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AbstractThe nucleocapsid component of SARS-CoV2 is involved in the viral genome packaging. GammaP.1(Brazil) and the 20 C-US(USA) variants had a high frequency of the P80R and P67S mutations respectively in the RNA-binding domain of the nucleocapsid. Since RNA-binding domain participates in the electrostatic interactions with the viral genome, the study of the effects of proline substitutions on the flexibility of the protein will be meaningful. It evinced that the trajectory of the wildtype and mutants was stable during the simulation and exhibited distinct changes in the flexibility of the protein. Moreover, the beta-hairpin loop region of the protein structures exhibited high amplitude fluctuations and dominant motions. Additionally, modulations were detected in the drug binding site. Besides, the extent of correlation and anti-correlation motions involving the protruding region, helix, and the other RNA binding sites differed between the wildtype and mutants. The secondary structure analysis disclosed the variation in the occurrence pattern of the secondary structure elements between the proteins. Protein-ssRNA interaction analysis was also done to detect the amino acid contacts with ssRNA. R44, R59, and Y61 residues of the wildtype and P80R mutant exhibited different duration contacts with the ssRNA. It was also noticed that R44, R59, and Y61 of the wildtype and P80R formed hydrogen bonds with the ssRNA. However in P67S, residues T43, R44, R45, R40, R59, and R41 displayed contacts and formed hydrogen bonds with ssRNA. Binding free energy was also calculated and was lowest for P67S than wildtype andP80R. Thus, proline substitutions influence the structure of the RNA-binding domain and may modulate viral genome packaging besides the host-immune response.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The extreme sensitivity of 2D-layered materials to environmental adsorbates, which is typically seen as a challenge, is harnessed in this study to fine-tune the material properties. This work investigates the impact of environmental adsorbates on electrical properties by studying metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) devices fabricated on CVD-synthesized SnSe flakes. The freshly prepared devices exhibit positive photoconductivity (PPC), whereas they gradually develop negative photoconductivity (NPC) after being exposed to an ambient environment for ∼1 day. While the photodetectors based on positive photoconductivity exhibit a responsivity and detectivity of 6.1 A/W and 5.06 × 108Jones, the same for the negative photoconductivity-based photodetector reaches up to 36.3 A/W and 1.49 × 109Jones, respectively. In addition, the noise-equivalent power of the NPC photodetector decreases by 300 times as compared to the PPC device, which implies a prominent detection capability of the NPC device against weak photo signals. To substantiate the hypothesis that negative photoconductivity stems from the photodesorption of water and oxygen molecules on the dangling bonds of SnSe flakes, the flakes are etched along the most active planes (010) with a focused laser beam in an inert environment, which enhances responsivity by 43%, supporting negative photoconductivity linked to photodesorption. Furthermore, the humidity-dependent dark current variation of the NPC photodetectors is used to design a humidity sensor for human respiration monitoring with faster response and recovery times of 0.72 and 0.68 s, respectively. These findings open up the possibility of tuning the photoelectrical response of layered materials in a facile manner to develop future sensors and optoelectronic multifunctional devices.

Early research experiences play an important role in shaping students’ academic and professional development and future career path. While many colleges and universities offer undergraduate students the chance to engage in research, a significant number of high school students face limited or no access to such opportunities. Initiatives such as the ACS Project SEED program aim at providing high school students with access to research experiences in academic laboratories. These programs have a strong impact on students, inspiring them to pursue a chemistry degree and contributing to the development of lab skills and professional networks. Despite the growing relevance and wide range of real-world applications of polymers, the exposure to polymer chemistry in both high school and undergraduate curricula is very limited. Hence, this work proposes a research plan tailored for ACS Project SEED students in polymer chemistry laboratories focusing on controlled radical polymerization techniques and polymer characterization methods. This plan aims to guide students with minimal research lab experience through the research process and equip them with relevant skills that are also applicable beyond the program. This research plan can easily be applied to any high school student pursuing an equivalent summer research program. Overall, the activities highlighted in this work emphasize the critical role of hands-on experiences in fostering a passion for science and preparing students for successful academic and professional journeys.

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In the immediate past, the expeditious evolution of transpire technologies, for instance, big data, integrated circuits (IC), 5G communication and artificial intelligence (AI) has noteworthy revamped the potential of optoelectronic paraphernalia. In consequence, the sustentation of these apparatuses has become increasingly labyrinthine. This paper introduces an advanced health evolution and error prediction system for optoelectronic impedimenta, encompasses 5G and AI consolidation. The proffered system intends to convey the uncertainty in health status, life analysis, fault prediction alarms, and ascertainment for optoelectronic machines. By operating a nominal tally of sensors, the system stockpiles different categories of data information and utilizes an exploratory algorithm for inferences for evaluating the system's health. The coalesce for AI, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and gray ideas supplementary amplify the fault prediction potential, producing a research kernel in automation. The put forwarded system tends a concatenation of sustentation assurance assessment, empowering effective prediction and situational maintenance of system failures. This research subscribes to the progress of health assessment technologies and advanced fault prediction for optoelectronic gadgetry, concreting the route for more authentic and coherent systems in the upcoming era.

Inter-satellite optical wireless communication (IsOWC) has drawn a lot of interest previously mainly because there is a rising demand for large-capacity, high-speed data transfer between satellites across multiple orbits. The present research provides an in-depth investigation of the most current developments in optical networks for satellite-to-satellite transmission. It focuses on how well links between geostationary orbit (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites at different distances work. The analysis accentuates the perks of optical communication over radio frequency (RF) communication, including less frequency coordination prerequisites, more secrecy, and larger data speeds. The problems associated with IsOWC systems are also covered in the section, including varying connection distances, air turbulence, and aiming errors. Numerous tools and techniques, including transceiver diversity, adaptive optics, and clever modulation schemes, have been put ahead to alleviate these issues. The paper further examines the latest developments in the domain of optical inter-satellite communication systems and the effective implantation of optical communication equipment aboard satellites deployed by space organizations like JAXA. The investigation results provide pertinent details on the condition of IsOWC technology now and its prospective uses in the next space systems, which will ultimately assist in creating high-capacity, secure, and more effective satellite communication networks.

Considering the limitations of natural energy resources, energy-efficient wireless networks have gained significant attention in recent years. A wireless cooperative communication network (WCCN) provides better spectrum utilisation and reduces interference. Thus, new technologies and methods are explored successively to optimise the existing wireless networks. In this paper, a multiple source-multiple relay network is considered and system efficiency is enhanced by optimising the crucial parameters of the network like delay, relay selection, and energy. A novel joint metaheuristics algorithm, Black-widow optimisation and Tunicate swarm algorithm (BWO-TSA), is proposed. The results obtained are further compared with the existing Branch and Bound (BB) algorithm. The optimal solution is attained with lower computational complexity for different network parameters like outage probability and energy consumption. The proposed algorithm reduces the schedule length by up to 16.66% and outperforms the conventional BB algorithm for various network settings.

The evolution of high performance geopolymer concrete (GPC) has become additionally significant for researchers and industry professionals due to the environmental issues related with the use of bulk cement in construction projects. By using fly ash (FA), bottom ash (BA), slag (GGBS), rice husk ash (RHA), and other industrial wastes as the principal binder instead of Portland cement, these mixes promote a greener approach to bulk concrete production. These high-performance blends are often associated with the incorporation of nanomaterials (NM) in the mix. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that NM incorporation offers GPC blends superior mechanical properties, and frequently does away with the requirement for thermal curing which further reduces the energy demand for production. This incorporation of NM also results in a denser inter-particle packing at a micro level, which increases the blend’s durability. The performances of GPC blends dosed with various NM, such as carbon nanotubes (CNT), nano-silica (NS), nano-alumina (NA), nano-titanium di oxide (NT), nano-clay (NC), and nano-graphene oxide (NG), are thoroughly summarized in this article in terms of mechanical, durability, and microstructural qualities. The final inferences and conclusions were drawn keeping in mind the viability of bulk consumption. Ultimately, TOPSIS analysis was carried out to determine the optimum type and dosage of NM in GPC and it was found that NS dosed at 2% yielded the most favorable outcomes. Present limitations and challenges related to the bulk utilization of GPC doped with NM are also discussed towards the end of this review, along with potential directions for further research.

Personnel selection has a direct impact on the performance of any organisation as it may help to create a right high-performance work culture. A number of different ways have been created and suggested to support the organisations to select the right talent for specific roles. As a result, this paper attempted to propose the effective decision-making in the personnel selection problem by considering it a multi-criteria decision-making problem. Thus, an integrated MCDM approach, namely fuzzy-ETDBA, is proposed to solve the personnel selection problem. The proposed study determines the weights of the evaluation indicators using fuzzy set theory and uses the ETDBA approach for ranking to get the best talent in the organisation.

Continuous Blood Pressure monitoring is an important topic of research to improve healthcare sector worldwide. Complexity of blood pressure mechanism makes non-invasive acquisition task more difficult. Further, existing BP monitors are not user friendly, and trainer is needed for accurate BP estimation. Because of numerous drawbacks in existing blood pressure monitors, several authors suggest mathematical model using PPG and other physiological signal. Recent developments in Artificial Neural Network, machine learning, and deep learning algorithm increased the precision of predicted blood pressure. These methods are highly reliable for mobile health and wearable technology. Still, there are bunch of options to study in this domain and develop a robust wearable device to estimate continuous blood pressure as well as classify hypertension more precisely. The purpose of this work is to look at some of the most important studies, their approaches, existing device based on these approaches, the reliability of these devices, and suggested solutions for improving the findings.

Background The aim of this article is to evaluate radiological and pathological response rates and correlate them after neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) followed by chemotherapy in resectable locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the rectum (LARC).Materials and Methods It is a single institutional, prospective observational study from January 2021 to March 2022 including 45 patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Radiotherapy was delivered to a dose of 25 Gy in 5 Gy per fraction using image-guided radiotherapy followed by mFOLFOX-based chemotherapy. After completion of 4–8 cycles of chemotherapy, tumor regression grade (TRG) was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging and whole-body positron emission tomography. In case of a satisfactory response on imaging (mrTRG), patients underwent appropriate locoregional surgery. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen was carried out and response to neoadjuvant treatment was assessed (pTRG).Results A significant downstaging of T and N stages (60% and 72%, respectively, p< .0001) was observed after neoadjuvant therapy with a pathological complete response rate of 16%. Conversion of positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) to negative CRM was observed in 71.4% patients. A poor agreement between mrTRG and pTRG (k0.133, p.16) was noted.Conclusion Preoperative SCRT in LARC is feasible and well-tolerated with encouraging radiological and pathological response rates. A significant number of patients achieve negative CRM, thereby improving the chances of R0 resection. Significant relief in pain and bleeding can be achieved rapidly leading to an improved quality of life.

Studies reporting cardiogenic shock (CS) outcomes in women are scarce.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) has gained importance in clinical decision‐making for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. However, complying with the recent In Vitro Diagnostic Regulations (IVDR) in Europe and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance in the United States requires rigorous validation prior to their use in investigational clinical trials and diagnostics. Validating AML MRD‐MFC assays poses challenges due to the unique underlying disease biology and paucity of patient specimens. In this study, we describe an experimental framework for validation that meets regulatory expectations. Our validation efforts focused on evaluating assay accuracy, analytical specificity, analytical and functional sensitivity (limit of blank (LoB), detection (LLoD) and quantitation (LLoQ)), precision, linearity, sample/reagent stability and establishing the assay background frequencies. Correlation between different MFC methods was highly significant (r= 0.99 for %blasts and r= 0.93 for %LAIPs). The analysis of LAIP specificity accurately discriminated from negative control cells. The assay demonstrated a LoB of 0.03, LLoD of 0.04, and LLoQ of 0.1%. Precision experiments yielded highly reproducible results (Coefficient of Variation <20%). Stability experiments demonstrated reliable measurement of samples up to 96 h from collection. Furthermore, the reference range of LAIP frequencies in non‐AML patients was below 0.1%, ranging from 0.0% to 0.04%. In this manuscript, we present the validation of an AML MFC‐MRD assay using BM/PB patient specimens, adhering to best practices. Our approach is expected to assist other laboratories in expediting their validation activities to fulfill recent health authority guidelines.

In regard to the present-day electrical power scenario, this article reports a power generation control of restructured hybrid power system with a multi-source combination of solar-thermal, geothermal, electric vehicle (EV), and conventional thermal system. Involvements of renewables and EVs in an electrical grid system with appropriate system non-linearities make the power system complex and a practical one. Such a system needs a robust controller to function optimally. In view of this, several controllers are examined for system dynamics. Performance comparison reveals the novel disturbance rejection-based fractional-order–proportional–integral–derivative (DR-foPID) as an optimal controller. Furthermore, the impact of energy storage devices (ESD) such as redox flow battery (RFB) for system dynamics enhancement are explored. To obtain the optimal performance of the linked restructured power system, the secondary controller gains and other parameters are optimized using a powerful biogeography-based krill herd (BBKH) optimization technique. The results indicate that with the proposed controller, a 38% reduction in response undershoot, a 13% reduction in overshoot, and a 8.3% reduction in settling time are exhibited. Moreover, the objective function (error) values for the proposed controller reduce to 95% with respect to other controllers. The effect of renewables and EVs on system stability is also studied. Moreover, the proposed secondary DR-foPID controller is also examined on a three-area hybrid regulated power system. Sensibility evaluation related to different alterations in nominal system parameters verifies the strength of the DR-foPID controller.

Sepsis is a serious and common condition among hospitalized patients, and, for those with terminal illnesses, mortality from sepsis remains high. Early palliative care consultation reduces symptom burden, improves caregiver experience, and facilitates discussions regarding goals of care. Despite these benefits, palliative care remains an underutilized resource for patients with serious illnesses. This review proposes how infectious disease physicians can help identify patients requiring palliative care consultation and provide valuable input during these discussions. Prior studies demonstrate that early identification of patients requiring ICU admission can improve patient mortality. Additionally, there is conflicting data on the use of antibiotics in terminally ill patients with sepsis. The decision to continue these care measures requires prompt discussions with patients and their families with a qualified palliative care team. Although it is difficult to rapidly identify all patients with sepsis that require a palliative care consult, research has shown that mortality scoring systems, such as APACHE II and SOFA, can assist with determining mortality risk in this subset of patients. The infectious disease physician is uniquely positioned to engage palliative care consultation early, given their proximity to patients with sepsis and knowledge of the disease course. Working with the palliative care team, infectious disease specialists can help make complex clinical decisions at the end of life regarding continuation of antibiotics and more aggressive measures, such as ICU admission.

The relationship between board attributes and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained considerable attention from academicians and researchers in the past few decades. This systematic literature review paper aims to analyse empirical evidence on the impact of board characteristics on CSR. A content analysis of 159 articles extracted systematically from the Scopus and WOS databases revealed a significant upsurge in the area in the last decade mainly in the past three years. It was found that a large majority of the existing works were single-country studies mainly from the developed nations; though cross-country works and research from developing countries have gained momentum in recent years. The study highlighted important trends in publication in the area, the most researched as well as less analysed board attributes, various measures of CSR variables, the type of sample organisations considered, and commonly used research techniques. The study makes a useful contribution to the extant literature by providing insight into the existing works and indicating knowledge gaps and future research perspectives. The findings of the study would also be useful for the policy makers and regulators in further strengthening the corporate governance codes and regulations, so as to help organisations in improving their social performance.

Heart failure–related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) remains an understudied distinct clinical entity.

Background: Due to the environmental effects, the signal fades abruptly and is sometimes lost in the transmission path, which results in weak signal reception at the destination node. The Cooperative Communication Network (CCN) overcomes this problem and provides better spectral efficiency. The source node and the helper node both send the information to the receiver. In spite of many advantages, there are some limitations to such networks. Improving the system efficiency by power, energy, or relay selection optimization is quite desirable as multiple helper nodes are used in the network. Considering this crucial requirement of optimization, the proposed work presents optimal power allocation of the system. Methods: Here, tunicate-swarm optimization is implemented to improve the system parameters, symbol error rate (SER), outage probability, and bit error rate (BER). Two relaying protocols are used for analysis, i.e., Amplify-and-Forward (AF) and Differential AF (Diff-AF), with two combining schemes: Selection-Combining (SC) and Maximal-Ratio-Combining (MRC). Results: The results obtained are further compared with other metaheuristics algorithms, such as Particle- Swarm-Algorithm (PSO), Black-Widow-Optimization (BWO), and the traditional method of Equal-Power-Allocation (EPA). Conclusion: The simulation result shows that the proposed algorithm improves the system parameters compared to algorithms with less time.

Three-Dimensional Printing has advanced throughout the years in the field of biomedical science with applications, especially in spine surgeries. 3D printing has the ability of fabricating highly complex structures with ease and high dimensional accuracy. The complexity of the spine's architecture and the inherent dangers of spinal surgery bring the evaluation of 3D printed models into consideration. This article summarizes the benefits of 3D printing based models for application in spine pathology. 3D printing technique is extensively used for fabrication of anatomical models, surgical guides and patient specific implants (PSI). The 3D printing based anatomical models assist in preoperative planning and training of students. Furthermore, 3D printed models can be used for improved communication and understanding of patients about the spinal disorders. The use of 3D printed surgical guides help in the stabilization of the spine during surgery, improving post procedural outcomes. Improved surgical results can be achieved by using PSIs that are tailored for patient specific needs. Finally, this review discusses the limitations and potential future scope of 3D printing in spine pathologies. 3D printing is still in its infancy, and further research would provide better understanding of the technology's true potential in spinal procedures.

Early and accurate detection of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains a challenge. Two prevalent approaches used for the detection of PD are: 1) dopaminergic imaging using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 123I-Ioflupane; 2) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. Striatal binding ratio (SBR) values are computed from SPECT and, in this research, it is found that if these SBR values are complemented with CSF biomarkers then these SBR values help increase the accuracy of early PD detection. In this study, SBR values for each of the four striatal regions are complemented with some CSF biomarkers to develop a model for the classification and prediction of early PD. A hard classifier is used for developing the classification submodel, and a soft classifier is used for developing the prediction submodel. The results indicate the effectiveness of the developed model.

Recently, incredible progress has been achieved in creating radio frequency (RF) carriers for millimeter wave (30–300 GHz) optical communication systems with ultrahigh data rates. Using a constant-composition distribution matcher (CCDM) to achieve probabilistic amplitude shaping (PAS) is a practical way to improve the efficiency and adaptability of coded modulations that use minimal bandwidth. Therefore, in this research article, a 100 Gbps–100 GHz radio over fiber (RoF) system is presented by incorporating PAS-CCDM in 32-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) (32-QAM) system over a 160-km link distance. A comparative analysis is presented between the proposed system and conventional-32-QAM-based RoF system at different link lengths and input power levels in terms of symbol error rate and Q factor. Performance comparison of the presented system and reported RoF systems revealed that the proposed system has carried maximum RF signal, highest data rate, and prolonged distance without using any amplifier.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a widely used procedure in interventional pulmonology, known for its diagnostic accuracy and low complication rates. We report a rare complication of EBUS-TBNA involving the damage of the TBNA needle during sampling of a mediastinal lymph node, resulting in an impacted needle spring in the airway. Despite its rarity, awareness of such potential issues is crucial for all practitioners performing EBUS-TBNA to ensure patient safety and optimal outcomes.

Laryngotracheal mucormycosis presents a rare but critical challenge, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. This report details the case of a 31-year-old diabetic male who experienced central airway obstruction due to mucormycosis. Despite the complexity of managing airway involvement, a multidisciplinary approach involving airway debridement surgery, liposomal amphotericin B, and posaconazole resulted in successful airway mucor treatment and resolution. This case underscores the importance of early recognition, aggressive intervention, and collaborative care in managing life-threatening conditions.

Patients with malignant central airway obstruction often present with dyspnea and sometimes with frank respiratory failure. Airway stenting has become a routine modality in the management of these patients. A correctly placed airway stent will give good relief in dyspnea and respiratory failure and will even improve the patient's ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance score. The common complications associated with stents are migration, fracture, infection, and obstruction by tumors, granulation tissue, and secretions. These complications are more pronounced with metallic stents. Surveillance bronchoscopy should ideally be done in these patients at least 4–6 weeks post-stent insertion. Removal of granulation tissue has been attempted with modalities like lasers, Argon plasma coagulation, cryotherapy, and snare electrocautery. Here, we present a novel case of post-stent granulation tissue, which was removed and debulked with the help of electrocoagulation bronchoscopy biopsy forceps (hot biopsy forceps).

The geometrical properties of 4‐Aminopyridine and the transition metal clusters M4(M = Co, Ni and Cu) adsorbed 4‐Aminopyridine were examined using DFT/B3LYP/6‐31G*/LANL2DZ. The reactivity descriptors were thoroughly examined to determine which cluster had the best biological potential for adsorption. This molecule's bioactivity may be predicted using wavefunction‐dependent qualities such as the ones found in research such as the ones conducted using algorithms such as ALIEE, LOLE, LIE, ELF, RDG, and the NCI. The molecule has relevant adsorption energy on the surface of the metal clusters M4(M = Co, Ni, and Cu).