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Coal is the cheapest source of energy. It is much cheaper than nuclear and petroleum. However, spontaneous combustion is inherent in coal seams that lead to fires at their place of storage. Therefore, early detection is required to ensure safety. This article aims to develop an intelligent system for the classification of coal seams based on their spontaneous heating on the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. It utilizes an artificial intelligence (AI) approach by utilizing a two-stage neural network architecture to render an accurate and robust categorization of coal samples. Three commonly available proximate analysis parameters of the coal samples have been used as input to this system. These inherent parameters are found to be sufficient to classify coal samples into different categories according to their combustion susceptibility. Three publicly available datasets are involved in the assessment purpose. Our proposed method has outperformed previous approaches. The coal seams classification results agree with the real field experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, we study a UAV‐based fog or edge computing network in which UAVs and fog/edge nodes work together intelligently to provide numerous benefits in reduced latency, data offloading, storage, coverage, high throughput, fast computation, and rapid responses. In an existing UAV‐based computing network, the users send continuous requests to offload their data from the ground users to UAV–fog nodes and vice versa, which causes high congestion in the whole network. However, the UAV‐based networks for real‐time applications require low‐latency networks during the offloading of large volumes of data. Thus, the QoS is compromised in such networks when communicating in real‐time emergencies. To handle this problem, we aim to minimize the latency during offloading large amounts of data, take less computing time, and provide better throughput. First, this paper proposed the four‐tier architecture of the UAVs–fog collaborative network in which local UAVs and UAV–fog nodes do smart task offloading with low latency. In this network, the UAVs act as a fog server to compute data with the collaboration of local UAVs and offload their data efficiently to the ground devices. Next, we considered the Q‐learning Markov decision process (QLMDP) based on the optimal path to handle the massive data requests from ground devices and optimize the overall delay in the UAV‐based fog computing network. The simulation results show that this proposed collaborative network achieves high throughput, reduces average latency up to 0.2, and takes less computing time compared with UAV‐based networks and UAV‐based MEC networks; thus, it can achieve high QoS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UAVs or Drones can be used to support wireless communication by acting as flying or mobile Base Stations for the accumulation of the different types of data to train the models. However, in traditional or DL-based UAVs, the raw data is sent from the devices to the centralized server, which causes problems in terms of the privacy of the devices and the UAVs' communication resources or limited processing. Therefore, the issue with DL-based UAVs is that sending the original data to the centralized body raises questions about security and privacy. The transmission of distributed, unprocessed data from the drones to the cloud, including interactive media information data types, requires a significant amount of network bandwidth and more energy, which has an enormous effect on several trade-offs, including communication rates and computation latencies. Data packet loss caused by asynchronous transmission, which doesn't prevent peer-to-peer communication, is a concern with AFL-based UAVs. Therefore, in order to address the aforementioned issues, we have introduced SFL-based UAVs that focus on creating algorithms in which the models simultaneously update the server as they wait for all of the chosen devices to communicate. The proposed framework enables a variety of devices, including mobile and UAV devices, to train or learn their algorithms for machine learning before updating the models and parameters simultaneously to servers or manned aerial data centers for model buildup without transferring their original private information. This decreases packet loss and privacy threats while also enhancing round effectiveness as well as model accuracy. The comparative analysis of AFL and SFL techniques in terms of accuracy, global rounds, and communication rounds are offered. Simulation findings suggest that the proposed methodology improves in terms of global rounds and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAimsMethodsResultsConclusionsTo determine the relationship of dual-task-dynamic-balance with the risk-of-fall and gait-parameters in fallers and non-fallers elderly.After signing written informed consent, participants were assessed for dual-task-dynamic-balance [dual timed up and go (TUG) test (DTT)+ cognitive stops (CS) and DTT + CS + cognitive errors (CE)], risk-of-fall [berg balance scale], and gait-parameters [footprint method of gait analysis].A significant difference was found between fallers and non-fallers for the variables falls in the previous 12 months, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), DTT + CS + CE, and walking speed. A significant moderate to strong negative correlation was found between dual task dynamic balance (DTT + CS and DTT + CS + CE), risk-of-fall and few gait-parameters in elderly fallers.The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining dynamic-balance and performing dual-tasks to prevent falls in elderly individuals, suggesting that interventions targeting both cognitive and motor aspects can be beneficial in reducing fall-risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesize CoFeRuSn equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloy using arc-melt technique and investigate its structural, magnetic, and transport properties. The room temperature powder x-ray diffraction analysis reveals that CoFeRuSn crystallizes in cubic crystal structure with small amount of DO3-disorder. The field dependence of magnetization shows non-zero but small hysteresis and saturation behavior up to room temperature, indicating soft ferromagnetic nature of CoFeRuSn. The magnetic moment estimated from the magnetization data is found to be 4.15 μB/f.u., which is slightly less than the expected Slater–Pauling rule. The deviation in the value of experimentally observed moment from the theoretical value might be due to small disorder in the crystal. The low temperature fit to electrical resistivity data shows the absence of quadratic temperature dependence of resistivity, suggesting half-metallic behavior of CoFeRuSn. The high Curie temperature and possible half-metallic behavior of CoFeRuSn make it a highly promising candidate for room temperature spintronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to overcome the problems and limitations of the communications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) by incorporating Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) into UAV for channel tracking. Since IRS may change the propagation environment, is a desirable option for combining with UAV to improve wireless network security. Due to its capacity to proactively configure the wireless environment, IRS technology is a potential one for future communication systems. IRS is able to provide steady communications and serve a greater coverage area by reflecting signals to create virtual LoS routes. Moreover, we develop a federated learning-based channel tracking technique in which federated learning is used to determine the security and pre-estimation constituent. In addition, for channel tracking, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is developed. Due to their ability to understand long-term connections between data time steps, LSTMs are frequently used to learn, analyze, and classify sequential data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: UAVs are capable of providing significant potential to IoT devices through sensors, cameras, GPS systems, and so forth. Therefore, the smart UAV‐IoT collaborative system has become a current hot research topic. However, other concerns require in‐depth investigation and study, such as resource allocation, security, privacy preservation, trajectory optimization, intelligent decision‐making, energy harvesting, and so forth. Here, we suggest a task‐scheduling method that splits IoT devices into distinct clusters based on physical proximity and saves time and energy. Cluster heads can apply an auto regressive moving average (ARMA) model to predict intelligently the timestamp of the arrival of the next task and associated estimated payments. Based on the overall expected payment, a cluster head can smartly advise the UAV about its time of next arrival. According to the findings of the simulation, the proposed ETTS algorithm significantly outperforms Task TSIE and TDMA‐WS in terms of energy use (67%) and delays (36%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of e-Paarvai, an artificial intelligence-based smartphone application (app) that detects and grades cataracts using images taken with a smartphone by comparing with slit lamp-based diagnoses by trained ophthalmologists. Methods: In this prospective diagnostic study conducted between January and April 2022 at a large tertiary-care eye hospital in South India, two screeners were trained to use the app. Patients aged >40 years and with a best-corrected visual acuity <20/40 were recruited for the study. The app is intended to determine whether the eye has immature cataract, mature cataract, posterior chamber intra-ocular lens, or no cataract. The diagnosis of the app was compared with that of trained ophthalmologists based on slit-lamp examinations, the gold standard, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was estimated. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were computed. Results: The two screeners used the app to screen 2,619 eyes of 1,407 patients. In detecting cataracts, the app showed high sensitivity (96%) but low specificity (25%), an overall accuracy of 88%, a PPV of 92.3%, and an NPV of 57.8%. In terms of cataract grading, the accuracy of the app was high in detecting immature cataracts (1,875 eyes, 94.2%), but its accuracy was poor in detecting mature cataracts (73 eyes, 22%), posterior chamber intra-ocular lenses (55 eyes, 29.3%), and clear lenses (2 eyes, 2%). We found that the area under the curve in predicting ophthalmologists' cataract diagnosis could potentially be improved beyond the app's diagnosis based on using images only by incorporating information about patient sex and age (P < 0.0001) and best-corrected visual acuity (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Although there is room for improvement, e-Paarvai app is a promising approach for diagnosing cataracts in difficult-to-reach populations. Integrating this with existing outreach programs can enhance the case detection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital granular cell tumor (CGCT), or congenital epulis (CE), is an uncommon benign soft tissue lesion that usually arises from the alveolar mucosa of neonates. It can be found in the jaw, skin, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tract. It is seen more frequently in female neonates. It can sometimes lead to feeding and respiratory problems. The etiology is unknown although origin from vascular pericytes or smooth muscle is speculated. As most of the granular cell tumors are benign, surgical excision of the lesion is the treatment of choice. We here present a case report of a 14-hour-old female infant, who had a solitary mass on the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge. The lesion, which was histologically a CGCT, was removed completely by simple excision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moisturizers are first‐line therapy for treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). Although there are multiple types of moisturizers available, head‐to‐head trials between different moisturizers are limited. Objective: To evaluate if a paraffin‐based moisturizer is as effective as ceramide‐based moisturizer in children with AD. Materials and Methods: In this double‐blind, randomized comparative trial of pediatric patients with mild to moderate AD, subjects applied either a paraffin‐based or ceramide‐based moisturizer twice daily. Clinical disease activity using SCOring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), quality of life using Children/Infants Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI/IDLQI), and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured at baseline and at follow‐up at 1, 3, and 6 months. Results: Fifty‐three patients were recruited (27 ceramide group and 26 paraffin group) with a mean age of 8.2 years and mean disease duration of 60 months. The mean change in SCORAD at 3 months in the ceramide‐based and paraffin‐based moisturizer groups was 22.1 and 21.4, respectively (p =.37). The change in CDLQI/IDLQI, TEWL over forearm and back, amount and days of topical corticosteroid required, median time to remission and disease‐free days at 3 months were similar in both groups. As the 95% confidence interval (CI) of mean change in SCORAD at 3 months in both groups (0.78, 95% CI: −7.21 to 7.52) was not within the predefined margin of equivalence (−4 to +4), the conclusion of equivalence could not be proven. Conclusion: Both the paraffin‐based and ceramide‐based moisturizers were comparable in improving the disease activity in children with mild to moderate AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zygapophyseal joints of the spine, also known as the facet joints, are paired diarthrodial joints posterior to the intervertebral disc and neural elements. The pathophysiology of facet osteoarthritis (OA), as well as crosstalk between the disc and facets, remains largely understudied compared to disc degeneration. The purpose of this study was to characterize alterations to human facet cartilage and subchondral bone across a spectrum of degeneration and to investigate correlations between disc and facet degeneration. Human lumbar facet articular surfaces from six independent donors were subject to creep indentation mechanical testing to quantify cartilage mechanical properties, followed by microcomputed tomography (µCT) analyses for subchondral bone morphometry. The degenerative state of each articular surface was assessed via macroscopic scoring and via Osteoarthritis Research Society International histopathology scoring. Our data suggest reduced facet cartilage compressive and tensile moduli and increased permeability with increasing degenerative grade, particularly at the lower levels of the spine. µCT analyses revealed spinal level‐dependent alterations to the subchondral bone, with an increase in trabecular bone at the L4−L5 level, but a decrease at the upper levels of the lumbar spine with increasing degenerative grade. Cortical bone volume fraction was generally decreased with increasing degenerative grade across spinal levels. Correlation analysis revealed several associations between quantitative measures of disc degeneration and facet OA. This study showed that alterations in the mechanical properties of facet cartilage and in the structural properties of facet subchondral bone correlated with aspects of disc degeneration and were highly dependent on spinal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological aspects such as environmental factors, socioeconomic constraints and demographic parameters are one of the key aspects to examine the health benefits of human subject and used as ready reference in eco system modeling. Presently, there are various kinds of deadly diseases and disorders who are liable for affecting the human health and impacting the eco framework of whole world. The virus such as Corona, Swine Flu, omicron and others are one of the best examples for the research community to understand the vulnerability of human health in relation to these unpredictable causes. As per report of world health organization every year, more than 10 million people are affected by such ecological and environmental disbalance. The burden of ecological aspects apparently affecting the working of various organs in human subject. There is a need to understand this ecological model in relation to health of human subjects. In this study, a cohort-based data set of ecological pollutants and physiological signals such as ECG and anthropogenic data of human subjects were extracted from Maharashtra from 2015 to 2021. As per neural network-based hazard ratio was calculated and observed to be deplorable among unhealthy and health categories of human subjects. It has been concluded that the accumulative eco system is responsible for overburden to organs of living beings and policy makers must focus on the facts of study for modern management framework designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A drone or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is becoming a trending area for researchers worldwide. UAV's contribution is increasing in day‐to‐day life, whether it is in a military zone, disaster management, healthcare sector, smart cities, Internet of Things (IoT), urban air mobility, and many more. In contrast, UAV's limited computational capability and low‐energy sources pose significant challenges for real‐time data processing, storage, networking, and security that are critical in emergencies such as floods, earthquakes, and cyclones. UAVs are rapidly used to satisfy user requirements as well as services. As the demand for UAVs aided heterogeneous wireless networks increases in critical emergencies, fog computing serves several benefits to fulfill users' demands in terms of low latency, support, data storage, mobility, availability, scalability, and so on. This study aims to present a comprehensive study with their technical aspects for understanding fog computing, security issues, privacy concerns, and risks, along with its solutions. This paper suggests the collaboration of UAV‐Fog architecture based on the four‐tier network consisting of smart things, local UAVs, UAV‐Fog, and cloud server, to control UAV's data and also described some of the security issues faced by this cloud infrastructure. Further, this research article also sheds new light on some scenarios of UAV‐Fog for such deployments, applications, opportunities, challenges, and their major security threats and their countermeasures. Afterward, we design taxonomy of the collaboration of UAV‐Fog with their respective approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits and vegetables are major sources of nutrients for the majority of the population across the globe. With the rapid increase in population, the objectives of the future agro-industry are to reduce product loss while increasing product quality and productivity considerably. Consequently, farmers need to be assisted with cutting-edge technologies for sustainable, eco-friendly, and efficient farming. Smart farming for early disease recognition and control is the current hot-spot research objective in the fruitage domain. The precision agriculture era has been revolutionized by federating cutting-edge technologies like machine learning, deep learning, and, the Internet-of-Things. However, the existing studies focused on the impact of individual technology on single or multiple cultivars of edible fruits or vegetables. Limited areas of the fruitage disease remain explored, necessitating further investigation into the research gaps and challenges identified for implementing the smart practices in real-field farmlands. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of recent advancements in fruit and vegetable disease identification and classification is presented. The technology-wise state-of-the-art findings, gaps, challenges, and future opportunities for fruitage disease recognition have been presented, covering 99 research articles. Moreover, the corpus of publicly available fruit and vegetable datasets has been investigated, with the existing gaps, improvements, and future requirements. The research paper concludes with challenges and a future outlook that promises to be a very significant and valuable resource for researchers working in the area of agronomic disease monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a response to a correspondence regarding a study comparing the efficacy of a paraffin-based moisturizer and a ceramide-based moisturizer in children with atopic dermatitis. The authors acknowledge that the concentration of ceramides in the moisturizer used may be lower compared to other available moisturizers, but the study aimed to reflect the choices available in a typical clinical setting in India. They explain that many ceramide-containing moisturizers follow a similar formulation approach where ceramides are not the sole or primary ingredient. The authors agree that further research using ceramide-based moisturizers with higher concentrations and without paraffin would be beneficial. They appreciate the suggestion to incorporate nomenclature for better standardization in future research. Overall, the study aimed to evaluate the products as they are commonly used in clinical practice and looks forward to more research in this area to improve patient care. [Extracted from the article]

One common genetic alteration in cancer is gene fusion resulting from chromosomal translocations. The mechanisms that create such oncogenic fusion genes are not well understood. Previously, we provided the direct evidence that expression of a designed chimeric RNA can drive the formation of TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. Central to this RNA-mediated gene fusion mechanism is a proposed three-way junction formed by RNA/DNA hybrid and the intergenic DNA stem formed by target genes. In this study, we determined the important parameters for chimeric RNA-mediated gene fusion using TMPRSS2-ERG fusion gene as the model. Our results indicate that both the chimeric RNA lengths and the sizes of unpaired bulges play important roles in inducing TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. The optimal length of unpaired bulges was about 35 nt, while the optimal chimeric RNA length was about 50 nt for targeting. These observations were consistent regardless of the target locations within TMPRSS2 and ERG genes. These empirically determined parameters provide important insight for searching cellular RNAs that may initiate oncogenic fusion genes. The knowledge could also facilitate the development of useful genomic technology for manipulating mammalian genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncogenic fusion genes as the result of chromosomal rearrangements are important for understanding genome instability in cancer cells and developing useful cancer therapies. To date, the mechanisms that create such oncogenic fusion genes are poorly understood. Previously we reported an unappreciated RNA-driven mechanism in human prostate cells in which the expression of chimeric RNA induces specified gene fusions in a sequence-dependent manner. One fundamental question yet to be addressed is whether such RNA-driven gene fusion mechanism is generalizable, or rather, a special case restricted to prostate cells. In this report, we demonstrated that the expression of designed chimeric RNAs in human endometrial stromal cells leads to the formation of JAZF1-SUZ12, a cancer fusion gene commonly found in low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas. The process is specified by the sequence of chimeric RNA involved and inhibited by estrogen or progesterone. Furthermore, it is the antisense rather than sense chimeric RNAs that effectively drive JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion. The induced fusion gene is validated both at the RNA and the genomic DNA level. The ability of designed chimeric RNAs to drive and recapitulate the formation of JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion in endometrial cells represents another independent case of RNA-driven gene fusion, suggesting that RNA-driven genomic recombination is a permissible mechanism in mammalian cells. The results could have fundamental implications in the role of RNA in genome stability, and provide important insight in early disease mechanisms related to the formation of cancer fusion genes. Author summary: Fusion genes resulting from chromosomal translocations are important for understanding cancer mechanisms and developing anti-cancer therapies. Fusion gene are presumed to occur prior to fusion RNA expression. However, studies have reported the presence of fusion RNAs in individuals who were negative for chromosomal translocations. The observation, that fusion RNA could be present prior to fusion gene formation, raises the provocative hypothesis that fusion RNA, or any cellular RNA with sequence compositions resembling that of fusion RNA, could act as a template to mediate genomic rearrangement which leads to the final gene fusion. In this report, we demonstrated that the expression of designed chimeric RNAs in human endometrial stromal cells leads to the formation of JAZF1-SUZ12, a cancer fusion gene found in endometrial stromal sarcomas. The process is specified by the sequence of chimeric RNA involved and inhibited by estrogen or progesterone. Furthermore, it is the antisense rather than sense chimeric RNAs that effectively drive JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion. The results could have fundamental implications in the role of RNA in mammalian genome stability, provide important insight in early disease mechanism, as well as developing gene editing technology via mechanisms native to mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identification and characterisation of monogenic causes of complex neurological phenotypes are important for genetic counselling and prognostication. Bi-allelic pathogenic variants in the gene encoding GLRX5, a protein involved in the early steps of Fe-S cluster biogenesis, are rare and cause two distinct phenotypes: isolated sideroblastic anemia and a neurological phenotype with variant non-ketotic hyperglycinemia. In this study, we analysed the evolution of clinical and MRI findings and long-term outcome of patients with GLRX5 mutations.Methods: Four patients from three Australian families of Lebanese descent were identified. All patients presented in childhood and were followed up into adult life through multiple clinical assessments. All were prescribed sodium benzoate.Results: All patients (all females, age range 18-56 years) showed a complex neurological phenotype characterised by varying combinations of spastic paraparesis, length-dependent motor/sensory-motor axonal polyneuropathy, and psychiatric disturbances with variable intellectual disability. All had non-ketotic hyperglycinemia and a homozygous pathogenic c.151_153delAAG (p.K51del) change in GLRX5. Motor disability gradually progressed reaching moderate disability during adolescence and moderately severe disability during adult life. The major MRI finding was the upper cervical spinal cord signal changes with contrast enhancement noted in all and additional leukoencephalopathy in one. On follow up MRI, the white matter lesions diminished on a subsequent scan and then remained static over time. The spinal cord showed gliotic changes. Two patients have previously demonstrated low pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency but none had plasma lactate elevation, nor biochemical evidence of branch-chain keto-dehydrogenase deficiency. Glycine levels reduced in patients that tolerated sodium benzoate, possibly stabilising clinical manifestations.Conclusions: This report demonstrates that the p.K51del GLRX5 variant causes a distinct and predictable neurological phenotype. The clinical assessments spanning from childhood to adult life enable physicians to infer the natural history of GLRX5 related neurological disorder. There may be widespread metabolic consequences, and optimal management is unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India is among countries with a high maternal mortality rate. Every pregnant woman is at risk of developing pregnancy-related complication. It is not understood if and how the information and education on danger signals of pregnancy; translates into appropriate actions when a woman experiences a danger signal. Knowledge and recognition of danger signals during pregnancy would result in timely emergency obstetric care. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to determine the knowledge of key danger signals of pregnancy and its associated factors among the clients of maternal health services in tertiary care teaching hospital, Pune. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in obs. and gyne. dept. of tertiary care hospital for a period of 1 month that enrolled 55 eligible women who attended ANC and PNC clinic within study period. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the IEC. The women were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. All the women attending ANC and PNC clinic with a minimum of four ANC visits qualified the women for the inclusion in the study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 20. The analyzed data were presented in suitable tabular format. Results: Out of 55 mothers, 43.6% know about four or more danger signals whereas 56.4% have knowledge of <4. The most recalled danger signals by the clients was labor pain before 8 months (70.9%), while no one is aware about the danger signal failure of placenta to come out (0%). Conclusion: This study indicated that the knowledge level of women regarding danger signals of pregnancy was low and affected by education level. Therefore, the identified deficiencies in awareness should be addressed through maternal and child health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop predictive models to identify cataract surgery patients who are more likely to benefit from refraction at a four-week postoperative exam.Methods: In this retrospective study, we used data of all 86,776 cataract surgeries performed in 2015 at a large tertiary-care eye hospital in India. The outcome variable was a binary indicator of whether the difference between corrected distance visual acuity and uncorrected visual acuity at the four-week postoperative exam was at least two lines on the Snellen chart. We examined the following statistical models: logistic regression, decision tree, pruned decision tree, random forest, weighted k-nearest neighbor, and a neural network. Predictor variables included in each model were patient sex and age, source eye (left or right), preoperative visual acuity, first-day postoperative visual acuity, intraoperative and immediate postoperative complications, and combined surgeries. We compared the predictive performance of models and assessed their clinical impact in test samples.Results: All models demonstrated predictive accuracy better than chance based on area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. In a targeting exercise with a fixed intervention budget, we found that gains from predictive models in identifying patients who would benefit from refraction ranged from 7.8% (increase from 1500 to 1617 patients) to 74% (increase from 250 to 435 patients).Conclusion: The use of predictive statistical models to identify patients who are likely to benefit from refraction at follow-up can improve the economic efficiency of interventions. Simpler models like logistic regression perform almost as well as more complex machine-learning models, but are easier to implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on GM1-gangliosidosis, a rare disorder characterized by β-galactosidase enzyme deficiency, discussing cutaneous manifestations like extensive telangiectasias and Mongolian spots. Topics include the clinical implications of these cutaneous clues in aiding diagnosis, the association of certain diseases with such cutaneous presentations, and their role as indicators of inborn errors of metabolism, particularly in lysosomal storage disorders.

Antalgic gait is a common clinical presentation among pediatric patients and can have many different etiologies, with rare life-threatening etiologies including primary bone malignancies. Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of bone in pediatric and adolescent patients. The incidence rate of osteosarcoma has been reported as high as 5 to 7 per million among patients 19 years old or younger with males slightly more affected than females and African-Americans more than other racial groups. This report describes the case of a five-year-old African-American female who presented with an antalgic gait secondary to osteosarcoma in the left distal femur and follows her through treatment. In this case, the age is atypical as the peak incidence for osteosarcoma is around 16 years of age and is postulated to coincide with growth spurts. Osteosarcoma can have a range of presentations making it difficult to diagnose, which can cause delays in treatment and potential poor patient outcomes. Due to this, such a diagnosis must be included in the differential for patients presenting with antalgic gait. Because primary-care physicians and pediatricians may be the first medical providers to encounter patients with osteosarcoma, it is imperative that such clinicians are familiar with the signs and symptoms associated with osteosarcomas in order to reduce the risk of metastasis and disease progression and prevent treatment delays. Additionally, we believe these clinicians should have a low threshold to refer patients to orthopedists or oncologic specialists in the cases of persistent pain or inconsistencies with history, physical exam, and diagnostic studies. Finally, direct communication and discussion between radiologists and referring clinicians helps decrease delays in diagnosing of osteosarcoma and other life-threatening conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is an infrastructure-less, self-motivated, arbitrary, self-configuring, rapidly changing, multi-hop network that is self-possessing wireless bandwidth-conscious links without centrally managed router support. In such a network, wireless media is easy to snoop. It is firm to the surety to access any node, easier to insertion of bad elements or attackers for malicious activities in the network. Therefore, security issues become one of the significant considerations for such kind of networks. The deployment of an effective intrusion detection system is important in order to provide protection against various attacks. In this paper, a Digitally Signed Secure Acknowledgement Method (DSSAM) with the use of the RSA digital signature has been proposed and simulated. Three different parameters are considered, namely secure acknowledgment, node authentication, and packet authentication for study. This article observes the DSSAM performance and compares it with two existing standard methods, namely Watchdog and 2-ACK under standard Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) routing environment. In the end, it is noticed that the rate of detection of malicious behaviour is better in the case of the proposed method. However, associated overheads are high. A trade-off between performance and overhead has been considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional modeling approach such as regression has not much ability to incorporate nonlinearity of environmental covariates during different categories of estimations. Nonlinear information is considered as outliers in prediction while fitting in the regression models. The ANN models are robust due to adaptive neuro computing to consider these kinds of parameters in the scaling and instrumentation process due to gradient neural weight training mechanism. Raised level of ambient particulate matter having size PM10 and PM2.5 is a serious matter of concern for children having age group 8 to 14 years. A study has been conducted in North West side of Asia continent for three years (2013 to 2016) where sampling was done to measure ambient PM level, physiological parameters of 600 children and covariate data. A hybrid recurrent neural network (HRNN) has been developed for exposure assessment with the help of Gamma Test. Based on Root Mean Square Error and Mean Absolute Percentage Error scale, the trends in physiological parameters were estimated. The developed model strategy, will help research community and policy-makers to feed time series data in the model for spatiotemporal analysis rather than conventional statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas, which is a renewable alternative fuel, has high antiknocking properties with the potential to substitute fossil fuels in internal combustion engines. In this study, performance characteristics of a spark-ignition (SI) engine operated under methane (baseline case) and biogas are compared at the compression ratio (CR) of 8.5:1. Subsequently, the effect of CR on operational limits, performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of the engine fueled with biogas is evaluated. A variable compression ratio, spark-ignition engine was operated at various CRs of 8.5:1, 10:1, 11:1, 13:1, and 15:1 over a wide range of operating loads at 1500rpm. Results showed that the operating range of the engine at 8.5:1 CR reduced when biogas was utilized in the engine instead of methane. However, the operating range of the engine for biogas extended with an increase in CR--an increase from 9.6N-m-16.5 N-m to 2.8N-m-15.1 N-m was observed when CR was increased from 8.5:1 to 15:1. The brake thermal efficiency improved from 13.7% to 16.3%, and the coefficient of variation (COV) of indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) reduced from 12.7% to 1.52% when CR was increased from 8.5:1 to 15:1 at 8N-m load. The emission level of carbon dioxide was decreased with an increase in CR due to an improvement in the thermal efficiency and the combustion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biphasic pulmonary blastoma is a rare but lethal type of lung malignancy with characteristic histology of both epithelial and mesenchymal components. Previously reported cases have been limited to presentation at advanced stages, suggesting that the clinical course of the disease is usually aggressive. Here, we report a case of incidental diagnosis of biphasic pulmonary blastoma by imaging surveillance in a patient previously treated for adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient was diagnosed with stage 1 disease and underwent successful resection. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) revealed a high mutation burden, a finding not previously reported in a patient with biphasic pulmonary blastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic gut or splanchnic hypoperfusion is a life-threatening emergency and it is associated with high mortality. It requires prompt diagnosis and intervention to establish the mesenteric blood flow, hence an attempt to avoid gut necrosis. Despite the understanding of pathogenesis of acute mesenteric ischemia and advanced treatment and revascularization techniques, it still remains a big diagnostic dilemma for the clinicians. Any delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment affects the overall outcome of the patient. The high incidence of sepsis and multiorgan failure requires high-quality intensive care management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have synthesized polycrystalline RRhSn (R = Tb-Tm) compounds, which crystallize in the hexagonal structure with space group [formula]. All the compounds, except HoRhSn, are antiferromagnetic at low temperatures. TbRhSn and DyRhSn show multiple magnetic transitions and metamagnetic behavior. Heat capacity and electrical resistivity data in different temperature regimes were fitted to identify various contributions to them. Magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in all the compounds has been calculated in terms of the isothermal magnetic entropy change and the adiabatic temperature change. ErRhSn and TmRhSn show Schottky anomaly in the heat capacity data. Among the compounds studied, HoRhSn shows the maximum adiabatic temperature change of 6.5 K for a field of 50 kOe. DyRhSn and TmRhSn also show large positive magnetocaloric effect below 10 K. A sign reversal accompanied by a large positive magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperatures appears to be a common feature in this series of compounds. Narrow domain wall dynamics appears to be the main reason behind the large positive magnetoresistance in all the compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to design, characterize, and manufacture a new class of passive actuators that are composed of natural chitosan biopolymers and 3D printed carbon fiber composites (CFRP). These actuators leverage variation in the physical properties of chitosan films with respect to their water content to produce programmable deformation. To control the actuator and its performance, various fundamental physicochemical material characterizations such as microstructural, thermal, hygroscopic swelling for chitosan films, and mechanical analyses were conducted for both materials to validate their properties for the intended application. The morphological behavior confirmed that there was good miscibility with no phase separation in chitosan film, and 3D printed CFRP possesses consistent accuracy irrespective of its minor defects. The swelling ratio of chitosan films was determined as a means of measuring the tunable hygroscopic expansion. According to thermal and mechanical analysis, both polymers possess strength and stiffness desirable for actuator design. Initial built prototypes of small-scale actuators were tested to guide the manner in which the passive actuation behavior could be directed for functional transformations. The results were integrated into CAD software to simulate a large-scale prototype that was subsequently fabricated. The experimental and simulated motions of the large-scale actuator were compared, and the overall performance was discussed with respect to structural integrity and response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tracheostomy is among the common procedures performed in the intensive care unit (ICU), with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) being the preferred technique. We sought to understand the current practice of tracheostomy in Indian ICUs. Materials and methods: A pan-India multicenter prospective observational study, endorsed and peer-reviewed by the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM), on various aspects of tracheostomy performed in critically ill patients was conducted between September 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. The SPSS software was used for the statistical analysis. Cross tables were generated and the chi-square test was used for testing of association. The p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 67 ICUs that participated, 88.1% were from private sector hospitals. A total of 923 tracheostomies were performed during the study period; out of which, 666 were PDT and 257 were surgical tracheostomy (ST). Coagulopathic patients received more platelet transfusion [p = 0.037 with platelet count (PC) < 50 × 109, p = 0.021 with PC 50-100 × 109] and fresh frozen plasma transfusion in the ST group (p = 0.0001). The performance of PDT vs ST by day 7 of admission was 28.4% vs 21% (p = 0.023). The single dilator technique (60.4%) was the preferred technique for PDT followed by the Grigg's forceps and then the multiple dilator technique. Fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) and ultrasonography (USG) were used in 29.3% and 16.8%, respectively, for guidance during tracheostomy. Most of the PDTs were performed by a trained intensivist (74.2%), whereas ST was mostly done by an ENT surgeon (56.8%). Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy resulted in less hemorrhagic (2.6% vs 7%, p = 0.002) and desaturation complications (2.3% vs 6.6%, p = 0.001) as compared to ST. The duration of procedure was shorter in the PDT group (average shortening by 9.2 minutes) and the ventilator-free days (VFD) were higher in the PDT group. The cost was less in PDT by approximately Rs. 13,104. Conclusion: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, especially the single dilator technique, is preferred by clinicians in Indian ICUs. The incidence of minor complications like hemorrhagic episodes is lower with PDT. Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy was found to be cheaper on cost per patient basis as compared to ST (with or without complications). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced vital capacity (FVC) of children in the age group 10–12 years are reported as a function of quantum increase in PM2.5 level in ambient air. The data are reported for the children in the categories based on their respective body mass index (BMI). FVC (% predicted) values decreased with increasing level of PM2.5. The subjects are found to respond in a selective manner as plateau was observed for FVC values against some selected ranges of PM2.5 concentration levels (74 µgm−3 to >117 µgm−3). To explain this unusual behavior, sac theory is proposed which explains the observations of FVC for subjects of all categories with different BMI values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture crop residue burning is a serious issue in Northern India due to ineffective control policies. An epidemiological study has been done on school going children to evaluate the trends in their physiological parameters due to crop residue burning activity in the affected area. Total 600 children were recruited and continuously inspected for three years at three different sites. Season wise, the level of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) was higher in rice crop residue burning seasons than in wheat crop residue burning seasons. As per dose–response relationship, maximum degradation was observed in FVC (−7.62%) and PEF (−6.23%) parameters from their baseline values due to burning activities. With adjustment of socioeconomic, anthropometric parameters of selected subjects and meteorological parameters in multivariate mixed effect model, prediction equations have been purposed to observe the future trends in physiological parameters of children. Based on Tiffenue index, an unrecoverable effect has been observed in lung parameters. Trends were alarming and may cause serious complications in early age of human subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation undergo tracheostomy to facilitate weaning. The practice in India may be different from the rest of the world and therefore, in order to understand this, ISCCM conducted a multicentric observational study "DIlatational percutaneous vs Surgical tracheoStomy in intEnsive Care uniT: A practice pattern observational multicenter study (DISSECT Study)" followed by an ISCCM Expert Panel committee meeting to formulate Practice recommendations pertinent to Indian ICUs. Materials and methods: All existing International guidelines on the topic, various randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, retrospective studies were taken into account to formulate the guidelines. Wherever Indian data was not available, international data was analysed. A modified Grade system was followed for grading the recommendation. Results: After analyzing the entire available data, the recommendations were made by the grading system agreed by the Expert Panel. The recommendations took into account the indications and contraindications of tracheostomy; effect of timing of tracheostomy on incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia, ICU length of stay, ventilator free days & Mortality; comparison of surgical and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in terms of incidence of complications and cost to the patient; Comparison of various techniques of PDT; Use of fiberoptic bronchoscope and ultrasound in PDT; experience of the operator and qualification; certain special conditions like coagulopathy and morbid obesity. Conclusion: This document presents the first Indian recommendations on tracheostomy in adult critically ill patients based on the practices of the country. These guidelines are expected to improve the safety and extend the indications of tracheostomy in critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) was originally performed in cases of ankylosing spondylitis. This procedure was invented because it was safer than trying to lengthen the anterior column via osteoclasis, which risked vascular injury and death1-4. PSO involves the removal of the posterior elements and the use of a vertebral body wedge to shorten the spine posteriorly and achieve sagittal-plane correction5,6. PSO has been used to correct sagittal-plane deformities not only in patients with ankylosing spondylitis but also in those with degenerative conditions or those who have previously undergone surgical procedures resulting in a loss of lumbar lordosis7,8. Description: The fixation points are placed with pedicle screws above and below the planned osteotomy level. The posterior elements are decompressed at the level of the osteotomy and at 1 level proximally. In addition to the use of straight and angled curets, a high-speed burr is used to decancellate the vertebral body. Pedicle osteotomes are used to remove the pedicle. Temporary rods are placed. The posterior wall of the body is then impacted into the vertebral body, and the temporary rods are loosened. To close the osteotomy, the bed is extended or the spine is pushed manually, resulting in correction of the lordosis. The temporary rods are tightened. Themain rods, independent of the short rods, are used to connect multiple segments several levels above and below the osteotomy site to provide final stabilization. Alternatives: The alternatives to PSO depend on the surgical history of the patients, as well as the flexibility and alignment of the spine. In a spine with mobile disc spaces, Smith-Petersen osteotomies can be performed posteriorly to shorten the posterior column overmultiple segments to gain lordosis. A formal anterior or lateral approach can be performed to release the disc spaces and restore the disc height. Aposterior release through the facet joints with segmental compression can achieve desired lumbar lordosis. A vertebral column resection can also be performed to achieve lordosis. Rationale: PSO is ideal for patients who have undergone multiple spinal fusions andwho have a very rigid, flat lumbar spine. Asingle posterior approach can be used to provide adequate correction of the flat lumbar spine up to 40°. Asymmetric PSO can also be performed to allow for correction in the coronal plane. Recently, PSO has been performed more frequently because of the improved osteotomy instrumentation, exposure to resection techniques, and improved positioning tables that allow correction of the osteotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas is a promising alternative fuel to reduce the consumption of petroleum-based fuels in internal combustion (IC) engines. In this work, the effect of various biogas compositions on the performance, combustion, and emission characteristics of a spark-ignition (SI) engine is investigated. Additionally, the effect of Wobbe index (WI) of various fuel compositions was also evaluated on the operational limits of the engine. While considering a wide range of biogas compositions (including bio-methane), the percentage of carbon dioxide (CO2) (in a blend of methane and CO2) was increased from 0 to 50% (by volume). A single-cylinder, water-cooled, SI engine was operated at 1500 rpm over a wide range of operating loads with compression ratio of 8.5:1. With the increase in WI of the fuel, both low (limited by coefficient of variation (COV) of indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP)) and high (limited by pre-ignition) operating loads were decreased; however, it was found that the overall operating range was increased. Results also showed that for a given operating load, with the increase of CO2 percentage in the fuel, the brake thermal efficiency was decreased, and the flame initiation and combustion durations were increased. The brake thermal efficiency was decreased from 16.8% to 13.7%, when CO2 was increased from 0% to 40% in methane-CO2 mixture at 8 N·m load. Concerning to emissions, a considerable decrease was noted in nitric oxide, whereas hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions were increased, with the increase in CO2 percentage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify patient characteristics associated with follow-up compliance and to draw implications for better cataract treatment services. Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India. Retrospective case study. The data of all cataract surgeries performed in 2015 were analyzed. After each surgery, patients were asked to return for follow-up after 1 month. The follow-up rates were compared between patients with different demographic characteristics, surgical factors, and preoperative and discharge visual acuities. The behaviors of patients who complied with the follow-up advice were analyzed, including the number of days from surgery to follow-up and number of follow-up visits. Multivariate regression models were used to identify predictors associated with these behaviors. The overall follow-up rate for the 86 776 surgeries analyzed was 85.6%. Patients more likely to follow-up were women, younger than 70 years, and paying (versus subsidized or free) and had phacoemulsification rather than manual small-incision cataract surgery (all P <.001). Patients who had complications, reoperations, or poorer visual acuity at discharge were less likely to comply with the follow-up advice (P <.001). Targeted interventions to boost follow-up rates should be directed to patients with the characteristics found in this study. Furthermore, average measures of visual outcomes at 4 weeks are likely to be overstated relative to the truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuel injection timing for early injection mode at higher loads in a gasoline direct-injection engine is critical for mixture formation, combustion process and emissions. In the present work, the effect of fuel injection timing on cycle-to-cycle spray variations and macroscopic spray characteristics is quantitatively analyzed at wide-open throttle condition with stoichiometric air–fuel ratio. A Mie scattering technique was employed to visualize the liquid phase of the fuel dispersion with early injection timings at 180° before top dead center (BTDC), 210° BTDC and 240° BTDC of compression with fuel pressure of 5 MPa. A quantitative analysis using proper orthogonal decomposition revealed that cycle-to-cycle spray variations were not significant. Comparing different injection timings, results, however, showed that spray variations were slightly higher at injection timing of 240° BTDC compared to injection timings at 210° BTDC and 180° BTDC. Concerning macroscopic characteristics, it was found that the spray tip penetration length was longer at 210° BTDC compared to injection timings at 240° BTDC and 180° BTDC. It was also observed that the spray areas were comparable for different injection timings until about 0.9 ms after the start of injection, but it was enhanced at later time stamps for injection at 240° BTDC compared to injections at 210° BTDC and 180° BTDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionTo determine the Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on functional status dyspnea and quality of life among post-COVID-19 patients.The study utilized an experimental study design with a total of 120 participants to examine the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation. The participants were divided into two groups: Group A (experimental group) and Group B (control group). Demographic variables such as age, weight, and height were collected. Health-related quality of life (HRQL), post-COVID-19 functional status, and perceived exertion were assessed before and after the intervention.Group A demonstrated a higher mean age than Group B, indicating a significant age difference between the two groups, with no significant difference observed in weight and height. Following the intervention, Group A exhibited significant improvement in HRQL, post-COVID-19 functional status, and perceived exertion compared to Group B.Pulmonary rehabilitation had positive effects on health-related quality of life, post-COVID-19 functional status, and perceived exertion. The experimental group benefited from improved HRQL, suggesting an overall enhancement in their well-being. The study provides preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation as an intervention for improving outcomes in individuals post-COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A library of sulfonated polystyrenes differing in MW and polarity was synthesized. • Polymers effective in solubilizing model cell membranes were identified. • The lead polymer forms stable particles (nanodiscs) from model DMPC liposomes. • Polymers remain soluble at low pH and in the presence of Mg2+ ions. Amphiphilic polymers are increasingly applied in the detergent-free isolation and functional studies of membrane proteins. However, the carboxylate group present in the structure of many popular variants, such as styrene-maleic acid (SMA) copolymers, brings limitations in terms of polymer sensitivity to precipitation at acidic pH or in the presence of divalent metal cations. Herein, we addressed this problem by replacing carboxylate with the more acidic sulfonate groups. To this end, we synthesized a library of amphiphilic poly[styrene- co -(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate)] copolymers (termed SSS), differing in their molecular weight and overall polarity. Using model cell membranes (Jurkat), we identified two copolymer compositions (SSS-L30 and SSS-L36) that solubilized membranes to an extent similar to SMA. Interestingly, the density gradient ultracentrifugation/SDS-PAGE/Western blotting analysis of cell lysates revealed a distribution of studied membrane proteins in the gradient fractions that was different than for SMA-solubilized membranes. Importantly, unlike SMA, the SSS copolymers remained soluble at low pH and in the presence of Mg2+ ions. Additionally, the solubilization of DMPC liposomes by the lead materials was studied by turbidimetry, DLS, SEC, and high-resolution NMR, revealing, for SSS-L36, the formation of stable particles (nanodiscs), facilitated by the direct hydrophobic interaction of the copolymer phenyls with lipid acyl chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline ErSn0.5Ge1.5 have been studied. It is found that substitution of Ge for Sn in ErSn1.1Ge0.9 results in a nominal increase in the magnetic moment, but a considerable enhancement in the magnetocaloric effect. The magnetocaloric effect, calculated from magnetization data, shows a large value of 13 J/kg K for a field of 50 kOe. Magnetization, heat capacity, and magnetocaloric data reveal field induced metamagnetic transition in this compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has increased rapidly in the last decade; becoming the mainstay for both the prophylaxis and the treatment of venous thromboembolism in various situations including non-valvular atrial fibrillation, joint replacement surgeries and acute DVT/PE, etc. In the present times, DOACs are possibly one of the most widely prescribed medications in the developed world. The worldwide epidemic caused by COVID-19 caused significant changes in the practice of medicine worldwide. Patients who developed severe respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 were noted to develop a wide range of complications, including both arterial and venous thromboembolic complications including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, etc. This review is an attempt to identify the role of DOACs in the treatment and prevention of these complications as well as the safety of continuing therapy with DOACs in the patients who were receiving them before contracting the infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim is to compare and evaluate the different finishing and polishing systems for the change in surface roughness of resin composites and enamel. Materials and Methods: To conduct the study, 30 extracted human maxillary central incisors were selected, decoronated, and molded in self-cure acrylic molds. A box-shaped cavity of dimensions 3 mm × 3 mm × 2 mm was prepared in all the teeth. A nanohybrid composite resin (Filtek Z250) was then used to restore the prepared cavities. Thirty samples were divided into two groups, control group (Group A, n = 10) and experimental group (Group B, n = 20). The samples in Group A were cured through the Mylar matrix. The experimental group, i.e., Group B was divided into two subgroups, i.e., Subgroup BX, n = 10 in which Sof-Lex polishing system was used for polishing the tooth surface and Subgroup BF, n = 10 in which Shofu composite polishing system was used. The mean surface roughness (Ra in ìm) of the composite restoration as well as for the enamel surface of all the samples before and after polishing was measured with a contact profilometer, and the values were correlated with scanning electron microscopy. Results: The statistical analysis was carried out using paired t-test. The results exhibited a significant decrease in the surface roughness of the resin composite and enamel surface irrespective of the finishing and polishing system used. The mean surface roughness values demonstrated by Mylar matrix was the lowest followed by Sof-Lex polishing system. Shofu polishing system demonstrated the highest surface roughness values. Conclusion: Finishing and polishing of composite restoration can achieve a surface roughness similar to that of enamel. Involvement of marginal enamel in finishing and polishing procedures carried out for composite restoration results in smoother enamel surface [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper result of working quality of Melia dubia is reported after testing them under six major wood working operations namely - planing, sanding, turning, shaping, boring and mortising based on Indian Standard. The wood performed extremely well under planing. In shaping, the performance was good enough. Though all the other operations yielded poor results, the composite rating factor which is an overall performance indicator was 35 % more than that of Tectona grandis. The ease of working is only 93 % compared to teak. The working quality index which was based on the composite rating factor and ease of working worked out to 107 taking Tectona grandis as 100 mainly because of the high performance under planing and shaping and good performance under sanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details a numerical study of the dynamic stability of a cylindrical shell structure under combined hydrostatic and dynamic pressure loading within a tubular environment as compared to the traditional loading of hydrostatic pressure alone. Simulations are executed using a coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian scheme, within the dynamic system mechanics advanced simulation (DYSMAS) code, to explicitly model the (1) structural response of a single unstiffened cylindrical shell to dynamic pressure loading and (2) the fluid flow field within the surrounding environment due to the shock and the shell structural response. Simulations involve a non-pressure-compensated aluminum 6061-T6 cylindrical structure with a length-to-diameter ratio, L/D, equal to 9.6. This structure is 31.8 mm (1.25-in) in outer diameter and is concentrically and longitudinally centered within the outer tube, which has an inner diameter of 177.8 mm (7.00-in) and total internal length of 2.13 m (84-in). Simulations are run at four hydrostatic tank pressures, which are categorized by percentage of measured critical collapse pressure, Pc, of the shell structure: 66% Pc, 80% Pc, 85% Pc, and 90%Pc. For each case, the shell structure is subjected to shock loading created by the detonation of a commercial blasting cap at a given standoff to the structure within the confining tube. Simulated pressure histories are compared to experimental pressure data at gage locations. The simulations and corresponding experiments produce the same overall result for three of four cases (i.e., survive: 66%Pc or implode: 85%Pc and 90%Pc). For the 80%Pc case, the overall result differs between simulation and experiment in that the specimen in the experiment survives but the simulated cylinder implodes. However, the discrepancy between the overall experimental result and corresponding simulation is not deemed a failure for the 80%Pc case; instead, this signifies a transitional case for the dynamic stability of the shell structure (i.e., collapse is sensitive to small deviations from assumed conditions in this regime). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the hallmarks of cancer is the formation of oncogenic fusion genes as a result of chromosomal translocations. Fusion genes are presumed to form before fusion RNA expression. However, studies have reported the presence of fusion RNAs in individualswho were negative for chromosomal translocations. These observations give rise to "the cart before the horse" hypothesis, inwhich the genesis of a fusion RNA precedes the fusion gene. The fusion RNA then guides the genomic rearrangements that ultimately result in a gene fusion. However, RNA-mediated genomic rearrangements in mammalian cells have never been demonstrated. Here we provide evidence that expression of a chimeric RNA drives formation of a specified gene fusion via genomic rearrangement in mammalian cells. The process is: (i) specified by the sequence of chimeric RNA involved, (ii) facilitated by physiological hormone levels, (iii) permissible regardless of intrachromosomal (TMPRSS2-ERG) or interchromosomal (TMPRSS2-ETV1) fusion, and (iv) can occur in normal cells before malignant transformation. We demonstrate that, contrary to "the cart before the horse" model, it is the antisense rather than sense chimeric RNAs that effectively drive gene fusion, and that this disparity can be explained by transcriptional conflict. Furthermore, we identified an endogenous RNA AZI1 that functions as the "initiator" RNA to induce TMPRSS2-ERG fusion. RNA-driven gene fusion demonstrated in this report provides important insight in early disease mechanisms, and could have fundamental implications in the biology of mammalian genome stability, as well as gene-editing technology via mechanisms native to mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The goal of this study was to document the resident learning curve for manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and to identify implications for the design of ophthalmology residency programs aimed to train surgeons for developing countries. Design Hospital-based retrospective cohort study. Participants All 38 residents entering 2 postgraduate residency programs at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, in 2012 and 2013. Methods Surgical complications and reoperations for all MSICSs performed by residents during the residency training period were evaluated using a computerized patient database. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of the cumulative number of surgeries performed on incidence of intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and reoperations, controlling for covariates. Main Outcome Measures Incidence of intraoperative and first-day postoperative complications of Oxford Cataract Treatment and Evaluation Team (OCTET) grades II and III and the incidence of reoperations. Analyses controlled for patient-, resident-, and residency program-level covariates. Results The study evaluated 13 159 surgeries performed by the 38 residents between October 15, 2012, and August 24, 2016. The mean number of surgeries performed by a resident was 346.3 (standard deviation, 269.4). Three hundred forty-two eyes (2.60%) with at least 1 intraoperative complication, 234 eyes (1.78%) with at least 1 first-day postoperative complication, and 154 reoperations (1.17%) were observed. After controlling for baseline covariates, increasing surgical experience was associated with reduced risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications, as well as reoperations. The odds decreased by 17% (intraoperative complications), 12% (postoperative complications measured 1 day after surgery), and 7% (reoperations) per 100 additional surgeries performed. Patient-level factors such as older age, left eye surgery, and lower preoperative uncorrected visual acuity were found to be associated with higher risk of intraoperative complications (P < 0.01 for all). Conclusions The risk of surgical complications and reoperations in MSICS decreased steadily with surgical experience gained by resident surgeons. We recommend that ophthalmology residency programs in developing nations teaching MSICS provide opportunities to perform 300 surgeries or more by residents so as to achieve rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications of less than 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]