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Restrictive operating conditions (even exceeding 700 °C) of materials in advanced ultra super critical (AUSC) power plants and the need to minimize manufacturing and maintenance costs require the production of dissimilar metal welded joints (DMW). Significant differences in the physical and chemical properties of welded materials lead to phenomena that reduce the weldability of the metals used and force the search for solutions that limit unfavorable phenomena, e.g., the use of buttering layers. The study presents a comparison of two types of joints with Alloy 617 (UNS N06617) and ferritic P92 (UNS K92460) steel made using Inconel 82 (ENiCrFe-3) and Inconel 617 (ERNiCrCoMo-1) alloys buttering layer and the corresponding chemical composition of filler metals. All areas of the joints made with the gas tungsten arc welding process were subjected to structural investigations (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and mechanical tests (microhardness, room and high temperature tensile, and toughness testing). Despite the more complicated welding procedure, sound welded joints were obtained with favorable properties resulting, inter alia, from the reduced thickness of the martensite layer in HAZ of P92 steel and the limited diffusion of alloy components compared to welded joints without the buttering layer. This also resulted in a reduction of the maximum hardness (especially in the case of Inconel 82 buttering—by 15–30 HV0.5 in comparison with Inconel 617 buttering) and an increase in strength while limiting the decrease in plasticity (even 663 MPa tensile strength and 21% of elongation for Inconel 617 buttered joint). Moreover, improved high-temperature performance (approximately 70–100 MPa) of the welded joint following the application of the buttering layer was confirmed. The presented results allow for drawing general conclusions that both proposed welding procedures can be recommended for use in the working conditions occurring at AUSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical pedicle screw-rod fixation presents a complex approach in spinal surgery, offering enhanced spine stabilization in variable conditions considering traumatic injuries, degenerative changes, as well as orthopaedic and oncological ailments. This technique employs small diameter screw implants strategically placed to bolster the mechanical integrity of the spine. Notably, it involves minimally invasive procedures, resulting in smaller incisions and reduced patient discomfort. This study aims to assess the effects of trapezoidal thread screws in pedicle sections of the cervical spine during flexion-extension loadings, focusing on factors such as range of motion (ROM), implant stress, and stress on adjacent bone. Methods: Utilizing CT scan data, a finite element model of the cervical spine (C2-C7 vertebrae) was prepared. Trapezoidal thread screws were integrated into a single-level pedicle screw-rod fixation at the C5-C6 vertebrae. The C2 vertebra were given a compressive load of 50 N along with a moment of 1 Nm, resulting in the immobilization of the C7. Results and Discussion: The results indicate a reduction in ROM at the C5-C6 level by 69% to 77% compared to the intact spine during flexion-extension loading, with a slight increase in ROM observed at adjacent cervical spine levels. Stress analysis revealed that the trapezoidal thread screws induced stresses ranging from 24 MPa to 29 MPa in PEEK trapezoidal screw-rod implants, which fall below the material's yield stress. Conclusions: This suggests that the trapezoidal thread profile may be advantageous in minimizing stress concentration, attributed to its larger contact area with the vertebrae bone between the threads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses significant challenges to human societies and natural ecosystems, necessitating comprehensive vulnerability assessments to develop appropriate adaptation stratigies. This study focuses on Central India and employs a multidimensional approach to evaluate the composite vulnerability at the district level. By integrating environmental (8 indicators) and socio-economic (5 indicators) factors, this study offers a nuanced understanding of vulnerability patterns in the region. The methodology involves the selection of indicators based on past literature and preliminary investigation, followed by secondary data collection from environmental and socio-economic factors. The data is analysed using an indicator-based approach, normalisation, weighting, and developing vulnerability indexes. This analysis is structured in three phases: Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI), Socio-economic Vulnerability Index (SVI), and Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI). The results of CVI revealed that districts with a lower CVI (0.321–0.378), such as Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Bhopal, exhibited decreased vulnerability because of a lower level of climatic extremes affected areas, reduced percentage of socially deprived population and a higher value of HDI. Districts with medium CVI (0.381–0.407), such as Damoh, Indore, and Shahdol, exhibited moderate resilience. On the other hand, districts with high (0.409–0.402) and very high CVI (0.448–0.540), such as Narsimhapur, Betul, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Alirajpur, and Barwani, encountered notable susceptibility because of factors such as dependence on agriculture, a substantial proportion of socially deprived population, occurrences of droughts and floods. Hierarchical cluster analysis validated vulnerability classifications, enhancing the credibility of assessments. The research underscores the importance of considering climate change vulnerability assessments for effective policy formulation and adaptive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic thermal systems can concurrently produce electricity and thermal energy while maintaining a relatively low module temperature. The phase change material (PCM) can be utilized as an intermediate thermal energy storage medium in photovoltaic thermal systems. In this work, an investigation based on an experimental study on a hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system with phase change material has been carried out under the weather condition of north India to compare its output with a standalone photovoltaic system. The organic phase change material (melting point range 37 °C to 42 °C) was utilized to store thermal energy on the backside of the photovoltaic module. A sheet and tube type absorber was constructed with a spiral-shaped cooling water circulation channel within a PCM container to extract the stored heat. The energy and exergy-based analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of the PV/T PCM system in comparison to the regular PV module. A maximum reduction of 27% in module temperature was found at a water flow rate of 1 LPM. PV/T PCM system achieved the highest electrical, exergy, and thermal efficiencies of 14.32%, 15.59%, and 53.78%, respectively, while the regular PV module achieved the highest electrical efficiency of 12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of subword embedding has proved to be a major innovation in Neural machine translation (NMT). It helps NMT to learn better context vectors for Low resource languages (LRLs) so as to predict the target words by better modelling the morphologies of the two languages and also the morphosyntax transfer. Some of the NMT models that achieve state-of-the-art improvement on LRLs are Transformer, BERT, BART, and mBART, which can all use sub-word embeddings. Even so, their performance for translation in Indian language to Indian language scenario is still not as good as for resource-rich languages. One reason for this is the relative morphological richness of Indian languages, while another is that most of them fall into the extremely low resource or zero-shot categories. Since most major Indian languages use Indic or Brahmi origin scripts, the text written in them is highly phonetic in nature and phonetically similar in terms of abstract letters and their arrangements. We use these characteristics of Indian languages and their scripts to propose an approach based on common multilingual Latin-based encoding (WX notation) that takes advantage of language similarity while addressing the morphological complexity issue in NMT. Such multilingual Latin-based encodings in NMT, together with Byte Pair Embedding allow us to better exploit their phonetic and orthographic as well as lexical similarities to improve the translation quality by projecting different but similar languages on the same orthographic-phonetic character space. We verify the proposed approach by demonstrating experiments on similar language pairs (Gujarati ↔ Hindi, Marathi ↔ Hindi, Nepali ↔ Hindi, Maithili ↔ Hindi, Punjabi ↔ Hindi, and Urdu ↔ Hindi) under low resource conditions. The proposed approach shows an improvement in a majority of cases, in one case as much as ∼ 10 BLEU points compared to baseline techniques for similar language pairs. We also get up to ∼ 1 BLEU points improvement on distant and zero-shot language pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex structure formation inside or through turbid media is a challenging task due to refractive index inhomogeneity, random light scattering, and speckle noise formation. In this article, we have coupled the data regression model in the R-squared metric and used its advantages as a fitness function in the genetic algorithm to advance the resolution and structural uniformity. As a compatible system with the binary genetic algorithm, we have presented a cost-effective iterative wavefront shaping system-design with binary phase modulation using an affordable ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) based binary-phase spatial light modulator (SLM). R-squared metric in the genetic algorithm is analyzed to optimize the binary phase mask, and the prototype system based on iterative binary phase modulation has been validated with a 120-grit ground glass diffuser and fresh chicken tissues of thickness 307 μ m and 812 μ m . The detailed results show that the proposed cost-effective wavefront shaping system with data regression model assisted R-squared fitness function can construct high-resolution multiple complex hetero-structures simultaneously in 3D volume using an optimized single phase-mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex structure formation inside or through turbid media is a challenging task due to refractive index inhomogeneity, random light scattering, and speckle noise formation. In this article, we have coupled the data regression model in the R-squared metric and used its advantages as a fitness function in the genetic algorithm to advance the resolution and structural uniformity. As a compatible system with the binary genetic algorithm, we have presented a cost-effective iterative wavefront shaping system-design with binary phase modulation using an affordable ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) based binary-phase spatial light modulator (SLM). R-squared metric in the genetic algorithm is analyzed to optimize the binary phase mask, and the prototype system based on iterative binary phase modulation has been validated with a 120-grit ground glass diffuser and fresh chicken tissues of thickness 307 μ m and 812 μ m . The detailed results show that the proposed cost-effective wavefront shaping system with data regression model assisted R-squared fitness function can construct high-resolution multiple complex hetero-structures simultaneously in 3D volume using an optimized single phase-mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on enhancing the photocatalytic activity of Co1−xZnxFe2O4 (cobalt-zinc nanoferrite) via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for high-performance sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) degradation. The optimal Co0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4 (C2) sample led to the best photocatalytic performance for PMS activation under visible light. The photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance measurements confirmed the higher charge separation for C2 catalyst. The radical quenching and ESR tests revealed that SO4−• and •OH radicals were the dominant reactive species with little contribution from singlet oxygen for SSA degradation. The presence of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Co3+/Co2+ redox cycles enhanced the PMS activation to a great extent. Interestingly, the hydroxyl radicals were generated via the PMS activation route and contributed to degradation. As a result, photocatalysis and PMS activation complemented one another and improved performance. The best catalyst was also tested for the photocatalytic activity coupled with PMS activation for other pollutants including bisphenol A, tetracycline, rhodamine B, and 2,4-dichlorophenol. Additionally, due to their strong ferromagnetism and stability, the ferrites can be readily isolated magnetically from treated waste water, indicating their potential application in large-scale wastewater treatment for various contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberous sclerosis is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder characterized by hamartoma formation in various organ systems leading to highly variable clinical presentation. These patients pose a challenge to anesthesiologists due to multisystem involvement. Case presentation: Herein, we report the successful anesthetic management of a 25-year-old parturient with tuberous sclerosis who underwent an emergency cesarean section in view of cephalopelvic disproportion. She had a seizure disorder, bilateral renal angiomyolipomas, angiofibroma over the cheeks, periungual fibroma on the right toe, and nodular lesions near the base of the tongue and oropharynx. We opted for regional anesthesia to avoid airway instrumentation, drug interaction, and renal insult. Conclusions: Anesthetic management of tuberous sclerosis depends upon the extent and severity of the involvement of various organs. Careful assessment, thorough evaluation, and preoperative planning are crucial for dealing with the difficulties and complications encountered during the management of these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the performance of rotating aluminum electrodes in the electrocoagulation reactor for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) from synthetic tannery wastewater. Taguchi and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based models were developed to obtain the optimum condition for maximum Cr6+ removal. The optimum working condition obtained by Taguchi approach for the maximum Cr6+ removal (94%) was: Initial Cr6+ concentration (Cr6+i) = 15 mg/L; Current Density (CD) = 14.25 mA/cm2; Intial pH = 5; Rotational Speed of Electrode (RSE) = 70 rpm. In contrast, the optimal condition for maximum Cr6+ ions removal (98.83%) obtained from the BR-ANN model was: Cr6+i = 15 mg/L; CD = 14.36 mA/cm2; pHi = 5.2; RSE = 73 rpm. Compared to the Taguchi model, the BR-ANN model outperformed in terms of providing higher Cr6+ removal (+ 4.83%); reduced energy demand (-0.035 KWh/gm Cr6+ remove); lower error function value (χ2 = -7.9674 and RMSE = -3.5414); and highest R2 value (0.9991). The data for the conditions 91,007 < Re < 227,517 and Sc = 102.834 were found to fit the equation for the initial Cr6+ concentration of 15 mg/l; Sh = 3.143Re0.125 Sc0.33. The Cr6+ removal kinetics was best described by Pseudo 2nd Order model, as validated by high R2 and lower error functions value. The SEM and XRF analysis confirmed that Cr6+ was adsorbed and precipitated along with metal hydroxide sludge. The rotating electrode led to lower SEEC (10.25 kWh/m3), as well as maximum Cr6+ removal (98.83%), compared to EC process with stationary electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is focused on examining the effect of the weld groove geometry on microstructure, mechanical behaviour, residual stresses and distortion of Alloy 617/P92 steel dissimilar metal weld (DMW) joints. Manual multi-pass tungsten inert gas welding with ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler was employed to fabricate the DMW for two different groove designs: Narrow V groove (NVG) and Double V groove (NVG). The microstructural examination suggested a heterogeneous microstructure evolution at the interface of the P92 steel and ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld, including the macrosegregation and element diffusion near the interface. The interface structure included the beach parallel to the fusion boundary at the P92 steel side, the peninsula connected to the fusion boundary and the island within the weld metal and partially melted zone along Alloy 617 fusion boundary. An uneven distribution of beach, peninsula and island structures along the fusion boundary of P92 steel was confirmed from optical and SEM images of interfaces. The major diffusion of the Fe from P92 steel to ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld and Cr, Co, Mo, and Ni from ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld to P92 steel were witnessed from SEM/EDS and EMPA map. The Mo-rich M6C and Cr-rich M23C6 phases were detected in inter-dendritic areas of the weld metal using the weld's SEM/EDS, XRD and EPMA study, which formed due to the rejection of Mo from the core to inter-dendritic locations during solidification. The other phases detected in the ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld were Ni3(Al, Ti), Ti(C, N), Cr7C3 and Mo2C. A variation in the microstructure of weld metal from top to root and also along the transverse direction in terms of composition and dendritic structure and also due to the composition gradient between dendrite core and inter-dendritic areas, a significant variation in hardness of weld metal was observed from both top to root and also in the transverse direction. The peak hardness was measured in CGHAZ of P92 while the minimum was in ICHAZ of P92 steel. Tensile test studies of both NVG and DVG welds joint demonstrated that failure occurred at P92 steel in both, room-temperature and high-temperature tensile tests and ensured the welded joint's applicability for advanced ultra-supercritical applications. However, the strength of the welded joint for both types of joints was measured as lower than the strength of the base metals. In Charpy impact testing of NVG and DVG welded joints, specimens failed in two parts with a small amount of plastic deformation and impact energy of 99 ± 4 J for the NVG welds joint and 91 ± 3 J for the DVG welded joint. The welded joint met the criteria for boiler applications in terms of impact energy (minimum 42 J as per European Standard EN ISO15614-1:2017 and 80 J as per fast breeder reactor application). In terms of microstructural and mechanical properties, both welded joints are acceptable. However, the DVG welded joint showed minimum distortion and residual stresses compared to the NVG welded joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing search for therapeutic interventions in Alzheimer disease (AD) has highlighted the complexity of this condition and the need for additional biomarkers, beyond amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, to improve clinical assessment. Astrocytes are brain cells that control metabolic and redox homeostasis, among other functions, and are emerging as an important focus of AD research owing to their swift response to brain pathology in the initial stages of the disease. Reactive astrogliosis — the morphological, molecular and functional transformation of astrocytes during disease — has been implicated in AD progression, and the definition of new astrocytic biomarkers could help to deepen our understanding of reactive astrogliosis along the AD continuum. As we highlight in this Review, one promising biomarker candidate is the astrocytic α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), upregulation of which correlates with Aβ pathology in the brain of individuals with AD. We revisit the past two decades of research into astrocytic α7nAChRs to shed light on their roles in the context of AD pathology and biomarkers. We discuss the involvement of astrocytic α7nAChRs in the instigation and potentiation of early Aβ pathology and explore their potential as a target for future reactive astrocyte-based therapeutics and imaging biomarkers in AD. This Review highlights how two discoveries — expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) by astrocytes and a correlation between astrocytic α7nAChR overexpression and amyloid-β pathology — are bridging the gap between the cholinergic and amyloid cascade hypotheses of Alzheimer disease pathogenesis. Key points: Overexpression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) in astrocytes correlates with amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). Experiments in animal models of AD indicate that α7nAChRs contribute to Aβ spreading and deposition. Reactive astrocytes characterized by α7nAChR overexpression hold promise as an early biomarker for AD. Experimental work using α7nAChRs agonists suggests that through the modulation of reactive astrogliosis, Aβ spreading might be prevented at an early stage of AD. A multitracer imaging approach with astrocyte and α7nAChR PET radiotracers is essential to further explore the role of α7nAChRs and their interplay with reactive astrogliosis across the AD continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermoregulating smart textile based on phase change material (PCM) polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared by chemically grafting carboxyl-terminated PEG onto cotton. Further deposits of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were made on the PEG grafted cotton (PEG-g-Cotton) to improve the thermal conductivity of the fabric and to block harmful UV radiation. The GO-PEG-g-Cotton was characterized by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). With an enthalpy of 37 and 36 J/g, respectively, the DSC data revealed that the functionalized cotton's melting and crystallization maxima occurred at 58 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) presented that GO-PEG-g-Cotton was thermally more stable in comparison to pure cotton. The thermal conductivity of PEG-g-Cotton increased to 0.52 W/m K after GO deposition, while pure cotton conductivity was measured as 0.045 W/m K. The improvement in the UV protection factor (UPF) of GO-PEG-g-Cotton was observed indicating excellent UV blocking. This temperature-regulating smart cotton offers a high thermal energy storage capability, better thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and excellent UV protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consistent production of bioactives from microbial sources remains a big challenge for fermentation based bio-processes. Setomimycin, a rare 9,9'-bianthrylanthracene antibiotic reported to be active against Gram positive bacteria i.e. Staphyloccocus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, including mycobacteria is one of the least exploited antibiotic. Present work aims to enhance and maximize setomimycin production using One Factor at a Time (OFAT) approach, followed by Taguchi L9 orthogonal array (OA) design in 30L fermenter. Four most influential parameters, namely carbon source, nitrogen source, air and agitation were selected for optimization studies. The optimized production medium supplemented with 150 g/L glycerol and 7.5 g/L soyabean meal with an agitation rate of 100 RPM and air flow rate of 20 LPM (Liters Per Minute) resulted in 675 mg/L setomimycin production within 96–108 h of fermentation as compared to the initial production i.e. 40 mg/L. Thus, an overall enhancement of 16.8 folds was achieved in setomimycin production after optimization in 30L fermenter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tonsillectomy is one of the commonest ENT procedures done in paediatric population, the technique of which has evolved over years to decrease the morbidity associated with the surgery. This prospective randomized comparative study is done to evaluate the efficacy of two different techniques of this surgery, conventional cold dissection and laser tonsillectomy based on operative time, blood loss, post-operative pain and occurrence of secondary complications. The study was done in 68 patients of paediatric age group, 34 in each group underwent cold dissection and laser tonsillectomy. Operative time and bleeding were significantly low for laser group. Pain score was comparable in early post-operatives days, but was high towards the end of first week. Our study reported only one incidence of complication in the form of a secondary bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated lesions of the sphenoid sinus are uncommon. Cavernous sinus thrombosis is generally sought due to a systemic disease rather than a local pathology. It may be due to hidden primary pathology like isolated acute sphenoid fungal rhinosinusitis. In present study, we have discussed the early management of such hidden lesions with complication. A retrospective review of 5 cases of isolated acute sphenoidal fungal rhinosinusitis leading to cavernous sinus thrombosis was carried out. All cases were managed as emergency cases. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy was normal in all cases, with sinus disease evident in radiology in only 60% cases. Diagnostic endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in 40% cases. All patients underwent urgent surgical debridement along with IV antifungals. Complete recovery was seen in ocular movements in 40% and partially in 40%, whereas only 25% had complete improvement in vision. While four cases showed favourable outcome, one patient could not be saved despite all efforts. Exploring the sinus in cavernous sinus syndrome or orbital apex syndrome despite non-conclusive imaging, is warranted as early intervention may significantly impact the chances of survival. "Time is vision" in cases with acute fungal sinusitis and is equal to the aphorism of cardiologists i.e. "time is muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study demonstrated the preparation of a highly crystalline anatase (ana) form of titanium oxide (TiO2) doped silk nanocrystal (SNC) nanohybrid (ana-TCS) of diameter (7.5 ± 1.4 nm) by the sol–gel method using titanium (IV) butoxide as the hydrolysis material. This prepared nanohybrid with surface hydroxyl groups acted as a co-initiator for the synthesis of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)-g-ana-TSC nanocomposite with grafted PLLA chains via the in situ polymerization technique, using tin-octoate as a catalyst. The fabricated nanocomposite had a high number average molecular weight of 83 kDa with good processibility. This prepared nanocomposite was hydrophobic in nature, with a contact angle of 105°, which was further enhanced to 122 ± 1° when processed via electrospinning technique into a non-woven fabric. The prepared nanocomposite could degrade up to 43% methylene blue dye in 15 days. This nanocomposite showed no significant molecular weight reduction after 1 h of aqeous treatment, which could be attributed to its hydrophobic nature, inhibiting its degradation. However, 50% degradation was observed for the nanocomoposite whereas, PLLA demonstrated 25% degradation in 15 days, after its end-of-life. Thus, this study revealed that the in situ synthesized PLA-ana-TCS nanocomposite could be targeted for use as a hydrophobic, self-cleaning, dye-degradable fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) penalizes hospitals for higher than expected 30-day mortality rates using methods without accounting for condition severity risk adjustment. For patients with stroke, CMS claims did not quantify stroke severity until recently, when the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) reporting began. Objective: Examine the predictive ability of claim-based NIHSS to predict 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission in patients with ischemic stroke. Design: Retrospective cohort study of Medicare claims data. Patients: Medicare beneficiaries with ischemic stroke (N=43,241) acute hospitalization between October 2016 and November 2017. Measurements: All-cause 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission. NIHSS score was derived from ICD-10 codes and stratified into the following: minor to moderate, moderate, moderate to severe, and severe categories. Results: Among 43,241 patients with ischemic stroke with NIHSS from 2,659 US hospitals, 64.6% had minor to moderate stroke, 14.3% had moderate, 12.7% had moderate to severe, and 8.5% had a severe stroke,10.1% died within 30 days, 12.1% were readmitted within 30 days. The NIHSS exhibited stronger discriminant property (C-statistic 0.83, 95% CI: 0.82–0.84) for 30-day mortality compared to Elixhauser (0.74, 95% CI: 0.73–0.75). A monotonic increase in the adjusted 30-day mortality risk occurred relative to minor to moderate stroke category: hazard ratio [HR]=2.92 (95% CI=2.59–3.29) for moderate stroke, HR=5.49 (95% CI=4.90–6.15) for moderate to severe stroke, and HR=7.82 (95% CI=6.95–8.80) for severe stroke. After accounting for competing risk of mortality, there was a significantly higher readmission risk in the moderate stroke (HR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03–1.20), but significantly lower readmission risk in the severe stroke (HR=0.84, 95% CI=0.74–0.95) categories. Limitation: Timing of NIHSS reporting during hospitalization is unknown. Conclusions: Medicare claim–based NIHSS is significantly associated with 30-day mortality in Medicare patients with ischemic stroke and significantly improves discriminant property relative to the Elixhauser comorbidity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a globally used expensive spice. There are a few countries like Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, China, Japan and Australia where this spice is cultivated and exported to other countries. India contributes 5% of the world's total production of which 90% is supplied only from its Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) regions. In India, the production of saffron from J&K is 3.83 tonnes whereas its annual demand is approximately 100 tonnes. In this country, there are geographical regions that have similar environmental and ecological conditions to J&K and possess the possibility of introducing this crop. Identification of such regions can be made using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM). Therefore, 'MaxEnt' ENM was carried out using 103 environmental variables, 20 presence data and topographic parameters (elevation, slope and aspect) to find suitable regions for saffron production in unconventional areas of India. The achieved area under the curve for the model was 0.99. The precipitation and temperature were the main environmental variable influencing its cultivation. The saffron was sowed in these new modelled locations in India representing its various states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tamil Nadu. The quality, as well as yield of saffron produced in some of these regions, were evaluated and found at par with the saffron grown traditionally in India. Based on the promising results obtained in this work, we are expanding saffron cultivation to more modelled areas in India to meet our national demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functionalization of graphene is the best way to create a high degree of dispersion and bonding to polymer matrix in order to obtain high performance composites. The effects of carboxyl (−COOH) functionalized graphene (FG) on the mechanical properties of its epoxy-based nanocomposites have been examined by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Simulations cells of nanocomposites with varying wt% of FG (1, 2, and 3 wt%) were constructed using Material Studio 6.0. The MD simulation findings of nanocomposites reveal that they have better mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus, and the Poisson's ratio than pure epoxy. Furthermore, the computational results of nanocomposites have been effectively confirmed with available experimental data. Therefore, the current MD simulation shows a decent computational sign for the existing experimental and simulation outcomes on mechanical properties of FG/epoxy nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, recent characterization results of the 4K × 4K CCD imager (a first light instrument of the 3.6m devasthal optical telescope; DOT) and photometric calibrations are discussed along with measurements of the extinction coefficients and sky brightness values at the location of the 3.6m DOT site based on the imaging data taken between 2016 and 2021. For the 4K × 4K CCD imager, all given combinations of gains (1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 e - /ADU) and readout noise values for the three readout speeds (100 kHz, 500 kHz and 1 MHz) are verified using the sky flats and bias frames taken during early 2021; measured values resemble well with the theoretical ones. Using color–color and color–magnitude transformation equations, color coefficients (α ) and zero-points (β ) are determined to constrain and examine their long-term consistencies and any possible evolution based on UBVRI observations of several Landolt standard fields observed during 2016–2021. Our present analysis exhibits consistency among estimated α values within the 1 σ and does not show any noticeable trend with time. We also found that the photometric errors and limiting magnitudes computed using the data taken using the CCD imager follow the simulated ones published earlier. The average extinction coefficients, their seasonal variations and zenith night-sky brightness values for the moon-less nights for all ten Bessell and SDSS filters are also estimated and found comparable to those reported for other good astronomical sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical follow-up observations of optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts are crucial to probe the geometry of outflows, emission mechanisms, energetics and burst environments. We performed the follow-up observations of GRB 210205A and ZTF21aaeyldq (AT2021any) using the 3.6m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) around one day after the burst to deeper limits due to the longitudinal advantage of the place. This paper presents our analysis of the two objects using data from other collaborative facilities, i.e., 2.2m Calar Alto Astronomical Observatory (CAHA) and other archival data. Our analysis suggests that GRB 210205A is a potential dark burst once compared with the X-ray afterglow data. Also, comparing results with other known and well-studied dark GRBs samples indicate that the reason for the optical darkness of GRB 210205A could either be intrinsic faintness or a high redshift event. Based on our analysis, we also found that ZTF21aaeyldq is the third known orphan afterglow with a measured redshift except for ZTF20aajnksq (AT2020blt) and ZTF19abvizsw (AT2019pim). The multiwavelength afterglow modeling of ZTF21aaeyldq using the afterglowpy package demands a forward shock model for an ISM-like ambient medium with a rather wider jet opening angle. We determine circumburst density of n 0 = 0.87 cm - 3 , kinetic energy E k = 3.80 × 10 52 erg and the afterglow modeling also indicates that ZTF21aaeyldq is observed on-axis ( θ obs < θ core ) and a gamma-ray counterpart was missed by GRBs satellites. Our results emphasize that the 3.6m DOT has a unique capability for deep follow-up observations of similar and other new transients for deeper observations as a part of time-domain astronomy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young star clusters consisting of massive stars are the ideal sites to study the star formation processes and influence of massive stars on the subsequent star formation. NGC 1893 is a young star cluster associated with the Hii region Sh2-236. It contains about five 'O'-type stars and several early 'B'-type stars. It is located at a moderate distance of ∼ 3.25 kpc and has a reddening, E (B - V) ∼ 0.4 mag. To characterize the young low-mass stellar population in the central portion of the cluster, we carried out deep VI band observations of the region using the 4 K × 4 K CCD IMAGER mounted on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope. Our analysis shows that the present data are deep enough to detect stars below V ∼ 24 mag. We found optical counterparts of ∼ 220 candidates, including young stars and unclassified cluster members from Caramazza et al. (2008). We estimated the membership probabilities of the Gaia sources (mostly bright stars with G < 19 mag) located within the cluster radius using the Gaia EDR3. Toward the fainter end, we used the optical color-magnitude diagram (CMD) to select the cluster members from a sample of young stars. The locations of young stars on the CMD show that a majority of them are low-mass stars with age <10 Myr. The unclassified candidates and X-ray sources from Caramazza et al. (2012) are also found to be young low-mass stars. In total, we identified ∼ 425 young stars with age <10 Myr, and 110 of these are new. Most of these stars appear as kinematic members of the cluster. By examining the CMD for the stars in the cluster region, we suggest that the cluster has insignificant contamination due to field stars in the pre-main-sequence zone of the CMD. The slope of the mass function in the mass range 0.2 ≤ M / M ⊙ ≤ 2.5 is found to be Γ = - 1.43 ± 0.15 , consistent with those of other star-forming complexes. The spatial distribution of the young stars as a function of mass suggests that toward the cluster center, most of the stars are massive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omics-based tools were coupled with bioinformatics for a systeomics analysis of two biopharma cell types: Chinese hamster ovary (M-CHO and CHO-K1) and SP2/0. Exponential and stationary phase samples revealed more than 10,000 transcripts and 6000 proteins across these two manufacturing cell lines. A statistical comparison of transcriptomics and proteomics data identified downregulated genes involved in protein folding, protein synthesis and protein metabolism, including PPIA-cyclophilin A, HSPD1, and EIF3K, in M-CHO compared to SP2/0 while cell cycle and actin cytoskeleton genes were reduced in SP2/0. KEGG pathway comparisons revealed glycerolipids, glycosphingolipids, ABC transporters, calcium signaling, cell adhesion, and secretion pathways depleted in M-CHO while retinol metabolism was upregulated. KEGG and IPA also indicated apoptosis, RNA degradation, and proteosomes enriched in CHO stationary phase. Alternatively, gene ontology analysis revealed an underrepresentation in ion and potassium channel activities, membrane proteins, and secretory granules including Stxbpt2, Syt1, Syt9, and Cma1 proteins in M-CHO. Additional enrichment strategies involving ultracentrifugation, biotinylation, and hydrazide chemistry identified over 4000 potential CHO membrane and secretory proteins, yet many secretory and membrane proteins were still depleted. This systeomics pipeline has revealed bottlenecks and potential opportunities for cell line engineering in CHO and SP2/0 to improve their production capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of renewable energy sources (RESs) in distribution networks, combined with an ever-increasing load, makes balancing between generation and load difficult. Demand response programs (DRPs) and energy storage come together in a significant way for microgrid operators to avoid purchasing power at a higher cost from the upstream network and to move toward a self-reliant system. This work considers Electric vehicles (EVs), being the most common type of flexible load, can be a demand response (DR) resource for demand-side management (DSM). The work proposes a technique that decides SoC over the number of EV plugged-in chargers in a charging station with time. To cope with the large number of chargers, the work conceptualizes cluster control in dealing with a large population of EV chargers. To achieve the goal, the control concept is implemented by categorizing EV chargers into different bins or groups based on the SoC of plugged-in EVs. The proposed model forecasts EV state transitions using the Markov state transition approach. The probabilistic approach of the state transition matrix is determined to understand the status of the battery SoC of EVs. Hence the significant contribution of the proposed technique does not necessitate sending the SoC values of plugged-in EVs to the control room at sampled intervals. The work then proposed two control techniques based on identifying and prioritizing the chargers of various charging stations to redistribute the EV loads within the short span of the load curve. Two control concepts, on/off control and charging power control, have been developed and applied to the final state transition matrix as a part of the DRP. The results related to the load reduction show the justification of the concept of controlling the power consumption of chargers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at energy reduction during pulping of L. leucocephala by passing the wood chips through an impressafiner followed by xylanase pretreatment. An impressafiner compressed the chips and converted them into spongy materials. Wood chips of L. leucocephala with or without de-structuring and de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment were subjected to Kraft pulping at different temperatures varying from 135 to 170 °C and active alkali varying from 12 to 20% (as Na2O) to observe effect on screened pulp yield and kappa number. The de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment produced a pulp yield of 48.2% and kappa number 18.6. L. leucocephala without de-structuring produced a pulp yield of 50.1% and kappa number 23.7. When the pulp was subjected to oxygen delignification to reduce kappa number in the vicinity of 18.6, pulp showed shrinkage by 6.64% compared to Kraft pulp of de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment. Kraft pulp produced from de-structured wood chips of L. leucocephala followed by enzymatic treatment showed net saving of US$ 163.15 per digester over Kraft pulp produced without de-structuring of wood chips of L. leucocephala. Moreover, the pulp obtained by de-structuring followed by enzymatic treatment showed improvement in pulp brightness and physical strength properties including tensile, tear, and burst index significantly compared to pulp obtained without de-structuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at energy reduction during pulping of L. leucocephala by passing the wood chips through an impressafiner followed by xylanase pretreatment. An impressafiner compressed the chips and converted them into spongy materials. Wood chips of L. leucocephala with or without de-structuring and de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment were subjected to Kraft pulping at different temperatures varying from 135 to 170 °C and active alkali varying from 12 to 20% (as Na2O) to observe effect on screened pulp yield and kappa number. The de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment produced a pulp yield of 48.2% and kappa number 18.6. L. leucocephala without de-structuring produced a pulp yield of 50.1% and kappa number 23.7. When the pulp was subjected to oxygen delignification to reduce kappa number in the vicinity of 18.6, pulp showed shrinkage by 6.64% compared to Kraft pulp of de-structured wood chips followed by enzymatic treatment. Kraft pulp produced from de-structured wood chips of L. leucocephala followed by enzymatic treatment showed net saving of US$ 163.15 per digester over Kraft pulp produced without de-structuring of wood chips of L. leucocephala. Moreover, the pulp obtained by de-structuring followed by enzymatic treatment showed improvement in pulp brightness and physical strength properties including tensile, tear, and burst index significantly compared to pulp obtained without de-structuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G-quadruplex (G4) structures are considered a promising therapeutic target in cancer. Since Ayurveda, Piperine has been known for its medicinal properties. Piperine shows anticancer properties by stabilizing the G4 motif present upstream of the c-myc gene. This gene belongs to a group of proto-oncogenes, and its aberrant transcription drives tumorigenesis. The transcriptional regulation of the c-myc gene is an interesting approach for anticancer drug design. The present study employed a chemical similarity approach to identify Piperine similar compounds and analyzed their interaction with cancer-associated G-quadruplex motifs. Among all Piperine analogs, PIP-2 exhibited strong selectivity, specificity, and affinity towards c-myc G4 DNA as elaborated through biophysical studies such as fluorescence emission, isothermal calorimetry, and circular dichroism. Moreover, our biophysical observations are supported by molecular dynamics analysis and cellular-based studies. Our study showed that PIP-2 showed higher toxicity against the A549 lung cancer cell line but lower toxicity towards normal HEK 293 cells, indicating increased efficacy of the drug at the cellular level. Biological evaluation assays such as TFP reporter assay, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT- PCR), and western blotting suggest that the Piperine analog-2 (PIP-2) stabilizes the G-quadruplex motif located at the promoter site of c-myc oncogene and downregulates its expression. In conclusion, Piperine analog PIP-2 may be used as anticancer therapeutics as it affects the c-myc oncogene expression via G-quadruplex mediated mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat dissipation in electronic devices is highly essential to maintain the temperature within safe limits and overcome the component failure. Ionic wind has emerged as one of the potential cooling technologies in thermal management of electronic devices over conventional cooling methods. The ionic wind cooling has drawn considerable attention for both external and internal flows owing to the favorable characteristics such as silent operation, quick response, minimum power and compactness. In the recent years, new actuating strategies have been developed by various researchers for enhancement of heat dissipation. The motive of the present review is categorized into three. The first is to provide an insight in recent advancement of ionic wind from the point of physics and electric field; later the application of ionic wind for heat transfer enhancement in both external and internal flows such as cooling of plates, circular tubes, channel, power chips and heat exchangers is reported. In addition, the delay in flow separation accounting for change in flow characteristics is also discussed. Some of the key outcomes and new designs of ionic wind generator are highlighted, which guides for further optimal design. Finally, the ongoing challenges and possible future research areas that can have impact on technology is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present report communicates the first complete genome sequence of S-type Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, isolated from an organised goat herd in Uttar Pradesh, India. Bacteria were isolated in pure culture on Herrold's egg yolk medium (HEYM) slants containing mycobactin J from the faecal sample collected per-rectally from a clinical diseased goat, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that the genome sequence length of the isolated strain named MAP-Gt-9 is 4,509,428 bp with no plasmid DNA, with a GC content of 69.5%, an N50 value of 125,474 bp, and an L50 value of 12, containing 4235 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), 44 tRNAs, 3 ncRNAs and 1 each 5S, 16S, 23S rRNA genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and Neck cancer management has undergone many changes in the past few decades. Primarily advancements in reconstructive surgery for complex head and neck defects after extensive ablative surgeries. Many factors need to be considered in deciding the type of reconstruction. Any reconstruction is not without complications. We wish to present the reconstructive challenges we faced in recent times to reconstruct composite head and neck defects, situation where a salvage flap has to be chosen in a failed regional flap. An occipital artery-based pedicled fascio cutaneous flap is one such rescuer flap. It is a retrospective study of case records from January 2018 to January 2021 at our institute. Reviewed the clinical data of Cases in which occipital artery-based flap was used to reconstruct the composite head and neck defects. In the era of microvascular flap reconstruction, utilization of regional flaps is still a choice of reconstruction in the resource constraint setting. A less explored occipital artery-based flap is a reliable regional flap can be used in select cases with a good success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, the National Education Policy 2020 recommends ensuring universal access to high-quality early childhood care and education for children aged 3–6 years by 2030. Using the 75th round of National Statistical Office data (2017–2018), this paper analyses the regional and socioeconomic inequalities in access to pre-primary education. Also, we investigate the specific role of households' economic status and educational attainment in explaining these inequalities. We find considerable regional (rural/urban) and socioeconomic inequalities in access to pre-primary education in India, with girls and children belonging to historically disadvantaged social groups (scheduled castes and scheduled tribes) less likely to attend early childhood education, particularly in rural areas. We find that a substantial portion of the rural–urban gap in access to pre-primary education can be removed by controls for households' economic condition and household head's educational status. In addition, we find gender and socioeconomic inequalities in the household investment in early years education. These findings highlight the need to put policy efforts and commitments to reducing barriers to accessing pre-primary education for children in disadvantaged conditions in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ossicular discontinuity is one of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss. Ossicular chain reconstruction improves conductive hearing loss. With no additional cost, cartilage ossiculoplasty is easy to perform, and also the cartilage is well tolerated being an autograft. In this study we compared the audiological outcome in ossiculoplasty done by cartilage umbrella, cartilage boomerang and alloplastic TORP. 75 patients of age group 10–50 years clinically diagnosed with chronic otitis media with conductive hearing loss and an air bone gap (ABG) of at least 20 dB posted for surgery were included. Ossiculoplasty was done in three groups with autologous cartilage boomerang, cartilage umbrella and alloplastic TORP. In mucosal disease hearing gain was better in umbrella technique (17.66 ± 1.1) dB than Boomerang (16.9 ± 0.8) dB and TORP (10.68 ± 0.9) dB. ABG closure was higher in Boomerang and TORP. Hearing improvement in patients with squamosal disease managed by canal wall up surgery was 25.01 ± 1.1 dB, 27.73 ± 3.1 dB and 20.12 ± 1.8 dB in Boomerang, Umbrella and TORP group respectively showing that umbrella method gave maximum improvement. ABG closure was better in TORP group. In canal wall down surgery patient's maximum improvement was seen in Boomerang (29.51 ± 0.9) dB followed by Umbrella (26.67 ± 1.2) dB and TORP (25.27 ± 0.8) dB group. ABG closure was higher in Boomerang group. Cartilage ossiculoplasty is a reliable and effective method of ossicular chain reconstruction for both mucosal and squamosal disease. Cartilage ossiculoplasty has the added advantage of reduced chances of prosthesis extrusion as compared to TORP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the use of palonosetron with combination of palonosetron and dexamethasone in prevention of PONV in patients undergoing middle ear surgery under general anaesthesia. Prospective, randomized study was conducted including 90 adult patients who received either palonosetron (0.075 mg) (Group P) or combination of palonosetron (0.075 mg) and dexamethasone (8 mg) (Group PD). The primary outcome was incidence of nausea, vomiting and complete response. Secondary parameters were time to receive first rescue antiemetic, total dose required, patient's satisfaction, postoperative pain scores and total dose of rescue analgesic. The incidence of nausea was 15.5% and 8.8% (p = 0.522) and vomiting was 6.7% and 2.2% (p = 0.610) in group P and PD, respectively Complete response (CR) was observed in 84.4% patients in group P and 91% patients in group PD (p = 0.522). Combination of palonosetron and dexamethasone is not superior to use of palonosetron alone for PONV prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we employ two publicly available analysis tools to study four hydrogen (H)–stripped core–collapse supernovae (CCSNe), namely, SN 2009jf, iPTF13bvn, SN 2015ap and SN 2016bau. We use the modular open-source fitter for transients (MOSFiT) to model the multi-band light curves. MOSFiT analyses show ejecta masses ( log M ej ) of 0. 80 - 0.13 + 0.18 M ⊙ , 0. 15 - 0.09 + 0.13 M ⊙ , 0. 19 - 0.03 + 0.03 M ⊙ and 0. 19 + 0.02 - 0.01 M ⊙ for SN 2009jf, iPTF13vn, SN 2015ap and SN 2016au, respectively. Later, modules for experiments in stellar astrophysics (MESA), is used to construct models of stars from pre-main sequence upto core collapse, which serve as the possible progenitors of these H-stripped CCSNe. Based on literature, we model a 12 M ⊙ ZAMS star as the possible progenitor for iPTF13vn, SN 2015ap and SN 2016bau, while a 20 M ⊙ ZAMS star is modeled as the possible progenitor for SN 2009jf. Glimpses of stellar engineering and physical properties of models at various stages of their lifetime have been presented to demonstrate the usefulness of these analysis threads to understand the observed properties of several classes of transients in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present multi-band photometric observations and analysis of the host galaxies for a sample of five interesting gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed using the 3.6m Devasthal optical telescope (DOT) and the back-end instruments. The host galaxy observations of GRBs provide unique opportunities to estimate the stellar mass, ages, star-formation rates and other vital properties of the burst environments and hence, progenitors. We performed a detailed spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling of the five host galaxies using an advanced tool called Prospector, a stellar population synthesis model. Furthermore, we compared the results with a larger sample of well-studied host galaxies of GRBs, supernovae and normal star-forming galaxies. Our SED modeling suggests that GRB 130603B, GRB 140102A, GRB 190829A and GRB 200826A have massive host galaxies with high star-formation rates (SFRs). On the other hand, a supernovae-connected GRB 030329 has a rare low-mass galaxy with a low star-formation rate. We also find that GRB 190829A has the highest (in our sample) amount of visual dust extinction and gas in its local environment of the host, suggesting that the observed very high-energy emission from this burst might have a unique local environment. Broadly, the five GRBs in our sample satisfy the typical correlations between host galaxies parameters and these physical parameters are more common to normal star-forming galaxies at the high-redshift Universe. Our results also demonstrate the capabilities of 3.6m DOT and the back-end instruments for the deeper photometric studies of the host galaxies of energetic transients, such as GRBs, supernovae and other transients in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry systems are characterized by a high complexity between vegetation components and niche partitioning. In a crop-grass-tree agroforestry system, rape, willow, and grasses were in situ pulse labeled separately with 13CO2 for 6 h, and 13C was traced in shoots, roots, topsoil (0–15 cm) and subsoil (15–30 cm), microbial biomass carbon (C), and dissolved organic C, as well as respiration losses (CO2) up to 28 days after labeling to investigate the effects of vegetation components on C allocation belowground. 13C recovery in roots after 28 days was 7.0% of total assimilated C for grassland, which was 3.5- and 5.2-fold higher than that for rape and willow, respectively. The larger C allocation belowground in grassland was ascribed to its higher root/shoot ratio compared to willow and rape. Grassland facilitated higher accumulation of root-derived C in soil compared to rape (9.2% of recovered 13C) and compared to willow (1.6% of 13C). Willow retained more photosynthetic C aboveground and less was allocated to roots compared to rape. Although the C allocated to the top 15-cm soil was similar between willow and rape, willow facilitated C allocation in deeper soil compared to rape (0.6% vs. 0.2%). This could be explained by the lower microbial activity and subsequent weaker decomposition of rhizodeposits in 15–30-cm depth under willow. The net belowground C inputs in grassland, willow, and rape were 0.53, 0.06, and 0.10 g C m−2 month−1 of vegetation period, including rhizodeposition of 0.24, 0.05, and 0.04 g C m−2 month−1, respectively. Overall, integrating trees and grassland within cropland facilitates higher root-derived C input into soil, thus contributing to the soil C sequestration in agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a new optimisation technique called Mountain Gazelle Optimizer (MGO) has been applied to optimise the parameters of the proposed Fractional-Order Integrated Proportional Derivative with Filter (FOIPDF) controller. For a realistic analysis of load frequency control, a Multi-Area Multi-Source (MAMS) system that includes thermal, hydro, and gas-based plants has been taken into consideration. This system includes uncertainties and different constraints, such as the Governor Dead Band and Generation Rate Constraints. In addition, renewable energy sources (RESs) such as solar and wind power plants have been analysed to evaluate the impact of their fluctuating power supply on the grid’s frequency deviation. By evaluating the convergence curve, peak overshoot, peak undershoot, settling time, rise time, and integral of time multiplied squared error (ITSE), the FOIPDF controller tuned MGO technique demonstrates superior performance to alternative optimisation methods (Archimedes Optimisation Algorithm (AOA), Whale Optimisation Algorithm (WOA), and Grey Wolf Optimisation (GWO)). As a result, by optimising the FOIPDF controller using MGO, the ITSE value, which is a performance indicator, is decreased by 83.04%, 96.63%, and 41.79% when compared to the optimisation of the FOIPDF controller using AOA, WOA, and GWO, respectively. Furthermore, when considering a specific example, the utilisation of MGO leads to a notable enhancement in the time required for settling frequency variations in area-1, area-2, and tie-line power, with improvements of 18.26%, 8.73%, and 47.56% accordingly, compared to the outcomes achieved by the implementation of GWO. The proposed FOIPDF exhibited superior performance in normalising frequency deviation and tie line power when compared to other controllers such as Fractional Order PID (FOPID), Tilt Integral Derivative (TID), and PID. The results of the simulation suggest that the MGO-based FOIPDF controller significantly improves the frequency and tie-line power deviation of the system in the presence of various load disturbances, incorporation of renewable energy sources (RESs) such as wind and solar, sensitivity and stability analysis. Moreover, the effectiveness of the MGO-tuned controllers is verified by conducting tests in hardware in loop (HIL) mode using OPAL-RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant residues with larger carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratios can stimulate microbial growth and thereby protect soil nutrients from leaching. In poorly fertilized soil, excessive immobilization may limit nutrient availability and thus plant growth. Little is known about the impact of a shallow straw incorporation on soil microbial regulation of top-dressing fertilizer nutrients and spring crop establishment. We aimed to evaluate if wheat straw in combination with mineral fertilizer has more positive effects on plant performance than mineral fertilization alone and if this relates to changes of the extractable C:N:P ratio and microbial activity close to the roots. In order to conduct small-scale sampling with minimal disturbance during growth of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), we developed rhizotrons with resealable ports. Rhizotrons were filled with loamy-sandy soil and fertilized with an equivalent of 150 kg N and 80 kg P ha−1. Half of the rhizotrons received the top dressing together with 4500 kg wheat straw-C ha−1. Throughout a 90-day greenhouse experiment, we analyzed soil C:N:P dynamics, and carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, together with microbial biomass, selected bacterial genes (abundance), and transcripts (activity) in bulk and root-affected soil at multiple times. We focused on nitrifiers and denitrifiers and linked our data to barley growth. Interactions between straw and roots caused shifts towards larger C:P and C:N ratios in root-affected soil. These shifts were associated with increased 16S rRNA transcripts and denitrifier activities. Straw increased microbial biomass by 124% in the topsoil and at the same time increased root biomass by 125% and number of tillers by 80%. We concluded that microbial activation at the root-straw interface may positively feed back on soil nutrient regulation and plant performance. Further research has to evaluate if plant roots actively prime mining of previously immobilized nutrients in the straw detritusphere or if effects of pathogen suppression and growth promotion are dominating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 7 February 2021, Chamoli district (Uttarakhand, India) was devastated by a deadly rock-ice avalanche that led to a large causality of more than 200 people and a huge economic loss. We found noteworthy sequence of precursory signals of main failure/detachment preceded by a dynamic nucleation phase. The rock-ice avalanche appears to have been initiated by seismic precursors which were continuously active for 2:30 h prior to main detachment. The seismic amplitude, frequency characteristics and signal-to-noise ratio variation of detected tremors indicate static to dynamic changes in nucleation phase located at the source of detached wedge. The characteristics of seismic data distinguished debris flow and hitting obstacles from other seismic sources and allowed the estimations of debris flow speed. We analyzed and verified the seismic signals with field evidences to estimate the associated impacts and velocity of dynamic flow. The proximal high-quality seismic data allowed us to reconstruct the complete chronological sequence and evaluate impacts since the initiation of nucleation phase to its advancement. Furthermore, we suggest that real-time seismic monitoring with existing network and future deployment of integrated dense network can be used for forecasting of flow events and hazard mitigation in the downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes chronic inflammations in the stomach area and is involved in ulcers, which can develop into gastric malignancies. H. pylori attaches and colonizes to the human epithelium using some of their outer membrane proteins (OMPs). HomB and HomA are the most studied OMPs from H. pylori as they play a crucial role in adherence, hyper biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance and are also associated with severe gastric malignancies. The role of HomA and HomB in pathogenesis concerning their structure and function has not been evaluated yet. In the present study, we explored the structural aspect of HomA and HomB proteins using various computational, biophysical and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. Interestingly, the in-silico analysis revealed that HomA/B consists of 8 discontinuous N and C terminal β-strands forming a small β-barrel, along with a large surface-exposed globular domain. Further, biophysical experiments suggested that HomA and HomB are dimeric and most likely the cysteine residues present on surface-exposed loops participate in protein–protein interactions. Our study provides essential structural information of unexplored proteins of the Hom family that can help in a better understanding of H. pylori pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate sphenoid sinus pneumatisation and its anatomical relation with adjacent neurovascular structures in Indian population. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study, in which the pattern of sphenoid sinus pneumatization was studied on high-resolution computed tomography scans (n = 400), and association of the optic nerve, vidian canal and foramen rotundum along with related morphometric measurements were studied. Out of 400 CT scans, 60.5% were males. Majority had sellar type of pneumatization (89.5%) and single intersinus septum (68%). The most common configuration of relation of optic nerve canal was DeLano type 2 (34.75%). Vidian canal (VC) and Foramen rotundum (FR) were found dehiscent in 40.5% and 6.38% respectively. Average distance of FR from midline on right and left side was 16.3 ± 2.19 mm and 16.7 ± 2.23 mm respectively. Average distance of VC from midline on right and left side was 12.4 ± 5.84 mm and 12.4 ± 4.18 mm respectively. Average right FR to VC distance was 4.17 ± 2.16 mm and left FR to VC was 4.44 ± 2.20 mm. Anatomical variations of the sphenoid sinus are well known. In the present study, we have tried to highlight the importance of knowledge of various anatomical variations in relations to sphenoid sinus as they are critical in planning of surgery. Pre-operative radiological study and correlation is inevitable to assess type and extent of sinus pneumatisation, bony dehiscence and septal terminations to avoid injury to vital structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ultra-high efficiency, environmental compatibility, structural/chemical stability, and effective usage of active metal centres, new single-atom catalysts, particularly single-atom carbon-based nano-photocatalysts, are promising "materials" for environmental remediations. Owing to their outstanding structure and features, like enormous activity, the selectivity, maximal atom usage, and improved intrinsic catalytic activity, single-atom catalyst has piqued researchers' interest. There is a wide class of carbon-based nanomaterials family which can be explored for the stabilization of single-atom catalysts. The carbon and carbon-based nanomaterials provide an excellent substrate for anchoring metal/metal oxide single-atom catalysts because of low-cost production, excellent conductivity, high surface area and functionality and tunable properties. The single-atom catalyst-based materials have found applications in electrocatalyis, hydrogen generation, carbon dioxide conversion and catalytic transformations. However, limited work has been done on utilizing carbon supported single-atom catalysts for high-performance removal/degradation of broad range of noxious organic and inorganic contaminants from water. Low coordination states, quantum size effects, and strong interactions with metals in nano-dimensions give them these features, which have proven to be particularly resilient in photocatalysis. In this paper, various methodologies for the manufacture of carbon-based single-atom catalysts are described. Then, in terms of comprehending the electrical and geometric properties of catalysts based on a single carbon atom, current developments in various characterization techniques and computer achievements were summarised. Meanwhile, aquatic pollution is being tackled using catalysts based on single carbon atom photocatalysts. The materials based on single-atom catalysts anchored/supported on to carbon materials based materials as carbon, carbon quantum dots, graphene, carbon nitride, etc. have been discussed. Finally, the prospects for their development, along with future prospects, are explored. Schematic illustration of synthesis techniques including their advantages, disadvantages and waste water remediation applications of nano-carbon matrix supported single-atom catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myiasis is an infestation of living tissue of animals or humans by fly larvae. It is quite common in tropical countries due to hot and humid climates. Trichosporonosis is an invasive disseminated fungal infection caused by Trichosporon species. Disseminated trichosporonosis is usually a fatal disease with poor prognosis. The aim of this manuscript is to report a clinical case of concomitant nasal myiasis and Trichosporonosis infection in an uncontrolled diabetic patient which was treated successfully by two weeks of Voriconazole therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identified severe groundwater depletion and land subsidence in parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT Delhi), India, by long-term groundwater level (GWL) data analysis and spaceborne geodetic observations. For long-term geodetic observation, multi-frequency conventional differential interferometric SAR (DInSAR) and persistent scatterer-based advanced DInSAR supplemented with collateral high-precision GPS and terrestrial levelling were adopted. In DInSAR analyses since 2005, two prominent subsiding areas were identified in NCT Delhi: (1) Dwarka-Palam-Raj Nagar (DPR) and (2) Kapashera-Gurugram (KG) areas. In NCT Delhi, land subsidence was first detected in DPR and KG areas in 2005–2006 and 2008, respectively. Initially, land subsidence increased consistently in both places with an average subsidence rate of ~ 3 cm/year (2005–2006) to ~ 9 cm/year (2010–2011) in the DPR area and ~ 5 cm/year (2008–2009) to ~ 8 cm/year (2010–2011) in the KG area. Later, in the DPR area, land subsidence has sharply reduced in spatial coverage and rate since 2014. In contrast, in the KG area, land subsidence has consistently increased spatially with accelerated subsidence rates of ~ 10 to ~ 13 cm/year. Besides, several new subsiding areas were identified in the advanced DInSAR of the 2014–2019 period. During the overlapping period (2017–2018) of conventional and advanced DInSAR, high-precision GPS, and terrestrial levelling, the subsidence rates were compared; those were found to be closely agreeable. Finally, the nature and cause of subsidence were characterised by analysing GWL decline vs urban built-up growth vs subsidence rates, spatiotemporal patterns of micro-seismicity, spatial locations of active faults and aquifer-system compaction in two test sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of networks-on-chip (NoCs) is noteworthy as the number of cores increases. The bandwidth demand has grown steadily as network traffic has increased owing to high-workload applications. The NoC traffic broadly divided into control messages and data messages in which data messages are bigger in size. As NoC channel bandwidth sets in proportion to the size of the data messages, the NoC bandwidth remains underutilized during control messages transmission. This adversely affects NoC power and performance efficiency. In modern NoC architectures, multiple NoC is popular to efficiently utilize NoC bandwidth because it offers more than one physical channel for traffic communication. The conventional multiple-NoC architectures statically distribute traffic between the NoCs. This significantly affects the power-performance metrics. We have observed up to fivefold variation in energy efficiency during the analysis of static traffic distribution for multiple NoC. In this paper, we propose an adaptive distribution of control messages for multiple NoC to improve bandwidth utilization. The traversal of control messages switch between the NoC networks according to the runtime utilization of networks. The proposed adaptive distribution of control messages improves energy efficiency up to 72.7 % and 66.9 % on average over single-NoC and static traffic distribution in multiple NoC, respectively. The link utilization also improves by 1.37 × and 40 % on average over single-NoC and conventional static traffic distribution, respectively. Thus, the proposed adaptive distribution overcomes the implications of static traffic distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and selection of ideal emitter discharge rates can be aided by accurate information regarding the wetted soil pattern under surface drip irrigation. The current field investigation was conducted in an apple orchard in SKUAST- Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Territory of India, during 2017–2019. The objective of the experiment was to examine the movement of moisture over time and assess the extent of wetting in both horizontal and vertical directions under point source drip irrigation with discharge rates of 2, 4, and 8 L h−1. At 30, 60, and 120 min since the beginning of irrigation, a soil pit was dug across the length of the wetted area on the surface in order to measure the wetting pattern. For measuring the soil moisture movement and wetted soil width and depth, three replicas of soil samples were collected according to the treatment and the average value were considered. As a result, 54 different experiments were conducted, resulting in the digging of pits [3 emitter discharge rates × 3 application times × 3 replications × 2 (after application and 24 after application)]. This study utilized the Drip-Irriwater model to evaluate and validate the accuracy of predictions of wetting fronts and soil moisture dynamics in both orientations. Results showed that the modeled values were very close to the actual field values, with a mean absolute error of 0.018, a mean bias error of 0.0005, a mean absolute percentage error of 7.3, a root mean square error of 0.023, a Pearson coefficient of 0.951, a coefficient of correlation of 0.918, and a Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient of 0.887. The wetted width just after irrigation was measured at 14.65, 16.65, and 20.62 cm; 16.20, 20.25, and 23.90 cm; and 20.00, 24.50, and 28.81 cm in 2, 4, and 8 L h−1, at 30, 60, and 120 min, respectively, while the wetted depth was observed 13.10, 16.20, and 20.44 cm; 15.10, 21.50, and 26.00 cm; 19.40, 25.00, and 31.00 cm, respectively. As the flow rate from the emitter increased, the amount of moisture dissemination grew (both immediately and 24 h after irrigation). The soil moisture contents were observed 0.4300, 0.3808, 0.2298, 0.1604, and 0.1600 cm3 cm−3 just after irrigation in 2 L h−1 while 0.4300, 0.3841, 0.2385, 0.1607, and 0.1600 cm3 cm−3 were in 4 L h−1 and 0.4300, 0.3852, 0.2417, 0.1608, and 0.1600 cm3 cm−3 were in 8 L h−1 at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 cm soil depth in 30 min of application time. Similar distinct increments were found in 60, and 120 min of irrigation. The findings suggest that this simple model, which only requires soil, irrigation, and simulation parameters, is a valuable and practical tool for irrigation design. It provides information on soil wetting patterns and soil moisture distribution under a single emitter, which is important for effectively planning and designing a drip irrigation system. Investigating soil wetting patterns and moisture redistribution in the soil profile under point source drip irrigation helps promote efficient planning and design of a drip irrigation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the existence of otoscopic abnormality, hearing status and radiological changes in contralateral ear of patients with chronic otitis media. 300 patients having unilateral Chronic Otitis Media attending OPD in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during the period of March 2019 to March 2020 were selected. Otoscopy, Pure Tone Audiometry and Bilateral X-ray mastoids (lateral oblique view) and/or HRCT Temporal bone were done. Contralateral ear was affected in more than 30% cases. Out of 188 patients having Mucosal COM, 58 cases (30.9%) had abnormal TM. Out of 112 patients having Squamosal COM, 48 cases (42.9%) had abnormal CLE. Out of 300 cases, 231 (77.0%) of them had normal hearing in contralateral ear. It was followed by 65 cases (21.6%) with conductive hearing loss. Mixed hearing loss and SNHL were seen in 2 patients each. In contralateral ear of Mucosal COM, pneumatic pattern of pneumatisation was seen in 69.1% followed by Diploic pattern (30.9%). In squamosal COM, X-ray mastoid showed pneumatic pattern (64.3%) followed by Diploic pattern (33.9%) in the contralateral ear. Sclerotic pattern was seen in only 1.8% of cases in contralateral ear. Chronic otitis media as a disease is not limited to one ear. The precise and critical evaluation of both ears does not play a role in prognostic evaluation of the patient only, but it can also serve as a guide for early detection of probable evolution of the disease process in a patient in contralateral ear with unilateral chronic otitis media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss (USNHL) can present with varying symptoms apart from hearing loss, such as dizziness and tinnitus. Impaired sound localization, inability to identify speech in noise and decreased temporal summation can significantly impair the daily activities of an individual. This along with dizziness and tinnitus affects the physical, mental and social health as well. The purpose of this study is to assess and correlate the spectrum of handicap faced by USNHL patients. Validated questionnaires were used to evaluate handicap in 42 USNHL patients due to hearing loss (Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults–HHIA), dizziness (Dizziness Handicap Inventory–DHI) and tinnitus (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory–THI). These handicaps were then correlated with each other using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Statistically significant strong positive correlation of HHIA was seen with DHI (rho = 0.60, p ≤ 0.001) and THI (rho = 0.74, p ≤ 0.001). Similarly, strong positive correlation was seen between emotional subscales of HHIA and DHI (rho = 0.73, p ≤ 0.001). USNHL can lead to significant emotional and social handicap which is compounded in the presence of hearing loss, dizziness and tinnitus. These handicaps are strongly correlated to one another. Hence, a holistic approach is needed for USNHL rehabilitation. There exists a need to develop a comprehensive measure to assess and grade the handicap faced by these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majority of unilateral sensorineural hearing loss are idiopathic. Hence, outcome depends on factors which are associated with nature of disease and its treatment. These can be sudden or progressive. Various studies are done to evaluate the association in sudden variety, however causality still lacks evidence. There are limited studies regarding progressive variety and its outcome. A prospective study of 40 patients with idiopathic unilateral SNHL was carried out which attempts at identifying factors associated with either disease severity or its prognosis. A significant association was seen between distribution of random blood sugar and post treatment improvement in patients with sudden USNHL (p = 0.045). No significant association was seen with other blood parameters to treatment outcome in sudden SNHL, and severity of progressive SNHL to any blood parameters. Elevated blood sugar may affect a negative effect on treatment outcome in unilateral ISSNHL. There is scarcity of evidence in scientific literature related to "Unilateral Idiopathic Progressive Sensorineural Hearing Loss" for any association/correlation with nature of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]