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A teenage girl with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and abetalipoproteinemia experienced an acute PV flare and wound myiasis on her right thigh. Dermatoscopy aided in larval identification as Phormia regina. Treatment included dexamethasone, oral prednisolone, turpentine oil flushes, and larval removal. At the 4-week follow-up, disease activity was controlled, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed no larvae. This rare case highlighted the co-occurrence of wound myiasis and PV, likely due to poor living conditions. Dermatoscopy was crucial for larval identification, and turpentine oil flushes facilitated larval removal. Ethanol, chloroform spray, and ivermectin are also effective myiasis treatments.

The ability of phase change materials (PCM) to store thermal energy has gained wide application area, like battery thermal management, solar water desalination and many other. The melting process of beeswax phase change material within the cube geometry with constant wall temperature (65 °C) boundary condition has been investigated using solidification and melting model. The fluid flow and heat transfer governing equations are solved using second order finite volume scheme. A PRESTO algorithm is applied for pressure-velocity coupling. The convergence criteria of 10−10 have been selected for energy equation, while 10−8 is selected for both momentum and continuity equations. The results like percentage variation along length-height and height-width plane for transient liquid fraction and temperature has been plotted, along with velocity streamlines within the cube geometry. From the obtained results it is concluded that the melting fraction and temperature of beeswax PCM is different in different planes and the major factors which affect the complete melting process is wall temperature, and the geometry. A difference of more than 0.1 °C in temperature has been recorded between mid-length-height and height-width plane while a difference of more than 2% in liquid fraction of PCM is observed. Even the uniformity of temperature and liquid fraction is notably influenced and vary along length, height, and width of cube geometry. Thus, it is concluded that melting process of PCM may affect the ability to store and release the heat energy which further affect the performance parameters of applied physical system.

This study explored the effect of different drying methods (sun, shade, oven) on the total polyphenol content (TPC) using the Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) procedure, total flavonoid content (TFC) using the AlCl3 colorimetric method, volatile organic compounds using GC/MS and the antioxidant properties of the rose petals using the protocol of DPPH assy. The results demonstrated that the drying methods had a significant impact and the highest TPC (34.24 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/ g fresh weight (FW)) and TFC (5.56 mg catechin equivalent (CE)/g FW) were obtained for the oven-dried sample. While, the fresh sample exhibited the lowest TPC (15.6 mg GAE/g FW) and TFC (3.83 mg CE/g FW), respectively. Similarly, the oven-dried sample showed the highest DPPH scavenging activity (60.30 %) and reducing power (absorbance 1.138) among all the samples. Fresh rose sample GC–MS analysis revealed that the there are two major compounds heptacosane 64.56 % and citronellyl propionate 28.35 %. Pentadecyl 2-phenylethyl ester oxalic acid was the second dominant compound in sun and oven-dried rose samples, 18.5 % and 14.79 % respectively.

It is crucial to produce potable water from salt water in arid places using a stepped solar still desalination process. This work presents the temperature distribution and phase transformation of lauric acid PCM in inclined stepped solar still desalination system. A second-order finite volume method is employed for discretizing the two-dimensional geometry, while energy, continuity, and momentum equations are solved and then coupled using the second-order PRESTO algorithm. The solidification and melting CFD models have been used to capture the melting stages of lauric acid PCM. Four steps with an inclination of 30° to ground and two different cases with saline water levels of 10 mm and 40 mm have been reported. The results reveal that the temperature and mass fraction of lauric acid PCM strongly depends on the saline water level at each step, the number of steps, the angle of inclination, and the location of the solar still step. The maximum percentage increase in PCM melting fraction is 50%, and a PCM temperature rise of 4 °C is observed in the case of SWL-max compared to SWL-min. The total enthalpy of lauric acid PCM is increased by 30% for the SWL-max water level compared to the SWL-min water level.

Food safety is related to nutritional risk in children. This study is to determine the types of artificial food color additives (AFCAs) daily intake by school children aged 6 to 17 years for ten AFCAs. Sunset Yellow (E110), Tartrazine (E102), Carmoisine (E122), Brilliant Blue (E133), Allura Red (E129), Black PN (E151), Indigo Carmine (E132), and Fast Green (E143) were identified using 24 h food consumption questionnaire, including the two unapproved AFCAs, Red 2G (E128) and Erythrosine (E127) in 839 food products. These food products are distributed into nine categories, containing juices and drinks, ice cream, cakes, jelly, chocolates, candy, chips, biscuits, and chewing gum. Results showed that the artificial food colors, Carmoisine (32.3 %) and Sunset Yellow (30.1 %) were the most highly consumed AFCAs by school children, whereas Erythrosine (0.05 %) was consumed the least. Therefore, Sunset Yellow was highly consumed (30.1 %) and detected in high amounts by high performance liquid chromatography, (HPLC) 34.2 %. The average daily intake (ADI) of AFCAs decreased with age to varying degrees in both sexes. In comparison to the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, acceptable daily intakes, most permitted colors exceeded their acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) in the 6–11 years of age groups, and most permitted colors were within the recommended ADIs in the 12–17 years of age group. The average daily intake of AFCAs by school children decreased with age. Therefore, further studies are required to gain information about the possible negative health effects of high intake of these AFCAs on the test population.

Leptadenia pyrotechnica is considered a wild herb used to enhance the palatability of food, particularly in the Gulf region. The effect of microwave (5, 8, and 10 min at 900 W) and hot-air heating (60, 120, and 180 min at 100 °C) on the phenolic compounds and antioxidants of L. pyrotechnica stems was investigated. The results showed that microwave heating gave high values of the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant properties, while the control sample was inferior in all these attributes. Moreover, microwave heating, particularly for 8 min, produced the highest TPC, TFC, and DPPH values (significant at p < 0.05) and reduced power in the L. pyrotechnica stem. However, prolonging the heating time caused adverse effects on the bioactive potential of the samples. The HPLC analysis indicates that both processes caused a significant increment in the phenolic compounds of the sample. Tannic acid, vanillin, and acetyl salicylic acid were found to be higher in the microwaved-treated samples than in those heated with hot air. The tannic acid was found to be high after microwave heating for 8 min at 116.06 mg/100 g, while the higher value of acetylsalicylic acid 119.08 mg/100 g was observed after microwave heating for 5 min. The partial least regression (PLS) validation model revealed that microwave heating, particularly at an 8 min application time, offered better results, and owing to its short processing time, which might be adopted for heating the L. pyrotechnica stems in the food industry, and it can be useful for preparing functional foods.

This study investigated the effects of fermentation and germination on the physicochemical, nutritional, functional, and bioactive quality attributes of samh seeds. Regardless of the processing treatment, samh seeds were found to be a rich source of phenolic compounds, namely gallic acid (79.6–96.36 mg/100 g DW), catechol (56.34–77.34 mg/100 g DW), and catechin (49.15–84.93 mg/100 g DW), and they possessed high DPPH antiradical activity (65.27–78.39%). They also contained high protein content (19.29–20.41%), essential amino acids content (39.07–44.16% of total amino acids), and unsaturated fatty acid content (81.95–83.46% of total fatty acids) and a low glycemic index (39.61–41.43). Fermentation and germination increased L*, b*, foaming capacity, oil absorption capacity (OAC), water absorption capacity (WAC), swelling power, microbial counts, antioxidant activity, total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), in vitro protein digestibility, protein efficiency ratio, and total essential amino acids and reduced water solubility, emulsion stability, tannin, and phytate contents compared to raw samh seeds (p < 0.05). The highest levels of pH, ash, carbohydrate, fiber, and glycemic index were observed in raw samh seeds, and both germination and fermentation processes reduced these attributes to various degrees (p < 0.05). Germination increased the redness (a*), moisture content, essential and non-essential amino acids, potassium, zinc, phosphorous, stearic acid, and oleic and unsaturated fatty acids and reduced total solids, fat content, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium, palmitic acid, and total saturated fatty acids of the samh seeds compared to the raw ones. Fermentation increased the total solid, acidity, fat, protein, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, palmitic acid, and total saturated fatty acids and reduced the a* value, moisture, non-essential amino acids, and total unsaturated fatty acids of the samh seeds compared to the raw ones. In conclusion, samh seeds are a rich source of nutrients that could generally be enhanced by germination and fermentation processes. The reported information facilitates strategies towards the application of these underutilized seeds in foods.

Effect of traditional processing on the nutrient composition, antinutritional factor and in vivo protein digestibility of goat pea (Securigera Securidaca L.) seeds was investigated. Various traditional processing had no significance effect on protein, lipid, fiber and ash except carbohydrate. Essential amino acid analysis revealed high concentration of lysine, leucine and histidine whereas the sulfur containing amino acids are limited. Germination and cooking significantly increased essential amino acid level. Traditional processing resulted in significant decrease of antinutrient phytate contents by 4.32, 1.47, 4.15, 1.9, 1.91 and 4.12% for raw, raw cooked, soaked and cooked, germinated and germinated cooked, respectively. Similarly, tannin was also decreased to 7.1, 4.51, 4.5, 0.75, 0.87, 0.26 and 7.1% for the above samples. Biological parameters showed that the net protein utilization (NPU) for the casein was significantly higher than the raw and processed seeds. Keywords: Goat pea, Securigera securidaca, Traditional processing, Nutritional quality, Net protein utilization, Phytate

Background: Polyphenols and flavonoid-rich foods help in arresting reactive oxygen species development and protecting DNA from oxidative damage. Coffee peel (CP) preparations are consumed as beverages, and their total polyphenol or flavonoid content and their effect on oxidative stress–induced human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are poorly understood.Method: We prepared hot water extracts of CP (CPE) and quantified the amount of total polyphenol and flavonoid using HPLC analysis. In addition, CPE have been studied for their α-amylase inhibitory effect and beneficial effects in oxidative stress–induced hMSCs.Results: The obtained results show that the availability of chlorogenic acid, vanillin, and salicylic acid levels in CPE is more favorable for enhancing cell growth, nuclear integrity, and mitochondrial efficiency which is confirmed by propidium iodide staining and JC-1 staining. CPE treatment to hMSCs for 48 h reduced oxidative stress by decreasing mRNA expression levels of LPO and NOX-4 and in increasing antioxidant CYP1A, GSH, GSK-3β, and GPX mRNA expressions. Decreased pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, NF-κβ, IL-1β, TLR-4) and increased tumor suppressor genes (except Bcl-2) such as Cdkn2A, p53 expressions have been observed.Conclusions: The availability of CGA in CPs effectively reduced mitochondrial oxidative stress, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increased tumor suppressor genes.

Introduction: Congenital or acquired childhood communication disorders can negatively impact the emotional, social and academic skills in children. Research studies have reported that school going children are at higher risk of having communication disorders which will affect their academic and other skills. However, there is a dearth of studies on epidemiological data on communication disorders in school going children hence the present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of communication disorders among school going children of Ballari district. Method: In a Cross-sectional study carried out on 2304 school going children (6–16years) of primary and secondary government schools in rural areas of Ballari district, Karnataka were screened using subjective & objective measures for communication disorders. Results: The results revealed a total of 99 out of 2304 children were identified with communication disorders indicating a prevalence rate of 4.29%. Among them, a total of 75 children were having hearing and otological disorders (3.25%) and 24 children were having speech and language disorders (1.04%). Further, the prevalence of communication disorders was found to be higher among males (2.38%) compared to females (1.91%). Conclusion: The present study found a lesser prevalence rate of communication disorder in school aged children of Ballari district, than the previous studies. Hearing loss and otological problems such as impacted cerumen, ear pain, ear discharge, etc., were found to be more than speech-language disorders such as stuttering, speech sound disorders and child language disorders.

Abstract Understanding the academic performance of students in colleges is an essential topic in Education research field. Educators, program coordinators and professors are interested in understanding how students are learning specific topics, how specific topics may influence the learning of other topics, how students’ grades/attendances in each course may represent important indicators to measure their performance, among other tasks. The use of data visualization and analytics is expanding in education institutions to perform a variety of tasks related to data processing and gaining into data-informed insights. In this paper, we present a visual analytic tool that combines data visualization and machine learning techniques to perform some visual analysis of students’ data from program courses. Two educational data collections were used to guide the creation of i) predictive models employing a variety of well known machine learning strategies, attempting to predict students’ future grade based on grade and attendance previous semesters and ii) a set interactive layouts that highlight the relationship between grades and attendance, also including additional variables such as gender, parents education level, among others. We performed several experiments, also using these data collections, to evaluate the layouts ability of highlighting interesting patterns, and we obtained promising results, demonstrating that such analysis may help the education experts to understand deficiencies on course structures.

Abstract Background Cutaneous manifestations of purpura fulminans (PF) present many challenges for clinicians and surgeons. In a state of septic shock complicated by limb ischemia, surgical interventions are necessary to control the pathological cascade and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this article was to report etiologies and surgical outcomes associated with cutaneous manifestations in adults. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis compared 190 adult patients with etiologies, signs and symptoms, and surgical outcomes associated with cutaneous manifestations of PF. The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were systematically and independently searched. Patient and clinical characteristics, surgical interventions, outcomes, and complications were recorded. Results Seventy-nine studies were eligible for the systematic review, and 77 were eligible for meta-analysis using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) and Cochrane guidelines. A total of 71/190 (38%) cases reported surgical debridement. Fasciotomies were reported in 12/190 (6%) cases and 20 procedures. Amputations were reported in 154/190 (81%) cases. Reconstruction was reported in 45 cases. Skin grafts were applied in 31 cases. Flaps were used for reconstruction in 28 cases. Median (IQR) surgical procedures per patient were 4 (4, 5) procedures. Infectious organisms causing PF were 32% Neisseria meningitidis (n = 55) and 32% Streptococcus pneumonia (n = 55). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (95% confidence interval (CI)(8.2–177.9), p = 0.032), Haemophilus influenza (95%CI (7.2–133), p = 0.029), Streptococcus pneumonia (95% CI (13.3–75.9), p = 0.006), and West Nile Virus (95%CI (8.2–177.9), p = 0.032) were associated with significantly more extensive amputations compared to other organisms. Conclusion This systematic review and patient-level meta-analysis found the most common presentation of PF was septic shock from an infectious organism. Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumonia were equally the most common organisms associated with PF. The majority of cases were not treated in a burn center. The most common surgeries were amputations, with below-the-knee-amputations being the most common procedure. Skin grafting was the most commonly performed reconstructive procedure. The most common complications were secondary infections. Organisms with significantly more extensive amputations were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Haemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumonia, and West Nile Virus. Interpretation of findings should be cautioned due to limited sample data.

Abstract Background Burn-related injury to the face involving the structures of the eyes, eyelids, eyelashes, and/or eyebrows could result in multiple reconstructive procedures to improve functional and cosmetic outcomes, and correct complications following poor acute phase management. The objective of this article was to evaluate if non-surgical or surgical interventions are best for acute management of ocular and/or peri-ocular burns. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis compared 272 surgical to 535 non-surgical interventions within 1 month of patients suffering burn-related injuries to 465 eyes, 253 eyelids, 90 eyelashes, and 0 eyebrows and evaluated associated outcomes and complications. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were systematically and independently searched. Patient and clinical characteristics, surgical and medical interventions, outcomes, and complications were recorded. Results Eight of the 14,927 studies queried for this study were eligible for the systematic review and meta-analysis, with results from 33 of the possible 58 outcomes and complications using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) and Cochrane guidelines. Surgery was associated with standard mean differences (SMD) 0.44 greater visual acuity on follow-up, SMD 1.63 mm shorter epithelial defect diameters on follow-up, SMD 1.55 mm greater changes in epithelial diameters from baseline, SMD 1.17 mm2 smaller epithelial defect areas on follow-up, SMD 1.37 mm2 greater changes in epithelial defect areas from baseline, risk ratios (RR) 1.22 greater numbers of healed epithelial defects, RR 11.17 more keratitis infections, and a 2.2 greater reduction in limbal ischemia compared to no surgical intervention. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis found that compared to non-surgical interventions, acute surgical interventions for ocular, eyelid, and/or eyelash burns were found to have greater visual acuity on follow-up, shorter epithelial defect diameters on follow-up, greater changes in epithelial diameters from baseline, smaller epithelial defect areas on follow-up, greater changes in epithelial defect areas from baseline, greater numbers of healed epithelial defects, more keratitis infections, and a greater reduction in limbal ischemia, possibility preventing the need of a future limbal stem cell transplantation.

Bioactive compounds are responsible for biological activities in honey. The botanical and regional sources of honey contribute to the variable concentration of bioactive compounds. This paper reports the analysis of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, vitamin C, total phenolic contents (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), and sugars of five honey samples (Talh, Athel, Sidr, Spring flower, and Langnese) from the ingenious Hail region (Saudi Arabia) using HPLC-RID and DAD. Talh has the highest TPC level of 26.9 mg GAE/100 g, whereas Spring flower has the lowest level of 8.2 mg GAE/100 g. Quercetin levels in all samples ranged from 0.28 to 2.68 mg GAE/100 g. Gallic acid, a phenolic compound, was found in three samples of honey at concentrations ranging from 0.81–1.08 mg/100 g. DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) of Talh and Sidr honey sample are found to be high as compared to other samples. The Sidr honey sample had the highest vitamin C content, 2.59 mg/100 g. Fructose and glucose sugar concentrations ranged from 28.35–37.81 g/100 g and 20.21–32.28 g/100 g, respectively, with a higher fructose ratio. Sucrose was not found in any of the five samples. These findings point to the high quality of honey produced in Saudi Arabia’s ingenious Hail province, and therefore may contribute in therapeutic use of these types of honey, such as in complementary and alternative medicine.

The increase in β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is a severe recurrent problem in the food industry for both producers and consumers. The development of nanotechnology and nanomaterial applications has transformed many features in food science. The antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and their mechanism of action on β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative food pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis, are investigated in the present paper. The study results demonstrate that ZnO NPs possesses broad-spectrum action against these β-lactamase-producing strains. The minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations vary from 0.04 to 0.08 and 0.12 to 0.24 mg/mL, respectively. The ZnO NPs elevate the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde in the bacterial cells as membrane lipid peroxidation. It has been confirmed from the transmission electron microscopy image of the treated bacterial cells that ZnO NPs diminish the permeable membrane, denature the intracellular proteins, cause DNA damage, and cause membrane leakage. Based on these findings, the action of ZnO NPs has been attributed to the fact that broad-spectrum antibacterial action against β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative food pathogens is mediated by Zn2+ ion-induced oxidative stress, actions via lipid peroxidation and membrane damage, subsequently resulting in depletion, leading to β-lactamase enzyme inhibition, intracellular protein inactivation, DNA damage, and eventually cell death. Based on the findings of the present study, ZnO NPs can be recommended as potent broad-spectrum antibacterial agents against β-lactam-resistant Gram-negative pathogenic strains.

This study presents a map reporting valuable information on the cryosphere of the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP, the largest protected area of Pakistan and the highest park in the world). All the information is provided considering the CKNP as a whole, and in detail by dividing it into five basins (i.e. Shigar, Hunza, Shyok, Upper Indus, and Gilgit). The glacier inventory reports 608 ice bodies covering 3680 km2 (∼35% of the CKNP area), with a total glacier volume of ca. 532 km3. In addition, we modeled the meltwater from glacier ice ablation over the period 23 July to 9 August 2011. The total melt amount is ca. 1.5 km3. Finally, we considered glacial lakes (202 water-bodies, covering 4 km2). For these latter glacier features, we also analyzed their potentially dangerous conditions and two lakes were found having such conditions.

Summary: Deep burns in patients with co-morbidities carry a significant challenge for surgeons. The use of synthetic skin substitutes has played an increasingly important role in tissue reconstruction. IntegraTM is an artificial dermal substitute that allows temporary coverage after burn excision. The main advantages of this bi-layered template are its immediate availability, optimal scarring and decreased requirement for donor tissue. However, the downsides are the requirement for complex wound care, risk of infection and two stage procedure that can be both costly and prolong the stay in hospital. Here, we present the case of a patient with deep burns to the plantar aspect of both feet. Given the patient's medical history of diabetes, hypertension and peripheral neuropathy, we elected to use IntegraTM in combination with negative pressure wound therapy. Three weeks after the application of the IntegraTM matrix, the surface layer was replaced with autograft. At discharge, the patient was fully ambulatory and six months post-operatively this status was maintained without significant graft breakdown. To the best of our knowledge, the use of IntegraTM and split thickness skin graft in the management of full thickness burns to the plantar aspect of the feet has not been reported previously. Overall, our experience with IntegraTM in this setting was found to be satisfactory and can be considered as a promising treatment option in acute burn resurfacing. Keywords: Burns, Dermal substitute, Integra™, Negative pressure wound therapy, Skin graft, Split thickness

Today information about fascinating chemical reactions is readily available on the internet. Unfortunately, these experiments can have catastrophic consequences. Pool chemicals account for a significant number of injuries in the United States. Pool Shock (calcium hypochlorite) is a powder widely used to disinfect swimming pools and has the potential to cause injury, as described in previous studies. Here, we report a case of a young male patient with a superficial chemical burn to the face and eyes due to a combined explosion of Pool Shock and regular Coke in a bottle. This type of chemical burn secondary to this chemical combination has not been reported elsewhere. We discuss the chemistry involved in producing significant inadvertent blast injury and present the management to treat these cases. Keywords: Alkaline injury, Calcium hypochlorite, Chemical burn, Explosion, Pool shock

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn) are mostly used as herbal teas, made by steeping whole or ground herbs in boiling water. Hence, it is important to know the effect of boiling time on the bioactivity of these herbs. The effect of different boiling times (5, 10, and 15 min) on the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and some selected phenolic compounds of these herbs was examined in this study. Experimental results revealed that basil displayed the highest total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity when it was boiled for 5 min, and the lowest TPC was obtained when it was boiled for 15 min. On the other hand, rosemary had the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant potential after being boiled for 15 min, while it had the lowest after being boiled for 5 min. There was no growth inhibition of rosemary extracts against gram-negative bacteria, whereas higher growth inhibition was observed against gram-positive bacteria. The MIC and MBC of rosemary ethanolic extract against Listeria monocytogenes were 5 and 5 mg/mL and against B. subtilis were 10 and 10 mg/mL, respectively. While MIC and MBC of methanolic extract against L. monocytogenes were 5 and 5 mg/mL and against Bacillus subtilis were and 5 and 5 mg/mL, respectively. Salicylic acid was the most abundant (324.7 mg/100 g dry weight (dw)) phenolic compound in the rosemary sample boiled for 5 min, and acetyl salicylic acid was the most abundant (122.61 mg/10 g dw) phenolic compound in the basil sample boiled for 15 min.

In the present study, a facile environmentally friendly approach was described to prepare monodisperse iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (IONPs) by low temperature solution route. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using x-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) measurements, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analyses. XRD patterns revealed high crystalline quality of the nanoparticles. SEM micrographs showed the monodispersed IONPs with size ranging from 6 to 9 nm. Synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated MICs of 32, 64, and 128 μg/ml against Gram negative bacteria i.e., Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, and 32 μg/ml against Gram positive bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. IOPNs at its respective sub-MICs demonstrated significant reduction of alginate and exopolysaccharide production and subsequently demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibition of biofilm ranging from 16 to 88% in the test bacteria. Biofilm reduction was also examined using SEM and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Interaction of IONPs with bacterial cells generated ROS contributing to reduced biofilm formation. The present study for the first time report that these IONPs were effective in obliterating pre-formed biofilms. Thus, it is envisaged that these nanoparticles with broad-spectrum biofilm inhibitory property could be exploited in the food industry as well as in medical settings to curtail biofilm based infections and losses.

Solid state joining techniques are increasingly employed in joining duplex stainless steel materials due to their high integrity. Continuous drive friction welding is a solid state welding technique which is used to join similar and dissimilar materials. This joining technique is characterized by short cycle time, low heat input and narrow heat affected zones. The simulation becomes an important tool in friction welding because of short welding cycle. In the present work, a three dimensional non-linear finite element model was developed. The thermal history and axial shortening profiles were predicted using ANSYS, a software tool. This numerical model was validated using experimental results. The results show that the frictional heating stage of the process has more influence on temperature and upsetting stage has more impact on axial shortening. The knowledge of these parameters would lead to optimization of input parameters and improvement of design and machine tools.

Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dimorphism of permanent mandibular and maxillary canine teeth as well as intercanine and intermolar distance plays a role in establishing sex identity. Materials and Methods: Four hundred volunteers comprising 200 males and 200 females, with age ranging from 18 to 50 years, were selected. The greatest mesiodistal width of the canine teeth and the distance between the tips of canines of both arches and intermolar arch width were measured using vernier caliper with 0.02 mm resolution. All data were tabulated and analysis done by "t" test. Results: The widths of the mandibular and maxillary right and left canine teeth were almost bilaterally symmetrical in females and males. The mean values for left and right mandibular and maxillary canine widths were less in females than in males and the differences were statistically significant. The mean values for mandibular and maxillary intercanine and intermolar distances were less in females than in males and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study establishes a statistically significant sexual dimorphism in maxillary and mandibular canines and intermolar arch width. It can be concluded that standard canine index is a quick and easy method for sex determination.

Hydatid disease is still prevalent in developing countries, and isolated cardiac hydatid cysts are the rarest presentation. We report a 40-year-old nondiabetic, nonhypertensive female who presented with low-grade fever for 2 months shortness of breath and orthopnea for 2 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large, round cystic lesion with multiple daughter cysts without any obvious intraluminal detached membranes with mass effect on the left ventricular outflow tract. After total excision, residual tissue was closed with Teflon patch. Germinative membrane and hundreds of daughter cysts were seen. Following total excision of the cyst from myocardium, myocardial cavity was washed thoroughly with 10% Betadine solution. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of hydatid cyst. Preoperatively started albendazole was continued for 4 weeks even after the operation. On follow-up after 4 weeks, the patient is doing well and cardiac imaging showed normal contours of the heart.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of two plant extracts and two commercially available denture cleansers against candida albicans adherent to soft denture reline material. Materials and Methods: In this study 60 specimens of soft denture reliner material specimens were fabricated with dimensions 10x10x2 mm. The sterile specimens were inoculated by immersion in Sabourand broth containing Candida albicans for 16 hours at 37°C in an incubator. Then the specimens were washed and immersed in denture cleansers which were divided into group five groups from Group I-V for CD Clean®, Nigella sativa, thyme essential oil, Fittydent® and distilled water respectively, for 8 hours at room temperature. Then they were washed, fixed with methanol and stained with crystal violet. Candida cells adherent to the specimens were counted under microscope. The number of cells adherent to test samples were compared with that adherent to control. Results: The effectiveness of Fittydent® was more than CD Clean® in reducing the adherent candida albicans and the difference was statically significant (p =

The corrosion resistance of nanocrystalline Al, Al-10 wt. % Fe and Al-10 wt. % Fe-5 wt. % Cr alloys was investigated in 3.5% NaCl solution using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The alloys were fabricated using mechanical alloying (MA) and heat induction sintering. When compared with the corrosion resistance of pure Al, the experimental results indicated that the addition of 10 wt. % Fe and 10 wt. % Fe-5 wt. % Cr to pure Al has resulted in an enhancement in the corrosion resistance of these newly fabricated alloys. The resistance to corrosion is due to enhanced microstructural stability along with the formation of stable oxide layer.

Background/Objective: Ultraviolet (UV) B radiation leads to DNA damage by generating cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). UVB-induced CPDs can also result in immune suppression, which is a major risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). UVB-induced CPDs are repaired by nucleotide repair mechanisms (NER) mediated by xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of TH as a chemopreventive agent against the development of skin cancer. Method: SKH-1 hairless mice were exposed were fed with TH (0.1% v/v) for two weeks and exposed to a single dose of UVB (180 mJ/cm2). Dorsal skin was harvested 24 h post-UVB exposure for evaluation of DNA damage and repair. Lymph nodes were also harvested to prepare single cell suspension for flow cytometric evaluation. For carcinogenesis experiments, SKH-1 hairless mice were given TH (0.1% v/v) ad libitum and exposed to UVB (180 mJ/cm2) thrice a week for 30 weeks. Results: Feeding SKH-1 hairless mice with TH (0.1% v/v) for two weeks prior to a single dose of UVB (180 mJ/cm2) led to a significant increase in XPA in skin and DNA repair cytokines IL-12 and IL-23 in draining lymph nodes. Furthermore, when subjected to the photocarcinogenesis protocol; mice fed with TH developed significantly fewer tumors in comparison to mice fed on drinking water. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that TH has a protective effect against UVB-induced DNA damage, immune suppression, and skin cancer. Future studies will further investigate the potential of TH as a preventive treatment for NMSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inconel 718 (IN718) superalloy is commonly used as a component in industrial gas turbines due to its excellent corrosion resistance and high-temperature properties. Generally, gas turbines experience failure in their service on account of high thermal fatigue. In the present research, specimens of Inconel 718 superalloy are treated at two different temperatures 850℃ and 1000℃ (IHT1 & IHT2) with oil quenching, respectively. The specimens are studied with controlled strain amplitudes for different values 0.6%, 0.7% & 0.8% at room temperature and 800°C. It is noticed that the fatigue lifetimes of induction-hardened specimens are greater than those of untreated specimens at the above-mentioned strain amplitude values at room and elevated temperature, whereas the fatigue life of all the specimens reduces as strain amplitudes increase. Interestingly, the stress difference among the three strain amplitudes gradually decreases as the fatigue test progresses and induction-hardened specimens have cyclic softening behaviour as compared to untreated specimens' cyclic hardening behaviour. Additionally, the mode of fracture for IN718 superalloys in the current study is entirely transgranular, as shown by the fracture surface observation using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]