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The incidence of postpartum haemorrhage has been increasing in several developed countries over the past two decades. Obese women are at increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage. Till date BMI has been used to define obesity. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness (SCFT) can be used as a measure for central obesity and can be measured by ultrasound easily. The present study was done to find association between maternal BMI and SCFT with development of PPH and to find a cut-off value of BMI and SCFT for prediction of risk of PPH. Methods: 200 women with live singleton pregnancy of 16-18 weeks gestation were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous thickness was measured by USG. All women were monitored till delivery and observed for PPH. All data were entered into MS excel sheet and analysed. Results: Mean BMI was significantly more in women who had PPH (25.85 ± 3.24 vs 22.63 ± 2.80 kg/m2, p

Aim: To identify prevalence of different types of urinary incontinence and risk factors associated with them. Study Design: This was a cross sectional study conducted between March 2021 to March 2022 at outpatient department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at SMS medical college, Jaipur. 100 women with complaint of leakage of urine were enrolled in study and data was collected as face to face interview with questionnaires. The data is expressed as mean, median, standard deviation. P values are calculated and

The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has rendered establishing business extremely challenging. As international borders collapse, brick-and-mortar shops lock their doors, and consumers are advised to stay home alone, enterprises are faced with a number of new issues. With personnel facing seasons of financial uncertainty and anxieties, several enterprises are considering temporary or even permanent closure. Massive changes in consumer behavior had to be made right away. People in isolation or on lockdown are unable to go about their normal business because nearby stores were compelled to close their doors for everyone's protection. This study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19's scope on Indian e-commerce companies. This study investigates if the coronavirus caused an increase in e-commerce.

Introduction: Foetal macrosomia is defined as a birth weight above the 90th percentile for gestational age or a birth weight ≥4000 g. Maternal obesity is one of the risk factors for foetal macrosomia. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness can be used as a marker for central obesity. This present study was done to find association of maternal BMI and abdominal SCFT with macrosomia and to find a cut-off value of BMI and SCFT for prediction of macrosomia. Methods: 200 women, with live singleton pregnancy of 16-18 weeks of gestation were included after written informed consent. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous thickness was measured by ultrasonography. Women were followed till delivery and birth weight was calculated and babies with birth weight >4000 gm were diagnosed to be macrosomic. Data were analyses. Results: Spearman correlation between SCFT and neonatal weight shows a significant but weak positive linear relation (r= 0.4325, p- 0.000). Mean SCFT was significantly more in women with macrosomia (17.26 ± 2.6 vs. 12.35 ± 3.05 mm, p 0.0005 respectively) ROC curve analysis for ASCFT showed that ASCFT above 14.3 mm (AUC=0.970) predicted macrosomia with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 73%. Increased abdominal SCFT was significantly associated with increased risk of developing macrosomia. Using 14.3 mm cut -off value (by ROC curve) for ASCFT, the odd ratio of macrosomia was 30 (95% CI 1.6341-553.2106, p 0.02). Conclusion: Our study found that measurement of SCFT at 16-18 weeks is a significant predictor of macrosomia.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for cesarean delivery. BMI is the most frequently used parameters to define and to assess risk of pregnancy related complications. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness (SCFT) can be used as a measure of obesity. The present study was done to find association of maternal SCFT with risk of cesarean section. Methods: 200 women with singleton live pregnancy at 16-18 weeks were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. Ultrasonography was done to assess foetal wellbeing and rule out congenital malformation. Maternal abdominal subcutaneous thickness was measured. All women were followed during labour till discharge. ROC curve analysis was done to predict the risk of cesarean section. Odd ratio for SCFT mediated risk of cesarean section was calculated. Results: 32.5% women had cesarean delivery. Mean SCFT was also significantly more in women delivered by cesarean than who delivered vaginally (p

We investigate the role of electron correlation in the electronic structure of honeycomb lattice Li2RuO3 using photoemission spectroscopy and band structure calculations. Monoclinic Li2RuO3 having Ru network as honeycomb lattice undergoes magneto-structural transition at T c ∼ 540 K from high temperature phase C2/m to low temperature dimerized phase P21/m. Room temperature valence band photoemission spectra reveal an insulating ground state with no intensity at Fermi level (E F). Ru 4d band extracted from high and low photon energy valence band photoemission spectra reveal that the surface and bulk electronic structures are very similar in this system. Band structure calculations using generalized gradient approximation leads to metallic ground state while screened hybrid (YS-PBE0) functional reveals opening up of a gap in almost degenerate d zx /d yz orbitals, whereas d xy orbital is already gapped. Ru 3d core level spectra with prominent unscreened feature provides direct evidence of strong electron correlation among Ru 4d electrons which is also manifested by |E − E F|2 dependence of spectral density of states in the vicinity of E F in the high-resolution spectra, establishing Li2RuO3 as Mott insulator.

In this work, we have investigated the precursor effects to superconductivity in BaPb

In this work, we have investigated the precursor effects to superconductivity in BaPb0.75Bi0.25O3 using temperature dependent resistivity, x-ray diffraction technique and photoemission spectroscopy. The present compound exhibits superconductivity around 11 K ( T C ). The synthesis procedure adopted is much simpler as compared to the procedure available in the literature. In the temperature range (10 K–25 K) i.e. above T C , our results show an increase in both the orthorhombic and tetragonal strain. The well screened features observed in Bi and Pb 4 f 7 / 2 core levels are indicative of the metallic nature of the sample. The compound exhibits finite intensity at the Fermi level at 300 K and this intensity decreases with decrease in temperature and develops into a pseudogap; the energy dependence of the spectral density of states suggests disordered metallic state. Furthermore, our band structure calculations reveal that the structural transition upon Pb doping results in the closing of the band gap at the Fermi level.

Condition monitoring is a cutting-edge method in machine maintenance that analyzes the performance of machines on the basis of data gathered from sensors that have previously been placed on the machines themselves. The parameters of the machines are examined to see whether there is a significant change that indicates the presence of a defect in the manufacturing process. This constitutes a major portion of precognitive support. Plants and equipment have failed in the past, and this article seeks to determine why this has happened. Within a typical plant, monitoring frameworks and condition checking are coordinated in order to increase the plant and equipment observing frameworks. Observational apparatuses of the nature of the conditions used in the temperature, vibration, spillage, consumption, and splitting screens have been installed and are being used.

In the past three decades, every nation has included information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a necessary part to run the government services efficiently and effectively. ICTs have been incorporated in the internal and external processes of the personalized and responsive e-government services. Indeed, these services can enhance the citizen’s end-to-end experience and service delivery in the public sector. Every government, thus, has initiated the procurement of advanced technology, technology skills, innovation capabilities, and digital public services to enhance the quality of service, public trust in government policies with a better citizen outcome. The present study undertakes index scores of 100 top countries based on government artificial intelligence readiness index (AIRI) provided by Oxford Insights in 2019 to investigate the impact of digital capabilities and services on the government vision of the future. The findings suggest that the improvement in government procurement of advanced technology, and innovation capabilities of a nation can be significant in ‘ICTs to government vision of the future.’

We investigate the role of electron correlation in the electronic structure of honeycomb lattice Li

Heavy metal contamination of agricultural fields has become a global concern as it causes a direct impact on human health. Rice is the major food crop for almost half of the world population and is grown under diverse environmental conditions, including heavy metal-contaminated soil. In recent years, the impact of heavy metal contamination on rice yield and grain quality has been shown through multiple approaches. In this review article, different aspects of heavy metal stress, that is uptake, transport, signaling and tolerance mechanisms, are comprehensively discussed with special emphasis on rice. For uptake, some of the transporters have specificity to one or two metal ions, whereas many other transporters are able to transport many different ions. After uptake, the intercellular signaling is mediated through different signaling pathways involving the regulation of various hormones, alteration of calcium levels, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Heavy metal stress signals from various intermediate molecules activate various transcription factors, which triggers the expression of various antioxidant enzymes. Activated antioxidant enzymes then scavenge various reactive oxygen species, which eventually leads to stress tolerance in plants. Non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as ascorbate, metalloids, and even metal-binding peptides (metallothionein and phytochelatin) can also help to reduce metal toxicity in plants. Genetic engineering has been successfully used in rice and many other crops to increase metal tolerance and reduce heavy metals accumulation. A comprehensive understanding of uptake, transport, signaling, and tolerance mechanisms will help to grow rice plants in agricultural fields with less heavy metal accumulation in grains.

Dietary restriction (DR) has long been viewed as the most robust nongenetic means to extend lifespan and healthspan. Many aging-associated mechanisms are nutrient responsive, but despite the ubiquitous functions of these pathways, the benefits of DR often vary among individuals and even among tissues within an individual, challenging the aging research field. Furthermore, it is often assumed that lifespan interventions like DR will also extend healthspan, which is thus often ignored in aging studies. In this review, we provide an overview of DR as an intervention and discuss the mechanisms by which it affects lifespan and various healthspan measures. We also review studies that demonstrate exceptions to the standing paradigm of DR being beneficial, thus raising new questions that future studies must address. We detail critical factors for the proposed field of precision nutrigeroscience, which would utilize individualized treatments and predict outcomes using biomarkers based on genotype, sex, tissue, and age.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attained a pandemic status and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Social isolation, fear of ostracization, and illness itself and limited access to care can lead to worsening of mental illnesses. We report a case from the United States describing a young male with a suicidal attempt who was subsequently found to have COVID-19 infection. Further research is needed to evaluate potential factors for this unique association.

Noncoding RNAs have been widely recognized as essential mediators of gene regulation. However, in contrast to protein-coding genes, much less is known about the influence of noncoding RNAs on human diseases. Here we examined the association of genetic variants located in primary microRNA sequences and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with Alzheimer disease (AD) by leveraging data from the largest genome-wide association meta-analysis of late-onset AD. Variants annotated to 5 miRNAs and 10 lncRNAs (in seven distinct loci) exceeded the Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold (p G) at the 17q22 locus annotated to two noncoding RNAs (MIR142 and BZRAP1-AS) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of AD and fulfilled predefined criteria for being a functional variant. Our functional genomic analyses revealed that rs2526377 affects the promoter activity and decreases the expression of miR-142. Moreover, differential expression analysis by RNA-Seq in human iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells and the hippocampus of miR-142 knockout mice demonstrated multiple target genes of miR-142 in the brain that are likely to be involved in the inflammatory and neurodegenerative manifestations of AD. These include TGFBR1 and PICALM, of which their derepression in the brain due to reduced expression levels of miR-142-3p may reduce the risk of AD.

Microalgae have great potential for the production of lipids that can be converted into biodiesel. Glycerol is generated as a by-product of the transesterification reaction of the lipid produced by the algae into biodiesel. The process of converting this crude glycerol into the pharmaceutical grade is expensive. Also, glycerol formation from biodiesel production creates surplus glycerol reserves. In this review, the use of crude glycerol as a carbon source for the mixotrophic growth of Chlorella Sp. is discussed. Addition of other nutritional sources like nitrogen and phosphorus was also systematically studied and the relationship between the concentration of these nutrients and the growth pattern of the algae was analyzed which is presented in the article as well. , , Crude Glycerol, Nitrogen Sources, Phosphorus Addition

Evaluation of nutritionally enhanced biofortified dietary interventions that increase lifespan may uncover cost-effective and sustainable approaches for treatment of age-related morbidities and increasing healthy life expectancy. In this study, we report that anthocyanin rich, high yielding crossbred blue wheat prolongs lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster in different dietary contexts. In addition to functioning as an antioxidant rich intervention, the biofortified blue wheat also works through modulating expression of DR pathway genes including AMPK alpha, SREBP, PEPCK and Cry. Supplementation with blue- or purple-colored wheat provided better protection against paraquat-induced oxidative stress than control diet and increased survivability of flies in which superoxide dismutase 2 was knocked down conditionally in adults. Lastly, our findings indicate that supplementing biofortified blue wheat formulated diet prevented the decrease in lifespan and cardiac structural pathologies associated with intake of high fat diet. Overall, our findings indicate that plant-based diets formulated with biofortified cereal crops promote healthy ageing and delay progression of diseases that are exacerbated by accumulation of oxidative damage.

The functional and structural versatility of Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) makes them ideal candidates for overcoming the limitations imposed by small molecule-based drugs. Hence, RNA-based biopharmaceuticals such as messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNA mimics, anti-miRNA oligonucleotides (AMOs), aptamers, riboswitches, and CRISPR-Cas9 are emerging as vital tools for the treatment and prophylaxis of many infectious diseases. Some of the major challenges to overcome in the area of RNA-based therapeutics have been the instability of single-stranded RNAs, delivery to the diseased cell, and immunogenicity. However, recent advancements in the delivery systems of in vitro transcribed mRNA and chemical modifications for protection against nucleases and reducing the toxicity of RNA have facilitated the entry of several exogenous RNAs into clinical trials. In this review, we provide an overview of RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, their production, delivery, current advancements, and future translational potential in treating infectious diseases.

Among the 113 lipases present in rice genome, bran and endosperm-specific lipases were identified and lipase activity for one of the selected lipase gene is demonstrated in yeast. Rice bran is nutritionally superior than endosperm as it has major reservoirs of various minerals, vitamins, essential mineral oils and other bioactive compounds, however it is often under-utilized as a food product due to bran instability after milling. Various hydrolytic enzymes, such as lipases, present in bran causes degradation of the lipids present and are responsible for the bran instability. Here, in this study, we have systematically analyzed the 113 lipase genes present in rice genome, and identified 21 seed-specific lipases. By analyzing the expression of these genes in different seed tissues during seed development, we have identified three bran-specific and three endosperm-specific lipases, and one lipase which expresses in both bran and endosperm tissues. Further analysis of these genes during seed maturation and seed germination revealed that their expression increases during seed maturation and decreases during seed germination. Finally, we have shown the lipase activity for one of the selected genes, LOC_Os05g30900, in heterologous system yeast. The bran-specific lipases identified in this study would be very valuable for engineering designer rice varieties having increased bran stability in post-milling.

Dietary restriction (DR) extends healthy lifespan in diverse species. Age and nutrient-related changes in the abundance of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their processing factors have been linked to organismal longevity. However, the mechanisms by which they modulate lifespan and the tissue-specific role of miRNA mediated networks in DR dependent enhancement of lifespan remains largely unexplored. We show that two neuronally enriched and highly conserved microRNAs, miR-125 and let-7 mediate the DR response in Drosophila melanogaster. Functional characterization of miR-125 demonstrates its role in neurons while its target chinmo acts both in neurons and the fat body to modulate fat metabolism and longevity. Proteomic analysis revealed that Chinmo exerts its DR effects by regulating expression of FATP, CG2017, CG9577, CG17554, CG5009, CG8778, CG9527 and FASN1. Our findings identify miR-125 as a conserved effector of DR pathway and open up the avenue for this small RNA molecule and its downstream effectors to be considered as potential drug candidates for treatment of late-onset diseases and biomarkers for healthy aging in humans.

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is the most common approach to quantify changes in gene expression. Appropriate internal reference genes are essential for normalization of data of RT-qPCR. In the present study, we identified suitable reference genes for analysis of gene expression in rice seedlings subjected to different heavy metal stresses such as deficiencies of iron and zinc and toxicities of cobalt, cadmium and nickel. First, from publically available RNA-Seq data we identified 10 candidate genes having stable expression. We also included commonly used house-keeping gene OsUBQ5 (Ubiquitin 5) in our analysis. Expression stability of all the 11 genes was determined by two independent tools, NormFinder and geNorm. Our results show that selected candidate reference genes have higher stability in their expression compared to that of OsUBQ5. Genes with locus ID LOC_Os03g16690, encoding an oxysterol-binding protein (OsOBP) and LOC_Os01g56580, encoding Casein Kinase_1a.3 (OsCK1a.3) were identified to be the most stably expressed reference genes under most of the conditions tested. Finally, the study reveals that it is better to use a specific reference gene for a specific heavy metal stress condition rather than using a common reference gene for multiple heavy metal stress conditions. The reference genes identified here would be very useful for gene expression studies under heavy metal stresses in rice.

We present the electronic structure of MnTiO3 using high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on polycrystalline samples using different surface preparation methods. Core level spectra corresponding to Mn 2p and Ti 2p have been investigated on fractured and subsequently scraped sample surfaces. All the core level spectra corresponding to fractured sample show a shift of about 0.6 eV towards lower binding energy in comparison to the core level spectra of the scraped sample. This shift may be due to charging of the scraped sample surface owing to highly insulating nature of the sample. Apart from this shift, multipletstructure in Mn 2p3/2 are well resolved in case of fractured sample. This suggests that the fractured surfaces provide the intrinsic electronic structure of the material.

Core level photoemission spectra of honeycomb lattice Li2RuO3 has been studied employing x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Various core levels such as O1s, Ru3pandRu3dhave been measured at different temperatures. Room temperature Ru 3d core level spectra with spin orbit splitting of about 4.1 eV shows prominent unscreened feature suggesting system to be Mott insulator. Unusual evolution of screened feature in Ru3d core level with decrease in temperature is supported by Ru3p core level spectra in which the unscreened feature reduces with the decreasing temperature.

E-rickshaws have gained significant attention as green and sustainable transport alternative to conventional fossil fuel based auto rickshaws in shaping the rural and urban mobility of India as well as most of the Asian countries. Energy storage system is the main attribute contributing to the technical and economical aspects of an E-rickshaw throughout its lifetime. Lead-acid batteries are the widely used energy storage device in conventional E-rickshaws; and it is important to extend the lifetime of these batteries. Taking this into consideration, we evaluate the possibilities of upgrading the conventional E-rickshaw in terms of energy generation and storage systems for the techno-economic benefit. In this line, we consider the incorporation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panel to assist E-rickshaw with i) conventional lead-acid battery ii) supercapacitor (SC) and iii) combination of both the battery and the SC as energy storage system. For evaluation, we consider a real drive cycle. All the considered E-rickshaw configurations are modelled and simulated in MATLAB environment to analyse the economic benefits of the solar assisted E-rickshaw over the conventional E-rickshaw for a vehicle lifespan of 10 years. The results indicate that the solar assisted E-rickshaws are economically beneficial in comparison to the conventional one. Moreover, SC storage is the best option for this particular and similar drive cycle with frequent start stop provided grid charging facilities are available in the terminals.

Electronic structure of polycrystalline BaRuO3 with 9R structure and Ba0.8Sr0.2RuO3 with 4H structure have been investigated using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. Both the systems exhibit Fermi cut off at room temperature exhibiting metallic character. Comparison of experimental valence band spectra with available band structure calculations suggest weak/negligible electron correlation strength among these 4d transition metal oxides. Interestingly, 4H-Ba0.8Sr0.2RuO3 exhibits flat spectral density of states while 9R-BaRuO3 shows a dip at Fermi level indicating presence of a pseudogap.

Transportation electrification has been considered as one of the promising solutions towards clean environment. On-board Energy Storage System (ESS) has significant influence on the cost and reliability of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Furthermore, the choice of the ESS in terms of type and size, i.e., its capacity heavily depends on the driving patterns which, usually, vary significantly depending on factors like driver characteristics, geographical locations and traffic congestion. Hence, it is crucial to understand the effect of driving patterns/cycles on the sizing of ESS in order to avoid over/under-sizing. In this context, we investigate the effect of driving cycle uncertainties on the optimal sizing of ESS in EVs. We specifically focus on the uncertainty arising from the unpredictability of the future state of speed and acceleration and model the same as a scaling factor on velocity-magnitudes and time-windows of the velocity profile. Subsequently, (i) we derive the quantitative relationship between uncertainty and corresponding change in ESS size based on four thousand test driving cycles; (ii) we develop a framework which provides a guideline towards the choice of appropriate sizing of ESS in EVs subject to uncertainty in driving cycle; and (iii) we propose a machine-learning based framework that can enable a data-driven approach for ESS sizing with lower computational requirement. We choose a city bus application to illustrate our approach and consider three different ESS configurations: (i) Li-ion battery alone, (ii) Supercapacitor alone, and (iii) Battery–Supercapacitor hybrid ESS.

Background: In developing countries like India, low birth weight is a challenging and important public health problem as it has adverse effect on growth and development of children. Vitamin B12 and folate are micronutrients essential for normal foetal growth and development. Maternal folate and B12 concentrations have been positively associated with birth weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal folate and vitamin B12 status in pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy and to find their relation with foetal birth weight.Methods: 171 pregnant women in their third trimester with live singleton pregnancy were included in the study. S. vitamin B12 and folate levels were measured and results were analysed.Results: Mean maternal vitamin B12 level in mothers with LBW infants was significantly lower than that of mothers of ABW infants (143.23±91.79 vs 188.8±109.64 respectively p≤0.001) and mean maternal folate level in mothers with LBW infants was lower than that of mothers of ABW infants (8.46±8.94 vs 9.96±12.57 respectively p=0.054). There was a weak positive but statistically significant correlation between baby weight (kg) and S. vitamin B12 (rho=0.24, p=0.002) and S. folate (rho=0.17, p=0.029).Conclusions: The present study confirms that maternal low vitamin B12 level and low S. folate levels are associated with low birth weight so during antenatal visit women should be screened for vitamin B12 and folate deficiency and vitamin supplementation should be continued throughout the pregnancy.