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Abstract Natural disasters present substantial dangers to both human life and physical infrastructure. Although the human development index (HDI) is recognized for its pivotal role in mitigating mortality resulting from natural disasters, the exact extent of its impact on fatalities remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the relationship between HDI and fatalities resulting from floods and cyclones using panel data for 19 states of India spanning from 1983 to 2011. Employing Fixed Effects Poisson and Negative Binomial estimates, we establish a causal-effect relationship between HDI and disaster-related fatalities. Additionally, we utilize the Instrumental Variable Poisson (IV) model to address the endogeneity between HDI and fatalities. Our empirical findings indicate that states with higher HDI levels experience lower fatalities due to natural disasters. Furthermore, our results underscore the importance of critical policy discussions regarding the role of inequality-adjusted HDI, government responsiveness, and human capital development in disaster risk reduction strategies.

Tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes comprise most of the complex genomic landscape associated with cancer, with a minimal number of genes exhibiting dual-context-dependent functions. The transcription factor cellular promoter 2 (TFCP2), a pivotal transcription factor encoded by the alpha globin transcription factor CP2 gene, is a constituent of the TFCP2/grainyhead family of transcription factors. While grainyhead members have been extensively studied for their crucial roles in developmental processes, embryogenesis, and multiple cancers, the TFCP2 subfamily has been relatively less explored. The molecular mechanisms underlying TFCP2's involvement in carcinogenesis are still unclear even though it is a desirable target for cancer treatment and a therapeutic marker. This comprehensive literature review summarizes the molecular functions of TFCP2, emphasizing its involvement in cancer pathophysiology, particularly in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis. It highlights TFCP2's critical function as a regulatory target and explores its potential as a prognostic marker for survival and inflammation in carcinomas. Its ambiguous association with carcinomas underlines the urgent need for an in-depth understanding to facilitate the development of more efficacious targeted therapeutic modality and diagnostic tools. This study aims to elucidate the multifaceted effects of TFCP2 regulation, through a comprehensive integration of the existing knowledge in cancer therapeutics. Furthermore, the clinical relevance and the inherent challenges encountered in investigating its intricate role in cancer pathogenesis have been discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motion sickness also known as kinetosis is a condition in which there exists a disagreement between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, and headache are the most common symptoms of motion sickness. This study mainly focuses on the taste masking of Promethazine Hydrochloride (PMZ) by inclusion complexation method, its formulation development in the chewing gum form by using directly compressible gum base HIG® and its quality and performance testing. Different molar ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) of PMZ-cyclodextrin complexes were prepared by using β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a taste masking agent. These complexes were evaluated for FTIR, DSC, % Entrapment Efficiency, % drug yield, and taste evaluation by E-Tongue. The optimized ratio was further evaluated by sophisticated analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). A central composite design (CCD) (3 ^2) was utilized to examine the effects of independent variables (amount of gum-X1 and amount of plasticizer-X2) on dependent variables (%CDRY1 and hardness Y2). The prepared gums were evaluated for drug content, organoleptic properties, in-vitro dissolution testing by fabricated disintegration apparatus, texture analysis, etc. The optimization statistics showed that on decreasing the amount of gum, in- vitro drug release increases and hardness decreases. The optimized batch MCG-2 of Promethazine MCG showed 92.34 ± 0.92% of drug release, whereas for marketed formulation (Phenergan®-25 mg) drug release value was 86.19 ± 1.88%. Results provided evidence that PMZ MCGs could be a better alternative to conventional tablet formulations with improved drug release, palatability and texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study introduces an activated carbon bead-supported regenerable bimetal (Fe-Ag) catalyst for the catalytic wet air oxidation (cWAO) of organics in an industrial wastewater (chemical oxygen demand/COD ~ 120000 mg/L). The catalytic oxidation reaction is performed at 27 bar and 230 °C in a trickle bed reactor. The Fe-Ag nanoparticles-modified carbon nanofibers enhance the exposure of the bimetals to the aqueous organics during oxidation. The spent cWAO catalyst is regenerated through simple solvent-washing and H2-reduction steps. The SEM, XRD, Raman, and XPS spectroscopic results indicate that the physicochemical properties of the fresh catalyst, including the materials specific surface area are retained in the regenerated catalyst. The regenerated catalyst shows approximately the same efficiency (~ 99% COD reduction) as that of the fresh catalyst in three consecutive oxidation-regeneration cycles. The bimetal catalyst developed in this study for the treatment of aqueous organics is cost-effective and scalable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to synthesise the content, structure, and delivery characteristics of effective yoga interventions for managing osteoarthritis symptoms, including joint pain and joint function. JBI guidelines were followed. 17 databases were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing yoga's effectiveness on osteoarthritis symptoms. Meta-analyses and a narrative synthesis were conducted to address the objective. The systematic review and meta-analysis included 18 and 16 articles (representing 16 and 14 RCTs), respectively. Overall, the included studies had low methodological quality scores. 10 of 14 yoga interventions effectively reduced pain (standardised mean difference (SMD) − 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.08, − 0.32) and/or improved function (− 0.40; − 0.75, − 0.04). Notably, 8 effective interventions had centre-based (supervised, group) sessions, and 6 included additional home-based (unsupervised, individual) sessions. Effective interventions included 34 yogic poses (12 sitting, 10 standing, 8 supine, 4 prone), 8 breathing practices, and 3 meditation and relaxation practices. 8 interventions included yogic poses, and 7 also incorporated breathing practices and/or meditation and relaxation practices. 4 interventions included yogic pose modifications for osteoarthritis. The median duration of centre-based sessions was 8 weeks and each session was around 53 min, mostly delivered once a week. The median duration of home-based sessions was 10 weeks and each session was 30 min, usually instructed to practice 4 times a week. Given previous studies' limitations, a high-quality long-term RCT should be conducted using synthesised findings of previous effective yoga interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Category-level 6D object pose estimation is a very fundamental and key research in computer vision. In order to get rid of the dependence on the object 3D models, analysis-by-synthesis object pose estimation methods have recently been widely studied. While these methods have certain improvements in generalization, the accuracy of category-level object pose estimation still needs to be improved. In this paper, we propose a category-level 6D object pose estimation network based on adversarial imitation learning, named AIL-Net. AIL-Net adopts the state-action distribution matching criterion and is able to perform expert actions that have not appeared in the dataset. This prevents the object pose estimation from falling into a bad state. We further design a framework for estimating object pose through generative adversarial imitation learning. This method is able to distinguish between expert policy and imitation policy in AIL-Net. Experimental results show that our approach achieves competitive category-level object pose estimation performance on REAL275 dataset and Cars dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleoproterozoic Jahaj–Govindpura Formation of the Raialo Group of Delhi supergroup, India exposes volcanic and volcaniclastics rock at multiple stratigraphic levels and hence, provides a unique scope for the study of volcaniclastics of varying rheology and their bearing on the tectono-magmatic setting of the basin. From a detailed field study in three spatially disparate sections, associated sedimentary facies types and textural evidences such as clast annealing, deformation in pumice fragments, eutaxitic foliation and shattered crystals, the volcaniclastics are documented as pyroclastic flow (VLC 1), welded tuff (VLC 2), clast-/matrix-supported boulder pyroclastic conglomerate (VLC 3), and pyroclastic fall deposits (VLC 4). Whereas, VLC 1 and VLC 2 are identified as subaqueous, VLC 3 and VLC 4 are grouped under subaerial categories. The facies distribution of volcaniclastics and eastward paleocurrent motif from associated sedimentary facies is indicative of proximal-distal relationship varying between subaerial to sub-marine depositional settings. From collation and comparison of available geochemical data (major, trace element, and REE) of volcanic rock and new geochemical data generated from volcaniclastics under the present study, it is inferred that the source magma was more basic (low SiO2 and high MgO) resembling tholeiitic to calc-alkaline island-arc source composition while a more intermediate to felsic composition is posited for the volcaniclastics. Considering the ca-1876 Ma time frame of the basin and a subduction-related magmatic character for the volcaniclastics, a possible Orosirian subduction margin, related to the 'Columbia' supercontinent, in the vicinity of the Bayana sub-basin in North Delhi fold belt is suggested. Highlights: Primary subaerial to subaquous volcaniclastics described from Paleoproterozoic Bayana sub-basin, North Delhi Fold Belt, India. Unequivocal petrological features allowed subaerial and subaquous emplacement of volcaniclastics. Depending on associated sedimentary facies and paleocurrent motif a proximal-distal relationship established between different volcaniclastic facies. Whereas volcanics register tholeiitic to calc-alkaline composition, a more intermediate to felsic composition is inferred for the volcaniclastics. From geochemical signature, an overall compressional tectonic set-up is suggested with riftogenic Bayana basin a part of it. It is argued that in terms of tectonic and depositional setting, the Bayana basin shares a common geological history with contemporary basins in North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision-making process in Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks heavily relies on the information provided by smart sensors. Ensuring the trustworthiness of these sensors is essential to prolong the lifetime of the network. Additionally, dependable data transmission by sensor nodes is crucial for effective decision-making. Trust management approaches play a vital role in safeguarding industrial sensor networks from internal threats, enhancing security, dependability, and network resilience. However, existing trust management schemes often focus solely on communication behaviour to calculate trust values, potentially leading to incorrect decisions amidst prevalent malicious attacks. Moreover, these schemes often fail to meet the resource and dependability requirements of IWSNs. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a novel hybrid Trust Management Scheme called the Multi-layered Assessment System for Trustworthiness Enhancement and Reliability (MASTER). The MASTER scheme employs a clustering approach within a hybrid architecture to reduce communication overhead, effectively detecting and mitigating various adversarial attacks such as Sybil, Blackhole, Ballot stuffing, and On–off attacks with minimal overheads. This multifactor trust scheme integrates both communication-based trust and data-based trust during trust estimation, aiming to improve the lifetime of industrial sensor networks. Furthermore, the proposed MASTER scheme utilizes a flexible weighting scheme that assigns more weight to recent interactions during both direct and recommendation (indirect) trust evaluation. This approach ensures robust and precise trust values tailored to the specific network scenario. To efficiently process and glean insights from dispersed data, machine learning algorithms are employed, offering a suitable solution. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the MASTER scheme in several key metrics compared to recent trust models. For instance, when 30% of malicious Sensor Nodes (SNs) exist in a network comprising 500 sensor nodes, the MASTER scheme achieves a malicious behaviour detection rate of 97%, surpassing the rates of other models. Even after the occurrence of malicious SNs exceeding 30%, the False Negative Rate (FNR) in the MASTER scheme remains lower than other models due to adaptive trust functions employed at each level. With 50% malicious SNs in the network, the MASTER scheme achieves a malicious behaviour detection accuracy of 91%, outperforming alternative models. Moreover, the average energy consumption of SNs in the MASTER scheme is significantly lower compared to other schemes, owing to its elimination of unnecessary transactions through clustered topology utilization. Specifically, with 30% and 50% malicious SNs in the network, the MASTER scheme achieves throughput rates of 150 kbps and 108 kbps, respectively, demonstrating its efficiency in challenging network scenarios. Overall, the proposed MASTER scheme offers a comprehensive solution for enhancing security, trustworthiness, and collaboration among sensor nodes in IWSNs, while achieving superior performance in various metrics compared to existing trust models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effect of iron supplementation on symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disease (ADHD). Method: A prospective single arm intervention study was conducted on children aged 4–12 years, newly diagnosed with ADHD, attending the child development clinic in a tertiary centre in Northern India. A baseline hemogram and serum ferritin levels were assessed in all children. ADHD symptom severity was assessed with age-appropriate neuropsychometric questionnaires, and objective tests of attention at baseline and after six weeks of oral iron therapy. Results: Out of 32 participants, 23 were found to be ferritin sufficient (serum ferritin > 30 ng/mL) at enrolment. There was no difference in the median scores of neuropsychometric tests at the baseline of ferritin sufficient and ferritin deficient children. A statistically significant change in median scores of inattention and hyperactivity subscale on Conner's Rating Scale (P = 0.036) as well as significant improvement on tests of attention; Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT) (P = 0.006) were observed after six weeks of iron therapy in all children. Conclusion: The study showed promising results of iron supplementation in the treatment of ADHD symptoms in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop and validate e-portfolios for undergraduate medical students in the subject of Pediatrics. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among the second year medical undergraduate students. A core committee validated the e-portfolio created on the Google platform. The students were sensitized, trained on the platform, and encouraged to innovate by designing the e-portfolios themselves, and record their clinical experiences under the mentorship of faculty. The feedback was collected using a validated student and faculty questionnaire with closed and open ended questions. Satisfaction index was calculated based on the responses to closed ended questions using Likert scale. Open ended questions were analyzed using thematic approach. Results: The study enrolled 34 students and 12 faculty members. Students recorded a high satisfaction index on their experience to be interesting (97%), well structured (85%), user-friendly (82%), and on being able to archive their clinical experiences (100%). Faculty members recorded a high satisfaction index (100%) in students' ability to record their clinical knowledge and reflect on their learning and innovation; all were motivated to use e-portfolios in their specialty. The thematic analysis highlighted student satisfaction with accessibility and organized record-keeping, while faculty praised e-portfolios for nurturing creativity and aiding memory retention. Concerns included resource intensiveness, design prioritization, and privacy issues. Conclusion: E-portfolios are rated as promising tools to record comprehensive clinical experience in pediatric by undergraduate students and faculty. Addressing identified challenges will further optimize their adoption in medical curricula, facilitating informed integration decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser welding is the widely used method in steel industries to join hot-rolled coils and repair mold steel, railway axles, and automotive pressure sensors. Failures in these welds can result in substantial operational setbacks in continuous roll mills, causing a decline in productivity. Therefore, aerospace, defense, and automotive industries emphasize joint strength. This study utilized a systematic review methodology that involved the use of the keywords "laser welding" and "microalloyed steel." The review encompassed a structural literature survey, bibliometric analysis, and text mapping. The study examined parameters such as heat input, preheating, post-heating, filler metal, shielding gas, and initial microstructure to enhance the weld properties. Selection of an appropriate preheating temperature, post-heating, optimized heat input, type of laser welding, shielding gas, and initial microstructure can improve joint mechanical properties. This review offers guidance and serves as a roadmap for researchers to identify critical parameters, preventing laser welding failures in diverse grades of microalloyed steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen doped graphene nanowall(s) deposited on carbon paper is employed in sequestration of trace-level plutonium from aqueous solution using batch adsorption technique. Surface and structural characteristics of the sorbent are studied using SEM and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Radiometric α-counting of the supernatant solution showed > 90% sorption at pH > 7. Visual Minteq modelling revealed that Pu(OH)4 species is responsible for high sorption. Freundlich model evolved as the best fit, implying multilayer deposition on a heterogeneous surface as the mechanism of sorption. The combination of 10 M HNO3 and EDTA resulted in 75% desorption. The results are promising for the sequestration of trace-level plutonium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burden is one of the most important parameter which plays an immense role in rock breakage using explosive energy. It is very difficult to select the optimum burden under different geotechnical and geomining condition. The selection becomes more critical when the excavation method is underground as very few researches or studies have been carried out in such cases. Therefore, in this paper, numerical simulation-based approach has been employed to estimate the optimum burden for ring blasting. The numerical models were created under different scenario including blasthole diameter and strength of the rock. The RHT concrete constitutive model has been used in this paper to study the damage contour under different circumstances. The model output has been used to calculate the volume of rock damage along the free face. This damage volume is further correlated with various parameters. This correlation shows that the damage volume along the free face initially rises with the increase in burden and then starts decreasing after a certain value. The burden value which recorded the maximum volume of rock excavated along the free face has been considered as the optimum burden in this paper. The trial blast has been also carried out at the experimental site for twenty-four rings. The optimum burden achieved from the experimental trial for 102 mm blasthole diameter and rock having uniaxial compressive strength as 92 MPa lies between 2.4 and 2.65 m. However, the optimum burden predicted through developed empirical equation from the numerical model is 2.6 m. The study shows that the simulation-based prediction exhibits a minor deviation within 15% with the experimental result. Hence, to assess the optimum burden under various geotechnical and geomining circumstances, numerical simulation-based approach may be carried out using the proposed methodology. Highlights: Burden for ring blasting is optimised using different numerical simulation models. Volume of rock excavated along free face (EV) has been calculated in each case. The optimum burden from experimental trial and empirical data is 2.4–2.65 m. The optimum burden predicted from developed model is 2.6 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloy 693 is a precipitation hardenable nickel base superalloy containing about 30% Cr, 4% Fe, 4% Al, 1.5% Nb and 0.3% Ti (in wt.%). At elevated temperatures, alloy precipitates out particles of an ordered γ′ phase (L12 crystal structure) with Ni3(Al,Ti,Nb) stoichiometry. These particles remain coherent and maintain a cube-to-cube orientation relationship with the face-centered cubic matrix. The alloy also has a tendency to form chromium-rich α phase (body-centered cubic crystal structure) particles at temperatures above 800 °C. The α phase particles maintain a Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship with the matrix. This paper reports the effect of the precipitation of γ′ and α phases on the residual stresses developed in the alloy, and correlates them with the misfit strains due to the precipitation of the two phases. Residual stresses have been measured using the blind hole drilling method, while the misfit strains have been calculated based on the lattice parameters of matrix, γ′ and α phases determined using neutron diffraction. The precipitation of the γ′ phase introduces tensile nature of stresses in the matrix, while that of the α phase introduces compressive stresses. The overall nature of the residual stresses in the alloy is governed by the volume fraction of the two precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The communication barriers experienced by deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals often lead to social isolation and limited access to essential services, underlining a critical need for effective and accessible solutions. Recognizing the unique challenges this community faces—such as the scarcity of sign language interpreters, particularly in remote areas, and the lack of real-time translation tools. This paper proposes the development of a smartphone-runnable sign language recognition model to address the communication problems faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. This proposed model combines Mediapipe hand tracking with particle filtering (PF) to accurately detect and track hand movements, and a convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional long short-term memory based gesture recognition model to model the temporal dynamics of Sign Language gestures. These models use a small number of layers and filters, depthwise separable convolutions, and dropout layers to minimize the computational costs and prevent overfitting, making them suitable for smartphone implementation. This article discusses the existing challenges handled by the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and explains how the proposed model could help overcome these challenges. A MediaPipe + PF model performs feature extraction from the image and data preprocessing. During training, with fewer activation functions and parameters, this proposed model performed better to other CNN with RNN variant models (CNN + LSTM, CNN + GRU) used in the experiments of convergence speed and learning efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) is a contributing factor to Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. The objective of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effects of gut microbes on α-synuclein aggregation using both in silico and in vivo approaches. We focussed on the interaction between α-synuclein and metabolites released by gut bacteria that protect from PD. We employed three probiotic microbe strains against α-synuclein protein: Lactobacillus casei, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis, with their chosen PDB IDs being Dihydrofolate reductase (3DFR), methionine synthetase (6BM5), and tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (3PRH), respectively. Using HEX Dock 6.0 software, we examined the interactions between these proteins. Among the various metabolites, methionine synthetase produced by E. coli showed potential interactions with α-synuclein. To further evaluate the neuroprotective benefits of E. coli, an in vivo investigation was performed using a rotenone-induced Parkinsonian mouse model. The motor function of the animals was assessed through behavioural tests, and oxidative stress and neurotransmitter levels were also examined. The results demonstrated that, compared to the rotenone-induced PD mouse model, the rate of neurodegeneration was considerably reduced in mice treated with E. coli. Additionally, histopathological studies provided evidence of the neuroprotective effects of E. coli. In conclusion, this study lays the groundwork for future research, suggesting that gut bacteria may serve as potential therapeutic agents in the development of medications to treat Parkinson's disease. fig. 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Perception that extra-medullary fixation of these fractures are fraught with difficulties and deficiencies is becoming inappropriate. This device provides angular stable fixation retaining fracture biology with minimum interference to osseous and soft-tissue vascularity and it does not require reaming which destroys 80% of endosteal vasculature for 6–12 weeks. PFLCP averts iatrogenic fracture in lateral trochanteric wall (LTW) which is frequent with DHS, protects LTW from secondary fracture in post-operative period. Aim is to assess outcome of unstable proximal femur fracture fixation by PFLCP. Methods: Study included 64 from 2016 to 2020, divided in two groups. (A) Unstable intertrochanteric fracture and (B) subtrochanteric fracture (Seinsheimer types II–V). All fractures fixed by MIPO with PFLCP. Loss of reduction, infection, cut-out, cut-through, backing of screws, bending or breaking of plate and screw, malunion, non-union and revision were evaluated. Fracture healing and functional recovery assessed by Reborne Score and Parker Mobility Score (PMS) respectively. Results: Out of 64, 24 achieved pre-injury PMS, 32 declined by 1 point, 6 declined by 2 points and 1 by 3 points, one required revision. Using various parameters 37.5% patients had excellent results and 50% had good results, 9.38% had average and 3.12% had poor result. None reported non-union or breakage of plate. Conclusions: PFLCP provides angular stable fixation, torsional stability with high biomechanical strength to resist deforming stresses. MIPO avoids soft-tissue stripping reducing blood-loss, retains periosteal blood supply to inter-fragmentary bone fragments, enhancing fracture healing, reducing complications, such as delayed healing, nonunion, infection and implant failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd+2) renders multifarious environmental stresses and highly toxic to nearly all living organisms including plants. Cd causes toxicity by unnecessary augmentation of ROS that targets essential molecules and fundamental processes in plants. In response, plants outfitted a repertory of mechanisms to offset Cd toxicity. The main elements of these are Cd chelation, sequestration into vacuoles, and adjustment of Cd uptake by transporters and escalation of antioxidative mechanism. Signal molecules like phytohormones and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activate the MAPK cascade, the activation of the antioxidant system andsynergistic crosstalk between different signal molecules in order to regulate plant responses to Cd toxicity. Transcription factors like WRKY, MYB, bHLH, bZIP, ERF, NAC etc., located downstream of MAPK, and are key factors in regulating Cd toxicity responses in plants. Apart from this, MAPK and Ca2+signaling also have a salient involvement in rectifying Cd stress in plants. This review highlighted the mechanism of Cd uptake, translocation, detoxification and the key role of defense system, MAPKs, Ca2+ signals and jasmonic acid in retaliating Cd toxicity via synchronous management of various other regulators and signaling components involved under stress condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Underpinned natural variations and key genes associated with yield under different water regimes, and identified genomic signatures of genetic gain in the Indian wheat breeding program. A novel KASP marker for TKW under water stress was developed and validated. A comprehensive genome-wide association study was conducted on 300 spring wheat genotypes to elucidate the natural variations associated with grain yield and its eleven contributing traits under fully irrigated, restricted water, and simulated no water conditions. Utilizing the 35K Wheat Breeders' Array, we identified 1155 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs), with 207 QTNs exhibiting stability across diverse conditions. These QTNs were further delimited into 539 genomic regions using a genome-wide LD value of 3.0 Mbp, revealing pleiotropic control across traits and conditions. Sub-genome A was significantly associated with traits under irrigated conditions, while sub-genome B showed more QTNs under water stressed conditions. Favourable alleles with significantly associated QTNs were delineated, with a notable pyramiding effect for enhancing trait performance. Additionally, allele of only 921 QTNs significantly affected the population mean. Allele profiling highlighted C-306 as a most potential source of drought tolerance. Moreover, 762 genes overlapping significant QTNs were identified, narrowing down to 27 putative candidate genes overlapping 29 novel and functional SNPs expressing (≥ 0.5 tpm) relevance across various growth conditions. A new KASP assay was developed, targeting a gene TraesCS2A03G1123700 regulating thousand kernel weight under severe drought condition. Genomic selection models (GBLUP, BayesB, MxE, and R-Norm) demonstrated an average prediction accuracy of 0.06–0.58 across environments, indicating potential for trait selection. Retrospective analysis of the Indian wheat breeding program supported a genetic gain in GY at the rate of ca. 0.56% per breeding cycle, since 1960, supporting the identification of genomic signatures driving trait selection and genetic gain. These findings offer insight into improving the rate of genetic gain in wheat breeding programs globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer preferences refer to the subjective assessments of products and services expressed by individuals. The objective of this investigation aims to examine the preferences of consumers regarding dahi, followed by the development of a corresponding product. The initial phase of the experimental design involves understanding the interests of consumers and the variables that influence their purchasing intentions through the administration of a questionnaire. The subsequent phase entails the development of dahi in accordance with consumer preferences, followed by an assessment of its nutritional value, sensory acceptability, and storage study. Subsequently, a significant proportion of consumers (91%) expressed an interest for the introduction of a pineapple-flavour (61.5%) spoon-able dahi (77%) containing natural sugar (65%) and packaged in a cup (71.5%) within the market. To adjust the sweetness intensity of monk fruit, a series of preliminary experiments were carried out to regulate the concentration to a level that can be considered sensory acceptable, specifically 05 g/100 ml. Afterwards, dahi was prepared by altering the concentration of FPP (freeze-dried pine-apple pomace powder) within the range of 0.5 to 2.5 g/100 ml. Prepared dahi were further subjected to sensory evaluation and storage study. Based on the obtained results and sensory analyst feedback, we conclude that the dahi formulation TPM2 exhibits considerable organoleptic acceptance and also has the potential for industrial-scale production to cater wider consumer demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backpacks are a convenient means of carrying the load. Its continuous usage has led to severe shoulder injuries and back pain due to the dynamic forces exerted by the weight of the backpack on the shoulders of the wearer during running or walking. A traditional backpack moves up and down repeatedly with the shoulder of the wearer during walking or running. Such repetitive movements of the backpack cause discomfort and strain on the wearer's shoulders. Hence, a mechanism is proposed here that can be assembled with the normal backpack in a way that the backpack stays at a constant position with respect to the ground by moving it relative to the wearer. The proposed mechanism was designed, fabricated, and assembled with a normal backpack and checked for the impact force experienced by the wearer with different loads of 10 kg, 12.5 kg, and 15 kg. An Arduino-based setup with a load cell sensor was implemented into the mechanism to measure the impact forces exerted on the wearer's shoulder. The impact forces experienced by the wearer were found to be considerably lower when using the enhanced backpack with the mechanism compared to a normal backpack without the mechanism for a load equal to or more than 15 kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistate memory systems have the ability to store and process more data in the same physical space as binary memory systems, making them a potential alternative to existing binary memory systems. In the past, it has been demonstrated that voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) based writing is highly energy-efficient compared to other writing methods used in non-volatile nano-magnetic binary memory systems. In this study, we introduce a new, VCMA-based and skyrmion-mediated non-volatile ternary memory system using a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (p-MTJ) in the presence of room temperature thermal perturbation. We have also shown that ternary states {− 1, 0, + 1} can be implemented with three magnetoresistance values obtained from a p-MTJ corresponding to ferromagnetic up, down, and skyrmion state, with 99% switching probability in the presence of room temperature thermal noise in an energy-efficient way, requiring ~ 2 fJ energy on an average for each switching operation. Additionally, we show that our proposed ternary memory demonstrates an improvement in area and energy by at least 2X and ~ 104X respectively, compared to state-of-the-art spin-transfer torque (STT)-based non-volatile magnetic multistate memories. Furthermore, these three states can be potentially utilized for energy-efficient, high-density in-memory quantized deep neural network implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HP1 proteins are essential for establishing and maintaining transcriptionally silent heterochromatin. They dimerize, forming a binding interface to recruit diverse chromatin-associated factors. Although HP1 proteins are known to rapidly evolve, the extent of variation required to achieve functional specialization is unknown. To investigate how changes in amino acid sequence impacts heterochromatin formation, we performed a targeted mutagenesis screen of the S. pombe HP1 homolog, Swi6. Substitutions within an auxiliary surface adjacent to the HP1 dimerization interface produce Swi6 variants with divergent maintenance properties. Remarkably, substitutions at a single amino acid position lead to the persistent gain or loss of epigenetic inheritance. These substitutions increase Swi6 chromatin occupancy in vivo and altered Swi6-protein interactions that reprogram H3K9me maintenance. We show how relatively minor changes in Swi6 amino acid composition in an auxiliary surface can lead to profound changes in epigenetic inheritance providing a redundant mechanism to evolve HP1-effector specificity. HP1 proteins are rapidly evolving heterochromatin factors that are essential for silencing. Here, the authors identify an interface where subtle amino acid changes can lead to novel epigenetic inheritance phenotypes, acting as an effector toggle switch to regulate the persistence of epigenetic memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of right colon pouch urinary diversion have widely varying estimates of the risk of perioperative complications, reoperation, and readmission. We sought to describe the association between specific risk factors and complication, readmission, and reoperation rates following right colon pouch urinary diversion. Patients undergoing robot-assisted right colon pouch urinary diversion from July 2013 to December 2022 were analyzed. Outcome measures include high-grade (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ 3) complications within 90 days, readmission within 90 days, and reoperation at any time during follow-up. Specific risk factors such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and prior radiation were analyzed to establish an association with these outcomes. During the study period, 77 patients underwent the procedure and were eligible to study. The average follow-up was 88.7 (SD 14) months. 90-day high-grade complications were 24.67%, and 90-day readmission was 33.76%. The cumulative rate of any reoperation was 40.2%, and major reoperation was 24.67%. Female gender (OR 3.3, p = 0.015), 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI (OR 3.77, p = 0.014), diabetes (OR 3.49, p = 0.021), higher CCI (OR 1.59, p = 0.034), prior radiation (OR 1.97, p = 0.026), lower eGFR (OR 0.99, p = 0.032) and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR 3.9, p value 0.02) was associated with Clavien III–IV complications. Female gender (OR 3.3, p = 0.015), diabetes (OR 3.97, p = 0.029), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.73, p = 0.031), prior radiation (OR 1.45, p = 0.029), lower eGFR (OR 0.87, p = 0.037) and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR 3.86, p = 0.031) were predictive of reoperation. Overall, the rate of postoperative complications, readmissions, and reoperation was high but consistent with other studies. This study helps further characterize surgical outcomes after right colon pouch urinary diversion and highlights patients who may benefit from enhanced preoperative management for minimising complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current technologies to place new DNA into specific locations in plant genomes are low frequency and error-prone, and this inefficiency hampers genome-editing approaches to develop improved crops1,2. Often considered to be genome ‘parasites’, transposable elements (TEs) evolved to insert their DNA seamlessly into genomes3–5. Eukaryotic TEs select their site of insertion based on preferences for chromatin contexts, which differ for each TE type6–9. Here we developed a genome engineering tool that controls the TE insertion site and cargo delivered, taking advantage of the natural ability of the TE to precisely excise and insert into the genome. Inspired by CRISPR-associated transposases that target transposition in a programmable manner in bacteria10–12, we fused the rice Pong transposase protein to the Cas9 or Cas12a programmable nucleases. We demonstrated sequence-specific targeted insertion (guided by the CRISPR gRNA) of enhancer elements, an open reading frame and a gene expression cassette into the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis. We then translated this system into soybean—a major global crop in need of targeted insertion technology. We have engineered a TE ‘parasite’ into a usable and accessible toolkit that enables the sequence-specific targeting of custom DNA into plant genomes.Fusion of rice Pong transposase to the Cas9 or Cas12a programmable nucleases provides sequence-specific targeted insertion of enhancer elements, an open reading frame and gene expression cassette into the genome of the model plant Arabidopsis and crop soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a powerful tool for characterizing ligand–protein conformational dynamics and offers significant advantages over docking and other rigid structure-based computational methods. However, setting up, running, and analyzing MD simulations continues to be a multi-step process making it cumbersome to assess a library of ligands in a protein binding pocket using MD. We present an automated workflow that streamlines setting up, running, and analyzing Desmond MD simulations for protein–ligand complexes using machine learning (ML) models. The workflow takes a library of pre-docked ligands and a prepared protein structure as input, sets up and runs MD with each protein–ligand complex, and generates simulation fingerprints for each ligand. Simulation fingerprints (SimFP) capture protein–ligand compatibility, including stability of different ligand-pocket interactions and other useful metrics that enable easy rank-ordering of the ligand library for pocket optimization. SimFPs from a ligand library are used to build & deploy ML models that predict binding assay outcomes and automatically infer important interactions. Unlike relative free-energy methods that are constrained to assess ligands with high chemical similarity, ML models based on SimFPs can accommodate diverse ligand sets. We present two case studies on how SimFP helps delineate structure–activity relationship (SAR) trends and explain potency differences across matched-molecular pairs of (1) cyclic peptides targeting PD-L1 and (2) small molecule inhibitors targeting CDK9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Precision Prostatectomy (PP) is a viable treatment option for men with unilateral dominant cancer who are interested in preserving functional outcomes. To date, the data published about the outcomes of this technique has come from a single center only (Henry Ford - HF). We present the surgical, functional, and oncological outcomes of the first series of patients to undergo PP outside of HF, to demonstrate the safety and reproducibility of the technique. Methods: Between 2022 and 2023, PP was offered to select patients who were interested in preserving their functional status. Men who underwent PP were followed at 3 monthly intervals; information regarding their functional status was simultaneously obtained. Men who had biochemical recurrence were advised to undergo remnant biopsy. If residual cancer was detected, then remnant removal was performed. Results: The median age and median PSA of the study group was 63 years and 6.89 ng/ml respectively. The median operative and console times were 196.5 and 154 minutes. No intra-operative complications were noted. Three patients had a total of three post-operative complications. Three patients had biochemical recurrence; cancer was not detected in any of these patients on postoperative biopsies of the prostatic remnant. At 12 months, 91% of patients reported using 0 pads/day and 90.9% of pre-operatively potent patients were potent at 12 months. Conclusion: PP is a safe and reproducible technique that can ensure cancer control and preservation of functional status in select patients. Further studies with large sample sizes and longer follow-up are required to ascertain the long-term outcomes of this surgical technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, alcohol-based draw solute (DS), i.e., alcohol with water, is one of the trending research topics in forward osmosis (FO) because of its performance and ease of regeneration. Nevertheless, the higher reverse solute flux (RSF) of the alcohol-based DS hinders its commercialization in water and wastewater treatment applications. This research aims to minimize the RSF of the alcohol-based DS in FO by investigating the possibility of using alcohol-alcohol-based draw solutes for the first time. Three alcohol-alcohol-based draw solutions, namely, (1) E70 + IPA30 (ethanol: 70% + isopropanol: 30%), (2) E40 + IPA60 (ethanol: 40% + isopropanol: 60%), and (3) E10 + IPA90 (ethanol: 10% + isopropanol: 90%), were prepared and the properties (including osmolality, shear stress, and viscosity) of the DS were first investigated followed by the parametric investigation (concerning temperature and concentration). The results were further analyzed with the fixed-point iterative method in MATLAB to obtain the performance parameters. Results reveal that the E10 + IPA90 mixture yields a lower RSF of 40.62 g/m2/h and specific reverse solute flux of 3.78 g/L with a considerably good water flux and recovery percentage of 11.47 LMH and 26.29%, respectively, as compared to other DS E70 + IPA30 and E40 + IPA60 at 25 °C. Thus, E10 + IPA90 is recommended as a potential candidate to be used as a DS in FO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic spintronics has emerged as a promising field for exploring novel spin-based phenomena and devices, offering the potential for low-power, flexible, and biocompatible electronics. The interface between metallic ferromagnetic and semiconducting organic layers plays a pivotal role in spin injection, transport, and extraction processes in these devices. Therefore, achieving a comprehensive understanding of the magnetic properties at these interfaces is essential for advancing device performance and functionality. This work explores the magnetic properties at the interface between thin Fe film and the C60 layer. We employ a multi-technique approach, combining the magneto-optic Kerr effect, which provides a global assessment of magnetic properties, and depth-resolved grazing incidence nuclear resonance scattering (GINRS) under X-ray standing wave conditions, enabling us to probe magnetism with high spatial resolution within the interfacial region. GINRS measurements reveal intriguing behavior at the interface, characterized by reduced hyperfine fields in diffused 57Fe layers. This observation suggests the formation of superparamagnetic clusters, which significantly influence the magnetic properties at the interface. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between ferromagnetic materials and organic semiconductors at the nanoscale, offering potential avenues for tailoring magnetoresistance effects in organic spintronic devices and contributing to the fundamental understanding of spin-dependent phenomena in organic spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three party authenticated key agreement protocol assists two parties in affirming one another and agreeing on a shared session key with the assistance of a trusted server. Chaos-based cryptography has seen considerable progress due to the sound characteristics of chaotic systems. Nowadays, many researchers are actively working in this direction and have proposed various three party authenticated key agreement protocols based on chaotic maps. In this paper, we analysed the Zheng et al. 's scheme (IEEE Access 8:66150–66162, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2979251) and found that it is vulnerable to various attacks like verification table theft attack, impersonation attacks and also it does not provide anonymity to users. Zheng et al.'s scheme also has flaw in registration phase and uses timestamps for key freshness. In this article, we proposed a three party chaotic based authenticated key agreement protocol which is secured against aforementioned attacks. Authors are also compared the proposed scheme with other comparable and existing schemes in terms of security features, computation cost, and communication cost. The comparison analysis shows that the proposed scheme has more security features at a lower cost in computing and communication. We have also demonstrated the security of the proposed protocol within the framework of the random oracle model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the machining efficiency in form of better surface quality and improved tool life is always challenging. This is due to the high amount of heat produced during machining. Hence effective measures are required to control the heat generated. In this response, conventional coolants are applied to achieve cooling and lubricating effect in machining. However, these cutting fluids affect the operator's health and environmental resources. Considering this, the aim of the work is to assess the role of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) compared to dry and flood cooling. The turning tests are performed under the defined machining environments to find the most suitable combination of parameters to minimize the tool wear and surface roughness. The Taguchi orthogonal arrays are incorporated to evaluate the 27 different combinations of variable working parameters and assess them. The lubricating conditions are varied as per the experimental design. Three different lubricating conditions are used: dry lubrication, flood lubrication and MQL. A statistical analysis of obtained results is performed to understand the effect of machining variables on output responses. A multi-response optimization is conducted to minimize surface roughness and tool wear by utilizing Grey relational analysis. Finally, the most suitable combination of parameters is suggested based on the obtained grey relational grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystal elastomers are rubber-like solids with liquid crystalline mesogens (stiff, rod-like molecules) incorporated either into the main chain or as a side chain of the polymer. These solids display a range of unusual thermo-mechanical properties as a result of the coupling between the entropic elasticity of rubber and the orientational phase transitions of liquid crystals. One of these intriguing properties is the soft behavior, where it is able to undergo significant deformations with almost no stress. While the phenomenon is well-known, it has largely been examined in the context of homogenous deformations. This paper investigates soft behavior in complex inhomogeneous deformations. We model these materials as hyperelastic, isotropic, incompressible solids and exploit the seminal work of Ericksen, who established the existence of non-trivial universal deformations, those that satisfy the equations of equilibrium in every hyperelastic, isotropic, incompressible solid. We study the inflation of spherical and cylindrical balloons, cavitation and bending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upregulation of HDAC1 facilitate the induction of epigenetic repression of genes responsible for suppressing tumourigenesis, thereby triggering the development of cancer. HDAC1 inhibitors have thus emerged as possible therapeutic approaches against a variety of human malignancies, as they can inhibit the activity of certain HDACs, repair the overexpression of tumour suppressor genes, and induce cell differentiation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. In this study, among 810 virtually screened compounds, Pinocembrin (PHUB000396) had a significant binding affinity (-7.99 kcal/mol). In molecular dynamics simulation (MD) studies for 200 ns time scale, the compound Pinocembrin effectively undergoes conformational optimization, thereby enabling its accommodation within the active site of the receptor. This outcome serves as a rational for the observed binding affinity. The optimal binding free energy calculations using the Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) (-35.86 ± 7.52 kcal/mol) showed the significant role of van der Waals forces and Coulomb interactions in the stability of the respective complex. The pharmacokinetic study showed its potential as a lead compound. The in-silico cytotoxicity prediction also confirmed its potential as an active anticancer phytocompound in lung and brain cancer. Therefore, it can be predicted that Pinocembrin could be a useful bioactive compound as an HDAC1 inhibitor and could be used in developing epigenetic therapy in cancer such as brain cancer and lung cancer to regulate gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among radiological imaging data, Chest X-rays (CXRs) are of great use in observing COVID-19 manifestations. For mass screening, using CXRs, a computationally efficient AI-driven tool is the must to detect COVID-19-positive cases from non-COVID ones. For this purpose, we proposed a light-weight Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-tailored shallow architecture that can automatically detect COVID-19-positive cases using CXRs, with no false negatives. The shallow CNN-tailored architecture was designed with fewer parameters as compared to other deep learning models. The shallow CNN-tailored architecture was validated using 321 COVID-19-positive CXRs. In addition to COVID-19-positive cases, another set of non-COVID-19 5856 cases (publicly available, source: Kaggle) was taken into account, consisting of normal, viral, and bacterial pneumonia cases. In our experimental tests, to avoid possible bias, 5-fold cross-validation was followed, and both balanced and imbalanced datasets were used. The proposed model achieved the highest possible accuracy of 99.69%, sensitivity of 1.0, where AUC was 0.9995. Furthermore, the reported false positive rate was only 0.0015 for 5856 COVID-19-negative cases. Our results stated that the proposed CNN could possibly be used for mass screening. Using the exact same set of CXR collection, the current results were better than other deep learning models and major state-of-the-art works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanogels offer hope for precise drug delivery, while addressing drug delivery hurdles is vital for effective prostate cancer (PCa) management. We developed an injectable elastin nanogels (ENG) for efficient drug delivery system to overcome castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) by delivering Decursin, a small molecule inhibitor that blocks Wnt/βcatenin pathways for PCa. The ENG exhibited favourable characteristics such as biocompatibility, flexibility, and low toxicity. In this study, size, shape, surface charge, chemical composition, thermal stability, and other properties of ENG were used to confirm the successful synthesis and incorporation of Decursin (DEC) into elastin nanogels (ENG) for prostate cancer therapy. In vitro studies demonstrated sustained release of DEC from the ENG over 120 h, with a pH-dependent release pattern. DU145 cell line induces moderate cytotoxicity of DEC-ENG indicates that nanomedicine has an impact on cell viability and helps strike a balance between therapeutics efficacy and safety while the EPR effect enables targeted drug delivery to prostate tumor sites compared to free DEC. Morphological analysis further supported the effectiveness of DEC-ENG in inducing cell death. Overall, these findings highlight the promising role of ENG-encapsulated decursin as a targeted drug delivery system for CRPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance is a prevalent problem witnessed globally and creating an alarming situation for the treatment of infections caused by resistant pathogens. Available armaments such as antibiotics often fail to exhibit the intended action against resistant pathogens, leading to failure in the treatments that are causing mortality. New antibiotics or a new treatment approach is necessary to combat this situation. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic drug resistant pathogen and is the sixth most common cause of nosocomial infections. P. aeruginosa due to its genome organization and other factors are exhibiting resistance against drugs. Bacterial biofilm formation, low permeability of outer membrane, the production of the beta-lactamase, and the production of several efflux systems limits the antibacterial potential of several classes of antibiotics. Combination of phytoconstituents with antibiotics is a promising strategy to combat multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa. Phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, polypeptides, phenolics, and essential oils are well known antibacterial agents. In this review, the activity of combination of the phytoconstituents and antibiotics, and their corresponding mechanism of action was discussed elaborately. The combination of antibiotics and plant-derived compounds exhibited better efficacy compared to antibiotics alone against the antibiotic resistance P. aeruginosa infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We numerically propose a vertically coupled ring resonator with a high extinction ratio and tunable group delay based on Silicon (Si)–Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) heterojunction. The vertically coupled ring and bus waveguide configuration offers several advantages including, improved coupling efficiency, and reduced propagation losses, which allows for efficient coupling between the Si-bus waveguide and the Si–ITO ring, leading to stronger light–matter interaction and enhanced light transmission. The Si–ITO heterojunction within the ring resonator enables electrically varying carrier concentration of ITO, thereby reaching the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) region. The achievement of the ENZ region leads to enhanced optical absorption and improved device performance. The proposed device exhibits a high extinction ratio of 20.5 dB. Moreover, the voltage-dependent group delay of the device exhibited a significant variation of 29 psec when the applied voltage is varied within the range of − 4 V to 4 V. The voltage-tunable vertically coupled Si–ITO heterojunction-based ring modulator offers a promising platform for integrated photonics, with potential applications in optical communication, signal processing, and sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, investigation of the choline chloride-urea base deep eutectic solvents (DES) in various solvents has been performed to explore the change in interaction between choline chloride and urea. A comparative study of various thermodynamic and physiochemical properties of DES in different solvents have been conducted. TD-DFT of the designed DES was performed in different solvents to understand variation in the electronic transition. Further, the DES was explored to enhance or improve the solubility of a drug like candidates, that is, noscapine (NOS). Noscapine is being used as a cough suppressant and possesses anti-cancer potential. It was observed chloride ion of the choline chloride (HBA) showed the huge non-covalent interactions, that is, hydrogen bond, electrostatic, and van der Waals interaction with the hydrogen the donor (HBD) urea. The number of interactions were found to be higher in the polar solvents than in non-polar solvents. The overall stability was also found to be higher in polar solvents. In studying the solubility of NOS in DES through DFT, calculation showed an increase in dipole moment. Therefore, DES could be used to enhance the solubility of the noscapine. Further, molecular dynamics simulations of NOS, DES, and the complex have been performed for 100 ns to understand the stability of the complex. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) trajectories are in the acceptable range and indicated the formation of stable complex between DES and noscapine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larvicidal activity of three Eritrean medicinal plants was evaluated against Aedes aegypti by conducting the bioassay using WHO methods. Efficacy of the plant extracts of O. hadiense, R. officinalis and C. spinarum was evaluated against 3rd instar Aedes aegypti larvae and mortality was recorded. LC50 and LC90 of the various plant extracts were also calculated using probit analysis. The morphological analysis of treated larvae was also performed. Extracts of O. hadiense, C. spinarium and R. officinalis were prepared using different solvents viz chloroform, 70% ethanol and water. Of the screened extracts, the chloroform extracts of O. hadiense exhibited the highest larvicidal activities and has the minimum LC50 and LC90 (24 mg/ml and 198.411 mg/ml respectively). Chloroform extract of C. spinarium exhibited the least larvicidal activity with maximum LC50 and LC90 (736.883 mg/ml and 1188.699 mg/ml respectively). Microscopic analysis confirmed the changes in the Aedes aegypti larvae caused by various plants extracts. An accumulation of dark pigmentation was observed in abdominal region and in the anal papillae after contact and also showed major structural damage such as destruction of the gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disasters present substantial dangers to both human life and physical infrastructure. Although the human development index (HDI) is recognized for its pivotal role in mitigating mortality resulting from natural disasters, the exact extent of its impact on fatalities remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the relationship between HDI and fatalities resulting from floods and cyclones using panel data for 19 states of India spanning from 1983 to 2011. Employing Fixed Effects Poisson and Negative Binomial estimates, we establish a causal-effect relationship between HDI and disaster-related fatalities. Additionally, we utilize the Instrumental Variable Poisson (IV) model to address the endogeneity between HDI and fatalities. Our empirical findings indicate that states with higher HDI levels experience lower fatalities due to natural disasters. Furthermore, our results underscore the importance of critical policy discussions regarding the role of inequality-adjusted HDI, government responsiveness, and human capital development in disaster risk reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, deep learning has revolutionized the field of medical image analysis. However, one of the biggest obstacles of deep learning based approaches remain at the level of large labelled data set requirement for training the network. While many of the state-of-the-art networks perform well in presence of abundance of training data, the problem of limited amount of data is a real hindrance to using these networks. Due to the lack of expert annotators, labelled training data can be very scarce in many clinical sites, especially in small scale facilities. Although there has been significant advancements in transfer learning strategies to exploit the availability of annotated data from other clinical sites, the network still demands a few fully annotated examples for fine tuning. In this work we consider the case where fully annotated data is scarce, and rather a set of weakly annotated data are available (for example, obtained from a few user scribbles). We propose a technique to handle this problem by using a two-stage network in a novel fashion. The first stage encoder-decoder network learns the examples from a cross domain. In addition, the network also has an average pooling mechanism to generate strong features from input images. The second stage of the network shares the weights from the initial encoder layers and exploits per pixel probability map to perform fine tuning by using dense Conditional Random Field (CRF) loss on weakly labelled data. We demonstrate that using this type of strategy, good results can be obtained with small amount of partially annotated training data. Experiments are performed in public datasets and results are compared with several recent state-of-the-art algorithms using standard metrics for segmentation performance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooling systems contribute to 40% of overall building energy consumption. Out of which, 40% is wasted because of faulty parts that cause anomalies in the cooling systems. We propose a three-stage, non-invasive part-level anomaly detection technique to identify anomalies in both cooling systems, a ducted-centralized and a ductless-split. We use COTS sensors to monitor temperature and energy without invading the cooling system. After identifying the anomalies, we find the cause of the anomaly. Based on the anomaly, the solution recommends a fix. If there is a technical fault, our proposed technique informs the technician regarding the faulty part, reducing the cost and time needed to repair it. In the first stage, we propose a domain-inspired time-series statistical technique to identify anomalies in cooling systems. We observe an AUC-ROC score of more than 0.93 in simulation and experimentation. In the second stage, we propose using a rule-based technique to identify the cause of the anomaly. We classify causes of anomalies into three classes. We observe an AUC-ROC score of 1. Based on the anomaly classification, we identify the faulty part of the cooling system in the third stage. We use the Nearest-Neighbour Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (NN-DBSCAN) algorithm with transfer learning capabilities to train the model only once, where it learns the domain knowledge using the simulated data. The trained model is used in different environmental scenarios with both types of cooling systems. The proposed algorithm shows an accuracy score of 0.82 in simulation deployment and 0.88 in experimentation. In the simulation we used both ducted-centralized and ductless-split cooling systems and in the experimentation we evaluated the solution with ductless-split cooling systems. The overall accuracy of the three-stage technique is 0.82 and 0.86 in simulation and experimentation, respectively. We observe energy savings of up to 68% in simulation and 42% during experimentation, with a reduction of ten days in the cooling system's downtime and up to 75% in repair cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the regulations set by world environmental safety organizations it is strongly recommended to phase out R134a in domestic refrigeration units. In recent times, low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants such as R600a and R13I1 are considered as possible alternatives in small capacity systems. To investigate the flow behavior of low GWP refrigerants (R600a and R13I1) in straight capillary tube finite volume based CFD software Ansys Fluent 2022 R2 is used. In this study, various lengths and diameters of straight capillary tubes are considered to analyze their effect on the flow characteristics of refrigerants such as pressure, temperature, volume fraction, and velocity. The present model has been validated against both numerical and experimental studies, demonstrating good agreement with existing literature. It has been observed that flashing (vaporization) starts from the tube wall and after the formation of vapor phase flow varies drastically along the length of the capillary tube. The numerical investigation shows that there is a 90–95% increase in mass flow rate when tube diameter is increased from 0.66 to 0.86 mm whereas decrease in capillary tube length results in 10–15% increase in mass flow rate. Additionally, it was noted that the velocity of refrigerant R600a exceeded that of refrigerant R13I1 by 75% and was 5% higher than that of refrigerant R134a. Moreover, the mass flow rate of R13I1 was observed to be 105% higher than that of refrigerant R600a, and 5% higher than that of refrigerant R134a for the same operating conditions. Further it is understood that the cooling time required with R600a is less when compared to R13I1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent authorization of DermaSensor, an AI-enabled device for skin cancer detection in primary care, marks a pivotal moment in digital health innovation. Clinically, the authorization of the first AI-enabled device for use by non-specialists for detecting skin cancer reinforces the feasibility of digital health technologies to bridge gaps in access and expertise in medical practice. The authorization also establishes a new regulatory precedent for FDA authorization of medical devices incorporating AI and machine learning (ML) technologies within dermatology. Together, this article uses the DermaSensor authorization to examine the clinical evidence and regulatory implications of emerging AI-enabled technologies in dermatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with a class of singularly perturbed semilinear parabolic convection-diffusion initial-boundary-value problems exhibiting a boundary layer. This type of model problem often appears in modeling various physical phenomena, particularly, in mathematical biology; and thus, it requires effective numerical techniques for analyzing them computationally. For this purpose, we approximate the considered nonlinear problem by developing two efficient fitted mesh methods followed by the extrapolation technique. The first one is the fully implicit fitted mesh method which utilizes the implicit-Euler method for the temporal discretization; and the other one is the implicit-explicit (IMEX) fitted mesh method which utilizes the IMEX-Euler method for the temporal discretization. The spatial discretization for both the numerical methods is based on a new hybrid finite difference scheme. To accomplish this, the spatial domain is discretized by an appropriate layer-adapted mesh and the time domain by an equidistant mesh. At first, we analyze stability and study the asymptotic behavior of the analytical solution of the governing nonlinear problem. Then, we perform stability analysis and establish the parameter-uniform convergence of both the newly proposed methods in the discrete supremum norm. Thereafter, we analyze the Richardson extrapolation technique solely for the time variable to improve the order of convergence in the temporal direction. Hereby, we provide a comparative error analysis to achieve parameter-robust higher-order numerical approximations (concerning both space and time) for the considered nonlinear problem utilizing two new algorithms on a nonuniform grid. The theoretical outcomes are finally supported by the extensive numerical experiments, which also include comparison of the proposed numerical methods along with the fully-implicit upwind method in terms of the order of accuracy and the computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber band constriction syndrome has been described in the literature, although there are very few case reports. Non-healing recurrent tenosynovitis and synovitis of the wrist joint demonstrating a circular rubber band on imaging has not been described before. Imaging studies showed retained circular band deep to the extensor tendons, embedded within the joint capsule. Surgical removal of the band by open incision led to a dramatic improvement in the outcome of the patient. Level of evidence V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirement of amplification for wide-bandwidth, compensation of attenuation for long-distance, and high-speed communication generates a need for highly efficient amplifiers. There are several types of amplifiers, such as semiconductor and fiber amplifiers. However, Raman amplifiers have some benefits over others, such as being less expensive and having high-gain bandwidth products. A low noise figure and high and flat gain are advantages of second-order Raman amplifiers over first-order amplifiers. There are various ways to implement second-order Raman amplifiers by using dispersion compensating fibers (DCF) or single-mode fibers (SMF) of different configurations. In this paper, a novel hybrid amplifier has been proposed. This is a combination of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and a Raman amplifier. Here, the Raman amplifier uses second-order Raman pumping for amplification, which is based on second-order stimulated Raman scattering (SO-SRS). Here, the Raman fiber is a single-mode fiber (SMF). Simulation has been done for output power, gain, and noise figure (NF). A comparison of first-order and second-order hybrid amplifiers has been done for the above parameters. Also, the proposed second-order hybrid amplifier has been compared to one of the previous versions. The results obtained show improvement in terms of output power, gain, and NF. The lowest NF obtained for the proposed amplifier is 4.42 dB at Raman length of 15 km and second order pump power of 450 mW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women globally. Despite significant improvements in overall survival, many tumours are refractory to therapy and so novel approaches are required to improve patient outcomes. We have evaluated patient-derived explants (PDEs) as a novel preclinical platform for breast cancer (BC) and implemented cutting-edge digital pathology and multi-immunofluorescent approaches for investigating biomarker changes in both tumour and stromal areas at endpoint. Short-term culture of intact fragments of BCs as PDEs retained an intact immune microenvironment, and tumour architecture was augmented by the inclusion of autologous serum in the culture media. Cell death/proliferation responses to FET chemotherapy in BC-PDEs correlated significantly with BC patient progression-free survival (p = 0.012 and p = 0.0041, respectively) and cell death responses to the HER2 antibody therapy trastuzumab correlated significantly with HER2 status (p = 0.018). These studies show that the PDE platform combined with digital pathology is a robust preclinical approach for informing clinical responses to chemotherapy and antibody-directed therapies in breast cancer. Furthermore, since BC-PDEs retain an intact tumour architecture over the short-term, they facilitate the preclinical testing of anti-cancer agents targeting the tumour microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-1.5 wt.% Zn alloy used in the present study was subjected to the hot impression creep tests at three stresses of 75, 110 and 150 MPa and three temperatures of 250, 300 and 350 °C for a constant dwell time of 2 h. The effect of stress and temperature on the impression depth with respect to time was studied. Irrespective of the test condition, the depth of impression increased with respect to the time. However, upon increasing the applied stress, the twins were observed. Stress exponent values and activation energies were determined for different test temperatures and stresses. Stress exponent values related to the plastic flow over the complete range of experimental conditions were found to lie between 4 and 5.5. Whereas the average activation energy value was determined to be 164 ± 10 kJ/mol. Calculated stress exponents and activation energy values reveal the dislocation climb phenomenon, controlled by dislocation pipe diffusion as the mechanism of the creep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]