Search

Abstract Handwritten signatures in biometric authentication leverage unique individual characteristics for identification, offering high specificity through dynamic and static properties. However, this modality faces significant challenges from sophisticated forgery attempts, underscoring the need for enhanced security measures in common applications. To address forgery in signature-based biometric systems, integrating a forgery-resistant modality, namely, noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG), which captures unique brain activity patterns, can significantly enhance system robustness by leveraging multimodality’s strengths. By combining EEG, a physiological modality, with handwritten signatures, a behavioral modality, our approach capitalizes on the strengths of both, significantly fortifying the robustness of biometric systems through this multimodal integration. In addition, EEG’s resistance to replication offers a high-security level, making it a robust addition to user identification and verification. This study presents a new multimodal SignEEG v1.0 dataset based on EEG and hand-drawn signatures from 70 subjects. EEG signals and hand-drawn signatures have been collected with Emotiv Insight and Wacom One sensors, respectively. The multimodal data consists of three paradigms based on mental, & motor imagery, and physical execution: i) thinking of the signature’s image, (ii) drawing the signature mentally, and (iii) drawing a signature physically. Extensive experiments have been conducted to establish a baseline with machine learning classifiers. The results demonstrate that multimodality in biometric systems significantly enhances robustness, achieving high reliability even with limited sample sizes. We release the raw, pre-processed data and easy-to-follow implementation details.

Background Early detection of free flap compromise is critical for salvage of the flap. Various methods of free flap monitoring have been described, but clinical assessment is the standard method for among all. In this study, role of infrared thermography is evaluated for free flap monitoring.

Silver nanoparticles are becoming increasingly popular because of their potential applications in bioengineering and medical diagnostics. Nanoparticles possess distinctive features, including increased surface-to-volume ratio and superior magnetic properties, which render them well-suited for a range of biological uses. They have a multi-functionalization, high surface plasmon resonance, large surface area, stable nature, and easy processing. However, silver nanoparticles have exciting potential for biomedical applications, including biomaterials, detection and diagnosis platforms, formulations, drug delivery, and medical device coatings. This typical review provides a comprehensive overview of the current research on silver nanoparticles in biomedical applications, highlighting different methods for creating nanoparticles, exploring their antimicrobial properties in various medical fields, and examining their prospective biological uses.

Background: Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) outlines a roadmap for the parties to safeguard public health policies in compliance with the national law from the influence of commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. Aim: The study was conducted with the aim to identify gaps and bring existing Indian policies in compliance with Article 5.3 of FCTC. Materials and Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional opinion poll involving respondents aged >18 years (n = 164) and a panel discussion (n = 31) were conducted. Results: The majority of stakeholders expressed (strongly agree = 65% and agree = 22.6%) the need for a nationwide policy to regulate interactions between public officials and the tobacco industry. About 56.7% felt the need to expand existing protocols and codes of conduct for public officials across India. Over 84% of the participants supported incorporating specific sections to implement Article 5.3 into the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act Amendment Bill 2020. The majority of participants supported the need for guidelines for medical bodies and prohibiting tobacco companies from participating in corporate social responsibility activities. Conclusion: The Government of India should comprehensively adopt Article 5.3, in all states and union territories, adopting a whole-of-government approach in partnership with the community and civil society under the “whole-of-society” approach for effective tobacco control measures.

ABSTRACTFor real-time patient heart rate management, most widely used biomedical implantable devices in the cardiovascular system is the cardiac pacemaker (CP). A key factor in keeping the patient alive is the development of novel heart pacing techniques which can reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia. The present work is inspired to achieve this goal. To achieve an accurate, controlled, and regulated heart rate, a pacemaker with an intelligent proportional integral derivative (PID) controller is considered. The proposed PID controller is an integration of the traditional PID controller with appropriate tuning, that uses a swarm intelligence-based artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm for handling the bio-electrical signals. To ensure the efficacy of the proposed controller experiments are conducted. MATLAB/Simulink software is used to test and simulate the suggested model and to adjust the controller gains. The simulation is performed in the time and frequency domain. The resulting pulse rate from the ABC-PID controller has a rise time (0.0985 s), settling time (0.3293 s), maximum overshoot (0.111367%), and MSE (0.0040565). External disturbances of various duty cycles are also introduced in the proposed CP control system. The proposed ABC-PID controller for implanted pacemakers reduces the risk of heart rate over-run.

The Kashmir musk deer (Moschus cupreus) is a globally endangered species hunted for its musk pod. Despite its endangered status, it remains one of the least studied species of musk deer. In 2019, the genetic discovery of Kashmir musk deer in Mustang district of Nepal – outside of its historically known range in Kashmir, India – opened up new avenues for research on this elusive species. Communication among individuals of musk deer is primarily based on latrine sites, which serve various purposes such as territorial marking and reproductive signaling. Hence, this study aims to investigate the association between microhabitat and latrine sites of Kashmir musk deer in the Mustang, Nepal. A systematic survey was conducted to identify latrine presence and absence sites at an elevational gradient. Data on biophysical parameters, including altitude, slope, aspect, tree height, shrub height, and regeneration height were recorded for both latrine presence and absence plots. Significant differences in tree height and regeneration height, crown cover, and trail width were observed between the presence and absence plots. Latrine presence and absence data fitted with the generalized linear model using logistic function, revealed that the interaction between tree height and regeneration height plays a pivotal role in determining the suitability of a particular site within the habitat for establishing a latrine site. This significant positive interaction indicated that the probability of discovering latrines significantly increases when the areas have taller trees and taller regeneration. This finding affects microclimate factors, such as sunlight exposure, wind speed, soil moisture, and temperature, influencing their role in sustaining scent retention in the latrine sites. Incorporating knowledge about the association between microhabitats and latrine sites can aid in preserving suitable habitats that are critical for establishing communication among individual musk deer. This information can inform various conservation efforts, including captive breeding programs, anti-poaching operations, and reintroduction initiatives.

Abstract Background Okhaldhunga is a hilly district with fragile socioeconomic conditions, limited access to health care, social stigma, and poor resource management, where most people rely on medicinal plants for primary health care. The use of medicinal plants for primary health care varies with socioeconomic attributes. Following the intra-cultural analysis, we documented and tested the hypothesis that use of medicinal plants in Champadevi, Okhaldhunga, Nepal, depends on socioeconomic variables. Methods We interviewed 224 respondents, 53.12% female and 46.88% male, including 31 Brahmin, 157 Chhetri, 13 Dalit, and 23 Janajati, and conducted three focused group discussions and seven key informant interviews to record the ethnomedicinal plants used in Champadevi rural municipality, Okhaldhunga District. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) was computed to know the importance of the species. A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to see the relationship between medicinal plants reported with the sociocultural variables, which include age, gender, occupation, education, ethnicity, and religion. Results We documented 149 medicinal plants, including 69 herbs, 22 shrubs, nine climbers, 48 trees, and one parasitic plant, belonging to 68 families and 130 genera, and used to treat 48 distinct diseases and ailments. Plant parts, leaf, and digestive disorders were frequently treated during healing. Curcuma angustifolia was the most cited species with RFC 0.9554. The respondents' knowledge of medicinal plant use varied significantly with age (p = 0.0001) and occupation (p = 0.003). Changes in land use, population decline of medicinal plant species, and unsustainable harvesting practices constituted the local threats to medicinal plants and associated knowledge. Elders died without passing on their knowledge to the younger generations during sociocultural transformation, and youth disinterest coupled with the free availability of allopathic medicine led to knowledge erosion. Conclusions The use of medicinal plants in Champadevi, Okhaldhunga, was significantly depended on two socioeconomic variables age and occupation. Ethnomedicinal plants are essential in the primary healthcare system in Nepal; however, their availability and practices are declining. Thus, plans regulating land use change and human migration, acknowledging traditional healthcare practices, and raising awareness of the significance of traditional medical practices as complementary healthcare practices should be strengthened.

The automatic generation control (AGC) is a paradigm topic of interest that is continuously evolving for adequate power generation control in the power system. In this proposed study, a fuzzy adapted PID (FPID) controller is assigned for the AGC of the hybrid power system in various electrical risks and hazards. The hybrid power system includes traditional thermal and hydroelectric facilities along with gas and nuclear power plants. Two FACTS components, the superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and the interline power flow controller (IPFC), have been included in to the system to improve stability of the system. The proposed FPID controller is developed to its full potential using the newly developed teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) method. The TLBO technique's capability has been compared against a few common evolutionary strategies in order to demonstrate its superiority. It also shows how FPID controllers outperform traditional PID controllers. Investigations are also done on how IPFC and SMES might improve system stability performance. Owing to the outcome study, it is revealed that suggested TLBO-FPID, IPFC and SMES are most effective tool to advance the AGC mechanism. It is revealed from the outcomes that anticipated FPID controller reduces the settling time of area1 frequency (ΔF1) by 135.72 %, 428.58 % and 471.42 % over TLBO;PID, DE;PID and PSO;PI respectively. Finally, the proposed mechanisms are discussed with employing in electric vehicle integrated three-area distributed energy source-based power network to justify the efficacy of the proposed approaches.

The robust design and application of a novel type-2 fuzzy tilt controller (Type2-FTC) has been well demonstrated in this manuscript. This controller is anticipated to build automatic generation control (AGC) of a multi-area hybrid power system in concern to the optimal power generation scheduling. The combined action of AGC and optimal scheduling of a power system is referred as economic AGC or commonly ELD-AGC. At the initial stage of the analysis, the concept of only AGC has been discussed through various robust approaches. Then the extensive study on ELD-AGC of the proposed power system has been progressed under various controller actions. Further, the proposed Type2-FTC controller is designed ideally with employing an innovative quassi-opposition path finder algorithm (QO-PFA) in various operating conditions. The effectiveness and the viability of the proposed Type2-FTC controller has been verified over type-I fuzzy PID and conventional PID controllers for AGC as well as ELD-AGC of the multi area power system. In controller comparison study, it has been revealed that proposed Type2-FTC is a potential candidate to improve frequency stability of the system. Further, the analysis over technique study justifies supremacy of the suggested QO-FPA algorithm over standard PFA and PSO algorithms for optimal designing all implemented controllers.

This study explores the co-pyrolysis recycling of the Polypropylene-Bakelite blend to improve the kinetics, thermodynamics, and conversion of thermal degradation of bakelite into useful products. The thermogravimetry analysis of the blend was conducted from ambient to 1000 °C at various heating rates in an N2 atmosphere. Thermogravimetric-Differential thermogravimetry curves revealed four steps of pyrolytic degradation, including two major weight loss steps (220–420 °C and 420–550 °C). The blending of polypropylene with Bakelite caused a shift in the pyrolytic degradation temperature zone and a synergetic effect. The pyrolytic degradation of the blended sample followed the F3 order-based mechanism with an average activation energy of 151 kJ/mol at 220–420 °C and the P3/2 nucleation mechanism with an average activation energy of 306 kJ/mol at 420–550 °C. The blend produced 47.66 % oil, 11.1 % wax, 15.1 % residue, and 26.14 % non-condensable gas during batch pyrolysis at 450 °C. The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analyses revealed that the oil contained 18.86 % saturated hydrocarbons (C8-54), 20.33 % unsaturated hydrocarbons (C7-19), and 60.81 % oxygenated compounds (C9-41) that could be used as transportation fuel.

Abstract We study the intricate interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes through the lens of the prisoner’s dilemma game. But while previous studies on cooperation amongst selfish individuals often assume instantaneous interactions, we take into consideration delays to investigate how these might affect the causes underlying prosocial behavior. Through analytical calculations and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that delays can lead to oscillations, and by incorporating also the ecological variable of altruistic free space and the evolutionary strategy of punishment, we explore how these factors impact population and community dynamics. Depending on the parameter values and the initial fraction of each strategy, the studied eco-evolutionary model can mimic a cyclic dominance system and even exhibit chaotic behavior, thereby highlighting the importance of complex dynamics for the effective management and conservation of ecological communities. Our research thus contributes to the broader understanding of group decision-making and the emergence of moral behavior in multidimensional social systems.

The current research is focused on investigating the influence of bearing irregularities like eccentricities (e), non-circularities (G), L/D ratio (ß), surface roughness coefficient (Y) on hydrodynamic performance of journal bearing such as load bearing capacity, friction force, lubricating oil flow. The performance is evaluated through finite difference method technique implementing a Newton-Raphson method of error convergence. The simulation outputs were than designed using an optimization tool entitled as Design of Experiment (DoE) on basis of response surface methodology (RSM). The outputs of RSM models were meant to forecast the response parameters like, load bearing capacity, friction force, flow of lubricant and further required to identify the noticeable interdependencies within the input parameters while evaluating the lubrication performance. The optimization of the bearing irregularities is done considering desirability approach of the response surface methodology in identifying proper combination of parameters.

With multiple time delays, we investigated a Caputo fractional order dynamical system involving susceptible, exposed, infected, and recovered individuals. Positivity and boundedness are also theoretically demonstrated using Laplace transform and Mittag-Leffler function. The stability of the disease-free and epidemic equilibrium points has been studied for both delayed and non-delayed model. For generating numerical solutions to the model system, we used the Adam-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector technique. With the help of MATLAB (2018a), we were able to conduct graphical demonstrations and numerical simulations. The system displays Hopf bifurcation and the solutions are no longer periodic beyond a certain threshold value of the time delay parameters.

This article intended an advanced deep-Q network (A-DQN) based algorithm for the optimal design of a robust grade-2 fuzzy cascaded controller (G2-FCC) concerning frequency control of an autonomous AC microgrid under several electrical disturbances. The proposed AC microgrid is equipped with a hydraulic electrolyzer fuel cell (HE-FC) that empowers electrically to a variety of local consumers. Apart from the HE-FC, the proposed microgrid model is associated with few fractional megawatts (MW) rated power generating sources such as diesel generators (DEG), micro-turbines (MT), solar power stations (SPS), wind power stations (WPS) and geothermal to maximize the total power of a system. However, to increase system performance and energy quality some energy-storing devices such as ultra-capacitors (UC), flywheel (fw), and battery energy management systems (BEMS) are integrated into the system. Most renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants are associated with high uncertainties and exhibit low inertia which severely affects the grid frequency. The proposed fuzzy G2-FCC controller dominates the frequency disturbance gracefully and shows its superiority over a few standard approaches like fuzzy Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and PID controllers. The energy-storing components also have shown their potential in regard to frequency profile improvement of the microgrid system. Finally, the suggested A-DQN algorithm is proved as the most effective tool to optimal design the parameters of the G2-FCC controller. Finally, it is verified that the suggested G2-FCC controller is found to be the most effective tool to improve the settling time of ΔF by 154.54 and 249.64 % over well-existing grade-1 fuzzy PID and PID approaches, respectively.

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak occurred due to a human respiratory virus that originated in the city of Wuhan, China. During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a significant improvement in the air quality across the world. We analyzed the data for BTEX over the three years (January to December 2019 to 2021) with pairwise comparison and trend analysis for pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. This study demonstrates the substantial changes in the concentration of VOCs in the urban area (Punjab) due to the lockdown effects. The results indicate a substantial reduction in the mean TVOCs concentration for all the monitoring stations was found to be 8.89 ± 1.80, 5.59 ± 1.71, and 5.57 ± 1.43 μg/m3 for before, during, and post-pandemic, respectively. The level of TVOCs declined by −43% for all monitoring stations during the lockdown period compared to the previous years. A higher T/B ratio was found in Patiala (2.97 μg/m3) before the pandemic, which may indicate vehicle emission sources. The LCR values for benzene were found to be higher in children than in males and females, which indicated the possible risk. The LCR values for benzene exceeded the prescribed value by CPCB for children.

Every year, millions of tons of trash find their way into the rivers and streams around our country, contaminating the water and endangering the all those whose lives depend on it. A significant portion of the rubbish is floating, insoluble material, which is more hazardous since it creates a barrier between air and water. The design of an ocean cleaner is suggested in order to remove garbage from the sea or to create a cleaner atmosphere. This floating rubbish can be taken out of the water's surface by this system. The system uses a conveyor belt-style arrangement that is powered by an electric motor. The conveyor belt continuously goes upward, collecting trash along the way thanks to spike arrangements. After that, a trash collection tank is supplied, where the same are momentarily stored. An advantage of this type of device is that it may be made to float, allowing it to move on the water's surface and continuously gather floating rubbish. On the roof, we can also employ solar power cells to supply electricity. The river cleaning system may eventually include a rubbish level indicator assembly.

The indigenous people of Nepal have accumulated knowledge of plants and their uses spanning millennia of oral history, but the current sociodemographic trend threatens the transition of this knowledge. Recording the uses and knowledge of these plants is therefore imperative for revitalizing the traditions and culture and the sustainable use and availability of plant species. We interviewed a total of 80 Sinja Valley residents. We calculated the relative frequency of citations (RFC) of recorded edible oil plants. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Wilcoxon test for gender, the difference in the use of edible oil plants mentioned by age group, education level, and occupation of the respondents was determined. These interviews yielded knowledge on 13 different edible oil-producing plant species (EOPPs) including nine indigenous species and six collected from the wild. EOPPs helped effectively treat 19 disorders with Prunus mira being considered a very good treatment for gastritis. Prinsepia utilis was the most common and frequently used (RFC = 0.99) edible oil-producing plant. Most respondents reported that oil-producing and oil-consuming cultures vary and are decreasing among Sinja Valley residents. The locals were subsistence farmers, and the edible oils for their household purposes were prepared using traditional knowledge. However, the tradition is scourged by commercially-available tawdry oil. In rural areas, the knowledge of edible oil-producing plants has been decimated due to outmigration and sociocultural transformation. Edible oil production from indigenous plants should continue for the culture and conservation of rural livelihood.

Introduction: Loss of hearing during early infancy leads to delayed development of language, communication, and cognition which affects the social, emotional, and academic achievements of a child. Early identification of hearing impairment improves age-related language and communication skills. Aim & Objectives: To find out the prevalence and profile of hearing loss among high-risk neonates in a hospital setup. Material and Methods: This was a prospective observational study being conducted over two years at VIMSAR, Bulra, Sambalpur, Odisha. 264 high-risk neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were screened using evoked otoacoustic emission (EOAE) and Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA). Neonates who tested refer on EOAE were subjected to BERA and those having a unilateral or bilateral hearing threshold for more than 40 dB in BERA were defined as hearing impaired. Results: Most of the study neonates were having multiple significant risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of significant risk factors for hearing loss revealed gestational diabetes of the mother, mechanical ventilation for more than 5 days, hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion, hypo-glycemia during the early neonatal period, and duration of hospitalization for more than 5 days were the independent risk factors associated with hearing loss. Conclusion: This study implies a high incidence of hearing impairment in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) graduates and a change in the distribution of risk factors for hearing loss. Gestational diabetes, mechanical ventilation for more than 5 days, hyperbilirubinemia with exchange transfusion, neonatal hypoglycemia, and NICU stay for more than 5 days were significant independent clinical risk factors for predicting hearing impairment in high-risk neonates. Recommendation: Universal newborn screening for hearing loss in high-risk neonates and early identification of risk factors and exposure reduction should be done, so that the devastating effects of hearing impairment could be prevented before it starts.

Introduction: Global TB Report 2018 reports that in India, an estimated 2.2 lakh children become ill with tuberculosis (TB) each year (22% of the global TB burden), with a slightly higher burden among males. Pulmonary TB is the most common form in children but the extra-pulmonary TB forms a larger proportion of cases than in adults. Aim & Objective: To find out the diagnostic efficacy of the Scoring system in presumptive tubercular empyema thoracis and the diagnostic accuracy of CBNAAT in the diagnosis of tubercular empyema thoracis. Material & Method: 41 patients aged 1-14 years were enrolled after written informed consent was obtained from the patients. Children with ATT or preexisting lung disease were excluded from the study. Presumptive TB Empyema was defined on the basis of the revised National Tuberculosis Program (RNTCP). The cutoff score for the scoring system was calculated and retrospectively applied to the 41 subjects and the efficacy was assessed. RESULT: pTESS had an area under the curve 0.967(95% CI 0.902-1.000, p-value

The present article addresses various novel and advanced approaches to mitigate frequency oscillation issues in an integrated power system. The suggested model of the multi-source power system is basically a two-area power system, where area2 is completely a microgrid system. The diesel generator, thermo-electric generator, wind generator, solar PV system, micro-turbine and fuel cell are the basic power generating sources in the microgrid system. The microgrid also has been associated with various energy saving equipments like battery and flywheel energy storage (FES) system to improve the power quality of the system. The unpredictable wind speed variant and fluctuation in solar power incorporates oscillations in voltage and frequency profile of the interconnected power system. In challenging to above issues, this research article has designed an innovative Fractional Order-type-2 fuzzy controller (FO-T2FC) to supress unwanted errors in the frequency and voltage of the system. Further, the proposed controller parameters are selected optimally with suggesting a novel Quassi- Oppositional Path Finder Algorithm (QO-PFA) under different operatings. An analysis on relative study is exercised to validate strength of the FO-T2FC control strategy and QO-PFA algorithm. Owing to the performance analysis, it is justified that proposed QO-PFA designed FO-T2FC controller is proved to be most potential candidate and able to improve the dynamic frequency response of area1 (Δf1) by 251.74% and 418.74% as compared to Type1 fuzzy controller and conventional PID controller respectively.

Summary: Cold shock proteins are characterized by the presence of one or more cold shock domains that bestow them with nucleic acid binding ability. Although cold shock proteins are well characterized in bacteria, plants and humans, there is no information on their existence and role in malaria parasite. Here, we have identified and delineated the function of a cold shock protein of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) ‘PfCoSP’. We demonstrate that PfCoSP exhibits nucleic acid binding properties and regulates gene expression. PfCoSP promotes microtubule assembly by interacting with Pf α/β tubulin. We identified a human cold shock protein LIN28A inhibitor ‘LI71’ as a binding partner of PfCoSP which inhibited PfCoSP–DNA and α/β tubulin interactions and, also inhibited the development of asexual blood stages and gametocyte stage of malaria parasite. Because PfCoSP is essential for parasite survival, characterization of its interacting partners may form the basis for development of future anti-malarials.

In this study, the computer simulation is carried out using FORTRAN to develop a theoretical model for estimating the lubrication performance of an elliptic bore journal bearing. The Analysis initially includes the hydrodynamic lubrication principle to solve non-dimensional Reynold’s equation of a finite journal bearing for bearing pressure. Subsequently, the load-carrying capacity, friction force, and lubricant flow are studied for different bearing eccentricities, non-circularity, and surface roughness parameters. The model thus developed, shows a good agreement with available research work. The results predict non-circularity up to (G=1.0) promotes better load-bearing ability, while roughness index (Y=0.1), offers the highest fluid friction. The highest non-dimensional load, friction, and flow-in are found to be 31.12, 45.19, and 6.42 respectively. The optimization shows the favorable condition for low, medium, and high load, friction, and flow-in.

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid or poly(I:C) is a double stranded RNA analog that is known for stimulating RNA sensing pathways in a variety of cell culture and animal models. Activation of nucleic acid sensing pathways lead to the up-regulation of Interferon-β which ultimately creates an antiviral state in the host. The involvement of intracellular DNA sensors in poly(I:C) mediated immune response has not been extensively explored. Poly(I:C) stimulates the intracellular DNA sensing in addition to RNA sensing pathways in buffalo fibroblasts. Genomic DNA leak into the cytosol due to poly(I:C) is likely to stimulate the intracellular DNA sensing pathways. The mRNA expression of DNA sensors cGAS, IFI16-L (IFI16-like) and DAI are elevated while DDX41 and STING are down-regulated in poly(I:C) treated cells. However, STING activation is evident in poly(I:C) treated cells through the formation of aggregates around the nucleus. IFI16-L also aggregates like STING and translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to poly(I:C). The activation of DNA sensors by a dsRNA mimic indicates that mammalian cells can use their own molecules for defending themselves against pathogenic RNA viruses. This provides an opportunity to search for novel therapeutic targets against RNA viruses that evade detection by canonical pattern recognition receptors.

The fractional order SIR model with a Holling type II saturated incidence rate and treatment rate are explored in this manuscript in the Caputo order fractional derivative approach. The existence and uniqueness criterion, as well as non-negativity and boundedness of the solution of the new model have been established. The stability analysis of the model shows that the system is locally as well as globally asymptotically stable at disease-free equilibrium point E0when R01. For R0=1at E0the model exhibits a forward bifurcation. Fractional-order Taylor’s approach is utilized to approximate the solution of the proposed model. Graphical demonstrations and numerical simulations have been presented using MATLAB.

The fractional order SEIQRD compartmental model of COVID-19 is explored in this manuscript with six different categories in the Caputo approach. A few findings for the new model's existence and uniqueness criterion, as well as non-negativity and boundedness of the solution, have been established. When RCovid19

The fractional order SEIQRD compartmental model of COVID-19 is explored in this manuscript with six different categories in the Caputo approach. A few findings for the new model’s existence and uniqueness criterion, as well as non-negativity and boundedness of the solution, have been established. When RCovid19

Abstract Optimal cell spreading and interplay of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), inflammatory cells, and cell adhesion molecules (CAM) are critical for progressive atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. The role of vitronectin (VTN), a major cell attachment glycoprotein, in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis remains elusive. In this study, we attempt to examine the pathological role of VTN in arterial plaque progression and inflammation. We found that, relative expression analysis of VTN from the liver of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Knockout mice revealed that atherosclerotic progression induced by feeding mice with high cholesterol diet (HCD) causes a significant downregulation of VTN mRNA as well as protein after 60 days. Promoter assay confirmed that cholesterol modulates the expression of VTN by influencing its promoter. Mimicking VTN reduction with siRNA in HCD fed ApoE Knockout mice, accelerated athero‐inflammation with an increase in NF‐kB, ICAM‐1, and VCAM‐1 at the site of the plaque along with upregulation of inflammatory proteins like MCP‐1 and IL‐1β in the plasma. Also, matrix metalloprotease (MMP)‐9 and MMP‐12 expression were increased and collagen content was decreased in the plaque, in VTN deficient condition. This might pose a challenge to plaque integrity. Human subjects with acute coronary syndrome or having risk factors of atherosclerosis have lower levels of VTN compared to healthy controls suggesting a clinical significance of plasma VTN in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease. We establish that, VTN plays a pivotal role in cholesterol‐driven atherosclerosis and aortic inflammation and might be a useful indicator for atherosclerotic plaque burden and stability.

Abstract This paper presents an insight on major ion chemistry and identification of solute sources in meltwater of Chaturangi glacier throughout the ablation period 2015 and 2016. The results indicate that meltwater is slightly acidic with Ca–HCO3 and Mg–HCO3 dominated hydrochemical facies. In meltwater, Ca2+ and HCO3 − are the most dominant cation and anion, respectively. The Water Quality Index values show that the quality of meltwater is good for both the ablation seasons. An important factor governing the quality of water is the residence time for dissolving minerals from the rocks. Mineralogy of surrounding rocks and Gibbs plot suggest that the meltwater ionic concentration is mostly controlled by weathering of rocks with slight contribution from atmospheric aerosols. For meltwater, the average equivalent ratios of Na/Cl and K/Cl were calculated as 3.36 ± 1.29 and 2.29 ± 0.62 in 2015 and 1.39 ± 0.6 and 0.8 ± 0.2 in 2016, which are considerably higher than the marine aerosols (Na/Cl = 0.85 and K/Cl = 0.017), it also confirmed the less contribution of atmospheric input in meltwater. The petrographic analysis of surrounding rocks indicate positive relationship among the cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+) and mineral abundance. Our observations suggest that the bedrock mineralogy and weathering reactions together with amount and composition of atmospheric inputs are the main sources of ions, dissolved in the glacier meltwater. It might be due to rate of chemical reaction which leads decomposition of rocks and leaching of minerals into the meltwater. Additionally, the geology of the area plays a significant as the influence of geology and climate on water quality is observed by the quantity and types of dissolved materials and amount of the sediment carried by the streams. The elevated proportion of Ca + Mg in total cations and high Ca + Mg/(Na + K ratios, 1.47 ± 0.14 in the year 2015 and 1.44 ± 0.28 in 2016 clearly reveal that the ionic composition is primarily controlled by carbonate weathering and partly by silicate weathering. Further, the low Na + K/TZ− ratio (0.41 ± 0.02) and (0.22 ± 0.05) in 2015 and 2016, respectively also supports that carbonate weathering is main geochemical process controlling the hydrochemistry of meltwater. In addition, the ion denudation rate was calculated for both the years. The results show that the cation denudation rate of meltwater was 32.84 and 22.30 ton/km2/ablation during 2015 and 2016, respectively, whereas the anion denudation rate was found to be 205.43 in 2015 and 170.24 ton/km2/ablation in 2016.

The epidemic of tobacco use persists as a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases and impoverishment worldwide. Globally, more nations are undertaking measures for moving beyond “tobacco control” to a “tobacco-free world” under the unified theme of “tobacco endgame.” This concept of endgame includes an array of measures addressing both demand side and supply-side strategies for phasing out all commercial tobacco products within a specified time period. Globally, there have been many successes from countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Netherlands, Finland, Ireland, Canada, France, and California. The Indian subcontinent has also been stepping up to progress the endgame concept and has been displaying exemplary leadership in the tobacco control. It has several national and subnational achievements to its credit. However, the tobacco endgame requires collaboration and capacity building of several sectors and stakeholders to align their activities with the tobacco endgame goals and vision of the Government of India. Besides, acceptance of endgame as a political objective is perhaps the first requirement for tobacco endgame in addition to program and community-level strategies. The need of the hour calls for a robust unified approach that engages all the stakeholders and involves increased investment in tobacco control by the country's governments and region.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate concurrent laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with determination of outcomes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at our hospital, from June 2011 to June 2020. Over 9 years, 17 patients with co-existing uncomplicated unilateral or bilateral inguinal hernia (primary/recurrent) and significant benign prostatic hypertrophy were operated in the same sitting. The following outcomes were compared: duration of the surgery, conversion to open hernia surgery, intraoperative and post-operative complications, duration of hospital stay, recurrence, time taken to resume normal activity and cost of the treatment. Results: This study included 17 patients with a mean age of 65 years (range of 50–87 years). The average time taken for the surgery was 115 min with no conversion to open hernia repair. The mean post-operative stay was 3.7 days. There were four patients (23.5%) with seromas identified at day 10, only two remained at 6 weeks and none at 12 weeks. None had significant bleeding intraoperatively or postoperatively. There was no superficial or deep wound infection (including mesh infection). There was no recurrence of inguinal hernia. Two patients (11.7%) developed post-TURP urethral stricture and underwent cystoscopic stricturoplasty, 3 and 2.5 months after the initial procedure. The time taken to resume normal activity was 7 (±1) days. The hospital cost is reduced by 25% as compared to the sum of costs when both the operations are done separately. Conclusion: Concurrent TEP inguinal hernia repair and TURP is a practical, safe and cost-effective procedure.

The conventional method of water treatment using activated carbon from several sources has been focused on extensively in the last two decades. However, rare attention has been noticed on natural adsorbents such as plant leaves. Therefore, the Psidium guajava (guava) leaf has been investigated to understand its adsorption efficacy for Arsenic (III) [As(III)] in this study. The effect of process variables, e.g., pH, concentration of metal ion, adsorbent's particle size, and dosages, are evaluated. Experiments are carried out in batch mode, and the individual and combined parameter's impact on adsorption have been discussed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to characterize the adsorbent's surface. Freundlich and Langmuir's isotherms are used for adsorption equilibrium study. The adsorption parameters are optimized by establishing a regression correlation using central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) suggests a high regression coefficient (R2 = 0.9249) for the removal of As(III). Particle size of 0.39 mm; adsorbent's height of 10 cm; metal ion concentration of 30 ppm, and pH 6 are optimized to remove 90.88% As(III) from aqueous solution. HCl is evaluated as a potential solvent for desorption of arsenic from the desorption study. HIGHLIGHTS Bio-adsorbent has significant potential to removal arsenic from wastewater.; Metal uptake of the bio-adsorbent was high at initial period of batch process.; Adsorption of arsenic is noticed to be highly pH-dependent.; Desorption study reveals that HCl is a potential solvent for arsenic desorption.;

Diaspora as a concept has drawn the attention of the scholars for a long time. In recent times, the meaning of the term has been rethought because the earlier meaning of the term associated with homelessness has been reviewed. In the past, the diasporic community were living in a foreign country due to the compulsion of their economic needs. The origin of Indian diaspora traces back to the indenture system introduced by the Imperial regime of Great Britain in the early part of 19th century. Migration to different parts of the world by Indians for trade and commerce, of course, traces back to much earlier in history. The old Indian Diasporas were longing to come back to their homeland because they felt that they were leading a life of deprivation and exploitation. However after independence, the new Diasporas have voluntarily chosen their condition of self-exile for a glamorous life in their chosen destinations. Often they also experience a sense of loss and anguish when they cherish the memory of their cultural roots. These new Diasporas aredifferentfrom the old as the latter long for intellectual freedom, secularism and liberty for their country. This paper is thereforean attempt to understand a perspective of the old and new Diasporas with reference to select theoretical formulations.

The aim of present study was to estimate the genetic and phenotypic parameters for growth traits of Sonadi sheep. Records of lambs were collected over a period of four years from Sonadi unit maintained at CVAS Navania (Rajasthan) under Mega Sheep Seed Project. Traits included for the study were birth weight (BWT), weight at three months (3MWT), weight at six months (6MWT), weight at nine months (9MWT) and weight at twelve months of age (12MWT). Low estimates of heritability were observed for weight at birth, three and twelve months of age. Lamb weight at six and nine months of age was moderately heritable and shows that these traits are less influenced by environmental effects; which make them effectively transmitted to the progeny. However, estimates of genetic parameter with high sampling error do not agree with empirical results. The direct maternal genetic correlation (ram) was negative for all body weight except for twelve months body weight. A negative estimate of ï³am resulted in increase in direct and maternal heritability pointing towards cross substitution effect in the partitioning of total variation. The high positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations between body weight at six months, nine months and twelve months of age indicates that selection for six months of traits will result in increase in nine and twelve months of body weight

In developing a Trichoderma viride-based biocontrol program for Fusarium wilt disease in chickpea, the choice of the quality formulation is imperative. In the present study, two types of formulations i.e. powder for seed treatment (TvP) and tablet for direct application (TvT), employing T. viride as the biocontrol agent, were evaluated for their ability to control chickpea wilt under field conditions at three dosages i.e. recommended (RD), double of recommended (DD) and half of recommended (1/2 RD). A screening study for the antagonistic fungi strains based on volatile and non-volatile bioassays revealed that T. viride ITCC 7764 has the most potential among the five strains tested (ITCC 6889, ITCC 7204, ITCC 7764, ITCC 7847, ITCC 8276), which was then used to develop the TvP and TvT formulations. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of T. viride strain confirmed the highest abundance of compositions comprising octan-3-one (13.92%), 3-octanol (10.57%), and 1-octen-3-ol (9.40%) in the most potential T. viride 7764. Further Physico-chemical characterization by standard Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council (CIPAC) methods revealed the optimized TvP formulation to be free flowing at pH 6.50, with a density of 0.732 g cm-3. The TvT formulation showed a pH value of 7.16 and density of 0.0017 g cm-3 for a complete disintegration time of 22.5 min. The biocontrol potential of TvP formulation was found to be superior to that of TvT formulation in terms of both seed germination and wilt incidence in chickpea under field conditions. However, both the developed formulations (TvP and TvT) expressed greater bioefficacy compared to the synthetic fungicide (Carbendazim 50% WP) and the conventional talc-based formulation. Further research should be carried out on the compatibility of the developed products with other agrochemicals of synthetic or natural origin to develop an integrated disease management (IDM) schedule in chickpea.

In this study, the removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution were examined using activated charcoal derived from Sapindus trifoliate L fruit biomass in continuous fixed-bed column studies. The activated S. trifoliate L fruit charcoal was prepared by treating the fruit powder using concentrated nitric acid solution. Experiments were performed to investigate the effect of bed height and initial concentration on the breakthrough and saturation times. The breakthrough and saturation time increases with increase in bed height and initial concentration of chromium solutions. The maximum adsorption capacity of S. trifoliate L charcoal for hexavalent chromium was found to be 1.719 mg/g in the bed height 15 cm and initial concentration 10 mg/L, respectively. Column data required at various conditions were explained using Bohart-Adams and Thomas model. Two models were found to be suitable to describe the definite part of the dynamic behaviour of the column with regard to bed-height and initial concentration of hexavalent chromium. On comparison of Adjusted R2 and estimated standard error, the Thomas model was found to best-fitted model and can be used to predict the adsorption of the hexavalent chromium in fixed-bed column studies. Activated S. trifoliate L fruit charcoal was characterised by SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis. Highlights Fixed bed column adsorption is a potential technology for removal of toxicants from water.; The maximum adsorption capacity of charcoal was found to be 1.719 mg/g.; Activated S. trifoliate L fruit charcoal was characterised by SEM and FTIR analysis.; S. trifoliate L fruit charcoal is low-cost with considerable high adsorption capacity.; Thomas model was found to be the best-fitted model to predict the fixed bed adsorption.;

Abstract The hurdle of fabricating asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) devices using a faradic cathode and a double layer anode is challenging due to the required large amount of active mass of anodic material compared to that of the cathodic material during mass balancing due to the large difference in capacitance values of the two electrodes. Here, the problem is addressed by engineering a negative electrode that furnishes an ultrahigh capacitance. An in situ developed metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based thermal treatment is adopted to grow highly porous N‐doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) containing submerged Co nanoparticles over nano‐fibrillated electrospun hollow carbon nanofibers (HCNFs). The optimized CNT@HCNF‐1.5 furnishes an ultrahigh capacitance approaching 712 F g–1 with excellent rate capability. The capacitance reported from this work is the highest for any carbonaceous material reported to date. The CNT@HCNF‐1.5 is further used to fabricate symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs), as well as ASC devices. Remarkably, both the SSC and ASC devices furnish incredible performances in all aspects of SCs, such as a high energy density, long cycle life, and high rate capability, displaying decent practical applicability. The energy density of the SSC device reaches as high as 20.13 W h kg–1, whereas that of ASC approaches 87.5 W h kg–1.

A 59-year-old male had multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He presented with dyspnea and had ground-glass opacity in the lungs. It was during the pandemic of COVID-19 so repeated Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was done, but all were negative. He got stabilized within 5 days and we planned discharge. Suddenly, he had right hemiplegia and developed altered sensorium. He had NIH Stroke Scale/Score of 28 and computed tomography-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score of 10. We used tenecteplase (0.25 mg/kg bodyweight) for thrombolysis within 20 min of onset and planned mechanical thrombectomy for the occlusion of internal carotid artery and beyond. However, in magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, he had an established infarct in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory (within this short time) without significant DWI/FLAIR mismatch. Hence, we continued conservative management. We incidentally detected him to have COVID-19 infection positivity on that day, but all inflammatory and coagulation parameters were normal on that day and later. His monitor did not reveal arrhythmia (during the event and later) and echocardiography failed to reveal evidence of culprit lesion. He had a rapid clinical decline, required hemicraniectomy but expired within 2 days. COVID-19 infection may have negative reports initially, but malignant MCA infarct with normal inflammatory markers makes our case special. The rapidity with which stroke developed underscores the severe nature of the disease process, the absence of arrhythmias (in this in-house stroke), and normal coagulation parameters hints that the exact mechanism of stroke in this type of infection is still an enigma.

A finite element model is developed to assess the effects of the TiSiCN thin film coating of the piston ring on the structural strength of the piston subsystem. The complex, cyclically variable forces are considered in load and boundary conditions. The model included combustion dynamics, contact kinetics, piston subsystem primary and secondary motions, and lubricated contact conditions to evaluate the applied forces. A comparative analysis is performed for coated and uncoated cases. Four different crown geometries are tried for selecting the best case of crown design for coated piston subsystem components. The analysis predicts better strength in coated cases compared to uncoated ones. The type-A crown design develops less stress, while the compression ring suffers the most due to elastic deformation and is more prone to fatigue failure.

In this work, a multi-objective Hybrid Bald Eagle Search Simulated Annealing (Hybrid BESSA) parameter extraction technique for photovoltaic (PV) modules is discussed. First, the efficacy of the Hybrid BESSA was proved via testing on unimodal functions, multimodal functions, and fixed dimensional multimodal functions and the results were compared with the Bald Eagle Search (BES) and other recently proposed optimization techniques. Then, a multi-objective Hybrid Bald Eagle Search Simulated Annealing (Hybrid BESSA) parameter extraction technique was devised for photovoltaic (PV) module parameter extraction. The Hybrid BESSA parameter extraction technique was simulated and analyzed in the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment and in a practical experimental setup for the PV Module AS-M3607-S (G1 CELLS). It was found that the Hybrid BESSA possessed better exploration and exploitation capabilities as compared to the BES and other state-of-the-art techniques. It was found that the fitness function value derived by the Hybrid BESSA technique was less than that of the BES technique when tested under various weather conditions. The percentage error for open circuit voltage, output power, and short circuit current was lower when derived by the Hybrid BESSA in comparison with the BES technique. From the results obtained from modeling the PV Module AS-M3607-S (G1 CELLS) based on Hybrid BESSA-based extracted parameters and BES-based extracted parameters, it was seen that percentage improvement in the combined objective function for the condition of keeping irradiance fixed at 1000 W/m2 at a temperature varying from −30 °C, 0 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 50 °C, and 70 °C were 0.9%, 8.5%, 29.2%, 0.03%, 5.7%, and 0.5%, respectively. When the temperature was kept fixed at 250 °C and irradiance varied from 1000 W/m2, 800 W/m2, 600 W/m2, and 400 W/m2, the percentage improvement in combined objective function was found to be 0.5%, 8.1%, 0.5%, and 0.8%, respectively. By analyzing the simulation as well as the experimental results, it was established that the PV model parameter extraction method based on the Hybrid BESSA is more accurate than the BES technique. This analysis is based on a single-diode PV module. A double-diode PV module analysis still needs to be explored.

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is a psychological concept which is considered as a judgment of individuals regarding any object or event after gathering some experiences over time. It is one of the established yardsticks to measure the success of the services. Objectives: 1. To assess the level of inpatient satisfaction on hospital services. 2. To find out the determinants of inpatient satisfaction on hospital services. Method: It was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of four months at VIMSAR, a tertiary care hospital in Odisha in eastern India. A total of 164 patients were enrolled in the study from the five most occupied indoor departments who were administered a pre-tested semi-structured standardised questionnaire by face to face interview method. Results: Majority (77.44%) of respondents were in the age group of 21-60 years. The sample consisted of 65.24 % males and 43.9% were from lower socio-economic class. Patient satisfaction level was found to be relatively low (~80%) for the service domains like housekeeping, general services and ancillary services. Fields like front desk services, medical care, nursing care and laboratory services enjoyed a better satisfaction score (~90%). Binary logistic regression analysis reflected age and socio-economic class to be the negative determinants of the level of satisfaction. Conclusion: About two thirds of the inpatients were satisfied with the services availed at the tertiary care hospital in the five specialities. There is scope of improvement in the areas like housekeeping, ancillary care and general care. Socio-demographic characteristics like age and socioeconomic class inversely related to inpatient satisfaction on hospital services.

The development of smart negative electrode materials with high capacitance for the uses in supercapacitors remains challenging. Although several types of electrode materials with high capacitance in energy storage have been reported, carbon-based materials are the most reliable electrodes due to their high conductivity, high power density, and excellent stability. The most common complaint about general carbon materials is that these electrode materials can hardly ever be used as free-standing electrodes. Free-standing carbon-based electrodes are in high demand and are a passionate topic of energy storage research. Electrospun nanofibers are a potential candidate to fill this gap. However, the as-spun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) have low capacitance and low energy density on their own. To overcome the limitations of pure CNFs, increasing surface area, heteroatom doping and metal doping have been chosen. In this review, we introduce the negative electrode materials that have been developed so far. Moreover, this review focuses on the advances of electrospun nanofiber-based negative electrode materials and their limitations. We put forth a future perspective on how these limitations can be overcome to meet the demands of next-generation smart devices.

Abstract Background Medicinal plants are the fundamental unit of traditional medicine system in Nepal. Nepalese people are rich in traditional medicine especially in folk medicine (ethnomedicine), and this system is gaining much attention after 1995. The use of medicinal plants has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as a private behavior (not under the control of government). A lot of misinterpretations of the use of medicinal plants to treat or prevent COVID-19 have been spreading throughout Nepal which need to be managed proactively. In this context, a research was needed to document medicinal plants used, their priority of use in society, their cultivation status, and the source of information people follow to use them. This study aimed to document the present status of medicinal plant use and make important suggestion to the concerned authorities. Methods This study used a web-based survey to collect primary data related to medicinal plants used during COVID-19. A total of 774 respondents took part in the survey. The study calculated the relative frequencies of citation (RFC) for the recorded medicinal plants. The relationship between plants recorded and different covariates (age, gender education, occupation, living place, and treatment methods) was assessed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon test. The relationship between the information sources people follow and the respondent characteristics was assessed using chi-square test. Results The study found that the use of medicinal plants has increased during COVID-19 and most of the respondents recommended medicinal plants to prevent COVID-19. This study recorded a total of 60 plants belonging to 36 families. The leaves of the plants were the most frequently used. The Zingiber officinale was the most cited species with the frequency of citation 0.398. Most of the people (45.61%) were getting medicinal plants from their home garden. The medicinal plants recorded were significantly associated with the education level, location of home, primary treatment mode, gender, and age class. The information source of plants was significantly associated with the education, gender, method of treatment, occupation, living with family, and location of home during the lockdown caused by COVID-19. Conclusions People were using more medicinal plants during COVID-19 claiming that they can prevent or cure COVID-19. This should be taken seriously by concerned authorities. The authorities should test the validity of these medicinal plants and control the flow of false information spread through research and awareness programs.

Pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) owns a pleasant colour, good sensory attributes, high nutritional value, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and medicinal properties. Cultivation of different types of mushroom has been accepted as a short-term income generating avenue under crop production for livelihood of the farmers. The present study was carried out to assess the nutritional quality, anti-oxidant activities and economic benefits of pink oyster mushroom at Research farm of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during 2015–18. The fresh whole mushroom was assessed for yield and physical parameters. It was exposed to 60±20C temperature for 8 h to prepare dried mushroom powder. The dried powder was used for proximate composition analysis and anti-oxidant activity study. The cost to benefit ratio was calculated on the basis of gross expenditure and net profit incurred in the trial field. The high contents of protein, fat and carbohydrate along with good anti-oxidant property and biological efficiency revealed the mushroom as a rich source of quality nutrients. The yield of 740.60 g/kg wheat straw with benefit to cost ratio of 2.60 depicted economical viability of mushroom farming. The study concludes that, pink oyster mushroom farming can be explored for nutritional security in alleviating the malnutrition with economic benefits to the farmers in Uttarakhand.

Background: Elevated blood pressure and tobacco consumption have been the top two causes of preventable mortality worldwide. Females in the reproductive age carry a higher health impact for self and the offspring when exposed to one or both these risks. An in-depth assessment of the sociocultural determinants of hypertension and tobacco usage in an aspirational Indian state like Odisha is carried out through secondary analysis of the National Family Health Survey-IV (NFHS-4) dataset. Methods: Data of 30,587 women aged between 15 and 49 years were extrapolated for analysis through frequency, percentage and logistic regression model to determine the predictors of tobacco use and hypertension and to correlate the two in the study population. Results: In Odisha, 12.8% adult women were addicted to tobacco, mostly smokeless form (93.3%). High blood pressure was recorded in 7.3% of the respondent females. Increasing age, urban residence, extremes of wealth index, ever married status, obesity, diabetes, and tobacco usage (more for smokeless) were the predictors of hypertension. Education, caste and occupation had no significant associations. Conclusion: Targeted interventions involving gender, marital status, obesity, residence and other socio-economic profiles may be adopted for risk reduction of non-communicable diseases like hypertension in the reproductive age females.

In this work, the excision of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was studied from an aqueous solution using the chemically modified arecanut leaf sheath (CALS) as a novel bio-adsorbent. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterized by using instrumental methods including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The effect of several factors, including solution pH, contact time, and sorbent dosages were examined to identify the optimum condition for the sorption ability. The optimal pH of Cr(VI) biosorption was 2.0, and equilibrium was reached in 150 min. Adsorption was shown to be pseudo-second-order in kinetic investigations, and the Langmuir isotherm with maximal adsorption efficiency was determined as 109.89 mg/g. The spent biosorbent can be easily regenerated and reused. For the biosorption of oxyanions of chromium, both electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange mechanism play critical roles. From the results, the CALS appears to be a potential low-cost effective sorbent to remove Cr (VI) from water.

Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) is a rare form of status epilepticus and often refractory to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Persistent seizure activity may increase pro-inflammatory biomarkers locally, which may respond to adjunctive corticosteroid treatment, especially in central nervous system (CNS) infections. We report four children with refractory EPC and the effect of adjunctive corticosteroid in controlling EPC. The duration of EPC ranged between 3 days and 7 months. One patient had secondary generalized convulsive status epilepticus. Cranial computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging was abnormal in three out of four patients; revealing old infarction in one, tuberculoma in one, and neurocysticercosis in one. Electroencephalography revealed spike and sharp wave discharges on the corresponding cerebral hemisphere. The EPC was refractory to 2-6 AEDs. Following corticosteroid treatment, EPC remitted in two patients with CNS infection, and those with infarction and cryptogenic EPC converted to discrete seizures. In AED-resistant EPC, a short course of corticosteroid may be helpful.

Introduction: Tobacco is the leading causative factor for both oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer. Tobacco use is higher among lower income population. Low-income population of India are majorly employed as industrial workers. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of oral lesions associated with tobacco related habits among industrial workers. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was conducted among 1000 industrial workers using simple random sampling technique. Information on patient demographics, tobacco related (smoke and smokeless) and other deleterious habits, and clinical examination details were recorded in a structured format. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Results were tabulated using frequency distribution and mean with a standard deviation. Multiple logistical regression was used to analyze oral lesions by different variables. Results: Among the 1000 industrial workers screened, smoking habit was observed in 13.20%, while 86.8% were using smokeless tobacco. The prevalence of tobacco related oral lesions among individuals with smoke/smokeless tobacco habit was 13.8%. The study documented tobacco related oral lesions such as leukoplakia (6.5%), oral submucous fibrosis (2%), smoker’s palate (2.7%), tobacco related pigmentation (1.9%), erythroplakia (0.3%), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (0.2%). Conclusion: The study documented potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer among users with tobacco related habits. The results also revealed that higher prevalence of potentially malignant disorders over oral cancer. Thus, preventive programs for early detection of oral precancer and oral cancer such as tobacco cessation, tobacco counselling programs are emphasized for industrial workers.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of NovaMin™ (SHY-NM) and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride (CPP-ACPF) (tooth mousse plus™) on enamel remineralization using DIAGNOdent® and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Methodology: Eighty-six natural permanent maxillary first premolars were selected and randomly divided into two groups of 43 each, Group A (NovaMin™) and Group B (CPP-ACPF). All the samples were assessed using DIAGNOdent® (KaVo) at the baseline, after demineralization, and remineralization after 7 days. Two samples were randomly selected from each group after remineralization to evaluate the surface changes using SEM at × 1000 and × 2000. Results: The mean value of remineralization was highest for Group A NovaMin™ (6.56 ± 0.93) compared to Group B, CPP-ACPF (tooth mousse plus™) (6.02 ± 1.09). The maximum demineralization to remineralization value within the groups showed that the mean values in Group B CPP-ACPF (7.02 ± 3.02) was higher than Group A NovaMin™ (6.42 ± 2.21). The difference in remineralizing potential between the groups and demineralization to remineralization value in within-group comparison was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: On comparing Group A NovaMin™ and Group B CPP-ACPF, Group B CPP-ACPF showed a higher amount of remineralization than Group A NovaMin™. From the present study, it can be inferred that both the experimental groups have the potential for remineralization.

AbstractBackground and aim The fruit of Garcinia is a rich and valuable source of bioactive compounds and is traditionally used for treating wounds and ulcers. The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of chromatographically standardized fruit extract of Garcinia cowa (GCE) on ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats and its possible mechanisms.Methods The effect of GCE (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) was evaluated by determining various gastric ulcer parameters like gastric wall mucus, non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) content, microvascular permeability, endogenous antioxidant enzyme, and gastric histopathological study.Results and conclusions Oral administration of GCE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited significant (p

COVID-19 viruses are primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets generated from an infected person while coughing, sneezing, exhaling or close contact. Hence, the use of masks are part of prevention and control measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. A comprehensive study on various materials used in masks is required. The filtration efficiency of cotton masks increases with increase in thread count and number of layers, but breathability is affected and therefore a risk for longer durations. Cotton-based masks have filtration efficiency ranging from 5% to 80% depending on the number of layers. Combinations of different hybrid fabric materials and design have an efficiency ranging from 37% to 97%. Bio-cellulose, which is derived from cellulosic biomass by synthesis techniques involving various physical and chemical processes followed by refining techniques, possesses remarkable properties including biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, etc., making it the most suitable mask material. Masks made of bio-cellulose have an important property of hydrophilicity which makes it adhere to the face tightly, giving a cooling effect to the face. Use of nanocellulose masks can help attaining filtration efficiency up to 99.9980–99.9995% along with other desirable properties. Hence, there is an immediate need to address the issues and challenges of mask materials and work towards the design and development of low cost masks to overcome these shortcomings by the researchers and manufacturers.