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Background: Low birthweight (LBW) and preterm birth (PB) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify maternal demographic and antenatal factors associated with PB and LBW among low socio-economic communities. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 1099) were recruited in the first trimester into the Mother and Child in the Environment (MACE) birth cohort in Durban, South Africa. Maternal factors such as demographic information, health status, residential area, occupational, personal and environmental smoking and biomass fuel use were obtained through standardised interviews, while clinical status was obtained in each trimester and antenatal information on HIV status and treatment, syphilis and conditions such as pregnancy induced hypertension, diabetes etc. was extracted from the antenatal assessments. Key outcomes of interest were preterm birth and low birthweight. The latter data was obtained from the clinical assessments performed by midwives at delivery. Logistic regression models identified factors associated with PB and LBW. Results: Of the 760 live births, 16.4 and 13.5% were preterm and LBW, respectively. Mothers who delivered by caesarean section had an increased odds of having LBW babies (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1–2.7) and PB (AOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1–2.7) versus normal vaginal deliveries. Mothers > 30 years (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–2.9) and current smokers (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.3–5.8) had an increased odds of having PB babies. Compared to younger mothers and non-smokers respectively. An effect of PB and LBW was seen among mothers with high BMI (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) (PB: AOR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.9 and LBW: AOR: 0.5, 0.5, CI: 0.3–0.8), and obese BMI (> 30 kg/m2) (PB: AOR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.9 and LBW: AOR: 0.4, CI: 0.2–0.7). Maternal HIV (PB AOR: 1.4 and LBW AOR: 1.2) and history of sexually transmitted infections (PB AOR: 2.7 and LBW AOR: 4.2) were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Maternal age, cigarette smoking and caesarean delivery were associated with LBW and PB. Findings highlight the need of maternal health interventions to improve new-born health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, personal data availability has become vast, which leads to the concept of Privacy-preserving. Privacy-Preserving is an essential issue in all research fields. Many privacy methods are available for privacy- preserving data publishing (PPDP); however, it suffers from a few drawbacks i) couldn't use on heterogeneous multiple sensitive attributes; ii) Customized sensitivity requirements are ignored. To make the model satisfy both criteria, we have proposed a Quasi-Identifier-Multiple heterogeneous sensitive attribute (QI-MHSA) generalization algorithm. Our first work in this paper is to apply vertical partitioning in the microdata and partitioning it into i) Quasi-identifier bucket (QIB) ii) Multiple heterogeneous sensitive attribute bucket (MHSAB). Second, we have applied k-anonymity in QIB to anonymize the quasi-identifiers and l-diversity in MHSAB to anonymize the different sensitive attributes (categorical and numerical). A Top-down generalization method is adopted to generalize the categorical and numerical attributes. Finally, a new approach has been implemented in the personalized privacy of sensitive attributes. A flag is set for both categorical and numerical sensitive attributes based on their sensitivity requirements in MHSAB. The generalization approaches differ according to the level of sensitivity requirement. Extensive implementation is done on two datasets to compare the algorithm's efficiency and prove that our model has a better balance between privacy and utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental study, biomedical composites of different formulations of basalt, Cissus quadrangularis fibers are melt-mixed with polylactic acid in a twin screw extruder. The standard specimens are prepared from extruded pellets using injection molding technique. Controlled crystallization temperatures are maintained throughout the compounding process to reduce degradation of the matrix and fibers. The thermal characterizations of the composites are examined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal test results clearly indicate that the incorporation of basalt and C. quadrangularis fibers in polylactic acid results in improved thermal properties. The degree of crystallinity percentage is comparatively more for high fiber content composites. The inclusion of basalt fibers increases the polymer degradation temperature and helps to slow down the degradation of polylactic acid. Significant enhancement in the thermal stability of the biomedical composites is specimen having 12 mass percentage of basalt fiber and 0.5 mass percentages of C. quadrangularis fibers in 87.5 mass percentage of polylactic acid. A further increase in the mass percentage of C. quadrangularis affects the thermal property of the composites. The addition of Cissus is to improve estrogenic effect in implants and it is observed that the optimum mass percentage of Cissus is about 1–0.5%. The morphological structure of the composites is studied using scanning electron microscope to understand the structural interlocking characteristics of the fibers in the matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Glycine max (soybean) hemicellulose modifying gene, xyloglucan endotransglycoslase/hydrolase (XTH43), has been identified as being expressed within a nurse cell known as a syncytium developing within the soybean root undergoing the process of defense to infection by the parasitic nematode, Heterodera glycines. The highly effective nature of XTH43 overexpression in suppressing H. glycines parasitism in soybean has led to experiments examining whether the heterologous expression of XTH43 in Gossypium hirsutum (upland cotton) could impair the parasitism of Meloidogyne incognita, that form a different type of nurse cell called a giant cell that is enclosed within a swollen root structure called a gall. The heterologous transgenic expression of XTH43 in cotton resulted in an 18% decrease in the number of galls, 70% decrease in egg masses, 64% decrease in egg production and a 97% decrease in second stage juvenile (J2) production as compared to transgenic controls. The heterologous XTH43 expression does not significantly affect root mass. The results demonstrate XTH43 expression functions effectively in impairing the development of M. incognita at numerous life cycle stages occurring within the cotton root. The experiments reveal that there are highly conserved aspects of the defense response of G. max that can function effectively in G. hirsutum to impair M. incognita having a different method of parasitism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Networks is an essential phenomenon in all aspects through various perspectives. These networks contain a large number of users better termed as nodes and the connections between the users termed as edges. For efficient information processing and retrieving, accessing the influential node is essential for improving the diffusion process. To identify the influential node inside a heterogeneous community, incorporating probability metrics with regression classifier is put forth stated by proposed method Support Vector Bayesian Machine (SVBM). Node metrics such as degree centrality, closeness centrality is measured for eliminating the nodes primarily. A standardized index based on the centrality values computed for enhancing into SVBM. After the standardized index, similarity dissimilarity index values evaluated by combining the Euclidean, Hamming, Pearson coefficient for valued relations and Jaccard for binary relations which results in a single index value considered as the power degree value(p). The value p determines the node's boundedness, which indicates the range of influence within the community. The outlier nodes in the bounded region get eliminated, and the nodes remaining taken for the final phase of SVBM, probability regression line predicts the node inhibiting the most influential nature. Experimental evaluation of the proposed system with the existing Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique resulted in 0.95 and 0.41 respectively for Area Under Curve (AUC) denoting that the true positive influential node classification process from the other existing nodes was higher than SVM. In comparison with the existing SVM, the proposed methodology SVBM attained a node detection, which influenced a higher diffusion rate within the networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of human milk bank (HMB) is recommended as the best alternative when mothers' milk is not a feasible option. The success and sustainability of HMBs depends on the support from healthcare workers and mothers of related communities. Most of the mothers are unaware of the importance of HMB and are unwilling to donate breast milk to HMBs. Hence, the present study aimed to assess the association between levels of awareness regarding HMB among antenatal mothers from selected demographics. Materials and Method: The study population comprised 400 antenatal mothers aged between 24 and 28 years who attended regular antenatal check-up in the respective outpatient department. The data were collected by using a validated questionnaire form, which included open- and close-ended questions on the knowledge and views of mothers on human milk banking and was completed by the women individually. Data was analyzed using Chi-square test of independence. A P value of <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Majority of the mothers showed an average (85.75%) level of awareness. Educational status and parity were found to be significantly associated with HMB awareness (P>0.01). Conclusion: The antenatal mothers had an average level of awareness about HMB. Efforts should be made to increase awareness among mothers on donation of breast milk and the importance of HMB which can be an additional choice in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The positive effects of midazolam as a premedication in pediatric patients are well documented. Although there are many studies regarding the route and dosage of administration, literature does not have any evidence on the outcome of medication acceptance based on the person administering the drug. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the medication acceptance and preoperative anxiolysis of intranasal midazolam administered by parents and anesthesiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective randomized study was conducted in sixty children belonging to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Class 1 or 2 belonging to either sex, aged between 1 and 9 years, undergoing elective surgeries. Group P received intranasal midazolam administered by parents, whereas Group D received intranasal midazolam administered by doctors. Various scores were assessed. RESULTS: Children were more sedated in Group P. Clinically, medication acceptance was better in Group P when compared with Group D, but a statistically significant difference in medication acceptance was seen only in patients who are >4 years of age. Parental separation, Ramsay Sedation Score, and mask acceptance were better in Group P than in Group D. CONCLUSION: Intranasal midazolam when given by parents produces better preoperative anxiolysis and easier parental separation as compared with administration by a medical staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed pelleting with leaf powders of two botanicals viz., pungam (Pongamia glabra) and prosopis (Prosopis juliflora) was done to study the effect of botanical seed pelleting on seedling quality, gas exchange, growth, yield and resultant seed quality parameters of black gram in the laboratory and field. From the results, it was found that, seeds pelleted with pungam leaf powder @ 150 g kg-1 recorded higher germination percentage (93.00), root length (18.35 cm), shoot length (19.34 cm), dry matter production (0.48 mg seedling-10) and vigour index (3505.10). The yield parameters such as pod length, number of pods plant-1, pod yield plant-1, number of seeds pod-1 and 100 seed weight were also found higher in pungam leaf powder pelleting treatment @ 150 g kg-1. The control recorded the least values in all these growth and yield parameters of black gram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absorption of hydrogen gas inside the metal hydride (MH)-based hydrogen storage system generates significant amount of heat. This heat must be removed rapidly to improve the performance of the system which can be accomplished by embedding a heat exchanger inside the MH bed. In this article, a tubular shape MH system, equipped with a heat exchanger consisting of copper tube and pin fin is presented. A detailed 3D mathematical model is developed using COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b for the numerical study of absorption and desorption processes inside the storage system. Impact of various operating and geometric parameters on the charging time of the storage system has been examined. It is observed that these geometric and operating parameters influence the charging time of the storage system. In the last, the impact of heat exchanger material on the performance of the storage system is explored. It is found that aluminum made heat exchanger is the best for the storage systems. The absorption process is accomplished in 1152 s at the operating parameters of 15 bar, 298 K, and 6.75 lit/min. This numerical work suggests that the efficient design of storage system is very important for rapid absorption and desorption of hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing importance of probiotics apparent health benefits, an impediment to the use of new probiotic cultures is their safety. Hence there is a need to strictly examine the biosafety as well as health benefits of probiotics in in vivo model systems. RESULTS: In this study, two lactic acid bacterial (LAB) cultures Lactobacillus fermentum NCMR 2826 and FIX proven for their in vitro probiotic properties were investigated for their in vivo safety in Wistar rats. An acute toxicity study (14 days) with a high dose of biomass (1016 colony‐forming units (CFU) mL−1) followed by a subchronic test for 13 weeks with oral feeding of the probiotic cultures in three different doses (107, 108 and 1010 CFU mL−1) on a daily basis revealed the safety of the L. fermentum cultures. The probiotic feeding had no toxic effects on survival, body weight and food consumption with any of the dosages used throughout the treatment period. No statistically significant changes in relative organ weights and serum biochemical and hematological indices were found between the control and the probiotic fed animals. In addition to the safety attributes, the L. fermentum culture fed rats showed reduced serum cholesterol levels, macrovesicular steatosis and hepatocyte ballooning compared with control animals. Further, quantification of intestinal microbiota using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis from animal feces indicated a significant increase and stability of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium counts but a decrease of Escherichia coli numbers. CONCLUSION: This study of safety and beneficial features highlights the use of the two native L. fermentum isolates as potential probiotic food supplements. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an electrospun & thermally stable micro-fibers of poly(1,6-heptadiyne) (PHD), modified with ABS. Developed micro-fibers demonstrated hydrophobicity (WCA~145o ± 2o), and exhibited hierarchical surface morphology (confirmed by FESEM analysis). Simulation study showed Chi parameter i.e. χc = 7.88, & free energy of mixing i.e. 4.67 kcal/mol, thereby demonstrating its feasibility for electrospinning. PHD/ABS microfibers demonstrated low ice-adhesion ability, where, it effectively removed frozen water droplets in 8 s from hydrophobic surface, under an air-stream rate of 78 kPa/s. High thermal stability (200 °C), hydrophobicity and low ice-adhesion ability, demonstrate that PHD/ABS microfibers can be effectively used for multifunctional engineering/industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation of intact, double stranded, pure and non- contaminated genomic DNA is prerequisite for large scale genotyping analysis including DNA-banks. Three methods of DNA isolation (Dellaporta, CTAB and Hi-PurAg DNA isolation kits) from 25 black gram genotypes were compared in terms of the yield, purity, integrity, and stability of extracted DNA. Purity and quantification of isolated DNA samples was confirmed by using the UV nano-spectrophotometer at OD260/280 and the same is confirmed based by agarose gel electrophoresis. The CTAB method showed the best results followed by Hi- PurAg and Dellaporta method. The CTAB DNA extraction method was found to be the most efficient DNA extraction method, capable of providing high quality, pure and stable DNA and could be used for various molecular related works. All the 25 black gram genotypes for this research gave good yield of DNA from the established modified CTAB protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays there are lots of fatal diseases are growing at a rapid rate. We consider about four primary diseases like jaundice, diabetes mellitus, yellow fever, and cholera. In this paper, we design a novel method with the help of fuzzy and FPGA system for prediction multiple diseases in a rural area. Association rule mining technique helps to define fuzzy rules, which implemented on both Spartan3-E and Artix-7 FPGA kit. Due to this implementation, it is easier to design a cost-effective and portable system for multi-disease prediction. The innovation lies in design a low power FPGA and meticulousness method for identification, prediction of four fatal diseases. The whole plan has tested on Xilinx and Cadence tool for generating RTL model and Layout design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of regenerated and functionalized silk materials for integrated water treatment applications. • Silk for water & wastewater treatments via physical/chemical functionalization. • Silk materials for removal of toxic ions, and heavy metal ions. • Silk for oil-water separation using superhydrophobicity/oleophilicity. • Silk for water harvesting, collection, and transportation. • Biodegradation of silk materials in an environment. The oil-spill accidents in oceans, and discharge/percolation of polluted wastewater by industries in environment causes severe damage to environment and water sources. Release of hazardous chemicals in an environment causes infertility to agricultural lands and contamination of natural water sources. In this sense, researchers have developed advanced materials and technologies for oil/solvent-water separation, and for removal of toxic pollutants from contaminated wastewater, however, their disposal and non-degradation after service life is one of the major environment related issue. Considering environmental concerns and compatibility of materials towards nature during their service life has compelled the scientific community to shift the focus on utilization biopolymeric materials for water treatment applications. Considering various biopolymeric materials, Silk is a naturally available, biocompatible, biodegradable, yet mechanically strong material. On commercial scale, silk is mainly produced by silkworms (bombyx mori , Tasar etc.), which is widely used in textiles and biomedical applications, due to their excellent biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and non-toxic nature. Literature analysis shows that silk materials have been widely used for biomedical applications, however, they are not much explored for water treatment applications like oil-water separation, effluent treatments, and unidirectional water transportation, etc. In this sense, this review extensively discusses utilization of silk biomaterials for water treatment applications like removal of toxic ions from wastewater, oil-water separation, unidirectional water transportation, etc. The review discusses important physical & chemical methods utilized for functionalization of silk biomaterials for above mentioned applications. Finally, the review concludes with biodegradation of silk materials under in-vivo /- in-vitro conditions, and various microorganisms, for mitigating their disposal problem in an environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a technique based on micro-structural modification. Though this concept attracts the attention of the researchers, there arise a necessity of deep investigation in many areas to understand the changes and failure caused by the process. To achieve the required micro grain size, few process attributes like tool geometry, rotational speed, transverse speeds, etc., are to be regulated. The defects, especially tunnel voids can be greatly reduced by identifying the adequate process parameters. The reason for such defect is due to inadequate heat supply during processing and dynamic recrystallization. In this study, FSP of aluminum AA6082 alloy is performed to investigate the effect of different process parameters, such as number of passes and tool rotational speed. Mechanical and microstructure analysis of the specimens were conducted to determine the changes in the properties of the aluminum alloy. Temperature distribution was also monitored using infrared (IR) camera to determine the temperature intensity in degrees at limited points. The results show that the heat generation increases when rotational speed increases. Hardness and tensile strength were tested across the FSP processed zone. After FSP, the microstructure of the alloy is found to be exceedingly refined. However, FSP causes minuscule improves the hardness of the material, whereas the tensile and impact strength improves significantly. • The influence of rotational speed with constant traverse speed and a number of passes on the properties of the friction stir processed in commercial AA6082 was investigated. • The number of passes was achieved by 100% overlapping in the same direction. Increasing the number of passes with the specific rotational speed, the tunnel void at stir zone can be minimized due to recrystallization mechanism. • Increasing the number of passes also reduces the tunnel void. It is due to an increase in the SZ-grain size with more dissolution and re-precipitation along with intense fragmentation of second phase particles. • Increasing the number of passes reduces the UTS at SZ, due to the accumulation of more heat leading to the dissolution hardening [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational grid (CG) environment has a group of autonomous dissimilar distributed computing systems to provide service to user tasks. To attain the auspicious usefulness of CG resources, basically best scheduling algorithms are important. The CG service users are very cautious in time needed for task completion. To meet multiple requirements of the user, the job allocation problem in CG is designed as a multi-objective problem. Evolutionary algorithms have an efficient meta-heuristic technique for optimization problem solving. This work introduces a MapReduce model for non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) for independent job scheduling in a CG. This research work attempts to find the optimal schedules by considering makespan and flowtime minimization. A fuzzy membership function is used to analyze the efficiency of the schedule. Set of benchmark instances is used to test the algorithm. Experimental results show that MapReduce model-based NSGA-II generated finer solutions in less time than the MapReduce model-based weighted sum multi-objective genetic algorithm (WMOGA) which is also implemented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with distribution of 210Po and 210Pb radionuclides in a vertical profile of illuviated soil, in Madikeri taluk of Coorg district, Karnataka, India. The activity concentration of 210Po and 210Pb radionuclides was determined using radioanalytical method and the dependence of these radionuclides on physico-chemical parameters of soil was also investigated through a statistical study. In all the layers of the soil in a vertical profile, the 210Po nuclides were found to be in disequilibrium with 210Pb. The frequency distribution of 210Po and 210Pb radionuclides was analysed using Kolgomorov–Smirnov test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holmium (Ho3+) -doped bismuth-germanate glasses with the chemical combination of (40-x) GeO 2 + 20 Bi 2 O 3 + 20 Na 2 O + 10 Gd 2 O 3 + 10 BaO + x Ho 2 O 3 (x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5) have been prepared by melt-quenching method. These glasses were characterized for spectroscopic properties through optical absorption, photoluminescence excitation and photoluminescence emission. Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity (Ω λ , λ = 2, 4, 6), and radiative parameters were evaluated with the help of the absorption spectra. Intense emission band was observed at a wavelength of 548 nm in the green region compared to other emission bands. Stimulated emission cross-section of GeBiNaGdBaH was found to be 0.18 × 10−20 cm2 and compared with other reported glasses. High lifetime of the 5S 2 +5F 4 level is reported as 25 μs for the GeBiNaGdBaH15 glass. The CIE chromaticity diagram has demonstrated the strong emission for the GeBiNaGdBaH glasses in the green region at around 548 nm, and suggest that the glasses could be useful for green lighting applications. Emission spectra of the Ho3+-doped GeBiNaGdBaH glasses as a function of concentration upon excitation of 452 nm. Image 1 • Holmium (Ho3+)-doped bismuth-germanate (GeBiNaGdBaH) glasses have been fabricated by melt-quenching technique. • Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity parameters (Ω 2 , Ω 4 , Ω 6) have been estimated by means of the absorption spectrum. • Radiative properties have been obtained by utilizing the JO parameters and refractive index. • Lifetime of the 5S 2 +5F 4 level of Ho3+ ions has been evaluated by analysing the decay curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper is mainly concerned with an investigation of antigen-driven T-cell infection process through a mathematical model. Several mathematical models have been introduced in the literature in order to gain insights into the dynamics of the disease progression, however, the results considering the effect of multiple factors which include antigen-driven CD4 T-cell progress, latent infection stage, activation of CTLs response, role of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) and possibilities of multiple time-delays during the infection process are not involved. Hence, the paper introduces a six-dimensional virus infection model by involving the above factors. Particularly, (i) the effect of activation of antigen-specific T-cells; (ii) the effect of the maturation of infected cells; (iii) effect of multiple time delays, that is, during the interaction between susceptible and infectious and during the activation of immune responses; which play a significant role in preventing and modulating the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The main aim of the paper to analyze the local and global stability of the class of mathematical models regarding the effect of time delays which provides a better pathway to the infection progress. Finally, the overall contribution of the present work is listed as follows: (1) by constructing the suitable Lyapunov functional, the global stability of the intracellular delayed model is derived; (2) detailed Hopf-bifurcation analysis is discussed with respect to immune response delay. The numerical simulation is performed to validate the effectiveness and applicability of the theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify the morbidity patterns causing blindness in children attending schools for the blind in Chennai and comparing our data with similar studies done previously.Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence study was carried out in two schools for the blind in Chennai. Blind schools were visited by a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists. Students with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 3/60 in the better eye were included and relevant history was noted. Every student underwent anterior segment evaluation and detailed fundus examination. Morbidity of the better eye was taken as cause of blindness. Health records maintained by the school were referred to wherever available.Results: The anatomical causes of blindness include optic nerve disorders in 75 (24.8%) cases, retinal disorders in 55 (18.2%), corneal disorders in 47 (15.6%), lens-related disorders in 39 (12.9%), congenital anomalies in 11 (3.6%), and congenital glaucoma in 20 (6.6%) cases. The whole globe was involved in six cases (1.99%). Among conditions causing blindness, optic atrophy seen in 73 (24.17%) cases was the most common, followed by retinal dystrophy in 44 (14.56%), corneal scarring in 35 (11.59%), cataract in 22 (7.28%), and congenital glaucoma in 20 (6.6%) cases.Conclusion: It was found that avoidable causes of blindness were seen in 31% of cases and incurable causes in 45%. Optic nerve atrophy and retinal dystrophy are the emerging causes of blindness, underlining the need for genetic counseling and low vision rehabilitation centers, along with a targeted approach for avoidable causes of blindness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-phase structure, stability, spectra, and electron density topography of H-Wn clusters (where n = 1-8) have been calculated using coupled-cluster CCSD(T) and Mo\ller-Plesset second-order perturbation (MP2) theory combined with complete basis set (CBS) approaches. The performance of various density functional theory (DFT) based methods such as B3LYP, M05-2X, M06, M06-L, and M06-2X using 6-311++G(d,p), and aug-cc-pVXZ (aVXZ, where X = D, T, and Q) basis sets has also been assessed by considering values calculated using CCSD(T)/CBS limit as reference. The performance of the functionals has been ranked based on the mean signed/unsigned error. The comparison of geometrical parameters elicits that the geometrical parameters predicted by B3LYP/aVTZ method are in good agreement with those values obtained at MP2/aVTZ level of theory. Results show that M05-2X functional outperform other functionals in predicting the energetics when compared to CCSD(T)/CBS value. On the other hand, values predicted by M06-2X, and M06 methods, are closer to those values obtained from MP2/CBS approach. It is evident from the calculations that H-Wn (where n = 5-8) clusters adopt several interesting structural motifs such as pyramidal, prism, book, Clessidra, cubic, cage, and bag. The important role played by ion-water (O-H···H-) and water-water (O-H···O) interactions in determining the stability of the clusters has also been observed. Analysis of the results indicates that the most stable cluster is made up of minimum number of O-H···H- interaction in conjugation with the maximum number of O-H···O interactions. The Bader theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses has also been carried out to characterize the nature of interactions between hydride ion and water molecules. It can be observed from the vibrational spectra of H-Wn clusters, the stretching frequencies involving ion-water interaction always exhibit larger redshift and intensities than that of water-water (inter solvent) interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) in a Flying Ad-hoc network (FANET) can link directly to the infrastructure. At the same time, the other UAVs in the system may have a multi-hop connection in which each node works as a relay and a data collection node. We may not have the support of traditional infrastructure-based networks when natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes strike. This is fatal because trapped people are challenging to find by search and rescue personnel. In such cases, an airborne network of small drones is valuable for giving quick and adequate coverage of the affected area and instant insights to rescue workers. At the same time, such networks face various challenges, and ongoing research and development show promise in making such technology more dependable and effective. This paper presents Multidimensional Perception and Energy Awareness Optimized Link State Routing (MPEAOLSR) for Flying Ad-hoc networks, which is based on Reinforcement Learning (RL). The protocol is a mobile wireless LAN-specific version of the traditional link state algorithm. The protocol largely relies on the idea of multipoint relays (MPRs). During the flooding process, MPRs are chosen to forward broadcast messages. This technique considerably minimizes message overhead associated to a standard flooding system in which each node retransmits each message after receiving the first copy. In RL-MPEAOLSR, only nodes designated as MPRs generate link state information. Furthermore, the RL-MPEAOLSR node can opt to report just links between itself and its MPR selectors, decreasing the number of control messages flooding the network. Because MPRs function well in large and dense networks, the MPEAOLSR protocol is suited for them. The proposed approach outperforms the conventional Energy Awareness Optimised Link State Routing for Flying Ad-Hoc Networks, according to the results. The technique far outperforms current methods in terms of modern bandwidth consumption of 1478.04kpbs, network density of 95.64%, packet delivery ratio of 95.85%, packet loss ratio of 31.94%, delay in transmission time of 6.981 s and accuracy 6.981%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slope of the three-isotope plot for the isotopomer fractionation by direct or nearly direct photodissociation is obtained using a perturbation theoretical analysis. This result, correct to first order in the mass difference, is the same as that for equilibrium chemical exchange reactions, a similarity unexpected a priori. A comparison is made with computational results for N2O photodissociation. This theoretical slope for mass-dependent photolytic fractionation can be used to analyze the data for isotopic anomalies in spin-allowed photodissociation reactions. Earlier work on chemical equilibria is extended by avoiding a high-temperature approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the search for the ideal intravenous induction drug, etomidate is in the forefront as it provides haemodynamic stability without compromising on the end point of induction. It has been established that slowing the rate of infusion of propofol decreases the dose required for induction. Even though etomidate provides good haemodynamic stability while inducing, there is concern about its cortisol suppressive function. This study has been designed, with entropy guidance, to establish whether induction by slowing the rate of infusion of etomidate will reduce the dose required for induction and simultaneously assess whether adverse effects are reduced. Methods: Ninety-six patients were randomly allocated into three groups based on etomidate dose. Etomidate dose was given till both loss of eyelash reflex and entropy50 was achieved. Total dose of etomidate consumed, time taken for loss of eye lash reflex and time to reach entropy50 were recorded. Cortisol levels were measured at different intervals. Results: We observed that slowing the rate of infusion reduced the dose of etomidate for induction; however, it prolonged the time for induction of anaesthesia. Cortisol levels were suppressed in the first 6 h after induction in all three groups, but remained within normal limits and reached to pre induction levels by 24 h. Conclusion: The slower the rate of infusion, the lesser the dose of etomidate used for induction, but prolongs the time taken to reach the end point of induction. Incidence of myoclonus might be avoided by infusing etomidate for induction at a lower rate. Clinical trial number and registry URL: Clinical Trials Registry of India, CTRI/2016/04/006879, www.ctri.nic.in/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to clone and characterize DRA gene in Deoni cattle. The cDNA for the DRA gene was amplified by using specific primers designed based on available cattle sequences and purified products were cloned in competent E.coli (DH5α) strain. The full length 1013bp product of cDNA of DRA contained a single ORF of 762 nucleotides that coded for 253 amino acids translated product. Twenty four amino acids formed signal peptide while 229 constituted mature peptide. The deduced amino acid sequences resembled those of class II molecules of other species for all the conserved residues having critical functional role. But a single N-linked glycosylation site in á1 was observed in cattle and buffalo when compared to human and swine which contain a second site in α2 domain. The signal peptide was found more variable among the species compared. Comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences among related species and dendrogram constructed revealed that the cattle sequences are more similar to buffalo sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important grain legume crop. Earlier works on micropropagation protocols for mung bean suffer from genotype dependence, poor reproducibility and insufficient regeneration efficiency. Hence, we made an attempt to develop an efficient protocol for micropropagation of mung bean cv. KM 2 using transverse thin cell layer (tTCL) system. The epicotyl, hypocotyl and nodal tTCL explants were obtained from 5-day-old seedlings and cultured on MS medium with different concentrations of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine), TDZ (Thidiazuron) and kinetin. The maximum frequency (75.25%) of direct shoot initiation and multiplication was achieved from culturing the nodal tTCL explants on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP. It has been observed that 61.4% of the regenerated shoots successfully elongated and rooted in MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L of IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) after two weeks of culture. The plantlets successfully established under greenhouse conditions with 64% survival rate. The hardened plants exhibited homogeneity and no morphological variations were detected among the regenerants and the mother plants. The identified regeneration system could be efficiently used in various in vitro manipulation studies in mung bean as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Preparation of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs). • Cu2+ strongly quenched the fluorescent intensity as compared with the other metal ions. • Density functional theory revealed preferential binding between the carboxyl functionalized CQDs and Cu2+ ion. • CQDs have been applied in sensing of Cu2+ with a low detection limit (LOD) of 10 nM. • Sensing of Cu2+ in real tap and river water samples with excellent selectivity and high sensitivity. Abstract A facile, rapid and frugal approach was developed for the preparation of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) by pyrolysis of Finger millet ragi (Eleusine coracana) as a carbon source. The optical properties of as-synthesized CQDs were analyzed by using UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopies. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed the formation of CQDs that predominantly consists of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups which can provide more adsorption sites. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the synthesized CQDs made of amorphous graphitic carbon like structure. The size distribution was in the range of 3–8 nm with a high abundance of 6 nm particles. The CQDs exhibited bright blue fluorescence emission (wavelength ∼425 nm) under UV-light with an excitation wavelength of 340 nm. Our study indicated that Cu2+ strongly quenched the fluorescent intensity of CQDs compared to other metal ions (Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Mn2+, Cr3+ and Hg2+). There was a linear correlation between the quenching efficiency vs. concentration of Cu2+ ions in the range from 0 to 100 μM (R2 = 0.9918). Furthermore, CQDs have been applied in sensing of Cu2+ in real water samples with a detection limit (LOD) of 10 nM. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that there was a strong interaction between CQDs with divalent metal ions whereas trivalent metal ions adsorbed weakly. Particularly, Ni2+ and Cu2+ formed a very strong bonding with CQDs compared to other divalent ions. The metal-CQDs complex structure was reported with optimized highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) – lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap. The nature of interaction and optical properties of the COOH-CQD's have been studied with metal ion adsorbed on the surface. Charge analysis corroborated that there was a significant charge transfer between CQDs with Ni2+ and Cu2+. Our study revealed that Cu2+ preferentially get adsorbed on aromatic C C (π-bond) of CQDs whereas other divalent metals form σ-bond(s) with the CQDs. This observation further confirmed by the HOMO-LUMO band gap (E g) and Frontier molecular orbital analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important grain legume crop. Earlier works on micropropagation protocols for mung bean suffer from genotype dependence, poor reproducibility and insufficient regeneration efficiency. Hence, we made an attempt to develop an efficient protocol for micropropagation of mung bean cv. KM 2 using transverse thin cell layer (tTCL) system. The epicotyl, hypocotyl and nodal tTCL explants were obtained from 5-day-old seedlings and cultured on MS medium with different concentrations of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine), TDZ (Thidiazuron) and kinetin. The maximum frequency (75.25%) of direct shoot initiation and multiplication was achieved from culturing the nodal tTCL explants on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP. It has been observed that 61.4% of the regenerated shoots successfully elongated and rooted in MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L of IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) after two weeks of culture. The plantlets successfully established under greenhouse conditions with 64% survival rate. The hardened plants exhibited homogeneity and no morphological variations were detected among the regenerants and the mother plants. The identified regeneration system could be efficiently used in various in vitro manipulation studies in mung bean as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibacterial peptide of Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2016 have potential biopreservative efficacy. Here, we report the purification process, properties, and mode of action of this antibacterial peptide for its potential application in the food industry. The antibacterial peptide from the cell-free supernatant was purified using a sequence of purification steps. The purified antibacterial peptide showed a specific activity of 68817 AU mg−1 and 0.4% yield. Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis showed an mz−1 value of 279.28 for the active peptide. The SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the antibacterial peptide is low-molecular weight and the size is between 3.0 and 3.5 kDa. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, β-gal induction assay and release of UV-absorbing materials indicated that the antibacterial peptide targets the cell wall of pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the antibacterial peptide against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and others (Kocuria rhizophila ATCC 9341, Staphylococcus aureus FRI 722 and Salmonella typhimurium MTCC 1251) was found to be 1600 and 800 AU mL−1, respectively. The antibacterial peptide is temperature and pH stable, proteolytic-enzyme-sensitive, low-molecular weight, cell wall active class I bacteriocin and exhibits remarkable antibacterial activity against pathogens, suggesting its application as a potential biopreservative in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of Pocket expenditure on medicines constitutes more than 50% of healthcare expenditure in India. The poor are most affected as branded medicines are expensive and treatments involving the use of such medicines pushes them further into poverty. To address this issue government central government started Jan Aushadhi (Medicine for the masses) programme in 2008 with the objective of providing quality medicines at affordable prices. The programme envisaged the sale of generic medicines through stores to be called "Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Kendras" in various districts of the country. This paper seeks to examine and assess the successes and failures of the government initiatives so far, impact on the beneficiaries, challenges in execution and the way ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Probiotic bacteria with antibacterial activity is of desirable trait since they can check the growth of pathogenic bacteria besides exhibiting health benefits to host. Aim of this study was to characterize Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2512T (MCC 2512), a potential probiotic culture for its ability to produce subtilin-like antibiotics. The anti-microbial compound produced by MCC 2512 was identified and characterized using subtilin-specific cell reporter, Bacillus subtilis 168:BS2 (BS2). Induction of β-gal by the test culture suggested the ability of B. licheniformis to produce subtilin-like lantibiotic. Subsequently, DNA sequencing of major lan S-operon was carried out, wherein sequencing results showed that lan cluster of MCC 2512 resembles entianin (etn) type. Upon lan -S disruption, the bacterial culture lost antimicrobial activity as well as ability to induce β-gal with BS2 reporter. High amount of succinylated form of antibiotics produced by wild type and un-succinylated form by engineered strain of B. subtilis 15029p clearly indicates that MCC 2512 is indeed an inter-specific subtilin-like (named as sublichenin) lantibiotic producer. Partially concentrated sublichenin preparation exhibited strong antibacterial activity against food-borne pathogens and antibiotic resistant (AR) lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with a minimum inhibitory concentration in the range of 6–10 and 0.5–1.5 μg/ml, respectively. Production of lantibiotic, sublichenin by a probiotic bacterium of B. licheniformis MCC 2512T and its antibacterial activity against food associated AR LAB is a new information reported in this study. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Different platelet concentrates such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and concentrated growth factor (CGF) are used for reconstruction of bone defects. CGFs are created by centrifuging blood tests at rotating and controlled rates utilizing an uncommon rotator. CGF has demonstrated a high regeneration due to osteoinductive platelet factors and osteoconductive fibrin network. Aim: The ai of the study was to evaluate the awareness of CGF among dentists. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done dentists among general dentist. A sample size of 100 has been obtained, self-administered questionnaire containing 16 open questions was distributed. Results: Our study showed that most of the dental practitioner are not aware of CGF and the advantage of using it. 20.3% are aware of using CGF among dental practitioners. 92.2% are willing to attend courses and education programs on CGF and update their knowledge. Conclusion: Awareness of CGF should be created by conducting workshops and CDE programs as it has many advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitral valve procedures remain a surgical challenge in the presence of extensive annular calcification, which presents a formidable technical challenge. Aggressive debridement is limited by risk of serious complications and the technical complexity of pericardial patch reconstruction of the debrided area.Methods: An open surgical approach with a transcatheter valve allows the valve to be placed under direct visualisation to facilitate positioning and to evaluate the likelihood of both perivalvular leakage and atrioventricular disruption. The open approach has the additional advantage of performing concomitant surgeries like other valve procedures, arrhythmias surgeries and coronary bypass.Results: We present our experience with open surgical mitral valve replacement (MVR) using transcatheter valve in different patients requiring varied procedures. These patients were not suitable for MVR using standard prosthetic valve and techniques. They were also not suitable for percutaneous MVR because of heavily calcified anterior mitral leaflet and the other concomitant procedures required.Conclusions: Open MVR with a transcatheter balloon-expandable valve can avoid the need for technically challenging and high-risk decalcification of mitral annulus. These novel techniques using transcatheter valves can be successful in complex cases where standard prosthetic valves are impossible to implant in a heavily calcified mitral annulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, probiotic, safety and functional characteristics of eight indigenous bifidobacterial isolates were compared to identify suitable strains for functional food application. Among the isolates, six strains of Bifidobacterium longum and one each of Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium bifidum were identified by 16S rRNA, xfp and hsp60 gene sequencing. Diversity among these strains was established by RAPD and Rep-PCR. Genes associated with sortase-dependent pili (SDP) (credited for role in adhesion) and serpin (immunomodulation) which can serve as potential marker genes for rapid identification of probiotic Bifidobacterium, was also evaluated. All the isolates exhibited potential probiotic, functional (antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, phytase activity, milk fermentation ability) and safety attributes. However, among them, B. breve NCIM5671 exhibited, better tolerance to low pH, amylase activity and exopolysaccharide producing ability. B. bifidum NCIM5697 and B. longum NCIM5672 demonstrated higher adherence ability to Caco-2 cells. NCIM5697 also displayed exopolysaccharide producing ability while NCIM5672 showed strong antibacterial activity against pathogens tested. Further, with respect to presence of adhesion marker genes, disparity was observed among B. longum strains. B. longum NCIM5684 and B. longum NCIM5686 displayed presence of subunits of SDP reported to be present in B. breve. In addition, B. longum NCIM5686 also lacked SDP present in all other B. longum isolates. B. breve NCIM5671, B. longum NCIM5672 and B. bifidum NCIM5697 with appreciable traits qualifies as potential probiotic cultures. Further, the variations observed in molecular and functional characteristics of isolates signify genetic diversity among the cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Three strains of Lactobacillus comprising Lactobacillus salivarius (CHS-1E and CH7-1E) and Lactobacillus reuteri (CH2-2) previously isolated from chicken meat were analyzed for their transferability of antibiotic resistance (AR) genes to pathogenic strains under in vivo, in vitro , and during food fermentation. For in vivo model, Albino Wistar rats were inoculated with 1010 CFU/g/ml of Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 (recipient). After 7 days, either of two donors L. salivarius CH7-1E or L. reuteri [harbouring erythromycin and tetracycline resistance genes] were introduced at a concentration of 109 CFU/ml daily for 1 week. Two days after donor introduction, there was a stable increase in the number of transconjugants in the animal faeces from 102 to 103 CFU/g and presented erm (B), tet (M), tet (L) and tet (W) in their genome like donor strains. Similar observations were made with in vitro filter mating between CHS-1E, CH2-2 and CH7-1E and E. faecalis JH2-2 with transfer frequencies of 1 × 10−4, 3.8 × 10−3 and 2 × 10−3 per donor cell respectively. With the results obtained in vivo and in vitro , the AR transferability of donor strains was estimated during food fermentation (chicken sausage, fermented milk or idli batter) with pathogenic recipient strains added as contaminants. At the end of mating period, phenotypic resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline in Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica strains was observed. This study showed the ability of food borne Lactobacillus in diffusing their AR traits in diverse natural environments increasing their concern of AR dissemination in the food chain when used as food additives and/or probiotics. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • We determined the co-existence of erm (B) and multiple tet genes and transposons on single plasmids of Lactobacillus Spp. • The Lactobacillus strains could readily colonize the animal gut and transfer the resistant genes to bacterial pathogens • Genetic transfer of AR in food fermentations was dependent on the survival of donor and/or the recipient strains • Lactobacillus Spp. from Indian commercial meat products have food safety and public health implications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, three novel biomass gasification based tetra-generation systems for syngas, heating, cooling and power generations have been proposed and theoretically assessed for selected biomass materials. The systems, instead of using the chemical energy of the gasification products, use the thermal energy to operate both Rankine and Refrigeration cycles in three configurations, namely, steam Rankine cycle with organic Rankine Cycle and ejector refrigeration cycle (Cycle-1), binary Rankine cycle with ejector refrigeration cycle (Cycle-2) and steam Rankine cycle with combined power ejector refrigeration cycle (Cycle-3). Syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas), which has the potential for various domestic applications, has been obtained as the gasification product. The effects of different operating parameters such as water to biomass ratio, total biomass-water mass flow rate, mass flow rate of refrigerant, generator pressure, gasification temperature and types of biomass material have been studied on the syngas and hydrogen yields, as well as coefficient of performance and overall performance index of the system. The study shows that Cycle-2 is more effective in terms of coefficient of performance and refrigeration effect whereas Cycle-1 is best for higher performance index. Hence, either Cycle-1 or Cycle-2 can be preferred depending on the requirement. Highlights • Three novel tetra-generation (syngas, heating, cooling and power) systems are proposed. • Systems contain biomass gasification, steam and organic rankine cycle and ejector cycle. • System performances are compared for different biomass and operating parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Polyarthritis is common to both mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Apart from being erosive and deforming in the former, we speculated that it was more common and the extent of joints involved would be higher in MCTD. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that included patients with MCTD aged 18–75 years fulfilling the Kasukawa criteria. An equal number of patients with SLE matched for disease duration and gender were included. Clinical manifestations were compared between patients with MCTD and with SLE. Examination of joints was done for the presence of tenderness or swelling and deformity. Musculoskeletal ultrasound was done on the non-dominant hand for detection of synovitis and tenosynovitis and radiographs of the hands were obtained. The use of methotrexate and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for arthritis was noted. Statistical tests used were non-parametric. Results Forty patients with MCTD and forty patients with SLE were included in this study, with patients being slightly older in MCTD than SLE (36 ± 10.2, 31.8 ± 13.3 years, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in disease duration (4.7 ± 3.1, 3.7 ± 2.3, p = 0.1) or gender (females = 38, 38). Nearly one-half of patients with MCTD had at least one swollen joint compared with only 15% of patients with SLE. Median (95% confidence interval) tender joint count (5 (4.8–10.4), 0 (1.3–7.2), p = 0.01) and swollen joint count (0 (0.9–2.6), 0 (0–1.2), p = 0.002) was significantly higher in patients with MCTD compared with SLE. More patients with MCTD than SLE had tender or swollen proximal interphalangeal joints (12, 4, p = 0.025). More patients with MCTD than SLE had received methotrexate (8,2, p = 0.04) and NSAIDs (39, 32, p = 0.03) for arthritis. There was no difference in the number of patients with MCTD or SLE who had evidence of synovitis or tenosynovitis on ultrasound. There was no difference in erosive disease on hand radiographs, but acro-osteolysis was higher among MCTD patients. Conclusions A higher proportion of patients with MCTD had at least one swollen and tender joint as compared with patients with SLE, as well as higher use of methotrexate and NSAIDs. However, there was no difference in ultrasound detected synovitis or tenosynovitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The secrecy rate of physical layer security in the presence of eavesdropper of a Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) via multilevel Stackelberg Game is enhanced. Primary propagator rents its own licensed spectrum to the secondary propagator for remuneration. The secondary dispatcher is considered as trusted relays to send the messages in decipher and promote fashion. The secondary propagator uses its partial power to transmit the jamming signal along with the information signal and also charges will be claimed by the jammer for their service. A Stackelberg game is formulated for this topic; the leader and followers are jammer and dispatcher. An advanced encryption scheme is proposed to increase the effective security level while accessing the primary spectrum under eavesdropper scenario. The proposed methodology results in the secrecy rate maximization and the power consumption is minimized. Besides the power strategy, the eavesdropping is a major concern, where the outcomes of the transmission make the best effort strategy in CRN and this optimization is highlighted with a mathematical approach of fuzzy based Markov Decision Process outcome prediction (MDPOP)-Q learning algorithm to eradicate the eavesdropping occurrence in CRN with an optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesame is notable for its rich antioxidants and sesame oil is also familiar for its resistance to oxidation. The cultivation of sesame is usually restricted under abiotic stress conditions. Hence in order to study the performance of sesame genotypes to saline stress, an experiment was conducted to screen ten ruling varieties of sesame viz., CO1, SVR1, SVPR1, VRI 1, VRI 2, TMV 3, TMV 4, TMV 5, TMV 6 and TMV 7 at five different EC levels (EC 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Seedling observations namely, germination percentage, speed of germination, shoot length, root length and dry matter production were recorded. Among the genotypes, it was found that under higher saline conditions (EC5), VRI 1 recorded higher seedling length (2.0 cm), vigour index I (100) and vigour index II (1.15), whereas under normal condition, TMV 4 and CO 1 performed better. In general, there was a decrease in all the seedling parameters with increased levels of salinity. With STAR software, Multivariate analysis was done and on the basis of dendrogram, five clusters were formed and the cophenotic correlation co- efficient was found highest in Control (0.912) followed by EC 2 ( 0.829). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We examine a hybrid multivariate regression technique to account for the spatial dependency in spectroscopic data due to adjacent measurement locations in the same joint by combining dimension reduction methods and linear mixed effects (LME) modeling. Spatial correlation is a common limitation (assumption of independence) encountered in diagnostic applications involving adjacent measurement locations, such as mapping of tissue properties, and can impede tissue evaluations. Near-infrared spectra were collected from equine joints (n = 5) and corresponding biomechanical (n = 202), compositional (n = 530), and structural (n = 530) properties of cartilage tissue were measured. Subsequently, hybrid regression models for estimating tissue properties from the spectral data were developed in combination with principal component analysis (PCA-LME) scores and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO-LME). Performance comparison of PCA-LME and principal component regression, and LASSO-LME and LASSO regression was conducted to evaluate the effects of spatial dependency. A systematic improvement in calibration models' correlation coefficients and a decrease in cross validation errors were observed when accounting for spatial dependency. Our results indicate that accounting for spatial dependency using a LME-based approach leads to more accurate prediction models. Highlights • A novel regression technique for multivariate spectroscopic data. • Adjacent spectroscopic measurements introduces spatial dependencies. • Spatial dependencies violates assumption of independence. • Hybrid regression accounts for spatial dependency during model calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cDNA encoding, T-cell receptor zeta (TCR ζ; CD247) molecule of Deoni cattle (Bos indicus), was isolated, cloned and sequenced in the present study. The CD247 cDNA comprised 1078 nucleotides including a 30 nucleotide 5¹-untranslated region (UTR), 495 nucleotide single open reading frame (ORF) and 553 nucleotide 3¹-UTR. Deduced amino acid of cattle CD247 sequence was two residues shorter than the corresponding sheep sequences. However, ruminant-specific insertions and substitutions in transmembrane (TM) and intra-cytoplasmic (IC) domain were present in cattle. Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs), the important motifs for TCR signalling, were totally conserved among ruminants including cattle. The 3' - UTR region of the cattle CD247 was highly homologous to the corresponding region in the buffalo sequence and showed lack of polymorphism after polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis using Hae III and Mse I restriction enzymes in cattle population. Phylogenetically, cattle sequence was closer to buffalo sequence under the ruminant's lineage. The conserved nature of this gene ensures TCR integrity which is vital for induction of optimal and efficient immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the thermal and rheological characteristics of polyalkylene glycol (PAG) oil suspended with Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles. The volume fraction is varied from 0.07 to 0.6% and temperature from 20 °C to 90 °C. The nanolubricant exhibits higher thermal conductivity and viscosity compared to the pure PAG oil. Conversely, both these properties decrease with increase in temperature. The highest thermal conductivity ratio is 1.48 at 0.6% concentration and temperature 20 °C. The maximum viscosity ratio is 18.42 at 0.6% concentration and shear rate 3.75/s. The Ostwald–DeWaele rheological model is fitted to predict the behaviour of nanolubricant with respect to temperature and shear rate. Interestingly, the pure lubricant, which is a Newtonian fluid, is transformed into non-Newtonian fluid with the addition of nanoparticles. PAG oil up to 0.4 vol% alumina can be considered as an energy efficient alternative for refrigerant compressor oils. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Enhancement in thermal and rheological properties of nanolubricant is observed. • Non-Newtonian shear thinning behaviour was evidenced. • Classical models underpredict the thermophysical properties. • Nanolubricant can be a potential alternative to refrigerant compressor oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crop which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, proteins and natural antioxidants. Reports on tissue culture methods involving regeneration through callus phase are scanty, genotype dependent and have been reported with low regeneration frequency. This recalcitrant nature will impede the application of modern biotechnological tools for genetic advancement studies in sesame. An efficient protocol for invitro shoot organogenesis from callus cultures has been established using cotyledon explants excised from 1-week-old seedlings of sesame cv. TMV 3. Maximum frequency of greenish white friable compact (GWFC) callus (72.0%) was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 4.54 μM of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D). Organogenic GWFC callus cultured on MS medium containing 4.4 μM of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 10 μM of silver nitrate (AgNO 3) showed the optimum frequency of shoot regeneration (66%) and produced 4.6 shoots per 150 mg callus. Optimum rooting of 70.2%, an average of 6.02 ± 0.8 roots per shoot was achieved on MS medium fortified with 5.6 μM of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The rooted plantlets were acclimatized successfully in a greenhouse with a 65.8% survival rate. Non significant phenotypic aberrations were observed among the ex vitro transferred plantlets. The genetic stability of regenerants was assessed by using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. PCR amplification using 10 RAPD and 10 SSR primers generated 71 distinct and scorable DNA bands. DNA banding patterns reveal the absence of somaclonal variation among the plantlets regenerated through indirect organogenesis compared to that of mother plant and confirms the genetic purity of the invitro raised plants. The developed protocol could be effectively employed for obtaining genetic traits invitro through genetic transformation studies. Highlights • Cotyledons of matured seeds, 1 and 2-week-old seedlings of sesame were used as explants • Friable organogenic calli were obtained from only cotyledons of 1-week-old seedlings • Calli derived from cotyledons of 1-week-old seedlings initiated adventitious shoots • Elongated shoots were successfully rooted and acclimatized in greenhouse • Genetic stability analysis of in vitro raised plants with RAPD and SSR markers revealed the absence of somaclonal variantion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of plant growth regulators on rooting and sprouting of different stem cuttings in guava under mist chamber condition at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam, Tamil Nadu. Plant growth regulators viz., Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA), Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) were used at different concentrations and applied to softwood, semi hardwood and hardwood cuttings. The highest sprouting percentage (76.66%) with early sprouting (19.10 days) was observed in softwood cutting treated with IBA 4000 ppm concentration. The highest number of leaves (25.80) at 90 days after planting was observed in hardwood cutting treated with IBA 4000 ppm concentration. The highest rooting percentage (74.44%) was recorded in softwood cutting treated with IBA at 4000 ppm concentration. Softwood cutting treated with IBA 4000 ppm exhibited better rooting and sprouting performance as compared to NAA and IAA. Among the three stem cuttings, softwood cutting is an effective explant for faster multiplication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid particle erosion behavior of Arhar particulate epoxy composites with 5, 10, and 15 wt% particulate content has been characterized. The Arhar particulate epoxy composites have been fabricated using hand lay‐up technique, and samples have been exposed to different environmental conditions, such as dry, saline, mineral water, kerosene, and subzero, before erosion test. The effect of different environments on erosion wear rate is investigated for all the composites. The rate of erosion at which Arhar particulate epoxy composites undergo when subjected to various impingement angles (30, 45, 60, and 90°) and at particle speeds (v = 86, 101, and 119 m/s) using air jet erosion test rig has been evaluated. Erosion behavior of Arhar particulate composites is found to be less when compared with neat epoxy material. Normal samples showed semibrittle erosive behavior. Erosive wear rate is more in samples with 15 wt% particulate content. Erosion wear is higher in samples immersed in saline water. Erosive wear behavior samples immersed in saline water, mineral water, and kerosene, which is found to be semibrittle. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3102–3109, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to characterize focal liver masses in the pediatric population. MRI is the preferred modality because of its superior contrast resolution and utility for obtaining functional sequences such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). MR exams performed with a hepatocyte-specific gadolinium-based contrast agent can characterize focal liver lesions, which helps in differentiating a common benign entity such as focal nodular hyperplasia from other liver pathology when the background liver is normal. The most common benign focal lesion is a hemangioma, and metastases followed by hepatoblastoma are the most common malignant lesions. This article can help radiologists become familiar with the pre- and post-contrast imaging features of common pediatric liver masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous platelet concentration in a small amount of plasma. It has been employed in numerous medical sectors for over two decades. Fluoroscopic guided epidural injection of PRP has been found to be an effective treatment for lumbar discogenic pain in multiple researches. The goal of this study was to see how effective this new therapy technique was at relieving pain and improving functional outcome in patients with single-level lumbar discogenic pain. Materials and Methods: In this prospective analysis, 33 patients having low back pain and unilateral radiculopathy whomever not responded to conservative treatment were enrolled. Under fluoroscopic guidance, all patients received an epidural injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). A systematic process was used to make PRP from the patient's own blood. The primary outcome measure was change in pain intensity from baseline to 24 weeks follow-up, as measured by VAS, SLRT, and secondary outcome measures included changes in functional status and quality of life, as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and RMDQ, respectively. Results: The study included 33 patients, with a mean age of 44 years (range, 22-60 years). At 24th week follow-up, there was a significant improvement in pain intensity, as measured by VAS (mean difference-0.8; F value-261.366; p<0.001), SLRT (mean difference-74.4; F value-194.61; p<0.001) and functional outcome RMDQ (mean difference-3.4; F value-303.621; p<0.001), ODI (mean difference-11.2; F value-363.648; p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that fluoroscopic guided epidural injections of platelet rich plasma may be an effective treatment for single level lumbar discogenic pain. This is a promising finding, as previous treatments for this condition have had limited success. More research is needed to confirm these results, but if they are borne out by further studies, this could be a major breakthrough in the management of discogenic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations were carried out to study the influence of flyash seed pelleting on microbial populations of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and rhizobium in black gram and green gram. The experimental results revealed that seed pelleting with fly ash seed pelleting @ 250 g with rice gruel as adhesive increased rhizobium population in black gram and fungi and actinomyctes population in green gram by 10 to 15%. Increased microbial activity will enrich soil microflora and in turn will be helpful in increasing the crop yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]