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The mostly aggressive and extremely malignant type of central nervous system is Glioblastoma (GBM), which is characterized by an extremely short average survival time of lesser than 16 months. The primary cause of this phenomenon can be attributed to the extensively altered genome of GBM, which is characterized by the dysregulation of numerous critical signaling pathways and epigenetics regulations associated with proliferation, cellular growth, survival, and apoptosis. In light of this, different genetic alterations in critical signaling pathways and various epigenetics regulation mechanisms are associated with GBM and identified as distinguishing markers. Such GBM prognostic alterations are identified in PI3K/AKT, p53, RTK, RAS, RB, STAT3 and ZIP4 signaling pathways, metabolic pathway (IDH1/2), as well as alterations in epigenetic regulation genes (MGMT, CDKN2A-p16INK4aCDKN2B-p15INK4b). The exploration of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that specifically target these pathways is utmost importance to enhance the future medication for GBM. This study provides a comprehensive overview of dysregulated epigenetic mechanisms and signaling pathways due to mutations, methylation, and copy number alterations of in critical genes in GBM with prevalence and emphasizing their significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of biaryl amides, which are prevalent motifs in bioactive molecules, often necessitates lengthy and inefficient procedures. To address these limitations, catalytic C−H activation protocols have emerged, enabling the direct ortho‐arylation of aryl amides. However, these protocols often suffer from issues such as lack of selectivity, reliance on stoichiometric oxidants, and the requirement for excess reagents and harsh reaction conditions. To overcome these challenges, we present a novel and highly selective protocol for the ortho‐arylation of N‐aryl amides and ureas. The high selectivity originates from the directed installation of BBr3 to form a boracycle, which then undergoes cross‐coupling with an aryl halide. Our method offers significant advantages, including mild reaction conditions, excellent site‐specificity, and scalability. The protocol demonstrates broad compatibility with a diverse range of readily accessible functionalized anilides and aryl iodides, as evidenced by 55 successful examples yielding products in the 30–95 % range. Furthermore, our methodology surpasses conventional approaches by facilitating the one‐pot selective diagonal diarylation of dianilides. This capability unlocks the construction of previously unattainable diagonal aryl systems, which serve as valuable precursors for the synthesis of diagonal tetraarylbenzenediamines and N‐doped fulminenes, two crucial compound classes in materials science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a new approach to study the spectral properties of Boolean graphs using the zeta and Möbius functions on the Boolean algebra B n of order 2 n. This approach yields new proofs of the previously known results about the reciprocal eigenvalue property of Boolean graphs. Further, this approach allows us to extend the results to a more general setting of the zero-divisor graphs Γ (P) of complement-closed and convex subposets P of B n. To do this, we consider the left linear representation of the incidence algebra of a poset P on the vector space of all real-valued functions V (P) on P. We then write down the adjacency operator A of the graph Γ (P) as the composition of two linear operators on V (P) , namely, the operator that multiplies elements of V (P) on the left by the zeta function ζ of P and the complementation operator. This allows us to obtain the determinant of A and the inverse of A in terms of the Möbius function μ of the complement-closed posets P. Additionally, if we impose convexity on the poset P , then we obtain the strong reciprocal or strong anti-reciprocal eigenvalue property of Γ (P) and also obtain the absolute palindromicity of the characteristic polynomial of A. This produces a large family of examples of graphs having the strong reciprocal or strong anti-reciprocal eigenvalue property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microaneurysms, tiny, circular red dots that occur in retinal fundus images, are one of the earliest symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Because microaneurysms are small and delicate, detecting them can be difficult. Their small size and cunning character make automatic detection of them difficult. In this study, a novel encoder-decoder network is proposed to segment the MAs automatically and accurately. The encoder part mainly consists of three parts: a low-level feature extraction module composed of a dense connectivity block (Dense Block), a High-resolution Block (HR Block), and an Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) module, of which the latter two modules are used to extract high-level information. Therefore, the network is named a Multi-Level Features based Deep Convolutional Neural Network (MF-DCNN). The proposed decoder takes advantage of the multi-scale features from the encoder to predict MA regions. Compared with the existing methods on three datasets, it is proved that the proposed method is better than the current excellent methods in the segmentation results of the normal and abnormal fundus. In the case of fewer network parameters, MF-DCNN achieves better prediction performance on intersection over union (IoU), dice similarity coefficient (DSC), and other evaluation metrics. MF-DCNN is lightweight and able to use multi-scale features to predict MA regions. It can be used to automatically segment the MA and assist in computer-aided diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed the distribution pattern in India, of the agamid lizard Calotes calotes based on localities of the many voucher specimens that we examined, direct field observations by us and literature records. Our preliminary MaxEnt analysis run based on 48 localities revealed that hilly terrain of the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats are the most ideal regions (>70% prediction) within its range. We also elaborate on the morphology of examined specimens, especially from the eastern parts of its Indian range, viz. the Coromandel Coastal Plains and the Eastern Ghats, so as to categorically confirm its occurrence in eastern parts of Southern India, where its presence had remained equivocal and contentious at best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let Rn be a finite reduced ring with n maximal ideals 픪i and let Γ(Rn) be the zero-divisor graph associated to Rn. The class of rings Rn contains the Boolean rings as a subclass. When Rn/픪i = 픽 for all i where 픽 is a finite field, we associate two (n − 1) × (n − 1) sized matrices P and Q to the graph Γ(Rn) having combinatorial entries and use these matrices to determine the spectrum of this graph. More precisely, we show that every eigenvalue of P and of − Q is an eigenvalue of Γ(Rn). To do this, we give a recursive description of the adjacency matrix of this graph and also exhibit its equitable partition. This is used in computing the determinant, rank and nullity of the adjacency matrix. Further, we propose that the eigenvalues of P, − Q and the eigenvalue 0 exhaust all the eigenvalues of Γ(Rn). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the feasibility of adsorption method for the removal of Di-n-butyl phosphate from sodium carbonate solution on adsorbents such as XAD-4 and XAD-7. The fundamental aspects of equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption have been studied. The experimental equilibrium data were fitted well with Sips isotherm, and maximum solid uptake capacity for monolayer coverage (qm) was found to be 0.363 × 10−3 mol/g and 0.385 × 10−3 mol/g for XAD-4 and XAD-7, respectively. The adsorption kinetics was well described by the pseudo-first-order model, and estimated first-order rate constant values were found to be 0.041 min−1 for XAD-4 and 0.027 min−1 for XAD-7. The transport mechanism of solute from the bulk solution to adsorbent was described in detail with suitable mathematical model, and experimental kinetic data were superimposed on numerically solved concentration profiles to calculate external mass transfer coefficient (kf) and effective diffusivity (De). The values of kf and De were estimated as 4.632 × 10−7 m/s and 8.849 × 10−13 m2/s, respectively, for XAD-4, whereas for XAD-7, the values were found to be 2.132 × 10−6 m/s and 1.389 × 10−12 m2/s. XAD-7 is found to have slightly better adsorption capacity and transport characteristics than XAD-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma has the highest incidence rate among malignant bone tumours. It is particularly detrimental to human health because it is a highly malignant tumour. Also makes up 40% of initial malignant bone tumours while having a 3–10 per million incidences. High mortality and morbidity rates are associated with osteosarcoma, particularly in underdeveloped nations. To increase patient survival, early osteosarcoma screening and diagnosis are essential. In this study, we suggest a novel encoder–decoder method that associations nested connections and an effective attention mechanism. The encoder, decoder, and skip connection make up the model's structure. The DropBlock regularization technique makes it easier to discard local semantic information while still encouraging the network to learn resilient and useful features. An effective attention module leverages the right kind of cross-channel contact to collect more detailed global data. In the skip connection section, the semantic gap left by a direct simple connection is filled by using the nested connection method to combine the feature maps obtained from the intermediate decoder with the original feature maps from the encoder. The original image is then enhanced with data to increase robustness and avoid the over-fitting issue brought on by insufficient data. Three separate data sets and a variety of performance indicators are used to examine the robustness of the proposed model. The suggested model outperforms other current models thanks to its strong performance, achieving an average accuracy of 99.13%. Here, Datasets 1, 2, and 3 each have an accuracy of 99.67%, 98.16%, and 99.76%, respectively. The investigational results show that our proposed method can significantly progress the presence of convolutional neural networks and state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct C‐4 alkylation of isoquinolin‐1(2H)‐one moiety is a challenging transformation in organic synthesis. Here we present a practical and efficient synthesis of C‐4 alkylated isoquinolin‐1(2H)‐ones through conjugate addition of isoquinolin‐1(2H)‐ones to p‐quinone methides for the first time. The process is facilitated by Lewis acid catalysis and this operationally straightforward, mild, metal‐free and one‐pot transformation provides a wide range of C‐4 alkylated isoquinolin‐1(2H)‐ones at ambient temperature in good to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyomyositis or tropical pyomyositis is an uncommon infection of skeletal muscle that may be primary or secondary. Primary type has bacterial aetiology, and Staphylococcus aureus is associated in most cases. The diagnosis requires high index of suspicion and careful assessment of radiological investigations. Diagnosis often requires magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for better delineation of the disease process, associated site involvement and exclusion of related conditions. Evacuation of pus coupled with appropriate antibiotic therapy is the mainstay and curative in most cases. Caution, however, is required due to increased morbidity, protracted course of recovery and mortality in few cases. The association with comorbidities including immunocompromised status compounds the problem. We describe our experience with this condition in a series of five cases (four male and one female) with diverse involvement of scapular muscle. All cases had primary pyomyositis except one case secondary to shoulder joint tuberculosis. Right side was involved in three and left in two cases. Infraspinatus was commonly involved, and one case had extensive involvement around scapula. All cases were managed by one or multiple aspiration, except one managed with open surgical drainage. The outcome was good in all cases with no recurrence or complication noted in their respective follow-up. Primary care centres may play important role in the early diagnosis of this condition with clinical evaluation and judicious use of imaging. Cases with severe involvement or those requiring advanced procedures may be referred to higher centres as per the requirement. Most of the times, timely diagnosis, antibiotic therapy and drainage of the pus is required and may also be performed in the primary care level through a standard protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, dentistry has consistently tried to be a pioneer of regenerative medicine by constantly attempting to re-establish the pulp-dentin complex among other tissues of the periodontium and bone as well. Key elements of regenerative endodontics include growth factors, stem cells and a scaffold which could be natural or synthetic. Natural scaffolds have two main advantages over synthetic scaffolds which are being superior in biocompatibility and possessing enhanced bioactivity. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) was introduced in the year 2001 by Choukrounwhich is one of the most common scaffolds used in regenerative endodontic procedures. Modifications in the relative centrifugation force and the duration of centrifugation have led to the formation of improved PRFs in terms of physical properties, number of platelets and superior growth factor release all of which eventually result in an accelerated rate of regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is one of the best bismuth-based semiconducting materials because of its narrow band gap energy, good visible light absorption, unique physical and chemical characteristics, and non-toxic nature. In addition, BiVO4 with different morphologies has been synthesized and exhibited excellent visible light photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of various organic pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nevertheless, the commercial scale utilization of BiVO4 is significantly limited because of the poor separation (faster recombination rate) and transport ability of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. So, engineering/modifications of BiVO4 materials are performed to enhance their structural, electronic, and morphological properties. Thus, this review article aims to provide a critical overview of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), various semiconducting nanomaterials, BiVO4 synthesis methodologies, engineering of BiVO4 properties through making binary and ternary nanocomposites, and coupling with metals/non-metals and metal nanoparticles and the development of Z-scheme type nanocomposites, etc., and their visible light photocatalytic efficiency in VOCs degradation. In addition, future challenges and the way forward for improving the commercial-scale application of BiVO4-based semiconducting nanomaterials are also discussed. Thus, we hope that this review is a valuable resource for designing BiVO4-based nanocomposites with superior visible-light-driven photocatalytic efficiency in VOCs degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bone tissue engineering approach for treating large bone defects becomes necessary when the tissue damage surpasses the threshold of the inherent regenerative ability of the human body. A myriad of natural biodegradable polymers and scaffold fabrication techniques have emerged in the last decade. Chitosan (CS) is especially attractive as a bone scaffold material to support cell attachment and proliferation and mineralization of the bone matrix. The primary amino groups in CS are responsible for properties such as controlled drug release, mucoadhesion, in situ gelation, and transfection. CS-based smart drug delivery scaffolds that respond to environmental stimuli have been reported to have a localized sustained delivery of drugs in the large bone defect area. This review outlines the recent advances in the fabrication of CS-based scaffolds as a pharmaceutical carrier to deliver drugs such as antibiotics, growth factors, nucleic acids, and phenolic compounds for bone tissue regeneration. • Bone tissue engineering (BTE) becomes necessary for treating large bone defects. • Chitosan is especially attractive as a bone scaffold material. • Chitosan-based delivery scaffolds showed a localized sustained drug delivery. • This review outlines the recent advances in the fabrication of CS-based scaffolds. • We also discuss Chitosan as a pharmaceutical carrier to deliver drugs in BTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed the distribution pattern in India, of the agamid lizard Calotes calotes based on localities of the many voucher specimens that we examined, direct field observations by us and literature records. Our preliminary MaxEnt analysis run based on 48 localities revealed that hilly terrain of the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats are the most ideal regions (>70% prediction) within its range. We also elaborate on the morphology of examined specimens, especially from the eastern parts of its Indian range, viz. the Coromandel Coastal Plains and the Eastern Ghats, so as to categorically confirm its occurrence in eastern parts of Southern India, where its presence had remained equivocal and contentious at best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite is usually a mixture of two phases. The composites used in dentistry have high durability. The individual properties of each phase are important to increase the mechanical property of the composite. This study aimed to determine the surface roughness changes of two composite resin restorative materials after thermocycling. Two of the commercially available composites were chosen (RestoFill and SwissTEC). The composite disks of dimension 10 mm diameter and 3 mm height were prepared using silicone molds, and every increment was light cured for 30 s. A stylus profilometer was used to assess the surface roughness prethermocycling, and then, the disks were subjected to an integrated thermocycler (T.S-4.4) for 1000 cycles. The postsurface roughness was obtained after the thermocycling process using the same stylus profilometer. The surface parameter values before and after thermocycling of the SwissTEC sample is less than that of RestoFill. There was a significant difference between the Rz and Rq values of the two different commercially available composite materials. Thus, the present study concludes that thermocycling influenced the surface roughness of composite resin and increased the surface roughness of both the RestoFill and SwissTEC composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface area determination has a vital role in measuring the properties of liquid and solid substances. Fluoride is a potent remineralizing agent of the teeth. The surface area is measured using a goniometer. The main aim of this study is to estimate the wettability of topical fluoride gel on the anterior and posterior teeth surfaces. Topical acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel was taken in small quantities. Anterior and posterior teeth were collected, and their superficial unaltered enamel sections were used as the surface where the contact angle (CA) is determined. The surface wettability is determined using Ossila goniometer to measure CA. Each stage was mounted on a mechanical stage of the goniometer. A calibrated microsyringe was used to dispense drops of the APF gel over the surface of the specimen Group A (anterior tooth cut section) and Group B (posterior tooth cut section). This procedure is repeated for all specimen samples. The mean of CAs of the anterior teeth (88.41°) was greater when compared with the mean of posterior teeth (80.36°) CA. P value found using the paired t-test of SPSS software is found to be 0.271 (>0.05), hence statistically not significant. The greater the CA, the lower is the degree of wettability on the teeth surfaces. The mean CA of the topical fluoride APF gel on the anterior tooth surface is greater when compared to the posterior tooth surface. This signifies that greater wettability is seen on posterior tooth surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addition silicone is a newer type of silicone impression material which has high dimensional stability, accuracy, and flexibility. They are mostly used for fixed restorations such as crowns and bridges. They have high tear strength; however, this strength may be altered upon disinfection. Disinfection of addition silicone prior use is important to reduce the microbial load. The aim of this study is to check whether there is any change in tear strength of addition silicone on disinfection with two commercially available disinfectants. Zhermack Elite HD + Putty material was tested in this study. Base and catalyst material was mixed and the material was cut into strips of dimension 70 mm × 10 mm × 2 mm. Five strips were immersed in sterillium and five strips were immersed in glutaraldehyde solution. These strips were then tested for their tear strength using Instron E3000 Universal Testing Machine. The values obtained were recorded in SPSS software version 22 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for analysis and the P was obtained. The mean tear strength of Group 1, addition silicone immersed in sterillium disinfecting solution was found to be 7.148 ± 2.654 kN/m. The mean tear strength of Group 2, addition silicone immersed in glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution was found to be 7.326 ± 4.062 kN/m. An unpaired Student's t-test was done and P was found to be 0.235. The tear strength values between the groups was statistically not significant. Hence the tear strength of addition silicone was found to be greater in the glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft denture liners evenly distribute functional loads over denture-bearing tissues. The liners aid in more evenly distributing the pressures of mastication to the underlying tissues by absorbing some of the masticatory forces. The study aimed to evaluate the brushing simulation influence on the surface roughness property of soft-tissue liners. A total of eight samples of Avue brand soft-tissue liners with the composition of varnish base and varnish catalyst were suspended into a standard template extracted and numbered sequentially and surface roughness was calculated using a stylus profilometer. A total of 30,000 cycles brushing were done, where the first group samples were brushed with Colgate toothpaste and the second group brushed with Dabur Red toothpaste using a toothbrush simulator (ZM3.8 SD Mechatronik). The data of both pre- and postbrushing values were recorded manually and statistically uploaded on SPSS software version 22 and values were represented in clustered bar graph forms. The significance value of Ra was 0.321. The significance value of Rq was 0.211. The significance value of Rz was 0.354, hence statistically, insignificant. In the present study, the surface roughness of soft-tissue liners is reduced to a minimal extent after brushing simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) releases fluorides and has good biocompatibility, carbonated drinks, sometimes known as fizzy drinks, are carbonated liquids that contain dissolved carbon dioxide, sweeteners, and natural or artificial flavoring. The aim of our study is to determine the flexural strength of GIC after immersing in carbonated beverages. Twelve samples of GIC filling material were used among which six samples prepared were from the Dtech brand and six were prepared from the Shofu brand for the in vitro study. Bar-shaped specimens were prepared from each group with the dimension of 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm. They were immersed in Sprite, fizz drinks, and in distilled water as a control group. The immersion period was 7 days. Then, the determination of maximum force and displacement was done using INSTRON E3000 (ElectroPuls) universal testing machine, then the collected data were used to determine flexural strength. The mean flexural strength of Dtech GIC was 24.84 ± 6.523 Mpa. The mean flexural strength of Dtech GIC was 18.57 ± 11.60 Mpa. The independent sample t-test showed that P = 0.247 (>0.05) which was statistically not significant. The flexural strength of GIC material decreased after being immersed in Sprite and fizz drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resin-based composites are increasingly employed in dental restorations due to their esthetics. Flexural strength is the characteristic feature of a substance, and it can be described as the stress present in the material just before it renders in a flexure test. The purpose of this study was to determine the flexural strength of a bulk-fill composite following immersion in fruit juices. Ten samples of bulk-fill type composite filling material were created, with four samples from Restofill (Group 1) and four samples from Ivoclar Vivadent (Group 2). Out of which, four specimens of each brand were included for immersion in fruit juices; two specimens were kept as control. The eight samples were put through a flexural strength test, with four remaining as controls, before being measured for maximum force and displacement on the Instron E3000 universal testing equipment. SPSS version 23 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was used to examine the calculated flexural strength. The composite Ivoclar has a mean flexural strength of 20.52, whereas the composite Restofill has a mean flexural strength of 20.55. The P value for the independent sample t-test between the two groups, Ivoclar and Restofill, was 0.089 (>0.05), which is statistically insignificant. It is clear from this research that the bulk-fill composite resin Ivoclar has a low flexural strength when compared to the sample Restofill after immersion in fruit juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonated beverages have side effects on oral health and general health. Flexural strength is a prime mechanical property of restorative material. The aim of this study is to know the effect of carbonated beverages on the flexural strength of composite restorative material. Two types of composites (Ivoclar and Restofill) were used as samples for comparative evaluation of flexural strength. The sample size is 10 where 5 of each type of composites are included. The obtained samples were immersed in carbonated beverages. One sample of each type was used as a control. After 24 h, the flexural strength of all the 10 samples was evaluated using the formula (3FL/2bd2), and the values were tabulated. Average values and graphs were done using SPSS software. The results showed the changes in flexural strength of both Ivoclar and Restofill materials when immersed in carbonated beverages. The mean value of all the samples was taken, and the standard deviation was calculated. After immersion in carbonated liquids, the mean value of Ivoclar and Restofill samples is 58.9 and 35.01, respectively. P = 0.718 (>0.05), which was not statistically significant. After immersion in Coke, the Restofill group exhibits more flexural strength than the Ivoclar group composite; however, the strength reduces when immersed in Sprite as compared to the Ivoclar group composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a material used for restoration in dentistry. The stress in a material right before it yields in a flexure test is referred to as flexural strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the flexural strength of two different glass ionomers after immersion in fruit juices. Five samples of D-Tech and Shofu GIC were prepared from each for the in vitro study. The eight samples were subjected to a flexural strength process and two were left as control which was followed by the determination of maximum force and displacement, then the collected data were used to determine flexural strength and analyzed using SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). The mean value of flexural strength of the D-Tech GIC immersed in fruit juices is 4.4375 and the mean value of Shofu GIC immersed in fruit juices was 8.4975. Paired t-test was done between the two groups and the P value was 0.00, which is considered highly statistically significant. From this study, it is evident that the GIC brand Shofu has higher flexural strength compared to D-Tech. Flexural strength was decreased for both the GIC groups when immersed in grape juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tooth discoloration is considered as one of the most common dental problems among people, and in dentistry, the most common cases are claimed after the restoration. Therefore, in this research, we aim to evaluate the effect of carbonated beverages on the color stability of bulk and flowable composite resin. For the study, 12 composite disc samples were made using the standard dimensions of 10 mm diameter and 2 mm thick. To find the color stability, we used a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer. We used two different composites of bulk fill and flowable composite resin; the composite brand we used was Tetric ecom plus; as an immersion medium, we used two different carbonated beverages, and the chosen beverages were Appy Fizz and 7Up. 24-h and 7-day postimmersion color stability was evaluated. In the results of postimmersion, we have found the Delta E value for 24 h immersion of flowable and bulk fill composite as 5.8115 and 7.4378, respectively; similarly, the Delta E value for 7 days immersion of flowable and bulk fill composite was 9.9559 and 10.1028, respectively. Using the independent "t"-test, we found that the significance is 0.633 and 0.328, which was statistically not significant. In the present study, when immersed in Appy Fizz juice and 7Up juice, bulk fill composite resins have shown greater discoloration when compared to flowable composite resin material. Thus, the flowable composite resin samples were more color stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resin-based composites have been widely used to reconstruct anterior and posterior teeth, as dentistry has progressed and there has been an increasing interest in the creation of suitable materials to replace damaged tooth tissue. The aim of the study is to compare the effect of fruit juices on the surface roughness of bulk fill and flowable composite restorative material. A total of 8 bulk fill composite and flowable composite resin disc samples were made. These eight samples were tested for surface roughness following immersion in three juices which were pineapple juice, lime juice, orange juice, and distilled water as the control group. They were immersed at room temperature for 7 days. Surface roughness was evaluated by the Mitutoyo SJ-310 contact profilometer. It showed that there was a decrease in the Ra value of flowable composite when compared to bulk fill composite. Rq and Rz values were more for the flowable composite resin group. Flowable composite resin samples had more surface roughness than bulk fill dental composite restorative material after exposure to pineapple, lime, and orange juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexural strength is the bend strength or stress which causes failure in bending of the material. Composite is the widely used restorative material in the era of esthetic dentistry as it provides better esthetic and mechanical support for both posterior and anterior teeth. The term "thermocycling" refers to the process of changing temperatures in the mouth. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of thermocycling on flexural strength in two different composite filling materials. Twelve samples of packable type composite filling material, among which four samples prepared were from Restofill l (Group 1) and four were prepared from Ivoclar Vivadent (Group 2) for the study. Bar-shaped composite resin specimens were prepared with dimensions of 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm. Then, the eight samples were subjected to a thermocycling process and four left as control. This was followed by the determination of maximum force by a universal testing machine, and then, the collected data were used to determine flexural strength using the formula. The determining flexural strength was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 by Independent sample t-test. The mean flexural strength of thermocycled Restofill composite filling material is 6.73, whereas the nonthermocycled Restofill sample showed 5.58 and the mean flexural strength of thermocycled Ivoclar Vivadent composite filling material was 5.08. The difference was not statistically significant with P = 0.978 >0.05. The current study concludes that the flexural strength of the Restofill composite (Group 1) was higher than the Ivoclar composite (Group 2). Hence, thermocycling affects the flexural strength of composite resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical sutures are the most well-known surgical biomaterial device for ligating blood vessels. The primary goal of wound closure is to align wound margins to provide a closed and stable environment. Sutures with lesser tensile strength are susceptible to break throughout the healing process due to edema. To evaluate the tensile strength of absorbable and nonabsorbable suture materials after immersion in fruit juices. In this in vitro study, eight samples of commercially available sutures such as black silk and vicryl were divided into two groups: sample -1 were immersed in grape juice and sample -2 were immersed in lemon juice for 1 week. Universal testing machine INSTRON E300 UTM was used to test the tensile strength of various suture materials. The data are statistically analyzed using an independent t-test. The P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The mean of vicryl suture after immersion in grape and lemon juice was found to be 34.445 and 43.39; the mean value of black silk after immersion in grape and lemon juice was found to be 36.95 and 33.1. The tensile strength of black silk was slightly lower than the vicryl. Independent sample t-test showed that P = 0.561 (>0.05) which is statistically insignificant. Vicryl suture tested to have the highest tensile strength along with excellent knot holding capacity than black silk suture after immersion in fruit juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advance of aluminum alloy-based matrix composites is becoming indispensable in several applications like automobiles, aerospace, electronics, and structural industries due to the benefits over conventional materials such as lightweight, high strength, and high hardness value. The main aim of the work is to study the thermomechanical characteristics (heat transfer rate, convective heat transfer coefficient, and tensile strength) of an aluminum (AA7075) alloy nanocomposite containing 0 wt%, 3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt% of nano SiC particles (50 nm) by the stir casting technique. The thermomechanical performance of AA7075 alloy nanocomposite is obtained by pin fin apparatus and followed by ASTM test standards. The composite contained 9 wt% nano SiC and was found to have superior thermomechanical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel hybrid neuro-fuzzy classifier (HNFC) technique is proposed for producing more accuracy in input data classification. The inputs are fuzzified using a generalized membership function. The fuzzification matrix helps to create connectivity between input pattern and degree of membership to various classes in the dataset. According to that, the classification process is performed for the input data. This novel method is applied for ten number of benchmark datasets. During preprocessing, the missing data is replaced with the mean value. Then, the statistical correlation is applied for selecting the important features from the dataset. After applying a data transformation technique, the values normalized. Initially, fuzzy logic has been applied for the input dataset; then, the neural network is applied to measure the performance. The result of the proposed method is evaluated with supervised classification techniques such as radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Classifier performance is evaluated by measures like accuracy and error rate. From the investigation, the proposed approach provided 86.2% of classification accuracy for the breast cancer dataset compared to other two approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous catalytic valorisation of renewable lignocellulosic biomass for platform and/or value-added chemicals is an efficient strategy from green and sustainable chemistry perspectives. Biorefineries largely rely on utilizing acid catalysts and hydrogenation/oxidation reactions. Metal oxides have been extensively utilized as solid acid catalysts in these transformations. Among these metal oxides, spinels can be identified as high potential catalysts due to the possibility of fine-tuning the metals in the framework, consequently modifying the structural (acidity and basicity), physical (surface area and porosity), optical, and electronic properties, and high thermal stability giving rise to greener catalytic reactions. Spinels are eco-friendly heterogeneous catalysts that are easily separable (either magnetically separable or just by simple filtration) and recyclable, and fulfil the criteria of green chemistry principles. This review presents advancements in spinel and spinel-based catalysts (in situ generated active spinels from metal oxides) for the catalytic hydrogenation and oxidation of biomass-derived platform molecules to produce value- added fuels and chemicals. Also, the structural properties of these catalysts have been correlated with the catalytic performance to explore the bottlenecks in this area. The challenges and future opportunities in spinel-assisted biomass transformations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kolhapuri hand-sewn crafted footwear is one of the well-designed and traditional footwear in India. Many of the processes in these industries are manual. The study was carried out to establish the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in different body parts of artisans engaged in crafted footwear manufacturing activity. Due to the difficult physical activities carried out by artisans, there was a possibility of evolving different kinds of MSDs. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of MSD symptoms in various body regions of crafted footwear manufacturing artisans. This work further aims to assess different working postures. Methods: The existing working environment and the occurrences of MSD indications of 105 artisans of Kolhapuri crafted footwear manufacturing were evaluated in this study. The data collection was done through an interview and using Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. The work uses the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method for posture analysis. Multiple regression investigation was used to evaluate different risk factors linked with MSDs symptoms. Results: It has been cleared that there are high occurrences of MSD pain between crafted footwear manufacturing artisans. The most frequently affected body areas were low back, neck, hips/thighs/buttocks, shoulder, elbows, hand and wrist, knees and upper back. The final RULA grand total of 6.1 specifies that artisans' posture needs to be change. Conclusion: The artisans who were associated with the manufacturing of Kolhapuri footwear had a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Analysis of data suggests that the necessity of operational implementation program for handcrafted footwear manufacturing artisans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea variety VBN 3 (VCP 09-013) is derived from TLS 38 x VCP 16-1. The average yield of VBN 3 is 1013 kg / ha. It is a 17.0 and 17.2 per cent yield increase over VBN 1 (866 kg/ha) and CO (CP) 7 (864 kg/ha), respectively. Duration is 75 – 80 days. It recorded the grain yield of 1148 kg/ha under the irrigated condition which is a 13.8 and 18.0 per cent yield increase over the check varieties VBN 1 (1009 kg/ha) and CO (CP) 7 (973 kg/ ha), respectively. In rainfed conditions, this variety recorded the seed yield of 1013 kg/ha. It is a 17.0 and 17.2 per cent yield increase over the check varieties VBN 1 (866 kg/ha) and CO (CP) 7 (864 kg/ha, respectively. It is having the special features of determinate plant type, synchronized maturity, multiple resistance to bean common mosaic virus, rust and anthracnose diseases. It is resistant to pod borer and pod bug. The cowpea VBN3 is having a protein content of 25.22 per cent. It recorded 100 grain weight of 13.0 g with preferable brown seed colour. It is suitable for cultivation during Rabi season (Purattasi pattam) in Tamil Nadu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that the annihilating-ideal graph of a commutative semigroup with unity is, in general, not weakly perfect. This settles the conjecture of DeMeyer and Schneider ['The annihilating-ideal graph of commutative semigroups', J. Algebra469 (2017), 402–420]. Further, we prove that the zero-divisor graphs of semigroups with respect to semiprime ideals are weakly perfect. This enables us to produce a large class of examples of weakly perfect zero-divisor graphs from a fixed semigroup by choosing different semiprime ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automatic actuated fire sprinkler (AAFS) can sense temperature changes and actuate by itself automatically to control the discharge of water. Currently fusible bulb fire sprinklers are more compact and reliable in structure but they required maintenance to stop the discharge, once it opens. In this paper the design of AAFS is optimized to make it compact and simple in mechanism. Pilot pressure operated mechanism in AAFS was replaced by simple SMA spring actuated piston. By optimizing the design parameters of opposed spring and SMA spring, volume and number of parts of the AAFS can be reduced effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucoma is a chronic ocular disease characterized by damage to the optic nerve resulting in progressive and irreversible visual loss. Early detection and timely clinical interventions are critical in improving glaucoma-related outcomes. As a typical and complicated ocular disease, glaucoma detection presents a unique challenge due to its insidious onset and high intra- and interpatient variabilities. Recent studies have demonstrated that robust glaucoma detection systems can be realized with deep learning approaches. The optic disc (OD) is the most commonly studied retinal structure for screening and diagnosing glaucoma. This paper proposes a novel context aware deep learning framework called GD-YNet, for OD segmentation and glaucoma detection. It leverages the potential of aggregated transformations and the simplicity of the YNet architecture in context aware OD segmentation and binary classification for glaucoma detection. Trained with the RIGA and RIMOne-V2 datasets, this model achieves glaucoma detection accuracies of 99.72%, 98.02%, 99.50%, and 99.41% with the ACRIMA, Drishti-gs, REFUGE, and RIMOne-V1 datasets. Further, the proposed model can be extended to a multiclass segmentation and classification model for glaucoma staging and severity assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient strategy for the synthesis of structurally diverse β,β‐diarylmethine substituted isoxazoline derivatives have been developed. This approach employs a manganese‐promoted oxidative cyclization coupled with a 1,6‐conjugate addition of unsaturated oximes to p‐quinone methides. The key features of this study include the formation of C−O and C−C bonds through intramolecular and intermolecular interactions, facilitated by in situ generated iminoxyl radicals. β,β‐diarylmethine substituted isoxazolines, bearing a wide range of functional groups, were isolated in high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first selenocyanation of ketene dithioacetals is achieved by using selenium dioxide and malononitrile under mild reaction conditions. The major highlights of this method are an easy set‐up, excellent yields, metal free conditions and the use of odorless and inexpensive selenium reagents. Selenocyanated products are successfully transformed into selenated alkenes and nitrogen containing heterocyclic molecules which would be potential candidates with some desired pharmacological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase in electric vehicle (EV) growth influencing the need for dedicated EV platform development work among vehicle manufacturers. The EV Platform is an aggregation of sheet metal components, battery pack and electric powertrain components. The platform architecture influences design, development & integration of battery pack into vehicle and the lead time for new product development and Time to Market (TTM). This article discusses the evolution of conventional Body in White (BIW) to flexible modular skateboard platforms in EV segments and how it influences the battery pack integration. It discusses the benefits and challenges in the platform workstream and how automakers are preparing for a shift from conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) derivative platform to native EV platform to take advantages in policy decisions and scale benefits on the overall EV ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes an efficient and straight forward method for the destruction of oxalate ions in the plutonium oxalate supernatant stream generated during the reprocessing of FBTR spent fuel, using ozone and electrolysis without any redox intermediates/catalyst at room temperature. The influencing parameters such as concentration of nitric acid, current density and temperature were studied. The destruction was achieved in 4 and 4.5 h, respectively using ozone and electrolysis. These methods have significant advantages due to the chemically benign nature of the oxalate destructed stream for all the downstream fuel cycle processes and the feasibility to automate these process steps in a radiochemical plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let (A , m , k) be a Gorenstein local ring of dimension d ≥ 1. Let I be an ideal of A with ht (I) ≥ d − 1. We prove that the numerical function n ↦ ℓ (Ext A i (k , A / I n + 1)) is given by a polynomial of degree d − 1 in the case when i ≥ d + 1 and curv (I n) > 1 for all n ≥ 1. We prove a similar result for the numerical function n ↦ ℓ (Tor i A (k , A / I n + 1)) under the assumption that A is a Cohen-Macaulay local ring. We note that there are many examples of ideals satisfying the condition curv (I n) > 1 , for all n ≥ 1. We also consider more general functions n ↦ ℓ (Tor i A (M , A / I n) for a filtration { I n } of ideals in A. We prove similar results in the case when M is a maximal Cohen-Macaulay A -module and { I n = I n ‾ } is the integral closure filtration, I an m -primary ideal in A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediastinal duplication cyst is a rare cause of mediastinal mass in early infancy. Recurrent retropharyngeal abscess is an uncommon presentation of mediastinal duplication cyst. We report a case of mediastinal duplication cyst in a nine year old girl who presented with recurrent retropharyngeal abscess. Surgical excision was performed successfully. The mode of clinical presentation and management has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) are inflammatory sequelae following the backflow of stomach contents to the esophagus or larynx/pharynx, respectively, the latter most often occurring in GERD. Unlike adults, the clinical parameters of "reflux symptom index" and "reflux finding score" are not routinely done in children suspected of LPR associated with GERD. Proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) trial with a 50% reduction of symptom severity following 2–4 weeks of empirical PPI, which is then continued for 12 weeks, is considered a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool for GERD in children. We present our successful management of an 8-year-old child, who had primarily respiratory symptoms with no associated respiratory, cardiac, or neurological etiology. Clinical evidence of underlying LPR secondary to GERD was confirmed by otolaryngologists with Reflux Finding Score. Significant psychosocial risk factors observed during her evaluation were addressed by psychologists. PPI therapy and behavioral therapy were initiated and the child improved drastically. The association of significant psychological issues in family and the social context appears to be significant in childhood GERD. A multidisciplinary comprehensive clinical approach is the cornerstone for its successful medical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delay owing to the generation of odd multiples (± 3) in Radix-8 Booth recoding is minimized in this paper using carry resist adder (CRA). CRA is intentionally developed for performing the exact addition of ± 1 and ± 2 without carry propagation. The theoretical delay analysis proves that the 8-bit CRA reduces 86.26% of delay when compared to the conventional Carry Propagate Addition (CPA) methods. Subsequently, the relative comparisons of CRA with various approximation-based recoding show that the CRA consumes fewer area, power and critical path delay. Further, the 8 × 8 and 16 × 16 signed binary multiplication using CRA-based Radix-8 Booth recoder is developed and synthesized on TSMC 65nm CMOS standard cell library. Also, the trade-off between area, power, delay and accuracy is verified for the proposed design using truncation. Finally, the CRA-based truncated Radix-8 Booth 8 × 8 multiplier is applied to the color space conversion for quantifying its amicability in imaging. The PSNR and MSE are used to evaluate the quality of the resultant image and show better performance than other existing approximated as well as truncated Radix-8 Booth multipliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study to analyze the unsteady magneto hydrodynamic incompressible viscous fluid flow along the porous parallel plates in which constant periodic suction/injection takes place at lower and upper plate, respectively. By the proper choice of stream function, they obtained exact solution analytically. Velocity components are obtained from exact solution. Design/methodology/approach: Emissions of the pollutants from the aviation sectors are doubled compared to 2000. There are many recent developments that are actively developed to combat the emission by increasing the performance of the Jet engines. The role of the computational fluid dynamics and the numerical approaches are crucial in terms of research and development. Findings: Velocity profiles like axial and radial have been drawn for various values of M, D, α and θ. The exact solutions have been solved by differential transformation method. The closed form analytical solutions are obtained for the stream function, axial and radial velocities and flow velocity. Originality/value: The effects of Darcy parameter, magnetic parameter, Suction Reynolds number and frequency parameter on lower and upper plates are discussed through graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In photoelectrochemical water splitting, every impinging photon should not only be absorbed but also be utilized towards reaction. While increasing photoelectrode thickness in photoelectrochemical reactors facilitates photon absorption, it has a debilitating effect on efficiency if the thickness required for complete photon absorption is much more than the exciton diffusion length, which is a property determined by the material and its processing. To address this issue, we demonstrate a general experimental methodology with a stack of cadmium selenide photoanodes wherein the thickness of each photoelectrode is of the order of exciton diffusion length and which improves overall photocurrent by about 50%. Stacked-photo anodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting reaction with each anode having thickness ~ exciton diffusion length. The fraction of light transmitted from the previous anode oxidizes water into O2 and H+. The sum of the thickness of photoanodes is sufficient to absorb all incident light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a density functional study of the structural behavior of zinc oxide nanostructures in basic growth condition which consequently leads to the formation of few layers of hydroxylated rocksalt structure over the wurtzite ZnO structure. We demonstrate the greater stability of the few layers of hydroxylated zinc oxide polar surface in rocksalt structure as compared to wurtzite structure. This coerces the near-surface layers of the nanostructure to acquire rocksalt structure giving rise to a trilayer structure consisting of a layer of hydroxyls on ZnO surface, rocksalt near-surface layers, and wurtzite bulk(or wurtzite sub-surface). The formation of coherent interface between rocksalt and wurtzite structure forces the hydroxylated trilayer structure to have lattice constant in between that of a rocksalt and wurtzite structure. Further, the hydroxylated rocksalt structure in the trilayer configuration is stable up to a critical size of the trilayer above which the increasing strain due to lattice mismatch between rocksalt and wurtzite structure overcomes the stabilizing effect of the hydroxylated rocksalt structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae is a major stored grain insect pest that causes both quantitative and qualitative damage to cereals. Hence, the study was conducted to evaluate the insecticidal efficacy of Clerodendrum multiflorum, Clerodendrum viscosum, Vitex negundo, Argemone mexicana and Withania somnifera leaves essential oil against S. oryzae in laboratory conditions. The essential oil isolated from V. negundo and A. mexicana at 2.0 µL/gm of wheat was found to be toxic, causing 100% mortality as compared to other plant essential oils. The percentage of oviposition deterrence increased from 20% to 90% by increasing the concentrations of essential oils. Interestingly, all plant essential oils were inhibited F1 adult emergence at lower dose. Essential oils of V. negundo and A. mexicana revealed significant toxicity, oviposition deterrence and inhibition of F1 adult emergence of S. oryzae at lower concentrations. Thus, these plant essential oils may be suggested as admixtures in the integrated management of rice weevil during the storage of grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]