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Discharged industrial effluent poses a significant threat to groundwater due to potential heavy metal contamination. Elevated levels of heavy metals in drinking water pose serious public health risks. This study aimed to assess the quality of drinking water from motorized boreholes in Maitumbi, Tipa Garage Area, Minna, Niger State, by measuring heavy metal concentrations using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) as the analytical tool. Water samples were collected randomly from ten (10) boreholes, and the concentrations of some environmentally common heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, Ni, and Cr) were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer of PG Instruments Ltd. (Model AA500). The results showed high concentration levels for most of the observed metals, which exceeded the permissible limits by the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Generally, the study suggests that the water samples are not safe for drinking directly and recommends some level of tertiary purification to reduce the heavy metal concentration levels to make them safe for drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper oxide doped TeO2–B2O3 glass system with empirical formula; [ B 2 O 3) 0.3 TeO 2 0.7 1 - x (CuO) x was fabricated using the melt quenching method, where x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02, and 0.025 was combined. The glass samples' density and molar volume were measured, followed by characterizations using the UV–Vis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopes. The amorphous or glassy nature of glass samples was proven by the XRD spectra except for the pure borotellurite sample which showed a peak around 2θ = 20°, indicating α-TeO2 crystalline phase presence. The FTIR spectral analysis suggested the presence of BO3, TeO3, and TeO4 as the structural units in the glass samples. The UV–Vis spectra showed no presence of any sharply defined edges, affirming the amorphous or glassy nature of the glass materials. Physical parameters e.g. molar volume, density, oxygen packing density (OPD), the interionic distance of Cu2+ ions, the concentration of copper ion per unit volume (N), as well as the polaron radius data were presented and discussed. Also, the direct bandgap (3.8900 to 3.5900 eV), indirect bandgap (3.3200 to 3.0800 eV), refractive index (2.318 to 2.378), dielectric constant (5.3731 to 5.6549), optical dielectric constant (4.3731 to 4.6549), refractive index based metallization criterion (0.406885 to 0.391916) and the bandgap based metallization criterion (0.407431 to 0.392428) were analyzed and discussed. Based on the metallization criterion and values of the refractive index, the glasses are good candidates for optoelectronic and laser applications. Meanwhile, the dielectric constants' values of the present glasses indicate their suitability bandpass filters and microelectronic substrates applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Icosapent ethyl reduces cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with hypertriglyceridaemia on statin therapy. However, it is not widely available and the potential application following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is not well-established. We aimed to determine the real-world percentage of CABG surgery patients who may be eligible for the therapy.Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed between February 2015 and August 2020 in an Australian hospital. Patients were included if a lipid profile was performed at least three weeks following CABG surgery. Data was extracted from electronic medical records. Eligibility for icosapent ethyl was defined according to inclusion criteria from the REDUCE-IT trial.Results: Of 484 patients with follow-up lipid profiles, 21 (4.3%) were not eligible for icosapent ethyl based on age and 39 (8.1%) were not prescribed statin therapy or were prescribed a fibrate. After applying triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level criteria, 124 (25.6%) patients were potentially eligible for icosapent ethyl therapy. Of those eligible, high-intensity statin therapy were prescribed in 108 (87.1%).Discussion: A substantial percentage of CABG surgery patients may be eligible for icosapent ethyl and could potentially benefit from its cardiovascular protection. Further research should evaluate the additional cardiovascular benefits of icosapent ethyl in this very high-risk group of patients who are already treated with high-intensity statins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The role of intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) in high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery remains controversial. We report the 5-year experience from a new Australian centre.Methods: We retrospectively analysed 690 patients undergoing urgent isolated CABG surgery at a Western Australian tertiary centre from February 2015 to May 2020. De-identified data was obtained from the Australia & New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons database. Patients were stratified according to preoperative IABP use. A propensity score was created for the probability of IABP use and a propensity adjusted analysis was performed using logistic regression. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were postoperative inhospital outcomes.Results: Preoperative IABP was used in 78 patients (11.3%). After propensity score adjustment, in a subgroup of patients with reduced ejection fraction or left main disease, 30-day mortality (7.0% vs 2.0%, OR 6.03, 95% CI 1.89-19.28, p=0.002) was significantly higher in the IABP group. Red blood cell transfusions (19.7% vs 12.6%, OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.02-3.35, p=0.039), prolonged inotrope use (78.9% vs 50.9%, OR 6.11, 95% CI 2.77-13.48, p<0.001), prolonged invasive ventilation (28.2% vs 3.4%, OR 20.2, 95% CI 8.24-49.74, p<0.001), mesenteric ischaemia (2.8% vs 0%, OR 4.52, 95% CI 1.15-17.77, p=0.031) and multisystem organ failure (1.3% vs 0.7%, OR 25.68, 95% CI 2.55-258.34, p=0.006) were significantly higher in the IABP group.Conclusion: In patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery, preoperative IABP use was associated with increased 30-day mortality and adverse outcomes. Large randomised controlled trials are required to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a detailed study of the effects of irradiation and thermal annealing on deep levels in Rh-doped p-type GaAs grown by low-pressure metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition, using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) technique. It is found upon irradiation with alpha particles that, in addition to the radiation-induced defect peaks, all the Rh-related peaks observed in majority, as well as minority-carrier emission DLTS scans show an increase in their respective concentrations. The usually observed α-induced defects Hα1, Hα2, and Hα3 are found to have lower introduction rates in Rh-doped samples, as compared to reference samples (not doped with Rh). Alpha-irradiation has been found to decompose the two minority carrier emitting bands (one at low temperature ∼150 K and the other at ∼380 K) observed prior to irradiation into distinct peaks corresponding to deep levels Rh1 and Rh2 and EL2 and Rh3, respectively. A similar effect is also observed for the majority-carrier emitting band composed of hole emission from deep levels RhA and RhB, which separate out well upon irradiation. Further, from the double-correlation DLTS measurements, the emission rates of carriers from the radiation-enhanced peaks corresponding to deep levels Rh1, Rh2, Rh3, and RhC were found to be dependent on junction electric field. For RhC, the field dependence data have been analyzed in terms of the Poole-Frenkel model employing a 3-dimensional Coulomb potential with q = 2e (electronic charge). Temperature dependence of the hole capture cross-sections of the levels RhA and RhC was also studied quantitatively. The observed dependence of the hole capture cross-section of RhC on temperature can be interpreted in terms of multiphonon capture model, yielding a capture barrier of 0.2 eV and σ(∞) = 2.3 × 10-14 cm2. The results of irradiation and isochronal thermal annealing study, in combination with the theoretical analysis of the field dependence of hole emission data, lead us to interpret the levels RhA and RhB as charged centers and probably complexes of arsenic anti-site defect (AsGa) with Rh-impurity, (AsGa-Rh). The levels Rh1 and Rh2 are also proposed to be complexes, albeit of a different type, of arsenic anti-site defects (AsGa) and Rh-impurity (AsGa-Rh), while the level RhC is likely to be a doubly-charged complex center composed of arsenic interstitial (IAs) and Rh-impurity (IAs-Rh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial layers of p-GaAs grown on p+-GaAs substrates by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition have been investigated using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). One dominant peak and other relatively small peak, corresponding to deep levels at Ev+0.55 eV and Ev+0.96 (low field energies), respectively, have been observed in the lower half of the band gap. Investigation with double-correlation DLTS reveals that the measured thermal emission rate of holes from the dominant level is strongly dependent on the junction electric field. Detailed data on this field enhancement have been analyzed in terms of different available theoretical models. The hole capture cross section for the dominant deep level has been found to be temperature dependent. Detailed data on the temperature dependence of the hole capture cross section have been interpreted in terms of the multiphonon carrier capture mechanism, yielding a capture barrier of 0.11 eV. In order to get deeper insight into the nature and origin of these inadvertent (intrinsic) defects, thermal annealing behavior of these levels has also been studied. Analyses of field dependence and hole capture data, in combination with the annealing study, suggest that the dominant level is associated with an arsenic-antisite (AsGa) defect. Probable association of this dominant level with the doubly charged state of the well-known EL2 defect has been discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations of the alpha particle irradiation-induced defects in low-pressure metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition grown p-GaAs have been carried out. By employing deep-level transient spectroscopy, at least seven radiation-induced deep-level defects have been observed in the lower half of the band gap in the temperature range of 12-475 K. Double-correlation deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements show three prominent levels: two known radiation-induced levels namely, Hα1 and Hα5, and one inadvertent center HSA, present before irradiation, to exhibit a significant dependence of thermal emission rate on the junction electric field. For Hα1 and HSA the field-enhanced emission data are well fitted with a Poole-Frenkel model, using a three-dimensional square-well potential with radius r=3.2 and 1.43 nm, respectively. The field effect for Hα5 has been explained by a square-well potential in combination with a phonon-assisted tunneling process. Detailed data on the carrier capture cross section for all three levels have been obtained. The hole capture cross section for the levels Hα1 and Hα5 are found to be temperature independent, while for HSA, the hole capture data show a dependence on temperature. The dependence of hole capture cross section of HSA on temperature has been explained in terms of multiphonon capture mechanism, yielding a capture barrier of 0.13 eV and σ(∞)=1.5×10-14 cm2. These analyses lead us to conclude that the levels Hα1 and HSA are associated with a charged center, while the level Hα5 is most likely a substitutional defect in GaAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vision-based human activity recognition (HAR) finds its application in many fields such as video surveillance, robot navigation, telecare and ambient intelligence. Most of the latest researches in the field of automated HAR based on skeleton data use depth devices such as Kinect to obtain three-dimensional (3D) skeleton information directly from the camera. Although these researches achieve high accuracy but are strictly device dependent and cannot be used for videos other than from specific cameras. Current work focuses on the use of only 2D skeletal data, extracted from videos obtained through any standard camera, for activity recognition. Appearance and motion features were extracted using 2D positions of human skeletal joints through OpenPose library. The approach was trained and tested on publically available datasets. Supervised machine learning was implemented for recognising four activity classes including sit, stand, walk and fall. Performance of five techniques including K-nearest neighbours (KNNs), support vector machine, Naive Bayes, linear discriminant and feed-forward backpropagation neural network was compared to find the best classifier for the proposed method. All techniques performed well with best results obtained through the KNN classifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vision‐based human activity recognition (HAR) finds its application in many fields such as video surveillance, robot navigation, telecare and ambient intelligence. Most of the latest researches in the field of automated HAR based on skeleton data use depth devices such as Kinect to obtain three‐dimensional (3D) skeleton information directly from the camera. Although these researches achieve high accuracy but are strictly device dependent and cannot be used for videos other than from specific cameras. Current work focuses on the use of only 2D skeletal data, extracted from videos obtained through any standard camera, for activity recognition. Appearance and motion features were extracted using 2D positions of human skeletal joints through OpenPose library. The approach was trained and tested on publically available datasets. Supervised machine learning was implemented for recognising four activity classes including sit, stand, walk and fall. Performance of five techniques including K‐nearest neighbours (KNNs), support vector machine, Naive Bayes, linear discriminant and feed‐forward back‐propagation neural network was compared to find the best classifier for the proposed method. All techniques performed well with best results obtained through the KNN classifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is focused on the preparation and characterization of functional nanosilica incorporated dental resins with better mechanical, cytotoxicity, sorption, and solubility properties. Silica nanoparticles were synthesized via Stöber method and were functionalized with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. Dental nanocomposites were produced by embedding the functionalized nanosilica into bisphenol-A-glycidyl methacrylate/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate matrix to form B1–B6 series. This was achieved by mechanical mixing of the monomer (50:50 wt%), filler (10–60 wt%), initiator combination (CQ/EDMAB:0.1:0.4 wt%) and then followed by LED light curing (wavelength: 450–500 nm, power density:1000 mW cm−2) for 60 s. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques were used for characterization of the materials. Cytotoxicity tests were performed to evaluate cell viability and mechanical tests were done to check mechanical strength and stability of the materials. The mean sorption and solubility values of the materials were measured by making a series of experiments on different composite formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which reported a detailed photoluminescence investigation of the effects of aluminum doping on gallium arsenide grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Presents information on a study which investigated the effects of aluminum as an isoelectronic dopant on the deep level defects in gallium arsenide grown by molecular beam epitaxy using deep level transient spectroscopy. Methods; Results; Discussion.

Vegetable oil with high percentage unsaturated fatty acid content are unstable to oxidation at elevated temperatures. However, epoxidation is an effective chemical reaction for chemical structural modification of such oil to eliminate unsaturated carbon–carbon double bond which is responsible for the instability of the oil. In this research, laboratory purified neem oil was epoxidized in situ in the presence of an acidic catalyst and the product was further transesterified. The purified (PNO), epoxidized (ENO) and transesterified (ENOE) oil samples produced were characterized by FTIR, Viscosity measurement using Brookfield Digital Viscometer, relative permittivity, loss tangent and ac conductivity measurements were made using a coaxial probe placed in a thermostatically controlled heat chamber and a frequency analyzer at varying frequency and temperature in the range 20 Hz to 20 kHz and 20 °C to 70 °C respectively. All three samples show Arrhenius type behavior for viscosity and ac conductivity. ENOE sample had least viscosity of 0.0254 Pa s at 40 °C. Both PNO and ENO had a.c conductivity of the order 10 −10  S/m at 20 °C and power frequency and loss tangent of 0.0082 and 0.0191 respectively. The oil samples possess low loss in the temperature and frequency ranges considered and are suggested to be suitable candidate for potential natural ester insulating fluid in High Voltage equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study was planned to determine the relationship between semen quality parameters and the levels of biochemical constituents of seminal plasma of Teddy (Capra hircus) buck semen. For this purpose, semen ejaculates were collected from five mature healthy Teddy bucks. All the experimental bucks were kept under natural environmental conditions. Semen was collected twice in a week for the duration of 6 weeks by Artificial Vagina (AV) in the breeding season (February‐April). Two successive ejaculates of single buck were pooled at time of collection, and a total of 60 semen samples were processed for semen analysis. Sperm per cent motility, sperm concentration, dead sperm percentage, morphological abnormal spermatozoa, plasma membrane integrity were correlated with biochemical constituents of seminal plasma. The mean per cent motility (89.18% ± 0.37%), sperm concentration (1.86 ± 0.04 × 109/ml), dead sperm percentage (8.08% ± 0.29%), morphological abnormal spermatozoa (6.05% ± 0.29%) and plasma membrane integrity (88.22% ± 0.34%) were recorded. The seminal plasma contained Na+ (144.12 ± 1.59 mEq/L), K+ (27.38 ± 0.49 mEq/L), Cl− (65.73 ± 0.45 mEq/L), Ca++ (9.34 ± 0.22 mg/dl), P (19.32 ± 0.97 mg/dl), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; 26.48 ± 1.30 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 168.47 ± 5.18 IU/L), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; 215.98 ± 6.06 IU/L), albumin (1.90 ± 0.10 g/dl), globulins (2.08 ± 0.11 g/dl) and total protein (3.98 ± 0.20 g/dl). The collected data were analysed by applying Pearson's correlation coefficients. Dead sperm percentage had negative correlation with sodium (r = −.278, p < .05), albumin (r = −.294, p < .05), globulin (r = −.266, p < .05) and total protein (r = −.295, p < .05). Phosphorus was negatively associated with sperm concentration (r = −.262, p < .05). AST was negatively correlated with plasma membrane integrity (r = −.292, p < .05). It was concluded that most of the semen quality parameters of Teddy bucks were positively correlated with biochemical constituents, but opposite trends were found in case of dead sperm percentage. The seminal biochemical constituents dynamically interact with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weed classification in sesame crops at the postemergence stage. • A sesame dataset is collected and made publicly available for the research community. • A new patch-based weed coarse segmentation approach is proposed. • The results show that classifying the dataset based on vegetation could improve the classification performance. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important commercial food crop and there are numerous weed species that reduce their yield. Drone-assisted autonomous aerial herbicide spraying on sesame fields intends to prevent weeds from limiting agricultural productivity. Additionally, agrochemical application quantity and human health are safeguarded using aerial spraying. Autonomous systems would require characteristics to differentiate between crop, weed, and background for accurate and selective spray application. Datasets from aerial sesame fields have been gathered for this study to extract weed and crop profiles in the area. Agrocam, a camera sensor made to track crop health, was used to record the dataset. We have created an intelligent SesameWeedNet-2 convolutional neural network (CNN) and a patch image-based classification method. The eight convolutional layers in the tiny model allow it to operate more quickly and precisely on small patch images. Our approach divides photos into small patch images of 31 × 31 pixels. After that, the proposed small CNN is trained and tested on these small patch images. Two critical components of our methodology are dataset grouping and patch-based model ensemble. Our algorithm suggests classifying the dataset based on the vegetation visible in the small patch images to improve categorization outcomes. Our suggested strategy has attained an accuracy of up to 96.7 %. We have made comparisons among our suggested patch-based technique with pixel-level semantic segmentation. The patch-based method wins for time efficiency even though the pixel-level method provides a fine outline of the crop and weed classes but is computationally expensive. Our approach has been put to the test in both dry and wet soil conditions, as well as at various growth phases. We are aware of no prior attempts to categorize and treat crops and weeds in sesame fields at the post-emergence stage. A complete deep learning-based patch-based technique and an aerial sesame-weed dataset contribute to this study to categorize weeds in sesame fields under varying lighting circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to determine the possible effects of thymoquinone (TQ) and curcumin (Cur) on immune-response and pathogenesis of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) in turkeys. The experiment was performed on 75 non-vaccinated mixed-sex turkey poults, divided into 5 experimental groups (A, B, C, D, and E) of 15 birds each. Group A was kept as non-infected and a non-treated negative control (ctrl group) while group B was kept as infected and non-treated positive control (H9N2 group). Turkeys in groups A and B received normal commercial feed while turkeys in groups C and D received TQ, and Cur respectively, and group E concurrently received TQ and Cur from d one through the entire experiment period. All groups were challenged intra-nasally with H9N2 AIV (A/chicken/Pakistan/10RS3039-284-48/2010) at the fourth wk of age except group A. Infected turkeys showed clinical signs of different severity, showing the most prominent disease signs in turkeys in group B. All infected turkeys showed positive results for virus shedding; however, the pattern of virus shedding was different, and with turkeys in group B showing more pronounced virus secretion than the turkeys in the other groups receiving different levels of TQ and Cur. Moreover, significantly higher antibody titer against H9N2 AIV in turkeys shows the immunomodulatory nature of TQ and Cur. Similarly, increased cytokine gene expression suggests antiviral behavior of TQ and Cur especially in combination, leading to suppressed pathogenesis of H9N2 viruses. However, reduced virus shedding and enhanced immune responses were more pronounced in those turkeys receiving TQ and Cur concurrently. This study showed that supplements of TQ and Cur in combination would significantly enhance immune responsiveness and suppress pathogenicity of influenza viruses in turkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The study was designed to investigate the replication of a re-assortant H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) and induction of the interferon (IFN?) response after aerosol or intranasal inoculation with the virus in guinea fowl. To determine virus shedding pattern, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs and tissue specimens of trachea, lungs, spleen and caecal tonsils were collected post-inoculation (pi). 2. Infected guinea fowl showed mild clinical signs, while negative control guinea fowl remained healthy and active throughout the experiment irrespective of the inoculation route. However, the clinical signs were more prominent in guinea fowl infected through the aerosol route. 3. Virus was detected in all oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs up to 7 d pi in guinea fowl fromboth inoculation groups. However, virus was detected more frequently and in higher titres in oropharyngeal swabs and specimens of trachea and lungs from the group exposed to aerosols than in the group given intranasal drops. 4. In accordance with viral replication findings, expression of IFN? was up-regulated on 1, 2 and 4 d pi to a significantly higher level in lung tissue specimens from the group exposed to virus aerosol than from controls treated with PBS intranasally. On the other hand, IFN? was up-regulated above that of controls in lung tissue specimens from the group treated with intranasal drops of virus only on 4 d pi. 5. These findings indicate that virus administered in aerosols was more efficient in infecting the lower respiratory tract and in inducing activity of the IFN? gene than virus administered as intranasal drops. The results of this study suggest that virus aerosols cause more intense respiratory infection and increase the shedding of the H9N2 AIV in guinea fowl, highlighting the potential role of guinea fowl as a mixing bowl for transmission and maintenance of H9N2 AIV between poultry premises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: The inherent promiscuity of small molecules towards protein targets impedes our understanding of healthy versus diseased metabolism. This promiscuity also poses a challenge for the pharmaceutical industry as identifying all protein targets is important to assess (side) effects and repositioning opportunities for a drug. Results: Here, we present a novel integrated structure- and system-based approach of drug-target prediction (iDTP) to enable the large-scale discovery of new targets for small molecules, such as pharmaceutical drugs, co-factors and metabolites (collectively called 'drugs'). For a given drug, our method uses sequence order--independent structure alignment, hierarchical clustering and probabilistic sequence similarity to construct a probabilistic pocket ensemble (PPE) that captures promiscuous structural features of different binding sites on known targets. A drug's PPE is combined with an approximation of its delivery profile to reduce false positives. In our cross-validation study, we use iDTP to predict the known targets of 11 drugs, with 63% sensitivity and 81% specificity. We then predicted novel targets for these drugs--two that are of high pharmacological interest, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and the oncogene B-cell lymphoma 2, were successfully validated through in vitro binding experiments. Our method is broadly applicable for the prediction of protein-small molecule interactions with several novel applications to biological research and drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is becoming a major threat to plant productivity loss in agricultural system. The present study was carried out to evaluate the physiological and biochemical alterations induced by salicylic acid (SA) in mustard plant under moderate drought stress conditions. Therefore, a pot culture experiment was conducted to test whether SA application at concentration of 0.5 mM through foliar spray could protect the mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) cultivar Pusa Jai Kisan subjected to drought stress on the basis of growth and photosynthesis. The treatments were as follows: (i) 100% FC + 0 mM SA, (ii) 50% FC + 0 mM SA, (iii) 100% FC + 0.5 mM SA and (iv) 50% FC + 0.5 mM SA. The control treatment received 100% field capacity (FC) irrigation, whereas moderate drought stress corresponded to 50% field capacity. Plants subjected to drought stress caused significant reduction in growth and photosynthetic parameters, activity of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), nitrate reductase (NR), ATP-sulfurylase (ATPS) which accounted for decreased nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) assimilation. Whereas, a pronounced increase was observed in proline metabolism. Exogenously applied 0.5 mM SA alleviated the stress by increasing the proline production through the increase in γ-glutamyl kinase (GK) and decrease in proline oxidase (PROX) activity. In addition SA application restricted the ethylene formation by inhibiting the 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) activity more conspicuously under moderate drought stress than no stress. These findings reflect that SA application alleviates the drought-induced decrease in growth and photosynthesis through increased proline content. Higher proline content was a result of increased N and S assimilation and increased synthesis of proline synthesizing enzyme which lowers the oxidative stress in mustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the effects of sago–tapioca starch ratio and moisture level of feed mixture on the physical properties of a Malaysian mahseer (Tor tambroides) extruded diet. Fifteen iso-nitrogenous diets containing varying ratios of sago–tapioca starch (20:0, 15:5, 10:10, 5:15 and 0:20) and varying moisture contents (200, 300, and 400g/kg) were formulated. The feed mixtures were extruded using a single-screw extruder. The barrel temperature profile was set at 80–100–120°C while the die temperature was set at 160°C. The physical properties of extruded diets (bulk density, expansion rate, floatability, water stability, pellet durability index, sinking velocity and scanning electron microscopy) were investigated. The results showed that increasing moisture level of diet from 200g/kg to 400g/kg increased (P<0.05) the value of all physical properties examined. The best moisture level to produce best floating extrudates using sago or tapioca or their combination was 400g/kg. Sago starch and combinations of the sago–tapioca starch performed as good as tapioca starch alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mustard ( Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss.) cvs. Pusa Jai Kisan (with low-affinity S transporter (LAT) system) and Pusa Bold (with dual, low- and high-affinity transporters (LAT + HAT) system) were supplied with 0 or 1 mM S in hydroponics culture, and the coordinate changes in growth traits (plant dry weight and leaf area), photosynthetic traits (photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO, F/ F, and chlorophyll content), activities of key enzymes of sulfur metabolism, such as ATP-sulfurylase (ATP-S), serine acetyltransferase (SAT), and glutathione reductase (GR), and the contents of cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) were studied in 30 days after sowing. The results showed that cv. Pusa Jai Kisan was more sensitive to S deprivation than cv. Pusa Bold. In cv. Pusa Jai Kisan, S deprivation resulted in a stronger decrease of plant growth and photosynthetic traits, Cys and GSH contents, and a notable decline in activity of ATP-S. S deprivation up-regulated GR activity to a greater extent in cv. Pusa Bold. In contrast, despite the activity of SAT, an enzyme involved in the final step of Cys biosynthesis, was increased in cv. Pusa Jai Kisan stronger than in cv. Pusa Bold under S-deprivation, it could not be translated into the increase in Cys and, thus, GSH contents and a consequent improvement in growth and photosynthesis. The study demonstrated that cv. Pusa Bold (with LAT + HAT) can be a promising cultivar for activation of Cys and/or GSH biosyntheses and increased plant tolerance to S-deprivation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

orbate (AsA)-glutathione (GSH) cycle metabolism is an essential mechanism for the resistance of plants under stress conditions. In a greenhouse pot experiment, the influence of cadmium (Cd) (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg soil) on plant dry weight and leaf area, photosynthetic parameters (net photosynthetic rate (P) and chlorophyll (Chl) content) and oxidative stress, and the possible protective role of AsA-GSH cycle metabolism was studied in two mung bean ( Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek.) cvs. Pusa 9531 (Cd-tolerant) and PS 16 (Cd-susceptible) at 30 days after sowing. The contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), HO, and the leakage of ions were the highest at 100 mg Cd/kg soil, and the effect was more pronounced in cv. PS 16 than in cv. Pusa 9531. This was concomitant with the strongest decreases in P, plant dry weight, and leaf area. The changes in the AsA-GSH redox state and an increase in AsA-GSH-regenerating enzymes, such as glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and other antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase, strongly supported over-utilization of AsA-GSH in Cd-treated plants. However, the oxidative stress caused by Cd toxicity was partially overcome by AsA-GSH-based detoxification mechanism in the two genotypes studied because an increases in lipid peroxidation (TBARS, ion leakage) and HO content were accompanied by a corresponding decrease in reduced AsA and GSH pools. Thus, changes in AsA-GSH pools and the coordination between AsA-GSH-regenerating enzymes and other enzymatic antioxidants of the leaves suggest their relevance to the defense against Cd stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors examine ways in which university and college students in Nigeria cope with the demands of academic and social life. It is noted that the time spent in college is of critical importance in the development of adolescents and young adults. A number of topics are addressed including the impact that romantic relationships, sports, and other outside factors have on academic achievement, stresses that are a result of the transitional nature of college life, and the research methods employed in the study.

Abstract: This paper introduces a cepstral approach for the automatic detection of landmines and underground utilities from acoustic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) images. This approach is based on treating the problem as a pattern recognition problem. Cepstral features are extracted from a group of images, which are transformed first to 1-D signals by lexicographic ordering. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and polynomial shape coefficients are extracted from these 1-D signals to form a database of features, which can be used to train a neural network with these features. The target detection can be performed by extracting features from any new image with the same method used in the training phase. These features are tested with the neural network to decide whether a target exists or not. The different domains are tested and compared for efficient feature extraction from the lexicographically ordered 1-D signals. Experimental results show the success of the proposed cepstral approach for landmine detection from both acoustic and GPR images at low as well as high signal to noise ratios (SNRs). Results also show that the discrete cosine transform (DCT) is the most appropriate domain for feature extraction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study that examined the effect of social factors on students' academic performance in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Results suggest that student cults are an academic barrier and probably an outright evil. Romantic relationships allegedly have the highest impact, and may be a psychological obstacle to an effective learning process. On the other hand, excessive sporting activities and involvement in clubs and organizations may pose an insignificant threat.

Background. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease characterized by an increase in pulmonary artery pressure leading to right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy, RV failure, and ultimately death. Current treatments can improve symptoms and reduce severity of the hemodynamic disorder but gradual deterioration in their condition often necessitates a lung transplant. Methods and Results. In experimental models of PAH, particularly the model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension, efficacious treatment options tested so far include a spectrum of pharmacologic agents with actions such as antimitogenic, proendothelial function, proangiogenic, antiinflammatory and antioxidative. Emerging trends in PAH treatment are gene and cell therapy and their combination, like (progenitor) cells enriched with eNOS or VEGF gene. More animal data should be collected to investigate optimal cell type, in vitro cell transduction, route of administration, and number of cells to inject. Several recently discovered and experimentally tested interventions bear potential for therapeutic purposes in humans or have been shown already to be effective in PAH patients leading to improved life expectation and better quality of life. Conclusion. Since many patients remain symptomatic despite therapy, we should encourage research in animal models of PAH and implement promising treatments in homogeneous groups of PAH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thermal annealing behaviour of deep levels in p-GaAs grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) has been studied by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) technique. Thermal annealing is found to introduce at least six new defects, four majority-carrier emitting deep levels, situated at E v+0.11, E v+0.27, E v+0.44 and E v+0.89eV in the bandgap, and two minority-carrier emitting defects, at E c−0.49eV and E c−0.99eV. The minority-carrier emitting band of deep levels around ∼100K in the as-grown material has also been found to resolve into two distinct peaks corresponding to deep levels at E c−0.16eV and E c−0.21eV, upon isochronal annealing. Four of the annealed-in defects at E v+0.27, E v+0.44, E c−0.16eV and E c−0.49eV are identified with previously reported deep levels, while the other four defects cannot be identified with any of the deep levels reported in the literature. Data on the annealing behavior and other characteristics of these annealed-in levels are presented. The thermal annealing behavior of the both inadvertent levels observed at E v+0.55eV and E v+0.96eV suggests that these levels are most likely related to arsenic antisite, AsGa, defects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report the results of isochronal annealing study of deep levels in Rh-doped n-type GaAs grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) technique has been employed to study the effects of annealing on deep levels in Rh-doped p+nn+ junction samples. A majority-carrier emitting band of deep levels along with a high temperature peak (RhE1), corresponding to deep level energy position E c−0.92eV and a minority-carrier emitting band of deep levels are identified with Rh-impurity prior to thermal annealing of our samples. In addition to these Rh-related deep levels, the well-known native defect EL2 at E c−0.79eV is observed in majority-carrier emission spectra and two inadvertent deep-level defects, H1 at E v+0.09eV and H3 at E v+0.93eV, usually observed in reference (without Rh) samples, are also detected in the minority-carrier emission spectra of Rh-doped samples. At least one level is found to be introduced at E c−0.13eV in Rh-doped samples at about the same temperature position as the level E(A)1, observed in reference samples, as a result of isochronal annealing, while the other two levels observed in reference samples could not be seen in annealed Rh-doped samples. Data on the annealing behavior and other characteristics of both Rh-related bands of deep levels observed in majority- and minority-carrier emission DLTS spectra, as well as for the high temperature Rh-related electron-emission peak, are presented. Possible interpretations of these results for the nature and structure of the different deep-level defects are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mice overexpressing progastrin (PG) in intestinal mucosa (fatty acid-binding protein (Fabp)-PG mice) are at an increased risk of proximal colon carcinogenesis in response to azoxymethane. Here, we report a significant increase in the length of proximal colonic crypts in Fabp-PG mice, associated with potent antiapoptotic effects of PG, which likely contributed to the previously reported increase in colon carcinogenesis in Fabp-PG mice. Phosphorylation of kinase of IκBα (IKKα/β), inhibitor of κB (IκB)α and p65NF-κB was significantly elevated in proximal colonic crypts of Fabp-PG versus wild-type mice, which was associated with degradation of IκBα and nuclear translocation/activation of p65. Surprisingly, distal colonic crypt cells were not as responsive to elevated levels of PG in Fabp-PG mice. Annexin II, recently described as a high-affinity receptor for PG, strongly co-localized with PG intracellularly and on basolateral membranes of proximal crypt cells, providing evidence that annexin-II binds PG in situ in colonic crypt cells. Proliferative and antiapoptotic effects of PG on proximal crypts of Fabp-PG mice were attenuated to wild-type levels, on treatment with NEMO peptide (an inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation), demonstrating for the first time a critical role of NF-κB in mediating hyperproliferative affects of PG on colonic crypts of Fabp-PG mice, in vivo. Thus, downregulation of NF-κB may significantly reduce the increased risk of colon carcinogenesis in response to PG.Oncogene (2008) 27, 5599–5611; doi:10.1038/onc.2008.169; published online 2 June 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gymnema sylvestre R.Br., a medicinal plant that is indigenous to India, grows wild in the tropical forests of central, western and southern parts of India and in the tropical areas of Africa, Australia, and China. The plant is listed in the Indian pharmaceutical codex and is popular in Indian systems of traditional medicine, such as Sidha, Unani, and Ayurveda, where the plant leaves are used to treat type II (adult-onset) diabetes (Madhumeha). Due to a lack of successful agrotechniques, however, the plant has become vulnerable and therefore, the different varieties and populations growing in various phytogeographical regions merit attention of the research community. This article elucidates the botany, biochemistry, pharmacology, and medicinal uses of the plant and suggests a strategy for conservation of the species while emphasizing the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Irradiation of p-GaAs grown by low-pressure metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) with α-particles from the 241Am source has been performed at room temperature. At least seven radiation-induced deep-level defects at energy positions E v+0.09eV, E v+0.11eV, E v+0.16eV, E v+0.24eV, E v+0.32eV, E v+0.42eV, and E v+0.77eV were detected in the lower-half of the band gap, using deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), while no radiation-induced defects were observed in the upper-half band gap (minority carrier injection spectrum). The DLTS signatures of the radiation-induced defects are compared with the previously reported defects introduced in α-irradiated p-GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). It has been observed that while four of these deep levels are similar to those found in α-irradiated MBE grown p-GaAs, three levels at E v+0.32eV, E v+0.42eV, and E v+0.77eV observed in our MOCVD material were not detected in MBE material. Data on the introduction rates and other characteristics of the radiation-induced defects are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: EL2 is the ubiquitous native defect in crystalline GaAs grown by a variety of different techniques. It has been proposed to be a doubly charged deep-level center with two states having distinct energy levels in the band gap. While the singly charged state has been the subject of many experimental studies and is, therefore, well established, the doubly charged state has only been occasionally alluded to in the literature. This paper provides evidence for a dominant inadvertent deep level in p-type GaAs most likely to be the doubly charged state of the EL2 center. Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) has been applied to characterize epitaxial layers of p-type GaAs grown on p+ GaAs substrates by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). A pronounced peak is observed in the majority carrier (hole) emission deep-level spectra. Thermal emission rate of holes from the corresponding deep level is found to exhibit a strong electric field dependence, showing an increase of more than two orders of magnitude with an increase of the electric field by a factor of ∼2. The thermal activation energy for this level is found to vary from 0.29 to 0.61eV as the electric field is varied from 2.8×105 to 1.4×105 V/cm. Direct pulse-filling measurements point to a temperature-dependent behavior of the hole capture cross section of this level. We identify this inadvertent deep-level defect, commonly observed in p-type GaAs grown by a variety of different methods, with the doubly charged state of the well-known AsGa antisite related defect, EL2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A preliminary study of growth interruption effects on the GaAs/AlGaAs layers is reported. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) is performed on Al Schottky barrier devices fabricated on Si-doped, isotype GaAs/Al0.78Ga0.22As heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), both with (200s) and without, growth interruption. Our spectra extending from ∼15 to 300K show four peaks corresponding to deep level defects with thermal activation energies (E A): 0.09, 0.32, 0.42 and 0.52eV, which are detected in both types of samples (close to and) above liquid nitrogen temperature, although with different relative concentrations. Comparison with reported work on GaAs/Al x Ga1− x As samples with different compositions (x) shows that latter two of these deep levels are counterparts of the levels, P3–P4, earlier observed in MBE grown Al x Ga1− x As materials with Al content different than that used here. However, the deep level spectra of our samples show dramatic differences for the growth interrupted and uninterrupted samples in the temperature range below 77K. Whereas the samples prepared without growth interruption show a prominent, hitherto unobserved, positive (majority carrier emission) peak, P0 (E A=0.029eV), with shoulders on both higher and lower temperature flanks, the samples with growth interruption show a pronounced negative peak, apparently corresponding to a deep level with E A=0.031eV, in the same temperature region, under similar measurement conditions. The deep-level characteristics, including emission rate signatures and apparent capture cross-sections, are determined for the observed features using the thermal emission rate data. Some interesting additional features related to depth profiles of deep levels, bias effects and charge-induced metastability effects are also reported. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Results of isochronal annealing up to a temperature of 660K of n-type GaAs grown by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) are reported. Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) reveals EL2 as the only electron-emitting deep-level defect in our as-grown material, whereas three hole-emitting levels at E v+0.09eV, E v+0.40eV and E v+0.93eV are observed in the minority-carrier injection spectra. While yielding interesting results on the behavior of these pre-existing deep-level defects, thermal annealing is found to introduce at least four new defects, three in the upper half of the band gap at E c−0.13eV, E c−0.16eV and E c−0.36eV, and one in the lower half at E v+0.19eV. Two of these defects, one at E c−0.16eV and the other at E c−0.36eV, are identified with previously reported annealed-in deep levels in n-GaAs, while the other two defects cannot be identified with any of the deep levels reported in the literature. Data on the annealing behavior and other characteristics of these annealed-in levels are presented. All the pre-existing inadvertent deep-level defects in the as-grown material were found to be stable up to 600K, beyond which the minority-carrier emitting levels start to anneal out, but EL2 tends to show a slight increase with annealing temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Diet plays an important role in promoting and/or preventing colon cancer; however, the effects of specific nutrients remain uncertain because of the difficulties in correlating epidemiological and basic observations. Transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (TMCH) induced by Citrobacter rodentium, causes significant hyperproliferation and hyperplasia in the mouse distal colon and increases the risk of subsequent neoplasia. We have recently shown that TMCH is associated with an increased abundance of cellular β-catenin and its nuclear translocation coupled with up-regulation of its downstream targets, c-myc and cyclin D1. In this study, we examined the effects of two putatively protective nutrients, calcium and soluble fibre pectin, on molecular events linked to proliferation in the colonic epithelium during TMCH. Dietary intervention incorporating changes in calcium [high (1.0%) and low (0.1%)] and alterations in fibre content (6% pectin and fibre-free) were compared with the standard AIN-93 diet (0.5% calcium, 5% cellulose), followed by histomorphometry and immunochemical assessment of potential oncogenes. Dietary interventions did not alter the time course of Citrobacter infection. Both 1.0% calcium and 6% pectin diet inhibited increases in proliferation and crypt length typically seen in TMCH. Neither the low calcium nor fibre-free diets had significant effect. Pectin diet blocked increases in cellular β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc levels associated with TMCH by 70%, whereas neither high nor low calcium diet had significant effect on these molecules. Diets supplemented with either calcium or pectin therefore, exert anti-proliferative effects in mouse distal colon involving different molecular pathways. TMCH is thus a diet-sensitive model for examining the effect of specific nutrients on molecular characteristics of the pre-neoplastic colonic epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manipulation of the active dye material for application in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using simple or bulky group substituents is necessary for improved dye performance. Herein, we carried out a combined experimental and theoretical studies of different alkylated novel reactive (E)-6-(2,3-dihydroxyl naphthalene diazinyl)-1H-benzoisoquinoline-1,3-dione azo-based dyes using spectral (FTIR, UV–visible, and NMR) analysis and electronic structure theory method based first principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the molecular electronic properties, structural analysis, excitation behavior, and the theoretical potential application in photovoltaic cell. The synthesized azo dye (azoD) was theoretically modeled by varying the number of alkyl chains denoted as AzoD1, AzoD2, AzoD3, and AzoD4 to represent azo dyes having ten (10), twelve (12), fourteen (14), and sixteen (16) alkyl chain length respectively. From the natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, the higher stabilization energies, 227.80 and 227.77 kcal/mol respectively, recorded for AzoD1 and AzoD4 may be due to extra orbital contribution by π*(N21–N22) to π*C54–C56 31.19 eV for AzoD1 and π*(N21–N22) → π*(C53–C55) 31.43 eV AzoD4 confirming that chain length affected the orbital interaction of the molecules. The driving force (ΔGinject) of electron injection into the TiO2 surface (− 1.92 to − 1.93) shown in this study is indicative that alkylated azo dyes are good for improved DSSCs performance. Again, the open circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.090 (AzoD1), 1.092 (AzoD2), 1.093 (AzoD3), and 1.095 (AzoD4) are also evidence of the suitability of azo dyes as photosensitizers. All the spectroscopic analysis, FTIR, UV–visible, and NMR combined with theoretical calculations, provided accurate data for characterizing the titled azo dye compound and showed that it has good photophysical properties. The presence of alkyl groups and chain length promoted the stability of the dyes thereby making them suitable for application in DSSCs. Increase in chain length as well enhanced the electron injection into the conduction band of the semiconductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) are novel features which have not been used in classification of fNIRS-BCI. • Open access data base has been used to determine the accuracy. • Work has been compared with existing features and robustness and reliability of MFCC has been shown. • A good accuracy has been achieved using MFCC. Experimentation and analysis of Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) has increasingly been studied as a communication possibility for patients who are severely paralyzed. This study has applied this technique to distinguish brain activities during four different mental tasks. These tasks include Mental Arithmetic (MA), Motor Imagery of Left-Hand (LHMI) and Right-Hand (RHMI) and Rest. fNIRS data used is from an open access dataset of 29 individuals which was collected by Continuous-wave imaging system (NIR Scout). In this research Data integration is performed before the data is preprocessed. Usual preprocessing is done using Butterworth filter to minimize or eliminate any unwanted signal distortion. After that an extensive signal analysis is done in which six different statistical features (Signal Mean (SM), Skewness (SK), Kurtosis (KR), Standard Deviation (SD), Signal Peak (SP), and Signal Variance (SV)) are obtained in the time domain and 13 Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) features are obtained from the frequency domain. As per literature review, MFCC has never been used as feature towards classification of fNIRS signal, which is a novel contribution towards this study. Separate Classification analysis is performed on each domain features. We were able to compare, differentiate and distinguish the brain signal activities captured while performing four different tasks using three different classifiers i.e. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K Nearest Neighbor (KNN). The average classification accuracy of 90.54% is achieved from K Nearest Neighbors (KNN) using the time domain features and accuracy achieved from Support Vector Machine (SVM) using the frequency domain features is 95.7%. Comparison with benchmark study shows the efficiency of MFCC as suitable features for improved classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines advocate multifactorial cardiovascular risk management in patients with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Aim: In hospitalised patients with diabetes following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), we aimed to evaluate the impacts of decision‐support algorithms for optimising glycaemia and lipid‐lowering. We also assessed the safety of initiating sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors near time of hospital discharge. Methods: This was a single‐site, pre‐ and post‐intervention analysis of glucose and lipid management in consecutive hospitalised patients with diabetes undergoing CABG surgery. The intervention involved education and decision‐support algorithms designed by a multidisciplinary committee to guide cardiac surgery unit clinicians. Results: A total of 200 patients were included in the study. The pre‐ and post‐intervention groups had similar baseline characteristics (HbA1c 7.9 ± 1.9% vs 8.1 ± 1.8%). Of 4092 blood glucose measurements, the incidence of levels between 5 and 10 mmol/L was not different post‐intervention (55.5% vs 57.0%; P = 0.441). Fewer endocrinology consultations occurred (59.0% vs 45.0%; P = 0.048) and rates of hypoglycaemia remained low. High‐intensity statin was prescribed in >90% pre‐ and post‐intervention, although non‐statin lipid‐lowering agents remained <10% despite patients not achieving LDL‐C targets. No 30‐day readmissions for diabetic ketoacidosis occurred in patients prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors. Conclusion: The intervention did not improve inpatient glycaemia or increase non‐statin lipid‐lowering prescriptions in patients with diabetes following CABG surgery but did reduce reliance on specialty input. Initiation of SGLT2 inhibitor therapy near time of hospital discharge was not associated with safety concerns. Alternative interventions or strategies are required to optimise glycaemia and non‐statin lipid‐lowering therapy prescribing in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2.8-kg infant underwent urgent repair of a large iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of the innominate artery, which was compressing the airway and superior vena cava, creating critical respiratory instability. The pseudoaneurysm was repaired with complete resolution of all respiratory symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report a comprehensive study of deep levels in the entire band gap of alpha-irradiated n-type GaAs, grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), over a wide temperature scan range of 12–475K. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) reveals the presence of, at least, seven radiation-induced deep level defects at energy positions E c−0.05eV, E c−0.14eV, E c−0.19eV, E c−0.34eV, E c−0.38eV, E c−0.59eV and E c−0.69eV in the upper-half of the band gap, while two radiation-induced defects at energy positions E v+0.54eV and E v+0.77eV were observed in the lower-half band gap. Some significant differences have been observed with respect to the published work on Schottky barrier diodes. Detailed data on the emission rates, capture cross-sections and introduction rates of the radiation-induced defects are presented. The majority carrier emitting levels at E c−0.05eV and E c−0.14eV have been found to have electric-field-dependent emission rate signatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) has been used to investigate deep levels in n-type Ru-doped GaAs grown by low-pressure metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). DLTS scans over a wide temperature range (12–470K) reveal two prominent deep-level peaks associated with Ru, when compared with control samples with no deliberate Ru-doping. The well-known mid-gap defect EL2 is also observed in these scans. The Ru-related deep levels, Ru1 and Ru2, correspond to energy positions E c−0.46eV and E c−0.57eV in the upper-half-bandgap of GaAs. No prominent deep levels associated with Ru are observed in the lower half-bandgap in the injection DLTS spectra; only the three inadvertent levels already present in the as-grown, control material are observed in these spectra. Although a possible Ru-related peak may be present with a rather small concentration in these injection DLTS spectra, it is difficult to clearly identify this peak also present in the control (as-grown, without Ru) samples at a closely similar position. Interestingly, doping with Ru reveals an interesting significant suppression of the pre-existing deep levels, including EL2. Detailed emission rate signatures are presented for the Ru-related deep levels and analyzed to obtain the relevant deep-level characteristics. Both Ru1 and Ru2 are found to show strong dependence on electric field, as demonstrated by the shift in the corresponding DLTS peak positions with the applied reverse bias during electron emission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Systemic scleroderma/sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease, which can lead to esophageal motor dysfunction and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Nocturnal GERD symptoms may be associated with sleep disturbances, which in turn can drastically affect well-being and fatigue levels. We hypothesized that GERD symptoms would be associated with poorer sleep in patients with SSc. Rheumatologist established SSc patients completed the following questionnaires: the UCLA scleroderma clinical trial consortium gastrointestinal tract instrument (GIT) 2.0 questionnaire; the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI); the fatigue severity scale (FSS); the multidimensional gastrointestinal symptom severity index (GSSI). Poor sleep quality was defined by a PSQI total score >5. Questionnaires were completed by 287 patients [mean (SD) age = 59 (14) years; female = 243]. Poor sleep quality was identified in 194 (68%) patients. Patients with poor sleep quality reported less sleep time and increased fatigue compared to those with normal sleep scores. SSc patients with poor sleep had significantly higher GIT Reflux scores (P  < .001), and poor sleep was more frequent in those with moderate/severe versus mild/no heartburn on GISSI (P  < .001). Narcotic and antidepressant use was significantly more frequent in SSc patients with poor sleep quality. Multivariable logistic regression supported the association between GERD symptoms and poor sleep after controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) (2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52–4.25; P  < .001). The association remained after controlling for narcotic and antidepressant use (2.20, 95% CI 1.29–3.73; P  < .001). SSc patients who reported GERD symptoms were also more likely to report poor sleep quality. Future studies should examine mechanisms underlying nocturnal GERD symptoms in SSc patients, and the impact of improved GERD symptom control on sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of study was to determine the relationship between widespread presence of clinical/sub-clinical mastitis and different conditions of farm management for Friesian x Sahiwal (FxS) crossbred cows in Lahore district of Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 107 FxS crossbred cows were selected from three dairy farms having different management conditions (A: Very good, B: Good and C: Poor). The data of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis was collected using the cardinal sign (inflammation of udder) and white side test. Overall incidence of mastitis was recorded 26.2% including 12.72, 13.63 and 16.66% at farms with very good, good and poor management conditions, respectively. However, sub-clinical mastitis was recorded 9.09, 13.63 and 16.66% at farms with very good, good and poor management conditions. Prevalence of mastitis was 7.71% Sub-clinical and 7% clinical in udder quarters. It was concluded that mastitis level has linear relation with management conditions of farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]