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Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated inflammatory host response to infection. Among the vulnerable population, Geriatric patients stand out as a high-risk group due to age-related physiological changes, immunosenescence, and a higher prevalence of comorbidities displaying higher mortality rates. We wanted to explore the various etiologies, clinical profiles, and outcome of sepsis in geriatric patients in a tertiary hospital. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study, where geriatric patients aged 65 years and above, admitted in the Departments of General Medicine (Wards and ICUs) in King George hospital, Visakhapatnam, diagnosed with sepsis were followed up from admission until their discharge or until the end of their hospital stay. The clinical profile of the patients and their outcome was assessed. The study population consisted predominant male (69.3%)and belonged to the age group 65-70years (73.9%). The study revealed an in-hospital mortality rate of 31.8% among geriatric patients admitted with sepsis, with diabetes mellitus being the most prevalent comorbid condition. Common presenting symptoms included fever (17.6%), shortness of breath (17%), and limb swelling (10.8%), with skin and soft tissue infections being the most frequent infection site (37%), followed by urosepsis (35.2%) and respiratory tract infections (14.8%). Klebsiella was the most common organism isolated from cultures, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Patients who succumbed to sepsis had a higher mean age, shorter duration from symptom onset to hospitalization, higher respiratory rates, elevated white blood cell counts, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, and higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyper spectral imaging (HSI) is an advanced and fascinating remote sensing method in various domains. Every sample in HS remote sensing images possesses high-size features and has a massive amount of spatial and spectral data that enhances the complexity of feature selection and mining. Also, it improves the interpretational complications and thus surpasses the prediction accuracy of the system. To counterpart such issues, this article introduces an innovative system for HSI categorization wielding introduced Fractional Snake Honey Badger Optimization (FSHBO). Here, image segmentation is done through U-Net, which is trained by Snake Honey Badger Optimization (SHBO). The Deep Belief Network (DBN) is employed for HSI classification that outputs the pixel-wise classified result and this DBN is efficiently tuned using the proposed FSHBO. It is recorded that the proposed FSHBO-DBN has outperformed diverse classical models in terms of accuracy of 0.907, sensitivity of 0.914, and specificity of 0.904. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is the single largest source of water for irrigation and domestic use in India. Climate change further exacerbates the threat of depletion, reducing food security and increasing the vulnerabilities of resource users. Governance is complicated by externalities associated with its attributes as an invisible and fluid resource which create problems of rivalry and exclusion. Based on theory-based case studies for evaluation of selected World Bank projects, we analyse challenges for groundwater governance and identify factors that contribute to depletion. It highlights the need for integrating and balancing demand and supply-side approaches, including water-efficient irrigation and climate-smart practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy preservation in recommendations has been increasingly garnering huge interest from the research community owing to the rapid rise in data security and privacy concerns among users. The computation overhead and attaining high recommendation accuracy remain the key issues in the existing methods. In this research, a course recommendation method using Federated Learning (FL) based on Deep Learning is presented. The course recommendation technique is carried out in the local nodes using multiple phases, like agglomerative matrix generation, course grouping, bi-level matching, retrieval of learner-preferred courses, and course recommendation. Here, course grouping is accomplished using Deep Fuzzy Clustering (DFC), and Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) performs recommendation. The DFC-DCNN-FL is examined based on accuracy, False Positive Rate (FPR), loss function, Mean Square Error (MSE), Root MSE (RMSE), and Mean Average Precision (MAP) and is found to have attained values of 0.909, 0.116, 0.126, 0.291, 0.539, and 0.925. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics essential for a maintainer line to effectively complement the A lines in hybrid rice production. The experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Jagtial and Telangana, India during kharif, 2016 (June-October). A total of 40 genotypes were raised in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two replications. PCA identified five principal components (PCs) with Eigen values over 1, collectively accounting for approximately 75.50% of the total variance. PC1 predominantly representing yield and related features (number of tillers per plant, panicle length, length-to-breadth ratio, grain yield per plant), while the other PCs corresponded to unique aspects like grain numbers, morphological and quantitative traits. The study also utilized biplot analysis to elucidate the relationships among these traits, revealing significant correlations and interactions crucial for rice breeding. It indicated a negative correlation between 1000 grain weight, kernel breadth, and the number of grains per panicle, while showing positive correlations among traits influencing grain yield. This method also proved assistance in identifying superior genotypes for specific traits, as exemplified by genotypes JMS18B and JMS20B excelling in grain numbers per panicle and genotype B18 standing out in grain yield and other yield-related traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a phase change material (PCM)‐encapsulated packed‐bed thermal energy storage (PB‐TES) system is intended for Day‐round space heating in the winter. Solar concentric collectors act for day‐time heating and TES charging, while the stored energy can be used at night and intermediate time for space heating. A region‐wise techno‐economic analysis of PCM candidates is made to compare the costs and sizes of solar collectors and PB‐TES. A spherical capsule filled with sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is numerically investigated during the PCM charging at constant thermal input. After complete liquefication, the charging time for NaNO2 and NaNO3 capsules is 3280 and 4300 s, respectively, holding the maximum stored energy of 733.4 KJ/kg at 285°C and 687.27 kJ/kg at 310.12°C, respectively. In addition, the stored exergy is obtained 238.78 and 234.74 kJ/kg for NaNO2 and NaNO3, respectively; however, the average exergetic effectiveness for NaNO2 and NaNO3 are 0.54 and 0.46. Despite the lower energy storage capacity (kJ/kg) of NaNO3, the PB‐TES volume is less with NaNO3 than with NaNO2 due to higher density. However, the average cost ($/tonne) of NaNO3 PCM is 50% higher than NaNO2. Subsequently, the thermal efficiency of the proposed system is estimated at 27.68% and 26.94% during day and night‐time operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sparse data are available regarding congenital heart disease (CHD) from southern India. This study was designed to document the sociodemographic factors, clinical profile and pattern of CHD at a referral centre. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was done by direct interview method and review of medical records of 414 participants using internally validated, pre-defined proforma. Results: More than half of the cases (54.6%) referred were within 1 year of age. Wasting was present in 45%. Most of the cases belonged to middle and lower socio-economic status group (79%) and were referred by paediatricians (70%); 48% had travelled more than 500 km to avail cardiac services. Predominant symptoms of referral were respiratory distress (61.8%), feeding difficulties (50%), cyanosis (43.7%) and palpitation (24.9%). Major abnormalities detected were ventricular septal defect (31.2%) and tetralogy of Fallot (21.7%). Conclusions: This study highlights the need of prioritising and planning for the implementation of affordable and accessible cardiac infrastructure to people from rural areas with low socio-economic background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Intrathecal fentanyl and dexmedetomidine are adjuvants that can be used along with bupivacaine in spinal anesthesia to enhance the quality and duration of analgesia. Fentanyl is a potent opioid that acts on the muopioid receptors in the spinal cord, which inhibits the transmission of pain signals. Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that acts on the spinal cord to reduce sympathetic outflow and modulate pain transmission. Material and Methods: 100 ASA I and II patients scheduled for major surgeries under spinal anaesthesia were chosen for the study. Under strict asepsis, using 25 G Quincke spinal needle, lumbar puncture was performed at L 3 - L 4 space. Group F received 3ml, 0.5 % hyperbaric bupivacaine + 25 μg Fentanyl (vol 0.5ml). Group D received 3ml, 0.5 % hyperbaric bupivacaine + 5 μg Dexmedetomidine (vol 0.5 ml). Intra-operatively pulse rate, non-invasive blood pressure, electrocardiogram, SpO2 was recorded. 50 patients in Group F (Fentanyl) and 50 patients in Group D (Dexmedetomidine) were taken to study the changes in haemodynamics and side effects. Chi-square test, Anova test and student' 't' test was done to analyse the data and p value was determined. Results: Dexmedetomidine performed better than Fentanyl as an adjuvant based on the various parameters. Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine is a safe and effective adjuvant for intrathecal administration in the management of postoperative pain as compared to Fentanyl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are the most commonly utilized medications worldwide, with extensive usage not only in human healthcare but also in veterinary medicine and agriculture. The widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics have led to their presence in various environmental sources such as soil, surface water bodies, groundwater reservoirs, drinking water, and other ecological media. This, along with insufficient sewage treatment capacity, causes a surge in antibiotic pollution in the environment. Unrestricted use of antibiotics encourages the development of antimicrobial resistance, which can lead to a range of problems. Presently, the predominant methods employed to eliminate antibiotic contaminants from water comprise physical adsorption onto adsorbents, chemical flocculation and chemical oxidation. Regrettably, these methodologies yield substantial volumes of sludge laden with chemical agents and polymer electrolytes, there by complicating the management of these sludge accumulations. Antibiotic pollutant residuals can be broken down using a variety of photo catalysts synthesized from metal oxides, offering a multitude of efficient solutions to the challenges involved. This study presents a comprehensive exploration of several facets. It encompasses an examination of the removal processes applied to four frequently prescribed antibiotics and delves into the latest progressions involving diverse nanostructure-based photo catalysis with help of metal oxide nanoparticles. Simultaneously, it addressed the conceivable origins of antibiotic pollutants disseminated throughout the ecological continuum. Moreover, it delves into the adverse consequences and risks posed by antibiotics present in wastewater, both in terms of their impact on the environment and their potential implications for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The healthcare industry is a part of contemporary civilization that deals with a significant volume of confidential information. The integration of an increased number of digital systems in hospitals, laboratories, and outpatient examinations of patients, as well as the files that result from these examinations, has largely been responsible for the massive increase in the amount of information that is associated with patient care over the past few years. Electronic health record systems are a kind of medical management system that record a patient's personal information in addition to their medical history. Consequently, the storage and protection of these data while it is held on the cloud is of the highest significance. In this work, an efficient data storage and protection system that is tailored to the internet of medical things is presented. The data, whether it is text or pictures, are compressed using a modified version of the lossless LZW compression algorithm, and then, they are stored locally before being sent to the cloud. After that, the data that were compressed are encrypted using the generated elliptic curve Diffie–Hellman key and the advance encryption standard. The suggested security strategy is a hybrid cryptography approach that incorporates both symmetric key cryptography and asymmetric key cryptography in order to provide an increased level of protection for the system. Because it is not a complex system and uses less resources than other alternatives, the suggested solution is suitable for porting onto edge devices. When compared to the traditional technique, the time needed to generate a key was cut by a factor of 1e4, and the amount of time needed to encrypt data was cut by 20%. The throughput of the model that was suggested improved by 87%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the use of robot assisted neck dissection (RAND) as an alternative method for conventional neck dissection. Several recent reports have emphasized upon the feasibility and effectiveness of this technique. However, substantial technical and technological innovation is still essential in spite of the availability of multiple approaches for RAND. Materials and Methods: The present study describes a novel technique, i.e., Robotic Infraclavicular Approach for Minimally Invasive Neck Dissection (RIA MIND) used in head and neck cancers with the help of Intuitive da Vinci Xi Surgical System. Results: After RIA MIND procedure, the patient was discharged on the third post operative day. Also, the total wound size was less than 3.5 cm which enhanced the patient recovery time and required minimal post operative care. The patient was further reviewed 10 days after the procedure for the removal of sutures. Conclusion: RIA MIND technique was effective and safe for performing neck dissection for oral, head and neck cancers. However, additional detailed studies will be required for establishing this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was carried out during kharif, 2016 (June to October) at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Jagtial, Telangana, India to study the phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability (bs), and genetic advance (GA) for yield contributing characters of 40 maintainer lines of rice. The experiment was designed in RBD replicated twice. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among rice lines for 15 quantitative traits. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) value was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), indicating a negligible environmental influence in the phenotypic expression of traits. The PCV and GCV values were highest for the grains panicle-1 and moderate for bran oil percentage, indicating that these two characteristics have a higher variability within and between populations than other characteristics. All of the characters had high heritability. The range of bran oil content in the 40 maintainer lines used to assess the range of bran oil content was from 11.87% in line B11 to 19.35% in line JMS17B. The genetic advancewas greatest for number of grains panicle-1 (87.86%) and modest for bran oil %. The high and moderate estimations of genetic advance show that traits such as the number of tillers plant-1, test weight, L/B ratio, plant height, bran oil percentage, kernal breadth, grain yield plant-1 and kernal length were selected. The genetic advance obtained from the high and moderate estimates indicate that the selection for these characters can be used to improve the yield of the crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Colorectal carcinoma is the commonest gastrointestinal malignancy and one of the most common cancers worldwide. Colorectal carcinoma does not have any early signs. Unless a patient presents with tumor complication. Adenocarcinoma is by far the predominant histopathological type. Aim: Aim of the study was to study the various modes of clinical presentation and to evaluate pathological variants, distribution among various segments, associated prognosis and also to study the various therapeutic modalities available for effective management of colorectal carcinoma. Methods: 25 patients positively diagnosed as colon or rectal carcinoma were included in this study. The detailed history and proper clinical findings were noted. Relevant surgical procedures were done depending on site of growth, mode of presentation. The operative findings were entered and postoperative period was monitored. The patients were followed up for a variable period of time. Results: Colorectal carcinoma occurs predominantly in the group of 50-69 years. The overall common in males. The commonest symptoms were pain abdomen and Bleeding per rectum. Commonest site is sigmoid and rectum. Ulcero proliferative variety is most common. Commonest. Histological variety is moderately differentiated carcinoma. Conclusions: Colorectal carcinoma occurs predominantly in the age group of 50-69 years. The overall incidence common in males (52%). Lack of dietary fiber seems to be a common risk factor. The commonest symptoms were pain abdomen and bleeding per rectum. Patients presenting with obstruction have a poor prognosis. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and when done with adequate preparations, has a good prognosis in early cases. Commonest histopathological variety is moderately differentiated adeno carcinoma. For better results, patients must be screened and cases must be detected in early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of cholelithiasis has registered considerable rise in India in recent decades. The diagnosis and management of biliary diseases has become very accurate and easy with the availability of ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI, MRCP. Most of the cases of isolated chronic cholecystitis with cholelithiasis can be managed with minimally invasive surgery (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy). In this study patients with cholelithiasis who are admitted during April 2020 to Sep 2022 had been taken up for this study and evaluation. Aim and Objectives: To study the incidence of gallstone disease in relation to age and sex, the effect of diet in the formation of gallstones, the profile of clinical presentations of gallstones, the efficacy of different types of management for gallstone disease, the biochemical composition of gallstones in our patients, complications of gallstones, the associated diseases with gallstones. Materials and Methods: This study consists of 100 patients with cholelithiasis who were admitted and treated in our department, their thorough history was taken, necessary investigations were done with appropriate management and gall bladder was sent for HPE, gall stones were sent for bio chemical analysis. Conclusions: The incidence of gallstones was maximum in 4" and 6" decades. There was no significant sex difference in the study group (Ratio Female 526: Male 48%). Non vegetarians tend to have more gallstones than vegetarians. The most common clinical presentation was pain in the night hypochondrium followed by dyspepsia and other symptoms. Ultrasound was the best investigation for diagnosing cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the operation of choice for gall stones. Non operative therapies for gallstones have limited clinical applicability and require further development. Majority of the patients had mixed stones on biochemical analysis of gallstones. The most common complication which we came across was chronic cholecystitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets were processed at 250 °C and 300 °C by groove pressing, a severe plastic deformation technique to achieve grain refinement. The influence of processing temperature on the evolution of microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior was studied. Groove pressing significantly reduced the grain size of the alloy from 46 μm to 6.5 μm at 250 °C processing temperature. With the higher processing temperature (300 °C), grain growth (11.4 μm) was observed for the alloy. Number of twins appeared in the groove pressed samples. Higher hardness and tensile strength were measured for the groove pressed samples processed at 250 °C without significant loss in the ductility as reflected from the % of elongation due to the grain refinement. Corrosion performance of the samples assessed by potentiodynamic polarization studies indicated increased corrosion resistance for both of the grove pressed samples. However, sample at 300 °C exhibited better corrosion resistance compared with the sample processed at 250 °C. This can be understood by considering the effect of higher processing temperature on reducing the crystal imperfections which alters the corrosion behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metamaterial loaded circularly polarized fractal boundary patch antenna is investigated for applications at the ISM band. The suggested patch comprises of Minkowski fractal over metamaterial inspired reactive impedance substrate. Initially, asymmetrical Minkowski fractal curves are deployed at the edges of a square patch for generating the circular polarization (CP). Later, using metamaterial reactive impedance substrate as antenna loading, CP bandwidth is enhanced. The characteristics of the Minkowski fractals are adjusted to obtain the pure CP radiation. The metamaterial loaded Koch fractal antenna is also studied for CP emission. Minkowski antenna with fractal reactive impedance surface as metamaterial with iteration 1 is experimentally examined. The achieved 10-dB return loss and 3-dB axial ratio bandwidths are 40.7% and 7.47%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted during kharif season ( June–October) of 2016 at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture College, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Jagtial, Telangana, India. Forty (40) maintainer lines of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were grown in randomized block design replicated twice to find the relationships between the yield and its components, as well as their direct and indirect effects on the rice grain yield. Observations were recorded for yield, yield attributing characters and quality traits on five randomly selected competitive plants for each entry in each replication for 15 characters. The results revealed that the analysis of variance was significant for all the characters investigated. Grain yield was significantly correlated with its component characters like number of tillers plant-1 (0.9191**), panicle length (0.3339**), milling percentage (0.3214**) and hulling percentage (0.2873**) whereas it showed a negligible positive correlation with days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, kernel length, kernel breadth, L/B ratio, test weight, hulling percentage, and head rice recovery percentage. Path coefficient analysis revealed that number of tillers plant-1 (0.9439) exerted maximum positive direct effect on plant yield followed by kernel breadth, L/B ratio, panicle length, milling percentage, days to flowering and head rice recovery percentage indicated their importance in determining the complex character and therefore should be kept in mind while practicing selection aimed at improving the grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small heat shock protein (sHsp) family is a group of proteins in which some are induced in response to external stimuli, such as environmental and pathological stresses, while others are constitutively expressed. They show chaperone-like activity, protect cells from apoptosis, and maintain cytoskeletal architecture. Short sequences or fragments ranging from approximately 19-20 residues in sHsps were shown to display chaperone activity in vitro. These sequences are termed sHsp-derived mini-peptides/mini-chaperones. These peptides offer an advantage in providing protective and therapeutic effects over full-length proteins owing to their small molecular weight and easy uptake into the cells. Research on sHsp mini-chaperone therapy has recently received attention and advanced tremendously. sHsp mini-chaperones have shown a wide range of therapeutic effects, such as anti-aggregation of proteins, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, senolytic, and anti-platelet activity. The administration of mini-chaperones into the several disease animal models, including experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and thrombosis through various routes reduced symptoms or prevented the progression of the disease. However, it was found that the therapeutic potential of sHsp mini-chaperones is limited by their short turnover and enzymatic degradation in circulation. Nonetheless, carrier molecules approach such as nanoparticles, cell penetration peptides, and extracellular vesicles increased their efficacy by enhancing the uptake, retention time, protection from enzymatic degradation, and site-specific delivery without altering their biological activity. In this context, this review highlights the recent advances in the therapeutic potential of sHsp-derived mini-chaperones, their effect in experimental animal models, and approaches for increasing their efficacy. • Short sequences/fragments ranging approximately 19–20 residues in small heat shock protein (sHsp) acts as mini-chaperones. • sHsps (Hsp27, αAC and αBC) derived mini-chaperones show protective and therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo. • Carrier molecules such as nanoparticles, and protein polymers enhance the uptake and stability of mini-chaperones. • Delivery of the sHsps/their peptides with extracellular vesicles will offer a great opportunity as effective drug carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based deterioration analysis deals with estimating the correlation between the extent of deterioration in terms of changes in colour profiles of deteriorated surfaces with changes in the residual strength and durability. Analysis was performed on images of cubes of concrete immersed in acid, chloride and sulphate at 5% concentration for a period of 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. The colour profiles of deteriorated surfaces are analysed in CIE-XYZ colour space, and the respective chromaticity diagrams are investigated. The nature of change in the colour profile for respective immersion was investigated, attaining to the sample's absorption rate of the reagent, reagent concentration that was required to initiate chemical reactions and their respective reactivity rates. This study thus enables image-based identification of damage, analytical and non-subjective evaluation of the extent of deterioration and provides an insight into the interrelationship between the extent of deterioration and the performance in terms of strength and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports the unconventional exchange bias (EB) phenomena in an exchange-coupled hard and soft magnetic bilayer system and the tunability of EB. The EB phenomena, i.e., shifting of the hysteresis loop of the soft (Fe) layer is observed when the hard magnetic ( L 1 0 FePt) layer is under the remanent state indicating the development of unidirectional anisotropy. The nuclear resonant scattering measurements clearly reveal the development of unidirectional anisotropy in the soft magnetic (Fe) layer, when the hard magnetic layer is under the remanent state. The magnetization reversal process is investigated by measuring two in-plane orthogonal components of magnetization, i.e., parallel ( M ∥) and perpendicular ( M ⊥ ) to the applied field using the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). When the magnetic field is applied parallel (antiparallel) to the biasing field direction, ( H SAT ) magnetization reversal is nonuniform, and on the other hand, the rotation of magnetization is observed when the magnetic field is applied away from the H SAT direction. In addition, the sign inversion of the M ⊥ component is observed when the magnetic field is applied at the same angle on either side of the H SAT direction, which clearly imply the change in handedness of the chirality of spin structure during the magnetization reversal of the soft layer. Further, it is observed that the EB decreases with the increase of soft magnetic (Fe) layer thickness, demonstrating the tunable nature of EB phenomena even in these unconventional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of oxygen partial pressure (OPP) during deposition on the structural and ferroelectric properties of epitaxial SmFeO 3 (SFO) thin films is studied in the present report. The thin films are deposited using the pulsed laser ablation method. Two (00l) oriented substrates, viz., LaAlO 3 (LAO) and niobium doped SrTiO 3 (Nb:STO), are used for the deposition of films with 35 and 170 nm thicknesses at different OPP values. The prepared films are found to be of single phase and grow in the out-of-plane configuration SFO(hh0)/LAO(00l) using x-ray 2 θ − ω and ϕ scans. The epitaxial relationship between the substrate and the film, domain twinning, is confirmed by reciprocal space map measurements. Films of higher thickness exhibit tilted twin structures, more prominently for the films prepared at lower OPP. A significant change in the leakage current is observed as a function of OPP, and the results are explained in terms of the microstructure of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite minimally invasive neck dissection (MIND) being popular technique, there is a paucity of literature emphasizing its safety and efficacy. In this meta-analysis, we compared the efficacy and safety of MIND over CND techniques in treating oral/head and neck cancer. We systematically searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, from database inception to January, 2019 for the relevant studies comparing MIND and CND. Two independent reviewers performed quality check and data were extracted for primary outcomes to assess length of hospital stay, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss and retrieved lymph nodes. Drainage volume and duration, length of incision, satisfaction of scar and safety were the secondary outcomes. We analyzed the outcomes using standard mean differences (SMDs) and the relative risk that were pooled using random effect meta-analysis. Out of 144 studies, 17 met the final inclusion criteria. MIND technique has shown better overall efficacy with outcomes compared to CND except with duration of surgery (SMD 1.82, 95% CI 0.47–3.17). Lesser hospital stay, better nodal yield and less intra-operative blood loss was observed with MIND over CND. Duration and volume of wound drainage was comparably less in MIND with smaller length of incision. Postoperative complications were less and tolerable with MIND approach with superior cosmetic outcomes. MIND via endoscopic or robotic approach is safe and efficacious with equitable oncological outcomes in terms of lymph nodes yield compared to CND, but it requires longer surgery duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diversity-oriented, green, and eco-friendly synthesis of 5,5′-(indolylmethylene)bis(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione) derivatives has been developed by traditional condensation of 3-(1,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydrophthalazin-2-yl)-3-oxopropanenitrile, 1,5-substituted indole-3-carbaldehydes, and Meldrum's acid under green conditions. An exciting feature of this condensation is that the product structure is determined by the catalyst used. The reaction features easy workup, excellent yields, and the use of water as green solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the surface topology, optical, structural and electrical characteristics of e-beam evaporated manganese dioxide (MnO 2) films on p-InP using AFM, FESEM, UV–Vis, XRD, XPS and I–V procedures. The surface roughness of the MnO 2 was smooth from AFM and FESEM analysis. The optical bandgap of MnO 2 film was extracted from Tauc's plot. The outcomes endorse that the MnO 2 layer deposited on InP. Then, the Ti/MnO 2 /p-InP heterostructure (HS) was created with an MnO 2 interlayer to check the consequence of MnO 2 on the electrical features of the Ti/p-InP Schottky diode (SD). The I–V results demonstrated that the higher Φ b is acquired for the HS (0.90 eV) than the SD (0.84 eV), implying the MnO 2 layer alters the Ф b. Also, the Ф b , 'n' and R S of the SD and HS can be determined by utilizing Cheung's and Norde's functions. The estimated Ф b was almost similar, indicating the methodologies applied here are sturdy and effective. The determined N SS of the HS is lesser than the SD, implying that the MnO 2 interlayer has a significant role in the decrease in N SS. The forward bias log (I)-log(V) plot of the SD and HS indicates that the ohmic behavior and space charge limited the conduction process at lower-bias and higher-bias segments, respectively. The study outcomes suggested that the transition metal oxide MnO 2 layer would be favourable for creating MIS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peripheral arterial occlusive disease is responsible for a significant amount of morbidity and mortality in patients of endstage renal disease. This disease might not be as common as end-stage renal disease in vascular complications arising after renal transplant. The peripheral arterial occlusive disease is responsible for lower limb amputation in chronic kidney disease. It is important to identify the peripheral arterial occlusive disease as it may lead to septicaemia which in turn can result in multiple organ failure and thus can prove to be a potentially fatal complication of renal disease. Here the authors report a case of a 42-year-old female who had undergone a renal transplant four years back. She presented with breathlessness and bilateral pedal oedema along with autoamputation of toes and ultimately had to be taken for haemodialysis. The patient was intrervene for an arteriovenous fistula for haemodialysis in view of graft rejection. Through this brief case report, the authors highlight the importance of a neglected autoamputation which was a missed warning sign of impending renal graft rejection in the present case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we reported the synthesis of N-substituted imidazole derivatives (VIa–o) that involves Suzuki coupling reaction between 1-(2-((4-bromobenzyl)oxy)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (V) and various aryl boronic acids using Pd(dppf)Cl2 with DCM as the catalyst in 1,4-dioxane/H2O (2 : 1) solvent and using potassium carbonate as base. All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral data. They were screened for their antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus where the compounds 4-(4-((1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethoxy)methyl)phenyl)pyridine (VIc), 1-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-((3'-fluoro-4'-methoxy-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methoxy)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (VIe), 4'-((1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethoxy)methyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carbonitrile (VIi), 1-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-((3'-fluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methoxy)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (VIj), 1-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-((4'-fluoro-3'-methyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methoxy)ethyl)-1H-imidazole (VIn) and 4-(4-((1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethoxy)methyl)phenyl)-1H-pyrazole (VIo) exhibited remarkable activity compared to the reference streptomycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic plastics derived from fossil fuels—such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene—are non-degradable. A large amount of plastic waste enters landfills and pollutes the environment. Hence, there is an urgent need to produce biodegradable plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs have garnered increasing interest as replaceable materials to conventional plastics due to their broad applicability in various purposes such as food packaging, agriculture, tissue-engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery. Based on the chain length of 3-hydroxyalkanoate repeat units, there are three types PHAs, i.e., short-chain-length (scl-PHAs, 4 to 5 carbon atoms), medium-chain-length (mcl-PHAs, 6 to 14 carbon atoms), and long-chain-length (lcl-PHAs, more than 14 carbon atoms). Previous reviews discussed the recent developments in scl-PHAs, but there are limited reviews specifically focused on the developments of mcl-PHAs. Hence, this review focused on the mcl-PHA production, using various carbon (organic/inorganic) sources and at different operation modes (continuous, batch, fed-batch, and high-cell density). This review also focused on recent developments on extraction methods of mcl-PHAs (solvent, non-solvent, enzymatic, ultrasound); physical/thermal properties (Mw, Mn, PDI, Tm, Tg, and crystallinity); applications in various fields; and their production at pilot and industrial scales in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase diagram of FeVO4-CrVO4 solid solutions pertinent with structural and magnetic phases is presented with unambiguous experimental evidences. Solid solutions Fe1–xCrxVO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) were synthesized through the standard solid state route and studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectra of X-rays, Raman spectroscopy, d.c. magnetization, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. FeVO4 and CrVO4 were found to be in triclinic (P-1 space group) and orthorhombic structures (Cmcm space group), respectively. Cr incorporation into the FeVO4 lattice leads to the emergence of a new monoclinic phase dissimilar to the both end members of the solid solutions. In Fe1–xCrxVO4 up to x=0.10, no discernible changes in the triclinic structure were found. A new structural monoclinic phase (C2/m space group) emerges within the triclinic phase at x=0.125, and with the increase in Cr content, it gets stabilized with clear single phase signatures in the range of x=0.175–0.25 as evidenced by the Rietveld analysis of the structures. Beyond x=0.33, orthorhombic phase similar to CrVO4 (Cmcm space group) emerges and coexists with a monoclinic structure up to x=0.85, which finally tends to stabilize in the range of x=0.90–1.00. The Raman spectroscopic studies also confirm the structural transition. FeVO4 Raman spectra show the modes related to three nonequivalent V ions in the triclinic structure, where up to 42 Raman modes are observed in the present study. With the stabilization of structures having higher symmetry, the number of Raman modes decreases and the modes related to symmetry inequivalent sites collate into singular modes from the doublet structure. A systematic crossover from two magnetic transitions in FeVO4, at 21.5K and 15.4K to single magnetic transition in CrVO4, at 71K (antiferromagnetic transition), is observed in magnetization studies. The intermediate solid solution with x=0.15 shows two magnetic transitions, whereas in the compound with x=0.33 one of the magnetic transitions disappears. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic studies show a finger print evidence for disappearance of non-equivalent sites of Fe as the structure changes from Triclinic–Monoclinic–Orthorhombic phases with the increasing Cr content in Fe1–xCrxVO4. Comprehensive studies related to the structural changes in Fe1–xCrxVO4 solid solutions lead us to detailed phase diagrams which shall be characteristic for room temperature structural and temperature dependent magnetic transitions in these solid solutions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports the magnetic domain evolution during the magnetization reversal and the training effect in a polycrystalline Co/CoO exchange bias system. Co/CoO bilayers with different cobalt (Co) layer thicknesses are being studied. The measurements are carried out using the Kerr microscopy at different temperatures (≥ 80 K) after the field-cooling across the Néel temperature of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) CoO layer. It is observed that with the increasing ferromagnetic (FM) Co layer thickness, the exchange bias reduces and the training effect becomes weaker. Analysis of the temperature variation of the exchange bias field indicates an increasing disorder at the FM-AFM interface with the decreasing FM thickness. Two different training effects, viz., athermal and thermal mechanisms, are observed depending on the thickness of the FM layer. For the lower FM thickness an athermal training effect is observed, whereas for the thicker FM layer thermal training effect is dominated. The domain structure of FM layers drastically changes during the athermal training effect with the cycling and domain size significantly decreasing during the magnetization reversal process below blocking temperature (TB), whereas in the thermal training mechanism no significant changes are found in the magnetic domain evolution throughout the temperature range with cycling. These results are expected to provide key inputs to various theoretical models that are being used to study the exchange bias phenomena in the recent literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]