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Introduction: Acquired inflammatory Blaschko-linear dermatoses have not been studied extensively. Descriptive studies on segmental vitiligo have yielded insights helpful in counseling patients. Similar insights are expected from studies on other acquired inflammatory Blaschko-linear diseases. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with an acquired inflammatory Blaschko-linear disease presenting to the dermatology outpatient department of the study center were recruited in a case series. Detailed history and examination, clinical photographs, and histopathological findings were recorded and analyzed. Features were compared between linear and generalized forms to look for any differences. Results: Out of 99 patients, linear lichen planus (n = 47), linear morphea (n = 31), and lichen striatus (n = 9) were observed most commonly. Skin lesions were present in multiple lines in 52 (52.5%). In 12 (12.1%), more than one anatomical site was involved. In 10 (10.1%), two different Blaschko-linear diseases were seen, and in 3 (3.1%) both diseases occurred in the same/adjacent segments. The disease extended from one or both ends in 64 (88.9%). Nineteen (19.2%) had both linear and generalized disease, with linear lesions being more severe than the generalized lesions (P = 0.038133). Some (18/47, 38.3%) linear lichen planus cases showed prominent atrophy since the onset and formed a distinct subset, predominantly over the head and neck site (P < 0.00001). Histopathology of linear lichen planus differed from controls with generalized lesions in terms of having deeper infiltrate (P = 0.000124), and multi-focal, rather than confluent, lichenoid infiltrates. Atrophy was noted from the onset in 13/31 (41.9%) cases of linear morphea. Limitations: Limitations include cross-sectional design and lack of controls with generalized nonlinear diseases. Conclusions: Acquired inflammatory Blaschko-linear disorders show distinct characteristics like involvement of multiple lines and sites, directional progression, and atrophic variants. These can be used for differentiating among different Blaschko-linear diseases, monitoring progression, and counseling patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Setu Mittal [1]; Binod K. Khaitan (corresponding author) [2]; M. Ramam [2]; Neena Khanna [2]; Rahul Mahajan [2]; Ashu Seith Bhalla [3]; Manoj K. Singh [4]; V. Sreenivas [5] [...], Background: Pigmentary changes of the skin in systemic sclerosis in the form of diffuse hyperpigmentation and salt-and-pepper pigmentation are well documented in the literature; however, its association with disease severity and extent of underlying internal organ involvement has not been well studied. Aims: To assess the correlation between morphology and extent of pigmentary changes with the degree of cutaneous sclerosis and frequency and degree of major organ involvement. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital from December 2014 to November 2016. Consecutive patients of systemic sclerosis attending the outpatient department were screened, and patients satisfying the diagnosis as per the American Rheumatism Association criteria were recruited. Skin sclerosis was quantified using modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS), whereas pigmentary changes were calculated in terms of percentage of body surface area involved by rule-of-nine method. Investigations were carried out depending on organ involvement and as per respective specialty consultations with focus on pulmonary, cardiac, and gastrointestinal systems. Results: Of the 50 patients recruited, all had cutaneous involvement in the form of binding down of skin, followed by pigmentary changes. MRSS was significantly higher in patients with any pigmentary alteration (P = 0.03) compared to those without any pigmentary changes. There was a rising trend in between the MRSS severity and the proportion of patients with hyperpigmentation, and it was statistically significant (P = 0.04). Among systemic involvement, lung was involved in the form of interstitial lung disease in 94 patients (n = 47). However, skin pigmentation of any type was associated with lower high-resolution computed tomography scores (P = 0.02). Conclusion: This study shows that in systemic sclerosis patients presenting with pigmentary skin manifestations, cutaneous sclerosis is significantly higher. Keywords: Cutaneous sclerosis, pigmentation, systemic sclerosis

Recognizing the value of open-source research databases in advancing the art and science of HVAC, in 2014 the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II project was launched under the leadership of University of California at Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment and The University of Sydney’s Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Laboratory. The exercise began with a systematic collection and harmonization of raw data from the last two decades of thermal comfort field studies around the world. The ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database II (Comfort Database), now an online, open-source database, includes approximately 81,846 complete sets of objective indoor climatic observations with accompanying “right-here-right-now” subjective evaluations by the building occupants who were exposed to them. The database is intended to support diverse inquiries about thermal comfort in field settings. A simple web-based interface to the database enables filtering on multiple criteria, including building typology, occupancy type, subjects’ demographic variables, subjective thermal comfort states, indoor thermal environmental criteria, calculated comfort indices, environmental control criteria and outdoor meteorological information. Furthermore, a web-based interactive thermal comfort visualization tool has been developed that allows end-users to quickly and interactively explore the data.

In the present study, NdFeO3 (NFO), Nd(0.9)Ba(0.1)FeO3 (NBFO), NdFe(0.9)Mn(0.1)O3 (NFMO) and Nd(0.9)Ba(0.1)Fe(0.9)Mn(0.1)O3 (NBFMO) were successfully synthesized using citrate sol–gel chemical route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the formation of orthorhombic perovskite structure with space group Pbnm and are further complemented by the Rietveld refinement. Scherrer's formula as well as Williamson–Hall (W–H) plot was used to calculate average crystallite size of the prepared samples. Further, morphological investigations were carried out using SEM imaging and EDX spectroscopy. Dielectric properties including frequency dependence of dielectric permittivity (ε), tangent loss (tan δ) and electrical conductivity (σ) of all the samples were analysed at different temperature ranges from 300 to 623 K over a frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. It was found that the ε decreases with the increase in frequency. Optical properties were investigated using the UV–visible spectroscopy and the Tauc's plot was employed on the absorbance spectra for calculating the energy band gap. It was found that the band gap decreases as the dopants are inserted in the lattice of NFO. Magneto-dielectric properties were analysed by using varying magnetic field from 0 to 2 T. These samples could serve as the properties of materials with potential applications in logic gate, data storage, switches and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sol–gel synthesis method was employed to fabricate nanocomposites of (Dy, Hf) co-doped 0.8BiFeO3–0.2CaTiO3 (Bi0.75Dy0.05Fe0.80O3–Ca0.20Ti0.18Hf0.02O3/BDyFO–CTHfO composite). Structural analysis, utilizing X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement with Fullprof software, confirmed a rhombohedral structure with space group R3c and an orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group. Particle size determined through Scherrer's formula was ~15 nm. FESEM studies revealed irregular and slightly dense inhomogeneous grains. Dielectric permittivity (ε) and tangent loss (tan δ) were investigated as functions of frequency from 100 Hz to 1 MHz at different temperatures ranging from 303 to 663 K. The dielectric dispersion behaviour was attributed to Maxwell–Wagner-type polarization, with a notable anomaly in dielectric permittivity observed near the magnetic phase transition temperature (TN ~ 643 K) of BiFeO3. Frequency-dependent ac conductivity exhibited low-frequency dispersion following Jonscher's power law. Presence of ferroelectricity was confirmed by the polarization–electric field (PE) loop. Magneto-dielectric characteristics were assessed in a frequency range of 100 Hz–1 MHz under a magnetic field of 0–2 Tesla. Impedance spectroscopy highlighted electrical properties, distinguishing grain and grain boundary contributions via Nyquist plot with respect to the magnetic field. The BDyFO–CTHfO composite demonstrated significant absorption and ~ 25% transmittance in the visible spectrum. The material exhibited a band gap (Eg) of 1.97 eV, suggesting potential applications in ultrafast optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Context: After tooth extraction, alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is essential to maintain the hard and soft tissue dimensions for future implant placement. Two frequently employed biomaterials in ARP are freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), each possessing unique biological characteristics. Materials and Methods: In a randomized controlled study, sixty individuals requiring ARP after tooth extraction were included. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A (n = 30) received PRF, and Group B (n = 30) received FDBA. Clinical measurements, such as soft tissue thickness, keratinized tissue width, and radiographic bone density, were recorded at baseline, three months, and six months after surgery. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to assess changes in hard tissue, such as the width and height of the alveolar ridge. Results: Group A (PRF) showed a significant increase in soft tissue thickness over six months, with an average gain of 2.5 mm (P < 0.01). In contrast, Group B (FDBA) showed a 30% increase in bone density compared to baseline (P < 0.05). Group B experienced a decrease in alveolar ridge height and width of 1.2 mm and 1.8 mm, respectively, while Group A showed a reduction of 1.6 mm and 2.3 mm. Conclusion: In conclusion, peri-implant soft and hard tissues benefit from both PRF and FDBA during alveolar ridge maintenance. Soft tissue thickness can be improved more effectively with PRF, while FDBA is superior for preserving hard tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sol–gel method was employed to synthesize a pure and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)—decorated NiFe2O4 (NFO) nanocomposite. Analysis of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed that both of these samples exhibit a cubic structure with an Fd-3m space group. According to Debye–Scherer’s equation, the average sizes for NFO and NFO/rGO nanocomposites are ~ 21 and 17 nm, respectively. The Raman spectra of the NFO/rGO nanocomposite showed two prominent bands (D and G), confirming the presence of rGO with an ID/IG ratio of 0.8. The FTIR spectra determined the various functional groups present in these samples. Using UV–visible spectroscopy, the optical band gap (Eg) for NFO and NFO/rGO nanocomposite was determined to be 2.04 and 2.26 eV, respectively. The dielectric permittivity (ε) and tangent loss (tan δ) of NFO and NFO/rGO were investigated as functions of frequency (100 kHz to 1 MHz) at diverse temperatures ranging from 300 to 773 K, and they were explained by Maxwell–Wagner-type polarization. Frequency-dependent conductivity (σ) followed Jonscher's power law. Impedance spectroscopy further evaluated electrical characteristics, such as relaxation time (τ). At room temperature, NFO and NFO/rGO exhibited strong negative magneto-dielectric coupling (MD) in low-frequency regions. The magneto-dielectric (MD) percentages for the NFO and NFO/rGO nanocomposites are − 21.21 and − 62.47%, respectively, at 1 kHz under a 1 Tesla external magnetic field. NFO exhibited a higher magnetization (MS) value of 50.28 emu/g compared to NFO/rGO (18.78 emu/g), due to the shielding effect of rGO at room temperature (RT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Reliability Redundancy Allocation Problem (RRAP) is a complex optimization problem that involves determining the optimal deployment of redundant components to enhance overall system performance. Exact approaches can be computationally expensive and time-consuming for large-scale tasks due to the combinatorial nature of the problem. This article employs a modified version of the recently developed population-based metaheuristic called "Wild Horse Optimization" to optimize the RRAP problem subject to nonlinear constraints. Three RRAP standard benchmark problems have been taken into consideration, and a modified WHO (MWHO) was employed to determine the optimal allocation of redundant components. This research demonstrates that MWHO outperforms current meta-heuristic methods and is a promising approach for solving RRAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus has caused widespread Acute Respiratory Disease globally since 2020. Patients with evidence of lower respiratory illness either clinically or radiologically had moderate-to-severe illness. COVID respiratory and nonrespiratory symptoms (psychological and cognitive) noticed after 4–8 weeks of primary disease were called long COVID syndrome. Survivors of moderate-to-severe disease had a poor quality of life. The main objective of this retrospective study was to assess the role of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) done in moderate-severe COVID-19 survivors who had symptoms after 4–8 weeks at Shaivam Lung Rehabilitation Centre, Ahmedabad. Methods: We analyzed the impact of PR on 30 patients' post-COVID-19 who were willing to participate during the ongoing pandemic. It was an outpatient 6–8 weeks of program designed to target respiratory and general muscle training, relaxation technique, nutritional counseling, occupational and psychological support. Patients were tested with of combination of self-assessment quality of life scale (adapted from short form 36 questionnaire), muscle training, dyspnea scale, and physical assessment. The standard objective assessment included oxygenation index (SpO2/FiO2 ratio), 6 min walk distance (6 MWD), Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) score, manual muscle testing (MMT) along with pulmonary function testing. All these subjective and objective variables were tested pre- and post-PR program to assess the impact on defined parameters. Results: From December 2020 to March 2022, we studied the impact of PR on 30 out of 55 patients fitting into the inclusion criteria. Significant benefit was noted in subjective Short Form 36 (SF 36) score and objective (6 MWD, MMRC, oxygenation, MMT) quality of life post-PR program (P < 0.001). Improvement in spirometry was not statistically significant, indicating structural chronicity of COVID pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusion: PR is safe, effective, and feasible on an outpatient basis in COVID-19 survivors of illness with poor quality of life. Further research is required to prove its widespread benefit in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]