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Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), a chronic and bilateral allergic eye condition, predominantly affects young males and is more prevalent in hot, humid regions with high allergen exposure. It manifests with itching, light sensitivity, burning sensations, and tearing. The three main clinical forms include limbal or bulbar, palpebral or tarsal, and mixed presentations. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to describe the clinical patterns of VKC in children at a tertiary care hospital in Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a hospital setting at the Department of Ophthalmology, SV Medical College in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, between January 2021 and January 2022. Ninety children aged 5–12 years with symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis were enrolled in the study. The Bonini grading system was used to grade the severity of the disease based on clinical manifestations at the time of initial presentation. Results: Mean age of disease onset was 8.6±2.3 years, with a male-to-female ratio (M: F) of 2.1:1. The majority of the subjects experienced seasonal occurrence 69 (77.0%), whereas 21 (23%) had perennial occurrence. The commonly reported symptoms included itching (83%), redness (73%), watering (73%), and discharge (47%). A significant number of patients (60, 69%) had a mixed type of disease that affected both the tarsal and bulbar conjunctiva. Conclusion: VKC predominantly affects young males, displaying a seasonal distribution and showing less allergic association, consistent with patterns observed in other tropical regions. Most patients had mild VKC at presentation, and a mixed-form pattern was most frequently observed.

Background: The homeless population of Chennai is the people who are living in the platforms, bus stands and other unused buildings in Chennai for more than three generations. Many of them lack basic amenities for their living, which makes them a vulnerable population especially the women and children. The children especially are prone to many communicable diseases as a result of their way of living Objective: To estimate the immunization status among the children of homeless population in Chennai. Methodology: The information about the clusters of homeless population is obtained from the Greater Chennai Corporation enumeration. Individual clusters are mapped in Zone 5 of Greater Chennai Corporation. Almost all the mothers of children of age up to 5 years are interviewed. Data collected using Epicollect5 data collection software. Results: The mean age of the children was 34.59 + 17.73 months. 45.4% were male children and 54.6% were female children.98.9% of the mothers registered their pregnancy and 100% delivered in the public facility. 93.4% registered their birth. 87.4 % of the children got enrolled in Anganwadis. 90.5% of the children were immunized up to age. Only one child (0.4%) didn’t get the birth dose of BCG. 18 children (6.6%) didn’t get their Measles Rubella vaccine not even once. 28 children (10.3%) didn’t get their second dose of Measles Rubella vaccine and Diptheria Pertussis Tetanus vaccine. Conclusion: The immunization coverage among homeless children upto 5 years is 90.5%. The coverage has to be strengthened in order to improve their quality of life

Purpose: To study the prevalence and determinants of compliance with spectacle wear among school-age children in South India who were given spectacles free of charge under a school vision screening program. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed. The participants were recruited from the school from Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts of Tamil Nadu, where a school vision screening camp was conducted between January 2012 and October 2012. The school screening was performed under “Lavelle Pediatric Eye Care Project” . Of the 129,720 children examined of 249 schools, 4253 of children had refractive error and 3333 were prescribed and dispensed spectacles. A total of 683 children were interviewed, who were not wearing glasses on follow-up. Results: About 20% of the participants (683/3333) were not wearing their spectacles at examination. The most common reasons given for non-wear were lost (44.9%) or broken (35.3%) spectacles. There was no gender preference on compliance to spectacles. Conclusion: Compliance with spectacle wear is less even when spectacles are provided free of cost, particularly in children among the age group of 5–15 years. Because factors such as type of school, area (urban or rural), parent's income, occupation, and their education were not significantly affecting the compliance of spectacle wear, proper encouragement and counseling of the parents and the child become extremely important.

Abstract The alarming effect of antibiotic resistance prompted the search for alternative medicine to resolve the microbial resistance conflict. Over the last two decades, scientists have become increasingly interested in metallic nanoparticles to discover their new dimensions. Green nano synthesis is a rapidly expanding field of interest in nanotechnology due to its feasibility, low toxicity, eco‐friendly nature, and long‐term viability. Some plants have long been used in medicine because they contain a variety of bioactive compounds. Silver has long been known for its antibacterial properties. Silver nanoparticles have taken a special place among other metal nanoparticles. Silver nanotechnology has a big impact on medical applications like bio‐coating, novel antimicrobial agents, and drug delivery systems. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical qualities of medicinal plants, as well as a convenient guideline for plant‐based silver nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity.

Purpose: To compare the visual outcomes and intraoperative complications between phacoemulsification and manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) in cases of posterior polar cataract (PPC). Methods: A retrospective study was carried out involving 142 patients (164 eyes) with PPC who underwent cataract surgery between January and December 2017. Data collected include the demographic details, preoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), type of cataract, intraocular pressure, anterior and posterior segment findings, type of surgery performed, intraoperative complications, postoperative UCVA on the first day, UCVA and BCVA at 1 month after surgery, complications, and resurgery details. Results: In total, 90 patients (107 eyes) underwent phacoemulsification, and 52 patients (57 eyes) underwent MSICS. There was no significant difference in the mean age, sex, and type of PPC between the two groups (P = 0.326, 0.852, and 0.220, respectively). Patients who underwent phacoemulsification had significantly better preoperative BCVA (P = 0.002). The BCVA on first postoperative day and 1 month after surgery was better in the phacoemulsification group than in the MSICS group (P < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). The overall incidence of posterior capsular rupture (PCR) was 11.6%, which included the 10.3% in phacoemulsification and 14.0% in MSICS. There was, however, no significant difference in the rates of PCR between the two groups (P = 0.506). Conclusion: Phacoemulsification delivered better postoperative visual outcomes than MSICS in PPC patients, whereas the complication rates were similar between the two groups.

An edge irregular total k-labeling f : V ∪ E → 1,2, ..., k of a graph G = (V,E) is a labeling of vertices and edges of G in such a way that for any two different edges uv and u'v', their weights f(u)+f(uv)+f(v) and f(u')+f(u'v')+f(v') are distinct. The total edge irregularity strength tes(G) is defined as the minimum k for which the graph G has an edge irregular total k-labeling. In this paper, we determine the total edge irregularity strength of new classes of graphs Cm @ Cn, Pm,n* and Cm,n* and hence we extend the validity of the conjecture tes(G) = max {⌈|E(G)|+2)/3⌉, ⌈(Δ(G)+1)/2⌉} for some more graphs.

In this paper, we derive the necessary condition for an (a,d )- antimagic labeling of some new classes of graphs such as Hn, F Ln and mCn. We prove that Hn is (7n +2, 1)-antimagic and mCn is ((mn+3)/2,1)- antimagic. Also we prove that F Ln has no ((n+1)/2,4)- antimagic labeling.

In the present study, to optimize the media for the production of bioactive compounds from Monochaetia karstenii was carried out and compounds were identified by GC-MS. M. karstenii was identified from infected Camellia japonica leaves by classical and molecular taxonomy. It was cultured in different media and determined their mycelial biomass and antibacterial activity. Further Maltose Maltose tartrate broth (MTB) was altered for its media components such as carbon, nitrogen, minerals, amino acids and vitamins sources and physical parameters like temperature, pH and incubation periods for growth and production of secondary metabolites from M. karstenii. The antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds were performed from three different solvent extracts (Chloroform, Dichloromethane and Ethyl acetate) of M. karstenii from optimized medium. M. karstenii had optimum growth in MTB showing mycelial growth of 13.16 g/L. The ethyl acetate extract observed significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (21 mm), Staphylococcus aureus (20 mm) and Vibrio chloreae (18 mm). In-vitro antioxidant activity revealed that, the IC50 values for 2, 2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total antioxidant radical scavenging assay of 100.58 μg/ml, 140 μg/ml and 141.91 μg/ml from ethyl acetate extract respectively. Thus the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the fungal extract has been due to the presence of biocompounds such as cyclohexenone derivatives, cinnamic acid, isooxazoline 3-phenyl- benzodiazepine, 2- propenoic acid 3-phenyl-(E)-dodecene and 3-undecen -1-yne (E) were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and reported first time in M. karstenii. We conclude that M. karstenii possess excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant potential and can be exploited for the discovery of new drug molecules.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) pattern towards COVID-19, among patients presenting to eye care hospitals during the last phase of lockdown period. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 15 to June 15, 2020 in five tertiary eye care hospitals in South India to assess the KAP towards COVID-19. Each of the hospitals belonged to one of the three different zones assigned in India based on number of infections. Red zones represent hotspots and orange/green zones represent regions with medium and lower caseloads, respectively. A validated questionnaire was administered through telephone and responses were recorded on a Google form. Results: Out of the total (n = 6119) participants, 3081 were from hospitals in green zone, 2110 from the orange zone, and 928 from red zone. Majority of participants were above 50 years of age (42%) and 15.54% were illiterate. The mean (percentage) scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 21.26 (82%), 9.37 (92%), and 10.32 (86%), respectively. KAP among patients more than 50 years of age and in illiterate individuals was significantly less (P < 0.01) when compared with all other groups. Participants from red zone had a significantly better attitude (P < 0.01) compared to other centers. Conclusion: Although the overall KAP regarding COVID-19 disease was robust (above 80% in all categories) in our participants, the high risk elderly population (>50 years) and illiterate individuals had a significantly lower KAP. These are populations in which education should be emphasized and appropriately delivered as a way to reduce COVID-19 risk.

Medicinal plants play a pivotal role in curative care, be it from the olden days to the modern era. Costus pictus, popularly known as ‘insulin plant,’ manifests an extensive range of significant bioactivities including anti-diabetes, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and several other activities. The versatile features are by dint of its abundant phytochemicals, majorly flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. Therefore, the present article emphasizes addressing the therapeutic potential of C. pictus and the mechanism of action underneath these promising effects. The review also addresses the phytochemicals corresponding to these effects, thereby bringing about an understanding at the molecular level, providing discrete relevance to the in vivo studies whenever appropriate. The designing of functional foods with the supplementation of medicinal plants has become the domain of interest over the years. Further studies are indispensable to substantiate the effects of C. pictus incorporation onto foods and to conceptualize the dietary intake for counteracting diversified disorders.

Cancer is a life-threatening disease and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Although many drugs are available for the treatment of cancer, survival outcomes are very low. Hence, rapid development of newer anticancer agents is a prime focus of the medicinal chemistry community. Since the recent past, computational methods have been extensively employed for accelerating the drug discovery process. In view of this, in the present study we performed 2D-QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) analysis of a series of compounds reported with potential anticancer activity against breast cancer cell line MCF7 using QSARINS software. The best four models exhibited a r2 value of 0.99. From the generated QSAR equations, a series of pyrimidine-coumarin-triazole conjugates were designed and their MCF7 cell inhibitory activities were predicted using the QSAR equations. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were carried out for the designed compounds using AutoDock Vina against dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), colchicine and vinblastine binding sites of tubulin, the key enzyme targets in breast cancer. The most active compounds identified through these computational studies will be useful for synthesizing and testing them as prospective novel anti-breast cancer agents.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has been widely applied to extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut produces, such as ready-to-eat pomegranate arils. However, many studies used MAP to extend the shelf-life of arils at 3, 4, and 15 °C. The evidence suggested that MAP can extend the shelf-life of arils at an ambient temperature. Therefore, we attempted to extend the shelf-life of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils using active MAP at an ambient temperature and evaluated its chemical, quality, and microbial properties. Samples were flushed with specific gas compositions of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) at an ambient temperature and 60 ± 2% relative humidity (RH). The findings demonstrated that active MAP increased the titratable acidity (0.32–3.64%), anthocyanins (0.27–0.42 g/L), reducing sugars (1.06–10.13%), and total soluble solids (15–19 °Brix), while it decreased the pH (3.20–3.54) and hardness (4.60–9.40 N) with a microbial load of ≤5 log CFU/g at ambient temperature for 5 days. Ultimately, active MAP could be an effective technique to be used in ready-to-eat produce industries and has the potential to guarantee a longer shelf-life at ambient temperature without the use of refrigerator facilities.

Decoupled data and control planes in Software Defined Networks (SDN) allow them to handle an increasing number of threats by limiting harmful network links at the switching stage. As storage, high-end servers, and network devices, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is designed to replace purpose-built network elements with VNFs (Virtualized Network Functions). A Software Defined Network Function Virtualization (SDNFV) network is designed in this paper to boost network performance. Stateful firewall services are deployed as VNFs in the SDN network in this article to offer security and boost network scalability. The SDN controller’s role is to develop a set of guidelines and rules to avoid hazardous network connectivity. Intruder assaults that employ numerous socket addresses cannot be adequately protected by these strategies. Machine learning algorithms are trained using traditional network threat intelligence data to identify potentially malicious linkages and probable attack targets. Based on conventional network data (DT), Bayesian Network (BayesNet), Naive-Bayes, C4.5, and Decision Table (DT) algorithms are used to predict the target host that will be attacked. The experimental results shows that the Bayesian Network algorithm achieved an average prediction accuracy of 92.87%, Native–Bayes Algorithm achieved an average prediction accuracy of 87.81%, C4.5 Algorithm achieved an average prediction accuracy of 84.92%, and the Decision Tree algorithm achieved an average prediction accuracy of 83.18%. There were 451 k login attempts from 178 different countries, with over 70 k source IP addresses and 40 k source port addresses recorded in a large dataset from nine honeypot servers.

Urinary tract infections(UTI) are the most common bacterial infections among women in both pregnant and non pregnant states, among which asymptomatic bacteriuria is the commonest .Symptomatic bacteriuria includes cystitis and pyelonephritis .UTI is a disease of multiple etiology and is known for its recurrence despite the treatment. Every woman has a 20% life time risk of developing UTI. A sincere effort has been put to understand the local epidemiology of the organism and its susceptibility pattern so as to initiate an effective treatment. 1.To study the bacterial isolates of Urinary tract infection in pregnant women. 2.To study the antibiogram of the bacterial isolates. The study was conducted among 100 pregnant women who attended Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) outpatient department at a tertiary care centre, Bangalore, India, over a period of six months. For isolating the bacteria, standard conventional method of isolation and identification was followed. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates were determined using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. The data was analyzed using standard statistical package. Majority of the isolates were Escherichia coli (33.98%) followed by Klebsiella species (19.41%), Coagulase negative staphylococcus (16.50%) and Enterococcus fecalis(13.59%), Acinetobacter species(7.76%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.88%), Pseudomonas and Enterobacter species were 1.9% each. Proteus being the least(0.97%). The isolates were sensitive to Aminoglycosides (97.08%) and Nitrofurantoin (97.08%). The study suggests that the common etiological agent for UTI in pregnant women was Escherichia coli and was sensitive to Aminoglycosides and Nitrofurantoin.

Objective: To report cases of neurocysticercosis (NCC) from three neighboring districts of Andhra Pradesh state in India where NCC burden was never explored before. Methods: A total of 160 patients presenting with recent onset seizures were recruited from neurology, general medicine, and pediatric outpatient clinics of a local major tertiary care teaching hospital serving above districts during the period 2011–2014. Brain imaging was performed in all the above cases. A commercial immunoglobulin G-ELISA kit (sensitivity = 85%; specificity = 94%) was employed for the serological diagnosis of NCC. Results: The recruited patients presented with generalized, simple partial, and complex partial seizures (55%, 31.25% and 13.75% respectively). NCC was diagnosed in 44 of 160 (27.5%) seizure cases based on imaging characteristics, and a positive serum antibody ELISA. No association was detected between seropositivity with the number and location of the lesion(s) in the brain. Conclusions: The possible potentiality of NCC could be identified as an underlying cause of the recent onset of seizures in this region as explored in the present study. It is recommended that NCC should be suspected as one of the major differential in every recent onset seizure with or without a radio imaging supportive diagnosis, especially in areas endemic for taeniasis/cysticercosis.

In this study, an ecofriendly, green method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) has been developed using Mallotus tetracoccus (MT) leaves as a reducing agent. The formation of AgNPs was standardised at pH 7 and 60 ℃. UV-visible spectroscopy showed the high peak of absorption band at 420 nm. By atomic force microscopic (AFM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observations, the size of the silver nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 46 to 100 nm, with an average size of 73 nm. The energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDX) profile of silver nanoparticles showed typical optical absorption peak approximately at 3 keV. FTIR spectroscopic study revealed that hydroxyl groups of phenols and carboxylic acids were involved in the formation of AgNPs. Through MTT assay, the cytotoxicity results showed that AgNPs were highly effective on human ductal breast carcinoma cell lines (T47D) (76.8 to 84.9%). Thus, the MT-synthesized NPs are said to possess significant anticancer activity on cancer cells and very less toxicity on normal cells, which suggests its further applications in medicine.

Background: Adequate dietary calcium intake favours bone mineral accrual. Sparse published data are available on dietary calcium intake of metropolitan city population from south India. Methods: We recorded the dietary intake of calcium and phytates of 524 healthy subjects from Bengaluru, a metropolitan city, by recalling the diet consumed in the previous 5 to 7 days and compared it with dietary intake of calcium of 325 healthy subjects from rural areas around Tirupati, and 508 healthy subjects from urban Tirupati. Results: The dietary calcium intake of the Tirupati rural subjects was the least compared to that of the urban and metropolitan city subjects. In the metropolitan and urban groups the diet was high in calories, milk, milk products and vegetables compared to rural subjects. Dietary calcium intake was significantly lower (p

Objectives: In the past decades, X-rays have been used widely for diagnosis in dentistry. However, it is well known that ionizing radiation causes damage (including single- and double-strand breaks) to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and DNA-protein crosslinks, and induces cellular death. Therefore, outlining the cytogenetic effects induced by X-ray is necessary to identify the degree of cancer risk and minimize potential risks to patients and clinicians. Materials and methods: Cytogenetic biomonitonng studies focusing on oral mucosa cells in individuals exposed to dental X-ray were reviewed. Results: Dental X-ray can induce DNA damage and cytotoxicity in oral mucosa cells. Conclusion: These results will contribute to a better understanding of X-ray-induced effects upon the cellular system in individuals continually exposed to known genotoxic/cytotoxic agents.

Recurrent pyogenic granuloma with satellite lesions is also known as Warner and Wilson-Jones syndrome. Local recurrences do occur but presenting with multiple satellite lesions is very rare. We provide a characteristic clinical image and microphotographs of a case of pyogenic granuloma with satellitoses in an 18-year-old male who presented with a painful erythematous nodule on his back in interscapular region. A punch biopsy was taken from the lesion and it showed features of pyogenic granuloma. Combining clinical and microscopic features, a final diagnosis of pyogenic granuloma with satellite lesions was made. Surgeons excised the lesion and skin grafting was done which healed well. Three years follow-up of the patient was uneventful

Cancer is traditionally approached as a genetic disease, with standard treatments including chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery significantly improving survival rates and patient outcomes. However, there is a growing recognition of the need for integrative oncology, which expands cancer management by considering cancer as a metabolic disease. Integrative medicine physicians employ holistic therapies focused on patients’ needs, aiming to correct the metabolic imbalances associated with cancer and alleviate cancer-related symptoms. Viewing cancer as a metabolic disease involves addressing factors such as an acidic microenvironment, vitamin C deficiency, mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced intracellular oxygen levels, elevated oxidative stress, dysfunctional autophagy, and psychological stress. This paper presents an overview of the evidence and comprehensive strategies supporting integrative medicine approaches in addressing cancer metabolism in integrative oncology settings. Furthermore, the paper underscores the necessity of integrating different cancer theories—genetic and metabolic—for improved patient outcomes and experiences. By combining these perspectives, integrative oncology offers a more holistic, patient-centered approach to cancer treatment.

In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized in an environmentally friendly manner using plant extracts from Luisia tristis. The formation of the nanoparticles was confirmed by a reddish-brown colour change and further characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The average size of the particles was found to be 16–48 nm. The antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs was evaluated against harmful bacteria and compared to the commonly used antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The AgNPs were found to be highly effective, with a 24 mm zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli, and more effective than ciprofloxacin. Additionally, a minimum inhibitory concentration assay was performed with a concentration of 100 mg/mL of AgNPs, which were found to effectively inhibit the growth of selected pathogens. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential for using plant-derived AgNPs as a natural and eco-friendly alternative for antimicrobial and antioxidant applications. This method is a fast, cost-effective way to generate silver nanoparticles at room temperature and may be useful in creating environmentally friendly antibacterial solutions for biomedical applications.

While nutrients are administered through various sources and combinations, herbicides are used for pre-plant and pre-emergence weed control in the tomato fields. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the effects of nutrient fertilisation through inorganic and organic sources along with farmers practice and the application of three herbicides, namely glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin, individually or in combinations, on earthworm activity in tomato crops. The herbicides caused a significant reduction in earthworm biomass and escapement to the lower 15 cm depth. Application of pendimethalin and metribuzin to soils inorganically fertilised with major and micronutrients resulted in low survival rates and a high ecological risk quotient. The effect was attenuated when farmyard manure was applied. The study suggests that when 2 to 3 herbicides are applied in succession and combined with inorganic fertilisers as nutrient sources, stringent measures like adding organic nutrient sources, applying the correct herbicide combination, etc., must be followed to reduce their toxicity to earthworms. This helps to protect and sustain earthworm activity and biodiversity in the soil.

microRNA (miRNA)–messenger RNA (mRNA or gene) interactions are pivotal in various biological processes, including the regulation of gene expression, cellular differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and development, as well as the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and pathogenesis of numerous diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and metabolic conditions. Understanding the mechanisms of miRNA–mRNA interactions can provide insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. However, extracting these interactions efficiently from a huge collection of published articles in PubMed is challenging. In the current study, we annotated a miRNA–mRNA Interaction Corpus (MMIC) and used it for evaluating the performance of a variety of machine learning (ML) models, deep learning-based transformer (DLT) models, and large language models (LLMs) in extracting the miRNA–mRNA interactions mentioned in PubMed. We used the genomics approaches for validating the extracted miRNA–mRNA interactions. Among the ML, DLT, and LLM models, PubMedBERT showed the highest precision, recall, and F-score, with all equal to 0.783. Among the LLM models, the performance of Llama-2 is better when compared to others. Llama 2 achieved 0.56 precision, 0.86 recall, and 0.68 F-score in a zero-shot experiment and 0.56 precision, 0.87 recall, and 0.68 F-score in a three-shot experiment. Our study shows that Llama 2 achieves better recall than ML and DLT models and leaves space for further improvement in terms of precision and F-score.

Purpose Biochar has potential as a valuable tool for the agricultural industry with its unique ability to help build soil health, increase physical properties of soil, soil pH, organic carbon content, conserve water and mitigate drought, reduce GHG emission, conserve nutrients, decrease fertilizer requirements, sequester carbon,increase crop productivity and serve as a most preferred habitat for microbes. In this study, three perishable biomass wastes viz. Pea pod (Pisum sativum), cauliflower leaves (Brassica oleracea) and orange peel wastes (Citrus sinensis) were carbonized and characterized for differential application. Methods The biomass was subjected to carbonization at different temperatures from 100 to 600 C for 1 h. Biomass and biochar samples were characterized for proximate (M, VM, FC, Ash), ultimate (CHNS-O), biochemical properties (Ce, He, Li), thermo gravimetric analysis, pH, EC and bulk density. The biochars were also analyzed through SEM and FTIR for identification of pore size and functional groups. Results The char yield was high in cauliflower leaf (30.16 %), followed by orange peel (25.54 %) and pea pod (21.154 %) at 300 C. The total organic carbon (11.61 %), total negative surface anions (4.25 mmol H? eq/g C) and water holding capacity (200 %) were high in pea pod biochar. The SEM images of biochar samples showed plane cleavage surfaces with broken edges. The surface functional groups of all the three biochar samples were hydroxyl, methyl, carboxylic and alkene groups. Conclusion The pea pod and cauliflower leaf biochar showed higher values of organic carbon, total surface anions, water holding capacity and mineral content and performed as best soil amendment than orange peel biochar. These biochar can be used as an effective medium for increasing soil carbon, irrigation efficiency and efficient disposal of agricultural waste-biomass.

The incidence of Acute Pancreatitis (AP) was 30.0 per 100,000 population overall. The two most common aetiological factors of AP are gallstones and alcohol abuse, while other causes such as metabolic, iatrogenic, vascular, infections, and toxic factors are less important and less common. Two laboratory tests, serum amylase and lipase levels, which have relatively good sensitivity and specificity, complement imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of some cases of AP. Imaging helps confirm the clinical diagnosis, determine the cause, grade the extent of AP, and assess its severity, in addition to clinical symptoms and laboratory studies. Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) is characterised by continuous inflammatory and fibrotic changes in the pancreas, eventually resulting in exocrine and endocrine dysfunction. Alcoholism is a factor in 70-90% of CP cases. Other causes include chronic ulcerative colitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, primary sclerosing cholangitis, etc. Early diagnosis of CP is challenging, as biochemical studies do not provide definitive diagnosis in the early stages. Imaging, mainly Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), aids in the definitive diagnosis. The present pictorial article aimed to provide an image-rich overview of the morphological features associated with the early-stage and late-stage local consequences of acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hemodialysis treatment is associated with an increased risk of developing left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) has emerged as a sensitive parameter in evaluating LV function in patients with CKD. We aimed to assess cardiac function using two-dimensional (2D) echocardiogram, 2D speckle-tracking echocardiogram (2DSTE), and traditional ejection fraction (EF) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 months in patients with CKD at a tertiary care center in Southern India. Patients were subjected to conventional 2DSTE and evaluated for LV ejection fraction (LVEF), GLS, pulmonary systolic blood pressure, and the degree of tricuspid regurgitation. Results: Among 100 patients with CKD, 54.3% underwent hemodialysis, and 26.7% on drug therapy had impaired LV GLS. The LVEF was normal in 61.4% of patients undergoing hemodialysis and 86.7% of patients on drug therapy. Proportion of patients undergoing hemodialysis were significantly high with moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension (21.4%), moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation (21.4%), and mild-to-moderate EF (37.1%) compared to respective patients on drug therapy. Pulmonary hypertension and abnormal EF are significantly associated with lesser GLS in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Conclusions: This study indicated that patients undergoing hemodialysis are at higher risk for impaired LV GLS. The GLS by 2DSTE can act as an early diagnostic tool for this high-risk patient group. Thus, regular cardiac screening is required for early detection, and treatment in patients undergoing hemodialysis with risk of LV dysfunction.

This paper presents an ensemble of pre-trained models for the accurate classification of endoscopic images associated with Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and illnesses. In this paper, we propose a weighted average ensemble model called GIT-NET to classify GI-tract diseases. We evaluated the model on a KVASIR v2 dataset with eight classes. When individual models are used for classification, they are often prone to misclassification since they may not be able to learn the characteristics of all the classes adequately. This is due to the fact that each model may learn the characteristics of specific classes more efficiently than the other classes. We propose an ensemble model that leverages the predictions of three pre-trained models, DenseNet201, InceptionV3, and ResNet50 with accuracies of 94.54%, 88.38%, and 90.58%, respectively. The predictions of the base learners are combined using two methods: model averaging and weighted averaging. The performances of the models are evaluated, and the model averaging ensemble has an accuracy of 92.96% whereas the weighted average ensemble has an accuracy of 95.00%. The weighted average ensemble outperforms the model average ensemble and all individual models. The results from the evaluation demonstrate that utilizing an ensemble of base learners can successfully classify features that were incorrectly learned by individual base learners.

Abstract In this study, potential of the native Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner was investigated against the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Fourteen out of 50 Bt isolates obtained from root zone of vegetable crops of north western zone of Tamil Nadu, India, were found to be encoded with nematicidal cry genes, confirmed by gene-specific PCR. Nine different Cry protein profiles were obtained from native Bt. Spore-crystal mixtures of 6 isolates out of 14 (at 0.5%) showed 100% inhibition to J2 juveniles emergence from egg masses of M. incognita within 72 h of treatment. Analysis by SEM revealed that fluffy egg masses were observed in untreated samples due to hatching, whereas egg masses were covered by gelatinous matrix, when treated with spore-crystal mixture of nematicidal Bt. Two (BC and BD) of the 6 isolates were selected based on their highest nematicidal activity against J2 of M. incognita with LC50 values of 0.12 and 0.23 μg/ml of protein. The spore-crystal mixtures of isolates BC and BD when applied to tomato plants under greenhouse conditions exhibited the enhanced biocontrol potential by suppressing number of egg masses, reduction of female population and decreased root gall index, when compared to control and chemical treatments.

Maternal nutritional status and care during pregnancy are essential for adequate birth weight. In this prospective cohort study (N = 1061) in an urban slum, we investigated the association of maternal anthropometry, body composition, gestational weight gain and dietary intakes with low birthweight (LBW, 2) and another 30% were overweight/obese. The mean age and BMI were 23 years and 21.7 kg/m2, respectively, and haemoglobin was 10.73 g/dL. The mean birthweight (N = 605) was 2.81 ± 0.5 kg, and the average gestational age was 38 ± 2 weeks. About 15% of infants had LBW, and 48% were small for gestational age (SGA). Maternal body composition was assessed by skinfold thickness (SFT) in all trimesters. In the first trimester (N = 762), we found that mean fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM) and body fat percentage (% BF) were 38.86 kg, 11.43 kg and 21.55%, respectively. Low birthweight was significantly associated with preterm deliveries (p < 0.001) and less fat free mass (p = 0.02) in the third trimester. Among other factors were age (p = 0.017), maternal anthropometry (height: p = 0.031; weight: p = 0.059) and fewer antenatal check-ups (p = 0.037). Small size (SGA) was consistently associated with maternal bodyweight at all trimesters (term I, p = 0.013, term II, p = 0.003 and term III, p < 0.001), fat mass in the third trimester (p < 0.001) and maternal height (p = 0.003).

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths globally. Despite many anticancer agents in the market, cancer stood as a major health concern to humanity due to the problems like drug resistance, toxicities and economic burden etc., and these issues strongly impose the scientists for the development of novel anticancer agents. Hence, in the current investigation, we performed the 2D-QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) analysis of a series of compounds reported with a potential antiproliferative activity using multiple regression analysis and designed compounds from the obtained QSAR model. The generated Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) equations were validated both internally and externally. The applicability domain has been done for the developed model. Based on the generated QSAR equations, a series of 2-amino-5-substituted-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were designed and their antiproliferative activity was predicted using the QSAR equations. Further, molecular docking studies were carried out for the designed compounds using Autodock 4 against Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) kinase. The compounds with good binding affinity were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, NMR and mass spectroscopy and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 and PC3 cell lines considering the overexpression of EGFR kinase in breast and prostate cancers. The generated best model exhibited an r2 value of 0.93, q2LOO = 0.92, r2cv = 0.78. From the results, compound 3b and 3c exhibited good antiproliferative activity. The results of the study suggest that the synthesized active compound could serve as a lead for generating good biological agents against EGFR kinase.

Single crystals of Sodium Oxalate (SO) were grown by adopting the slow evaporation solution growth approach from aqueous solution. The prominent functional groups seen in the SO crystal were distinctly detected with Fourier transform infrared and FT-Raman spectral analysis. The cut-off wavelength of 230 nm was measured using Ultraviolet -visible spectral analysis. Theoretical quantum chemical computations were done by DFT using Gaussian software package. The different properties such as structural, vibrational and electronic properties of SO was studied at the B3LYP/LanL2DZ level. The chemical activity of SO molecule was revealed by HOMO-LUMO energies. From Topology analysis the chemical significance of the molecules has been enunciated. The electron density centered on local reactivity descriptors like Mulliken atomic charges and Fukui function were calculated to describe the chemical reactivity of the SO compound. The mechanical property of the grown crystal was disclosed from Vicker's micro hardness test carried out on the grown SO crystals and the test confirms the soft nature of the crystal. The dielectric behavior of SO crystal was completely investigated for different temperatures and the activation energies were calculated for different frequencies.

This article uses cutting-edge deep learning technology to identify structural damage from images for a civil engineering application. The public infrastructures of the country are generally inspected physically by a visual evaluation by qualified inspectors. However, manual inspections are pretty time-consuming and often require too much labor. The number of experts capable of evaluating such structural damage is inadequate. As a result, computer vision-based techniques for automatic damage detection have been developed. This paper’s civil infrastructure damages are classified into four damages of roads common in Indian highways and the concrete deterioration in the bridges. The convolutional neural network has become a standard tool for organizing and recognizing images. In this paper, an ensemble of three CNN models is proposed, and two are transfer learning-based models. The proposed ensemble transfer learning model provided a validation accuracy of 87.1%.

The increase in population growth and demand is rapidly depleting natural resources. Irrigation plays a vital role in the productivity and growth of agriculture, consuming no less than 75% of fresh water utilization globally. Irrigation, being the largest consumer of water across the globe, needs refinements in its process, and because it is implemented by individuals (farmers), the use of water for irrigation is not effective. To enhance irrigation management, farmers need to keep track of information such as soil type, climatic conditions, available water resources, soil pH, soil nutrients, and soil moisture to make decisions that resolve or prevent agricultural complexity. Irrigation, a data-driven technology, requires the integration of emerging technologies and modern methodologies to provide solutions to the complex problems faced by agriculture. The paper is an overview of IoT-enabled modern technologies through which irrigation management can be elevated. This paper presents the evolution of irrigation and IoT, factors to be considered for effective irrigation, the need for effective irrigation optimization, and how dynamic irrigation optimization would help reduce water use. The paper also discusses the different IoT architecture and deployment models, sensors, and controllers used in the agriculture field, available cloud platforms for IoT, prominent tools or software used for irrigation scheduling and water need prediction, and machine learning and neural network models for irrigation. Convergence of the tools, technologies and approaches helps in the development of better irrigation management applications. Access to real-time data, such as weather, plant and soil data, must be enhanced for the development of effective irrigation management applications.

Irula tribes in india live in rural areas under poor infrastructure, high poverty, low education, ignorant on the origin of diseases. Although, their lifestyle made them vulnerable to a variety of infectious diseases. Only few studies have been conducted on them, hence, there is inadequate data about these Irula tribal health. Serum samples were collected from 372 Participants of Irula tribes from 15 different locations of Tamil Nadu. Serum samples were tested for Hepatitis C Virus (Anti-HCV) by 3rd generation ELISA kit and data were subjected to analysis using SPSS (version 17.0) and Chi square test to determine the risk factors of Hepatitis C virus. HCV prevalence was 5.10 % and this percentage was high among females than males with the age group of 31 to 40. Among the various risk factors, were statistically analyzed (p

The present study focuses on changes in morphological, physiological and gene expression patterns in sugarcane, in response to waterlogging stress at seedling stage. Forty five days old seedlings were subjected to waterlogging for fifteen days. Significant reduction in seedling shoot length (16.5%) and root length (31.48%) were observed after 15 days of flooding. Irrespective of the genotypes, there was 2.5 fold increase in number of shoot roots under flooding treatments. Significant reduction in pigment content “chl a†(24.32%), “chl b†(30.67%) and total chlorophyll content (26.33%) were noticed due to flooding treatment in all the genotypes. Study of gene expression under flooding conditions by RT-PCR, revealed differential expression in tolerant and susceptible sugarcane genotypes. Up regulation of gene expression in flooded roots and shoots was observed for most of the candidate genes though root tissues showed more accumulation of transcripts when compared to the shoots. Highest transcript accumulation was observed for aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), ACC (1-aminocyclopropane -1-carboxylate) oxidase and GBF1.

The use of biodegradable material such as simple carbohydrates and recyclable material such as thermo-sensitive polymers is in need to develop a sustainable aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for the purification of biomolecules. Accurate determination of sucrose concentration is important in liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) study of carbohydrate-based ATPS. The well-established phenol–sulfuric acid method has been widely employed in the measurement of carbohydrate concentration. However, the presence of thermo-sensitive polymers, which has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) below room temperature, in carbohydrate samples could hamper the precision of spectrophotometric analysis due to the formation of two phases or cloudiness in the sample. Thus, the following modifications were made in an attempt to eliminate the interference occurred during conventional phenol–sulfuric acid assay. • The modified assay for sucrose quantification was performed at an ice-cold temperature throughout the reaction in order to avoid the interference from thermo-sensitive polymers. • This method required a sample volume of 3 μL and hence the volume of other reagents employed was also considerably reduced. • The absorbance was measured at 520 nm which allowed a longer linearity range (0.05–7.5%, w/v).

Fungal infection secondary to renal transplantation poses a significant threat to the life of the recipient with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. A high index of suspicion is necessary for early diagnosis of fungal infections in such patients. We herein report a fatal case of prostatic abscess in a post-renal transplant recipient.

Objectives: To study the relationship between the nutritional status, serum bone mineral markers, 25 hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and ultrasound bone mineral density (USBMD) of Os Calcis in subjects living in endemic fluorotic and non-fluorotic villages. Methods: Subjects from fluorotic (n=57) and non-fluorotic (n=79) villages were studied for their dietary habits, biochemical parameters of bone mineral markers, 25(OH)D levels and correlated with stiffness index (SI) measured using Achilles ultrasound bone densitometer. Results: Dietary calcium intake in both the villages is far below the recommended daily allowances (RDA) by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India for Indian population. The 25(OH)D correlated positively with energy intake (r=0.7; p

Room Temperature Ionic liquids are relatively more useful in the synthesis of inorganic nanostructured materials because of their unique properties. To synthesize the iron oxide nanoparticle in simple precipitation method, a novel ionic liquid was used as the greener medium and stabilizing agent namely “1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate [BMIM][TfO]”. The crystallinity, chemical structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the synthesized magnetite nanoparticles have been characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy(AFM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) studies. The XRD study is divulge that the synthesized magnetite nanoparticles have inverse spinel face centered cubic structure. The FT-IR vibration peaks show the formation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, where the vibration peak for Fe-O is deliberately presence at 584 cm-1. The average particle size of the synthesized nanoparticles is found to be 35 nm. Homogeneously dispersed cubic shape with superstructure is found through SEM, AFM and TEM examination studies. The synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles have a high saturation magnetization value of 25 emu/g, which is very much useful for biomedical applications.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is one of the most poorly understood and unsatisfactorily treated disease. In this study, combined treatment modalities were tried based on the grading and staging of OSMF, and outcomes of treatment were noticed. In addition to this, visceral organ involvement evidenced by systemic fibrosis has been assessed to see, if OSMF is a part of systemic spectrum of disease.

Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) has many diverse properties and medicinal values such as antioxidant potential combined with the properties of a spice. Dried ginger (DG) were extracted with aqueous ethanol and freeze-dried. The extract was evaluated for antioxidant potential, using 1,1'-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging, antioxidant capacity and reducing power assays. DG extract was further fractionated into methanol (Mfr) and water-soluble (Wfr) fractions. The Mfr exhibited higher antioxidant capacity when compared to DG extract. Higher antioxidant potential of the methanol fraction may be due to the presence higher polyphenols and [6]-gingerol content. This suggests that alcoholic soluble fraction possess enormous scope to enhance the antioxidant potential when used as a supplement in various food as well as pharmaceutical formulations / products.

In the present study, a new series of [5-substituted-3-(phenylamino)-1H-pyrazol-1yl] (3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)-methanone (4a-j) have been synthesized. 3, 4, 5-Trihydroxy benzohydrazide (1) was synthesized from propyl gallate and hydrazine hydrate in presence of ethanol. Chalcones (2a-j) were synthesized from acetanilide and various aromatic aldehydes in presence of ethanol and sodium hydroxide solution. By refluxing the compound (1) and compounds (2a-j) in presence of ethanol yielded [5-substituted-3-(phenylamino)-4.5-dihydropyrazol-1yl] (3,4,5-trihydroxy phenyl)-methanone (3a-j). The final compounds [5-substituted-3-(phenylamino)-1H-pyrazol-1yl] (3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)-methanone (4a-j) were synthesized by treating compounds (3a-j) with bromine water. The synthesized compounds have been characterized by IR, 1HNMR and Mass spectral data. The compounds were evaluated for in vivo anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenan induced paw edema test. In general all compounds were found to exhibit good anti-inflammatory activity.