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Abstract Background Kerala has a history of achievements in health through acting on the distal social determinants, but certain communities like tribals were pushed back from the stream of social development and health achievements. Subsequently, the lifestyle and the poor living conditions of tribes make them more prone to several diseases including skin diseases. However, neither the burden nor the situation of the same in the tribal population in several parts including Kerala is seldom assessed. Main body The lack of awareness about the symptoms, complications, and management options as a part of the social backwardness has led to the concentration of certain diseases like Leprosy among the tribal community. In addition, the tribal population is under the threat of infectious diseases of public health significance like Leishmaniasis (CL). The tribal population owing to ignorance neglects the skin lesions or uses their local remedies. Tribes might have been using many local remedies for their issues, but the emerging skin diseases may not be amenable to local remedies and often impose significant public health concerns. Developing and maintaining an effectively functioning health system in these difficult-to-reach terrains is also a challenge. The pattern of skin diseases among tribals residing in environmentally sensitive localities is an indicator for the need for more social, economic and geospatial inclusion. Skin lesions of the tribal population should be kept under active surveillance activities through the integrated health information platform (IHIP) and it should follow a vigilant public health response if there are clusterings. A dedicated evidence-based system should be developed to diagnose and treat skin diseases of tribal people residing away from the availability of specialist care using local resources and community-level workers. Conclusion The rampant skin diseases among tribals are the product of their unacceptable socio-economic status and living conditions. It could only improve through interventions focusing on social determinants of health. Improvements in the living conditions of tribals are sustainable long-term solutions, but such solutions should be coupled with medium-term and short-term strategies.

Bacterial antagonist, Bacillus spp. cultures were isolated from different places of Kuttanad region. Three effective endophytic Bacillus strains viz., B 15, B 17 and B 33 were tested in the separate field experiments against sheath blight and bacterial blight diseases of rice during Kharif 2017, Rabi 2018-19, Kharif 2019 and Kharif 2020. In the field study, the Bacillus cultures were treated as standard bioagent application methods of seed (10 g/kg), soil (1 kg/acre) and foliar (20 g/litre of water) spraying against the major diseases in rice. The rice associated native Bacillus cultures B 15, B 17 and B 33 were found equally effective for the sheath blight and bacterial blight diseases management. All the three native Bacillus species can be used as potential biopesticides against rice sheath blight and bacterial diseases in Kuttanad region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various codal provisions for predicting the net section capacity of channels are compared with experimental results available in literature. Based on the experimental results and finite element simulations some key parameters have been identified and parametric studies are conducted. Using the above results two forms of equations for prediction of net section capacity of channel sections have been proposed and it is found to predict the capacity with very good accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the numerical simulation of the behavior of steel-foamed concrete composite wall panels under axial loading using finite element analysis (FEA). The study compares the load-deformation, tensile cracking, compressive crushing behaviors, stress-strain and the capacity of the wall panels obtained from FEA with that of experimental data. It examined the potential of FE model to predict stiffness and failure load of the wall panels.

A key open question in the study of layered superconducting nickelate films is the role that hydrogen incorporation into the lattice plays in the appearance of the superconducting state. Due to the challenges of stabilizing highly crystalline square planar nickelate films, films are prepared by the deposition of a more stable parent compound which is then transformed into the target phase via a topotactic reaction with a strongly reducing agent such as CaH 2 . Recent studies, both experimental and theoretical, have introduced the possibility that the incorporation of hydrogen from the reducing agent into the nickelate lattice may be critical for the superconductivity. In this work, we use secondary ion mass spectrometry to examine superconducting La 1-x X x NiO 2 / SrTiO 3 (X = Ca and Sr) and Nd 6 Ni 5 O 12 / NdGaO 3 films, along with non-superconducting NdNiO 2 / SrTiO 3 and (Nd,Sr)NiO 2 / SrTiO 3 . We find no evidence for extensive hydrogen incorporation across a broad range of samples, including both superconducting and non-superconducting films. Theoretical calculations indicate that hydrogen incorporation is broadly energetically unfavorable in these systems, supporting our conclusion that extensive hydrogen incorporation is not generally required to achieve a superconducting state in layered square-planar nickelates., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Introduction: Arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (aTOS) is the least common among the 3 subtypes of thoracic outlet syndrome and can be the cause of posterior circulation infarction due to thrombus from a secondary thrombosed subclavian-axillary artery aneurysm., Case Report: Here, we report a case of a 51-year-old man who presented to our institute with sudden onset vertigo, dizziness, vomiting, gait imbalance, and visual field defects immediately after strenuous exercise. Computed tomography angiography revealed bilateral cervical ribs with aneurysmal dilatation of the left distal subclavian and proximal axillary arteries. The computed tomography also revealed subacute infarcts in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, as well as in the bilateral occipital lobes. Color Doppler evaluation of the subclavian artery after hyperabduction of the ipsilateral arm revealed a continuous reversal of flow in the subclavian artery, which reached the vertebral ostia. The left cervical rib was resected, aneurysm was repaired, and the patient remained asymptomatic on follow-up., Conclusion: Posterior circulation stroke caused by the ipsilateral thrombosed subclavian artery aneurysm in an adult patient with aTOS due to a complete cervical rib is rare. A high index of suspicion should be present for thoracic outlet syndrome in patients with stroke and upper-limb arterial claudication symptoms. Dynamic Doppler evaluation in such patients can be used to demonstrate the underlying pathomechanism, and definitive surgical treatment can prevent further ischemic episodes. Posterior circulation stroke caused by partially thrombosed distal subclavian and axillary artery aneurysms due to aTOS is rare., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Vapor-pressure mismatched materials such as transition metal chalcogenides have emerged as electronic, photonic, and quantum materials with scientific and technological importance. However, epitaxial growth of vapor-pressure mismatched materials are challenging due to differences in the reactivity, sticking coefficient, and surface adatom mobility of the mismatched species constituting the material, especially sulfur containing compounds. Here, a novel approach is reported to grow chalcogenides-hybrid pulsed laser deposition-wherein an organosulfur precursor is used as a sulfur source in conjunction with pulsed laser deposition to regulate the stoichiometry of the deposited films. Epitaxial or textured thin films of sulfides with variety of structure and chemistry such as alkaline metal chalcogenides, main group chalcogenides, transition metal chalcogenides, and chalcogenide perovskites are demonstrated, and structural characterization reveal improvement in thin film crystallinity, and surface and interface roughness compared to the state-of-the-art. The growth method can be broadened to other vapor-pressure mismatched chalcogenides such as selenides and tellurides. This work opens up opportunities for broader epitaxial growth of chalcogenides, especially sulfide-based thin film technological applications., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

As one of the most fundamental physical phenomena, charge density wave (CDW) order predominantly occurs in metallic systems such as quasi-1D metals, doped cuprates, and transition metal dichalcogenides, where it is well understood in terms of Fermi surface nesting and electron-phonon coupling mechanisms. On the other hand, CDW phenomena in semiconducting systems, particularly at the low carrier concentration limit, are less common and feature intricate characteristics, which often necessitate the exploration of novel mechanisms, such as electron-hole coupling or Mott physics, to explain. In this study, an approach combining electrical transport, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and density-functional theory calculations is used to investigate CDW order and a series of hysteretic phase transitions in a dilute d-band semiconductor, BaTiS 3 . These experimental and theoretical findings suggest that the observed CDW order and phase transitions in BaTiS 3 may be attributed to both electron-phonon coupling and non-negligible electron-electron interactions in the system. This work highlights BaTiS 3 as a unique platform to explore CDW physics and novel electronic phases in the dilute filling limit and opens new opportunities for developing novel electronic devices., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: The study aimed to explore longitudinal cognitive outcomes and to ascertain predictors of conversion to dementia in a hospital-based mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cohort classified according to the neuropsychological phenotype at baseline., Materials and Methods: Subjects aged >55 years who had a clinical diagnosis of MCI at initial visit between 2010 and 2018, with at least one formal neuropsychological assessment at baseline and follow-up of a minimum of 2 years were included. The prospective study was completed based on evaluation at last follow-up to gauge conversion to dementia, quantification of performance on activities of daily living and when available, longitudinal neuropsychological test scores., Results: Ninety-five patients with MCI met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 68.4 ± 6.4 years at baseline and a mean duration of follow-up for 6.4 ± 3.2 years. The cumulative conversion rate to dementia was 22.2% (21/95) and the annualized conversion rate was 3.3% per year of follow-up. The majority of subjects who had converted had multidomain MCI (66%). Only white matter changes on MRI brain revealed correlation with baseline neuropsychology tests. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the utility of lower baseline list recognition (adjusted odds ratio: 0.735 [95% confidence interval: 0.589-0.916]; p 0.006), lower immediate logical memory (0.885 [0.790-0.990]; p 0.03), and high perseverative error scores on set shifting (3.116 [1.425-6.817]; p 0.004) as predictors of conversion. A model score of +2.615 could predict conversion with sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 98% over 6.4 years follow-up., Conclusion: There was a higher risk of conversion associated with multidomain MCI. Logistic regression-based estimations of dementia risk utilizing domain-based neuropsychology test scores in MCI have high specificity for diagnosis at baseline., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Interfacial behavior of quantum materials leads to emergent phenomena such as quantum phase transitions and metastable functional phases. Probes for in situ and real time surface-sensitive characterization are critical for control during epitaxial synthesis of heterostructures. Termination switching in complex oxides has been studied using a variety of probes, often ex situ ; however, direct in situ observation of this phenomena during growth is rare. To address this, we establish in situ and real time Auger electron spectroscopy for pulsed laser deposition with reflection high energy electron diffraction, providing structural and compositional surface information during film deposition. Using this capability, we show the direct observation and control of surface termination in heterostructures of SrTiO 3 and SrRuO 3 . Density-functional-theory calculations capture the energetics and stability of the observed structures, elucidating their electronic behavior. This work demonstrates an exciting approach to monitor and control the composition of materials at the atomic scale for control over emergent phenomena and potential applications.

We report the topochemical reduction of epitaxial thin films of the cubic perovskite BaZrO 3 . Reduction with calcium hydride yields n-type conductivity in the films, despite the wide band gap and low electron affinity of the parent material. X-ray diffraction studies show concurrent loss of out-of-plane texture with stronger reducing conditions. Temperature-dependent transport studies on reduced films show insulating behavior (decreasing resistivity with increasing temperature) with a combination of thermally activated and variable-range hopping transport mechanisms. Time-dependent conductivity studies show that the films are stable over short periods, with chemical changes over the course of weeks leading to an increase in electrical resistance. Neutron reflectivity and secondary ion mass spectrometry indicate that the source of the carriers is most likely hydrogen incorporated from the reducing agent occupying oxygen vacancies and/or interstitial sites. Our studies introduce topochemical reduction as a viable pathway to electron-dope and meta-stabilize low electron affinity and work function materials.

This work reports the potential of iron quantum clusters (FeQCs) as a hyperthermia agent for cancer, by testing its in-vitro response to shortwave (MHz range), radiofrequency (RF) waves non-invasively. Stable, fluorescent FeQCs of size ∼1 nm prepared by facile aqueous chemistry from endogenous protein haemoglobin were found to give a high thermal response, with a ΔT ∼50 °C at concentrationsas low as165 μg/mL. The as-prepared nanoclusters purified by lyophilization as well as dialysis showed a concentration, power and time-dependent RF response, with the lyophilized FeQCs exhibiting pronounced heating effects. FeQCs were found to be cytocompatible to NIH-3T3 fibroblast and 4T1 cancer cells treated at concentrations upto 1000 μg/mL for 24 h. Upon incubation with FeQCs and exposure to RF waves, significant cancer cell death was observed which proves its therapeutic ability. The fluorescent ability of the clusters could additionally be utilized for imaging cancer cells upon excitation at ∼450 nm. Further, to demonstrate the feasibility of imparting additional functionality such as drug/biomolecule/dye loading to FeQCs, they were self assembled with cationic polymers to form nanoparticles. Self assembly did not alter the RF heating potential of FeQCs and additionally enhanced its fluorescence. The multifunctional fluorescent FeQCs therefore show good promise as a novel therapeutic agent for RF hyperthermia and drug loading., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)