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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and present our experience of surgical correction of nipple inversion. PATIENTS & METHODS: During the study period of from March 2006 to December 2009, 13 female patients, with diagnosis of nipple inversion directly reported at OPD and admitted to Department of plastic & Burn Surgery; Liaquat University of Medical & health Sciences, Jamshoro. 02 patients were referred from other hospital of the province, admitted through our outpatient department. A well informed consent was taken before inclusion of the patients in the study. The counseling consists of the fact that patients with grade one or grade two are most likely to retain the ability to breastfeed in contrast to the grade three inversions. Data was stored and calculated by SPSS 17. RESULTS: The Mean±SD age of patients in this series was 26±4.3 years. In all patients single breast was affected. In 9 patients inversion of nipple found on right breast while in 4 patients presented with inversion of nipple of left breast. When examined 2 patients were having grade 1 inversion, 8 patients grade 2 and 3 patients were having grade 3 inversion of nipple. On mean follow up period of 18 months, 8 women (61.55%) were able to feed their newborn successfully. The nipple projection was maintained in 11 patients, while mild dropping of nipple seen in only 2 patients. However during the entire period of follow up, no recurrence found in any case. CONCLUSION: The inverted nipple still represents a challenge for plastic surgeons. We found that with simple technique, the scar is inconspicuous, functional element remain intact. In the case of a failure, it can be redone easily without major scarring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Intrathecal and intravenous dexmedetomidine has been used as adjuvant in subarachnoid block [SAB]. The aim of this study was to compare the analgesic efficacy of intravenous vs intrathecal dexmedetomidine as adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine. Methods: Ninety patients, aged 20–60 years belonging to American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I and II, scheduled for below knee orthopaedic surgeries under SAB were enrolled. In group I (n = 45) patients received intravenous dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg in 100 mL 0.9% normal saline [NS] intravenous over a period of 15 minutes given 20 minutes before SAB. Subarachnoid block was given with intrathecal (IT) 0.5% bupivacaine (H) 12.5 mg (2.5 mL) with 0.3 mL of NS. Patients in group II (n = 45) received 100 mL of 0.9% NS over a period of 15 minutes given 20 minutes before subarachnoid block. SAB was given with intrathecal 0.5% heavy bupivacaine 12.5 mg with 3 μg of dexmedetomidine (0.3 mL). The primary outcome was duration of analgesia and rescue analgesic requirement, whereas secondary outcome included pain scores. Results: The duration of analgesia was prolonged in group II (median [IQR]: 5 (6–7.5) h than in group I (median[IQR]: 4[2–4.5] h, P = 0.000). Median dose of rescue analgesics over period of 24 hours was less in group II as compared to group I (median [IQR]:150 (75–150) mg vs 195 (150–225) mg, P = 0.000). VAS score was lower in group II till 12 h in the postoperative period (P = 0.00). Conclusion: Intrathecal dexmedetomidine is more efficacious as compared to intravenous dexmedetomidine, due to favourable outcomes in terms of increased duration of postoperative analgesia and reduced rescue analgesic requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Flavivirus contains many mosquito-borne human pathogens of global epidemiological importance such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, and Zika virus, which has recently emerged at epidemic levels. Infections with these viruses result in divergent clinical outcomes ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Myriad factors influence infection severity including exposure, immune status and pathogen/host genetics. Furthermore, pre-existing infection may skew immune pathways or divert immune resources. We profiled immune cells from dengue virus-infected individuals by multiparameter mass cytometry (CyTOF) to define functional status. Elevations in IFNβ were noted in acute patients across the majority of cell types and were statistically elevated in 31 of 36 cell subsets. We quantified response to in vitro (re)infection with dengue or Zika viruses and detected a striking pattern of upregulation of responses to Zika infection by innate cell types which was not noted in response to dengue virus. Significance was discovered by statistical analysis as well as a neural network-based clustering approach which identified unusual cell subsets overlooked by conventional manual gating. Of public health importance, patient cells showed significant enrichment of innate cell responses to Zika virus indicating an intact and robust anti-Zika response despite the concurrent dengue infection. Author summary: Mosquitoes carry many globally important human pathogens including a family of related viruses: dengue virus, West Nile virus, Yellow Fever virus, and recently of critical significance, Zika virus. The Zika virus epidemic emerged very rapidly in the susceptible South American population and in many cases immune responses were unable to control the infection. Immune history is a key element of susceptibility or resistance to severe disease. We examined whether pre-existing infection would skew or divert immune resources and might play a role in the severity of Zika infection in the Americas. Using samples from dengue patients and healthy controls from India, we tested functional responses to Zika virus in the context of pre-existing dengue infection. We quantified frequency and functional status of 36 individual cell subsets in depth using advanced profiling techniques and a novel deep learning algorithm. We showed an intact response to new infection with Zika virus which was enriched for early innate immune pathways and robust even during existing dengue infection. Thus, our study suggests that concurrent dengue infection would not be expected to impair immune responses to new infection with Zika virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Operations of metal oxide semiconductors gas sensors at room temperature under photoactivation are discussed. Emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials-based gas sensors under light illumination are summarized. The advantages and limitations of metal oxides and 2D-materials-based sensors in gas sensing at room temperature under photoactivation are highlighted.Room-temperature gas sensors have aroused great attention in current gas sensor technology because of deemed demand of cheap, low power consumption and portable sensors for rapidly growing Internet of things applications. As an important approach, light illumination has been exploited for room-temperature operation with improving gas sensor’s attributes including sensitivity, speed and selectivity. This review provides an overview of the utilization of photoactivated nanomaterials in gas sensing field. First, recent advances in gas sensing of some exciting different nanostructures and hybrids of metal oxide semiconductors under light illumination are highlighted. Later, excellent gas sensing performance of emerging two-dimensional materials-based sensors under light illumination is discussed in details with proposed gas sensing mechanism. Originated impressive features from the interaction of photons with sensing materials are elucidated in the context of modulating sensing characteristics. Finally, the review concludes with key and constructive insights into current and future perspectives in the light-activated nanomaterials for optoelectronic gas sensor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of nanoparticles in insulators attracts tremendous attention due to their unique electrical and optical properties. Here, the gallium (Ga) and gallium nitride (GaN) nanoclusters have been synthesized in the silicon nitride matrix by sequential ion implantation (gallium and nitrogen ions) followed by either furnace annealing (FA) or rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The presence of Ga and GaN nanoclusters has been confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Thereafter, the effect of RTA and FA on the conduction of charge carriers has been studied for the fabricated devices. It is found from the current–voltage measurements that the carrier transport is controlled by the space charge limited current conduction mechanism, and the observed values of parameter m (trap density and the distribution of localized state) for the FA and RTA devices are ~2 and ~4.1, respectively. This reveals that more defects are formed in the RTA device and that FA provides better performance than RTA from the viewpoint of opto- and nano-electronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plasmodium falciparum synthesizes phosphatidylcholine for the membrane development through serine decarboxylase–phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase pathway for growth in human host. Phosphoethanolamine-methyltransferase (PfPMT) is a crucial enzyme for the synthesis of phosphocholine which is a precursor for phosphatidylcholine synthesis and is considered as a pivotal drug target as it is absent in the host. The inhibition of PfPMT may kill malaria parasite and hence is being considered as potential target for rational antimalarial drug designing. Methods: In this study, we have used computer aided drug designing (CADD) approaches to establish potential PfPMT inhibitors from Asinex compound library virtually screened for ADMET and the docking affinity. The selected compounds were tested for in-vitro schizonticidal, gametocidal and cytotoxicity activity. Nontoxic compounds were further studied for PfPMT enzyme specificity and antimalarial efficacy for P. berghei in albino mice model. Results: Our results have identified two nontoxic PfPMT competitive inhibitors ASN.1 and ASN.3 with better schizonticidal and gametocidal activity which were found to inhibit PfPMT at IC50 1.49μM and 2.31μM respectively. The promising reduction in parasitaemia was found both in orally (50 & 10 mg/kg) and intravenous (IV) (5& 1 mg/kg) however, the better growth inhibition was found in intravenous groups. Conclusion: We report that the compounds containing Pyridinyl-Pyrimidine and Phenyl-Furan scaffolds as the potential inhibitors of PfPMT and thus may act as promising antimalarial inhibitor candidates which can be further optimized and used as leads for template based antimalarial drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When exploring the charge transport in the MoS2/Si heterojunction, it is imperative to understand the contribution of different carrier interactions and scattering mechanisms in the conduction process. Here, we have demonstrated an ultrasensitive photodetector based on MoS2/Si (for both p-type and n-type Si) van der Walls (vdW) heterojunction, which provides a high photoresponsivity of greater than 103 A/W along with a large detectivity of ≈ 1012 Jones (Jones = $\text{cm} \cdot \text{Hz}^{ {1/2}} \cdot \text{W}^{-1}$). This high photoresponsivity is attributed to the high absorption rate of incident photons and large current carrying capacity of a few layer MoS2. The tuning of barrier height at the MoS2/n-Si interface with photoexcitation of different wavelengths was interpreted by using Bardeen’s model. The increase in carrier density due to the photon energy results in a reduction of barrier height at the heterojunction. Because of increase in carrier density with wavelength, it was observed that the inverse Auger process prevails at higher wavelength for the relaxation of photoinduced charge carriers at the MoS2/Si interface over other scattering mechanisms. Our obtained results unveil the great potential of the MoS2/Si vdW heterojunction that may pave the way for new generation photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast charge carrier dynamics as well as the generation of polaron pair in squaraine (SQ) and squaraine:[6,6]-phenyl-C 71-butyric acid methyl ester (SQ:PCBM71) have been studied using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy (UTAS). The current study reveals that the pure SQ exhibits the creation of singlet and triplet states; however, incorporation of PCBM71 in SQ results in the formation of polaron pairs with ∼550ps lifetime, which in turn leads to the creation of free electrons in the device. We show that the considerable increment in monomolecular and bimolecular recombination in SQ:PCBM71 compared to pure SQ which describes the interfacial compatibility of SQ and PCBMC71 molecules. The present work not only provides the information about the carrier generation in SQ and SQ:PCBM71 but also gives the facts relating to the effect of PCBM71 mixing into the SQ which is very significant because the SQ has donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) structure and mixing one more acceptor can introduce more complex recombinations in the blend. These findings have been complimented by the charge transport study in the device using impedance spectroscopy. The various important transport parameters are transit time (τt), diffusion constant (Dn), global mobility (μ) and carrier lifetime (τr). The values of these parameters are 26.38 μs, 4.64x10-6 cm2s-1, 6.12x10-6 cm2V-1s-1 and 399 μs, respectively. To the best of our knowledge such study related to SQ is not present in the literature comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability of agriculture to climate change is becoming increasingly apparent in recent years. During 2014 and 2015, India experienced trails of unusually widespread and untimely hailstorm events. The increased frequency of hailstorm events, especially in vulnerable ecosystem of Deccan Plateau region of India demanded appropriate measures to minimize adverse impact on agricultural crops. Therefore some of the post-hail measures including nutritional supplement, plant bio-regulators and canopy management were evaluated in field trials conducted at Maharashtra, India during 2014 and 2015. Amongst these, pruning of the hardy and indeterminate eggplant crop induced effective branches, which produced more flowers and fruits. Nitrogen supplemented with urea drenching and stress alleviating effects of salicylic acid promoted recovery in maize while drenching with humic acid along with spraying of potassium nitrate improved productivity of onion. These studies indicate the potential of technological interventions to cope with extreme events such as hailstorms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This will help us estimate the number of RTAs that can be avoided if these drivers underwent timely cataract surgery.[[4]] Case-control and cohort studies are required to understand the association between the visual function-hampering diseases and RTA. The former can be either descriptive or analytical (ecological, cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort).[[3]] Our study was a cross-sectional study, i.e., it evaluated the health profile of state bus drivers at a specific point of time (in the year 2019). [Extracted from the article]

Background: Non-healing trophic ulcers in Hansen's disease patients is one of the major causes for disability. It has been shown that autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) is effective in healing chronic non-healing leg ulcers. Aim: The objective of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) in non-healing trophic ulcers in patients treated for Hansen's disease. Design: A prospective study. Setting: An institution-based clinic. Participants: Seven treated patients with Hansen's disease, with a mean age of 38.33 years, with nine non-healing trophic ulcer of more than 6 weeks duration. Measurements: Photographs were taken before treatment and at every subsequent sitting. Area and volume were calculated at baseline and every subsequent sitting till the closure was achieved. Materials and Methods: The healthy ulcers were treated with PRFM at weekly intervals, repeated once a week for a maximum of five sittings as per requirement. Results: The mean percentage improvement in the area was 93.52%, and volume was 97.74% at the end of the second sitting. All ulcers closed by a maximum of five sittings. No adverse events were noted. Conclusion: PRFM for the treatment of trophic ulcers in treated patients with Hansen's disease is a feasible, safe, simple and inexpensive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report neutron irradiation resistance of the barium strontium titanate (BST) thin-film-based varactor under different neutron fluences. BST thin films were deposited on sapphire substrate by RF magnetron sputtering and gold interdigital capacitor (IDC) electrodes were patterned with the photolithography technique. Capacitance-voltage ( $C$ – $V$ ) and leakage current characteristics were measured at several neutron fluences. A small change in capacitance is observed at different fluences. The changes are attributed to the radiation-induced defect dipoles and other charged defects, which serve as effective domain wall pinning sites. We supplemented this macroscopic $C$ – $V$ behavior of BST varactor with investigation through X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy for their structural and morphological changes, respectively. This paper shows that BST varactor can be used in neutron environment due to its high tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the envelope-function approximation, the single-particle states of electrons and holes in spherical GaN nanocrystals embedded in different amorphous dielectric matrices (SiO2, Al2O3, HfO2 and Si3N4) have been calculated. Ground state energies of electrons and holes in GaN nanocrystals are determined using the isotropic approximation of the k · p -Hamiltonian. All the ground state energies are found to increase with lowering the nanocrystal size and are proportional to the R-n, where R is the nanocrystal radius, n =1.5-1.9 for electrons and 1.7-2.0 for holes. The optical gap of GaN nanocrystals changes from 3.8 to 5 eV for the nanocrystal radius ranging from 3 to 1 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which examines the link between the single nucleotide polymorphism located in bovine aquaporins gene with semen quality parameters including semen volume, concentration, motility, post-thaw motility, viability, and hypoosmotic swelling response of Frieswal bull semen. Information about the materials and methods used in the study is presented such as DNA samples and semen collection.

ZnO thick Stress relaxed films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on 2"-wafer of SiO2/Si at room temperature. The residual stress of ZnO films was measured by measuring the curvature of wafer using laser scanning method and found in the range of 0.18 x 109 × 11.28 x 109 dyne/cm2 with compressive in nature. Sputter pressure changes the deposition rates, which strongly affects the residual stress and surface morphologies of ZnO films. The crystalline wurtzite structure of ZnO films were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and a shift in (0002) diffraction peak of ZnO towards lower 2θ angle was observed with increasing the compressive stress in the films. The band gap of ZnO films shows a red shift from ~3.275 eV to ~3.23 eV as compressive stress is increased, unlike the stress for III-nitride materials. A relationship between stress and band gap of ZnO was derived and proposed. The stress-free growth of piezoelectric films is very important for functional devices applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the deposition and characterization of nanocrystalline carbon thin films by filtered cathodic jet carbon arc technique assisted with three different gaseous environments of helium, nitrogen and hydrogen. All the films are nanocrystalline in nature as observed from the high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) measurements, which suggests that the nanocrystallites of size ∼10–50 nm are embedded though out the amorphous matrix. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies suggest that the film deposited under the nitrogen gaseous environment has the highest sp 3 /sp 2 ratio accompanied with the highest hardness of ∼18.34 GPa observed from the nanoindentation technique. The film deposited under the helium gaseous environment has the highest ratio of the area under the Raman D peak to G peak ( A D / A G ) and the highest conductivity (∼2.23 S/cm) at room temperature, whereas, the film deposited under the hydrogen environment has the lowest conductivity value (2.27 × 10 −7 S/cm). The temperature dependent dc conduction behavior of all the nanocrystalline carbon thin films has been analyzed in the light of Mott’s variable range hopping (VRH) conduction mechanism and observed that all the films obey three dimension VRH conduction mechanism for the charge transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on makhana also known as fox nut or gorgon nut belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae and it is a floating annual aquatic plant with large leaves and prickly petioles, and grows in stagnant water bodies and occurring within a wetland ecosystem. Topics include the tropical and subtropical climatic conditions favour the growth of this cash crop, and Bihar, Assam, West Bengal and Odisha are some of the states in India where it is grown commercially as a high-value commodity.

Red-fleshed dragon fruit offers an array of bioactive compounds. Its cultivation is gaining momentum in India, including in arid and semi-arid conditions. Among various factors, the fruit developmental stages and climatic conditions of locations greatly influence the biosynthesis and actual contents of different bioactive compounds and mineral contents of the fruit. The changes in physical attributes, and bioactive and mineral content in red-fleshed dragon fruit grown in semi-arid conditions in India were assessed and quantified at six developmental stages. Significant changes occurred in the physical attributes of the fruit and the bioactive compounds and mineral content during the fruit maturation stages of the red-fleshed dragon fruit. The fruit physical characteristics, such as fruit size, fruit and pulp weight gain, peel thickness, and fruit firmness, along with eating quality parameters, such as soluble solids, sugars, acidity and soluble proteins, were observed at optimum at 35 days after anthesis (DAA). The decrease in total phenolics (29.96%), total flavonoids (41.06%), and vitamin C (75.3%) occurred throughout the fruit development stages, whereas the content of betalains, which was detected initially at 25 DAA, increased (48.6%) with the progression of the fruit development stages. However, the antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity demonstrated variable trends throughout the fruit maturation period. There was an increasing trend in all the minerals up to 35 days, followed by a slight decrease, except for phosphorus content, which increased until the last stage of evaluation. The colour characteristics, in conjunction with the bioactive and antioxidant potential determined in the present study, suggest that red-fleshed dragon fruit can be harvested at 35 DAA for long-distance transportation, and from 35 to 40 DAA for local marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute and transient psychotic disorder has been accepted as a distinct diagnostic entity in the ICD-10. However, there are few studies delineating its demographics and factors affecting its outcome. This study aimed to examine the socio-demographic profile of patients with acute and transient psychotic disorder and the variables associated with the onset of illness and their effect on illness outcome in an Indian setting. Methods: This was a retrospective study in which case notes of patients admitted from 1 January to 31 December 2012 and diagnosed with acute and transient psychotic disorder (according to the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria) were analysed. Socio-demographic variables and variables associated with the onset of illness were noted. Duration of hospital stay was used as a proxy measure for clinical outcome. Results: A total of 185 patient records were analysed. Overall, 49% of the patients were males and 51% were females. Most of the cases (60%) were aged between 20 and 39 years. The majority was married, unemployed, educated up to middle school, living in a nuclear family, and had a rural background. Age (p = 0.05) and marital status (p = 0.03) significantly affected the outcome. Overall, 46% of the patients had stress as a precipitating factor, 27% reported substance use, and 23% had a family history of psychiatric illness prior to the onset of their illness. The onset of illness was from May to October in 54% of the patients, with the duration of untreated illness ranging from 7 to 15 days in 38% of the patients. The clinical outcome was significantly affected by duration of untreated illness (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Acute and transient psychotic disorders show slight female preponderance and occur in early adulthood. There is no precipitating stress in most cases and shorter duration of untreated illness predicts favourable clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experimental studies on self-breakdown-based single-gap plasma cathode electron (PCE) gun (5-20 kV/50-160 A) in argon, gas atmosphere and its performance evaluation based on particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code 'OOPIC-Pro'. The PCE-Gun works in conducting phase (low energy, high current) of pseudospark discharge. It produces intense electron beam, which can propagate more than 200 mm in the drift space region without external magnetic field. The profile of this beam in the drift space region at different breakdown conditions (i.e., gas pressures and applied voltages) has been studied and the experimental results are compared with simulated values. It is demonstrated that ∼30% beam current is lost during the propagation possibly due to space charge neutralization and collisions with neutral particles and walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that can have profound physical, social and psychological consequences. We aimed to assess the clinical predictors of quality of life of people with epilepsy. We recruited 31 patients suffering from epilepsy in this crosssectional study. Their clinical profile was recorded. Quality Of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE- 31) was used to assess quality of life of our patients. Depression was screened by Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory in Epilepsy (NDDI-E). Among all the clinical variables, only seizure frequency significantly correlated with seizure worry (P=0.002), emotional well-being (P=0.026) and social functions (P=0.013) subscales of QOLIE-31. NDDIE score showed a significant negative correlation with all the subscales of QOLIE-31 except medication effects (P=0.993). A significant positive correlation was also noted between seizure frequency and NDDI-E score (r=0.417, P=0.020). Seizure frequency and depression are the most important predictors of quality of life in epilepsy patients. The management of patients with epilepsy should not only be aimed at just preventing seizures but the treating clinicians should also be cognizant about depression which itself can significantly affect the quality of life of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the efficacy of Gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution in infective corneal ulcer. Methods: This observational (non comparative) clinical analysis was done at the Department of ophthalmology unit-II, Liaquat University Eye hospital Hyderabad of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro / Sindh, Pakistan from April 2010 to March 2012. All the subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were registered. Anterior segment examination was performed. Corneal staining and sensitivity test was done to exclude viral and paralytic element. Corneal samples were collected for gram's staining and culture sensitivity tests. After getting the preliminary laboratory results, Gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution was used in bacterial corneal ulcer every 30 minutes for first twenty four hours, and every one hour till three days. On obtaining better response the drops were used every two hours up to 7 days. The treatment was continued with tapering of dosage for three weeks. After total recovery (reepithelialization of corneal epithelium) the drops were used two times a day for one more week. Results: The total of 170 patients (male=68.8%; female=31.2%) were recruited. Culture sensitivity examination revealed staphylococcus (36.5%), followed by fungi (24.1%). Pseudomonas thus detected were 10%. Gatifloxacin showed highest sensitivity and lowest resistance i.e. 87.65% and 12.35% respectively against gram positive and gram negative isolates. Conclusion: Gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution due to its strong activity against various gram-positive and gram-negative microbes is strongly effective in the treatment of acute bacterial keratitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explored the linear and nonlinear optical interaction in the Bi2Se3 single-crystal cleaved flake. • Kramer's Kronig approach and DFT calculations confirm the prominent 2 eV OBT from the Ɛ1 and Ɛ2 simulations. • Concurrently, the TRUS measurements are done to explore the excited-state dynamics of the states populating due to the Moss-Burstein shifts. • With the same excitation, probing in the NIR region shows the occurrence of the Pauli blocking. • The low temperature study give a clear evidence of presence of second surface state and a broad absorbance of 1.2 eV can be easily seen through TRUS. [Display omitted] We report the optical response and temperature-dependent excited-state carrier dynamics in the flake of Bi 2 Se 3 , which is cleaved from its single crystal. The optical properties are explored using the visible-near infrared (VIS-NIR), infrared (IR), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. The VIS-NIR spectra are then used to find the Ɛ 1 and Ɛ 2 using Kramer's Koning relations, confirming OBT of 2 eV and 1.4 eV. The DFT (density functional theory) calculations are also carried out to confirm the experimental optical transitions (OBT). To probe these OBT in the bismuth selenide, we have studied the temperature, fluence, and excitation dependent ultrafast transient reflectance over a wide spectral range from 2.58–0.77 eV (VIS-NIR) with different excitation energies 3.02 eV, 2.61 eV, 1.9 eV, and 1.4 eV to explore several previously unseen transitions that do not appear in PL spectroscopy and room temperature carrier analysis. The temperature-dependent excited-state dynamics are investigated at 5–300 K. This study clearly indicates the existence of Moss-Burstein shift in the visible region and Pauli blocking effect in the NIR region in the Bi 2 Se 3 topological insulator. Moreover, the low-temperature TRUS confirms the transition to the second surface state present in bismuth selenide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the changes implemented in the international investments policies and investment trends in 2012. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows has reached 668 million dollars in the first half of 2012 and China has become the largest recipient of FDI inflows. It discusses several investment agreements, free trade agreements and framework agreements.

Fe-doped nanocrystalline samples of titanium oxide have been synthesised by sol–gel route and conventional sintering process at 450°C under atmospheric conditions. These samples are characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dielectric property measurement. Samples with Fe content more than 4 mole% crystallises in rutile phase and those with less than 4 mole% crystallises in anatase phase. Nanocrystallite size has been controlled by Fe doping. Crystallite size was found to decrease with Fe concentration in the anatase phase samples whereas reverse happens in rutile phase samples of titanium oxide. There is a slight variation in numerical values of crystallite sizes measured by the two techniques: TEM and XRD peak broadening. The highest crystallite size was 86 nm in 10 mole% Fe-doped samples and the lowest 20 nm in 4 mole% Fe-doped sample. Large dispersions and anomalous values of the dielectric constant,εrwere observed at low frequency in anatase phase samples. Rutile phase samples exhibit little dispersion over the measurement frequency range of 20 Hz to 10 MHz. The dielectric constant value of all the samples stabilises to a constant value at higher frequencies. This value is dependent on the final crystalline phase but independent of the crystallite size. The anomalous dielectric behaviour of anatase samples at low frequencies is assigned to the adsorbed –OH ions on the sample surface. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims: To survey the occurrence of nodulated legumes in the arid and semi-arid areas of Western Rajasthan and to characterize their associated symbiotic bacteria. Methods: Herbaceous annual species were excavated whole, while tree species were studied as seedlings in the field or as trap plants in pot experiments. Nodules were examined by microscopy to confirm their effectiveness and to determine their internal structure. Bacteria isolated from the nodules were authenticated on their original hosts and were identified on the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing. Phylogenetic trees were inferred using the neighbour-joining method. Results: We studied 35 of more than 50 species of native legume reported from these areas. Legumes are drought escaping (annual species), drought tolerant perennials or trees possessing deep root systems and other adaptations to arid conditions. Nodulation was recorded in all members of the Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae, but only one species of Caesalpinioideae. Internal structure of nodules varied within these groups, especially with respect to the presence or absence of uninfected cells in the infected region. Full 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the nodules harboured a range of nodulating bacteria belonging to the genera Sinorhizobium, Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium, within which they formed separate sub clades. Conclusions: This study extends the range of legumes known to grow and nodulate in semi-arid regions, and provides information about their endosymbionts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of substrate bias on the structural, morphological, electrical and mechanical properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films having embedded nanocrystallites deposited by cathodic jet carbon arc technique has been investigated. X-ray diffraction exhibits predominantly an amorphous nature of the film with nanocrystallites of diamond embedded in the amorphous carbon matrix. High resolution transmission electron microscope investigations reveal largely a uniform amorphous structure. However, an ultra fine microstructure with the average grain size between 8 and 25nm was constituting the entire film with the diffused grain boundaries between the grains. Majority of the individual grains are single crystallite with the preferred inter planar spacing of about 0.213nm and 0.208nm corresponding to the diamond planes of 102 and 103, respectively. All the evaluated parameters were seen to depend strongly on the negative substrate bias and exhibit maxima or minima in the properties of the films deposited at −60V substrate bias. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a xenon-filled coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has been studied to understand the high-pressure nonequilibrium nonthermal plasma discharge. A quartz coaxial DBD tube (ID: 6 mm, OD: 12 mm) at 400-mbar xenon-filled pressure has been used in the experiment. A unipolar pulselike voltage up to a -6-kV peak working at 30 kHz has been applied to the discharge electrodes for the generation of microdischarges. A single discharge is observed per applied voltage pulse. Visual images of the discharge and electrical waveform confirm the diffused-type discharges. The knowledge obtained by dynamic processes of DBDs in the discharge gap explains quantitatively the mechanism that is obtained in the ignition, development, and extinction of DBDs. The behavior of different discharge parameters has also been analyzed. From the experimental results and equivalent electrical circuit, the dynamic nature of equivalent capacitance has been reported. The relative intensity analysis of the Xe peak in the optical emission spectra (172 nm) has also been carried out for different supplied powers, and it is found that the radiation power has increased with supplied power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anchorage independent growth is an important hallmark of oncogenic transformation. Previous studies have shown that when adhesion dependent fibroblasts were prevented from adhering to a substrate they underwent anoikis. In the present study we have demonstrated how anoikis resistant cells gain the transformation related properties with sequential selection of genes. We have proposed this process as a model system for selection of transformed cells from normal cells. Results: This report demonstrates that some fibroblasts can survive during late stages of anoikis, at which time they exhibit transformation-associated properties such as in vitro colony formation in soft agar and in vivo subcutaneous tumour formation in nude mice. Cytogenetic characterisation of these cells revealed that they contained a t (2; 2) derivative chromosome and they have a selective survival advantage in non adherent conditions. Gene expression profile indicated that these cells over expressed genes related to hypoxia, glycolysis and tumor suppression/metastasis which could be helpful in their retaining a transformed phenotype. Conclusion: Our results reveal some new links between anoikis and cell transformation and they provide a reproducible model system which can potentially be useful to study multistage cancer and to identify new targets for drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current Asian H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has spread over much of Asia and into Europe and Africa. As well as affecting village and commercial chicken operations in many South East Asian countries, it differs from past H5 avian influenza viruses in that it causes morbidity and mortalities in other domesticated birds, such as ducks and turkeys and in wild waterbirds. Effective vaccines that can prevent infection, as well as disease, and be used in a variety of avian species are needed for field use. In this report, a bivalent H5N9+H7N1 oil emulsion vaccine is compared, in ducks, to a monovalent H5N3 oil emulsion vaccine that has been derived by reverse genetics with an H5 from A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04. While both vaccines protected against morbidity, the monovalent vaccine provided effective protection, with no evidence of shedding of the challenge virus and no serological response to the H5N1 challenge virus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: H5N1 avian influenza viruses are continuing to spread in waterfowl in Eurasia and to threaten the health of avian and mammalian species. The possibility that highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza is now endemic in both domestic and migratory birds in Eurasia makes it unlikely that culling alone will control H5N1 influenza. Because ducks are not uniformly killed by HP H5N1 viruses, they are considered a major contributor to virus spread. Here, we describe a reverse genetics-derived high-growth H5N3 strain containing the modified H5 of A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04, the N3 of A/duck/Germany/1215/73, and the internal genes of A/PR/8/34. One or two doses of inactivated oil emulsion vaccine containing 0.015 to 1.2 μg of HA protein provide highly efficacious protection against lethal H5N1 challenge in ducks; only the two dose regimen has so far been tested in chickens with high protective efficacy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Context: Cutaneous metastasis from head and neck cancer is uncommon and it is seen from laryngeal cancer. Cutaneous metastasis from the base of tongue is relatively rare. Case Report: A 55-year-old male, who was a treated case of squamous carcinoma of the base of tongue presented with metastatic nodule on the skin of face and thigh. But, there was complete resolution of the tumor at the primary site. In the present case, clinically obvious cutaneous nodules with metastasis appeared soon after the completion of treatment with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. The metastasis to the skin of face clinically appeared like an inflammatory lesion. Fine needle aspiration cytology confirmed the diagnosis of metastasis to skin at both the sites. Conclusion: Our case has highlighted that there could be associated occult skin metastasis at the time of diagnosis in squamous carcinoma of the base of tongue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of bilateral parotid enlargement and trismus due to the bite of common krait (Bungarus caeruleus). These clinical findings have not been reported in literature after the bite with this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The common sites for metastasis of renal cell carcinoma are lung, kidney, adrenal glands, liver, and contralateral kidney.We report an unusual case of cutaneous metastasis of renal cell carcinoma in a 68-year-old woman who was treated for renal cell carcinoma with partial right nephrectomy and multikinase angiogenesis inhibitor (sunitinib) 10 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Operations of metal oxide semiconductors gas sensors at room temperature under photoactivation are discussed. Emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials-based gas sensors under light illumination are summarized. The advantages and limitations of metal oxides and 2D-materials-based sensors in gas sensing at room temperature under photoactivation are highlighted. Room-temperature gas sensors have aroused great attention in current gas sensor technology because of deemed demand of cheap, low power consumption and portable sensors for rapidly growing Internet of things applications. As an important approach, light illumination has been exploited for room-temperature operation with improving gas sensor's attributes including sensitivity, speed and selectivity. This review provides an overview of the utilization of photoactivated nanomaterials in gas sensing field. First, recent advances in gas sensing of some exciting different nanostructures and hybrids of metal oxide semiconductors under light illumination are highlighted. Later, excellent gas sensing performance of emerging two-dimensional materials-based sensors under light illumination is discussed in details with proposed gas sensing mechanism. Originated impressive features from the interaction of photons with sensing materials are elucidated in the context of modulating sensing characteristics. Finally, the review concludes with key and constructive insights into current and future perspectives in the light-activated nanomaterials for optoelectronic gas sensor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a rare case of low-grade systemic B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) causing central retinal artery and vein occlusion, which was the only manifestation of disease recurrence. A young man with resolved systemic NHL underwent fluorescein angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to investigate a severe unilateral visual loss. A combined vascular occlusion was observed in the right eye. Neuroimaging detected optic nerve infiltration; but no systemic/ central nervous system involvement was observed. The patient was treated with high-doses of corticosteroids and optic nerve irradiation. The optic neuropathy and vascular occlusion were resistant to treatment. The subsequent neovascular glaucoma was treated by panretinal photocoagulation, which relieved the pain, but vision was not recovered. No further recurrence was observed over the following year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the prognostic significance of positron emission tomography (PET) parameters from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans performed pre- and post- chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (AC).Methods: From January 2013 to January 2017, 19 patients with non-metastatic AC enrolled on a prospective trial underwent FDG-PET/CT imaging before and 12 weeks following CRT. A computer-generated volume of interest (VOI) was snapped around the primary tumour using six different standard uptake value (SUV) thresholds and the following parameters were extracted: SUV max, mean, median, standard deviation and peak as well as metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis. Exact logistic regression and ROC AUC analyses were performed for each metric at each timepoint.Results: With a median follow up of 15.8 months, 3/19 patients had a local recurrence and 5/19 had any recurrence. On post-CRT PET, the median SUV within a VOI bounded by an SUV of 3 correlated with local recurrence (p < 0.01) and demonstrated excellent discrimination (ROC AUC 1.00, perfect separation was achieved at a median SUV of 3.38). The mean SUV at this threshold did not quite reach significance for prediction of local recurrence (p = 0.06) but demonstrated excellent discrimination (ROC AUC 0.91). The MTV bounded by a threshold of 41% SUVmax on the pre-CRT PET predicted for any recurrence (p = 0.03) and showed excellent discrimination (ROC AUC 0.89).Conclusions: FDG-PET parameters are predictive of recurrence in AC. FDG-PET may represent a valuable tool for prognostication and response assessment in AC.Trial Registration: ANZCTR, ACTRN12614001219673 . Registered 19 November 2014 - Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased multidrug resistance among antimalarial drugs produces the urgency of potent anti malarial to combat resistant malaria and the malaria burden worldwide. The protein which may prevent the growth or transmission of malaria parasite may be the great target for rational drug designing. Plasmodium falciparum phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase (Pfpmt) absent in human catalyzes triple methylation of ethanolamine into phosphocholine for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis from serine decarboxylation phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase pathway for the membrane development at asexual as well as sexual stages of parasite. The Plasmodium requires production of membrane rapidly for growth and multiplication. Hence, the phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase of Plasmodium falciparum was selected as drug target for rational drug designing. Using Discovery studio 3.5 software the library of zinc compounds was screened against target and analyzed. The compounds with better druglike properties and docking affinity and binding interaction for target protein were procured for in vitro analysis against Plasmodium falciparum culture (IC50). Compounds ZINC02103914 and ZINC12882412 were found to have good druglike properties and affinity for Pfpmt also inhibited P. falciparum growth at very low µM IC50 concentration 3.0 µM and 2.1 µM respectively also found nontoxic in vitro against HEK-293 cells. Simulation study of best inhibitor revealed the specificity for the target protein. Hence, the compounds possessed the immense probability of being inhibitors of Pfpmt and may be optimized as antimalarial agent for combinational therapy to overcome the multidrug resistance and may also be used as template for optimization and rational drug designing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep36132 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterfowl represent the natural reservoir of all subtypes of influenza A viruses, including H5N1. Ducks are especially considered major contributors to the spread of H5N1 influenza A viruses because they exhibit diversity in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, as a preventive strategy against endemic as well as pandemic influenza, it is important to reduce the spread of H5N1 influenza A viruses in duck populations. Here, we describe the pathogenicity of dominant clades (clades 1 and 2) of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in birds in Asia. Four representatives of dominant clades of the viruses cause symptomatic infection but lead to different profiles of lethality in domestic ducks. We also demonstrate the efficacy, cross-protectiveness, and immunogenicity of three different inactivated oil emulsion whole-virus H5 influenza vaccines (derived by implementing reverse genetics) to the viruses in domestic ducks. A single dose of the vaccines containing 1 µg of hemagglutinin protein provides complete protection against a lethal A/Duck/Laos/25/06 (H5N1) influenza virus challenge, with no evidence of morbidity, mortality, or shedding of the challenge virus. Moreover, two of the three vaccines achieved complete cross-clade or cross-subclade protection against the heterologous avian influenza virus challenge. Interestingly, the vaccines induce low or undetectable titers of hemagglutination inhibition (HI), cross-HI, and/or virus neutralization antibodies. The mechanism of complete protection in the absence of detectable antibody responses remains an open question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]