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Background: Although Bangladesh's economy has shown significant improvement over the past two decades, the high population growth rate has hindered development efforts. This study aimed to review the prevalence of different contraceptive methods used among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh, which could help control the population growth rate. Methods: We conducted an extensive literature review and meta-analysis of 82 articles, identifying 20 articles for analysis. The analyses included heterogeneity and publication bias in published papers. Results: The pooled prevalence of various contraceptive methods was as follows: condom use, 7.13%; Female Sterilization, 8.09%; injectables, 12.76%; intrauterine devices (IUDs), 3.76%; male sterilization, 2.34%; periodic abstinence, 6.71%; pills, 33.21%; and withdrawal, 3.27%. Modern contraceptive methods accounted for 62.91% of usage, while traditional methods constituted 8.79%. On average, only 1.95% of women opted for the implant method. The overall prevalence of contraceptive method usage was 59.48%, with 60.59% in urban areas and 54.54% in rural areas. We found statistically significant heterogeneity for all contraceptive methods used by women in Bangladesh. The funnel plot and Egger's test showed no publication bias for any of the contraceptive methods, except condoms (Z = 2.34, P = 0.0194). The contraceptive methods used by women in rural areas also showed publication bias (Z = −3.04, P = 0.0024). Conclusion: A renewed commitment from government bodies and independent organizations is needed to implement and monitor family planning strategies to ensure adherence to and provision of the most appropriate contraceptive method for couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals' mental health that can result in fear of getting COVID-19 infection and depression. As there is no prior study available, we evaluated these mental health outcomes and associated factors among the general population and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Bangladesh. This nationwide cross-sectional study comprised 3388 individuals including 834 HCPs. The measures included socio-demographics, healthcare, and patient-care related information, the Bangla Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Just over one-quarter of the participants were depressed, and was significantly associated with COVID-19 fear. Regression analyses showed that, both in general population and HCPs, depression and fear of COVID-19 were strongly predicted by being female; however, depression was inversely associated with being married. Particularly, among the HCPs, being restless while examining a patient with flu-like symptoms and while examining a patient returning from abroad was found to be significant predictor for both depression and fear of COVID-19. HCPs who were using single protective equipment for a week had greater depression and those who felt insecure due to the pandemic had a high level of COVID-19 fear. The findings identified major psychological impacts among the participants, suggesting the urgent need to promote mental wellbeing in both general population and medical professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a major threat to the world. The preventive strategies designed to minimize the virus transmission by remaining at home, being isolated, and keeping social distance, which would substantially reform people's lifestyle, physical activity, eating habits, etc. Consequently, those measures might create a disturbance in weight management and overweight. Therefore, how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the physical activities of individuals and its impacts on the Body Mass Index (BMI) is explored herein. Methods: An online-based cross-sectional study collected data from 338 Bangladeshi adults in November 2020. The questionnaire included socio-demographics, health-related variables, physical activity-related variables, and diet measurement. Inferential statistics (i.e., chi-square test, McNemar test) were used to measure the associations between BMI and studied variables with a consideration of two scenarios ('before' and 'during' the pandemic inception), where p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Results showed that the prevalence of overweight was 30.5% 'before' the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased to 34.9% 'during' the pandemic; that means 4.4% of the participants significantly gained weight after the pandemic inception. There was no significant role of socio-demographic (e.g., gender, age, current residence, occupation) or physical activity-related factors (e.g., unavailability of outdoor space, not performing regular physical exercise, exercising with a partner) in changing the BMI status after the pandemic inception. However, following a proper diet plan during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed to decrease BMI status significantly. Conclusions: The present study suggests that a minor portion of the participants reported increasing their overweight status after the pandemic inception, whereas having a proper diet plan during the pandemic can significantly decrease BMI status. Therefore, the importance of the appropriate diet plan should be considered while implementing any policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence suggests that circulating resistin levels are altered in colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer (BC). Again, polymorphisms in resistin-encoding gene RETN have been evaluated in CRC and BC. However, there is a scarcity of data establishing the relationship of resistin and RETN polymorphisms (rs1862513 and rs3745367) with these cancers. This study aimed to analyze the relationship of resistin levels and RETN polymorphisms with CRC and BC in a combined meta-analytic approach. After a comprehensive online literature search, screening and eligibility check, 41 articles (31 with resistin level and 10 with RETN polymorphisms) were retrieved for meta-analyses. The mean difference (MD) of resistin was calculated and pooled to investigate the effect sizes with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and the connection of genetic polymorphisms was analyzed with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI. The analysis showed that resistin level is significantly higher in CRC (MD = 3.39) and BC (MD = 3.91) patients. Subgroup analysis in CRC showed significantly higher resistin in serum (MD = 4.61) and plasma (MD = 0.34), and in BC, a significantly elevated resistin level was reported in premenopausal (MD = 7.82) and postmenopausal (MD = 0.37) patients. Again, RETN rs1862513 showed a significantly strong association with CRC (codominant 1—OR 1.24, codominant 2—OR 1.31, dominant model—OR 1.25, and allele model—OR 1.16) and with BC (codominant 2—OR 1.51, codominant 3—OR 1.51, recessive model—OR 1.51, and allele model—OR 1.21). RETN rs3745367 did not show any association with these cancers. Short conclusion: Overall, our analysis indicates that higher circulating resistin levels are associated with an elevated risk of CRC and premenopausal and postmenopausal BC. Besides, rs1862513 in RETN gene is significantly connected with both CRC and BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have shown that cyanobacterial chaperonins have pH-dependent anti-aggregation activity. The pH in cyanobacterial cytosol increases by one pH unit following a shift from darkness to light. In this study, we examined whether other major chaperones such as Hsp90 (HtpG) and Hsp70 (DnaK2) from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 also display pH-dependent activity. Suppressing aggregation of various heat-denatured proteins, especially lactate dehydrogenase, at an equimolar ratio of cyanobacterial Hsp90 to protein substrate was found to be pH-dependent. Hsp90 showed the highest activity at pH 8.5 over the examined pH range of 7.0 to 8.5. pH affected the anti-aggregation activity of DnaK2 in a similar manner to that of Hsp90 in the presence of half equimolar DnaK2 to the protein substrate. The ATPase activity of cyanobacterial Hsp90 was pH-dependent, with a fourfold increase in activity when the pH was raised from 7.0 to 8.5. The ATPase activity of DnaK2 was also regulated by pH in a similar manner. Finally, an increase in pH from 7.0 to 8.5 enhanced activities of both Hsp90 and Hsp70 in protein-folding assistance by two- to threefold. These results suggest that changes in pH may regulate chaperone function during a light–dark cycle in cyanobacterial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to Escherichia coli , cyanobacteria have multiple GroELs, the bacterial homologues of chaperonin/Hsp60. We have shown that cyanobacterial GroELs are mutually distinct and different from E. coli GroEL with which the paradigm for chaperonin structure/function has been established. However, little is known about regulation of cyanobacterial GroELs. This study investigated effect of pH (varied from 7.0 to 8.5) on chaperone activity of GroEL1 and GroEL2 from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 and E. coli GroEL. GroEL1 and GroEL2 showed pH dependency in suppression of aggregation of heat-denatured malate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. They exhibited higher anti-aggregation activity at more alkaline pHs. Escherichia coli GroEL showed a similar pH-dependence in suppressing aggregation of heat-denatured lactate dehydrogenase. No pH dependence was observed in all the GroELs when urea-denatured lactate dehydrogenase was used for anti-aggregation assay, suggesting that the pH-dependence is related to some denatured structures. There was no significant influence of pH on the chaperone activity of all the GroELs to promote refolding of heat-denatured malate dehydrogenase. It is known that pH in cyanobacterial cytoplasm increases by one pH unit following a shift from darkness to light, suggesting that the pH-change modulates chaperone activity of cyanobacterial GroEL1 and GroEL2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight and obesity are considered major public health concerns all over the world. They have the potential to increase the risk of developing non-communicable diseases in reproductive age women, increasing their risk of pregnancy related complications and adverse birth outcome. This study was carried out to identify the trend of prevalence of overweight and obesity, along with their determinants, among reproductive age women (15-49 years) in Nepal. Data were taken from the nationally representative 2006, 2011 and 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHSs). Women were considered to be overweight or obese when their BMI was 23.0-27.5 kg/m2 or ≥27.5 kg/m2, respectively. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed, with significance taken at p<0.05. The prevalences of overweight and obesity both showed rising trends in women of reproductive age in Nepal from 2006 to 2016, particularly among those with no education, only primary education and poor women. The presence of overweight and obesity was found to be significantly associated with the sample women's age, educational status, wealth index, place of residence, ecological zone, developmental region, number of household members, marital status and ethnicity. In 2016 one in every three women of reproductive age in Nepal was either overweight or obese. As overweight and obesity have detrimental effects on women's health, the Government of Nepal, in collaboration with other government and non-government organizations, should take action to halt the rising trends in overweight and obesity in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a high-throughput and cost-effective technique for fabricating nanoscale features. However, the fine tuning of NIL process parameters is critical in achieving defect-free imprints. Currently, there exists no unified material and process design guidelines to deal with the complex set of process parameters. In this research, an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm was developed to predict the imprint quality based on a set of input factors collected from experiments and literature. The prediction accuracy was tested in two stages by the use of three ANN models - General Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN), and Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN). Higher prediction accuracy was observed for GRNN in both stages (1st stage = 58.22% and 2nd stage = 92.37%). A significant increase in the prediction accuracy was observed in the second stage after including additional input factors and larger data set. The average prediction accuracies for GRNN, BPNN, and PNN in the second stage were reported as 92.37%, 84.79%, and 91.19%, respectively. The prediction of the GRNN model was validated with experimental results confirming the accurate classification of all the outputs. This research lays the foundation for the development of an expert system for nanoimprint lithography. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Unified material and process guideline for nanoimprint lithography using artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms. • First stage ANN model with 75 dataset and six input factors provided lower prediction accuracy across all ANN models. • Augmented dataset and input factors in the second stage resulted in a robust ANN model with greater than 90% prediction. • Highest prediction (>92%) for generalized regression neural network as validated with scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simple and effective method to improve over previous approaches to add pseudocapacitance to carbon substrates through deposition of polyoxometalates (POMs) was demonstrated on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). By superimposing layers of different pseudocapacitive polyoxometalates, SiMo12O40 −4 (SiMo12) and PMo12O40 −3 (PMo12), the POMs exhibited continuous overlapped oxidation/reduction reactions and achieved an up to fourfold increase in area specific capacitance when compared with the double layer capacitance of bare MWCNTs. The superimposed SiMo12 and PMo12 layers were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Analyses of the potential/pH relationship provided important insights into the deposition mechanism and suggested that the layer closest to the electrode substrate was dominating in terms of chemistry and kinetics of the coated MWCNT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study inspects correlations among different industries’ intention to tackle supply chain recovery challenges, and the correlations among diverse industries’ desire to use supply chain 4.0 technologies. Primary data for the study have been accumulated through a structured questionnaire to elicit responses from supply chain managers and executives. To examine the obtained data, descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used. There is no significant relation among different industries’ intention to tackle supply chain recovery challenges and to adopt industry 4.0 technologies. However, the Food and Beverage industry showed the highest level of intention to both tackle the impact of supply chain disruption, and adopt industry 4.0 technologies to ensure more resilient supply chain post Covid-19. This study is the very first attempt to identify the intention of different industries to adopt supply chain 4.0 technologies to combat challenges stem from the supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The liver, the most important metabolic organ of the body, performs a wide variety of vital functions. Hepatic cell injury occurs by the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), xenobiotics, and other toxic substances through cytochrome P450-dependent steps resulting from the covalent bond formation with lipoproteins and nucleic acids. Observing the urgent state of hepatotoxic patients worldwide, different medicinal plants and their properties can be explored to combat such free radical damage to the liver. In vivo and in silico studies were designed and conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of Gynura procumbens in rats. Materials and methods: Gynura procumbens leaves were collected and extracted using 70% ethanol. The required chemicals CCl4, standard drug (silymarin), and blood serum analysis kits were stocked. The in vivo tests were performed in 140 healthy Wister albino rats of either sex under well-controlled parameters divided into 14 groups, strictly maintaining Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IEAC) protocols. For the histopathology study, 10% buffered neutral formalin was used for organ preservation. Later the specimens were studied under a fluorescence microscope. In silico molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) studies were performed, and the results were analyzed statistically. Results and discussion: Gynura procumbens partially negate the deleterious effect of carbon tetrachloride on normal weight gain in rats. The elevated level of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine, LDH, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation ranges, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) in CCl4 treated groups were decreased by both standard drug silymarin and G. procumbens leaf extract. We have found significant & highly significant changes statistically for different doses, here p<0.05 & p<0.01, respectively. On the other hand, G. procumbens and silymarin displayed Statistically significant (p<0.05) and high significant(p<0.01) increased levels of HDL, CAT SOD (here p<0.05 & p<0.01 for different doses) when the treatment groups were compared with the disease control group. Because the therapeutic activity imparted by plants and drugs accelerates the movement of the disturbed pathophysiological state toward the healthy state. In the molecular docking analysis, G. procumbens phytoconstituents performed poorly against transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) compared to the control drug silymarin. In contrast, 26 phytoconstituents scored better than the control bezafibrate against peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α). The top scoring compounds for both macromolecules were observed to form stable complexes in the molecular dynamics simulations. Flavonoids and phenolic compounds performed better than other constituents in providing hepatoprotective activity. It can, thus, be inferred that the extract of G. procumbens showed good hepatoprotective properties in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other developing countries, Nepal is currently going through epidemiological transition along with rising burden of Non-communicable Diseases. However, since 2013, no study investigated the prevalence and determinants of hypertension in Nepal involving nationally representative sample. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the current prevalence of hypertension in Nepal and its determinants using the latest nationally representative data obtained from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2016. The NDHS 2016 collected data on hypertension from 13,304 men and women aged 18 years and above from 5,520 urban and 5,970 rural households covering seven administrative provinces and three ecological zones. Participants were considered as hypertensive when their systolic blood pressure was ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure was ≥90 mmHg and/or they reported taking antihypertensive medication. A total of 19.9% study participants were diagnosed as hypertensive of which majority were male (male-24.3%, female-16.9%), ever married (ever married-21.7%, unmarried-6.1%) and residents of urban area (urban-20.9%, rural-18.3%). Hypertension prevalence has shown growing trend with the increase of age. This prevalence was also higher among rich and overweight/obese individuals. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age, male gender, better education, residence at urban area and province 4 and 5 and being overweight/obese were found positive association with having hypertension. When the determinants of hypertension were stratified by sex of the participants, difference was observed in case of age group, education and place of residence. As one out of every five individuals in Nepal are hypertensive, public health initiatives are immediately required for prevention and control of hypertension to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with this progressive disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is considered the most frequent cause of mortality from malignancy among females. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene polymorphisms are highly related to the risk of breast cancer. However, no investigation has been carried out to determine the association of FGFR2 gene polymorphisms in the Bangladeshi population. Based on polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), this study was performed to evaluate the association of FGFR2 (rs1219648, rs2420946, and rs2981582) variants in 446 Bangladeshi women (226 cases and 220 controls). A significant association of the FGFR2 rs1219648 variant with breast malignancy was reported in additive model 1 (aOR = 2.87, p < 0.0001), additive model 2 (aOR = 5.62, p < 0.0001), the dominant model (aOR = 2.87, p < 0.0001), the recessive model (aOR = 4.04, p < 0.0001), and the allelic model (OR = 2.16, p < 0.0001). This investigation also explored the significant association of the rs2981582 variant with the risk of breast cancer in additive model 2 (aOR = 2. 60, p = 0.010), the recessive model (aOR = 2.47, p = 0.006), and the allelic model (OR = 1.39, p = 0.016). However, the FGFR2 rs2420946 polymorphism showed no association with breast cancer except in the overdominant model (aOR = 0.62, p = 0.048). Furthermore, GTT (p < 0.0001) haplotypes showed a correlation with breast cancer risk, and all variants showed strong linkage disequilibrium. Moreover, in silico gene expression analysis showed that the FGFR2 level was upregulated in BC tissues compared to healthy tissues. This study confirms the association of FGFR2 polymorphisms with breast cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (common ice plant), a facultative CAM plant, shifts from C 3 to CAM photosynthesis under salt stress, enhancing water use efficiency. Here we used transcriptomics, proteomics, and targeted metabolomics to profile molecular changes during the diel cycle of C 3 to CAM transition. The results confirmed expected changes associated with CAM photosynthesis, starch biosynthesis and degradation, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Importantly, they yielded new discoveries: 1) Transcripts displayed greater circadian regulation than proteins. 2) Oxidative phosphorylation and inositol methylation may play important roles in initiating the transition. 3) V-type H+-ATPases showed consistent transcriptional regulation, aiding in vacuolar malate uptake. 4) A protein phosphatase 2C, a major component in the ABA signaling pathway, may trigger the C 3 to CAM transition. Our work highlights the potential molecular switches in the C 3 to CAM transition, including the potential role of ABA signaling. The common ice plant is a model facultative CAM plant, and under stress conditions it can shift from C 3 to CAM photosynthesis within a three-day period. However, knowledge about the molecular changes during the transition and the molecular switches enabling the transition is lacking. Multi-omic analyses not only revealed the molecular changes during the transition, but also highlighted the importance of ABA signaling, inositol methylation, V-type H+-ATPase in initiating the shift. The findings may explain physiological changes and nocturnal stomatal opening, and inform future synthetic biology effort in improving crop water use efficiency and stress resilience. [Display omitted] • Multiomics revealed molecular changes during the ice plant C 3 to CAM transition. • V-type H+-ATPase changes correlated with CAM initiation at transcriptional and translational levels. • Nocturnal ABA signaling pathway was inhibited during the C 3 to CAM transition. • Inositol methylation activation and oxidation inhibition may play a role in the CAM transition. • Circadian regulation was mostly at transcriptional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 34 yrs old man of marfan syndrome, visited us with the complaints of palpitation, easy fatigability and chest discomfort for last 1year. He was pointed out to have the aortic root enlargement with severe aortic regurgitation & mild mitral regurgitation by echocardiography and CT angiogram. We excised the aneurysm, implanted a composite graft with prosthetic valve conduit (Bentall operation), directly attached the coronary arteries to the aortic graft, and made the distal anastomosis to the divided aorta. Postoperative course was uneventful. To our knowledge, this is the first successful case of Bentall operation in national Institute of cardiovascular Diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bangladeshi university students are considered to be highly suicide-prone compared to other populations and cohorts. However, no prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a convenience sampling method among a total of 1844 university students between October and November 2019. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, perceived health-related questions, past-year stressful life events, family mental health history, and suicidal behaviors (i.e., SI, SP, and SA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data utilizing SPSS statistical software. Results: The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide plans, and suicide attempts were 13.4%, 6.0%, and 4.4%, respectively. Females reported significantly higher suicidal behavior than males (i.e., 20.6% vs.10.2% SI; 9% vs. 4.6% SP; and 6.4% vs.3.6% SA). Risk factors for SI were being female, year of academic study, residing in an urban area, using psychoactive substances, experiencing both past year physical and mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, experiencing campus ragging (i.e., senior students abusing, humiliating and/or harassing freshers or more junior students), experiencing family mental illness history, and having family suicide attempt history. SP was associated with several factors including being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substance, experiencing both past-year physical and mental illness, and experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events. Risk factors for SA were being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substances, experiencing past-year mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, and having family suicide attempt history. Conclusions: University students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors. The present findings warrant rigorous action and early intervention programs such as counseling and other mental health professional services by university authorities. Longitudinal studies are highly recommended involving countrywide representative samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is accounted as the second-highest cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Numerous preclinical and clinical investigations have consistently highlighted the role of natural polyphenolic compounds against various cancers. A plethora of potential bioactive polyphenolic molecules, primarily flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and stilbenes, have been explored from the natural sources for their chemopreventive and chemoprotective activities. Moreover, combinations of these polyphenols with current chemotherapeutic agents have also demonstrated their strong role against both progression and resistance of malignancies. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a ubiquitously-expressed signaling molecule in almost all body cells. Thousands of literatures have revealed that STAT3 plays significant roles in promoting the cellular proliferation, differentiation, cell cycle progression, metastasis, angiogenesis and immunosuppression as well as chemoresistance through the regulation of its downstream target genes such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cyclin D1, c-Myc and survivin. For its key role in cancer development, researchers considered STAT3 as a major target for cancer therapy that mainly focuses on abrogating the expression (activation or phosphorylation) of STAT3 in tumor cells both directly and indirectly. Polyphenolic molecules have explicated their protective actions in malignant cells via targeting STAT3 both in vitro and in vivo. In this article, we reviewed how polyphenolic compounds as well as their combinations with other chemotherapeutic drugs inhibit cancer cells by targeting STAT3 signaling pathway. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic halide perovskites have rapidly become emerging materials for photovoltaic applications, but a major factor causing instability in perovskite solar cells could be the elemental shift due to oxygen. The present work demonstrates the oxidation states of perovskite layers formed by (i) one-step deposition, (ii) solvent-to-solvent extraction, (iii) hot casting, and (iv) mixed-cation solution processing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to investigate the compositional changes due to oxygen, and the spectra confirm the diffusion of oxygen in the perovskite layer. Mixed-cation perovskites show the most promising results among the four deposition techniques. The best photovoltaic performance is achieved by an SnO2-based mixed-cation perovskite solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 18.75%. A power conversion efficiency of 16.74% is obtained by a TiO2-based mixed-cation perovskite solar cell when the optimum thickness of the TiO2 blocking layer is 60–65 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exfoliation method is a most cost effective method for producing chemically derived-graphene (CDG) yet electronic performance of CDG strongly depends on the lateral and vertical dimensions of graphene especially in regards to the development of macroscopic scale films. This work demonstrates the variation in functionality of Graphene oxide (GO) prepared via Marcano-Tour’s and modified Hummer’s method using two different sized graphite precursors. Reduced GO papers were fabricated using vacuum filtration and examined by Hall probe and Raman spectroscopy to ensure their quality. A correlation between oxidation-controlled GO size with their overall electrical conductivity is explored by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. This study reveals that the modified Hummer’s method suitably preserves basal planes of GO produced from larger GO flakes with less inter-sheet resistance and illustrates the importance of comparing synthetic methods for producing large area high quality graphene related nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt molybdenum disulfide, (CoMoS 2 ) catalysts are evaluated as active electrocatalysts for the production of hydrogen gas in acidic aqueous media. These highly-active hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are obtained from pretreatment of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (ATM) with different amines precursors, and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their surface areas are determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyses. Electrochemical studies indicate that these CoMoS 2 materials exhibit enhanced catalytic performance for hydrogen gas production with overpotentials ranging from 0.127 to 0.144 V, which are significant less than CoMoS 2 synthesized directly from ATM under the same synthetic techniques (0.173 V). These CoMoS 2 catalysts are also stable in the presence of strong acidic media after a considerably long period of time (10 h) for maintaining their efficiencies for hydrogen gas evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis can be an excellent solution for resolving the world's energy and environmental problems. It has a wide range of applications for the decontamination of diverse hazardous pollutants in aqueous media. Technological progress in this research field has been achieved toward the improvement of the solar sensitivity to enhance the efficiency of pollutant decontamination. As a result, various strategies have been introduced to upgrade photocatalytic performance with the modification of prototypical photocatalyst such as doping, dye sensitization, semiconductor coupling, mesoporous supports, single site, and nano-based catalysts. In this review, a brief survey is presented to describe those strategies based on the evaluation made against various pollutants (such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, detergents, and dyes) in aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 23 yrs old young man visited us with the complaints of a pulsatile mass in right groin and a thrill over the medial side of the right thigh which radiate to the hypogastric region for last 3 months following a stab injury on the lateral aspect of right upper thigh. He was diagnosed to have a pseudoaneurysm in common femoral artery and an arteriovenous fistula between common femoral artery and common femoral vein in same region by vascular duplex scanning and CT angiogram. We excised the aneurysm and repaired the arteriovenous fistula tract under epidermal anesthesia. Finally we repaired the severed right Common femoral artery and common femoral vein. Postoperative course was uneventful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short jute fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP)-based partially biodegradable composites (5–30 wt.% fiber) were prepared by extrusion followed by compression molding process. Short jute fibers acted as potential reinforcing agents for PP matrix. Tensile strength, bending strength, tensile modulus, bending modulus, and elongation at break of the composites (20% jute) were found to be 27 MPa, 36 MPa, 0.74 GPa, 2.4 GPa, and 78%, respectively. The prepared composites (20% fiber) were exposed to gamma radiation (2.5–10 kGy). The irradiated (5 kGy) composites (20% jute) gained significantly higher strength and modulus than un-irradiated composites. Six months soil degradation tests revealed that irradiated composites retained much of its mechanical properties than their control counterpart composites. A reaction mechanism was proposed between jute and PP due to irradiation treatment. Surface and interface morphologies of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]