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This document is an erratum to a previously published paper on weak lensing of cluster satellite galaxies. The erratum explains that there was a bug in the codes used for data analysis, resulting in underestimation of errorbars in some figures. The affected figures and tables are presented in the erratum, along with the updated values. The authors state that these changes do not impact their conclusions and qualitative inferences. The document includes tables presenting data on various parameters for different ranges, such as R_sat, M_clu, M_sat, M_bary, sigma_mc, and f_orp. The tables also compare constraints on the orphan fraction using different covariance estimation techniques, showing consistent results within errors. [Extracted from the article]

Ablative composites serve as sacrificial materials, protecting underlying materials from high-temperature environments by endothermic reactions. These materials undergo various phenomena, including thermal degradation, pyrolysis, gas generation, char formation, erosion, gas flow, and different modes of heat transfer (such as conduction, convection, and radiation), all stemming from these endothermic reactions. These phenomena synergize to form a protective layer over the underlying materials. Carbon, with its superb mechanical properties and various available forms, is highlighted, alongside phenolics known for good adhesion and fabric ability and elastomers valued for flexibility and resilience. This study focuses on recent advancements in carbon-and-phenolic and carbon-and-elastomeric composites, considering factors such as erosion speed; high-temperature resistance; tensile, bending, and compressive strength; fiber–matrix interaction; and char formation. Various authors' calculations regarding the percentage reduction in linear ablation rate (LAR) and mass ablation rate (MAR) are discussed. These analyses inform potential advancements in the field of carbon/phenolic and carbon/elastomeric ablative composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orphan galaxies that have lost a large fraction of the dark matter subhaloes have often been invoked in semi-analytical as well as empirical models of galaxy formation. However, observations have not yet constrained the distribution of orphan galaxies in such models so far. We run a mock cluster finder that mimics the optical cluster finding technique of the redMaPPer algorithm on a catalogue of galaxies with quenched star formation from one such empirical model, the UniverseMachine , and obtain the prevalence of orphan galaxies in these clusters as a function of their cluster-centric distance. We compare the fraction of orphan galaxies with the upper limits derived based on our prior observations of the weak lensing signals around satellite galaxies from SDSS redMaPPer clusters. Although the orphan fraction from the UniverseMachine is marginally consistent with the upper limits in the innermost regions of galaxy clusters spanning |$[0.1, 0.3]\, {h^{-1}\,\rm Mpc}$|⁠ , we observe that the orphan fractions substantially violate the upper limits in the outer regions of galaxy clusters beyond |$0.3\,{h^{-1}\,\rm Mpc}$|⁠. We discuss the reasons, plausible improvements to the model, and how observations can be used to constrain such models further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: An incisional hernia (IH) after major abdominal surgery is an unwanted complication particularly following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS and HIPEC). The frequency of IH among patients treated with CRS and HIPEC remains unexpectedly high in various studies. This study aimed to analyze the incidence, determine the factors contributing to the occurrence of IH, and develop methods to reduce the incidence of IH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from a prospectively maintained structured computerized comprehensive database of 360 patients who had undergone CRS and HIPEC after January 2013 and completed two years of follow-up before December 2023. All patients were followed for a minimum period of two years with physical examination and radiological imaging when required and the occurrence of IH was documented. We used SPSS software version 24 to analyze the data using appropriate statistical tests. We set a significance threshold of p < 0.05. Results: Within two years of undergoing CRS and HIPEC, 25 patients (6.9%) out of 360 developed IH, indicating an annual incidence rate of 3.5%. The mean duration of hospitalization for the CRS/HIPEC procedure was 8.4 ± 4.13 days. Fifty-two (14.4%) patients experienced early post-operative surgical complications. The development of IH in our series was significantly associated with obesity (76% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.001), the occurrence of early post-operative surgical complications (48% vs. 12%, P = 0.001), mainly category III complications (44% vs. 7.1%), category IV complications (24% vs. 2.9%) according to Clavien-Dindo classification, post neoadjuvant chemotherapy status (72% vs. 87%, P = 0.045) and need for bowel anastomosis (32% vs. 11%, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The lower incidence of IH following CRS and HIPEC in our patient cohort than in the literature can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the use of meticulous surgical techniques and the use of an abdominal binder postoperatively, particularly in obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with low ejection fraction undergoing lower abdominal surgeries often require careful management of anesthesia to minimize cardiovascular risks. Epidural anesthesia with local anesthetics such as levobupivacaine or ropivacaine combined with dexmedetomidine has been shown to provide effective analgesia and hemodynamic stability. However, the comparative effects of these two agents in this patient population remain unclear. Materials and methods: A prospective, randomized study was conducted on 100 patients with low ejection fraction undergoing lower abdominal surgeries. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: one receiving epidural levobupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine (Group L) and the other receiving epidural ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine (Group R). Hemodynamic parameters, intraoperative and postoperative analgesic requirements, postoperative pain scores, time to first analgesic request, onset of drug action, and adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: In Group L, intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) was maintained within 20% of baseline values more effectively compared to Group R (p < 0.05). Additionally, patients in Group L required significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption (p < 0.05). Postoperative pain scores were also lower in Group L compared to Group R at various time points (p < 0.05). Time to first analgesic request was significantly longer in Group L compared to Group R (p < 0.05). Levobupivacaine demonstrated a faster onset of action compared to ropivacaine (p < 0.05). Both groups exhibited comparable rates of adverse events. Conclusion: Epidural levobupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine provides superior hemodynamic stability, reduced intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption, better pain control, faster onset of action, and prolonged time to first analgesic request compared to epidural ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing lower abdominal surgeries. Thus, levobupivacaine may be a preferable choice for epidural anesthesia in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

We present the semi-analytical light curve modelling of 13 supernovae associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRB-SNe) along with two relativistic broad-lined (Ic-BL) SNe without GRB association (SNe 2009bb and 2012ap), considering millisecond magnetars as central-engine-based power sources for these events. The bolometric light curves of all 15 SNe in our sample are well-regenerated utilizing a χ2-minimization code, MINIM , and numerous parameters are constrained. The median values of ejecta mass (M ej), magnetar's initial spin period (P i), and magnetic field (B) for GRB-SNe are determined to be ≈5.2 M⊙, 20.5 ms, and 20.1 × 1014 G, respectively. We leverage machine learning (ML) algorithms to comprehensively compare the three-dimensional parameter space encompassing M ej, P i, and B for GRB-SNe determined herein to those of H-deficient superluminous SNe (SLSNe-I), fast blue optical transients (FBOTs), long GRBs (LGRBs), and short GRBs (SGRBs) obtained from the literature. The application of unsupervized ML clustering algorithms on the parameters M ej, P i, and B for GRB-SNe, SLSNe-I, and FBOTs yields a classification accuracy of ∼95 per cent. Extending these methods to classify GRB-SNe, SLSNe-I, LGRBs, and SGRBs based on P i and B values results in an accuracy of ∼84 per cent. Our investigations show that GRB-SNe and relativistic Ic-BL SNe presented in this study occupy different parameter spaces for M ej, P i, and B than those of SLSNe-I, FBOTs, LGRBs, and SGRBs. This indicates that magnetars with different P i and B can give birth to distinct types of transients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The present study illustrates the susceptibility of optimized-quality recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) to supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast slag (GGBS), and mechanically produced recycled fine (M-Fine or MF), in concrete. According to the present research, old interfacial transition zone (OITZ) characteristics may be controlled if RCA is developed in such a way as to reduce mortar adhesion optimally. It may facilitate the penetration of binder particles, strengthening the OITZ even further. A high-quality surface may improve RCA's self-cementing properties, which strengthen the new ITZ (NITZ). The combined effect may yield RCA characteristics equivalent to parent aggregate when interacting with a cement matrix based on SCMs. Substituting the cement with SF (11%), GGBS (14%), and MF (15%) contributes to the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) up to 11.61% via strengthening the OITZ. SF and GGBS further enhance RAC tensile strength in a similar way to how they enhance natural aggregate concrete (NAC) tensile strength. The elastic modulus (MOE), fracture energy, and durability characteristics of RAC with SF and GGBS are significantly improved. RAC with MF (15%) shows compressive and tensile strength comparable to RAC with GGBS (14%) with marginal reductions in flexural strength. In comparison to RAC, RAC with MF has a 2.9% lower MOE. RAC-MF has 1.82% higher fracture energy than RAC. RAC-SF, RAC-GGBS, and RAC-MF have significantly reduced water absorption and water absorption rate (sorptivity) than RAC. There is a strong correlation between the compressive strength of RAC, RAC-SF, RAC-GGBS, and RAC-MF, and their UPV with R2=0.92. The sorptivity and electrical resistivity are also correlated with R2=0.86. SEM images show uniform and dense microstructure and EDS analyses shows Si-rich C-S-H gel formation, resulting in superior mechanical and durability properties in RAC with SCM compared to RAC. Practical Applications: About 20% to 30% of recycled fines (M-Fines) below 150 μm are generated during RCA processing from construction and demolition waste. In addition, M-Fines are also generated during the removal of the mortar attached to the RCA. Thus, M-Fines as by-products of mechanical processing of RCA could be used as cementitious materials. Despite M-Fine's low reactivity compared to SF, it may produce strength and durability characteristics comparable to other conventional supplementary cementitious materials like GGBS. In structural concrete, optimized-quality recycled concrete aggregates with supplementary cementitious materials, including M-Fines, can be used. In this way, it may be possible to promote construction and demolition waste recycling operations. Moreover, the effectiveness of SF and GGBS with RCA, as well as the performance of RAC-MF, may encourage the use of RAC as structural concretes and M-Fines as supplementary cementitious materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

In this paper, we investigate the impact of an external magnetic field on the Weibel instability driven by temperature anisotropy in a magnetized plasma. The study provides the influence of electron temperature anisotropy, considering both cold as well as warm ions. We derive expressions for the growth rate Γ (s−1) in each case to quantify the effect of some specific parameters on the instability. For example, the growth rate is plotted against the magnetic field for three distinct cases: considering only electrons, including cold ions, and incorporating warm ions. It is observed that the growth rate decreases as the applied magnetic field increases. Furthermore, the addition of both cold and warm ions to the plasma significantly influences the observed effects. It can be explained as follows: in the presence of cold ions, the growth rate is decreased with an increase in the wave number kz (cm−1). In addition, a decrease in the growth rate is observed with an increasing wave number in the case of warm ions. Therefore, it can be seen that the Weibel instability, propelled by thermal anisotropy, holds significant implications owing to its prevalence in both astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The findings presented here are expected to contribute to the advancements in magnetic field generation and particle acceleration in various astrophysical phenomena, including gamma-ray bursts, relativistic collisionless shock fronts, radio supernovae, and pulsar winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluates the potential of airborne hyperspectral and space-borne multispectral satellite datasets to determine alpha (α) and beta (β) diversity combining in-situ floristic composition in tropical deciduous forests (TDFs) of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), India. 43 forest plots (each of 0.04 ha) were sampled to record the species diversity in MTR. The very high-resolution AVIRIS-NG hyperspectral images and temporal Sentinel-2 multispectral images were used to extract spectral variables by associating each field plot with corresponding pixels of the satellite images. A high positive correlation of field-based α-diversity (Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′)) with AVIRIS-NG based α-diversity (R2: 0.83 (2016); R2: 0.82 (2018)) was observed compared to Sentinel-2 based α-diversity (R2: 0.50 to 0.63) with high correlation during post-monsoon (R2: 0.63). Principal coordinate analysis of AVIRIS-NG based β-diversity signifies a low diversity (H′: <1.00) in the eastern parts (0.13% of MTR) in contrast to moderate (H′: 1.00 to 2.00; 13.39% of MTR) to high diversity (H′ >2.00; 86.49% of MTR) in the remaining parts of MTR. The study highlights the application of high spectral-spatial AVIRIS-NG images for precise tree diversity mapping and the high temporal-spatial Sentinel-2 satellite images for assessing the phenological variations of the forest species. The integration of high spatial-hyperspectral and temporal multispectral satellite datasets with field-based observations for fine-scale tree species diversity mapping at geographical and temporal scales is the novelty of the study that may effectively contribute in devising effective forest management plans for biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study highlights delineation of the distribution of understorey invasive plant species (IPS) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), Western Ghats, India using very high resolution airborne imaging spectroscopy images by evaluating the performance of a Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA). Lantana camara L. and Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob. have imposed a serious threat to natural ecosystems in MTR by altering the ecosystem processes. The Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) based analysis delineated the distribution of understorey IPS, viz., L. camara and C. odorata in MTR, with an overall accuracy of 87 % (k = 0.84) and 84 % (k = 0.8), respectively, with minimal root-mean-square error (RMSE) of MESMA classification (0.001 to 0.0025). In MTR, both the IPS were distributed in large parts and in association with all dominant canopy tree species barring Eucalyptus species. L. camara was majorly found in the southern parts of central MTR with 'high' to 'very high' presence covering 23.09 % and 11.51 % of the total area of central MTR, respectively, in association with Terminalia anogeissiana Gere & Boatwr. and Tectona grandis L.f. Whereas, C. odorata was dominantly found with high (18.11 % area of central MTR) to very high (11.85 % area of central MTR) intensity in the south and southeastern parts within the vicinity of T. anogeissiana and Terminalia elliptica Willd. The study highlights the utilization of high spectral agility in mapping of understorey IPS through spectral differentiation of the patchy distribution of IPS and its intermixing with other local species may be helpful in ecological restoration, conservation of biodiversity, and provisioning long-term management of ecosystem services in highly invaded tropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic anal fissure is a benign disorder that is associated with considerable discomfort. Lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) remains the gold-standard treatment of chronic anal fissure (CAF). Aim: The present study was conducted to assess outcomes of lateral splinterotomy in chronic anal fissure. Methods: 65 patients underwent lateral splinterotomy in chronic anal fissure of both genders. Patients were recalled regularly and outcome was evaluated. Results: Out of 65 patients, males were 30 and females were 35. common complaints were pain during defecation in 92%, rectal bleeding in 84%, pruritis in 25%, constipation in 48% and perianal discharge in 14%. The common complications were rectal bleeding in 27%, perianal abscess in 4%, perianal hematoma in 3.7% and recurrence of lesion in 1.6%. Pain relief was seen at first week in 65%, at second week in 74%, at fourth week in 82% and at eighth week in 96% patients. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: LIS is the gold standard for the treatment of chronic anal fissure and patients found good pain relief. Common complication found was rectal bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review embarks on a comprehensive exploration into the intricate world of human cardiovascular anatomy, emphasizing the transformative role of modern imaging modalities. It delves into the various complexities and structures of the cardiovascular system, elucidating the challenges and breakthroughs in depicting these details with precision and clarity. The core of this review synthesizes findings from multiple imaging techniques, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) scans, and echocardiography, among others, highlighting their unique contributions and limitations in the study of cardiovascular anatomy. Significant insights from recent research underscore the pivotal role of these technologies in advancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases, anomalies, and the dynamic nature of blood flow and heart structure. The review navigates through a series of case studies and clinical scenarios, illustrating the practical implications and the enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities afforded by these advanced imaging options. It culminates in a discussion of the ethical considerations, challenges, and future directions in cardiovascular imaging, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to harnessing these technologies for better patient outcomes. This review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive perspective on the evolution and current state of cardiovascular imaging, fostering a deeper understanding of the human heart and vascular system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early discharge and shorter hospital stay is popular in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Intolerable post-MIS pain may lead to a significant unnecessary increase in analgesia use, slower recovery, longer hospital stays, and rarely, readmission. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of TAP block using 0.5% Bupivacaine versus oral Gabapentin for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic surgeries. Materials and Methods: In a randomised controlled study, 70 patients of ASA class I and II scheduled for laparoscopic surgeries of age 20 to 60 years were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups of 35 each. Group I was allocated to patients receiving TAP block and Group II to patients receiving oral Gabapentin. Results: Patients in both the groups were comparable with respect to age, gender, ASA Class and type of surgery and did not affect the study result at any time interval of the study. MAP and SPO2 did not show significant difference in both the groups at any time interval of study. Heart rate was significantly higher in group II than the group I which corresponds to the onset of pain that is at 6 hours in group II and 8 hours in Group I. NRS score of >4 was seen earlier (6 hours) in Group II patients as compared to group I patients (8hours). Eighteen out of 35 patients of Group II required rescue analgesia where as in Group I only 9 out of 35 patients required rescue analgesia. Conclusion: TAP block using 0.5% Bupivacaine is more efficacious than 300 mg oral gabapentin for post-operative analgesia in laparoscopic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review embarks on a comprehensive exploration into the intricate world of human cardiovascular anatomy, emphasizing the transformative role of modern imaging modalities. It delves into the various complexities and structures of the cardiovascular system, elucidating the challenges and breakthroughs in depicting these details with precision and clarity. The core of this review synthesizes findings from multiple imaging techniques, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) scans, and echocardiography, among others, highlighting their unique contributions and limitations in the study of cardiovascular anatomy. Significant insights from recent research underscore the pivotal role of these technologies in advancing our understanding of cardiovascular diseases, anomalies, and the dynamic nature of blood flow and heart structure. The review navigates through a series of case studies and clinical scenarios, illustrating the practical implications and the enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities afforded by these advanced imaging options. It culminates in a discussion of the ethical considerations, challenges, and future directions in cardiovascular imaging, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to harnessing these technologies for better patient outcomes. This review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive perspective on the evolution and current state of cardiovascular imaging, fostering a deeper understanding of the human heart and vascular system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Intrathecal adjuvants are used to prolong the duration of block and provide post operative analgesia. Nalbuphine and Buprenorphine are mixed agonist-antagonist opioids which prolongs duration of block with fewer side effects. The study aimed to compare nalbuphine and buprenorphine as intrathecal adjuvant to hyperbaric bupivacaine in lower limb surgeries. Materials and Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double blind study, forty-six patients of ASA class I and II scheduled for lower limb surgery were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups of 23 each to receive 15 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine with either 1 mg nalbuphine (group N) or 60 µg buprenorphine (group B) intrathecally. Results: Patients who received intrathecal buprenorphine (group B) had significantly delayed onset of sensory block compared to patients who received nalbuphine (group N). The time to two segment regression was significantly prolonged in group B (93.91±17.19 minutes) as compared to group N (85.65±9.33 minutes) [P <0.05]. The onset and duration of motor block was comparable among two groups. Duration of spinal analgesia was significantly prolonged in group B (276.96±39.11 minutes) as compared to group N (233.04±31.03 minutes) [P <0.05]. The post operative analgesic requirement was significantly less in group B compared to group N [P <0.05]. Hemodynamic effects and incidence of side effects were comparable among two groups. Conclusion: Intrathecal buprenorphine 60 µg provides good post operative analgesia when used as an adjuvant to 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine in lower limb surgeries as compared to 1 mg nalbuphine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and water poverty are two main challenges of the modern world. Most developing and underdeveloped countries need more efficient electricity-producing sources to overcome the problem of potable water evaporation. At the same time, the traditional way to produce energy/electricity is also responsible for polluting the environment and damaging the ecosystem. Notably, many techniques have been used around the globe, such as a photovoltaic (PV) cooling (active, passive, and combined) process to reduce the working temperature of the PV panels (up to 60 °C) to improve the system efficiency. For floating photovoltaic (FPV), water cooling is mainly responsible for reducing the panel temperature to enhance the production capacity of the PV panels, while the system efficiency can increase up to around 30%. At the same time, due to the water surface covering, the water loss due to evaporation is also minimized, and the water evaporation could be minimized by up to 60% depending on the total area covered by the water surfaces. Therefore, it could be the right choice for generating clean and green energy, with dual positive effects. The first is to improve the efficiency of the PV panels to harness more energy and minimize water evaporation. This review article focuses mainly on various PV and FPV cooling methods and the use and advantages of FPV plants, particularly covering efficiency augmentation and reduction of water evaporation due to the installation of PV systems on the water bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

The present pilot study aims to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of serum HSP90 beta in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients subjected to localized hyperthermia therapy (HT). Serum levels of HSP90 beta were measured by ELISA and its diagnostic and prognostic efficacy was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. HNSCC patients showed significantly (P<0.05) higher serum levels of HSP90 beta (65.6±13.08 ng/ml) compared to Healthy Controls (HC: 23.5±3.8 ng/ml). No significant difference was observed in serum HSP90 beta levels between complete responders (CR) and non-responders (NR) in the chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) cohort. However, in CRT+HT cohort, CR showed significantly (P = 0.02) lower serum HSP90 beta levels at 24 h after HT (25.6±9.04 ng/ml) compared to NR (130.5±34.2 ng/ml). Youden's index values between HNSCC versus HC, CR versus NR (CRT) and CR versus NR (CRT+HT) were found to be 0.47, 0.45 and 0.80, respectively. Thus, alterations in the serum HSP90 beta after HT suggest its potential in prognosis of HT response in HNSCC patients. Elevated levels of HSP90 beta may serve as a promising diagnostic serum bio-marker for HNSCC. However, further validation in larger patient samples is needed for clinical translation of HSP90 beta as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells have evolved their communication methods to sense their microenvironments and send biological signals. In addition to communication using ligands and receptors, cells use diverse channels including gap junctions to communicate with their immediate neighbors. Current approaches, however, cannot effectively capture the influence of various microenvironments. Here, we propose a novel approach to investigate cell neighbor‐dependent gene expression (CellNeighborEX) in spatial transcriptomics (ST) data. To categorize cells based on their microenvironment, CellNeighborEX uses direct cell location or the mixture of transcriptome from multiple cells depending on ST technologies. For each cell type, CellNeighborEX identifies diverse gene sets associated with partnering cell types, providing further insight. We found that cells express different genes depending on their neighboring cell types in various tissues including mouse embryos, brain, and liver cancer. Those genes are associated with critical biological processes such as development or metastases. We further validated that gene expression is induced by neighboring partners via spatial visualization. The neighbor‐dependent gene expression suggests new potential genes involved in cell–cell interactions beyond what ligand‐receptor co‐expression can discover. Synopsis: CellNeighborEX is a computational tool for exploring transcriptomic changes caused by direct cell contact in spatial transcriptomics data. CellNeighborEX provides a new perspective on cellular communication between two adjacent cells.CellNeighborEX identifies neighbor‐dependent genes in spatial transcriptomics data.CellNeighborEX presents new genes potentially involved in cell‐cell interactions, going beyond previous approaches that use ligand‐receptor pairs.Analyses with CellNeighborEX show that niche‐specific gene expression accounts for cellular heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The precipitation characteristics of tropical cyclone (TC) formed over the Arabian Sea during the onset phase of the Indian summer monsoon (i.e., late‐May and early‐June months) and in the post‐monsoon season were investigated during the period from 2014 to 2021 using the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite level 2 V07 data. For the cyclonic precipitation, 2‐D frequency distribution between liquid water content (LWC) and non‐liquid water content, that is, ice water content (IWC) shows significant variation with the rain type and season. A large proportion of rain droplets are within the LWC (IWC) range of 0–800 (0–350) g/m2 for the stratiform precipitation of TCs in both seasons. The average value of the mass‐weighted mean diameter (Dm), for the stratiform and convective precipitation at 2 km above the mean sea level in the monsoon (post‐monsoon) season is 1.29 (1.27) mm and 1.47 (1.31) mm, respectively. A gradual decrease in the normalized intercept parameters (Nw) is found to occur with an increase in Dm, irrespective of cloud type and season. There is an enormously high concentration of supercooled liquid and ice particles observed above the melting layer during the convection precipitation in both seasons. In the stratiform cyclonic cloud, the contribution of the collision‐coalescence and breaking‐up process is about 36.62% (47.58%) and 52.52% (41.52%) during the monsoon (post‐monsoon) season. However, the collision‐coalescence process (63.45% in monsoon and 70.2% in post‐monsoon) is acting as dominating microphysical process in the convective precipitation as compared to the break‐up process. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclone, a natural hazard causing significant economic loss and human life in the coastal region. As there is substantial improvement in forecast skill of the tropical cyclone movement and region of landfall, while prediction of the tropical cyclone's intensity is still challenging. The knowledge about the precipitation characteristics of the cyclonic cloud is helpful to improve the intensity of the tropical cyclone through the parameterization in the numerical models. For this, we study the microphysical characteristics of the tropical cyclone formed in the Arabian Sea. Key Points: The cyclonic rainfall characteristics were investigated over the Arabian Sea using Global Precipitation Measurement‐dual‐frequency precipitation radarTropical cyclone formed during the monsoon onset phase, characterized with high fraction of intense rain rate, strong reflectivity and bigger raindropsThe contribution of collision‐coalescence (break‐up) is significantly high in convective (stratiform) rain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prohibitive costs of commercially available video laryngoscopes often limit the adoption of this technique for routine airway management in economically weak countries. It has not yet been determined whether cost-effective adjustments improve intubation success rates to the required level of competence. Aims and Objectives: To compare a custom-made low-cost Macintosh video laryngoscope with a standard Macintosh laryngoscope (ML). The primary objectives were to compare laryngoscopy time, intubation time, and procedure time. The secondary objectives were to compare Cormack-Lehane grading (CL), rate of successful tracheal intubation, number of attempts for successful intubation, need for backward, upward, and rightwars pressure (BURP), and perceived ease of intubation based on intubation difficulty scale (IDS). Materials and Methods: Forty adults posted for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomized to Group (intubated with a standard ML) and Group (intubated with a custom-made, Macintosh video laryngoscope [CMVL]). Results: The laryngoscopy time was 7.5±2.04 s in Group CMVL and 5.85±1.26 s in Group ML (P=0.0039). The intubation time was 7.95±1.73 s in Group CMVL and 7.75±2.35 s in Group ML (P=0.7615). The procedure time was 15.45±2.96 s in group CMVL and 13.6±2.99 s in group ML (P=0.0571). The Group CMVL had significantly lower laryngoscopy time than Group ML. In terms of IDS, CL grading, number of successful intubation, and BURP required both groups were comparable. Conclusion: Both the laryngoscopes provide more or less similar results concerning all the intubation parameters studied in normal airway scenarios. Thus, emphasizing that the mere presence of a camera alone does not improve the intubation characteristics in normal airway patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) is one of the most important treatable endocrine causes of short stature. A problem anywhere in the Growth Hormone (GH) - Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) axis can lead to short stature. Childhood GH deficiency can be congenital, acquired, or idiopathic. Hereby, the authors present a case series consisting of five cases of short stature, aimed to provide an overview of the spectrum of GH-related disorders. All five patients presented to the Paediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Department of a tertiary care Institute with complaints of not gaining height. The patients in present case series had significant short stature (Z score for height <-3 SD (Standard Deviation) in each case). These patients were suspected of having GH deficiency based on clinical presentation and investigations. After a proper diagnostic work-up and GH stimulation tests, cases 1 to 4 were found to have GH deficiency. The 5th case was suspected of having Laron Syndrome based on high GH levels and low IGF-1. There were subtle differences in the spectrum of GH deficiency. The 1st case had Multiple Pituitary Hormone Deficiency (MPHD). Cases 2 to 4 had Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency (IGHD). Case 2 had findings of pituitary stalk interruption on brain imaging. We found a genetic association in the 3rd case, while the 4th case had almost normal brain imaging. Cases 1 to 4 received GH therapy, and all showed appreciable height gain. These subtle differences can sometimes make the diagnosis difficult, and often a different approach to treatment is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the high-temperature (HT) tensile rupture characteristics of a dissimilar gas-tungsten-arc-welded (GTAW) joint between P92 steel and Alloy 617, fabricated using ER62S-B9 and ERNiCrCoMo-1 fillers. The high-temperature tensile tests were performed at elevated temperatures of 550 °C and 650 °C. An optical microscope (OM) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were utilized to characterize the joint. The high-temperature test results indicated that the specimen failed at the P92 base metal/intercritical heat-affected zone (ICHAZ) rather than the weld metal for the ERNiCrCoMo-1(IN617) filler. This finding confirmed the suitability of the joint for use in the Indian advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) program. The fracture surface morphology and presence of precipitates were analysed using an SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The appearance of the dimples and voids confirmed that both welded fillers underwent ductile–dominant fracture. EDS analysis revealed the presence of Cr-rich M23C6 phases, which was confirmed on the fracture surface of the ER62S-B9 weld (P92-weld). The hardness plot was analysed both in the as-welded condition and after the fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover gas space is an inert isolation layer provided for sodium systems in sodium-cooled fast reactors. During normal reactor operation, sodium aerosols are generated continuously in the cover gas space. Understanding the complex dynamics of the evolution and transport of the aerosol is essential from the perspective of the reactor operation. Such assessments provide vital insights into deposition patterns of aerosols to the components mounted on the roof slab. In the present manuscript, the evolution and transport of aerosol in the cover gas space as well as in roof-slab annular gaps are studied in detail with the help of computational fluid dynamics tool. The present model is validated against the experimental data from the literature. There is good agreement between temperature variation, aerosol number and mass concentration across the cover gas height. Post validation, the study of thermal and aerosol transport in the full-scale reactor cover gas for a medium-sized reference reactor is carried out. It is observed that aerosol sizes greater than ∼31 μm are mostly concentrated near either the sodium pool surface, component wall or near the vessel boundary. It is found that the average mass concentration in the cover gas space is uniform (∼ 29 g/m3). However, the annular regions are found to have a non-uniform distribution of aerosols with heavier particles confined to the lower annular regions in wavy like patterns having the same Count Mean Diameter (CMD) as in the bulk cover gas space. The CMD in the top annular regions is ∼ 2 μm. Copyright © 2023 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that the protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 (PTPN6) negatively regulates insulin signaling, but its impact on hepatic glucose metabolism and systemic glucose control remains poorly understood. Here, we use coimmunoprecipitation assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, in silico methods, and gluconeogenesis assay, and found a new mechanism whereby SHP-1 acts as a coactivator for transcription of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) gene to increase liver gluconeogenesis. SHP-1 is recruited to the regulatory regions of the PCK1 gene and interacts with RNA polymerase II. The recruitment of SHP-1 to chromatin is dependent on its association with the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Loss of SHP-1 as well as STAT5 decrease RNA polymerase II recruitment to the PCK1 promoter and consequently PCK1 mRNA levels leading to blunted gluconeogenesis. This work highlights a novel nuclear role of SHP-1 as a key transcriptional regulator of hepatic gluconeogenesis adding a new mechanism to the repertoire of SHP-1 functions in metabolic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study outlines a method for identifying high-quality recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) obtained after mechanical treatment. In the present approach, the physical and mechanical properties of RCA are considered as quality parameters. As a first step, mechanically treated (Los Angeles) RCA is produced with 28 combinations of charges and drum revolutions. Twenty-eight sets of mechanically treated RCA are produced, each with different physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the 28 sets of RCAs are compared using the performance-based quality optimization approach. The performance index for each set of RCAs is calculated applying a multicriteria decision-making approach named "technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution." This approach considers physical and mechanical properties as a response and the combination of charges and drum revolutions as alternatives to obtain the performance index of alternatives. Based on its performance, the leading rankings RCAs are selected for an experimental study to validate the methodology. As a result of RCA's optimized quality, recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has excellent physical, mechanical, and durability characteristics that agree with natural aggregate concrete (NAC) composed of parent aggregate. The 28- and 91-day compressive strengths of RAC exceed those of NAC by 8.5% and 30.65%, respectively. Flexural strength, split tensile strength, fracture energy, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) values, rapid chloride-ion penetration test values, water absorption, and abrasion resistance are comparable with NAC. The quality optimization approach identifies RCA with superior shape, texture, and elastic properties. An RCA with optimized qualities also strengthens the new interfacial transition zone and old interfacial transition zone as well as RAC's associated properties. The RAC's dynamic modulus of elasticity is superior to the reported values and is 0.95 fractions of NAC. Optimized quality of RCA reduces the sorptivity of RAC compared with the reported values. The RAC may not have equivalent sorptivity to NAC without lowering RCA parts, whether mortar-attached, mortar-covered, or mortar-only type aggregate or applying other treatments that may increase the production cost. This research presents a standard procedure for identifying mechanically treated recycled concrete aggregate with properties (physical properties and mechanical properties) similar to those of the parent aggregate (natural aggregate). The method demonstrated in this study may be adapted to real-life worksite conditions—but not exactly. In Los Angeles abrasion machines, recycled concrete aggregates obtained from a source can be processed by varying drum revolutions and charges. Based on the charges and drum revolutions selected for treatment, treated recycled concrete aggregate can be prepared with different sets of physical and mechanical properties. Based on the present research, the physical and mechanical properties of treated recycled concrete aggregate can be compared between these sets. In this way, recycled concrete aggregates can be produced that resemble their parent aggregates. Using this process, recycled concrete aggregates may be used to replace natural aggregates without compromising the concrete's physical, mechanical, or durability properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on various scientific reports covering topics such as the diversity of trees in India, the potential use of limonin-coated capacitive sensors for COVID detection, the impact of health insurance on maternal healthcare, modifications of hydroxyapatite for supercapacitor electrodes, and the exploration of small chemical molecules to inhibit cholesterol-lowering enzymes.

The capacity of aquifers to store water and the stability of infrastructure can each be adversely influenced by variations in groundwater levels and subsequent land subsidence. Along the south bank of the River Thames, the Battersea neighbourhood of London is renovating a vast 42-acre (over 8 million sq ft) former industrial brownfield site to become host to a community of homes, shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, offices, and over 19 acres of public space. For this renovation, between 2016 and 2020, a significant number of bearing piles and secant wall piles, with diameters ranging from 450 mm to 2000 mm and depths of up to 60 m, were erected inside the Battersea Power Station. Additionally, there was considerable groundwater removal that caused the water level to drop by 2.55 ± 0.4 m/year between 2016 and 2020, as shown by Environment Agency data. The study reported here used Sentinel-1 C-band radar images and the persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR) methodology to analyse the associated land movement for Battersea, London, during this period. The average land subsidence was found to occur at the rate of −6.8 ± 1.6 mm/year, which was attributed to large groundwater withdrawals and underground pile construction for the renovation work. Thus, this study underscores the critical interdependence between civil engineering construction, groundwater management, and land subsidence. It emphasises the need for holistic planning and sustainable development practices to mitigate the adverse effects of construction on groundwater resources and land stability. By considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations, particularly Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), city planners and stakeholders can proactively address these interrelated challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improper disposal of medications and their prolonged presence in the environment damage not only human health but also biological species and ecosystems. Unsafe medicine disposal has been ascribed to a variety of causes. The present study was done with the aim to assess the knowledge attitude and practice regarding safe disposal of medications among medical students A total of 200 MBBS students consented to participate in the study. They received the questionnaire via Google Forms, and the answers were recorded and analysed. Tablets were the least used dosage form, with antibiotics dominating the list of drugs that were unused after their expiration dates. 31% of respondents said that ceasing therapy after a successful outcome was a major factor in the rise of unutilized drugs. 65.5% of those surveyed threw away expired drugs. 96.5% of respondents agreed that there should be a good drug disposal programme. Although there is a lack of accurate information regarding safe disposal methods, the participants had a positive attitude towards learning about good and safe disposal methods. Public education about the right way to dispose of unused medications is essential, and healthcare professionals should inform their patients about both the environmental effects of improper disposal and the proper way to do so. Establishing a take-back programme and looking into incentives for returning unwanted prescriptions to pharmacies are two things that the government and its supporters should do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are heme-containing enzymes that are present in all kingdoms of life and share a structurally homologous, globular protein fold. CYPs utilize structures distal to the heme to recognize and coordinate substrates, while the necessary interactions with redox partner proteins are mediated at the opposite, proximal surface. In the current study, we investigated the functional allostery across the heme for the bacterial enzyme CYP121A1, which utilizes a non-polar distal-to-distal dimer interface for specific binding of its dicyclotyrosine substrate. Fluorine-detected Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (19F-NMR) spectroscopy was combined with site-specific labeling of a distal surface residue (S171C of the FG-loop), one residue of the B-helix (N84C), and two proximal surface residues (T103C and T333C) with a thiol-reactive fluorine label. Adrenodoxin was used as a substitute redox protein and was found to promote a closed arrangement of the FG-loop, similar to the addition of substrate alone. Disruption of the protein–protein interface by mutagenesis of two CYP121 basic surface residues removed the allosteric effect. Moreover, 19F-NMR spectra of the proximal surface indicate that ligand induced allostery modulates the environment at the C-helix but not the meander region of the enzyme. In light of the high degree of structural homology in this family of enzymes, we interpret the findings from this work to represent a conserved allosteric network in CYPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a rare case of non-puerperal uterine inversion in a young female. The patient presented with symptoms of chronic menorrhagia, abdominal pain, and acute urinary retention. The cause of the uterine inversion in this case was idiopathic, making it even more unusual. The diagnosis was confirmed through magnetic resonance imaging, and the treatment involved manual repositioning of the uterus. The article highlights the diagnostic challenges of uterine inversion, particularly in young patients, and emphasizes the importance of early intervention. [Extracted from the article]

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

During the fabrication of scaffolds for bone regeneration, it is difficult to concurrently achieve bioactivity, mechanical performance, and ease of fabrication. Additionally, implant surface functionalization is a topic of intense research to improve bone-to-implant interaction and augment bone repair. Accordingly, this study reports additively manufactured (AM) 45S5 Bioglass scaffolds reinforced with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that were dip-coated with cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs). Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was used as an ink carrier that showed suitable shear thinning behavior. The fabricated scaffolds were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). 45S5 Bioglass reinforcement with CNTs and coating with CNWs led to an increase in the compressive strength from 20.5 to 27 MPa (∼32% enhancement), while the toughness increased from 2.08 to 3.92 MJ/m3 (∼88% enhancement). Additionally, structural analysis based on microcomputed tomography images showed that the AM-fabricated scaffolds exhibited suitable porosity, pore size, pore throat size, and interconnectivity. Moreover, the coating of the scaffold with CNWs increased the surface roughness, which may aid in bone cell attachment on the scaffold surface. Finally, these scaffolds were found to be bioactive, as revealed by in vitro studies in simulated body fluid (SBF). These results show the potential for efficient fabrication of hybrid scaffolds with controlled structure, bioactivity, and required toughness as well as strength for bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

The article presents the discussion on science news briefs. Topics include Kullu–Rohtang Pass lies in the heart of Himachal Pradesh, in the rugged terrain near the PirPanjal Mountain range; and accumulating excess carbon and ammonium on the one hand and reducing dissolved oxygen on the other counter the environmental harm.

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

The phylum of Apicomplexa groups intracellular parasites that employ substrate-dependent gliding motility to invade host cells, egress from the infected cells, and cross biological barriers. The glideosome-associated connector (GAC) is a conserved protein essential to this process. GAC facilitates the association of actin filaments with surface transmembrane adhesins and the efficient transmission of the force generated by myosin translocation of actin to the cell surface substrate. Here, we present the crystal structure of Toxoplasma gondii GAC and reveal a unique, supercoiled armadillo repeat region that adopts a closed ring conformation. Characterisation of the solution properties together with membrane and F-actin binding interfaces suggests that GAC adopts several conformations from closed to open and extended. A multi-conformational model for assembly and regulation of GAC within the glideosome is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Multiple neural tube defects are a rare entity and it also includes anomalies like encephalocele, dermal sinus, myelomeningocele, and spina bifida. These occur due to defective closure of neural tube at multiple sites. There have been isolated cases of coexistence of triple neural tube defect in same subject and only 9 cases have been reported in available world literature. Here, we present a rare case of 7 days old boy with three different NTDs-occipital encephalocele, upper cervical meningocele and lumbar myelomeningocele. Type II Chiari malformation, tethered cord, fenestration of posterior falx, hydrocephalus and syringohydromyelia accompanying the NTDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]