contain a high proportion of Vitamin A, which can help to prevent night blindness and eye problems in children.

Background: With improvement in living conditions in the population and the availability of treatments for various communicable and non-communicable diseases, the life expectancy and consequently the elderly population have increased. Stress leads to mental and physical problems. Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of stress on muscle functions in the elderly. Materials and Methods: One hundred apparently healthy persons (50 males and 50 females) took part in the study. Perceived stress scale was used to measure their level of stress. Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and endurance time were measured with the help of a handgrip dynamometer. Results: The elderly population sample in our study showed a moderate level of stress, but there was no significant difference between the three age groups under study. Conclusion: A significant positive correlation between MVC and stress level was observed in our study subjects.

Introduction: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common viral infection transmitted via the placenta, causing significant neurodevelopmental impairment in infants and children. Gancyclovir and Valgancyclovir are two drugs used in the treatment of symptomatic CMV infected case which have limited comparative study. This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of these two drugs on symptomatic CMV infected infants.Methodology: This was an open-label randomized controlled trial done to compare oral valganciclovir(VGCV) with injectable ganciclovir (GCV) in the treatment of symptomatic congenital CMV infected infants. A total of 72 patients were included; 12 patients discontinued the treatment due to noncompliance or side effects. Pre and post-treatment CMV virus levels and adverse effects were monitored. Psychological, visual, and hearing assessments were performed at baseline and six months post-treatment.Results: The mean age of the infants in VGCV and GCV group was 7.10±3.58 and 7.50±3.99 months, respectively. Nineteen infants presented with developmental delay, 13 with seizure, 4 with a movement disorder. Twenty-one percent of the infants were preterm, and 38% were low birth weight. Eighteen infants had a neonatal seizure. Twenty-eight infants of VGCV and 24 infants of the GCV group showed clearance of the virus after six weeks of treatment. No statistical difference was found in virus clearance. Regarding ophthalmological assessment, infants had chorioretinitis, optic atrophy, squint, and cortical blindness. On hearing assessment, none of the infants deteriorated after drug administration, while some showed improved hearing. None of the infants showed deterioration of cognition, while some of the infants showedimprovement in cognitive assessment, but there was no significant difference in two groups. The side effects of GCV were significantly greater than VGCV (P

This paper attempts to identify and characterize the colloids present in the river water around the Jaduguda uranium mines located in Jharkhand, India in order to understand their role in metal transport. The stream receiving direct release of effluent water from the mine tailing is contaminated and the concentration of Mn, F−, Na+, SO42− and U is above the maximum permissible. The colloids mostly consist of Mn-oxide, kaolinite, halloysite and Fe(oxy)hydroixe. The concentration of As, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn in surface water is very much lower than that of the colloids. This is attributed to the importance of colloids in metal scavenging due to more reactive surface sites. The high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) study further indicates that Mn-oxides plays a most important role in retention and transportation of U in the study area.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) super-saturation in estuaries and the associated efflux to the atmosphere is an important part of the global carbon cycle. However, the net global estuarine emission of CO2 is based on limited spatial data. In this study, alkalinity, pH, salinity and temperature data were used to quantify the CO2 dynamics in the Devi estuary formed by the main distributary of the Mahanadi river on the east coast of India. The samples were collected during summer, monsoon and winter of 2018–19 in order to understand the seasonal and spatial variability of pCO2 and CO2 efflux from the estuary. High pCO2 (1565 ± 782 μatm) in comparison to the atmosphere (389 μatm) was found in the estuary throughout the study period. The highest pCO2 was observed during winter season (2071 ± 828 μatm) and the lowest one during monsoon (951 ± 316 μatm). A decreasing trend in pCO2 from the upper estuary to lower estuary was observed. The mean dissolved oxygen saturation (DO%) was 137% throughout the study period indicating well-oxygenated waters. A decrease in DO% with increased pCO2 accompanied by a decrease in pH suggests that organic matter degradation is a major controlling factor of pCO2 in the estuary. Thus, heterotrophic environmental condition is prevalent in the estuary. Net annual CO2 efflux from the Devi river estuary was estimated to be 40.1 ± 7.5 mol C m−2 yr−1, and the highest efflux was observed during summer season (126 ± 69 mmol C m−2 d−1) due to higher temperature and wind speed. The net efflux from the Devi river estuary is about 0.003–0.006% of the total global CO2 emission from estuaries. This study highlights the importance of small-scale estuaries in emitting large flux of CO2 to the atmosphere. The results contribute to the increasing dataset of pCO2 and CO2 effluxes from estuaries worldwide in order to accurately estimate the role of estuaries in the global carbon budget.

In this study, we use first-principles electronic structure calculations to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of pristine and intrinsic vacancy containing Sr3SnO inverse perovskite. The thermodynamic stability diagram of Sr3SnO is computed which provides useful information regarding stable synthesis of this material. The limits of atomic chemical potentials of Sr, Sn and O are obtained to determine the relative stability of the formation of metal-atom and oxygen vacancies in Sr3SnO. The DFT calculations reveal Sr vacancy to be the most stable form of vacancy defect under O-rich conditions, while O and Sn vacancies are found to have low formation energies under O-poor and Sn-poor conditions, respectively. It is concluded that Sr and O vacancy containing Sr3SnO is non-magnetic, while Sn vacancy containing Sr3SnO gives rise to stable ferromagnetism. The electronic properties of pristine and Sn, O, and Sr deficient Sr3SnO are discussed. The Sn vacancy containing Sr3SnO, displays stable ferromagnetism which originates from spin-polarization of partially filled Sr dangling bonds with a predominant Sr-4d character. Our results explain the origins of experimentally observed room temperature ferromagnetism in non-stoichiometric Sr3SnO.

Radiochromic thin films based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) containing different concentrations of methyl red (MR) and methylene blue (MB) dyes were studied for the quantification of high doses. These films were exposed to doses of 100 to 200 kGy. A 137 Cs radiation source was employed for this purpose. The absorption spectra of unirradiated and irradiated dyed PVA films are measured with a UV/VIS spectrophotometer in terms of absorbance at 518 nm for MR-PVA film and 668 nm for MB-PVA film. A strong dependence on the dye concentration of the absorbed dose is observed for high-dose irradiation. It was shown that the MR-PVA film is stable before and after irradiation under dark as well as florescent light as compared with MB-PVA film.

In the present study, we employ spin-polarized density functional theory for examining changes in the opto-electronic properties of wide band gap barium zirconate by incorporating Vanadium and Phosphorous dopants at Zr- and O-sites of BaZrO3, respectively. The generalized gradient approximation is used to compute thermodynamic and structural properties, while modified Becke-Johnson local density approximation is employed for the electronic and optical properties of pristine, mono-doped (V- or P-doped) and co-doped ((V + P)-doped) BaZrO3. The doping of a P atom at a O-site is found to cause shift in the valence band toward the conduction band; giving rise to an acceptor system with reduced band gap as compared to pristine BaZrO3. On the other hand, doping of V atom at a Zr-site leads to a donor system which modulates the conduction band of pristine BaZrO3. The charge compensated co-doping of V and P at neighboring Zr-site and O-site results in a band gap reduction of pristine BaZrO3 and is found to be suitable for absorbing solar radiations in the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum. The calculated electronic and optical properties of (V + P)-doped BaZrO3 together with positioning of the conduction and valence band edges with respect to water oxidation and reduction potentials make this material a potential candidate for hydrogen production through photocatalysis of water using solar radiations.

INTRODUCTION Immunization is one of the cost effective intervention for prevention of major illness in child. Only availability of vaccines is not sufficient, there are various other factors which influences the effectiveness of immunization. These factors are proper storage, transportation, administration along with knowledge and practices of health care worker. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present cross sectional study was conducted in the rural area of Chirang district, Assam in January 2015 to May 2015. 23 ANM at the session site were interviewed with the help of pre tested structured schedule and observation method. RESULTS Knowledge regarding dose and route of vaccines is 100%, knowledge regarding age at which 2nd dose of measles is given 86.95%, knowledge about freeze sensitive vaccine (DPT, TT) is 86.95% whereas Hep. B is 100%. Practice of hand washing was 65.21% and practice of delivering 4 key messages were 73.91%. Practice of segregation of waste in red and black bag was 65.21%. CONCLUSION Knowledge gap were observed specifically for cold chain, open vial policy, heat and freeze sensitive vaccines. Flaws in practice of immunization were observed as for delivering 4 key messages and hand washing. Regular supervision and training can fill up the gap both in knowledge and practice.

This review paper discusses the impact of areca nut (Betel nut) on human health. Small pieces of betel nut are generally use with betel leaf after meals in a day or on any festival. Areca nut seed contains bioactive components like alkaloids and tannins. It is known as salivary stimulating, digestive agents and act as antimicrobial effect against oral bacteria. Along with the few beneficial effects, it has some adverse effects on the human body. Need to enhance the awareness activities regarding the health concern due to consumption of areca nut.

This article explores the drivers of North Korea and Iran’s nuclear aspirations and behaviour by employing the theoretical prisms of ‘security dilemma’, ‘regional security complex’ (RSC) and ‘social constructivism’. It argues that ideational values and interests are shaping Iranian and North Korean nuclear aspirations and behaviour. Conversely, the absence of positive inter-subjective understanding of the US and its allies regarding Iran and North Korea is influencing their nuclear non-proliferation policy towards these states. The nuclear ambitions and diplomacy of North Korea and Iran could be better understood by looking at the role of ideational, security and structuralism models that are influencing their threat perception in the respective security complexes. Thus, addressing the ideational factors and security dilemmas of the two states can help in resolving the twin threats to nuclear non-proliferation in the 21st century.

The purpose of this study is to check the efficiency of micro programmable logic controller (micro-PLC) for controlling, monitoring and counting purpose of eight different load systems simultaneously. In this project working of different IC’s, Keyboard and seven-segment display were used for visual representation of data for the purpose of simplicity and cost effectiveness and also increases productivity. Complete hardware of the system has been designed, tested and made into working condition. The monitor program takes case of all the necessary requirements of the system like, scanning the keyboard, lighting display, listen the written program and its execution. Microcontroller was programmed in C-language and a flash memory of 2-K bytes was used to store controlled program permanently. This micro-PLC was supportable for monitoring and counting industrial processes and can be implemented in multiple domains, largely of small to medium scale manufacturing processes and may be used for home and business automation as well. The efficiency and simplicity of the micro-PLC are strong advantages, easy to code and allowing fast automation on small systems, making the load switching very effective.

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie in animals and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. They are characterized by long incubation periods, variation in which is determined by many factors including genetic background. In some cases it is possible that incubation time may be directly correlated to the level of gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we combined incubation time data from five different inbred lines of mice with quantitative gene expression profiling in normal brains and identified five genes with expression levels that correlate with incubation time. One of these genes, Hspa13 ( Stch ), is a member of the Hsp70 family of ATPase heat shock proteins, which have been previously implicated in prion propagation. To test whether Hspa13 plays a causal role in determining the incubation period, we tested two overexpressing mouse models. The Tc1 human chromosome 21 ( Hsa21 ) transchromosomic mouse model of Down syndrome is trisomic for many Hsa21 genes including Hspa13 and following Chandler/Rocky Mountain Laboratory (RML) prion inoculation, shows a 4% reduction in incubation time. Furthermore, a transgenic model with eightfold overexpression of mouse Hspa13 exhibited highly significant reductions in incubation time of 16, 15, and 7% following infection with Chandler/RML, ME7, and MRC2 prion strains, respectively. These data further implicate Hsp70-like molecular chaperones in protein misfolding disorders such as prion disease.

In this paper, we report first-principles spin-polarized density functional theory calculations for exploring the effect of aliovalent Mo and C dopants on the electronic properties and photocatalysis potential of doped modifications of wide-bandgap cubic perovskite oxide BaHfO3 for water splitting. The structural and thermodynamic properties are computed by using the generalized gradient approximation, whereas the modified Becke-Johnson local density approximation is used to calculate the electronic structures of pristine, cation (Mo), and anion (C) monodoped and cation-anion (Mo, C) codoped BaHfO3. The spin-polarized calculations reveal that substitutional dopants CO and MoHf in the BaHfO3 lattice are thermodynamically stable. The incorporation of C in the O site reduces the bandgap of BaHfO3 and acts as a double-acceptor system, whereas a metallic character is obtained when Mo is doped into the Hf site giving rise to a double-donor system. We show that the acceptor and donor states of the C- and Mo-monodoped BaHfO3 can be passivated by (Mo, C) codoping at nearest-neighbor Hf and O sites of the BaHfO3 lattice, respectively. Analysis of the calculated electronic structure and optical absorption of (Mo, C) codoped BaHfO3 with reference to the H2O oxidation and reduction potentials reveals that this system is a suitable candidate for efficient splitting of water through photocatalysis in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Few evidence-based physical activity interventions for pre-school children are available. This two-armed pilot cluster randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a full-scale trial and of delivering an outdoor physical activity intervention for pre-school children. School was the unit of randomisation, and follow-up occurred at 10 and 52 weeks. Trial feasibility was assessed by recruitment, retention and completion rates of primary (daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) and secondary (anthropometric, quality of life, self-efficacy) outcomes. Potential effectiveness was assessed for the primary outcome using a linear regression model comparing MVPA between trial arms adjusting for clustering by school. Feasibility of delivering the intervention was assessed by intervention fidelity and attendance. Semi-structured interviews with parents, intervention facilitators, and head teachers explored acceptability and capability to deliver the intervention as well as acceptability of the study design. Recruitment rates were 37 % of schools (n = 10 schools) and 48 % of pre-school children (n = 164 children). Retention of children to the trial at 52 weeks was 83.5 %. Thirty-nine percent of children had valid primary outcome accelerometer data at baseline and 52 weeks. Response rates for secondary outcome measures ranged from 52 to 88 % at 10 weeks and 59 to 80 % at 52 weeks. The mean difference in daily MVPA between trial arms at 52 weeks was 0.4, 95 % CI 16.3 to 17.0; p = 0.96. Fidelity of intervention implementation was 81 %. Intervention attendance was higher (82 %) during the summer initiation phase compared to autumn/spring initiation (50 %). Parents, facilitators and head teachers found the intervention acceptable and beneficial. Recruitment and retention rates suggest a trial in this outdoor setting with this population was feasible but is weather sensitive. However, strategies to increase accelerometer wear-time would need to be implemented for reliable primary outcome data to be obtained. There was high implementation fidelity by facilitators, and the intervention was seen as acceptable and deliverable. However, attendance was low and preliminary data showed no evidence of intervention effectiveness. A revised intervention, building on the successful elements of this pilot alongside adapting implementation strategies to improve attendance, should therefore be considered. Trial registry name and number: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN54165860 . Date of registration: 4 September 2012.

BackgroundThe preschool years are considered critical for establishing healthy lifestyle behaviours such as physical activity. Levels of physical activity track through childhood into adulthood and establishing habitual physical activity early in life is therefore vital. Time spent outdoors is associated with greater physical activity and playground interventions have been shown to increase physical activity in school-aged children. There are few preschool, playground-based interventions and these have given inconclusive results. A report published by the UK’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) highlighted the need for new interventions to promote movement in the early years (0–5 years).ObjectivesThis study aimed to undertake a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an outdoor playground-based physical activity intervention for parents and their children aged from 18 months to 4 years (Preschoolers in the Playground or PiP) and to assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale cluster RCT.DesignThe study was a two-armed pilot cluster RCT with economic and qualitative evaluations. Participants were randomised on a 1 : 1 basis to the PiP intervention (n = 83) or usual practice (control;n = 81).SettingBradford, West Yorkshire, UK.ParticipantsChildren aged from 18 months to 4 years.InterventionThe PiP intervention is grounded in behavioural theory (social cognitive theory) and is in accordance with CMO guidance for physical activity in the early years. It is informed by existing literature and data collected from focus groups with parents. The intervention was delivered in primary school playgrounds. Six 30-minute PiP sessions per week were available for 30 weeks; families were encouraged to come to three a week. The 10-week initiation phase was facilitated by a member of school staff and the maintenance phase was unsupervised.Main outcome measuresRecruitment and retention of schools and families to the trial were the main outcome measures. The acceptability of trial procedures and the intervention, the feasibility of collecting health outcome data and the fidelity of the implementation of the intervention were also evaluated. A preliminary assessment of cost-effectiveness and a sample size calculation for a full trial were conducted.ResultsIn total, 37% of schools and 48% of parents approached agreed to take part. Levels of retention were good at 10 and 52 weeks’ follow-up (82.3% and 83.5% respectively). Both the trial procedures and the intervention were acceptable. However, attendance was low during the autumn and winter/spring initiation phases but somewhat better in the summer initiation phase. Attendance was poor throughout all maintenance phases. The accelerometry protocol for measuring physical activity requires modification. The fidelity of intervention implementation was good (81% adherence). The intervention was borderline cost-effective. A sample size of 600 children from 38 schools is required for a full trial.ConclusionA full RCT of the PiP intervention is feasible. The PiP intervention requires some modification, for example running the intervention during the summer term only, but was found to be acceptable to schools and families.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN54165860.FundingThis project was funded by the NIHR Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 3, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Summary Background Reconstruction of soft tissue defects of the lower third of the leg, the heel and the hind foot remains a challenge. The distally based sural artery fasciocutaneous flap has been used effectively to resurface these defects. In many instances, it has obviated the need for free tissue transfer. Objective The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of reverse sural artery fasciocutaneous flap for coverage of lower third leg, posterior heel, malleoli and hind foot. Study design This is a descriptive study, which was conducted on 84 patients who presented with soft tissue defects in the area of lower third leg, heel, malleoli and hind foot. Place and duration of study The study was conducted at department of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Federal Postgraduate Medical Institute Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, over a period of 7 years from February 1997 to February 2005. Patients and methods Over a period of 7 years, a total of 84 patients with Soft tissue defect of lower third leg, heel, malleoli and hind foot were included. Preoperative data, the age and sex of each patient, cause and site of defect, dimension of flap, transposition of pedicle (through a tunnel or laid open and covered with a skin graft), postoperative results and complications were recorded. All patients were followed up in out patients department for 6 months. Results Out of 84 patients, 54 were males and 30 females. Their ages ranged from 8 to 55 years with a mean of 31 years. Road traffic accidents was the cause of the defects in 53 patients, wheel spoke injury in 12 patients, trophic ulcer in five patients, osteomyelitis in five patients, marjolin ulcer in seven patients and diabetic ulcer in two patients. The site of 84 defects comprised 52 distal tibia; 20 tendo-Achillis and posterior heel defects; seven-malleolar region; three-anterior ankle and two-foot amputation stumps. The dimension of flap ranged from 5 to 15cm in length and 4 to 12cm in width. Postoperatively 66 flaps survived completely while marginal necrosis was seen in six patients and infection in four patients. The complete flap necrosis occurred in eight patients. There was no considerable morbidity at donor site and all patients had satisfactory functional outcome. Conclusions The distally based superficial sural artery flap is a versatile, reliable procedure, useful in reconstruction of lower third leg, heel, malleoli and hind foot defects. The surgical technique is safe, of short duration and provides alternative to microsurgical reconstruction.