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Introduction: It is well known that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 could enter the human host through the oral cavity. In patients with periodontal disease, there is an increase of Furin, Cathepsin, and CD14+ CD16+ monocytes. The hypothesis stated here sheds light on the regular need of periodontal management to reduce inflammation and the levels of deleterious host enzymes and cytokines, which could pave the way for deadly viral diseases such as COVID-19. The Hypothesis: Patients with periodontal disease are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to elevated levels of Furin and Cathepsin in oral cavity and COVID-19 complications like cytokine storm could occur with increased frequency in patients with periodontal disease due to the significant increase of CD14+ CD16+ monocytes in blood. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: Oral and periodontal examination of patients with mild, moderate, and severe SARS-CoV-2 infection could shed light on the significant role played by periodontal disease in making an individual more prone to get SARS-CoV-2 infection by elevation of Furin and Cathepsin and the elevation of CD14+CD16+ monocytes and proinflammatory cytokines in the blood that could consequently worsen COVID-19 complications like cytokine storm. The blood counts of CD14+CD16+ monocytes need to be assayed in SARS-CoV-2 patients with and without periodontal disease to observe if periodontal disease as a coexisting condition elevates the proportion of CD14 CD16+ monocytes in SARS-CoV-2 patients. In fact, assessment of monocyte subsets in peripheral blood could be used as an immunosurveillance marker in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Hence, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with chronic periodontal disease should be closely monitored for potential signs of a cytokine storm and its related complications.

Abstract The two-detector design of the NOvA neutrino oscillation experiment, in which two functionally identical detectors are exposed to an intense neutrino beam, aids in canceling leading order effects of cross-section uncertainties. However, limited knowledge of neutrino interaction cross sections still gives rise to some of the largest systematic uncertainties in current oscillation measurements. We show contemporary models of neutrino interactions to be discrepant with data from NOvA, consistent with discrepancies seen in other experiments. Adjustments to neutrino interaction models in GENIE are presented, creating an effective model that improves agreement with our data. We also describe systematic uncertainties on these models, including uncertainties on multi-nucleon interactions from a newly developed procedure using NOvA near detector data.

In this work, strategies for the formation of duplex coatings with enhanced bioactivity, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance have been focused. TiO2 arrays were fabricated on Ti alloy were carried out in a single step using suitable electrolyte by anodization method. Here, we have synthesized a novel bioactive material, minerals incorporated Hydroxyapatite (La/Tb-HAP)-chitosan-casein duplex coatings on anodized Ti via electrodeposition method. The fabricated novel composite coatings were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FESEM and EDAX analyses. Also, the mechanical properties of duplex coatings were scrutinized by Dermitron thickness and microhardness tester. The corrosion resistance of the as-developed duplex coatings was studied by electrochemical techniques using Ringers solution as the electrolyte. In addition, the antibacterial activity, cell viability, live and dead staining were executed to substantiate the biocompatibility of TNT/CS-CA@M-HAP duplex coatings. From the overall summary of this work, it is proved that the resultant CS-CA@M-HAP coatings on TNT exhibit excellent bioactivity and improved corrosion resistance over pure Ti and serve as a potential candidate for orthopedic applications.

Biocomposite materials are highly attractive for research and industrial application due to biodegradability, nontoxicity and sustainability. Solid electrolyte membrane derived from biodegradable materials broadens scope of using sustainable polymers and is easily disposable at the end of life cycle. In this study, Pectin (PC) is blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in order to fabricate new class of hybrid nanocomposite followed by addition of sulfonated titanium dioxide (s-TiO2) nanoparticles as inorganic proton conducting material. PVA and PC is in situ cross-linked using dual cross-linker comprising a mixture of sulfosuccinic acid and glutaraldehyde followed by solvent casting. Rheological studies with polymer solutions are conducted to study alignment and disentanglement of polymer chains at molecular level. It is shown that rational design of membrane microstructure with proper arrangement of hydrophobic/hydrophilic domains has been formulated by blending PVA with PC. PC-PVA blends with a flexible polymeric network which is appropriate to disperse rigid s-TiO2 nanoparticles resulting in improved proton conductivity and restricted methanol permeability. With further enriched proton conductivity by the presence of s-TiO2 nanoparticles, fabricated PC-PVA/s-TiO2 hybrid nanocomposite membrane exhibit a peakpower density of 27 mW/cm2 at 70 °C in DMFCs. Keywords: Pectin, Polyelectrolytes, Hydrophobic/hydrophilic domains, Methanol permeation

Targeted drug delivery systems using natural polysaccharide/protein biopolymer for tumor cells are an attractive platform for enriching the therapeutic effects and reducing the side effects of the drug. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and casein (CA) nanogels (NGs) loaded with curcumin (CUR) were prepared by self-assembly method and fabricated with folic acid (FA) and casein using layer-by-layer (LbL) technique for skin cancer drug delivery. The prepared samples were characterized by techniques like zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, TGA and Cryo-SEM. Both the swelling and in vitro drug release was performed in acidic pH (4.5 and 6.8) and physiological pH 7.4. Hemolysis assays demonstrated that the drug carriers are hemocompatible. Confocal microscope studies indicate facilitated uptake of 2-FA/CA/CUR@CMC-CA NGs in MEL-39 melanoma cancer cell line, which in turn result in a higher potential for apoptosis. Compared to pure CUR and CUR@CMC-CA NGs, the 2-FA/CA/CUR@CMC-CA NGs has lower IC50 value and superior cytotoxicity in MEL-39 cells because of folate-receptor mediated endocytosis evaluated by the cellular viability quantification using MTT assay and optical microscope images. Finally from in vitro skin permeation experiments, 2-FA/CA/CUR@CMC-CA NGs showed 3.47 ± 0.03 to 4.15 ± 0.25 μg/ml CUR concentrations at the stratum corneum, epidermal and dermal layers. Overall, our results put forth 2-FA/CA/CUR@CMC-CA NGs as an aspiring candidate to achieve enhanced anticancer effects against melanoma skin cancer. Keywords: Carboxymethyl cellulose, Casein, Folic acid, Curcumin, Nanogels, Skin cancer

Increasing interest in biological activity of natural products outlined the necessity of isolation of bergenin from Peltophorum pterocarpum (P. pterocarpum) flowers. The present investigation comprises isolation of bergenin accompanied by important in vitro antioxidant assays such as DPPH, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging activities, and ferric reducing power. The aim includes DNA protection and cleavage. Bergenin showed 4.47, 13.03, and 8.67% of DPPH, hydroxyl and nitric oxide scavenging activities at 100 µg/ml. It showed less ferric reducing power. The result indicates that bergenin is a mild antioxidant. Bergenin did not protect the DNA but it cleaved the DNA at a low concentration of 10 µg/ml. P. pterocarpum flowers are a cheap source of bergenin and they could be used as a natural antioxidant.

A simple modified soxhlet extractor, double bypasses sidearm soxhlet apparatus (DBSA) was designed and employed for extraction of piperine from Piper nigrum. Total extraction time, time taken for a cycle and yield observed in the double bypass sidearm soxhlet apparatus was compared with the soxhlet apparatus. Extraction time, time taken for an extraction cycle and yield of crude piperine obtained in DBSA were 12 ± 1 h, 8 ± 1.00 min, and 3.90 ± 0.10 g whereas the results obtained in the soxhlet method were 22 ± 1 h, 16 ± 1.00 min, and 3.80 ± 0.18 g, respectively. The results obtained in DBSA have demonstrated that this approach is as efficient as the soxhlet apparatus with drastic reduction of extraction time. On the basis of this result, we propose DBSA as the most efficient method and an alternative to the soxhlet extractor.

The adsorptive removal of Acid Green 25 by Ananas Comosus (L) Activated carbon was investigated in this study. The effects of initial dye concentration, contact time, pH and temperature were studied for the adsorption of Acid Green 25 in batch mode. At 100 mg/L of initial dye concentration the adsorbent removes 182.6 mg/g of dye from solution; it further increases on increasing the temperature. The calculated values of ∆G° indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous, negative ∆H° indicate that the adsorption process is exothermic and the positive value of ∆S° indicates the increase in randomness. The rate of dye adsorption follows pseudo second order model with an r2 value of 0. 999. Standard adsorption isotherms were used to fit the experimental equilibrium data. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin models are appropriate to explain the adsorption phenomenon with good fit.

Arthrocentesis is a minimally invasive technique used in treating various temporomandibular disorders. There are various lavaging agents and intra-articular injections used in arthrocentesis viz., Normal Saline (NS), Ringer's Lactate (RL), Sodium Hyaluronate (SH), Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP), Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) etc. The present review was conducted to compare the published literature about the efficacy of various lavaging agents and intra-articular injections used in arthrocentesis. It was found that NS and RL are currently the best proven agents for Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) lavage. It has been observed that lavage combined with intra-articular injections produces better outcomes than lavage alone. Patients who received treatment with arthrocentesis in conjunction with Hylauronic Acid (HA) injection, displayed faster and more noticeable improvement in their perception of pain and maximal mouth opening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis, and death, develops when motor neurons begin to die. There are few proven treatments for ALS, and because the disease is incurable, the exact cause is unknown, making it a devastating condition. According to recent research, marine algae may contain bioactive substances that can be used to treat ALS. Methods: The comprehensive review of recent publications focused on bioactive compounds extracted from various species of marine algae, including their mechanisms of action against oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis in ALS. The publications were reviewed in scientific journals (ScienceDirect, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and MDPI) and indexed in several databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and so on). Discussion: Compounds derived from marine algae, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, fucoxanthin, and polysaccharides, exhibit potential neuroprotective effects by modulating neuroinflammation and oxidative stress levels. Fucoxanthin, fucosterol, and alginate demonstrated potential in mitigating oxidative damage and inflammation, which are critical factors in the pathogenesis of ALS. Conclusion: Bioactive compounds obtained from marine algae demonstrate considerable potential as therapeutic agents for ALS, owing to their capacity to influence multiple pathways linked to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Further investigation is required to comprehend their mechanisms and medicinal value, as well as develop novel alternative treatments for ALS.

This study examines the serial mediation effect of perceived behavioral control and entrepreneurial attitude (EA) on the relationship between subjective norms (SBN) and entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) of students in higher education institutes in India. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), data were gathered using a structured questionnaire distributed to 134 students from institutes offering entrepreneurship education, employing a cross-sectional research design. The structural equation modeling method, specifically partial least squares (PLS), was employed for data analysis and path modeling. The findings indicate that perceived behavioral control and EA serially mediate the connection between SBN and EIs. Entrepreneurial education (EE) moderated the serial mediation effect among SBN, EA, perceived behavioral control and EA. This study underscores the significance of EE in the experiential learning process of students, aiding them in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. The insights from this research will guide policymakers, higher education institutes and universities in refining the education content and curriculum design. A comprehensive curriculum will be advantageous for prospective entrepreneurs who will participate in future entrepreneurship education. Recognizing the role of knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship education can bolster EIs, subsequently benefiting emerging economies and fostering economic growth through new venture creations.

Introduction: The beginning of exosome biosynthesis is marked by the emergence of the initial endosomes through the inward splitting of the plasma cell membrane. This process is facilitated through the endosomal categorization complex essential for transport, which is also involved in the production of different extracellular vesicles. Exosomes are naturally occurring nanosized vesicles found in all bodily fluids and can be successfully extracted from preserved biological materials, while maintaining their structural integrity. Methods: The articles published recently in high-quality journals (Science Direct, Springer, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and Taylor & Francis) indexed in various indexing sources such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and so on were collected using keywords such as fluid biopsy (FB) exosomes, endosomes, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) treatment, new biomarkers, and treatment. Discussion: In recent years, exosomes have emerged as an exciting option for “FB” that has demonstrated significant potential in the areas of noninvasive medical testing, predictions, as well as tracking responses to therapy for noncommunicable diseases. Nevertheless, specific constraints need to be addressed to expand the application of exosome-based FB as a widely accepted and reliable testing method in typical medical facilities. Conclusion: This review provides a comprehensive overview of our present understanding of exosomes to be an FB method for diagnosing, predicting outcomes, and tracking treatment responses in NCDs. It also discusses the main constraints, innovations in technology, as well as future possibilities of using this application in medical treatment.

In this paper, a machine learning based approach is presented for detection and classification of faults in an induction machine. Five different classification algorithms, namely, support vector machine (SVM), decision tree, random forest, naive Bayes, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), are adopted. The diagnosis of the most common types of faults such as broken bars, interturn fault and outer racing fault are considered. The current signatures under healthy and various faulty conditions are used for training and validating the models. The feature extraction step is implemented with the help of discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Following DWT, the features obtained are fed to the classification algorithms and subsequently the performance of each algorithm with respect to each fault condition is evaluated with appropriate metrics. Finally, a performance comparison is done and the most suitable classifier for reliable diagnosis of each of the fault condition is suggested.

Introduction: Improper antibiotic use triggers outbreaks of hospital-acquired VRE infections. Relevant studies were gathered from Scopus, and PubMed. Over two decades, prevalence of VRE in humans and animals grew from 0.05 % to 99.0 % globally and from 1.0 % to 45.6 % in India. Identifying VRE at the species level helps identify acquired/intrinsic resistance. Results and conclusion: VRE infections, especially bloodstream infections, inflict significant mortality (60-70%-global; 23%-India) and economic burden ($539 million). Linezolid and daptomycin are frequently used without adequate clinical trial evidence. India lacks studies on prevalence, mortality and cost, which needs political will, public-private partnership, and prioritizing public health.

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia (DIT) is a disorder where platelet count declines as an adverse effect of therapeutic drugs. Plant extract of C. papaya Caripill™ is known to elevate platelet count under thrombocytopenic conditions. To evaluate the contribution of supplements with antioxidant potential to treat DIT, the comparative study of Caripill™, vanillic acid L-carnitine effect on platelet count and indices of oxidative stress in a model of rat thrombocytopenia induced through oral administration of hydroxyurea was performed. Wistar rats were grouped into four categories with five animals in each group: control (without any treatment); control + antioxidants; thrombocytopenia; thrombocytopenia + antioxidants. The above-mentioned antioxidants were supplemented orally at 50 mg/kg for 7 days. The level of lipid peroxidation products­, superoxides, protein carbonyls and sulfhydryls, SOD and CAT activity in isolated platelets as oxidative stress markers, and indices of platelets aggregation and ATP secretion as functional markers were used. Vanillic acid was shown to be beneficial, similar to Caripill™, during hydroxyurea-induced thrombocytopenia by maintaining platelet functions, enhancing both the antioxidant capacity of platelets and its number. L-carnitine efficiently up-regulated the enzymatic antioxidants, maintained platelet functions and protected lipids and proteins from oxidation in thrombocytopenic rats, however, it could not improve the platelet count. These findings open new avenues for employing the studied antioxidants as supplements for therapeutic purposes.

Sentiment analysis, which aims to extract information from textual data indicating people's ideas or attitudes about a particular problem, has developed into one of the most exciting study issues in natural language processing (NLP) with the development of social media. Twitter is a social network with an extensive audience that expresses their thoughts and opinions clearly and readily. Due to the prevalence of slang phrases and incorrect spellings in short phrase styles, Twitter data analysis is more challenging than data analysis from other social networks. Automated feature selection still has several limitations, such as higher computing costs that rise with the number of characteristics. Deep learning, which is self-learned and more accurate at processing vast amounts of data, is utilized to overcome these challenges. This paper introduces a conditional generative adversarial network (GAN) for Twitter sentiment analysis, whereas a convolutional neural network (CNN) has been used to extract traits from Twitter data. Compared to existing works, the proposed work has outperformed in accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score. The suggested method is the most accurate, with a classification accuracy of 93.33 %.

Cytochrome P-450-4A1 (CYP4A1) is an [omega]-hydroxylase that catalyzes the metabolism of arachidonic acid to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE). The goal of this study was to determine the vasomotor consequences of vascular overexpression of CYP4AI. Isolated rat gracilis muscle arterioles transfected ex vivo with an expression plasmid containing CYP4A1 cDNA expressed more CYP4A protein than vessels transfected with the control plasmid. In arterioles pressurized to 80 mmHg, the internal diameter of vessels transfected with CYP4A1 cDNA (55 [+ or -] 3 [micro]m) was surpassed (P < 0.05) by that of vessels transfected with control plasmid (97 [+ or -] 4 [micro]m). Treatment with a CYP4A inhibitor (N-methylsulfonyl-12, 12-dibromododec-11-enamide; DDMS) or with an antagonist of 20-HETE actions [20-hydroxyeicosa-6(Z), 15(Z)-dienoic acid; 20-HEDE] elicited robust dilation of arterioles transfected with CYP4A1 cDNA, whereas the treatment had little or no effect in vessels transfected with control plasmid. Examination of the intraluminal pressure-internal diameter relationship revealed that pressure increments over the range of 40-100 mmHg elicited a more intense (P < 0.05) myogenic constrictor response in arterioles transfected with CYP4A1 cDNA than in those with control plasmid. Arterioles transfected with CYP4A1 cDNA also displayed enhanced sensitivity to the constrictor action of phenylephrine. Treatment with DDMS or 20-HEDE greatly attenuated the constrictor responsiveness to both constrictor stimuli in vessels overexpressing CYP4A1, whereas the treatment had much less effect in control vessels. These data suggest that CYP4A1 overexpression promotes constriction of gracilis muscle arterioles by intensifying the responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to constrictor stimuli. This effect of CYP4A1 overexpression appears to be mediated by a CYP4A1 product. myogenic vasoconstriction; 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid; cytochrome P-450 oxygenases; vascular reactivity

Background: Acne scarring commonly seen in young adults causes marked psychological distress. Commonly used procedural treatments for post-acne scarring have limited efficacy. This prospective, randomized study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects offractional CO2 laser, microneedling, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in post-acne scarring. Materials and methods: This are a prospective, descriptive and hospital-based study. Total of 140 cases were enrolled in study carried out for 1 year in the Department of Dermatology at tertiary health centre and medical college with subsequent follow up of up to six months. Prior to the study, an institutional ethical committee clearance was obtained. Patients with acne scars under the groupings of a score > 3 points on Global Acne Scarring Classification Scale were enrolled. Result: Out of 70 patients treated with fractional CO2 laser, 01 patients had satisfactory response i.e. 1.4% improvement in point score, majority of patients had very good response 36 i.e. 51.5% improvement in point score, 26 patients were in the good response category 37.1% improvement in point score) and patients had excellent results. The objective score was calculated for derma roller therapy, and the results indicated that the baseline mean objective score which was 28.99±2.20 was reduced to 18.85±1.85 after the treatment. This difference was found to be highly significant with p value as 0.000. The reduction in the objective scores was found to be 39.69% Conclusion: Fractional Co2 laser resurfacing is more efficacious than micro needling with longer down time interfering with daily activity of patients and mandatory avoidance of sun exposure in post treatment period are the limiting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various factors like physiological and emotional stress, drugs and nutritional deficiencies can result in hair loss. Results of laboratory tests examining the underlying aetiology of hair loss vary in patients. Materials and methods: Fifty-four patients with hair loss (47 females, 7 males) and 55 healthy individuals within the control group (47 females, 8 males) were included in this study. Serum levels of ferritin, folate, vitamin B12, zinc, thyroid stimulating hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were evaluated in all participants retrospectively. Result: A total of 70 patients were studied which included 45 males and 25 females. Out of these mild AA was seen in 15 males and 10 females, moderate AA was found in 30 males and 15 females. We did not get any cases of alopecia totalis (AT), alopecia universalis (AU) or ophiasis. Conclusion: Women with hair loss can benefit from higher ferritin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to listen is critical in the task of language learning. Although listening has the least pedagogical attention, the growing emphasis on communication and language proficiency makes listening skills prominent in the language classroom. This paper aims to analyse the effectiveness of the Blended model to improve teaching listening skills, by instigating a top-down approach through Cognitive Load Theory. The top-down approach aids the students with the background knowledge of the audio with information like context, situation, phrases, etc. The blended model enables the teacher to facilitate students through the technological platform to process their listening input. A questionnaire was adopted for data collection and a semi-structured interview was performed from 60 samples from prefinal year Engineering students selected through purposive sampling techniques and grouped as experimental N = 30 and control N = 30 groups. The experimental group was trained with a top-down approach with the support of LMS. The control group was provided with the same listening material but taught in the conventional method. The purpose of this study is to show the statistically significant impact of employing technology inside the language classroom to teach listening skills. Findings showed that samples in the experimental group could identify the relevant and non-relevant information from the audio, conceptualise the audio content and predict the information beforehand. The difficulties that the students and teachers faced and the remedial measures to overcome them are also discussed.The following objectives were established for the study through mixed methods of enhancing listening skills through Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). • To explore the effect of intervention through a top-down approach with the support of technology (LMS) on enhancing the listening skills of the students. • How the blending of synchronous and asynchronous and a top-down approach develops the predicting skills of the students during the listening comprehension exercises. • To adapt procedures involved in enhancing the self-paced learning efficacy and reducing listening anxiety in ESL learners.

The photoisomerization characteristics of anthrylethylene derivatives were examined. These derivatives were found to undergo wavelength dependent trans to cis photoisomerization from the singlet state with very high efficiency. Cis to trans isomerization was to occur only via triplet sensitization. A quantum chain isomerization process from the singlet excited state is also described.

The organofluorine hexahydropyrimidine derivatives are used in the drug discovery due to its steric nature to hydrogen and its extreme electronegativity. The Ethyl 5-hydroxy-2-thioxo-4-(p-tolyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate (ETP5C) compound was synthesized and characterized by NMR (13C and 1H), FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopic techniques for experimentally and theoretically and elemental analyses, mass spectra also investigated. The most stable structure of synthesized molecule was studied by PES analysis in gas and liquid medium. The structural parameters such as bond length and bond angle of the title molecule have been obtained by DFT/B3LYP/6–311++G (d,p) set and compared with the structurally related experimental data of the compounds. The π-to-π* transition of the ETP5C molecule is identified using UV–Vis absorption spectral analysis. In addition, the chemical stability and reactivity are investigated using HOMO-LUMO analysis. The minimal HOMO-LUMO energy gap (4.6255 eV) clearly explains that the ETP5C molecule is more reactive for receptors. The nucleophilic and electrophilic regions such as active sites have been shown by MEP, ELF, LOL and Fukui functions. The second order optical effect has been explained by NLO analysis. The docking was performed with antineoplastic proteins that exhibit against the development of tumor cells.

This article focuses on a class of fourth-order singularly perturbed convection diffusion equations (SPCDE) with integral boundary conditions (IBC). A numerical method based on a finite difference scheme using Shishkin mesh is presented. The proposed method is close to the first-order convergent. The discrete norm yields an error estimate and theoretical estimations are tested by numerical experiments.

Abstract Recent studies have shown that the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) associates with immunosuppression, and that targeting the ECM can improve immune infiltration and responsiveness to immunotherapy. A question that remains unresolved is whether the ECM directly educates the immune phenotypes seen in tumors. Here, we identify a tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) population associated with poor prognosis, interruption of the cancer immunity cycle, and tumor ECM composition. To investigate whether the ECM was capable of generating this TAM phenotype, we developed a decellularized tissue model that retains the native ECM architecture and composition. Macrophages cultured on decellularized ovarian metastasis shared transcriptional profiles with the TAMs found in human tissue. ECM-educated macrophages have a tissue-remodeling and immunoregulatory phenotype, inducing altered T cell marker expression and proliferation. We conclude that the tumor ECM directly educates this macrophage population found in cancer tissues. Therefore, current and emerging cancer therapies that target the tumor ECM may be tailored to improve macrophage phenotype and their downstream regulation of immunity.

Introduction: It is well known that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 could enter the human host through the oral cavity. In patients with periodontal disease, there is an increase of Furin, Cathepsin, and CD14+ CD16+ monocytes. The hypothesis stated here sheds light on the regular need of periodontal management to reduce inflammation and the levels of deleterious host enzymes and cytokines, which could pave the way for deadly viral diseases such as COVID-19. The Hypothesis: Patients with periodontal disease are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to elevated levels of Furin and Cathepsin in oral cavity and COVID-19 complications like cytokine storm could occur with increased frequency in patients with periodontal disease due to the significant increase of CD14+ CD16+ monocytes in blood. Evaluation of the Hypothesis: Oral and periodontal examination of patients with mild, moderate, and severe SARS-CoV-2 infection could shed light on the significant role played by periodontal disease in making an individual more prone to get SARS-CoV-2 infection by elevation of Furin and Cathepsin and the elevation of CD14+CD16+ monocytes and proinflammatory cytokines in the blood that could consequently worsen COVID-19 complications like cytokine storm. The blood counts of CD14+CD16+ monocytes need to be assayed in SARS-CoV-2 patients with and without periodontal disease to observe if periodontal disease as a coexisting condition elevates the proportion of CD14 CD16 + monocytes in SARS-CoV-2 patients. In fact, assessment of monocyte subsets in peripheral blood could be used as an immunosurveillance marker in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Hence, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with chronic periodontal disease should be closely monitored for potential signs of a cytokine storm and its related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the workload and lack of a critical mass of trained operational researchers within their ranks, health systems and programmes may not be able to dedicate sufficient time to conducting operational research (OR). Hence, they may need the technical support of operational researchers from research/academic organisations. Additionally, there is a knowledge gap regarding implementing differentiated tuberculosis (TB) care in programme settings. In this ‘how we did it’ paper, we share our experience of implementing a differentiated TB care model along with an inbuilt OR component in Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. This was a health system initiative through a collaboration of the State TB cell with the Indian Council of Medical Research institutes and the World Health Organisation country office in India. The learnings are in the form of eleven tips: four broad principles (OR on priority areas and make it a health system initiative, implement simple and holistic ideas, embed OR within routine programme settings, aim for long-term engagement), four related to strategic planning (big team of investigators, joint leadership, decentralised decision-making, working in advance) and three about implementation planning (conducting pilots, smart use of e-tools and operational research publications at frequent intervals). These may act as a guide for other Indian states, high TB burden countries that want to implement differentiated care, and for operational researchers in providing technical assistance for strengthening implementation and conducting OR in health systems and programmes (TB or other health programmes). Following these tips may increase the chances of i) an enriching engagement, ii) policy/practice change, and iii) sustainable implementation.

Important topics in land–atmosphere (L–A) feedback research are water and energy balances and heterogeneities of fluxes at the land surface and in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). To target these questions, the Land–Atmosphere Feedback Observatory (LAFO) has been installed in southwestern Germany. The instrumentation allows comprehensive and high-resolution measurements from the bedrock to the lower free troposphere. Grouped into three components, atmosphere, soil and land surface, and vegetation, the LAFO observation strategy aims for simultaneous measurements in all three compartments. For this purpose the LAFO sensor synergy contains lidar systems to measure the atmospheric key variables of humidity, temperature and wind. At the land surface, eddy covariance stations are operated to record the energy distribution of radiation, sensible, latent and ground heat fluxes. Together with a water and temperature sensor network, the soil water content and temperature are monitored in the agricultural investigation area. As for vegetation, crop height, leaf area index and phenological growth stage values are registered. The observations in LAFO are organized into operational measurements and intensive observation periods (IOPs). Operational measurements aim for long time series datasets to investigate statistics, and we present as an example the correlation between mixing layer height and surface fluxes. The potential of IOPs is demonstrated with a 24 h case study using dynamic and thermodynamic profiles with lidar and a surface layer observation that uses the scanning differential absorption lidar to relate atmospheric humidity patterns to soil water structures. Both IOPs and long-term observations will provide new insight into exchange processes and their statistics for improving the representation of L–A feedbacks in climate and numerical weather prediction models. The lidar component in particular will support the investigation of coupling to the atmosphere.

Local pulse wave velocity (PWV) is evolving as one of the important determinants of arterial hemodynamics, localized vessel stiffening associated with several pathologies, and a host of other cardiovascular events. Although PWV was introduced over a century ago, only in recent decades, due to various technological advancements, has emphasis been directed toward its measurement from a single arterial section or from piecewise segments of a target arterial section. This emerging worldwide trend in the exploration of instrumental solutions for local PWV measurement has produced several invasive and noninvasive methods. As of yet, however, a univocal opinion on the ideal measurement method has not emerged. Neither have there been extensive comparative studies on the accuracy of the available methods. Recognizing this reality, makes apparent the need to establish guideline-recommended standards for the measurement methods and reference values, without which clinical application cannot be pursued. This paper enumerates all major local PWV measurement methods while pinpointing their salient methodological considerations and emphasizing the necessity of global standardization. Further, a summary of the advancements in measuring modalities and clinical applications is provided. Additionally, a detailed discussion on the minimally explored concept of incremental local PWV is presented along with suggestions of future research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria control gene expression by quorum sensing (QS) mechanism owing to producing small signal molecules associated with population density. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria use QS to manage various physiological characteristics, including bioluminescence, virulence gene expression, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance. Impatience balsamina is a flowering, perennial and annual herb indigenous to southern Asia in India. All parts of Impatience balsamina have a therapeutic effect on different diseases. This study evaluated the anti-quorum sensing activity of leaf extract of Impatience balsamina by examining its action on Violacein production by Chromobacterium violaceum, a biosensor strain, and Biofilm, Pyocyanin, Protease, and Chitinase production by the reference strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA 01. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA 01was 3.125mg/ml. A concentration of 1.563mg/ml (sub-MIC) showed inhibition of 100% on Las A protease, 78.42% on chitinase, 30.75% on biofilm, and 93.33% on pyocyanin production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA 01. This article displayed the quorum quenching activity of Impatience balsamina by hindering the quorum-sensing controlled characteristics of bacteria without killing it, which reduces the proneness of drug resistance in bacteria, a globally accepted emerging problem in the medical field.

Dilated and dysfunctional gut lymphatic vessels (LVs) have been reported in experimental cirrhosis. Here, we studied LVs in duodenal (D2)-biopsies of liver cirrhosis patients and investigated the prognostic role of a LV marker, podoplanin (PDPN), in predicting the mortality of patients with cirrhosis. A prospective, single-center cohort study was performed in liver cirrhosis patients (n = 31) and matched healthy controls (n = 9). D2-biopsies were obtained during endoscopy procedure, immunostained with PDPN, and scored based on 1) intensity and 2) density of positively-stained LVs per high power field. Gut and systemic inflammation were estimated by quantifying duodenal CD3+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), CD68+ macrophages, and serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels, respectively. Gut permeability and inflammation as assessed by quantifying gene expression of TJP1, OCLN, TNF-α, and IL-6 in D2-biopsies. Gene expression of LV markers, PDPN (8-fold), and LYVE1 (3-fold) was enhanced in D2-biopsies of cirrhosis patients compared to control (p < 0.0001). The mean PDPN score in decompensated cirrhosis patients (6.91 ± 1.26, p < 0.0001) was significantly increased as compared to those with compensated (3.25 ± 1.60). PDPN score positively and significantly correlated with the number of IELs (r = 0.33), serum TNF-α (r = 0.35), and IL-6 (r = 0.48) levels, while inversely correlated with TJP1 expression (r = -0.46, p < 0.05 each). In Cox regression, the PDPN score was a significant and independent 3-month-mortality predictor in patients (HR: 5.61; 1.08-29.109; p = 0.04). The area under the curve for the PDPN score was 84.2, and cutoff value for predicting mortality was ≥6.5 with 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity. Collectively, dilated LVs with high PDPN expression in D2-biopsies is a characteristic feature of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. PDPN score correlates with enhanced gut and systemic inflammation and also associates with 3-month mortality in cirrhosis.

Background: Tuberculosis is one of the most common opportunistic infections among people with HIV infection. Detection of pulmonary tuberculosis by sputum-based techniques includes microscopy and culture. However, in people living with HIV, sputum production is scanty and also the sputum contains less number of bacilli due to fewer cavitations, thereby decreasing the sensitivity and specificity of sputum microscopy as a diagnostic tool. Aim of the study: In this study, we assess the usefulness of CBNAAT in the early detection of pulmonary tuberculosis and its incidence by using CBNAAT in smear-negative HIV patients using mycobacterial culture in Lowenstein Jensen medium as Gold Standard. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital. Data were collected from 150 HIV infected patients who tested sputum smear negative. Sputum samples were then sent for CBNAAT and sputum culture for mycobacteria. Results: Of the 150 patients enrolled, 28(18.66%) of them were detected with MTB by CBNAAT; whereas sputum culture could detect 38(25.33%) of them. Thus, compared to sputum smear, CBNAAT increases TB detection by 18.66% and sputum culture increases by 25.33%. The sensitivity of CBNAAT in our study was 73.68% and the incidence of smear-negative pulmonary TB in the study population by using CBNAAT was 18.66%. Conclusion: CBNAAT is a highly sensitive and diagnostic stool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB and it is of immense help in the early diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary TB in HIV infected patients. Therefore, CBNAAT should be used as the initial test in HIV infected patients suspected with pulmonary TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The induction of plant growth promoting microbiomes (PGPM) in agricultural and horticultural field crops considered an environmental friendly biofertilizers, an alternative to chemical fertilization. The PGPM in extreme environments are halophiles, acidophiles, thermophiles, psycrophiles and metal resistant microorganisms are mainly inoculated onto seeds, roots and soil. PGPEM improve plant growth by enhancing the availability of nutrients, the regulation of phytohormones, and by increasing plant tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. These PGPM colonize the rhizosphere of plants inducing the accumulation of osmolytes, antioxidants, upregulation or down regulation of stress responsive genes and alteration in root morphology in acquisition of tolerance under adverse environmental conditions. The PGPM have been reported from all three domain archaea, bacteria and eukarya of different groups such as Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, Bacteroidetes, Basidiomycota, Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The microbes possess the diverse plant growth promoting features and these efficient and potential microbes may be applied as biofertilizers for crops improvements and soil health for sustainable agriculture. In order to survive under the biotic and abiotic stress conditions, these PGPM, have developed adaptive features which permits them to grow optimally under one or more environmental extremes, while poly-extremophiles grow optimally under multiple conditions. In this chapter compile the research progress in PGPM will promise on the development of molecular approaches to increase our knowledge of PGPM and to achieve an integrated management of plant growth promoting extremophiles.

Antibiotic resistance is a universal problem in bacterial infections. Hence it gives high priority for new therapeutic methods to alternate conventional antibiotic treatment. Pigment production is one of the virulence characteristics of bacteria regulated by a quorum-sensing mechanism. Antiquorum sensing activities will not directly affect the viability of bacteria; however, they will reduce the pathogenicity of bacteria. Thereby it gives an adverse probability of the development of drug resistance. Aim of our study is to evaluate the activity of (+) usnic acid on pigment production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2453, Chromobacterium violaceum MTCC 2656 and Serratia marcescens MTCC 8708. (+) usnic acid eluted by column chromatography. Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was used as the solvent for (+) usnic acid. Antibacterial activity determined by Agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Effect on pigment production was assessed by spectroscopy. (+) usnic acid showed accumulative inhibition as its concentration increases on pigment production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2453, Chromobacterium violaceum MTCC 2656 and Serratia marcescens MTCC 8708. The lowest concentrations of (+) usnic acid manifested 50% inhibition of pigment production was 122.67, 87.73 and 205.26 µg/ml respectively on above mentioned order in bacteria. The concentration of (+) usnic acid that showed pigment production inhibition did not hinder the growth of the bacteria, but it can reduce the virulence of the bacteria. This property can be used to resolve the drug resistance in bacteria. Further studies are required to check the action of (+) usnic acid on other virulence factors of the bacteria to prove the quorum quenching activity.

Iodine incorporated titania aerogel nanocomposites were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The nanocomposites were obtained by varying the concentration of iodine as 0, 5, 10, and 20% with respect to the weight percentage of titania. All the synthesized nanocomposites retained the crystallinity and anatase phase, confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. High-resolution scanning electron microscope images of nanocomposites showed the porous structure with agglomeration by increasing the concentration of iodine. The energy dispersive spectrum revealed the entry of the iodine into the titania aerogel. The absorption edge of the nanocomposites from the UV–Visible spectroscopy showed the red-shifted and thereby reducing the band gap with increasing iodine concentration. The photovoltaic performance of the synthesized iodine-incorporated titania aerogel nanocomposites was performed using as photoanode in the quasi-solid dye-sensitized solar cell and found that the efficiency is increasing with increasing iodine in titania aerogel. The photostability and reproducibility of the device were greater than the pristine aerogel.

The global demand of electrical power has increased enormously due to various reasons such as fast-changing and challenging technologies, climatic change, economic growth, and lifestyle of mankind. Due to global warming issues and the depletion of conventional sources of power generation, the utilization of renewable energy sources has drastically increased. So, many challenges exist in integrating the microgrid with AC grid and load. The alternative arm converter (AAC) is among the most innovative converter topologies used in high voltage direct current (HVDC) applications. This research work presents a new control strategy to generate pulses to trigger the switches in the AAC in a proper sequence to obtain a smooth output waveform. The AAC output is controlled by implementing various controllers such as the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, fractional order PID (FOPID) controller, and FOPID controller tuned by metaheuristic algorithm-bacterial foraging optimization technique (BFOT). Also, a comparative analysis is performed based on the spectral analysis of the output voltage obtained. In comparison to other controllers, the FOPID controller optimized by the bacterial foraging optimization technique (BFOT) produced the least total harmonic distortion (THD) of the AAC output voltage. In addition, this paper also discusses about the performance and analysis on the design of an energy management system (EMS) to optimally utilize the energy sources such as PV system, wind system, and battery based on their availability which feed the AAC. The energy management system controls the entire integrated system in association with an integrated CUK-SEPIC converter to fulfil the load demand at the point of common coupling, either from the microgrid or the AC grid. A nine-level AAC model is designed integrating the microgrid, grid, and industrial loads with an energy management system using MATLAB/Simulink. The performance parameters of the entire model are analysed at every stage to provide stabilized output to meet the load demand.

In the literature, a considerable number of image processing and evaluation procedures are proposed and implemented in various domains due to their practical importance. Thresholding is one of the pre-processing techniques, widely implemented to enhance the information in a class of gray/RGB class pictures. The thresholding helps to enhance the image by grouping the similar pixels based on the chosen thresholds. In this research, an entropy assisted threshold is implemented for the benchmark RGB images. The aim of this work is to examine the thresholding performance of well-known entropy functions, such as Kapur’s and Tsallis for a chosen image threshold. This work employs a Moth-Flame-Optimization (MFO) algorithm to support the automatic identification of the finest threshold (Th) on the benchmark RGB image for a chosen threshold value (Th=2,3,4,5). After getting the threshold image, a comparison is performed against its original picture and the necessary Picture-Quality-Values (PQV) is computed to confirm the merit of the proposed work. The experimental investigation is demonstrated using benchmark images with various dimensions and the outcome of this study confirms that the MFO helps to get a satisfactory result compared to the other heuristic algorithms considered in this study.

Heart disease is an emerging health issue in the medical field, according to WHO every year around 10 billion people are affected with heart abnormalities. Arteries in the heart generate oxygenated blood to all body parts, however sometimes blood vessels become clogged or restrained due to cardiac issues. Past heart diagnosis applications are outdated and suffer from poor performance. Therefore, an intelligent heart disease diagnosis application design is required. In this research work, internet of things (IoT) sensor data with a deep learning-based heart diagnosis application is designed. The heart disease IoT sensor data is collected from the University of California Irvine machine learning repository free open-source dataset which is useful for training the deep graph convolutional network (DG_ConvoNet) deep learning network. The testing data has been collected from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; it is a collection of 350 real-time clinical instances from heart patients through IoT sensors. The K-means technique is employed to remove noise in sensor data and clustered the unstructured data. The features are extracted to employ Linear Quadratic Discriminant Analysis. DG_ConvoNet is a deep learning process to classify and predict heart diseases. The diagnostic application achieves an accuracy of 96%, sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 73%, precision of 90%, F-Score of 79%, and area under the ROC curve of 75% implementing the proposed model.

Titanium oxides have been considered potential electrode materials for pseudocapacitors because of their exceptional properties, such as high thermal and chemical stabilities, ready availability and low cost. However, they are not ideal for practical applications due to their poor ionic and electrical conductivity. The electrochemical performance of TiO2 can be greatly improved if the material is nanotextured by reducing the particle size in optimizing the synthesis pathway. Actually, for metallic oxides, the electrochemical performance significantly depends on the particle size/morphology. At relatively low current densities the higher capacity values are exhibited by noncrystalline TiO2 having 2 nm particle size, with values reaching 704 C g−1. However, only thin electrodes are able to operate at a high charge density, limiting the energy density of the final device. Here, we propose a solution to circumvent such a drawback by further nanotexturing TiO2 over multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). For that purpose, CNTs were introduced during oxide preparation. The synthesis protocol has been optimized for obtaining a uniform coverage of small TiO2 particles on the surface of the CNTs. At low current densities, high mass loading TiO2/CNT composites electrodes are able to deliver capacitances as high as 480 F g−1 and the presence of CNTs allows keeping 70% of the capacitance at high current densities while only 27% is retained when using a regular conductivity agent as carbon black. The results demonstrate that uniform nanotexturation of TiO2 over CNTs allows good rate capabilities to be obtained for thick electrodes having sufficient active material loading to achieve high specific energy and power densities.

Food processing technologies for food preservation have been in constant development over a few decades in order to meet current consumer’s demands. Healthy competitive improvements are observed in both thermal and non-thermal food processing technology since past two decades due to technical revolution. Among these novel technologies, pulsed electric field food processing technology has shown to be a potential non-thermal treatment capable of preserving liquid foods. The high-voltage pulse generators specifically find their applications in pulsed electric field technology. So, this paper proposes a new structure of a high-voltage pulse generator with a cascaded boost converter topology. The choice of a cascaded boost converter helps in selecting low DC input voltage and hence the size and space requirement of the high-voltage pulse generator is minimized. The proposed circuit is capable of producing high-voltage pulses with flexibility of an adjusting duty ratio and frequency. The designed circuit generates a maximum peak voltage of 1 kV in the frequency range of 7.5–20 kHz and the pulse width range of 0.8–1.8 μs. Also, the impedance matching between the cascaded boost converter and the high-voltage pulse generator is found simple without further additional components. The efficiency can be improved in the circuit by avoiding low frequency transformers.

Background: The supraclavicular approach to brachial plexus block is a commonly employed regional anesthesia technique for providing surgical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia for patients undergoing upper limb fractures. With ultrasound (US) guidance, the success rate of the block is increased, and complications like pneumothorax and vascular puncture are minimized. The block can be performed using single injection at the corner pocket or double injection, that is, half of the drug at the corner pocket and the remaining half at the cluster of brachial plexus divisions. Methods: After institutional ethics committee approval, we randomized 40 patients scheduled with fractures for elective upper extremity surgery under US-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Twenty patients received 30 mL of local anesthetic at the corner pocket (group SI), and 20 patients received 30 mL of local anesthetic using the dual-injection technique in divided doses (group DI). Demographic data, time to block performance, time to sensory and motor block, total anesthesia-related time (TART), block success, and failure were compared between both groups. Results: The demographic data were comparable between both groups. The DI group had a significantly faster onset than the SI group (p = 0.0172). There was a statistically significant lesser performance time in group SI than in group DI (p < 0.034). The sensory and motor block achieved was comparable between both groups. Conclusion: The success rates in both the SI and DI techniques are comparable. The DI technique results in a faster onset and hence a shorter TART; however, it may not be clinically relevant.

This paper discusses the identification, mechanism and causes for the rough surface defect on the sand castings. In foundries raw materials are transformed into finished casting using many intermediate processes like pattern making, moulding, core making, melting and fettling. It is very difficult to control all these processes due to the involvement of lot of people and materials. It is always a challenging task for the foundrymen to produce quality castings with good surface finish consistently. Generally rough surface on casting may occur due to a single cause or a combination of causes. Hence, identification and finding the root causes for rough surface defect are important to prevent its occurrence further. The possible causes for rough surface defect involving the foundry tools and processes are presented as cause and effect diagrams. The main outcome of this paper is to investigate the significant factors causing this defect and to prevent it on the castings.

We present a performance enhancement evaluation of n + doped graded InGaN drain/source region-based HfO2/InAlN/AlN/GaN/AlN on SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MOS-HEMTs) with a T-shaped gate. Impact on the device characteristics with the inclusion of a HfO2 surface passivation layer and an AlN buffer layer in the MOS-HEMT structure as a performance booster has been analyzed for the HEMT device with 30 nm gate length using Silvaco ATLAS TCAD. The proposed MOS-HEMT exhibits an outstanding performance, with an enhanced power gain cut-off frequency (fmax) of 366 GHz, a current gain cut-off frequency (ft) of 426 GHz, and a off-state breakdown voltage (Vbr) of 81 V. The high-k (high permittivity) HfO2 based metal oxide semiconductor HEMT device experiences a low off-state gate leakage current (Ig ~ 10−11A/mm) and a high Ion/Ioff ratio of 109. The InAlN/GaN/AlN heterostructures demonstrate improved two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG ~ 5.3 × 1013 cm−2), carrier mobility (μ) of 1256 Cm2/V-s and drain current density of (Ids) 2.7 A/mm. A large signal analysis performed at 30 GHz yielded a maximum of 28% power-added efficiency. The high JFoM of 34.506 THz V (Johnson Figure of Merit = ft × Vbr) and (ft.fmax)1/2 of 394.86 GHz indicate the potential applicability of the HfO2/InAlN/GaN MOS-HEMTs in high-frequency and high-power applications.