Search

Introduction: The winter climate in Delhi is severe, with temperatures dropping below 10°C. As a result, individuals often resort to utilizing diverse heat sources such as electrical heating appliances, coal and gas geysers. Unfortunately, these sources are commonly associated with the emission of carbon monoxide (CO) which can accumulate in inadequately ventilated spaces. Exposure to this noxious gas can lead to acute lethargy and debilitation, leaving individuals in a state of helpless distress. Materials and Methods: The present study utilized a retrospective descriptive analysis to examine cases of fatal carbon monoxide exposure retrieved from the Department of Forensic Medicine archives at the esteemed All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Autopsy records were thoroughly examined with respect to various parameters including age, gender, seasonality of the incident, circumstances surrounding the death, source of carbon monoxide generation, post mortem observations, as well as toxicological analysis reports. Results and Discussion: This study entailed an analysis of 56 individuals who fell victim to carbon monoxide poisoning, with a staggering 95% of fatalities occurring during the winter season. The majority of the individuals affected belonged to the age bracket of 21–30 years. The most common sources of carbon monoxide exposure were linked to the use of coal-burning earthen or iron vessels for room heating, as well as structural fires. With the exception of one case, all incidents were accidental in nature. Additionally, nearly all of the victims were discovered in enclosed spaces with heating equipment in close proximity, and evidence of a struggle was noted on the crime scene or with the deceased. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the principal contributor to the inadvertent build-up of lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide gas is the utilization of heating appliances within inadequately ventilated, enclosed spaces. Due to the scentless and non-irritating properties of this gas, individuals who are asleep may be unable to detect its presence in their surroundings, thereby leading to a silent death. To mitigate such risks, the installation of carbon monoxide detectors is crucial. Additionally, it is of utmost importance to raise public awareness regarding the perils associated with using fire pots, coal burning and electrical heating appliances in areas with insufficient ventilation.

Di-Higgs couplings to fermions of the form h2f‾f are absent in the Standard Model, however, they are present in several physics Beyond Standard Model (BSM) extensions, including those with vector-like fermions. In Effective Field Theories (EFTs), such as the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) and the Higgs Effective Field Theory (HEFT), these couplings appear at dimension 6 and can in general, be flavour-violating (FV). In the present work, we employ a bottom-up approach to investigate the FV in the lepton and quarks sectors through the di-Higgs effective couplings. We assume that all FV arises from this type of couplings and assume that the Yukawa couplings Yij are given by their SM values, i.e. Yij=2miδij/v. In the lepton sector, we set upper limits on the Wilson coefficients Cll′ from l→3l′ decays, l→lγ decays, muonium oscillations, the (g−2)μ anomaly, LEP searches, muon conversion in nuclei, FV Higgs decays, and Z decays. We also make projections on some of these coefficients from Belle II, the Mu2e experiment and the LHC's High Luminosity (HL) run. In the quark sector, we set upper limits on the Wilson coefficients Cqq′ from meson oscillations and from B-physics searches. A key takeaway from this study is that current and future experiments should set out to measure the effective di-Higgs couplings Cff′, whether these couplings are FV or flavour-conserving. We also present a matching between our formalism and the SMEFT operators and show the bounds in both bases.

Abstract Background Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann’s procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA. Methods This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up. Results 564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) were higher in the HP group (P

Abstract Background Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown cause (CKDu) a disease of exclusion, and remains unexplained in various parts of the world, including India. Previous studies have reported mixed findings about the role of heavy metals or agrochemicals in CKDu. These studies compared CKDu with healthy controls but lacked subjects with CKD as controls. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis whether heavy metals, i.e. Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Chromium (Cr) are associated with CKDu, in central India. Methods The study was conducted in a case-control manner at a tertiary care hospital. CKDu cases (n = 60) were compared with CKD (n = 62) and healthy subjects (n = 54). Blood and urine levels of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometry. Pesticide use, painkillers, smoking, and alcohol addiction were also evaluated. The median blood and urine metal levels were compared among the groups by the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. Results CKDu had significantly higher pesticide and surface water usage as a source of drinking water. Blood As levels (median, IQR) were significantly higher in CKDu 91.97 (1.3–132.7) µg/L compared to CKD 4.5 (0.0–58.8) µg/L and healthy subjects 39.01 (4.8–67.4) µg/L (p .05). Urinary Cd, Pb and Cr were undetectable in healthy subjects and were significantly higher in CKDu and CKD compared to healthy subjects (P =

Abstract We provide the corrected calculation of the (g − 2) μ in non-local QED previously done in the literature. In specific, we show the proper technique for calculating loops in non-local QED and use it to find the form factors F 1(q 2) and F 2(q 2) in non-local QED. We also utilize this technique to calculate some novel results in non-local QED, including calculating the correction to the photon self-energy, the modification to the classical Coulomb potential, the modification to the energy levels of the hydrogen atom, and the contribution to the Lamb shift. We also discuss charge dequantization through non-locality, and show that the experimental bounds on the electric charge on Dirac neutrinos, translate into strong flavor-dependent bounds on the scale on non-locality that range between 105 −1010 TeV. We also discuss the inconsistencies of unrenormalized non-local Quantum Field Theories (QFTs) and the need for renormalizing them, even when they are free from UV divergences.

The National Institute of Justice reported that current methods for processing sexual assault samples have a high failure rate, with 60 to 80 percent of tested kits unable to produce usable DNA profiles. Even when samples test positive for male DNA, 34 percent of sexual assault kits (SAKs) do not yield recovered male DNA after differential extraction. Less than 30% recovery of available sperm DNA contributes to this low success rate. The SpermX™ method (SX) has been shown to recover 80 percent or more of sperm DNA from sexual assault samples. An interlaboratory evaluation compared SX to standard differential extraction (DE) protocols. Mock samples with known ratios of female epithelial cells and sperm cells were processed using both methods. Results revealed that SX consistently provided CODIS up-loadable DNA profiles, even with as few as 25 sperm cells, whereas DE failed to produce usable results. On average, SX yielded a seven-fold increase in the recovery of unshared male alleles compared to DE. In conclusion, SX outperformed DE in recovering higher quantities of male DNA with minimal female carryover in sexual assault-type samples. This improved success rate in obtaining usable DNA profiles can significantly aid in solving sexual assault cases.

Inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) aneurysms account for approximately 1% of visceral artery aneurysms and can occur secondary to high flow because of occlusive disease in other mesenteric arteries. We describe the case of a 79-year-old man who presented with a 3.3-cm IMA aneurysm and chronic total occlusions of the celiac artery and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). After an unsuccessful attempt at endovascular SMA recanalization, he underwent an uncomplicated retrograde aorta to SMA bypass and antegrade aorta to IMA bypass. We propose that an aorta to IMA bypass after SMA revascularization is safe and effective to treat suspected high-flow IMA aneurysms.

Introduction International guidelines recommend that adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) be prescribed antiplatelet, statin and antihypertensive medications. However, it is unclear how often people with PAD are underprescribed these drugs, which characteristics predict clinician underprescription of and patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications, and whether underprescription and non-adherence are associated with adverse health and health system outcomes.Methods and analysis We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews from 2006 onwards. Two investigators will independently review abstracts and full-text studies. We will include studies that enrolled adults and reported the incidence and/or prevalence of clinician underprescription of or patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications among people with PAD; adjusted risk factors for underprescription of/non-adherence to these medications; and adjusted associations between underprescription/non-adherence to these medications and outcomes. Outcomes will include mortality, major adverse cardiac and limb events (including revascularisation procedures and amputations), other reported morbidities, healthcare resource use and costs. Two investigators will independently extract data and evaluate study risk of bias. We will calculate summary estimates of the incidence and prevalence of clinician underprescription/patient non-adherence across studies. We will also conduct subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regression to determine if estimates vary by country, characteristics of the patients and treating clinicians, population-based versus non-population-based design, and study risks of bias. Finally, we will calculate pooled adjusted risk factors for underprescription/non-adherence and adjusted associations between underprescription/non-adherence and outcomes. We will use Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation to determine estimate certainty.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval is not required as we are studying published data. This systematic review will synthesise existing evidence regarding clinician underprescription of and patient non-adherence to guideline-recommended cardiovascular medications in adults with PAD. Results will be used to identify evidence-care gaps and inform where interventions may be required to improve clinician prescribing and patient adherence to prescribed medications.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022362801.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials with high photoluminescence quantum yields and fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) capabilities are highly desirable for applications in high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes. Herein, we report the synthesis as well as structural and photophysical properties of 5,9-diselena-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1-de]anthracene (SeBSe) as a narrowband-emissive TADF material. The incorporation of two selenium atoms into the boron-fused pentacyclic π-core results in a small singlet–triplet energy gap (ΔEST) and thereby significant TADF properties. Moreover, theoretical calculations revealed a noticeable spin-orbit coupling enhancement between the singlet and triplet manifolds in SeBSe by virtue of the heavy-atom effect of selenium atoms. Consequently, SeBSe allows ultrafast spin-flip RISC with the rate constant surpassing 108 s−1, which far exceeds the corresponding fluorescence radiative decay rate (∼106 s−1), enabling an ideal singlet–triplet superimposed excited state.

Abstract We propose a renormalization scheme for non-local Quantum Field Theories (QFTs) with infinite derivatives inspired by string theory. Our Non-locality Renormalization Scheme (NRS) is inspired by Dimensional Regularization (DR) in local QFTs and is shown to significantly improve the UV behavior of non-local QFTs. We illustrate the scheme using simple examples from the $$\phi ^{3}$$ ϕ 3 and $$\phi ^{4}$$ ϕ 4 theories, then we evaluate the viability of NRS-enhanced non-local QFTs to solve the hierarchy problem using a simplified toy model. We find that non-locality protects the mass of a light scalar from receiving large corrections from any UV sector to which it couples, as long as the non-locality scale $$\Lambda $$ Λ is sufficiently smaller than the scale of the UV sector. We also find that NRS eliminates any large threshold corrections from the IR sector.

Anterior abdominal wall fibromatosis is a benign soft tissue tumor that is rare, but fast-growing with minimal chances of malignant change. We report a young female with a large abdominal swelling which on evaluation was provisionally diagnosed as anterior abdominal wall fibromatosis on imaging and confirmed by histopathology. She was successfully managed with resection of the tumor with a challenging abdominal wall reconstruction with bilateral inferiorly based external oblique muscle flap followed by a mesh repair. Though rare, these tumors are difficult to miss. The importance of this case report is that it describes the methods of multimodal management of a patient with surgery, reconstruction, and adjuvant therapy leading to better patient outcomes.

Herein, we discuss the modeling of the pulsed electric field (PEF) process, with attention focused on the originally intended application of pasteurization of liquid foods. We review literature on three classes of models. First are the models for electroporation (of molecular scale), derived from physics and physical chemistry considerations, and their extension to probabilistic approaches which treat pore formation as a random process. We discuss the more recent approaches involving molecular dynamics. Then, we consider treatment-chamber and system scale models, which are based on continuum physics approaches, and rely on computational Multiphysics codes for their solution. We then discuss the base assumptions for several modeling studies. Next, we consider models for inactivation kinetics for bacteria exposed to PEF, including the first order, Hulsheger, Peleg and Weibull models. We close with discussions of other models and experimental approaches for model verification and obtaining kinetic parameters from continuous flow PEF systems.

Abstract Background Virtopsy is “a virtual alternative to the traditional autopsy, conducted with scanning and imaging technology,” mainly with the use of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT). It is still in the budding stage in India. The Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi, is the first center in the country that has established a facility for virtual autopsy. This facility aims to supplement the traditional autopsy findings and also to replace/curtail internal dissection in autopsy in the future, for which there has always been an aversion in relatives of the deceased due to emotional and religious reasons. The PMCT being a noninvasive, preservative, and objective procedure would be preferred by relatives than traditional autopsy. So, in this regard, this pilot study was conducted with the objective for comparison of PMCT vs traditional autopsy findings in fatal road traffic accidents to analyze its advantages and limitations in order to replace/augment the traditional autopsy with PMCT in the near future in road traffic accident cases. Results The authors evaluated 10 cases of road traffic accident victims. In each case, an autopsy was preceded by a PMCT examination using a 16-slice Multi-Slice CT spiral scanner. The fractures of the skull, facial bones, clavicle, scapula, and vertebra were located more precisely as compared to traditional autopsy. Interpretation of the ventricular hemorrhages of the brain is much better in PMCT. PMCT should be the investigation of choice for pneumothorax, pneumoperitoneum, pneumocephalus, and hemosiuns, while it needs further exploration to detect injuries of soft tissues as out of 14 injuries only 2 were identified by PMCT. Conclusions The procedure of whole-body PMCT followed by region-wise CT can be studied for a better PMCT acquisition to detect soft tissue injury findings more precisely. However, the PMCT in this study was able to conclude the cause of death in a more scientific way than the traditional autopsy.

Background: Poisoning is an important health hazard and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide including in India. The study was conducted to understand the magnitude, pattern, and gender differentials of all poisoning fatalities in relation to the manner of death autopsied at a tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective study of all fatal poisoning cases autopsied at the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology of a tertiary care institute in Northern India for the period 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2017 was conducted, and a profile of the victims of fatal poisoning was prepared. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study included a total of 1099 cases of fatal poisoning autopsied at the department of Forensic medicine & Toxicology. Suicidal poisoning was reported in 90.2% of cases and accidental poisoning was seen in 8.9% of cases. Males were predominantly affected (63.8%). The majority of the victims were in the 3rd decade (40.0%) of life. The age of the victims ranged from 2 to 82 years with a mean age of 38.4 years. Agrochemical compounds were implicated in 44.4% of the total fatalities. Conclusion: Males in the 2nd to 4th decades of life were more prone to self-poisoning with Agrochemical compounds in the region of North India. Accidental poisoning deaths were uncommon and poisoning was not a preferred method of homicide in this region. Our approach to the study reveals that quantitative chemical (toxicological) analysis is required to further strengthen and improve the databases of the epidemiology of poisoning in this region.

BackgroundPhysician-coded verbal autopsy (PCVA) is the most widely used method to determine causes of death (COD) in countries where medical certification of death is low. Computer-coded verbal autopsy (CCVA), an alternative method to PCVA for assigning the COD is considered to be efficient and cost-effective. However, the performance of CCVA as compared to PCVA is yet to be established in the Indian context.MethodsWe evaluated the performance of PCVA and three CCVA methods i.e., InterVA 5, InSilico, and Tariff 2.0 on verbal autopsies done using the WHO 2016 VA tool on 2,120 reference standard cases developed from five tertiary care hospitals of Delhi. PCVA methodology involved dual independent review with adjudication, where required. Metrics to assess performance were Cause Specific Mortality Fraction (CSMF), sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), CSMF Accuracy, and Kappa statistic.ResultsIn terms of the measures of the overall performance of COD assignment methods, for CSMF Accuracy, the PCVA method achieved the highest score of 0.79, followed by 0.67 for Tariff_2.0, 0.66 for Inter-VA and 0.62 for InSilicoVA. The PCVA method also achieved the highest agreement (57%) and Kappa scores (0.54). The PCVA method showed the highest sensitivity for 15 out of 20 causes of death.ConclusionOur study found that the PCVA method had the best performance out of all the four COD assignment methods that were tested in our study sample. In order to improve the performance of CCVA methods, multicentric studies with larger sample sizes need to be conducted using the WHO VA tool.

Rice production is severely hampered by the bakanae disease (Fusarium fujikuroi), formerly recognized as Fusarium moniliforme. F. moniliforme was called the F. fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) because it was later discovered that it had some separate species. The FFSC's constituents are also well recognized for producing phytohormones, which include auxins, cytokinin, and gibberellins (GAs). The normal symptoms of bakanae disease in rice are exacerbated by GAs. The members of the FFSC are responsible for the production of fumonisin (FUM), fusarins, fusaric acid, moniliformin, and beauvericin. These are harmful to both human and animal health. This disease is common around the world and causes significant yield losses. Numerous secondary metabolites, including the plant hormone gibberellin, which causes classic bakanae symptoms, are produced by F. fujikuroi. The strategies for managing bakanae, including the utilization of host resistance, chemical compounds, biocontrol agents, natural goods, and physical approaches, have been reviewed in this study. Bakanae disease is still not entirely preventable, despite the adoption of many different tactics that have been used to manage it. The benefits and drawbacks of these diverse approaches are discussed by the authors. The mechanisms of action of the main fungicides as well as the strategies for resistance to them are outlined. The information compiled in this study will contribute to a better understanding of the bakanae disease and the development of a more effective management plan for it.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) have piqued the interest of agricultural researchers due to their potential application as fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. The Serratia sp. ZTB29 strain, which has the NCBI accession number MK773873, was a novel isolate used in this investigation that produced CuO-NPs. This strain can survive concentrations of copper as high as 22.5 mM and can also remove copper by synthesizing pure CuO-NPs. UV-VIS spectroscopy, DLS, Zeta potential, FTIR, TEM, and XRD techniques were used to investigate the pure form of CuO-NPs. The synthesized CuO-NPs were crystalline in nature (average size of 22 nm) with a monoclinic phase according to the XRD pattern. CuO-NPs were found to be polydisperse, spherical, and agglomeration-free. According to TEM and DLS inspection, they ranged in size from 20 to 40 nm, with a typical particle size of 28 nm. CuO-NPs were extremely stable, as demonstrated by their zeta potential of −15.4 mV. The ester (C=O), carboxyl (C=O), amine (NH), thiol (S-H), hydroxyl (OH), alkyne (C-H), and aromatic amine (C-N) groups from bacterial secretion were primarily responsible for reduction and stabilization of CuO-NPs revealed in an FTIR analysis. CuO-NPs at concentrations of 50 μg mL−1 and 200 μg mL−1 displayed antibacterial and antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas sp. and pathogenic fungus Alternaria sp., respectively. The results of this investigation support the claims that CuO-NPs can be used as an efficient antimicrobial agent and nano-fertilizer, since, compared to the control and higher concentrations of CuO-NPs (100 mg L−1) considerably improved the growth characteristics of maize plants.

PurposeTo determine the factors influencing the dietary habits of the varied groups among adults in India.Design/approachData on food habits such as choice of diet, preference toward meat, spicy food, sugar/calorie etc., were collected from the participants (from several higher education institutions) of different training programmes and events organised at ICAR-NAARM, Hyderabad and its students of Post Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness Management.FindingsResults of the study indicated that the food choice of the respondents is highly influenced by their region, age and gender. Most of the respondents preferred vegetarian food with increasing age. We also noticed that as age of the respondents increased, their preference toward simple & plain food (with less oil/spice) also increased. From the present investigation, it is recommended that the customized food menu should be prepared in every food serving institution based on the region, age and gender of the consumer.NoveltyAnalysis of dietary patterns can be helpful for doctors, dieticians, food policy-making, restaurateurs, youth hostels, food organisations, mega kitchens etc. that would also contribute to responsible food consumption.

Ascochyta blight (AB) is a major biotic constraint to chickpea production internationally. The disease caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Ascochyta rabiei is highly favored by prolonged spells of low temperature and high humidity. The disease scenario is expected to aggravate in the near future as a result of rapidly changing climatic conditions and the emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogen strains. Tapping into host–plant resistance is the most logical way to preempt such a crisis. Presently, high levels of stable resistance against AB are yet to be identified from the chickpea gene pool. The present study was aimed at facilitating this process through multi-environment testing of chickpea genotypes. Using the GGE biplot analysis method, we could identify three genotypes, viz., ICCV 16508, ICCV 16513, and ICCV 16516, from the International Ascochyta Blight Nursery, which showed consistent moderate resistance reactions across all the tested environments. Moreover, we were able to evaluate the test locations for their suitability to support AB screening trials. Ludhiana and Palampur locations were identified as the most ideal for continual screening in the future. Controlled environment screening at the ICRISAT location offered to reduce large plant populations to small meaningful sizes through initial screening under controlled environment conditions. This study will further improve the scope of phenotyping and sources of stable resistance to be utilized in future AB resistance breeding programs.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) comprise impairment of multiple cognitive domains and cause significant morbidity. International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) is a quite sensitive and specific method for screening for HAND, and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), though nonspecific, contains more parameters for screening for neurocognition. Hence, we compared 3MS and IHDS as screening tools for HAND with an aim to find out which was a better screening tool for HAND. Methods: Using 3MS and IHDS, we assessed the cognitive status of 200 HIV-positive patients (65% males) and 84 controls, presenting to the Department of Medicine, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India from September 2015 to September 2019. Results: According to 3MS, 42 (21%) HIV-positive patients were neurocognitively impaired (mean 76.24 ± 1.51), and 158 (79%) patients were not (mean 87.02 ± 4.16). As per IHDS, 185 (92.5%) HIV patients were neurocognitively impaired (mean 8.45 ± 0.88), and 15 (7.5%) patients were not (mean 11.13 ± 0.35). The mean 3MS score of controls was 87.56 ± 4.26, and the IHDS score was 9.73 ± 1.00. According to Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), moderate depression occurred in only 3.5% of the patients, and the rest had only minimal or mild depression. In IHDS, psychomotor speed was the most affected parameter, whereas in 3MS, similarities were the most affected. Conclusion: IHDS may be over diagnosing neurocognitive impairment in HIV patients due to difficulty in understanding the test, especially psychomotor speed testing. 3MS may be more accurate for detecting neurocognitive impairment in HIV patients, and scale combining both these methods may be a still better choice.

The COVID-19 associated opportunistic fungal infections have posed major challenges in recent times. Global scientific efforts have identified several SARS-CoV2 host-pathogen interactions in a very short time span. However, information about the molecular basis of COVID-19 associated opportunistic fungal infections is not readily available. Previous studies have identified a number of host targets involved in these opportunistic fungal infections showing association with COVID-19 patients. We screened host targets involved in COVID-19-associated opportunistic fungal infections, in addition to host-pathogen interaction data of SARS-CoV2 from well-known and widely used biological databases. Venn diagram was prepared to screen common host targets involved in studied COVID-19-associated fungal infections. Moreover, an interaction network of studied disease targets was prepared with STRING to identify important targets on the basis of network biological parameters. The host-pathogen interaction (HPI) map of SARS-CoV2 was also prepared and screened to identify interactions of the virus with targets involved in studied fungal infections. Pathway enrichment analysis of host targets involved in studied opportunistic fungal infections and the subset of those involved in SARS-CoV2 HPI were performed separately. This data-based analysis screened six common targets involved in all studied fungal infections, among which CARD9 and CYP51A1 were involved in host-pathogen interactions with SARS-CoV2. Moreover, several signaling pathways such as integrin signaling were screened, which were associated with disease targets involved in SARS-CoV2 HPI. The results of this study indicate several host targets deserving detailed investigation to develop strategies for the management of SARS-CoV2-associated fungal infections.

Introduction: Covid-19 is an unprecedented challenge in our times leaving a trail of destruction and mayhem affecting almost all of us during the last 2 years. Various data sources are available around the globe to measure its impact using various yardsticks. Material and Methods: By carefully looking at data available at the website maintained by Government of India, we can draw some useful conclusions. Results: There is a dip in the number of online registrations at our hospital coinciding with second wave and resultant lockdown. Conclusion: Tracing digital footprints of an event as huge as the Covid pandemic may help us for future planning when we learn its lessons well.

Introduction: The purpose is to report on the fourth set of recommendations developed by SPINE20 to advocate for evidence-based spine care globally under the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future WITHOUT Spine DISABILITY”. Research question: Not applicable. Material and methods: Recommendations were developed and refined through two modified Delphi processes with international, multi-professional panels. Results: Seven recommendations were delivered to the G20 countries calling them to: - establish, prioritize and implement accessible National Spine Care Programs to improve spine care and health outcomes. - eliminate structural barriers to accessing timely rehabilitation for spinal disorders to reduce poverty. - implement cost-effective, evidence-based practice for digital transformation in spine care, to deliver self-management and prevention, evaluate practice and measure outcomes. - monitor and reduce safety lapses in primary care including missed diagnoses of serious spine pathologies and risk factors for spinal disability and chronicity. - develop, implement and evaluate standardization processes for spine care delivery systems tailored to individual and population health needs. - ensure accessible and affordable quality care to persons with spine disorders, injuries and related disabilities throughout the lifespan. - promote and facilitate healthy lifestyle choices (including physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation) to improve spine wellness and health. Discussion and conclusion: SPINE20 proposes that focusing on the recommendations would facilitate equitable access to health systems, affordable spine care delivered by a competent healthcare workforce, and education of persons with spine disorders, which will contribute to reducing spine disability, associated poverty, and increase productivity of the G20 nations.

A huge number of plant-derived essential oils (EOs) are reported to have lots of ethnomedicinal and biological properties with excellent antibacterial activities. Approximately three hundred EOs (ajowan, anise, basil, camphor, chamomile, clove, citronella, coriander, cumin, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, thyme oils, etc.) are documented under economic class based on commercial and pharmaceutical values. However, most active crude EOs and their constituents like carvacrol, eugenol, geraniol, linalool, thymol, 1,8-cineole, etc. are not found in mainstream drug development modules due to their low solubility, poor bioavailability, and rapid volatility profiles, which reduce their potency, half-life, and pharmacokinetics to achieve the ideal drug-ability profiles. To improve the mainstream use of EOs via nanotechnology, we first gathered more information on plant sources, extraction methods, antibacterial potency with mode of action, and the economic importance of EOs. Further, various nanotechnology platforms, such as nanocarriers, nanoemulsions, liposomes, and cyclodextrins with chemical structure conjugation concept with relevant examples were described. Technically, through optimization in particle size and morphology via a nanotechnology platform, EOs enhance the potency without losing any sensitive properties, easily penetrate and cross the bacterial cell membrane, protect from rapid volatility by coating biocompatible materials, improve the aqueous solubility, improve bioavailability, ensure sustainable release, etc. We hope that the detailed analyses of EOs and nanotechnology platforms will encourage academic and pharmaceutical researchers to use antibacterials by overcoming inadequate drug-ability profiles as potent agents in drugs, food, nutrition, beverages, packaging, and coating materials.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been reported to be associated with intestinal inflammation and gut dysbiosis. To elucidate the underlying biology of MS-linked gut inflammation, we investigated gut infiltration of immune cells during the development of spontaneous experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in humanized transgenic (Tg) mice expressing HLA-DR2a and human T cell receptor (TCR) specific for myelin basic protein peptide (MBP87-99)/HLA-DR2a complexes. Strikingly, we noted the simultaneous development of EAE and colitis, suggesting a link between autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and intestinal inflammation. Examination of the colon in these mice revealed the infiltration of MBP-specific Th17 cells as well as recruitment of neutrophils. Furthermore, we observed that fecal Lipocalin-2 (Lcn-2), a biomarker of intestinal inflammation, was significantly elevated and predominantly produced by the gut-infiltrating neutrophils. We then extended our findings to MS patients and demonstrate that their fecal Lcn-2 levels are significantly elevated compared to healthy donors (HDs). The elevation of fecal Lcn-2 levels correlated with reduced bacterial diversity and increased levels of other intestinal inflammation markers including neutrophil elastase and calprotectin. Of interest, bacteria thought to be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Anaerobutyricum, Blautia, and Roseburia, were reduced in fecal Lcn-2-high MS patients. We also observed a decreasing trend in serum acetate (a short-chain fatty acid) levels in MS Lcn-2-high patients compared to HDs. Furthermore, a decrease in the relative abundance of Blautia massiliensis was significantly associated with a reduction of acetate in the serum of MS patients. This study suggests that gut infiltration of Th17 cells and recruitment of neutrophils are associated with the development of gut dysbiosis and intestinal inflammation, and that fecal Lcn-2 level is a sensitive biological indicator for gut dysbiosis in multiple sclerosis.

Mobile communication has been one of the prime disruptors of the modern times. Since the 1980s, the world has witnessed new generation of mobile communication technologies every decade. Each new incoming generation is better than the previous one in several ways. The recently arrived fifth generation (5G) has several advanced features when compared with its predecessor. However, it is clear that there will be several shortcomings in this generation when compared with the other advanced contemporary information and communication technologies (ICTs). These shortcomings of 5G are going to be the main motivation for the next new mobile generation. According to the existing trends in ICTs, the new incoming version will be known as the Sixth Generation of Mobile Communication (6G). In this article, we show the main driving forces behind 6G, its expected features and key enabling technologies. The market potentials and disrupting features have also been discussed.s supported by these approaches. In this work we present a review of solutions for PMS challenging instances

Plant growth performance under a stressful environment, notably in the agriculture field, is directly correlated with the rapid growth of the human population, which triggers the pressure on crop productivity. Plants perceived many stresses owing to degraded land, which induces low plant productivity and, therefore, becomes a foremost concern for the future to face a situation of food scarcity. Land degradation is a very notable environmental issue at the local, regional, and global levels for agriculture. Land degradation generates global problems such as drought desertification, heavy metal contamination, and soil salinity, which pose challenges to achieving many UN Sustainable Development goals. The plant itself has a varied algorithm for the mitigation of stresses arising due to degraded land; the rhizospheric system of the plant has diverse modes and efficient mechanisms to cope with stress by numerous root-associated microbes. The suitable root-associated microbes and components of root exudate interplay against stress and build adaptation against stress-mediated mechanisms. The problem of iron-deficient soil is rising owing to increasing degraded land across the globe, which hampers plant growth productivity. Therefore, in the context to tackle these issues, the present review aims to identify plant-stress status owing to iron-deficient soil and its probable eco-friendly solution. Siderophores are well-recognized iron-chelating agents produced by numerous microbes and are associated with the rhizosphere. These siderophore-producing microbes are eco-friendly and sustainable agents, which may be managing plant stresses in the degraded land. The review also focuses on the molecular mechanisms of siderophores and their chemistry, cross-talk between plant root and siderophores-producing microbes to combat plant stress, and the utilization of siderophores in plant growth on degraded land.

The breaking silence between the plant roots and microorganisms in the rhizosphere affects plant growth and physiology by impacting biochemical, molecular, nutritional, and edaphic factors. The components of the root exudates are associated with the microbial population, notably, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The information accessible to date demonstrates that PGPR is specific to the plant's roots. However, inadequate information is accessible for developing bio-inoculation/bio-fertilizers for the crop in concern, with satisfactory results at the field level. There is a need to explore the perfect candidate PGPR to meet the need for plant growth and yield. The functions of PGPR and their chemotaxis mobility toward the plant root are triggered by the cluster of genes induced by the components of root exudates. Some reports have indicated the benefit of root exudates in plant growth and productivity, yet a methodical examination of rhizosecretion and its consequences in phytoremediation have not been made. In the light of the afore-mentioned facts, in the present review, the mechanistic insight and recent updates on the specific PGPR recruitment to improve crop production at the field level are methodically addressed.

Abstract Background Recent advances in the diversified anti-diabetic drugs have appeared in the startling increase in the count of poisoning cases. The epidemics of diabetes mellitus are increasing; hence, the no. of anti-diabetic drug users raised by 42.9%. The use of glimepiride raised to 24%. As the toxicity and drug cases are also escalating with increasing epidemics of diabetes mellitus, a novel gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for detecting glimepiride in biological matrices is developed. Results Liquid-liquid extraction method was employed by using 1-butanol: hexane (50:50, v/v) under an alkaline medium, and then back extraction was done via acetic acid. Distinct derivatization techniques were employed for the sample preparation for GC-MS analysis, i.e., silylation and acylation. Derivatization approaches were optimized under different parameters, i.e., reaction temperature and reaction time. N-Methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide [MSTFA] was found to be the best sound derivatization reagent for the GC-MS analysis of glimepiride. Total ion current (TIC) mode was selected for the monitoring of ions of trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivative of glimepiride with an m/z ratio of 256. Distinct parameters like specificity, carryover, stability, precision, and accuracy were evaluated for validating the identification method. The GC-MS method is found to be linear and illustrated within the range 500 to 2500 ng/ml with the value of R 2 (coefficient of determination) at 0.9924. The stability of the extracted and derivatized glimepiride was accessed with regard to processed/extracted sample conditions and autosampler conditions, respectively. Accuracy at each concentration level was within the + 15% of the nominal concentration. Precision (%) for the interday and intraday analysis was found to be in the respectable spectrum. Conclusion Henceforth, the proposed GC-MS method can be employed for the determination of glimepiride in biological matrices.

Introduction Overuse of cardiovascular healthcare services, defined as the provision of low-value (ineffective, harmful, cost-ineffective) tests, medications and procedures, may be common and associated with increased patient harm and health system inefficiencies and costs. We seek to systematically review the evidence for overuse of different cardiovascular healthcare services in high-income countries.Methods and analysis We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews from 2010 onwards. Two investigators will independently review titles and abstracts and full-text studies. We will include published English-language studies conducted in high-income countries that enrolled adults (mean/median age ≥18 years) and reported the incidence or prevalence of overuse of cardiovascular tests, medications or procedures; adjusted risk factors for overuse; or adjusted associations between overuse and outcomes (reported estimates of morbidity, mortality, costs or lengths of hospital stay). Acceptable methods of defining low-value care will include literature review and multidisciplinary iterative panel processes, healthcare services with reproducible evidence of a lack of benefit or harm, or clinical practice guideline or Choosing Wisely recommendations. Two investigators will independently extract data and evaluate study risk of bias in duplicate. We will calculate summary estimates of the incidence and prevalence of overuse of different cardiovascular healthcare services across studies unstratified and stratified by country; method of defining low-value care; the percentage of included females, different races, and those with low and high socioeconomic status or cardiovascular risk; and study risks of bias using random-effects models. We will also calculate pooled estimates of adjusted risk factors for overuse and adjusted associations between overuse and outcomes overall and stratified by country using random-effects models. We will use the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation to determine certainty in estimates.Ethics and dissemination No ethics approval is required for this study as it deals with published data. Results will be presented at meetings and published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021257490.

Internet of things (IoT) has become a pervasive technology with ubiquitous presence in the modern digital ecosystem. Several types of IoT are available in the recent years based on their features and applications. Narrowband IoT (NBIoT) is one of the 3GPP standardized solutions for massive machine type communications (mMTC). It is designed for the large scale mMTC to provide coverage over a large area. Therefore, NBIoT is one of the most attractive low power wide area (LPWA) technologies. It is preferred for the large scale deployments in the large projects such as smart farming, healthcare, smart cities and smart grids. However, it is also suitable for low power domestic applications such as smart home and pets’ tracking. The LPWA features of NBIoT make it the primary choice for several emerging applications such as healthcare, agriculture, utility management, tracking of objects, smart city monitoring, retail management, smart grid monitoring, and industry applications. In this article we provide the principles and applications of NBIoT for the large scale deployments.

This research aims to find out whether the 1, 2, 4-triazine and its derivatives have antifungal effects and can protect humans from infection with Candida albicans. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation are widely used in modern drug design to target a particular protein with a ligand. We are interested in using molecular docking and molecular dynamics modeling to investigate the interaction between the derivatives of 1, 2, 4-triazine with enzyme Lanosterol 14-demethylase (CYP51) of Candida albicans. The inhibition of Candida albicans CYP51 is the main goal of our research. The 1, 2, 4-triazine and its derivatives have been docked to the CYP51 enzyme, which is involved in Candida albicans Multidrug Drug Resistance (MDR). Autodock tools were used to identify the binding affinities of molecules against the target proteins. Compared to conventional fluconazole, the molecular docking results indicated that each drug has a high binding affinity for CYP51 proteins and forms unbound interactions and hydrogen bonds with their active residues and surrounding allosteric residues. The docking contacts were made using a 10 ns MD simulation with nine molecules. RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonds, and the Rg all confirm these conclusions. In addition, these compounds were expected to have a favorable pharmacological profile and low toxicity. The compounds are being offered as scaffolds for the development of new antifungal drugs and as candidates for future in vitro testing.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of strain elastography (SE) in reclassification of indeterminate breast lesions placed under BIRADS 3 and 4 categories by conventional ultrasound (US) parameters so as to recourse biopsy only for suspicious stiffer lesions. Methods: 113 breast lesions in 100 women assigned as BIRADS category 3 and 4 on US parameters were prospectively evaluated by SE followed by histo-pathological examination. Strain ratio (SR) and Elastography Score (ES) were determined for each lesion. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each modality and diagnostic performance were compared. The best cut-off point was calculated for each of the elastography parameter using the receiver operator curve analysis (ROC). Results: Out of the 113 lesions, 40 were malignant (35.4’) and 73 were benign (64.6’). A statistically significant difference was observed in the AUC for ES and conventional US: 0.98 vs 0.90 (Difference = 0.08, P = 0.02). Elastography parameters were more specific as compared to US (ES-94.5 & SR-93.2’ vs 63’, P < 0.05) with high NPV. SE performed better in BIRADS 4 category lesions. On the basis of elastography parameters, 85’ of BIRADS 4 category lesions were correctly predicted as benign with overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of elastography being 97’, 84.6’ and 91.9’. Among BIRADS 3 category lesions, 97’ were correctly predicted as benign and 50’ lesions were correctly predicted as malignant with a sensitivity of 50’, specificity of 97.8’ and diagnostic accuracy of 94’. Conclusion: Strain elastography is a useful adjunct to conventional ultrasonography for the assessment of indeterminate breast lesions and may help in avoiding unnecessary follow ups and biopsies. Elastography score is a better parameter as compared to strain ratio.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common peripheral nerve entrapment neuropathy caused due to compression of the median nerve at the level of the wrist joint. Bifid median nerve associated with a persistent median artery is a rare entity and in itself asymptomatic anatomical variant. However, distension of the persistent median artery due to a thrombus can be symptomatic due to compression on the median nerve and can compromise the blood flow to the palm. We report a case of persistent median artery thrombosis in a young female patient who presented with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed on the ultrasonography and confirmed on the MRI with subsequent improvement post anticoagulation therapy.

Abstract Background The glyoxalase pathway is evolutionarily conserved and involved in the glutathione-dependent detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG), a cytotoxic by-product of glycolysis. It acts via two metallo-enzymes, glyoxalase I (GLYI) and glyoxalase II (GLYII), to convert MG into D-lactate, which is further metabolized to pyruvate by D-lactate dehydrogenases (D-LDH). Since D-lactate formation occurs solely by the action of glyoxalase enzymes, its metabolism may be considered as the ultimate step of MG detoxification. By maintaining steady state levels of MG and other reactive dicarbonyl compounds, the glyoxalase pathway serves as an important line of defence against glycation and oxidative stress in living organisms. Therefore, considering the general role of glyoxalases in stress adaptation and the ability of Sorghum bicolor to withstand prolonged drought, the sorghum glyoxalase pathway warrants an in-depth investigation with regard to the presence, regulation and distribution of glyoxalase and D-LDH genes. Result Through this study, we have identified 15 GLYI and 6 GLYII genes in sorghum. In addition, 4 D-LDH genes were also identified, forming the first ever report on genome-wide identification of any plant D-LDH family. Our in silico analysis indicates homology of putatively active SbGLYI, SbGLYII and SbDLDH proteins to several functionally characterised glyoxalases and D-LDHs from Arabidopsis and rice. Further, these three gene families exhibit development and tissue-specific variations in their expression patterns. Importantly, we could predict the distribution of putatively active SbGLYI, SbGLYII and SbDLDH proteins in at least four different sub-cellular compartments namely, cytoplasm, chloroplast, nucleus and mitochondria. Most of the members of the sorghum glyoxalase and D-LDH gene families are indeed found to be highly stress responsive. Conclusion This study emphasizes the role of glyoxalases as well as that of D-LDH in the complete detoxification of MG in sorghum. In particular, we propose that D-LDH which metabolizes the specific end product of glyoxalases pathway is essential for complete MG detoxification. By proposing a cellular model for detoxification of MG via glyoxalase pathway in sorghum, we suggest that different sub-cellular organelles are actively involved in MG metabolism in plants.

In this era, grand challenges lies in biodiversity loss, climate change, and global noncommunicable diseases signify that planet and humanity are in crisis. Scholarly evidence from human and animal kingdom suggest that there is an optimism in planetary health which can provide a unique and novel concept where efforts toward survival and remediation can be made. With accurate navigation, the current challenges can be mitigated leading to a new reality, one in which the core value is the well-being of all. This paper discusses the drivers of planetary health and the role of community health workers (CHWs) in making health-care system more resilient that can produce multiple benefits to community and overall planetary health. A web-based international database such as Google, Google Scholar, SCOPUS/MEDLINE/PubMed, and JSTOR was searched relevant to a planetary health framework. The study findings suggest that CHWs can offer health care interventions through environmental health cobenefits across the spectrum of health effects of climate change cause and effects. These actions have been divided into four major categories (i. health care promotion and prevention, ii. health care strengthening, iii. advocacy, and iv. education and research) that CHWs perform through a variety of roles and functions they are engaged in protecting planetary health. CHWs contribute toward achieving sustainable development goals such as planetary health and focus on environment sustainability and well-being of entire mankind.

Injuries to zone III of the carotid artery, located between the angle of the mandible and the skull base, are uncommon, associated with a high risk of adverse neurologic events and mortality, and challenging to treat. These lesions are difficult to access and treat surgically due to their anatomic location. Therefore, endovascular and hybrid open and endovascular techniques have emerged as a minimally invasive, and in many cases, safer and more effective alternative to open surgery. Endovascular techniques for use in this anatomical region include balloon catheter tamponade, embolization, balloon angioplasty, and endovascular stenting. Selection of the most appropriate treatment strategy is dependent on the: 1) concomitant injuries of the patient, 2) location (external versus internal carotid artery) and nature (intimal tear, dissection, pseudoaneurysm, transection, occlusion, or arteriovenous fistula) of the injury, and 3) whether the operating surgeon believes it is necessary to revascularize or sacrifice the injured carotid artery. The purpose of this article is to review the present endovascular and hybrid open and endovascular therapies available for zone III penetrating and blunt carotid trauma. We begin by describing the clinical presentation and diagnosis of these injuries and then discuss management of an undifferentiated zone III vascular injury. This is followed by a discussion of the management of zone III external and then internal carotid artery injuries. We conclude by describing postoperative management, follow up, and future directions.

Global issues such as soil deterioration, pollution, and soil productivity loss induced by industrialization and intensive agriculture pose a serious danger to agricultural production and sustainability. Numerous technical breakthroughs have been applied to clean up soil or boost the output of damaged soils, but they have failed to restore or improve soil health to desired levels owing to expense, impossibility in a practical setting, or, to a lesser extent, high labor consumption. Recent nanotechnology advancements promise to improve soil quality indicators and crop yields while ensuring environmental sustainability. As previously discovered, the inclusion of nanomaterials (NMs) in soils could manipulate rhizospheric microbes or agriculturally important microbes and improve their functionality, facilitating the availability of nutrients to plants and improving root systems and crop growth in general, opening a new window for soil health improvement. A viewpoint on the difficulties and long-term outcomes of applying NMs to soils is provided, along with detailed statistics on how nanotechnology can improve soil health and crop productivity. Thus, evaluating nanotechnology may be valuable in gaining insights into the practical use of NMs for soil health enhancement.

This paper presents analysis and experiment on simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature using pair of etched and un-etched fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fabricated in a single mode glass optical fiber. The intrinsic sensitivity for strain and temperature of FBG explicitly depends on the clad diameter. The mechanical properties of glass optical fiber such as Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio change with cladding diameter. This in turn will change the strain optic coefficient and thermal expansion coefficient of the optical fiber. Analytically, it is shown that the change in refractive index, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and thermal expansion coefficient was 0.04, 58.2 GPa, 0.29 and 0.99 × 10−6/°C respectively as the cladding diameter was decreased from 125 µm to 11 µm. The results obtained for strain and temperature sensitivity from the analysis are verified with experimental results. Experimentally, as the fiber clad diameter is reduced from 125 µm to 25 µm via hydrofluoric (HF) etching, the average strain sensitivity increases from 1.06 pm/µɛ to 1.20 pm/µɛ for the maximum applied strain of around 5500 µɛ and also the average temperature sensitivity increases from 11.48 pm/°C to 11.80 pm/°C for the maximum applied temperature of 150 °C. The temperature and strain can be measured simultaneously with high accuracy by using these sensitivity coefficients for two gratings.